By bbarfiel
The most pressing question that I got when I first arrived in Milan was “Why study in Italy”? Honestly, I really don’t know. I mean it’s a combination of things, but there wasn’t one selling point that sealed it for me. First, the most important (for me at least) was the food. I mean, who doesn’t like Italian food? Secondly, there are endless amounts of places to visit from Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terra, Sicily and Rome. Lastly, the clothes! If you really know me, you know that I have always had a passion for dapper dress. Milan is definitely a place to allow my fashion sense take its course. Oh, I forgot to mention the beautiful Italian women!
However, not everything in Milan is as sweet as the gelato. I definitely have my share of rocky roads while studying here. When I first arrived in Milan, I requested to stay with a host Italian family for 10 days with the intention on renting for the duration of my study. They were really welcoming at first, but started to distance themselves from me by day 3. I wasn’t shocked when they explained how “I was lucky to stay with them because the Italian people can be really prejudice”. While this maybe true, they definitely didn't make me feel at home. On day 5, they asked me if I wanted to stay, because a family friend from Venezuela was coming to Milan and needed to know if he could rent my room. I told them that I was more than likely going to stay with them because it was too difficult to find a flat in Milan for less than one year. The next day, I went to discuss the details of my stay and what they expected from me. When I approached them, they spoke in Italian for a while. I could clearly tell something was wrong. The two sons got into a big argument, and one stormed out of the living room. The other son was irate but tried to assure me that nothing was wrong and that I would get the room. By the time the owner of the house (his mother) arrived home from work, I think things boiled over. She doesn’t speak English, but I knew that she was trying to calm her sons down and figure out what we would do.
Basically, I didn’t have the room. The host claimed that something went wrong with the AirBnB system and that some girl from Australia reserved the room for 4 nights directly after the day I was supposed to leave. I was devastated at this point because I didn’t have a place to stay. Luckily, I was blessed to meet a Cameroonian man by the name of Fotie. We met at an outdoor gathering in front of a neighboring university called Politecnico di Milano. He was aware of my living situation and allowed me to stay with him until I found a more permanent solution. I am truly blessed to have come in contact with such a great person. He made sure I ate, slept well, and even helped calling some apartments for rent. After about fifteen unsuccessful calls, four apartment visits, and 8 nights, I finally found a place to stay. The apartment I found was directly across from my university with a single room for rent. This is very rare in Milan! The price was within my budget, and the host was a pretty young professional who recently graduated from Bocconi. Finally, something good! After almost a month of being without housing, I was able to say that I felt some sort of comfort knowing I wouldn’t be moving again. Faith, a great friend, and my family helped me get of over this big hurdle.
Furthermore, my host community has helped support and shape my identity while being abroad. For one, Italy isn’t really a diverse country. There aren’t many people of color or people who look like me. The only people of color are the West African immigrants who came searching for a better life. I have learned to appreciate my physical identity in the sense because I realize how difficult it is to look like an “outsider”. On a better note, my friends that I mentioned in my last post have truly helped support my identity. Not only do these guys look like me, but they also come from all parts of the world, from London to Kenya. Even though we aren’t necessarily from the same country, we share a similar experience living in Milan. It is comforting exploring a new culture and identity with people who share similar experiences as me.