Panseeyeahrah

My entire life people have had trouble saying my last name. Not that It bothers me too much, I love hearing their interpretations of the strange foreign word that comes after a relatively common name, I can't help but smile as it catches them by surprise...Samantha Pa-..eerr...-a

So for those of you who would like to know (Probably no one I don't know why I'm writing this)...My last name is Italian. Therefor the letters c and i are pronounced (ch). Just as they are in the Italian word Ciao. So my name is actually pronounced Pan-chair-ah. Samantha Pan-chair-ah. Samantha Panciera. 

Both my parents are Italian, and I was born in Victoria. Italian was originally my first language, although I can feel it slipping further and further away from my memory. I am at the stage where I can understand when my parents speak Italian, although if I try to speak it, I can't think of any of the words. 

I'd like to pick it up again. My mum is fluent in both English and Italian and I admire her for it.  I've met a beautiful lady called Carla at TAFE who speaks several different languages, one being Italian. She always greets me with 'Ciao Bella' (hello beautiful) and signs her messages with things like 'bacione' (kisses) and I love it, it always leaves me grinning and makes me feel like her and I have this secret language that no one else can understand.

I started to teach James some Italian in order to refresh my memory, and am proud to say he can now count from one to ten, and down from ten to one.

Id like for James and I to go to Italy in the future for a while so that I have a chance to develop my Italian again, and he has a chance to meet my family. I can't wait to start really planning our travels and turning our dreams into reality.

My beautiful family. (left to right: mum, dad, James (boyfriend), Me)