Au Pairing
Linda and Massimo, my host parents
I can already see that teaching the kids English will be my biggest challenge (along with getting Giordano to like me.) My most used words to Melita are: “Inglese, per favore!” She refuses to speak in English to me most of the time. I honestly do not think she is trying to be a brat, but rather she thinks I understand more Italian than I do. We were watching her dad, Massimo, on the evening news last night, and she asked me if I understood anything. “No, niente,” I replied, and she did not believe me. I am not sure how I managed to give her that impression.
Today, I learn the route on foot to the kids’ school. The walk is only about seven minutes from the Gallinari building. Normally, I will pick up the kids around one o’clock. (School in Italy goes from 8:15am until 1pm and they have it Monday through Saturday.)
Uses for Old Bread
Fresh Italian bread from a nearby bakery
Linda asks me to help her with something once we get home, so we take these huge brown paper bags of stale bread slices to a bakery down the street. We set them down behind the counter, and Linda speaks with the owner in zippy Italian. The owner wraps up a pie and a few smaller pastry desserts and hands them to Linda. We leave without paying.
We get back to the Gabrielli building and Linda and I make lunch: tortellini, salad, and fresh bread. She cooks the tortellini in a broth, and to the salad she adds cheese, fresh apples, olive oil, and salt, and then cracks fresh walnuts over it. She then explains to me about the bread.
Tortellini soup for lunch with Melita
“Here in Italia,” she says, “You can… what is the word? I can leave the, uh, the dry bread – how do you call it?”
“Stale? Old?” I offer.
“Yes, old bread. You can leave the old bread at the store and they give you other food – what is that called?”
“Trade,” I state.
“Yes, you can trade. The store uses the dry bread for breadcrumbs to fry the olives that Ascoli Piceno is known for,” Linda tells me. “I would just buy what I need, but in Italia, we do not like things to go to waste, so instead I trade my old bread for other things.”
Più Cibo
The inside of Yoghi, the gelato shop in Piazza del Popolo, and also my favorite place in Italy
Linda leaves Melita, Giordano, Dona (the housekeeper) and I at home. Melita suggests that we go skating, so we take the money that Linda left us for gelato (again! mwahaha) and strap our skates on. Now, I have not skated since I was about eight years old. It is harder than I remember, especially on the slick marble-looking sidewalks. Melita and I hold hands, which is super cute, and we make it to Yoghi unscathed. We get our gelato and head outside to sit at the tables in the Piazza. The Piazza has cobblestone everywhere. Luckily, I do not actually fall, only because when I do slip I am already over my chair anyway, but it is still funny and Melita gasps and then we both burst out laughing. We learn to stay off the cobblestone after that.
We bring some frozen yogurt back for Giordano who had stayed at home with Dona. Dona is a super sweet lady that looks to be about 45 years old, with blonde hair and a stocky build and a kind, genuine nature. She knows not a word of English, but I always say hello to her in Italian and ask her if she needs help.
Giordano occupies himself (i.e. avoids me) while Melita and I play. We:
- Play two rounds of the board game “Clue,” Italian version. Melita wins both times and I am almost positive she was cheating. It’s cool, just taking advantage of the American girl.
- Create two drawings. Mine is a picture of the three kids (Melita’s reaction when she sees it is utter awe, which is surprising because it is not a great drawing: “Ahhhh! Bellissimo!”) Melita draws my name in block letters and rainbow colors; it is sitting by my bed now.
- Name her stuffed dog after my Shih Tzu back home. She loves my suggestion of “Charlie” and trills it in her Italian accent over and over.
Homemade Italian dinner!
Dinner is delizioso! Dona cooks an amazing meal for us: Chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes (I feel overwhelmed with American food! But wait), bruschetta with fresh tomato, and soup. I am sorry America, but Italians outdo our food in every way possible. It is ten times more fresh and more flavorful. The mashed potatoes are literally the best I have ever had in my life and I will probably dream about them in my sleep tonight. I try to implore to Dona how delicious her meal is (“Dona, delizioso! Molto, molto delizioso, grazie mille!”) and she smiles shyly and says Prego.
More Random Observations:
- I have only seen two cell phones here: Linda’s (my host mom) and Enrico’s (their driver.) Kids do not have cell phones. Adults are not constantly checking their phone. It is quite refreshing.
- Italians change outfits approximately three times a day. One for work or school, one when they get home, and another if they go out to dinner. I wonder if they think I am strange for wearing one outfit all day long. #NobodyGotTimeForThat.
- Greetings and goodbyes last forever here. Melita will see someone in the street she knows, and say Ciao! and the acquaintance will Ciao back and Melita will Ciao back again, and sometimes the other person will Ciao back a fourth time. Normally three to four Ciaos are exchanged. Goodbyes are even worse. When we were saying goodbye to the Gallinari’s family friends last night after pizza, there were about three rounds of goodbyes. Allora, ciao, grazie, Pause. Buonanotte, grazie! Pause. Ciao, buonanotte.
- I do not think carpet exists in Italy.
Buonanotte amici!
Names have been changed to protect the identity of the host family.
Au Pair Gal 