I remember the first salesman who said that to me as I checked out in a small Italian store. 'This is really Italy', I thought, and I was suddenly thrilled about the upcoming 4 months. It is daunting to move to a new country when one only speaks the language "un po'" (which translate to 'a little'). But the welcoming atmosphere of most Italians, who are pleased with any effort you make to speak Italian, and the idea of learning from numerous cultural experiences energized me even in my recovery from jet lag.
The stores are smaller in Italy and I discovered that it takes a couple weeks to find the local places to buy a hairdryer or an American-style bath towel. But take some casual strolls down the sidewalk, as cars and motorcycles zoom by on the pebble streets, and let your curiosity guide you into various stores. This also is good for finding the best gelaterias, pizzerias, and pasticcerias (shops that specialize in hundreds of pastries and brioche!).I am still finding my way around the city after almost one month of living here. At Bocconi, students can choose to live in dorms maintained by Bocconi University, Wharton's partner school in Milan. My dorm is literally on campus and I feel spoiled with my 3 minute walk to classes. Many international students live in a dorm that is about a 25 minute tram ride from campus. However, they have a much different social experience as everyone is looking to travel on the weekends and enjoy their weeknights in Milan. My dorm is primarily Italian students but 9 Penn students all decided to live here too. I hope to learn some good Italian recipes from my peers who cook in the dorms almost every night! The other night was legitimate spaghetti alla carbonara followed by an evening walk to one of their favorite gelaterias. I was almost surprised by the speed at which my full and aching stomach managed to gobble down the crema mediterranea and pistachio combo. Yum!
Milan is different from other Italian cities; many equate it to the "New York of Italy". However, don't be fooled into thinking this isn't Italy. The Milanese are a proud and passionate bunch. Although discussions may be less centered around a post-church dinner with the extended family, they still grow defensive of their culture, sports teams, fashion-sense, and city.
I took a brief tour of the city's main sites my first weekend here. It included the Duomo (Italy's second-largest church),
Galleria V. Emanuele II (a 5-story open building with luxury shops, business offices, and a 7-star hotel), La Scala (one of the best opera houses in the world), and Castello Sforzana (built in the 1300s during Milan's dynasty period). Seeing these sites reinforced that Italy is a country still very much rooted in its culture.
Milan is a bit different from other Italian cities and regions. Its northern position has caused it to be ruled by numerous countries and empires throughout its history. It also was the nucleus of Mussolini's fascism movement during WWII. The bombing raids damaged many historic buildings of their beauty and Milan's Italian culture it is still working to repair.
I have been fortunate to take weekend or days trips the past 4 weekends, but I will share more on them in another post. I hope you enjoyed my intro post and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. My thoughts thus far on deciding to go abroad: it wasn't the easiest process to get here but so far, it was worth it!! :)
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