What if?

“But sometimes we forget what we got, who we are and who we are not. I think we got a chance to make it right, if we keep it loose, keep it tight” – Amos Lee lyrics

My experiences in Milan have, honestly, not been too numerous. In part, this is because I was tired when I came home after work every day and in part because Milan did not strike me as too moving of a city. Yes, it is Italy’s economic and business center, but as a result, it is somewhat somber and uniform in its grayness. I really enjoyed the Duomo, both inside and out, because it is an incredibly elaborate building. It is also supposed to house a nail from Christ’s cross, has a very complicated sundial across the floor, and has a series of well-known statues. It reminded me something Rev. Peter Gomes said at Easter Service this past year in Memorial Church about why he loves visiting old cathedrals and churches and never tires of seeing them (like some tourists complain of)…he said that cathedrals are different from other historical monuments because in them the work for which they were originally intended is still being done after so much time. Few historical monuments or buildings can still claim that. My other favorite sightseeing moment in Milan was going to a Money exhibition at the Palazzo Reale. I remember reading a book on Money when I was really young, but since then, I’ve most certainly forgotten most of what I read, so attending this exhibition was really eye-opening. Apparently Japanese photographs and paintings had a profound influence on the painter’s search for the ideal representation of nature and his search to draw “nothingness”…one could say that Japan was to Monet what Africa was to Picasso! I had not really learned THAT much about Monet in a long time, so I really enjoyed having such an inside look into his artistic process.

The actual work at the summer camp I enjoyed very much, even though some of the children were somewhat unmanageable! The purpose of the camp was to be half summer fun and half academic setting, which is more than little difficult to uphold when you have a bunch of 7-9 years olds who really just want to be on vacation! Then there is the all-too-obvious added element of the language barrier, as the Italian education system focuses so little on foreign-language acquisition that on the first day, my class couldn’t even answer the questions “When is your birthday?” and “How old are you?” The two weeks of teaching were challenging to say the least, but they were also rewarding! I had never taught children that young – not to mention foreign children that young – and having to adapt to different situations on the fly was a really valuable lesson to learn! I had some trouble children, mainly Matteo who was literally incapable of sitting still, Federico, who was loud but brilliant, Sara, who was incredibly lazy and always wanting to go play football outside, and Giulio, who was just…well, slightly out of it. However, even they were sometimes a joy to have: Sara was really affectionate, Giulio was completely normal outside of the classroom, and Federico was really clever and funny. In general, the experience was exhausting but gratifying in that I hope we taught them something while they were having fun.

I was teaching with David (an English lad, math and physics Cambridge grad who has worked as an actor for several years) and Jesse (a Canadian who does Environmental children education). Then there was also Silvana, who was the English teacher at the school during the normal school year and acted as the director of the summer camp…she, more so than anyone else, was a lifesaver. She brought us coffee during breaks, she helped with bad discipline problems, she translated instructions to the kids when they stared at us with blank faces for several minutes! Silvana was amazing and on the last day of camp when all four of us gathered to sneak some champagne and snacks during school hours (gasp!), we all felt acutely that the past two weeks had been worthwhile and we would legitimately miss our working dynamic. Thankfully, we realized early on that we worked well together and found each other’s strengths and weaknesses during the activities, which included a fashion show, an art competition, the Olympics, a water fight, etc.

On the last Thursday, David, Jess, and I were invited, along with Silvana (the English teacher at our school who is running the camp) to have dinner at the restaurant that is owned by one of my student’s families. The evening was the first time that all of us could really gather outside of the context of school for an extended period of time (especially with Silvana) and it was nothing short of great to have the opportunity to get to know a different aspect of such an incredible teacher and women. It is really not enough to say that Silvana has been our savior during these last two weeks, because she’s been more of a mix between friend, colleague, mother, accomplice, and safe keeper of sanity.

There were nine of us at dinner and the conversations were as lively as the atmosphere was comfortable, cozy, and fun, especially since the pizzas kept coming out on tray after tray and wine bottle after wine bottle was opened. This dinner solidified for me just how grateful I am to have been placed with Jesse and David, without whose humor, wit, and empathy, the camp would have been a far less enjoyable experience. We were lucky to have each other and to have Silvana; it was nice to have a special moment to commemorate that.

I walked home late, listening to Tracy Chapman. Lightening colored the sky all around me in a strange, almost fluorescent gray. The breeze smelt of imminent rain and, step by step, I felt incredibly content, at peace, and with a thankful sigh at my lips.

Then came Friday – the last day of camp! Where did the last two weeks go? Saying goodbye to the kids was a bit emotional at the end, but the final show went off well and kids and parents were satisfied!

That night, I was invited to dinner at the flat of one of my student’s family, the same ones who joined my host family and I for dinner the first night I was in Milan. We ate sushi, drank beer, and had an incredibly lively discussion on a very broad variety of topics, including the co-existence of the terms “ladybug” and “ladybird” in English, which apparently refer to the same insect. This evening was actually a perfect way to end this week: intimate, refreshing, commemorative. Both sets of parents are people whose company I truly enjoy and with whom I am happy to have exchanged email addresses. I’ve been invited to visit Milan again and to keep in touch, and I most certainly plan on doing so!

Finally, the next day (Saturday): I slept for 13 hours!!! And awoke today to French toast, prepared for me by seven year-old Susanna! Tomorrow, I am leaving for 8 days of traveling and, as excited as I am for it, I will miss the little routine I had created over the last two weeks here and certainly I will miss the people I have met in Milan!

For dinner, we drove to Bergamo to eat at a family’s friend apartment. I have to admit that I was, for some odd reason, absolutely exhausted and sleep at the dinner table. However, the actual meal was incredible and authentically Sicilian…the wine was from Sicily, the dishes were traditional (balls of rice filled with meat, cheese, peas, covered in bread crums and deep fried), and even the canolies were apparently authentic!