Ciao!
Io mi chiamo Emily Harmon, sono Americana, di Charleston. Sono in
Italia da un mese. Ho 23 anni e io sono in scuola specialzazzione a The
Citadel.
Hello!
My name is Emily Harmon, I am American, from Charleston. I am in
Italy for one month. I am 23 years old and I am in graduate school at The
Citadel.
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Pizza from Del Presidente
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This is a small taste of our first week in
Italy. It has definitely been one of adventure and a lot of adjustment. The
first few days were spent exploring the city of Naples with our new
friend, Ivan Fadini, the co-founder of INN (Internacional Napoli Network) and
our go-to guy for just about anything. He has shown us around the Quartieri
Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter) where we live, as well as Garabaldi, where we
volunteer. One of our favorite local spots is Del Presidente, where Ivan took a
few of us out to lunch. Practically unnoticeable from the street, this
restaurant has attracted many celebrities from around the world, including
Ronald Reagan and Justin Timberlake. Not only does it have delicious pizza, but
also we were able to taste a maccheroni fritti e
formaggio (fried macaroni and cheese).
Of course the cuisine is perfecto, but that is not the only
enjoyable aspect of Napoli culture. Neapolitans are naturally very friendly and
helpful, willing to encourage our speaking Italian (slowly, but surely in my
case). Their expressive nature is sometimes a surprising contrast to my
reserved attitude, however I have been able to adjust, and perhaps even enjoy
their enthusiasm. In addition to our good friend, Ivan, we sometimes enjoy the
company of Sara, the other co-founder of INN. Sara and Ivan have been the
epitome of hospitable to us since we arrived.
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Street view from the INN
(Internacional Napoli Network)
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The volunteers in our team have been split up to work with different
volunteer sites. My classmate, Tucker, and I have been assigned to a site
called Virtus. This organization helps refugees adjust to Italian life as they
wait to receive asylum from the government, a process that can take up to two
years! So far, our work includes sitting in on Italian language classes and
assisting the students with their work, or even helping them practice their
English. Angelo is the primary Italian teacher, and one of my favorite people
here. He is an excellent teacher, and the students really enjoy his lessons.
Our other friend at Virtus is Marta, who helps keep the organization running.
Both of these people have made our experience more enjoyable, and we look
forward to becoming more involved in the coming weeks.
-Emily Harmon
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