Postcard from Italy: Students Studying Cities Abroad

Monday
The majority of the Italian students arrived at our school/housing compound today, although we arrived last night. Prior to the trip, we had been told that most students we will be working with would speak English. Upon meeting them, we learned that this was not the case and although we all took introductory Italian at UC, communication has proved to be quite difficult with very few students to help translate. Language barriers aside, we have high hopes for a great summer school and are looking forward to working with the Italians.

Tuesday
Today we had a beautiful, informative tour of Northern Sardinia in addition to the towns our groups will be studying. The countryside is spectacular, similar to that one might find in the US’s southwest or Southern California. One of the towns, Castelsardo, proved to be my exact mental image of the island. From high atop a hill, in a fortified castle, we had panoramic views of the Mediterranean as well as the entire ancient town. Although my group will not be studying this area, it was my favorite site of the day.

Thursday
Another, more extensive, visit to Porto Torres, the site of my group’s project, was very worthwhile to our understanding of the city. An important port town, Porto Torres has an extremely large industrial area that is currently operating at 30% capacity. The Mannu River that runs through the city divides the residential areas and the industrial areas with such a distinct line it seems like something out of a movie or cartoon. Our project will focus on reconnecting these two important areas to create a unified city that will flourish and grow.

Saturday
Although I always thought that Italians were more relaxed and laid back in regards to work, we were expected to be at school today at 9 a.m., which was very difficult on a Saturday. Many of us expected to spend our day exploring the beautiful area, but instead, we are going to be working with our respective groups. On average, our groups have two UC students and four Italian students. Although discussing our projects can be somewhat difficult because of translation, we are enjoying sharing our ideas, hearing theirs, and coming together from different cultural experiences to create our projects. We have a lot to accomplish in our short time here, but thus far, things have been going fairly well.

Monday
Tonight we had a cookout on the beach with our new Italian friends. Between eating Italian sausages, star gazing, and listening to the sea, we all enjoyed attempting conversation with the other students. It is difficult because of their broken English, and our limited Italian, but nevertheless, we have been able to learn a great deal about each other, our respective cultures and truly enjoy each other’s company.

Wednesday
My group is continuing to work on our project though our language struggles and different experiences tend to slow us down. While I have learned a great deal about urban planning and Italian cities, I feel I have gained the most knowledge in regards to group dynamics and cultural differences. My group gets along very well and we have enjoyed sharing our lifestyles by discussing things like cars, movies, and sports while we work on our project. Just as we are fascinated with Italian culture, the other students have a great desire to learn more about us and it has been very rewarding to share with them.

Saturday
Today we are presenting our projects to all of the groups and faculty members. The journey was sometimes difficult and frustrating, but I am confident that all of us will leave the Italian school with one-of-a-kind social, academic, and cultural experiences as well as with great satisfaction in regards to our work. Tonight, we will celebrate our accomplishments as a group and tomorrow the 12 of us from UC will travel across Sardinia to catch the overnight ferry to Rome, a portion of our journey we are all eager to begin.