Day 102- Bliss Bliss Bliss

It has been over 100 days.

I was just out running along the Tevere River...and was absolutely overwhelmed with happiness. I realized how much I love it here, how I miss people, and I miss home, but that the new experiences that I'm living in the stunningly beautiful and perfectly special Italian world are filling me with utter bliss. It is something I cannot describe, because so many things are the same...I am not magically staying the same weight despite my intake of carbs and cheese, I am not entirely free of studying, I can't buy all the shoes in the windows...it has been taking me hours to fall asleep lately because I can't stop worrying about all the other things I always worry about...yet today, while I was running along the Tevere River, I couldn't have felt better.  And yes, I know about the endorphins, which I'm sure played a part in it all...but I don't care. It was honest, and real, all the happiness. 

And as I thought about this, I thought of why I'm so happy, and it's simple.  I realized that for me, there is nothing more important than the people that you surround yourself with. There is nothing more wonderful than getting to know people, than feeling the change from acquaintances to friends....than beginning to care about people and having them care about you. In light of of being short and sweet, I won't get into describing each and every character, but I will say that I am so so lucky to be surrounded by the people I am surrounded by right now.

Day 93

Well another week has gone by! Way too fast. I won't even get into the whole time flies philosophy because I know everyone knows it all too well.

So during this past week, I've been busy. The Notte dei Musei didn't end up happening because of a school bombing in South Italy...a girl was killed and officials thought the mafia might be involved. I have to admit, before coming here the whole mafia thing was very Hollywood to me. Something dangerous and glamorous, "la famiglia".  But here it is a sad reality, and unfortunately things like the bombing happen because of it...Hopefully, sometime soon, it will only be in the movies.

So we stayed home, but the day brought many things: I had my first ride on the back of a motorcycle in Rome. It was magical. Haha. Maybe not the typically imagined ride arms around a dreamy Italian boy, but I was happy to go with Maria to get some wine. (Yes, we are always drinking wine-why wouldn't we when it's this good?) Anyway, I coolly hung on to the back of the seat, wind in my face, as she zipped back and forth between cars to the store...and back at the house, with my helmet hair and bottles in hand, I was fully satisfied by my first Italian moto-experience.

Combine ingredients, knead, roll, fill, bake.

Then with Pasqui I learned to make a Crostata, which I quickly figured out is a sort of pie, but with equal amounts of crust and filling. The outside is a crumbly short crust pastry, and the filling was different jams in one, and Nutella in the other. Initially we were both "going to make the Crostatas", but it turned out I just watched, as Pasquina oh-so-precisely created the lovely dessert. Of course, I wrote down everything...it's a good thing they have Nutella in Chile.

Of course later that night we went out to eat pizza, I am happy to say at Est! Est! Est! again. This time the meal was complete with a variety of fried eats, including mozzarella, fiori di zuccha (zucchini blossoms), and cod, before we each downed our delectable pizzas. It had also been a while since I laughed so much until it hurt, so the night couldn't have ended better.

Then, the week began; I went on a small adventure to find the last book I have to read for English, did a few circles around the Termini neighborhood, eagerly went to finally buy a pair of shoes I had been watching for a long time, then let down because they didn't have them anymore...The week went on, I ran 5 kilometers and got really excited about it because I don't usually run that much; and also thought about how it's ironic that the most fit I've been in a looong time is while in Italy. Hmm. I had a revelation about my advances in my new language, when I realized I was counting sit ups in Italian. And when I was complimented on these advances by my lovely "coinquilini" (roommates). I went grocery shopping, looked for some things for a few recipes I wanted to try, found some, didn't find others...it rained yet again. And the week ended.

Giardino del Quirinale

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Palazzo del Quirinale (Italian White House)

360 of Via delle Cuattro Fontane (fountain on each corner of the intersection)

And today was a particularly great day. You know those days, when once it's over you just kind of feel good and think "Great day"? I woke up a little earlier than usual and walked to the store for ingredients to try cooking a quiche, and came back with yes, eggs and cheese, but also shoes. Then, the zucchini quiche came out perfect. It was so easy so I know I can totally make it again, and everyone liked it. Points for me. After lunch, Marta, Valerio, Maria and I just sort of sat around eating Pecorino and fava beans, some olives, and talked (only in Italian now), and laughed and shared funny stories. And then we decided since it was such a beautiful day to go get some gelato (why is it that I can't just call it ice-cream here?) at the beach. And somehow it was suggested that I drive, so I did. Not so casual since people here are crazy drivers, but I was excited and no one died, so I'm good. Once in Ostia, we found a gelateria, chose our flavors, and walked over to the pier...

Valerio, Marta and I

Vale and Mary

and...for a taste of the moment:

Then the beach; this time I put my feet in the water. I'm happy that what Maria said was cold was definitely not for me...the water was nice; so mild and clear. I can't wait to go back soon with a bathing suit on! And although it's only actually spring, people are definitely ready for summer; the beach was crowded, everyone herding back home sandy and wet after a nice lazy day at the beach. Of course I also realized how in need I am of a tan, so I'll soon be invading Marta's space, laying out on her balcony this week. Thanks Martita :). Anyway, on the way back, there was a lot of traffic, but despite the slow inching along and monotonous stick and clutch-work, it was so nice out that I even enjoyed that. And the best part of everything, was when I came home and walked into my room with the window open, this overwhelming smell of lushness and freshness and warmth totally hit me. Suuummer. It always happens to me at some point; where all of a sudden you recognize that smell...and you realize it means sun, fruit, color, vacation...it made me smile. So now I'm ready too.

I went back to the kitchen and Valerio was already making dinner, which the four of us had on the balcony. What else could I really have hoped for when I woke up today? Good weather, good food, amazing company. If nothing else, I want a life filled with that.

Day 83- Centro Storico

Well I'm a lot happier than the other day. Yesterday I was determined to validate my understanding of the Italian language to myself so I went out on a mission. For Parmesano, Prosciutto di Parma and VINO. So I went to a nearby "salumeria" and asked the stout white-haired man behind the counter for the goods.  The conversation went better than I thought.  He understood everything I said, promptly gave me a variety of things to try before handing over my choices.  I even got a compliment for my Italian. I did have to point silently to the olives though...I still can't remember the word for them. Anyway. After that I walked around for a while...I have to do an entry on my neighborhood sometime, which I am so happy to live in, by the way. I'm hoping how much I spent and that I brought home food doesn't have everything to do with the fact that I was in a better mood...?

Also, I forgot to mention that I got a 27/30 on my Spanish Lit exam so...it's a good start! The whole thing was nerve wrecking though, the teacher totally grilled me on some topics. But anyway I'm not complaining. So long as I do at least that good in English and Italian. I have to study.

Speaking of which, I love how now that I'll have more time because my classes and exams will be over, ironically so will all of my shows...Oops. I hear Grey's Anatomy's finale was a tearjerker...but I'm waiting for Maria to see it. I hope she doesn't mind me bawling, because there's a 95% chance I will. Oh my.

One of the purchases I made yesterday was of a new travel guide for Rome. Yup. Lonely Planet: Encounter Rome. So today, after running I was ready to put it to good use. At 12, I left the house and took the bus/tram trip to Piazza Navona where I met Daniela.  And after circling around a few blocks looking for the recommended Panini place, Lo Zozzono, we had lunch. Basically, we wandered around Centro Storico, getting lost (like the book said we should!), until making our way to the Jewish Ghetto.  Here, surrounded by kosher bakeries and restaurants, we found the archeological site of the Teatro di Marcello and Portico d'Ottavia. And let me tell you this is why I love Rome.  You think you know what it's all about.  You've seen the movies, you've seen the post cards.  You know what the Colosseum looks like. And I've lived here for almost three months now (woaa...) and I go past some of the most amazing landmarks without being dazed.  I walk along the same streets thinking I've seen most of it.  No way.  Rome is a city of discovery.  It's about being in the same place a hundred times and still finding new things.  Granted, this was the first time at this site, but I had driven and walked past it on my way to something else, many times. But now, I got up close, and it has to be one of my favorite historical sites so far. In short:

Portico d'Ottivia

The 1st-century BC Portico d'Ottavia was first a temple complex, built by Augustus in the name of his sister, Octavia.  After various fires over the years, it was restored using foreign marble and was adorned by many fresco paintings and now famous works of art. In the medieval era, the area and structure was later used as a fish market, which lasted up to the end of the 1800's. This role is remembered by the name of the annexed church, partly formed by its columns, Chiesa di Sant'Angelo in Pescheria.

Corridor of Teatro di Marcello

The "dramatic fusion of eras" (as Lonely Planet puts it) continues at the Teatro di Marcello, where a Renaissance palace by Baldassare Peruzzi is incorporated onto the ruins of the theater, that had also been built by Augustus, in the last years of the Roman Republic.

So, nothing crazy or anything...but as I was reading about it, the architectural diversity became completely obvious and I could imagine what each era was like. First, the Portico d'Ottavia being a huge Roman Building, where important people in their togas would channel in and out of; then a fish Market, where Romans would compare the size of their fish and promote their catch on big slabs of marble taken from the monument itself; then part of a holy entrance to a church. You could just see centuries going by before your eyes like some sort of history movie. I just loved how each part corresponding to another time period was molded together to make a new structure...like they melted into each other over time. You look at the theater, and there is clearly a contrast in materials and styles, but there's also something about it that looks so natural.

Teatro di Marcello

We took it all in for a few minutes, then walked through the streets of "Il Ghetto" for a gelato, to finalize our outing of the day. So as of now, I am thoroughly satisfied with another day here, overseas. Tomorrow is La Notte dei Musei (Museum Night), which means that museums all over Rome are open for the night, for free. So we'll see what that brings. And Sunday, the plan is to go get lunch in Orvieto, a town near Umbria a ways off from Rome.  Marta went and had some sort of stuffed pasta dish with melted pecorino cheese at a trattoria, and I hear they have rabbit too, so that's enough to convince me.

After a long day, it's off to bed for me...

Day 81- A Little Frustrated

I need to vent.

It is lovely and wonderful and all learning a new language....but god knows today, I am SICK of being misunderstood. I am tired of having to repeat myself over and over again and making other people repeat themselves. I am tired of having to think about what I want to say for more than five seconds. And then, even if I manage to get the words out, I think about it and it never comes out how I was originally thinking of it anyway.

And it goes deeper. Honestly this is something I have thought about a lot, living in Chile. I mean no matter how good you get at a second language, it's never really the same. I speak Spanish fluently, but there are certain things I'm not sure how to say, some ways of expressing myself that changes everything once I open my mouth. Not because I don't know the vocabulary, or the grammar. It's the rhetoric of it all. It's how you communicate a specific thing in a specific situation.  In the end, what you say and that way you say it, sort of makes you who you are...it's a big part of how the world views you. So I've always felt, there's the Nasha in Chile, and there's the one in the States. Obviously, the essence is the same...but somehow my personality changes in some ways. I'm more funny in English. I can tell stories better.  In some ways I've always thought that if you don't know the English-speaking me, you don't truly know me.

And now. I'm not in either countries and I can't speak either languages. Now I'm just a small part of Nasha. I'm Na. That couldn't even be a nickname.  It's so frustrating. Because no one knows who I really am, what I'm really like...how I really talk. Today it feels like I'm just the confused girl that always says "What?". I was just in the kitchen trying to explain that today wasn't my day...that I'm kind of fed up with everything,.and I couldn't even explain that. And then they thought I meant something else and I barely made it out of the room without bursting into tears while washing the dishes. And thank god I did because if I hadn't...HOW would I explain it. Ughh.

I read this quote in the book I'm reading for class, and I couldn't have related more to the character in the book: "He has not mastered London.  If there is any mastering going on, it is London mastering him." (Youth-J.M. Coetzee). Yes. I am definitely getting my butt kicked by Rome and it's language.

So anyway. Today is not my day. I hate feeling incompetent, which, by the way, only originally thought of because I had to be around a particularly incompetent person. Ironic. I have to admit the venting has distracted me.  And I did make myself a really good dinner...ricotta and spinach ravioli with some mozzarella, broiled eggplant, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Pasta never fails. Now I'm in bed ready for my black and white movie- Roman Holiday. Maybe I'll understand some of the Italian in it and feel better. Anyone interested?

I've never seen a trailer this old before...they were kinda great huh, with the regal voice and all? :)

Day 78- Sorchetta Doppio Schizzo

Well this week I had my last Spanish and English Lit class, so now just Italian to go. Which is nicee.  I have my first exam on Tuesday, so I have been reading up on summaries of "La Regenta". We shall see.

Besides that the weather has been amazing. No more rain!! It has felt like summer most days this week...so I am ready for a beach and the tan that will come with it. Now I'm just waiting for all the spring pollen to be goneee so my allergies can be gone with it. The whole breathing out of my mouth is getting really old.

I did get out a little more this week. Tuesday night I went to Coni and Pilar's for some wine and catching up...It was definitely nice to get out of the house. Then on Wednesday people came over for Marta's malted chocolate cake..and more wine. I also tried Aperol, which is basically another version of Campari, but sweeter.  So go figure, I like it more. The traditional way to drink it is with prosecco, called a "Spritz", so when in doubt about what to order at a bar here, go for that. It's growing on me.

And yesterday was a big eating day. I had a lot of reallly good food. First for lunch, Pasquina (did I fail to mention the new girl again?) made pesto. So wait, quick side note- Pascuina is my new apartment-mate, which means we have a full house.  She's 24, and from Siena. Which makes me happy because that means I'm currently surrounded by one more Italian. She's the sweetest, and from what Valerio tells me, very southern, with her breakfast set up perfectly at the kitchen table every night, ready for the next morning. We have happily been exchanging Italian and English, wanting to be fluent by the time we both leave here. I'm finding we're similar in many ways...same random pair of shoes, we both have blue lufas. Haha. And if it's possible, she's even more organized and cleaning-obsessive than I am. Godsent. We're definitely getting along.

So anyway. Pesto. Pasquina's brother came to visit, and brought her mom's homemade pesto, so she threw that in a bowl with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.  Such a great fresh lunch for the summer and how hot it was yesterday. Then, Valerio made Tiramisu. It never ends. That's another one on my list that he has to teach me how to make. It was honestly the best one I've had so far (which isn't many, but hey, it beats both restaurants). Later, around 8, we decided to go out for a drink close by...Check out Valerio's parking job:

Obviously it hit on the way in. And the way out.

I think it's great that you can get away with this without getting a ticket or having your window smashed...Oh Valerio. Le cose que fai! Haha. Anyway, we went in and for a set price you get a cocktail and access to a little buffet of hor d'oeuvres, and by hors d'oeuvres I mean a full meal of little slices of various pizzas, pasta mixes and grilled vegetables. Yum. Then...back at the house Valerio made dinner for Maria, which ended up being...wait for it.....Spaghetti with white clam sauce. I was so excited it wasn't even funny. This used to be one of my grandma's best meals and I used to ask for it for my birthday all the time. I haven't had it for years...so I had to have a little taste and of course was in heaven. So so good. And apparently really easy to make...so yup-another thing I'll be learning to cook.

After dinner, I went out with Maria, Flavia, Coni and Pilar, to a place called Circolo degli Artisti.  Now I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but my first week in Rome, Daniela and I went out one night and ended up walking around after going to this place and finding it empty. Last night, it was definitely not empty, and turned out to be really fun. Basically it almost looks like a park; it's outdoors, with different areas to sit in tables, sofas, etc., and bars spread out throughout the area. There's also a pizzeria and a grilled sandwich station if you get hungry, and a closed space with a DJ for dancing. So nottt bad. Granted getting there and back with a car was amazing, so we'll see how it by means of regular old roman public transportation next time we go.  

Of course, on our way home, we had to try the late night (or early morning) snack, a "Sorchetta doppio schizzo"..a fried pastry topped with cream and nutella. Now, Sorchetta is the name of the pastry and
doppio schizzo means double squeezed, referring to the two toppings...however, there is a double meaning...which I don't know how to put into words, so you guys are on your own for that one. I'll give you a hint- Romans have pretty dirty minds. 

That's Maria!

Despite it's meaning (and I say despite, writing from a woman's perspective haha), it was a delicious way to end the night.

So now, I need to do more studying...There's a vegetarian vegetable market today (redundant as it sounds) that I'd like to go to in the afternoon with Maria, but I don't know if I'll have the time. If I apply myself enough maybe I could go...Uff. Now that I think of it, my shelves in the fridge are actually completely empty besides a yogurt and two tomatoes...sooo maybe I should consider it more of a necessity?

Day 71

Well I had planned to go to the Sisteen Chapel early this morning, but I woke up to rain. So I watched Notorious BIG instead. It was great. You gotta love him. Now I feel all hip hoppy. East side REPRESENT. Haha...Biggie anyone?

I'm realizing that sometime soon I'm going to have to get into school mode, because June is coming up and that means exams...and they're all almost on the same day so it's going to be a lot in a little amount of time. English Lit is going well, the books are still pretty interesting; now I'm reading Youth by J.M. Coetzee. But there's this textbook that's supposed to support what we're doing in class and it is the most boring thing ever. I sat in the library for two hours taking notes from it and it seemed endless. I was disoriented by the time I got out of there. So I don't know if I'll be doing any more of that. I have to figure out something else. And Spanish Lit: we're reading La Regenta. Actually that's completely inaccurate- they are reading La Regenta. It's just not gonna happen. I mean they had already started it when I joined the class, it's classic Spanish prose which is NOT my thing, and it's split into two takes because of how long it is.  Please. So at some point I need to sit down and read the chapter summaries, which is going to be like reading an entire book in itself. I'm so excited.

What a blah day. All I can do is sit here thinking about everything I could or should be doing...but I'm really not into moving right now. But then it'll be 8 and I'll be mad at myself for letting the day go to waste...What a difficult situation. Hmm...

Day 69- Napoli, Pompei and a Barbecue in the Rain

This is a little overdue, so I'm just going to dive in...

Besides pizza, Napoli is a city that smells of the sea, with roads even more narrow than in Rome, full of laundry and whizzing motorcycles, smelly old men that yell at you in strong Italian accents, wonderful fried food, castles, and a lot of churches. Our hostel was tucked into a little corner besides my favorite church in Napoli, even though it gets no attention and you can't get inside. It's completely abandoned, but has still held on to its terracotta color and the shape of it's exterior carvings. I was quickly intrigued by it because at the top there's a masonic eye (pyramid with the eye in the center), supposedly representing the all seeing eye of the higher power, but quite uncommon to see on churches here. I looked up the church, but nothing came up. Anyway, it was very uplifting to see as we walked in and out of Contrera Hostel during our stay. For our first day in Naples, we basically stayed within what is considered the city historical center, seeing church after church, including the Dome of Napoli, the church that holds the vials of blood of San Gennaro (Naples' patron saint), that's said to miraculously liquefy twice each year. Quite interesting. We also made our way up the Christmas alley, or "Via Saint Gregorio", a street where you can enjoy Christmas year-round thanks to the seasonal props and nativity figures sold there by artisans. That night we took up the very convenient offer at the hostel: buy a drink at the bar and it comes with a pasta dinner. Okay. Pasta and wine it was.

Christmas Alley - Via San Gregorio

The next day it was off to Pompei, to which we took a 40 minute train ride, standing up. It was sufficiently hot too, so it got old pretty fast. But, we arrived as planned, and began our exploration of the streets of the city frozen in time. Now I'm going to be completely honest. The story is fascinating, and what you can see that is obviously still very in tact from all those years ago is very beautiful...the petrified bodies, the ceramics, the stucco paintings, an entire amphitheater...leave you wondering what it would all look like if something like that were to happen in your city. All the while, the Vesuvius volcano follows in the background, bestowing upon you it's capacity of damage and the threat it implies still, after so many years. However after a while, the streets just look like streets, and the run down entrances of houses just look like rocks. It all begins to blend together and without the specific details of what that structure in front of you is, it's downright tiring. So, if you go to Pompei, pay for a tour. Or at least the audio guide. It's a great experience either way, but I think I would have gotten much more out of it with a little more information.

Back in Napoli, we decided to go to the "concert" we had been invited to at the hostel that night, but were quickly informed, after trying some of the food set out at a table, was actually a private party. How gracious. It was our turf though, and we had been invited, so we stayed and ate, and finished our bottle of wine..and ended up being served birthday cake by the birthday girl herself and chatting away with a younger version of Martin Scorsese, glasses and all, cigar tactfully lit. Some Italian guitar music ended the night, reminiscent of being at the beach in Chile, listening to the guitar there, in front of a fire...only not so alone.

Anyhow, the next day was our day to see the coast, the lively and glistening Golfo di Napoli, where cruise-liners harbor, regatta sailboats slide across the water, and local people slowly develop their famous Italian tans in little fishing boats and sprawled over the grey rocks along the bank. Getting there was actually a highlight, since we had to take what is an everyday part of the public transportation system in Naples: the "Funicolare Centrale". I didn't realize before doing so, but Naples is built along a coast with a large slant, so to get to sea level would mean a lot of time and walking. So the funicular did it's very amusing job; lowering us 168 meters, across a 1235 meter distance, basically acting like a downhill subway or train.  Definitely a little more modern compared to the little wooden funiculars in Valparaiso. After our descent, we passed through the Galleria Umberto II, where I finally had a warm Svogliatella, oozing with ricotta; then the Royal San Carlo Theater and Palace, Plazza del Plebescito, and finally the Castel del'Ovo, with it's beautiful panoramic view of the city.

Funicolare Centrale

Svogliatella

Castel del'Ovo

It was already getting late, so we made our way back to the historic center for another pizza, this time at Sorbello's (also mind blowing...I almost had two this time), and were on our way back to Rome. The train ride took longer than planned, so we got in around 10, but it was only Saturday, and we had the rest of the long weekend ahead of us. :)

In Rome again, besides resting, making a firm decision to do some intense exercises for the next few weeks, and determinedly studying Italian, I went out with Maria on Sunday to the first mall I've been to, and then for a romantic drink at sunset in Fiumucino, another little coastal town, also where one of the airports is. I didn't see that much of the area, but it seems like it has a lot of potential for summer, to sit and have a slightly sweeter drink in hand.  I tried Campari for the first time, and as much as I wanted to like it, I didn't. Just way too bitter. Lemoncello is still trying to win me over too. We'll see.

Tuesday for the "primo di maggio" day off, it was to Lago di Martignano for a barbecue, about 60 kilometers from Rome. I got a taste of the crazy fast Italian driving, as Valerio just nearly spun the car out of control, through the curvy country streets on our way there. The weather didn't really cooperate though- as soon as we got there the drizzle turned into rain- but supplied us with an adventurous and unusual barbecue under a makeshift "tent" of towels tied to trees. The amount of chicken, pork and Italian sausage I ate did make up for the weather, as it did for the protein deficiency I currently had. I also got to be around kids, something I was missing after being surrounded by my fourth graders last semester.  Still, after a few hours, little Anna and Gaia (pronounced "Galla"...O sea, gallla! jaja) had both Maria and I ready to go home, and just as the sun came out (isn't that how it always goes), we were on our way back.

Valerio, Flavia, Me, Maria

Gaia

The whole thing made me blissful - it was things like this that I imagined myself doing, with people I would hopefully meet here.  So it made so grateful to be living here, with them, who can show me special places like that and allow me into their lives to experience what I think is something so much more Italian than seeing the Colosseum. Nice note to end the weekend with, and after some classes, before I know it.......

It's Friday. And...clearly I'm at home. Haha...but it sounds like a party in the kitchen so I'm off. Maybe there's a bottle of wine opened. Cross your fingers.