Fantastic Rome!
Day four, it’s still a big challenge to walk around in Rome, to sit on a café enjoying my coffee and waiting on the bus. No matter where I’m going people are so nice and kind. They always ask if I need any help if I’m lost and sometimes they just start talking to me like I’m their friend. It’s really nice, and I can feel my lips smiling all the time. The architecture is just like the people, it’s amazing to see how great it still looks even after so many years. I feel I have the right to say that it’s almost the opposite of how it is home in Norway, and to be honest I wish Norway could try to be a little bit more friendly, open and cared a little bit more about the old historical buildings instead of trying to make everything “fancy”. I don’t think that we can be exactly like Italy, but when it comes to some easy things like kindness and respect I really don’t think I wish for too much.
Yesterday I was sitting in Villa Borghese gardens with some of my new friends. It is one of the biggest public parks in Rome, and it is full of museums, great buildings and attractions! I told them about Norway and how it is to live there. Then they told me that they wanted to visit it, but they had heard from so many people that Norwegians are rood. I just waved it away, but when I started to think about what they said it struck me that maybe that’s the way people from other countries think about us? I have never thought about it that way. I’m so used to not saying hi to strangers or start talking to the person next to me on the bus. But for people that come to our country it can be really uncomfortable and they can feel ignored and not so welcome. At the same time I started to think about the garden we were sitting in. The nice buildings surrounded us with their history and special expressions. It felt like the buildings and sculptures tried to tell me their history, how Rome was for 1000 years ago. The flowers and threes that has been standing there for many generations and being witnesses to everything that’s happened here. This is something I miss home in Norway, to feel that you can look at the buildings and see the history through them. We don’t care about the history as much as Rome and our history is shorter, way shorter. But that does not mean that we don’t have to take care of it. We have a lot of history to be proud of as well. Just take a look at our Viking ships our Munch museum. Maybe our history isn’t that long, but we have a lot to show the rest of the world and to be proud of. And every old building are a part of the city, it helps the people to feel home. In Rome they have their history right outside their door, but in Norway we can see our history falling down everyday on the way to work. I don’t mean that it’s just the old buildings that have values; new architecture has values and is also important when it comes to the architect history. But I think Norway have a lot to learn from Rome when it comes to mix the new architecture and the old historical buildings. When all this proud and history disappears or get destroyed by the new city we don’t have anything to be proud of, in the historical perspective. Maybe that’s one of the reasons that every person in Rome are so nice, they are so proud, they want us to see their beautiful city, and when someone is proud they get happy and friendly.
Rome has a long history; much longer than Norway, but that doesn’t mean that we cant show what we have. Rome live for their history, that’s what Rome is. And I think that Norway should learn from Rome that we could be proud of what we have. Not just think about make new building but think how it’s going to work with the rest of the city and the people who actually live there.
Sometimes when I’m walking through the small streets here in Rome, I can hear people calling nice things to each other, even if they don’t know the other person. It is so far away from what I am used to, that I don’t know what to do or have to react back when they do this to me. It is strange to think about how big the different is between where I am now and Norway. Both countries are in Europe, but at the same time it feels like two different worlds when it comes to help and hospitality between all the people in the narrow streets.
I’m just like all the other Norwegians; I’m not any better. But after this visit in Rome I think my point of view when it comes to hospitality and kindness will change. I admire this country for its hospitality and their willing to take care of not just each other but also their culture and history. I think that’s something we need in Norway to. It makes everything so much easy, and everyone gets a lot happier. I also think that this value would make Norway to a better destination goal for tourists. Off course it’s impossible to copy Italy and Rome. Norway is another country and everything is different. But I think we have a lot to learn from Italy, learn to be open minded, that’s something everyone can manage. We are after all humans no matter where we live, what we eat and how we look.
See you when I come home, but right now I can hear the pasta calling my name!
Chao, F
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome
Great text!:) I really agree on a lot of your points, I've myself experienced to be in an other country and seeing that their point of view is very different from what I'm used to. I could easily identify with the "mood" in your text. And I especially like that you bring up the fact that Oslo's architecture is unstructured, such a big difference from Rome.
ReplyDeleteI really agree on that - the surroundings probably have a lot to do with the feeling you get from a city. Imagine you are in a room cold as ice with no pleasant memories or associations, compared to your old grandmothers home with all the photographs from your childhood on the walls combined with all the bedtime stories she read for you when you were little… Which one would make you feel the best? Which room would recall the best in you?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I think it is important to remember that when you suddenly get to be a part of a new culture you are way more interested to notice the good things, - and I do not know about Rome, but in at least a lot of other similar places the residents are grateful to have all the tourist visiting, and most of the people you meet when you are on a visit are in the service industry which make them have to treat you well.
But of course there are some things here in Norway that just do not match with this whole other world, we just cannot explain why; but I do think the weather and the temperature have a lot to say. I mean… It has been proved that we get positive energy from the sun, physically.
I just took the bus to school and I sat down next to a stranger and felt attacked by his glance. But you know… Maybe I am just oversensitive; sometimes I expect the Norwegians to act like that, and that might strength the situation. Anyways, enjoy your holiday and make sure to load up for a long, cold winter in Norway!
I really agree whit your text!
ReplyDeleteI have also been to Rome, and experienced the same as you experienced during your trip.
But i didn't like the fact that you put every Norwegians into one "box", many norwegians are kind and nice, and many norwegians are actually smiling to you on the bus. On the other hand, i know that norwegian are known for not being that friendly to strangers on the street.
However, all in all i agreed whit your text! ;)
I liked your text very much and really do agree with it!
ReplyDeleteAs Mari said, some Norwegians are nice and kind, but there too few of them. The most of people in Norway are just too cold and..how can I express my self?..reserved! You can see it clearly when you travel to other countries.
I think the Norwegians could think on it a little more. (: very nice Frida!