Buona Notte Italia!

Buona serata. I have finally completed my study abroad program in Milano, Italia. During my short three weeks in Milan I’ve learned, explored, and lived an unforgettable journey. Getting to Zumbini residence for the first time was pretty difficult because I did not know how to use to a subway, metro, or communicate with anyone. (Update: I am a professional with public transportation now). Getting the opportunity to explore the wonderful places surrounding was unbelievable. Getting to travel with people I had never met before seemed a little bit scary at first however I have gained more than memories with these people. I have made new friends from all across Nebraska. Getting to travel to Venice, Rome, and Florence were great memories that I will never forget getting to see the coliseum and several other attractions was great and super exciting.  I will include pictures to this post at the end of this post.

In addition, not only did I get to experience almost a month in a European country but I also gain more insight in the world and all the challenges many people had to go through when entering a foreign country. My family was the first people to come to mind. My parents came into the United States without any background or experience with the English language; coming to Italy without any Italian was a choice that I made on my own because I wanted to put myself in their shoes. Language barrier can be difficult. However, I am so thankful everyone was very welcoming and patient with me. I am so proud of my parents for learning a new language on their own and for all their achievements they have made in life. A lot of hand signals were used in the process of communication.   


A special shout out to all the people that made this experience possible! Thank you to those  individuals that made this experience an amazing adventure.


*I would like to make a post regarding advice to people who are thinking of traveling internationally, studying abroad, or just for a good read! J

TIPS 101 with Jessica:

1.     Carry an adapter (European plugins are very different) OPTIONAL: Portable charge- it will save your life)

2.     Comfortable shoes (even when you want to look cute & wear little sandals. Sneakers are your best friend)

3.     Mosquito repellent (especially if you are thinking of being out late)

4.     Crossbodies- Be careful with your passport & credit cards- watch out for pick pocketing)

5.     Always carry your phone in your front pocket, I know it is a habit to keep it in your back pocket but unless you want it stolen- front pocket)

6.     Carry clothing that is loose and comfortable (Pretty outfits are fine as long as they are comfortable)

7.     If you are planning on going into a Cathedral, Duomo, or nice church make sure you are covering your shoulders and knees ( YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE if you are not covered) PS: Street vendors always save you by selling scarves that you can wrap around yourself near by.

8.     Do not take anything from a street vendor; once they say it is for you I give to you! Such as a rose or bracelet. They will ask for money afterward.

9.     Be sure to talk to your bank about the best way to use your card, such as make several transactions or making withdrawals. International Fees are crazy.

10. Do not bring a full luggage unless you are either a. planning to leave clothes in that country for people/ family. B. Not planning on buying anything in that country. C. Planning on buying a carry on and packing a lot of clothing in it.

11. International Sim cards are an option- you will have an international phone number & it may be cheaper than your everyday phone carrier.

12.  Be resourceful – if staying with a group of friends split the profit evenly.

13. If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to ask, I am happy to help.

✌🏽️ IULM

Welcome back to my amazing blog!!!  Unfortunately I haven't had the time to talk about my amazing experience at our field trip but (as promised I will write more about my adventures as soon as I get wifi connection)
As  for academics, this week we learned about fashion & design with Antonio Catalani. We learned about the similarities as well as the differences of brand and products. During the second day of classes we took a field trip to the galleria and viewed the differences. It was very interesting. Catalani had us do a final presentation over an Italian designer store with a group of four people. Our presentation was over ETRO which is a family owned designer store. It was very interesting to find out more over the history and their iconic product. We were required to view our store in person and given the opportunity to discover more on our own.. Even though I am not interested in fashion I did enjoy our assigned store and learning more about other Italian based fashion designers. In conclusion, we said our final farewell & happy birthday to our beautiful tutor, friend, & advocate- Ilaria! I will miss you Bella. I've enjoyed my time in Milan. Thank you for being so kind & open-minded. Until next time, Baci! 😘

Second Week of Classes

Hello everybody, 

I've just completed another successful week at IULM. This week was very busy and had classes that lasted pretty late, but I've survived. 

On June 13, 2016 we met a professor by the name of Guido Ferilli, whom taught our small class about Cultural Economics and Creative Industries. During the first couple minutes of the course he questioned how much we knew about economics and what we were studying at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Initially, he began class by teaching about culture as an elaterian or also known as “spiritual cultivation,” which is the pre industrial economics that were ruled by gift economy of mecanstism rather than by market transactions. In addition, Ferilli also taught us about Culture as learned (mass) entertainment that works as the structure or framework because it organizes into cultural industries by developing their respective consumer markets. Culture as the social basis for the generation of meaning and value are added into postmodern industrial economies, culture tends to become a basic platform for construction of individual and collective identity models and tends to assume the character of public goods.

Tuesday morning we met a Fabrizio Vagliasindi, he taught us about Gamification- the rules of gaming. He states the goal is ALWAYS to maintain and engage the attention from the audience. Two main elements needs to maintain the goal from occurring is to keep progression and achievement, which lead him into teaching about the properties of the brain and how it works and the mechanisms used. An example he used was frustration, if you are playing a game and you cannot pass a certain level you become frustrated which leads you to either achieved a certain level or become to frustrated to come back to the video game. Later on he talked about the three generations of gaming. Pioneers as the first generation which began in the 1970's. Digital Native began in the 1990's, and the "Touch generation" which makes me giggle a little bit inside. Furthermore, in the afternoon we met with Alberto who taught us about Cinema. The most important piece of information I recall from his lecture is the fact that he said people will travel to a certain location thinking that a film was recorded in that city but it reality it was filmed in a different location this known as cinetourism. 

On Wednesday morning June 15 we met Dr. Antonella Ardizzone. She lectured us about Music and the different characteristics of the sector, trends and case studies. Thursday morning- June 16, 2016 we met with Gianluca Peluffo, he had a different method of teaching the course by using videos and different pictures of landscapes. My understanding of the films were that every building has its own personality and flavor. All buildings are rich in texture and he also said himself “I don’t want to say that one building looks better than another building, but instead I like to think these two buildings are two completely different in texture, framework, and color.” 

The last course was with Antonello Fusetti who also had a different method in lecturing. We greatly appreciate the professor that took the time to lecture us in English and their patience even though it is not their primary language they did an excellent job at explaining and teaching. However, Antonello’s lecture was in Italian and had us using the translating devices. He described design as the meaning to draw in Italian. He then said it is what happens in the next generation and the generations after. The best example was dresses. Ladies all over the world have worn dresses in many centuries. However, the dress you see nowadays are a lot different from the way they would look in the past. Think about the dress that you’re grandmother, mother, and sister would wear. They are completely different, the shoulder are covered, puffy, uncovered, long, short, tight, loose. Different characteristics all because of design. I've enjoyed this week of classes as well as multiple field trips we had. Stick around to hear more about the field trip days and see pictures! 

- Jessica De La Torre