The Cultural Exchange Project

I think the most memorable experience was my first time doing karaoke with my Korean friends and co-workers. I really wanted to travel and go to Asia because I have heard so many wonderful things. Korea was my ultimate pick because the salaries are good and I love Korean food. My accommodations were excellent. Nice, clean and password key-less lock. It is a little small but accommodations are so expensive in Seoul.

Going across the Sydney Harbor Bridge for the first time in the early morning and catching a glimpse of the Sydney Opera House. I wanted to travel and continue to work as a nanny, GeoVisions gave me a way to do that. I have my own room and share a bathroom with the kids, I can use the cars for outings with the kids, and am also provided pocket money and three meals a day.

Italy holds a special place in my heart. I have visited Italy countless of times but I know that I never wanted to be just a tourist. I want Italy to be my friend, my lover, my confidante, my soul mate. I don't want Italy to be just an acquaintance. To be able to stay in Rome, the Eternal City is a dream comes true for me. I want to take things easy, to live an ordinary existence, to be able to feel the pulse and rhythm of an ordinary Roman life. At the same time, I also would like to be sure that by the time I leave Rome, my host family would have a firmer grasp of English. I am matched with the Gabrielli family. This case is more challenging than my previous postings because the Gabrielli speaks not a single word of English. So, how am I able to communicate with a family who speaks only Italian whilst I only speak English? Thankfully, with advent of technology (WiFi in this instance) and Google Translate, the gap is bridged. Upon seeing the children under my care, Tiziano and Alice, my heart melts as I have a son of the same age. Alessia (the mother) and Silvano (the father) bond with me immediately. The Gabrielli family is very warm and genuine. Three minutes driving to my host family's abode, the whole family starts to talk to me simultaneously. Despite that I say to them earlier that I only speak "Piccolo Inglis", they continue on in Italian anyway with a lot of hand gestures. I say to myself that, it's going to be a very full-on experience in Rome. That thinking is prophetic indeed. Eating is a chore for the children and every day, there will be fight of immense proportion to get them to eat. Somehow, I have become the peace maker to mediate between the parents and the children. Then, there's the challenge of getting the children to switch off from watching their favourite TV programs and to practice English with me instead. English curriculumn in schools in Italy is getting better but nowhere robust enough to enable Italian to become proficient in English. I encourage the Gabrielli family to make good use of Internet and library to source English DVDs and reading materials for the children. In the end, it is obvious that the parents are more eager to learn English than their children. By the time I leave the family, the parents are able to converse basic English sentences with me whilst I am able to speak some basic Italian sentences. In the daytime, when the children have gone to school and the parents have gone to work, I use my spare time to do house cleaning for them. I do laundry for them and sometimes, in the evening, Alessia will compete with me of who would get the iron first to press the clothing. Silvano is very good in making home-made pizza. On weekends, they would take me out to the City Centre and sometimes, to the Vatican City to do Sunday Mass. Whenever opportunity presents itself, we would sneak into a coffee shop to have our shot of espresso and brioche. Silvano and Alessia have been wonderful in helping me to plan my day trip. They have been rather upset when I am mugged in the subway but that could happen anywhere in the world. Furthermore, a few elderly Italian ladies are fending me off from the muggers in the subway, which touches me immensely. Need I say more that soccer is very much imbedded in Italian culture? Tiziano is very proud of his soccer club and he always wants me to watch him playing soccer. On weekends, Silvano and his son would be screaming, yelling, thumping their chests whenever their beloved Roman team wins and their apartment would be as silent as a morgue whenever their team got beaten. I leave Rome with fond memories of gracious but expressive Romans, Romans who wear their emotions on their sleeves; Romans who are understandably proud of their Roman heritage and culture; Romans who are saddened by the aftermath of global recession and yet, that doesn't undermine their dignity and they keep on living their lives in the best way that they could; Romans who have taken me into their homes, sharing their values, families and friends with me unconditonally and the list continues. Being a volunteer is not actually taking advantage of cheaper boarding but in actual fact, it's about immersing ourselves into whole new culture and new way-of-life. This helps us in developing empathy and having a wider perspective and understanding of a very diverse world. This also nurtures our appreciation for new interests, making us more patient, having a keener eye in details for problem solving. All and all, we become a better and richer individual. I come to the Gabrielli's family in the name of friendship but I leave the family as one of its family members. It's not if but when I am going to return to Rome to be reunited with the Gabrielli again. I am utterly blessed and privileged. This may not necessarily work for everyone but with a positive state of mind, I sincerely believe that you shall have the time of your life by not having any expectation but simply throwing yourself into the deep end without asking why.