Ciao Rome!

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It is officially my 4th day here in amazing Rome, Italy. I have found, in trying to describe it to my friends and family, that Rome is one of those cities that you really have to see to believe. I have never really traveled out of the country much, so I did not know what to expect. The plane ride was long, but the airline did what they could to make it comfortable. Breaking my tailbone the day before I left was probably not the best idea, but a pillow and some good movies helped.

After gathering our baggage at the airport we boarded busses to our hotel, the Hotel Palatino, right in the middle of Rome. My first impressions of Rome came from that bus ride. I was shocked by the way the Romans drove through the streets! There were several times when I got nervous and thought we were going to hit a car or moped. One of the first things that really caught my eye was the palm trees. I was not expecting to see this kind of tree in the middle of Rome, especially since it is approximately at the same latitude at New York City, at least that's what I have heard!

Driving through the city was like a history lesson. I kept seeing things that looked vaguely familiar from learning about them in Latin or History class. As the bus driver pointed out important historical landmarks, I felt like I was a part of history. After checking in, we walked around the city a little and I noticed both large and small details about the city that are different from my own. My first impression was that it was a fun city. Fun meaning that it was vibrant, colorful, and full of excitement. Perhaps that was the jetlag or the excitement of being in a new place, but I definitely saw energy and pride from many of the people and even buildings that we passed. I am not used to pink houses, rooftop gardens, internet cafes, and cobblestones.

On our second day here in Rome, we were able to be an audience for Pope Benedict (XVI?). I have been to church many times in my hometown but was not prepared for what I was about to experience! I have never before seen so many people gathered for a relgious event. The thing that struck me the most was that the people were so excited that they were standing on chairs, cheering, and chanting. Another interesting element in this audience was that there were numerous languages spoken throughout the service. It was a good opportunity to hear the different languages. Being an English speaker in a non-English speaking country has already been somewhat of a challenge. I have never been in this position before and I am beginning to feel empathy for those who come to the United States and do not speak English.

Another interesting note about the language that I have found is that despite the fact that the national language is Italian, many Italians know English, or at least enough to maintain some type of conversation. Maybe it is because Rome is somewhat of a tourist town, but the people here are accomodating of the English language, something which does not seem reciprocal in the United States. At one restraunt we went to, the menu was presented in three different languages, something I have never seen in the United States. These differences make me upset about the lack of accomodations our country makes towards others of different nationalities. In addition, I have noticed a lot of anti-American grafitti on the walls of buildings. While there is a lot of graffiti here compared to the United States, much of it is against Americans, President Bush, or the current Iraq War. I think sometimes in the U.S. we falsely believe that we have more support than we really do, and I find it interesting how passionate some of the Italian people are about issues that do not directly involve them.

Back to what has been going on!: On the third day we saw the colloseum and the Palatine. It was incredible to see the actual structure where so much history occurred. The Emperor's palaces were beautiful and so intricately detailed, that it makes me think about how long it must have taken for the people to build these structures. Seeing these places again made me feel like a part of a history I have always learned about. I wonder if the Roman people ever come to these areas or if they are used to having them there that they are no longer as special. That night we went out to dinner and ate outdoors at a pretty restraunt. After dinner, we tried to make it to one of the popular streets but we ended up lost. Fortunately, we found ourselves lost at the beautiful Spanish steps. Getting lost in Rome is slightly more fun than getting lost in any other city!

Today some people woke up early to go to the Epipany mass at St. Peter's Basilica. We woke up early and waited in line for over an hour before being allowed inside. In all, there were 90-100 thousand people present, and we were lucky enough to be inside where 10,000 people had gathered to see Pope Benedict (XVI?) give his epiphany morning mass. I was surpised by the forcefulness of some of the Italian people and especially the nuns waiting to get inside. People were running and pushing in order to get good seats. When the pope walked down the asile, people were cheering and standing on chairs. A friend of mine almost fell of her chair when pushed by a woman trying to get through. There was even pushing during communion when everyone wanted to be able to participate. Seeing this service was definitely eye-opening as I had never seen anyone be so excited or forceful when it came to a church service! In addition, the service was in many languages which were interesting to hear. I took Latin in high school, so it was interesting to hear it being used in an acutal setting outside of the classroom, which does not happen often!

These past few days have opened my eyes to how a completely different culture functions. I am excited for what is to come, as we have more monuments and historical places to see. In addition, i am excited about learning about the other areas that we will be visiting!

Ciao! (Hopefully next time I write, I will know more Italian than Ciao!)

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Comments

[mary]

thanks!
hello, i'll be studying in rome in a matter of weeks and i found your entry to be very insightful! thanks for sharing with us your experience!