This is Italy...Again.

Again...Italian politics from the world's point of view. Have a look at this article from The Times.

Martina

The Skype exchange experience

[Photo by duffofdean]

Hi, everybody!

This is my last post on the blog...I can't believe it! Times flies!

The second semester seemed to be shorter than the first one...Maybe because I had a lot of fun!

Well, I'm supposed to speak about my personal experience of the Skype exchange we did during this semester. Well...I really liked it!

At the beginning of the second semester I decided to take part in the Skype exchange because I realized that I needed to improve my listening and, above all, my oral skills. So, since this is my last semester at university, I had to take advantage of this opportunity. Anyway, I must admit that I was a little frightened at the beginning. But in the end, it was not bad at all! I really enjoyed it! I had two American peers: one during the first part of the exchange and another for the wiki project. I was really lucky because they were both kind and very nice. We still keep in touch mainly by Skype and Facebook, and I think it’s great.

Well, what did I learn from this experience? Well, I must say that I didn’t notice an enormous cultural gap between me and the American girls. There are different costumes in some aspects but I never felt uncomfortable speaking with them because of cultural differences. Anyway, I realized that the Americans are more open-minded than the Italians. There was one particular thing that made me re-consider my culture: the problem of immigration. I was quite impressed when I realized that my American peers don't think about cultural differences in a negative way. Personally, I appreciate cultural differences because I think they can enrich you. But I know that most of the Italians don't think like that. We Italians still have a long way to go.

I really enjoyed the final project as well. The topic of our wiki page was a comparison between college life in Italy and at Dickison college. I knew many new things about their graduation ceremony or their students' parties. It gave the opportunity to reflect a lot on this issue. I think that their experience at university is very different from ours. And it’s much better. The live all together in a campus and can share the same experiences. I think that they are more independent at the end of their studies.

As regards my language learning, this experience helped me a lot to improve my English. I learnt a lot of new words and concepts, for example the word sorority. What's more, I can speaking English with less effort and I can easily understand native-language speakers.

Well, it was hard sometimes but I managed improving my English and having some fun as well. Now I need to keep up with the improvements! ;-)

Martina

[Photo from Google images]

More newspaper articles

Alemanno won political elections for Rome mayor. Here is how the news has been commented by international newspaper:

• CNN+
• The Guardian

I'm really worried; I fear for our future. Italy...WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! If you want, leave your comments.

Martina

Italy from the world's point of view

[Photo from Google Images]

April, 13-14th , 2008. Political elections...Mr Berlusconi won for the third time. He has the power again. I'm not happy about that because I really don't like him. But this post is not about my political preferences.

I just want to yell out my bitterness. I'm really mistrustful and disappointed with Italian politics and above all with Italian people. There's so much arrogance, which goes arm in arm with a great ignorance. During this election campaign, I spoke with many people -both adults and young people- about politics. What struck me at most was not the personal political choice for one party or another, but rather the great lack of arguments to support that choice. Many use long-winded words, their reason are commonplaces and you understand that they just absorbed passively what the television told them. For example, do you remember what I said in my post about immigration? Well, I asked that question to a boy who voted for Lega Nord. I asked him:"Well, why did you vote for Lega?". Answer:"Because there're too many immigrants. They have to come back to their countries. In Italy there should be only Italian people". I couldn't resist asking him who is an immigrant and he obviously said that an immigrant is a Moldavian or a Rumanian man. "Well, and what about Spanish or American people living here?". He looked at me astonished and answered: "What? They're not immigrants at all!". Is it necessary to comment on this? I don't think so. I really fear for our future if Italian people think in this way.

I definitely believe that a person needs to be aware of the world he/she lives in. One should consider many points of view about a topic and then he can make his/her choice. This means being responsible citizens. This is the reason why I pray you all, my peers, to do that. We're the future of this country: we have to change this old-fashion, corrupted and lost country.

After the elections, I didn't read Italian newspapers deliberately. I read on-line international journals. Their point of view is uninvolved and objective: they're more reliable. So, do you want to know what the world think about us? Then read these interesting articles and start thinking consciously about our future:
The Financial Times
The Economist
El Mundo
The Times (the first Berlusconi's gaffe)
The Times (Berlusconi's profile)
The Times (Berlusconi's anatomy)

I'd like you let me know what you think about that! I'm looking forward to read your comments...

Martina

Final project and Skype exchange

[Photo from Google Images]

The semester is about to finish...time flies! Now it's time to think about our final project. We're organized in new groups and I'm not going to skype with Marigny anymore. My new American peer is Kelsey, who studies English Literature at Dickinson. I spoke with her yesterday, during the Skype exchange... She's a very nice girl! Anyway, yesterday I chatted with Marigny as well...We want to keep in touch, I'm very happy about that! :-)

Well, in my new group there're 5 people: Alberto, our secretary ;-) , Serena, Alice, Kelsey and me. Yesterday, at the beginning of our Skype exchange, there was a bit of confusion... It's really hard speaking in 5! Anyway, we managed doing it and, at the end, Kelsey said that it's fine if we skype all together. I think it's the best thing to do, even because we have to work all together on the wiki page.

Our final project consists in writing a wiki page about a cultural topic, comparing American and Italian culture. Yesterday we spent almost one hour and a half deciding our topic! I had no idea it could be so difficult. To tell the truth, we decided the fist topic quickly at first. We thought that the American dream could be an interesting topic. But in fact it was not! We should compare a cultural aspect that both Italy and America have, but the American dream seems to be only American. So...We eliminated this idea. We discuss a lot about other possible topics but no one seemed to be good: music, health system, education, immigration...In the end, we decided to speak about university life, comparing the differences between America and Italy. I know it's quite banal, but I think it will be amusing. As Sarah suggested us, we'd like to focus on particular aspects of university life here in Italy. For example, the particular way in which we celebrate our degree (papiro, terrible jokes, the tunnel, the "dottore-dottore" song). I really like this idea, don't you?

See you!

Martina

Immigration in Italy

[Photo from Google Images]

Next week we're going to speak about immigration with our American peers. It's a quite ticklish question in our country. Countries like America and England have been experienced immigration for many and many years...On the contrary, here in Italy it's a relatively new phenomenon. According many Italians, it seems to be a sort of calamity!

Studying foreign languages, I learned to be open-minded and not to reject people who are different. I definitely think that the difference is a quality and everybody can learn a lot from someone else. The comparison and relationship with a person with a different culture is a way to understand who we are and what we really believe in. All relationships enriches you and all cultures are as important as the Italian one.

I think that in Italy there's a lot of confusion about the issue. Too many Italians judge on the basis of stereotypes and don't look beyond their nose. If you ask people who an immigrant is, they immediately say that an immigrant is a Moldavian or a Rumanian or a black man. And what about Spanish or American or English or French people in Italy? Are not they immigrants? I'm quite sure that many Italians would answer that a Spanish man in Italy isn't an immigrant. That's why I say that there's too much confusion and that too many people speak without being well informed about the issue.

Anyway, something is changing in Italy. When so many foreign people arrive, the social balance changes. And as always, changes create panic in people. But I think that it's only a transitional phase and that with some clever immigration laws Italy could find its feet in this multiethnic society. At least, I hope so.

Martina

Against death penalty

[Photo from Google Images]

Hi!

This week I couldn't attend the lesson, so I didn't Skype. I had a look at the American forum, I read the comments to the topics and I answered to that about death penalty.

Well, I'd like to spent two words about the subject. First of all, I was surprised when I read the American guys' question...They wanted to know if in Italy death penalty exists and what we think about it. There were 22 comments to this question but I decided to answer anyway, because I'm very sensitive to this issue and because I wanted to add something more.

My peers and I are all against death penalty. In my opinion, death penalty is a sentence which belongs to the Middle Ages and it's simply unacceptable in our modern world. We're supposed to live in a civilized society but sometimes I have the terrible impression that the human being is even worse than the animals.

The person who is guilty of atrocious crimes MUST BE PUNISHED but death penalty isn't the right solution. Let's take an example: a murderer is usually punished with the death. I mean, a man kills a man because he had not to kill another man. Does it not sound like a paradox?! It's absurd, isn't it? What's more, in this way the criminal doesn't pay for his crimes. He just dies and he gets it done!

I really believe that death penalty should be replaced by LIFE SENTENCE. Freedom is one of man's fundamental rights. If a man is guilty of terrible crimes which prejudice one's freedom, he MUST BE deprived of his freedom and therefore he MUST BE condemned to life imprisonment. That's the right sentence!

Martina