Busy as a bee

Despite the utter the lack of sleep that I have had since I arrived back in Rome, I have been uber productive and busy. I don't know where all of this energy is coming from, but I like it. :) I have things well in hand and prepared for my students' arrival next week and I feel so ahead of the game that I am a little nervous that I've forgotten something major!

Though I've been back in Rome, I have spent most of my days behind my desk and computer as I prepare for the coming semester. Signs have been printed, the handbook has been updated, hotels have been reserved...so efficient. Who am I becoming? EEK.

In the midst of all this, though, there have been pockets of connecting with friends. I met a friend for un cafe freddo e un cornetto on Saturday, went to church on Sunday and had lunch with some friends afterwards, explored the Center with Sean and Joy, experienced the Baths of Caracalla for the first time yesterday, and had a fabulous evening of food and fellowship at a friend's house last night.

All in all, the week back has been a good one...it continued to be a hot one....but a good one nonetheless. I know that the Lord has some big plans in store for me this year---I can feel it in my bones. So, maybe that's why I'm so on top of things so early on...I just want to be prepared for whatever He has for me. Bring it on.

Posso parlare in Italiano! (Kind of...)

I arrived back in Rome on Monday night to stifling heat. I mean, it is August in Rome--what else would you expect? Anywho, back to my story. I got in and headed to bed. It was late, it was hot, and I was tired. The next day I got up and greeted my new colleagues and showed them around their new house. I also said hello to Roberto---the ridiculously attractive young man who repairs odds and ends around here. Again, I digress...we all settled in and then, I got a call from our labor consultant asking us to please come to his office on Wed. for a meeting regarding our stay permits. Ok, here we go. The man speaks no English. I know I can do this! I've been studying all semester for Pete's sake. Italiano: SI!

So, we made our way to his office today (it hit 100 and the humidity was somewhere in the 50% range....uhhhhh) and I played tour guide for Sean and Joy, pointing out the sights along the way. We arrived at his office and for the next hour we talked about what he needed and what I had for him with respect to our stay permits. Guess what?!? I understood 85-90% of what he said!! And the other 15-10%? I understood the context and could glean from that what he meant. You have no idea what a victory this was for me. I mean, for the most part I have felt fairly comfortable with my Italian since last year, but this...this was huge. This was a whole 'nother experience. I belong! I fit in! I can do this! And it only took me 2 years!!!

I am excited by this revelation because that means that as I go through this year, my Italian will only get better and better. This means that I won't stare at people with a blank look and then reply: Si, even though I have no clue what they've just said/asked for...which is scary because who knows what they want!?

Getting back into it....life in Rome

Huh. What happened to me last semester? It seems I dropped off the face of the blog world seeing as my last post was in January! Since then I have started and finished the spring semester, traveled throughout Italy and Athens, dealt with a student stay in an Italian hospital, dealt with a family medical emergency in the States, celebrated the birth of my niece in April to my baby sister and her husband, said a tearful goodbye to Lynda while she stayed in Rome for the end of April and first half of May, returned home for four months, celebrated my other sister's wedding in June, traveled to WI to see family, traveled to Philly for my visa, and am currently preparing to return to Rome. Sheesh. I'm tired even thinking about all of that!

Still, I want to be better about keeping up with my blog---though I fear that has become a frequent hope and desire of mine only to fail at executing it! There is a lot to look forward to in the coming year---new colleagues, new students, a new visa which means lots of new travel destinations (watch out Paris cause I'm coming for you in October!!!), a visit from the folks for my 3rd Italian Thanksgiving, and whatever else the Lord has in store for me in Rome.

You'd think by now, the beginning of my third year living in Rome, I would be used to the transition, the change. Ha! It's still tricky and hard to say goodbye. And yet, I am excited knowing that this year will be challenging as it will be different from the previous two. I look forward to what God has for me and I am hoping to use this year to work on my writing and finally feel as if I've mastered Italian. (Hoping and praying for that one!)

As we say in Rome, "In bocca al lupo!" To which I reply: "Crepi!"

The final journey...

The spring semester has started and it is somewhat bittersweet. It is sweet because I am back in Rome and journeying with students throughout Italia and it is bitter because it is my last semester with Lynda as she will be returning to Geneva's main campus after this semester.

I am trusting that God has many more adventures ahead for the two of us this semester and I am excited to see where we go and what we do. Here we go again!

Well, that went fast

I'm currently sitting in London's Heathrow airport having just enjoyed a bagel and Starbucks pondering where the Fall 2010 semester went.

As always, it was over in the blink of an eye.....which is sad because it was a good semester. I really enjoyed the students that spent their semester in Rome and we had some great adventures. Now, I'm on my way home for a much-needed break before our first full semester of 23 students. Ahhh!! Mama mia! This is twice as many students as previous semesters...heaven help us!

I hope this finds those out in cyberspace preparing for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that as Christmas approaches we would all reflect on what Christmas is all about....a baby born in a manger whose sole purpose was to reconcile a dying and decaying world to the Lord thru His death on a cross--born to die. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Forza Roma!!

I am responsible for planning and implementing at least one event a month that fosters community building here on campus. Usually this involves night tours of Rome, weekend getaways, girls' nights out, and soccer games. Without a doubt, students' favorite event has been the soccer game. So far I've been to two Roma games and while they have been a fun cultural experience, nothing prepared me for the game we went to two weeks ago. Oh.My.Stars.

It was challenging finding a date that worked in our schedule and Roma's schedule. Really the only date that worked was last week. I wish we could have gone to a game earlier in the semester, but then again...maybe not.

Roma played Bayern-Munich and from what I've been told Roma lost to them in their last 2 meetings. So, this was a big game for Roma. We arrived at the tram stop near Piazza del Popolo and were stunned to see it so crowded. I had no idea how we would all manage to get on the tram. Well, we didn't make the first one, but the second one seemed like it for us. Have you ever seen news footage of mobs of people pushing against one another, straining to get into a store or out of a stadium? This is what it was like trying to get on to the tram. We were being shoved from behind and I was a bit nervous because there were two small children in front of me. I was worried they would get trampled! I did what I could, but the end result was me being shoved forcefully from behind onto the tram only to fall to one knee. Scary stuff!!

Finally, the tram moved and we made our way towards Stadio Olimpico. Upon our arrival we followed the crowd that was moving towards the stadium. As we made our way around the stadium towards our section, I noticed a group of police officers escorting a rowdy group of people dressed in red and white, singing loudly for all to hear. Hmmm...that's interesting. We kept on and suddenly found ourselves in the midst of the crowd. Germans. We were surrounded by the Bayern-Munich fans! Oh my. I tried to lead our group out of the mob, but was stopped by a police officer. I told him that I had tickets in the curva nord. He looked at me and my students behind me with suspicion. "Tedesco?" he asked in Italian. He was asking me if I was German! "No! Forza Roma!" I replied in Italian--No! C'mon Roma! He laughed and gestured for us to move to his left. We finally broke free from the crowd and made our way to the entrance. As we waited in line to get through the gates, a police officer motioned for one of my students to approach the fence where he asked her if she was German. Seriously? Are we wearing the German flag somewhere on our bodies?

Finally, we made it through the line and each went through the turnstiles. I waited on the other side for my students and Lynda only to be informed that one of my students was having difficulty getting in. I wasn't sure what to do and as I was deciding I was approached by a female officer. "German?" she asked me. NO! For the 100th time, I am not German. I am an American! I am a Roma fan! This, however, was not my response. I kindly replied that I was an American. "Ok," she said and then proceeded to help my student get through security. Whew!

Finally! We climbed the stairs into the stadium and to our section. Holy moly! We were down where the action was...with all of the craziness!! The game had just started and, as always, the Roma fans were going nuts with their chanting and song singing. To the right of us down a ways was the German fan section. Every now and then a Roma fan would yell something to the Germans.


The first half passed rather quickly with Bayern-Munich scoring two goals. Rome was not happy. The atmosphere in the stadium at the start of the second half was electric. People were excited and chanting. Goal Roma! The crowd goes wild. Goal Roma! The crowd goes nuts! Goal Roma! The crowd goes INSANE!!! Grown men were practically crying as they threw their arms around one another, singing, chanting, and doing whatever else one does as an Italian male....that being obscene and rude gestures directed at the opposing team's fans.

Soon enough the clock wound down and....Roma won!!!! It was an amazing comeback and grown men did start to cry! My students were grabbed by others around them and hugged. Suddenly, the entire stadium broke out into singing: Grazie Roma!! My students, myself, and Lynda got into it--though she thought they were singing Lazio Roma, which would never happen cause Roma and Lazio are bitter rivals--we were waving our scarves, raising our hands, and singing at the top of our lungs.

Honestly, it was an incredible night and I will never forget it. The mood of the stadium was unlike anything else I've ever experienced....it was alive, vibrant, and contagious. One of the best experiences in Rome...no doubt. Forza Roma!!!

All dressed up and no where to go....

I don't know that I can stress enough how important flexibility is when living in Italy. You have to be able to roll with what you're given...or not given as the case may be. If you get caught up in the mentality that "this just wouldn't happen at home" or "I can't believe this country functions like this..", well, you'll find yourself having heart palpitations on a regular basis. Instead, take life in Italy as it comes because you never know what's going to happen. Take our recent opera outing for example...

Lynda decided last summer that she wanted to dedicate a class to opera and to close out the lecture by taking students to an actual opera. I was excited because I've never been to an opera and I love the theater and the arts. Plus, we decided we would make an event of it and have everyone dress up. So, there we were....all dressed up and looking fine as we waited outside the Teatro della Opera in Rome. It was a nice evening and nobody minded waiting until the doors opened as they appeared to be closed. The thing was though,the show was scheduled to begin in 15 minutes. I would have thought there would be more people milling around, doors would be open...there would be more life around the theater. But, then again this is...Italy. Still, I became suspicious so I went to ask a security guard and he directed me to the box office. I walked up to one of the windows and asked the guy behind the glass what time the doors opened and he told me to talk to his colleague. She took one look at my tickets, counted them, and pulled out a stack of bills and began to count. When she was finished, she handed me the cash. Huh? Apparently, the show was cancelled due to a lack of financing. O-K. Lynda checked the internet the night before and there was no mention made of the show being cancelled. Oh, Italy!

I remembered that at St. Paul Inside the Walls church they often have a performance of a selection of arias from La Traviatta. So, we decided to check it out. We walked to the church and were kindly greeted by members of a Korean choir. Turns out that they were performing arias from various operas that evening instead of the regular performers. Hmmm....not quite what we had in mind. We took a minute to think about it and decided that we would stay as it was free and afterwards we would go somewhere for dessert. As we approached the door, they closed it because it was time to start the show. O-K. Shot down...again. Now what? A movie! We can go to a movie seeing as we weren't far from Piazza Repubblica.

So, one of my students ran up the street to check on movie times, etc for us only to return disappointed because nothing was playing in english. Shot down again!! Now what!? We were all dressed up...looking forward to a night out. What should we do? Go for tiramisu of course!

Several of my students from the spring semester had discovered a tiramisu place that made 4 different kinds of the decadent dessert. Yuuuummm. So, we all hopped on the metro, spent a good 45 minutes looking for the restaurant, and finally indulged in some deliciousness.

It certainly wasn't the night we'd expected, but that's ok. We ended up having a lot of fun and it was a great cultural lesson for my students. You gotta roll with it here because the alternative isn't pretty!