What is it about Italy that makes you fall in love?  Is it its history, its natural seascapes and landscapes, its food, its art, its language, its people, its customs, traditions and over-all culture?   I believe it’s all of these things that makes one fall in love with this charismatic and enchanting country!  What if it all changed?  What if all of the things mentioned changed or worse yet disappeared?  No more the David in Florence, no more Ciao, Bella, no more Pizza Margherita, no more animated body-language, and no more drinking an espresso at the bar al banco/a piedi (standing), or un caffe’ macchiato (an espresso with a dab of foam) at the table while discussing politics.
 
 What if the Michelangelo's David was replaced by Andy Warhol’s White Brillo sculpture?  What if Ciao, Bella was replaced with Hey there and the Pizza Margherita replaced with the hamburger and fries (oh wait, that is already happening) or the Italian’s animated body communication was muted by space, distance, and kisses on the cheek became handshakes instead?  What if drinking a 1 euro caffe’ al banco-at the bar is replaced with to-go cups and the Frappucino for 4 euros, (oh wait, that may begin in 2017).  Now, I realize I may be exaggerating a bit but I am trying to make a point with my dramatic and over-the-top examples. 

How will the newsworthy events of a particular month change us?  Will they have any effect on our today or our tomorrow?  Do we forget too easily?  How will we be affected by the newsworthy events highlighted in the month of June?  Highlighted by the Italian news sources.  How will we interpret this very post if its read 6 months from now, 3 years from now or 10 years from now?  I wonder…
 
Some news highlights that were covered in Italia in the month of June 2016—I post them to test history; I post them to test memory.  How will the news from June of 2016 change us?  Will it change us?  What will Italians or the world be saying about the events that happened in 2016 in the month of June?  Will these events still be pertinent?  How will they affect us going into the year 2017, 2018, or 2025?  I post them so we can re-read these events and compare, contrast, and see how history is remembered.  Will these events of the month of June in the year 2016 be remembered?  Will they be a part of a long-standing history?  What will Italy be saying about these events in a year, in two years, in ten years?  What will the rest of the world be saying?  Will they have any effect on our today, on our tomorrow? 
I post the news that was covered in Italia in the month of June 2016 so when I return next year, I will compare, contrast, and see how history is remembered, if it had any impact on Italy’s today or tomorrow--if these European and world events had any impact on our future.  What will Italy, the world be saying about the first female mayor in Rome, Italy--an event that has not happened in over 2000 years.  Soon there may very well be the first female President of the United States--what will history be saying about these women?  How about the United Kingdom?  They voted to be out of the European Union.  How will that affect Europe and the rest of the world?  The Italian news also covered the horrific shootings in Orlando, Florida.  Will gun control have been changed if in a year you were to revisit an article or a video about this tragedy in Florida?  Would you see what impact this tragic history has had on our today, on our tomorrow?  I post some news covered in Italia in the month of June 2016 due to my stay here during this very month.  I will return, if all goes well, like I try to every year and I will re-read this post.  I will re-read this post in order to see if we learn from history, if we remember history, if we repeat history or do newsworthy events have to be epic in scope in order for them to make history, to be lessons, in order for them to have any real impact on our today, on our tomorrow?  Will the events that happened in July, (the tragedy in Nice, France, the racial killings of civilians and police officers, the plagiarism of a possible first lady) be remembered?  Will they have any effect on how we see isolation, terrorism, race, and integrity?  I wonder...

I post some news covered in Italia in the month of June 2016…
 
http://www.euronews.com/2016/06/20/meet-rome-s-first-female-mayor/​
 
http://www.euronews.com/2016/06/12/orlando-pulse-nightclub-shooting-what-we-know/
 
http://www.euronews.com/2016/06/24/britain-backs-brexit/
​

We spend a lot of time talking.   We spend a lot of time perfecting our speaking in order to improve our social and interpersonal skills.  How about Listening?  Listening makes us more empathetic.  In-turn it makes us much more compassionate, much more kind, and much more pleasant to be around in a social and interpersonal way—when we travel we want to learn the language of the country in order to speak.  I believe we all should.  It makes for a more personal and positive travel experience; however, learning a language begins with listening.  Listening can strengthen our travel experiences.  It brings us into the moment, connects us more deeply, grounding us, and developing our sense of curiosity and desire to continuously learn and grow. 
When we travel, how much of what we hear influences our experience in a new city or country?  How much of what we listen to enhances what we see, what we interpret or what our overall view and opinions are of a city or country?  Listening can teach us a lot about others, about ourselves and about how nature speaks in so many different languages —Listening opens our minds and our hearts in ways that speaking cannot.

​ 
“If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.”—a proverb
 
I’ve compiled some every-day sounds from Italy.  Can you tell what or who is making these sounds?  Are they similar to the sounds from your own country?  How do they differ?  What do sounds say about a place, a people, or a culture?  How do sounds enhance your vision? 
 
​
Enjoy some every-day Italian sounds…