Most of the last two days I have spent in class and getting familiar with Rome. So far I know how to introduce myself and how to ask where someone is from and how they are doing in Italian. I had to relearn the alphabet slightly because letters are pronounced differently. When my instructor called on me to spell my name I pronounced the "i" like and "e," which would make for an interesting name of Alleson. I've always had trouble with my vowels, but Italian is helping me be more precise with them.
So far I am loving my Ancient Rome class. Yesterday I got to share the Cliff notes version of Romulus and Remus' backstory with the class, and I learned there are over 50 versions of that story, which didn't bother the Romans at all. It makes my obsession over continuity within the X-Men movies seem rather pathetic. Today our class time was spent outside exploring the Largo Argentina, the location of Pompey's Theater, and the Pantheon. It was simply amazing to see things I have been learning about for the past six years. I love that I can see a part of history that until now I only read about. I have been obsessed with the Romans for so long that I still can't believe that I am living where they once lived. Last night, I ate dinner in front of the Pantheon. I kept marveling that I was actually here in Rome.
Outside of class I have been sampling Italian food and exploring the city. Last night my roommates and I went grocery shopping at a supermarket. I was struck by how similar it was to a U.S. store, but was so different at the same time. I learned that Italians weigh and bag their fruit before going to the check-out and that milk is apparently not as common of a drink as in America. (Perhaps the milk scarcity is due to the high amount of calcium in the water here. . . .) The aisles in the store were very narrow and branched off at various angles, unlike in Publix where all the aisles are in straight lines. I saw some comforting food items from home, including my brand of shampoo and Pringles. My friends and I tried to buy authentic Italian food to cook instead of buying, say, the Pringles. So far what I have tried has been delicious. I can't wait to try the different pastas we bought. There were so many fresh varieties to choose from that we bought several with plans to try them all.
One of the many perks to being in Italy for the summer is the gelato. I absolutely love it and will probably end up eating way more of it than I should. Last night I tried kiwi, passionfruit, and grapefruit gelato. I enjoyed the passionfruit, loved the grapefruit, and decided not to get kiwi again. Today I opted for another fruity trio: pineapple, mango, and green apple. Two thumbs up for all three flavors. It was a refreshing snack on the way back from visiting the Trevi Fountain.
Tonight I'm going out with other students to watch the World Cup game. Go U.S.A.!
I'll post pictures of the last two days tomorrow
Until then,
Allison
No comments:
Post a Comment