This lovely weekend was spent in the locality of Parma. My
home for the semester. the place where I belong. Amidst my trips and travels, I
have truly cherished the chance to explore Parma and develop an enhanced sense
of familiarity with my gravitational axis for these three months. Parma is
unlike anywhere I have previously been. The nooks and crannies filled with
numerous paninoteccas and handmade jewelry shops are truly unique- they
comprise the authentic Italian setting I have craved to inhabit throughout my
study abroad experience. So as I dance from one pananinotecca to the next,
deliberating on whether I would like prosciutto crudo or cotto, my
preoccupation about the revolving door of internships I will circle through
when I return to Boston dissipates. Here, I am where my feet are, concentrated
on what lies before me. The present dominates my thoughts. I am liberated from
the past and future ; I am anchored to the immediate.
Halloween evening was much different than the traditional
American celebration that occurs back home. With recent globalization patterns,
American tendencies have transmitted to Parma, prompting acknowledgement for the
holiday but a diminished prevalence of dressing up. Thereby, Halloween is not
the focal point of the weekend. Rather, All Saint Day takes precedence; all stores
and shops suspend activity for the day and families are able to convene in
honor of their lost loved ones. Even so, I was able to carve a pumpkin with my
little host brothers, Leo and Lo. The Jack-O-Lantern was quite spectacular, I
must say. It even required an implant. The second tooth was mistakenly removed.
With a tooth pick addendum, we managed to reconstruct the facial identity of
the pumpkin. All restored, the carved masterpiece sat tabletop during our
dinner.
After dinner, we managed to pump up the tunes. Ranging from Macklemore
to the Beach Boys, we covered the spectrum. Queen was also included. The missing
element was a song described as “duh-duh----duh-duh-duh-duh – HEY” by Lorenzo.
A Shazam attempt to discover the tittle was unrewarded. However, I was able to
decipher the beat-box of my little bro and pick up on the song as “On Top of
the World” by Imagine Dragons. I am now officially cool on account of the
little brothers. If the nerf gun fights didn’t impress them, this cemented my
awesomeness in their perception. The impressionable moments like these are the
things that authenticate and create my experience. When I am dancing around the kitchen table, carving
pumpkins, jamming to the Beach Boys, and eating Parmesan cheese, I feel on top
of the world.
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