My last days in Rome :(

On Friday night, there was a vigil to honor all refugees who have been killed in their quest for freedom. The vigil involved a program of beautiful singing, music, lighting candles, and reading from the Koran by many of the refugees, including Rakeen and Maiga. I was really mad because I arrived late and missed most of it. However, I heard wonderful things about the program. Lots of people showed up: Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Catholics... it didn't matter. Everyone came together in one room to honor those who had fallen and appreciate the beauty of the Koran. It was a beautiful thing. Many tears were shed, but it is so encouraging to see a room full of people able to put their differences aside for a night and become one. It may be small, but this refugee center is changing people's lives left and right.

Saturday, I threw my final dinner party for the few people from our program still in Rome and my two best Italian friends from work. They had been asking me what "American food" is like. I can't say what I gave them was in any way stereotypical American food, but it was my interpretation of it. This led me to wonder: what even is "American food"? Is it what people think of as American food? America is a melting pot of different cultures, so technically, any food is American. On the flip side, what is Italian food? Everyone thinks of the classics: pizza, pasta, bruschetta, etc...at almost every Italian dinner I went to, they fed me bruschetta, pasta with clams, and tiramisu. However, that is not what they normally eat. There are so many other dishes that Italians eat on a day-to-day basis that I had no opportunity to try. I think our affinity for stereotyping cultural dishes limits our possibilities considerably. In any case, this was our menu:

First course: lentil soup with vegetables and parmesan
Second course: chickpea burgers with arugula salad and satziki yogurt sauce
Dessert: Apple crisp with yogurt

The Main Course

My last day at my internship is tomorrow :(
I can't even fathom how fast my time has gone. Working at this firm has really been an eye-opener. I realized that I really do want to be an architect. I thought I knew this before, but I really didn't. I kept having doubts about the career path I had chosen. Now, I can safely say that architecture is in my future. Hopefully, this internship will also help me get started in that direction. I got an interview to be an intern at an architecture firm in Minneapolis! I really hope I get it. I don't know if it's paid or not, but even so, it will be my first architecture related job in the United States, so that's something, and it is with a very innovative firm focused on sustainability like AKA was.

I think what I will miss most is the people. I only really got to know three of them very well: Federica, Maria Rita, and Elena. However, those three were so kind. Even the ones I couldn't really converse with treated me with so much respect, always offering me candies and making jokes with me, offering me coffee, and being all-around generous people. Maria Rita and Elena especially were so patient with me even though my Italian was terrible. I invited them over for dinner on Saturday night, and they really enjoyed it! They wanted to know what "American" food was like. I said it is such a broad mix, it was hard to pinpoint exactly what that meant, but I think I introduced them to some new recipes. I made lentil soup for starters, then chickpea cakes with arugula salad and yogurt sauce for main, and then apple crisp for dessert (and of course wine with every course!) I was so happy that they were there. Even with the language barrier, I have become very attached to them, and I'm not looking forward to leaving them. People always say that we can keep in touch via Skype and e-mail and such, but it's not the same. I will miss our long lunches every day in Piazza Testaccio with the sun shining on us and the wind blowing in our faces, and our daily coffee at the local bar. At home, I never spend that much time on lunch. I never even go out to lunch. I usually just eat while I'm doing homework. There's something so freeing and liberating about taking a lunch break that I hadn't realized before.

Federica was honestly the best boss ever. I haven't had many bosses (although my baking boss was pretty fantastic), but she was so flexible, and respectful, trusting, and open to new ideas. I really felt like I could speak my mind and be heard, and I really felt like I was a part of a team. I want to get her a parting gift to say thank you.

I'm sad because I know the firm is struggling financially. There isn't enough work or money in Italy, especially for architecture firms. I can only hope that things improve soon so that I can return someday and maybe even making a living wage doing what I love.

My last dinner out in Rome was in the Jewish Ghetto. I had yet to try the infamous Jewish fried artichokes.

Fried Artichokes

Chicken with tomatoes and pine nuts

Pistachio biscotti with special tea that has peanuts in the bottom

Final Days at the Refugee Center:
We finally succeeded in making oatmeal for breakfast! I went in early and we made oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and toasted walnuts. I tried it and thought it was delicious. However, apparently the refugees didn't take too well. Most of them ate the toppings and not the oatmeal itself. Darn! I think maybe it got cold too fast and started to harden. Hopefully, they will continue to try it when I'm gone.

Oatmeal

For my farewell lunch, Rakeen made me his favorite fried eggplant dish from Afghanistan. It was his favorite dish that his mother used to make him. I had been hearing about it for weeks, so I was extremely excited to try it. We went to a market I had never been to before which had lots of fresh, local produce. Afterwards, I got to watch and help them make the dish, which is great because I plan to make it when I get home. The dish consists of deep fried eggplant with a delicious tomato sauce, and a yogurt mint sauce over the top. Delicious!

Final Lunch

Rakeen

For dessert, Daniela got us an amazing pistachio ice cream cake. Wow, was it good.  

Pistachio ice cream cake

I am going to miss everyone there so much. It's amazing how short a time it took me to feel like a part of this amazing family. Everyone was so welcoming, generous and kind. They have suffered so much, but there hearts are bursting with love and peace. Together, they are strong. I hope that someday I will be able to return. My memories with them will remain with me forever, and hopefully the friendships as well.

<3

On my very last day, I finally made it to the Vatican Museum because I couldn't leave Rome without seeing the Sistine Chapel. I went an hour early because I knew the lines would be long, but I didn't anticipate the two-and-a-half hour wait to come. Tour guides trying to make money hounded me like vultures, trying to convince me to pay 30 Euros to skip the line and go with them on a guided tour. I kept telling them no, but they were relentless. It was worth it to finally see the museum, though. There are a lot of wonderful pieces in that museum in addition to the Sistine Chapel (which we unfortunately aren't allowed to take pictures of). I wanted to stay longer, but unfortunately because the line took so long, I was nearly late for our final farewell lunch as it was.

Entrance

Pine Cone Courtyard

 

Laocoon

The animal room

Slaying of the Bull

 

Map Room

 

Perspective on Ceiling

Modern Art Section

 

As I said, we had a final farewell lunch with the program at a restaurant near our school. The food wasn't great, but it was good to have a chance to say good bye to the ACCENT staff one last time. They weren't always the most organized of people, but they were very nice and they tried to be as helpful as they could. I really liked them.

 

Afterwards, I met up with Rakeen one last time. We went and sat on a hill overlooking the Coliseum with some wine and just talked the rest of the afternoon away. I will miss talking to Rakeen because I feel like I can open up to him and be completely honest. I thin he feels the same way about me. He is a very good friend, and I hope we keep in touch. I predict that some day he will be a famous writer again. His story is a very powerful one that I think the world should hear. Maybe he will publish his memoirs one day.

 

Our final night together, everyone from the program went out and did a mini monument crawl. We went to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Castel St. Angelo, and St. Peter's one last time. It was bittersweet. I actually didn't cry as much as I expected to, but I few nights before I had visited a bunch of the monuments on my own, and I had a good cry then. It was especially sad saying good bye to the Colorado students because I won't be able to see them when I go back home. I will just have to plan a visit to Colorado!

 

The Group in front of the Pantheon



Interview at Vatican Radio

Tuesday, I was interviewed at Vatican Radio by Sean Patrick Lovett! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sean really made it seem as though we were actually being interviewed for a position at Vatican Radio, so not only did we get good experience talking about our resumes and preparing for actual interviews, but we got a first-hand look at the inner workings of a radio station. One of the hardest aspects of communication is often talking about oneself, and I think I got a better look at who I am through this experience.



 

The Studio

Radio Star!?




Sunday, I went for a nice long run in the Olympic village, and I absolutely loved it. The houses have very diverse and funky shapes, but they all have ample courtyard and green space and ample pedestrian space perfect for fostering community. The stadium and Sport house are still in use, and a school for sports of all kinds has been developed. It's good to see that the neighborhood has not lost its vitality. Today, it is still a thriving community, even though its days of hosting the Olympics are long gone.

Apartments with large courtyards

Stairway shaft

Green Courtyard

Each stairway has its own name

Long straight apartments

Curved apartments

Plus-shaped apartments

Afterwards, I spent the afternoon in the Aqueduct Park! I had heard that this was a place I had to see, especially as an architecture student, and I can see why. Remnants of the aqueducts are strewn throughout the park like monuments, and all around them are flowing streams of water, trees, green grass, gardens, and endless fields. I was lucky that I went on an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, a slight breeze was blowing, the birds were chirping, and the first buds of spring were just beginning to bloom. Apparently, I wasn't the only one drawn it by the beautiful day and the treasures of the park. It was packed with people, yet somehow, the park was so large that it didn't feel too crowded. Many people brought blankets and had picnics. Others brought portable grills, some played Frisbee. There was even a sort of rock concert going on in the distance with a bunch of college-aged kids smoking weed and getting drunk. It definitely seems to be the hip place to hang out on a nice spring afternoon in Rome. I brought my book and read under a tree for the duration of the afternoon, and I felt thoroughly refreshed afterwards.

Wednesday, for Sustainable Foods, we visited Eataly! This place is amazing. It is like the Mall of Italy for food, and not just any food--slow food. Sponsored by the Slow Food movement, Eataly is sourced by a range of producers, all of which support local, fair, humane, and ecologically conscious production and consumption. There are restaurants, cafes, specialty Italian products (wine, olive oil, balsamic, meats, seafood, coffee, cookies, chocolate, fruits, etc...), a brewery, a cheese stand where they will make fresh mozerella in front of you, cooking classes, a book store, and more! Not only do they promote sustainable food production and consumption, but they educate consumers about where their food comes from, how it was produced, how it was prepared, and how that affects the people and environment involved. I wish I could shop here every week. However, I do miss Seward Co-op back home, and there are Eataly stores in Chicago and New York!

Espresso cup chandelier

Pastries!

 Every section of the store from cheese to meat to seafood to wine to olive oil has a map of Italy showing where each of the products comes from.

Meat map

This map shows which season is best for each type of fish 

Seafood

Not only is the food good quality, but so is the furniture. Many of the tables and chairs and signs are all specially designed. 

Special mosaic table

Saturday, I went to Tuscany for a wine tour! This is one of the activities I've been dying to do ever since I arrived, so I had high expectations, and I am happy to say that I was more than satisfied with the trip. It was a Bus2Alps trip, so everything is planned for us. In this case, this was nice because we got to tour two of the most famous vinyards in Tuscany: Multipuciano and Montalcino. First, we stopped in Multipuciano at Taverno Gattevecchi (Old Cat). We got to see the cellars where they store all of their wine casks for aging. They age the wine in large wooden barrels specially made for wine. The longer they are aged, the more expensive they are, and usually the fuller the body of the wine.

We tried three wines, and they served them with fresh Peccorino (sheep) cheese from the region, a variety of cold cuts including fantastic prosciutto, and a wonderful lunch of what's called Pischi Pasta. This is a pasta served with lamb ragu, and boy was it delicious. The first wine we tried was the Vino Rosso, the youngest wine of only about a year. The next was the Vino Nobile from 2012, and the last was the Vino Riserva of 2009. The owner gave us a little background in what to look for as far as color, smell, and taste of the wines and how they differ based on age and region. My favorite was definitely the Vino Nobile. It was very rich and smooth in taste.

The group

Pischi Pasta

 After lunch, we had some time to wander the gorgeous little town. The main square is actually the one where "New Moon" the second movie in the Twilight saga was filmed, so it's quite famous. I loved it for the spectacular view of the rolling hills. People don't lie when they say that Tuscany is gorgeous. The shops in the town are also very small and authentic. They seemed to specialize in ceramic crafts.

 

Shoe pots

 

Piazza where New Moon was shot

View from the top!

Next, we headed to Montalcino vineyard, slightly further north. This vineyard had stunning views. It was also slightly bigger than the first one--a medium sized operation by vineyard standards. Again, we got a tour of the grounds. This time, we also got to see their bottling operation. Then, we tried three wines. Again, the first was a younger Vino Rosso. The next was a slightly older version, and the last was the Brunello, the wine they are famous for. In order for the wine to legally be classified as a Brunello, there are many strict rules and guidelines that must be followed, which is why it is the most expensive of the three wines. If you want to get really fancy, there is a bottle of gold standard Brunello with even stricter rules to follow. However, it is worth the money, because this wine was delicious--I detected a lot of apricot flavor in it. (Yes, I got a bottle...)

The stainless steel barrels

The wooden barrels

The bottling facility

The tasting

Brunello!