My first week of classes has officially ended. Thursday concluded my first taste of my study abroad ventures. For my Italian Design class (the one I want to drop and still waiting to hear approval for), we went to Castle San Angelo which is a giant brick castle smack in the middle of the city, sort of in between the school and the residence. It's beautiful, but we didn't learn anything about it because we were there for a show. It was a display with the theme of "Made In Italy" where various famous Italian brands were represented. The history of the brands and their products were explained, and we got to see some cool advertisements and posters from back in the 1920's, 1950's etc. Barilla, Alessi, Vespa, Martini & Rossi, Bennetton, Buitoni, Perugina, Ducati and Peroni were some of the more popular brands we looked at. We learned that many of them used famous artists to create their ad campaigns like Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol!! Very cool. It got a bit boring after a while but I guess if I'm stuck in this class it won't be all that terrible.
After class was over at 6:30 pm (UGHH!) I walked home with Abbey (one of Mia's roomates) and I stopped by their apartment for dinner, wine, and chatting. Then Mia and I went out for gelatto at a place called Old Bridge right near the Vatican walls where they charged a mere 1.30 Euro for a cup of gelatto of up to 3 flavors! I had Nutella, coconut, and crema (which they called French Vanilla and I called cake batter flavor). It was amazzzzzing! I'll be going back there often...it's only one metro stop from where we live, so probably about a 15 minute walk. Then we planned on going out for the evening with other Temple kids but by the time they got back to us it was already 11 pm and I had temporarily fallen asleep on Mia's couch! So I headed home and stayed in for the night, quietly went into a peaceful sleep until I was very scarily and rudely awakened by my drunk roommates and my EXTRA drunk neighbors screaming so loudly I thought they were in my bedroom. They had come home from a pub crawl near the Spanish Steps. No further explanation needed.
One of the pieces of advice given to us at orientation was to explore the city of Rome alone once in a while; rent a bike, take a walk, wander around, etc. So I decided to attempt to do my first digital photography assignment which is to go to an interesting place, take a photo, walk 11 steps, take a photo, walk 11 steps...until we reach 20 photos. I decided to go to Trastevere to try to do the assignment. I called a friend I made in the class but she wasn't around. So I explored on my own. I took a bus, not knowing which stop was Trastevere, and asked the woman next to me for help. I guess I said a word or two in Spanish hoping it would sound similar to Italian, and she asked if I spoke Spanish...."YES," I said...she was the first person I met that could speak Spanish and I got very excited. We carried on a conversation, she showed me things in her newspaper like a story about Obama whom she praised, and someone being decapitated at Virginia Tech, and I asked her about the Jewish quarter in Trastevere using Judea while she used Ebreo (Hebrew) and it all got a little confusing. She got off the bus with me to show me where to go, walked me to Santa Maria in Trastevere, a large, famous church which I had gone to see with my mom when we came here, and told me that I kind of looked like a tourist and to be careful because there were often a lot of drunk or homeless men in the area. She said she lived close by and didn't have a husband or children or any family, and was only in Italy for 5 years to work (from Peru), so she was going to stay with me while I took photos. I wasn't sure how long I would stay so I told her it was OK for her to go. She shook my hand kindly and I wished her well. I love Italians! They have been nothing but kind to me! I took a few photos in the area but it was getting dark and difficult to use my manual exposure for the purpose of the assignment. I took some regular pictures (not for homework use), ducked into a tourist shop and looked around, and it began to rain. I wandered over the bridge to the Jewish quarter, hungry and starting to get very wet. I saw a sign for McDonalds and not having had meat, or any American food thus far, and being fed up with sandwiches, pizza, and pasta every day, I decided it was my job to find that McDonalds and have a disgusting hamburger which I don't even order at home! After about 15-20 minutes of strolling, exploring, and REALLLLLY liking the area, I found it. I had a Coke, amazing fries, and a bacon cheeseburger. It hit the spot. I contemplating taking the bus across the street that would take me close to home, but I opened up my "Rome For You" book and HAD to have the chocolate and ricotta torte they so excitedly talked about. I knew the street couldn't be far away...and it wasn't. After asking a few people where to go, I finally made it to Via del Portico d'Ottavia, right in the heart of the Jewish quarter near the huge Jewish synagogue. The streets were small, winding, full of cobblestones, and so picturesque. I was in heaven. It was so European it could have been in a movie, or Disney World. Upon reaching the street I was looking for, there was an enclosed area of ruins, a tall wall with columns, and some other old looking things that had a railed path you could walk down. It was amazing, and right in the middle of everything! There was nothing to read about it so I'm not sure what it was exactly so I'll have to look it up online. I took some photos, and then went to find my bakery. I stopped into 2 different ones which didn't have the torte, walked some more to see closed stores, took photos of Jewish things and kosher signs, and then went back to one bakery I had stopped in. It was a cozy, cute little place that smelled like a fresh bakery and pastry shop in one. I think I gained 5 pounds breathing in the air. I got myself a slice of apple strudel with raisins and walnuts, and a famous Italian hot chocolate with fresh panna (cream). Both were to die for. The chocolate was so rich I couldn't even finish it. But it sure tasted amazing! It only cost 6 Euro for both...pretty sweet deal!
After my little adventure, I headed home and went out with my roommates and some friends for Alyssa's birthday. We went to Testaccio, a location known for young people, fun atmospheres, and fun clubs and bars. We got convinced to go into a trendy club, Joia (for free), that was having a Moet & Chandon promotional party, but the drinks were 15 Euro each, and after waiting an hour and a half for free champagne we figured out the guy who led us there was a moocher and just stole people's bottles off their tables. And apparently, a club is no fun if you're not "fucked up." So we went to another bar down the street called Coyote which was a bit more fun, and everyone was happy because they could afford a drink. This is why college life bugs me. It seems the only way to have a fun night is to be trashed, annoying, loud, and unable to see or stand straight. Not my kind of fun. Some random guy at the bar bought me a drink, a pina colada made with ice, not blended, and he had no idea what it was. He continued to talk to me, play with my jewelry and basically creeped me out. We all danced a bit, but most of the men were old and sketchy, and Ashley and I escaped outside to chat and avoid molestation. Finally, the others decided to leave when one of our friends was too drunk to walk or stand alone. We got home safe and sound, and I went to bed around 4 AM.
Tonight, I'm going back to Mia's apartment for a birthday party for Abbey. I might end up going to sleep early tonight since tomorrow is the "wall walk" with some famous guy from the history channel. We'll see if I can be awake and at our meeting spot by 8:30...doubtful.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
January 21, 2009- Day 9- Scuola Va Bene
Monday was the first day of classes for me in Rome. Kind of crazy since it will be taking up most of my time, but I mean, I am here for school and all....
So far my classes have been pretty good. For those of you who don't know my schedule, I'm taking Introductory Italian, The History of Art In Rome, Digital Imaging, and Inside Italian Design. I basically have one class on Mondays from 2 pm-3 pm, DEATH on Tuesdays from 9 am-6 pm, 2 classes on Wednesdays from 8:30 am-3 pm, and 2 classes on Thursdays from 2 pm-6:30 pm. I am considering dropping the Italian Design class because I thought it was about fashion but it seems that is just a very small portion of the course. Instead, if I get it approved, I'll be switching into Survey of Printmaking which is a hands on craft class where we learn intaglio, relief and other print techniques which I heard is a very fun class.
As for professors, they all seem to be helpful and not too difficult. I have intro Italian every day for an hour with Cristiano, who very much reminds me of Taylor Hicks (you know, the weird guy from American Idol with grey hair who won but had like one song...). He's pretty funny, very helpful, easy, and from the sound of things seems to be the most lax and speaks the most English. Lucky me for once!
My history of art in Rome teacher seems pretty nice as well and VERY intelligent and well informed. He reminds me of a cross between John Lennon and a Johnny Depp in his more skeezyish phases (longish hair, small round glasses, earrings, etc.). Our first day of class was spent on an excursion to the Piazza della Republica where we saw the remains of the Diocletian Baths (totally not what I expected...they used to be immense public bathing halls but only about half the space is left and it is now a converted into a church by Michaelangelo). We also went to the Museo Nazionale di Roma and saw rare bronze statues, and various frescos and stone and marble sculptures. It was an OK excursion but hopefully they will get better. We get to visit different sites each week which should be cool and exciting and although we have to pay I'm sure it will be worthwhile since I'll be seeing places I wouldn't otherwise have thought of going to, and some which I planned on going to anyway. Next week we'll be going to the Ara Pacis (or Arch of Peace) for our on-site visit. Sounds good to me!
Today I took my digital imaging (photography) class which seems like it will be really fun and interesting. In just a few short hours, I already learned how to use the Manual functions on my camera which I had never experimented with before. After talking about the basics of photography like F-stops, ISOs, shutter speed, exposure, apperature, etc. we went out to Piazza del Popolo and went into a church to take photos. It was actually quite fun and I think I took some good shots. Our homework assignments seem cool and creative too which will help all of us improve our photo taking skills. We have to pick an interesting location and take one photo, walk 11 steps, take another photo, walk 11 steps, until we take 20 photos. It should be fairly easy and fun. I can't wait to see what other things we do because this was the class I wanted to take the most! And you obviously all know how obsessive I can be with a camera! :)
Anywho, tomorrow concludes the first week of classes for me which is CRAZY! I can't believe how fast it went already. I know for sure the semester is going to fly by since so much time is spent in classes. But this weekend should be fun. I'm probably going to go shopping with Renee on Cola di Rienzo which has tons of shops with SALDI (sales) so I can spend all the money I don't have! Saturday is Mia's roomate's birthday so I'll probably go to her party at their apartment. And Sunday is a school arranged "wall walk" around the ancient Aurelian walls which go all around Rome and will take about 4 hours! Should be cool! Also, I might go to Florence next weekend with my roomate and some of her/our friends but we have to plan things! That's all for now. And Happy 4 years and 7 months to me and Roger today!! Looooove you my booo booo!!
So far my classes have been pretty good. For those of you who don't know my schedule, I'm taking Introductory Italian, The History of Art In Rome, Digital Imaging, and Inside Italian Design. I basically have one class on Mondays from 2 pm-3 pm, DEATH on Tuesdays from 9 am-6 pm, 2 classes on Wednesdays from 8:30 am-3 pm, and 2 classes on Thursdays from 2 pm-6:30 pm. I am considering dropping the Italian Design class because I thought it was about fashion but it seems that is just a very small portion of the course. Instead, if I get it approved, I'll be switching into Survey of Printmaking which is a hands on craft class where we learn intaglio, relief and other print techniques which I heard is a very fun class.
As for professors, they all seem to be helpful and not too difficult. I have intro Italian every day for an hour with Cristiano, who very much reminds me of Taylor Hicks (you know, the weird guy from American Idol with grey hair who won but had like one song...). He's pretty funny, very helpful, easy, and from the sound of things seems to be the most lax and speaks the most English. Lucky me for once!
My history of art in Rome teacher seems pretty nice as well and VERY intelligent and well informed. He reminds me of a cross between John Lennon and a Johnny Depp in his more skeezyish phases (longish hair, small round glasses, earrings, etc.). Our first day of class was spent on an excursion to the Piazza della Republica where we saw the remains of the Diocletian Baths (totally not what I expected...they used to be immense public bathing halls but only about half the space is left and it is now a converted into a church by Michaelangelo). We also went to the Museo Nazionale di Roma and saw rare bronze statues, and various frescos and stone and marble sculptures. It was an OK excursion but hopefully they will get better. We get to visit different sites each week which should be cool and exciting and although we have to pay I'm sure it will be worthwhile since I'll be seeing places I wouldn't otherwise have thought of going to, and some which I planned on going to anyway. Next week we'll be going to the Ara Pacis (or Arch of Peace) for our on-site visit. Sounds good to me!
Today I took my digital imaging (photography) class which seems like it will be really fun and interesting. In just a few short hours, I already learned how to use the Manual functions on my camera which I had never experimented with before. After talking about the basics of photography like F-stops, ISOs, shutter speed, exposure, apperature, etc. we went out to Piazza del Popolo and went into a church to take photos. It was actually quite fun and I think I took some good shots. Our homework assignments seem cool and creative too which will help all of us improve our photo taking skills. We have to pick an interesting location and take one photo, walk 11 steps, take another photo, walk 11 steps, until we take 20 photos. It should be fairly easy and fun. I can't wait to see what other things we do because this was the class I wanted to take the most! And you obviously all know how obsessive I can be with a camera! :)
Anywho, tomorrow concludes the first week of classes for me which is CRAZY! I can't believe how fast it went already. I know for sure the semester is going to fly by since so much time is spent in classes. But this weekend should be fun. I'm probably going to go shopping with Renee on Cola di Rienzo which has tons of shops with SALDI (sales) so I can spend all the money I don't have! Saturday is Mia's roomate's birthday so I'll probably go to her party at their apartment. And Sunday is a school arranged "wall walk" around the ancient Aurelian walls which go all around Rome and will take about 4 hours! Should be cool! Also, I might go to Florence next weekend with my roomate and some of her/our friends but we have to plan things! That's all for now. And Happy 4 years and 7 months to me and Roger today!! Looooove you my booo booo!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
January 18, 2009- Day 6-They Know Obama In A Medieval Hill Town
Yesterday was our excursion to Todi and Titignano. I must say, beautiful places but a horrendous trip. I think my head is still spinning from all the hard twists and nauseating turns the huge bus took to get from place to place.
At 8 am, I stopped into a shop and got a tiny cup of cappuchino to go and a nice pastry with cream. On the way to Todi, I sat on the bus with Katherine, one of the very few students here that goes to Lincoln Center. The bus leader, a teacher at Temple, asked someone to volunteer to read part of a Sermon from the 1300's by Saint Benedict. I was sitting right near her so I raised my hand. I read a short few paragraphs about the value of a woman, a wife, and how she tends to a home and basically how men would be lost without their wives. So true and fitting. Half way through the ride, I took one dramamine to try to cure a bit of nausea. I'm actually getting kind of sick thinking about it as I type. We got off the bus at Todi which was a beautiful old hill town. I couldn't ever imagine living there, but supposedly Time magazine did a review of various places in Italy to live and Todi was at the top of the list for the best standard of living, lifestyle, health, food, etc. It was a sleepy town up on a hill, all made of stone and wood. We went into a church where Saint Jacob was buried and took some photos. We were basically let loose during the trip to go wherever we wanted and to see what we desired. I basically stuck around with Mia and took tons of photos of the streets, people, the piazza there, and the scenery in general. We ran into Jason, a friend I made via Facebook, and some of his friends and took pictures and chatted as well. We saw some shops including one with a very creepy looking KKK type religious wear supposedly used for precessions (which I recall seeing on posters throughout Rome during Easter on my first visit here). Finally we ran into an old man who lived there and asked for directions to the piazza to find a cafe for food and drinks. We discussed America and NY and he congratulated us for having Obama as the next president and said he was sure Obama would fix many problems in the American (and world) economy as well as the disputes between Palestine and Israel. We hoped he was right. He was really lively and funny and asked us why New York was called the big apple if the state wasn't shaped like an apple. He also mentioned that he heard about the United Airlines crash in the Hudson and I told him our school (Fordham) was only 18 blocks away! He showed us to the piazza where I bought some postcards and went into a cafe for a cappuchino. I ate my pastry and my special cappuchino (which the woman working there decorated and wrote "I <3 Italy"), and we saw the biggest jar of Nutella EVER. YUM.
We got back on the bus where I took yet another dramamine for the 45 minute ride to Titignano. The estate was beautiful and cold, and everything was made of stone. The awaited meal was a bit out of the ordinary, starting off well, turning disgusting somewhere in the middle, and again delicious at the end. Outside, they started off with different pizzas; cheese and tomato, onion, and rosemary with olive oil. Everyone was basically a scavanger so I only got two small pieces. At the sit down dinner, we sat at huge tables for our multi-course meal and I made a few new friends. To start, we had different hams like proscuitto and mortadella and a crunchy cheese tort with brie (I think?), then moved on to risotto with peas and asparagus, pasta with wild boar sauce, chicken and lamb pieces with potatoes and spinach, lettuce with vinegar that tasted like nail polish remover, and finally a wonderful tiramisu and almond biscotti. They served dessert wine and mini cups of espresso as well. Red and white wines were served as well as sparkling and mineral waters. The meal was not all it was cracked up to be but it was a nice experience anyway.
On the bus ride back, I passed out. I began to fall asleep at dinner but I really knocked out on the bus. But somehow in between, I was woken up by the excruciatingly neausiating twists and turns throughout the hills between Titignano and Oriveto (where we stopped to use the bathrooms). I thought I was going to throw up all over the place, but held it in well. Upon returning to Rome, I walked back to my apartment, put on pajamas, took 2 pepto bismol gross chewables, and slept for 3 hours. I woke up again to speak to Roger on skype, and then headed to bed for the night. Overall, a nice but exhausting and sickening day. Oh well!
At 8 am, I stopped into a shop and got a tiny cup of cappuchino to go and a nice pastry with cream. On the way to Todi, I sat on the bus with Katherine, one of the very few students here that goes to Lincoln Center. The bus leader, a teacher at Temple, asked someone to volunteer to read part of a Sermon from the 1300's by Saint Benedict. I was sitting right near her so I raised my hand. I read a short few paragraphs about the value of a woman, a wife, and how she tends to a home and basically how men would be lost without their wives. So true and fitting. Half way through the ride, I took one dramamine to try to cure a bit of nausea. I'm actually getting kind of sick thinking about it as I type. We got off the bus at Todi which was a beautiful old hill town. I couldn't ever imagine living there, but supposedly Time magazine did a review of various places in Italy to live and Todi was at the top of the list for the best standard of living, lifestyle, health, food, etc. It was a sleepy town up on a hill, all made of stone and wood. We went into a church where Saint Jacob was buried and took some photos. We were basically let loose during the trip to go wherever we wanted and to see what we desired. I basically stuck around with Mia and took tons of photos of the streets, people, the piazza there, and the scenery in general. We ran into Jason, a friend I made via Facebook, and some of his friends and took pictures and chatted as well. We saw some shops including one with a very creepy looking KKK type religious wear supposedly used for precessions (which I recall seeing on posters throughout Rome during Easter on my first visit here). Finally we ran into an old man who lived there and asked for directions to the piazza to find a cafe for food and drinks. We discussed America and NY and he congratulated us for having Obama as the next president and said he was sure Obama would fix many problems in the American (and world) economy as well as the disputes between Palestine and Israel. We hoped he was right. He was really lively and funny and asked us why New York was called the big apple if the state wasn't shaped like an apple. He also mentioned that he heard about the United Airlines crash in the Hudson and I told him our school (Fordham) was only 18 blocks away! He showed us to the piazza where I bought some postcards and went into a cafe for a cappuchino. I ate my pastry and my special cappuchino (which the woman working there decorated and wrote "I <3 Italy"), and we saw the biggest jar of Nutella EVER. YUM.
We got back on the bus where I took yet another dramamine for the 45 minute ride to Titignano. The estate was beautiful and cold, and everything was made of stone. The awaited meal was a bit out of the ordinary, starting off well, turning disgusting somewhere in the middle, and again delicious at the end. Outside, they started off with different pizzas; cheese and tomato, onion, and rosemary with olive oil. Everyone was basically a scavanger so I only got two small pieces. At the sit down dinner, we sat at huge tables for our multi-course meal and I made a few new friends. To start, we had different hams like proscuitto and mortadella and a crunchy cheese tort with brie (I think?), then moved on to risotto with peas and asparagus, pasta with wild boar sauce, chicken and lamb pieces with potatoes and spinach, lettuce with vinegar that tasted like nail polish remover, and finally a wonderful tiramisu and almond biscotti. They served dessert wine and mini cups of espresso as well. Red and white wines were served as well as sparkling and mineral waters. The meal was not all it was cracked up to be but it was a nice experience anyway.
On the bus ride back, I passed out. I began to fall asleep at dinner but I really knocked out on the bus. But somehow in between, I was woken up by the excruciatingly neausiating twists and turns throughout the hills between Titignano and Oriveto (where we stopped to use the bathrooms). I thought I was going to throw up all over the place, but held it in well. Upon returning to Rome, I walked back to my apartment, put on pajamas, took 2 pepto bismol gross chewables, and slept for 3 hours. I woke up again to speak to Roger on skype, and then headed to bed for the night. Overall, a nice but exhausting and sickening day. Oh well!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
January 17, 2009- Day 5- Relaxing Roman Style
Well I completely overslept today after a fun, late night out at Campo with the roomies, friends, neighbors, and locals Lorenzo, Davide, Patricio, and Alessandro. We were supposed to be at school around 10 AM to download some programs to be able to access the internet from our laptops at the school but I don’t think too many people went (and I don’t plan on bringing my laptop all that way anyway). I slept until about 1 PM, got up and went on the computer for a bit, and then took a shower. I had my Rice Krispies for breakfast!
Later on in the day, Lauren and I went to the supermarket and got some food to make dinner. Accomplishment: I signed up for a GS supermarket card so I can get all their discounts! We even got 2 cards at once so Lauren has one too. We came back to the apartment and hung out for a while and I mostly Skyped Roger all afternoon. Then I called up Mia and she came over for dinner too. We relaxed and had an amazing meal and EVERYONE raved about it. I made pasta with proscuitto, mushrooms, spinach, and fresh basil in a oil/lemon/garlic/white wine cream sauce. My other roommate and some of her friends made food in another room, tasted mine, liked mine better and came back for more!
We then met a neighbor down our tiny little hallway named Gillian who goes to Cornell (the only Cornell student in our program). Just for the hell of it, I asked if she knew Monica and she DOES! So crazy! We chatted for a few hours, then Mia went home. Now, we’re getting ready for bed because tomorrow is our excursion to the medieval hill town of Todi which is in Umbria (about 2- 2 ½ hours from Rome) and the castle of Titignano where we’ll be served something like 15 courses of food with unlimited wine. Everyone is really excited and so am I. It should be a fun trip and a good bonding experience!
Later on in the day, Lauren and I went to the supermarket and got some food to make dinner. Accomplishment: I signed up for a GS supermarket card so I can get all their discounts! We even got 2 cards at once so Lauren has one too. We came back to the apartment and hung out for a while and I mostly Skyped Roger all afternoon. Then I called up Mia and she came over for dinner too. We relaxed and had an amazing meal and EVERYONE raved about it. I made pasta with proscuitto, mushrooms, spinach, and fresh basil in a oil/lemon/garlic/white wine cream sauce. My other roommate and some of her friends made food in another room, tasted mine, liked mine better and came back for more!
We then met a neighbor down our tiny little hallway named Gillian who goes to Cornell (the only Cornell student in our program). Just for the hell of it, I asked if she knew Monica and she DOES! So crazy! We chatted for a few hours, then Mia went home. Now, we’re getting ready for bed because tomorrow is our excursion to the medieval hill town of Todi which is in Umbria (about 2- 2 ½ hours from Rome) and the castle of Titignano where we’ll be served something like 15 courses of food with unlimited wine. Everyone is really excited and so am I. It should be a fun trip and a good bonding experience!
January 16, 2009- Day 4- Campo Night
I finally got to sleep in a bit today since I only had to be at school at 1:30, though our night was disturbed at about 4 in the morning by some drunk kid who tried to open our door and then apologized very loudly when my roommate got up to ask what he was doing. I went on the metro with Marcus and Roy and went to get the “permit to stay” forms completed. Then I gave them a little tour of Via del Corso again, saw the Spanish Steps AGAIN, and wandered around. We got pizza for lunch, I got ripped off for a 2.50 euro tiny can of Nestle peach iced tea, and we took photos of all the designer stores including me with my Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses Roger got me in front of the actual store! Then we got our textbooks for class and headed back to the residence for the afternoon. I hung out here, relaxed, and then got dinner with Lauren at a place next door. We also ventured a few blocks away by the Cipro metro station to a nice bakery and got some sweets. And tonight, we’ll be going out to Campo de’Fiori with our friends to see unattractive American girls dance on bars. Fun times.
So I just got back from Campo de’Fiori. It was awesome. We were a group of about 15 people which was pretty cool too. We split cabs which ended up costing a mere 2 euro per person! There weren’t any drunk ugly girls dancing on bars, just a cool mix of American and Italian kids our age, teens to mid twenties, mingling and hanging out, talking, joking, and having a good time. We went to a place called Sloppy Sam’s where I had a 3.50 Euro beer, then to a place called Gigante which didn’t even have room left for an ant, and then Lauren and I and Roy went with four nice Italian guys our age to a little club around the corner. It was a really relaxed and fun night, and just to see the area and communicate with kids our own age in our own language was quite comforting. We got a few of their numbers so hopefully we’ll all meet up and hang out again sometime. Campo is probably going to be a hotspot for all of us! Overall, a very successful, chill day.
So I just got back from Campo de’Fiori. It was awesome. We were a group of about 15 people which was pretty cool too. We split cabs which ended up costing a mere 2 euro per person! There weren’t any drunk ugly girls dancing on bars, just a cool mix of American and Italian kids our age, teens to mid twenties, mingling and hanging out, talking, joking, and having a good time. We went to a place called Sloppy Sam’s where I had a 3.50 Euro beer, then to a place called Gigante which didn’t even have room left for an ant, and then Lauren and I and Roy went with four nice Italian guys our age to a little club around the corner. It was a really relaxed and fun night, and just to see the area and communicate with kids our own age in our own language was quite comforting. We got a few of their numbers so hopefully we’ll all meet up and hang out again sometime. Campo is probably going to be a hotspot for all of us! Overall, a very successful, chill day.
January 15, 2009- Day 3- Trying New Things
This morning we had a walking tour of the neighborhood around the school building, on the opposite side of Ponte Matteoti from where the residence is. I ended up taking the wrong bus, of course, and a nice woman on the bus helped me out. I got off the bus with her and we walked to a different bus stop where she told me the next bus would take me to the school. I spoke with her on our walk and she was very friendly and said she had come from the Philippines 21 years ago to work in Rome. She had on Armani sunglasses with rhinestones on the side. She was so nice and held my arm as we walked. Very cute. So at the bus stop another older woman was kind enough to help me out, looked at my handy little map, spoke to me for a while, and let me follow her on the bus which ended up being just about a 5 minute ride and right to the school I was. Even though I got lost, I still honestly don’t feel like a tourist anymore. Little by little I’m finding my way around. I was a few minutes late but ended up running into a bunch of kids on the street who had already started the tour. They broke up into groups and walked us around to Piazza del Popolo, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, etc. They informed us about places to eat, metro stops, cool events that go on at the piazza such as a free opera concert that Andrea Bocelli performed at last semester. We all kind of got mushed between groups and I ran into Renee again so we chatted and walked. Our guide, Matt, a Temple student who was here last semester, also took us to this great little museum called the Crypt of the Cappuchins, where monks dedicated their bodies and all of the walls and ceilings are decorated with their bones. The chandeliers were made of bones, there were full skeletons, and even some monks were buried in the ground behind iron gates they had inside. They made flower-looking decorations, circles, and rows and rows of bones and everything was identical. If I can find more information or photos about it I’ll post it up. No photography was allowed! It was probably one of the coolest, craziest, grossest things I’ve ever seen. But I loved it. Then we went to some random café to eat lunch. I had a prosciutto and mozzarella Panini on what seemed to be a challah roll. It was deeeeelish. Then we took the metro back to the residence area and went to the GS supermarket. I bought some things for the apartment and some snacks and drinks, as well as a bottle of white wine which was 1.50 Euro!!! The cheapest wines here are probably better than the more expensive ones at home. They even had the big jugs of wine I spoke about from yesterday. It’s amazing! They also had a lot of American brands (eeehhemmm Mom!) at the supermarket and many things we could use and may need in the next few months so going there was VERY comforting! Then I carried my heavy bags back to the residence with Renee, chatted for a bit, passed out for an hour, woke up and went to a cooking lesson at school. An Italian cook made a delicious red tomato sauce and talked about food, wine, shopping and having a good time while we’re young. We had the sauce with fresh bread and red and white wine. I met up with Mia and we went back to her apartment for dinner. She made pasta with caramelized onions, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. It was perfect and filled us up well. I also met her roommates Abby and Tom who were really cool and nice. Then I was super brave and walked the streets of Rome alone back to the residence. It was about a 20 minute walk and I only saw about 10-15 people the whole time. The streets are deadddd at night! But I made it back safe and sound, changed into some pajamas, and I’m now in the room next door hanging out with my new friends from last night. Being with other kids is really comforting and fun. Everyone is sweet, interesting, funny, and so easy to talk to and get along with. I love this crowd! I’m not quite homesick yet, but I do miss everyone. I’m jealous that most of the people here know each other but seeing Mia tonight was probably the best thing I’ve done. We had a good time hardly doing anything at all, wondered the streets of Rome, and just had a good time being together and having a familiar face to see. I’m starting to find my way around the city, little by little, and I already feel like I live here. I’m not a tourist! Rome is just a great place to be and I can’t wait to see how the next weeks unfold!
January 14, 2009- Day 2- Getting Used to It
Lunch today was great. We had mini sandwiches of cheese and ham and various other things like little clementines that were to dieeee for! We had a meeting at school where we met the dean (who is very nice and understanding and down to earth) and met Gianni who is a sort of student affairs person who just helps us with the gaps between American and Italian cultures, language, etc. We learned to appreciate our time abroad, get to know Rome, travel a bit, and enjoy our young lives. We also learned that if we need expensive items to be shipped here from the U.S. or if we need any medicine, those sending them should mix it into boxes of candies! Hahaha! Afterwards, Lauren and I met up with Renee and we walked to a Tabaccheria to get a bus ticket but decided to walk to Piazza del Popolo instead. We took some photos, got gelato, and I went to the bathroom in a very pretty, very fancy hotel along Via del Corso. We were truly doing as the Romans do and walking along the shops and cafes, looking at all the pretty things and taking in the scenery. We walked to the Trevi Fountain after many wrong turns and bad directions from mean Italians. Of course, we threw coins into the fountain and took more pictures.
We are SO close to Piazza Del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and much more. It’s so great and I’m sure I’ll be spending plenty of money on Via del Corso where all the shopping is. I attempted to call Samantha about 10000 times because she was here for the weekend with her friend but my British phone sucks! I could hardly get a hold of her. I got in touch once and planned to meet her at Termini metro near her hostel. Afterwards, Lauren, Renee, and I took a bus back to the residence and had dinner at a place called Starbess down the street. I ordered pasta with vodka sauce. The food was pretty good, very filling, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We all got a kick out of the 70’s and 80’s music they played like Thriller and Mamma Mia. I wanted to see Samantha but it was getting late and the trains and buses were about to shut down by the time I decided to go out. I tried calling her but couldn’t get in touch, of course! I felt really terrible and wanted to see her and wanted to be with a familiar face and a great friend, but we will plan something else to do in the next few months. We ended up going out with the boys that live next door, Marcus, Nick, and Roy and their friends like Sophia, Jess, Lauren, and some others. We first had some wine in their room from huge jugs (probably like 4 or 5 bottles worth of wine) that only cost 7.50 Euro! AMAZING! We planned on going to Campo de’Fiori which is supposed to be a big American student and skeezy Italian man hotspot with bars and clubs, but it rained and we went to Elliot’s pub 2 blocks up from the residence. We sat outside under tents and chatted all night and drank a bit. I met some really cool girls and had a good time. We talked about school, home, friends, drinking, how amazing this experience is, and what our future plans are during the semester. I was convinced in a conversation with one of them that I should keep a log. So I am. I feel like the friends I made tonight were probably some I will travel with and go out with very often. Overall, a very fun second night.
We are SO close to Piazza Del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and much more. It’s so great and I’m sure I’ll be spending plenty of money on Via del Corso where all the shopping is. I attempted to call Samantha about 10000 times because she was here for the weekend with her friend but my British phone sucks! I could hardly get a hold of her. I got in touch once and planned to meet her at Termini metro near her hostel. Afterwards, Lauren, Renee, and I took a bus back to the residence and had dinner at a place called Starbess down the street. I ordered pasta with vodka sauce. The food was pretty good, very filling, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We all got a kick out of the 70’s and 80’s music they played like Thriller and Mamma Mia. I wanted to see Samantha but it was getting late and the trains and buses were about to shut down by the time I decided to go out. I tried calling her but couldn’t get in touch, of course! I felt really terrible and wanted to see her and wanted to be with a familiar face and a great friend, but we will plan something else to do in the next few months. We ended up going out with the boys that live next door, Marcus, Nick, and Roy and their friends like Sophia, Jess, Lauren, and some others. We first had some wine in their room from huge jugs (probably like 4 or 5 bottles worth of wine) that only cost 7.50 Euro! AMAZING! We planned on going to Campo de’Fiori which is supposed to be a big American student and skeezy Italian man hotspot with bars and clubs, but it rained and we went to Elliot’s pub 2 blocks up from the residence. We sat outside under tents and chatted all night and drank a bit. I met some really cool girls and had a good time. We talked about school, home, friends, drinking, how amazing this experience is, and what our future plans are during the semester. I was convinced in a conversation with one of them that I should keep a log. So I am. I feel like the friends I made tonight were probably some I will travel with and go out with very often. Overall, a very fun second night.
January 12-13, 2009- Day 1- My Journey to Rome
Ok….so it’s actually my third day in Rome, but after meeting some nice, cool kids last night who encouraged me to keep a log of my journey, I decided to start blogging. My first day in Rome was basically a mess. I was jet lagged, feeling queasy, uneasy about my introduction to my roommates, and kind of wanted to go home. I thought “Goddd what have I gotten myself in to? 3 ½ months…can I really last that long?” I was kind of depressed, felt alone, and was completely exhausted, and missed my mom and Roger more than words can say.
My journey to Rome was quite easy. I left from JFK with the help of my parents and $90 for two overloaded suitcases (each 70 lbs…one was originally about 80 lbs and I had to empty it into the lighter suitcase and into a bag my parents took home)…and achieving the “Heavy” tag on the suitcases was my first accomplishment. When I left my parents at the security gate, I went up to my terminal and actually ran into Jason Kirschner (from high school) because he’s studying abroad in Israel and had a flight around the same time as me. We chatted for a bit, I wished him a safe visit there and told him not to get blown up, and we went our own ways. On the plane, I slept for a bit, ate twice, and watched “Breakfast At Tiffanys” and “Vicky Christina Barcelona.” I was soooo disappointed at BAT…I thought it was this amazing classic NY movie and it was just…nuts! She’s a dumb gold digging idiot and a party girl….so? And VCB was okay, but mostly because Javier Bardem is pretty damn fine. He reminds me of a Latino Robert Downey Jr. so those of you who know I’m obsessed with him know this can’t be a bad thing! My connection in London was okay too, it just took forever to get to the next terminals and go through security again. I stopped at a duty free store and sprayed myself with perfume because I stunk, and then I stopped at a Tiffany and Co. store in the airport to ask why my Carly heart charm was a weird color. I walked to the gate and nobody was there, and I looked up to see a sign saying “flight closing.” I kind of panicked for a minute, ran to the desk, and the women there told me it was OK and they were still waiting for 13 more people. I got on the plane, and slept the whole time until about 10 minutes before we landed. When I got off the airplane in Rome, I saw lots of other kids that seemed to be Temple type students. I didn’t talk to them but we all kind of knew we were there for the same reason.
I went to get the van for my transfer to the residence, met some girls, and got on the van after a few Italian men struggled to fit all of our huge luggage into the trunk of the van. It was quite hilarious to watch and we all took pictures! I got to the residence, saw my roommate asleep, took a nap, got up and met my roommate Lauren, the third girl, Kellen, then arrived. We all went to the pizza party at school after walking around and getting lost a few times in the rain. The pizza was cold, but we met more kids and were exhausted. We were approached by a nice woman named Renee, a 30-something student from Temple who had quit college, returned now, and was abroad for the semester. She was really sweet and friendly even though Lauren and I both looked like hell. I was in a pretty bad state, feeling uneasy, queasy, tired beyond belief, hungry, anxious, etc. But I soon went back to the room and spoke to Roger and my mom and things were a little better though I was feeling a little depressed.
So, below is my first account of how I felt in Rome on the day/night I arrived. This was actually a Facebook message I wrote to my mom since it was too early to go on Skype and speak to her. This sums up my first day pretty quickly.
“Hi mammmma. I'm here in my apartment and going to shower and go to bed soon and its only 10:30 here lol. I'm exhausted and I still feel kinda sick...a mix of nerves, being nauseas (cant spell it), hungry, tired, and missing everyone etc. I really LOVVVVVVEEEE the little photo album you made me! It's perfect and I totally didnt expect it but it made me smile and made me VERY happy! The apartment is OK but pretty small. I heard compared to some others it sucks lol. Our couch looks like a bed while other people have leather couches. and 2 beds are bunked while others have all 3 separate and spread out etc. but oh well, what can u do. at least i didnt get the bunks! lol. i unpacked everything tonight and there's plenty of room for everything even though we might have to spread stuff out into other closets in the livingroom etc. The roomates are OK...both are nice and agreeable overall, one is kinda meh shes not even planning on travelling cuz she said she has no money. the other one said she is and is here for fun etc but she knows some people here and has kinda ditched us tonight. so im feeling kind of alone but talking to the lame-ish girl and its ok. I saw my friend Mia today at the pizza party thing so that was good to see a familiar face. the walk to the school was FOREVER so i think im going to take the subway and the bus from now on. theres a bus that stops across from school and leaves us off a few blocks from the residence. and the metro isnt far either. the monthly pass is 30 euro but im going to buy it in february because it only lasts within the month u buy it (not 30 days from when u buy it). so i'll just pay the indvidual price now until february. tomorrow i have lunch at the school at 1 pm and then a meeting from 2-4ish. then im gona have dinner at some point with samantha if we can get in touch lol. anyway, hope all is well with you. ill speak to you tonight or tomorrow"
My journey to Rome was quite easy. I left from JFK with the help of my parents and $90 for two overloaded suitcases (each 70 lbs…one was originally about 80 lbs and I had to empty it into the lighter suitcase and into a bag my parents took home)…and achieving the “Heavy” tag on the suitcases was my first accomplishment. When I left my parents at the security gate, I went up to my terminal and actually ran into Jason Kirschner (from high school) because he’s studying abroad in Israel and had a flight around the same time as me. We chatted for a bit, I wished him a safe visit there and told him not to get blown up, and we went our own ways. On the plane, I slept for a bit, ate twice, and watched “Breakfast At Tiffanys” and “Vicky Christina Barcelona.” I was soooo disappointed at BAT…I thought it was this amazing classic NY movie and it was just…nuts! She’s a dumb gold digging idiot and a party girl….so? And VCB was okay, but mostly because Javier Bardem is pretty damn fine. He reminds me of a Latino Robert Downey Jr. so those of you who know I’m obsessed with him know this can’t be a bad thing! My connection in London was okay too, it just took forever to get to the next terminals and go through security again. I stopped at a duty free store and sprayed myself with perfume because I stunk, and then I stopped at a Tiffany and Co. store in the airport to ask why my Carly heart charm was a weird color. I walked to the gate and nobody was there, and I looked up to see a sign saying “flight closing.” I kind of panicked for a minute, ran to the desk, and the women there told me it was OK and they were still waiting for 13 more people. I got on the plane, and slept the whole time until about 10 minutes before we landed. When I got off the airplane in Rome, I saw lots of other kids that seemed to be Temple type students. I didn’t talk to them but we all kind of knew we were there for the same reason.
I went to get the van for my transfer to the residence, met some girls, and got on the van after a few Italian men struggled to fit all of our huge luggage into the trunk of the van. It was quite hilarious to watch and we all took pictures! I got to the residence, saw my roommate asleep, took a nap, got up and met my roommate Lauren, the third girl, Kellen, then arrived. We all went to the pizza party at school after walking around and getting lost a few times in the rain. The pizza was cold, but we met more kids and were exhausted. We were approached by a nice woman named Renee, a 30-something student from Temple who had quit college, returned now, and was abroad for the semester. She was really sweet and friendly even though Lauren and I both looked like hell. I was in a pretty bad state, feeling uneasy, queasy, tired beyond belief, hungry, anxious, etc. But I soon went back to the room and spoke to Roger and my mom and things were a little better though I was feeling a little depressed.
So, below is my first account of how I felt in Rome on the day/night I arrived. This was actually a Facebook message I wrote to my mom since it was too early to go on Skype and speak to her. This sums up my first day pretty quickly.
“Hi mammmma. I'm here in my apartment and going to shower and go to bed soon and its only 10:30 here lol. I'm exhausted and I still feel kinda sick...a mix of nerves, being nauseas (cant spell it), hungry, tired, and missing everyone etc. I really LOVVVVVVEEEE the little photo album you made me! It's perfect and I totally didnt expect it but it made me smile and made me VERY happy! The apartment is OK but pretty small. I heard compared to some others it sucks lol. Our couch looks like a bed while other people have leather couches. and 2 beds are bunked while others have all 3 separate and spread out etc. but oh well, what can u do. at least i didnt get the bunks! lol. i unpacked everything tonight and there's plenty of room for everything even though we might have to spread stuff out into other closets in the livingroom etc. The roomates are OK...both are nice and agreeable overall, one is kinda meh shes not even planning on travelling cuz she said she has no money. the other one said she is and is here for fun etc but she knows some people here and has kinda ditched us tonight. so im feeling kind of alone but talking to the lame-ish girl and its ok. I saw my friend Mia today at the pizza party thing so that was good to see a familiar face. the walk to the school was FOREVER so i think im going to take the subway and the bus from now on. theres a bus that stops across from school and leaves us off a few blocks from the residence. and the metro isnt far either. the monthly pass is 30 euro but im going to buy it in february because it only lasts within the month u buy it (not 30 days from when u buy it). so i'll just pay the indvidual price now until february. tomorrow i have lunch at the school at 1 pm and then a meeting from 2-4ish. then im gona have dinner at some point with samantha if we can get in touch lol. anyway, hope all is well with you. ill speak to you tonight or tomorrow"
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