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Published: February 19th 2008
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Today was the first day of classes. Talk about jumping right in... Recovering from jet-lag was not on the agenda for today. I was one of the lucky few to have class at 8:00AM...just my luck! 😉 I started off my day with un cornetto chiocolato e un cappuccino (a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino) at a small bar called Pascucci's. Pascucci's is located right between L'Albergo Tiziano and our classroom building. Very convenient!! We typically get two meals a day at Pascucci's. We get weekly money tickets (the tickets remind me of Monopoly money) to be used at Pascucci's. The workers at Pascucci's are very friendly. The bar is family owned, and they are more than happy to help us learn more about speaking Italian. Sam already has a crush on Massimo. He definitely knows how to make a good cappuccino...that's for sure! 😉
I spent the rest of my day walking around Rome. It didn't take long for me to discover that the roads here are very confusing. The roads (which are all made of cobble stone) are more like allies. Even with a map, it is hard to know exactly where you are and how to get
where you want to go. My Italian teacher at Saint Mary's home campus told our class to be careful of the motorini- They rule the roads. HE WAS NOT LIEING! Everywhere I turn, I have to watch my back to be careful not to get hit by one. It's scary stuff! haha 😉 Bridget, Molly, and I set out to get school supplies. We took the longest possible way to find the store...which we later discovered that it was right down the street from our hotel. We did, however, happen to come across Campo di Fiori! (a famous fresh fruit, vegetable, etc market).
**Story of the day: I was trying to become acquainted with my nearby surroundings. I COMPLETELY GOT LOST! I had no idea where I was at, and the map in my hand was no use!! I came to a very crowded square where people were setting up cameras and video cameras. I thought to myself, "I think something important is going on. I'm lost...in a foreign country. I need to get out of this mass of people before something happens." So I set out looking for the Pantheon. My school, library, and hotel are all near
the Pantheon. I did successfully find it, and I did not get myself into any trouble of the sort. I did, however, come to find out that the Italian Prime Minister resigned. A pretty big deal- leading to the fall of the government. The building with the mass of people in front of it was the government building. So I basically witnessed history!
Monday through Friday we eat one meal a day at the hotel (Monday and Friday we are served lunch; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday we are served dinner). I usually can't breathe after dinners at the hotel- a full course meal, all the bread a girl can ask for, dessert, coffee (Italian's love their coffee!) We sit in a small dinning room with just us girls + two boys from Saint Mary's. Yes...you saw that right. Two boys from Villanova are in our program. I can no longer say I go to an all-girls' school. What a shame 😞 **Recent discovery in the dinning room- If you mix the coca powder used to make hot chocolate with more coca and sugar than milk...you get chocolate syrup. A necessity for the fresh fruit to be dipped in!
I
am taking 17 credits here in Rome. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have Philosophy at 8:00AM-9:30AM and Art History at 3:55PM-5:25PM. On Tuesdays, I have Italian at 10:15AM-12:15PM, Mythology at 2:20PM-3:50PM, and Religious Studies at 5:30PM-7:00PM. On Thursdays, I have Religious Studies at 8:00AM-9:30, Italian at 12:15PM-2:15PM, and Mythology at 2:20PM-3:55PM. My Philosophy professor is a Jesuit who teaches at two or three other schools in Rome. He is the sweetest man ever, and he always talks about his mom. We have to do a lot of feminist reading for that class. My Art History class...not my favorite! Mythology is really interesting. I didn't realize how mythology had such an impact on the structures and lifestyles of the ancient Romans. My Mythology professor is from New York who worked in the theatre business. He moved to Italy because his Italian wife hated the cold in New York. My Italian class has 8 girls in it. Professor Napoli reminds me of a mom who is just fascinated with the way Americans live. Religious Studies is by far my favorite class. Father Mark is amazing! He knew my name after the first day of class (and he met about 60 other girls
that day). He is so knowledgeable about the Catholic Church. His passion makes me what to learn more about my faith.
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