Athena Blogs

Brad
Monday: Futurismo & Rainy Dinner
On Monday evening, the gusts of wind through the Roman cobblestone streets did not fail to turn Jaime's cheap street vendor umbrella inside out on multiple occasions.  Nevertheless we arrived at the gallery across from the Quirinale just as the rain really picked up, with umbrella intact, and just in time to meet up with our student advisor, Barbara, and fellow art history student, Susan, to view the Futurismo exhibit of Futurist art. 

Neither Jaime nor I had any clue as to what Futurist art was, but LdM was paying for the event, so it was on offer we could not refuse.  The exhibit turned out to be quite an interesting experience -- a reflection of the feelings instilled with the onset of the industrial revolution period in the early 20th century.  Never before in history had there been unnatural mass production, noisy mechanical cities, bright manufactured light, the ugliness of straight lines wherever you looked for we all know from being four years old that there are no straight lines in nature. 

Brad
Terme di Caracalla Roman Baths & Museo Palazzo Venezia
Jaime and I, Queen and King of Frugality, did our best to take advantage of the free monuments in Rome for the week.  Monday, after Italian class, we hopped on the metro and traversed Southeast of the Coliseum to the Terme di Caracalla Roman Baths.  They were kind of gargantuan.  The Caracalla Baths were built between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla and could hold up to 1,600 Romans at one time.  At the time, there were fire heated pools, wrestling and boxing rooms, and black mosaic on white tiled floors within the massive brick arched structure. 

A work out center or gymnasium were ideas that I considered to be only of modern societies, yet the Romans figured it out long ago -- it's no wonder that their statues appear so muscular.  Wikipedia had said that the baths were the only structure to be damaged by the Abruzzo earthquake, but we could not really tell.  Between a hedge border and the ruined baths were fields of grass laden with buttercups, daisies, and clovers.  A picnic here would rival Villa Borghese if it did not cost three euro on any other given day.   Jaime and I  sat on a park bench and had a relaxing afternoon chat before Jaime headed back to the apartment and I went inside the free Coliseum to listen to some music and people watch in the drizzle. 

Jaime: Museo Nazionale delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari
Tuesday instead of meeting In the class room for our Italian Family class, we met at the Museo Nazionale delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari (National Museum of Popular Art and Tradition) in Rome. It was located about 9 metro stops from our apartment, so it was in a very different part of Rome than we are used to. Apparently it was built during Fascist times so everything is very boxy and modern looking.

I didn't feel like I was in Rome. I really enjoyed this museum -- which isn't common for me. We entered into the museum with the class and practically woke the ticket lady up because it is not a very popular or often visited museum; it was comical, especially seeing her turn on all the lights in the museum for us.

Jaime
Showing Carla and Ari Around
Well we didn't get much down time before the next extravaganza in our Roman lives! After Italian class on Monday my great friend, Carla, from my class in Barcelona came to visit me (and Brad) with her friend Ari for the week. I waited for them at the train station hoping they could understand the directions I gave them from the airport to Termini station. As I waited I noticed that the crowds have quadrupled in size over the past two to three weeks. Luckily I gave sufficient directions and it was so exciting to see Carla step off the Leonardo Express after two years apart.

I must admit my speaking Spanish was a little rusty since I don't have any of my minor related Spanish classes and because I've been learning Italian for this whole semester, but everything worked out after a day. Right after I took them to the apartment I guided them to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain-things that everyone must see and that I've seen about a dozen times now! I gave them each three American pennies to toss in, so looks like they'll return to Rome someday!

Jaime
Monday: Chocolate factory and arrival of family
Monday was a day for waking up a bit earlier than we had been for most of spring break because we got the opportunity to tour a chocolate factory in downtown Naples! The daylight savings time change was on Sunday night and Brad had forgotten to change the time on his cell phone (which he also uses as a watch).  Laurie and I were telling him to get out of bed, but he wasn't budging so we finally had to order him out of bed because he thought it was an hour earlier than it was and he was very baffled why we were waking him up so early. Once he realized that he had forgotten he got right out and was ready for the adventure.

We met up with a small group of other Navy wives that Laurie knows and then caravanned to the Gay Odin Chocolate Factory.  It was very impressive to watch their driving skills in the chaos of Neapolitan traffic and being able to stick with each other.  We parked in a parking garage and walked for about 10 minutes until we arrived to the factory.  As soon as we walked through the doors the aroma of chocolate took over our senses.  We met the current owner of the factory and he explained a little bit about the history. 

Jaime: Midterms
Well, all five midterms went well for us! It took a lot of focus and self-teaching, but we both feel like we at least passed all of them (maybe even a couple A's?)! Unfortunately on St. Patrick's Day we had three midterms to study for that were all on the 18th. As many can probably imagine we took a break right before midnight and went down to 'The Surge' Irish Pub next door and had ourselves a study treat: one Guinness each, I promise, only one. The pub was decorated in many Guinness advertisements and the color green and it was packed with mostly Italian citizens, very excited to be there and celebrating the Irish holiday. 

We wish we could have stayed longer but we decided to be responsible young adults, despite the small percentage of Irish blood in our veins, and go back to the wee apartment to get a good night's rest before the day of insanity.  After taking those three midterms, it was hard to focus for the last one, especially when we both had packing left to do for spring break, but we managed, pulled through and even had spare time before going our separate ways on a beautiful, sunny Thursday afternoon.

Brad -- Gomorrah
Jaime's best friend from Chapman, Elyse, arrived on Tuesday just in time to join us for a screening of Gomorrah at Lorenzo de' Medici.  The film is based on a novel written by Roberto Saviano, who was an Italian journalist that infiltrated the Naples mafia and published a novel revealing the evil inner workings of one of Italy's most powerful, secret organizations -- The Camorra.

The book was a direct accusation of specific members of the Camorra, so the U.S. government is keeping him safe and hidden under a witness protection program.  The film was shot with a gritty realism that emphasized the veracity of his findings.  The movie was amazing, but as things usually go, Jaime has informed me that the book is still better. 

Brad -- Life is Good
I must say, it's getting better all the time in Rome! Our classes are very enjoyable -- particularly, in Film and Mafia we have been watching such classic gangster films as the original Scarface, The Godfather, and Lucky Luciano. We are beginning to pick up Italian quite well and can formulate some sentences and at the very least, get our point across to people in order to communicate.

We also started doing daily "Gladiator Workouts" -- which in reality means that we are too financially challenged to join a gym, so instead I put on my iPod and take laps around the Coliseum, run to places all over Rome, and in our apartment do abdominal workouts, pushups on the stairs while Jaime pretend-jump-ropes and does pushups (and not girl pushups I might add) and various aerobic exercises. I felt absurd complaining about my gladiator workout hurting my wine-weakened liver while running around the colossal structure where real gladiators had their livers stabbed until they died, though I suppose it made me feel a little better in comparison.

Brad
Last Monday, Lorenzo de Medici sponsored a "Slow Down Day," in which the computers were turned off to Facebook, email, and the world wide web, and our minds were turned on to conservation, relaxation, and Italian culture.  We were treated to an authentic Roman meal of lasagna and gnocchi followed by a glass of wine and I enjoyed a few relaxing silent hours of reading Harry Potter. 

We then had the option of attending a micro-ecology lecture explaining ways in which the individual citizens of this planet can all do their part in saving natural ecosystems, planet earth, and the human race. When individuals reduce energy, oil, and oil byproduct (plastic) consumption and use alternative energy sources, the demand for oil is consequently reduced and the war over natural resources can be eliminated.  In this way, one can do their part to promote world peace.