Independance Day - Expat Style

So instead of the usual fireworks show and family picnic to attend this year, I attended a fourth of july party hosted by the American Club of Rome. The party was held in the city at the Marymount International School which is a private Catholic co-educational day school from Early Childhood (age 3) through Grade 12 with a curriculum based on the American system of education. The school was north of the city so it took me about an hour and half to get there...well a bit longer due to an unpleasant run in with the italian police. This guy accused me of having the wrong ID (even though its worked every other time before) and did not try to understand my array of other languages. He only knew italian and was just annoyed as i was that we couldnt communicate. He gave me a bill for 50 euro that quickly went up to 100 euros because I refuse to pay. I think the only way he didnt take me to the station was because i agreed to go to the ATM to get the money - fool. They have no contact info on me so by the time they realize i didnt pay ill be back in the good ole USA. Jerks.
The picnic was a nice change. The food was a decent bbq complete with smores and pepsi. They had a live band, games for the kids, and a raffle that created a nice ambiance. The people I met there were from Nebraska originally and were quite characters. Women who had fallen in love with ITalians and somehow (sometimes against their wishes) wound up in Rome. I heart some bitter women complain about how difficult it is to live as an american here and they envied me for being able to go back in a month. It was not exactly the uplifting evening i was seeking and after the run in w/ the cops that day - i really needed a drink. I successfully hurt my ankle, got a huge fine, and got sunburned this weekend. I think next week, i need to get out of town.

Parks, Irish Pubs, and 'Hidden' Rome

When i was in Paris years ago, i was feeling a bit lonely so I went to the Disney Store on Les Champs d'Elysee and bought a hefalump to be my sleeping buddy. In Rome there is a Disney Store as well on via del Corso so i went to find what other character I could add to my collection. I fell for Roo the Kangaroo also from Winnie the Pooh (wow poetic huh?). Sadly though, it was 19 € , and i could not bring myself to spend over $25 on a little stuff toy. Ill just have to find real friends.
This week was a bit more busy and fun. I decided to go to a new part of Rome everyday after work. The most notable discovery this week was the 'central park' of the city called Villa Borghese. In this large heart shaped park, you can find museums, music auditoriums, and above all some peace and quiet away from the bussle of the city. It was very nice to wander near the lake and see the calmer side of the city for a few hours. Another evening, along with some coworkers, we took slices of pizza and ate on the Spanish steps to people watch. The European cup is coming to a close and Germany played Portugal. Several of my colleagues went to an Irish pub to watch the action and have a few pints! The bar was packed with German fans and due to the warm weather, the beer went down easily. Needless to say, I missed my last train and crashed at my friends for the night, dragging into work the next day wearing the same clothes and red eyes. Oh to be young. A different day, I scoped out the Auditorium here in Rome where most of the musical events happen. Next week for example Alanis Morrisette is going to playing there.
When the weekend hit so did the real heat. Saturday night my roommate arranged to meet some of her friends from college out for pizza. Our reservation got pushed back to 1030p to eat in the Parco Torlonya where Mussolini has a home. Our group of six, five Italians and me, ate our thin crust pizza in open air followed by limoncello (a strong lemon flavored liquor) bitters, and coffees. I think i finally made it back near 4am after a lovely glass of red wine (Morenilli) from Tuscany, champagne to celebrate a birthday, and a croissant with nutella. (mmm) Italians eat quite late compared to us Americans. I was famished by 8pm!
The 'Hidden Rome Tour' took up most of Sunday. A fellow intern and I, were guided by a local Roman - Francesco- who also works with the WHO. He drove us all over the city to the parts were tourists rarely see yet are very special indeed. Rome is known as the city of seven hills and was born between three of them. We visited four of them during this tour - all with impeccable views of the city below. A few of the hills show monuments for the founding fathers of the Rome Republic - Garibadi, Cavour, and Mazzini. Aventina boasts a huge monument of Garibaldi who was known as the arm of the city, Cavour the brain - never used force to implement his policies unlike Garibaldi, and Mazzini the heart. Also on the hills are the rich neighborhoods of Rome where you can find embassies, mansions, and beautiful churches and monasteries. We stopped at a monastery and peered through the keyhole to a beautiful garden of the Malta embassy. On Hill Gianicolo is where its thought that Peter was killed on an upside down cross.

We also toured a few secluded neighborhoods that date back hundreds of years including San Saba. You can immediately tell when you are in a modern or ancient area of the city. The architecture changes the materials and colors used. One of the neighborhoods were built like american cooperatives. I took several pictures to use for the design of my house one day = ). Near Piazza Vittorio we stopped for lunch. This area is one of most ethincally diverse neighborhoods of Rome where Indian, Chinese, and African immigrants come to hang their hats. We ate at an incredible Indian food restaurant that reminded me of being back home. Later in the day, Francesco has one more big surprise for us. He drove to the SE corner of the city to the Parco Dellappia Antica where you can find an original foot path to the city that goes on for miles. The great part of this park is the ancient aqueducts ! I got some amazing shots and heard interesting stories about illegals using the aqueducts as one wall of their huts to survive. Prostitution was also rampant in that part of time back in the day. Francesco grew up nearby so showed us little nooks and crannies I bet few people know about. After five hours in 84 degree heat, we parted ways. What an incredible experience- I am so lucky to have a local roman show me around!

Forza Italia!

The great part about June, is the European soccer tournament (Europai 2008)! From the 7th until the 29, there are matches almost every night to see who is the european champion. Last night, my roomate and i huddled around the Italy vs Netherlands game in our flat as people from all over europe on vacation or business in Rome gathered in bars to cheer on their favorite. Sadly, the Netherlands had a solid game and came out victorious 3-0 against the Italians. The enthusiaum of soccer in unavoidable here and I have gotten hooked on watching the matches (george and benn i think you have something to do w/ this!). Im going to root for Italy and France since they are close to home for me now and when they play each other on the 17th -let the best team win = ) Check out all the details on the tournament at http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/

Getting Involved - As an expat

In my last entry i was feeling a bit down and lonely due to my language frustration and the fact I dont know anyone here. So to beat those blues, I decided I had to stop living like a visitor and start living like an expat. In Rome there is an enormous expatriate community. My Irish colleague informed be about the American and Irish Clubs of Rome. They plan numerous events and provide support for expats in the area. It is hard to determine who is Italian and who immigrated here for other reasons because it is such and international city.
So to my movement to 'get involved' started Friday night. The ladies in the WHO office arranged a girls night out. So at 6p we went for drinks in the place where Tom Hanks was spotted earlier that day. He is currently in Rome filming for Angels and Demons. After that, we went to Sex and the City in its original version with Italian subtitles. It was a good girls night choice and quite funny yet dramatic. The conclusion of the movie led us to La Gustto which a very modern restaurant in the same area. The ladies had to help me translate the menu, Italians have about 50 words for pasta and 50 more for cheeses! I called it an early night since i didnt know how late the buses ran to my neighborhood. One metro was already closed so i had about a half hour walk to the other which stops at 1am. The walk allowed me to see the sights of the ancient city at night which are all lit up. It was a great night. Then, luckily the bus runs all night so i made it home just fine and met a nice french speaking Tunisian man on the way to boot.
Saturday after chilling all day with a sore throat and ear ache (either the pollution is getting to me or some teeth are coming in) I went out to a typical European saturday outing location. IKEA. My roomie, her boyfriend, and a spent hours there - it was a good thing there are beds in the store = )
I also heard that the Irish club was hosting a picnic this weekend at the Irish College downtown. The college has about 50 students from all over studying to be a priest. The grounds of the college were perfect for a picnic full great foods, sack and egg, races, and table triva! I spent several hours meeting Irish expats who live in Rome for a variety of reasons and who work in diverse areas. It was a lovely day hearing about the many success stories of foreigners moving and loving Italy. The American Club has a big 4th of July celebration planned and I already have a date. Even though my italian is slowly improving, it feels really great to meet new people that i can completely communicate with.
On the way home, I had a run in with the cops. I am technically not a resident here because my stay is less than three months. I have however the metro pass for a resident recommended by my roomate because its cheaper. I was stopped to see my pass in the metro. If they discover foreigners with such passes there is a hefty fine. The policeman eyed me for a good 5 seconds and then asked me for my identity card (well i think thats what he said cuz he didnt have any objections when i then gave it to him). I gave him my university ID for some reason i thought it would be more believable..He studied for a moment, then me a bit more as i thought 'dont talk, dont panic, dont show fear!' and he said ok and let me pass. WHEW! I think what saved me is my Italian last name - the ID clearly has university of WISCONSIN in huge letters. Hurray! I can blend in!

My weekend in France w the boys

Last thursday i arrived in Europe to start my summer internship with the WHO. The first thing I want to comment on is how fun it is to travel internationally! You never know who you will meet and it all starts with your plane buddy. This trip from chicago to amsterdam and then to geneva, I met a Nigerian professor of philosphy who has his own ngo (and asked my advice about training african doctors) and then a woman who has a son that works for CARE. A well known international ngo that aims to take care of poor children. So right off the bat, I have 2 interesting contacts that could help me down the road one way or another = )
When i reached Geneva, I knew i was in Europe because all the trains were on strike! Protests, strikes, and demonstrations are not uncommon here. In fact, a few days later i ran into a group of protestors on the street who were all dresssed in black. It was a bit frightening but they were just there to raise awareness about the small salaries of teachers. Anyhow, I took the bus instead of the train into Annecy, France that evening after spending the afternoon in Switzerland and was well received by a former student of mine, Nicolas. Annecy, is known as the venice of France. It has canals running through it due to the snow melting from the alps- its so beautiful. Nicolas had dinner prepared for us and took me shopping the next day for a few things i had forgotten. The whole weekend was filled with visiting with 4 former students of mine. We went to a Orange themed party, to a discotheaque to dance both nights, and the beach. It was quite interesting to see young french people interact - especially drunk young french people. One guy offered me oral sex and asked me to follow him into the bathroom! A cutltural experience i guess. With all this partying and sleeping until noon everyday, im never going to adjust to the time change!