02/01/08
This first day has definitely been amazing!
While my roommate, Marlene, and I waited for our guide to pick us up I found out that Marlene is from New York (the Bronx) and goes to school in Minnesota at McCallister. Her family is from the Domincan Republic and she goes there often, but hasn't been to Europe. She also took Latin in high school and that's why she wanted to come here, but she's a Psychology major at school and hasn't figured out how to apply this program to psych, but oh well!
For breakfast Marlene and I had a cappuccino and a sweet croissant at a caffe on our way to the bus stop and then headed off with our guide to get bus passes for the month. We couldn't find any place around our apartment that sold them so we bought a one-ride ticket to the Istituto Italiano where we met up with the director and the other kids. We introduced ourselves, walked around for a while to pick up one more kid (Mike) and then continued walking around looking at various things. Tom (the director) told us how to find and get into the Istituto and we continued to walk around and went into a caffe for drinks and/or food. I got an Arranacita Fanta (orange Fanta) because I had already had my weekly amount of caffeine from that cappuccino! We sat around and talked, got to know each other a little better, talked about the school schedule, syllabus, etc etc. Then we went to a food market and walked around there. One pair of kids live alone in an apartment so they bought lots of food. We walked out of the market and there were ruins of the Aquaducts within 10 feet! We also saw a meat truck... it was FULL of what looked like pig carcasses and there were some guys yanking them off of the hooks and carrying them into the market. They were disgusting looking - the heads were chopped off, as well as the feet. The innards were removed and it was absolutely gross looking and hilarious at the same time.
After that appetizing excursion, we walked around some more. Eventually we decided to get a bite to eat at a deli-type place. I ordered a "Pizza Blanca con prosciutto y mozzarella" and it was FANTASTIC. I got a big piece and - no exaggeration- it was about 6 inches WIDE and maybe 8 inches long. DELICIOUS!!! Oh, but perhaps the best part of THIS adventure was this creepy Italian guy who kept saying things like "Si, bellisima! Bellisima!" Then he was talking to one of the girls in the program who speaks Italian and hitting on her but whispering stuff in her ear and kept leaning in as she backed away and while she was trying to order. Then he was talking to this other girl in the program and asked her if she wanted to get a cup of coffee with him and she said "No, I'm with a group." Then he asked if he could give her a KISS and she said "No" and he asked why and she said "because I'm with a group" and then he left the restaurant. She told me after that all she knew how to say was "I'm with a group" so it was the only excuse she could give him. It was sooo funny and this was all going on in Italian and I was so excited that I just knew what was going on and that he didn’t harass me! lol!!
We then ventured to the apartment where the two kids are staying by themselves so that they could drop off their food. We all went inside to sneak a peek and it was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL apartment! I honestly can't believe they're allowed to stay there, LOL. I'm jealous... but my apartment is beautiful too, so I can't complain! We then walked around the corner to a park surrounded by ruins, which is where I started taking all the pictures. After, we walked to the Piazza Delle Repubblica (those are the pictures directly before and after the fountain). From there the director, Tom, took Marlene and I to an international bookstore (he had given directions to everyone else on how to get home and from there he would take the same bus as Marlene and I). From there we took the bus home, took photos of the neighborhood and the apartment.
As far as the homestay family goes, I discovered that there is a Dad here too. I saw him this morning at about 8:00am and said "Ciao!" and then went back to bed.Anyway, I'll be off now. Marlene and I are meeting up with the rest of the group tonight at 10:00 at the Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps!!) How crazy is that?!?! I KNOW!!!!
Ciao con amor,
Becca
