If you’re American that has ever attended high school in any state in the country, you know that most high schools are eerily the same. They have the same groups, similar subjects and can pretty much be plopped into the middle of a movie about high schoolers without having to change much of anything. It doesn’t even matter what decade you attended high school.
In every hall way you’ll find the jocks, theater kids, preps, the outsiders and everyone who doesn’t fit into any of those groups. Sarah, half of the duo Carlo and Sarah, posted her husband’s reaction to seeing her old high school. Carlo is Italian and completed his high school career there but judging by his reaction to seeing Sarah’s alma mater, Italian schools are very different than the schools people are used to in the states.
Immediately Carlo is aghast as Sarah points out the science classrooms. The shocked husband asks, “you do the frog thing in the science classroom?”
The high school alum confirms that they indeed dissected frogs in that very classroom to the bewilderment of Carlo. Who then clarifies that she means dissect the frogs like they do in the movies. His reaction is so pure and full of disbelief. The man references the movies several times throughout the video, including the famous “High School Musical.”
Sorry to disappoint, Carlo, but American high school students don’t actually break out in organized song and dance in the middle of the cafeteria. But the reaction the Italian man has is so big that people are wondering what Italian high schools are like.
“Can we now see Carlo’s school, so we have a comparison,” someone asks.
“Ok I get that Carlo is excited because her high school looks similar to the idea of American schools you would get from watching Hollywood films. But he seems really surprised so now I’m wondering how Italian schools are apparently vastly different,” another wonders.
“But also take into account we grow up with those movies you mentioned. I was excited too when I saw the iconic yellow school bus for the first time, when I was visiting Maryland.Not to mention Manhattan. To European eyes it looks like a giant set,” one Italian person clears up the excitement.
“Okay but this is so accurate to coming to America. The first few months it’s just like ‘Omg! A yellow school bus like in the movies!’ The cop cars, the highway signs, Funyuns, Waffle House… like it’s foreign to you, but you’ve seen them in movies and tv your whole life so it’s still familiar in a weird way,” another European chimes in.
A few Americans living in Italy gave their impression of Italian schools and they were…without any sugar coating. The words “dream crushing” and “traumatized” were used as descriptors, though it could be related to culture shock and unmet expectations. Either way, Carlo’s reaction to seeing a real American high school is so wholesome that it makes you want to take him to see other typical American things to see if he has the same reaction.