Italian remarks on america

Starbucks was here for a few months then promptly closed. McDonalds is found in several piazzas with higher prices and better quality food -yet you pay for the ketchup. Italy is against letting to many foreign (including Spanish Zara) companies in. They hope to keep Italy -Italy.
Bush is here in Rome this week to urge Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to expand his military support in the Middle east and to visit with the Pope.... and the Romans were waiting Monday, ready to protest his presence here, the fact that 3,000 parking spots were vacated for his arrival and as well as the blocked cell phone signals he caused. 10,000 extra cops are in the city this week due to Bushs visity so as you can see Italy is not exactly Bushs best buddy these days.

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/

a word about transport and 'foreign food'

I use the public transportation everday in Rome to reach my destination. I must say that without it i would be completely lost as far as getting around but I also need to say that if you come here , you must experience it. Not because its a hoot and a holler, but because its an unpleaseant but large part of the big city culture. Imagine yourself a sardine, pinned on either side by fishy smelling Italians. They naturally have their armpits exposed as they hang onto the overhead bar and have no qualms about practically massaging you with their failing appendages as the train or bus jolts. I am sure that Italians wear deoderant and perfume and unlike that old cliche - Europeans dont always smell. But the transportation is always cramped and the bodies created quite the sauna. Everyone sweats, i just think Italians have the best genes for it. So needless to say, I dont exactly look forward to my 45 minute commute twice a day.

Rome is quite the international city and hosts a variety of cusines. You can eat Indian, Chinese, Sushi, Mediteranean, etc. On the via Veneto where the United States Embassy is you will see the Cafe de Paris, and even A Hard Rock Cafe! I checked out the menu as I walked by and it will cost you 13,75€ (about $22) for a normal hamburger. This is the only 'American' restaurant besides McDonalds listed in the WHERE magazines special dining issue. As far as sweets are concerned, you can stop just about anywhere for something terribly bad for you. The infamous gelato is found everywhere, baked goods like sweet crossaints and cream puffs made daily tempt you from behing glass cases, and so far my favorite the Lindt Chocolate bins at Termini train station. In the Lindt shop, you can go in and scoop your favorite varieties of Lindt roulettes into plastic sacs by the kilo! Its like jelly bean bins at home but with the best chocolates in the world = )

Pizza is THE fast food here-found on every corner and sold by weight. I have had some terrible pizza that was almost too salty to eat (ham) and i have also had some tasty slices with lots of tomatoe sauce and vegetables. So be picky about your piece and you will land on a good kind.
I have discovered some other Italian foods that I do quite enjoy. Pasta tomatoe and fresh mozzarella salad, tiramisu, and McDonalds Italian version of baked goods are quite nice. Ill be sure to talk about Italian cuisine in the future but for now I think France has this country beat.

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!

and the honeymoon is over ....

I said this before, and ill say it again - at one point when you travel and have an extended stay you will hit a wall. This is the end of the honeymoon stage. Things are no longer exciting and interesting. You realize that this new existence is your norm to bear for how ever long you are staying in that location. For me, 2 months more, which seems long considering ive been in Rome less than a week and already feel like that if ive seen one church and piazza, ive seen them all. I would love to continue to visit new places and try new foods but the mighty euro is killing me. If these feelings were not enough to get me down, i think i ripped someone off today as well and feel really bad about it. I went to buy a slice of pizza and went to pay but didnt have exact change. I know he asked if i had a certain coin but Im sure if i gave him too much and he didnt have the change or I i didnt give him enough. Frustrated, I stormed off with the pizza and now feel i need to go explain myself. This pizzeria is in my neighborhood so im likely to go again - but not if they think i steal! Granted, it was only about 4 cents but still! When i get tired, I do not have the patience to figure out a new language. Furthermore, the pizza wasnt to my liking. It was super salty and had no tomato sauce on it whatsoever. (can you tell im cranky at the moment?)

I was pretty tired by then because I did explore a new area of Rome today after work. From my office, I walked to the Pantheon which is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome. It is the best preserved building in Rome and the Pantheon has been used as a christian church since the seventh century. I then meandered to the Piazza San Marco & Church de San Marco. I think there are over 800 churches in Rome alone so there is now way im going to see them all! Right next door is the Piazza Venezia and la Vittoriano or (National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II). This momument cuts into the side of Hill near the forum, is all in white marble, and honors the first king of unified Italy. Very beautiful indeed. I then wandered back to the roman forum for a while, through a public park were many kids were playing basketball, and finally to metro to head home (after two hours my feet were sore). Even with all these new discoveries though, I cant help but feel lonely. Everywhere you look in Rome there is couple making out or enjoying the sites together-it truly is a romantic scene. I think this trip maybe the last one i do alone.

Festa della Repubblica & WHO

Today was a national holiday in Italy to celebrate the independence of the Republic. So many things were closed, people had the day off, yet I have to report to work = ) While the city was congregated around the coloseum to watch an extravagant parade full of beautiful men in uniform, i was meeting everyone in the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe aka my new prison. No, i shouldnt be so negative, I was actually pleasantly surprised at how friendly and welcoming everyone was and that the office was normal and not HUGELY WHO. After the tour and necessary paperwork, I met with my new boss - Dr Kruse. Originally from Norway, she has her DVM and her PHD. This women is very bright and has a laundry list of interesting positions shes held all over the world. She even worked for the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for a time in the states and claims she has strong professional connections there = ). I think im going to like working with her. Shes outgoing and very knowledgeable and isnt afraid to leave me to work independently. Dr. Kruse took me out for lunch today as well and actually believed i spokeIitalian after i ordered! I guess maybe i dont sound that bad after all. My first day was typical, intros, paperwork, and a lot of reading about the food safety programme in Europe. I met a really nice german intern and an irish women active with the American club here in rome (dont ask me, i dont get it either) so things are looking good = )

First Impressions of Roma

Milanos train tracks led me to Roma Termini, my new home, and my new roomate. I arrived in Rome friday evening to a smiling italian girl named, Stefania. She is a friend of a friend who offered to be my roomate this summer for a tidy sum. After we came to the appartment, I feel like its a steal! The place is super modern, chic, and I love it. There is a common area colored with red and black (ei the kitchen cuboards are all dark red), one large bedroom for us to share, a balcony, and a nice sized bathroom. Its clean, bright, and im happy to have it. My roomate is absolutely adorable too. She comes from southern italy and has worked as an architect in Rome for four years now. Her hospitality has been wonderful. She made us dinner my first night and helped me figure out the transport system to my job. She even went grocery shopping and bought my ticket for the metro for me. I am really lucky to have such a caring person around - especially since when i speak italian, its really hard to be understood. This language is all about intonation - so if you dont stress the right part of the word, no one understands you. So frustrating.
Yesterday, Stefania went to her parents place due to an Italian national holiday June 2. Therefore, I had my first weekend in Rome all on my own. The first day i didnt do a lot. I took care of my bags, spoke to my only french speaking italian friend on the phone, and walked around the neighborhood trying to memorize it. It seems if i need anything from a pedicure to a new pair of glasses - its all within a few blocks. After a lazy evening in eating Swiss chocolate, watching MTV Cribs in English, and talking online, I turned in early because Sunday i had some serious plans. Sunday morning, I went to town to find out where my office was located. So taking Stefanias advice i first took the bus, then the metro and then another metro to le Piazza Spagna (Spain Square). It turns out i will be walking by the infamous Spanish steps everyday i go to work! The WHO office is nearby in a large yellow bland building. After i found the place, I visted the Fountain of Trevi often seen in movies and ate my lunch there surrounded by tourists from all over the world. I dont know how many languages I heard! After lunch, I wandered back to the metro and decided that for the rest of the day I wanted to see the Coloseum.
As I came out of the metro, my eye caught the historical Coloseum and at that moment my breath was taken away! There is nothing like seeing it in person (you all have to visit rome). I stumbled upon a guided tour that left minutes later so i was immediately shuffled inside ahead of the long line of visitors. I visited the site with a group of enlish speakers and heard about the numerous uses of the coloseum (originally called the Flavian Ampitheater) and restorations over the years. The coloseum could hold over 50,000 spectators. Once entirely covered in marble, it was stripped during the Renaissance of its precious materials included marble and bronze. Gladiators and wild animals were the stars of the spectacles and water battles were also showcased here by flooding the lower levels and bringing in ships through the arches. Do you know that men and women were not allowed to sit together? Due to the sexual freedom of the day, women were seated in the fourth tier to avoid any public displays of ..... The coloseum was truly a sight to behold and pictures do not do it justice. After that, I went across the street to visit the Roman Forum - the origin site of the birth of rome, and Palatine Hill known to be the place where emporers built their palaces. These two sites were incredible, a bit eery even. Some of the marble walkways are still there from over 2700 years ago when Rome was born. The ruins of the senate house, emperors palaces, and chariot racing stadium made me wonder what life was like for royalty back then. Fanned by slaves, hand fed grapes, watching the best roman soldiers battle each other and exotic creatures. Rough, im sure = ) You know that saying 'all roads lead to rome'? Well i saw the road that ends all roads to rome. The original street is believed to still exist in the forum. Hows that for creepy?