"Mia Mama ha fatto lasagne per pranzio..."

 "My mom has made a lasagna for lunch, would you like to come eat with me??" Ah...those words could not have come at a better time. I was just about to go sit by myself amidst a lunchroom full of students and eat my sad little panino and ritz crackers when I received this wonderful invitation from Teresa, one of the only students in her class who is really struggling in English. Teresa's grandparents grew up in England, and then moved to Palermo when her mother was born. Her brother studied in both England and in New York for sometime as well, so he is very fluent in English, which is nice because I have not met many people outside of the residence and would love to start meeting more people in Palermo so I can have some of my own friends. :)

Her mother was so excited that I had come over for lunch! As all Italian mothers do, she made me eat everything and more, and let me tell you folks, it was fantastic!! There is nothing better for the soul than a homemade authentic-Italian lasagna. We sat and talked with each other for a long time. Her mother is fabulous. She teaches Italian and was a fantastic host. She has invited me to come and share cooking with her. So, for Carnavale, the first weekend of March, we are going to have an Italian/American dinner with some of their friends so we can have a chance to get to know each other better! I am also going to start English lessons with Teresa some afternoons...so more lasagna for me!!!

After the lunch, they asked me if I would like some homemade limoncello. For those of you who don't know, limoncello is an italian liquor made from lemon zest, sugar, grain alcohol, and dilluted with a splash of water. It's a digestive so you drink only a little after a meal. It is a great afternoon pick me up...and I love homemade limoncello. This particular batch was made by Teresa's 88 year old grandmother and Teresa's brother. He told me about how he made it...and how his grandmother made him do the taste test after it had been boiled...he said "it was something of devestation. It's like if every cell in your body was on drugs. I saw not one, but 3 grandmothers, and they were all saying something different to me." Hahah...che ridere. Lemon moonshine. I love it.

I then spoke with the English grandmother. She sounded like a lovely woman. I will be going to Mondello in a couple weeks for tea because she wants to meet me! How could I turn down such an invitation???

Family is such an important component of Italian life...everything is close to home. Every time I enter a new home, I feel as though I have become a part of that family, because that is how they treat me. Which is great when I'm so far away from my own family.

It is because of these experiences I love living in Italy. It is so special to me when I am invited into someone's home to share a bit of their life and culture with me. I love to soak it all in. This is why I'm here. I never want to pass up an opportunity to experience the Italian culture as it is in the home...it's something I didn't get to experience as a tourist. It's an amazing thing! I'm treated as almost like a celebrity - constantly being interviewed about my life in America, what America is like, what I do in America...I never thought anyone would really care about any of that! But, I too, am fascinated by the Italian life...so I suppose I can understand their fascination with mine.

So, thanks to Mama's lasagna, I have plans for Carnavale, new friends, a new student to tutor, and yet another Italian family to be a part of. Che bella questa vita. I am in love with this country.