Ciao tutti!
È il mio secondo giorno a Roma.
After thirteen hours of waiting in various airports, toting around luggage that surely weighed as much as I do, and flying hither and tithed around the world, I arrived safely in Rome to start my summer adventure. I still don't have a functioning phone and the only Internet that I have access to is here at my school. As much as I miss being constantly connected to my beloved friends and family, I have enjoyed the reprieve from the virtual Addiction that has come to consume most of my life in the states. In other words, good riddance.
My flights were all very typical; no delays and smooth skies. Got to talk to a very friendly Spanish gentleman who was flying back to Spain after attending a physics conference in Mexico. He was very concerned about the political and economic state of his country. Needless to say, as a euro studies major I was thourroughly intrigued to hear a first hand account of what life has become in Spain as well as to learn his opinion on issues in the EU.
After finally getting to Rome, I got to meet my host mother, Angela, a very sweet very talkative roman mother. Though she doesn't spak a bit of English (I think in passing I heard her use the word "beautiful" I'm describing a television program), but communication has been going quite well regardless. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much Italian I can actually understand. I had begun to worry after having an encounter at the Madrid airport with a lady that insisted upon speaking to me, but who's thick southern Italian accent made it impossible for me to understand anything she was asking me.... Our trips to the south should prove fairly interesting in this respect.
Angela's apartment is astonishingly beautiful (and large considering I had heard stories about the appartenenti piccolini before coming). She covers her walls in lovely original art and has shelves full of books and wonderful treasures. My room is large and I even have a closet! Every night Angela has the tv turned on to a fascinating games how that somewhat resembles deal or no deal but is much more interesting.
Today was my first day if class as well as my first time to see the classroom where I will be spending my mornings learning about roman history and culture. It is a beautiful renaissance building with the most amazing frescos covering the ceilings and walls. Being the epic nerd that I am, I spent the entire first class dotingly gazing at the art and only half listening to the overview of ancient roman history.
Hopefully I will accomplish the last of my necessary errands and be able to spend the rest of my week enjoying the sights and atmosphere of downtown. Tomorrow will be our first real class tour (including the colloseum), which I look forward to.
Hopefully I have the dedication to maintain this blog. Appologies for all of the typos. I didn't bring my laptop to campus today, and though I love my iPhone, it does some pretty funky things when I'm typing. Bear with me, and look for the many updates yet to come.
Buon pommeriggio!
Alex
