Adventures and Sick Days

An update is long overdue, I know. I've been too busy making friends with some Italians, known as my bed and apartment walls. They are very friendly and have seen me at my worst. We don't even have to use words anymore. Last Sunday began this lovely, yet clingy relationship. I wish they would give me some breathing room. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to leave the apartment for more than 3 hours. I think my apartment was jealous of my love for the country outside these 4 walls and decided to pass the worst Italian cold onto me through my hotel walls in Pollino. Yes, inanimate objects can be this sneaky. All that aside, I do have some swollen tonsils and an all around sickly body, but between Advil, antibiotics, tea and honey, and some wonderfully nurturing friends, I am on the path to health. Hopefully this will be the last of my sick days. I've missed far too much school and opportunities to explore.

Last week provided me with more pleasant days, such as exploring ancient ruins under one of the oldest churches in Rome and traveling to Pollino in Southern Italy. One of my favorite parts of school in Rome is our close proximity to history and art. No need to look at pictures in books. In my Roman Emperors class, we took an excursion to San Crisogono Church.

 We went down these stairs into another time, the door even closed behind us. I thought we might not make it back out into 2010.

 

bones of a saint where put here, close to another object, such as a piece of cloth, to turn that object into a relic

Very old fresco

 Tomb of a poet or musician because the muses are depicted on the side.

Pirates?!

 

 Ruins from the Byzantine Empire

 Just hanging out with a 1500 year old pillar. A typical day in Rome.

i'm saving Pollino for when I can steal some of my friends' pictures. I'll add them in my next update!

When in Rome

This past weekend started off with a bit of an emergency when one of my roommates, Courtney, accidentally burst her eardrum with a Q tip. Nina, another of my roommates, and I rushed her to the hospital, and by rushed I mean waited 20 minutes for the next train to come. It proved to be stressful and frustrating with the language barrier and long wait. We watched NCIS in Italian on the waiting room TV and speculated the possibility of the man waiting with us being in the mafia. Ok, the latter was only me and my imagination, but he dressed the part and it looked like his hand injury was from punching someone. After almost 3 hours, the doctor saw Courtney for about 5 minutes to tell her the ear specialist was not there, so she had to come back the next morning, and they prescribed her some antibiotics. She’ll be fully healed in 2 months, but she can’t do much in the meantime. Kind of a downer, but better now than later since she’s a swimmer and goes back to school midseason.

We remedied the negative energy with some shopping on Via del Corso. Of course most stores were out of our price range, though we were not even on the most expensive street, but we had fun window shopping and discovering the more reasonably priced stores. I found a few gems that could equal a tragedy on my money situation if I did not have more self-control. I broke down a little in H&M, our last stop, and bought black pants a la Audrey Hepburn. How could I turn those down? Perfect for when I visit the gelateria from Roman Holiday. From H&M, we turned the corner and stumbled upon the perfect little ristorante, Hostaria Al Vantaggio. 

I enjoyed the most delicious meal yet of risotto and house herbs, while we were serenaded by an accordion player. Oh yeah and don’t forget the tiramisu and the nutella gelato from earlier in the day. Let me pause to enforce the stereotype of Italy’s food groups: gelato, pasta, pizza, and caprese (tomato/mozzarella combination). This could easily be all I eat for the next 3 months.

Sunday and yesterday after class were filled with tours of the Colosseo and Palantine Hill (According to Roman mythology, where Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded Rome. Also, the centermost of Rome's seven hills). Typical tourist activities, but these are necessary at least a few times. I know I’m a true Roman underneath my excited picture taking and childlike awe of the monuments. I feel so privileged to explore ancient ruins after class. When in Rome! We couldn’t find the tour for Palantine Hill, so guess who came in handy? Lonely Planet! Talked us the whole way through. I wish Palatine Hill was free, because I would come regularly to read a book or do homework. Maybe even write a book of historical fiction. It’s pretty inspiring. I can imagine emperors from ancient times inhabiting those immense, opulent halls.

I will leave you with 2 style tips I’ve picked up:

For men: Don’t be caught without your side bag/satchel/purse (which ever word you prefer), a bonus if it is designer, such as Gucci.

For women: Heels, preferably wedges with all the cobblestone here, are a must, even on your vespa.

Roman Desert

Our first Friday and what did we decide to do? Beach, you guessed it. I'm soaking up more sun here than I ever do in California. I adore it though. And in true Taylor style, this beach outing led to an adventure. We ended up on the wrong bus from the train station and discovered a new beach. The water and sand were gorgeous and the sky was dotted with the colorful sails of wind surfers. We practically rolled in the sand we were so happy with our fairytale discovery. It was only after playing in the waves that we realized the same wind that drew the wind surfers also wreaked havoc on us beach goers. The wind was so strong it blew sand everywhere, and i do mean everywhere: in our purses, on my camera, on my water bottle mouth piece, all over our towels, in our ears, in our eyes, in our hair (I just washed a sandbox down our shower drain), and etc. Think an 80 degree desert with an ocean and you've got this beach. The serenity and beauty of the beach won me over the wind though. I hope to visit again!

I would like to point out that I am sitting on my "towel" in this picture!

Other than the beach, I have been a diligent student, going to far more hours of class than I do at APU, 20 hours vs. 12. I'm promise I'm not complaining. I love my classes, although I already switched Political and Economic Systems for Renaissance and Baroque Art and I might switch Archeology for Roman Emperors. Italian is my favorite class so far. We went to the market at Campo di Fiori to learn the names of fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices and I thought I had gone to heaven. The food looks so wonderful and fresh. I just want to eat it all! I'm also easily sucked into the novelty items, such as lemon juice extractors and devices that make curly q's out of veggies. I resisted this time. Next time, maybe not.

The rest of my spare time has been spent having dinner parties at friend's apartments or with my Italian fling, Lonely Planet Rome. You think I'm joking, but I'm not. That travel guide is my new love interest. He knows what I need before I do and always has something intelligent to say. This weekend we might walk hand in hand on one of the walking tours he suggested, go shopping in vintage stores, and share gelato at the same gelateria seen in Roman Holiday. Romantic right? I'll let you know how it goes.

Last Day of Summer, First Day of School

I spent the last day of my summer doing what Californians do best, the beach. It is only a half hour train ride to the Tyrrhenian Sea from Rome, so the beach is closer than sitting through the LA traffic at home. We navigated the railways with no problems, but as soon as we left the train station we learned the hard way that sometimes it is best to follow the crowd. Everyone piled into a jam packed bus, but we decided to walk to beach, calling the Italians lazy. No, they are definitely smarter than us. The public beach is about a 35 minute walk (5 minute bus ride!) from the station. All the other beaches are private and require a fee to enter. I'm from California. I refuse to pay for the beach! We learned our lesson quickly and thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the sun on the black sand and playing in the water. Perfect way to end the summer!

Today I completed my first day of classes, Italian and Photography. This is not just vacation, I actually have to do some school work. There goes my dreamlike bubble. Pop. So strange to think the first day of my last year of school took place in Italy. No cougar walk, dodging the overflow of freshmen, or stopping to catch up with friends not seen all summer. It was almost like reverting back to freshman year. Everything and everyone is new.
I love my classes though! I can finally start learning this country's beautiful language and maybe have a decent conversation with the locals, the first step in blending in and pretending I'm Italian. Here's some key phrases and words I learned today:

What is your name?  --> Tu Come Ti Chiami?
My name is... --> Io mi chiamo...
How are you? --> Come stai?
I am very well. --> Sto molto bene.
Where do you come from? --> Tu di dove sei?
I am from... --> Io sono di...
Ci vediamo domani/presto --> See you tomorrow/soon

You should all practice some Italian along with me, so we can speak to each other when I get home. I'm determined to soak as much as I can in. I find the language so lovely.

Tomorrow: Italian. Wednesday: Italian, Politics and Economics of the EU, and Masterpieces of the Vatican. Thursday: Italian and Mediterranean Archeology. It's going to be a wonderful semester of classes.

Tivoli

Yesterday, we traveled to Tivoli, about an hours drive from Rome, and visited Villa d'Este. Filled with gorgeous frescoes and breathtaking gardens, the villa provided us with our first real taste of Rome's rich history.

 

Fountain of Neptune (part of it)

My kitty friend, Figaro

Gelato/Coffee break with friends: Izzy, Alli, Linh, and Chelsea

 

First expresso in Italy. So delicious (with half a packet of sugar)

Limone gelato (yes i got both)

My Last 24 Hours In Pictures

Dinner last night. Gnocchi Verdi.

Our regular gelato shop (only one I've been to so far)

Trevi Fountain. I threw a penny in, so I must be coming back to Rome! ;)

Whirlwinds and Butterflies

Tiber River

Day 3 of Rome and I finally have internet! It's been so hard not to share my experiences with anyone at home yet! So here it is, first days of Rome in brief:

Where I am currently sitting in my room. I love the green shutters!

The first day consisted of a sleep deprived, yet wonderful ride through the most romantic city. I call it my perfect man: classy,  charming, romantic, artsy, a little edge, a good cook, and warmth all around, therefore instant butterflies and love at first sight. There is such harmony in the ancient buildings and ruins running into the modern. First, we were dropped off at our apartments, and then whisked off to dinner at a cute pizzeria with even cuter waiters (all the girls were swooning over one in particular). Here's my first meal, bruschetta and margarita pizza!

When my roommates and I came back that night, we encountered the major challenge of the day: unlocking our door. Maybe it was our lack of sleep, but it took us about 15 minutes before we finally cracked the lock. Then that night we discovered the cons of living by the train. I bolted awake at about 2 am, not entirely sure where I was, but afraid a train was running right through our bedroom window. Last night I fell asleep to my ipod and found sleeping through the night much easier.

Roommates!

The days have been filled with lots of orientation…  helpful, but oh so tiring. The only thought on my mind is exploring and eating gelato! Three of my roommates and I were able to fulfill my latter wish last night. Delicious! I chose chocolate and Nutella. The owner was a charming, middle-aged man with google translator on his laptop! We asked him to explain what all the flavors were and he was very patient and helpful, even giving us samples. A customer came in and let one of us try a nutty flavor he ordered. So warm and friendly! I can assure you that gelato shop will be a regular occurrence. No pictures of the gelato though I hate to say. I’m already failing at photographing my food. It is just too wonderful that I eat it all before the thought of a picture crosses my mind! 

Today we visited a farm in the countryside just outside of Rome and I made certain to capture our lunch. It was 3 courses with dessert, coffee, and dessert liquore (limoncella, a little strong for me).

After lunch we went food shopping in the market. Everything was grown or made on the farm. Dream come true. I bought my first bottle of wine, olive oil, pesto, grapes (best I've ever tasted), tomatoes, and apples. Now I need some bread, cheese, and pasta!

I'm excited for jetlag to subside and have more time to explore the city without a strict schedule!

Love to you all! I miss everyone already! Come visit. Seriously. Italy is magical.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!

This is my 2:30 am, have to be up in 2 hours, but too excited to sleep face. 

ROME ROME ROME

Last dinner in the USA: melt in your mouth Filet Mignon and delicious veggies

Listening to: Paolo Nutini (he's Italian. perfect.)

Excited because I can fit 2 more pairs of shoes, my pillow, and art supplies in my suitcases... with room to spare. Packing might have come late, but it was done well thanks to the expertise and helpful hands of Corinne Medeiros (so glad you could be home for me and Lauryn!).

Also, shout out to my lovely friends Shiva and Whitney who ended up home this weekend and could send me off. So wonderful!

My next post will be in Roma!

Kindred Spirits

"Kindred Spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." Anne of Green Gables

The more I venture beyond the boundaries of my hometown, the more I find such wisdom in this. From my time at APU to my time in Nepal, there are some people who have become a part of my very soul. Our lives intertwine, even for a moment, but the impressions on our hearts last forever. Today I felt the strong urge to flip my Bible to Esther and I my eyes met a dried red flower and a word: boldness. The flower, given to me by a girl who never left my side at Morning Star children's home in Nepal, represents so many memories and joys from the kindred spirits I encountered in that beautiful, broken country. My whole body sighed because I miss it in ways words can not express.

Me, Simrun (the girl who gave me the flower), and Tika (bottom)

 My handwritten "Boldness" embodies the theme of many lessons learned in Nepal.

"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

I could go into lots of detail and make this blog super long, but no one likes to read anymore so I will just sum it up with: "For such a time as this" With every step, possess boldness, like Esther (it's an amazing story, go read it if you haven't), for you have a purpose and importance in this world. Don't let it pass you by while you are too consumed with fear or worry. Our spirits connect with others "for such a time as this" and we should dare to allow them. Rome holds kindred spirits who my heart longs to embrace. I will miss the love I experience here, in California, daily, but I am anxious to find new love in Rome, even if this new love is contained within my gelato cup or a frame in a museum.

4 more days and I am just beginning to pack, and by pack I mean throwing things in piles on my bedroom floor I hope will all fit into my suitcases. Of course I want to bring everything, I usually have a whole car's worth of space and weight limit? what? Well, at least my "To Do" list is shrinking quite rapidly. Bio test passed. Euros picked up from bank. Little necessities bought. New laptop case made.

It has an elephant. Would you expect less? :)

And now back to "packing"...