Parlo Italiano

At the beginning of the year, I was determined that we were going to do something different.  Something to get us out of the house, meeting new people and using either our brains or our bodies.  I wanted to feel like I did more this year than just work.  It was the end of January and while making dinner, the TV was switched onto the tennis.  My mum had introduced me to the sport at a very young age and, like her, I had fallen in love with it. However like so many other things, as I grew up and entered the real world, I suddenly had very little time for my passions and hobbies.  I remember flicking through the local paper and an advertisement caught me eyes.  "Anyone for Tennis?" Why, yes actually, maybe me.  I told Hubby, this was it, I was going to get back into tennis this year, not only would I meet new people, get out of the house but I would also be working on my fitness as a result.

The open day to sign up for the tennis was on Friday.  On Monday I was surfing the web and came across the local community college and while flipping through the virtual course guide, I noticed they were offering Italian.  Hubby and I had talked for years that one day we would like to learn a language, if only to be able to sit in a restaurant and speak it safe in the knowledge that (hopefully) no one could understand (I'm sure we are not alone with this fantasy).  We had narrowed down the language selection to a few and Italian was top of the list.  I have always loved the Italian language, it is so musical and rhythmic and I love the passion with which the natives speak.  I was fortunate many, many, many, years ago to have visited Italy for a week and I fell in love with the country on day one.  In Year 11 I took up Italian (introductory) as an elective.  However while studying other subjects and working part time, I couldn't devote as much time as I should have to the language and by the end of the year I dropped it, as I felt it would bring my marks down in Year 12.  I was determined, however, that one day I would devote myself to the study of the language and make good on my goal.

I suggested to Hubby that perhaps we could do Italian.  He was interested but suggested we do that or tennis, not both.  I was in a conundrum, on one side I wanted to get back into tennis, and tennis also sat alongside some other goals, like getting fitter, but on the other side I wanted to take the opportunity to learn Italian, properly this time and being an evening class if we said next time who knows when that next time would come, things may change and we may loose our evenings for several years.  With a day before the class was meant to start, we choose Italian.  Tennis would always be there, Italian, maybe not.  When we arrived at our first class and met our wonderful teacher, I knew we had made the right choice.

We have been fortunate enough that Level 2 was offered this term and have been able to continue our learning.  I practise at home when I can and Hubby and I will speak what we can to each other, practising our pronounciation, as well at pointing out objects and saying the word in Italian to increase our vocabulary.  There is so much to learn and it will take years before we could ever speak it fluently, but we are enjoying learning a new skill and increasing our knowledge each week and we plan to continue on with the study for as long as we can.  And even though we only took up the subject because we both have a love for the language and the culture, I think we might just have to plan a visit over there one day, so we can put our skills to good use and soak up the culture, and of course the food and wine.