Raffaele’s two faces
// Tags: boring, english, foreign, italian, language, music, sleazy
// admin @ August 4th, 2008
Let’s face it: I have two personalities. A deep-rooted Italian psyche coexists with an acquired, English nature. Probably many people who have lived abroad for a reasonable amount of time came to the same realization earlier, but I only did a few days ago, two years after I moved to LA. I know it may sound obvious, but I discovered that my English and Italian sides come out according to which language I am speaking.
In Italian, I love to use a sophisticated vocabulary, I love to play double sense, and I often use some subtle hints to convey a message that I don’t want to speak out loud. My brain is always at top speed looking for the more interesting way of saying things: I feel like even the most obvious and boring concept can be conveyed in an exciting and/or entertaining way, it’s a continuous intellectual challenge supported by creativity. How cool is that…
On the other hand, in English I am way more straightforward, I just can’t make up funny things unless I tell stories about my stereotyped sleazy-Italian-ness, or unless I get hammered with some other Americans - as respectable and unique this is -. Doing almost everything is different in English, my brain is always thinking about the proper way of saying things and there is not much room for creativity. In one word: I am boring. I am not the real Raffaele in English. Guys, it is hard to connect with people if you can’t be the true yourself, but fortunately I have music, where you need no words to communicate.
Che vita di stenti e privazioni. 
