Still haven't gotten around to getting my camera back. Instead, I'm watching the USA-Italy soccer game with Gio and Claudio. The game is being played in Genoa, and an instructor in my program works with Rai, the Italian equivalent of NBC, ABC and CBS all rolled into one giant station. He offered to give me and my other soccer-loving friends free tickets if we find a way there. The only problem is geographical: Genoa is a 5-hour train ride away. I hope Fede comes back soon, if the US wins. I don't feel comfortable gloating to two middle-aged artists about a comparatively, and literally, meaningless soccer game. Only Fede would understand.
I got home from class around 5pm. I had a nice snack of bread, olive oil and parmigiano-reggiano. In the EU, Parmigiano-Reggiano is a registered trademark. Not only does it have to meet certain standards, but it also must originate from the region around the Parma province. The olive oil I had was bought in one of the biggest food canisters you've seen. It comes from a farm just north of Rome. I bet we go through nearly 30 gallons of the stuff a week in this apartment alone. Well, maybe a little less. But you get the point. What I'm trying to tell you is that my afternoon snack was very good.
The rest of my night has been spent eating a delicious dinner of pasta with broccoli, then a sort of smorgasbord with mozzarella, tiny onions, apples, wine, slightly stale bread, salad (with only olive oil and salt, forget about thousand island), a couple bananas, some German chocolate wafers, and was topped off with a shot of "raisin wine." I know very little of alcohol except that it exists and that I sometimes drink it. This may be a common type of alcohol, but I'd guess it is primarily used for baking. It smelled oddly similar to vanilla extract.
Earlier today I bought an International Herald Times (produced by the New York Times) and the current issue of The Economist. I hadn't realized how much I missed news. I'll probably read them for the rest of the night.
TIME OUT
USA just scored a goal. I yelled, threw my arms up, and quickly realized Giovanna and Claudio are bigger fans than I thought. I may have just initiated WWIII.
TIME IN
After dinner I tried to help Giovanna with her new Samsung Galaxy phone. I always thought helping my own parents with technology was a challenge, but helping my Italian mom with her Italian language phone while she's yelling instructions in Italian was quite an experience. About thirty minutes had passed before it ended with her yelling "BASTA!" (Enough) and announcing "I desire a cigarette!" I don't blame her. I almost asked her for one myself and I've never even smoked before.
Tomorrow I have a field study near Piazza Venezia. We're exploring another forum with Gianna. I think I'm slowly becoming his favorite student. I ask him relevant questions about archaeology, such as who funds these digs (it's the federal government), instead of trying to impress him with limited knowledge like most students do. Everyone in the class is a self-proclaimed expert on archaeology. I, however, just claim to be an expert on being critical of other people's questions. The process of becoming #1 could be much further along if only an alarm at the Roman Forum hadn't gone off for 30 minutes. I think he overheard the comment I made to another student where I questioned Julius Caesar's intent when installing such an annoying alarm. It may not be correlated, but immediately after he smoked an entire cigarette in two drags. That's how I know he's a real Italian. I believe "La Dolce Vita" requires being a proficient smoker.
Well, it's about time to bury my face back into The Economist.
P.S. Final: USA 1 - Italy 0
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