Beginning of Week 1: Rome-ing Italy

E bello. That essentially sums up the amount of Italian I have learned thus far, and my first impression of Rome, all in one sentence. It means, ‘it is beautiful’ and Rome is exactly that. I feel like I stepped into a picture book or postcard of a quintessential Italian city. The streets are indeed cobblestone, the pizza is divine, and the coffee is strong. Today, as we were on a tour, we went down a narrow street lined with cafes and small pizza parlors. Our tour guide pointed out a shop on the corner with, in her opinion, the best slice in Rome. Behind us, construction was going on in the streets and an area was marked off by orange construction dividers. Behind the barricade, two small Italian men chatted and worked on the road – one laying a square rock down on the recently dug dirt, and the other using a small hammer to nail the stone into place. They did this repetitively, in a rehearsed motion, until that portion of the cobblestone was repaired. Once complete, the two men lit a cigarette, sat on a pair of upturned plastic buckets, and wiped the sweat from their tan foreheads. People take pride in their work here and things are done simply.

Later that night we walked along the Tiber River in search for food. An orientation leader had told us that a string of white tents are set up at night offering restaurants, shops, and bars along the river. After listening to live music and taking our fair share of photos, we decided to stop at this small pizza stand at the end of the set of tents. A man walked up to us to take our order. He did not speak any English, and we did not speak any Italian. But that didn’t stop us from trying and we took away what we could. He spoke to us about his family, of which the pizza shop centers around, and the business he runs. He described to us the types of pizza, and pointed out his favorite (of which I requested). We each ordered our own separate pizza, as is custom in Italy, and when he returned he explained to me that my crust was stuffed with ricotta. It was delicious. I think BHOP is forever ruined.

Overall, I noticed pride in work, value for family, and a willingness to converse. I’m excited to get to know more about Italy and this beautiful city as my time here progresses. I had the opportunity to learn a little about the area I am in throughout our orientation. I was warned on the dangers of drinking in this area, especially because there are often a lot of foreign exchange students who are seen as easy targets. I also was told about the prevalence of pick-pocketers in the city and was advised to not be afraid, but to stay alert and take precautions. Another thing that stood out to me in the orientation was the Dean, Mary Merva’s, speech. She made a pointed quote that was said to her by the president of the American University in Cairo. He told her that, “an academic classroom is the only place where you can ask any question, give any answer, and voice any opinion without killing each other or the use of weapons.” I found this quote to be powerful and to demonstrate the value that John Cabot has around inquiry and respectful dialogue in the classroom. This made me eager to begin my summer session here in the classroom. We ended our orientation with a group tour to familiarize ourselves with the campuses. There are two and, although close together, it was resourceful to know the area and general way around each building.