Folgaria
Trip Start
Jun 07, 2007
1
3
12
Trip End
Sep 12, 2007
Folgaria,
Italy
Monday, July 2, 2007
I'm currently in the Dolomites, the mountainous region of Northern Italy. I'm teaching this week and possibly next week in a town called Folgaria. In winter, it's a popular skiing destination. In summer, it offers hiking and other mountain sports. The setting overall is quite beautiful, the kind of alpine scenery that makes me want to start singing "Edelweiss." Austria is, after all, only a mountain or two away, and I've heard plenty of German being spoken in the streets. Several people have tried to speak to me in German, confirming once again that I need to learn said language. After I've perfected my Italian, of course.
It's odd, being in Italy in my current context. Teaching English to children, interacting almost exclusively with other Anglophones, it's very difficult to actually practice Italian with anyone. Today, my afternoon off, has been conducted in a mixture of Italian and English. It's quite frustrating to have to go back to square one with a foreign language. Having lived without problem in France for a year and traveled in Francophone countries, I'm used to being able to speak and understand everything around me when traveling. It's humbling to discover that, while my Italian comprehension is fairly good, after three weeks in Italy I can still manage only basic speech. With any luck, I'll be able to work more on my Italian when I have a little bit more time off. Perhaps even tonight, when I'm done with my lesson plans.
Peace,
Laura
