The only thing that I can think about is: “Two years ago I couldn’t read a poem in front of my Italian class and now I’m sitting on a stage with all the school in front of me and in a few minutes I’m going to read a speech during the assembly in front of eight hundred people”. Some days ago the office called me and my ESOL teacher said: “All the international students have to do a speech during the assembly, about their experience and the difference between our countries. It has to be long three or four minutes longs. Sofia, you have to do yours on the 5th November, period three”. And now, the 5th at 11.30am, I’m sitting on this bloody stage and I’m waiting that for the Principal to call me. Jinni, the Thai girl, has finished and the Principal is walking to the centre: <<Now, we have a Italian girl: Sofia D’Angelo! >>. He said my surname wrong but it’s not important now. I stand up, walk to the centre and adjust the microphone. I can see Bradley with the camera and Leticia, who is doing ‘Ok’ with her hand. After some hesitation I start my speech:
“Hello everybody, my name is Sofia, I’m from Italy and I arrived 4 months ago in Morrinsville to spend six months of my life in this beautiful country. I decided to come here when I was nine, because my family and I hosted a Chinese girl for six months. It was a great experience and when she left I said: “When I’m seventeen I will do that in New Zealand” and now, eight years later, I’m here. Don’t ask me why I chose your country, because, I really don’t remember! So, when I arrived I didn’t really know what New Zealand would look like. At the beginning I was sure that Italy and New Zealand weren’t so different: but I knew for example that you drive on the wrong side of the street, for me obviously, or that it is all green here (I understood that was because it rains every day!) I knew that everybody loves rugby just as soccer is popular In Italy. But now, after some months in Morrinsville, I can say that our countries are very different.
First, there is the school: in Italy I go to school five days a week, the same as here, but from 8am to 6pm, and I can have seven, eight or nine periods each day. In Italy you can’t chose yours subjects, but only the type of school. In my school (that is for classical studies) I have fourteen subjects, among them I have Latin, Ancient Greek and Philosophy. Another difference is that we don’t have a uniform, and I don’t know if it’s better or not but it’s really easy not having to chose what to wear in the morning. So, now, I can say that you are so lucky to have this type of school!
The biggest difference between Italy and New Zealand is about the life style: here it’s more easy-going. It’s very difficult to explain but I can try: In Italy I live in a city with a million people, and everybody is always stressed. There is always something to do, you are always busy. For example: usually dinner is at 8pm and you go to bed at 11 or 12 o’clock, this is because twenty-four hours are not enough for us! So, now I can say that here you live better and that I don’t miss Italy… much. Because maybe there is a thing that I do miss and it’s the food. I’m sorry but I’m Italian and for me is impossible to see pineapple on Pizza and Spaghetti in a can or hearing someone that say that Nutella, that is from Italy, is only hazelnuts spread!
Now I have only one and half months left in this beautiful place and I would like to say thanks to everybody: to my host family, the teachers, the other International students and to my classmates. Thanks for repeating words again every time that I didn’t understand or when all I could say was: “What!?” and thanks because you make this experience unforgettable!”.
The school is applauding me, I breathe and I think: “I did it”!
(Sofia D’Angelo, 4C)