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When I think of Italy, I think of Sophia. Of sunshine and pretty sandals and pasta. Of marble and magnificence. Of my friend, Kate, who met her Italian husband while hitchhiking. Of the woman in the Rome airport last week who voluntarily took my phone, listened to the local directions I couldn’t understand, then led us — like our very own mama duck — to where we needed to be.
Next time I want to follow those directions all by myself.
And so it seems I’ve found a cure for being out of school.
Come September 12, I’ll be spending the next 4 months in class, learning the basics. Maybe by Christmas I’ll be able to say the title of this post — Excuse me, is this seat taken? — without having to look it up in a book. Is that even correct, my post title?? I wish I knew!
Are you dying to try something new? Want to take Italian with me?
I have to admit that all this promoting and self-publishing and tweeting and blogging feels like learning a new language to me!
Jody, these are enough new languages for any human. I bow to you.
Quest’e una bella cosa! Ho habitato a Siena venti anni fa, e ho dimenticato la maggiore parte della’lingua, ma e una bella lingua. Buon viaggio!
You’re killing me!!! See, I need to know this!
Oh, good for you!! Good luck. I’m embarrassed that I’m not fluent in any other language. (Taking German from 8th grade through high school and one year in college does not count in the slightest, I assure you.) I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish but I feel learning another language is best done if you can really immerse yourself in the studying for at least a few weeks or months, and with my schedule it just hasn’t happened. I guess I could at least be listening to some CDs or something. Let’s face it: I’m lazy.
Best wishes on speaking that beautiful language ASAP!
I, too, have been lazy. And I figure the least I can do is give this a try. I took 2 years of French from 2003-2005, and while it had its moments, the French came fairly easily. I credit my teachers.
I’m taking Italian now because I came home from Italy to find out there’s a great (and fun) teacher at our community center, right down the street — how could I pass that up!
Oh my goodness! When I was in my early 20s, I was in the lobby of a NYC theatre and my attention was caught by a woman speaking nearby. She wasn’t young, and was more handsome than she was pretty, but I had never before heard any woman speak in a voice and a language that sounded so amazingly sexy and alluring. I have been wanting to learn to speak Italian ever since.
I’m one of those who was never at all good at languages, but I’ve got some books on Italian now, on a shelf right in front of me as I write this in fact. I can’t afford to take a class, but I could begin working with those books regularly. And some flash cards. And there’s an Italian language site that’s been sending me emails daily for a while now.
So, all right, I’m in. In fact, I’m certain there’s a good reason for your mentioning this today. I shall map out a plan and promise I shall work daily, doing something each day, for as long as you go to your classes. I won’t even wait for September 12th, but shall make my plan today and I’ll begin my lessons tomorrow at the latest. [I have to do it this way, because putting it off for a month, given I don't have a class I'm signed up for ...]
Does that count? Are we now doing this together?
That counts! You are already far ahead of me!
I believe in signs, so there’s that. This is not the first time I’ve thought about taking Italian classes, but it is the first time I’ve heard of a good teacher right down the street at the community center. So the schedule is easy and it’s cheap. Meant to be!
Now I’m really excited! Thank you so much for today’s post. I have no confidence I’ll actually learn, but I’m eager to give it my best effort ever. Absolutely will do this with you. Because, you know, if we pull together, that’s bound to increase the power behind our individuals efforts, right?
Oh you HAVE to read Maeve Binchy’s Evening Class while you’re learning Italian. It’s about a woman who follows her love to Italy and later returns home to Ireland, heartbroken but still loving and generous. She teaches Italian to a class of adult students, and you get to hear all their stories as well.
Sniff. I miss Maeve.
Now what are the chances of that connection being made? I swear there is always something swirling through the universe, and if you’re the slightest bit open to it, crazy things happen.
I’m adding this — of course I am! — to my stack of books to read this Fall.
How did I find this Italian class? I was in a class for something else, and mentioned I’d like to learn some Italian. A woman said, “I just heard of the most fun teacher!” and then proceeded to send me an email with the teacher’s class info. I swear, it’s so interesting what happens when you put “it” out there.
Okay, wait. I read Evening Class more than a decade ago. I’m sure of it. Aren’t I ????
I swear I did. I need to kick my memory in the shins.
How exciting! Italian is a beautiful language. I took one semester of it in college. It was delightful.
I’m already a little afraid, and that’s always a good thing. My neighbor, Bonnie, has signed up with me. I’m wondering who else we can recruit!
Oh, and thanks Lisa for recommending THE RULES OF CIVILITY. I believe that will be the next book I read. I have it right here, waiting.
It is so good. I get to go home early from work today and I can’t wait to get home and start reading again. I hope you like it!
Allora, allora. I kept hearing that trail off the end of sentences when I was in Italy. I love that place. Everything about it. Brave woman to learn a language. I struggle with English.
I figure it can’t hurt to try. At the very least I’ll meet some new people and leave the class knowing how to say (and read) some basics. Basics, like, “Hello sir. I’d like a glass of wine with my mushroom pizza, and yes I’ll save room for coffee and gelato. Oh, and can you spare that beautiful lounge chair on your back patio so I can take a nap? Grazi.”
Oh, and I also kept hearing that same word over and over again. Allora.
Good for you! I love when inspiration for something new hits. I’m a blockhead when it comes to other languages. Stumbling my way through Finnish, trying to get it back and push it further. I can understand well, but when someone asks me a direct question I either freeze or stumble and mumble.
Hey, I’m willing to learn any language where it’s a local custom to have pasta and wine for lunch. And gelato.
I’ve heard that Italian is the easiest language to learn. Good luck to you! About the only language I showed even the slightest ability with was Latin, and that’s not commonly spoken any longer, so phooey on that! In recent months I made a half-hearted attempt to learn Farsi since my daughter-in-law speaks it (her whole family does), but I have even less aptitude with that than Latin. I can say hello and good bye, and I used to be able to say “I don’t speak Farsi,” but I can’t even say that much now.
Oh my. Farsi. You have my utmost respect, Paul, just for trying. Good for you!
I”m gonna take a pass on the classes, but I’m bringing my Vogue next time I see you so that you can read it me. Cool???!
I’m guessing I’m about 3 years of classes away from being able to read Vogue!
Well, I’ve studied Italian and now I’m destroying French every chance I get and I can definitively say Italian is way easier. Once you know how the sounds work you can speak and write, it’s genius. French is a mess of silent syllables and I have given all hope of ever writing it. Buona fortuna!