American Modernism vs. Italian Traditionalism

Obviously America and Italy are different, we all know that. Compare anything besides racial majority and you'll get a pretty good contrast. Architecture, Food Culture, Clothing... Italy has prides and traditions America just doesn't want or can't have. But there are benefits to lack of tradition, our country is young and venturous, but powerful and adaptable to changing times in the world. This is why Italians enjoy watching American movies and listening to American music, when it comes to consumerism we have it down pat. Something very interesting that has come of this is the cosumption and use of technology. Why technology? You ask. No one goes to Europe to study technology. While you're not wrong, I have the unfortunate occurence of enjoying the ironies of life. My Italian and Informatics majors confuse a lot of people, but they're right when they say variety is the spice of life. Technology can't offer me the tradition of a culture fostered and founded by civilizations centuries before today. Culture can't offer me the modernism of the capitalistic world that I grew up in and hold dear. Some may say my Italian is a waste of time, others may say that my technological degree makes me shallow and distant. Both have wonderful components, and you'd be surprised how much they have in common sometimes (mostly the inability to comprehend why I so much enjoy the other). It's very simply my desire to feed both the analytical and social sides of my life: right brain verses left brain. While being in Italy, I have definitely enjoyed learning traditions and rules of their country. At first it seemed restricting and strange, but taking a closer look I realized most italians value themselves over their possesions or their achievments. For example, the middle school I teach at is open from 7 am to 1 pm Monday through Saturday. When I heard that they went to school on Saturday I was actually appalled. Why end early and then go to school on Saturday? Because the school wants to send the children home to have lunch with their family: they save money and time by not having to provide the children with a meal, and the families don't have to be upset with malnutrition or cutting corners. Yes, Lunch is that important. And although I commend them for having the rituals that they do, it also makes a very hostile environment for adaptation. Technology and information science aren't necessarily behind here, but coming from personal experience, Italy isn't exactly a frontrunner in globalization and big data. And most students in my program don't study sciences, I'm lucky to have a physics major and a fellow informatics student with me. Most students who come here are either literature, arts, or language majors. And honestly I commend them, it's not easy what they do and they don't get nearly as much credit for being able to sit through a class and actually enjoy the topic "What is Art?" or talk about the depth of a passage from an italian poet on existentialism without falling asleep. Then again, I doubt propositional logic or minimum spanning trees really intrigues them. So where does that leave me? At a different ball game, but still willing to play the field. Italian computer science classes are incredibly enjoyable to listen to and learn about, but Italians are seldom interested in hearing what technology has to offer. Not many people are interested in talking about technological developments, which they have a right to don't get me wrong. Most people would rather talk about poetry or art or architecture than data structures and algorithms and graphic design. Unfortunately, Italy has also had to adopt most computer sciences from countries who could afford to develop them, so most speak some form of English or Japanese for ease of understanding what exactly they're working with. For example, the Python programming language alone consists of entierly English words and numbers. When you get down to brass tax, it's amazing what they have accomplished trying to delve into a different culture when they're so incredibly ingrained in their own. So for now, it looks as if the two will clash. But who knows? I just started my classes last week. To be continued...