Can’t live stream today’s action

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Buondì.

Today, my younger daughter (who contributes a lot to EasyItalianNews.com ) should graduate from medical school in Fierenze/Florence, cheered on by a crowd of relatives and friends, followed by wine and snacks for all, courtesy of daddy’s credit card.

I’ve never been to an Italian college graduation ceremony before, though I know it’s a very different experience from my own (nearly 40 years ago!!) and my elder daughter’s, who graduated a few years back from Glasgow University (for readers in the United States, that’s Glasgow in Scotland, Scotland in the United Kingdom…)

Sofia’s experience was familiar, at least to me – perhaps five hundred or more smartly-dressed young people packed into a ‘great hall’ to listen to inspiring words from The Rector, then called out one by one to receive a scrolled document and shake hands all the way down a line of professors and dignataries, observed by relieved parents and dutiful siblings.

For my Italian wife it was something grand, like a scene from some real-life Harry Potter: oak beams supporting high ceilings, hundreds of extras in gowns and funny hats, solemnity and wise words from a phalanx of grey-bearded wizards and witches. She was impressed and delighted.

From what I’ve gathered from conversations with Italians over the years, graduation day Italian-style is a much more personal experience. The student, or students, each present their graduation thesis then respond to questions from the wizards and witches. After which, well who knows? Perhaps we all throw our hats in air? Maybe there’ll be owls. As I won’t be able to live-stream the action, I’ll have to tell you all about it next week.

E intanto? Well, why not follow some of the links above (to free resources on the club website) or below (our other projects)?

No? Can’t be bothered? I hear you – there’s an ‘end-of-winter. got a cold, too tired to do anything’ vibe up here in the northern hemisphere (though the club has lots of members in Australia and New Zealand, a few in South Africa, and plenty in the various countries of South America – hope you guys had a nice summer!)

In which case, kill some time on our “Best of” OnlineItalianClub.com page, where over the years I’ve added links to things I wrote which – for one reason or other – I felt shouldn’t just be washed away by the vast tide of crap that is today’s internet.

Can you believe I’ve been writing articles more or less like this one since 2012? Nor can I. And for free!

On the plus side, it’s a bit like keeping a journal. Ocasionally I dip in to the mass of articles just to see what I can find. For instance 2013’s Insidious cultural differences that can trip you up, or ten years later Introducing Bug.

Alla prossima settimana!

P.S.

Given that there wasn’t much to read today, why not take a look at yesterday’s bulletin of news from EasyItalianNews.com.

Reading/listening practice will help you consolidate the Italian you’re studying, expand your vocabulary, and build vital comprehension skills.

EasyItalianNews.com is FREE to read/listen to.

Subscribing, and so receiving all three text + audio bulletins of ‘easy’ news via email each week -on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays – is also FREE.

Just enter your email address on this page and click the confirmation link that will be sent to you.

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