Final GL Blog

Here in the city of Rome we have all learned many things that have helped us to be global citizens. Simply being in Rome gives us a look at the lifestyle of Italians compared to that of people living in the United States. In chapter 2 of Gaudium et Spes it says, "Respect and love ought to be extended also to those who think or act differently than we do in social, political and even religious matters. In fact, the more deeply we come to understand their ways of thinking through such courtesy and love, the more easily will we be able to enter into dialogue with them." (Gaudium et Spes, Chapter 2). This quote really applies to coming to understand people who live differently than us, or people who have different  values than us. While we have lived here in Rome among the Italian people for two months, I think we came to understand them much better and have come to learn the way they live.
One thing I was very worried about before the trip was the transportation. I had never been on a plane, train, or subway before this trip so I did not know what to expect. However, after just a couple of days I felt like a master of the transportation here. I knew who the pickpockets were, I knew how to find my way on my own in the metro, and I knew the train schedule. I think we also came to understand the lifestyle of Italians. When compared to Americans, the lifestyle here is much more active. Italians walk everywhere, and something Professor pointed out on the second day we were here was that if you look at all of the children you will notice that none of them are overweight. The entire time I was here I noticed that I had not seen one Italian who was overweight. The opposite is true for America. Almost all of the kids are overweight, and only a few would be healthy.
We also took an Italian class here to learn how to get by when in certain social situations like when we are buying something. It gave us a look at how Italians communicate. However, even when you think you have a pretty good grasp on the language, Italians will notice immediately when you are from another country and will start talking in your language if they know it (which they usually do). We also got a great look at how the Italians view Catholicism with our experiences at the many masses we went to and the many churches we saw on a daily basis. After seeing the papal mass I think we all understood a little more how the Italian people are dedicated to the faith. In the book The Italians, Barzini even states that the Italians have always been committed to the church. This is what got them through the toughest times in their history. He states, "Spain exploited the spiritual hegemony of the Church to keep the people docile. All the time, like all good allies, they struggled for supremacy. The Church won in the end, it always does." (Barzini, pg. 303).
Finally, we all had the opportunity to live with an Italian family for entire week. This really gave all of us an even closer look at how Italians actually live their lives outside of work. We had meals prepared for us, and good living conditions provided for us. This really opened our eyes to the lifestyle of the Italian people. What they do in their free time, how often the work, how they cook, when they eat, and their habits were all on display in the short amount of time we had with them, and it was a great experience altogether. In the book The Smiles of Rome, Fellini states, "Rome does not need to make culture. It is culture. Prehistoric, classical, Etruscan, Renaissance, Baroque, modern. Every corner of the city is a chapter in an imaginary universal history of culture." (Fellini, pg. 302).