Today, a special blog edition! The students paired up for an in-class activity to build reflective thinking and writing skills. What follows are the insightful, humorous, and descriptive narratives they composed, which rose to the challenge and exceeded expectations!
Italian Grocery Shopping
Aly D’Eramo & Scotlyn Sunkel
Of all of the things we thought would be difficult in Italy, going to the grocery store was not one of them as many us of do not go shopping at Purdue. Italians have a different food culture than Americans’ because they prefer fresh food, usually served from farm to table. Italians would rather have smaller fresh food markets than supermarkets. We were surprised to find that no peanut butter or salad dressings were sold and, if you do find some, it is typically small and expensive. We also found that the eggs and milk are unrefrigerated - and unpasteurized. Another aspect of grocery shopping that we found interesting was taxes are included in the price and you will be charged if you do not bring your own bags because Italians are eco-friendly. Above all, we realized that as stressful as grocery shopping can be, it’s a lot cheaper than going out every day!
Music in the Streets
Lesley Flores & Kaley McCracken
Upon arrival in Italia one of the first things that caught my attention was the plethora of street musicians. I feel as if this comes along with any big city, but here they are everywhere, not just the major cities. These musicians play anything from classic instrumental tunes to popular American pop music, both of which usually draw in crowds. Our first day in Rome, we were walking through the metro station to catch our train and we ran into some street performers playing Despacito with accordions and guitars. The loud echoing sounds of the accordion were an uplifting contrast to the roaring of the metro. In a way, the music was almost like the background song to a music video following the fast pace of the passengers. The American music caught us by surprise because this is a capital of classical music, but we imagine the Americans are the ones they are entertaining.
Delectable Delights
Sarah Kincade & Savannah Hottle
When walking through the picturesque streets of Florence, it is easy to be caught up in store fronts that have these characteristics as well. It can be even easier to see a gelateria with bright, decorative mounds of gelato and instantly become overwhelmed with excitement and a craving for something sweet. After living in Italy for about two weeks now, we’ve been fortunate enough to learn that you cannot be fooled by the looks of these gelaterias. In fact, the best gelato is found covered up in cold containers without the extravagant colors and decorations. Once you’ve found the perfect gelateria, it can be a task to decide which flavor you want to enjoy. With the many rich and intense flavors, there can be too many to choose from! The most popular flavors include chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, hazelnut, coffee, stracciatella, and fruity sorbets. Once you’ve decided on a flavor, you have to enjoy it somewhat quickly because gelato melts fast since it is not prepared completely frozen. At any given time, you can probably catch one of us enjoying some sweet, rich gelato by the river while taking cute, artsy photos!
Finding Participants: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Camille Goodwyn & Heather Heyrman
Things that are easier than finding a research participant: catching a greased pig, discovering a unicorn, and an actual wild goose chase. Finding participants has hands down been the most challenging part of the research process: traipsing the streets of a large city whose language you don’t know for someone who meets a very specific set of criteria is daunting. Walking hours upon hours, store to store, collecting rejection after rejection quickly makes the task feel impossible. Side effects of finding participants include ruined shoes, tripping on the uneven, wet grounds of Florence, and a hurricane of turbulent emotions. Even though we spent over eight hours pounding the pavement without finding a participant, we did find one of our favorite bloggers, the Girl in Florence! Meeting her and having the chance to chat with her made up for the hours of rain and rejection (sorta). But once you finally find that participant, you truly feel on top of the world: the sun comes out, birds start singing and angels descend from on high as you finally conduct your interview. Stay tuned to see if we ever reach that feeling.
From Pasta, With Love
Maddie Cruse & Adria Diaconu
The taste of Italian food is beyond your wildest imagination only to be improved dramatically when your hands prepare it yourself. Chef Lorenzo was in charge of our group of amateur cooks and told us, “Pasta is made with love and gelato… gelato is made with technique”. The pasta started with three ingredients, flour, water and a (big) pinch of salt. The greatest assembly line of all time was created in this kitchen. First we kneaded the dough with sweat dripping from our heads due to the intense passion, then we flattened and created the dough into pasta, next we filled ravioli with spinach and ricotta, and mixed spaghetti with pomodoro sauce. Dough smacking on the table, the crank of the pasta maker, and the steady sounds of chopping filled the room along with big laughs and giggles as we bonded over our undying love for fabulous fresh food. The whole process took a while, but cooking is not supposed to be a quick and easy activity. The fillings and sauces were made to perfection with constant tastings in between to see the progress. The procedure of cooking can become a calming routine in these structured settings which can help you clear your mind of worries as you smell the savory aromas in the room. In our group cooking class we watched each separate ingredient become one mouthwatering meal just as we are becoming one steadfast research family.
Up in the Sky
Kathryn Jamieson & Megha Reddy
The Galileo Museum was a place of academic and aesthetic brilliance. Whether you’re a person interested in the topics of biology, physics or chemistry, this is the place to look for the most famous instruments used in core science. Sponsored by the collections of the Medici and Lorenese families in the 1500’s, the Galileo Museum is housed in the Castello d’Altafronte (a castle of the eleventh century). As healthcare students, we were greeted with wax models of abnormal births and one of the seven treasured anatomical lithographs. What is better than looking at the telescope Galileo used to scientifically gaze into the heavens and revolutionize the field of astronomy? His middle finger. The celestial globe that occupied an entire room masked the chatters of the middle-school children with its shimmering Arabic engravings in gold. The instruments in this museum were damaged by the Arno River flood of 1966 but most were then restored to uphold the integrity and value of this museum.
La Dolce Vita
Lois Carpenter & Emily Ball
At the end of the day, we return home to our unique, tiny, yet practical apartments; each one varying in size, shape, and style. Equipped with only the essentials, the apartments exemplify the minimalistic lifestyle that is typical of Italians. After long days of sightseeing and classes, it is refreshing to come home to a relaxed environment. These humble abodes serve as a safe place to reflect on the day’s events and to socialize with our roommates. Through mixed emotions, we have learned to cook meals (other than Ramen), clean, and work together as a team. We will be returning home with a greater appreciation for everything our parents have done for us, new perspectives, and lifelong friends.