Lucca Italian School

After a week or so of unpacking, sweating in the sweltering July heat and nightly upper 90% humidity, rushing from long line to long line in post office, police station, and tobacco shop for a wide array of forms, stamps, and permissions in an attempt to make our beyond ninety day stay legal (we had a week to do it), trying hard to form intelligible questions for and understand answers from the officials we encountered along the way, wondering why everyone seemed to be staring at us, confused as to why we kept blowing a fuse in the house, not sure why we didn’t see more kids around playing, hoping to get beyond ‘cave man’ language, we realized it was time to look for help. We found Lucca Italian School (LIS), located outside the walls and just a five minute bike ride away.

   

The best way to cut Italian pizzas. One of many skills learned at LIS!

    All four of us sat at a table in one of their bright, cheery classrooms with Angelo and Eva, two of the three (the other being Daniela) founders of the school. They sympathetically (it was obvious we weren’t the first confused beginners they’d dealt with) explained what they offered, making full use of gestures and drawing when needed (and yes, they also speak English but only use it when absolutely, absolutely necessary). We decided Lauren would begin the next week.

Eva demonstrating beautiful dough-rolling form

    Eva made Lauren feel immediately welcome with abundant smiles, laughter, and warm-hearted teasing. After each daily four hour session Lauren would come home energized, motivated to study, and full of stories about her day. While I could appreciate this a bit second-hand, I really began to approve of her lessons after she came home from an evening cooking class with Eva and the next day proceeded to make a most delicious dinner of home-made ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach, lemon chicken in such a savory and sweet, succulent sauce that I was tempted to simply drink it, and a cool and refreshing panna cotta.

Federica

    Ingrid would be starting fourth grade at the local elementary school before too long and, well, there was this little problem. She didn’t speak Italian. Enter LIS. Federica, a recent college graduate, came to our house a couple of times a week for a month or two and began to give Ingrid a base so that at least she felt she knew some Italian. Perhaps even more important, however, was that Ingrid had met someone who was patient, liked to have fun during her lessons, and helped to boost her confidence so that, when she did begin school, although a very, very nerve-racking day, it was not one of sheer terror!

    Lauren and I rotated weeks so that one could do classes while the other watched the kids. In all each of us ended up doing five to six weeks at LIS  between July and early October (I’ve also done a one hour private conversation class every week or two since December). My fellow students ranged in age from fourteen on up into their seventies and came primarily from all over Europe, the United States, and Japan. Class size was always small, between four and eight typically, allowing for plenty of individual attention and a good sense of camaraderie amongst the group and teacher.

Marina

    Marina taught me first. I soon seemed to detect a slightly different rhythm to her speech and indeed quickly found out that she was a proud Napolitana! How exciting! We didn’t end up making it to Southern Italy, but Marina brought a piece of it to us. Her smile was contagious and her patience and understanding of our trouble with the language genuine and never-ending (and she cooks a mean pasta casserole). Grazie di tutto Marina! Sei bravissima!

Eva

         

   Besides a few conversation classes, I mostly encountered Eva in the kitchen. She is the master chef and meal planner extraordinaire of the school. Eva knows how to get it done and make it taste good. Although it takes three times as long, she even lets her students attempt to do the cooking themselves. Don’t worry, Eva won’t let you do it the wrong way. I remember my first encounter with the mezzaluna, for example. After her demonstration of its proper usage I gave it a try but Eva appeared promptly at my side and re-taught me the tried and true technique for success chopping herbs. Eva is quite the jokester, so watch out when she makes an outrageous request or comment, she may just be kidding around… or not! Eva, sentiremo la tua mancanza!

Laura

    Laura, who hails from just outside Lucca,  brought loads of energy and a fun-loving spirit to the classroom and often used interesting listening selections and movie clips brought in on her laptop. One great activity I remember was watching a staged conversation between two Italians who used only hand gestures. That in itself was entertaining, but in pairs we subsequently had to try to write out their conversation! Yes, it was difficult, but quite fun imagining what they were saying while also giving us some clues into Italian body language and expression. Laura was also a reliable source to provide current slang and certain other expressions you might want to know (just to be able to hear clearly and understand if used by others around you, of course!). Laura, sempre ci fai bella figura! Spero che tu possa andare spesso in Germania. Stammi bene!

Antonella

    After awhile I moved to Antonella’s class. Antonella has taught for many years and is a master of the language, including all of the particularities of typically Luccan speech. She also helped me figure out appropriate phrases to use in stores, not always as easy as it might first seem. It’s a good thing, too, for much of what I had been imitating and using myself turned out to be a bit on the rude side! Antonella clearly loves what she does and takes a genuine interest in her students and in making sure they’re learning as much as they can. We had so many good discussions in her classes, ranging from the more serious Amanda Knox case to one student's assertion that all Italian opera stars were ugly and the ensuing debate he had with Antonella. I stayed out of that one but enjoyed the show! Antonella is one classy lady and a fine teacher. Ti ringrazio tanto, Antonella!

Susanna

    Susanna came on board permanently after I stopped taking classes but I have come to know her a bit. I discovered her home town on a bike ride where I took a train north and then biked back through the hills. She sure has one heck of a commute, and her hometown of forty people is out-numbered many-fold by its animal residents--quite a different world from Lucca--so you know she is another highly dedicated member of the team! Sweet and laid-back, Susanna surely makes a great impact with her students. Susanna, grazie per venire a la festa e ti scriverò magari in quanto riguarda il coniglietto che regaliamo a Ingrid (tipo ‘Aiutaci!’), va bene?

Angelo

    Angelo is a most unassuming co-director of the school and chief of financial services, but don’t let his modest attitude fool you. Not only is Angelo a whiz on all questions cultural, historical, economic, linguistic—and who knows what else (he rarely lets on but speaks excellent English and German, among others, and mostly self-taught), he also plays one heck of an accordion and belts out the Italian folk songs so well that you, too, will find yourself doing your best to keep pace singing along and forget that you ‘don’t know that much Italian yet.’ In all senses of the phrase, Angelo rocks! Magari verrai alla zona italiana ‘North End’ a Boston per suonare un giorno? Grazie mille, Angelo!

Daniela

         

 Daniela, co-director herself, is the goddess mechanic, able to put all of the pieces of the Fiat together into an appealing and smoothly running whole while deftly taking care of any routine maintenance or hiccups in the motor along the way and keeping the paint waxed and shiny without the passengers ever realizing what went on behind the scenes to make their ride possible in the first place and continue to be so amazing day after day. Besides that, she’s a great teacher. Over the course of many one hour conversation classes, Daniela proved at the ready to talk about anything and to help clear up specific events I’d heard of in the news. She didn’t bat an eyelash when I would suddenly ask her a grammar, pronunciation, or vocabulary question in the middle of a conversation; she always had clear examples to help me emerge from my gobbledygook. Daniela also informed me of events, places or local characters that she knew I’d be interested in, leading to several great adventures, including our family’s favorite place to spend time together, Le Parole d’Oro. Her sense of humor and ability to put anyone at ease also help to make her an excellent personal guide to the language and culture of Italy and a great person to chat with. Daniela, complimenti di tutto, in bocca al lupo, e grazie per aver condiviso la tua conoscenza e il tuo tempo. E stato un anno indimenticabile!

Caroline and Niko know what a party's for!

    Lucca Italian School helped us in many ways, from the outings they led, pizza-making parties, singing with Angelo, advice on doctors in the area, to of course getting us up to speed so we could communicate better in Italian. Most importantly, though, they helped us to feel a part of a community, something that isn’t always so easy to find for foreigners in a foreign land. Teniamoci in contatto amici!

La festa era divertente. Arrivederci!

A January Check-Up

For months and months we talked about the upcoming year in Italy. We dreamed about the great food we’d eat, the amazing towns, festivals, and landscapes we’d see. But there were also the questions. Would we get our Visa, allowing us to actually go there for more than three months? Would we then get our Permesso di Soggiorno, the Italian version which technically would be the final document necessary allowing us to legally stay for a year? Where would we go? Where would we live? Would we like our new home? Would we adjust to life in Italy? What about schools for the kids? Would the language be easy? What would it be like not having a job?

      The halfway point of our time abroad has already now passed, though, reminding us that we won’t be here forever, that eventually we’ll be boarding Swiss Air in Rome to head back to New Hampshire, and that the new set of related questions percolating up may deserve some attention. Maybe we’ve started thinking about our return also because it finally seems that we are all healthy and somewhat used to living in Lucca. Absent as much stress or as many health problems to deal with, maybe you are the type of person capable of just “going with the flow” or “enjoying the moment”. I commend you; it must be nice! We’re trying to do that, too, of course, but our propensity to plan ahead—now that immediate issues are currently less urgent—brings scenarios and questions of our return more often to our thoughts.

         When will we return home? We need to change the return tickets and fix a date soon. What else do we really want to do here before we go home? Where would we like to visit? Will Lauren be able to find a job? Where will Nikolai go to kindergarten? How will we afford a car (we sold our family vehicle before we left) and should we start looking for one already? What work will need to be done on the house after a year’s use by another family? These are but a few of the current questions on our minds and, as you can see, thankfully none are life-threatening. It’s just us looking ahead.

            So, let’s take stock here at just past mid-way point. Call it a January check-up. 

            Are we glad we came to Italy? Yes.

            Is it much different than taking a week or two vacation here would be? Of course, and I expected that; I’ll let you ponder what exactly that means. But again, yes, we’re happy with our choice.

            Is our Italian as good as we thought it might be at this point? No. Better than when we arrived? I hope so! Sometimes I wonder, though. Recently when I was getting my hair cut or, another time, talking with a waiter, I got a furrowed brow, a pause, and then “Ma non ho capito niente” (“I didn’t understand a thing you just said!”). The kids are faring better. Sometimes when Niko is playing alone at home I’ll find him chattering in Italian. Ingrid usually likes to use English with us but occasionally she’s in the mood for la bella lingua. Yesterday when I picked her up from school we spoke in Italian during our bike ride to the grocery store and while shopping (When the bike key lock broke as we went to head home and were stranded there with both bikes and her backpack locked together and a brother to pick up in a few minutes we did revert to English)! She’s also got a good Italian friend who speaks no English so along with a little sign language when they talk Italian is the only option.

    Are Lauren and I having a weekly date-night while the kids run around the house practicing their Italian with a babysitter? Not yet, but the two times we went out together at night when family was here to baby-sit were a couple of our best evenings so far and much appreciated. Thank you family!

           Do I have the power by my words to conjure up misfortune when I repeat that we’re ‘all finally healthy’? You may knock on that wood for me, thanks, but I’ve never quite caught on to the saying. Anyway, now that ‘that’ is true (saying it three times just may put me over the edge into a believer), hopefully we’ll:  a) find a babysitter b) call her up and c) have some meals out in peace now and then. 

            Are we glad we are taking a sabbatical year together? YES! The change has been very challenging overall (I know this may seem crazy to you. Sabbatical? Challenging? Just trust me.). As a former amateur endurance athlete and current teacher, of course, I am a firm believer in challenges making us stronger and wiser. And it has been wonderful to be around Lauren, Niko, and Ingrid much more than usual. I am still so grateful for this opportunity.

            And last, but not least, do we miss home? YES! What I’m most looking forward to is fresh air and the rural location. Friends, too, of course, colleagues and students, but we’ve got a ways to go yet. The earliest we’ll be back is mid-June, perhaps early July. Until then, we hope to take advantage of all of the time we have here and enjoy this special year together.