I am A-blood, alas, in Rome, as well...

Last night I was sitting on my bed, reading, when I noticed it was getting increasingly difficult to open my left eye. At first, I kind of ignored it and kept reading, but then I became so annoyed at it that I looked in the mirror. Lo' and behold, not one, but TWO mosquito bites on my left eye, which caused my eye to become almost completely shut, it was so swollen. Then I counted all the mosquito bites on my face, and face alone... Eight. On my face! I had never had that happen to me before! My fingers were also quite swollen after a while because of these bites. What is so baffling is that I didn't even have to TOUCH any of them and they just puffed up . (Thank goodness I brought repellent with me, because if not they would have completely attacked me!...Only, you never think of putting that stuff on your face because it is so strong and the face is such a delicate area...Besides, this has never happened to me before...Sigh.) But seriously, yell at me if I ever complain about an American mosquito ever again. Italian mosquitos are 'Scarface's' protogé... This morning, my eye is looking better...Thank goodness.

But in other news, I had the urge to surround myself with people last night and eat a meal. So after mass, I decided I would walk around, looking perhaps for something that looked appetizing. But it just didn't feel right to me, to sit down and eat by myself like that. I don't even think people do that here. So I bit the bullet, went to the supermarket, bought a few things, and decided I would eat them at the house, while continuing to read. So there I was eating and reading, when all of sudden everyone was apparently hungry and started to coming in to eat dinner! So I did get to eat with people afterall. :) The best part is that one of the girls that lives there sat with me, and we ate fresh figs (which are DELICIOUS, by the way), and all the meanwhile, she had gone to McDonald's and ordered a 'Happy! Meal'. Guess what is the theme?? 'Kung Fu Panda'! So not only did I get to eat with people, but my friend, Miriam, let me have her toy that came with her meal, which had Jack Black programmed making 'panda noises'. Only it doesn't speak Italian, and I let everyone know I was sad that it didn't.

I officially sent my payments to Santa Cecilia this morning, which was a lot easier, surprisingly, then I thought. So now it is even MORE official, and I have been studying for my Italian exam all day. Next Monday is the day, folks!

And so I am o.k. in Rome today, despite the 843 mosquito bites, just taking lots of time to rest, study, sing, and especially pray.

A few more side notes about Rome:
1. Apparently the buses sometimes just stop at a handy dandy rest stop, which is really just the middle of a piazza, and ask you to get off and wait for the next bus. I don't ask questions. I just do as I am told.
2. Don't put Nutella in the refrigerator. It gets hard because it is, afterall, chocolate, and then you can't convince yourself it's a nutricious spread with lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you put on bread in the morning to start off your day 'right'.
3. Outside of my window, there are birds that wake me up every morning. I didn't know they were birds, at first, because they sound like children screaming at the top of their lungs. Scary birds...

And so I continue to repeat the words of St. Patrick, which have kindly been with me since I first arrived in Rome...'Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me: Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Christ. May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.'

Ma DAI????

Salutations from the land where you don't realize until the next day how tiring it was to walk through all the Vatican museums (Btw: I told some of the girls I live with that I visited all of them in one day, and they were basically like, 'Are you nuts?')

So tired, I am very tired, Friends. Though, this is not a problem because this country allows you to sleep at any moment, no questions asked. It's a beautiful thing. Well, at least this is the case where I live.

Today, more than anything, and because I am so tired, I have spent my day mostly studying Italian verbs, reading, etc. Nothing too extensive. But was able to have a very nice breakfast with some of the ladies that I live with, which ended up being really, really warming ('Tis great to have good company!) We talked all about the differences between American and Italian culture, which are of course so strikingly different, pros and cons to both of them. But see? I am able to carry off an intellectual conversation :)

So I am off to pay my bills (haha ... Bills follow you to Rome!!!), mostly just my dues for auditioning and rent and then I shall go to mass.

Really quickly before I go: Funny story. Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the balcony right off of the third floor, reading, which is also where everyone does their laundry, (I find that so amusing that the washing machines are outside with lots and lots of plants, flowers, where you can see all the colorful shutters on the windows with no screens. Very picturesque. And so I have come to the conclusion that that's why they have their washing machines there. They want to work with a pretty view.Back to my story...) and I was also drinking a 1.5 liter bottle of 'Pepsi Light', which for those of you who know me, is not unusual. I had almost finished the bottle when one of the sisters came up with one of the ladies living in the house to fold laundry, and saw me sitting down, with that giant bottle of soda almost gone. (Keep in mind that there really isn't any such thing as boundries in that house. People often stop you, no matter what you are doing, just to say 'Hi.' and ask you DIRECTLY what you are doing, what it means, and why.)And so the lady, Chiara is her name, sees me and pretty much shouts, 'Non mi dica che lei si ha bevuto quella bottiglia completa di Pepsi!!' (Don't tell me she drank that ENTIRE bottle of Pepsi!!!) Just like that. No kidding. Out there. To which the sister says, 'MA DAI??' (Really?) Thus, I realized that my American custom of drinking giant bottles of diet soda is rather foreign to them...Can't imagine why... :)

All of you are in my prayers.

"If you can wait in line in Disney World for an hour...

...than you can certainly wait two hours to see the Sistine Chapel.' Amen sister.

Those were the words spoken by a very chatty American who stood behind me, in line, to enter the Vatican Museum. Even though she bumped into me a few times and spilled water on me (at least it was only water), clearly, she has judgement. Let's just say that the Sistine Chapel is the most incredible thing I have EVER seen. Once you sit down along the side of the room, and concentrate not on the people, but on the art itself, and all the beauty that is there, you really have no words to say because it leaves you absolutely speechless. I literally gave myself about an hour just in that room, observing every little aspect. I mean, the rest of the museum is clearly very artistic, beautiful, etc., but there is just NO comparison. Plus, it comes with a free comic show of the Italian Security Guards in the room yelling at people who take pictures and video, even though there are quite a few(and by quite a few I mean a whole lot of) signs that have pictures to explain what not to do, and also of course, not to mention the intercom that shouts out what not to do in different languages... 'NON CAPISCI???!!!' ... Take my word. Absolutely incredible.

Coming out of my shell in Rome has been made really is at 'Casa Benedettine' (Not that being timid has ever been one of my main virtues...). Everyone is so friendly!!! Especially compared to being in America, my goodness. (Now I understand when Cristiana says, 'The Americans are not a gregarious people'...or gregorious...JUST kidding...) Not that we are unfriendly, but let's just say we're not nearly AS friendly. Yesterday, I had the privilege to meet a very kind young lady, who I first saw at mass yesterday morning, and didn't even realize we lived in the same house until I saw her at lunch shortly after. (This should be the time to say that we not only live in the same house, BUT our rooms are next to each other...This clearly shows my personality...) But we have been able to chat a few times since then, and she's just the most interesting person. After working for four years in what she felt was the mundane, she left everything behind to go live with Franciscans in Assisi and 'better her life' as she says. Incredible!! What an inspiration. Thus between meeting her, and meeting a few other people, this situation is becoming a lot easier. Thank God for such open, good people...

Lesson learned of the day: When an Italian woman tells you NOT to step on the wet floor she is cleaning, even if it means she is blocking your way, even if you can't leave for another twenty minutes... Just don't do it :)

One week until my Italian exam. Thinking about you and praying for you all.

A presto...

Tanti Auguri, Mama!!

Oggi, e il compleanno della mia mama! E per questa raggione, canto...

Tanti Auguri a te!
Tanti Auguri a te!
Tanti Auguri, Cara Aurea!!!!!
TANTI AUGURI A TE!!!

Buon Compleanno, Mama! Ci vediamo subito subito!

Pescador de Hombres

Last night, I was sitting on my bed, reading when all of a sudden, I heard people outside singing 'Pescador de Hombres'. I wanted to sing with them! But then I thought that would be kind of weird, shouting music out of my window at 23:30...right?

Anywho, after taking some time to rest yesterday, going to mass, I took my time around the city again, visiting the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. I wanted to take the time to really analyze them, being that, believe it or not, I'd not had the chance to do yet. The Trevi Fountain is really so brilliant, especially at night when all the lights come on around it. All the people sitting around it, just talking, laughing. It's pretty great (I love this country's extraversion...) And then I ate gelato for dinner...(I've been known to do that in the United States, did you really think I was going to be able to resist doing the same thing in Italy?)

I think the biggest change for me has come in taking that time to analyze things, observe and rest, because I think that through that, I am becoming more grounded, being here. It's really difficult to be in a foreign place, but even more difficult, for me, to be in a place where there is so much going on around you, when you are so used to quiet, and to see all the people around you together, vacationing and such. I know that this is all going to take QUITE some time to get used to, but I am up for the challenge, being that I already feel so awe-struck by a great deal of the things God has placed for me here. But different from being home, I have my own personal responsibilities, that perhaps I would have set aside if I were back home, and I know that now is the time to bring them to life, and change what needs to be changed. I can already sense that this is one main reason I am here.

In short news,

-I found toilet paper AND liquid hand soap (Thank GOD!) and also lots of nutella and cherry jelly.
- I met a few girls from the UK who are staying with the Bendectines as well.
- Thank God for good organists in giant cathedrals...
-There ARE honest people in Rome. I dropped a five, and a really kind man pointed it out to me.
- There is a classical pianist who lives across the street from my room...imagine that.. :)

Parliamo domani...

And btw...

...I have the oppurtunity of going to mass every day at 'Chiesa del Gesu', which is where the remains of St. Ignatius of Loyola lie, because it is litterally down the street. It's just so incredible, the feeling that you have being inside there.

You're all with me, I'm tellin' ya'. :)

Gelato...Fruta...Aranciata...Pepsi Light

Greetings folks from the land where my diet consists of prosciuto, cheese, bread, fruit, Giant bottles of Pepsi Light and Aranciata, and, of course, Gelato. :)

I quickly realized on the first day I got here that the 'converters' for EU sockets they sell you in the United States, don't work everywhere in Europe. Isn't it just my luck that this is in fact my case? So today I went on a quest on Via del Corso to find a hairdryer, an alarm clock, and an electric brush.

Well, I had already begun my day wrong this morning, waking up at 10:30, which is apparently not so good if you want to go shopping on a Saturday. Originally, I just wanted to go to a pharmacy, BUT I didn't give myself the chance, being that they all close at 12:00 on a Saturday. (It wasn't my fault. I stayed up late watching an Italian 'Beatles' Tribute concert on TV. Which, btw, I suggest that you all listen to 'The Beatles' sung by people with strong accents at some point...And then the ladies in the room next door decided they were going to slam doors at 2:00?? I don't know. But it took me a while to fall asleep after that.)SO, I HAD to go to Via del Corso... pretty much Fashion Avenue, that is open for tourists, with stores that no one can really afford. But I tried my luck, and tried to find the most reasonable of things, DESPITE the heat (Think heat in the USA is bad? Yea RIGHT.) But for all you art lovers, I did make a curious find.
There is a store called 'C'Arts', which is basically kind of like a 'Pylones' (look it up! It's awesome!) where they sell all sorts of interesting things. For example:I bought an alarm clock there. It is basically a Barbie stove. More than anything, it made me happy because it reminded me of home. :) And that's all I gots to say about that.

Yes. Rome is hot. The bathrooms are pretty terrible. You can't really find toilet paper, not even at the supermarket. People yell at you and at all hours in general, just because, no good reason. But despite all of that, its art is unlike anything else in this world, and I am more than grateful to be here.