Rant Alert: But I promise it will be short...
Let me start off by saying that I am usually the culprit of this maxim, but it disappoints me when I hear it about my friends from other friends or parents. It began in high school when I started hanging out with the so called "shady kids" or kids that were drinking and for them occasionally smoking. While I am not a smoker, I have been surrounded by it constantly since junior year in high school. The parents of course, after being caught drinking a couple times (got grounded and then in caught again the first weekend that I was freed from my bedroom prison sentence), did not approve of many of these friends and for the most part understandably. But just because these friends chose to take a few mind altering substances didn't mean I was or that they are bad people. To this day, some of those friends are the smartest and driven kids that I have met. We are all at 4 year universities, doing well, enjoying college, and for the most part not screwing up the opportunity that was given to us. I also haven't met kids that have my back more than this group too, if I was in a bad situation I guarantee you they would get me out of there much quicker than the 4.0 library kid that is either in class or studying at all times (and yes mom and dad there is a middle ground but...). But this argument has come and gone and now I am at the age that I can choose who I hang out with and what I do with those friends. And frankly, it hasn't changed much, except my disdain for smoking has gotten stronger (culminating from last semester everyone knowing our house as the smoke spot), my morals have become more clear and I the realization that you CAN associate with the kids but not take part in the activities.
What spurred this rant was dinner last night at Rino's where our entire programs go for dinner. The food and the wine delicious as always, Penne All' Arrabiata, a firey andpiccante tomato sauce that tantalizes the palate with its large amounts of crushed red pepper (a perfect compliment to the house wine's fruity and smooth taste). It was however a few of the comments that bothered me, judgmental, arrogant, and without sustenance. Most of my time here has been spent with brand new friends and not with those that I already know. I have met many kids from Trinity and elsewhere, guys and girls alike, that live with me at the hotel and are very nice people. While they may not be the most cultured group or well dressed (the guys that is) they are here to experience and learn about Europe just as much as the next guy. Maybe they aren't here a wine tour, or looking for the small unknown undiscovered town and are more interested in the night life or big cities, but to each his own.
Sitting at table with a combination of a few Oxy students and two others, I heard comments such as "He's wearing a jersey over his sweatshirt to dinner...", "Did he just complain about pasta?", and my favorite "I bet you 5 bucks they go to McDonald's by the time February is over" and the response being "I bet you they already have."
I can't defend this guys attire for dinner, it was slightly disrespectful and not something I would ever wear, but for other points during the day, I don't find a jersey to be rude at all. It is in fact very american, but Italians wear soccer jerseys... and by no means does it mean that you don't want to go out and enjoy Rome versus transplanting American to Rome. "Did he just complain about pasta?" what the person whose mouth this came from didn't hear was the entire conversation talking about how good the food is and that he's had pasta for the past 4 days because he loved it. If he/she had heard this, I'm sure that this comment would not have been uttered. Oh and McDonald's, the simplest way to answer this is NO we nor they have been to McDonald's nor intend too. It is downright rude to assume such a thing because they wear their patriotism on their sleeves and don't try to do as the Romans do all the time. I do not pretend to be Italian (although maybe I'd like to be) but to chastise others for their dress and attitude because it is different, not wrong, than yours is petty.
But in the end it is to they're detriment, to not give these guys a chance and write them off as stupid Americans that want nothing to do with the Italy is their loss. I am here to step outside my comfort zone and meet people different from me or others that I don't know because frankly, the people I know and have met at Oxy tend to be lame and boring... My last thought on the subject, is also that many of these kids are in Europe or leaving the country for the first time; have you ever thought that maybe they just don't know? I remember when I was here the first time (granted I had my parents to show me what the deal was) and it is drastically different and difficult to adjust to at first. This is day 6 of 90+! give it sometime and a chance and maybe these dusty unused books will turn into a New York Time's bestseller or win a Pulitzer
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