Life in Italy vs. Life in the United States: Pastimes

Throughout my travels in Italy I was introduced to many different pastimes, many of which we also have in America. The first pastime I came to notice was video games, which my host brother and sister both immensely enjoyed. My host sister introduced me to the Italian version of "Just Dance" which was, in many ways, quite similar to the "Just Dance" here in America. Eli showed me how to use the game by moving my arms and legs, and earning points on the Wii. Federico, however, was much further inclined to his Play Station, which he used over the Wii. I found it interesting that video games and similar media seemed to be just as prevalent in Italy as they were here in America. Sports, as previously mentioned, were also a very popular pastime in Italy. My home stay siblings and I did a number of athletic activities, including playing basketball and volleyball in the area beside their home. As another activity, we went to visit the extended family of my home stay mother.  they were all very welcoming of me, and just as interested in learning about my culture as I was learning about theirs. My family told me that they see their family multiple times throughout the week, and that they are very close. The last pastime we partook in was going to an Italian Mall and Arcade. At the arcade we play many American video games as well as a few Italian ones. It was interesting to observe the differences between American and Italian pastimes, and I found I drew more similarities than I did differences.

Eli Playing "Just Dance"