Pasta and Wine

It has been a little over two weeks in Italy. My classes have started and my favorite thus far is a writing of fiction class. It is an on sight class so we read stories that take place in Rome, walk to those places and discuss the stories, and use the city of Rome as our inspiration to write our own fictions. I have the same fun professor for European Masterpieces and Italian Film. I will read some great novels and watch some great films by the end of the semester. Tonio Kroger by Thomas Mann is our first book. (Let me actually read it and I’ll let you know what I think). We watched Cabiria, a silent film made in 1914. Revolutionary for its day, I am glad movies have come so far. Finally there is Italian 101. I am far from fluent, but my professor is very patient and it is a fun class.

I spent a wonderful weekend in Tuscany to finish off our orientation to the JFRC. There was a lot of good food and a lot of good wine. For my taste the weekend was heavy with tours of quaint and quite Tuscan towns. My most favorite moment was sitting on the front of the boat on our lake tour and simply basking in the Tuscan sun and taking in the sights of the surrounding villages. I was able to meet a few more people as well. There are two hundred here in our program and I will not get to know each one of them, but it is nice to know names and see familiar smiles in the halls.

“How is Rome?!?” My friends at home have been asking, and I actually don’t quite know how to answer. Rome is old, ancient in fact. There is history around every corner, much of which I will never learn. Ruins mix with tourists, mix with fashionable locals, mix with an inefficient bus system. I am lucky to have already experienced studying abroad because it has taught me to be patient and open with the quirks of another country. I also know that it will take me some time to fall in love with Rome, and that is ok.

The official conclusion of orientation was mass of the Holy Spirit at the Ignatius chapel down town this past Wednesday. It was fun for the community to come together, all dressed up for mass in this gigantic church. The homily was about how we are to believe in the human spirit. Father Al began with a story from the 1936 Olympic Games where Hitler was determined to exemplify the dominance of the German race. Jesse Owens, an African American runner, beat out the German hope Carl Long in the long jump event. During the medal ceremony, Owens with gold and Long with silver, Hitler stormed out of the stadium. After the anthem, Long embraced Owens and they walked off the field arm in arm. This was quite a brave act on behalf of Long, but what a testament to the human spirit. That story stuck with me and is an inspiration for me to live in love…

Tomorrow I am off the Amalfi coast for the wedding of my cousin Tony to his wonderful fiancé Lisa. It is going to be a beautiful wedding, in a beautiful place, with beautiful people. Peace.