When In Rome

Hey everyone! I say "everyone" not just "Mom" because, due to multiple emails, I now know I have a wider audience than I thought. So hi everyone!
Okay, that being said, there's another thing I want to say. I know I said I was gung-ho on putting pictures on the blog, but I have since rethought my position. I say this because it changes the way I write. I like trying to describe what happened, because then when I go back and look ath these, I can remember what I thought and how I felt about experiences. But when I start adding pictures, it changes from "He was so close that if I had sighed heavily - or even lightely - he would have felt it" to "here's a picture of the Pope." (Ya, I'll get to that later). So, here's the deal. I'm going to write as if I'm not adding pics, then I may or may not go back in later and add them where appropriate. Does that work? Good.

I always think of so many things I want to write about, but then when I actually sit down to write, my mind goes blank. Ugh.

I guess I'll talk about Bobok and Scoula Teatro Dimitri (STD) a little. STD is David's school, and Bobok is the show they put on. It was really, really cool. I was proud to be associated, even if it was just as the mascot (which they took to calling me). I saw the show a lot, and I loved it each time. The show is physical theater, so it has a plot but it's also a lot more visually stimulating and exciting because all the actors are so able bodied and can do acrobatics and dance and other cool things. Very impressive. And all the kids (ages 21-28) are just so wonderfully friendly and nice. I really enjoyed spending time with them. The last perfromance was at a festival in Rome with schools from all around Europe, and Bobok took first place. Hurray!

After the award ceremnony where STD domiated, there was a big party at an African dance club dinner thing for all the participants. As the mascot, I counted as a participant. Woot woot! The music was. . . loud. Fun for a little bit, but mostly really loud. So a lot of us ended up on the street talking instead of inside where all the noise was. Then an old VW bus drove up playing music. They parked, and we all started dancing. It was . . . awesome. Fun and spontaneous, and the music was quite enjoyable. I felt like I was in a movie. It was one of those movie scenes where you're like, "ya right, that never happens," but then it DOES. Pretty cool.

The next day (today), I went exploring with Charlotte, one of the STD girls. (haha, I think that's a funny acronym everytime I write it). We accidently went to a cool garden with turtles and on-purpose went to the colesieum and some other ruins. Pretty cool. Oh! And we went to the Trevi Fountain. I tried to throw a coin in, but it hit a girl in the front row instead. She screamed and I ducked. Woops. The second coin made it in.

It's kind of crazy to think about - all those coins being thrown in. Three thousand euros a day, can you beleive it?

(break to go play BS/cards with some fellow Berkeley-ins I found. Go Bears!)

(okay, back)

So what I was saying about the fountain, it blows my mind. Not about how much money is thrown in there, but about how many wishes are made. Are you supposed to make a wish when you thrown the coin in? I'm not sure. I think you throw it in to ensure you will return to Rome or something, but I made a wish, just in case. And if I made that mistake, I'm guessing at least a couple of the contributers to the 3000 euros/day did the same. That's so many wishes. So many secret desires that people maybe wouldn't want to voice out loud but would wish on a coin and toss it into the fountain. For me, it was a good reminder that we're all human, all have our own inner dialogue, and all have wishes/hopes/dreams. That's something that I think helps me to see the humanity in people - remembering that they have wishes. I probably should have remembered that when I checked in at the hostel this afternoon and the receptionist was, well, hostile. (Oddly fitting).

Hmm. . . now I'm probably going to be distracted by that. At least for awhile. Wondering, whenever I'm talking to someone, "I wonder what your Trevi Fountain wish would be."

So exploring was great.

Then we went back to the theater to pack up the trailor with all the set stuff and the bus with all the personal stuff.

Then I made everyone take a group picture, and that made me happy.

Then we said our goodbyes. Hugs and kissess all around. And everyone climbed into the bus, and we waved at each other as they drove away.

I couldn't help but think, "Everyone I know in Italy just drove away from me." Then, "I'm alone in Rome." Then, "I'm alone in Rome!"

Think, Macaulay Culkin "I made my family disapear." You know how the first time he says it, he's all sad, and the second time he says it, he's running around the house dancing. That's kind of how it was for me. At first I was sad, then I was excited to be in Rome. Woohoo!

So I checked into the hostel, with the hostel receptionist. Then I went and took the metro (subway) to the Circus Maximus and called my dad. Then I talked to him as I walked around Rome and he followed me on Google maps. Or I should say he lead me. He told me about a cool river that I went and checked out, and it was great to talk to him!

Then I went and got pizza to go and brought it to the Panthenon, where I ate it while sitting on one of the massive columns. So that felt. . . Italian. I mean, I ate PIZZA in the PANTHENON in ROME. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

Also while in the Pathenon, I called my granparents/mom/aunt (they were all at the same house) and got to say happy birthday to my grandma (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMMY!!!) and hi to everyone else, so that was great.

Then I wandered around some more, and was on my way to the Spanish steps when I ran into this guy that you've probably never heard of. He's kind of a big deal here, though. Crap, what's his name......oh ya: THE POPE! Yep, he was just strolling down the street. . . with a parade of people singing and guarding him. So I tried to take some pics, then I joined the parade because I realized I had missed the moment by trying to take pictures of it, and I wanted to actually experience being near the Pope. So, I followed the parade. Then they stopped, and I leaned against a car and watched as they sang and danced (jk. they just sang) and did Catholic pope stuff. Then the parade moved again. The problem, though, was that it was headed straight for where I was, and I was pinned against the car and had nowhere to go. I litterally thought, "crap! The pope is going to have to stop the parade because of me!" I was able to slide right before the parade got to me. I must have looked a little frantic/confused, because the bishop(?) in front smiled at me, and I could have sworn he was stifling a laugh. More bishops, more bishops, then the pope. I could have tripped him if I had stuck out my foot, or gotten him sick if I had sneezed. That's how close we were. It was awesome! I feel. . . holy. Is holiness contagious? Ha, I'm just kidding. I don't feel holy. But I DO feel really grateful that I didn't stop the parade or fall on the pope or something. That would have been bad.

Then I used the subway to get back to this hostile hostel, then I took an awesome shower, then I put on gross "I'm going to do laundry tomorrow and this is all I have left" clothes and went somewhere to write this, at which point I got informed that I may or may not have a room here all the nights I need it (which is lame, but not a big deal), then I got annoyed, then I got kicked out of the common room because it closes super early, so I went up to the roof terrace thing to finish writing this, then I met fellow Berkeley people and we played cards and drank wine and it was great. All's well that ends well. Not a phrase I believe in politically, but for tonight, I'll agree.
Other things: I talked to Stuart today too. I feel like mentioning that because: a) it was great talking to him!, and b) I didn't want him to feel left out. Also, you know how in the movies the Spanish steps are all pretty and empty and it's just you and your significant other there. Not the case. People everywhere.

So, ya. I'll go back and put some pictures in now. Ha! You won't even know that they weren't there the first time. Love you all!

Woops, apparently you will. Pictures aren't loading. I'll put them  up tomorrow, but for now, I'm going to sleep. Night!!!

(okay, i just added some pictures, but i'm sick of waiting for each one, so that's all you get. yay!)