foreign foreigners
Perugia is home to the “Universita per stranieri” (translated = University for Foreigners), where more than 8000 people from around the world go to study Italian every year. The university offers a lot of different programs (Italian language, writing, art, literature - all with different levels) that you can choose to study for any amount of time ranging from just 1 month to 4+ years.
It may well be due to the fact that I live 5 minutes walking distance from the university (or the fact that I live on the street housing most of its students), but I often get the feel that there are a lot more foreigners/tourists in Perugia than there are actual Italians. I’ve recently realized that NONE of the people who I know/am friends with in Perugia (excluding my coworkers at Cucinelli) are actually from Italy. My roommate is from Israel, one of my flatmates is from Latvia and the other from Korea, and the rest of the people I’ve hung out with are from countries such as Russia, Poland, Australia, Turkey, Portugal, England, France, and Brazil. An international trail mix of sorts. I haven’t actually hung out with any Americans (and don’t really plan on it, though there are so many here), but you can pretty much hear one from a mile away, for the distinct “ohmygawd guys” in the oh-so-annoying-high pitched-lookatmeimamerican-imnotevengoingtoattemptasemidecentitalianaccent voice can be none other than a fellow American. Please excuse the bitterness in my tone.
I don’t really know how I feel about this conglomeration of non-Italians. On the one hand, I AM one of them and it’s pretty cool to hear stories from so many people from around the world, but on the other mosquito bite-ridden hand (btdubs I def. spent over 40 euros on mosquito repellant products and lotions, as the current count of bites on my left arm alone is over 60), I forget that I’m in Italy. But then I eat a fresh proscuitto panini along with hazelnut gelato and remember again.
Also, I’ve noticed that most of the people studying Italian here aren’t actually here to study Italian. Perugia is well known for being a college party town, which is pretty awesome…until you get sick of partying (or until you get violated by creepy foreign guys). But again, I help myself to a fresh baguette and all is better.
