My last post was all about my journey here and the things that happened during the first day, but a TON of stuff has happened since then. I went through orientation, met my roommate, met some awesome new friends, almost died by cars, and so much more.
First off, you know how everyone thinks everyone drives little cars here? Well, they actually do! It's SO strange!!! Everyone owns a hatchback, smartcar, or a vespa, and they don't stop for you even if there about to hit you... I learned that the hard way. Two minutes after being in the city, I almost got hit by a vespa, and then a truck. Even the trucks are small!!! But its funny, even after being here for only four days, every time I see a normal sized car, I think its strange. I guess the italian influences are already starting to rub off on me.
Anyway, I met my roommate, and I have to say, I could not have picked a better match to be living with here. She's from Philly, super nice, very funny, and we're into all the same things and pretty much want to do the same things here. So heres a shout-out to the housing services for paring us up.
My apartment is so nice- and modern! Everything in it is from Ikea; furniture, kitchen things, even our towels and bathmats are from Ikea. It's a little small, but there are windows on one complete side of the apartment- that open all the way, and it gets so bright and warm, and makes the space feel huge. Most of the time, we don't need our air conditioner on because of the breeze- except we have to watch out for birds cause they can fly in.
On our first day of orientation, me and my roommate promised our friend we would go to an early breakfast with him before the start of our meetings. Well, we were so exhausted from the day before and the jet lag that we didn't end up waking up till two hours after the orientation meetings had already begun. I was so scared! I thought they were going to kick both of us out! Thankfully, none of the orientation leaders really cared, because they were just as tired, so we didn't get into any trouble.
After the meetings on Saturday were over, me and two of my friends went to explore the city to try and get to know our way around. I can't tell you how long we were lost for. Soon, it became very dark, and there were people everywhere, all speaking different languages, barely knowing where they were going anyway, so we had to figure it out on our own. By some stroke of luck, and after hours of walking aimlessly around, we found the main road that parallels the Tiber river, which from that we found our way back. It was a small blessing that happened because it gave all of us a better sense of direction, and learning some of the landmarks and memorizing some of the buildings helped us all learn our way around better.
Rome comes alive at night. During the day, it's pretty busy with normal traffic and people going to and from work, shopping, and all that, but at night- you can't even move. There are soooo many people in the streets! And from all over, it's so hard to try and figure out what language they are speaking as you walk by... I try every time. Also, there are really weird Armenian-looking men who walk around and try and sell you fake little toys so that there friends can come around and pick-pocket people. It's quite scary, but they are easy to avoid. But they have these lights that they shine on the ground and fly up in the sky, and they think American's are stupid enough to chase after them- like cats- but its just a hoax. Its scary to know what they are trying to do, but it still looks cool. They also go up to random people while they are eating dinner or just in the middle of a square and put on these awful magic shows. They are old tricks, but for some reason, some people are stupid enough to watch them, and then after they ask for money. All of them are annoying, and sometimes I just want to punch them because they get very close to everyone, but I don't- because that's bad and I would really like to not get arrested in a foreign country.
There are dogs EVERYWHERE. Mostly little ones, not on leashes, that look starving- but have owners. When the owners are out and about in the backroads of Rome, they let them just run around and explore everyone around them. It sounds like a cute idea, but then out of nowhere, a vespa comes speeding though and barely sees the poor thing before it can hop out of the way. Its super cute, but it sucks having a mini-heart attack every half hour.
I haven't really had any amazing Italian food yet. All the restaurants I have gone to have been a mediocre price, because I don't want to be throwing away all my money-- which I already feel like I am:( But everything around me is a tourist attraction, so prices are high and the food is not-so-good. And I can't find any of the good places because so far, none of the other students know where they are either. Except, there is this very good pizza place. Its a hole in the wall, walk up place, that looks gross but it's actually the real deal. Because the guys who work there only speak Italian, you use your fingers to show them how big of a cut you want, and they fold it in half and wrap it in wax paper so anyone can eat it while walking- kind-of like a pizza sandwich. It's super cheap, and it's the best pizza I've ever had. The crust is really thin, there is barely any sauce on it, and its just a very thin layer of cheese. Sounds mediocre, but the ingredients are so fresh that it can't be beat. But on the first night I was here, I went to this hole in the wall that smelled very good, and looked like it would be a cool place to eat. They served all these different types of sandwiches, and I ordered one that had grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, and a small piece of cheese. Well, bacon here is completely different than the bacon at home. Its very fatty, almost all fat, slimy, and they never cook it long enough. And the chicken was COMPLETELY raw. SO GROSS.
The service here is not a concern because Italian law says that tip is already included into the bill- and no additional tips are needed- so the service is usually horrible, especially if you're American. They don't need to care because they just see us as tourists, and we will be gone anyway after they get there money. Basically the only way to get very good service is if you are asked to come in and dine in the resturant- which usually happens if you go to an early dinner- because Italians eat freakishly late, or so I've witnessed. Or if you walk in like you own the place and demand the best treatment, and just happen to know how to converse in Italian, then they take you seriously and make sure the party is satisfied. Other than that, I've just learned to accept the fact that nobody really cares, and just hope the food is worth the price.
Restaurants do not give ice- NOBODY has ice- and any kind of food you get is usually just room-temperature, nothing is ever super cold or super hot. They serve the food in courses, so instead of ordering pasta with chicken, they would be two separate courses. The meal begins with the L'antipasto, which is an appetizer, generally burschetta, then the first course, Il primo, which is usually any type of pasta- gnocchi, lasagna, risotto, ect, and then the second course, Il secondo, which is usually the meat or fish. Then you end with desert, Il dolce, and depending on the resturant, they will serve espresso.
Eating this way is very expensive because all the small fees, like water, oil for the bread, the service charge, add up, and the main dishes usually run 12-25 euro, times two because there are two plates. Lets just say, I'm done eating out.
Molte Benedizioni,
Maura Noelle
