Peace, Love, and Pasta

It is Thursday which means that I am approaching the weekend, and that I'm much closer to completing my first of the two weeks in Italy. The first four days have definitely been a learning experience; one that does not compare to a lecture set in a large classroom of 300 plus people for 50 minutes (cough Dale Hall). The structure of the course requires active listening and participation. Kirk and Dean Ray have unlocked intellectual doors within my mind concerning Italian culture, art, and activism. It's more to each of these concepts than defining and knowing about them; it's about making it applicable to your life as well as other scenarios. As an audience member with these presentations, you get to be apart of the presenters stories as you can see and hear the passion behind their experiences. I think that our direct contact with activists foster a sense of reality that would not have surfaced if they were not brought in to speak. Today during our visit to Rondine, I was reminded of how jaded we (Americans) are when it comes foreign conflict and how people outside of the United States live such restricted lives on a daily basis; I don't say that to minimize other countries but in a way that shows how appreciative I am to live in a privileged nation.
Upon reaching Rondine, the PLC team was greated by four students who were apart of this community. To give a little history concerning Rondine, Rondine began  in the past it was place where soldiers during the Russian and Chechyn were able to go during the war conflict, while now it is a small community of 30 students from many countries who are in conflict . Students come here to study and make peace with their enemy nation and putting them in an environment that requires them to interact , which in return will initiate the dismissal of the stigma between them. The ultimate goal is for students to leave with a sense of clarity about his adversary's culture and to advance his or hers life in a way that could provide leadership in their home country. Although, the Rondine community has this place of refuge for 1 or more years, the students still returns to the destruction and chaos of their cities. One testimony from a Pakistani man said that he was harassed for speaking out about nine eleven in an interview that was unexpectedly published. He even voiced his concern about how much money their government invests on nuclear weapons instead of fund 12 hours of electricity. As students, we mentioned how the U.S. often intercedes in foreign affairs and wanted to know his thoughts. The biggest thing he said that spoke to me was that the U.S. and other governments are helpful, but they want to issue the money where they feel it should be issued rather than where the country needs the money or intervention the most.  This topic also reminds me of my dad when I'm assisting him at home, he says "help others how they want you to help them." And I feel as though more problems can be solved globally if we can pinpoint the need of the country and not the immediate want to make a quick fix.
To end on a high note, after the trip to Rondine,  I learned to make three types of pasta: tagliatelle, ravioli, and gnocchi. I was a natural according to the workshop facilitator who said, "perfecto," while admiring my dough rolling and cutting skills. That's one nugget of culture that I can bring back to my family to experience (as well as another perk that I can put in my toolbox to pull out in my marital years). Pasta today and the winery tomorrow. Lo amo l'Italia.

Stammi bene, arrivederci