Overall I’d say it went well. I had mixed feelings about going back, perhaps because I still have issues with the USA, but on the other hand I have a lot of wonderful memories and friends from there. Coming and leaving again was different in a good way this time around as last year was quite emotional. Last year I was “taking the plunge” into something very different and unknown and no one knew when or if I was ever coming back.
When I arrived in Napoli last year I had nothing and basically had to start from scratch. Coming back reaffirmed to me and to my parents that I am not so far away after all. But a month was just enough. Now I am happy to be back in Napoli.
It was a needed vacation as I was in need of a change of scenery and to see my parents again. Quite honestly, it was cool as hell coming to the USA as a half foreigner half local. It was nice to not be a foreigner, to hear English again and to not have to think about what I was saying like I do here at my job. One thing in particular that I missed was driving! I walk everywhere here which is fine as it keeps me in shape but at times, especially at night, I prefer to be in a car. Although my old car, the TC Scion is dearly missed. I was grateful to be able to use my parents cars but to be honest they bore me because they’re both automatics and I prefer a standard shift.
Last and certainly not least, it was nice to see my Brazilian friends again! I seem to have more of them than American friends. Whether that’s true or not I did see more of them on this trip. I dearly missed the churrasco (Brazilian BBQ) the rice, the beans, the pudding and other South American delicacies. Most importantly I missed the easy going spirit of the Brazilians who are culturally similar to Neapolitans.
My best friend Santos was a good friend as always. He even dropped what he was doing to come out and see me right after I called him to tell him that I was back! He then broke my bed (well actually we did!) just sitting on it! It’s very bittersweet to be such good friends with someone because when you’re back you feel like you’re back forever. But the painful reality is that you are just there for a visit. Still, I’d prefer that short stay as opposed to not seeing him for years which Brazilians and other immigrants are painfully used to. I am fortunate indeed that I can come and go between both countries as I please and that I am a citizen of such a vast amount of land.
Santos has not changed a bit and I wouldn’t change him at all really. He wouldn’t be him otherwise. This trip was unique as now I have a bit of immigrant experience and I am able to relate to immigrants a bit better in America now. I am happy to say that Santos was the last friend I saw on this trip just like before I left last year. We went to Elizabeth Park and just chatted for a while and had some deep discussions which if you can’t have these kinda chats, then in my opinion the caliber of your friendship is somewhat lacking.
Now for the ups and downs of the trip and I’ll start with the downs to end this whole thing on a positive note. As I mentioned above, just a month was all I wanted in the USA. I still don’t want to live there or work there again because all the reservations and criticism that I’ve always had are still true. What keeps me away is US society. For the most part, I still find it a cold place, immature, very informal, insecure of itself and above all……fake. Perhaps this is just New England, but I’ve met Americans from all over the USA and some have the temperament of a New Englander if not worse! Someone told me that if I were to move to Chicago, LA or other parts of the USA I’d be trading apples for apples. Sure, it would be a nice change but in the end it’s still the USA.
The Food: Italian food wins hands down here! It is hard to find decent fresh food in the USA and it was kinda disturbing to be at the mercy of American cuisine. The best places that I like to go to are ethnic specific restaurants: Indian, Brazilian, Asian and if they can get it right, Italian. But I still loathe all the major chain restaurants. The first thing I did when I got here in Napoli was get a real pizza and man was it buonissima! La pizza napoletana has a specific taste to it that I’ve never had in the USA.
Going to restaurants irritates me in the USA too. Wait staff are overly courteous as they are trying to get a good tip outta you, but some come off as just so fake. In fact I find it disturbing that you HAVE to tip in the USA. A tip is a sign of appreciation from a customer, not part of the bill. This ‘have to tip’ mentality to me just screams a hidden….GIMME!
Going out: Sadly, I am not surprised when I see fights break out in the bars and clubs. Almost every dude in there seems to walk around with a chip on his shoulder. U look at someone the wrong way, u bump into someone and it’s cause for a scuffle. This is something I rarely if ever experience in Napoli. Sure enough I saw a dude get thrown out of the Pour House in Hartford and then he tried wresting with 3 bouncers. Brilliant numbnuts.
One thing I that I have gotten used to here in Italy, is NOT being carded and it’s so nice to buy alcohol freely without being asked for documents and getting your hand stamped with some ink that takes forever to get off. I feel like a cow being branded! A few times last month, I had to go back home and get my license because I had forgotten how tightly controlled alcohol is the in the USA.
The weather: While we can’t control Mother Nature we can certainly control where we live. For as hot as Napoli gets, the weather is subtropical and not as extreme as CT. CT is anywhere from boiling to frostbite cold and quiet honestly it’s too extreme for me. It was such a blessing to not see snow last winter!
AC: The idea is to condition the air, not freeze it! I was so cold walking into grocery stores and getting hit with that blast of cold air. It could be 90 out and 50 in the stores. Mamma mia! That’s how one catches a cold! Or is it possible that there is some conspiracy with the pharmaceutical companies and retail stores across the nation in light of recent health care reforms?!
Americans: my opinion of too many of them is this…..Arrogant, ignorant, insecure, fake, cold, impatient hot headed, and socially strange. Here’s something I don’t understand. Twice on my trip there, my Brazilian friends were asked 2 questions. 1. Where are you from, which is an honest neutral question and God knows I get asked that here, which is absolutely fine. 2. Do you have a green card?........................................ What is the point in asking this question?! It’s rather intrusive really and none of our business. I felt bad for my friends but they took it with a grain of salt when really the salt needs to be thrown back into the face of those who ask and if applicable in a nice fresh cut!
No one asks me my legal status here in Italy unless they get to know me. Point being, I am not asked that on introduction. Rather I am asked if I am here for work or study which I find to be a very neutral fair question. Italian society is what keeps me in Italy. While I have some issues with Italians and Italian society, I prefer them over Americans.
Public music: a small pet peeve albeit one worth mentioning. I have worked in many jobs that involved customer service and the music seems to be this satellite link fed to all chain stores in the USA. The music is recycled stuff from the past 30 years, some good, some just boring and overplayed. In Italy, the tendency is to put on the radio and often I hear dance/house kinda music.
Italians: aside from coming to a new country and changing their lives drastically, I don't fully understand Italians dieing love for the USA. Their perception of the USA and of Americans in my opinion make them seem very naive. I tell them all the time that the USA only bears a small resemblance to what they see in films and what they read about America. But it is possible to have a comfortable life in the USA if you are willing to work hard. One thing is for sure, the USA is not a cheap country by far.
Now the positives……
Americans: In some aspects we are laid back more than traditional ethnic countries and it create a somewhat relaxed mentality on certain things. My ex here in Italy used to tell me that I am always so calm in certain situations whereas I guess an Italian would make a big deal out similar situations.
For all my complaints about Americans and American society, it is like any other society in which people are people no matter where you go. I’ve always said that in every country there exists every kinda type of personality, the good the bad and the ugly. Just that when you go to a different country the culture changes and gives everything a whole new taste. Americans are definitely more independent and rely less on la mamma. But this is strictly on a case by case basis. It’s hard to generalize when you have a population of 310,216,000 people.
I know some absolutely wonderful people back home whom I would take any day over certain types of Italians here. My parent’s neighbors for example are two wonderful people who I was very happy to see again. There are plenty of people in the USA who made my trip even better just by talking to them. It was nice to not be a foreigner, to understand everyone around me and to just speak normally. (I don’t have major communication problems here in Italy, but at times I do get confused, especially when it comes to humor and logico napoletano).
More fundamentally, I suppose this trip back home gave me a better sense of identity. I am an American citizen because I was born and raised in the USA. But at the same time I am also Italian (legally and mentally). It’s impossible to ignore my last name, my family history and that we still have a few relatives who don’t speak English (we had more in the past few years). I love the fact that my last name is napoletano and that here it’s a normal last name that everyone can pronounce. It’s also cool to hear my father’s name Salvatore, used so commonly like John and Mike in the USA. More importantly, I don’t want to lose my heritage which I am proud of so what better way to preserve it than by going to where my ancestors came from? Now I have two different visions of Italy. The old country and Italy for what it is today; grown up and with their history, culture and traditions closely woven together.
So living here in Italy, it makes me feel right in between both countries and I suppose at times in a world all my own due to cultural confusion. Where does that leave me? I don’t care. The important thing is to be happy.
The highlights of my trip: Going to NY to see some friends. Going to Boston to see my sister and seeing here again at her salon (she’s an esthetician). Seeing Green Day when I didn’t know they were even in town! Seeing Slayer, Megadeth and Testament. Seeing friends and family that I didn’t think I was gonna see. Brian Morey for example was an unexpected surprise. Driving again. Living in a house with no bills or no responsibility, AMERICAN CABLE TV!! (I love the History channel!) And lot but not least, seeing my parents again as well as my two best friends, Tim and Santos. So yeah, I am glad I went back and I’ll go back again for another visit, but a month was enough. It was my first time going to the USA being 30 years old and it made me wonder what my life could be like if I had stayed and gotten a half way decent job. I may go back and it is nice to know that I always have that option.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Napoli-Parma 3-2 Parma
I just had my first Euro soccer experience two Saturdays ago. Managgia!!! What an experience! I have never seen such an energy packed stadium and fans more passionate and enraged towards their team! I reserved my seats about a week ahead of time and for some reason only EU nationals were allowed to buy tickets. So needless to say I felt privileged. I went with my roommates, Alfonso, Isabel and her friend Ana who are both from Spain. I reserved tickets in the section called Curva B. Apparently this is a section reserved for the season ticket holders and also the fan clubs who go to the stadiums and light fireworks in the stands. They also chant pretty much the whole game.
I guess the first thought that comes to mind is how different this experience is compared to all the sporting events I went to in America. Here are the differences: the fans in Napoli sit everywhere including the walkways to the seats. Fireworks in the seats which I don’t know if they are legal or not. Fans smoke and some even smoke weed. You would be looked at like you were a mental patient if you told fans to calm down and to not swear which I think is a rule in many stadiums in America, possibly Fenway. They didn’t play their national anthem. There wasn’t a working scoreboard but all the fans seem to know the score. The music before hand was the same stuff I hear on my dance radio station. But probably the most notable difference is just how much fans get into the game. They are wild 85% of the game and they had about 20 different chants throughout the game. Also in the seats, there were occasional mosh pits but no one was hurt.
For half time I had to use the can. I thought everyone would get up in droves to go there but no one was getting up! I had to climb over I don’t know how many fans just t get to where I needed to go. At the start of the 2nd half, I decided to find somewhere else to go as going back to the same spot was out of the question. So I found spot right in front as soon as you enter the stadium.
The game went well and the score resembled more a hockey score. Napoli scored first. Then it was tied. Parma then went ahead to make it 2-1. Napoli tied again and at that point it definitely seemed possible to win also since Napoli seemed to be on the attack. Then the end they fell apart and gave up the winning goal. They had a lot of shots on goal but couldn’t seem to stuff it in.
This was hands down the most authentic esperienza napoletana that I had since I arrived here in Sept. There were only Napoletani around me (one black actually) and I go to hear their protests mostly in dialect. Given the lack of rules for the fans in the seats and their passion for their team, it made this a more exciting experience than a game at Fenway. Although Fenway is still cool.
I guess the first thought that comes to mind is how different this experience is compared to all the sporting events I went to in America. Here are the differences: the fans in Napoli sit everywhere including the walkways to the seats. Fireworks in the seats which I don’t know if they are legal or not. Fans smoke and some even smoke weed. You would be looked at like you were a mental patient if you told fans to calm down and to not swear which I think is a rule in many stadiums in America, possibly Fenway. They didn’t play their national anthem. There wasn’t a working scoreboard but all the fans seem to know the score. The music before hand was the same stuff I hear on my dance radio station. But probably the most notable difference is just how much fans get into the game. They are wild 85% of the game and they had about 20 different chants throughout the game. Also in the seats, there were occasional mosh pits but no one was hurt.
For half time I had to use the can. I thought everyone would get up in droves to go there but no one was getting up! I had to climb over I don’t know how many fans just t get to where I needed to go. At the start of the 2nd half, I decided to find somewhere else to go as going back to the same spot was out of the question. So I found spot right in front as soon as you enter the stadium.
The game went well and the score resembled more a hockey score. Napoli scored first. Then it was tied. Parma then went ahead to make it 2-1. Napoli tied again and at that point it definitely seemed possible to win also since Napoli seemed to be on the attack. Then the end they fell apart and gave up the winning goal. They had a lot of shots on goal but couldn’t seem to stuff it in.
This was hands down the most authentic esperienza napoletana that I had since I arrived here in Sept. There were only Napoletani around me (one black actually) and I go to hear their protests mostly in dialect. Given the lack of rules for the fans in the seats and their passion for their team, it made this a more exciting experience than a game at Fenway. Although Fenway is still cool.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Almost 6 months
So I’ve almost been here in Napoli for about 6 months now. Quite an accomplishment really. It hasn’t been easy and all nor has it been a bed of roses. But for the most part I am doing fine here. The holidays sucked here really. I was bored outta my mind as my school didn’t re-open till Jan 11th and I returned here just before New Years. The last paycheck was not the full amount due to the school not being open the whole month of Jan. But I get an extra euro an hour raise so that helped and will help for the next check.
I still work an average of 10-20 hours a week which is a nice relaxing pace. I try not to compare my job to other teaching positions in America as it can be somewhat depressing. What keeps me sane, is that I consider being here an accomplishment which looks good, in my opinion on a CV and to other prospective jobs. That and I like being so far from home in a place that is never really dull in my opinion. But I want to expand other options here in the future. I’ve already decided to come back here for another year in September; I’ve worked too hard to just come here for a year stint. That and I really have no desire to go back to America.
One option that I want to pursue is working for the US military. Like, I wouldn’t be enlisted, rather a civilian working for them. Or if I can, I’d like to pursue the idea of being an English teacher in the public school systems. I am told this is extremely difficult, but what the hell, I’ve made it this far. We’ll see.
Linda and I broke up last month. We just had too many differences, most of them personal I think and some cultural. But it is for the best really. She is a difficult girl to deal with at times and we just see life differently I guess. We just had a lot of misunderstandings to the point where it got on both of our nerves.
Logically, this isn’t the best time for her to be in a relationship as she wants to get out of Italy and work abroad. Kinda like what I wanted to do before I came here. But I don’t miss the arguments, that’s for sure. We had a lot of good times however. We had a lot of laughs and happy simple times. She is a generous person, is very self-less and like I told her once, she is good wife material. I won’t see her for a while as she is going to Belgium for 3 parts to do that Erasmus thing.
So I’ve almost been here in Napoli for about 6 months now. Quite an accomplishment really. It hasn’t been easy and all nor has it been a bed of roses. But for the most part I am doing fine here. The holidays sucked here really. I was bored outta my mind as my school didn’t re-open till Jan 11th and I returned here just before New Years. The last paycheck was not the full amount due to the school not being open the whole month of Jan. But I get an extra euro an hour raise so that helped and will help for the next check.
I still work an average of 10-20 hours a week which is a nice relaxing pace. I try not to compare my job to other teaching positions in America as it can be somewhat depressing. What keeps me sane, is that I consider being here an accomplishment which looks good, in my opinion on a CV and to other prospective jobs. That and I like being so far from home in a place that is never really dull in my opinion. But I want to expand other options here in the future. I’ve already decided to come back here for another year in September; I’ve worked too hard to just come here for a year stint. That and I really have no desire to go back to America.
One option that I want to pursue is working for the US military. Like, I wouldn’t be enlisted, rather a civilian working for them. Or if I can, I’d like to pursue the idea of being an English teacher in the public school systems. I am told this is extremely difficult, but what the hell, I’ve made it this far. We’ll see.
Linda and I broke up last month. We just had too many differences, most of them personal I think and some cultural. But it is for the best really. She is a difficult girl to deal with at times and we just see life differently I guess. We just had a lot of misunderstandings to the point where it got on both of our nerves.
Logically, this isn’t the best time for her to be in a relationship as she wants to get out of Italy and work abroad. Kinda like what I wanted to do before I came here. But I don’t miss the arguments, that’s for sure. We had a lot of good times however. We had a lot of laughs and happy simple times. She is a generous person, is very self-less and like I told her once, she is good wife material. I won’t see her for a while as she is going to Belgium for 3 parts to do that Erasmus thing.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Almost 30 in Italy!
SPAESATO
Sometimes I really feel out of my element here in Italy, simply because I didn’t grow up here. My father’s grandparents and half his aunts and uncles left here almost a century ago and as far as I know we don’t have much family here apart from some distant cousins that I met in 2005. But we always retained some of our Italian identity. For this I really feel in between both countries. Not Italian like the ones that were born and raised here, yet not a typical American back home. To add to the confusion, I look Italian and I blend in here rather well, people all the time ask me things while walking around. As for the language, I have good days and bad days with it. Some days I can’t seem to get the words out with stuttering or getting blocked as it’s said in Italian, other days I am more relaxed and can speak better. There is also the issue of the local dialect, napoletano. It is somewhat difficult as it has a distinct pronunciation and the different usage of certain words. I know some of it thanks to my father and other sources but it is real challenge to understand at times. Strict dialect speakers to me are a mystery.
Having studied Italian both here and in America, I am in a good position to be able to communicate and make myself understood, but my challenge still is to speak it without getting blocked, and to sound more like a local. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sound or resemble a napoletano or just an italiano, but I can damn well try and the worst that can happen is I greatly improve my Italian. If I don’t hear Italian however in a clear and slow enough manner, I can’t follow what is being said. At times for it is like trying to talk to someone in an airplane who is 2 rows ahead of you, or a cell phone call with static.
For the first time in my life I am experiencing what it is like to live outside of my own country and it is an indescribable experience. It isn’t like school where you spend 90 mins in class then when you go home and go out with your friends it’s America and English. Now it’s the opposite, English at home and at work, but then outside it’s all Italian. I handle it pretty well usually, although some days I wouldn’t mind being back in American for a week, then it passes and I am glad to be here!
MI MANCATE!!
What do I miss in America……
First and foremost it has to be my parents and my friends. I had a lot of Brazilian friends (and an ex) back home and I miss being around them, Portuguese and going to mass in the Brazilian Catholic church. Being here helps me understand how it is for them to be immigrants in America, even though I am not the same type of immigrants as they are, I am still not in the country that I was born and raised like them. One friend in particular is Santos! Anyone who knows him can understand why I’d miss him! I miss also the following: Hockey, baseball, my car, central air, Boston and my father. I am my father’s son and for as much as I like talking to him every Friday, it isn’t the same as when he is in front of me.
STRONZATE AMERICANE!!
I don’t miss the following in America: Arrogant impatient people, subpar food, winter weather, snow, having everything so far from you (for all I need in life I can see it from my window here) overly defensive drivers of CT and probably the most is the overall fakeness that I come to find in American society. I think I will be able to form a more objective opinion about America more time I spend away from it. I need a real comparison via living in another country to form a more objective opinion the USA. So far though, I don’t really feel homesick and there are other little things that I could put here that annoy the hell outta me in America that makes me happy to be in Italy.
Many Italians here love my country and that’s fine, I have a fascination with Brazil which could be compared to their desire to visit NY, LA, Boston, Miami etc etc. I don’t burst their bubble but when we get into specifics I tell them what I was always told about here in Italy; being here to live is not like being on vacation. It seems like I live in a world where it is taboo anywhere to say anything bad about the USA, in particular in the USA. Well this is my blog and I don’t intend to hide anything. Quite honestly, I find much to not be proud of being an American and America itself. I thank God for such an ethnic identity, appearance and last name.
LA VITA BUONA
What I perhaps like most about being in Italy is the change of life that it brought. It was a much needed change as I spent the bulk of 2009 unemployed and just existing in my parent’s house in a small town where nothing happens. You can have your peaceful living; I say it’s too easy a catalyst for boredom which does nothing for stimulation. Here I am around a lot of people every day. This is basically city living and I don’t feel so alone here. When I am bored I go for a walk and simply observe what is around me. What is also nice here is that I don’t use any form of credit card, I have no debt, no type of insurance at all, free medical care, and no car expenses, just house expenditures and the everyday needs. Yes this is indeed a nice way to ring in my 30th birthday in a few weeks!
Sometimes I really feel out of my element here in Italy, simply because I didn’t grow up here. My father’s grandparents and half his aunts and uncles left here almost a century ago and as far as I know we don’t have much family here apart from some distant cousins that I met in 2005. But we always retained some of our Italian identity. For this I really feel in between both countries. Not Italian like the ones that were born and raised here, yet not a typical American back home. To add to the confusion, I look Italian and I blend in here rather well, people all the time ask me things while walking around. As for the language, I have good days and bad days with it. Some days I can’t seem to get the words out with stuttering or getting blocked as it’s said in Italian, other days I am more relaxed and can speak better. There is also the issue of the local dialect, napoletano. It is somewhat difficult as it has a distinct pronunciation and the different usage of certain words. I know some of it thanks to my father and other sources but it is real challenge to understand at times. Strict dialect speakers to me are a mystery.
Having studied Italian both here and in America, I am in a good position to be able to communicate and make myself understood, but my challenge still is to speak it without getting blocked, and to sound more like a local. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sound or resemble a napoletano or just an italiano, but I can damn well try and the worst that can happen is I greatly improve my Italian. If I don’t hear Italian however in a clear and slow enough manner, I can’t follow what is being said. At times for it is like trying to talk to someone in an airplane who is 2 rows ahead of you, or a cell phone call with static.
For the first time in my life I am experiencing what it is like to live outside of my own country and it is an indescribable experience. It isn’t like school where you spend 90 mins in class then when you go home and go out with your friends it’s America and English. Now it’s the opposite, English at home and at work, but then outside it’s all Italian. I handle it pretty well usually, although some days I wouldn’t mind being back in American for a week, then it passes and I am glad to be here!
MI MANCATE!!
What do I miss in America……
First and foremost it has to be my parents and my friends. I had a lot of Brazilian friends (and an ex) back home and I miss being around them, Portuguese and going to mass in the Brazilian Catholic church. Being here helps me understand how it is for them to be immigrants in America, even though I am not the same type of immigrants as they are, I am still not in the country that I was born and raised like them. One friend in particular is Santos! Anyone who knows him can understand why I’d miss him! I miss also the following: Hockey, baseball, my car, central air, Boston and my father. I am my father’s son and for as much as I like talking to him every Friday, it isn’t the same as when he is in front of me.
STRONZATE AMERICANE!!
I don’t miss the following in America: Arrogant impatient people, subpar food, winter weather, snow, having everything so far from you (for all I need in life I can see it from my window here) overly defensive drivers of CT and probably the most is the overall fakeness that I come to find in American society. I think I will be able to form a more objective opinion about America more time I spend away from it. I need a real comparison via living in another country to form a more objective opinion the USA. So far though, I don’t really feel homesick and there are other little things that I could put here that annoy the hell outta me in America that makes me happy to be in Italy.
Many Italians here love my country and that’s fine, I have a fascination with Brazil which could be compared to their desire to visit NY, LA, Boston, Miami etc etc. I don’t burst their bubble but when we get into specifics I tell them what I was always told about here in Italy; being here to live is not like being on vacation. It seems like I live in a world where it is taboo anywhere to say anything bad about the USA, in particular in the USA. Well this is my blog and I don’t intend to hide anything. Quite honestly, I find much to not be proud of being an American and America itself. I thank God for such an ethnic identity, appearance and last name.
LA VITA BUONA
What I perhaps like most about being in Italy is the change of life that it brought. It was a much needed change as I spent the bulk of 2009 unemployed and just existing in my parent’s house in a small town where nothing happens. You can have your peaceful living; I say it’s too easy a catalyst for boredom which does nothing for stimulation. Here I am around a lot of people every day. This is basically city living and I don’t feel so alone here. When I am bored I go for a walk and simply observe what is around me. What is also nice here is that I don’t use any form of credit card, I have no debt, no type of insurance at all, free medical care, and no car expenses, just house expenditures and the everyday needs. Yes this is indeed a nice way to ring in my 30th birthday in a few weeks!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Full Circle……la mia vita a Napoli.
Here it is! The long awaited Italy blog of David Carmosino! I have created this for a number of reasons; 1. I have many experiences here in Italy and I’d like to document them 2. Instead of writing long emails to 20 different people, you can all just read it here. 3. Why not??! 4. for whoever else wants to read this. The title Full Circle is in reference to my great-grandparents who left this country in 1915 and I who came to live in September 2009. This is in essence a full circle as we (my family via me), have come back to Italy 96 years later.
Since I don’t like to do a ton of reading, I will try to keep these short enough and to leave out unimportant details. This first one might be somewhat long as it is the intro.
COME SONO ARRIVATO IN ITALIA
The first thing I want to address is how I arrived here in Italy, in Naples of all places. I am not sure where to begin, but perhaps the most relevant place is Jan 21st 2009. This was the date I was let go from my previous job, which was working in a call center for Mass Mutual answering questions about life insurance and taking calls 8 hours a day. By far the most stressful job I ever had and probably the one type of job I should never have done, that is a financial/corporate job. But the pay and benefits were great. It wasn’t to be however and I was given the ax. That day I even told HR in their face that I was in the wrong profession and that I belong in something Italian if not Italy. “This today is opening the red white and green door” I told them! As a result I was unemployed for the bulk of 2009 from Jan to Sept. In Feb/March I decided to take a TEFL course in Boston (teaching English as a foreign language) which is required to teach English in many schools across the world.
BOSTON LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
So the course lasted 2.5 months and it was somewhat grueling but def worth it. From May till late Aug I dedicated myself night and day to applying for different schools mainly in Italy but also entertained the idea of teaching in Spain, Mexico, Brazil and other parts of Europe. I didn’t care where I taught, as long as it got me out of my house, but Italy was the preferred choice as it would have been the easiest of transitions. But it was a frustrating process as it is hard to be hired from overseas and the summer months are not the best time to be hired. I must have applied to over 70 schools. I thought I had a few genuine offers from a few schools in Italy and some in Spain, but the trail went cold with all of them except one, which is the current one that I am working in, Inlingua Napoli.
VENIRE O NO?
It was strange to tell people that I am probably leaving for Italy in September, but not really knowing 100% myself when and where I was going. I was determined to leave anyway as this has been a goal of mine since 2001. I applied to Inlingua in Early Aug and I got a response back later in the month when the summer holidays were over. After a phone interview, submitting a language proficiency test and positive remarks from my then supervisor at the Berlitz Language School, I was hired! Ecstatic is putting it lightly how I felt! My patience had paid off and I had a job in Italy.
INLINGUA NAPOLI
I wasn’t expecting to work in Naples and it certainly wasn’t my first choice in Italian cities, but I couldn’t say no and I’m glad I didn’t as I never heard from the other schools again. I had some reservations both about Napoli and the school. If you google in my school it has some bad reviews. I decided though that they were submitted by disgruntled teachers who couldn’t handle Italy or the Italians. So I decided to to just come and experience the city and the school for myself. Napoli I already knew was a chaotic city, but I felt better after talking to Robyn my then Director of Studies (DOS) who assured me that the city gets a bad rap and there are parts that are quite nice. Having been here since Sept 13th, I found out that she was right. Napoli is chaotic, disorganized, dirty, trashy but also exciting, interesting and a place you could become attached to. To sum it up, it has real character. It’s also been assuring to meet other teachers who have been with Inlingua for over a year. They must like something about the school, Napoli and Italy.
I MIEI STUDENTI
Overall I like the students that I teach. They are positive, involved in the lesson, more or less eager to learn and we have a good relationship. I’ve had a very few problems with my students/. I mostly teach adults and they anywhere from 20-60, most have their lessons paid for by their jobs who send them to our school to improve their English. So far I don’t have a ton of lessons and the most I do is three lessons a day. I was hired as freelance teacher and thus I am guaranteed a min 80 hours a month worth of pay whether I work those 80 hours or not. Anything over 80 they pay us accordingly. As I have always said, I didn’t come here to get rich and I have to watch my money every month, but luckily Napoli is one of the more cheaper cities in Italy which is a big saving. For example I can get a generous sized pizza for 2.50euros. I just got a raise so my paycheck should be a bit more next month.
QUALCOSA NON VA?
Some of my co-workers don’t care for the school and I’ll admit it has its problems, but what job doesn’t? I’m not gonna list all their complaints, but I have none really. I am happy to have a job considering how I spent most of 2009 and most importantly to be in Italy. One of the biggest complaints is the pay. It is true that it is somewhat tough to live on what they pay us (at the start that is), but not impossible. If you wanna buy designer clothes, go out every night and spend a fortune then you’ll be broke in 2 weeks. It is true that the pay is generally more up North, but you also need to consider that the cost of living is higher especially in Firenze and Milano. But I am not a complainer and so far everything here is do-able. I have patience that things will work out and we’ll see how things pan out in the next couple of months. My contract ends in July, but already I am thinking of next year and I want to see if they will extend my contract to 2011. I want to stay here in Italy for a while, but I don’t want to be poor forever.
CLANDESTINO NO!
My quest to make active steps to live here actually started back in 2005. Per the advice of a professor at my college, I found out that I might be eligible to acquire dual citizenship via my paternal great-grandfather. According to Italian law, this is something that you are born with but you need to prove your lineage. You basically inherit this providing you can prove that whoever you intend to acquire it from, had never renounced being an Italian citizen. This is done by becoming a citizen of another country. Fortunately, we knew that my father’s grandfather never did this and I had a hunch that I had a green light to Italian citizenship. I started this whole ordeal ironically in Napoli in 2005 arriving from NY and staying at a hotel which is right down the street from where I work now. I had to go to Torre Del Greco, my ggf’s town which is right next to the famous towns of Pompei and Herculaneum 10 mins south of Napoli. From there I needed birth and marriage documents as the consulates in America, who ultimately acknowledge you as a dual citizen, require these documents. I never thought I’d come back to this town again, much less for a job, especially after my adventure down here 5 years ago! (It has to be destiny that I ended up getting a job in my ancestral home!)
From there I needed alike documents in America which were harder to obtain ironically because they weren’t free like in Italy. I needed: birth, marriage, divorce and death documents from my ggf, grandfather, father and myself (obviously where applicable). Once I had those in order I needed to present them to the NY Italian consulate which took a few visits to make sure everything was in order. Once it was I was sent a letter saying I could apply for a passport. One of the happiest days of my life was getting that Italian passport in the mail!
I wanted it for a few reasons. 1. Because I am fiercely proud of my heritage 2. Why not? And 3. It allows me to live and work in Italy as long as I want with the same rights as any normal Italian citizen. I am told the process to obtain a Visa or to get a permesso di soggiorno is somewhat difficult, in particular the Visa. In fact my school would not have hired me if I didn’t have a legal way to stay here. Schools here in Italy for some reason are unable to help you get a work Visa. So I am fortunate to have a bisnonno, who never became an American citizen which thus enables me to live here in Italy as an Italian citizen and avoid a lot of legal hassle.
DOVE ABITO
Where I live……….Despite all the negative press about this town, I live in a fairly decent section. I live in the Arenella (Via Suarez, Piazzetta Immacolata) section of Napoli which is right on the border with Vomero, one of the more wealthier sections. I work in Centro Direzionale which is the business district of Napoli although sometimes I travel to companies to teach. I live in an apt with 5 bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen a balcony, with 2 other teachers and two Spanish students.
Luca and Alfonso are the other two teachers who work at the same school as me. Luca is from London and Alfonso is from Perth, Australia. All three of us are of Italian background. Isabella and Miguel are Erasmus Spanish students. More or less things are ok here. Some are a bit sloppier than others but more or less we all get along. I am told some of the other teachers don’t have such great living arrangements! The apt is just ok, it is seems made for students and it sucks not having a living room or a TV for that matter. But I don’t complain too much.
Here it is! The long awaited Italy blog of David Carmosino! I have created this for a number of reasons; 1. I have many experiences here in Italy and I’d like to document them 2. Instead of writing long emails to 20 different people, you can all just read it here. 3. Why not??! 4. for whoever else wants to read this. The title Full Circle is in reference to my great-grandparents who left this country in 1915 and I who came to live in September 2009. This is in essence a full circle as we (my family via me), have come back to Italy 96 years later.
Since I don’t like to do a ton of reading, I will try to keep these short enough and to leave out unimportant details. This first one might be somewhat long as it is the intro.
COME SONO ARRIVATO IN ITALIA
The first thing I want to address is how I arrived here in Italy, in Naples of all places. I am not sure where to begin, but perhaps the most relevant place is Jan 21st 2009. This was the date I was let go from my previous job, which was working in a call center for Mass Mutual answering questions about life insurance and taking calls 8 hours a day. By far the most stressful job I ever had and probably the one type of job I should never have done, that is a financial/corporate job. But the pay and benefits were great. It wasn’t to be however and I was given the ax. That day I even told HR in their face that I was in the wrong profession and that I belong in something Italian if not Italy. “This today is opening the red white and green door” I told them! As a result I was unemployed for the bulk of 2009 from Jan to Sept. In Feb/March I decided to take a TEFL course in Boston (teaching English as a foreign language) which is required to teach English in many schools across the world.
BOSTON LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
So the course lasted 2.5 months and it was somewhat grueling but def worth it. From May till late Aug I dedicated myself night and day to applying for different schools mainly in Italy but also entertained the idea of teaching in Spain, Mexico, Brazil and other parts of Europe. I didn’t care where I taught, as long as it got me out of my house, but Italy was the preferred choice as it would have been the easiest of transitions. But it was a frustrating process as it is hard to be hired from overseas and the summer months are not the best time to be hired. I must have applied to over 70 schools. I thought I had a few genuine offers from a few schools in Italy and some in Spain, but the trail went cold with all of them except one, which is the current one that I am working in, Inlingua Napoli.
VENIRE O NO?
It was strange to tell people that I am probably leaving for Italy in September, but not really knowing 100% myself when and where I was going. I was determined to leave anyway as this has been a goal of mine since 2001. I applied to Inlingua in Early Aug and I got a response back later in the month when the summer holidays were over. After a phone interview, submitting a language proficiency test and positive remarks from my then supervisor at the Berlitz Language School, I was hired! Ecstatic is putting it lightly how I felt! My patience had paid off and I had a job in Italy.
INLINGUA NAPOLI
I wasn’t expecting to work in Naples and it certainly wasn’t my first choice in Italian cities, but I couldn’t say no and I’m glad I didn’t as I never heard from the other schools again. I had some reservations both about Napoli and the school. If you google in my school it has some bad reviews. I decided though that they were submitted by disgruntled teachers who couldn’t handle Italy or the Italians. So I decided to to just come and experience the city and the school for myself. Napoli I already knew was a chaotic city, but I felt better after talking to Robyn my then Director of Studies (DOS) who assured me that the city gets a bad rap and there are parts that are quite nice. Having been here since Sept 13th, I found out that she was right. Napoli is chaotic, disorganized, dirty, trashy but also exciting, interesting and a place you could become attached to. To sum it up, it has real character. It’s also been assuring to meet other teachers who have been with Inlingua for over a year. They must like something about the school, Napoli and Italy.
I MIEI STUDENTI
Overall I like the students that I teach. They are positive, involved in the lesson, more or less eager to learn and we have a good relationship. I’ve had a very few problems with my students/. I mostly teach adults and they anywhere from 20-60, most have their lessons paid for by their jobs who send them to our school to improve their English. So far I don’t have a ton of lessons and the most I do is three lessons a day. I was hired as freelance teacher and thus I am guaranteed a min 80 hours a month worth of pay whether I work those 80 hours or not. Anything over 80 they pay us accordingly. As I have always said, I didn’t come here to get rich and I have to watch my money every month, but luckily Napoli is one of the more cheaper cities in Italy which is a big saving. For example I can get a generous sized pizza for 2.50euros. I just got a raise so my paycheck should be a bit more next month.
QUALCOSA NON VA?
Some of my co-workers don’t care for the school and I’ll admit it has its problems, but what job doesn’t? I’m not gonna list all their complaints, but I have none really. I am happy to have a job considering how I spent most of 2009 and most importantly to be in Italy. One of the biggest complaints is the pay. It is true that it is somewhat tough to live on what they pay us (at the start that is), but not impossible. If you wanna buy designer clothes, go out every night and spend a fortune then you’ll be broke in 2 weeks. It is true that the pay is generally more up North, but you also need to consider that the cost of living is higher especially in Firenze and Milano. But I am not a complainer and so far everything here is do-able. I have patience that things will work out and we’ll see how things pan out in the next couple of months. My contract ends in July, but already I am thinking of next year and I want to see if they will extend my contract to 2011. I want to stay here in Italy for a while, but I don’t want to be poor forever.
CLANDESTINO NO!
My quest to make active steps to live here actually started back in 2005. Per the advice of a professor at my college, I found out that I might be eligible to acquire dual citizenship via my paternal great-grandfather. According to Italian law, this is something that you are born with but you need to prove your lineage. You basically inherit this providing you can prove that whoever you intend to acquire it from, had never renounced being an Italian citizen. This is done by becoming a citizen of another country. Fortunately, we knew that my father’s grandfather never did this and I had a hunch that I had a green light to Italian citizenship. I started this whole ordeal ironically in Napoli in 2005 arriving from NY and staying at a hotel which is right down the street from where I work now. I had to go to Torre Del Greco, my ggf’s town which is right next to the famous towns of Pompei and Herculaneum 10 mins south of Napoli. From there I needed birth and marriage documents as the consulates in America, who ultimately acknowledge you as a dual citizen, require these documents. I never thought I’d come back to this town again, much less for a job, especially after my adventure down here 5 years ago! (It has to be destiny that I ended up getting a job in my ancestral home!)
From there I needed alike documents in America which were harder to obtain ironically because they weren’t free like in Italy. I needed: birth, marriage, divorce and death documents from my ggf, grandfather, father and myself (obviously where applicable). Once I had those in order I needed to present them to the NY Italian consulate which took a few visits to make sure everything was in order. Once it was I was sent a letter saying I could apply for a passport. One of the happiest days of my life was getting that Italian passport in the mail!
I wanted it for a few reasons. 1. Because I am fiercely proud of my heritage 2. Why not? And 3. It allows me to live and work in Italy as long as I want with the same rights as any normal Italian citizen. I am told the process to obtain a Visa or to get a permesso di soggiorno is somewhat difficult, in particular the Visa. In fact my school would not have hired me if I didn’t have a legal way to stay here. Schools here in Italy for some reason are unable to help you get a work Visa. So I am fortunate to have a bisnonno, who never became an American citizen which thus enables me to live here in Italy as an Italian citizen and avoid a lot of legal hassle.
DOVE ABITO
Where I live……….Despite all the negative press about this town, I live in a fairly decent section. I live in the Arenella (Via Suarez, Piazzetta Immacolata) section of Napoli which is right on the border with Vomero, one of the more wealthier sections. I work in Centro Direzionale which is the business district of Napoli although sometimes I travel to companies to teach. I live in an apt with 5 bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen a balcony, with 2 other teachers and two Spanish students.
Luca and Alfonso are the other two teachers who work at the same school as me. Luca is from London and Alfonso is from Perth, Australia. All three of us are of Italian background. Isabella and Miguel are Erasmus Spanish students. More or less things are ok here. Some are a bit sloppier than others but more or less we all get along. I am told some of the other teachers don’t have such great living arrangements! The apt is just ok, it is seems made for students and it sucks not having a living room or a TV for that matter. But I don’t complain too much.
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