...Just kidding. I can't stay away from all of you and miss my Godson's baptism (which I now have holy water from Lourdes to use that day thanks to Ralph), but Rome is definitely a place I could see myself living and even teaching. I love it here. Elizabeth Gilbert put it best in Eat, Pray, Love by discovering the phrase "Dolci far niente" meaning "the joy of doing nothing." As most of you know, I am about as high strung as they come but in Rome I'm a different person. Maybe the Italian way of life is just what I need.
Since I haven't blogged in about oh a week and a half, I am going to try to block it into weeks and weekends (and also do it by day)
Monday-First day of school!
I took 9 practicum students to Marymount International, which is a private Catholic school with an American based curriculm. It is seated on acres of land outside of the city and the main building/office is a villa, no joke. There are students from all over the world and different walks of life, including diplomat, fashion designer, and even royalty's children. It is quite the trip to get there though. Using public transportation we have to take 2 buses that tend to get very packed. And though our past couple of days in Rome were a bit on the chilly side, it is starting to heat up which makes the buses smell wonderful...not. I swear Italians are not aware of personal space or hygiene.
Once I made sure that all of my students got to their classes safely, I went up to see my previous cooperating teacher at the school, Ms. Curran. She is a fiesty woman from Liverpool that speaks her mind and is an absolute ball to be around. At first, she didn't remember me :( but I refreshed her memory and then it was just like old times. I"m looking forward to seeing her more during the month. Then I spent time with the curriculum director for the school, Maria Sweeney. She had previously lived in California, so her English was very clear and refreshing! We spent most of the morning talking about my experiences in Rome and comparing English/Italian schools. She is fantastic and has willingly opened up her office and computer to Jesi and I while we are at the school, which avoids us having to lug our laptops around.
That day I had lunch at Marymount, which was a 3 course meal. I had pasta with mushrooms, a huge salad, a ricotta and spinach quiche, and green beans. Though it was 8 euros, it was worth every bite. After school, Jesi and I tried to go to numerous Museums but they were all closed on Mondays (thank goodness we Googled before). So I took a nap in my big bed and got ready for a date with Ralph, the Swiss Guard I met on Saturday. I told him that I wanted to go have authentic Italian food. His response was that McDonalds had a lot of great Italian options. Let me tell you, for a Swiss that has only studied English for 2 years his jokes are pretty good. We went to a restraunt in Piazza Cavour (and no, Ralph does not have a Vespa so Mom and Dad I am safe!). After dinner, which was a delicous fresh brushette and a zuccini flower and anchiove pizza, we walked around to see some sights for a few hours. I was pretty exhausted but it was a great day!
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