St. Catherine, St. Francis, and St. Paul

I was expecting to meet friends in Rome, BUT I wasn't expecting all that happened yesterday. Due to how MUCH happened, I will make a short a sweet list, which will allow you to get the idea.

Yesterday Miriam invited me for some coffee in the dining room and asked me if I would like to go say the rosary with her at 'Chiesa di Santa Maria sopra Minerva'. I, of course, said yes.

I find out when we get there that this is the church where the remains of St. Catherine of Siena are burried.

We say the rosary and I meet the first in the series of some pretty wonderful people, Monica.

Miriam and I go to eat gelato and I invite her to go see 'Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia' .

We walk all around the city looking inside windows of stores that have products that are wayyy to expensive and talk about how we could feed Ghana with the price we would pray for one dress in the window.

We then go to a gallery, which is kind of like a mall, where I proceeded to drink the most amazing cappucino I have ever had in my life ( I wasn't aware REAL cappuccino was supposed to taste THAT good...), and we talked about our lives and compared our pasts and how we got to the point in which we are now.

We visited 'Chiesa dellla Madonna del Pozzo', which that, my friends, is a whole other miracle that happened in and of itself.

Miriam invited me to go see the monks of the Basilica of St. Paul chant the 'compieta', which, do you really think I was going to say, 'No.'?

She mentions we have to go on her moped because it is far away.

I get to see all of Rome on the back of a moped, which let me just say, was INCREDIBLE....but only because she is a good driver...

First, we go to mass with some Franciscan priests and brothers and I get to meet a few of her friends.

At the end of mass, we talked to a priest, with whom I sang some of 'Un Bel Di Vedremo' (He said that if he had been a woman, his calling would have been to be an opera singer and sing that aria...)

Then, this is the most incredible part, we went to visit, 'Le Tre Fontane' (The Three Fountains)which is right next to the Basilica of St. Paul and where St. Paul was executed. I can not explain what it was like to be there. Maybe it is the fact that I love St. Paul's writings. BUT without even really knowing what it was at first, you could just feel it in the air. I have never been to such a holy place. I can't even explain it.

We went inside the church which is truly ancient in all senses of the words to pray and to hear the monks chant the compieta. Hearing chant on disc is NOTHING like hearing it done by incredibly holy people, in an incredibly holy place, who are also beautiful musicians.

Four of us went to a Chinese restaurant on the outskirts of Rome, where we sat and joked and laughed at Sabrina (one of the girls I met) remarks, because everything you said, she was somehow related to it...'I studied at such and such a school.....AHHH MY BANK IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR!.....I like this restaurant...IT'S OWNED BY MY FRIEND!!' We had such a good time.

Miriam and I stopped on the way back to the house at a church where there is perpetual adoration. Perfect way to finish the day.

We realized once we got into the church that it was already past curfew, and so we practically said 'Hi!' and 'Goodbye!' to Jesus at the same time.

We got to the house and were reprimanded by one of the sisters who sternly reminded us that on Fridays the curfew is still 10:30 and that it only changes to 11:30 on Saturday.

She forgave us...a little bit...when we explained we were just doing lots of Catholic things, which was the Truth!

So I went back to my room and really pondered all that had happened that day. That I got to Rome a week before, without anyone, only a friend of a friend. And that little by little I have begun to notice all that has been put around me. That I am surrounded by incredible things. That I have met some of the most incredible people, and it just seemed like we have known each other for ever and were just waiting to meet . And that I, together with these people, have been able to experience some of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced in my life. These are no coincidences. This is the calm after the storm, my friends, and I now know that it is in Rome where I am going to learn much more than I ever thought possible.

I love you, and as always, you are constantly in my prayers.

Do you have water?

A few days ago, I had mentioned I was a little sick, and while at mass that same night, I began to feel pain in my throat. So I knew it was time to get some sleep and relax.

After mass, I went to the grocery store (Which I do mostly everyday in order for my food to be fresh, and well...It seems like everyone else does to!) Bought lots of tea, a very ugly mug of Roman that I needed FOR the tea, and then went to do something nice for myself and bought a cone of Fig gelato (I am definitely on a Fig-kick lately...I think my mom has rubbed off on me even though we are so far away from each other...) In any case, I went to bed very early that night, after drinking lots of fluids, etc. I woke up in the morning, and still not feeling one hundred percent, I took another nap. Needless to say, I woke up a few hours later, still feeling a little groggy, but headed to the kitchen for some juice. (This is where the story gets good, folks :)

So I am walking to the kitchen, and I see an older gentleman walking in front of me (Men are allowed to stay here too, but on a different floor) Mind you, I am still out of it, minding my own business. When he turns to me and says, 'You know, you have no water left in your vending machines. ' So because I was out of it, with my hair probably sticking up all over the place, in pajamas, I was like, ' Oh, no?' (Why I went along with it, I have no idea. ) And he said ' No. You know, it was very good water and a very good thing to have in the vending machines. If you have some more, and would like to put it in the vending machine, that would be a really good thing.' And so I said, 'Yea.'

First of all, there are a few questions I have pondered after this encounter;
A. Why did I allow this man to think I was somehow in charge of the vending machines, and able to fill them regularly? I don't know. But...
B. ...the better question is, how did he come to the conclusion that I, clearly looking like a 'sick and out-of-it' person was in charge of anything anyway? I certainly don't think he could have confused me with a sister, due to the fact that I was wearing a 'Hallmark Project Red' t-shirt and slippers. Or confused me with ANYONE that would be working there, for that matter.

So now when I see this gentleman, I hide. That is all.

Who cares if the Pantheon is your neighbor...

...when St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Catherine of Siena are? I am just so cheesed, I can't believe it. :)

I am around the corner from a church called 'Basilica di Santa Maria sopra Minverva' where the remains of St. Catherina of Siena are buried and down the street from 'Chiesa del Gesù' where the remains of St. Ignatius of Loyola are buried.

And thus, this is not a holy spot just because there are some churches, because it is Rome, and because I am in the center of the city. This is a holy place because I am surrounded by some of the GREATEST saints of ALL time...

Again...The Pantheon is magnificent, but these churches are epic.. :)

So much to say... so little time...

Hello there :)

I have so much to say! Unfortunately, I have very little time because I have been given an 'impromptu' invite to go see some Gregorian Chant with some pretty awesome monks!!! (How could I POSSIBLY say no?) SO I will have to inform you all about that, plus more, tomorrow. In the mean time, I am 'a o.k.' here in Rome, thinking and praying about and for all of you.

God bless you all.

Rocules!! (You know...Like HERCules..?)

Solo a me...
Well, I had come to terms with the fact, and was actually quite anticipatory of the fact, that if I continue to walk everyday as much as I have been, I am going to have 'Christy Linn Strength' legs... or at least, this I hope. BUT, I didn't realize that I have, apparently, begun to have Herculian strength!
So I was sitting in my bad last night (I feel like I begin bad stories with this entrance title a little too often...That's not good...) and had gotten up to grab a my little book of evening prayers, when I sat back down, and BROKE my bed. Yes. You heard correctly. I didn't break the actual frame, but I DID break the part that holds up the mattress. So I was so mind boggled, that I started to yell at the bed in Italian... Like it was the bed's fault that I have been eating too much cheese and my bones are all calcium ridden, and I broke the bed! Truthfully, the bed should have yelled at me... But seriously, my friends from next door heard me yelling at the bed and came into help. The prognosis: Apparently this happens all the time. These beds are really old and they start to break after a while. You can fix them at first, but apparently, this wasn't the first time this bed has broken because after Miriam inspected it, she said it has definitely broken before. I was rather disappointed. I desperately wanted to believe I had super human strength...Sigh. So I slept on the other bed. And yes, this morning, I had to explain to one of the sisters that I broke my bed. And she was equally bewildered as I was, but then she inspected it and came up with the same idea as Miriam, not before saying, 'Cosa hai fatto?' (What did you do?) and my respnse having to be, ' Mi sono seduta??' (I sat down?) Yea. We shall see what happens.

But on a better note, I did find a solution the itching and swelling of my mosquito bites. Last night, after mass, I went to a pharmacy and after the Pharmacist inspected my bites and realized that, yes, they were quite bad told me what to buy. Basically, she sold me a prescription lotion that I didn't have a prescription for. I mean, it totally works. But on the back it says:
'Avviso: DA VENDERSI DIETRO PRESENTAZIONE DI RICETTA MEDICA' (To be sold in the presence of a prescription.) BUT I realized it doesn't say 'ONLY in the presense'. That makes it totally o.k. I used some last night and it definitely relieved a great deal of all that itching.

I don't know what it is, but I think I am getting a little sick. I have been sneezing quite a bit and my throat hurts. Well, nothing I didn't expect...I just have to take it easy AND promise not to break my bed due to my excitement of evening prayers. :)

Love you all.

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.