DEVELOP COGNITIVE EMPATHY BY LIVING IN ANOTHER CULTURE

"Degrees in themselves do not guarantee any growth in emotionally intelligent leadership ability. Emotional Intelligence competencies develop in the midst of life. There are a wide variety of situations in which this can occur."....

..."So many of the situations you name could provide this kind of natural strength building. Living in another culture, for instance, can be a great way to develop more cognitive empathy, where we understand other people’s mental models – how they see the world. 
This competence makes us better communicators: we know how to put things so people understand".

Daniel Goleman-Co-Director of Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations

WHO SHOULD ENROLL

Who should enroll?

High school age students (15 - 18 yrs), Gap-year Students and... students of any age who are motivated and excited about experiencing Italy in an authentic community and not only as tourists.
Language level is not as important, as motivation! Each student should have the willingness to learn and to adapt to changes. If you have the energy and motivation to interact with your new family and friends, you will succeed.

What makes our program so unique? 

1. Our vibrant program is focused on providing participants with a fun and easy-going environment to make friends while building fluency in Italian. You will not believe how much you can learn and experience even in only four weeks.
2. Our program is fully integrated into the local community, giving students endless opportunities to expand their Italian skills and participate in the "real"Italian life", far (but not too much!) from the touristic cities.
3. We shape our program solely around the interests of the participants. 
4. We create a trustful family environment where students build speaking confidence.
5. We also provide on request contact information from returning students! 

PRIMAVERA DEL PROSECCO

From 04/25/2013 to 05/01/2013 the 5th Exhibition of Prosecco and wines of the hills of Conegliano or "Colli di Conegliano" will take place in Conegliano.

Conegliano "City of Art and Wine" has fascinated, over the centuries, those who have crossed its territory, captivating them with the sweetness and the sinuosity of its hills, the beauty of its historic buildings and its frescoes and, finally, with the harmony of the landscape. 
Prosecco di Conegliano - Valdobbiadene today is among the major attractions that bring tourists in this area from all over the world and scholars interested in learning the secrets of its success which has roots in centuries of tradition of wine making.

In the splendid setting of the "Scuola Enologica"
a sparkling event will take place, to give the visitors the opportunity to learn and taste - with the help of expert sommeliers - the best wines available on the market today.

- Address: Conegliano, Veneto Enoteca (Via G. Dalmasso, 12) Campus of Wine School (Scuola Enologica di Conegliano)

MAKING "CROSTOLI" FOR CARNIVAL

Crostoli (called "Galani" in Venice) is a dessert made traditionally for the Carnival celebration. The Carnival ends with Lent, forty days before Easter, on Fat Tuesday ("Martedi' Grasso").

When I lived in Venice and went to Ca' Foscari University, my roommates and I looked forward for the festivities of the Carnival in Venice to start.... because with the Carnevale also the best sweets were available all around town: Crostoli and Frittelle! 

My favorite "Pasticceria" (pastry store) was "Tonolo"  near Campo S. Margherita where our apartment was.

Home made Crostoli are not hard to make, here is Valentina cooking them for Julia and the kids:

MEAL TIME

Participating in the daily Italian life ("vita") is one of the highlights of our program.

The experience to live in a different country really transforms lives and opens the mind to other cultures and traditions.

A very important tradition in every Italian family is definitely meal time. 

So what better way to actively engage in the local culture than learning how to cook from an Italian in Italy?

Julia making Pizza

Julia and Carlo

The traditional breakfast in Italy ("colazione") is usually simply "caffelatte e biscotti" (cookies). Sometimes if la mamma made a cake we would have it also for breakfast with the caffelatte. However, if  colazione is eaten in a bar, Italians like to order "cappuccino and cornetto" (croissant).

"Il Pranzo" or lunch is traditionally the most important meal for Italians. Most shops close down during the "pausa pranzo". When I was in school I used to go home every day for lunch (school ended at 1pm) and my mamma had a nice plate of pasta or risotto ready for us. My dad came home too, to have lunch with his family.

Dinner ("la cena") was a lighter meal such as a soup, salad or leftover from lunch. We never had dinner before 8pm in Italy which seems so late to me considering that now in America we have dinner at 6:30 pm or earlier!

PROVINCIA DI TREVISO: THE VIDEO SAYS IT ALL

CIAO SONO (I AM) JULIA!

So, after much anticipation Julia is finally in Italy where she will spend the next 6 months living with an Italian family, studying Italian, playing sports and making new friends!
Here is what Julia has to say about her experience so far:

"Ciao! Sono Julia. I’ve truly enjoyed working with Lucia on planning this trip to Italy, and I look forward to sharing my experiences! 

So far this gap year has been an amazing experience, it’s allowed me to focus on specific interests and meet new people.

I said ARRIVEDERCI to my family in the US January 18^th ....

...and have spent the last week adjusting to daily life (and European time!) before I begin school tomorrow. 

My arrival in Venice with Valentina (my host mom)

I arrived to an endless amount of gorgeous mountains and vineyards, beautiful, old homes, warm and engaging people, and a language in which I make many mistakes! 

Vineyards

The family I’m staying with is absolutely wonderful and includes me in all aspects of their life. Not only have I walked with them around their precious town of Conegliano... 

Calle Madonna della Neve

Castelbrando

Miriam (my host sister) and I at Castelbrando

...but we’ve already taken a snowy walk in the Cansiglio Forest (see previous Post) visited two medieval castles, and, of course, Venice!

The smaller, day-to-day things have also really captured my attention: I’ve learned about the Italian school and university system. 
I've been surprised at how often I hear American music, found out that they would never think to have eggs for breakfast, and played Italian card games using -donna- and -cappa- instead of -queen- and -king-.

I’m starting to get a sense of words and phrases that are used often like – sacco di something (literally meaning “sack of”) is their way of saying “a lot of” something. For example:"ci sono un sacco di vigneti a Conegliano" (there are a lot of vineyards in Conegliano).

Even a trip to the supermarket and to the open air market or -mercato-

Mercato a Conegliano

to wander around amidst a jumble of unfamiliar words is an activity in and of itsel! I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow when I start school and meet my new classmates!Ciao a tutti. A dopo!" Julia. 

I understand Julia completely. The feeling of wondering around unfamiliar words and a completely different  measures systems is not a good one!When I first arrived in the US it was very hard to get used to the Pounds, Ounces, Gallons, Inches, Feet, Miles...che confusione!! 
Luckily, by helping my daughter Sofia with homework I learned a lot but I still make mistakes at times!
In Italy we use the sistema metrico decimale. Fruit and vegetables are sold in Chili (Kg). At the fruit stand you would ask: "mi da (could you give me) un chilo di mele (apples)?". The Chilo is a little more than two pounds and it's divided into 10 Etti (one etto is about 3 ounces). So.. if you want to buy some Prosciutto instead of apples you use the Etti:"Mi da due etti di Prosciutto?". 
But I love Prosciutto, and when I am in Italy I usually eat a chilo of it.. and a "chilo di pane fresco" (fresh bread)!!

VISITA AL BOSCO DEL CANSIGLIO

On Sunday, just the day after Julia arrived in Italy, her new family took her to play in the snow in the Bosco del Cansiglio. The Cansiglio is the second largest forest (bosco) in Italy. Click 

 here  to see where Cansiglio is located in Italy.While in the summer it is a green area of pasture and woodland, in the winter the Cansiglio plateau turns into one of the coldest corners of the Alps.

Julia is the one with the blue jacket!

It was cold!

When the snow finally melts away, if you like to play golf, in the middle of the plateau there is one of Europe's most beautiful 18 hole high altitude Golf Course. Many international tournaments take place on this course.

I also like to visit the small Natural History Museum and the Cansiglio Botanic Garden which contains a good selection of the plants that can be found in the Oriental Alps.

Un  po' di storia (a little bit of History): starting from the first centuries after the Year One Thousand, Venice (Repubblica Serenissima) gathered and maintained one of the most prominent fleets in the world, on both the commercial and the naval side. 

This meant a continuous and massive request of spruce, fir and larch trees for the ships' masts and of beech trunks for rows.

To fulfill these needs, the Repubblica Serenissima began to exploit the Cansiglio Forest, later called the “Foresta dei Dogi” or Doge's Forest. 

JULIA E' ARRIVATA a Conegliano!

I am so happy for Julia! 

After many months of preparation, lots of paperwork and many visits to the Italian Consulate in New York for her visa, she finally arrived in Italy (E' ARRIVATA).

She boarded the plane, crossed the ocean, arrived at the Venice airport.... and now she is ready to immerse herself in the "real" Italian culture and experience the warmth and flavors of Italy! Attention people of Conegliano!!

Julia at JFK airport in NY

Julia at Marco Polo airport in Venezia (Italia!) She is welcomed by her new family!

Julia will have an unforgettable experience - it's not going to be all nice and easy but she has accepted the challenge. 
Charles Darwin said: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change". 
By living in a different culture and speaking a different language she will need to adapt to different realities and step out of her comfort zone but this will allow her to expand her experience tremendously (she will tell us all about this in her next posts!) and to bring home the best of what she has learned.

What I wish for her is that her life will be transformed in a positive way through this experience. Personally I can say that studying and living abroad has taught me an unimaginable amount of things that have served me more in life than what I learned in school.

CONEGLIANO

So...you are probably wondering where I grew up. I am from Conegliano Veneto, but...where is that??

Here is a map of the Veneto area. Veneto is one of the 20 Regions of Italy (like the US is divided in States, Italy is divided in "Regioni"). 

The Regione is further divided into 7 Provinces or "Province":

1.Belluno 2. Padova  3. Rovigo 4. Treviso 5. Venezia 6.Verona 7. Vicenza. A province is composed of many towns ("Comune" or "Citta"). I am from the town of CONEGLIANO VENETO in the TREVISO Province. Here is a map of all the Provinces in Veneto:
Conegliano ("Conejan" in the local dialect) is a town in the Veneto region of Italy, in the Province of Treviso. It's located only 50 Km from Venice (45 minutes by train!).

The population is about 36,000 people. The remains of the castle that was built in the 10th century remain on a nearby hill. Formerly belonging to the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto now  houses a small museum.

Castello di Conegliano

Villa Canello

This is the church where my grandmother got married. La chiesa di Costa:

Chiesa di Costa

Market (mercato) in Conegliano- it's on Fridays!

Stemma Comune di Conegliano

WHO WE ARE

Live Study Italy (LSI) was founded by Lucia Sardi, a native Italian who moved to the USA in 2000. Lucia has been teaching Italian in the Fairfield area for 12 years and lives in Greenwich, CT. Being Italian Lucia is passionate about sharing the best Italy has to offer: culture, art, food, hospitality, history and more. 

We organize meaningful programs for high school, college and gap year students to help them learn and discover the very best that Italy has to offer!
Studying abroad is a very important experience.The term ‘study abroad’ means an educational program of study, work, research, internship, or combination thereof that is conducted outside the United States. 
Studying abroad is a transformative experience for many students and it has a major impact on the life of the participants. 
Lucia's International work, study experience and in depth knowledge of both Italian and American culture are essential to the high standard and consistency of our services.

We offer programs in non-touristic locations that maximize each student's learning experience by offering “real and genuine” interactions with the communities visited.The significant purpose to travel abroad with LSI in a non-touristic setting is to really get the chance to know firsthand, understand and learn how to deal with cultures different from one’s own. 


 
Castello di Conegliano (Treviso) 

According to the "Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2009" (Sen. Paul Simon’s Study Abroad Act.):.." no education today is complete without a global experience". The many benefits of studying overseas including "foreign language fluency, improved problem solving, analytical skills, tolerance for ambiguity and cross-cultural competence make a more informed, more tolerant, more patient citizenry, one that appreciates and values multiculturalism".

Our main goal at LSI is to make educational choices that will optimize the student's chances for success and enable students to use the qualities they have acquired to make a positive change in the world around them once they go back to the US.
We strongly believe that an international exchange and acceptance of ideas, beliefs, and experiences is critical not only for personal growth and competitive advantage, but also to “shape the image of America abroad” and gain a compassionate understanding of other cultures.

The first Lady Michelle Obama said in her speech during the "100K Strong" State Visit event on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. January 19, 2011: “The fact is, with every friendship you make, and every bond of trust you establish, you are shaping the image of America projected to the rest of the world. That is so important. So when you study abroad, you’re actually helping to make America stronger. (..).That’s why it is so important for more of our young people to live and study in each other’s countries. That’s how, student by student, we develop that habit of cooperation, by immersing yourself in someone else’s culture, by sharing your stories and letting them share theirs, by taking the time to get past the stereotypes and misperceptions that too often divide us.”