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.