The Countdown

Well it has been a while since I have wrote one of these things. So a little update I have been crazy busy with school work I have a ton of projects to get finished before leaving this place. I have been at my computer a lot lately, not that I don't take a few ebay breaks now and then and slowtwitch ofcourse. I pretty much know what I will miss about here, the cappacino, 90 cents and a couple minutes and your out of there. The ACE juice it is amazing we need to get HYVEE to start selling that stuff. The other thing I will miss are Kabops, pretty much like a boritto with lamb I think I don't know exactly what is in it but it tastes good. I will also miss Pastromi sandwhiches. Well I am pretty used to living the big city life, public transportation, eating habbits, preparing for stuff to go wrong and take way longet then it should. Now that I am used to it I am about done with it. I am excited to see everyone, that is maybe the worst part, not the shower, not the kitchen, not the roomates, but missing people from home. Wow this blog is getting to deep haha. Well to continue the update I am leaving Friday to go to Barcelona, Spain until Monday we are staying in an apartment there I am going with 5 other people so I think it will be a good time. I count down how many more times I have to sleep in a sleeping bag, take a crappy shower, cook, do laundry, amoung other things in the good old apt. I have become quite the cook over here, not that I want that to continue but sometimes it is nice. I am sure I will loose my ability to do dishes as soon as a get back to the states, jk (sort of). It is kinda cold here its like 52 during the day (who am I kidding I'm going to freeze at home). They just are putting up their Christmas stuff here, they wait until December I guess I we start in what like beginning of October, I guess they are laid back about it or just lazy. There is a huge Christmas tree in front of the Colisseum That is all lit up, doesnt even compare to say the tree Jordan Creek usually has but it is there and lit. We also have one at the entrance of out building. We have our "SHOW" of our work next Thursday when we invite the public we will see how many people come. So anyone who reads this your invited Thursday from 6-8 Piazza de Cinci, Roma Italy, haha yeah right. Well maybe I write one more when I get down with projects then another when I get back from Spain.

No shower yet today...

Well our shower drain is not only plugged up with thick, long hair but is not also blocked up with what the see to think is Drain-O over here. It looked like rock salt when dumping it into the drain and then we were supposed to run hot water on it for 2-3 min so we did nothing happen except for the water that we ran filled up the bath tub and took all night to drain. I emailed about it 3 days ago and continue to email supposidly it is going to get takin care of today. There is a picture on the box of this stuff with a hand melting so with it in the drain still no one water their feet to get acid burns while taking a shower. The people who have visited (parents, Travis and Lindz) all know how great of a shower it is to begin with. I am ready to come back to my shower quick haha. I have tons of school work to do in the next 3 weeks and have to finish up all kinds of projects in the next 2 weeks, hopefully there will be time to have a little more fun in there somewhere. Well thats it for now about complaining about not being able to take a shower this morning. Later.

Lindz and Me in London and Rome

Well I took Lindz to the airport this morning, another very hard goodbye. It was the an awesome week. We had so much fun it couldn't have been better. We met up in London fine and ended up meeting at like 10:30 in the morning, we had gotten about the same amount of sleep maybe like 3 hours, but she had been traveling so she was worse off. But we were off to do all the sites we went straight to Buckingham and the guards then westminster and some other stuff. We went and checked in to our hotel it turned out to be a good place with a view of Saint pauls right out the window. Then we left again right away to our parlament tour with Steph's class. That was pretty cool. Then we went out to eat in the Picadeli Circus area, it was a good chicken sandwich and the best London food I had had. (London food is known to be bad) The next day we got off to a early start and saw a lot more of the city and even found a bike shop that was cool that night we did the london eye. I have a ton of pics from the trip I will upload a few.

Then it was time for Rome. We got to the airport in Rome and I thought it would be a good idea to take a bus to a train then a train to the train station in central rome then a subway it was a total of 3 euro verses 30 euro. Bad idea. We ended up getting on the wrong train went about 10 min the wrong way got off and waited 20 min to go the right way but its a longer story then to type but in the end it worked out we got to our hotel went and got some pizza and called it a night.

For the next couple days we saw all the sites of Rome and really got all the tourist stuff out of the way. Then we were off boot shopping you see all the women in Rome where boots so Lindz needed some after many stores and two days of looking we found some she liked and at half the price she was willing to spend. After all that we went to dinner at hard rock BBQ it was awesome.

We basically got to do whatever we felt like doing the next couple days walked where we wanted to walk and didnt really worry about what time it was or anything else we just kinda did what we felt like doing and it was great. We had so much fun together and it was definatly one of the best times we have had together. I am probably boring anyone reading this so you can here other stories first hand.

Soccer Game....maybe not

So we were all going to go to one of these Roma soccer games so we could see what all the hype was about in this country. Yes believe it or not I was going to a soccer game. We set out for the game about 5:30 on Sunday night, the game was going to start at 8:30 but we had a bus, subway, another subway, then a tram to get there so we left early. I was with a group of about 10 or 12 another group was going a head of us and 2 or 3 following a half hour later. So we are on the tram a couple stops away when my phone rings and it is Katie telling me that the game has been canceled and everyone is leaving the stadium, a little bummed out I tell everyone, 30 seconds later my phone rings again it is Katie again and she says that it got canceled because there was a shooting so the polise called it off. Still not knowing what was going on, so I spread the news to everyone and my phone rings again, It is Katie again and shes like get off your tram dont come here it is scarey and not safe at all. So we got off went the other way and when we saw the other groups and told them what was going on some believed us others didnt so they went. Well turns out it made national news because the riots were so bad the girls saw people getting beat up with vespa helmets and people rioting and throwing rocks at police amoung other things. The shooting happened in Tuscany and police office fired a warning shot to break up a fight and it ended up killing a Roman man, that caused the riot. In the end I went and had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and it was like being in the USA free refills and a lot of food and Heinz 57 ketchup. That was the night. Later.

Good Thing I Don't Speak Italian...

It is a very good thing I don't speak much Italian. I think if I did I would really let some people here have it. Every day I am presented with the oppurtunity that sets itself up for me to really unleash on someone... but we don't speak the same language so it stops me, it's a good thing haha I would really get myself into trouble. Maybe it is just a big city lesson to keep my mouth shut. Maybe it with all the control I have here it could carry over when I go back to Iowa (doubt it) No really I am really just joking around on here, it is fun to say the comments in my head that I would love to say to other people but really in most cases you would have to be there I always try to remember for my blog stories but the things happen so often I forget the better ones sometimes. I do have a good story about waiting at the bus stop the other night but it is much better told in person. I really have been wondering how different this experience would have been if I did speak the language but I think it makes it interesting everyday. I am definatly laughing off a lot more now then ever, and I think I have become more laid back in a stressful situation not to say laid back but better then I ever had been. I think I am getting a comfortor on my bed today so I might not sleep in the sleeping bag anymore I washed it yesterday for the 3rd or 4th time and it wasnt quite dry so i used a sheet and light blanket last night and slept in clothes and still was cold but it is getting taken care of after an email. I also told on the lady that is supposed to clean once a week she has been coming every couple weeks so probably got her in a little trouble but shes getting paid to do it and shes not doing it, big surprise in Italy haha. Well this is getting long and it is one that I typed directly into blogger so when these things have typos sorry but I am not the best writer, and I know Lindz is to busy to rewrite these things formaly for me like some of my other papers and use proper sentences and use better wording, but this is it. Later.

Happy Halloween

Yep not really a holiday over here but they just informed us that tomorrow is a national holiday here so nothing will be open. Not for us though we don't get U.S. holidays or the Italian holidays I am wondering if my history teacher knows about this for our walking class tomorrow (might be a short class, he's British). There is a Halloween party tonight at one of the larger apartments, not sure what I am going to dress up as yet I am sure I will come up with something.

Last night I gave myself a much needed haircut. Lindz said the other day on skype "Have you look into getting a haircut?" haha I did look into and decided I would have the easiest time buying a 10 euro kit and doing it myself. It was tough had to start with scissors and was a little scared where it was going but it turned out ok way to short but ok, I think I will be good until I can have Christy cut it when I get back. After seeing the haircuts guys have over here I feel pretty good about it. I should have takin in progress pics sorry my hands were pretty busy I could have made a wig with what I cut off.

Thats it for now. Later

It's Raining

It’s raining, no it is pouring I am so glad I brought my rain jacket and umbrella and didn’t hang my laundry outside. I still have a pair of jeans that haven’t dried it has only been 3 days though. So as I was riding the bus home tonight I was getting really irritated and it was something that was almost making me angry, that’s when it came to me I knew exactly the answer why “some” Roman people are so stinkin mean, it’s the cobblestones. Yep that’s right driving on them, walking on them, riding a bus on them will drive anyone insane and you should see the puddles when it rains it might as well been Venice. That anger starts as a baby getting rattled in a stroller across the cobblestones shaking them consistently and it just goes on from there. Well this might not be the only reason “some” (better put that there) Romans are such unpleasant people. I am sure that be a male American isn’t helping me either. They love the girls, I wont say what I want to say but to them a girl is a girl no matter what they are at least to the men the old ladies lots of them just plan mean, ok wait that’s not fare there have to be nice ones out there. Really though I don’t blame them this is a big city and you got to be tough or someone will take advantage of you. Ok well that’s my take on it, but it changes daily. Later

I know its been a while

Well the last couple weeks have been really busy. My parents, Travis and Holly were here then I went to Venice and Florence with them. I got back to Rome at 11:30pm on a Monday night and had to go to studio to register for my classes. Then found out the Scott had surgery a few hours before so I tried figuring out how he was doing. Then finally I went to bed to get up at 6:30 the next morning to leave for a class trip to Milan, Venice then travel to Florence with friends for the weekend, I got back from it all yesterday.

Ok now to take a step back, it was really fun to have my dad, mom, trav, and Holly here and get to travel with them a little. It was kind of like vacation for me too, except I had to go to classes. But on the bright side did not do any homework for the last two weeks and now I am kicking myself for that. It will be a busy week catching up with school work but it was worth it and I need time to go fast now because in like 18 days Lindz comes (but whos counting haha) My favorite part of Italy so far was our bike ride through Tuscay. We rode 25 miles on a hybrid bike we were the only tour group that didnt walk our bikes up any hills the only group ever. We were supposed to only go 15 but we would have arrived at lunch way to early. When we got to the lunch spot it was at a 14 century villa with the family living in it, the villa had been passed down all those years. The made us a 4 course meal and it was really cool. Then we rode back in the freezing cold, but it was well worth it.

Moving on the the class trips. I have never stayed in a crappier place in my life I think. I am trying to think of something to compare it to but I have never been to prison so I can't think of anything. All I can say is stay away from anything called a youth hostel. The one in Venice was much worse then the one in Milan. In Venice we were in a room full of a lot of other people you should have smelled that place, I didn't sleep much there. The shower was hot at least, and I now know what a piece of hard bread and jelly is like for breakfast. These wonderful places couldnt have come at a better time after staying in 4 star hotels with the family. I am sure I can think up some stories later on. Florence afterwards was good I went back into Tuscany to a town called Greve it was really awesome. Oh yeah I DID NOT see the David woops was I supposed to, I made a decision that I was so sick of museums and was going to do what I wanted while there. I wish I would of had my bike there thats foresure.

Its back to classes this week. I have a project due Wednesday and another due next Tuesday and another due next Wednesday so its going to be a fun week or two. I am ready for it though I had had enough traveling and am ready for a couple weeks of normalacy until I go to London to meet up with Lindz which I cant wait for.

I will try and come up with something entertaining to write about this week when I get sick of working on projects. Later

Something New

Well I haven't wrote anything for about a week. Sorry no funny stories this time. We just finished a workshop with Primo Angeli. He is famous graphic designer that sold his company about 5 years ago that was based out of San Fransico. He did the 1996 olympics graphics along with a lot of other high profile stuff. My group redesigned olive oil lables. It was a really good experience and learned a lot with him as a teacher for a week. Pretty much got a portfolio piece in the 4 days I worked on it. Seems like we should do more projects like this more often.

Moving on I am getting excited for my parents and Travis and Holly to come on Saturday. It can't come soo enough. The day they leave it is 17 days until Lindz comes does it sound like I am excited about that. I think the rest of the time is going to go pretty fast. The Family will be here for a week then I will go to Venice and possibly Florence with them, then come back Monday night and Leave Tuesday am with my class to go to Milan and Venice then Travel to Florence with friends afterwards because by that time my parents will be back to the US of A.

Alright sorry this is short and no pictures maybe I can post some pictures later. I will try and make a better post later on or the next couple days.

Naples, Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri

So just got back from the Southern trip. We went to Naples on Thursday with the class, went to two boring museums, well one was actually preety good and for me to say that it takes a lot not much of a museum person but still cool to see. Then we went and checked into our convent, we stayed with the nuns they didn't speak english but they liked us. The place was nice, clean and had really good espresso for breakfast and the pic of me in a blue shirt is what the view was, which was pretty awesome. The next day we spent the day in Pompeii, for those who are reading this that don't know whats there is is a ancient city that got covered when a volcano erupted a really long time ago and they have dug it back up. It was a long 6 hours but there were some cool parts. Then the adventure begun. We were on our own, and traveling by train back to Sorrento were we were staying the next 3 nights. I have the directions to the bed and breakfast. So we got of the train got bus tickets and got on the right bus. This crazy old man was trying to tell us we didnt know what we were doing but we couldnt understand him. Then a guy sitting next to me tried to explain it still didnt get it so we were about 40 minutes outside of Sorrento and at the end of the bus line and the bus driver calls our bed and breakfast. Then we get on a bus heading toward Sorrento and get off at this shady bar to meet this guy thats going to take us there. He pulled up in a tiny POS car and we got in (scared out of our minds) and he was really nice he take us and the place I booked was amazing room was huge and it was great. He gave us a ride back into town for dinner at a good resturant then we took a shuttle back. It all worked out very well. The next day we went over to Capri a boat ride away and went to the beach there then took a boat ride around the island. When we came back we checked into a new bed and breakfast, took a cab this time. This place was pretty nice too. We ate a cheap good meal and went to bed. The next day we went to the "beach" (a platform over the water) and laid in lounge chairs it was nice. We then went into downtown Sorrento walk around shopped and ate dinner. We went back played cards and went to bed. Next morning we came back to Rome. All and all good trip. I my add more later but this is already a lot to read sorry.

Public Urination amoung other things.

Well yesterday I was walking to get a sandwich and something to drink and to my surprise I walk right by a man that is peeing on on the side of a building with one arm on the wall just like he is standing at a urinal at a football game. Not only do the dogs pee and poop on the coble stone and whereever they feel like the humans do too. YUM I was hungry after that. No wonder most alleyways rink of urine I thought it just smelled like that because it was other stuff not because dirty people actually pee there. I would tell them to go on a tree or in some grass but those arent really around much. I have seen human crap here on the sidewalk on more then one occasion. People are usually pretty good about cleaning up after their dogs. The dogs are really said here they have no personality. Now lets talk about the cats. They pop out of no where I hate them they are dirty and whenever I see one I want to kick it but don't because I don't know if it will fight back and what kind of disease it has from walking around this place. There is a historical area (imagine that a historical area in Rome) that is like the cat sancuary and people go up and pet these wild cats if in the USA I would say something but these stupid people would probably look at me just as if I would say something to the cat. Today riding the bus was hell. I jammed on there then more people jammed on then more people I had just taken a shower and since no one else had I pretty much would have been better off without taking one at all. Two stops before mine and a guy who had his hand on my "goods" (he got a little elbow, he was like 80 haha) I got off. I was like screw it I will walk and be 5 min late I couldnt stand the smell of these people who were whereing suits and going to work. That wouldnt fly in the US. Sorry another bad bus experience but I can't descibe in words how bad people smell here. When the bus is not busy its great I am thankful for my bus pass. Well I am still managing to keep my mouth shut in public (even know they couldn't understand me anyway, or they would pretend they couldn't. I am posting a pic that has nothing to do with this post but is of an alleyway so it works.

THe Weekend

It was a good weekend for the most part. Went to the beach all day on Saturday which was the highlight of the week. I love going to the beach so I never want it to get cool here. I guess it never gets cold but just cool. Ok I guess I have to go to Italian class now I will add to this later. Sorry

Riding the bus

Well getting on the bus is always a new experience. First off I am so glad I bought the 30 euro September bus pass and I will be getting one for October November and December because I probably use it at least 4 or 5 times a day. Getting on the bus this morning I am pretty sure Dave and I were the only ones that had showered or brushed our teeth in the last 48 hours, or had clean clothes on. I don't know what is with people and not smelling good here. We are on the bus smashed in like sardines and the guy 2 inches from one side of my face I am pretty sure he ate his own crap for breakfast and the woman whos hair was at my chin, I can't even begin to tell you what the hair smelled like or the amount off greese and thing stuck in it. Seriously. The constant smell of BO is getting prretty normal, They havent showered but they managed to put on their DG sunglasses and their designer clothes, who knows maybe they were the same clothes daily. For some reason the old Italian people (who smell twice as bad) hate backpacks well maybe not all of them but I have seen them point with disgust and then complain to the other people around them, if I only spoke Italian I would say "lady your sack of old junk is taking up a lot more room then my bag so why don't you sit back and possibly get a shower in in the next couple days and maybe get that go-tee of yours takin care of" to put it nicely. I thought I would try and write about what goes through my head but don't say sometimes not that its any different then in the USA but thought it might get some laughs. Sometimes the buses are enjoyable.

History Trip

Today we went to this place called Ostia. It was one stop short of the beach it was tempting to stay on the train and go to the beach. I have seen enough old falling apart stuff for a lifetime at this point of being in Rome. Everything here is historical it almost gets to be annoying just to much old historic stuff. Anyway this site the teacher said watch out for scorpians and vipers I am like what like a snake, scarey. So the whole time I spent looking for scorpians and vipers did see one in the whole 5 hours or walking around through ruins. I was trying to keep myself from going crazy throwing huge pinecones into the air and trying to take pictures of them in the air, haha I was pretty bored. I was kicking them for a while before kicking one into a girls leg she over reacted big time that put the end to that. So then I just tried to appreciate old rock and bricks. Sweet. Came back had some dinner and came to studio. I should be working on a project but feeling tired I am going to go catch a bus home a sleep. Tomorrow could possibly be a beach afternoon, and Saturday but Sunday probably should be a work day. Thought I would give a little update. I will upload some pics when I get them off my camera. Good Night.

Iowa / Iowa State

Even know we had to watch the game through play by play on espn, it was still good to see we won. Dad I hope you were wearing your shirt and mom was wearing my beat Iowa shirt. I thought I would post this pic just because it fit.

Week 2

Well week two is over and week three is beginning. It is Sunday afternoon and I came over to studio to try and get something done, but have been craving the internet for the past couple days so when I have it I want to be on it. Friday night the interior girls had everyone over to their apartment for a toga party. It was a really good time. Yesterday we went the the beach, it was awesome it only took 30 min to get there so I think if I get enough done today for my project thats due Wednesday maybe the teachers will push it back (I hope so) then I will go the the beach again Monday afternoon. Should have went agin today since it is so hot out. I had a really good run this morning I finally found a good park close that has pull up bars, and areas to do push ups sit ups and dips. I was in heaven. I was getting sick of running around circus maximus multiple times. No biking or swimming, I will have to wait until December for that. Biking here I think I would get killed pretty easily. A week from Thursday our class goes down to Naples for two days then I am going to head to Capri for the weekend. Everything is pretty expensive here like eating but grocery shopping helps a lot except they dont like to give you very many sacks for the groceries and its a little bit of a walk so have to go a lot. I have yet to have the famous Gelato but I will try it one of these days, the girls seem to go a little nuts over it though.

Laundry

Well yesterday I did laundry for the first time. The washer only took about 2 hours and it doesn't fit that many clothes in it at a time. After hanging it to dry, I went out a couple hours later to find carboard feeling boxers and my other stuff is still wet today It is going to take a full 24 hours to dry.

Getting to Rome- First week

First Rome Thoughts

Getting to Rome the first day was exciting. Rome that night not so exciting. It had hit me I was homesick. I missed Lindz, family and the good USA. It is a lot different here. We have two toilets in our bathroom. One for the waste and the other to wash off with (we only use the first one). The apartment is very old and has not had many updates. We have a washer in our kitchen, no dryer, no microwave, no toaster, It is a big transition (I don’t know how to cook without a microwave). The first days were the most difficult. I really wanted to get on a plane and fly home. I am looking at things differently now. I just have to not focus on the length and take it a couple weeks at a time.


On my 3 mile hike to studio back and forth a few times a day I walk past the coliseum among other old historical stuff. Everything around here is old, famous, historical, or something, kind of gets old haha. I thought I had walked just about all of Rome until I started taking the bus. I learned that if you get on a bus that you think is going in the right direction because you’re sick of waiting for the right number is a very bad idea. Dave and I were on the bus about an hour before it turned around then we thought we could figure out where we were to get off (partly because of the BO smell that surrounded us, haven’t seen any deodorant in any store here yet) Well when we got off we walked in about 4 different directions before finding out from an English speaking pedestrian that we were further from studio then we started. Needless to say we had a long day of walking. To make it better we went to get a sandwich at this awesome sandwich place and it was closed. So we did not get anything accomplished except learning never to get on the # 3 bus again.

Backing up a day, there was a festival here this past weekend. Talk about a ton of people. From 10pm until 2 am the museums were all open for free. We hit up a couple of them, and saw some circus ole type of show. There were defiantly millions of people in the streets. On the couple mile walk back it was solid people no room to walk on any of the streets, the craziest thing I think I have seen since being here (aside from the shock of seeing my home for the next 3 and a half months).

Alright one more thing then I will stop writing. I am writing this in Microsoft word then having to post later because the apt has no Internet and studio it’s off and on. The one thing that is pretty nuts here is the way people drive their cars and vespas. If anyone has ever thought they had a ride when they were in the go-kart (Travis’ Corolla) they have no idea. There is no such thing as a lane, red light (well they have them but don’t mind to them) in Italy or Rome at least. Sometimes at a cross walk you could stand for hours and not cross so you have to get some guts and just go for it. I guess as long and your feet are on the crosswalks it is illegal otherwise they can hit you and drive off and feel fine.

London

Getting to London at 6 am was made for a long day. No sleep for like 36 hours and then not being able to check in to a hostel until 2, we went down that night and went on the London eye and walked around. We got to bed and did not go to sleep easily. That night was about 4 hours of sleep maybe, we got up at 7 for another full day of being major tourists. We went to St. Pauls and to the Tate museums. I learned once again museums are sooooo boring I can get through them really quickly others do not. We ate that night near the London Bridge and them met up with some others that were in London. We got some sleep that night and the next day went to a portrait museum ate some lunch then went to the aquarium that was a rip off then to Buckingham Palace and a guard place also Westminster. Leaving London at 4 30 am was rough we met everyone at the airport and off to Rome. End of the London Experience I cant wait to go back cause then I will get to see LINDZ!