So I haven't written in a bit of time because I have been on the move non-stop since I parked myself in la residenza in Rome. There have been days where I don't even use the Internet, which really a bad thing because everyone needs a break. I am on my way to catching up and I have confidence that it'll happen slowly but surely. To make it easier for me and you I will break some things down in categories...
TRANSPORTATION:
The past two weeks have been filled with rides in and out of the city on both the Metro and the bus. At this point we have sweat off the equivalent of our body weights and continue to do so just with sitting in our rooms. The humidity varies, but it is mostly high and unbearable. The worst part about it is getting on the Metro and the bus and having to squish in between other sweaty people and rubbing body parts with complete strangers. We make it through in one piece most of the time but it is not pleasant.
The only way we can get into the city for class, for shopping, for fun is if we take the hour long transportation adventure, so we deal. Each of us complains just about every minute and by the time we get back to la residenza we fight for the showers and don't go near each other until we're washed up.
ACADEMICS:
The discussions we have been attending are absolutely incredible. Each professor that speaks to our group has a way of engaging us in a way that includes each of our interest and each of our backgrounds both culturally and academically. We have two classes a day- one starting early in the morning and one starting right before dinner around 4:30/5. Each is two hours long. Each is right before a meal, which makes it hard to concentrate. There have been times where one or two of us start to doze off and totally zone out of the whole Italian speaking thing. It's not an easy thing to do. My Italian will definitely improve after this month though, so that's what I'm looking forward to.
We have met many important people thus far including US Embassy people, political advisers, media affiliates, Roman history experts, etc. The list goes on and it will continue to grow through the end of July.
FOOD:
Let's talk about how great the food in the cafeteria is here because we are crazy obsessed with the choices and how consistent the deliciousness of it is! We look forward to our pranzo (lunch) and our dinner meals in la mensa (cafeteria) and make sure to always be on time. They know we're the Americans because somehow we end up getting to the mensa 10 minutes before it even opens. Our stomachs need to be fed!
For me, they always serve a vegetable, salad, fruit and sometimes even rice and of course the usual pasta dish. There are always options and the little olive oil, vinegar and seasoning table helps the dishes come to life. We can add whatever seasoning we want and make our dishes personalized. For me, I usually blend together a carb, a salad and some fruit and mix it all together in one huge bowl and chow down until not even oil and vinegar is left at the bottom. Pretty amazing...don't worry the workout routine I have here keeps me fit and the food doesn't affect me I make sure to keep on top of it.
RECREATION:
Although we walk a lot and get our exercise that way, there are other ways we can work out and stay healthy to counteract our consumption of a lot of pasta and gelato. There is a fantastic gym in the basement of la residenza, however I like to call it the unofficial sauna because every time I work out in there regardless of the length of time- I sweat. I sweat as if I were sitting in a 120 degree sauna...as if I chose to sit in a boiling room with no ventilation and no relief whatsoever. The positive effects is that my pores are nice and clean and my body releases plenty of toxins while working out- it's a 50/50 experience.
The other students want me to start an exercise regime and teach an exercise class, so I said sure why not! We'll see if that works out...
The World Cup has been one of the main forms of entertainment for our group. We get together in one of the coolest rooms in the building to watch the games and sit with the other Italian and international students living here. It's fun to argue about teams with them and to cheer even if there's no reason. Now that it's getting toward the end, we have been taking our viewing parties outside the building. We watched the Holland and Uruguay game at a Piazza in the city with about 500+ people. It was so exciting! They had a huge screen with a stage and concession stands all around. We witnessed the Holland victory and celebrated with the fans after with a nice dance party in the middle of the piazza. It was priceless.
Other forms of recreation and fun available to us:
1. trips into the city
2. checking out the historical sites of Rome
3. taking a walk to get gelato
4. exploring the nightlife in Rome
5. enjoying the music and discoteca scene that Europe has to offer
6. taking trips to nearby beaches and hot spots near Rome
MUSIC
Speaking of music and the discoteca scene...
So far the top 5 hottest song of this summer are:
1. "Waka Waka"- Shakira
2. "Stereo Love"-Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina
3. "Alors On Danse"- Stromae
4. "We No Speak Americano"- Yolanda Be Cool and DCup
5. "Fight for this Love"- Cheryl Cole
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