Day 13: Monday, May 19. This was a rather uneventful day...for me. Kim and Jake took off in the morning and headed for Venice. I taught my class and watched a couple of Italian game shows on TV in the evening. Instead of a blow-by-blow of the day's events, I'll write some reflections.

My first trip to Italy was with my family in 1972, when I was just 16. We spent about a month with family in Bologna, and about a month with family in Messina. I was a bit of a jerk (more than I am now), critical of all the things that were not like the U.S. I missed peanut butter, breakfast cereal (only the largest stores had it, and usually only corn flakes and rice Krispies) and air conditioning. I have to remind myself that these students are only slightly older than I was then. This has been a good bunch of students. I have complimented them repeatedly on their punctuality. I have had no discipline issues with anyone. I just wish I could make them want to be more engaged in the culture. Some still stream their favorite TV shows from home rather than trying to watch ItalianTV, or listen to their American music on their earbuds rather than Italian radio (they don't listen to radio in the U.S. - it shouldn't surprise me they don't listen to it here). Some want to eat Chinese food (we have several restaurants) and Mexican (we have none). I have to remind myself that they have stepped out of their comfort zones already, so anything else they do is great. I am not complaining about the students: I really just want them to have the most amazing experience possible.

The Italy of today has much more American product than I found 42 years ago. In fact, it has much more than it had just 12 years ago, when I taught in Italy for the first time. When I taught in the semester-long program, Kim would bring spices to make barbecue sauce. It was a comfort food she could make for students that they couldn't find here. Now, you can buy it in grocery stores - even the porchetta vendor offers it as an option for sandwiches (panini).

Obviously the McDonald's influence has increased in 40 years. Not only have the number of locations increased (thankfully there is not (yet) a McDonald's in Macerata), but the one I saw on the highway had a drive through! That was something I thought was uniquely American but it seems to be increasing here, too. I don't want to blame McDonald's for the increasing obesity in Italy (never before a problem), but it is part of the lifestyle of convenience that seems to be increasing here. There are still people who shop almost daily for the freshest produce but an increasing number are stocking up on quick prepared meals. Not coincidentally I noticed someone at the grocery store offering samples of "diet foods" to help control weight.

Here was the dinner we had with Jake Sunday night: individual pizzas. He had pineapple, Kim had bacon, and I had four cheese.