by Jackie Kerns (Spokane, WA)HI, HELLO, HEY, whats-up; in American those words are used as simple greetings to acknowledge a person in the midst of your presence. Sometimes they are the start to an easily understood question or interaction in which language isn’t an issue. For many they are a words that carry little expectation for a response.
In Italy we use the word ciao. And although it means the same hello, hi and hey, ciao for me has become a word with endless possibilities. It’s been a word that is sometimes followed by excitement, fun and even a little frustration when what follows the greeting cannot be understood. And although my time in Cagli has been short, the length at which I’ve used the word ciao cannot be counted. Ciao for me has become my linguistic partner in crime. It has brought me many friends and I am grateful to have it be the foundation of my italian vocabulary that is slowly but surely improving and becoming stronger.
In my time here ciao has introduced me to Ramano, the man that wanders the piazza eager to meet Americans and practice his english. Ciao has also brought me to Angela Corradi the woman I interviewed for my profile piece. It started with a ciao and after a three hour conversation which included the usage of the italian/english dictionary and a game of charades, I was invited to dinner with her family. Because of ciao, I met Piero in the piazza while sipping a cappuccino in the early hours of the morning. He later told me about his vineyard in Urbino and brought me a bottle of wine the next day.
Ciao rolls off the tongue and out of the mouth so easy as I walk through the narrow cobblestone streets of Cagli. But I know that this will not be the case in a couple of days. Unfortunately ciao unlike in the english language also means bye bye. And on Friday, the day we are say goodbye to this special place ciao for me will not mean the same. Instead ciao will be taking me home, back to America where the common greeting of hello does not mean the same and is not nearly as much fun to say. So instead of saying ciao to my new Cagli friends I think I will leave them with the salutation I give the people I love at home: Ciao for now! Because I know I will return.
