Getting uncomfortable at the pharmacy speaking Italian (not me)

This is in South Tyrol, 15km from Bolzano. Here, most people speak German, and some speak also Italian. Culturally, this is pretty much Austria.

I’m not here on vacation. And it’s not entirely business travel. It’s both: a workation. Part of that experience includes using and practicing different languages. This place in particular is lovely because it’s technically Italy and culturally Austria. In practice, you get the option to navigate your life in many languages: German, Italian, and English (depending on where you are and how long you plan to stay).

Back to the pharmacy shop (or “die Apotheke”).

Before getting in, I thought maybe I could use this opportunity to practice my German. I knew it would feel a bit edgy.

How do you say “throat”, “cold”, “cough”? Those words are not readily available to me in German. Of course, I could look them up on Google Translate and practice them one minute before entering the store. But, all of a sudden, I thought:

‘What if I try Italian here?’

I went in.

The clerk greeted me in German. I changed to Italian right away.

Then I noticed a slight shift in his face, his attitude. He seemed a bit uncomfortable. Maybe because I responded in Italian. Maybe because I look kind of Italian (I get this from people who don’t know I’m from Argentina; Italy or Turkey, Kazakhstan or Middle East :).

Maybe he thought, “Oh! This is a native Italian speaker. Now I need to respond in Italian, he might not know any German or English. And I need to save face.”

I noticed a bit of shakiness and nervousness in his hands, the way he spoke, trying to reach for words.

It was quite an interesting situation.

Here I was, in Italy. A foreigner, received by a local who looked very much from here (Italian or maybe Austrian?), in the local language of the country. He wasn’t feeling at ease, and I was feeling very relaxed and comfortable. His local language, my foreign language.

What went through my mind as I decided to pick Italian?

I wanted to see and experience what it’s like to feel relaxed and tap into one of the options that I have available in this city. It’s amazing to be in a place where you can use both, where people can understand you in German and Italian. There’s also English, because that’s another option available to tourists, and this is a very touristic place. I love being in a place where I can use three languages, and I can also choose how much I want to stretch myself.

In the beginning, I thought I would be ordering this in English. As I was getting closer, I thought maybe I could try German. I felt a little scared and uncomfortable. Maybe next time I will try German. And that’s when I noticed I had a third option: Italian.

Being in another country ready to practice a foreign language doesn’t mean you absolutely have to practice all the time. Of course, you also wanna be mindful of getting some practice. Especially, if part of your motivation to go there is practicing!

Practice getting uncomfortable when you feel like getting uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to be all day long, your full stay in a foreign country.

Pace yourself and pick your battles.

Repeat the same conversations, try new conversations. You’re gonna get better and better. And, of course, keep your immersion strong.

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