Who knew I had been here for 13 days. Time is a strange thing here. It doesn't seem as if i've been here for almost 2 weeks. Some days, like yesterday and today seem to drag on, while others are gone in the blink of an eye. I like to think that I know where I'm going (even though all i really do is walk to school and back..) and I'm beginning to be more comfortable when I deviate from said daily trek.
This past weekend it rained but we went sight seeing anyway. I saw the Fontana di Trevi! Che bella!! Even in the rain. We also spent some time at the Spanish steps, which I have to say, probably is better to do when it's sunny. Still awesome nonetheless. I also had my first fried artichoke. Just wonderful. Huge fan. Rachel had been looking for them ever since we got here and finally we got them. It's was a interesting experience because I've had them steamed but never fried. But they were great and greasy and salty. just great.
I've been going to Italian everyday, along with everyone else and I'm glad that this everyday routine is almost over. I don't even get up this early at AU. So obviously I don't want to get up earlier when I'm here at Camp Roma. I have class MOnday-Thursday and only have to get up for italian at 9 on mondays and wednesdays. WOO. On thursday I dont have class until 130. I can't decide if thats a win or not because I get out at 430 and then what if i want to go on a trip?!?! I guess I'll just have to suffer through it. Woah is meee........ ha!
Today I am going to attempt laundry. Not only do i have no idea how to work the washer here, I have to remember to drain the washer before opening it, and i dont know how i'm going to dry them. Its going to take years to dry my jeans. YOBS. What what what am i doing. I'm scared to hang them outside because i really would not like to have to run down to the alley to fetch my clothing...... I know there's a laundromat but I dont really know where that is. I'm getting a little overwhelmed and stressed. Fortunately I have all of tomorrow afternoon to make it work. Hopefully I won't flood the kitchen.
This weekend Rachel, Francesca and two other kids in the program, Alex and Ross, are going to Florence! Yay I'm so excited. Not only to go see somewhere new and exciting but also to see Lauren!!!! AHHHH Lauren is my grand big in APO (the community service frat that Im in) and she spent the fall semester in INDIA. Ergo, I haven't seen her in a very long time. I can't wait to see her! yay!! Speaking of community service, as a part of the Arcadia program they have extracurriculars that we can do that they have organized. So I think im going to help feed the homeless. I'm a little nervous and dont really know how its going to work out but i figure i can get that all in order once my classes have settled down. I would also like to note that I tried caviar for the first time tonight. (Here at Camp Roma we live high in the hog). Rachel bought it and I tried some and I have to say Im not quite a fan. Granted it was 4 euro caviar, but it was too fishy for me. And then we made nachos for dinner. They dont have cheddar cheese or sour cream here. But they love their Philadelphia cream cheese. Go figure. I don't understand them.
Looking forward to Lauren this weekend and clean socks tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Things I have come to notice
-The bathrooms are weird: i forget that I have to use the pedals for the sink and to flush the button is on the wall.
- They seem to be obsessed with keeping floors clean..? But i question their own hygiene.
- The dogs, in which there are many more then I expected, poop on the sidewalk. Also does not follow their claimed obsession with being clean.
- I hear more music from the US then Italian music. For example: Katy perry is played allll the time.
- They seem to like very strange American brands/things. For example: A grown woman was carrying a Hannah Montana bag? Francesca's cousin has several fruit loop shirts.
- "On time" is a relative idea
Things Ive come to love:
- running for the bus in the morning..? Not.
- cappucinos. and caffe lattes. and free goodies from the barista that weve made friends with. Oh Andrea
- "On time" is a relative idea
- Crossing the Tiber to get to class everyday.
- A hot towel rack. though i would be willing to give it up for a dryer.
- They seem to be obsessed with keeping floors clean..? But i question their own hygiene.
- The dogs, in which there are many more then I expected, poop on the sidewalk. Also does not follow their claimed obsession with being clean.
- I hear more music from the US then Italian music. For example: Katy perry is played allll the time.
- They seem to like very strange American brands/things. For example: A grown woman was carrying a Hannah Montana bag? Francesca's cousin has several fruit loop shirts.
- "On time" is a relative idea
Things Ive come to love:
- running for the bus in the morning..? Not.
- cappucinos. and caffe lattes. and free goodies from the barista that weve made friends with. Oh Andrea
- "On time" is a relative idea
- Crossing the Tiber to get to class everyday.
- A hot towel rack. though i would be willing to give it up for a dryer.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
SO today, as stated previously, nothing really went on. Lots of sitting waiting wishing. Shout out Jack Johnson..? (for those who don't get the reference) haha. We had italian class today and it was nice because more came back to me then I thought. We had a nice lunch outside of our apartment today with some kids from our program, Amy and Kelsey. Then we spent alot of time sitting and waiting for meetings to pick our classes. I'm taking the living in Rome calss and italian as well as a class on Museum managment sort of and a class on the Roman empire after it fell. Picking up right where my ancient roman class let off last spring. so greatttt. Cant wait!! more italian tomorrow! Maybe orientation stuff. Or more sitting waiting wishing.. haha.
First day of school! First day of School!!
Also Life Lesson: Fail.
Two days ago I posted about never going anywhere without a camera. Guess what I forgot today. Yup my camera. Guess what we discovered was across from Roma Tre? Santo Paolo Basilica. Next to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, there is no other church that is more important. Let me explain. For those who are not Catholic, like myself, it just appeared to be another large church that I passed on my way to school. Quick morning background: This morning we had a meeting at school and we were able to meet our new professors and learn a little bit about the classes and the excursions that go along with each class. And we even ended early. Which has since been unheard of, as there has been much sitting and standing around. Rachel, Annie, Francesca and myself had some time to kill so we got a quick lunch and caffe latte at the caffe around the corner. Our bus took too long to get us so we decided to go 'splorin around our school. On our way back we chose to go into the large church. However, once inside, even I was able to tell that this was no ordinary church.
Not being raised Catholic, I didn't grasp the significance until Francesca explained that Paul was one of Jesus' right hand men, per say. He was a non believer that was converted after he saw a burning bush. The other man that was Saint Peter, as in Saint Peter's Basilica. WORLD ROCKED. I was that close to his grave. Just rocked. It then all made sense, as to why it was so ornate and intricate and beautiful. I also saw all the pictures of all the popes that there have ever been and learned that the world maybe ending soon. Because there is only so much space around the church for the discs that have their pictures, there apparently can only ever be that many popes. There are only about 10-15 places left so who knows what is going to happen, we still have to get through the end of the world as the Mayans have predicted. Then we can be concerned with what will happen in Saint Paul's.
We then walked in the courtyard and spent more time ogling and I learned more.
We made it back to school, where i saw the remnants of an accident (I noted that i have been surprised that i havent seen any accidents, bubble burst). Here was when we went our somewhat separate ways; Rachel, Annie and I had our first class! We are starting with our Living in the Eternal City class which involves getting to know the city on a level that most dont experience coming as a tourist. Im running out of steam but here it goes:
We learned about the piramide, which is at kind of the center of the southern part of Rome and is a hub of traffic. It was built over 2000 years ago by Cestius' slaves as a thank you. When Cestius died he said that all of his claves should be freed and in his honor they built the piramide. It's now a main meeting place for people! Testaccio is just on the out skirts of the city walls so it was known as a party place and it still is; its where all the best bars are now-a-days.. We walked around a man made hill that was actually formed with broken pots that they used for transporting wine, olive oil etc. Wild. Its huge, but you can't go on it because obviously its not very safe... yobs? It's right near the old slaughter house when they tried to make Rome into a industrial city and it was going to provide all the meat for the city. Now the sity is trying to turn into a trendy place and they are making into a place to shop for organic foods and on the other side of the plastic non permanent barrier, there is a refugee place for the kurds. Crazy contrast of lifestyle. All the walls are covered in the most absurd graffiti too! Not that I can read US graffiti but all the colors together are so great.
Just so wild. We walked all over so at the end I was pretty tired. Tomorrow won't be much of a day we have our first Italian class and signing up for the rest of classes. Ciao!
Two days ago I posted about never going anywhere without a camera. Guess what I forgot today. Yup my camera. Guess what we discovered was across from Roma Tre? Santo Paolo Basilica. Next to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, there is no other church that is more important. Let me explain. For those who are not Catholic, like myself, it just appeared to be another large church that I passed on my way to school. Quick morning background: This morning we had a meeting at school and we were able to meet our new professors and learn a little bit about the classes and the excursions that go along with each class. And we even ended early. Which has since been unheard of, as there has been much sitting and standing around. Rachel, Annie, Francesca and myself had some time to kill so we got a quick lunch and caffe latte at the caffe around the corner. Our bus took too long to get us so we decided to go 'splorin around our school. On our way back we chose to go into the large church. However, once inside, even I was able to tell that this was no ordinary church.
This is just a side way..
The ceilings were more ornate then anything I have ever seen the alters more beautiful then any. (Granted, i have not seen many basilicas or Saint Peter's). I also became aware, thanks to Francesca, my local Catholic Encyclopedia, that this was in fact Saint Paul's and that he was in fact buried under the alter in the center of the church.
The entrance to the crypt.
Not being raised Catholic, I didn't grasp the significance until Francesca explained that Paul was one of Jesus' right hand men, per say. He was a non believer that was converted after he saw a burning bush. The other man that was Saint Peter, as in Saint Peter's Basilica. WORLD ROCKED. I was that close to his grave. Just rocked. It then all made sense, as to why it was so ornate and intricate and beautiful. I also saw all the pictures of all the popes that there have ever been and learned that the world maybe ending soon. Because there is only so much space around the church for the discs that have their pictures, there apparently can only ever be that many popes. There are only about 10-15 places left so who knows what is going to happen, we still have to get through the end of the world as the Mayans have predicted. Then we can be concerned with what will happen in Saint Paul's.
We made it back to school, where i saw the remnants of an accident (I noted that i have been surprised that i havent seen any accidents, bubble burst). Here was when we went our somewhat separate ways; Rachel, Annie and I had our first class! We are starting with our Living in the Eternal City class which involves getting to know the city on a level that most dont experience coming as a tourist. Im running out of steam but here it goes:
We learned about the piramide, which is at kind of the center of the southern part of Rome and is a hub of traffic. It was built over 2000 years ago by Cestius' slaves as a thank you. When Cestius died he said that all of his claves should be freed and in his honor they built the piramide. It's now a main meeting place for people! Testaccio is just on the out skirts of the city walls so it was known as a party place and it still is; its where all the best bars are now-a-days.. We walked around a man made hill that was actually formed with broken pots that they used for transporting wine, olive oil etc. Wild. Its huge, but you can't go on it because obviously its not very safe... yobs? It's right near the old slaughter house when they tried to make Rome into a industrial city and it was going to provide all the meat for the city. Now the sity is trying to turn into a trendy place and they are making into a place to shop for organic foods and on the other side of the plastic non permanent barrier, there is a refugee place for the kurds. Crazy contrast of lifestyle. All the walls are covered in the most absurd graffiti too! Not that I can read US graffiti but all the colors together are so great.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Making Pasta
There are several things I have noticed whilst in Rome. One of them that the kids dress better then I do. This was made even more apparent when we spent the day at a farm outside of the city, an augortorismo, and it was amazing. In the US we call them farm stays; they are farms that are subsidized by the government and provide an education and place to buy fresh produce for city dwellers.
At the farm we were given a teacher, who worked on the farm and he told us all about all the things that have been done to restore the farming lifestyle in Italy. He didn't speak any english but some of the professors from Roma Tre came with us and one of them translated for us. He taught us all about the wine that they make there.There are four different grades of quality ranging from vino da tavola to D.O.C., the highest grade wine. They make read and white wine at the farm. Girgorio, our guide, told us that the color of the wine is due to whether or not the peels are used in the fermentation process; champagne is actually made of red grapes.
We got to visit the horses and saw their chestnut trees which are actually hybrids with american types to recover after a disease that crippled the trees all over the country. We had a fantastic traditional lunch that lasted about 3 hours. There was bread that was made on the farm, a plate of antipasti, followed by 2 pasta or starch dishes. We had a mushroom risotto and a plate of pork and potatoes with gravy followed by the salad, then the dessert, of biscotti and clementines, and then grappa and limoncelli. The last 2 are after dinner/ meal drinks that are for sipping; "if you take it in one shot you will die" according to our program director. The grappa was rough. I imagine that even Tenley vodka can't be much worse.. In the future I will stick to wine. ha!
We made the pasta after we ate and were able to move and function, though most of us could have fallen asleep at the table after such a rich meal. I've never made pasta before and so I had no idea what i was in for; though it wasnt that bad. Francesca on the other hand is basically a professional. You start with about a cup of flour (probs a special kind, though I wouldn't know..) and make a nice little hole in the middle, a slumbering volcano if you will, or even a crater. You then take one egg and crack it in said hole. It's not supposed to run over but being the rookie crater-maker that I am, my volcano was no longer slumbering. Next you knead the flour and egg together until its smooth and if you mess up, which I did, you can add salt or more flour or some water, depending on the consistency of the dough. Once its smooth, you roll it out with a rolling pin until its pretty smooth and sprinkle corn meal on top. Fold it gently over so its easier to cut it into long strips at desired thickness. Place it plastic carry bin with more corn meal and it can be cooked for 2 in salty boiling water! Vuola! Next week we're making fusilli... HA HAHA.
At the end of this educational and fun filled day, we go to shop for the produce that they grow at the farm, as well as the fresh meats from their animals, cheese, jams, breads, and the wines that they produce. And on top of it being pesticide free and fresh, it was pretty cheap. It was a great day. I think once again just about every one fell asleep on the bus since we are all still pushing through the remnants of jet lag.
We were still so full from lunch that we didn't even make the pasta with all the goodies we got. (I bought tomatoes, a zucchini, a baby onion, and obvi the wine they were both fantastic). We get to meet our professors tomorrow and I think we might start classes so I guess Im looking forward to taking classes...? Real classes dont start til the 31st but I wouldn't mind getting a day to sleep in and run around the city... Maybe bring a real camera and do touristy things.. I guess I'll just have to wait!
At the farm we were given a teacher, who worked on the farm and he told us all about all the things that have been done to restore the farming lifestyle in Italy. He didn't speak any english but some of the professors from Roma Tre came with us and one of them translated for us. He taught us all about the wine that they make there.There are four different grades of quality ranging from vino da tavola to D.O.C., the highest grade wine. They make read and white wine at the farm. Girgorio, our guide, told us that the color of the wine is due to whether or not the peels are used in the fermentation process; champagne is actually made of red grapes.
We got to visit the horses and saw their chestnut trees which are actually hybrids with american types to recover after a disease that crippled the trees all over the country. We had a fantastic traditional lunch that lasted about 3 hours. There was bread that was made on the farm, a plate of antipasti, followed by 2 pasta or starch dishes. We had a mushroom risotto and a plate of pork and potatoes with gravy followed by the salad, then the dessert, of biscotti and clementines, and then grappa and limoncelli. The last 2 are after dinner/ meal drinks that are for sipping; "if you take it in one shot you will die" according to our program director. The grappa was rough. I imagine that even Tenley vodka can't be much worse.. In the future I will stick to wine. ha!
We made the pasta after we ate and were able to move and function, though most of us could have fallen asleep at the table after such a rich meal. I've never made pasta before and so I had no idea what i was in for; though it wasnt that bad. Francesca on the other hand is basically a professional. You start with about a cup of flour (probs a special kind, though I wouldn't know..) and make a nice little hole in the middle, a slumbering volcano if you will, or even a crater. You then take one egg and crack it in said hole. It's not supposed to run over but being the rookie crater-maker that I am, my volcano was no longer slumbering. Next you knead the flour and egg together until its smooth and if you mess up, which I did, you can add salt or more flour or some water, depending on the consistency of the dough. Once its smooth, you roll it out with a rolling pin until its pretty smooth and sprinkle corn meal on top. Fold it gently over so its easier to cut it into long strips at desired thickness. Place it plastic carry bin with more corn meal and it can be cooked for 2 in salty boiling water! Vuola! Next week we're making fusilli... HA HAHA.
At the end of this educational and fun filled day, we go to shop for the produce that they grow at the farm, as well as the fresh meats from their animals, cheese, jams, breads, and the wines that they produce. And on top of it being pesticide free and fresh, it was pretty cheap. It was a great day. I think once again just about every one fell asleep on the bus since we are all still pushing through the remnants of jet lag.
We were still so full from lunch that we didn't even make the pasta with all the goodies we got. (I bought tomatoes, a zucchini, a baby onion, and obvi the wine they were both fantastic). We get to meet our professors tomorrow and I think we might start classes so I guess Im looking forward to taking classes...? Real classes dont start til the 31st but I wouldn't mind getting a day to sleep in and run around the city... Maybe bring a real camera and do touristy things.. I guess I'll just have to wait!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Newest Life Lesson: NEVER go anywhere without a camera.
Today was supposed to be a rather uneventful day: find our way to the school ourselves and then take a trip to the post office to apply for a permesso di soggiorno, to stay in the city for more then 90 days; so they can keep track of your every move. ever. However, uneventful it was not.
Last night we stumbled upon a bar in the middle of a piazza, which contained one bar and approximately 200 people. We had no idea where we were and between meeting other students in the abroad program and going to apartments, we probably walked 5+ miles. Yobs. It was pretty cool because it appeared to be a pretty popular place with the locals. Making our way home was rather long though. We did succeed on our first night out to get lost in the streets of Rome in the southeast corner. we walked in almost a complete circle from where our apartment was before we finally took a cab and made it back, precisely the way we came. It was a long walk but I like to think that I worked off the gelato we had earlier. That's what I'm telling myself at least.
Our last roommate, Rachel, finally made it yesterday as well. She's rather fantastic, as we all are so she fits in just fine.
This morning we were told to find our own way to Roma Tre, our school. This was supposed to be an easy accomplishment since we were shown the way to get home last night on public transportation with the help of a guide. It wasn't successful because out guide didn't know that part of the city. So we sort of made our way to school this morning. Once we got off our first bus we walked every possible wrong way before we walked the right way. All in all though, it should be pretty easy.
After getting to school and doing more sitting around the entire group of the abroad students took the metro en route to the Post Office. our metro stop was Colosseo, or the Colosseum. We stepped out of the metro station to the Colosseum in all it's glory. It was a much better experience then the first time because I was able to actually become consumed by it. It was the first time Ive ever been blown away by a monument. We walked up the street and up the hill and were able to gander at the Roman Forum. Once again speechless. This is where my life lesson comes into play. I was not aware we would be visiting some of the greatest constructions of all time. Lucky for me, momma got me a snazzzzy phone that has a great camera and I was able to get some pictures. But I will be going back, and even though I don't enjoy being touristy, I will sacrifice it for Ancient Roman history.
We walked up the hill and saw more ancient roman things and monuments and statues. Che bello!! It's a great city to be in. The group made its way into what I think of when i think of Rome: the cobble stoned narrow unnecessarily confusing, albeit charming, streets. It was just stunning. I've never wanted to stay in a place more then I did this afternoon. We had pizza again for lunch; mine had peperoni e salsiccia (peppers and sausage, not pepperoni). Once lunch was done and we were finished at the post office, signing papers, Francesca, Rachel and I got gelato. I tried pistachio for the first time and it was not bad. We then found ourselves looking up at the Pantheon. Unreal. we spent a few minutes finishing our gelato before we spent some time just sitting and gazing at the church. Once again. I was at a loss for words. I would like to go there one time when it was raining; just to say that I did.
We had a wonderful dinner at a little ristorante in Tessacio with Tina, whose in charge of our program, as well as about 12 other students. It was a smaller version of a full Italian dinner. We had antipasti: potatoes with broccoli, fried baby octopus, green olives stuffed with meat and fried, and fantastic meatballs, as well as bread. They don't ever serve 2 starches together, though thee bread stays on the table the entire time, and they never dip or put anything on the bread. We were given a gnocchi, mussel and shrimp dish with a oil and tomato sauce. The gnocchi was, like everything else, unreal. Love me some potatoes. We had another half plate of pasta that was large rigatoni like pasta with just tomatoes and olive oil, less then the other sauces, but just as good. Lastly we were served l'insalta despite salad being served first in the US. Oustandinggg. Eating my way through my days has been going very well.
As many know, this night was a very important one. Why some may ask. The Ravens were playing the Steelers in the quest for the Super Bowl. I was determined to not let the time difference or lack of tv get in my way and fortunately i was able to find some bars in Trastevere that were playing the game, mostly because they were American bars. They did however turn the tvs off before the game was over and I wasn't able to see the end of the game. There's always next year..
Tomorrow we are going to a farm, making our own pasta and are going to get a chance to buy very fresh produce from the farm and eat a full Italian meal. Instead of the 2 half plates like at dinner, there will be 2 full plates. yobs yobs yobs. I should probably not wear my tight jeans.. are sweatpants acceptable? Probs not.
Last night we stumbled upon a bar in the middle of a piazza, which contained one bar and approximately 200 people. We had no idea where we were and between meeting other students in the abroad program and going to apartments, we probably walked 5+ miles. Yobs. It was pretty cool because it appeared to be a pretty popular place with the locals. Making our way home was rather long though. We did succeed on our first night out to get lost in the streets of Rome in the southeast corner. we walked in almost a complete circle from where our apartment was before we finally took a cab and made it back, precisely the way we came. It was a long walk but I like to think that I worked off the gelato we had earlier. That's what I'm telling myself at least.
Our last roommate, Rachel, finally made it yesterday as well. She's rather fantastic, as we all are so she fits in just fine.
This morning we were told to find our own way to Roma Tre, our school. This was supposed to be an easy accomplishment since we were shown the way to get home last night on public transportation with the help of a guide. It wasn't successful because out guide didn't know that part of the city. So we sort of made our way to school this morning. Once we got off our first bus we walked every possible wrong way before we walked the right way. All in all though, it should be pretty easy.
After getting to school and doing more sitting around the entire group of the abroad students took the metro en route to the Post Office. our metro stop was Colosseo, or the Colosseum. We stepped out of the metro station to the Colosseum in all it's glory. It was a much better experience then the first time because I was able to actually become consumed by it. It was the first time Ive ever been blown away by a monument. We walked up the street and up the hill and were able to gander at the Roman Forum. Once again speechless. This is where my life lesson comes into play. I was not aware we would be visiting some of the greatest constructions of all time. Lucky for me, momma got me a snazzzzy phone that has a great camera and I was able to get some pictures. But I will be going back, and even though I don't enjoy being touristy, I will sacrifice it for Ancient Roman history.
We walked up the hill and saw more ancient roman things and monuments and statues. Che bello!! It's a great city to be in. The group made its way into what I think of when i think of Rome: the cobble stoned narrow unnecessarily confusing, albeit charming, streets. It was just stunning. I've never wanted to stay in a place more then I did this afternoon. We had pizza again for lunch; mine had peperoni e salsiccia (peppers and sausage, not pepperoni). Once lunch was done and we were finished at the post office, signing papers, Francesca, Rachel and I got gelato. I tried pistachio for the first time and it was not bad. We then found ourselves looking up at the Pantheon. Unreal. we spent a few minutes finishing our gelato before we spent some time just sitting and gazing at the church. Once again. I was at a loss for words. I would like to go there one time when it was raining; just to say that I did.
We had a wonderful dinner at a little ristorante in Tessacio with Tina, whose in charge of our program, as well as about 12 other students. It was a smaller version of a full Italian dinner. We had antipasti: potatoes with broccoli, fried baby octopus, green olives stuffed with meat and fried, and fantastic meatballs, as well as bread. They don't ever serve 2 starches together, though thee bread stays on the table the entire time, and they never dip or put anything on the bread. We were given a gnocchi, mussel and shrimp dish with a oil and tomato sauce. The gnocchi was, like everything else, unreal. Love me some potatoes. We had another half plate of pasta that was large rigatoni like pasta with just tomatoes and olive oil, less then the other sauces, but just as good. Lastly we were served l'insalta despite salad being served first in the US. Oustandinggg. Eating my way through my days has been going very well.
As many know, this night was a very important one. Why some may ask. The Ravens were playing the Steelers in the quest for the Super Bowl. I was determined to not let the time difference or lack of tv get in my way and fortunately i was able to find some bars in Trastevere that were playing the game, mostly because they were American bars. They did however turn the tvs off before the game was over and I wasn't able to see the end of the game. There's always next year..
Tomorrow we are going to a farm, making our own pasta and are going to get a chance to buy very fresh produce from the farm and eat a full Italian meal. Instead of the 2 half plates like at dinner, there will be 2 full plates. yobs yobs yobs. I should probably not wear my tight jeans.. are sweatpants acceptable? Probs not.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Is this real liiifffe?
Ciao! From Roma!
I have successfully made it to the capital of the great land of Italy. It was quite the experience getting here.
The flight was surprisingly easy and was made much better by the fact that I was sitting with Francesca and our friend Will was on our flight! It was easier to check in on to my international flight then it is to try and go to Florida. Yobs. Francesca and I watched The Social Network on the way over which was very good, though it did make us want to give up the FB because Mark was quite a rude person.
Moving on, i barely slept on the flight, mostly due to the fact that it was impossible to be comfortable. The only time i ended up falling asleep was with my head resting on the back of the seat of the person in front of me. oy.
We flew over the Alps as we landed and got to see the Italian west coast and countryside. It was all very exciting! It was a beautiful view that even i could see from the very middle of the plane. Getting through customs was also a walk in the park; the man never even asked a question just stamped away and let me through. I had myself all geared up for an interrogation. Waiting for my luggage took awhile but it wasn't too bad, as it gave Francesca and Will and I a chance to talk. We then joined the rest of the group that had arrived previously and we all took a bus into the city. It was all so overwhelming. They have no rules on driving here; it is a free for all. There are no lanes and you drive to get around and hope for the best. However, with all the riding that I did today, I did not see an accident. I was sure about 4 times there was going to be one.
It took about 45 min to get into our apartment as they had made copies of the wrong keys...However I have discovered a place where they are most likely going to show the Ravens Steelers game on saturday; crisis averted. Our apartment is much more spacious then i thought it was going to be and even the shower i took was much better then I expected. we have quite a wide selection of reading material and it even looks like some of our potential textbooks have graced the shelves. The kitchen is small and the only thing we have bought to put in the fridge is wine. one large bottle of white and one .99 euro bottle of red. thats right. it didnt even cost a whole euro. doesnt even matter if its not good because its not good but im in romaaaa.
I'm sharing a room with Francesca and its much larger then what i imagined, about the size of my living room but a little smaller. Our other roommate Annie is sharing the other room with our yet to have surfaced roommate. We arent sure when shes coming.
We had pizza and gnocchi for lunch in the street level restaurant in our building on the Piazza della Radio. It is quite a street and once again I have yet to see an accident. There are also more dogs then I anticipated and wayyyy too many puffy shiny jackets. I'm not quite sure why people wear them because they are not flattering.
We wandered around a little and crossed the Tiber River to get to another one of the girls apartments. On our walk almost every street was lined with orange trees. And apparently there are lemon trees too. Who knew. Not I. I plan on eating an orange at one point, straight from the tree. The fresh fruit markets are stunning beautiful with color and I'm excited to go food shopping soon.
We all took our bus to an orange park. It is next to a temple turned basilica that has the most amazing view of Rome. lit up at night it was like nothing Ive ever seen. It is on my list of things to revisit. We then took a bus tour of the city in which I saw for the first time in real liiiiffe the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Just outstanding. Love it. shortly after i fell asleep. I had not gotten a nap and the jet lag on top of the lack of sleep was getting to me. I was not alone though. I think just about everyone was asleep at one point or another.
We then proceeded to dinner in which i had pizza again, topped with mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts (about 3/4 of one..?) a slice of prosciutto and spicy salami. It was pretty greattt. We had fabulous bruschetta and fried rice balls with cheese. I dont know but they were great. All in all it was a pretty great first day. I plan on gelato for breakfast tomorrow before we have more language testing and more group meetings. I looking forward to being able to explore on my own atleast without falling asleep...
I guess this is real liiiiffee... HA
I have successfully made it to the capital of the great land of Italy. It was quite the experience getting here.
The flight was surprisingly easy and was made much better by the fact that I was sitting with Francesca and our friend Will was on our flight! It was easier to check in on to my international flight then it is to try and go to Florida. Yobs. Francesca and I watched The Social Network on the way over which was very good, though it did make us want to give up the FB because Mark was quite a rude person.
Moving on, i barely slept on the flight, mostly due to the fact that it was impossible to be comfortable. The only time i ended up falling asleep was with my head resting on the back of the seat of the person in front of me. oy.
We flew over the Alps as we landed and got to see the Italian west coast and countryside. It was all very exciting! It was a beautiful view that even i could see from the very middle of the plane. Getting through customs was also a walk in the park; the man never even asked a question just stamped away and let me through. I had myself all geared up for an interrogation. Waiting for my luggage took awhile but it wasn't too bad, as it gave Francesca and Will and I a chance to talk. We then joined the rest of the group that had arrived previously and we all took a bus into the city. It was all so overwhelming. They have no rules on driving here; it is a free for all. There are no lanes and you drive to get around and hope for the best. However, with all the riding that I did today, I did not see an accident. I was sure about 4 times there was going to be one.
It took about 45 min to get into our apartment as they had made copies of the wrong keys...However I have discovered a place where they are most likely going to show the Ravens Steelers game on saturday; crisis averted. Our apartment is much more spacious then i thought it was going to be and even the shower i took was much better then I expected. we have quite a wide selection of reading material and it even looks like some of our potential textbooks have graced the shelves. The kitchen is small and the only thing we have bought to put in the fridge is wine. one large bottle of white and one .99 euro bottle of red. thats right. it didnt even cost a whole euro. doesnt even matter if its not good because its not good but im in romaaaa.
I'm sharing a room with Francesca and its much larger then what i imagined, about the size of my living room but a little smaller. Our other roommate Annie is sharing the other room with our yet to have surfaced roommate. We arent sure when shes coming.
We had pizza and gnocchi for lunch in the street level restaurant in our building on the Piazza della Radio. It is quite a street and once again I have yet to see an accident. There are also more dogs then I anticipated and wayyyy too many puffy shiny jackets. I'm not quite sure why people wear them because they are not flattering.
We wandered around a little and crossed the Tiber River to get to another one of the girls apartments. On our walk almost every street was lined with orange trees. And apparently there are lemon trees too. Who knew. Not I. I plan on eating an orange at one point, straight from the tree. The fresh fruit markets are stunning beautiful with color and I'm excited to go food shopping soon.
We all took our bus to an orange park. It is next to a temple turned basilica that has the most amazing view of Rome. lit up at night it was like nothing Ive ever seen. It is on my list of things to revisit. We then took a bus tour of the city in which I saw for the first time in real liiiiffe the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Just outstanding. Love it. shortly after i fell asleep. I had not gotten a nap and the jet lag on top of the lack of sleep was getting to me. I was not alone though. I think just about everyone was asleep at one point or another.
We then proceeded to dinner in which i had pizza again, topped with mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts (about 3/4 of one..?) a slice of prosciutto and spicy salami. It was pretty greattt. We had fabulous bruschetta and fried rice balls with cheese. I dont know but they were great. All in all it was a pretty great first day. I plan on gelato for breakfast tomorrow before we have more language testing and more group meetings. I looking forward to being able to explore on my own atleast without falling asleep...
I guess this is real liiiiffee... HA
Monday, January 10, 2011
Pre Departure: YOBS
Yikes on bikes (YOBS shout out 309..) is a common phrase that has become a part of my everyday life. It is used in scenarios when "yikes" will just not suffice. Going abroad to Rome, for example, is one of these instances.
I can't believe that I am leaving in a few short days. My nerves are starting to get jittery, as they have been known to do. I have been compiling all my most precious clothes and toiletries to come with me across the water to the most ancient city of ROMAA. I'm not quite looking forward to going on a plane for that long as I don't really enjoy flying; I get antsy to get off after a 2 1/2 flight to Florida. Oy. But there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.
I've never had a blog because I think on the whole they are somewhat unnecessary. I even had to have my friend Meg set it up for me because I couldn't really figure it out, not that I tried very hard... However the trip of a lifetime is definitely a good reason for a blog. I'm going to do my best to write about all of my adventures! It's going to be quite a 4+ months. We recently got our housing assignment and I'm living with my friend Francesca and 2 other girls that I have yet to meet since they don't go to school with us. But I am so looking forward to it. We have an apartment in Trastevere, which looks so cute and trendyyyy and we're going to be able to cook for ourselves or just run down to one of the super great places in the piazza!!
I'm really looking forward to being able to get to know Rome. I took an Ancient Rome class so it will be fantastic to be able to walk through the Colosseum and the Forum and take walks out the Via Appia (a long road that was very important in ancient times for trading and moving armies across the empire, which was done more often then not). I can't wait to travel all over Italy and get to see the sights and eat my way around the country. I also plan to visit Paris and my lovely Gretchen, whose studying French and try to spend spring break in Greece. No matter what it's going to be the experience of a lifetime and I'm so looking forward to it!!! Here's to hoping the snow doesn't keep us on the ground! Yobs.
I can't believe that I am leaving in a few short days. My nerves are starting to get jittery, as they have been known to do. I have been compiling all my most precious clothes and toiletries to come with me across the water to the most ancient city of ROMAA. I'm not quite looking forward to going on a plane for that long as I don't really enjoy flying; I get antsy to get off after a 2 1/2 flight to Florida. Oy. But there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.
I've never had a blog because I think on the whole they are somewhat unnecessary. I even had to have my friend Meg set it up for me because I couldn't really figure it out, not that I tried very hard... However the trip of a lifetime is definitely a good reason for a blog. I'm going to do my best to write about all of my adventures! It's going to be quite a 4+ months. We recently got our housing assignment and I'm living with my friend Francesca and 2 other girls that I have yet to meet since they don't go to school with us. But I am so looking forward to it. We have an apartment in Trastevere, which looks so cute and trendyyyy and we're going to be able to cook for ourselves or just run down to one of the super great places in the piazza!!
I'm really looking forward to being able to get to know Rome. I took an Ancient Rome class so it will be fantastic to be able to walk through the Colosseum and the Forum and take walks out the Via Appia (a long road that was very important in ancient times for trading and moving armies across the empire, which was done more often then not). I can't wait to travel all over Italy and get to see the sights and eat my way around the country. I also plan to visit Paris and my lovely Gretchen, whose studying French and try to spend spring break in Greece. No matter what it's going to be the experience of a lifetime and I'm so looking forward to it!!! Here's to hoping the snow doesn't keep us on the ground! Yobs.
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