The Scoop on Italian and American Culture

We haven't done anything fabulous for a few days now. It seems we all just hit a tourism wall. We've been running around non-stop since day one...and now, nobody wants to do anything. So I'll take this opportunity to reflect on Italians in general. I haven't been here long enough say anything of real intelligence on the subject, but I only got classes three days a week, which means I got nothing but time, so I'll say something anyway.

LITTLE CAR, BIG CAR
I have already mentioned how Italians are crazy drivers, and I even mentioned how small their cars are. But it is really worth mentioning again, cause it is one of the biggest cultural differences between Americans and Italians that I have come across.

There really is no way to explain how small the cars are. They are pick-up-able small. Two strong men could do it, no exaggeration. We have golf carts in the U.S. of A. larger than a good number of Italian cars, and I've got some little cousins driving Power Wheels who would fair better in a high-speed chase. We have done a lot of wandering around amidst the Roman streets and have only seen one SUV and no pickup trucks in a city of millions of cars.

If I were to venture a guess as to why Italian cars are so small, it would have to do with the very nature of the city. These Roman streets were not built to be car-friendly. They were built thousands of years ago when the biggest thing on the road was the emperor's ego as he was pulled in his golden chariot. Judging by this town, the streets haven't changed a whole lot, which means they are built around important buildings without concern for things like sensible intersections, room for parking lots, sidwalks or two-way traffic.

By contrast, in the United States, much of our country was built after mass transportation was invented, be it car, train or even a better breed of horsie. This gave our city planners the heads up on how to build cities. We build our buildings around our streets, whereas Romans built their streets around their buildings.














LITTLE EGG, BIG TUMMY ACHE
Another big difference, and one that makes me a lot more uneasy, is the lack of refrigeration in this town. Italians don't refrigerate several things that Americans do refrigerate. The most shocking to me is eggs. You buy them in the supermarket...uh...market minus the super...on a shelf next to the canned goods. They look exactly the same as our eggs. They are packaged the same way and everything...they are just enjoying a balmy 72° F atmosphere, or as the Italians would say, 22° C.

Now, Mrs. Peareson in 7th grade biology told me not to even put my eggs in the door of the refrigerator, lest they get a little warm. So not to refrigerate them at all is a real shocker. When I asked about the situation, I got some rigamerole (riggamarole, rigamerolle... whatever) about how Americans use hormones and preservatives and since they aren't natural they go bad faster blah blah blah. Last time I checked, preservatives "preserved" things, thus making them last longer, so I'm not buying the Italian song and dance on this one.

Some of the braver among us, jumping into a shameless, glutinous display of inculturation, have tried the eggs the non-refrigeration Italian way. There have been no deaths, but I've made a makeshift grave stone prototype should things take a turn for the worst.

Here's Papa!

Today we went to my first papal audience. This was quite a fitting activity as it was the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter!

The journey to Saint Peter's was nothing short of a mini-pilgrammage. First we dashed over to the subway, fought with the ticket machine and then made a mad rush down into the bowels of Rome. When I heard that the subways here were crowded...I really had no idea. People are packed chest to chest into the train cars. You don't really need to hold onto anything because people are packed in so tight that you won't really move should there be a sudden jolt.

After a line transfer and more claustrophobic fun, we pried ourselves out of the subway cars and ran to St. Peter's square, which was still a ways away. Then we flew passed the line of people who are just standing in line, not knowing that they are not really standing in line for anything (suckers), over to security. We flashed the Swiss Guards our shiny orange tickets that you have to get the day before, and ran some more over to the Church.

By the time we got inside, we were all a mess. It was raining, so we were wet, and we had a ton of sweaters and jackets on, because it was cold. But all the running meant I was sizzling beneath my multiple layers. So, humbled in appearance, we chose the best seats we could get and said a rosary to calm down.

When papa came in, everybody cheered and screamed. He comes walking down an aisle to the high altar, and we were lucky enough to be able to push ourselves almost all the way to the inner aisle seats when he came in. I got some AMAZING video which shows how close we were, but unfortunately, I don't know how to upload it for viewing.

Papa proceeded to the altar, shaking hands and greeting people. He then said a bunch of stuff in Italian, I think the Our Father in Latin, and gave everyone his papal blessing on the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter! Did I mention we saw him on the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter?

The whole thing was over pretty quickly actually, and after a quick browsing of St. Peter's we went off to the Vatican book store. Turns out, right after the general audience, Papa announced the appointment of several new Cardinals...including Archbishop O'Maley and Archbishop LeVada!

Phewww. Quite a day so far...and we still have class to go to!

Dancing in the Halls of Academia

Apple in hand, Nicole celebrates the exciting prospect of an evening of higher learning. (Either that or the girl has had one too many espressos.)

It hit me as we were sitting in class today that we are actually here to study theology. Other than fighting our way through the mounds of paperwork that make up the unwelcoming castles of Italian bureaucracy, we really havent had much to do. Why dost thou exaggerate, you say? If only you understood how hard it is to get a Questa di Sojourno. Italians make you do a lot of work in order to make sure you really really want to stay in their country, before they give you that little piece of paper that keeps you out of prison.

Anyway, back to the subject of classes. As it turns out, the only thing Italians are on time about over here is breaktime. That suits us just fine, as we get a sweet little break in the middle of class...just enough time to run over to the school's bar and take a little shot, be it espresso or Daniels, whatever suits your fancy. Gotta love the European lifestyle.

One Mans Circus is Another Mans Gym

If the Roman Forum wasnt our backyard, the Circus Maximus would be, as it is just behind the Forum.

It is said that even more Christian martyrs died here than in the Colleseum. If this picture were a bit taller, at the bottom, you would see the ruins of the barracades where the Christians were locked up before their appearance on the main stage.

But here, modernity strangely clashes with antiquity. There is no gym in our area, so people come to the Circus Maximus to jog...they just run around the field...you can see the outlines of a track in the photograph. This is an odd use of an ancient space. I might try it one of these days, and see if I dont feel too weird doing it.

Rare Moment of Peace

Do not let this picturesque photograph fool you. The streets of Rome are not nearly this peaceful. They are usually full of sirens, disgruntled motorists driving the smallest cars Ive ever seen, swarming vespas leaking through the tiniest cracks between speeding cars, and crazy, rabid parallel parkers who will smash bumpers, park up on the curb, or even park perpendicular to the curb...just to fit in a spot. (Photo by Nate).

Sihlouette of St. Peters

All Roads Lead to Rome

One of the beautiful things about Rome is its simplicity amidst grandeur. Yes there are Roman ruins thousands of years old, yes there are churches laden with gold, but there are also balconies with flowers, nuns sitting on steps, clothes drying on clotheslines, and sunkist allies that can be just as gorgeous as any tourist attraction.

On Top of Rome

Henri and Christy on top of the city, just above the Spanish steps, with St. Peters in the background.

Kid in a Candy Store

A Word About Father Mike...




This is one padre happy to be in Rome! He is excited to see EVERYTHING and is wonderful about reminding us what a privilege it is to be here. Living in the midst of everything, this ancient history is quite easily taken for granted, even in the first week. But we are particularly blessed to have Father with us. We have had private Mass in the guest house, just the seven of us, twice already. But thats not the only benefit of course...for a personality comes with this padre...making everything a bit more interesting.

Un Vero Piacere

My very first glimpse of St. Peters square and the Vatican.

Nathaniel, Christy and I were wandering aimlessly on a walk, but we found ourselves turning the corner and there she was...the seat of our Catholic faith.

Nathaniel very kindly captured my first sight of the Vatican into little digital ones and zeros. But those numbers could never add up to the experience of my first view...beautiful!

Home Sweet Rome

Mark doing in Rome exactly what he does at home.

A Glimpse of St. Peters Through a Keyhole

Here, St. Peters is perfectly framed through a keyhole and the garden behind the door. This is quite possibly the coolest thing Ive seen in Rome. (Photo by Nathaniel Roberts).

The Sweet Life

a view from the street in front
of our residence...









Almost one week in Rome...to the day.

The trip started out adventurous. On the first leg of my flight to Rome, I sat at the very back of the plane...next to three lavatories...yum! But I sat next to two captians who also had the cheap seats. Dont ask me why, but every time a take a plane trip...I always end up in the seats that wont lean back...this was the case here as well. I had brought an airplane pillow, but I accidentally put it in the overhead compartment. So there I am sitting upright without a pillow, and I hadnt slept for two days. Before you know it, Im asleep. When I wake up, my head is resting completely on the captains shoulder...but he is also sleeping. So I gently pull my head away, check for drool, and grab my pillow from the overhead compartment...pheww...I hope he never knew. And wouldnt you know on my 10 hour connecting flight, I get the back seat next to the lavs again...no leaning back again! Oh well, Rome is worth it.

After about 17 hours on a plane and 52 hours of no sleep...I see Father Mike on the other side of customs...waiting to meet me. He was a happy sight! But an even more entertaining sight is watching Father Mike haggle with an Italian cabbie. We had been told not to pay more than 40 euro for a cab ride from the airport home. The first guy told Father he wanted 85 euro...thats more than 100 American dollars for a 20 minute ride. After we said no, he dropped the price down to 45 euros...at that point Father had had enough and told him to get lost. We ended up taking some unmarked van home for about 22 euro each.

Nathaniel showed up the next day with a rental car, which he and I then took out on the town. You havent really lived until youve driven with Italians on the road. We almost died about fifty times...and before I knew it, Nathaniel had adapted to the Italian agressive driving style and almost hit a couple pedestrians of his own. I had intended to take video of the scenery, but I ended mostly taking video of several near death experiences. If visiting the Vatican doesnt get you religion, driving around it will.

Did I mention we literally live next door to the Colleseum, share a wall with the Roman Forum, and are a block away from the capitol building? Well we do.

More adventure to come...