Last summer when I visited Piacenza for a day, I was able to get a general feel for the area. Being from Southern Italy and having grown up in that culture, I knew last year that Piacenza was a whole different ballpark. Even knowing this in advance, I was still shocked by how early everything closes and the ‘keep to your-self’ kind of New York mentality. It’s hard to describe in adjectives, but I can give an example: I asked a woman in the street where I could buy wine at 2pm, and she replied that she didn’t have time for a conversation and rushed away. Obviously one woman’s attitude doesn’t reflect a whole city, but as more and more of these ‘non-typical’ Italian experiences occur, I’m beginning to understand that Piacenza is not the Italy you see in the movies. It’s a normal, non-tourist town with plenty of history, but no real crowd-drawers. It is genuine Northern culture at best. Signs of hope? Pockets of immigrant areas, €1.30 cappuccinos from heaven, and students from all over the world to arrive in the next week or two. Don’t be mistaken, I’m not complaining. Simply searching for similarities and differences to my own cultures in order to cope, discover, and adjust. Once school begins, and I have a routine, I know I’ll feel more at ease.
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