Sick!

Today, it seems, I am on the road to recovery from a 48 hour illness. Yesterday was definitely the worst of it where, at one point I wasnt sure of anything that was going on and nearly passed out. I slept for over 21 hours straight, though I am shockingly still a bit tired, and have managed to only miss one class in the mean time. Last night, I took a really hot bath, which actually made me feel more sick immediately afterwards, but then better in the long run. I think I sweated out all of my toxins or something. My roommates said that I looked like a ghost yesterday but that Ive regained some color, and my mom is bringing medicine this weekend, when she comes. I am so excited for her visit and am glad I got sick now rather than this weekend, when she is in Rome! Wish me luck that no relapse takes place!

My Roommate's Birthday!

Today is my Bulgarian roommate's birthday and last night we all went out to celebrate so that at midnight, when she turned 19, we would all be there with her! Irene, my Italian roommate, and I looked up this restaurant and found out that it was open late and that we could get a traditional Italian meal there from appetizer to dessert. We have a difficult time finding it because Italian maps are sometimes...well, not correct. So, on one page of this map book it said one thing, while on another page, it told us something completely different! It was funny and we amused ourselves in trying to get there. We sat down and by the time the meal was over we knew every person on the waitstaff - Italian meals take forever! The way traditional meals work in Italy is that you have many bowls or plates of various foods on the table and people pass them around to get what they want. For the appetizer, we had lentils, seasoned tomatoes, potatos balls filled with rice and cheese (and some had meat), and mozzerella balls (which are fresh in Italy). The meal continued in this fashion from pasta (which you do get one single plate of - no passing), all the way to a torte (cake!). We told the waiter that it was her birthday so we sang to her in Italian and the only candle they had was a 9, so thats what they put on the cake. In Bulgaria, if its your birthday you celebrate by hosting a huge party and serving everyone else, as opposed to the other way around. You get presents for everyone and you buy them alcohol and food. Hrissy was so moved by the fact that her birthday was really centered around her that she cried for about 30 minutes. It was so sweet and we had a great time, just eight of us, talking and laughing until the clock struck 12 and we could all cheer that she was 19. Happy Birthday, Hrissy!

When it ALL Falls Apart

Our apartment is becoming a sort of legend... When we first moved in, as my dad will testify, there were many problems with it: only two burners worked on the stove and only one knob (which you move back and forth between them), there was no hot water in the kitchen sink (making sanitation in dishwashing very difficult), there was no water pressure in the sink (literally, a trickle of water), many lightbulbs were weak or burned out, and the furniture was falling apart. All of these things, my roommates and I were willing to accept for a short period of time until the housing department could get around to us (we even filled out forms!)...well, it has now been three weeks and what were once small problems have now become more significant ones. We can also add to the list of broken things: the fruit basket which refuses to cooperate (it kept falling down and the links of its chain kept coming apart, so we just took it down for good), one of the phones to our outside door (when people buzz up you talk to them on this phone) wont stay on the hook, the coffee pot spews coffee out of the sides (Italian coffee pots are different from American ones), and the refrigerator decided not to cool!!! Yes, thats right: the big kahuna, our fridge (complete with cheeses, yogurt, milk and meat). It seems that our forms were not forceful enough because it has now been almost 4 weeks, so we have decided to go in like the Mod Squad and tell Housing that we have needs...like the need to not get some kind of disease and spend two days in our bathroom from spoiled food. I think its going to be a successful errand and hope that in a week we will be up and running at a more functional level. To be honest, living with all of our calamities is as funny and entertaining as it is inconvenient and this venting is as much a statement of hilarity as it is of discouragement. We're doing what we can and part of being here is being creative...we are expanding our minds in dealing with our broken apartment...or something like that.

So Much Reading

While the rain clouds are taking a rest in Rome, my homework still falls in sheets like rain in a thunderstorm. Fortunately for me, I love the work Im doing. In my Roman Influences on Literature course we are looking at ancient Rome and how history has either repeated itself, or people have learned from it, all the way to present day. The readings have to do with which pre-Christian Roman values were passed onto the people of Brittania when they were invaded and what that means for us now. Since middle school, when I was taught by Todd Gunn, Ive scarcely had as inspirational a professor who, when he speaks, sounds like a well planned book. How words drip so smoothly from the mouths of some people will always amaze me and its easy to sit through that class. Plus, he is hilarious! He told us a story about a Rugby match he and his friend, Dave, went to and it almost had me rolling on the floor laughing. In my Passing in Literature and Film class we are learning a lot about what it means to "fit" in society and about how we present ourselves. We just finished the Scarlet Letter, which is all about passing - private versus public, reality versus apperance and so forth. We talk about what parts of us are most important and how no one could really fit into the boxes society has created to define us. Its extremely interesting, especially Foucault's concepts of discipline and the Panopticon's function in society. In Genre of Fiction we just finished Love and Excess, which I originally found to be really fun and quick but soon wanted to rip to shreds. Now we are reading Emma, and I LOVE that story, not to mention Jane Austen. My Grandmama gave me a copy of her book from Jane Austen's actual home and I think of her now when I read it. In my Art History class I did my first on-site journal entry and was shocked at how much I have learned, even in a state of constant confusion at her complete disorganization in class. The words just came to me and flowed onto the page. Before I knew it, I had spent two and a half hours in front of a very small mosaic by Cavalli!
Wish me luck as I embark on my first Italian test Thursday, and my first lengthy paper in one week!

Rain Drops Keep Fallin' On My Head...

This time of year in Texas it is near 100 degress outside, but in Rome right now, the temperature swiftly changed from dead summer heat to cool rainy autumn! While I consider many of my friends at my favorite outdoor music festival this weekend, and envy them for enjoying this tradition, which I love, I also consider that they are probably guzzling water down just to stay hydrated for all of the sweat thats pouring from their bodies...and well, Im less envious than before.
When I walk to school or anywhere (to the grocery store, to the mailbox, to a friends house...) I have to have an umbrella and my rubber shoes. These shoes, Crocs, as they are called, are perfect for the wetness but not so perfect for the cobblestones. I find myself sliding around on them a little bit too often (almost every step I take) and I am certain that Im putting my limbs in danger -no broken bones yet, though! The streets in Rome are made of cobblestones, but there is no rhyme or reason to them. Im pretty sure the people who made the streets didnt have any plan ahead of time; they just started cramming these stones in there until no more could fit and then moved on. Much of the road should really have more cement to hold the stones together (or any cement at all, in some cases), and when it rains, many pools of water form all over the place. Needless to say, its more like walking in a small stream rather than a road, at times.
Despite the difficulty of getting around in the rain, I do love it! I am so glad that Im a person who loves to sit down with some hot tea and a book (or homework, as it has recently manifested itself to be) and a blanket and really relax while I get things done. The rain just calms me down and makes me feel less rushed. Its really enjoyable.
For the small period of time that the rain let up on Friday night (actually, much of the night on Friday) I went with my two roommates, a friend of ours, and three of her friends to this club in Rome called "The Art Cafe." It is extremely trendy and virtually impossible to get into unless you know someone, which we were fortunate enough to do. It was amazing and everyone there was so "Italian chic." They had the most high tech sound and lighting equipment, a huge stage and all around there were statues and things in a maze-like outdoor setting. Its really far away from where we live in the Villa Borghese but it was a great experience and a ton of fun. Unfortuantely, everything there is really overpriced, but its free to get in and the dancing is fun, so hopefully we will make it back there sometime soon.
Im looking forward to another week of rain and Ill be wishing some on my friends in Texas!!

Notte Bianca

Saturday night was Notte Bianca in Rome, which is a special celebration held annually in which three to four million people stay out all night long and celebrate. I'm not sure that anyone really knows what is being celebrated, but the Italians keep all of their stores open all night and bars, discos, etc are all alive. There are acrobats and jazz bands and other performances in designated places all over the city! About seven of my friends and I went out that night until 5:30 AM and when we went home it seemed as though the city-wide party would be pulsing for many hours more. The streets were filled with people like New Years Eve and anyone wishing to drive on the roads must have been kidding themselves because not a space was unoccupied with people. The buses were filled to the brim, carrying expectant people from one display to another all over the city. Crepe and panini stands were open for this night only all over the place and police swarmed with the heightened sense of disorder. Everything felt very safe and fun and connected by a harmony that we were all there experiencing the night as a whole group. In Italy theres a chant (ohhh oh oh oh oh ohhhhh oh) that you come to know really well after not too long, and, randomly, all of us in the Via del Corso would break out into it and hear it ring above all of the trendy shops and kiosks. It was amazing to feel that as you walked along - just an elation to be where you were.
We had a great time and slept really late the next day. Check Flickr for some pictures (I didnt take too many but there are a couple).

Professors and Reading and Due Dates, Oh My!

Monday was my first real day of classes and things are going wonderfully! I love my professors, who are educated at The University of Genoa, Harvard, Cambridge, The University of London, The University of Rome, Oxford, and so on. They really know their material and have a special passion for what they teach here that I find to be really energizing.
My first class is Passing in Literature in Film which is about people who have stigmatisms (social, mostly) and how they "pass" under concealment for something which they arent. We have spoken about the black author, Anatole Broyard, who was light skinned and made the world believe he was white, but the course will study a wide variety of topics. That one is taught by a guest professor from Connecticut College and the class is mostly juniors. My second class is Early Italian Renaissance Art which is taught by a quirky lady with a dry humor that makes me laugh sometimes. While I think I will really learn a lot in that class, Im prepared for lots of extra personal excursions to various sites in Rome and also to Florence. When my dad was in Rome, we even went to some of the places that Im now reading about, and its so cool to think that I am right here where it all happened so long ago. I knew that taking an art history class in Rome would be rewarding, because where else can you study, on-site, the things you are reading about in your text book?! My third class is Roman Influences on English Literature, taught by my advisor. He has a charming British accent and when he speaks, everyone listens with rapt attention. He reminded us that the campus buildings are owned by an ancient Scientific Academy down the road which has been here for so long - long enough that every great mind who has entered Rome walked along the very road where I walk everyday. I saw him after class later in the day and he looked at me and said, "there is Milton. Do you see him?" and he looked down the road ahead of us. He is inspiring in that he has passion in equal measure for the promise of new discovery in literature and also for antiquity and great authors of the past. The class is also one of a few that I can only take here in Rome and that will really be beneficial and unique for my major. My fourth class is The Genre of Fiction, which I originally thought would be an easy course because of its broad title but it is taught by a British woman from Oxford who is determined to really make everything we do count. Im excited because she has said that for our first essay she will grade us very harshly and that as time goes on she will look for improvement and help us to become better writers. I know that it will be a huge help to have a teacher who is going to push me to a limit in writing. Also, I absolutely love fiction and could read novels all day long, which is what this course explores. There will be a good deal of theory and that will be a completely unexplored field for me. Finally, I have Intermediate Italian 1 (third level Italian). I was so nervous walking in and before the class started, I noticed that everyone around me looked equally as unsure, so we talked about how we felt about the class and many of us had a bond before we even began. It made me feel like I could make mistakes and that would be alright. I love the professor, who is Italian (like all of the other Italian language professors) but she may have to change to a different day and a new professor may take her place. In any case, the course is taught entirely in Italian, and English is prohibited, which made me nervous at first but now excites me for the possibility that I could learn so much in a very short period of time. The first part of the class will be review, also, and after that I feel like I will be ready to go.
My roommates and I are really getting along and studying hard. I have tons of reading and these courses are pushing me harder than I have been pushed in a long time. I love school so thats exciting to me and the challenge is welcomed. Ill have to really stay on top of things but I know I can do it and Im happy that there are such high expectations here from the professors, and also from my fellow students.

Campo dei Fiori

Campo dei Fiori (a piazza of "flowers") is famous in Roma, especially to college students and young people. My neighborhood is just across the bridge from it (an extremely short walk). During the day, the piazza is full of vendors who sell flowers (hence, the name), fruit, vegetables, and sometimes even homemade trinkets. At night, all of the bars (not like a typical American bar - they often have some food and lots of kinds of drinks that are non-alcoholic) and discos (what a typical American club would look like) open up and people fill the piazza to talk and have a good time.
Yesterday, we were on a tour with the University to see "The Fountains of Rome" and came to Campo and saw TONS of polizie (police). They had shields and their normal guns and pepper spray, or whatever they hold in their police belts. As we turned towards the center, there were banners flying and a man speaking into a HUGE megaphone about anti-facism. Apparantly, the police had heard about the rally and decided that they needed to be present. Of course, we got out of there as fast as we could because we didnt know when people would start protesting but on all of the off-shoot roads there were also lots of police blocking things in (not normal citizens, but in case there was a problem). We think that it was because lots of tourists gather there during the day that there was such a police presence, but it was quite an experience to see something like that. A few hours later, people were out there for the normal nightlife, so there must not have been must of an uprising, but its interesting how facism is such a sensitive topic in Italy, as compared to the States. There are lots of differences politically between the two countries and the history is so different, as well.
In other news, things are going well here. I like my roommates even though I often feel that they have more of a connection than I have to either of them. They have the same habits (like, smoking for example, yuck) and have had similar life experiences, but we all get along and have a good time. We eat meals together and have the same group of friends. I am really ready for classes to start tomorrow for the fact that I like school and also because I am ready for a routine again. I feel like Ive been on vacation forever and even though thats nice, its something I get tired of. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Classes

Today I met my advisor (who also happens to be one of my professors) and I really like him a lot. He seems to have high expectations but we were also able to joke around a little bit while I was getting things in order for the year. I dont have much to write now, but my classes for the coming year total to 15 hours (5 classes) and are: Intermediate Italian 1 (third level), Early Renaissance Art, The Genre of Fiction, The Passing of Literature and Film (a one time offering with a guest professor), and Roman Influences on English Literature. Im really excited about all of them and I think its the best balance I can find with all of the literature classes that I still need to take in addition to things I wanted to take while I have the opportunity to in Rome. Everything will fill some requirement that I still have and it looks like Im well on my way to a busy and really educational semester! Oh, and at JCU classes are only held Monday through Thursday since students travel, so I always have Fridays off from classes!