Last Week of February

Hi Everyone! This week was just as great if not better than the preceeding weeks in Rome. The weather has been continuously getting better and it has stopped raining every day, all day. Its been about 50 degrees in the shade and 60 in the sunshine. We get really hot on our 1.3mile walk uphill to classes. On Friday Melissa, Jackie, Laird, Joe, Joey and I went sightseeing and saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. On Friday night we made dinner for our Italian friends and the menu was homemade American hamburgers, Grandma Janes macaroni salad, buffalo chicken dip, and apple cobbler. I think the boys really enjoyed it and we had a really great time hanging out together playing cards and eating and eating and eating. On Saturday night Jackie, Leah and I went to a club called Sky Bar, which wasn't as cool as it sounds because I figured it would be on a rooftop outside...but it was not it was just the top floor of some dumb building. On Sunday, my roomates and I went sightseeing again and went to St Peters Sq and the Jewish Ghetto. There was a sign in the Jewish Ghetto that said "October 6th 1943 - Deportation of all Hebrews in Rome" and I thought it was very interesting. There were a lot of Kosher restaurants and we ate at one and had "Jewish Artichokes" which was like a friend artichoke and it was really good. But they didn't have matzah ball soup, or borscht, or bagel chips, or bread pudding, or latkes, or blintzes! Needless to say I was pretty upset because I figured I was getting a homecooked authentic jewish meal, come to find out that food is American Jewish food. But the food was good anyways and I bought some little Jewish star earrings from this cute silver shop to match my star of david ring I bought in Israel. Other than that I've been going to classes and studying because I have to midterms coming up. One thing I have to say is there is an excess of two things in Rome: old people and dogs. I'm talking about really old people. Like over age 75. I have no idea what they do except walk very slowly down the streets pushing their shopping carts full of food, get really bundled up to go outside even if its unusually hot for February, and ride the busses and trams all day long. There is also an excess of dogs which is the greatest thing ever because I love dogs and you can't stay in a bad mood if you see 15 dogs on your way to class. I started running and its a little awkward because A) no one really excercises here B) the old men stare at you when you run C) the old people walk so slowly down the street D) there is dog poop everywhere because there is no law that says you have to pick it up. But hopefully the pasta won't get to me and I'll be able to not turn into a gigantic blob of Italian food before I return to the states. Tonight Melissa and I are going to a calcetto team dinner so that should be fun. Everything is great here and I love it and I am so happy I took this opportunity.