November 16, 2008

Carissima Firenze...

The other day I met up with three alumnae from Smith College at Kitsch for the city's best and biggest aperitivo-actually-dinner and a mini-reunion. We all have long-term sometimes long-distance relationships with Italian amanti and we all intend on staying in Florence forever. Since my bf was the only Florentine and their fidanzati were Sicilian and southern, we could only compare the common stereotypes...sono mammoni, forse le loro madri non si fidano di noi stranieri, viverebbero negli USA? magari..., capiscono la nostra cultura? ah forse, aspettano che facciamo tutto per loro? pulire, cucinare...forget it!!...

well, not really because they are fortunately more 21st century worldly bfs who are very respectful and don't really fulfill those stereotypes. It was my bf who practically taught me to cook and who knows how to do things on his own (although he does live at home with his parents), and he was extremely understanding as well as respectful and open minded to all of my family values and cultural barriers. We have had as many culture clashes as would a Californian and a New Yorker. Two years later and we are not culturally clashing but culturally cooperating.

Among us ex-Pat girls, we talked about how we love Florence and want to stay (understatement of the year) . Later that night, I took out two current JYA Smith studentesse to see the best bars in the city (via dei Benci) and to meet some Florentine ragazzi because I know it is hard to integrate without the help of a local. But at the end of the night they asked me a daunting and burdensome question:

What do I love most about Florence...

I began to stutter. I began to search their faces and think of a cliche' answer just to give them something, anything. But I couldn't bring myself to make up some quick response. I felt that would offend Florence and all Florentines. I have not spent two years here just to say one measly thing about why I love this city, like "My favorite thing is the Duomo."Although the truth is that I get i brividi everytime it pops up from behind a rooftop... So instead I politely gave the most general all-inclusive unspecific elenco saying I love tutto tutto from the language to the people to the aCHenHo (said in a SUPER STRONG accento fiorentino) to the bistecca Fiorentina. I surely offended Florence with that pathetic, unsubstantial and unoriginal response.

It was just my luck that today I found an excuse about why I don't have to list the Reasons-I-love-Florence. Melinda Gallo, a local writer I will be fortunate enough to meet on Tuesday, has found the perfect way to personify the city of Florence, a place that has changed my life, in the words that I have been searching for...

"I could probably come up with a million reasons about what I like about living here in Florence, but they all sound trite to me. The true reason why I love living here is because it just feels right to me. It is like being in love with someone. You could certainly list the aspects about the person that you appreciate, but when it comes down to it, it is a feeling deep in your heart that can't be labeled."

-Melinda Gallo on her blog

And she is absolutely right.