I'm Elijah. This is my 3 Week Adventure In Catania, Italy
Author
Hi! I am Elijah Olvera and I go to South Mountain High School. I was chosen as a Youth Ambassador for the City of Phoenix and will be going to Catania, Italy in the summer to make powerful connections and relationships with this sister city.
Three Fun Facts About Me
I am Bilingual
I love Aviation
I am short and nice
I am Bilingual
I love Aviation
I am short and nice
Pre-Departure
Thoughts and Feelings: I feel so excited to go to Catania. I can't wait to just get on a plane and realize all the great opportunities there are in this world. I am looking forward to trying new and delicious foods along with establishing a good relationship with my counterpart Giorgio! Here we come Italy!!
First Couple Days
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Initial Impressions
First of all I just wanted to say that it is humid here and when we landed in Rome we were all sweating from the humidity. Besides that everything went perfect. I realized that the cars in Catania are very small compared to the cars in Arizona. Also they drive very crazy here and honk for everything! The streets are very very small and cars are parked on every street making it hard to get through the street. As you can see in the picture, cars are that small in Catania. Also, most cars are standard cars and not automatic. However, Catania is very beautiful and the sea is very rocky!! I love it all!
Initial Impressions
First of all I just wanted to say that it is humid here and when we landed in Rome we were all sweating from the humidity. Besides that everything went perfect. I realized that the cars in Catania are very small compared to the cars in Arizona. Also they drive very crazy here and honk for everything! The streets are very very small and cars are parked on every street making it hard to get through the street. As you can see in the picture, cars are that small in Catania. Also, most cars are standard cars and not automatic. However, Catania is very beautiful and the sea is very rocky!! I love it all!
Cultural Customs
Some cultural customs I have encountered is that when people greet each other they do two kisses on the cheek. It is very weird at first but you get used to it here in Italy. Also they use mini motorcycles along with cars on the streets. Also they walk everywhere because everything is so close to each other. They do have water fountains like us and they drink coffee in the morning. So Catania is very similar and different from Phoenix in many ways.
Food
The food is obviously wonderful! Their food is usually combined with multiple things. For example, Parmigiana is a typical Sicilian food that consists of Eggplant, tomato sauce, cheese, egg, and ham. They take pride in their food and what goes with each meal. I noticed that here in Catania they eat a lot of eggplant because it is a main ingredient in their typical dishes. They eat a good amount of food and you are always full!! What i thought was very ordinary was the dish that contained involtini which was rolled up meat with cheese and other typed of creams. It was a very interesting dish along with the parmigiana. Giorgio (my counterpart) thinks that American food is okay but he thinks that Sicilian/Italian food is better. Also in some cases they eat American breakfast for dinner. So the food here is very interesting and fulfilling!
Host Family
First of all my host family is great. We have gotten along well! I have been trying a lot to speak Italian but they always respond back to me in English. I tell them that I want to learn Italian but they say that they need to learn English however, I still talk Italian! The food has been great and the bread is amazingly good. I even want to take some with me back to Phoenix! I always ask them for help but they are very kind and also say they are " ok thanks". They have a cleaning lady that comes to clean and I was so surprised because maids are very expensive in Phoenix and we clean our own house!! I have learned that it is very important to be very considerate and follow their rules in order to make better connections with them. You need to be respectful because you are living in their household. Overall everything has been wonderful!!
Similarities and Differences
Welcome to Catania News! I am host Elijah and ready to present new things discovered in Catania. First, Catania has an extra year of schooling and in America we have the same amount but one year less. This is an interesting aspect because we study less and they study more. Next television expresses positive ideas and we express news in a way that isn't as positive. Why do we do this? Because not many things happen in America and we have pride in America. Go United States!! More and more teens all over the world have been accessing social media and it has been such a growing trend. However it is very interesting because many people use Instagram in Italy and in America it is all about that photo and posting it. Thank you for listening and we will bring it back to Kate!!
Memorable Experience
My most memorable experience of my time abroad was when Giorgio took me in their beautiful garden. There are so many fruit trees and it is such a touching place to be. You just smell the fresh air and you think to your self "what an accomplishment to be here in Italy". I have been very blessed and it is so beautiful! Another memorable experience is when I asked Giorgio's Dad "where is your grill" and he said "there" and I said "I don't see it". Then he pointed to this very small grill and I started laughing because I thought the grill was like ours in America but it wasn't. However the grill make the steaks perfect and at the same time it was a hilarious experience!!! One experience that was very different was when Giorgio took me to the fish market where there was blood all over the floor and the odor wasn't pleasant. Along with that I was dying of heat because I decided to wear pants and it was so humid. So, I have had a lot of interesting experiences here in Catania!!
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Experience and Expectations
What I am most excited about to share with my counterpart once in Phoenix is the Mexican traditions that my family expresses and the love they express!! Also the interesting aspect of our home culture!! What my counterpart should expect when coming to phoenix is that it is very hot and water is very important when going out of the house. Also that shorts are a necessity because you are always sweating and you need to reduce heat/sweat from your body.My time abroad did meet my expectations. As a matter of fact I think my counterpart and my host family was a great match. They treated me very well and they showed great kindness to me. One thing that stood out to me here in Catania is that walking a lot happens a lot and you must keep up with the flow!!
Catania
One thing I would tell people about my sister city is that everyone is very friendly and kind. I mention this because a lot of people in America can be very judgmental and that is not how it is supposed to be. One thing I would like to mention is that it is very beautiful and they take a lot of pride in their food. Also be prepared to walk a lot because Catania has the name walk all over it!!!! I love Catania very much and I will miss it greatly!!!