I have arrived in Rome where I will stay the rest of this trip to Europe. When I first got here the friend of a friend I was supposed to meet, an Italian girl, changed her mind and decided to stay out of the city for the night with her family. So I had to make new plans last minute. Leaning against the train station wall, looking only at my cell phone, an old gypsy woman walked by cursing at me and making hand gestures. Then when she had finished passing, she mooned me! Buonvenuta a Roma!
My first days were busy starting school and apartment hunting. I was staying near the Vatican (near my school) and not taking time to visit the sights in the center. I had blocked from my memory how difficult it was to find an Italian apartment last time (4 years ago in Milan). There is no single website here like we have back home. Everything is in Italian. Everything moves at the speed of Italy. It really enforces how difficult it can be for foreigners.
But I have an apartment now! I’m living near Piazza di Spagnia (the Spanish Steps) just a few feet away from Via del Corso, a pretty important street. It’s the historical center. I’m lucky to have found a room here for only 2 months. My room is in the apartment of a little old Italian lady, Filippa. She has lived in this apartment for 25 years! She knows everyone in the neighborhood. She does not speak any English and she is determined to teach me Italian. It’s fantastic! Though she smokes, and I forgot how much I hate cigarette smoke. Though I can hardly ask her to stop in her home.
I finished my first week of language classes. The school is smaller than I expected. My language school in Milan had so many students it was so easy to make friends there. Though I have yet to be bored. It is not the best school I have been to, but since I have a full scholarship I have nothing to complain about.
I came here with two main language goals. First I would like to be able to speak Italian with my personality. Now I can only speak simply, it’s not really “me”. Second I am OK at having a conversation with one patient person. But when I go out in a group it is almost impossible with everyone talking faster and all at once. I want to be able to have a conversation with a group of people and hold my own. But these two goals have been forgotten since I arrived in Rome and realized I can’t understand anything. No one told me before I got here that the Roman people mumbled– they are known for “eating their words”. I can hardly talk to one person (depending on how thick their accent is). But I think I am getting better listening to Filippa and my teacher so much. I hope.
[Edit] Link to Rome photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20101001Roma#
