Naples Day 5- Arpinum; On-campus day: Kevin Wang

Day 15- July 29

I had a very good night’s sleep in the best bed I’ve had yet in Rome, and we set out for The Constantin Campus on Via Dei Ceraseti after breakfast.

On the way, we stopped by Arpinum, Cicero’s birth place. We read some of Vergil’s Georgics (IV, 559-566) and some anecdotes from Donatus’ “Life of Vergil.” After the on-site reading, we sent shopping in the small town nearby and had 4 Formaggio pizza (four cheese). The cook didn’t know English, so we had a hard time ordering. My group of 8 wanted 4 Formaggio pizza, but only 2 ended up eating some- that was how bad it got. After lunch, I had my first Crema di Caffe and bought some coconut gelato on a cone. There was not much to do there besides eating, anyway.

On the bus ride back to campus, I was informed that my room key had not been turned back in. I checked my pockets; sure enough, the keys were there. With head down, I handed my keys to Dr. Travillian, who grabbed them without saying a word. Fortunately, though, the bus driver, Alessandro, lives in the town that we had just stayed in last night. I really got lucky this time!

When we got back to campus, I never suspected that I would have such a warm and at-home feeling there. I was relieved to be in my room again, even after just 5 days. I played some ping-pong and practiced piano for 2 hours. I forgot to prepare for the translation tutorial tonight, and it did not go pleasantly, especially since we were translating the Georgics, which had 4 obscure vocabulary words out of 6 words in every line.

At night, I jazzed with Aman, Dakota, and Claire, playing “My Funny Valentine” and “Cantaloupe Island.” Now that I have such a strong attachment to campus, making it literally my home, I know it’s gonna be hard to leave in 6 days...

Left: Campus amphitheater

Right: Game room

Day 16- July 30

Today we stayed on campus. We had a “quasi” exam on Pliny’s Epistle VI, 16, and two tutorials on Vergil’s Georgics. I went to a grammar session on conditionals and also translated without looking at a written translation before me, signifying my improvement in sight reading! Hopefully, I won’t have too hard a time in AP Vergil next year. Today I also started missing home a lot- both the food and lifestyle. From here on, my time will be spent mostly studying and prepping for the final.

Campus "mensa"

Naples Day 4- Sibyl, Monte Cassino: Kevin Wang

Day 14- July 28

This morning, after a breakfast of really thick hot chocolate that tasted literally like melted bars of chocolate, we departed to hear our prophecies from the Sibyl. However, our hopes were cut short when we came up to a fence blocking off the path to the Sibyl’s cave. Although I was very disappointed, we still got to see the temple of Apollo and sight read the Aeneid, Book VI, 1-44. Of particular interest was the line “Excisum Euboicae latus ingens rupis in antrum, quo lati ducunt aditus centum, ostia centum, unde ruunt totidem voces, responsa Sibyllae” (The side of Euboican cliff was cut into a huge cave, into which one hundred broad entrances lead, one hundred mouths, whence just as many voices rush, the responses of the Sibyl).

Funny sign at entrance to Sibyl's cave

We then headed to the beach again, where I built a Colosseum sand castle with Dakota and had to continuously dig ditches in front of the castle to keep the water from flooding it. After the beach, we briefly visited the Monte Cassino World War II memorial cemetery in our sand-filled flip-flops. However, once there, a serene feeling overcame me and the sand in my shoes disappeared. No one was talking, only looking and thinking. There were many anonymous soldiers who died on the same days, a common one being May 23, 1944.

Monte Cassino cemetery

After the cemetery, we visited the Monte Cassino monastery, situated on top of a mountain overlooking a beautiful valley. I desperately wanted to clean my flip-flops of the sand, but I decided not to stain such a holy place with my impatience.

Monte Cassino Monastery

Finally, after a very long day, we retreated into the mountains to the Hotel Olimpus, the nicest hotel we’ve been in yet. Apparently, we’re only going to be staying in this hotel for one night before going back to Rome tomorrow... There was a plastic mat in the shower that got on everyone’s nerve, though. It kept on sliding from underneath your feet, and a few people, not including myself, fell in the shower. The hotel also had a piano, but dinner, which lasted two hours from 9 to 11, did not allow me to play the piano in the dining hall. I guess I’ll have to wait for tomorrow. For dinner, we had tuna, anchovies, ham, penne pasta with extra basil, fried potato balls and chicken with wine sauce, pana cotta, and puffed pastry with crema anglaise. It was quite the dinner.

I’ve also forgotten to mention all the Italian words and phrases I’ve learned: casa = house; piazza = square; eria (ending) = shop; di = of; monte = mountain; ciao = hello, bye; grazie = thank you; prego = your welcome along with many other things; salata = salad; trattoria = home-made food restaurant; andiamo = let’s go.

Naples Day 3- Pompeii: Kevin Wang

Day 13- July 27

Today at Pompeii, I was surprised to find the place mostly intact, in much better condition than Ostia Antica, considering the fact that it had been struck by the fist of Vulcan. I saw the Amphitheater, Theatre, Domus Caecilii (House of Caecilius; Dakota had studied this guy last year and wanted to see the house really badly), and Villa Misteries. Aman led me and Dakota along a 3.2 km path around the perimeter of the city that took us forever to complete, so we couldn’t see as much as of the city as we would have like to. Nevertheless, walking through streets that had once been walked by ancient Pompeiians and had been covered in ash 1932 years ago, I was caught by a feeling of both mourning and awe. I also saw a few preserved bodies with genuine expressions of fear and resignation.

Pompeii

In the afternoon, I translated some of Vergil’s Aeneid with friends in a really tight space in a really small hotel, and then had a dinner of pasta and potatoes again (Italians love pasta and potatoes, I have discovered). During the evening, we were set loose to wander only in our hotel in Naples, since roaming outside would be almost suicidal.

Today my quixotic assumptions about Naples were shattered: previously, I had thought that Naples, one of the big cities in Italy, would be romantic and bustling with positive energy, on par with Rome. But apparently, Naples is a hub of poverty, and it thus has many thieves and is not very sanitary. I guess sometimes you have to accept the not-so-good parts of life in addition to all the enjoyments that life throws at you...

Naples Day 2- Capri: Kevin Wang

Day 12- July 26

Today was by far the most tiring, longest, but also best day I’ve had in Italy. At breakfast, I found out that Nutella to the Italians is like peanut butter to us. They put it on EVERYTHING and have gallons stored in the kitchens.

After breakfast, we headed to the Sorrento bay (Sorrento is the city we’re staying in) and boarded a boat that sped us to Capri. Capri is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Spotted with a few luxurious estates, the island was fortified by rocky cliffs that surrounded almost the whole island. We then went on a boat tour around Capri. I learned several things about the island. The lighthouse could shoot a beam out 15 km, the corals made the water immediately surrounding the island a bluish color with a tinge of lime-green (I was almost about to jump in, it was so clear and inviting), there was a huge rock near the coast where lovers could kiss while floating through a hole in the rock. We made a joke about that, of course, and offered kissing gestures to each other when we passed through. I also saw the house of the Gerbers, owners of Gerber Baby foods. I also saw the luxury ship of the prince and princess of Qatar, which had a helicopter on board. We came across a stalagmite that looked like the Virgin Mary as well, and a rock in the shape of an elephant. The Last landmark I saw on the boat tour was a cliff where the emperor Tiberius threw people who displeased him into the rocky waters below.

Capri

Next, following the dazzling boat ride, we took a train up a mountain to a town center, where I had lunch with Claire, Catie, Austin, Aman, and Dakota. I ordered Risotto (Rice), a sort of fried rice, Italian style. But I was very jealous of Aman’s calamari... A 45-minute hike (or more accurately a climb) to Tiberius’ villa followed, though, so I burned off all the calories I had accumulated at lunch, and probably even some of breakfast. The hike was no ordinary one, though. I hiked/climbed through narrow streets winding through the landscape up the mountain, and we blindly followed the road, which variated drastically, both horizontally and vertically. The walk was ridiculously long, but wonderful views showed up, of the bay as well as of the small “villas” jutting from the 3-foot wide street.

Risotto Paella

But the walk was certainly worth it. After reaching the Villa Jovis (Tiberius), I walked around the extravagant ruins and got a picture with my classmates at the peak of the mountain, the top of the House. The view was serene and stunning (note the alliteration!).

Walking down was much easier than walking up, and I had gelato when I got down. We took a boat back to Sorrento, and sight read some of Tacitus’ Annals before going out to roam the shops at night. I had my first crepe tonight, filled with Nutella, and I almost dropped into the Adriatic as I munched on the sugary treat while gazing out over the sea from a cliff. I must thank Dakota for forcing me to buy one.

<-- Night in Sorrento- with a crepe

Returning to the hotel, I could barely stay awake to start writing my journal. However grueling this day was, it was certainly the best so far!

Naples vacation Day 1- Vesuvius: Kevin Wang

Day 11 - July 25

Departure for Naples! I woke up late today by accident and thus had very little time to pack, and no time for breakfast. I got on the bus just in time, though. When we stopped for a restroom break, I bought two packs of “Cipster” chips, little foamy dome-shaped chips, which were on sale for 2.20 euros for the 2 packs combined. I shared some with my fellow classmates on the bus.

The first thing we did when we got to Naples was hike Mt. Vesuvius. The bus took us halfway up, and then we made a strenuous hike up to the top, where I got to see the crater and a beautiful view of the bay of Naples.

Dakota, me, and Sebastian on top of Vesuvius

After a hour-long 45° angle hike, we headed to a nice restaurant for lunch. I had Gnocchi pasta, the best pasta that has ever touched my mouth, and a mozzarella/tomato salad, which tasted SO much better than I had assumed.

Gnocchi pasta

After the amazing lunch, we headed to the House of Oplontis, a lavish resort that harbored many intact mosaics, an insight into an ancient villa, and a gigantic swimming pool. The toilet was also very interesting to see. Apparently, the ancient Italians sat in a circular formation while using the toilet.

We finally arrived at the hotel after departing Oplontis, the Hotel Leone. At first, we all got excited that we would be staying in Hilton, since the bus parked right in front of the Hilton Hotel sign beside Leone, but reality soon struck us...

We had dinner at the hotel, then headed to the Sorrento town center for some nighttime roaming and shopping. I had only one euro and 80 cents left, so I didn’t buy anything. However, I had a lot of fun seeing all the street-side Italian shoppes. It gave me a very European feeling.

Sorrento street

Today I realized that I only have a week and a half left. Half of my time in Rome has been exhausted... Three weeks really isn’t enough time to soak in Italy and its culture. *Sigh...

Museo Capitolium: Kevin Wang

Day 10- July 24

Today was one of the busiest days I’ve had so far in Rome. It was Sunday today, so some people went to church inside the city in the morning. Half of the group went to explore Trajan’s Market. I finally got a memo there. When I find some tape, I’m going to insert the brochure into the journal a later time. I saw Trajan’s Forum and some artifacts recovered from the site, but it pained me to see such a glorious place in ruins. When I was gazing at a recreation of the Forum in a plastic display case, I almost wanted to jump in and walk among the columns with merchants and politicians of ancient Rome. I mainly toured around with Dakota and Aman.

We then headed to the Memorial to Vittorio Emmanuel, a.k.a. “The Wedding Cake.”

We just got to stand at the base of it, but, nevertheless, the sheer size was astounding. Then, we finally got to the final destination- Museo Capitolium. It was situated above the Forum, and the Senators’ House overlooked it, as well. I learned that it also mocked the senators to place a man on a horse in the middle of the courtyard, which had its horse’s rear turned toward the senators’ windows. There was also a bulge in the middle of the courtyard, which was believed to be the belly-button of the world.

On top of the Capitoline

  

In the first part of the museum, I saw Constantine’s head, hand (with the finger pointed upward), and foot. They were huge. I also saw a statue of Medusa, The Dying Gaul, the boy with the thorn, Socrates, the Capitoline wolf with Remus and Romulus, Hercules, and other gods of mythology. I walked around for 2 hours before finally coming to a bar to have my first coffee ever (which tasted more bitter than anything I had ever had, even though it was “caffe e panne” (coffee with cream)). I also had a slice of Margherita pizza and a delicious slice of cake, which made the coffee much easier to drink. It was today that I learned that the sound of “having a cup of cappuccino while looking over the city of Rome” is not as romantic and pleasant as it sounds...

In the afternoon, I practiced ping-pong for four hours with Melissa and Connie, my Asian sisters (nickname given to them by the sass master), to get ready for the tournament after the Naples Trip, tomorrow through the 29th. I was exhausted and devoured my stir-fry beef at dinner. Once again, Sebastian came up to me and asked me, “I bet you felt right at home at dinner with the stir-fry, didn’t you?” All in good joke, though. He’s a fun roommate to have. In the lecture at night, I read Pliny’s Epistle VI, 20 to Tacitus. I didn’t do too much translating today, but I needed the break from so much translation.

Ostia Antica and On-Campus Day: Kevin Wang

Group picture on top of Monte Cavo

Day 8- July 22

This morning, we first headed to Monte Cavo, a mountain overlooking the Roman countryside. We took our group picture for the trip there. It was used as a military base in World War II. We then drove to Ostia, the famous port city of Rome. The bus was dead silent; everyone was sleeping. When we arrived at Ostia Antica (Antique Ostia), we all had sack lunches and were left free to roam in the ruins of the formerly magnificent city. But its demise was also caused by the reusing of its structures’ materials in the construction of Pisa. Well, at least the Romans were trying to be environmentalists... I walked around with a friend, Dakota Pekerti, and saw the House of Cupid and Psyche, the Capitolium, the Temple of Diana, and the Theater, a few of the many ancient buildings in the city.

Me in front of the Capitolium

While walking around, I found that I had many similarities. We both only talk when necessary, are both deep thinkers and enjoy meaningful and personal conversations, and both LOVE anime. He introduced me to an anime show, Gurren Lagann. We rendezvoused with the other students at a “Gelateria” (Gelato shop) and souvenir shop, where I bought souvenirs for my family. We then headed to the “uscita” (exit) to get back on the bus.

At the campus, I practiced an hour of piano and had a grammar session on subjunctives again, which we will be tested on tomorrow. I went to the translation lecture, where the topic of “Who would you want to travel back in time to see?” came up. I said Jesus, Moses, or Noah of the Ark. If not a religious figure of yore, I would want to see what happened to the Roanoke colonists or to be with Columbus as he explored the foreign Americas... My top pick would have to be Jesus, though.

Day 9- July 23

We stayed at the campus today. I practiced piano in the morning, and then went to a morning lecture on translation. In the afternoon, I studied for a subjunctives quiz, which I just now learned that I got a 32/28 on.

After I had dinner, I went to a lecture on translation, and then I played ping-ping and jazzed with Aman Grewal, who plays jazz piano, and Dakota, playing “Cantaloupe Island.” It was the first jazz piece I had ever played, and the improvisatory nature of jazz is so different and challenging to me, since I’ve been trained to play by the music.

Campus

I’ve also forgotten to mention some works we’ve been studying; the most important part! We’ve read Suetonius’ Murder of Caesar, Livy’s Murder of Cicero, Suetonius’ Murders by Octavian, Tacitus’ Annals 1.1, Pliny’s Epistle VI, 16, and now I am reading Epistle VI, 20.

Palazzo and Epigraphico Museums: Kevin Wang

Day 7- July 21

Today, I spent the day at museums and a famous street of Rome leading to the Memorial to Vittorio Emmanuel. We went to the Palazzo and Epigraphico Museums, where famous sculptures were stored, along with other artifacts. I saw sculptures of gods, mosaics, and the armor of Aeneas (left). I wanted to bring back the tickets from the museums, but Italy doesn’t allow tickets to be kept by large groups. I also had my first taste of Italian pizza today with my friend Connie Cheung. We toured around the area by the museums and stopped at a Ristorante Pizzeria. Since we were rushed for time, I had to inhale the artichoke-egg-ham-mushroom pizza, one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had, in 5 minutes. We had to stuff the pizza in our mouths while running across the street back to the bus, dropping bits of eggs and bread on the road. Fortunately, we made it back to the bus. We headed back to the campus to have lunch, which almost everyone was too full to eat, and studied for a pronoun quiz in the afternoon. I didn’t have to study too hard for it. After taking the pronoun quiz, I attended a class on subjunctive uses and then translated Pliny’s letter to Tacitus about the Vesuvian eruption with some friends.

I attended a translation lecture afterward dinner and spent the night with some friends, playing ping-pong and jamming away at the piano.

Forum Romanum: Kevin Wang

Day 6- July 20

Forum Romanum! Today, I had a breathtaking experience at the Roman Forum. I first saw the exterior of the Colosseum and then the Arch of Constantine. I thought that the beginning would be the highlight of my day, but I was far from right. As I walked into the Forum, a incredible sensation filled me. Standing in the same place that Caesar might have stood, I gazed out across the huge valley harboring Roman Republican buildings. I saw the Temple of Jupiter Stator, of Vesta, and of Apollo. I saw the House of the Vestals, the Curia, the Stadium, and house of Flavia, house of Caesar Augustus, the Arch of Titus, and many other insignias of Roman Republican prowess. When I saw the Curia, I was quite surprised. I had expected the building to have more latitude, but instead it was extremely high and had quite a small floor area. My eyes were so tired when I got back to the bus, not because I was sleepy, but because I had not closed them once the whole morning.

Left: The Forum

Right: Stadium

Dinner today was the best I’ve had yet! I was served fettuccine pasta (my favorite) with “fungi” (mushrooms, and much more appetizing in English) and fried chicken. It was the best pasta I’ve ever eaten. After dinner, I translated Horace’s “Fons Bandusiae,” which I studied this year and practically had memorized the translation for, with Arthur, Connie, Aki Berman, and Melissa Lin. Time passed by a lot more quickly when I was translating with friends. We exchange ideas about certain ambiguous parts of the text and really act as scholars, not students. I noticed, though, that, disregarding the fact that I already knew the translation, I was extremely focused and captivated during the lecture today. I hunted for clues and solutions and got better at translating noticeably. I know this program will propel my facility as well as my passion and eagerness for Latin. It was today that I truly realized how fortunate I am to be studying Latin in Rome right now.

On-Campus Day and Etruria: Kevin Wang

Day 4- July 18

Today, we stayed at campus, which meant that there was going to be much more time for relaxation, right? Not really. Instead, we had 3 hours of lecture (translations) and 1 hour of grammar. Additionally, I woke up at 10:30, having missed the ring of 3 alarms that I had set. I found out that I had been placed in an advanced class along with 4 other people, though! I was so glad that I could be in class with people of the same level. Dr. Maurer, my temporary teacher, is also superb. He digresses way too much, though. But I guess that’s what makes a good teacher. A walking stick with a farmer’s hat and a loose shirt, he is a harbor of knowledge that I have the privilege of sailing into everyday- and which I find very hard to leave.

We also came up with a name for my roommate, Sebastian. Because he makes a lot of sassy jokes, we have named him the “Sass master.” He consented to the name.

Left: View from my window

Right: Library

Day 5- July 19

I finally woke up on time today! I heard my alarm sound, so I guess I’ve gotten over the jet-lag. We went to the Cerveteri tombs today. These tombs, built by ancient Etruscans, had amazing designs, and some had complex passageways that seemed to be a century after their times. We then set out to the Museo di Tarquinia in former Etruria. It housed remains of the Etrurian civilization, but personally I found the multitude of pottery and stones drab after staring at them for over an hour. I exchanged my first euros today as well, enabling myself to buy a cup of hazelnut and caffe (coffee) gelato.

Afterwards, we headed to the Italian beach! I had my first experience with body surfing today, and was so intrigued and preoccupied with this newly gained skill that I didn’t eat my sack lunch until 3:30, when we left. I learned body surfing from Dakota, whom I’ve been hanging out a lot with recently. It’s pretty hard to master, since you have to “ride the wave” at exactly the right moment, when the wave reaches its peak but doesn’t fall over yet. I had to practice a lot. Consequently, I was exhausted by the time I got back to campus and suffered sleepily through the lectures.

The Aventine Hill and Teatro Marcello: Kevin Wang

Day 3- July 17

We first headed to the Circus Maximus for a glimpse. Even though the track was in ruins and looked only like a dirt running track, I could still feel the intensity and rumble of the chariot races and the excitement that would have pervaded the area in ancient Rome. I then saw the Basilica Sabina, which housed the door with the earliest depiction of the crucifixion. Right next door was a keyhole through which I could see the Basilica of St. Peter.

After a little tourism, we stopped at a beautiful view of Rome from the Aventine Hill, where Hercules was said to have slain Colchis. There we stopped to read Latin as well. Pulling out some Livy, we translated a passage describing Romulus, Remus, and the auspices. It was here that Remus is said to have seen his six vultures before Romulus saw his twelve vultures from the Palatine hill.

Beautiful view from the Aventine

Next awaited the Temples of Hercules and Portacus. We then walked down to the Tiber River and saw a bridge built by Lucius Fabricius. I learned today that the holes in the walls of the buildings were made when Romans took material from structures to create new structures- recycling Rome. Our last destination was the Teatro Marcello and Apollo’s Temple nearby. The theater was also used as a fortress. Close by was the Memorial to Vittorio Emmanuel, a horse standing on top of a “wedding cake,” a huge slab of white stone. We stopped for gelato, but I was broke and had no euros, so I bore the pain of watching everyone else in envy.

The Teatro Marcello

After returning to campus, I spent the afternoon translating Suetonius and Livy with some friends under a canopy on the edge of campus. I then attended a grammar session on participles taught by Dr. Sweet. It was there that I discovered that I had gotten a B+ on my Diagnostic Test, which did not factor into my grade, and an A on the Verb quiz.

For dinner, I had some “corkscrew” pasta bathed in a delicious pesto sauce. Afterwards, a lecture was given in which I translated a passage of the murder of Caesar and one on the murder of Cicero. Dr. Sweet gave very intriguing discussions on the origins of words and generally typography, dictation, and etymology. Tomorrow will be a day on campus, so hopefully I will have time to study more Latin outside of classes!

St. Peter's Basilica and the Pantheon: Kevin Wang

Day 2- July 16

Today I woke up with a heavy drowsiness that signified not my lack of sleep, but depth. After staying awake for over 36 hours, the sleep gave me great energy to start my first day in the city of Rome. A breakfast of milk, extremely thin-cut ham, and rock-hard bread, typical in Italy, sustained me for a morning of tourism. First, I witnessed the glory of St. Peter’s Basilica. Once inside, everything was unspeakably peaceful and serene. Much bigger than I thought, it also contained many secret passageways into the depths of the church. I tried to explore as many of those as possible, but 20 minutes was not nearly enough to absorb all that St. Peter’s had to offer. I did get to see a papal priest preaching, however!

St. Peter's Basilica

Next was the Santa Maria Dell Pace, a Catholic church, and, a little walk away, the Piazza Navona. At the church, I discovered that the Pope who built a structure engraved or painted his insignia on a wall of the structure, so that future visitors would know exactly which Pope, Benedict the 1st, John Paul the 2nd, or someone else the 5th, built it. The piazza was a convention point for many artists, and in the center of the piazza is the “Four Rivers Fountain”, an aesthetically charming fountain that contained 4 men representing the 4 great rivers of the world, the Nile, Danube, Ganges, and the Rio della Plata in the Americas. The Nile river’s figure had its head covered, since the source, it’s “head,” was at that time unknown. The Rio della Plata had an armadillo with a curved-back mouth, because a man who had brought an armadillo back from the Americas had preserved it and, as a result, the lips of the armadillo were forced out. I also saw the Santa di Luigi dei Francesi- another sanctuary.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon was next: monument to all the gods. A Latin teacher, Dr. Travillian, explained that the Pantheon had the largest concrete dome in the world, could fit a perfect sphere from dome to floor, and could be enclosed with all sides of a cube tangent to the circular form of the building. It was arguably the most perfect building in the world. It was amazing to me how the Romans could build such a magnificently designed and structured building that, even today, we cannot construct of equal proportions.

I briefly saw the Teatro Marcello and the ruins of the Rogo Argentina (Pompey’s Theater), where Caesar was murdered by Brutus and the conspirators. Tomorrow, we may go to the Teatro Marcello again. I also discovered that there are faucets around Rome where you can fill your water bottle with the best water since the time of Caesar. You just have to push up on the faucet and check if water spouts out of a hole on the top of the faucet. If it does, then the water is “potabile” (drinkable). If not, the water is “non potabile.” The water here is also mineral-enriched, so it tastes different from water in America. It’s going to take me a while to get used to. When we returned from the tour, we were informed that we had walked nearly a third of Rome’s most renowned landmarks.

At night I took the verb quiz that we were all studying for today. I had some trouble with time, but I remembered the future passive participle just in time. The Latin Teachers, Dr. Karl Maurer (He’s not German, trust me) and Dr. David Sweet, then went through a Latin passage on the Death of Caesar, by Suetonius. The lecture was very interesting (the main topic was participles, though...), and the professors were funny but well-learned. Dr. Maurer is always in his own world, staring through everyone and digressing to wherever he pleases. Another interesting thing about Dr. Maurer is that he is extremely flexible. He sits down as he walks to his seat, and his legs droop from his knees like noodles. Dr. Sweet is very quiet, but just as his name suggests, very kind.

Today was the biggest day, since we saw so many sites. From now on, though, our touring trips will last about only a third as long, I think. Ciao! (Good bye)

Latin in Rome- Day 1: Kevin Wang

Day 1- July 15

Today we arrived in Rome after a grueling plane ride, on which I had two hours of sleep. Given that I had just missed night in Rome, I would have to wait another 15 hours until I could sleep again. When we arrived at the airport, I met several of my classmates. I introduced myself to Claire Oldfather, a southern country girl with a strong southern accent who is also extremely nice. I also met Ann Evans from Raleigh, Francissca Kang from (South, I think...) Korea, Connie Cheung from Hong Kong (She laughs at almost anything), Cindi Kepic from Dallas, and Arthur Imperatore (Quite an ironic name; must be descended from Caesar Augustus) from New Jersey.

Door to my suite- "Aeneas Lands in Latium"

 

When I caught my first glimpse of Rome’s countryside, I immediately knew that I would have one of the greatest experiences of my life here. Wild flowers and plants abounded beside the highway, having grown to such heights that (Ut result clause) they drooped over the thick, 4-feet railings, reinforced much more than U.S. Railings. “SOS stations” dotted the highway as well (the Italians are apparently very concerned with living longer). I also noticed that the trees here are in a mushroom shape, with a skinny trunk and a wide, flat top. Dozens of vineyards spotted the countryside, and the cool ocean breeze was flowing past me from the Tyrrhenian Sea. However, there was, inescapably, one stain on the beautiful scenery- garbage littered the highways and added an unfortunate and unneeded flaw.

The University of Dallas Rome campgrounds were stunning as well: a small pool surrounded by small beaches and a fence crawling with flowering vines; dorms arranged around a central courtyard with couches and tables; a “mensa” (kitchen) that constantly emitted delicious fragrances; a huge vineyard with a dirt path around it for running. After unpacking, I had lunch with the other campers. When our stomachs were full of tomato and basil-covered “pesce” (fish), garlic green beans and potatoes, and cold pasta, we departed for Cicero’s villa in Tusculum, just outside of Rome, which had been burned down by Clodius. As we made our way through the narrow winding streets, I noticed that drivers here, especially motorcyclists, are very daring, cutting through traffic with only a foot of open space. We hiked to the top of a mountain on Cicero’s property (of course, a dangerous intrusion), finding a spectacular view of the surrounding valley. I mainly walked around with Andrew Lifland and Alex Serebransky. After this excursion, our group travelled to Castel Gandolfo. On that day, the Pope was residing in his summer palace (Castel Gandolfo).

Castel Gandolfo

Papal guards, dressed as clowns, stood at the palace gates. Just outside the palace, I had my first true “gelato” (Italian ice cream). The sensation was sublime. Feeding my dried out mouth spoon after spoon of pistachio and stracciatella (Vanilla with chocolate chips) gelato while sitting just yards away from the Pope, watching the expansive valley around me- this is the life.

 After returning to the campus, I had penne pasta, and an egg-spinach “pita” (bread/omelette). I am too exhausted to write more, so until tomorrow, after seeing St. Peter’s Basilica!