Things Get Interesting
Jun. 29th, 2007 07:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
transomwhiplassThursday was the longest walking tour. Ever. We went all over town visiting mostly churches and a couple palazzos. I don't know how many miles we walked but the tour lasted over 10 hours with only a one hour break for lunch. I was so exhausted and jet-lagged that every time I sat down in a church, I completely fell asleep! I was also pretty tired because I woke up at 4 AM and just couldn't get back to sleep. I'm a little worried about my eating routine here. Food has been so expensive and I've grown so accustomed to eating healthy in Eugene. I have my whole routine down. It's hard to know what's good for you when everything is in Italian. Sure I can read a lot of things, but unfortunately, I forgot to look up my favorite words like "fiber", "protein", etc. Also, if they give you an nutritional label that specifies a content smaller than the entire container, it's often in 100 mL form (SO: that's a 1/4 jar of Nutella, mind you). Forget serving recommendations here. I did bond the other day with a former track girl named Martina on the train about nutrition. I also found out there is a health food store somewhere. Maybe she would care to join me. I don't know how long a human being can survive off popcorn and nectarines..
Yesterday was pretty awesome, I have to say. If more days (80%+, we'll say) are like it, this will be an amazing trip. I just had a rough start with unprecedented bouts of homesickness. We just had fun yesterday. In the morning, we got up and went to the Vatican for the Feast of St. Peter--a huge holiday here, bigger than Christmas! Expecting to just check out a Time's square like event and head out--we were drawn into the building in a huge but rapidly moving line. We entered the Basilica around 9:30 AM right as the service began. Suddenly, in front of us, the Church of Cardinals processed out in full regalia followed by Pope Benedict (SO: or Papa Ratzinger, as they call him here) himself! We were a mere fifteen feet away. I feel like I left a lot of religion behind in Catholic school, but it was still a profoundly, emotional experience. We stayed for awhile and took more pictures before heading back.
In the afternoon, we caught the train to Bracianno, a steep town next to a gorgeously crystal clear lake. Apparently Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes were married at the castle on the top of the hill. It was surreal. I had my first Italian meal--fettucine e pomodori with wine--a vino bianco (very apple-y). The food was okay but completely amplified by the experience of eating it on this beautiful lake. I went swimming for the first time in ages. Then, we lounged in chairs before heading back up the huge hill. As we reached the platform, we were reunited with the seven or so others who had left an hour earlier to get back into town for various reasons. Apparently, our train still wasn't due for another 40 minutes and they were just stranded. In the meantime, a few of us went back to a grocery and bought drinks to pass the time. I drank a 66 mL Italian beer on a train platform. That was enough of an experience to make a day. Not to mention, it was a 1/3rd the price of the same beer in our neighborhood. It was pretty much the best day for all of us except Pete. Poor Pete.
First, no one woke him up and told him about the Vatican, so he missed out on the Pope. Then, no one told him we were going to use our Roma Passes that day instead of buying bus tickets. He didn't have any money so he went to the ATM and took out 200 Euro, I watched/shielded him as he put the wad off bills into his money belt). We missed a bus waiting for him and then the first train from Trastevere station. In Bracianno, he missed his once-in-a-trip opportunity to talk to his sister over video conference because of the train delay. Then, on the bus back to the Campo, a pregnant woman pickpocketed him and he left the train to yell at her and her accomplices. It was so horrible and I wish I could have done something--I watched him get surrounded by a crush of people when the doors opened and only offered a half smile as we all retreated to the less-crowded middle of the bus. It was a wake-up call for all of us.
Last night, people went to the bars but I gave myself an introverted allowance after compelling myself to stay busy and social all day. I talked to Colin for about an hour and he was perfectly sweet, positive and encouraging about the entire trip (like I could expect less). Ha, except I don't know who he was trying to convince--even though he was definitely saying all the right things. <3 It feels like I've been here so much longer than a week. I'm sure the days will start flying by soon. Things are starting to get differentiated in my mind and I am definitely becoming more oriented in my surroundings. I know that I'm so lucky to be here, I just wish that the people I miss were here with me too. I'm starting to remember my introverted foibles that I had to force myself to overcome. I thought I grew out of them but really I've just been nestled in lately and have gotten really lucky at finding a number of kindred spirits in my usual communities. Everyone seems so different here but I'm starting to find similarities, as usual, since I've been coming out of my shell. Gee did the beer and wine we drank the other night make me a Chatty Kathy. I know that things will be alright, or, as they should be. That is my mantra after all.
By the way! I got into my first choice studio with Mark Gillem! I AM SO EXCITED! The project here doesn't really appeal too much to me. I'm hoping it's more of a formality than anything else. After all, studios aren't just about design. they are about learning to work with others, figuring out how to lead a pack to a decision, getting oriented and inspired from the context (which will often be foreign, in some fashion). I know I'm going to learn a lot and this has already become a huge lesson of self. Well, we are probably going to go to the beach soon so I'm going to take off.
Yesterday was pretty awesome, I have to say. If more days (80%+, we'll say) are like it, this will be an amazing trip. I just had a rough start with unprecedented bouts of homesickness. We just had fun yesterday. In the morning, we got up and went to the Vatican for the Feast of St. Peter--a huge holiday here, bigger than Christmas! Expecting to just check out a Time's square like event and head out--we were drawn into the building in a huge but rapidly moving line. We entered the Basilica around 9:30 AM right as the service began. Suddenly, in front of us, the Church of Cardinals processed out in full regalia followed by Pope Benedict (SO: or Papa Ratzinger, as they call him here) himself! We were a mere fifteen feet away. I feel like I left a lot of religion behind in Catholic school, but it was still a profoundly, emotional experience. We stayed for awhile and took more pictures before heading back.
In the afternoon, we caught the train to Bracianno, a steep town next to a gorgeously crystal clear lake. Apparently Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes were married at the castle on the top of the hill. It was surreal. I had my first Italian meal--fettucine e pomodori with wine--a vino bianco (very apple-y). The food was okay but completely amplified by the experience of eating it on this beautiful lake. I went swimming for the first time in ages. Then, we lounged in chairs before heading back up the huge hill. As we reached the platform, we were reunited with the seven or so others who had left an hour earlier to get back into town for various reasons. Apparently, our train still wasn't due for another 40 minutes and they were just stranded. In the meantime, a few of us went back to a grocery and bought drinks to pass the time. I drank a 66 mL Italian beer on a train platform. That was enough of an experience to make a day. Not to mention, it was a 1/3rd the price of the same beer in our neighborhood. It was pretty much the best day for all of us except Pete. Poor Pete.
First, no one woke him up and told him about the Vatican, so he missed out on the Pope. Then, no one told him we were going to use our Roma Passes that day instead of buying bus tickets. He didn't have any money so he went to the ATM and took out 200 Euro, I watched/shielded him as he put the wad off bills into his money belt). We missed a bus waiting for him and then the first train from Trastevere station. In Bracianno, he missed his once-in-a-trip opportunity to talk to his sister over video conference because of the train delay. Then, on the bus back to the Campo, a pregnant woman pickpocketed him and he left the train to yell at her and her accomplices. It was so horrible and I wish I could have done something--I watched him get surrounded by a crush of people when the doors opened and only offered a half smile as we all retreated to the less-crowded middle of the bus. It was a wake-up call for all of us.
Last night, people went to the bars but I gave myself an introverted allowance after compelling myself to stay busy and social all day. I talked to Colin for about an hour and he was perfectly sweet, positive and encouraging about the entire trip (like I could expect less). Ha, except I don't know who he was trying to convince--even though he was definitely saying all the right things. <3 It feels like I've been here so much longer than a week. I'm sure the days will start flying by soon. Things are starting to get differentiated in my mind and I am definitely becoming more oriented in my surroundings. I know that I'm so lucky to be here, I just wish that the people I miss were here with me too. I'm starting to remember my introverted foibles that I had to force myself to overcome. I thought I grew out of them but really I've just been nestled in lately and have gotten really lucky at finding a number of kindred spirits in my usual communities. Everyone seems so different here but I'm starting to find similarities, as usual, since I've been coming out of my shell. Gee did the beer and wine we drank the other night make me a Chatty Kathy. I know that things will be alright, or, as they should be. That is my mantra after all.
By the way! I got into my first choice studio with Mark Gillem! I AM SO EXCITED! The project here doesn't really appeal too much to me. I'm hoping it's more of a formality than anything else. After all, studios aren't just about design. they are about learning to work with others, figuring out how to lead a pack to a decision, getting oriented and inspired from the context (which will often be foreign, in some fashion). I know I'm going to learn a lot and this has already become a huge lesson of self. Well, we are probably going to go to the beach soon so I'm going to take off.
