lunedì 7 aprile 2008
Harry Potter
Harry Potter has finally reached the point where it is in control of my life. When I got to Titi’s house, I started to read the 4th book. I finished it after a week and immediately started book 5. I stayed at home all day on a beautiful Saturday reading that book. I was so sucked into it. And now I am ready to read the 6th book and I don’t have it. So, you know what I’ve been doing? I’ve been going to the bookstore, Feltrinelli, to read it there. I’m like a crack head doing what I must to get my fix. Stupid Harry Potter.
Oh the places you will go…
Dr. Seuss truly did know what he was talking about when he wrote that book. I have been to so many places and seen so many things here in Rome alone, my favorite being the museums. My school is so great about taking us to museums and in one week alone we went to one every day. We had a short week (only 3 days) and managed to see three different places.
The first place that we went was the Vatican Museum with the Masterpieces of Vatican class. We were going to see some of the sculptures but that area was closed off because a structure fell. Instead we took a look at the various works that we had learned about in the class.
This is Raphael’s Transfiguration, 1517. This was on our midterm. Its shows how light is used to show good and evil. The top is full of light, making it more holy, whereas the bottom is void of much light, showing the lack of holiness.
This is by daVinci. I don’t remember the name but I know it was about a saint who went into the desert to cleanse himself or something like that. We didn’t learn about this one.
This is a piece by Caravaggio, one of my favorite artists. It was done either in the late 1500s or early 1600s. I don’t know the exact name of this piece because I only learned it Italian but I think it translates to mean The Descent of the Cross.
We didn’t learn about these but there were all kinds of pieces that looked straight out of Egypt, probably stolen like so many things were.
This is a statue of Bacchus, also known as Dionysus. He was originally the god of the extraordinary and later became more commonly known as the god of wine who inspired creativity in music and poetry. He reminded me of Lauren.
This is Ajax and Achilles Playing Draughts, 6 Century BC. This was on our midterm. I so got it right.
After we finished up at the Vatican, we made our way back to school where our photo teacher met up with us to take us to a photo exhibit going on down the road. They were showing pieces from the National Geographic of Italy because they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary in Italy. It was the perfect place for me. Everyone that knows me knows how much I love, love, LOVE National Geographic and photography. It was amazing. Mario and I walked around and talked about all the pieces that we liked and I told him that this is my favorite subscription and I wish I could work for them. He said that’s his goal. I would love it if he started working for them. Maybe that would get me a job or at least a free subscription. Love National Geographic.
The next day we went to the Capitoline Museum with our Baroque and Renaissance class. We focused on paintings instead of statues and ruins.
This is the original shewolf. The two babes are the founders of Rome, Romolo and Remo, which translates into Romulus and Remus. She kept them alive and they started the city, I think, maybe.
This is another piece by Caravaggio. This is St. John the Baptist. I think he did this one in 1607 give or take 5 years.
The next day we went back to the Capitoline but this time was with Lucia and Claudio for Greek and Roman Mythology. Lucia wanted us to do a tandem with the students at her other school so we met them. Cute kids. Anywho, we spent the day looking at statues.
This is a bronze figure of what was either thought to be Marcus Arellius and it turned out to be Constantine or vise versa. I don’t remember. Pretty cool, however, because they didn’t bother to focus on proportion. Instead they made the horse way larger than it would have been to show how much power the rider had by means of controlling such a big animal.
The first place that we went was the Vatican Museum with the Masterpieces of Vatican class. We were going to see some of the sculptures but that area was closed off because a structure fell. Instead we took a look at the various works that we had learned about in the class.
This is Raphael’s Transfiguration, 1517. This was on our midterm. Its shows how light is used to show good and evil. The top is full of light, making it more holy, whereas the bottom is void of much light, showing the lack of holiness.
This is by daVinci. I don’t remember the name but I know it was about a saint who went into the desert to cleanse himself or something like that. We didn’t learn about this one.
This is a piece by Caravaggio, one of my favorite artists. It was done either in the late 1500s or early 1600s. I don’t know the exact name of this piece because I only learned it Italian but I think it translates to mean The Descent of the Cross.
We didn’t learn about these but there were all kinds of pieces that looked straight out of Egypt, probably stolen like so many things were.
This is a statue of Bacchus, also known as Dionysus. He was originally the god of the extraordinary and later became more commonly known as the god of wine who inspired creativity in music and poetry. He reminded me of Lauren.
This is Ajax and Achilles Playing Draughts, 6 Century BC. This was on our midterm. I so got it right.
After we finished up at the Vatican, we made our way back to school where our photo teacher met up with us to take us to a photo exhibit going on down the road. They were showing pieces from the National Geographic of Italy because they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary in Italy. It was the perfect place for me. Everyone that knows me knows how much I love, love, LOVE National Geographic and photography. It was amazing. Mario and I walked around and talked about all the pieces that we liked and I told him that this is my favorite subscription and I wish I could work for them. He said that’s his goal. I would love it if he started working for them. Maybe that would get me a job or at least a free subscription. Love National Geographic.
The next day we went to the Capitoline Museum with our Baroque and Renaissance class. We focused on paintings instead of statues and ruins.
This is the original shewolf. The two babes are the founders of Rome, Romolo and Remo, which translates into Romulus and Remus. She kept them alive and they started the city, I think, maybe.
This is another piece by Caravaggio. This is St. John the Baptist. I think he did this one in 1607 give or take 5 years.
The next day we went back to the Capitoline but this time was with Lucia and Claudio for Greek and Roman Mythology. Lucia wanted us to do a tandem with the students at her other school so we met them. Cute kids. Anywho, we spent the day looking at statues.
This is a bronze figure of what was either thought to be Marcus Arellius and it turned out to be Constantine or vise versa. I don’t remember. Pretty cool, however, because they didn’t bother to focus on proportion. Instead they made the horse way larger than it would have been to show how much power the rider had by means of controlling such a big animal.
Second Trip to Gricignano: Easter Weekend
Saturday
The day started off pretty rough for me. I stayed up really late reading Harry Potter and I had to get up at 6:45 to catch my train. Just before leaving the flat, Nicole asked me where the red umbrella was so that these people that neither one of us knows could use it while they are in town for a few days. This just happened to be the umbrella I was taking with me to Gricignano, I needed it to match my Easter outfit, a concept I don’t think she understands. I mean that to say she doesn’t get how important Easter is to me or how hard I have always tried to make sure everything I have on that day matches. Whatev. Not the point. So I left with my turquoise umbrella instead, the brand new one I had just purchased for a whopping $12. Trust me, I never would have spent so much on it in the states but things are pricier here and I needed an umbrella. The rain wasn’t that bad, thank God, as I was wheeling my suitcase down the narrow streets. That is, until I got about two blocks from being inside and a huge gush of wind swept by, turning my umbrella inside out. I must admit, I have always wanted that to happen to me, just cause it looks cool, but I would have preferred it on a day when I wasn’t trying to get somewhere. I closed the umbrella to turn it right again and then, BAM! I was hit again. Needless to say I walked in the rain for the remainer of the two blocks.
When I got to the train station I had no idea what number my train was or where I was going so I looked on a board and then headed in a general direction of where it said some train going to Napoli was. I figured there was a good chance my train would be over there.
I always ask questions when I don’t know something and the language barrier hasn’t stopped me from doing that so I walked up to a man and asked if the train was going to Aversa. He had no idea so he turns to this very handsome man with salt and pepper hair and a face like it was chiseled from marble (not stone). He said he didn’t know either and pointed me in the direction of someone who might. He then walked with me to this all-knowing person and asked him for me if it was the right train. It was not. The salt and pepper man of my dreams then walked me to a board that had the updated arrivals and platforms and departure times. He said to just wait and look and go to whatever number shows up next to the train I was supposed to be taking. I thanked him and he walked away.
I stood there looking up at that board for a good 5 minutes and nothing had changed, at least not for my train. It was just as I started to worry that the beautiful number 7 appeared. Grazie Dio!
In the midst of me turning around to head toward my train, the original man whom I had asked if I was going the right way was standing right in front of me. He asked me if I found the right train. I smiled and said yes. Then the salt and pepper man approached. He said with a smile, “You’re number is here, seven” in Italian, of course. I thanked them both, smiling. As I walked away I couldn’t help but keep looking in their direction instead of my own, saying “Grazie mille.” I must say that immediately after saying it I felt like I had the whole Audrey Hepburn sound in my Italian accent as she had in Roman Holiday.
I don’t know what it is about the Italians but they have a quality about them that is matched and rivaled by no other. They have to be, by far, the nicest group of people I’ve ever encountered. Generally speaking, I usually one stereotype when its funny and I’m never quite serious about it. But in this case I really do mean to group all Italians together because they are so nice. That’s not to say there are not a few bad apples in the bunch but every group has their oddballs. All other things aside (i.e. the mafia, communists, etc) the majority of encounters I have had have proven them to be… nice, helpful, and genuine. I’m still keeping my eye out for the bad ones. You know what they say, “Prepare for the worst, live for the best”… or something like that.
I got to Aversa around noon. Jeff, Christian, and Sophie came to pick me up. When we got home the girls asked me if I would go with them to rent a movie. Titi handed me the keys to her car. Was she serious? She was going to let me drive? This would be my first time driving in a foreign country. Her car was so big and I was afraid of scratching it but everything went smoothly. We picked up some candy, tried to rent a movie, and went home. After dinner that night we went to Campania to get gelato at that amazing place.
Sunday
We woke up and went to Easter mass. It occurred to me during mass that this was the first time that I was going to a church other than Guardia Angels for Easter mass. Last year I couldn’t make it home so I had a three-way call with my mom and my best friend, Jeff, and the three of us conducted Easter mass. We each took bread and wine, gave it thanks, and ate/drank it, accepting it as Jesus. But this year was different. I was in another country, a different time zone. I did like the sermon, priest was cool, he had a New England accent. We went back to the casa and took pictures.
This is their family.
And this is me with the kids.
This is me with Lourdes.
And this is the kids taking a funny picture.
After we were done taking pictures, Vicky and I made a bunny cake, which was followed by playing games. We played Taboo, 1313 Dead End Drive, Apples for Apples, Twister, and then we had a dance party. For dinner we had oven baked ham with a side of rice and beans. When everyone had gone to sleep I called my family to tell them Happy Easter. When I finished with them I called my Uncle Stevie and my Uncle Rich to wish them Happy Easter as well. then I called Jeff, Jesse, Matt, Tran, and Lauren. I stayed up on the phone until about 4 AM because Lauren wouldn’t let me get off. I paid for it the next day.
Monday
I was so tired today I thought I was going to die. I watched the Passion of the Christ movie and cried a little. I read some Harry Potter; I wanted to be done with it before going back to Rome, no such luck. I was taking a late train back to Rome so I was able to have dinner with them. We had leftover ham with a green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. It was a perfect last meal. We headed to the train station and I was off. On the trip back to Roma, I had the pleasure of picking the car full of hott Carabinieri men. Grazie Dio.
The day started off pretty rough for me. I stayed up really late reading Harry Potter and I had to get up at 6:45 to catch my train. Just before leaving the flat, Nicole asked me where the red umbrella was so that these people that neither one of us knows could use it while they are in town for a few days. This just happened to be the umbrella I was taking with me to Gricignano, I needed it to match my Easter outfit, a concept I don’t think she understands. I mean that to say she doesn’t get how important Easter is to me or how hard I have always tried to make sure everything I have on that day matches. Whatev. Not the point. So I left with my turquoise umbrella instead, the brand new one I had just purchased for a whopping $12. Trust me, I never would have spent so much on it in the states but things are pricier here and I needed an umbrella. The rain wasn’t that bad, thank God, as I was wheeling my suitcase down the narrow streets. That is, until I got about two blocks from being inside and a huge gush of wind swept by, turning my umbrella inside out. I must admit, I have always wanted that to happen to me, just cause it looks cool, but I would have preferred it on a day when I wasn’t trying to get somewhere. I closed the umbrella to turn it right again and then, BAM! I was hit again. Needless to say I walked in the rain for the remainer of the two blocks.
When I got to the train station I had no idea what number my train was or where I was going so I looked on a board and then headed in a general direction of where it said some train going to Napoli was. I figured there was a good chance my train would be over there.
I always ask questions when I don’t know something and the language barrier hasn’t stopped me from doing that so I walked up to a man and asked if the train was going to Aversa. He had no idea so he turns to this very handsome man with salt and pepper hair and a face like it was chiseled from marble (not stone). He said he didn’t know either and pointed me in the direction of someone who might. He then walked with me to this all-knowing person and asked him for me if it was the right train. It was not. The salt and pepper man of my dreams then walked me to a board that had the updated arrivals and platforms and departure times. He said to just wait and look and go to whatever number shows up next to the train I was supposed to be taking. I thanked him and he walked away.
I stood there looking up at that board for a good 5 minutes and nothing had changed, at least not for my train. It was just as I started to worry that the beautiful number 7 appeared. Grazie Dio!
In the midst of me turning around to head toward my train, the original man whom I had asked if I was going the right way was standing right in front of me. He asked me if I found the right train. I smiled and said yes. Then the salt and pepper man approached. He said with a smile, “You’re number is here, seven” in Italian, of course. I thanked them both, smiling. As I walked away I couldn’t help but keep looking in their direction instead of my own, saying “Grazie mille.” I must say that immediately after saying it I felt like I had the whole Audrey Hepburn sound in my Italian accent as she had in Roman Holiday.
I don’t know what it is about the Italians but they have a quality about them that is matched and rivaled by no other. They have to be, by far, the nicest group of people I’ve ever encountered. Generally speaking, I usually one stereotype when its funny and I’m never quite serious about it. But in this case I really do mean to group all Italians together because they are so nice. That’s not to say there are not a few bad apples in the bunch but every group has their oddballs. All other things aside (i.e. the mafia, communists, etc) the majority of encounters I have had have proven them to be… nice, helpful, and genuine. I’m still keeping my eye out for the bad ones. You know what they say, “Prepare for the worst, live for the best”… or something like that.
I got to Aversa around noon. Jeff, Christian, and Sophie came to pick me up. When we got home the girls asked me if I would go with them to rent a movie. Titi handed me the keys to her car. Was she serious? She was going to let me drive? This would be my first time driving in a foreign country. Her car was so big and I was afraid of scratching it but everything went smoothly. We picked up some candy, tried to rent a movie, and went home. After dinner that night we went to Campania to get gelato at that amazing place.
Sunday
We woke up and went to Easter mass. It occurred to me during mass that this was the first time that I was going to a church other than Guardia Angels for Easter mass. Last year I couldn’t make it home so I had a three-way call with my mom and my best friend, Jeff, and the three of us conducted Easter mass. We each took bread and wine, gave it thanks, and ate/drank it, accepting it as Jesus. But this year was different. I was in another country, a different time zone. I did like the sermon, priest was cool, he had a New England accent. We went back to the casa and took pictures.
This is their family.
And this is me with the kids.
This is me with Lourdes.
And this is the kids taking a funny picture.
After we were done taking pictures, Vicky and I made a bunny cake, which was followed by playing games. We played Taboo, 1313 Dead End Drive, Apples for Apples, Twister, and then we had a dance party. For dinner we had oven baked ham with a side of rice and beans. When everyone had gone to sleep I called my family to tell them Happy Easter. When I finished with them I called my Uncle Stevie and my Uncle Rich to wish them Happy Easter as well. then I called Jeff, Jesse, Matt, Tran, and Lauren. I stayed up on the phone until about 4 AM because Lauren wouldn’t let me get off. I paid for it the next day.
Monday
I was so tired today I thought I was going to die. I watched the Passion of the Christ movie and cried a little. I read some Harry Potter; I wanted to be done with it before going back to Rome, no such luck. I was taking a late train back to Rome so I was able to have dinner with them. We had leftover ham with a green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. It was a perfect last meal. We headed to the train station and I was off. On the trip back to Roma, I had the pleasure of picking the car full of hott Carabinieri men. Grazie Dio.
So it almost happened…
St. Peter’s
I had such high expectations for today. It’s Good Friday and I wanted to get things done. The first thing on my list was to go to the top of St. Peter’s and check out the view. It was a sunny morning and I thought it would be perfect. But when I got there it was crazy crowded. The line looked longer than any line I had ever seen including the ones that can be found at amusement parks. The church looked nice so I took a picture of it. There was also an olive tree out front, part of the march later that night I presume.
The Beach
When our plan to climb the steps failed, we decided to go to the beach. Well that didn’t turn out too much better. We got on a bus back toward our house to catch the train by our house. It was completely deserted.
We took a seat and headed to the beach. When we got off the train we realized how freaking cold it was and headed back to the city. We went home, crawled into bed, and tried as hard as we could to shake the cold from our bones.
The Stations of the Cross
I had finished up packing and was very excited to do the Stations of the Cross. In Rome, they start at the Coliseum and walk to St. Peter’s. I had come back to Rome for this and this alone. But you know me, once I get home and get into my jammies I have no volition to go out again. And this time I told myself I was going no matter what, well, unless it started to rain. And it did. So I stayed home. The day was complete. Everything I had intended on doing did not get done. Oh well. Always next year, right?
I had such high expectations for today. It’s Good Friday and I wanted to get things done. The first thing on my list was to go to the top of St. Peter’s and check out the view. It was a sunny morning and I thought it would be perfect. But when I got there it was crazy crowded. The line looked longer than any line I had ever seen including the ones that can be found at amusement parks. The church looked nice so I took a picture of it. There was also an olive tree out front, part of the march later that night I presume.
The Beach
When our plan to climb the steps failed, we decided to go to the beach. Well that didn’t turn out too much better. We got on a bus back toward our house to catch the train by our house. It was completely deserted.
We took a seat and headed to the beach. When we got off the train we realized how freaking cold it was and headed back to the city. We went home, crawled into bed, and tried as hard as we could to shake the cold from our bones.
The Stations of the Cross
I had finished up packing and was very excited to do the Stations of the Cross. In Rome, they start at the Coliseum and walk to St. Peter’s. I had come back to Rome for this and this alone. But you know me, once I get home and get into my jammies I have no volition to go out again. And this time I told myself I was going no matter what, well, unless it started to rain. And it did. So I stayed home. The day was complete. Everything I had intended on doing did not get done. Oh well. Always next year, right?
Graf Art is EVERYWHERE in Italy!
I love all the graffiti that can be found everywhere in italy. I’m not talking about the tags thrown about everywhere but rather the real talented graf art. Check out one of my favorites. Each picture would go beside the one before it.
My first trip to see the Krauses
Day One (3-12)
This was my first time taking a train outside of Rome so I had no idea what I was doing. When you get to Termini and head to the side where the outgoing trains are things get a little crazy. It is line after line of trains. And I have no idea how you are supposed to tell which one is yours. So, me being me, I walked up to a man that worked there to ask him where I was supposed to catch my train. He said a number (in Italian, of course) and pointed me in the right direction. I jumped on my train, still not 100% sure that it was the right train. Half way through the trip I asked one of the men walking down the isle in uniform if the train was in fact the one I needed and he said yes, told me that it was the third stop, but didn’t clarify if it was the third one including the one we just made or if it was three after so I was still a little confused. I called Titi (pronounced Thi-thi) to ask her how I would know I was there and she told me to just ask. About half an hour later I asked a woman where we were and she said “Aversa”. Thank the Lord for that cause I would have completely missed my stop if it wasn’t for that woman. As I sat in the train station waiting to be picked up I couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to not have anything to do but relax.
This trip was full of “firsts” so please don’t get tired of hearing me say, “It was my first time…” With that being said, this was my first time being on a base of any kind. I had to fill out a request for permission to stay on base. It was granted (duh) but it wasn’t permanent and we had to come back the next day to get one to last for the whole week I was there. After that was taken care of I entered the base and we headed to her flat. It was really odd being on base because it was like being in America but it looked like Italy. Everyone spoke English, and dollars were the only currency accepted. It was so interesting. Jeff and Titi called it “La Piccola America” which means Little America.
They lived in one of the furthest apartment complexes on base and it was still less than a 10-minute walk from the NEX, located at the other end. I walked in and immediately felt like I was back home. One of the first things that I noticed was their bookshelf that was jam-packed with books from top to bottom. On the third shelf from the top, in the very center of the shelf was a word made out of a piece of wood in the shape of a fish. The word was “JESUS” and it looked so familiar that it was almost bone chilling. I picked it up and asked Lourdes where she had gotten it and she said “You’re grandpa gave it to me. He made it.” From that point on I knew I was at home. And the kids solidified that feeling by how absolutely sweet and attentive they were to me.
We all sat down to eat dinner, chili with white rice. I thought that my family was the only ones that put chili over rice but I guess not. It was so good. She kept saying “sorry that its not more flavorful but blah blah blah” and all I was thinking was “are you kidding me? This is amazing! I have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve had chili and this just made my day.” We also had this bomb salad that had lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice, salt, and corn in it. Amazing.
Day Two (3-13)
Today was hella chill. I had no real plans for the day so I just went around with Titi. We took Sophie to school and picked her back up. Then we took the other kids to piano lessons. While they were doing that Titi, Sophie and I went to Jambo, a mall that is all the hype in Aversa. We got some gelato there and headed back to get the kids. As soon as we were inside the base, Titi dropped me off at the commissary so that I could go to the movies. I went to see Jumper, pretty good movie, and it only cost me $3. It was amazing. Nothing is that cheap in Rome. This happened to be the first time that I had seen a movie in italy and it was also the first time that I had seen a movie by myself. It wasn’t bad but I will say that I prefer going with other people. When I got home it was about the same time as Izzy and Vicky who had been at soccer practice. The three of us had gemelli noodles with meat sauce for dinner. So scrumptious.
Day Three (3/14)
Today we went to Napoli. Titi, Sophie and I drove to JFC. This is the NATO base where Titi’s husband, Jeff, works. I was not permitted on this base. I waited outside the base while Titi parked the car. The three of us caught a train to downtown Napoli. We walked around a few streets, stopped in some cute shops, bought 4 pairs of shoes and a purse. The first thing that we went to see was the Duomo.
The Duomo is a church and there is a Duomo in almost every city. They are all very different and by no means are they affiliated with each other. After the Duomo we went to what is called the Spaccanapoli. The literal translation for that is Napoli’s bellybutton. It’s a street that goes straight through the middle of Napoli and you can see from one end of the street clear to the other. Then we went to a piazza that had a building that looked like a mixture of the pantheon and the collonade of St. Peter’s. It was interesting but nothing too grand.
We walked to the edge of the shore and on the way we saw this graffiti. It made me smile.
This was the Cesar statue.
Sophie and Titi.
After the shore we headed to the Galleria Umberto Primo, which is a mall but more importantly it is a beautiful structure.
This is a side view of the dome of Galleria Umberto Primo. The gray building on the right is the opera house. I was told that this is the nicest opera house in all of Europe.
Front of the Umberto Primo.
Inside the Umberto Primo.
After walking through the Umberto, we headed to the fonicolare (picture above). We took the fonicolare up and down a hill to catch the metro again to go back to JFC. Sophie had to pee so Titi called Jeff to come get her and take her. He came to the front gate and told all of us to come in. We had to go through this checkpoint thing and after they buzzed us in he pointed to the three of us and said we were with him so they didn’t even bother looking at our IDs. My permission thing said that I was no allowed on that base but I guess it doesn’t matter when the man tells them you’re with him. Funny thing power is.
This is the base that I was not allowed on.
As we drove back home this is what I got to see. If you look at the upper half of the picture you will see mountain ranges. Beautiful. If you look at the lower half you will see trash. No, you did not miss read. That is trash. Napoli is on a trash strike so they aren’t picking it up and it is piling everywhere. It’s so gross. Glad I didn’t see any up close and personal. Fa schifo.
We got back home and had frozen pizzas for dinner. Now, for all of you still dwelling in America, frozen pizza might not sound like all that exciting but when you live in italy and all you ever have is super thin pizza made fresh on a brick or wood oven you start to long for the pizza of America with the thick crust and solid cheese. I don’t dislike the pizza here and I’m not complaining about how fresh it is but I’m also not complaining about having the privilege of having a frozen pizza. After eating I went to the movies again to see 10,000 BC with Izzy. Pretty good movie. Main character was super cute.
Day Four (3/15)
We went to Carney Park today, a park located inside a volcano crater.
Christian was camping with the cub scouts last night. When we met up with him he was shooting a BB gun to earn a belt loop. While he was doing that, Vicky and Izzy were at tryouts for softball. I swear, I have never met kids who were so involved, always doing something. Titi went to watch the girls tryout and I took Sophie to the moon bounce. I saw Winnie the Pooh and got a picture. It reminded me of my best friend and I pretended that I was actually taking a picture with him (miss you Pooh Bear).
Afterwards the kids went rock climbing. This is them:
A few other things happened at Carney Park. 1) Mr. Steve told me that I looked like I was 16 and Mr. Jamie said I looked like I was 14. Yea for me. I also bought Pocahontas for $10, deal of the day.
When we were finished, we went home to clean up and go to church. I have to be very honest, it made me very happy to see a mass in English. In addition, I got super excited because the church on base uses the same hymn books that we use back at Guardian Angels.
For dinner we went to a pizzaria, Captain Morgan, and got three things of ½ a meter of pizza, 5 suppli, 2 crochette, and 2 of something that tasted like salty bread. After dinner, Jeff and I went to see Sweeney Todd and it was amazing. I am so happy that I got to see it. I have to buy that movie when it comes out on DVD in addition to getting the soundtrack. I loved every minute of all the weird things that went down.
Day Five (3/16)
Today I woke up and went to the Campania mall with Jeff, Izzy and Vicky. They were on strict orders to not let me buy shoes, so I didn’t. Instead I had gelato at what I was told is the best gelato shop in all of Europe. And by george I believe it just may be. When we got back to base, I went to see 27 Dresses with Lourdes. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing that movie before I left and I had no complaints about seeing it again. When we got back home she started cooking and I started playing with the kids. We had tri-tip on the grill for dinner with potato wedges covered in thyme and olive oil in the oven and zucchini covered in olive oil cooked on stovetop. It was amazing.
After dinner we dyed Easter eggs. I think we did 2 dozen. They’re gonna be eating hardboiled eggs for a little while.
They told Sophie that she had to go to bed and she started to cry. She has got to be the cutest child in the world because even when she cries she’s cute. Who does that?
When the kids were in bed, we watched the Talented Mr. Ripley. A good portion of it was filmed off the shore of Sicily and in Napoli. They even had a scene in the Umberto Primo. I was like, “Hey, I’ve been there!” Jeff and Titi looked at me with a face that read “Yea, we know, we took you there.”
Day Six (3/18)
I went back to the Campania mall with Titi and bought three really cute outfits. It was fun but we had to rush back to Succivo to pick up Sohpie at school and then get to the house for when the kids got back home. Izzy and Titi left for trumpet lessons and I stayed home to make sure the kids did their homework. It was like pulling teeth to get Christian to take care of his homework. After Titi got back, Izzy and I rode the bikes around for a little bit. Then she traded with Vicky and she and I raced bikes. This was my first time being on a bike in about 7 years and I beat the crap out of her 3 times racing. Needless to say, it was the highlight of my day. For dinner we had lasagna and salad. I never realized how much I missed salads until I was having them every night, funny how that works. When everyone was asleep I got on the phone and played the Sims. I didn’t go to bed until about 3:30 AM.
Day Seven (3/18)
Today was my last day and we didn’t do much. I went to Capodichino (another base in the area) with Titi so that she could meet up with her student advisor. We went back home and packed. We left to go to the train station. Jeff had sent Titi an email with the map he drew up on it. She always gets lost so she has all these maps in the glove box that take her from point A to point B. Pretty funny.
This was my first time taking a train outside of Rome so I had no idea what I was doing. When you get to Termini and head to the side where the outgoing trains are things get a little crazy. It is line after line of trains. And I have no idea how you are supposed to tell which one is yours. So, me being me, I walked up to a man that worked there to ask him where I was supposed to catch my train. He said a number (in Italian, of course) and pointed me in the right direction. I jumped on my train, still not 100% sure that it was the right train. Half way through the trip I asked one of the men walking down the isle in uniform if the train was in fact the one I needed and he said yes, told me that it was the third stop, but didn’t clarify if it was the third one including the one we just made or if it was three after so I was still a little confused. I called Titi (pronounced Thi-thi) to ask her how I would know I was there and she told me to just ask. About half an hour later I asked a woman where we were and she said “Aversa”. Thank the Lord for that cause I would have completely missed my stop if it wasn’t for that woman. As I sat in the train station waiting to be picked up I couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to not have anything to do but relax.
This trip was full of “firsts” so please don’t get tired of hearing me say, “It was my first time…” With that being said, this was my first time being on a base of any kind. I had to fill out a request for permission to stay on base. It was granted (duh) but it wasn’t permanent and we had to come back the next day to get one to last for the whole week I was there. After that was taken care of I entered the base and we headed to her flat. It was really odd being on base because it was like being in America but it looked like Italy. Everyone spoke English, and dollars were the only currency accepted. It was so interesting. Jeff and Titi called it “La Piccola America” which means Little America.
They lived in one of the furthest apartment complexes on base and it was still less than a 10-minute walk from the NEX, located at the other end. I walked in and immediately felt like I was back home. One of the first things that I noticed was their bookshelf that was jam-packed with books from top to bottom. On the third shelf from the top, in the very center of the shelf was a word made out of a piece of wood in the shape of a fish. The word was “JESUS” and it looked so familiar that it was almost bone chilling. I picked it up and asked Lourdes where she had gotten it and she said “You’re grandpa gave it to me. He made it.” From that point on I knew I was at home. And the kids solidified that feeling by how absolutely sweet and attentive they were to me.
We all sat down to eat dinner, chili with white rice. I thought that my family was the only ones that put chili over rice but I guess not. It was so good. She kept saying “sorry that its not more flavorful but blah blah blah” and all I was thinking was “are you kidding me? This is amazing! I have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve had chili and this just made my day.” We also had this bomb salad that had lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice, salt, and corn in it. Amazing.
Day Two (3-13)
Today was hella chill. I had no real plans for the day so I just went around with Titi. We took Sophie to school and picked her back up. Then we took the other kids to piano lessons. While they were doing that Titi, Sophie and I went to Jambo, a mall that is all the hype in Aversa. We got some gelato there and headed back to get the kids. As soon as we were inside the base, Titi dropped me off at the commissary so that I could go to the movies. I went to see Jumper, pretty good movie, and it only cost me $3. It was amazing. Nothing is that cheap in Rome. This happened to be the first time that I had seen a movie in italy and it was also the first time that I had seen a movie by myself. It wasn’t bad but I will say that I prefer going with other people. When I got home it was about the same time as Izzy and Vicky who had been at soccer practice. The three of us had gemelli noodles with meat sauce for dinner. So scrumptious.
Day Three (3/14)
Today we went to Napoli. Titi, Sophie and I drove to JFC. This is the NATO base where Titi’s husband, Jeff, works. I was not permitted on this base. I waited outside the base while Titi parked the car. The three of us caught a train to downtown Napoli. We walked around a few streets, stopped in some cute shops, bought 4 pairs of shoes and a purse. The first thing that we went to see was the Duomo.
The Duomo is a church and there is a Duomo in almost every city. They are all very different and by no means are they affiliated with each other. After the Duomo we went to what is called the Spaccanapoli. The literal translation for that is Napoli’s bellybutton. It’s a street that goes straight through the middle of Napoli and you can see from one end of the street clear to the other. Then we went to a piazza that had a building that looked like a mixture of the pantheon and the collonade of St. Peter’s. It was interesting but nothing too grand.
We walked to the edge of the shore and on the way we saw this graffiti. It made me smile.
This was the Cesar statue.
Sophie and Titi.
After the shore we headed to the Galleria Umberto Primo, which is a mall but more importantly it is a beautiful structure.
This is a side view of the dome of Galleria Umberto Primo. The gray building on the right is the opera house. I was told that this is the nicest opera house in all of Europe.
Front of the Umberto Primo.
Inside the Umberto Primo.
After walking through the Umberto, we headed to the fonicolare (picture above). We took the fonicolare up and down a hill to catch the metro again to go back to JFC. Sophie had to pee so Titi called Jeff to come get her and take her. He came to the front gate and told all of us to come in. We had to go through this checkpoint thing and after they buzzed us in he pointed to the three of us and said we were with him so they didn’t even bother looking at our IDs. My permission thing said that I was no allowed on that base but I guess it doesn’t matter when the man tells them you’re with him. Funny thing power is.
This is the base that I was not allowed on.
As we drove back home this is what I got to see. If you look at the upper half of the picture you will see mountain ranges. Beautiful. If you look at the lower half you will see trash. No, you did not miss read. That is trash. Napoli is on a trash strike so they aren’t picking it up and it is piling everywhere. It’s so gross. Glad I didn’t see any up close and personal. Fa schifo.
We got back home and had frozen pizzas for dinner. Now, for all of you still dwelling in America, frozen pizza might not sound like all that exciting but when you live in italy and all you ever have is super thin pizza made fresh on a brick or wood oven you start to long for the pizza of America with the thick crust and solid cheese. I don’t dislike the pizza here and I’m not complaining about how fresh it is but I’m also not complaining about having the privilege of having a frozen pizza. After eating I went to the movies again to see 10,000 BC with Izzy. Pretty good movie. Main character was super cute.
Day Four (3/15)
We went to Carney Park today, a park located inside a volcano crater.
Christian was camping with the cub scouts last night. When we met up with him he was shooting a BB gun to earn a belt loop. While he was doing that, Vicky and Izzy were at tryouts for softball. I swear, I have never met kids who were so involved, always doing something. Titi went to watch the girls tryout and I took Sophie to the moon bounce. I saw Winnie the Pooh and got a picture. It reminded me of my best friend and I pretended that I was actually taking a picture with him (miss you Pooh Bear).
Afterwards the kids went rock climbing. This is them:
A few other things happened at Carney Park. 1) Mr. Steve told me that I looked like I was 16 and Mr. Jamie said I looked like I was 14. Yea for me. I also bought Pocahontas for $10, deal of the day.
When we were finished, we went home to clean up and go to church. I have to be very honest, it made me very happy to see a mass in English. In addition, I got super excited because the church on base uses the same hymn books that we use back at Guardian Angels.
For dinner we went to a pizzaria, Captain Morgan, and got three things of ½ a meter of pizza, 5 suppli, 2 crochette, and 2 of something that tasted like salty bread. After dinner, Jeff and I went to see Sweeney Todd and it was amazing. I am so happy that I got to see it. I have to buy that movie when it comes out on DVD in addition to getting the soundtrack. I loved every minute of all the weird things that went down.
Day Five (3/16)
Today I woke up and went to the Campania mall with Jeff, Izzy and Vicky. They were on strict orders to not let me buy shoes, so I didn’t. Instead I had gelato at what I was told is the best gelato shop in all of Europe. And by george I believe it just may be. When we got back to base, I went to see 27 Dresses with Lourdes. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing that movie before I left and I had no complaints about seeing it again. When we got back home she started cooking and I started playing with the kids. We had tri-tip on the grill for dinner with potato wedges covered in thyme and olive oil in the oven and zucchini covered in olive oil cooked on stovetop. It was amazing.
After dinner we dyed Easter eggs. I think we did 2 dozen. They’re gonna be eating hardboiled eggs for a little while.
They told Sophie that she had to go to bed and she started to cry. She has got to be the cutest child in the world because even when she cries she’s cute. Who does that?
When the kids were in bed, we watched the Talented Mr. Ripley. A good portion of it was filmed off the shore of Sicily and in Napoli. They even had a scene in the Umberto Primo. I was like, “Hey, I’ve been there!” Jeff and Titi looked at me with a face that read “Yea, we know, we took you there.”
Day Six (3/18)
I went back to the Campania mall with Titi and bought three really cute outfits. It was fun but we had to rush back to Succivo to pick up Sohpie at school and then get to the house for when the kids got back home. Izzy and Titi left for trumpet lessons and I stayed home to make sure the kids did their homework. It was like pulling teeth to get Christian to take care of his homework. After Titi got back, Izzy and I rode the bikes around for a little bit. Then she traded with Vicky and she and I raced bikes. This was my first time being on a bike in about 7 years and I beat the crap out of her 3 times racing. Needless to say, it was the highlight of my day. For dinner we had lasagna and salad. I never realized how much I missed salads until I was having them every night, funny how that works. When everyone was asleep I got on the phone and played the Sims. I didn’t go to bed until about 3:30 AM.
Day Seven (3/18)
Today was my last day and we didn’t do much. I went to Capodichino (another base in the area) with Titi so that she could meet up with her student advisor. We went back home and packed. We left to go to the train station. Jeff had sent Titi an email with the map he drew up on it. She always gets lost so she has all these maps in the glove box that take her from point A to point B. Pretty funny.
Midterms in Italy
I really loathe how things are set up in italy. We take two tests the whole semester, one for a midterm and the other is a final. It seems really stupid to me because that means you have so much material to cover, but to each his own.
My first midterm was in my Greek and Roman Mythology class. This midterm wasn’t that bad because she gave us a 7-page study guide sheet that had everything that we were going to be tested on. It was helpful. But the make up of the whole thing was ridiculous. We had 15 multiple-choice questions that were only worth half a point each. And then we had 5 essay questions worth different amounts but the whole test was only 20 points. How bonkers is that?
My second midterm was in Masterpieces of the Vatican. It wasn’t that bad after all was said and done. We had to identify 10 different pieces of art (give name, date, and artist) and he gave us two bonuses. Then we had to do comparisons of 8 different pieces of art. Then we had to do 10 fill in the blank questions followed by two essay questions. It was a lot but it wasn’t really hard; that made me glad because I find it kind of hard to remember all those little things like titles and years, etc.
My thritd midterm was in Photography of Rome. This was by far the easiest midterm we had. It was ten multiple-choice questions, a discussion of the pictures we have taken thus far and an oral explanation for some aspect of photography. So easy.
Then we got to my Italian midterm. This one was a little more tricky, mostly because I didn’t bother studying for it, but also because of the set up. It was nothing like previous Italian tests that I have had. It was 5 pages of written answers, mixture of fill in the blank, essay, and multiple-choice. Then we had a 7-minute oral exam. It was tough but I’m pretty confident that I did just fine.
My last midterm was in Baroque and Renaissance Art. This one was set up just like the Masterpieces of the Vatican midterm because it’s the same teacher. The only difference was the subject material and that instead of two short essays in class, we had already been given an essay question and had to have it typed and printed before the exam started. It wasn’t too bad. I’m only aiming for a C in each class so as long as I do better than that I’m already exceeding my expectations.
Midterms were finally done with and I was able to breathe at last. I have never been so stressed out with midterms in my life. I finally appreciate the testing system at Mizzou. Anywho, I finished up and went home to catch a bite to eat just before having to leave to catch a train.
My first midterm was in my Greek and Roman Mythology class. This midterm wasn’t that bad because she gave us a 7-page study guide sheet that had everything that we were going to be tested on. It was helpful. But the make up of the whole thing was ridiculous. We had 15 multiple-choice questions that were only worth half a point each. And then we had 5 essay questions worth different amounts but the whole test was only 20 points. How bonkers is that?
My second midterm was in Masterpieces of the Vatican. It wasn’t that bad after all was said and done. We had to identify 10 different pieces of art (give name, date, and artist) and he gave us two bonuses. Then we had to do comparisons of 8 different pieces of art. Then we had to do 10 fill in the blank questions followed by two essay questions. It was a lot but it wasn’t really hard; that made me glad because I find it kind of hard to remember all those little things like titles and years, etc.
My thritd midterm was in Photography of Rome. This was by far the easiest midterm we had. It was ten multiple-choice questions, a discussion of the pictures we have taken thus far and an oral explanation for some aspect of photography. So easy.
Then we got to my Italian midterm. This one was a little more tricky, mostly because I didn’t bother studying for it, but also because of the set up. It was nothing like previous Italian tests that I have had. It was 5 pages of written answers, mixture of fill in the blank, essay, and multiple-choice. Then we had a 7-minute oral exam. It was tough but I’m pretty confident that I did just fine.
My last midterm was in Baroque and Renaissance Art. This one was set up just like the Masterpieces of the Vatican midterm because it’s the same teacher. The only difference was the subject material and that instead of two short essays in class, we had already been given an essay question and had to have it typed and printed before the exam started. It wasn’t too bad. I’m only aiming for a C in each class so as long as I do better than that I’m already exceeding my expectations.
Midterms were finally done with and I was able to breathe at last. I have never been so stressed out with midterms in my life. I finally appreciate the testing system at Mizzou. Anywho, I finished up and went home to catch a bite to eat just before having to leave to catch a train.
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