That's Amore!

Something I thought about while reading Pope Benedict XVI's Address to Artists was the music I heard while I was in Italy. He mentions the "universal language of music" as he speaks of the important art forms that have graced the Sistine Chapel throughout history. When I was in Italy, I was expecting to hear some traditional Italian music. I don't know much about music, so my idea of this was classical, spaghetti-eating music a la Lady and the Tramp. 

Or, of course, the ever popular "That's Amore."

I think I was expecting some old school accordion sound or something. What I got was popular American music... As if our radio stations hadn't already played these songs to death. And I thought I was going to escape it for a week! I guess music really is a universal language. While I did somewhat enjoy hearing music in my own language, as communication with locals was an impossibility for me (with the exception of "Grazie," which I ended up finding out I was pronouncing wrong the whole trip), I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear some beautiful Italian music. In some ways, I think maybe I had forgotten that Italy is a modernized country. Though I was there to "travel back in time" to "see" historical events and "meet" historical persons, there are also the people that live there now and the culture they have established to keep in mind.  

This leads me to another point. It was hard for me to imagine what life looks like in another country. My life in the U.S. bubble has made it hard for me to envision foreign countries in modern times. I think this may have to do with history classes focusing on ancient history rather than more current history. The layout of the buildings and homes in Assisi, all attached and close together, seemed to match up pretty well with my expectations (probably thanks to the movie Letters to Juliet). Other than that, though, I couldn't really tell you what I was expecting. What I do know is that people are people wherever you go, and kindness and thankfulness are always your friends (even when you don't say the words quite right)!