SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? | MARCH 31, 2006

Things worth staying for (things I will miss)...
1. getting gelato from Giolitti... drool...
2. the sheer excitement of living in Rome and seeing something new everyday
3. volunteering at TA
4. the easiness of traveling somewhere new and amazing every weekend
5. pizza bianca
6. not relying on a car to get anywhere!
7. trying native foods & wines
8. learning something new about history everyday
9. the opportunity to learn another language

Things worth going home for (things I am looking forward to)...
1. a reliable - train system, bus system, printer, internet connection, phone...
2. never having to wait to use the bathroom; also, having my own sink and mirror
3. complete sets of kitchen utensils and dinnerware!
4. EATING "MEXICAN" FOOD (date at On the Border with Kelsey and Steven upon return...)
5. no language barrier
6. being close to my family
7. going to the movies... in english
8. Mt. Dew
9. being able to find/buy clothes that fit me

TORN | MARCH 30, 2006

I can't make up my mind - should I pursue summer employment here or not? At the beginning of the semester I really wanted to stay here over the summer; I loved the city and thought it would be a great for me to get some foreign work experience. But after my family visited me (and left), I am thinking, "maybe I should just go home...."

Either way, it doesn't hurt to search and apply for jobs, which is what I am doing now.

PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNICATION | MARCH 29, 2006

What is your preferred mode of communication? With your family and friends, would you rather talk in person, on a phone, by email... with letters?

I figured I would run into all sorts of communication problems while in Rome. I figured the internet would be unreliable (it is), mail would take a long time to get anywhere (it does), phone calls would be ridiculously expensive (they aren't - wait they aren't? Then why am I not on the phone more?!), so I tried to prepare myself for the worst... but there was something I was unprepared for... something awful and unmentionable... something that keeps me from ever directly communicating by phone....

It is not the time-zone change! That has been a challenge, especially to coordinate with Steven. But it is possible for me to stay up very late so that I can talk to him when he leaves work. It is something else...

But all I want to say is, if I don't keep in touch with you, I am sorry, it is not intentional. I guess the only reliable way to communicate is by my updates here (and those depend on the internet connection...).

TIVOLI | MARCH 28, 2006

Field trip to Tivoli! (I am too old for field trips?) Today I visited Tivoli, a town east of Rome, with my studio class. The main attractions there are two villas - Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana.

We first visited Villa d'Este, the younger of the two, converted from a convent into a country retreat for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este in 1550. The architect in charge of the conversion and garden design was Pirro Ligorio, the architect/archaeologist who uncovered the ruins of Villa Adriana.

The actual villa is not all that interesting in itself - a bunch of very tall rooms with ugly renaissance paintings and room-to-room circulation. Nothing I haven't seen before... what was great was the garden behind the villa. It is not comparable in size to the garden at Caserta, but it was amazing. There are at least forty different fountains there, and countless other water sprouts and basins. It was amazing to walk through this dense garden and hear the water flowing everywhere I went.

                  

The villa is set on a hill so you walk down through the garden. There are many different kinds of paths - stairs, ramps, sloped ramp-stairs... it was interesting to explore my way around. There were many flowers and full hedges that acted as dividers between areas of the garden. I could have spent the whole day there, reading a book in the shade or taking a nap.

Villa Adriana was built in 125 AD for Emperor Hadrian. It is just a massive area of ruins - there used to be a theater there, apartments, libraries, baths, a heated beach... all along with the villa. Unfortunately for me, once you see one area of ruins, you have seen them all. There are confusing and hard to decipher, unless you are there with a guide - which I was not, just with my confused studio teacher. So I did not last there very long.

          

I FEEL TIRED/WORN OUT/LONELY...BLAH | MARCH 27, 2006

Look at the image below (on the left). That slug is the size of my finger! Yuck yuck yuck! Slugs show up around the shelter, sticking to the walls and cement outside, but I have never seen one this big!

         

And some sad news - Cher was adopted yesterday. I was looking for her when I got to the shelter and knew something was wrong when I couldn't find her. I hope she is in a happy home now, and that the the person who adopted her scratches her chest because she really liked that.

CASERTA | MARCH 26, 2006

Today I traveled to Caserta, a town south of Rome and east of Naples, to see the Royal Palace. My soul purpose for traveling there? They filmed scenes of Star Wars Episodes I and II there and I really wanted to see it in person. And I heard that the gardens (park) were great as well.

When I got off of the train I was a amazed but also a bit worried. It was amazing to walk out of the front of a train station and see a massive eighteenth century palace but the gardens in front are not in very good condition. I felt better when I walked to the palace and saw that the inside was teeming with people waiting to get in. The palace is a very popular place for Italians on the weekends, with its gorgeous park.

I immediately found the staircase that is most recognizable from a scene in Episode I The Phantom Menace when the queen and her decoy are being escorted out of the palace by the Neimoidians (oh my gosh, could I sound any dorkier?).

After I toured some of the apartment rooms (over 100 rooms make up this palace), I ran into some Germans who were visiting for the same reason as me. I could tell because they had shirts that said "Star Wars Traveler" so I chatted with them for awhile. They have also been to Sevilla (in Spain) and Lake Como - my next place to visit (I visited Sevilla with my Dad in 2002). They said Como is very romantic (that is where they filmed the retreat scene and wedding scene in Episode II), but I will be going there alone...

                  

The park behind the palace is humongous! It took me an hour just to walk to the end of it and back, and I did not even explore it all! The weather was gorgeous, sunny and probably low 70s, and I could have stayed there all day just reading a book or laying in the sun. It is dotted with fountains and large water basins holding fish. It was a very serene walk, even though they let tour buses go back there.

         

For those of you who are wondering... I did not get to see the movie last night. It was in italiano.

TRYING TO SEE A MOVIE IN ROME | MARCH 25, 2006

I have learned my lesson - when I see something I want - take it!

On Thursday night I was walking on Via del Corso, the busiest pedestrian street in Rome, with my family when I saw a theater was playing V for Vendetta - in english, with no subtitles!!! I teased Steven and told him we were going to go to a movie instead of dinner, but we never went...

So the first thing I did when I woke up this morning was get on the internet so I could see when the movie was going to be showing today. V for Vendetta came out in the States on the 17th, but I have been aching to see it since they started filming! So I did my little search online, and twenty minutes later, after translating from italian into english, I realized it was no longer showing at that theater! They do a weekly rotation of movies, so it must have left the theater the Thursday night we saw it advertised there.

So lengthened my search to try to find other theaters in Rome showing the film. It was a bit difficult to figure out since the website is all in italian and I do understand that much of the language. When I finally found a listing of theaters, I realized that none of them are that close to me. And for the ones that are - I have no idea if the film will be dubbed or not!

There are a few theaters in Rome that show movies in the original language, but those theaters have too late of showings (I am volunteering at the shelter tonight). My only choice is to call the other theaters and ask what language the movie is in. But does anyone pick up? No... so now my only choice is to walk to the one theater near me and hope that I can figure out what language it is in from there.

Against my better judgment, I decide to ride the bus. The #64, pickpocket express, that goes to Termini Station, and passes the theater I would like to go to. It is thoroughly jammed full when it arrives, but this is common and does not phase me as I squeeze my way in. Unfortunately, about fifteen other people behind me try to do the same, so I am literally pushed further and further into the bus, until we are all smashed in there, closer to each other than I would like to be with any other human in my life.

I have never been on a bus this full, and it is making me wonder what's up. Sure enough, most of the people that just got on get off at the next stop (which is about a 1 minute walk from where they got on).Thieves usually do this - get on at one stop, take your stuff, and get off at the next. Sure enough, we pull away, and one older woman starts screaming in Italian and frantically looking through her purse. I have no idea what she is saying, but it is pretty obvious that someone took her wallet. So I have to listen to this woman for another six stops, until someone new gets on and starts yelling in Italian and waving around a phone and wallet. She gets off with that man then and I then have no idea what the heck is happening.

I am eager to get off the bus, and have to push my way out to do so. I walk to the theater and... it is all locked up. No signs outside saying what language the movie will be in. I expected this so I try not to be upset and decide to come back at 00:55 when the movie and showing and just hope for the best.

The lesson I learned - don't take things for granted. Don't assume anything will be there when you come back for it - take it when you can!

On another note, Rome is not the same since I have returned from my week away. There were many tourists before, but now the amount has doubled. I almost hear more people speaking English and other languages than Italian! The streets are so packed with people now that I cannot walk anywhere without frustration. I risk my life to walk in the street, just to get around the people stopping to gawk. And taking the bus is simply out of the question.

There are more people selling cheap crap in the streets, more beggars, more... everything! I have always been an anxious person, and all these people are eating away at my last nerves. I used to want to live here, I loved it so much, but now I don't know how I could ever handle the crowds! I can tolerate the unreliability of everything in Rome - it is all part of living here, but I think the tourism would drive me over the edge.

CIAO CIAO FAMIGLIA | MARCH 24, 2006

My family left today at 4:30am (7:00 am flight). After they left, I just laid in bed, feeling very lonely in the big apartment we rented. I couldn't fathom that they were actually gone, I got so used to their company. It was fun to take them around Rome, showing them all my favorite places. I think I will miss them more than I thought.

         

Now they are somewhere over the Atlantic and I won't see them again for at least a month. Ciao ciao famiglia.

And now it's back to work - after I get some rest of course!

ROMA CHURCH TOUR | MARCH 22, 2006

Today I gave my family the Roma church tour - I took them to all my favorite churches in Rome. It is inevitable that if you come to Italy you will visit churches. That is probably where half their tourism comes from, especially St. Peter's. When they get back to the States they probably won't want want to step into another church for at least a month!

ANOTHER DAY IN ROMA | MARCH 22, 2006

My family got to see all the cool stuff while I was in class today.

Okay, that is a bit of a fabrication. I only went to class for two hours in the morning and two in the evening, but they did see some really neat things while I was in class.

In the morning I dropped them off at Museo Capitolini, my favorite museum. It has all sorts of neat statues, and a cool view over the forum. I noticed a lot of the police cars in the piazza when I dropped them off, but had no idea why they were all there. Go figure, the president of some country in Africa decides to drop by the museum on the same day as my family. They would be in a small gallery and then the president's entourage would come through and they were unable to move out of there.

In between classes I took them to the Mouth of Truth, Circus Maximus, the Forum and the Colosseum - crucial places to visit in Rome!

         

The other neat place they visited (without me) was Capuchin Cemetery. It is actually a church in Rome, that has a room in it completely made out of the bones of deceased monks! Yuck! I think my dad is really into places like that, but I would have been extremely weirded out.

It is fun to have my family here. I feels normal - cooking meals together, watching DVDs, playing games...

VISITING THE SISTENE CHAPEL IS HELL | MARCH 21, 2006

I waited two and a half months to visit the Sistine Chapel, because I wanted to see it with my family. So I gave them a speedy little tour of Rome yesterday (hitting all the major landmarks) and told them we would go to the Vatican today. Well, it turns out visiting the Vatican Museums is like hell on earth.

You have to stand in a really long line (about 1/2 mile or more) to get in... but that is not even the worst part. You are standing in line, outside, with breathing space. The only problem there is that you are bombarded with men selling umbrellas, sunglasses and knock-off purses. But the line moves quickly.

Once you get inside and buy your tickets, you are confused about where to go. The Vatican Museums are in the old papal palaces, so there are very long halls with courtyards in between, and no coherent manner to approach them. Luckily, there are paths for you to follow, but everyone is following those paths, and you are herded like a pig until you reach what you want to see - most likely the Sistine Chapel. I kept saying to my sister, "Just push your way through!" We were literally wall-to-wall jammed with people, inching our way for twenty minutes like snails. We kept getting stopped by big tourist groups that were filling up the whole space and not allowing people through. Then there are the people who stop in the middle of a path to space off and stare at something... arg.

Inevitably, I was frustrated and anxious when I finally arrived at the Chapel, but it was very satisfying to see it in person. The chapel is not extremely big, but the size and detail of the individual paintings is amazing. Michelangelo spent seven years in the Sistine Chapel, working on the ceiling and Last Judgment painting. I can't imagine the thought and planning it takes to design these frescoes, let alone the skill.

                  

Of course, there were hundreds of people in the Chapel, taking pictures (forbidden) and talking very loud. So every few minutes the guards yelled at everyone to shut up. I wonder if Michelangelo ever imagined that this Chapel would be so popular.

The museum is massive so I left my parents there to explore and go to class. I have been to more museums this semester than ever before, and I am a little overwhelmed now.

BYE BYE POSITANO | MARCH 19, 2006

It was sad to leave Positano... it really is a paradise. The weather was not warm enough for swimming when we were there, but we still got to see the beautiful Mediterranean sea. We walked down a lot of steps to get to the beach, then we spent some time collecting neat rocks and taking glamour photos of my sister.

                  

I would love to go back there when it is warmer and spend the day doing nothing - just laying on the beach or staring at the water, listening to the waves come in. The town is so unique, with its curvy roads and brightly colored houses. It is a big tourist area, but not for any specific building or site, but just for the gorgeous view and feel of the town. I think it would be easy for anyone to fall in love with Positano and never go home!

VENICE (DAY 2), POMPEII, POSITANO... | MARCH 18, 2006

The end of our tour of Italy is nearing. We spent Friday in Venice, today in Pompeii, and are now in Positano for our last night before we return to Rome.

Our last day in Venice was fun and relaxing. We spent some more time wandering around the city - looking at churches, stopping by the market, and taking our gondola ride! The gondola ride was neat - we started at the Grand Canal then went through some of the smaller canals between the little islands. Our gondolier (is that the right word?) even sang and whistled for us.

                  

We spent Friday night sleeping on a train. It takes twelve hours to get from Venice to Pompeii, so we figured we would save time by taking a night train - I don't recommend it - it sucks as much as it sounds like it would. You are crammed onto these little bunks like sardines - six people in one car! My bunk was so close to the one on top of me that it was almost impossible to climb in. Then you don't have any water or a shower to use when you wake up... yuck.

I was really excited to see Pompeii, but I was a dissappointed when I finally got there. We didn't have a tour guide or even a book to follow but I figured that there would be good information on their signage. Well... there was almost nothing. The only sign we saw explaining something in english looked like it was written by a six year-old! So we tried to figure it out on our own - what places used to be, what buildings used to look like, etc. But that doesn't really get you very far. Of course, we could figure out things like this.

         

Positano was absolutely amazing though. It is a paradise on earth. We took a train and then a bus from Pompeii to get there, and the bus drives right between the cliffs and the sea. The views are spectacular, even if the ride is a bit frightening (the roads in Positano are extremely narrow, most of them are only one-way access).

         

VENICE | MARCH 16, 2006

Venice is such a cool city - completely filled with tourists, but awesome nonetheless. It is simply amazing that this city is built on the water, and people's doors and patios go right up to the canals. All the streets zigzag around the canal routes, going in every which direction. Then there are narrow little streets to walk on and explore. I wish I knew more about the history of the city and the way that the buildings are constructed.

Even riding the vaporetti - the public water taxis, is fun. The first thing we did when we got into Venice was ride the #1 route that goes slowly down the Grand Canal. It gave us a chance to see a lot of the city, while relaxing and chatting.

         

We basically wandered around the city all day, which was a lot of fun. The most fun we had though, was feeding the pigeons in front of St. Mark's Square!

         

                  

MILAN | MARCH 15, 2006

Even though I only spent one day (and night) in Milan, I think it is true what they say about the stereotypical "Milanese" person - they are strictly business, sophisticated and efficient. I heard somewhere that Italian people will call another person Milanese if they want to insult them, because the people of Milan act so different than the rest of the people of Italy. The city was very different than the traditional Italian Renaissance cities I have been to - it had high rise buildings, double lane highways, a useful metro system (Rome's is a bit worthless) and paved roads. It was nice to be in such a "modern" city, but I missed the friendly feeling of the Renaissance towns. And in some places I felt a bit worried and over-protective of my things (and my family).

Anyway, the first thing we did today was go to Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church that holds Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper." I knew that it was in bad condition - Da Vinci decided not to paint on wet plaster, but to paint directly on to the drywall, resulting in rapid deterioration. But this painting has been through a lot. It was cut into by the monks of the friar (a door cuts through Jesus's feet) and the church surrounding it was bombed during WWII. It is a wonder that it is still there. It went under extensive restoration from the 60s to 90s, to fill in all the chipped off areas with watercolor.

Of course, we had a guided tour with a woman telling us all the Christian symbolism of the painting. Then afterwards, one tourist made the mistake of mentioning The Da Vinci Code, and the theory that the person on Jesus's right side is Mary Mandeline, not John. The tour guide immediately dissolved it as a myth - basically saying all fiction books are completely fictitious. She was annoyed, but I found it ironic that they sell the book in their gift shop anyway!

We also went to a Science Museum which we thought would have a big Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit, but did not. I have actually been having a hard time finding a good Da Vinci Museum for us to go to in Italy - and this is where he is from!

I was really excited about seeing the Milan Cathedral. I learned about it in my Gothic Cathedral class when I was a sophomore and remembered it very well. But when we got there it was covered in scaffolding. I was disappointed. I probably could have discovered it was covered in scaffolding before hand, but I didn't. We were able to go on top of the cathedral though, which was very neat. They actually let you climb all the way to the top, and you are basically walking on the roof. The roof has hundreds of intricately decorated spires and crazy gargoyles. The views of the city were not great, but the roof was really interesting, and the fact that they let you go up there just baffles me!

                  

We also went inside of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - the famous open, glass structured shopping facility next to the Cathedral. The shops were all too expensive for me to buy anything - Louis Viutton, Gucci, etc., but the structure of the building was really interesting.

Now we are in Venice for two days, with no set schedule, so it will be nice to relax and enjoy the city. Steven has been reading an Italian phrase book and doing really well at basic conversations with people, so he can continue to practice here. I think it is really important to learn the basic phrases when you travel to a country that speaks a different language than english. It usually gives you a warmer response and hospitality.

CAR TOUR OF ITALY | MARCH 14, 2006

Today was our "Car Tour of Italy" - three museums and one factory - all in one day and in three different towns! But we managed very well, thanks to many taxis and helpful people.

Our first stop was a privately owned Maserati Museum in Modena. It was at a farm called "Hombre," where they make organic cheeses and milk products. The design and display of the cars was amazing. They were all parked in a two story garage space, with a nice tile floor and second floor balcony. The structure of the garage was really neat too - the second floor was supported by columns and arch shaped steel beams. I don't understand much about cars, but it was amazing to see all these vintage cars in mint condition!

         

The cow farm was neat too. But we didn't get to stay there very long...

         

We went to Maranello, the Ferrari Capitol of the world, after we visited the Maserati Museum. On the way to the Ferrari Museum, we passed the Ferrari Factory, the Ferrari Mechanic School, and the Ferrari Race Team Headquarters. I think that whole town formed around the Ferrari Factory! We went to the museum first, which also had some awesome displays, then walked outside to visit a Ferrari Store and eat at the Ferrari Restaurant. The town is swarming with people wearing red Ferrari uniforms. I can't imagine living there if you did not like Ferrari! It was really neat to be there - I felt like I was in some foreign land where everyone only dreams and thinks about Ferrari. I think my brothers would really have liked to see it. It is too bad they can't be here with us.

         

Our final destination was the Lamborghini Museum and Factory in Sant' Agosto. That visit was probably the coolest because we got a tour of the factory (in english!!!). They were building 2006 Gallardos and Murciélagos. They outsource some of the parts for the Gallardos, but they still build the Murciélagos completely by hand - so they take much longer. It was really neat to watch the workers put the cars together. They had them in all different stages. There was one room where they test the rpm of the cars after they are completed, so this guy just sits in there all day revving Lamborghini engines. That sounds like a fun job. I think Steven and I should move to this area and work in the factories - I could be the resident architect and he could be the "Factory Manager."

         

FLORENCE | MARCH 13, 2006

So far, Spring Break has been full of surprises. Lots of fun, but little, stinky surprises. Luckily, Steven and my family arrived on time and safe in Rome, but everything else has been an adventure since then.

We spent part of their first day in Italy in Rome, then traveled on towards Florence. But there were problems with our train tickets... we bought seasonal passes and didn't know how to use them. Oops. It would be nice if they came with instructions! When we finally got on our train, it was so packed that people were sitting out in the train hallway, playing the guitar and singing. When I asked him to stop, he told me something about eating everyday and ending world hunger... right.

We had problems when we arrived to Florence and our hotel was not what it was supposed to be... what I mean is, it was a bit of a scary dump. Luckily we found a better place to stay the next night.

Sunday was great. We went to Galleria dell'Accademia and saw Michelangelo's David statue. We also went to the Galleria degli Uffizi and saw the painting "The Birth of Venus." Unfortunately, I got a bad migraine and made us all go back to the hotel early, but I think everyone needed to rest anyway.

         

On Monday we went up into the Duomo - some 460 steps! There were great views from above, but it was a bit windy and chilly. I think my family brought the cold Iowa weather here with them. After we went up the dome, we wandered for a bit - I always enjoy doing that and just seeing what the city is like, even if it is a bit more difficult with five people.

         

It is a lot of fun having Steven and my family here to joke with and keep my company. They even make it fun to wait in lines (in the cold) because we are having so much fun. I am definitely less serious around them. I feel like a completely different person!

BARCELONA DAY 3 | MARCH 10, 2006

Our last day in Barcelona was very laid back. Our teachers let us free to do whatever we want (and get back to Rome on our own...) so I went on a cable car ride next to the harbor with Ashley and Doug, one of the graduate students.

It was a gorgeous day to go on the ride - the sky was clear blue, and the sun was beating down. In fact, I was a bit too warm and I didn't even have a jacket on! I will admit that I was a bit freaked out on the ride - those cable cars really bounce! But it was such a neat view of the city, I really enjoyed it.

         

We also went to another Gaudí place - Park Güell - Gaudí's failed attempt to create a housing neighborhood, that was subsequently bought by the city and turned into a park. But it is a gorgeous park, set high above the city - so more gorgeous views.

         

Tomorrow will be a big day - going to the airport in Rome, finding my family, helping them with their luggage... I am going to need a lot of energy for all that...

BARCELONA DAY 2 | MARCH 9, 2006

I can now leave Barcelona happy - I have seen the Sagrada Familía and La Pedrera (Casa Milà). I have been a fan of Antonio Gaudí for a long time, and to finally see his architecture in person was simply... astounding. Is there an architect more organic in design than Gaudí?

Gaudí began work on the Sagrada Familía in 1883, after another architect, Franciso de Villar, finished the crypt, but got fired from the job. It became Gaudí's life's work, and he spent forty-three more years working on it, even living there, until he was fatally ran over by a tram in front of the church.

                  

The church was hardly near completion at the time of his death - and still is not today! It is constantly under construction. During one point in history, after Gaudí's death, it was heavily vandalized and all of Gaudí's working drawings of the church were destroyed. So the construction now is under the interpretation of what conceptual drawings of Gaudí's were saved. It is very controversial as to whether or not the church should be completed, since they may or may not be building it true to Gaudí's design. Personally, I am in love with this building and would love to see it finished. The parts of the church that are of Gaudí's original design are very apparent because they are the oldest stone, and are a darker color. The new construction is very easy to recognize.

La Pedrera was Gaudí's last residential work - one of many that he did in Barcelona. Gaudí was an architect who believed immensely in the importance of light in the home, so most of his work is a focus on the way light enters a building. La Pedrera is a four story apartment building with an attic and roof terrace. There are four apartments on each floor - and no two are the same. There are two large interior courtyards to let light in, and two smaller shafts. Each apartment has access to the exterior facades and interior courtyards - hence always natural light.

         

You have probably seen the exterior of this building in photos. It has a very sinuous form, and the shape of it has also been compared to dinosaur bones.

There is an apartment open to the public on the fourth floor. It has a living room, dining room, master bedroom with bathroom ensuite (uncommon in the 1920s), a two room kitchen, sewing room, maid's room, children's room... some balconies... It must have been really neat to live in these spaces. There are no straight lines in this building; because of the structure and materials, Gaudí was able to design a free of form as possible. It is not very often that architects get to do this. Usually, because of budget (and structure) constraints, you want to make your floor plans repeat as often as possible.

         

The roof is almost the neatest part of this building - all these organic forms are used to create what would normally be mechanical elevator space and chimney stacks. I think it creates a very interesting experience. You can see directly down into the light shafts and courtyards. Now there is a large fence that guards the edge of the building and the courtyards, but it used to be completely unguarded, and the residents could just come up here and relax in the sun (which is what we did today).

Unfortunately, I didn't do much else today (besides walk by Gaudí's Casa Battlo and Mies Van der Rohe's reconstructed Barcelona Pavilion). I got a migraine (and a bit of a sunburn, can you believe it?), so I spent much of the afternoon taking a very long siesta in the apartment. But like I said, I am happy that I got to see two of the buildings I have been waiting to see for such a long time!

BARCELONA DAY 1 | MARCH 8, 2006

Being in Barcelona is great - the weather is warm and sunny, the streets are full of shops and interesting things to do, and the juxtaposition of contemporary and historic architecture is very interesting. But our teachers are acting very strange... and I feel like I am being treated like a kid in high school. I can't take this much longer!

They were clueless at the airport in Rome... they didn't know what to do when we got to the airport in Barcelona, or after we took a bus into town... I am just surprised at how unorganized they are about this whole trip! And the worse part is that a friend of our teacher is (who lives in Barcelona and teaches at an architecture school) giving us tours, which would seem nice, but isn't, because he is a bit of a cocky overzealous know-it-all. Instead of touring the city, I feel like we are being preached at. He obviously knows more about the city than us, but he is acting like we have to agree with his views on every thing, rather than take it in on our own. He slanders a building without even giving us a chance to observe it. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow. I have been wanting to see the Sagrada Familia for five years and I am not going to let this guy ruin it for me.

Enough of that. I really do love being in Barcelona. It is kind of like London, a bit more modern, and more commercial... and.... they have Mt. Dew here! Do you know how long it has been since I have had a can of Mt. Dew?

         

Alright, I am being silly, but I was really excited to find Mt. Dew here... how lame is that? I suppose when you do not have access to things that you normally do, you really start to miss them, and it is like that with me and Mt. Dew (Dad, this does not mean you are off the hook from bringing me more when you visit!).

We arrived in Barcelona around 10:30 and had about 4 hours of free time to explore before our wonderful tour began. Barcelona is broken up into very distinct neighborhoods. For example, the apartment we are staying at is in the "Barri Gotic" neighborhood. We are close to a cathedral and the old part of town. So we spent most of our free time exploring that area. It is full of quaint little medieval streets, and buildings that seem to merge into one another. I really liked exploring this area.

Our tour was of many different areas of Barcelona - some I cannot even recall, because they seemed so removed from the life and vibrancy of the city. We did get to see a lot of neat, modern architecture though. I cannot name all the architects, but I can show you pictures of the buildings that I enjoyed. The interesting thing about these two buildings below is that the first one ruins one of the functions of the second. The second is an addition to an art galley, and it made of reflexive glass. The glass faces a courtyard, and when you sit on the bench in the courtyard, you see a reflection of the sea - that is, you could see a reflection of the sea, before this other building was built and now blocks the view.

         

BLAH BLAH BLAH... AGAIN | MARCH 7, 2006

Another busy, but successful, day. I spent a lot of time making a train timetable for Spring Break (we are going everywhere by train) and researching how to get to our hotels. My most impressive accomplishments though, were reserving a time to visit the Lamborgini Factory and a Maserati Collection. I was going to be really disappointed in myself if I wasn't able to make a reservation, because I know Steven really wanted to see those places while he was here.

Tonight was my last night volunteering at the shelter - for two and a half weeks. I feel so bad for Rixa, the woman who works there at nights. It is really hard to find nighttime volunteers, so she usually ends up doing everything by herself - changing all the litters, giving the cats fresh food and water, cleaning up messes... Until I came along she had not had any night help for awhile, and I always feel so bad when I am going to be gone! We have a lot of fun working together, talking and making jokes. And I work there from 9:30 -12:30 at least five nights a week. I think I am going to try to recruit someone for her when I am gone!

Tomorrow I leave for Barcelona at 5:00 am. It seems that we are hitting a lot of the things I wanted to see on our school agenda, but I need to still figure out what I have to see!

ME SO TIRED | MARCH 6, 2006

Today was a long day - went to bed at 5:30 am, then had a review from 9:30 - 5:30, Photoshop lesson with Deb from 5:30 - 7:30 (plus some volunteer work), dinner with Alex and her friend Lauren from 7:30 - 9:30... then volunteering at TA with Rixa from 9:30 - 12:30. Yikes, I just want to go to bed. I go through a schedule like this almost every day, and I feel worn out. I hope I will be able to relax while I am in Barcelona this week. I still need to prepare for my family to come - finalize plans, etc... and that is going to be another headache all in its own.

P.S. When did this website get so boring? I feel like I am writing lame-o diary entries... "Dear Diary, today class was awful, and I am really tired, and every one is still driving me nuts. But I am really excited to see my family. Good night Diary!"

MIDTERM TOMORROW MEANS SPRING BREAK SOON | MARCH 5, 2006

The best thing about Spring Break has always been getting away from everyone, and spending a week to re-coop. And this year I couldn't wish for anything more. After two months of being cramped into small studios/apartments with my classmates, it is going to be great to get away for awhile. I have seen more of my classmates that I have ever wanted to see in my whole life. I know much more than I would rather know - and I don't even talk to anyone! It is going to be so great to spend this time with my family... as long as they behave!

I finally felt a little better today, which is perfect timing for working on my studio midterm that is due tomorrow!. For not putting much research/thought/effort into it, I think it turned out ok. I stuck with my original instinct to work on the TA site, and studied its "traless" qualities - the qualities it does not have that would make it open, full of light, inviting, etc. You don't have to try to understand it, because I barely understand what I am supposed to be doing myself.

Normally I would try to make my project more coherent, but with how sick I felt all week, I didn't have time in the end to put forth that extra effort. So here it is in all its... glory. The photos and white diagrams are the "molds" I cast out of geso, and the rest is plans, sections, and photo documentation of the TA Site.

         

And that other picture... is just there for Steven's enjoyment. He kept asking me to take a picture of Tambora with his coat off (he is another persian we had to shave) but he always had it on to stay warm. But this cat just got sterilized, so he doesn't have a coat on. I feel so bad for him, but from observing Tambora, I know that it will not take that long for his fur to start to grow back. It was so knotty, the only way to make it better is to shave it off then take better care of the cat when it grows back.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN ROME | MARCH 4, 2006

It was a sinfully beautiful in Rome today. The weather must have been in the low 60s, and the sky was bright blue with only wisps of clouds. But the warm sun only makes my fever feel worse, and the brightness only makes my sore eyes water more... so I am not able to enjoy it. My only hope is that more days will come like this in the future, when I don't feel like a big sack of sh*t.

Datacam did not survive to far into the day yesterday. It only took Data about four hours to figure out he was being "watched." Then he stealthily got up from his nap and snuck around until he could knock the camera over (I saw it all live). But Steven set it up again today...

         

IN HOPES OF A BRIGHTER FUTURE | MARCH 3, 2006

This has been an awful week for me. I have been through every phase of being sick (most of these phases are too gross to mention, but right now I am in the "my throat is too sore to talk/breathe/eat phase"). Our studio midterm is on Monday... and I have not even started working on it because I have been in bed all week. And now that I am in my studio, my stomach feels so sore that I cannot concentrate.

Why, why, why am I sick, again? I do not understand!

The only thing getting me through the week is knowing that as of Monday night, I will be done with my midterm (whether or not I am pleased with the results), getting ready for a trip to Barcelona on Wednesday, and coming back on Friday to see my family.

Only two exciting things happened this week and one of them didn't even happen to me. Steven installed a video camera in his house - I think for security purposes, but now I can access it through the web to watch Data at home all day! I am calling it "Datacam!" Muah ha ha, now I can see whether that little bugger behaves or not while we are gone! And the second thing... is this postcard I got in the mail!

         

Okay, maybe I spoke too soon.

I wrote this pathetic, I am sick, woe is me, post early this morning. Then I went to take measurements for my studio project at TA from my midterm assignment and the day got a bit amusing. The cats were intrigued by my measuring tape at first, but every time I let go of it to pull it in, they would run away. Even the blind cats would play with it! They could hear it on the ground and would put their paws on it!

Then I was outside taking measurements, and I heard these girls at the gate say, "Oh my god, that is so gross. Oh my god that is so gross. Oh my god, that is so gross, " (seriously that many times). Then one said, "Oh my god, that is so gross, why are all the cats here?" I couldn't bear hearing them any longer, so I told them that these are all abandoned house cats who are taken care of by volunteers, and they are welcome to come down to the shelter if they would like... yeah, they left after I said that. You gotta love arrogant american students.

TOO SICK TO UPDATE | MARCH 1, 2006

Please send someone to take care of me.