Life in Rome - part three
It’s that time again. Thought I could fill you in a little more on all that is happening in this beautiful city. It’s weird to think that I only have one more month. Time flies when… you name it.
Right now, I’m sitting on our very cozy, yet small sofa wrapped in a blanket and wearing my puffy jacket. It is probably 45 degrees in there. Okay, maybe 50. The heat in the entire city of Rome was supposed to turn on a few days ago. My fingers and toes are here to tell you that the heat is NOT on. We’ve resorted to leaving the oven on and boiling large pots of water to create our own heat. I’m a little upset that this couch is not in the kitchen right now. To top off the brilliant idea of having an igloo for an apartment, the hot water decided to turn off for a couple days last week. I enjoyed the (literally) breathtaking experience of taking an ice shower.
Other than our apartment, life here is just so good. I really can’t get over how blessed I am to be able to spend a semester in such a wonderful city. I mean, I walked out of class the other day and decided to stop by St. Peter’s Basilica. No line, just walked right in. Believe it or not, this was my first time in there. The line has always been longer than the Alaskan coast. I never bothered. But in November, the coast nearly disappears! Anyway, as I walked into the Basilica, my jaw dropped to the ground. It is such a beautiful place. But here’s the bad news - the Pope wasn’t there. I KNOW. What the heck. Oh well… maybe next time.
I also finally made it into the Vatican museum. Let me tell you, I may need extensive treatment on my neck from looking up so long. The Sistine Chapel was unreal. I also managed to sneak a few shots even though you’re not supposed to. I know, I know, call me a rebel. At least I’ve got a cause. We had to make a few laps around the museum before finding that one famous painting by Raphael… that one with all the philosophers. I learned about it in tenth grade history class (after being moved to the front of the class for talking… so it was inevitable that I’d learn about this painting). Well, funny story, when I saw the painting, I had to run back to St. Peter’s to pick up my jaw that I dropped there last week only to drop it again in the Stanze di Raphael. It was stunning.
Speaking of stunning, I saw Fleet Foxes last Thursday night here in Rome. But I couldn’t find my jaw to drop it again.
Well I guess that’s all for now. I’m obviously not much of a writer considering this is only my third update in the three months of being here… that’s like one a month or something. I don’t know how people keep on writing novels for every day that they are here. I get excited with the couple of paragraphs I wrote about being cold! LOL. In 30 days, I’ll be back in the sates. Where there’s heat. And mexican food. But for now, I’ve got a month left and I’m going to enjoy every last minute of it.
Life in Roma part due (two)
Well it’s been a long stinkin’ time since I last wrote about life in Italy. I decided to extend my study break so that you can be enlightened about the wonders of Rome.
First, let me just say, I can do anything here and it’s just a tad cooler than if I were in America. No offense America, but when in Rome.
Today, I rode a bus… in Rome.
Last weekend, I went wine tasting… in Rome.
I’m currently listening to dubstep… in Rome.
I think you get the idea. I’m still your average Joe… in Rome.
Moving on now. There are a couple things that I have come to master during my time here. First, cooking. Well, maybe it’s not mastered yet considering I sometimes toss a frozen pizza in the oven and call it ‘mia creazione fresca e deliziosa’ (my fresh and delicious creation). But that’s beside the point. I can create a mean (and a little curdy) alfredo sauce. Second, there’s dirty dishes. I master those. They call me Mr. Clean. No, that’s just what I call myself when I toss in my headphones and move to the beat while spongeing the parmesan grater and noodle strainer. That’s all I’ve mastered. Maybe I’ll pick up a couple more skills having to do with the kitchen… who knows.
Speaking of kitchens, the grocery store (supermercati) across the street is ridiculous. ‘Why’ you ask? I’LL TELL YOU. First, never buy bread that is on sale. In Rome, when bread is on sale, it means as soon as you open the bag, it becomes an air de-freshener, making the entire apartment smell like new wine. (New wine smells weird). Second, on the topic of sales, it’s just a good idea to avoid all sale items (except chocolate cereal). All sale items WILL expire within the next 24 hours (except chocolate cereal). Oh, and the milk smells a little funky a week before the expiration date… and it’s not even (ever) on sale. Maybe that’s why my alfredo cause was curdy. Third, after waiting awkwardly - everyone stares at the Americans, of course -waiting in the long check out line, you are expected to have exact change. This is a problem because there is no ‘total’ screen and when they tell me how much I owe them, I just stare at them wondering what the heck they just said. Turns out Italian numbers are not that easy to learn. So after dumping a large amount of coins into their hands and paying a whoppin’ five cents for my grocery bag, I walk out of that place happy to smell the very very very fresh air of Rome. We now avoid this experience as long as possible which is not a good thing - today, I sat on the toilet and looked over to see a cylindric cardboard thing that usually signifies that we are out of toilet paper. Completely out. This meant war. With the supermercati.
That’s all I have to say right now. That last paragraph got me all uptight and I can no longer continue. No, not really. But I shall post part three to my life in Rome in the near(er) future. There is a lot more to Rome than kitchens and expired goods. If you would like to see photographs of my travels/Rome, click the period at the end of this sentence.
Life in Rome.
It’s time I write a little update about what life is like here in Rome. There’s really a lot to say and I’m not sure a post will do it justice. But I’ll give it a shot.
First and foremost, I must talk about the gelato. Gelato here is like none other. I’m averaging about one per day and the very first italian words I learned were how to order my gelato. I’ve also learned the secrets of good vs. bad gelato (when I say bad, I mean American quality… I know, it’s a tough reality). You know it’s good when the pastachio is a brownish green color and the banana is a light brown color. Who knew? I go through each day thinking about when I’ll get my next gelato fix. I’m not sure if this is good or bad yet.
With that aside, I can talk about less important things. I live in an apartment with three other guys. Andrew, Vince, and Claudio. Andrew is quite the gentlemen, always thinking of others before himself. He posts about daily life on his blog and it’s kind of hilarious. Vince is my roomie. He enjoys some country music and playing Tetras into the late hours of the night. My dubstep doesn’t really compliment his country music. But besides that, I sure enjoy his company… and cooking with him as we explore 100 ways to create one dish. In fact, we just had a full course meal tonight at the apartment. Andrew created some quite lovely dishes and currently holds the title of ‘Master Chef’. Our lovely guests from up the street brought homemade tiramisu that kicks any other restaurant’s tiramisu in the behind - well done, Jasmine. (and thanks to Andrew on the ‘tiramisu’ spelling). And then there’s Claudio. He laughs at me a lot. It makes me realize what I’ve just said or done. Then I laugh. He’s a killer. Like he’s threatened to kill me a few times over a card game that I always win. OHHHHH Claudio. All this to say, it’s a blessing to be able to live with these guys. They’re gonna make these next 15 weeks really fun.
Classes are classes. Just like anywhere else. But they are a tad different. for example, three of my four professors have Italian accents and it is sometimes very difficult to understand them. When I finally do understand them, I have to process what they just said or write it down, and by the time I’m done with that, they’re three slides ahead of me. It’s a sticky situation. The one professor who doesn’t have an accent manages to talk about market research in the most appealing way ever (no, not really). But the semester should be a good one. Not too much work to be done and I am taking a few interesting classes.
O. Food.. perfetto. That’s all I have to say.
Which brings me to walking. I underestimated the amount of walking that is required. One of my classes is a 45 minute walk from my apartment. Lovely. I do need the exercise though. Or I can take the tram that stops right by our apartment and drops me off a few steps from the school. I’ve quickly adapted to a tram-riding lifestyle while in Rome. I also quickly learned that gelato is NOT allowed on the tram. So don’t even think about it.
I also underestimated the heat. Golly, it just doesn’t give a break! I take a freezing cold shower in the morning, feel all good and stuff, walk out the door and I wonder why I didn’t use my towel that morning… oh wait, that’s sweat. I don’t want to talk about this anymore, it’s a heated topic for me.
Well, that’s the gist of it! Living in Rome is pretty spectacular so far. I’m also able to travel around Europe. I got the worst schedule ever and have Mondays and Fridays off. What the heck. So I’ve booked flights to Berlin, Istanbul, Athens, and Paris and also planning trips to Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, and the Czech. I can’t express enough how thankful I am to be able to travel while I’m here.
Yeah. That’s all for now. I’ll post an update every once in a while. I should probably get some sleep now so that the mosquitos can start their feast on my feet.
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
So you may or may not know that I am a very talented writer (sarcasm). Last spring, I wrote an article about From the Eyes of Hope for my school’s etc magazine. It was published in the Fall issue. Check it out if you want!
Today, I…
toured a ruined ancient city.
had a full course Italian meal for free.
relaxed with new friends on an Italian farm.
conversed with Mandie with a magnificent view of Rome.
ate dinner and gelato with Mandie and then walked back to my apartment from the Pantheon.
Well, I finally made it to Rome… my new home for the next four months. This city is huge. I started off in the airport (shocker) and took a shuttle to my apartment building. I was the first of the four living there to arrive. I arrived at the door and struggle to fit any of the three keys that they gave me into the key hole. Someone finally came along and let me in. After dragging my bags around multiple floors and attempting to key into the wrong apartment, I found the correct door. It literally took me ten minutes to unlock that door. And I probably sweated about a gallon during the process. But worry no more. I am here.
