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.'
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