by Danielle Gruden (Boise, ID)SO FAR IN MY JOURNEY I have been hesitant to jump into the cultural experience. I feel like I am standing the top of a high-dive with my hands over my eyes, looking down through a small peep hole between my fingers. It looks amazing, but I feel under-prepared and a little bit uncomfortable. Today I feel like I finally made a leap.
The lady, Patritsia, whom I will be interviewing for my profile piece - speaks no English. To make the situation more dramatic - I speak very little Italian. I had not expected such a confusing exchange of words and a whirlwind of phrases and hand gestures.
I felt semi-prepared going into it. I had written down what to say in Italian - with scribbles and notes jotted down around each word so I knew how to pronounce it. As I tried to spill out each word as eloquently as possible I found myself posing like a deer-in-the-headlights. It was almost as if I had created a new dialect or perhaps even a new language all together. It was like I opened my mouth but nothing came out; as if I tried to use my words but air was all that escaped. With a flapping of my arms and the continual opening of my Italian and English dictionary, a message was finally conveyed.
Although I was frustrated at times, the end result was amazing. Without the sole use of words as a means to connect and communicate, verbal communication took over and allowed a transfer of understanding to take place. I since feel more comfortable “jumping” because with each moment like this that occurs I am able to connect, pick up words and phrases, and also engage with someone from a completely different country - and it feels completely amazing.
