Waking up to church bells...

I woke up to church bells ringing. Such a relaxing way to wake up, even though shortly after you hear car horns beeping bringing you back to reality. Church bells comfort me when they ring. They are a symbol of my culture and I feel at home. When I was in Turkey, I constantly heard the call to prayer over the loud speakers. At first, they freaked me out then I finally tuned them out. But, they don't bring comfort to me like church bells. I've been told that some people actually found comfort in the call to prayer but it never had that effect on me. Church bells have a soft and soothing sound to them, a melody that calms me.

I wouldn't consider myself very religious. I hardly go to church in America mostly for political reasons. I feel the Catholic church has too many rules and that God doesn't care if you kneel at this moment, say a certain word, dress a certain way, etc. In America, especially, I always get upset at church and don't go because it stresses me out and I'd rather have a one on one relationship than go to church. In Italy, and other countries around the world, I feel comforted when I go into church. The rules are laid back, at least what I've noticed, and you get to appreciate art and beauty when you walk into a church. Most Italians don't go to church every sunday either. Only in America, there is a significant population that attend mass regularly.

On that note, I am going to church today. Again, it comforts me and I know I can go if I want to, unlike in Turkey, where it was hard for me to find a church. It gives me a place and time to think and reflect, especially since I can't understand Italian completely and I need something to do while the priest is talking :)

I wish you all a wonderful Sunday.

Mio Nonno

For those of you who know me really well, you know how important my grandfather was, well still is to me today. He is the reason why I am here, in Italy.

My grandfather, Salvatore, also known as "Sammy" to many of his cousins, grew up in Sicily. I was fortunate enough to travel to Sicily with him 9 years ago. During that trip, I learned a lot about his childhood in Sicily. I wish I could have spoken better Italian (well Sicilian) at the time to understand what all of his cousins were actually saying about him. I could tell they shared many stories from the past and reminisced about all those memorable times. I remember someone translating or giving a few words about one particular story. It involved my grandpa and maybe a few of his other male cousins, a donkey, and his uncles yelling at the kids for letting the donkey out of the barn, which was at this point running down the street. There were many laughs as they reminisced.

For me, Italy (Sicily) reminds me of my grandfather. Yes, my grandmother is Sicilian too but she grew up in America. My grandfather stayed in contact with his family in Sicily for all of his life. He still felt it was a part of his home. I could feel it when we walked into his old house, which still had the original tile floor, and barn 9 years ago. Because of this, I have felt a strong connection with Italy as well. It was his home, where my family came from meaning it is part of my home. And it does feel like home to me. I feel comfortable and at home.

As I got older and started to travel more and more, I would tell my grandfather that I hoped to go to Italy one day and possibly work. I told him I wanted to speak Italian. I took classes at my university in preparation for the one day of possibly living and working in Italy. He would help me with my pronunciation and encourage me by telling me that I would learn it one day. Unfortunately, he passed away before I started my second course in Italian.

Even though, my grandfather is no longer here on Earth, I know that he is guiding me and helping me in every step of my new journey.

A day of relaxation

Today is a lazy day :) I got a good night's sleep last night. I woke up hearing children's voices outside (my apartment is in the middle of three schools). I opened the doors and let in the sun and the heat! I love that I can open the doors, let in the sunlight and not worry about bugs! Well there is one fly that likes to keep me company, but we get along on average:) I ate breakfast (cereal) and then a few hours passed so I thought I would make lunch since it was past lunch time. I had salad and eggplant that Simona's mother gave me. It was delicious. I think the eggplant was grilled first, so all I had to do was reheat it and eat it! Her mother told me to pour olive oil over it, cut up some garlic and then eat it. I did what I was told but added some fresh basil and cheese because I love cheese :) Here is a picture.

My lesson got cancelled today so it is a free day for me :) I think that I may organize myself a little and get ready to do something, not sure what, but I'll be ready! 

My weekend with Simona

Simona is the secretary at school. She is only a few months younger than me and full of enthusiasm and life. When she found out that I would be alone this weekend, she invited me to hang out with her. On Saturday, we first went shopping at the shopping center and got necessary food items. Then that evening she took me to one of her favorite places to eat pizza. Apparently, she, like many others, always eats pizza Saturday night. We had the classic Margherita pizza but it was made with the traditional Neapolitan Buffalo Mozzarella, so therefore its name was something like Buffalina. I ended up eating the whole thing!!! There was also a soccer match on while we were eating pizza. You could hear the screams as soon as Naples scored. Naples ended up winning 3-0 Inter. 

After the pizza, Simona took me to Naples. We ate gelato. It was delicious! I will have to remember all these places she took me to because they were great! We walked around the town. Simona decided to wear her new shoes around and unfortunately one shoe gave her some pain. We decided to sit down and enjoy a drink. I had wine of course :) and Simona had the only drink she likes, Irish Cream (Baileys). While we were drinking our drinks, I people watched. I kept thinking, these guys don’t seem anything like American guys, the way they dress, walked, etc.

I came home at a decent hour, around 1 am. We decided to meet Sunday at 11am for Sfogliatella. So, Simona arrived at 11am and we went to Naples. We went to Carraturo, apparently the best pastry shop in Naples. We ate Sfogliatella, a pastry with a filling similar to a cannoli filling. It was delicious! Then we drove back to Acerra to have lunch with Simona’s family.

I arrived at Simona’s house with great welcomes from her family. The table was set with the good china in honor of me. I was fed so much food! :) It was all-delicious too! We started with the carne (meat) because as how the father described it to me in Italian, is that you get full off the pasta and don’t have enough room for the good stuff, the meat, so we will eat the meat first and the pasta second. So, we ate the meat first. It was great! I started off with a larger portion but told them that I eat a little. They just kept saying, big deal. One day out of the week you eat a lot, the rest of the week, you don’t eat. But, I knew that there would be more food coming so I insisted that my portion be cut in half. They obliged.  Then the pasta came. Again, I said perfecto to the amount but somehow more got put on my dish. I was very full at this point. Then the roasted pork, peppers, spinach, olives and eggplant were put on the table. I kept saying “Mamma Mia” :) Oh, I forgot to mention at the beginning of the meal, red wine was poured into my glass. I drank it and finished it. Once we began to eat more, they asked if I wanted more wine. I said, “No, I am full.” Well the next thing I know, the grandma grabbed the wine and is pouring me a glass filled to the brim. I thought to myself, well I guess I shouldn’t disrespect my elders. :)

Then the fried zucchini flowers came on the table with a basket full of nuts. Oh, was I full! I took many breaks and ate slowly. They were going to pull out the dessert but I said I was too full, so we waited. Afterwards, we all took naps. I think I slept for about an hour. Then we had our dessert. We had sfogliatella and babba. Babba, is a sponge cake soaked in rum and traditional to Naples.

Then we just kind of hung out. Simona’s mother and grandmother asked if I liked arugula. I said yes. The next thing I know, fresh arugula and basil are making their way into the house from the garden. Then I am being asked if I want lettuce, eggplant, parsley, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, lemon, balsamic vinegar, pasta and friarielli (a neapolitan broccoli) . I felt like I was back in college getting shipped off with food for the week. And I did! I came home with three very full bags full of food! I am looking forward to eating it all!

As we were waiting to go out to the near by town, we played Scopa. They said it was a Neapolitan card game. I looked at it for one second and told them I know the game. I played it many times with my relatives in Sicily and with my grandfather in America. So it wasn’t difficult for them to refresh my memory. As we were playing, Simona’s father, I think, came into the room and said that today is Saint Angelo(a)’s feast day. They all said Happy Birthday to me! Then came and gave me hugs and kisses in honor of “my” day :) Simona’s brother’s girlfriend, who is a beauty technician, did my nails for me as a gift for my “birthday.”

As we left for the evening, I said goodbye to the parents and grandmother. I told them thank you for everything and they in return told me that if I need anything to just call and that I am welcome in their home whenever I want, even if Simona isn’t at home.  I felt very welcomed and honored to be treated as family.

We went to the nearby town of Pomigliano. We had dessert, again. :) I had a chocolate crepe. Simona and her brother’s girlfriend had the waffle and her brother had ice cream. But, this is the funny part. The waffles were topped with chocolate and their choice of a topping. The toppings of choice, are you ready for it, are Cherrios (Honey Nut) and Rice Krispies and the brother put on his hot fudge sundae coco puffs. I couldn’t believe it! I thought to myself, American breakfast anyone.

We then went to a square nearby that has a nice park like atmosphere. There were many people and even had a children’s playground. Of course we had to take part and have a photo shoot in the playground. I’m sure you will see them soon on Facebook :)

Well I am back in my apartment now. I put all the food in the refrigerator like I was told to do and will reheat it tomorrow. I think overall, I had a great weekend. Thank you again to Simona and her family for graciously hosting me. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! I feel welcomed and blessed for meeting these people.

My love for music and dancing

I am back in Acerra, ready for my first day of work tomorrow. I am in my apartment unpacking and trying to organize when I recognize the beat. My body starts moving to the beat of a popular dance song. But, then it disappears. My body stops. Then it starts moving again as another song comes along. Then the song disappears into the distance and the cycle keeps repeating. I realized in terms of music, I will not have a problem living here. The music being blasted from the many car radios is not rap, but popular dance music. My favorite type of music :)

Yesterday, we visited a relative in Balestrate. While we were visiting, she insisted that we watch the DVD of her granddaughter's wedding. We were leaving as the dancing part of the wedding appeared on the screen. Of course, my favorite kind of music was being played, but then I noticed something. All of a sudden as soon as the first two or three beats of a particular song started to play the crowd got wild, screaming and jumping up and down in excitement. I thought to myself, those people are me. Do you know how many times I am at either a wedding, dance or club and I am the only one jumping up and down and screaming in excitement to dance to a particular song? Too many times to count. And here, a crowd does it. I don't feel so alone anymore. :) I definitely know where my love for music and dancing came from. :)

I feel like maybe I need to have a random dance party sometime soon. I think my body is craving one and the atmosphere surrounding me is definitely encouraging the idea! :)

Random Thoughts..

I thought I would share my random thoughts for the day.

After we went to the market, I took a nap since I didn't get much sleep during the night. When I woke we ate lunch. We had spaghetti and tomato sauce. I thought to myself, "the entire world knows what spaghetti is and loves it!" After we had lunch we went to Balestrate to get my birth certificate but the office wasn't open. While we were there we thought we would possibly visit a few relatives. It turns out that they weren't home or we couldn't find their house but we attempted. But, what amazed me was that you can get out of your car, go inside a flower shop and ask for a person's name and they will tell you that person's life story. Amazing!

Later in the day, we went to the "dolce" store. They sold items that I would normally find in a cake shop in America. On the way to the store, my relative kept saying something and followed it with "Halloween." I asked if they celebrate Halloween and she said yes to trick or treating and dressing up in a costume. I am actually looking forward to Halloween now! I didn't think they celebrated it the way we do in America.

After we went home and made the dessert that we bought from the "dolce" store. We went to a friend's house for dinner. We had chicken curry for the first course. The curry was sweet. It had fruit in it, such as, bananas, raisins, and peaches. I never had chicken curry prepared that way before but it was delicious!

As we were eating, the wine was pulled out. Of course, I had to have some. My first wine since I've been in Italy. What I noticed though was that they pour a little wine in a glass and drink it within one or two gulps. Then pour it again and do the same thing over again. I can see how that could be dangerous but some of them stop after the first "shot." I had my glass filled but I drank it slowly. I wanted to savor the taste. I tried drinking it quickly but I didn't taste anything, so I continued to drink slowly.

My last random thought was when I looked at the refrigerator of the friend's house. I saw a grocery list. Yes, you might say, so what it is a grocery list. But, it wasn't just a grocery list. It was a grocery list written by my grandpa. It was his exact handwriting. I had never seen it anywhere else. I was shocked. I kept looking at it. The lines and curves of the handwriting were identical to his. I always wondered where he got that fancy handwriting. I thought it was America but I was wrong. I am now giving credit to Sicily. It again was one of those small signs shining light onto my past.

The beginning of the adjustment period..

I am now thanks to my grandfather an Italian and American citizen but culturally I will associate with the American way of life. It is what I have known for 24+ years. I have been in Italy many times so I know what to expect but every time I have to get readjusted. It started yesterday. Well the part where I realized that I wasn't in America anymore.

I went out with my cousins to a nearby town and I was walking fast. My cousin said "Why are you walking fast." I said because I am an American. We do everything fast, eat, walk, talk, etc. So after she caught me I tried to slow down. Then today, I went with my other cousin to the market. The market itself was a reminder that I wasn't in America but again the slow pace was prevalent.

First, they walk slow. It's their way of life. They do things slow, which in many ways I think is great. So we are walking slow towards the market and walking in the middle of the road. I was always taught to stay away from danger but here its what they do. I prefer the sidewalks. Then cars come and we are in the middle of the road, so what do we do? We move slowly to the side of the road. Again, if I see a car coming at me I try to move quickly out of their way, but again, no. We finally make it to the market. There are people everywhere. They are all trying to move but can't because people stop, walk slowly and the process continues.

The market itself was quite interesting. I have come to terms with the fact that I really do not like the markets. There are lots of people pushing and shoving. I like to shop in peace and quiet. Shopping is very therapeutic for me but not when I feel claustrophobic. The venders were quite entertaining as well. All of a sudden you jump through the roof because someone is yelling trying to get business, another is joking and laughing with customers, and another is throwing clothes on the table trying to show his beautiful clothing. It is a great place to people watch except for the pushing and shoving. I also noticed the effects of the recent turmoil in Northern Africa. There are many Northern Africans in Sicily. There were many vendors and families at the market.

Overall, it was an experience. I have realized that I need to slow down. Life doesn't need to go by fast so stop every now and then and smell the flowers. I will however continue to stay out of danger. I saw too many lives taken by cars in Turkey. I do not need to be one of them. I will walk on the sidewalks and move quickly if a car is coming.

A small realization...

I had another great day here in Sicily with the family. Sleep is another issue though. But, the family is great! Today, they made homemade Sfincione- A Sicilian style pizza. It had onions, tomato sauce, cheese and oregano on it. My favorite! And yesterday, I got the chance to have homemade Sicilian Granita made with fresh lemons. It was delicious! I definitely can't complain about the food! :)

I came to a small realization today. I met with a friend yesterday and my cousin today who both said the same thing to me when I told them I had a job in Italy. They said, "Your dream has come true." It is true, it really has come true. I started on this adventure more than two years ago. Italy was the destination of choice for many years and actually pursuing the dream of living there started after I finished university. I found that there were a few stumbling blocks along the road but nothing was going to stop me :) I figured I needed to get the Italian citizenship if I wanted to work in Italy any time soon. I had the path set for me by my grandfather and all I needed to do was push through and get all the documents in order. A year later I became an Italian citizen. I took a little side trip to Turkey for a year but now my dream has become a reality. 

Sometimes when you get caught up in all the hustle and bustle, you forget why you are doing the things you do. My friend also told me that I am always moving, constantly traveling, which I feel is another factor in why it hasn't completely sunk in that I am in fact living my dream. This small realization has helped me stop and think about what I am doing. It has shown me that, in fact, "dreams can come true." (I guess I knew that already since I've grown up with DisneyWorld and do believe that all my dreams can come true :) ) 

On that note, I feel that this will be a great adventure. And, I hope you all enjoy the ride (through my blog that is :) ) 

Una conversazione in Italiano

I am now in Sicily. The relatives picked me up at the airport and greeted me with great enthusiasm. They asked me, "Come stai?" I returned by saying "Bene e tu?" and they said "bene." Then it was quiet. I usually try to speak as much as I can because I don't like silence but I had nothing to say. I kept thinking in Turkish instead of Italian. I was afraid this would happen because last year I had the same issue. I kept speaking in Italian instead of Turkish. But, I know it will pass. Once I become immersed in the language, I will start thinking in Italian, at least I hope :) So back to my story. :) We were in the car and we did make small talk about the weather of course. Then we arrived to their home. We stayed in the living room in silence again for awhile. Then they started speaking to me more. I could understand a little. A few more minutes passed and I could understand more. Before I knew it I was trying to speak. But let me remind you that my speaking is at children's level or worse! Then it was time for dinner.

 We ate dinner. It was delicious as always. We had pasta with ground beef seasoned with curry powder and olive oil. Then we had chicken that was roasted on kebab sticks between sections of onion and bay leaves. It also was stuffed with bread crumbs, oil, cheese and salt (She told me how to make it :) ). It was delicious along with the simple tomato and onion salad. I think I know why the food tastes so much better here than in America. The olive oil in America, even though it comes from Italy doesn't taste like the oil in Italy. I think the freshness has a large factor in the taste. Everything in Italy tastes so fresh! I love it! :)

After dinner, the conversation continued. I continued speaking more and they continued talking in Italiano. I understood most of it but asked them to slow down or rephrase their questions every once in awhile. They were patient. We had discussions on our family history, cultural traditions during the Christmas season, the present family, my experience in Turkey, and at the end each topic was concluded with "everything is in God's hands."

Well, I am now very full and getting tired. I think my jet lag is kicking in. Everyone have a good night and I will write again later.

Italia does not sleep! ;)

I arrived in Acerra yesterday. I was welcomed by my new employers. They showed me my new apartment, which is very nice and has views of mountains and the cathedral. It is also surrounded by a middle school, elementary school, and preschool. Then they showed me the school. It is very nice as well. I met the secretary and the employers children. They all are very nice and welcoming. The view outside of the school is Mt. Vesuvius. It is quite large! :) I also got an Italian phone number. My phone number is +39 366 722 0808.

I went to sleep around 8:30 but couldn't fall asleep right away. There was so much activity outside. Then my employer called and said that there was a soccer match starting at nine so incase I heard lots of screaming nothing was wrong it would just be fans following the game. I didn't hear much since I did fall asleep shortly after. I woke up around midnight and 5 am and again there was a lot of activity outside. Then I woke up Thursday to lots of activity. It was around 7 am and everyone was awake. I should be used to this since I have experienced it many times but it still amazes me. I'm sure I won't even notice it in a few days...

Now I am up. We are going to try to exchange my money at the bank this morning. Then I fly out this afternoon to visit my relatives in Sicily.

Forgot to mention about the food. When I arrived in Acerra my employer, Ipolita and her husband, Michelangelo, gave me some leftover pasta from their lunch. Pasta with green beans and olive oil. Simple but delicious. It just tastes so much better here. I am looking forward to eating delicious food this year! :)

Hope everyone is well. The Internet is an issue at the moment so until I get that you will all have to bear with me. Until I write again.

Angela

I am in Italy!

I am on the train heading for Naples. They have wifi on the frecciarossa train (the fast train). I will keep you all posted once I officially arrive.

On my way!

I'm on my way. On the plane in Charlotte. Already met a couple who are on their honeymoon. I already volunteered to show them how to get to the train station since this is their first time abroad. People are still coming on the plane. I will try to post as soon as I get an Internet connection! Talk to you all soon! Love ya!

Fourteen Days

And so it begins, only 14 more days until I leave for Italy. My dream of living in Italy is finally coming true! But with that comes lots of stress...

1. Packing.

I've started but realized I have too many clothes and things that I must bring with me! The idea of bringing only 1 suitcase has now turned into a fantasy, unless we ship a lot!

2. Marca da bollo per passaporto.

A tax stamp for Italian passports. Just found out about it today as I was randomly looking up information about moving to Italy. And sure enough, my stamp is expired. So now I will make a quick trip to Detroit to get this stamp...ugh.

3. Health Insurance.

Surprisingly it has nothing to do with Italy. Before I leave for Italy I would love to have all my affairs in order. But, Blue Cross Blue Shield is dragging their feet. I now have all my medical bills weighing over me, praying that they will disappear or be resolved ;)

4. Packing.

And we continue to pack....

I know I will be leaving before I know it. And, I am sure that everything will get done and taken care of. In the mean time though, I will try to enjoy my time at home visiting friends and family and staying calm :)