The Italian Engineer Student Experiment

Hey guys,

It's been a while... I needed to delete this blog. I didn't change the URL but I completely deleted it. I was missing the blog and all of your crazy comments. But don't get your hopes up - I didn't miss all the comments. You know who you are!!

When I receive a comment on my blog, I receive an email. I was going through the emails, and was sad about letting this blog go. I logged into my blogger page, and tried to see if I could restore this page - turns out I could. I tried to resist the temptation of returning to this blog, but couldn't. So here I am.

I did do some tiny experiments but nothing that lasted three days. Just about a day, whenever I got the chance to experiment, and I was alone. It wasn't the same not sharing it with you guys.

So now back to the new identity experiment: the Italian engineer student.

Firstly, I need to share the backstory. Where I'm from, public universities that are farther out offer online classes. So, I'm doing online classes for a business degree. I'm not an engineer student, and don't plan to be. One of my neighbours is an engineer and told me he was doing a lecture. I thought it would be interesting to go to an actual lecture, let alone an engineering one. I've always wanted to know what it would be like to have the engineering kind of knowledge. I asked him if I could come, and he said yes. He's sort of like the dad I've been missing in my life. This happened on September 15th.

So the day comes, I go into the lecture hall and sit all the way in the back next to this girl. We'll call her "Ariana". After the lecture, and I went outside to get some air. Ariana was there, and I sat a distance away from her. She turns to me and starts talking in Italian. She was asking me for the time in Italian. I turn around to see if she's talking to someone behind me but there was no one there, so I said "what???" In a thick Italian accent she says "you no speak Italian?" I give her an extremely confused look. "Um.... no?" Then she apologizes and says "you were the girl sitting close to me." I nodded my head, and we continue to talk, and she tells me she's just here for a term, she's from Italy etc. Then she asks me the question that sparked this little identity experiment:

"What are you going to do after graduation?"
I was about to tell her my real plans, then realized she thinks I'm an engineering student.

My mind is blank. The obvious answer would be an engineer wouldn't it? But she probably would've asked me what kind? I tell her "A.. um... hm.. chemical engineer."
She proceeds to tell me what kind of engineering she wants to get into, and this firm in Italy she's thinking about etc. I had absolutely no idea what any of these engineering terms meant, so I nodded my head. She stops and asks "so what part of Italy are you from?" She kept asking me strange questions... I'm asian. Although I've passed for Italian a few times before. Jeez, I knew nothing about Italy. I'm thinking I should either burst her bubble and tell her I indeed am: a) not an engineering student b) definitely not Italian. But... I was having too much fun with this.

There was a long pause, as I was searching my mind for a place in Italy that was not ROME, or MILAN. Then I remembered BA wanting to purchase this villa in Sicily, and that was my answer. She says "wow, I'm from *insert name of place in Italy I don't remember*. Before I go further into my lies, I look at this nonexistent watch on my left wrist and say "well gee, I better get going. Gotta study and take a nap."

"Oh, yes! Are you walking to the subway?" My heart started racing. This woman was asking way too many questions...

"No. I'm getting a ride from my neighbour in a few minutes."

She stays for a few minutes, and I asked her how she knew I was Italian. She said something but I can't recall it now. I find it odd that people ask me what my ethnic background is. I've gotten Greek too, and as far as Indian, Mexican, Spanish, or mixed with some crazy combination like asian and caucasian  or somewhere in the Caribbean - which is interesting. Is that all you got? You don't think I'm from Nigeria or something??? Another hilarious example was a few weeks ago,  I was out getting some food. I was leaving the restaurant but my friend forgot something so I waited outside.. In front of this Mexican restaurant.   This lady is walking by me says hi and asks me if I'm Mexican.  I say yes and she says yes I love Mexican food, and this restaurant is amazing etc.  Listen lady, just because I'm standing outside of a Mexican restaurant doesn't mean I'm Mexican.  😂😂😂

All my neighbours are Italian, so I just asked them if I looked Italian. She said I could pass for Italian, but she's biased. Later on I got a math tutor to conquer my math anxiety and I thought she was Italian. Well her last name was Italian, so since she looked it and has an Italian last name - I figured she was Italian. She asked me what my ethnicity is (I'm starting to see a theme here) because apparently her younger sister looks exactly like me. I told her my ethnicity and I asked her what hers was, and she told me she was Indian. I was shocked. I told her I thought she was Italian, and she explained to me lots of Indians look Italian and vice versa. I find it strange and fascinating that one of the first questions people ask me is what my ethnic background is.. like it matters?!

Anyways it was fun being an Italian engineer student for a few minutes, but don't think I'd do it again!! Although through these experiments, it feels like I'm becoming more worldly. Because many people feel the need to ask me what my ethnic background is during these experiments, it's fun telling them I'm something completely different, but then coming up with a city or place within this new country I'm from makes me feel like I've gone beyond myself. Not sure if that makes sense, but it's really interesting.

All in all, I had fun learning about chemical engineering and pretending to be Italian. It feels so limiting knowing that I live in this one body, and can't be different people. Although once I start these experiments, or something sparks them, it feels like I could be anyone and explore that without actually having to be that person.