Assertiveness & Do's and Dont's of an Italian Internship

Just a couple quick observations about my internship at Vogue Hotel and what I think of it :)

When it comes to assertiveness in my work atmosphere, there isn’t an issue… My supervisor speaks very little English to me and tries to get me to speak Italian. So it’s a learning process.. but he is straight up when he needs something done even though I can barely understand him. With the language barrier being there, it is hard to decipher if it is a passive aggressive or if it is assertive. But after observing his interactions with the other employees, I can tell that he has no issue being assertive. He orders them around in a respectful manner. I have built a relationship with the other employees as well, and you can tell they like to talk to me about what is going on and have no issue expressing their feelings about what's going on at the hotel. The general manager and I sit at the front desk, and when it is not busy we are able to talk about everyday things. Today he told me about his family and we've talked about places he’s been. It's a very friendly environment. But it is so different seeing how a hotel in an Italian city is run in comparison to the hotels in the United States. For example, I’m used to seeing very high tech check ins all through the computer and minimal written records, but at Vogue hotel I write all the bookings in a spiral and we use that daily to see how many people are coming in and when. Its just older fashioned and thats ok!! I think its nice to be not as dependent on technology even though it may not be as efficient. I also feel like the staff here is very different in comparison to hotels in America. The general manager does most of the check-ins/check-outs, busy work, greetings, etc. There are also 3 different housekeepers that clean the rooms but also run errands occasionally and do receptionist work. It’s hard to draw the line as to what could be improved and the difference in the cultures. Of course, there are things that I would suggest need improvement but that could be because I am used to the hotels in America and how advanced some of them are. As for habits that I have picked up on while working in an environment where I see people constantly interacting, it seems that most people know each other. It may just be that I don’t understand the language but as for the body language it makes it seem like they all know each other. Yesterday I went to get coffee with my supervisor and he said he goes there almost every day so he knew most of the people in there and greeted them with kisses. He is a very physical person. He kisses me multiple times a day and always grabs my face. Which is very unusual for people in America. It does not bother me, but I could see how some people it would be too much. He also insists that I have a cappuccino every day when I get into work. And halfway through my shift he goes to get his coffee and asks if I want anything. I usually say no but today he brought me back a cappuccino… which I’m not complaining about!!! I enjoy working at the hotel and the environment!! We communicate when I’m coming into work and he is lenient on times. In comparison to other internships, I don’t have to worry about him not showing up or someone not being there since it is a hotel. I like it that way though because it is more structured. He also understands that I must study and have trips planned with either the school or personal ones. Also, really trying to learn more Italian because i think it will be super beneficial but we will see how that goes!!