Molto Interessante

Today in my Italian class we spent part of the time answering the question Che lavoro fai?  We were supposed to use the verb "Fare= to do or to be" conjugated to Faccio to answer the question of what do you do for work? 

For example:  Che lavoro fai?  Faccio l'insegnante (What do you do for work?  I am a teacher.)

This was an easy assignment.  And we flew through our responses around the room, but then we got to me and the gal sitting next to me.  Both of us being missionaries would have the same response.  She went first, "Faccio Missionaria."  And then here came the real lesson for today.  The insengnante paused the lesson to ponder and then said, for Missionaria you could say Faccio, but the more correct response would be Sono Missionaria.  Sono is from the verb Essere = to be.  She explained to the class that a missionary is not a job but a lifestyle.  Hum. Fantastic when your language helps you define so clearly something that is often hard to explain.

My other favorite part of this lesson was when we were calling out names of professions in Italy.  I said Pastore, and my teacher again paused and gave me a funny look.  And said that is an old job, no one is a pastore anymore.  But, yes people who work and live with their sheep are called Pastore.  Then I explained to her that in the Chiesa (church) non-Catholic there are indeed people working who are called Pastore, and that the people who follow their teaching are sometimes referred to as their sheep.  She realized I was correct and liked the lesson too I think.