no one has responded, yet: I feel I can't as I've never worked there. But visited Naples: an astonishing city, throbbing with a raw, operatic energy. Also visited Venice (twice). San Marco small and dark, the Doge's Palace gloomy and pompous. Perhaps if I went back to Venice and spent more time there. My second visit there was unpleasant: in the summer, so hot, so many tourists, the city a labyrinth with no escape. I got sick and when I was well enouigh to travel headed out of that awful place to the cool sanity of Lausanne. Does this help? Language definitely a problem for me as I speak no Italian.
which school did you study at? how was the program, and I don't speak Italian so I'm not sure how I'm gonna deal with that! but I know a couple of students who were in the same situation as me and they actually love it there but I haven't been albe to really talk with any of them yet. so anything you could tell me about your experience would be great. thanx
I did my exchange (Erasmus) in Ferrara and i loved every second of it. Don't worry about not speaking italian, it isn't really a difficult language and the italians are really patient and helpfull. I didn't speak any italian and most italians don't speak english (might be differrent in florence b'cuz of tourism), but the university offered a course which helped a little and i found a great bar which helped a lot.
Compared to holland, the italian system is conservative, a little more chaotic and there's much more hierarchy. On the other hand there's a lot more love, care and passion.
What i liked best was traveling, there's so much to see and italians love to show you around. Oh and the food, oh my god the food...
I did a semester abroad in Rome--no doubt the best time in my life. Make sure you live in the city center though, remember no need to tip at restaurants since tip is already included in the "bread fee"--be prepared to wait forever for food and for the check, a lot of them know some english already, but if you're super sweet to them, they'll end up giving you free food and stuff. They're just really great people and such a positive outlook on life. On the other hand, never carry a backpack on the back, probably a messenger bag would be better, and it absolutly must have a zipper. Too many people had wallets stolen in churches, digital cameras stolen, etc. Best of luck Paris.
I was a part of the KSU abroad program in a small town called Castiglion Fiorentino. Students from Texas A&M & Colorado State were there as well. I've heard that next year they will be expanding their study program to Orvietto. The program includes trips to almost every town in Tuscany.
I know Syracuse has a study abroad program in Florence, as well as a few other schools in New York state. Florence is definately the hub for American abroad programs in Italy.
thanx alot guys, it all sounds fab. I've traveled in europe and asia but never had the time to go to italy but I think I'll do my exchange there for sure next year!
Learn some basic Italian before you go. You do not want to be stuck looking at the menue and not being able to order. Very FEW people speak Italian, VERY FEW. Very few Italians were willing to show us around. They looked at us as if we were stupid americans, invading their land. The food in Tuscany is good, everywere else it is just plain and OK. And as an English speaking person be ready to dish out the big bucks-they will most sertainly charge you more for everything.
uuhhh thanks toby, ..but what you said is not that true!
in florence area there are about 30 american universities with their international programs: the city is full of americans students..and many bars and pubs offer them special discounts! not the same for food..but eating in florence restaurants is not cheap to anyone! no extra charge to americans though!
here almost everybody (especially in the center of the city) speaks english and people is friendly to foreigns!
paris dont worry, come to florence and enjoy your italian stay: i would agree with toby only about learning a basic italian. some american universities (especially those settled in the city, like syracuse for example) have agreements with italian host families for their students accomodation, so they must interact with Italians in Italian..
Italian can be useful to order too..even if i would like to remind toby that in florence restaurants all of the menues are bilingual!
you would also need italian to fulfill the forms for clubs and to deal with our strange-looking drink-cards..
uuhhh thanks toby, ..but what you said is not that true!
in florence area there are about 30 american universities with their international programs: the city is full of americans students..and many bars and pubs offer them special discounts! not the same for food..but eating in florence restaurants is not cheap to anyone! no extra charge to americans though!
here almost everybody (especially in the center of the city) speaks english and people is friendly to foreigns!
paris dont worry, come to florence and enjoy your italian stay: i would agree with toby only about learning a basic italian. some american universities (especially those settled in the city, like syracuse for example) have agreements with italian host families for their students accomodation, so they must interact with Italians in Italian..
Italian can be useful to order too..even if i would like to remind toby that in florence restaurants all of the menues are bilingual!
you would also need italian to fulfill the forms for clubs and to deal with our strange-looking drink-cards..
well I'm actually not american and I don't live in the US. when I was in europe years ago I actually did notice that the natives weren't so fond of Americans in general for whatever reason.I'm not being mean or anything It's just my observation so I can understand what Toby is saying from experience.
thanx for all the advice guys.
skylark: I never saw a bilingual menu in the rest of Italy(except Venice). Very hard to come by. I think that the idea of having host families is the best solution to study abroad programs. That way the students can be truly introduced to the culture and the rules of the game-so to speak.
Let us not forget the "afternoon nap time"-12pm-4pm (with slight variations) especially followed in smaller cities. So, no loud noises and sometimes no restaurants open.
Travel by yourself and Italy will open up to you. I spent a couple of weeks in Sicily recently and it was amazing. There is something about being on your own, whether you speak the language or not, that opens you up to people in a way that will never occur if you restict yourself to travelling with other English speakers. When I was willing to try to speak Italian, if only to order food consciously, people were always respectful, patient and helpful. I think Europeans are generally more anti-rude-morons than they are anti-american...but then again, packs of roving Americans can frequently be seen behaving like packs of rude-morons...
Jun 15, 05 8:59 pm ·
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Italy
so there is a life in London thread, how about Italy? anybody who has worked there? what's the situation there?
no one has responded, yet: I feel I can't as I've never worked there. But visited Naples: an astonishing city, throbbing with a raw, operatic energy. Also visited Venice (twice). San Marco small and dark, the Doge's Palace gloomy and pompous. Perhaps if I went back to Venice and spent more time there. My second visit there was unpleasant: in the summer, so hot, so many tourists, the city a labyrinth with no escape. I got sick and when I was well enouigh to travel headed out of that awful place to the cool sanity of Lausanne. Does this help? Language definitely a problem for me as I speak no Italian.
thanx John, what a gentelman
well I'm thinking of doing my exchange in Florence so that's the reason for the Q.
your answer is much appreciated
what exchange program? i studied abroad in florence and travelled extensively within italy, so I might have some advice on specific questions
Architecture.
which school did you study at? how was the program, and I don't speak Italian so I'm not sure how I'm gonna deal with that! but I know a couple of students who were in the same situation as me and they actually love it there but I haven't been albe to really talk with any of them yet. so anything you could tell me about your experience would be great. thanx
u do ksu? they have a hella flocking to a small town outside of florence. i've heard good and bad.
Life in Italy is great.
I did my exchange (Erasmus) in Ferrara and i loved every second of it. Don't worry about not speaking italian, it isn't really a difficult language and the italians are really patient and helpfull. I didn't speak any italian and most italians don't speak english (might be differrent in florence b'cuz of tourism), but the university offered a course which helped a little and i found a great bar which helped a lot.
Compared to holland, the italian system is conservative, a little more chaotic and there's much more hierarchy. On the other hand there's a lot more love, care and passion.
What i liked best was traveling, there's so much to see and italians love to show you around. Oh and the food, oh my god the food...
I did a semester abroad in Rome--no doubt the best time in my life. Make sure you live in the city center though, remember no need to tip at restaurants since tip is already included in the "bread fee"--be prepared to wait forever for food and for the check, a lot of them know some english already, but if you're super sweet to them, they'll end up giving you free food and stuff. They're just really great people and such a positive outlook on life. On the other hand, never carry a backpack on the back, probably a messenger bag would be better, and it absolutly must have a zipper. Too many people had wallets stolen in churches, digital cameras stolen, etc. Best of luck Paris.
I was a part of the KSU abroad program in a small town called Castiglion Fiorentino. Students from Texas A&M & Colorado State were there as well. I've heard that next year they will be expanding their study program to Orvietto. The program includes trips to almost every town in Tuscany.
I know Syracuse has a study abroad program in Florence, as well as a few other schools in New York state. Florence is definately the hub for American abroad programs in Italy.
thanx alot guys, it all sounds fab. I've traveled in europe and asia but never had the time to go to italy but I think I'll do my exchange there for sure next year!
Learn some basic Italian before you go. You do not want to be stuck looking at the menue and not being able to order. Very FEW people speak Italian, VERY FEW. Very few Italians were willing to show us around. They looked at us as if we were stupid americans, invading their land. The food in Tuscany is good, everywere else it is just plain and OK. And as an English speaking person be ready to dish out the big bucks-they will most sertainly charge you more for everything.
uuhhh thanks toby, ..but what you said is not that true!
in florence area there are about 30 american universities with their international programs: the city is full of americans students..and many bars and pubs offer them special discounts! not the same for food..but eating in florence restaurants is not cheap to anyone! no extra charge to americans though!
here almost everybody (especially in the center of the city) speaks english and people is friendly to foreigns!
paris dont worry, come to florence and enjoy your italian stay: i would agree with toby only about learning a basic italian. some american universities (especially those settled in the city, like syracuse for example) have agreements with italian host families for their students accomodation, so they must interact with Italians in Italian..
Italian can be useful to order too..even if i would like to remind toby that in florence restaurants all of the menues are bilingual!
you would also need italian to fulfill the forms for clubs and to deal with our strange-looking drink-cards..
you're gonna have alot of fun! good luck!
uuhhh thanks toby, ..but what you said is not that true!
in florence area there are about 30 american universities with their international programs: the city is full of americans students..and many bars and pubs offer them special discounts! not the same for food..but eating in florence restaurants is not cheap to anyone! no extra charge to americans though!
here almost everybody (especially in the center of the city) speaks english and people is friendly to foreigns!
paris dont worry, come to florence and enjoy your italian stay: i would agree with toby only about learning a basic italian. some american universities (especially those settled in the city, like syracuse for example) have agreements with italian host families for their students accomodation, so they must interact with Italians in Italian..
Italian can be useful to order too..even if i would like to remind toby that in florence restaurants all of the menues are bilingual!
you would also need italian to fulfill the forms for clubs and to deal with our strange-looking drink-cards..
you're gonna have alot of fun! good luck!
well I'm actually not american and I don't live in the US. when I was in europe years ago I actually did notice that the natives weren't so fond of Americans in general for whatever reason.I'm not being mean or anything It's just my observation so I can understand what Toby is saying from experience.
thanx for all the advice guys.
skylark: I never saw a bilingual menu in the rest of Italy(except Venice). Very hard to come by. I think that the idea of having host families is the best solution to study abroad programs. That way the students can be truly introduced to the culture and the rules of the game-so to speak.
Let us not forget the "afternoon nap time"-12pm-4pm (with slight variations) especially followed in smaller cities. So, no loud noises and sometimes no restaurants open.
Travel by yourself and Italy will open up to you. I spent a couple of weeks in Sicily recently and it was amazing. There is something about being on your own, whether you speak the language or not, that opens you up to people in a way that will never occur if you restict yourself to travelling with other English speakers. When I was willing to try to speak Italian, if only to order food consciously, people were always respectful, patient and helpful. I think Europeans are generally more anti-rude-morons than they are anti-american...but then again, packs of roving Americans can frequently be seen behaving like packs of rude-morons...
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