Hospitality

I have now made it possible to post comments on the site. If you look on the bottom of each post, it should say the time that it was posted and on the right side say comments. It is grey and if you click on it, it will take you to the individual page for that post and at the bottom of that there will be a comment box. Again, I would love to hear feedback, suggestions on places to go, if I should put up more pictures etc.

Since I've been asked a few times now, here is my classes/ schedule.

1. Italian 101 - meets Mon: 10-10:50; Tues, Wed: 2-2:50; and Fri: 10:30-12:00 This is the only class that meets 4 times a week (I wish it was fridays off so that we could get a jump on traveling, but oh well, I'll live)

2. Ancient Art of Rome - Mon: 3:40 - 4:30; Wed: 9 - 12:30 The Wed class is a walking tour that takes us to different museums, monuments, and sites with our professor as our tour guide. These places will include the Colosseum, the capitoline museums. What I really like about this class is that the professor always puts an architectural twist on everything and building we see. He is very eccentric and very tough (he admits it and an A is anything 80% and above).

3. Public Finance - Tues and Thurs: 4:30 - 5:45 I wish I wasn't taking this because it is incredibly boring, doesn't use the very available city, and slow. We spent the entire last class basically rephrasing that the government and change taxes or its budget to affect the business cycle... Oh well it gives me credit for my major.

4. Exploring Rome: Books, Movies, and You - Thurs: 2 - 4:30 Meeting once a week is a bonus, but I think this will be the most enjoyable and unique class. This class, taught by a professor from Trinity in Connecticut, focuses on how Rome is used in literature, media, and culture. For instance, we watched Three Coins in the Fountainand Roman Holiday in class last week and this next class we get to go and visit the places where it was filmed such as the Trevi Fountain. In two weeks we get to watchGladiator!!!!

5. Internship - Mon: 1:40 - 2:30; TBA I don't have much to say on this yet because I have not been accepted or assigned to a position. I am trying to work at one of two restaurants: one Le Fate in the kitchen, and the other, Da Luigi working with management and waiting tables. I would prefer Le Fate because of the cooking aspect, but would be happy with both.

Now that the logistics are out of the way, let the story telling begin.

Friday was a semi-lazy day. We had double italian classes because we will missing it in 2 weeks to go to florence (La Giostra here I come). For the second italian class we watched a movie, Io non Ha Paura or I'm Not Scared. It was a great movie that showcased the Italian countryside and is the story about a boy who discovers his family is involved in a kidnapping and helps free the boy. It won a ton of awards abroad and in the US as well. The early afternoon/ evening was lethargic, I did the majority of my homework (the superbowl is today and I don't want to miss that, more on that later) while everyone else slept. Hoping to try somewhere new, a few of us didn't go with the main group; unfortunately, we ended up at the same stupid Insalata Ricca which is good but not for the fourth time already. I justified it that it was a free meal (used a coupon) and that I might as well get them out of the way. The it was back to On The Rox for a couple drinks and then we meandered over to a club called Coyote. 15 euro cover charge put a little hole in the wallet, but I was consoled by the "free" (and by free i mean small and watered down) drink that it included. It was a strange place, the line to get in was long, but we got in quickly and to find the place practically empty. I had full arm distance in all directions in some spots. The entire thing was built into a cave and gave off a erie feeling of claustrophobia. After dancing and drinking for a while, a few of us found that there was a VIP upstairs club that was much better than the bottom, lowly, peasant club on the first floor. Upstairs there was a small bar where the drinks were much larger, the music was modern hip hop (everywhere else the music has been 3 - 6 months old), and the party was packed. The DJ was spinnin, the drinks were pourin, and the dancing was flowin. Hours later it was time to leave and we made our all too familiar walk up the hill to the Hotel.

Saturday, I took my first adventure. After a quick breakfast/ lunch (12:15) of caprese pizza, we returned to the hotel promptly due to a slew of rain. The thunder was the loudest I had ever heard and I wish I had caught it on video, it almost made my room shake. Although not the greatest white noise, I somehow drifted into a restful sleep. Awoken at 3, rain still pounding away, I did some more homework and sought for an opportune time to get out in the city. I felt guilty that I wasn't doing anything, I'm only here for 3 months and need to embrace it each day (the rain makes this a little difficult though). Finally after the sky was done raining cats, and before it started with the dogs, I had my chance. I took off to the subway station by the Circo Massimo (Ben Hur anybody?, funny thing I've never seen it). Three stops on the blue line to Termini and Three stops on the red line (the subway lines form an X, http://www.rome.info/metro/) and I was at Spagna. A two minute walk to my left, the Spanish Steps, two minutes to my right Villa Borghese gardens. The gardens peaceful, serene, and dewey. There were statues everywhere and fountains were abundant. My favorite was the Temple of Aesculapius which sits on a lake full of mallards and boats, where on a sunny day tourists can canoe around. The buildings were large but not extravagant, each of which has turned into a museum of some sort. I had zero cash on me so I couldn't go in anywhere, but it was still nice to walk around. I have no cash, because my pin for my new debit card doesn't work and I am stuck with only a credit card until monday or tuesday. Another great site was the ancient wall that had been cut into to form a tunnel connecting two parts of the city (see attached photos) and framed the hotels in the background. After about 2 1/2 hours, the sun said I'm tired, hid, and unleashed the dogs. The droplets were quite large and forced me back underground to take shelter in the subway. The Diesel ads in the subway are hilarious and all of them revolve around stupid being better. "Smart Critiques, Stupid Creates", "Smart has the brains, Stupid has the balls", "We're with Stupid"... I found these insightful and funny at the same time; mainly they made my train ride more enjoyable and feel less cramped (watch your pockets, a girl already got her camera lifted).

Last night, we got to do something completely different, we headed to Trastevere (which literally means across the river) had a great meal and went to a new bar. The restaurant Monzu Vladi housed 10 of us; it was a small but spacious restaurant with about 20 tables, 2 cooks, and 2 waiters (plus an owner who sat at a table and relaxed, to be continued...) Our waiter told us we had to start with the fried pizza and caprese salads. The pizza wasn't pizza at all. Shaped like a hockey puck but double its height, doused in some marinara sauce with a single basil leaf and a sprinkle of pecorino, it was light, airy, and delicious. The dough was flakey and let the other components shine. Caprese was amazing, the best so far, the mozzarella was cut thick, the tomatoes were fresh, and the basil was flavorful. With the addition of a little balsamic, it alerted my stomach that it is time to eat. Next the waiter suggested we did family style and order 3 different pastas, a bolognese, a gnocchi with a tomato mozzarella sauce, and an unknown type (it was a flat, square shaped ring pasta) with eggplant. All three were great, as always, I preferred the bolognese, but that seemed to be the agreement amongst the group. The gnocchi was prepared perfectly, its cheesiness and soft texture of the potato was a great combination. We couldn't have asked for a better meal or a more gracious waitstaff, but it came at a price. 3 pizzas, 3 caprese, 3 pastas, 4 liters of wine, 4 bottles of water came out to 25 euro a person. Not a terrible price, but kind of out of the wheel house of some of our companions (I have found the reason why they have gone to Insalata every night, which would have been more around 15 each).

I enjoyed the meal so much that as we left, I asked the waiters about interning or apprenticing while I was here and what the general practice was in Italy for this. He said well do it here and dragged me over to the owner who took me by the hand and led me into the kitchen to meet the chefs. It was a small two man operation with an 8 burner stove, 2 ovens, a salamander, a grill, and a couple of stainless steel work areas. I was impressed by the cramped quarters and in broken italian tried to tell the chefs my goal. They said I was always welcome here but that I should try a different restaurant (I will have to call to get the name again, the guy was difficult to understand) because it would be a better experience. I couldn't tell if this was a way to dismiss me or if he was really saying that it would be better for me. He said that I was welcome and that it would be fun but to try the other first. After about 5 minutes of talking and watching them plate dishes, I said I have to leave and meet my friends but that I would be back soon.

This hospitality was one that I have only encountered in Italy; no where in America, could I compliment the chef, tell him I want to learn from him and be told to come back next week. The waiters were all to helpful, and the owner's friendliness was contagious. It was a great experience and I will be back there very soon. Looking back on the meal, I love being told what to order, especially when there are too many good choices and they don't give you menus. Some of the best meals I've had, were ones where the guy just started bringing stuff. Again, completely different from the US.

After that very amicable and warming experience we went to Stairs bar. It was a little expensive and cramped with 50 americans. I met a few new people from the program, had a drink, and planned a trip to Siena for next weekend (this free and easy attitude, has seemed to work well so far). We then sought out a club to dance, coming to Dee Jay's Pub where we walked straight past the tiny bar, down stairs to a 3 room cavern where very loud music was playing. Due to an unbearable smell, similar to a locker room (I said football, the east coasters said Hockey, to be more specific) we left quickly. It's too bad because the music was good, plenty of people looking to have fun, but the oder was far too much.

The walk home was chilly but fun, and we crossed the river and entered the dead silent neighborhood of the Aventine. It is a unique spot, "the best in the city, and richest" tucked in between everything but removed from the noise and pollution. It has been a great weekend so far and tonight is going to be a great way to end it. Superbowl kick off time is 2:25 am over here, so we are going to be pulling an all nighter. Go Saints, but I am predicting a Colts win. Pictures to follow...

We Like to Party, We Like, We Like to Party

Side note: http://www.ted.com/talks/jk_rowling_the_fringe_benefits_of_failure.htmlthis is an incredible commencement speech by JK Rowling that my program's director emailed me today.

But on to the main event:

The previous post mentioned the orientation days of the program and this one aims to cover the nights (or what I remember of them) and get me caught up on everything so that posts can become more regular and present.

Day 1: After orientation and dinner, the trinity students and me as a tag along were in search of a bar. Despite the fact that we were all jet lagged, me especially even though it was my second night (hey, 12 hours of flying is much different then 6), our urge for a party was insatiable. We ended up at a bar called On The Rox; SO American. They had student discounts, menus were written in english and a couple of the bartenders were actually from America, one from Los Angeles who had dropped out of school during his study abroad and hasn't left (ideas...). Everybody was still kinda meeting each other and the entire bar (all 20 of us) turned into a celebratory welcome to Rome shots. Presents of whiskey, jager, tequila (i sucked it up and drank it, I despise tequila with my whole heart), gin and vodka were passed around generously. After many conversations, shots, beers, and glasses of wine we staggered through the cobblestone streets of Testaccio up to the Hotel on the Aventino for a nice sleep (pass out).

Day 2: Hung over we embarked on the previously mentioned walking tour until dinner where we went to Rino's for dinner where we were served Amatraciana pasta followed by a contorno plate of salad and french fries. The dessert a cake was very strange, moist, and succulent. The flavors of my chocolate cake were on par, but the wetness was strange and made it difficult to eat. The other choice a lemon cake of some sort must have been soaked in brandy; it was not to my liking. The went on with a visit to pizza shop where we bought a few bottles of wine (the grocery store, liquor store, andtabacchi or tobacco shop were all closed) which we illegally drank in a friend's hotel room. I brought a wine pull over here for that reason, but it proved ALMOST useless. It was not a traditional wine screw, but one that you screwed in and then pulled straight up. I pilfered it from a hotel room and its quality reflected it. The bottle that I purchased, made from sangiovese grapes, was the most impossible to open. The cork was tough and it took a staggering (not exaggerating) 30 minutes to open. Pulling with all my might... the cork didn't budge. Pulling the bottle while someone pulled the cork pull with all my might...no dice. Working it back and forth, rocking it from side to side for 20 minutes...it moved 3 millimeters. After those 20 minutes a firm tug from a football player while i held the bottle with white knuckled fingers and it was finally free,basta! No bottle has ever tasted better (solely because I have never put so much work into one). Following the rebel drinking party in the room, we again ventured out into this expansive city and returned to On The Rox. Again with the "When in Rome" shots and public drunkeness that stereotypes americans. We tried to go to a club called Coyote, but it was jam packed and was not worth it. Instead, we settled for drunk pizza (thee delicious types, pizza bianca, rosa, and patate) and headed home for a good night sleep.

Day 3: Walking tour and 4 advil later, our night again resumed with drinks at On the Rox (our pregame spot for the night) and the 3rd day of the drinking binge continued. The side effects of activities of this sort are a cold (which I am now recovering from, chronic tiredness, and just an overall feeling of shit). We then left our new stomping ground up to Campo De Fiori, a very famous square known for its street market by day and its American bar scene by night. The bar named the Drunken Ship gave me the feeling that I was back in Eagle Rock (except for paying in euros and the occasional 40 year old Italian there to prey on the American women). The night involved beer pong (italians are very lousy at this), shots, and 20 minute lines for the bathroom. From there we began our walk of the Piazza in search of a taxi to take us home with many Italians following us. I was stopped by a few who asked for a picture; I thought at first that they were pick pockets and kept walking since I have a particular connection to my money and don't like it disappearing into strangers pockets. They however believed I was Tom Cruise and only wanted a picture to brag about with their friends. I relented only after saying that the movie business was tough and that everyone wants a piece of me but for them I would do something special (I gotta enjoy my new apparent stardom in some way). I took a few and signed one guys shirt with my name, not as Tom Cruise (I'm sure that was confusing in the morning). The night ended with a stop for a panini and then back into the wonderland of the hotel and landing on the plush soft twin-ish size bed in my room.

Day 4: No hang over but walking tour later, we went to dinner at l'Insalata Ricca a restaurant where our coupons can be used and sat around eating and drinking our hearts merry. For 11 people, 10 of who were drinking, we polished off 9 liters of the house red. To say the least most were drunk (I had not had much due to the 3 day binge, I was starting to feel the onset of a cold). After a 4 games of never have I ever, a great way to get to know people or pass judgements on people, we left and returned to the watering hole known as On the Rox. The bar was packed, a pub crawl group was there which consisted of about 130 people filling the place to the brim. We were looking for a club, but someone (these guys aren't too adventurous), ended up at the same place. With the now customary shots going round, we were all in the mood to dance and decided that On The Rox's hallway was our stage. Guys and girls alike, we cut up the rug having a great time messing around and getting down. Hours later we were desperate for sleep (since we were all zombies) and i fell asleep before I turned off the lights.

Day 5: Tuesday was my first day of real classes and being as tired as I was didn't help out with the boring lectures. I made it through and that afternoon, I went with Francesco, a staff member, to the phone store to buy school supplies and a local phone. He was very informative and helpful and made the process of buying a phone very seamless. Accompanying us was another insegnante or teacher and her grandson. She teaches my Exploring Rome: Books, Movies and You class (I get to watch Gladiator and then go to the Colosseo and hopefully if we are lucky under it as well); her grandson just gets to hang out and is taking an italian language class (I wish I could have done that as a kid). After getting a phone, 3342364900; calling code 01139 if any of you would like to call me from the US, Francesco took us to his favorite coffee shop where he treated me to a Latte Macchiato or Stained Milk. For a person that has never drank or enjoyed even a sip of coffee (besides ice cream) this is the drink for you. I enjoyed it tremendously; it came in a glass similar to a double shot glass with a small spoon and some sugar. It was beige, almost grey in color, and tasted not of milk or coffee but a foam that carried hints of both.
Next stop, and my favorite, was at Volpetti; a food emporium that offers a vast array of cheeses, cured meats, fresh pastas, and pizzas.

Our food coupons also work here and I will most likely spend many euros here as well as coupons. One of the workers, presumably a butcher, grabbed 4 cheeses for us to try, a Pecorino di Fossa a ewe's milk cheese from Tuscany that is aged underground in rock grottoes was my favorite. It is a hard cheese with peppery taste and a tangy finish. I also enjoyed the other hard cheese of which I have forgotten the name but wen great paired with the sweet wine that was also supplied by the house. The gorgonzola flavored with red wine grapes was a little sour for me while the burrata was delectable but with a unique texture. I then order an etto of prosciutto cotto meaning cooked proscuitto, typically the type you find in the states, hand carved off a giant pork leg that was pulled down from the ceiling, hoof still attached. Next was the prosciutto crudo, served raw, tasted very ham like with a more succulent texture. I preferred the cotto but maybe that was just because I am more accustomed to it. In any event I bought an etto of two of the cheeses, an etto of cotto and an etto of crudo,along with a loaf of unsalted bread (a roman tradition, which is very dense and tastes stale from the minute its pulled out of the oven) for further research. No partying to report, the night was full of homework and card games which was a nice change from the previous 4.

Day 6: Yesterday began with a walking tour for a class I hoped to join called Ancient Art of Rome. We were to meet this professor in the subway station at Garbatella, 2 stops south. There I introduced myself to the professor where he told me I could join if I was up to his abuse. He is a very eccentric man from Belgium that lectures with his eyes closed and pauses at inopportune times. Despite his idiosyncrasies he is very informative and introduced us to the Museo Martemartini, a member of the Capitoline museums and home to Rome's first electric power plant. We learned about sculptures carved from volcanic rock, the influence of Greek Hellenistic style, and art in the private sphere. I wish I could share some pictures but mysteriously, my camera decided to delete 40 pictures while loading onto my computer (even though I have pictures from before that trip and after it on the same day). In any event, the trip was enlightening and I am glad that I switched to that course. I was bored with the economics courses I was in and in the spirit of When in Rome, I should use this city to its full potential.

Wednesday night is a fairly big party night and I planned on going out with everyone, but my plans were abruptly changed when I went to get ready. I was waiting for a friend to knock on my door to tell me that we were leaving to go to dinner and decided to lie in bed to pass the time. The knock never came, and I fell asleep at about 9:30. Next thing I knew and 12 hours later, my alarm clock was ringing and it was time to finish my homework and prepare for class. It was a comforting relief not to drink for two nights and the rest was rejuvenating.

Day 7: Today, after coming of my much needed sleep, I finished my homework in the morning and wrote two cover letters for the two internships in restaurants that I am trying to get. Classes this afternoon were not too bad and the Exploring and Visiting Rome class was the highlight. We watched an hour from both Roman holiday (Audrey Hepburn is stunningly gorgeous) and Three Coins in the Fountain. This class is really cool because we get to read about or watch movies about places in Rome and then get to visit and experience them on our own. After class I got some good news, I had been talking to Francesco about playing water polo over here with a club team (since they are so good and I miss the sport terribly), Francesco had talked with a friend of his who plays with masters team. I will be going to play with this masters team and Francesco's friend sometime next week where I will essentially be trying out to see if I am good enough to play with a club team or just play with the veterans (God how this makes me wish I had played last season or at least over break, but it will be a great time either way). I can't wait for it and dread it at the same time, but I hope that it will become a once or twice a week regular thing.

This post is extremely long and many of the events are blended together; trust me that is how this past week has felt. It has been a great time so far, full of great new friends, lots of alcohol (too much), little sleep, and exciting adventures. I hope to post a little more frequently and only haven't because I wanted to get this one out first. Tomorrow I have two classes of italian and then the weekend!!! We will see where that leads, hopefully some dancing at some clubs, a day trip out of the city ( I think my new plan is going to be getting on a subway and going a few stops and checking out the area each day for some pictures and getting to know the area), I think I am also going to the Vatican, but we shall see.

Ciao

- Josh

P.S. I don't know if there is a way, but I would love some feedback or comments about any of the posts or suggestions of where to go. Don't hesitate to leave them on here (again if that's possible) or email me, jkantor@oxy.edu.

Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover

Rant Alert: But I promise it will be short...

Let me start off by saying that I am usually the culprit of this maxim, but it disappoints me when I hear it about my friends from other friends or parents. It began in high school when I started hanging out with the so called "shady kids" or kids that were drinking and for them occasionally smoking. While I am not a smoker, I have been surrounded by it constantly since junior year in high school. The parents of course, after being caught drinking a couple times (got grounded and then in caught again the first weekend that I was freed from my bedroom prison sentence), did not approve of many of these friends and for the most part understandably. But just because these friends chose to take a few mind altering substances didn't mean I was or that they are bad people. To this day, some of those friends are the smartest and driven kids that I have met. We are all at 4 year universities, doing well, enjoying college, and for the most part not screwing up the opportunity that was given to us. I also haven't met kids that have my back more than this group too, if I was in a bad situation I guarantee you they would get me out of there much quicker than the 4.0 library kid that is either in class or studying at all times (and yes mom and dad there is a middle ground but...). But this argument has come and gone and now I am at the age that I can choose who I hang out with and what I do with those friends. And frankly, it hasn't changed much, except my disdain for smoking has gotten stronger (culminating from last semester everyone knowing our house as the smoke spot), my morals have become more clear and I the realization that you CAN associate with the kids but not take part in the activities.

What spurred this rant was dinner last night at Rino's where our entire programs go for dinner. The food and the wine delicious as always, Penne All' Arrabiata, a firey andpiccante tomato sauce that tantalizes the palate with its large amounts of crushed red pepper (a perfect compliment to the house wine's fruity and smooth taste). It was however a few of the comments that bothered me, judgmental, arrogant, and without sustenance. Most of my time here has been spent with brand new friends and not with those that I already know. I have met many kids from Trinity and elsewhere, guys and girls alike, that live with me at the hotel and are very nice people. While they may not be the most cultured group or well dressed (the guys that is) they are here to experience and learn about Europe just as much as the next guy. Maybe they aren't here a wine tour, or looking for the small unknown undiscovered town and are more interested in the night life or big cities, but to each his own.

Sitting at table with a combination of a few Oxy students and two others, I heard comments such as "He's wearing a jersey over his sweatshirt to dinner...", "Did he just complain about pasta?", and my favorite "I bet you 5 bucks they go to McDonald's by the time February is over" and the response being "I bet you they already have."

I can't defend this guys attire for dinner, it was slightly disrespectful and not something I would ever wear, but for other points during the day, I don't find a jersey to be rude at all. It is in fact very american, but Italians wear soccer jerseys... and by no means does it mean that you don't want to go out and enjoy Rome versus transplanting American to Rome. "Did he just complain about pasta?" what the person whose mouth this came from didn't hear was the entire conversation talking about how good the food is and that he's had pasta for the past 4 days because he loved it. If he/she had heard this, I'm sure that this comment would not have been uttered. Oh and McDonald's, the simplest way to answer this is NO we nor they have been to McDonald's nor intend too. It is downright rude to assume such a thing because they wear their patriotism on their sleeves and don't try to do as the Romans do all the time. I do not pretend to be Italian (although maybe I'd like to be) but to chastise others for their dress and attitude because it is different, not wrong, than yours is petty.

But in the end it is to they're detriment, to not give these guys a chance and write them off as stupid Americans that want nothing to do with the Italy is their loss. I am here to step outside my comfort zone and meet people different from me or others that I don't know because frankly, the people I know and have met at Oxy tend to be lame and boring... My last thought on the subject, is also that many of these kids are in Europe or leaving the country for the first time; have you ever thought that maybe they just don't know? I remember when I was here the first time (granted I had my parents to show me what the deal was) and it is drastically different and difficult to adjust to at first. This is day 6 of 90+! give it sometime and a chance and maybe these dusty unused books will turn into a New York Time's bestseller or win a Pulitzer

Rome = Chaotic

Warning: This post was written in the context of yesterday but I didn't have a chance to finish it and will post an additional one explaining somethings and about today.

These past few days have been crazy and I'm going to need to post more often to remember everything that I have done. The first morning of the program we met the staff who then took us on a trip around the Aventine to orient us with our new surroundings. As I have found it is confusing for many people I want to explain how my program works.

As a student at Oxy I applied to study abroad through Oxy who pays for the tuition and the credit while abroad. Oxy doesn't have their own campuses abroad so all of our programs are through other American schools or schools in the country. I am attending Trinity College's Program in Rome which has its home base in Hartford, Connecticut. So naturally most of the students are from Trinity College, about 30 of them, while the rest is made up from students all over the US (the program total is 59). The campus here is on the Aventine hill in between the neighborhoods of Testaccio and Trastevere both very old and historic sections of the Eternal City. The actual campus is a convent where nuns live and make our meals for us. It is a small place that has 3 class rooms and a few offices where the staff work. The rest is a dorm where many of the students are housed and a eating area. The nuns prepare breakfast and lunch 5 days a week and for the rest of the meals we are to fend for ourselves. I am however living in a hotel which is rented out to house more students (about 20 of us) about 5 minutes away from campus. This is a god send; initially, I thought I wanted to be in the convent but the hotel is much nicer. I have a single and my room is fairly large and I don't need much else. My bathroom is across the hall which I share with 3 other students who are also in singles. I can explain the intricacies of an italian bathroom on a different post where I am in a more comical mood and suffering from the symptoms of going out all night and sleeping a total of 15 hours total this trip.

Since the program technically started on Friday, today was my first day of classes. This past weekend we had walking tours all over the city and lots and lots (and I mean lots) of partying. I'll break it up day and night and kind of combine days because really it has been a world wind of information, meeting people, walking all combined with copious amounts of free flowing tequila, vodka, gin, whiskey, vino and beer.

Each morning began with a terrible breakfast (now I know Europe doesn't have the traditional american style breakfast but I am not a fan of that either). The past three times I've been to Europe the breakfasts usually consists of light pastries, cold cuts (like proscuitto), cheeses, and coffee. Ours however is made up by bitter coco puffs, corn flakes, and coffee. They have this bread I believed called Nuns Buns for some reason like most slang doesn't make much sense but the technical name is rosette. They are hollow round shaped rolls that literally are full of air; it is insane; they are crusty and almost stale like most italian bread and when you open one side there is nothing in the middle except a little doughy part that makes up the inside of the crust.

After we left breakfast with our stomachs growling more than it did before we ate, we were divided up into groups to go explore the city and get our bearings. The first day we went to Testaccio and the Aventine where our leader showed us close by restaurants, stationary shops (buying italian binders is another story), and other places we will frequent often. It is a great area, the Aventine being a very wealthy residential area, and Testaccio, a working class neighborhood, full of culture, restaurants, clubs, bars, and markets. The next day on about 5 hours of sleep we walked all the way to the Spanish Steps with many stops along the way. We saw the Bocca Della Verita, or the mouth of truth, where women were slaughtered if they got the feeling from this sculpture that the woman was unfaithful and adulterous. First we walked to the Piazza Campidolilo which has a spectacular view of the Roman Forum ruins and the Colosseo. The buildings that surround the Piazza were designed by Michaelangelo and are gorgeous. Big yellow and green buildings now museums and the national archive with grand columns everywhere. We stopped at the Palazzo Venezia a huge roundabout with tall buildings was crazy with cars traveling at high speeds in many different directions. From there our journey continued down Via Del Corso, a famous street known for its fashion shops, towards the Trevi Fountain. Although very touristy and always packed with people throwing coins over their left shoulder (which legend says will guarantee you a speedy return to Roma) it is very beautiful and serene with the loud gushing of water. It is attached to a building and we saw someone looking out the window down at everybody. I was told that it is a private residence or building (God what I would give for that house).

Next stop was the Spanish Steps, though we didn't spend much time there and only gazed at the glistening white steps. This was the farthest from the school that we ventured that day and on our return walked Via Condotti which houses lowly brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Feragamo, Bulgaria, Gucci, and Dolce & Gobbana. This was our last stop because we were late to getting to lunch had to hurry to get some food before it was all gone.

After a very long night (bedtime approx. 7 am), we were reunited and ventured in to neighboring Tastevere area. Which is across the Tiber and a very historic area. We roamed through tight cobblestone streets and ended up at a church that I am not very sure of the name of. From there we went to S. Maria Church; a very ornate and elegant (and large) church that was full of people for sunday mass. It was a great experience to witness the spectacle with many priests dressed in robes decorated with gold and many colors and crowds of italians singing songs. The ceiling of this basilica was gold painted wood which gave off a great aura to compliment the pretty music.

This tour ended with a quick walk past the Jewish Ghetto where Palestinian we saw the outside of the very protected Jewish synagogue that was made famous by abomber in the early 80s. The morning walks were very entertaining and I am glad we walked everywhere because it replaced the non-existent work out I had been missing.

More to come and I will post about Monday, today, and the past few evenings when I have more energy. Now sleep (I'm making up for the weekend's lack of it).

Buona Sera Rome

As I will find out many times this trip (that I am sure of), not everything will go as planned...After getting my bags from the airport I walked what seemed like 3 million kilometers playing bumper luggage with many italians and other tourists to the train station. I bought my ticket to Staionze Ostiense the train that stops closest to my hotel on the Aventine hill. My sources (aka Trinity's pre-departure guide) told me that it was the 6th stop from the airport terminal. In reality it was the 10th; as you can imagine I was a little on edge: struggling with exhaustion, carrying 100 lbs of awkwardly shaped bags, and unable to read the station signs through the rain. After figuring out that I was the next stop by asking a Brazilian who complimented me on my english (I guess I don't look American) which to me is very big compliment. I'm not sure how she thought I was local since I was carrying all of my worldly possessions wearing vans, a orange and blue flannel shirt, and a new era fitted Diamondbacks baseball cap but none-the-less I'll take what I can get.

From the station landing I had to go downstairs to walk under the tracks down a hallway and then back up stairs to return to street level. It satisfied my exercise for the day (well my biceps at least; curls for girls right?). Next was the taxi, oh the taxi, oh Roman drivers. I thought LA and New York were bad; here people just go. Maybe its a machoism that I'm going this is my road or maybe there is some organization to it, but to the untrained I it is an adrenaline filled maze of vespas, taxis, mercedes and pedestrians (all of who are moving at the same time in all directions). At one point the driver decided to pull out in the middle of a 4 lane road to make a left near the tiber river; I looked to my left and 4 rows of headlights stared me down, to my right more cars also perpendicular to our direction but with vespas trying to get through knocking mirrors and people alike followed by a almost immediate "Che Cazzo" which means "Hey Dickhead" or something close to it. Never the less we made it to the Hotel where my fair was 8 euro. The driver then informed me that there is a luggage charge which I had heard of and wasn't a problem so the total was 14. The problem however exists when Wells Fargo at the Crossroads only carries 50s and the driver of your taxi only has a single 20 dollar bill in his wallet (or so he let's me believe). Trying to be sly he wanted to take my 50 and give me the 20 and said this is not my problem you pay. I said no freaking way am I paying you 30 euro (almost 50 bucks) for a 14 euro cab fee that should be 8 because as I know now luggage charge is only at night. He went on a rant in italian telling me, "stupid american I will come back tomorrow with another 20 for you" (Yea like that would happen). I said let me run in and get some change from the hotel, offended he finally relented and let me get change so that I could (over)pay him because the hotel only had 10s and 20s. So he got an extra 5 bucks out of me and if that makes him happy then so be it; have a beer on me and laugh about it with your friends, cazzo.

The Hotel is a nice friendly place run by a family (I think) headed by a very old matriarch who checked me in and asked her daughter (or employee, I wasn't so sure anymore) to let me into the room one floor up. It was quaint and perfect; a small twin bed, a desk and a window that overlooked the surrounding villas and the backyard adorned with the basketball hoop and all. (Notice how I didn't mention bathroom?) That was down the hall, my own which was nice, but still a schlep. Sleep was wonderful and I was woken up by a $1.29/minute phone call my parents who I had yet to check in with (Hey I was being polite, it was 5 am in Carmel when I landed). After the how is it? did you get there ok? yada yada yada and the I'm so jealous your over there the conversation was over and it was time for me to explore. I had read in Danny Meyer's book that his favorite restaurant and the one where he apprenticed was Taverna Da Giovanni. I looked it up on the map and planned on walking there (48 minutes) what else did I have to do and what a great way to introduce myself to the city. My plans were spoiled however when I reached the lobby and a girl from my program had just arrived and I was informed by the matriarch that I would be taking her out to dinner at Insalata Ricca. Had I just been set up on a sudo-blind date by my hotel owner/ concierge? The answer to that question seems to be yes, sit and wait while she moved into her room and then walk around Testaccio and have dinner.

Our evening progressed pretty much as planned by the matron. We walked (got lost) down the hill to the main street past a Pyramid and Castle (I will have to find out why these are here) not normally things you walk by in a city but another reason why Rome is so unique. I've always liked living and walking through history, a reason that I enjoyed DC so much and thought about going to school there since it is really the only city in our country with any historical feeling to it. There is just a great feeling of ah life will all work out when you're walking down cobblestone streets surrounded by battle ruins and aqueduct walls that have stood for centuries and centuries. It is amazing to see these rocks for down from so much foot traffic so that the streets are smooth like rocks you find in the river covered in algae.

Dinner was delicious (we some how made it to Insalata Ricca) where I orderd a Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (7 euro), a roman favorite, followed by a Veal Milanese (9,50) (forgive me, I forgot the italian fancy name that is so much cooler). The Carbonara was amazing; fresh homemade pasta in a rich creamy egg sauce that clung to the noodles like good italian food does (Thank you Heat for informing me of this). The pasta was also sprinkled with proscuitto that was salty, fatty, and melt in your mouth good. The milanese of veal, a thin pounded, breaded, and pan butter fried strip, challenged me to an eating contest. I had just wolfed down my first pasta in Italy and a now a new plate glared at me almost say I dare you, step up with the big boys be like an Italian. Garnished with a lemon which added the perfect amount of zing, I some how managed to get through the course. Oh! did I mention the Liter of House Red that we had been splitting this entire time? That may be my favorite aspect of restaurants here, you just say give me the house and it is one of the best wines I've had. Dinner wrapped up with a courtesy lemoncello shot on the house which neither of us needed but how could you refuse. She had pizza and we got out of the joint at a reasonable 31 euro for a wonderful meal that everyone wishes you could get in America but never will be able to. The restaurant was a cool spot, italian was spoken all over (always a good sign, I don't like being around tourists) and there was a table of coupled off young italian kids that reminded me of the homecoming and prom dinners that we had so many of in high school, yay group date night!

On the spur of the moment we walked up to the Colosseo walking around the entire thing with the moon lighting it up; a spectacular sight. I have a feeling I will be doing that fairly often, it is nice to see at night because it is empty; there are no tourists, no scam artists, only you and a giant stadium built in 72 a.d. that still trumps most football and baseball stadiums in the US (Oakland A's you know what I'm talking about). After reflecting and spending time at this site where so much blood had been shed (only wishing that I could have been there to witness and take part in, Hey that's what romans did). We stopped for a drink on the way back I had a beer she had a Martini and again we were honored with a courtesy shot of "Peace of Mind" a combination of vodka, triple sec, grenadine, and baileys all bundled up in a 1.5 ounce glass. Slightly inebriated from the booze and wasted off of the energy from the city we headed home.

Now it is morning and time to meet everyone from the program. Updates to come...

19 hours of travel, 5,300 miles, and 3 flights; $935 ... 4 1/2 months in Europe; Priceless

2:15 PM Los Angeles, CA 1/27/10:

Landing in LAX, I was hit with the all too real feeling that the world is HUGE and small at the same time. Walking from the domestic commuter flight terminal to the international took 15 minutes, but coincidentally Mr. Sheppard from RLS was on the flight and we got a chance to say hello before the flight was over. The one problem with booking through a discount site like Student Universe is you have no control over the layovers. Mine (3 hours) was a lot of time to spend in the chaotic zoo they call Los Angeles International Airport. Between the groups of 50 Koreans seeing the country the first time and the swarm of paparazzi getting that one good shot of the d-list celebrity getting into his courtesy driven blacked out Lincoln Navigator, I soon realized this is not a normal airport. Luckily my friend from LMU was free and could pick me up for lunch so that I was out of the airport and saw one more friendly face before traveling cross-country alone. Alex and I went to The Habit, a burger joint, which was a perfect last meal in the US. I had a BBQ bacon avocado burger with jalapenos; I can’t think of a more American send off. After lunch we stopped by her house in Marina Del Rey where I got a chance to relax and think about the next 11 hours I’d spend cooped up in 2 foot wide chair with probably a crying baby on my left and a 300 pound gorilla on the other. After lunch and final goodbyes, I scurried towards my gate only to be stopped at security with an abrupt halt. The line was long and moving very slowly. I’m not a fan of the one-foot forward shuffle as everyone lurches lethargically forward at a sloth’s or snails pace. Once at the gate I did my usual protocol, asking the counter girl, “any free upgrades for me today?” (No she promptly said) with a none too friendly I’ve heard this a million times before smirk. Plane is boarding and the German lady over the intercom is telling me to load. Time to go ciao.

12:00 PM Frankfurt, Germany 1/28/10:

Well the flight was not as bad as I thought; luckily I had a friendly row mate who had the aisle while I took over the window and a majority of the middle seat. With a total of 90 pounds of luggage, and a bursting at the seams carry-on, the extra space was appreciated by both of us. I had a nice conversation with the gentleman who was in LA on business (He works for a company that is trying to bring 3-D movie projectors to more theatres in Germany and all over Europe. A conversation I normally would not have initiated, usually sticking to my typical Ipod and pillow leave me alone and let me sleep routine (maybe this Study Abroad going away for 4 ½ months alone is changing me). We talked off and on and at the end of the flight he gave me his business card in case I came back to Germany on my trip and needed a place to stay, or if I got lost; a nice gesture, but one I probably won’t follow up on. He did, however, tell me that if I went to Germany for a weekend go to Hamburg that it is the best place to go and is “less Germany-ish” meaning the not very friendly strict uptight with piercing glares that I have grown accustomed to in this bitterly cold country (it was 30 degrees outside). But back to the flight, I had a great formula for sleep: Alex had supplied me with 4 benadryl (my elementary self-prescribing sleeping pill) which I promptly lost somewhere in the depths of my bulging over-stuffed backpack. Onto plan b which popped into my head as the drink cart went by…This was an international flight…ok so that means I don’ t have to be 21 to drink…This is Lufthansa…so beer and wine are free! Two glasses of red-died vinegar - I mean wine - and a bottle of surprisingly tasty and hoppy German lager all on the house combined with my down pillow, a blanket, and the new tunes of Lady Antebellum I drifted off to sleep. 4 hours later, I was up refreshed (not hung over) but still stranded in the darkness of the 3 seat by 4 seat by 3 seat enormous economy class cabin. I finished Heat, my third culinary book of the break and broke into Setting the Table by Danny Meyer. Fitting all to coincidentally, the book was a perfect choice; Meyer graduated from Trinity College and actually attended the exact same program in Rome that I am embarking on at this moment. 500 Hundred Days of Summer, one of my favorite movies recently, and I took a hiatus from my reading. In summation, I’ve had many 2-hour flights that were worse than this 11-hour behemoth. Between the excitement of going to Europe, reading books I like, and new music to listen to, you could have told me it was going to take 2 days, I wouldn’t have cared.

Top 5 songs of the flight:

1. Hello World – Lady Antebellum
2. Sky Blue and Black – Jackson Browne
3. Friends, Lovers or Nothing – John Mayer
4. Old Man – Neil Young
5. Fire and Rain – James Taylor

My time in Europe, so far consisting of only the Frankfurt airport, has been great. There is an different feeling over here that is impossible to describe but something akin to that goosebumps tingling you get with good music or enjoyable times. I have only two complaints thus far, Who the Fuck thought that serving fish as the dinner on the plane was a good idea? I mean really; I don’t care if you like fish or not, but last time I checked Germany didn’t have the largest population of fresh salmon and even if it did how was this supposed to taste good reheated to death into a soggy sponge like pink thing with fake grill marks on it? And secondly, the security guard (I had to go through passport check in and then through security again for my flight to Rome) confiscated my shampoo bottle that I had taken with me. This of course was my fault; I am not to current on my millimeter measurements of what is allowed on a German aircraft. For anyone wondering about this pertinent information it is 100 ml NOT 125ml. He also wouldn’t let me pour out my full to the brim Gatorade water bottle and instead asked me to chug it. I’m all for hydration, but all of it in a minute or two was a lot. More to come later, but now the journey continues and I will soon land in Roma my home for the next few months. My afternoon will conclude with a nice late lunch at a Trattoria or Osteria after I arrive by train into Rome followed by a dinner checking out the streets that I will soon (hopefully) become fully versed in.

Top 5 Goals of the Semester:

1. Get in a kitchen and learn how to cook Italian food, and make pasta
2. Travel everywhere
3. Become fluent in Italian
4. Play water polo with a club team here
5. Be open to any and all paths that this adventure takes me.

----Ciao