Final Thoughts and Reflections: Kevin Wang

61 Things Different in Italy

1. Stronger and thicker railings on highways- many layers and levels
2. More level roofs
3. Barren landscape
4. Wild plants
5. Trees- skinny trunk and mushroom at top
6. Motorcycles everywhere
7. Vineyards and farms everywhere
8. Littering abundant
9. Flowering tall and skinny plants beside highway, not just grass
10. SOS stations on highway
11. People drive so closely, especially motorcycles weaving in and out
12. Can’t go to churches without shoulders covered and long pants
13. Less car crashes
14. Plastic guards above metal railings
15. Shutters on outside of window
16. Inflaters between railings between highways and exits
17. Cage walls blocking cars from getting off bridge
18. Very clear sky always
19. Cool breeze all the time
20. Taller skinnier electric towers with points at top
21. Hay in cubes
22. Hotel shutters like garage doors with holes
23. Small breakfast with no eggs, only sliced meat
24. Lunch at 2:00
25. Dinner at 9:00
26. Not much diversity of restaurants (only Italian)
27. Simplicity: small groups playing at restaurants
28. Simplicity: Dishes cooked with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil
29. Popular vegetarian dish: omelette
30. Not customary to wear shorts
31. Domestic products, not from China
32. Kissing only for very close friends
33. Agip is main gas station
34. Basil on everything
35. Road in cities not gravel; cobblestones or white concrete instead
36. Trees either really tall and skinny or short and fat
37. Very dry
38. Pizza not always with tomato sauce or cheese
39. Electric outlet is 3 holes, 220 V
40. Soda made with real sugar
41. Smaller car with manual transmission
42. Drinking age is 16
43. Water is expensive so not as much showering
44. Mineral and gas water
45. More stray animals
46. People open windows here and without air conditioning
47. Women are not overly skinny or overly fat- medium size
48. Men- old are fat, young are extremely skinny and fit
49. Nutella is our peanut butter (abundant)
50. Not many brochures and must be bought if there are
51. Open sword and ancient weapon shops (crossbows, bows, etc.)
52. No squirrels
53. Toilet tank is high above toilet
54. Fanta actually tastes like carbonated squeezed orange juice
55. Ice cream melts much quicker and is creamier
56. A lot of street vendors and shops, not many official gift shops
57. Meals (especially dinner) should take about 2 hours
58. Pistachio is predominant!
59. Bread is much harder
60. Italians much quieter than Americans

Essay on the purpose and design of the Latin language

On my recent trip to Rome, Italy, I encountered an enlightening realization of the purpose of the Latin language. Latin does not serve a practical purpose (e.g. To survive medical school or help one ace the SAT) but simply exists as a stockpile of knowledge for humanity to revel in. Just as learning is not used for getting a good grade or being accepted into the Ivies, Latin must not be used to serve any purpose other than for satisfying man’s search for knowledge. The night before I left Rome, Dr. David Sweet, the dean of the Classics graduate school at the University of Dallas, told students in the Latin in Rome summer course to “soak in everything that comes your way”. This advice essentially describes the thing we call education. The passion to learn for the sake of learning cannot be more applicable than to the study of Latin. In the following writings, I hope to expose the intricacy, intellect, and true glory of Latin, the allegedly “dead” language.

Latin was ornately mastered by the ancient Roman writers to such an extent that not only were ideas expressed through description and content, but also through form and design. The literary devices I have studied in Latin class (e.g. Juxtaposition, chiasmus, tmesis, etc.) were widely employed by authors like Vergil, Horace, and Cicero, but are almost nonexistent in the modern world of texting, IM, and email. Today, language has been devalued, reduced to a tool used to convey ideas as quickly and efficiently as possible. This unfortunate deficiency can be attributed to the inflexible nature of English, which has evolved from Latin in such a way to express thoughts more clearly and concisely. Because of Latin’s vague nature, words could be arranged to express the content through form, as long as a few rules were adhered to. Today, though, with more clarity, we are no longer writing for the sake of writing, but for getting homework assignments done as quickly as possible with as few words as possible. Additionally, many educators have increasingly become stronger proponents of brevity, and frequently mark complex sentences as run-ons, when in fact a student has merely attempted to glorify the English language. While in Rome, I studied a section of Tacitus’ Annals explaining the advent of the principate. In this passage, the numerous causes for Caesar Augustus’ rise to power were covered in one immense sentence spanning 8 lines in my Latin in Rome textbook. Would this sentence be considered “run-on” simply based on the assertion that it is too long? Furthermore, the form conveys meaning. The length of this sentence suggests the continuous flow of history and the smooth and explainable transition from the Republic to the Principate. I also studied Vergil’s Georgics, which we see today as a handbook for farmers. In fact, Vergil most likely did not intend for this work, written in verse, to serve any practical purpose. The extensive vocabulary and the fact that the work was written as a poem suggest that Vergil did not write Georgics for lowly plebs and farmers, but simply for himself and to satisfy his own hunger for literature. This passionate and unconditional love of academia was what drove writers of Latin.

After reading so many Classical works during my Latin studies inside and outside of school, I now see that these works are truly the greatest writings, composed by the greatest minds in history. The ability to scrutinize deep into the psychological foundations of the world while using the form of the Latin language itself to convey powerful messages illustrates the power of the ancient minds of Plato, Cicero, and others. Thus, the purpose of studying Latin: to read and absorb the knowledge of ancient supernaturals. Although there only seem to be endless homework assignments and tests at the current stage of my education, these are the bare essentials to preparing me for the day when I can pick up Cicero’s De Republica and read it in full glory of the language of the greats. Thus, the ability to read Latin is not as much a skill as it is a privilege; a privilege to read the thoughts of the Classical minds and to experience the beauty of the mother of Western languages.

* I would like to thank the Wilson family and MBA for making this trip a reality. Without the Language grant opportunity, I would not have known about the wonderful Latin in Rome program, and without years of study, I would never have been exposed to the prowess of the Latin language.

*You can view some more of my pictures at http://latininromepictures.shutterfly.com/pictures

Last Day in Rome! by Kevin Wang

Day 20- August 3

This morning, I had breakfast and started studying, when I discovered that my notebook,

dictionary, and tutorial book were all missing. I had left it by the computer before breakfast, and when I came back, it wasn’t there. I had to do what I could: I relaxed and went through the passages in my head. Then I headed into the Aula Magna to take the exam.

Left: Campus pool

Right: Aula Magna

Campus

I felt pretty bad about the exam. I didn’t remember a lot of the principal parts, since I was planning on reviewing it this morning, and I didn’t study the vocabulary in Vergil’s Georgics enough. I should have managed my time better and played less ping pong the couple of previous days. I walked out of the exam sad and regretful, but I was soon elated and relieved to have finished the summer course. We had our last meal on campus, and then headed to Rome for the last time! We were let loose to wander wherever we wanted in the eternal city, so I walked with Aman and Dakota from the Trevi fountain to the Spanish steps to the Pantheon, devouring 2 cones of lemon, coconut, and pistachio gelato on the way. I got some last minute souvenirs and rendezvoused with the Latin in Rom-ers at a Trattoria, where we had pasta with tomato and mozzarella, veal, salad, and Ammaretto gelato (My fourth gelato of the day). We called it “The Last Supper”. We were also allowed to drink, since the drinking age is 16 here, and many people got drunk. But I hated the flavor, so why get drunk when you’re not even enjoying it?

Me, Dakota, Aman, and Austin at the Trevi

Trattoria- The Last Supper

Back at campus, the teachers gave their farewells. Dr. Travillian gave a speech on the education system in America, which is going to be published in a German magazine. We didn’t have curfew tonight, so I played ping pong and jammed at the piano with three girls, Claire, Cindi, and Connie, singing around me. What a lovely way to end the trip...

The 3 Greats- Travillian, Maurer, and Sweet

 I stayed up till 3:30, and I was going to start packing at 5:00, but I slept heavily through my alarm, waking up at 6:30 instead, which meant I had 30 minutes to pack everything.

On the plane, I timed my naps to match up with nighttime in Nashville, so as to reduce the effects of the jet-lag. Hopefully, it will work. I got off the plane at 6:00 P.M and was so glad to see my family and excited to tell them all about the amazing dream that I had just had in Rome, Italy.

Colosseum, Norba, and On-Campus Day: Kevin Wang

Day 17- July 31

Colosseum day has arrived! We went to the San Clemente church and the Ludus magna before going into the Colosseum, which was breathtaking from inside. I learned that the first row was reserved for the senators, and that some people in Rome could never get a chance to go inside based on their status. But I do have to commend the efficiency of the design. There are doors on all sides of the structure, making entrance and exit very efficient. I also learned that the Arch of Constantine was built after his victory at the Mulvian bridge, defeating Maxentius. The battle is depicted on the arch. Close by was the Golden House of Nero (Domus Aurea). I saw a computerized image of what it would have looked like back then, and it was truly a golden house, with Nero’s statue standing high for all of Rome to observe.

Inside the Colosseum

 I had some pepperoni pizza and gelato (biscotti and banana flavors) before going back to campus. I studied for the exam in the afternoon in the game room (probably not the best idea), and we had a cookout for dinner.

Today we had our last new translation, and in our discussion of frequentatives, Melissa came up with a pun: the “Frequentatitive.” Get it? Well, it’s just studying from this point on, so I won’t have much to say everyday. I’ve been having some mixed feelings as the end approaches. I’m sad to leave, yet happy to go home, yet determined to to do well on the final, but I’m most satisfied that I’ve learned so much Latin this summer.

Day 18- August 1

Today we went to Norba, which was destroyed in the Social Wars. We did some exam review there and then headed to Sermoneta, a little town where we had lunch at a “Trattoria.” I used my phrase “Il Pranzo era ottimo” (The lunch was delicious), to which the owner replied, “Grazie Ottimo!” (Thank you very much). He was exhilarated to hear that, probably stunned as well to hear it from a Chinese-American.

Left: On top of Norba

Right: Tiramisu

 

When we got back to campus, we had the ping pong tournament finals. Andrew won! Throughout this trip, I have lived with the remembrance that I had to write 500 words per day, which squeezed every detail of the day out of me. Today, though, Will showed me that I only had to write 50 words per day... Oh well, it certainly didn’t hurt me.

Day 19- August 2

Today I translated, played ping pong, translated, played some more ping pong, and translated some more...and played a lot more ping pong, which I probably shouldn’t have done, considering the fact that tomorrow is the final. I had a lunch of tomato combinations (I’m not touching tomatoes for 3 weeks when I get back). I didn’t get to finish all of my review, so I guess I’ll just have to hope for the best on the exam tomorrow.

Schedule for August 2

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.