October 2009
4 posts
Cairo, Egypt
This city is dirty, hazed by smog, hard to deal with, and amazing.
Last night at 1:00 in the morning Ariel, one of her roommates, and me went to the airport to pick up her friend Liz who also came to visit. We decided to dress in the traditional Muslim hijab, or head scarf, because it is much safer to be a Muslim woman in Cairo than simply a woman. Egyptian men are very derogatory towards...
Italian Politics
Its been fascinating studying politics in Rome. The system here, while constitutionally designed similar to the USA, functions very differently. I have been enjoying learning all about it in my classes and I am trying to stay updated with the local politics. Politics plays such a large role in Italian life that it is hard to ignore it, especially when I live next to the Senate and a block away...
September 2009
8 posts
Venice
I just got back from Venice and it was a trip I will always remember. The city is so unique that it is difficult to imagine its splendor and charm if you have never been. The girls and I had breakfast at Café Florian, the first place in Venice to sell coffee back in 1720, (that’s a whole lot of caffeine!) On Saturday we climbed to the top of the bell tower and the view was sensational. Afterwards...
Caravaggio
Today for my Baroque Rome class we saw all of the Caravaggio paintings that are still insitu in Rome today. We went to three churches and marveled at the paintings. I was astonished by his talent. I always appreciated Caravaggio’s tenebrism but have never fully understood its magnificent affects until I was standing directly in front of his works. It amazed me. The way light was painted and...
Ischia
I just got back from the island of Ischia, which is right off the cost of Napoli, above Capri. Ischia is bigger than Capri, and less touristy, which is why I chose to make it my first trip. We left the apartment at 6:30 am for a 7:30 train to Naples. We arrived in Naples around 9:30 and decided to get something to eat. We began to look for a café when we saw a local down a side street and...
Its been a while.
Well as you all probably would have expected once classes started up I have had a little less time to blog. But here I am, back in action. My classes are going well. After the first week I was a little worried I wasn’t going to enjoy them the second week has gone quite will. I guess that just teaches me a well needed lesson in the Italian lifestyle: don’t worry much, things work themselves out. I...
I just made my first espresso and now I’m wired!
Io amo Italia!
In Summary...
Today I ate LOTS of gelato.
August 2009
8 posts
Slowly learning to become a Roman
Sundays are quite in Italy. I woke up planning to go shopping for some notebooks since classes start tomorrow but when we got to the store around one o’clock in the afternoon we found it closed. Melanie, Briana, and I then walked back to the Pantheon. On our way we stopped in a little boutique called Lala to browse around. The shop sold hair barrettes and headbands and some very pretty necklaces....
Tonight was amazing
I spoke Italian, and I don’t even know Italian.
Tonight, my four roommates and I decided to go for a walk down the street. Three blocks later we found ourselves standing at the Trevi Fountain. I immediately ran too it, awe struck, and feeling a little silly off of the wine I bought at the supermercato early that day. We drank it out on the balcony, (straight out of the bottles since we have no...
My first day as a Roman
First day in Rome.
I stepped of the airplane in Rome a little after 9 o’clock AM (local time) and had to wait around for a little while before the new study abroad students got shipped off to John Cabot University campus. I have never had a car ride quite like that one before. No one is joking when they say Italian drivers are insane. I thought, no less than 18 times on the ride from the...
A Roma!
I’m sitting in the airport, approximately two hours before my flight leaves for Rome. I have a million thoughts streaming through my head, which is about 3 million fewer thoughts than I have had circling for the past few weeks. I ask myself questions like: Is my Mom in tears as she drives away from the airport with the rest of the family? … When will this awful pain in my neck go away?...
“For every traveler who has any taste of his own, the only useful guidebook will...”
– Aldous Huxley
Preparations Begin
I have begun researching places to go and things to see! I went to the Medway Public Library and have checked out a few travel guides and have started to write down (in my make-you-own moleskin-covered guide book my big sent to me!) all sorts of places and tips and things to do while in Italy. Thanks so much to those who have contributed to my guide book so far. If anyone else has and tid-bits...
July 2009
1 post
Class Schedule (Tentative)
Ancient Rome and Its Monuments (on site) Baroque Rome and Its Monuments (on site) Italian 101 American Foreign Policy Italian Politics & Society
I am currently registered for all the courses above but I am still working on moving some around. Ideally, I would like to take Free Speech in a Comparative Perspective but, the course conflicts with section of Ancient Rome and Its Monuments I am...