You start to recognize your life routine has changed a bit. Days during my last spring semester at Duke included Venti Starbucks coffees with Skim milk, tequila shots at Shooters, lots of Mexican food, over-loaded semesters, and frozen yogurt.
My new days include croissants, 4+ cappuccinos, Italian conversations that only include my mood, name, and the weather, and gelato. Lots and lots of gelato. I've discovered my two favorite flavors are Dark Chocolate and Coffee... Sometimes I could also go for yogurt flavored gelato too! I'm learning to love this life style just as much as the last one. I still really do miss America's Mexian food though...
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I went to class. There are no classes on Fridays, this is Italia. I met my friends at Malva, our favorite cafe, before school each day. I would quickly do enough homework questions to make it look like I tried. I started to go out with friends, mostly to Scholars, an irish pub that quickly fills up with American and English study abroad students, and bars in Campo dei Fiori, a rectangular piazza with lots of fun bars and crazy Italian men. Of course my 11pm curfew at the convent created quite the problem. Italians and people in Italia (like me) don't even eat dinner until 9 or 10pm! Luckily, my new friends were more than willing to let me crash on their couch. Unfortunately in Italia it is very customary for Italian men to have a wife AND "a girlfriend" on the side. Jill informed me that the nuns probably think I am an Italian man's "girlfriend." I tried my best to explain to my favorite nun, Amelia, that this was not the case! It's debatable whether or not she understood.
I interviewed Father Davis this week who is from India. It was great speaking with him because I will be going to India later this summer. We had a mini debate about the current crisis in the church regarding child abuse and the pope's reaction. I probably came across a little rebellious. At the end of our conversation he asked to bless me.. Of course I said yes! This was in a very public touristy area in the middle of a cafe. Just embrace it, I told myself.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
First Day
Woke up early Monday because it was the first day of my Italian class!!! Took a shower, blow dried my hair... Even put on a cute "short set." Went to a cafe and got a cafe latte and a donut with sugar on top. There was no mom or roommate to pump me up for my first day. Luckily I had Mariel's old yellow i-pod (yes, I receive hand-me-downs from a twelve year old.. sad). The i-pod was filled with anything that Miley Cyrus ever sang so I put "Party in the USA" on repeat and skipped to John Cabot.
Seven people. That's it. Seven people including me. So this was a maximum six friend potential classroom. One girl is Italian and can fluently speak Italian. To say she's not really looking to make friends is a nice way to put it. One guy wears completely all black-t-shirt, pants, shoes, socks all black. I've now been in school for two weeks... His outfit has not changed once. I'm curious how many of the same shirt and pants he has? Does he rotate or just wears the same thing every single day? I quickly noticed the kid in the corner with the British accent. Ends up Cody is "my first friends' " (Rusty, Brendan, and Joe) other roommate! His family is from London, and he goes to American in DC. There was a girl next to him... I instantly liked her. We quickly bonded over our lacking Italian skills! Dominique was a tall blonde who plays volleyball at Gettysburg. A nice gay couple came in late. They have yet to come to class on time once. Dominique, Cody, and I went to get coffee right after class.
For the first time ever, I was not the weakest link in my Italian class. The girl that speaks fluent Italian obviously makes every other American in the class look bad, but other than that I was on par with the rest of the group. My teacher is incredibly sweet. We got a chance to ask her questions... I decided to spice up class a little and ask when the first time she fell in love was... she smiled and we all were entertained for ten minutes. Painless first day!
After coffee I ran over to a McDonalds a mile away to meet Jill for a quick meeting. She gave me a list of priests that I was to interview in the following weeks. I then went on a little run. I ended up almost falling into a fountain when I tried to fill up my water bottle. Probably would have felt great though. There is absolutely no air condition anywhere! I met Jill at the Angellicum, one of forty something Vatican Universities. Jill studies there, and I joined one of her classes for fun. I sat next to a priest from Rwanda. He was thrilled I had spent a summer there, and we bonded talking about "banana beer" and the capital, Kigali. After class we went to a great restaurant that has yummy American cheeseburgers. A few priests joined Jill and me.
I got to bed, and looked forward to meeting my new class friends at the cafe by school before Italian!
Seven people. That's it. Seven people including me. So this was a maximum six friend potential classroom. One girl is Italian and can fluently speak Italian. To say she's not really looking to make friends is a nice way to put it. One guy wears completely all black-t-shirt, pants, shoes, socks all black. I've now been in school for two weeks... His outfit has not changed once. I'm curious how many of the same shirt and pants he has? Does he rotate or just wears the same thing every single day? I quickly noticed the kid in the corner with the British accent. Ends up Cody is "my first friends' " (Rusty, Brendan, and Joe) other roommate! His family is from London, and he goes to American in DC. There was a girl next to him... I instantly liked her. We quickly bonded over our lacking Italian skills! Dominique was a tall blonde who plays volleyball at Gettysburg. A nice gay couple came in late. They have yet to come to class on time once. Dominique, Cody, and I went to get coffee right after class.
For the first time ever, I was not the weakest link in my Italian class. The girl that speaks fluent Italian obviously makes every other American in the class look bad, but other than that I was on par with the rest of the group. My teacher is incredibly sweet. We got a chance to ask her questions... I decided to spice up class a little and ask when the first time she fell in love was... she smiled and we all were entertained for ten minutes. Painless first day!
After coffee I ran over to a McDonalds a mile away to meet Jill for a quick meeting. She gave me a list of priests that I was to interview in the following weeks. I then went on a little run. I ended up almost falling into a fountain when I tried to fill up my water bottle. Probably would have felt great though. There is absolutely no air condition anywhere! I met Jill at the Angellicum, one of forty something Vatican Universities. Jill studies there, and I joined one of her classes for fun. I sat next to a priest from Rwanda. He was thrilled I had spent a summer there, and we bonded talking about "banana beer" and the capital, Kigali. After class we went to a great restaurant that has yummy American cheeseburgers. A few priests joined Jill and me.
I got to bed, and looked forward to meeting my new class friends at the cafe by school before Italian!
Roses
I woke up early on Sunday to get myself to the Pantheon. Once a year on Pentecost there is a special mass in the Pantheon. Fire fighters climb on the outside of the dome and drop millions of rose petals from through the hole (142 feet diameter) at the end of mass. It was well worth waking up early; the rose petals rained down at the conclusion of mass. My high school Latin teacher, Mrs. Cushman, would have been so proud that I attended! Once the priests (over a hundred of them) processed out, the alter server kids got to play in the roses with everyone else. The entire floor of the Pantheon was covered in rose petals. All together it was pretty spectacular. After Jill and I joined some of her friends for Chinese food which wasn't half as bad as I would expect Chinese food in Rome to be!
I moved all my stuff, once again. This time, I was moved to a convent, no joke! The convent, run by nuns, rents out rooms to make money. It is in an excellent location, right outside the Vatican and a 15 minute walk to my university, John Cabot. I was in awe with how beautiful the view was from my bedroom window. The convent sits on a very steep hill that I get to climb up twenty times a day. Consequently, it over looks all of Rome! For dinner, I walked to a panini shop near my school and got a salami sandwich and a beer. I walked around the town surrounding my new home and enjoyed my dinner! As it turns out I ended up living in the convent for a solid two weeks! I quickly be-friended a little old nun, Amelia. She only speaks Italian; therefore, our conversations are pretty mundane. I thought I was her favorite because she calls me Bella, meaning beautiful. A few days later I heard her call a girl bellissima, the most beautiful. Ouch.
I moved all my stuff, once again. This time, I was moved to a convent, no joke! The convent, run by nuns, rents out rooms to make money. It is in an excellent location, right outside the Vatican and a 15 minute walk to my university, John Cabot. I was in awe with how beautiful the view was from my bedroom window. The convent sits on a very steep hill that I get to climb up twenty times a day. Consequently, it over looks all of Rome! For dinner, I walked to a panini shop near my school and got a salami sandwich and a beer. I walked around the town surrounding my new home and enjoyed my dinner! As it turns out I ended up living in the convent for a solid two weeks! I quickly be-friended a little old nun, Amelia. She only speaks Italian; therefore, our conversations are pretty mundane. I thought I was her favorite because she calls me Bella, meaning beautiful. A few days later I heard her call a girl bellissima, the most beautiful. Ouch.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Bar della Malva
Bars in Italy are cafes. You go to a bar for a cappuccino (or if you are me, four cappuccinos). When I say I found a great bar, all it means is a cute cafe. Our favorite bar by school is Bar della Malva. John Cabot students receive a free coffee every morning, and a 15% discount along with free wifi! It's the place to be. In Duke I have Alpine, In Charlotte my corner Starbucks, and here-Malva. But, do not be mistaken. You do still drink in "bars." In fact, you drink every where. Meetings are over a few cold Peronis (Italian beer). After school on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you go have a glass of wine. Or if there are two of you, a bottle. I've already had drinks with priests and nuns discussing work and whatnot. One of my favorite nights was having a few beers with priests and explaining "Pandora." They were fascinated with the "magic" radio stations booming from Jill and I's blackberries that seemed to know every single song they loved. You drink alcohol in Italy, like you check your email in the States.
It was no surprise to me, that I made my first American friends over a few bottles of wine!
On Thursday, I went to my school John Cabot University in Trastevere to check in and get my student on ID. I am taking an Italian class to maximize my time in Italy and get a requirement out of the way! It also ended up being a great way to meet some American friends my age. I signed in, took a deep breath, and walked into the bar where the "John Cabot Meet and Greet" was being held. I had forgotten that butterfly feeling of walking into a room of strangers, not knowing where to sit with your food, and trying to look like you belong! I started thinking... My parents really never put me in a new school alone, except when we moved to Boston. When we moved to Charlotte, I had my best friend Alli with me when I walked into St. Gabriels. We were best friends in Boston and got to move to Charlotte and start our new school together! I went to Duke with Chris and had some upperclassmen friends. Basically I could not even remember the last time, I walked into a school without knowing a single person. Luckily, I didn't realize this until I walked into the bar...
Well, I could have used Alli or Chris, but I managed. I saw an open seat next to a group of guys and asked if I could sit. Ends up they were all nice and fun. Within an hour we got up to buy a pizza and some bottles of wine. We sat on a fountain in front of "the oldest church in Rome" (several towns claim they have the oldest church, it's a toss up). We passed one bottle of wine around at a time, and traded stories from home. We took a walk around Rome, and I went to bed sighing with relief that I made three new friends, Brendan, Joe, and Rusty.
On Friday, I went back to the same bar/cafe I had been going to since Wednesday. They upgraded me to a larger cup for my cappuccino! I was making progress :) Not only did I now have three new American friends, Fabio (the middle-aged Italian man), Jill, and a handful of priests... I now had my own little cafe, and I didn't even have to order! When I walked in, the barista started to make my drink while asking about my previous day (in Italian of course).
Feeling good, I walked to school for the official John Cabot Orientation. Well, the boys were assigned the later registration time so it was "make new friend day" all over again. I met a lovely girl from New Orleans whose parents live in Italy, and she was taking a few classes over the summer. We had a school BBQ in the Lemon Tree Courtyard in the middle of the school. I met Jill after the Orientation at the Colosseum. She gives tours throughout ancient Rome, and I followed along and was her "little helper." That night I had to move my over-packed bags to a new hotel. When I got to the hotel, they informed me they had over-reserved rooms, and they were sending me to ANOTHER hotel. They paid for my taxi, and I was off to a different hotel. When I got there around midnight, the hotel restaurant was closed so I took a walk around the city to find some pizza. Ended up at a cute restaurant. Tables are all super close together, and I was sitting practically on top of two men having dinner. One was from America and the other from Italy. The Italian man's daughter worked for the American in America. The American was on vacation and passed through to meet his favorite worker's parents. I ended up just moving my chair and sitting with them. Nice men who gave me some good advice about the easiest way to get to the Vatican the following morning.
On Saturday I woke up super early, bummed I was no where near "my" little cafe to get my daily cappuccino. I had to settle for a new, less friendly cafe. In Italy you drink coffee like shots. You drink at the bar standing up. If you sit down it's over double the price. So I order two, and I drink them with a croissant. Had to move all my bags to the NEXT hotel. After I finally got settled in the hotel I had originally booked, I decided to try the metro. It was easy, and I made it to Jill's tour meeting place. She gave a three hour tour of the Vatican. I can't express how truly captivating her tour was! I can't sit still for thirty minutes in class, and she had me and thirty others complete attention for 180 minutes strolling through Vatican City. She answered good and bad questions with enthusiasm, gave every family advice on where to go after, and even helped a lady look for her lost earring! I admire her patience, and her love for the Vatican spread to every single person on that tour.
Since I have no older siblings, I gladly follow her around. She is truly gifted in her ability to share knowledge! She makes history easy to understand, and her humor and real-life perspective provide great entertainment. After the tour we went to a bar and had a few coffees and a glass of champagne. We then went to her friend's birthday party. At first I was a bit apprehensive to crash the birthday dinner. In Italy, it is not only customary, but encouraged to bring extra guests to parties! What an inclusive environment, hah. I can only Imagine if my mom brought an extra three people to a dinner party in Charlotte? Saying the hosts would be pissed is an understatement. There would be less food, the table would then be off center, the group dynamics-completely ruined... This is just another reason why I love Italy. Good food, good friends, and an inclusive easy going atmosphere! People truly enjoy each others company. They look for reasons to celebrate instead of motives to complain.
The birthday girl was from America, but half her guests were Italian and only spoke Italian. What a real life test. Thanks to my Duke Italian teacher, Della, I managed. The dinner was incredible. It was a five-course meal, and I was full after the first two! Italian dinners can take hours, but Jill mentioned that this one was even longer than normal! We finished dinner around midnight, and I took a cab back to my hotel. The hot shower before bed put me right to sleep.
A domani,
Jessica
It was no surprise to me, that I made my first American friends over a few bottles of wine!
On Thursday, I went to my school John Cabot University in Trastevere to check in and get my student on ID. I am taking an Italian class to maximize my time in Italy and get a requirement out of the way! It also ended up being a great way to meet some American friends my age. I signed in, took a deep breath, and walked into the bar where the "John Cabot Meet and Greet" was being held. I had forgotten that butterfly feeling of walking into a room of strangers, not knowing where to sit with your food, and trying to look like you belong! I started thinking... My parents really never put me in a new school alone, except when we moved to Boston. When we moved to Charlotte, I had my best friend Alli with me when I walked into St. Gabriels. We were best friends in Boston and got to move to Charlotte and start our new school together! I went to Duke with Chris and had some upperclassmen friends. Basically I could not even remember the last time, I walked into a school without knowing a single person. Luckily, I didn't realize this until I walked into the bar...
Well, I could have used Alli or Chris, but I managed. I saw an open seat next to a group of guys and asked if I could sit. Ends up they were all nice and fun. Within an hour we got up to buy a pizza and some bottles of wine. We sat on a fountain in front of "the oldest church in Rome" (several towns claim they have the oldest church, it's a toss up). We passed one bottle of wine around at a time, and traded stories from home. We took a walk around Rome, and I went to bed sighing with relief that I made three new friends, Brendan, Joe, and Rusty.
On Friday, I went back to the same bar/cafe I had been going to since Wednesday. They upgraded me to a larger cup for my cappuccino! I was making progress :) Not only did I now have three new American friends, Fabio (the middle-aged Italian man), Jill, and a handful of priests... I now had my own little cafe, and I didn't even have to order! When I walked in, the barista started to make my drink while asking about my previous day (in Italian of course).
Feeling good, I walked to school for the official John Cabot Orientation. Well, the boys were assigned the later registration time so it was "make new friend day" all over again. I met a lovely girl from New Orleans whose parents live in Italy, and she was taking a few classes over the summer. We had a school BBQ in the Lemon Tree Courtyard in the middle of the school. I met Jill after the Orientation at the Colosseum. She gives tours throughout ancient Rome, and I followed along and was her "little helper." That night I had to move my over-packed bags to a new hotel. When I got to the hotel, they informed me they had over-reserved rooms, and they were sending me to ANOTHER hotel. They paid for my taxi, and I was off to a different hotel. When I got there around midnight, the hotel restaurant was closed so I took a walk around the city to find some pizza. Ended up at a cute restaurant. Tables are all super close together, and I was sitting practically on top of two men having dinner. One was from America and the other from Italy. The Italian man's daughter worked for the American in America. The American was on vacation and passed through to meet his favorite worker's parents. I ended up just moving my chair and sitting with them. Nice men who gave me some good advice about the easiest way to get to the Vatican the following morning.
On Saturday I woke up super early, bummed I was no where near "my" little cafe to get my daily cappuccino. I had to settle for a new, less friendly cafe. In Italy you drink coffee like shots. You drink at the bar standing up. If you sit down it's over double the price. So I order two, and I drink them with a croissant. Had to move all my bags to the NEXT hotel. After I finally got settled in the hotel I had originally booked, I decided to try the metro. It was easy, and I made it to Jill's tour meeting place. She gave a three hour tour of the Vatican. I can't express how truly captivating her tour was! I can't sit still for thirty minutes in class, and she had me and thirty others complete attention for 180 minutes strolling through Vatican City. She answered good and bad questions with enthusiasm, gave every family advice on where to go after, and even helped a lady look for her lost earring! I admire her patience, and her love for the Vatican spread to every single person on that tour.
Since I have no older siblings, I gladly follow her around. She is truly gifted in her ability to share knowledge! She makes history easy to understand, and her humor and real-life perspective provide great entertainment. After the tour we went to a bar and had a few coffees and a glass of champagne. We then went to her friend's birthday party. At first I was a bit apprehensive to crash the birthday dinner. In Italy, it is not only customary, but encouraged to bring extra guests to parties! What an inclusive environment, hah. I can only Imagine if my mom brought an extra three people to a dinner party in Charlotte? Saying the hosts would be pissed is an understatement. There would be less food, the table would then be off center, the group dynamics-completely ruined... This is just another reason why I love Italy. Good food, good friends, and an inclusive easy going atmosphere! People truly enjoy each others company. They look for reasons to celebrate instead of motives to complain.
The birthday girl was from America, but half her guests were Italian and only spoke Italian. What a real life test. Thanks to my Duke Italian teacher, Della, I managed. The dinner was incredible. It was a five-course meal, and I was full after the first two! Italian dinners can take hours, but Jill mentioned that this one was even longer than normal! We finished dinner around midnight, and I took a cab back to my hotel. The hot shower before bed put me right to sleep.
A domani,
Jessica
Buongiorno
"Only bring what you can carry." How many times in a girl's life time does she hear these words? Speaking for myself, i've probably heard that over two-hundred and fifty four times. I've never listened.
I thought I packed perfectly. Two months in Italy and one month in India was going to take up my entire summer. I made little piles all over my room. Even my mom commented that it looked like I had made significant progress in my packing since the semester in Australia. My mom was wrong. I was wrong. My two giant bags were both a solid 20 pounds heavier than they should have been. I also dragged a mini rolly, a big Long Champ, and my favorite purse that Nana gave me. As my dad and I were barely able to drag everything in the airport, he was threatening me under his breath that if they were over weight, I was taking stuff out. But as Gary started chatting it up with the airport bag lady, they discovered their birthdays matched, Tax Day, best day of the year. Not only did my extra 40 pounds make it on the flight without any extra charges, Gary managed to talk his way into seeing me off at the gate. I think i'm the only twenty-one year old that gets a hug from their daddy right before getting on the plane.
I left on Monday, May 17th, on a direct flight to Rome! Great flight. I had the two seats to myself. A nice Italian man across the isle quizzed me on some Italian vocabulary and gave me a list of bars. Surprisingly, the flight attendants were terribly cold. Honestly they were a little old and couldn't fit that easily through the isles. Maybe time for them to retire? One fifty something flighty was trying to flirt with a thirty something Italian man. She was telling him how she was from Florida and was a "beach gal." I was over this lady, and I hit my button for some complimentary water.
I jumped off the plane (now Tuesday) and gathered all my over-weight bags on a one Euro cart and headed out to meet Jill at a nearby cafe. Jill, one of my best friend's older sister, lives and works in Rome. She takes classes at the Angellicum, a Vatican University. She's currently starting a non-profit that helps religiously affiliated people coming to Rome. Jill was also a Public Policy major at Duke. To be a public policy major, you have to complete a public policy internship before your senior year, and Jill invited me to Rome to help her with some projects! I immediately took her up on the opportunity to live in Rome, work for the Vatican, and brush up on my Italian!
Jill brought me to a bed and breakfast near the Vatican. A lovely little Italian family with uno piccolo bambino had two rooms for rent. We dropped off my stuff and got some pizza. We ate delicious pizza on the steps in front of the Vatican and hit up her favorite gelato place on the way back to the B&B. I got a nice nap before taking my first solo trip on the bus system to meet Jill. One of Jill's friends, a priest, invited us to a dinner party at his friend Fabio's house. Fabio is not a priest, but is friends with these guys so he offered his home so they could cook a fabulous dinner in his kitchen! This was a beautiful area and we had the most amazing Indian food cooked by Pakistani priests! What a memorable first night and dinner in Rome! Fabio offered to drive Jill and me back. I got my first experience riding in the car with an Italian man. He even put my dad to shame. We whizzed past monuments, up hills, and through mini ally ways. I always close my eyes when the car turns on a road that I can't personally imagine fitting in, nevertheless a car!
On Wednesday I slept in and walked around Rome by myself. I found a little cafe and had my first chat in Italian.
I am six hours ahead of Eastern American time here. Around 1pm I start receiving emails from my mom. In the late afternoon, I finally hear from friends! Sometimes if I wake up early enough, I can still catch my friends on bbm out at a bar!
Ciao!
Jessica
I thought I packed perfectly. Two months in Italy and one month in India was going to take up my entire summer. I made little piles all over my room. Even my mom commented that it looked like I had made significant progress in my packing since the semester in Australia. My mom was wrong. I was wrong. My two giant bags were both a solid 20 pounds heavier than they should have been. I also dragged a mini rolly, a big Long Champ, and my favorite purse that Nana gave me. As my dad and I were barely able to drag everything in the airport, he was threatening me under his breath that if they were over weight, I was taking stuff out. But as Gary started chatting it up with the airport bag lady, they discovered their birthdays matched, Tax Day, best day of the year. Not only did my extra 40 pounds make it on the flight without any extra charges, Gary managed to talk his way into seeing me off at the gate. I think i'm the only twenty-one year old that gets a hug from their daddy right before getting on the plane.
I left on Monday, May 17th, on a direct flight to Rome! Great flight. I had the two seats to myself. A nice Italian man across the isle quizzed me on some Italian vocabulary and gave me a list of bars. Surprisingly, the flight attendants were terribly cold. Honestly they were a little old and couldn't fit that easily through the isles. Maybe time for them to retire? One fifty something flighty was trying to flirt with a thirty something Italian man. She was telling him how she was from Florida and was a "beach gal." I was over this lady, and I hit my button for some complimentary water.
I jumped off the plane (now Tuesday) and gathered all my over-weight bags on a one Euro cart and headed out to meet Jill at a nearby cafe. Jill, one of my best friend's older sister, lives and works in Rome. She takes classes at the Angellicum, a Vatican University. She's currently starting a non-profit that helps religiously affiliated people coming to Rome. Jill was also a Public Policy major at Duke. To be a public policy major, you have to complete a public policy internship before your senior year, and Jill invited me to Rome to help her with some projects! I immediately took her up on the opportunity to live in Rome, work for the Vatican, and brush up on my Italian!
Jill brought me to a bed and breakfast near the Vatican. A lovely little Italian family with uno piccolo bambino had two rooms for rent. We dropped off my stuff and got some pizza. We ate delicious pizza on the steps in front of the Vatican and hit up her favorite gelato place on the way back to the B&B. I got a nice nap before taking my first solo trip on the bus system to meet Jill. One of Jill's friends, a priest, invited us to a dinner party at his friend Fabio's house. Fabio is not a priest, but is friends with these guys so he offered his home so they could cook a fabulous dinner in his kitchen! This was a beautiful area and we had the most amazing Indian food cooked by Pakistani priests! What a memorable first night and dinner in Rome! Fabio offered to drive Jill and me back. I got my first experience riding in the car with an Italian man. He even put my dad to shame. We whizzed past monuments, up hills, and through mini ally ways. I always close my eyes when the car turns on a road that I can't personally imagine fitting in, nevertheless a car!
On Wednesday I slept in and walked around Rome by myself. I found a little cafe and had my first chat in Italian.
I am six hours ahead of Eastern American time here. Around 1pm I start receiving emails from my mom. In the late afternoon, I finally hear from friends! Sometimes if I wake up early enough, I can still catch my friends on bbm out at a bar!
Ciao!
Jessica
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