Day sixteen, September 2, 2010

More catching up..

Day sixteen, September 2, 2010


This getting up to my alarm is for the birds...where did that expression come from I wonder. I am sure they have as many in the Italian language but it was intertesting to explain some of our expressions last week to Davide. I get ready, do my laundry, eat a little breakfast(no one in the little kitchen area today) and I am off to catch the bus. Things run very smoothly today and I make it to class with at least 10 minutes to spare. They do have great public transit here. The subway comes every five minutes and the buses every fifteen minutes( quite efficent, these Romans).



Class is fine today. Every one is feeling stanca(tired). I learn all the kids or almost all of these students are architecture majors. What a great place to study...the structures around every corner are a marvel! I join the crowd at the break again for cappucinno..now this I could get used to. The class ends at the appointed time at one o'clock. I head over to my favorite little pizza place by the Metro stop by the Spanish steps. I get pizza and Coca-Cola light. I see some young girls bringing over their pizzas to the Spanish steps so I do the same. A little while later, a policeman comes by and blasts his whistle at them and shoos them away. Oops, you not suppose to eat on the steps (but it is okay to smoke and impring your fumes and your cigarette butts on the general public!). i get off the steps before the police officer spots me and gives me a whistle of warning. I inhale my lunch and head back for the pronunciation and gesture class I have signed up for. There are only four of us in the class. I am definitely the rookie of the crowd and I know I make the teacher wince everytime I speak. The four women in my class are a little older, now this is the crowd I was looking for. But after the class is over, two woman are off and one woman is from Russia and her English is not so good so no chance of making friends with these gals today. I am feeling kind of lonesome so I dive into the city to see what is happening out there.

I wander past the Trevi fountain, crowded as usual. I take one street to big open piazzi. Basically no one in this monster of a piazza but it is quite impressive. I wander some more and come upon a museum the Museum dei Fiori Imperiali. Never heard of this museum ( I try to look it up in Rick Steves' book but this one is not even listed). It is an excavation of a previous forum. There are parts that are still intact but often there is just a bit of a piece found somwhere in the vicinity (like in the Tiber river or in the sewer system..now Julie this would interesting place to building site assessments!!!) There are artist renditions of what they proposed that the place would look like, massive with beautiful intricate architecture. Amongst all these bits of antiquities that have a exhibition of photograhps and magazine covers dedicated to the flim stars from/or visiting in Italy during the 1950s(La dolce vita). It is bizarre but interesting to see the faces of Sofia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor, Dean Martin (etc) amongst the bit of an arm from a statue of Augustus or the torso of Dionisus! I wonder around the large structure and look out over the city to other amazing sites. Down at the bottom of the building,is another exhibition that is a series of documentry films. There are little rooms(about fifteen room) with films going on various single themed subjects...first memories, best memory, fears, trying times(translated testing times), happiness, etc. In each film there is a person talking from some country(Sri Lanka, France, Japan, where ever) that would answer the theme question and this was translated into English and into Italian on the side. Fascinating stuff! Some first memories were good(being in grandma's house) or bad (Dad was hitting them). I found the fears section the most interesting. Most people were either afraid there was not a God, there was a God, that there is a hell or that there was no heaven. I am so happy I stumbled onto this place.

I go out about 6:30 and wander a bit. This museum is right next to a HUGE monument dedicated to the first king of Italy, the Victor Emmanuel monument. It is gigantic white building..some say it looks like a big wedding cake or a typewriter!!...nontheless very impressive. I shoot a few photos and then feel the need to eat. I wander all around and finally decide on this busy resteraunt with a large outdoor cafe. There are no tables left outside for me...I can sit all alone in their dining room if I wished...okay I don't want to stand out as being alone!... so I turn down the offer for the indoor seat and move on. I finally decide on a resteraunt near Piazza Barbarini...I come out here from my Metro stop to get to the school. I get liguine with seafood and a glass of wine. I over hear some Americans chatting but they are not really close enough for me to jump in ( I know Dad would have but I am just not quite there yet). I get the tiramisu for dessert...the best one yet. On that positive note, I head to the bus. I decide not to take the Metro since it is getting late. I catch the bus for home and get in about 10. I then get a Skype call from Mom on her new laptop!! Thanks to all for getting her set up. We have a nice chat for about a half an hour. I briefly Skype Chris as well. It is so fun to see people at home! I work on my blog and now I have to do my homework(for the last time!). Ciao and Buenanotte!!!