Random Stories

In Which an Italian Man Eats Out of My Hand:

Alright, let me explain. So, it's our first night in Rome and all 20 of us meander over to get the BEST gelato in the city. We finally make it through all of the hustle and bustle of trying to order flavors (whose Italian names are hard to pronounce!) and make it outside to enjoy our three-scoop cones. As I am licking off some of the creme on the top of my cone, it just slides right off and begins to fall. For once I had pretty quick reflexes and caught the glob of creme in my hand. Now what do I do?? The Italian waiter behind me, who watched this happen, laughed at me and made gestures to tell me to lick it off my hand. Before I could do so, he decided it would be funny to take my hand and pretend to eat it himself....then proceeded to smash my own hand full of creme in my face. I couldn't believe it! It was pretty funny though, and he did help me get a napkin to clean myself off. People told me to watch out for those Italian men, but little did I know.... 

In Which I Get Engulfed by a Group of Italian Boys:  

One sunny afternoon, Holly, Alyssa, and I are walking back from Lucanda's after lunch. On our way to class at the Palazzo, we approach a large gathering of Italians (mostly boys) trying to take a group picture. As we walk past, one Italian boy walks towards me and says, "Photo?", making hand motions like he wanted me to take the picture for them. This was not what he wanted, but I didn't know that. SO I said, "Oh, take a photo for you?" He shakes his head...."No, with YOU." I laugh, feeling slightly awkward, and tell him no, no, we're late for class. But this guy was determined. He pulled my arm and before I knew it I was being engulfed by a huge group of Italian boys, with me in the middle. The blonde American sticking out like a sore thumb. And guess what? Remember my "friends" Holly and Alyssa? They just stood there, doubled over laughing at my plight. I was laughing too, though, and I'm pretty sure we laughed all the way back to the Palazzo, asking ourselves if that really just happened. Yes, it did. 

In Which My Roomates and I Eat Falafel and Feel Sick:

First of all, I have the most wonderful roommates: Heather & Claire. Unfortunately this wasn't such a wonderful experience together, but we bonded anyways. It was a Sunday afternoon and we had been walking up and down the main road just trying to find an open grocery store or market for our lunch. No such luck. So we got desperate, our hunger took over and we stopped at this place that makes falafels. We thought it would be fun to try some non-Italian food for a change. The three of us order what we thought would be a normal falafel, but it turns out we ordered fal-AWFUL. Their rendition of the falafel was this weird chick-pea patty, slathered in what looked like ranch dressing, jumbled up in century-old lettuce, and hey, why not throw in a couple french fries and call it a wrap! WHAT?? Claire and I exchanged glances of horror while the man was making our wraps. "Uhmm, do you think it's too late to cancel my order?" I should've gone with that option. Instead, we ate it. AHHH. Instant regret. We walked away saying things like, "Never again" and "Why did we do that??" and "What did we just eat?? French fries in a wrap??" We got some espresso to wash away the taste, and felt a bit better. I still cringe when I walk past that place. Moral of the story: While in Italy, stick to Italian food. 

In Which We Bring the Living Room to the Terrace:

 

It was a bright, sunny day in Orvieto. It was one of those days where we spend the entire afternoon on the terrace. Some of the girls in my apartment decided that the terrace would be even better if it had more comfortable seating. So, Claire carried one of the big chairs from the living room out for some reading. Naturally, this idea caught on and Emily and I dragged our chairs outside too. Mine is the old armchair, that it probably not supposed to be outside because it's a priceless heirloom. But I was careful. We propped our feet up and read for the afternoon. I enjoyed getting lost in Jane Austen's wonderful story of Sense & Sensibility. I left my chair only to get gelato and come back. It was a good day. 

Raemy, Poetry, & Pasqua

Alright, so once again I have neglected to post for the past few weeks. Sorry! I'll get better, I promise. Here are some more highlights: 

Roma & Raemy: 

We had our first break in between classes a few weekends ago. Our Disegno class is over and I am now immersed in an Ekphrastic Poetry class! I had ambitious plans to travel to London for the first break, but after that final drawing project, I was pretty wiped out. Instead some of us went on a day trip to Roma (no big deal, just Rome for a day trip...I LOVE IT HERE). The day was centered around being able to get gelato and pizza from our favorite places...you know you're in Italy if your plans are formed based on food!

Then, my cousin Raemy and my Aunt & Uncle came to visit me in Orvieto! They are the reason I fell in love with Italy in the first place, and it was wonderful and somewhat surreal to be together again in this beautiful country. We went to Todi, another hill town nearby Orvieto, enjoyed yummy food, and sampled wine. Raemy and I enjoyed being roommates in adorable hotel for a couple nights. It was so fun to have a little vacation; yet strange to be staying in a hotel only 5 minutes from my apartment! Raemy, if you are reading this, I miss you already. Thanks again for bringing a little piece of home :)

Todi!

My Aunt Maggie, Uncle Bruce, Raemy & Me

Taken at one of my favorite parks near our Palazzo

Wine & cheese sampling in our little hotel...in which Raemy educated us on wine making :)

Poetry & Pasqua:

We are already two weeks away from finishing our Ekphrastic Poetry class. I don't want it to end! I went into the class feeling intimidated by the prospect of writing my own poetry. I love to read and analyze poems that other brilliant people have created, but write my own? AHH! Fortunately we have been guided by a wonderful professor, whose love for words and language has made poetry not only accessible but enjoyable. I often leave class in a daze, trying to process all that I have learned from her and from the poems we read. I've been calling this "profundity overload". 

Oh, by the way, ekphrasic poetry means responding to art with poetry. So, we look at paintings together and either read poems that others have already written, or write our own based on what we notice or learn from the artwork. In order to practice writing, our professor will often give us exercises to try on our own for homework. Here is one poem I wrote for the assignment to start a poem with the words: "When I enter"

See Again

 

When I enter

Into Your presence

the world falls away.

Before, I rambled;

My mind spoke of things

I thought were bliss.

She paused these gushings

and drew my attention to

the flower, or rather its Maker.

O fickle heart, why can't you listen?

See with your eyes again.

Look, with eyes distilled to see the One

who is calling, chasing, dancing

upon your heart.

You ignored it; you filled yourself

with things that made you happy,

but none satisfied.

Look now and see

See like Job, whose ears had only heard;

See like David, his senses attune to True Beauty;

See like you saw before;

the kisses of the butterfly.

Listen as He calls, "My child."

Heart stilled, you will respond:

"My LORD."

This was the most enjoyable poem for me to write so far. It was a Spirit-filled, stream-of-conscience kind of process. I sat out on terrace of my apartment, basking in the sun, sipping a cappuccino, and journaling. Amidst my rambling thoughts being penned, a friend stopped me and read some of her reflections on God’s creative works in nature. After thinking through her words, the poetry assignment popped in my head and my heart ran with it. By the end, I found myself humbled. I was reminded of George Herbert’s poem “The Collar”. So, I did what great poets do and stole some of his words for my poem’s conclusion. 

And now a bit about Easter, or Pasqua as they call it in Italy. It is such a unique experience to celebrate Easter in a place where the whole town participates in the remembrance of Christ, His death and resurrection. There were concerts and services all throughout the week leading up to Easter Sunday. There was so much anticipation and excitement! Yet on Good Friday, I found myself being able to really reflect on the suffering of Christ through something the Italians call a "Via Crucis". It means the way of the cross and involves the 14 Stations of the Cross. We took a walk through Orvieto that evening, down the winding cobblestone paths, taking our own Via Crucis. It was a beautiful sight to see the whole town come together and experience what it might have felt like to trail behind Jesus as He carried the cross to His crucifixion. At times I felt overwhelmed by emotion and then distracted by people, sights, and sounds at another moment. But I think that kind of bewilderment is close to what it must have felt like the day the Lord was crucified.

In juxtaposition, Easter Sunday was full of joy and celebration! It was particularly joyful because our group of 20 students came together with our professors to create our own Easter Service....in English! Finally we were able to understand a sermon, participate in communion, and sing worship songs in a language we know. My heart was bursting with happiness. Another joyful element of the weekend: THE FOOD. so. much. food. It was fantastic. If I had to sum up the weekend in two words, I'd say: Jesus and Food. We cooked meals for "family" dinners, rearranged our apartment to fit around one big family table, and ate so much dessert that its a wonder I haven't gained 20 pounds! Overall, probably one of the best Easters I can remember. If my family had been there it would have been perfect!

I don't really have any pictures to post from Easter, but I'll put up some more pictures soon....you don't believe me? Neither do I. But I will try!