Pubblichiamo qui di seguito l’intervista rilasciata dalla nostra corrispondente Sofia Carpinteri (4E) al giornale scolastico della Foothill High School di Santa Ana (California – USA), in cui si trova per motivi di studio.
Interview with Sofia Carpinteri
Q: Prior to your arrival what did you think the U.S. was going to be like? And how do you view it now?
A: I was really curious because when I chose the U.S. for my foreign exchange, I was not sure where I would go to exactly. The U.S.A. are very big. Big cars, broad streets and big portions of food.
Q: How long have you been in the U.S. for and has it been difficult to adapt to the American culture?
A: I have been in the U.S. for about a month. People here are more friendly than I thought and people know something about Italy, which was really surprising to me.
Q: Is there as much diversity among the students as there is here in the U.S.?
A: In California there are definitely a lot of people from Mexico, South America, and Asia, a melting pot. Italy is heading to that direction but not yet. There are students from North Africa and Eastern Europe in Italian schools.
Q: How do you see the step forward that the U.S. has made by electing an African American president, Barack Obama?
A: In Italy and all of Europe everyone thinks that Obama is like a god, that he can do anything. Even before he was elected, many people in Italy wanted him to become president.
Q: What do you consider your favorite place that you have been to, in California or the U.S.?
A: Well, I have been to the U.S. twice. This is my second time. I have been to San Francisco and I really like it, but my favorite place is Laguna Beach. It’s a very nice place. A nice artistic city.
Q: How does the education system differ in the U.S. from Italy’s?
A: It’s very different here, and high school is like college over there. I think it is a good thing to have opportunities. Here in the U.S. you can choose your subjects, like art, music and others. In Italy, you choose a school and you just attend their programmed classes. Even if you get a lot of marks in class, classes are repeated, so it is very difficult. Written exams last from 3 to 5 days. There are many more students per class here; in Italy there are about 20 people per class.
Q: Do you like the food here? Is there a favorite food which you enjoy from the U.S.?
A: Yes I like the food here but food portions in the U.S. are a lot bigger. My favorite food is yogurt especially with chocolate topping, the flavour is different compared to Italian yogurt.
Q: Have you tried Italian food in the U.S.? Give us your opinion of Italian food here in the U.S. in comparison to real Italian food.
A: It’s good, yea I like it! It’s not exactly the same as it is in Italy. There is nothing like real Italian pizza!
by Ramon L. Barto, Foothill High School, Santa Ana, California (USA)