I've been back under the Dome for about a month now. It's cold. There's lots of work. I have responsibilities. Adjusting is a bit harder than I thought. I'm getting there, though, and having fun in the process.
Over winter break, I turned 21. It was the best birthday I've ever had because Jess, Caitlin C., and Caitlin I. all came to visit me in lil' ol' Stow, Ohio. I had no idea Caitlin I. was visiting and she surprised me by popping up from behind a chair in my family room. I was SHOCKED! It was a lot of fun getting to show my friends around my hometown. I took them to the fake-dome at Hoban High and to the Rhino and my dad's shop and to the "nice" mall (so not Chapel Hill). The night of my 21st, Shannon joined the 4 of us and we went to Lux, which used to be Poss. I was so excited to hand over my adult, horizontal I.D., but the bouncer didn't seem to take notice since he marked my hands with giant black X's before I could say anything. I have no idea why he marked me under, but it was a bit difficult to get a drink the rest of the night. Something like that was bound to happen on my 21st. I just have that kind of ironic luck.
Now that I'm back at ND, I've had the opportunity to sample the fine bars of South Bend. I went to Fever the first week of being back. So did everyone else, apparently, since I had to wait in line in the cold for 45 minutes before getting in. The crowd was all Notre Dame people--girls in slutty black tank tops, leggings, ugg boots and boys in button downs or polos with an ND baseball cap. We are a frumpy bunch. The Backer has quickly become my favorite place for its sheer griminess and ignorance of popular music. Finnigan's is not as fun, though I did do some great people watching there. The law students dancing there were very good and enacting every lyric of various Madonna songs.
When I'm not bar hopping around South Bend, I'm hosting Late Night ND (formerly known as The Mike Peterson Show). The first episode went pretty well, the second one was good, and the third one was even better. I say "umm" a lot and I need a better sign off than my last one of "I should go! Bye!" but I'm getting the hang of being host. If you want to check out the episodes, go to ndtv.net.
A slightly awkward situation arose the other day in conjunction with the show. My dorm had an SYR the other weekend, and instead of picking a date, Jess invited a bunch of her friends from the Australia program to share with me and some other girls. It was a fun night, but I seemed to especially click with one of the guys. Long after the last verse of piano man (the requisite final song to any SYR), this boy and I were still talking in Lafortune. He walked me back to my dorm and kissed me. All very sweet. The next day, I found out that he is rumored to have very poor hygiene (supposedly, he has a strong dislike of shampoo) and, since he is one of the student-body presidential candidates, I was to be interviewing him for that week's show. Excellent. I was a bit worried about potential awkwardness in the interview, but our brief history actually made the interview funnier. However, I recently received confirmation on the hygiene rumor, and though my friends tell me that I can teach him to be cleanly, I'm not too interested in dating a 4-year-old. Alas, perhaps I will find love at speed dating at Legends this Thursday. That's right. I'm going speed dating at the on-campus bar. Huzzah!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The Fall of Rome
Here I am, back in Stow, Ohio. It's not as weird as I thought it would be. I was imagining getting a weird look from the Starbucks cashier when I am unable to get out of the habit of saying "Cappuccino, per favore. Grazie", being astounded by the size of America's cars, or being appalled by the size of the food portions in restaurants. None of this happened. Everything is normal and unsurprising and familiar. It's as if I fell asleep at the end of summer, had a very long and fantastic dream, and woke up just in time for Christmas. I have to look at the pictures occasionally to remind myself that I really did accomplish that goal of studying abroad in Rome. I think that's the first serious and specific life goal that I can check off my list.
For those who don't want to read the past umpteen blogs about my life in Rome, and for those who just want a recap, here's Rome in a nutshell (a hazelnut shell, covered in nutella and set next to a cup of cappuccino)
August 26, I arrived in Rome with 28 other Notre Dame students
We met Maria Younes, a woman who would make little impact in our lives except for added frustration and unintentional amusement
Arrived at our apartments, at Medaglia D'Oro. I'm assigned to 127 and meet Erin, Caitlin, Jackie, Kristina, and Colleen. Our apartment becomes the hang out spot for everyone else because we are so cool/are too lazy to go to anyone else's apartment.
Went through a week of intense site-seeing and orientation in 100 degree heat (looking back, I don't know how we did not complain more/die)
Heard tons of speeches about the dangers of Italian men. Turns out that we were able to handle the occasional "Ciao Bella" without being hugely offended or subjecting ourselves to sexual assault.
Walked through St. Peter's Square and my love affair with Rome began
Had gelato and became a regular at Old Bridge
Had cappuccino and became a regular at Tony's
Had pizza and became a semi-regular at Bafetto
Had pasta every single day and never got tired of it
Started class at John Cabot University in Trastevere, the home of the Lemon Tree Courtyard , intense ping-pong players, and sub-par education
Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Vatican Museum
Lots and lots of Ancient and Renaissance stuff
Figured out how to grocery shop for myself
Figured out how to cook--mainly pasta with beans and corn
Learned how to dodge traffic, or more specifically, give traffic enough attitude to make them stop
Began memorizing the metro stops and "Uscita lato destro/sinistro"
Shopped and neglected to figure out the currency conversion
Learned my size in Italian clothing simply by asking a saleswoman and having her eye me up and feel me up. The size she suggested was dead on.
Vino rosso della casa and Peroni
Learned the useful, common Italian phrases
Pub Crawl
Campo dei Fiori--hang out for Americans abroad and Italians looking for easy Americans
Florence
Sienna
San Gimignano
Pisa
La Notte Bianca--party time in Rome
Pompeii
Mount Vesuvius
Beach time outside of Rome
Ventotene island
Venice
Outlet shopping in Tuscany
Assisi (retreat)
Farfa (olive grove)
Paris
Reception at the Villa of the Ambassador to the Holy See
Prague
Vienna
Munich
London
Dublin
Bologna
Last days in Rome
Crypt of the Cappuccini monks
Mouth of Truth
Freezing in the apartment because our heat doesn't work
Lots and lots and lots of gelato
Souvenir shopping galore
7 church walk
Finals weeks, the only week of work all semester
Discoteca!
Soccer game: Roma vs. Mancester United
Saw the Pope
Hair appointment at Noi salon
Christmas party and Secret Santa gift exchange with the Rome group
Packing and moving out of Medag
Last Old Bridge gelato while chilling out in St. Peter's Square
Saying goodbye to the Medag and Rome
10 hour flight and back in the USA
And for an even quicker summary: I saw a lot, had excellent experiences, and made great friends. I'm sad that it's over, but thrilled to be able to say that I lived in Rome for four months. I'm more independent, more worldly, and have a crap load of souvenirs, so I would say the trip was a success. I'll be in Stow until mid January, so if anyone wants to grab coffee with me and hear me condescendingly compare it to Italian coffee while you update me on the past 4 months of your life, give me a ring. Well, I'm off to watch Gladiator and criticize its historical inaccuracies. The Rome chronicles are over. Thanks for reading.
For those who don't want to read the past umpteen blogs about my life in Rome, and for those who just want a recap, here's Rome in a nutshell (a hazelnut shell, covered in nutella and set next to a cup of cappuccino)
August 26, I arrived in Rome with 28 other Notre Dame students
We met Maria Younes, a woman who would make little impact in our lives except for added frustration and unintentional amusement
Arrived at our apartments, at Medaglia D'Oro. I'm assigned to 127 and meet Erin, Caitlin, Jackie, Kristina, and Colleen. Our apartment becomes the hang out spot for everyone else because we are so cool/are too lazy to go to anyone else's apartment.
Went through a week of intense site-seeing and orientation in 100 degree heat (looking back, I don't know how we did not complain more/die)
Heard tons of speeches about the dangers of Italian men. Turns out that we were able to handle the occasional "Ciao Bella" without being hugely offended or subjecting ourselves to sexual assault.
Walked through St. Peter's Square and my love affair with Rome began
Had gelato and became a regular at Old Bridge
Had cappuccino and became a regular at Tony's
Had pizza and became a semi-regular at Bafetto
Had pasta every single day and never got tired of it
Started class at John Cabot University in Trastevere, the home of the Lemon Tree Courtyard , intense ping-pong players, and sub-par education
Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
Colosseum
Roman Forum
Vatican Museum
Lots and lots of Ancient and Renaissance stuff
Figured out how to grocery shop for myself
Figured out how to cook--mainly pasta with beans and corn
Learned how to dodge traffic, or more specifically, give traffic enough attitude to make them stop
Began memorizing the metro stops and "Uscita lato destro/sinistro"
Shopped and neglected to figure out the currency conversion
Learned my size in Italian clothing simply by asking a saleswoman and having her eye me up and feel me up. The size she suggested was dead on.
Vino rosso della casa and Peroni
Learned the useful, common Italian phrases
Pub Crawl
Campo dei Fiori--hang out for Americans abroad and Italians looking for easy Americans
Florence
Sienna
San Gimignano
Pisa
La Notte Bianca--party time in Rome
Pompeii
Mount Vesuvius
Beach time outside of Rome
Ventotene island
Venice
Outlet shopping in Tuscany
Assisi (retreat)
Farfa (olive grove)
Paris
Reception at the Villa of the Ambassador to the Holy See
Prague
Vienna
Munich
London
Dublin
Bologna
Last days in Rome
Crypt of the Cappuccini monks
Mouth of Truth
Freezing in the apartment because our heat doesn't work
Lots and lots and lots of gelato
Souvenir shopping galore
7 church walk
Finals weeks, the only week of work all semester
Discoteca!
Soccer game: Roma vs. Mancester United
Saw the Pope
Hair appointment at Noi salon
Christmas party and Secret Santa gift exchange with the Rome group
Packing and moving out of Medag
Last Old Bridge gelato while chilling out in St. Peter's Square
Saying goodbye to the Medag and Rome
10 hour flight and back in the USA
And for an even quicker summary: I saw a lot, had excellent experiences, and made great friends. I'm sad that it's over, but thrilled to be able to say that I lived in Rome for four months. I'm more independent, more worldly, and have a crap load of souvenirs, so I would say the trip was a success. I'll be in Stow until mid January, so if anyone wants to grab coffee with me and hear me condescendingly compare it to Italian coffee while you update me on the past 4 months of your life, give me a ring. Well, I'm off to watch Gladiator and criticize its historical inaccuracies. The Rome chronicles are over. Thanks for reading.
Friday, December 14, 2007
RomAmoR
It's 2:00 on the morning of December 15th. In 5 hours, I will take a bus to Fiumicino Airport and take a 10 hour flight back to the U.S. The trip has ended, thus my blogs will be far less interesting in the future. No more European jet-setting or stories of awkward encounters with locals. It's back to St. Ow, then back to the Bend for three more semesters at Notre Dame.
I haven't posted as recently in the past few weeks (despite finally getting my computer fixed), but that's because when I saw the end of the trip approaching, I felt an urge to fit everything I could into my remaining time in Italy. I went to Bologna, toured some more Roman museums, ate at more restaurants, went to more clubs, went to a soccer game, saw the Pope, did some more shopping, etc. After all of this, I felt that my time here was complete. Tourist-wise, I have done just about everything there is to do in Rome. Yet I could stay here for years and not discover all Rome has to offer. At the beginning of this week, beaten down from exams (so tough because they were the only work I had to the entire semester), I felt ready to go home. But now that the time to leave Rome is finally here, I'm not as anxious. I'm thrilled to see my family in a day and I will be glad to be at home where I can relax. What is so heartbreaking about leaving Rome is that I don't know when I will be back, and when I do, it won't be the same experience. I was not in Rome as a tourist, but as a student, and let's face it--my chances of living here once I start a career are not that great.
This week has been one of lasts. Last time at JCU. Last dinner with the roommates (whom I will miss living with dearly). Last look at the Vatican. Last awkward conversation with our maid, Ada. Last cappuccino, pizza, gelato, pasta. We also had our first party with the entire Rome group. All 29 of us had a party and a Secret Santa gift exchange in good ol' Medag 127. It was a fabulous night of some last minute extra group bonding. Tonight, a group of us went out for our last dinner out. Instead of one person giving a toast, each person said what he/she liked best about Rome. Some of things said were "The people", "Being able to wander around without a plan and find something cool", "The beauty of the city with its views and streets", "The history everywhere", "The attitude of Rome--things are never done in a timely fashion, but that's ok". The list goes on, but my favorite was said by Kate, a friend of Erin's who was staying with us this week. She commented that from spending time with the Rome kids, her favorite thing is seeing the family we have formed. It's very true--we are one big, quirky, Roman family. Even though I will see everyone next semester back at ND, it won't be like it is here. We won't see each other every day. We won't be in half of each other's classes (because as opposed to JCU, ND offers more than 15 classes). We won't be traveling to foreign countries with each other. This really was a unique bonding experience and I've come away with some great friends.
Going home will be strange, and a bit of a struggle, as I don't think I will be able to carry my bags. I'm expecting it to still be August at home, but it will be 20 degrees and Christmasy. The whole experience is very surreal, especially since I feel like this is probably the end of a very high peak of my life. Not that the future doesn't hold exciting things and all, but this is probably the only time I will be carefree and young in Europe.
Enough of the sentiments. What this all boils down to is that Rome was an amazing and meaningful experience. I'm sad that it's over, but I suppose it's time to get back to the real world. See you in the states.
I haven't posted as recently in the past few weeks (despite finally getting my computer fixed), but that's because when I saw the end of the trip approaching, I felt an urge to fit everything I could into my remaining time in Italy. I went to Bologna, toured some more Roman museums, ate at more restaurants, went to more clubs, went to a soccer game, saw the Pope, did some more shopping, etc. After all of this, I felt that my time here was complete. Tourist-wise, I have done just about everything there is to do in Rome. Yet I could stay here for years and not discover all Rome has to offer. At the beginning of this week, beaten down from exams (so tough because they were the only work I had to the entire semester), I felt ready to go home. But now that the time to leave Rome is finally here, I'm not as anxious. I'm thrilled to see my family in a day and I will be glad to be at home where I can relax. What is so heartbreaking about leaving Rome is that I don't know when I will be back, and when I do, it won't be the same experience. I was not in Rome as a tourist, but as a student, and let's face it--my chances of living here once I start a career are not that great.
This week has been one of lasts. Last time at JCU. Last dinner with the roommates (whom I will miss living with dearly). Last look at the Vatican. Last awkward conversation with our maid, Ada. Last cappuccino, pizza, gelato, pasta. We also had our first party with the entire Rome group. All 29 of us had a party and a Secret Santa gift exchange in good ol' Medag 127. It was a fabulous night of some last minute extra group bonding. Tonight, a group of us went out for our last dinner out. Instead of one person giving a toast, each person said what he/she liked best about Rome. Some of things said were "The people", "Being able to wander around without a plan and find something cool", "The beauty of the city with its views and streets", "The history everywhere", "The attitude of Rome--things are never done in a timely fashion, but that's ok". The list goes on, but my favorite was said by Kate, a friend of Erin's who was staying with us this week. She commented that from spending time with the Rome kids, her favorite thing is seeing the family we have formed. It's very true--we are one big, quirky, Roman family. Even though I will see everyone next semester back at ND, it won't be like it is here. We won't see each other every day. We won't be in half of each other's classes (because as opposed to JCU, ND offers more than 15 classes). We won't be traveling to foreign countries with each other. This really was a unique bonding experience and I've come away with some great friends.
Going home will be strange, and a bit of a struggle, as I don't think I will be able to carry my bags. I'm expecting it to still be August at home, but it will be 20 degrees and Christmasy. The whole experience is very surreal, especially since I feel like this is probably the end of a very high peak of my life. Not that the future doesn't hold exciting things and all, but this is probably the only time I will be carefree and young in Europe.
Enough of the sentiments. What this all boils down to is that Rome was an amazing and meaningful experience. I'm sad that it's over, but I suppose it's time to get back to the real world. See you in the states.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Peasant Thanksgiving
It seems a little too after the fact to tell you very many details about my trip to London and Dublin, so I'll just run through the basics.
We left for London the day before Thanksgiving (thus missing out on the JCU Thanksgiving dinner in the JCU courtyard. Seriously). Our hostel was in the back of a bar and had a wonderful welcoming gift in the room including a half drank bottle of orange soda, an opened chocolate bar, goggles, and a damp towel. The hostel actually wasn't that bad, but it did have a sketchy feel in the air. While in London I did/saw the following:
Buckingham Palace (the guards were not dressed up in their funny hats--very disappointing)
Westminster Abby (lots of dead poets, including Chaucer and T.S. Elliot)
British Library (Beethoven's, Bach's, Mozart's, Chopin's, and the Beetles' original, handwritten music. By far the coolest thing in London)
Tower of London (meh, kind of boring)
Camden market (the alternative, punkish place in London)
The London Eye (sweet aerial views)
Big Ben and the Parliament building
Ate some fish and chips (really not that good...basically just an entire fish, scales and all, stuck in a deep fryer)
Took an obligatory phone booth photo
Saw platform 9 and 3/4 (London is really capitalizing on this Harry Potter thing)
Visited with the ND London kids and went to their hang outs
Saw Les Miserables (so incredibly amazing)
Rode the Tube (Mind the Gap!)
Became very thankful to be on the euro for a semester instead of the pound
Thanksgiving was a unique experience. My holiday meal consisted in a kebab I bought for 3 pounds from a stand and then wolfed down in about 5 minutes while sitting on a side street near the theater that was playing Les Miserables. We were late for the play, so we had to eat in a hurry, but it was probably the most peasant-like experience of the semester. I'm surprised people didn't throw money at us.
London was a cool city and it was nice to be somewhere where I mostly understood what everyone was saying (sometimes the accents are a bit difficult). This may be a snap judgment since I wasn't in London for very long, but it did not seem like all that great of a place. It was nice to visit and the people were friendly enough, but the whole atmosphere seemed kind of cold and regulated. Maybe I'm just too in love with Rome to really appreciate any other European city, but I think the main difference between London and Rome is that London's character depends on its institutions and buildings while Rome consists in its people. Yeah, that probably is a very biased and quick judgment. Oh well, I love Rome.
Next stop on our trip was Dublin. The hostel in Dublin was the worst I had ever stayed at, so thank goodness it was my last hostel for the semester. I suppose the hostel itself wasn't horrible (except when the man at the front desk tried to steal money from us). The real problem was our roommate--a 30 something Dublin man who shared a bunk with me. Excellent. There was a TV in the room, which may seem like a luxury, but it was just annoying, because after the creepy man was done telling us why the U.S. sucks, he turned on what appeared to be gay porn and refused to turn it off. I put on my headphones and turned Norah Jones up to try and drown out whatever that guy was watching. However, this didn't drown own his sudden shouting and throwing his stuff around. He was nuts. Thank goodness we had a different roommate the second night.
Dublin is one of my favorite cities I have visited. There aren't that many sites or attractions, but the people are incredibly friendly and the atmosphere is very fun. The things we did see include
St. Patrick's Cathedral (but only the outside because it was closed)
Christ's Church (I think that's what it's called)
Trinity College
City Hall
Dublin Castle
Guinness store house (the largest advertisement I have ever seen. Guinness is gross. It is like drinking a sandwich).
Temple Bar
My favorite part of Dublin was when we walked into a bar and a man stopped me and shouted, "JESUS CHRIST! YOU HAVE THE MOST PIERCING DARK EYES! ARE YOU OF ITALIAN DECENT? IT MUST BE ALL THE OLIVE OIL! YOU LOOK JUST LIKE MEADOW FROM THE SOPRANOS!" OF course, it took going to Ireland for someone to think I was Italian.
So there is my overdue and abridged journey over Thanksgiving break. London is a nice place to visit, but I could see living in Dublin, mostly because of the people there (and the accents).
We left for London the day before Thanksgiving (thus missing out on the JCU Thanksgiving dinner in the JCU courtyard. Seriously). Our hostel was in the back of a bar and had a wonderful welcoming gift in the room including a half drank bottle of orange soda, an opened chocolate bar, goggles, and a damp towel. The hostel actually wasn't that bad, but it did have a sketchy feel in the air. While in London I did/saw the following:
Buckingham Palace (the guards were not dressed up in their funny hats--very disappointing)
Westminster Abby (lots of dead poets, including Chaucer and T.S. Elliot)
British Library (Beethoven's, Bach's, Mozart's, Chopin's, and the Beetles' original, handwritten music. By far the coolest thing in London)
Tower of London (meh, kind of boring)
Camden market (the alternative, punkish place in London)
The London Eye (sweet aerial views)
Big Ben and the Parliament building
Ate some fish and chips (really not that good...basically just an entire fish, scales and all, stuck in a deep fryer)
Took an obligatory phone booth photo
Saw platform 9 and 3/4 (London is really capitalizing on this Harry Potter thing)
Visited with the ND London kids and went to their hang outs
Saw Les Miserables (so incredibly amazing)
Rode the Tube (Mind the Gap!)
Became very thankful to be on the euro for a semester instead of the pound
Thanksgiving was a unique experience. My holiday meal consisted in a kebab I bought for 3 pounds from a stand and then wolfed down in about 5 minutes while sitting on a side street near the theater that was playing Les Miserables. We were late for the play, so we had to eat in a hurry, but it was probably the most peasant-like experience of the semester. I'm surprised people didn't throw money at us.
London was a cool city and it was nice to be somewhere where I mostly understood what everyone was saying (sometimes the accents are a bit difficult). This may be a snap judgment since I wasn't in London for very long, but it did not seem like all that great of a place. It was nice to visit and the people were friendly enough, but the whole atmosphere seemed kind of cold and regulated. Maybe I'm just too in love with Rome to really appreciate any other European city, but I think the main difference between London and Rome is that London's character depends on its institutions and buildings while Rome consists in its people. Yeah, that probably is a very biased and quick judgment. Oh well, I love Rome.
Next stop on our trip was Dublin. The hostel in Dublin was the worst I had ever stayed at, so thank goodness it was my last hostel for the semester. I suppose the hostel itself wasn't horrible (except when the man at the front desk tried to steal money from us). The real problem was our roommate--a 30 something Dublin man who shared a bunk with me. Excellent. There was a TV in the room, which may seem like a luxury, but it was just annoying, because after the creepy man was done telling us why the U.S. sucks, he turned on what appeared to be gay porn and refused to turn it off. I put on my headphones and turned Norah Jones up to try and drown out whatever that guy was watching. However, this didn't drown own his sudden shouting and throwing his stuff around. He was nuts. Thank goodness we had a different roommate the second night.
Dublin is one of my favorite cities I have visited. There aren't that many sites or attractions, but the people are incredibly friendly and the atmosphere is very fun. The things we did see include
St. Patrick's Cathedral (but only the outside because it was closed)
Christ's Church (I think that's what it's called)
Trinity College
City Hall
Dublin Castle
Guinness store house (the largest advertisement I have ever seen. Guinness is gross. It is like drinking a sandwich).
Temple Bar
My favorite part of Dublin was when we walked into a bar and a man stopped me and shouted, "JESUS CHRIST! YOU HAVE THE MOST PIERCING DARK EYES! ARE YOU OF ITALIAN DECENT? IT MUST BE ALL THE OLIVE OIL! YOU LOOK JUST LIKE MEADOW FROM THE SOPRANOS!" OF course, it took going to Ireland for someone to think I was Italian.
So there is my overdue and abridged journey over Thanksgiving break. London is a nice place to visit, but I could see living in Dublin, mostly because of the people there (and the accents).
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Christmas Lemon Tree
Apparently there is an uproar on the home front due to the lack of new blogs. Or maybe I'm just hoping there and that everyone finds them so gosh darn addictive. If that is the case, this post will serve as a big tease, because I do not have the time at the moment to tell you about my Thanksgiving in London, followed by my trip to Dublin, a day in Bologna, and sprinklings of Roman fun throughout. Alas, there is no time for that, as I only have 10 more days in l'eterna città and I am going to cram millions of activities into those last days. I will miss Rome terribly and the Rome group in general. It's a wonderful place to live and I have made some great friends. But now is not the time for sappy nostalgia. Now is the time for Christmas! For those of you on facebook, you may have noticed that my name has changed to Elise Navidad. Obviously, I really enjoy Christmas (and this is one of the factors in my acceptance of leaving Rome). The Rome group is being all cute and Christmasy and started the season off right with some hot cocoa in Medag 127. This inspired a Christmas sing-a-long and then a Christmas write-a-long. where we re-wrote the 12 Days of Christmas for a JCU theme. This won't really be funny for those who don't go there and it might even require explanation. Explanation requests can be submitted by email, because I'm not going to explain it here.
This one goes out to ND Rome '08
The 12 Days of JCU
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love game to me
2 ping pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the third day of Christmas my true love game to me
3 thousand platform
2 ping pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love game to me
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love game to me
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love game to me
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love game to me
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love game to me
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love game to me
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love game to me
10 'dumb bitches' (said in a Juliette tone)
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love game to me
11 bar fliers
10 'dumb bitches'
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love game to me
12 chain smokers
11 bar fliers
10 'dumb bitches'
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree!!!
This one goes out to ND Rome '08
The 12 Days of JCU
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love game to me
2 ping pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the third day of Christmas my true love game to me
3 thousand platform
2 ping pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love game to me
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love game to me
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love game to me
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love game to me
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love game to me
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love game to me
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love game to me
10 'dumb bitches' (said in a Juliette tone)
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love game to me
11 bar fliers
10 'dumb bitches'
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love game to me
12 chain smokers
11 bar fliers
10 'dumb bitches'
9 emergency testings
8 plastic tables
7 awful classes
6 dirty Italians
5 servings of pink sauce!
4 Pathways
3 thousand platform
2 ping-pong players
and Maria Younes in the lemon tree!!!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Customer is Usually Wrong
I am avidly avoiding writing this Ancient Rome and its Monuments paper, so I'll write another blog entry instead, this time on the topic of customer service.
Customer service does not exist in Italy. "The customer is always right" is a completely foreign concept here and I love it. Having worked in retail, I despise the notion of having to treat a customer with polite respect, even if that customer is treating you like dirt. I don't really understand how America got to the point of treating service people like sub-humans. The customer most certainly is not always right, so why must we pretend that he/she is a deity deigning us with his/her patronage? Italy has got it right and instead of "customer service" has mutual respect between customer and shop owner. Here is the difference:
In America, a man walks into a clothing store and demands three button down shirts of specific colors and size. When the size and/or colors are not in stock, the man flips out and blames the sales people, not taking into account that they are not responsible for his size being out of stock that particular day. The sales people work their hardest to calm the man down, but he insists on seeing a manager. He yells at the manager for "poor customer service" because his need for these shirts was extreme, so to assuage his anger, the manager give him a coupon, the man vows to never shop in that store again, and storms out.
In Italy, a man walks into a clothing store and demands three button down shirt of specific colors and size. Since all the sales people are currently busy with other customers or on their cell phones, he will just have to wait. Once he is finally helped, if his size is not found, this will be presented as a cold hard fact with no apologetic explanation. If he throws a fit, he will be ignored until he leaves the store.
Some may cringe at the Italian scenario, but I think it is much more efficient and makes so much more sense. In the American situation, precious time and energy is wasted and taking care of this one crazy man, while in the Italian situation, since he's not nice, they're not nice, and the nice customers who actually deserve help from the sales people get service.
Mutual respect is key and I don't know why this isn't a tennet of American shopping. It's obvious; if you are nice to the people who are helping you, they will be nice to you in return. If you're a jerk, sure they'll help you in America, but they won't do their best work. In Italy, that's taken a step further. If you're nice, you are the worker's best friend and get special perks (like extra chocolate powder in your cappuccino or a look at the latest clothing arrivals). If you're a jerk, you will not be helped at all and you might as well just take your complaining outside because it will get you no where. This is how I envision a Utopian commercial environment.
True, things run slower in Italy and it is not perfect. You can stand around in a crowded store for a very long time, waiting to be helped. In a shoe store, for example, a sales person will get you your shoes, help you put them on, then wait with you, examining the shoes, getting more sizes and styles, until you have decided on a purchase. Therefore, if all the sales associates are with customers, you have to wait until someone buys something and leaves until you are helped.
Shopping in Italy can be a bit awkward since once you try something on or look at something for an extended period of time you are expected to buy it. I was trying on gloves yesterday at one of the many glove shops near the Spanish Steps. It was just me and the shop owner in the store and after trying on one pair of gloves, I knew I didn't want them. However, since I was being "nice" and she was being "nice" she brought out several other pairs of gloves she thought I might like and had me try them on. I did not want these gloves. I finally escaped with a "promise" of returning later to buy the gloves, but the woman only gave me a dirty look as I was exiting. Shopping around isn't a very Italian ideal, I guess.
The sales people in Italy (and Italians in general) can be a bit blunt. Actually, they are incredibly straightforward. They will tell you if something looks bad, or if you need a bigger size, or if that outfit is just not for you. Such comments are never meant to be offensive, they are just meant as brutal truths that one should accept. I've mentioned before that buying knee high boots here has been a struggle because my "man calves" won't fit into the tiny Italian boots. An instance of boots not fitting happened again yesterday and when I told the sales person that they didn't fit in the legs, she said, "Yes, you are no model. Let me find you something with elastic." Shocked and appauled were the first things that came to mind, but when I considered where I was, I was not offended at all. She didn't mean it as an insult, it was simply a fact and an example of the size-consciously blunt Italians. This kind of mentality would come in handy in the states, where muffin tops and too-tight jeans abound. The women here are indeed skinnier, but it's no shame to not be stick thin. You just have to realize your size and buy the elastic boots.
So there's my analysis of shopping in Italy. Lessons learned? America should ditch its system of being nice to disrespectful customers and adopt Italy's blunt and self-respecting lack of customer service.
Customer service does not exist in Italy. "The customer is always right" is a completely foreign concept here and I love it. Having worked in retail, I despise the notion of having to treat a customer with polite respect, even if that customer is treating you like dirt. I don't really understand how America got to the point of treating service people like sub-humans. The customer most certainly is not always right, so why must we pretend that he/she is a deity deigning us with his/her patronage? Italy has got it right and instead of "customer service" has mutual respect between customer and shop owner. Here is the difference:
In America, a man walks into a clothing store and demands three button down shirts of specific colors and size. When the size and/or colors are not in stock, the man flips out and blames the sales people, not taking into account that they are not responsible for his size being out of stock that particular day. The sales people work their hardest to calm the man down, but he insists on seeing a manager. He yells at the manager for "poor customer service" because his need for these shirts was extreme, so to assuage his anger, the manager give him a coupon, the man vows to never shop in that store again, and storms out.
In Italy, a man walks into a clothing store and demands three button down shirt of specific colors and size. Since all the sales people are currently busy with other customers or on their cell phones, he will just have to wait. Once he is finally helped, if his size is not found, this will be presented as a cold hard fact with no apologetic explanation. If he throws a fit, he will be ignored until he leaves the store.
Some may cringe at the Italian scenario, but I think it is much more efficient and makes so much more sense. In the American situation, precious time and energy is wasted and taking care of this one crazy man, while in the Italian situation, since he's not nice, they're not nice, and the nice customers who actually deserve help from the sales people get service.
Mutual respect is key and I don't know why this isn't a tennet of American shopping. It's obvious; if you are nice to the people who are helping you, they will be nice to you in return. If you're a jerk, sure they'll help you in America, but they won't do their best work. In Italy, that's taken a step further. If you're nice, you are the worker's best friend and get special perks (like extra chocolate powder in your cappuccino or a look at the latest clothing arrivals). If you're a jerk, you will not be helped at all and you might as well just take your complaining outside because it will get you no where. This is how I envision a Utopian commercial environment.
True, things run slower in Italy and it is not perfect. You can stand around in a crowded store for a very long time, waiting to be helped. In a shoe store, for example, a sales person will get you your shoes, help you put them on, then wait with you, examining the shoes, getting more sizes and styles, until you have decided on a purchase. Therefore, if all the sales associates are with customers, you have to wait until someone buys something and leaves until you are helped.
Shopping in Italy can be a bit awkward since once you try something on or look at something for an extended period of time you are expected to buy it. I was trying on gloves yesterday at one of the many glove shops near the Spanish Steps. It was just me and the shop owner in the store and after trying on one pair of gloves, I knew I didn't want them. However, since I was being "nice" and she was being "nice" she brought out several other pairs of gloves she thought I might like and had me try them on. I did not want these gloves. I finally escaped with a "promise" of returning later to buy the gloves, but the woman only gave me a dirty look as I was exiting. Shopping around isn't a very Italian ideal, I guess.
The sales people in Italy (and Italians in general) can be a bit blunt. Actually, they are incredibly straightforward. They will tell you if something looks bad, or if you need a bigger size, or if that outfit is just not for you. Such comments are never meant to be offensive, they are just meant as brutal truths that one should accept. I've mentioned before that buying knee high boots here has been a struggle because my "man calves" won't fit into the tiny Italian boots. An instance of boots not fitting happened again yesterday and when I told the sales person that they didn't fit in the legs, she said, "Yes, you are no model. Let me find you something with elastic." Shocked and appauled were the first things that came to mind, but when I considered where I was, I was not offended at all. She didn't mean it as an insult, it was simply a fact and an example of the size-consciously blunt Italians. This kind of mentality would come in handy in the states, where muffin tops and too-tight jeans abound. The women here are indeed skinnier, but it's no shame to not be stick thin. You just have to realize your size and buy the elastic boots.
So there's my analysis of shopping in Italy. Lessons learned? America should ditch its system of being nice to disrespectful customers and adopt Italy's blunt and self-respecting lack of customer service.
What IS Pink Sauce?
I've been in a blog rut lately of only describing my weekend trips. Since I'm in Rome this entire weekend, I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell you some fun little anecdotes about one of the best parts of Italy--the food. Thank God there's an hour long walk to school every day, because Italy is basically made of carbs.
First, I shall describe the gelato. Gelato is the best thing in the world, and, dare I say it, even better than Handels ice cream. It's creamy, colorful, and delicious, especially at Old Bridge. Old Bridge is located right outside the Vatican Walls and frequented by the ND kids several times a week. What makes Old Bridge so good? Allow me to express this in a poem
Ode to Old Bridge
Oh, dearest Old Bridge
You're gelato is the best
Baccio, Fragola, Crema
All the flavors have some zest
You're staff, young and fun
Wear silly white hats
The flavors, creamy and bright
And numerous as Rome's cats
Right outside the Vatican
Your price cannot be beat
Una copetta di uno e cinquanta!
Now that is a great feat
Oh, dearest Old Bridge
Your loveliness I will miss
There's nothing like it in the states
But I can always wish...
So basically, the gelato is really good.
Next stop on our food tour is Medaglio d'Oro--my apartment complex. I won't be talking about the food inside my apartment, because it's not exactly the best and consists mainly of canned beans and corn. What is good around the Medag is the pizza place and the bakery downstairs. This is mainly due to the fact that the bakery man is as hot as his freshly baked pastries and the pizza man is as saucy as his pies. That was horrible, I should really stop making ridiculous similes. Anyway, they are both very attractive and to top it off, their food is excellent as well, not that I wouldn't buy it anyway.
I think I've mentioned Tony's coffee in a previous post, but it's worth mentioning again. There is a cafe right in the middle of the walk between Medag and JCU, so it serves as the perfect pick-me-up. The man who works there is Tony--he is old and very smiley. It seems that his one goal in life is to make delicious coffee concoctions. He LOVES making coffee. He also loves winking, snorting when he laughs, and waving at people who walk by the cafe. There are two older women who also work at the cafe. Tony is the only one who wears a name tag and smiles. My assumption is that these women are Tony's sisters and they abuse him, both verbally and physically, which is very sad, but also explains why Tony is ALWAYS at the cafe. This is probably not true, as Tony is always extremely happy. Caitlin and I go to Tony's every Monday and Wednesday and he has learned our names (except for the one time he called me Mila and Caitlin Kristina). He writes "ok" in our cappuccinos and says, "OK! Because you're ok!" Then he winks a few times (he may have an eye twitch) and talks to us about the weather. I don't think he realizes that we speak Italian, because whenever he tries to hold a conversation with us, he uses ridiculous hand gestures that probably wouldn't even help if we didn't know Italian. Oh, Tony. Such a goof ball. And he really does make the best cappuccino I have had hear, probably because it's made with love.
At JCU, the food hangout is Aristocampo. If you are ever in Rome and need a quick bite to eat but don't want to sacrifice quality, go here. It is inexpensive, delicious, and made right in front of you. Most days, students get their sandwiches, then take them back to the Lemonless Tree Courtyard to sit with their friends and eat them. Then this awkward and unnecessary conversation occurs:
"Oh...you've got a sandwich."
"Yup."
"Is that from Aristocampo?"
"Yup."
"What did you get, the Garibaldi?"
"No, this is, umm, I think I got the Trastevere."
"Oh, yeah, that's a good one."
"Yeah, so far it's pretty tasty."
"What does that have on it?"
"Umm, pork I think, and umm, eggplant and pink sauce."
"What IS pink sauce?"
"I dunno, it's like mayonnaise, but not."
"Yeah, but what exactly is it? It's so good, I just want to know what's IN IT."
"Yeah, pink sauce is weird. Don't know what it is."
"Well, it looks like a good sandwich. Did they give you the JCU discount?"
This goes on FOREVER and happens EVERY DAY. People really need to stop asking the pink sauce question. No one knows what pink sauce is and no one ever will. It is something we must live with and stop questioning.
One of the things Italy is best known for is its pizza. I was arguing with Alex the other night about what was better--Hungry Howie's or Italian pizza. He, of course, holds that Hungry Howie's is the best pizza ever, which makes sense since he gets it at least 3 times a week, but since I have had both Italian pizza and Hungry Howie's, I think I can give a more accurate opinion. Italian pizza is certainly better than Hungry Howie's. It's really thin and always freshly made. One of the best placess is Buffetto (Mustache) near Piazza Navona. There is always a line, but its worth it to get pizza with every topping, including a sunny-side-up egg. The staff is really gruff and will do the minimum to get you your pizza and might even make fun of you, but its all part of the experience.
For dessert in Italy, I've already mentioned gelato, which is my favorite, but there are also pastries. Honestly, pastires in Italy are not that good. They just don't get cookies. The pastries here are flaky and hard instead of soft and light. It's a little disappointing, but at least there's gelato.
Lastly, I shall discuss Diet Coke. Coke actually tastes different here. Coke has a different recipe for different countries, based on the culture's tastes. The Coke here is actually much better (I think it's a little sweeter). Diet Coke is the drink of choice at JCU, perhaps because the caffeine is needed to get you through the day of going to the worst university ever. It's a bad scene if someone can't get his/her Diet Coke. There is much wailing and nashing of teeth, until the student realizes that any nearby cafe will also sell Diet Coke. The JCU student can best be described as complacently depressed about his/her university experience, Diet Coke in one hand, Aristocampo sandwich with pink sauce in the other, wearing skinny jeans and a JCU t-shirt, standing in the Lemonless Tree Courtyard, second-hand smoking while dodging stray ping pong balls from the nearby table, waiting for a computer to open up in the computer lab so he/she can just print that stupid paper he/she wrote about an hour ago. That's JCU. Thankfully, the food in Italy makes up for the lack of educational value.
First, I shall describe the gelato. Gelato is the best thing in the world, and, dare I say it, even better than Handels ice cream. It's creamy, colorful, and delicious, especially at Old Bridge. Old Bridge is located right outside the Vatican Walls and frequented by the ND kids several times a week. What makes Old Bridge so good? Allow me to express this in a poem
Ode to Old Bridge
Oh, dearest Old Bridge
You're gelato is the best
Baccio, Fragola, Crema
All the flavors have some zest
You're staff, young and fun
Wear silly white hats
The flavors, creamy and bright
And numerous as Rome's cats
Right outside the Vatican
Your price cannot be beat
Una copetta di uno e cinquanta!
Now that is a great feat
Oh, dearest Old Bridge
Your loveliness I will miss
There's nothing like it in the states
But I can always wish...
So basically, the gelato is really good.
Next stop on our food tour is Medaglio d'Oro--my apartment complex. I won't be talking about the food inside my apartment, because it's not exactly the best and consists mainly of canned beans and corn. What is good around the Medag is the pizza place and the bakery downstairs. This is mainly due to the fact that the bakery man is as hot as his freshly baked pastries and the pizza man is as saucy as his pies. That was horrible, I should really stop making ridiculous similes. Anyway, they are both very attractive and to top it off, their food is excellent as well, not that I wouldn't buy it anyway.
I think I've mentioned Tony's coffee in a previous post, but it's worth mentioning again. There is a cafe right in the middle of the walk between Medag and JCU, so it serves as the perfect pick-me-up. The man who works there is Tony--he is old and very smiley. It seems that his one goal in life is to make delicious coffee concoctions. He LOVES making coffee. He also loves winking, snorting when he laughs, and waving at people who walk by the cafe. There are two older women who also work at the cafe. Tony is the only one who wears a name tag and smiles. My assumption is that these women are Tony's sisters and they abuse him, both verbally and physically, which is very sad, but also explains why Tony is ALWAYS at the cafe. This is probably not true, as Tony is always extremely happy. Caitlin and I go to Tony's every Monday and Wednesday and he has learned our names (except for the one time he called me Mila and Caitlin Kristina). He writes "ok" in our cappuccinos and says, "OK! Because you're ok!" Then he winks a few times (he may have an eye twitch) and talks to us about the weather. I don't think he realizes that we speak Italian, because whenever he tries to hold a conversation with us, he uses ridiculous hand gestures that probably wouldn't even help if we didn't know Italian. Oh, Tony. Such a goof ball. And he really does make the best cappuccino I have had hear, probably because it's made with love.
At JCU, the food hangout is Aristocampo. If you are ever in Rome and need a quick bite to eat but don't want to sacrifice quality, go here. It is inexpensive, delicious, and made right in front of you. Most days, students get their sandwiches, then take them back to the Lemonless Tree Courtyard to sit with their friends and eat them. Then this awkward and unnecessary conversation occurs:
"Oh...you've got a sandwich."
"Yup."
"Is that from Aristocampo?"
"Yup."
"What did you get, the Garibaldi?"
"No, this is, umm, I think I got the Trastevere."
"Oh, yeah, that's a good one."
"Yeah, so far it's pretty tasty."
"What does that have on it?"
"Umm, pork I think, and umm, eggplant and pink sauce."
"What IS pink sauce?"
"I dunno, it's like mayonnaise, but not."
"Yeah, but what exactly is it? It's so good, I just want to know what's IN IT."
"Yeah, pink sauce is weird. Don't know what it is."
"Well, it looks like a good sandwich. Did they give you the JCU discount?"
This goes on FOREVER and happens EVERY DAY. People really need to stop asking the pink sauce question. No one knows what pink sauce is and no one ever will. It is something we must live with and stop questioning.
One of the things Italy is best known for is its pizza. I was arguing with Alex the other night about what was better--Hungry Howie's or Italian pizza. He, of course, holds that Hungry Howie's is the best pizza ever, which makes sense since he gets it at least 3 times a week, but since I have had both Italian pizza and Hungry Howie's, I think I can give a more accurate opinion. Italian pizza is certainly better than Hungry Howie's. It's really thin and always freshly made. One of the best placess is Buffetto (Mustache) near Piazza Navona. There is always a line, but its worth it to get pizza with every topping, including a sunny-side-up egg. The staff is really gruff and will do the minimum to get you your pizza and might even make fun of you, but its all part of the experience.
For dessert in Italy, I've already mentioned gelato, which is my favorite, but there are also pastries. Honestly, pastires in Italy are not that good. They just don't get cookies. The pastries here are flaky and hard instead of soft and light. It's a little disappointing, but at least there's gelato.
Lastly, I shall discuss Diet Coke. Coke actually tastes different here. Coke has a different recipe for different countries, based on the culture's tastes. The Coke here is actually much better (I think it's a little sweeter). Diet Coke is the drink of choice at JCU, perhaps because the caffeine is needed to get you through the day of going to the worst university ever. It's a bad scene if someone can't get his/her Diet Coke. There is much wailing and nashing of teeth, until the student realizes that any nearby cafe will also sell Diet Coke. The JCU student can best be described as complacently depressed about his/her university experience, Diet Coke in one hand, Aristocampo sandwich with pink sauce in the other, wearing skinny jeans and a JCU t-shirt, standing in the Lemonless Tree Courtyard, second-hand smoking while dodging stray ping pong balls from the nearby table, waiting for a computer to open up in the computer lab so he/she can just print that stupid paper he/she wrote about an hour ago. That's JCU. Thankfully, the food in Italy makes up for the lack of educational value.
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