It is said that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. Dive right in; go to where the language is spoken; and get to know the ins and outs of the culture, so you can have a truly meaningful understanding of not just the grammar and vocabulary, but the rich and storied past that lends great majesty to the words, both written and spoken.
My father always told me to just get an Italian girlfriend.
Thankfully, I’ve fallen in love with both a woman, and the equally gorgeous, complex, fascinating, mysterious, vivacious and just plain wonderful country in which she was raised.
Antonella and I have been back and forth quite a bit these past few years, but finally I am here for an extended period, to absorb all I can, fall in love every day, and hopefully learn the darn language already.
So, here I am in Brescia, a city between bustling Milan and fair Verona, only a short train ride from Venice, or a leisurely day trip from Switzerland, Austria or Liechtenstein.
If I had the time to get my bearings, I don’t think I’d ever leave the apartment. Luckily, I have a tenacious young woman to entice me from hiding and push me in to the deep end of a brand new cultural experience.
Attending an Italian family dinner is quite an undertaking, especially for one with a rudimentary understanding of the language. Not only is rapid-fire Italian on the table, but since Antonella’s parents are originally from Naples, we have Neapolitan to contend with and the Brescian dialect to boot. It doesn’t help that around the table we have four siblings, two parents, two husbands, one girlfriend, two small loquacious children, and me.
Needless to say, I’ve perfected my sage-like smile-and-nod, as there’s never one conversation in one language for me to easily focus on. Yet somehow, despite my inability to appropriately communicate, my plate never remains empty for long, and my glass magically remains full.
The patience the entire clan has exhibited is quite extraordinary. From beginning to learn English on their own, to teaching the second youngest, Gabriele, to greet me with a resounding, “welcome!” upon my arrival (that was pretty cute since they had their apartment door open and we could hear Gabri nervously asking if he was pronouncing it correctly as we were walking up the stairs), all of the extended Savino family have made me feel more at home than I ever thought I would in such a foreign land. Oh, the food’s pretty great too 😉
Anyway, thanks guys! We’re certainly off to a good start!
A Nix in Brixia 