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Published: December 24th 2009
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one morning few months ago, Saverio couldn't stop laughing. I have just started speaking Italian and got one verb wrong (one out of many)instead of saying - “I am afraid” I said “I am fear”.
he just couldn't stop laughing saying: " you are Merav, you can't be fear" so I smiled at him. then he said: " o.k., i see what you are saying. you can be fear. but - normal people can't..."
I have stayed in the farm for more then 2 months. at the beginning I thought i am going to be a farm boy, and speak Italian. When I met them I have realized that it's going to be a lot more - I have installed myself in a family.
At the beginning I didn't understand why do they choose woofers - accepting new people to their life, every few weeks, teaching them what to do, the work, the family routines, everything. then they tald
me that they see it as a cultural exchange. since they can't (and won't) travel - its a personality issues as much as a choice of allyear farming life the wwoofing is the way to get the outside world into
their life.
The beginning wasn't easy for me - although I had my privacy and my room, it was very weird installing my self into a family. the dynamic was weird, it wasn't mine. I have my family, I am not looking for a new one and I didn't know what to do and how to behave. like every relationship we grew to know each other. me and them. The relationship between the parents, between the parents and kids,
between the kids, between the family and their friends and guests.
the best cultural exchange possible
It turned to be a very interesting experience, as my Italian had improved, and our friendship and the hours we spent working and talking,I have realized that both sides get a lot from this deal. I got to know Italy not many people get to know, they got to know a different person. when I first wrote to them i thought that my experience in the kibbutz would interest them. they were a lot more interested with the fact that i have been traveling...
we talked a lot, half English half Italian, comparing cultures, asking questions...
food grows in supermarkets
I have
also learned a lot about organic farming and realized that not all the fruits and vegetables are born in the supermarket, as i am used to. each time he asked me how does this plant grows in Israel I
usually answered: in the supermarket, in boxes. sometimes in the fridge. only with the garlic I knew that we have 2 kinds: one that grows in the supermarket. the other one grows in the market (too
aromatic for the supermarket).
So - it's weird to leave "home" and people I got to know and like.... but - it's the thing about traveling - you always have to leave people you got to know and usually like (and it's not as easy and great as you
might think). but it's also the beginning of a new adventure.....
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