“E cosa ci fa alla Villa Pallavicini?” asked the driver, to know what I was going to do at the villa. I answered that I was going to live there, and a look of amazement came over his face. “Non sapevo nemmeno che ci fossero persone che ci vivevano”, he replied. After a few minutes, we came to a gate blocking our way. The driver rang the bell and the gate opened itself. I can honestly say that the building I live in is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve seen in Bologna to this point. The inside is a perfect example of seventeenth century Italian architecture, and the outside has a simple, yet extremely classy, modern style. I walked in and saw three people waiting with luggage just as huge as mine. The owner introduced himself, and we all started a tour of what would become our home for the next five months.
The student quarters are actually typical of a university residence. The twenty of us have a room that we share with a roommate, and there are approximately seven washrooms. I had debated for a very long time; should I live in a residence or find myself an apartment somewhere downtown Bologna? My decision, which makes complete sense now that I’m looking back, was to start up here and move into an apartment after a month or two. Honestly, if everything continues to be as it is now, I doubt that I’ll find myself another place to stay.
The people here are from all over. Those who did the tour with me are from Germany, Lithuania and Slovakia. Other countries represented in our house are Russia, Moldova, Turkey, Holland, Romania and Poland, to name only a few. We mostly talk to each other in English as some of them don’t speak Italian. However, there are a few people with whom I always speak Italian, and of course we sometimes bring our Italian friends over, and we all switch to their language when it is necessary.
Now is probably the right time to introduce my roommate. The fact that we share our mother tongue is probably one of the reasons why we became such good friends in a very short period of time. His name is David, he’s from Lyon and he studies cinema. It is thanks to him that I didn’t feel completely lost in this new city. He introduced me to nice people and he brought me to some of the greatest bars and clubs in Bologna. What I like the most about him is that he knows how to have fun, but is also extremely smart. He has opinions and isn’t shy to communicate them.
The more I get to know the people I'm living with, the more I like them. Every one of them has something special and unique that makes me want to know who they are. Eventually, I’m sure we’ll become a family of foreign people in Italy.
Overall, my first week in Italy wasn’t about Italian culture. It was about putting a new life together in a foreign country. Yes, I drank, partied, danced and had fun, but most importantly, I created the basis of what I’m sure will become the adventure of a lifetime. Do not worry, my friends; I shall describe in detail life in Italy in my next entries. It simply wasn’t at the center of this first week. Je vous dirai ceci toutefois: l’Italie est magnifique. I’m looking forward to meeting more Italian people; talking to them as well as understanding their mentality and points of views. This is only the beginning, and I’m sure the rest of it will simply be memorable. And now, as I’m running out of inspiration, I’ll go cook myself some insanely delicious tortellini.
No comments:
Post a Comment