In general terms I feel as if I have adapted quickly to my newfound city life in Rome. Nevertheless, I have experienced frustration because of the language barrier. On occasion I have felt helpless with the inability to clearly express my thoughts with locals. Had I made a big mistake in choosing to move to a country, whose language I could not speak? Feelings of self-doubt started leading to a sense of nostalgia. I longed for the comfort of listening to English chatter all around me. In short, anything that is new and different, creates the fear of the unknown. After feeling sorry for myself for a short 24-hour interlude, an unexpected encounter with a local restaurateur made me snap out of it. It quickly confirmed that I had made the right choice in participating in this Spring Semester abroad.
As I entered my favorite local coffee shop, I finally built up the courage to order my food in Italian. Once the words came out of my mouth, I was overcome by a sense of pride. My determination was stronger than my doubt. My pronunciation was quite impressive! Suddenly, my short-lived victory was overshadowed by the cashier’s response in ENGLISH! Was he trying to tell me that I shouldn’t bother trying to speak Italian? Were my words incomprehensible? I felt rejected by the community. My facial expression could not hide my disappointment. As I sat down, I spilled the iced coffee on my laptop. The cashier (who turned out to be the restaurant owner) rushed to my table and spoke very quickly in Italian. His words were a mile a minute, as I panicked at the thought that my computer had died.
He realized that I could not understand, so he ran to get me as much paper towel as he could find. He helped me dry everything and made signs to tell me to use the hair dryers in the bathroom, to swiftly dry my laptop. It was at that moment in time that I began to see my life under a different lens.
He had previously responded in English, to show me that he can also speak my language (trying to build a sense of commonality). Just as I traveled across the globe to show him that I want to learn his language, he reciprocated the effort showing me he could do the same. From that day forward, he has never spoken a word of English to me again. He realized how important it was to me to learn Italian culture and language. He has since made every effort under the sun to help me become fluent! When I don’t understand, he simply reduces the speed, and keeps repeating the phrase several times until I get it. He has become one of those faces that makes me feel warm and welcome in this city. His presence makes me feel at home in this beautiful city. I have gained a sense of perspective. Things are not always what they seem. I was projecting my feelings of insecurity upon innocent bystanders. I have since learned to appreciate friendliness, regardless of the language it is spoken in. Getting along with others is not contingent on speaking the same language. Smiles are universal!