Ciao da Roma

It has been a whirlwind of a week! I can't believe that I've only been in Italy for five days, yet it feels as if I've been here for so much longer. It still has yet to completely hit me that I'm in Italy... a whole new country at least four thousand miles away from Chicago. Yes, I was a tad bit homesick on the first night, but I think that I've come to accept, love and be excited about my current situation.

For the most part, the past few days have mostly consisted of orientation activities from filling out our permesso di soggiorno to learning about the choices of study trips we can go on throughout the semester (Tunisia, Sicily, Tuscany, or Poland perhaps?) Of course, it hasn't been only about orientation presentations and activities. In the past five days, I've explored the neighborhood we live in, gone out with friends to an Irish pub (yes, an Irish pub in Rome. Ironic, non?), seen the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and Villa d'Este. In such a short time, I've accomplished so many things, which I think has allowed me to perceive as if I've been here longer than I really have. In closer reflection, I've realized that I at least have three more months here in Europe and that it is merely the start of many more adventures!

In the past week, it really has just been about getting settled into my new home for the next three or so months and doing community-building trips to certain historic sites. For the first two days, I just took it easy as I was still recuperating from jet lag. It's quite surprising how much of a difference 7 hours make! So for the most part, I spent it either sleeping, walking around the neighborhood with new friends and just trying to convince myself bit by bit that I'm in Italy. And yes, it's reality. I keep asking others, "Has it hit you yet?" And their responses is similar to mine, "Nope, it still seems so surreal."

My second night in the city of Rome, I decided to go out with some people to an Irish pub for Ladies Night. Sure, I felt somewhat anxious since it was ladies night (which I didn't realize until we got to the pub) and I was going with these group of girls. With me being in a country where I could barely speak the language, it exaggerated my worries even more. In the end, I did have fun with my new friends and spent the night out until 3am. The bartenders were either from the UK or from the U.S. with a few Italian patrons. My group of female friends and I got free shots and these two British men bought us drinks throughout the night. It was a night full of laughter and adventure, that's for sure. I think it was a great transition to a new environment as it was a mixture of the familiar (the English language) and the new (getting to and from the pub and the international people we met).

The next night, Friday, I went to a school hosted dinner in the neighborhood. It was a lovely experience. Of course, like every meal I've had outside of campus it was accompanied with wine. It was a small restaurant in the neighborhood of Monte Mario. You could tell that the place was owned by one family. The host was doing paperwork for the restaurant's finances right by the entrance while also serving us. Him humming and singing in Italian under his breath made the experience seem even more authentic. Nothing showy or over the top, just the simplicity of good food, great company, and authenticity. Of course, the host being tall, dark, and handsome didn't hurt either. Hah!

At the Roman Forum.

The next day we spent the whole day in Downtown Rome. We were given tickets to see the Roman Forum and the Coliseum afterwards. It was really awesome and somewhat surreal that these buildings have lasted for over a millennium.  It made me realize the transience of each human life, but the consequences of us living, essentially creating and manifesting things out of our own imagination, borders on the eternal. In any case, walking through the Roman Forum was a great experience. I preferred it over the Coliseum as it gave you more of a chance to immerse yourself in its history and interact with the environment.

After seeing the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, we made our way to a small restaurant to try some pizza margherita and gelato. Surprisingly, before this trip to Downtown Rome, I had yet to taste real Italian gelato or pizza, so it was an experience quite overdue. Nonetheless, it was really good. Afterwards, my friends and I were told that we would have to find our way back home via public transportation. They claim that by getting lost in the city and finding our way back, we'll learn how to live here for the next three or so months, which I definitely agree with. Of course, one can't say that I wasn't a tad bit nervous about getting lost all night. However, we did find our way back by 10 that evening.

Archway overlooking Tivoli.

The day after we went to Downtown Rome to visit the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, we went to Tivoli, which is known for Villa d'Este and its garden of many fountains. I really enjoyed this trip more than the trip we took to Downtown Rome. It fit my perception of Italy the most with rolling hills, the narrow, cobblestone sidewalks, clotheslines hanging from window to window, and people just sitting leisurely at the piazza on a Sunday afternoon while children played all around them. It was more intimate of an experience. It was beautiful, romantic, and it made realize more and more that, yes, I am in Italy.

Of course, what I relate Villa d'Este with is Lizzie McGuire the Movie. Along with Roman Holiday and Under the Tuscan Sun, Lizzie McGuire made me fall in love with the idea of visiting Italy. The scene I loved the most was when the character of Paolo took Lizzie to Villa d'Este and ran through the fountains with her. Obviously, I had to reenact the scene and take a picture of it!

Lizzie McGuire moment!!!

I'm still somewhat waiting for it to hit me that I'm in a new country. Sure, I experience the difficulties of trying to express myself and understanding those who have different linguistic backgrounds. I must admit that even the smallest gestures such as ordering food or gelato, I feel inclined to give up and just be that "American" who tries to speak in English. It's the inherent ethnocentrism that I never imagined I would possess, I guess. However, I'm trying to resist it. Yesterday, when we visited Tivoli, I was so ecstatic to order cotton candy at the piazza on my own. I said, "Ciao. Vorrei zucherro filato," assuming that it was the phrase for "cotton candy" since it was the sign in front of his cart/stand. He asked, "Fragole (Strawberry)?" I responded, "Si. Grazie." Yes, it was a simple conversation, but I felt successful and proud of myself even if there might have been some grammatical errors. Nonetheless, it was one of those moments that made Italy more of a reality for me.

Classes started today and I'm pretty much settled in. This means that I will be posting more frequently and on a more predictable schedule. It also means that I will have time to travel and explore on my own as well! Next weekend, my class and I will be taking a 3-day weekend trip to Caserta, Salerno, Paestum, and Sorrento. The weekend after that, I will spend a whole day at the Vatican City with a few friends. The weekend following, I will be going to Paris and Versailles with the same set of friends. Also, tonight I will be planning out my Morocco trip with two other friends.

Until my next posts, ciao!
KC

I'm Here. I'm Scared. I'm Excited.

Yep, I am now officially in Italy. It has been quite the voyage considering that I have barely slept for the last 24 hours or so (if at all). Let's start from the beginning shall we?

I got to the airport about three hours before my departure time. When I got there people were already in line to check in their bags. I made small chit chat with a few of the people in line and I think I even made a friend. I would consider her a new friend and not just an acquaintance as we've basically kept in contact throughout our whole flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany for a three hour layover and finally to Rome, Italy.

It was really exciting meeting all these new people. It felt similar to when I first moved into the dorms my freshman year of college. It was new, exciting, and I didn't know what to expect of my environment and especially of the people. The people I've met from the random encounter in line to the random seat neighbors I had for my primary and secondary flights, however not many of them have interest me... Or perhaps I have not interested them. In any case, I feel that I am quite alone on this trip except for the girl I had newly befriended and one or two people I am acquainted with before this Rome trip.

Yes, I admit, I do feel kind of homesick; more than I had expected to be. It feels weird that I am apart from my family not just by a few miles or even statewide. I am away from my friends and family for three and a half months. Along with not seeing them, I am afraid that I may run out of money before I complete this trip or see most of the things I want to see. It is only my first night here, yet I already feel lonely and isolated. At first, I thought that this would be the ideal situation. I thought that I would be all right with exploring Europe on my own. However, I'm not as confident as I had imagined. I am afraid to even say, "Ciao," to those that work in the school or the neighboring shops. I'm afraid of being spotted as the foreigner and the sorts of reactions it may encourage. I really am out of my comfort zone and it scares me a bit.

On the other hand, I should appreciate this. Now I know the threshold of my comfortability. I now know what I need to work on and how I can possibly use this as an opportunity to strengthen myself. It's scary and for the past day or so, I've felt as if my fear of the truly unknown is the end-all be-all. On the contrary, it's not. I have come to realize my unconscious borders. Now, I can work on broadening them. I really do want to see as much as I can and make this trip as worthwhile as it can be. All I can or should really do is keep an open mind, right? To accept things as they come and to act accordingly.

Well, I'm tired and it has been over twenty-four hours since I have slept. I will write again soon and post the photographs I have taken these past few days tomorrow. Until then, buona notte.

Ventuno Giorni

I am a mere three weeks away from departure. I'm finally done with the semester and it's great to have time to relax. With every day that is passing I feel so much more excited. It feels more and more real that I will be leaving for the Eternal City in less than a month, and living there for the following three and a half months.

For the past few weeks, I've just been trying to prepare for my trip. I talked to my communications adviser, my psychology adviser, and the psychology internship coordinator in order to tie any loose ends before my departure. With my communications and psychology advisers, I wanted to discuss with them my progress in each respective major. Considering that I'm double majoring, it can get somewhat confusing as to what requirements I've already fulfilled, what else needs to be fulfilled, and how much time I have left in order to fulfill every requirement asked of me for both majors. Since I will be entering my senior year the semester following my study abroad trip, it's very important for me to plan everything quite meticulously to ensure that I won't have to stay an extra semester or so after my senior year. Especially with the internships, it's necessary for me to plan things out even further ahead of time than everything else. This is due to the fact that it's required of me to apply for course approval and search for internship sites all on my own before the semester I plan on doing them. Along with that, I must also track down certain course professors to request recommendations from them. So much to do in so little time!

I also had to make sure I have prepared every necessary document I need. Two copies of my whole passport, two photocopies each of my passport's face page and visa page, two copies proving international insurance coverage and a set of four passport photos. I finally have all the necessary documents together along with a simple weekly budget of how much I'm should spend on a weekly basis while abroad. The next thing I should do is compile a priority list of countries/cities I want to visit while I'm there and determine what would fit into my budget. I definitely have a few things to keep me busy til the time comes for me to leave!

Nonetheless, I am quite excited for what the expected future holds. I can't wait to experience everything that Europe will have to offer me in the following four months. I'm excited to return from my trip and live back in the city as a 21 year old with company I enjoy. I love my family and appreciate the support they give me, however I think that it is time to exercise my independence even further. A lot of positive, amazing things lie ahead of me and I want to get a full grasp of them. I feel that I've become more inspired and motivated to live my life to the fullest in recent months.

If you, dear reader, had met me a year ago or perhaps even no more than six months ago, I couldn't tell you what drove me to live or move forward. Now, I can say that I want to experience as much of the world as I can. I want to see things I only know from movies. I want to experience just as much as the next traveler. I want to fill my life with experiences and stories that I can pass on to friends, family, lovers, and strangers. I want to further and strengthen my curiosity. I want to learn more about myself through learning about my surroundings and the places that reach further than what I currently know!

As you can tell, dear reader, I am impassioned by the future. I like this feeling. I want to hold onto it as long as I can.

Until next time,
KC

The World is Quite Big

Buongiorno ...

It is with regret that we notify you that you have not been selected by the JFRC Scholarship Committee for an award for the Spring 2012 semester.

Unfortunately, we had only extremely limited funds from which to distribute awards for Spring 2012 compared to the generous amount which had been available for scholarships for the Fall 2011 semester. As a consequence, many worthy candidates did not receive any grant.

Despite this news, we trust that you will find your Spring semester in Rome an exhilarating and inspiring one, and that you will reap a fruitful experience from your time abroad.

                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                        JFRC Staff     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, I was not selected to receive any of the scholarships I had applied for in late October (see blog post: Scholarships - Part II). I kind of expected this outcome. Considering my usual informal writing and comparing it to my scholarship essay, the latter comes off quite contrived. The ideas I wanted to express through the essay seemed to lack a sense of naturalism, passion, and uniqueness. It lacked what my usual, natural writing had: an identity. I guess I was more nervous and uncertain about writing the essay than I had realized. I lost myself in the midst of cliché phrases and common words in hopes of producing something agreeable to all. I produced something generic and uninteresting. What I wrote did not work in my favor.

Of course I'm disappointed in not having received a scholarship. Nonetheless, I still consider myself to be very fortunate. I'm lucky enough to still have the opportunity to study abroad and see more of the world than what some can only imagine. Sure, it would have been great to have received a monetary scholarship that would have enabled further travel opportunities. However, I want to see this situation in a more positive light.

In a sense, life has proposed a challenge for me: to experience another part of the world's culture without (or barely) depending on money. I think it's possible. I think this would be a great challenge to pursue. Why? It would allow me to have a closer experience with a culture, its people, and what hospitality means throughout the world. What I'm referring to is the sort of basic humanity we hope to find in strangers when we're lost or find ourselves in need of help. I think that by befriending the locals and sharing a common ground I can find myself welcomed into their homes.

I think that such a scenario would afford me experiences comparable (if not more valuable) to what any supplementary monetary amount could afford me. I could find myself eating with an Italian family that includes many cousins and neighbors with the vibrancy of the Italian lifestyle on a normal week night... Or perhaps I'll find myself helping catch that day's lunch or dinner off the coasts of Valencia, Spain or perhaps Marseilles, France. What I really want to do is have a picnice, something as simple as bread, wine, and cheese on the side of a ride beside a lavender field in the Provençal region of France. Whatever the case may be, I will definitely make the best out of what I can during my time in Europe in the following months to come. The world is huge and the variety of possibilities it can afford me is just as grand, therefore I shouldn't lose hope. Everything I want to see is still in my grasp. I just have to work a little harder.

Tomorrow's the Day

Tomorrow I find out as to whether I got any of the study abroad scholarships I applied for or not. I must say that I'm pretty nervous I'm more nervous than I thought I would be a few weeks ago when I turned in my application. Perhaps it's due to the fact that as my departure date approaches even closer, the reality has hit me harder: I'm leaving in just over a month and I've nowhere near saved up my goal amount! Sure, I might have a few hundred dollars saved up, but that won't be enough to see all that I want to see in Europe.

I want to be able to travel to Ireland and experience the emerald, rolling hills. To stand in front of it, to breathe it in, to feel its winds embrace me. It would be quite pleasant to realize that I'm so far from the familiar, but right at home in the world.

I want to see the countryside of England and surround myself in the setting of Jane Austen's work. Perhaps to even find love.

I want to spend my night in Paris on Valentine's Day. To hear the words of the native speakers whose language I've spent seven years learning. To see Le Tour d'Eiffel and take the silly picture of me leaning on it and/or touching its highest point.

It would be so lovely to see Spain and find someone who shares the same Spanish last name as I do (considering that I'm Asian, it would be really interesting).

I want to go to Austria and run through the hills with my arms wide open like Flaurein Maria in The Sound of Music.

And of course, I want to see as much of Italy as I can while I am there. I want to see every ruin, artwork, and ancient building that precedes my lifetime. I want to be face to face with my own mortality, whilst rest assured that life will go on. To imagine my experiences as not being on its own, but an experience shared by many, by millions, and by many more to come.

If I were to even receive their smallest amount, I would be happy. It would allow me to see and experience at least half of the things on my list. I'm definitely nervous and scared. However, I'm also excited. I'm certainly excited about all the things I will see, learn, eat, and experience during my time in Europe. However big and small my adventures may be, I can't wait!

Visto per Studenti (Student Visa)

Yesterday afternoon, my school's Office for International Programs notified me that they had finally received my U.S. passport from the Italian consulate. I must admit that I was pretty excited to finally take a gander at the Italian student visa posted on one of its many pages. At first, I thought that it would be a simple stamp. However, it looked far more intricate than I had thought. It looked pretty actually. It included a picture of me, my full name, its dates of validity, and an awesome metallic stamp. Again, it was far more than what I had expected. What made it even more exciting is the fact that it's the first visa to ever be posted in my passport.

Il mio visto per studenti

I actually think that this signifies the start of something profound for me. It's like the initial event that will cause a chain of significant events. Now that I have one visa from a foreign country, I will want to attain more. It will be like a scrapbook of my adventures. In a way, each and every stamp or visa I get in my passport would symbolize my growth as a person of the world.

Certainly, there are those that perceive the act of collecting foreign stamps in one's passport as a traveler's cliché. However, I connect it to a deeper, more personal meaning. For every stamp I receive, it would be a manifestation of all my experiences in a particular country. Other than the pictures I will take, each stamp will precede all that as a symbol of each adventure's beginning. It will symbolize a conceptual gateway to what I have and will come across. I find this to be quite profound and amazing!

In any case, I'm quite glad that I finally have my passport back in my possession. I have been waiting for its arrival since early October. It wasn't too long of a wait, actually. At most, it took four to five weeks for me to get approved for my student visa.

Now, the next step will be to get the permesso di sogiorno at the local post office once I'm in Italy and show them my passport (with the student visa), proof of international student health insurance, and lettera d'iscrizione (notarized letter informing of my duration of stay, place of stay, and the accepting study abroad program). Basically, the permesso di soggiorno is a stay permit issued to those staying in Italy for longer than 90 days. Those staying less than 90 days are considered "tourists" (therefore not needing a stay permit), whereas individuals staying for more than 90 days are considered "residents". Since I will be in Italy from January 11, 2012 to April 28, 2012 (totaling 99 days), I will be considered a resident (needing a stay permit).

Once I arrive in Italy, I will also have to go to the local police station (questura) and fill out a form called Dichiarazione di Presenza (Declaration of Presence) and get my fingerprints taken within eight days of my arrival. Basically, it's just to inform the authorities that I am legally in the country. If I fail to do so, I will face legal consequences that would include being deported out of the country. Since I'm studying abroad through a school program, I'm sure my school won't allow that to happen, nor would I personally be so negligent.

Along with filling out the Dichiarazione di Presenza and getting fingerprinted, I also have to make a photocopy of my passport from cover to cover along with the pages in between. I've already made two copies (one for my own records) and also made sure to keep a PDF copy on my computer just in case anything were to happen.

At the moment, I'm pretty much on top of every task I need to complete for my trip. Now, I'm just waiting to be notified of my dorm appointment, future roommate, and scholarship acceptance (or rejection). I must also start saving up my money instead of spending it all while I'm still in the U.S. Recently, I've been starting to perceive each expense transaction as "money that could have been spent in Italy". A classmate of mine who was in the same study abroad program last semester said that she spent close to three thousand dollars during her trip. Hopefully, I can save up one to two thousand dollars before my expected departure in about and a half months. I still find it quite surreal that it is only a mere one and a half months away...

In any case, until next time, buonanotte!
KC

I Miei Corsi (My Classes)

Last week, I enrolled for my classes for my Spring 2012 semester. Fortunately, I was able to enroll into all my first choice classes. The John Felice Rome Center doesn't schedule classes from Friday to Sunday, so I will have a three-day weekend every week. I'm sure they structured the academic week in this way in order to give students the chance to actually enjoy what Italy, or the entirety of Europe for that matter, has to offer. So this is how my academic schedule will be for the Spring 2012 semester:

Mondays 
2:00 PM - 2:55 PM -- Italian 2 
Tuesdays
 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM --Masterpieces in Translation
2:00 PM - 2:55 PM -- Italian 2 
3:40 PM - 4:55 PM -- World of Late Antiquity
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM -- Modern Western Civilization
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM -- Art in Rome
Thursdays
2:00 PM - 2:55 PM -- Italian 2 
3:40 PM - 4:55 PM -- World of Late Antiquity 

5:30 PM - 6:45 PM -- Modern Western Civilization
Friday/Saturday/Sunday
No school 

Basically, I won't have school starting from Friday up to Monday afternoon of the following week. I can fly back in from a weekend excursion in a different European country and still make it to class the same day. On Tuesdays I start the day at 9:30 AM and won't be finished until 6:45 PM. However, I will have a few hours or so in between classes. I can have un caffè or un gelato as I people watch. It would be a nice break in between classes. On Wednesdays, I only have one class which will be about three hours long. What's really special about this class (Art in Rome) is the fact that it will take place on-site. This means that for lectures pertaining to the Sistine Chapel and the Roman Coliseum, I will actually be standing right in front of these works of art. I will be done around noon, which will give me time to further experience the places we visit for lectures, even for just a few hours more. Thursdays aren't bad either since I won't even start until two in the afternoon.


At the moment, the thought of actually being in Italy and experiencing such an adventure still seems so surreal. However, it seems more concrete than ever before. My enrollment for my Spring 2012 courses in Italy feels like reassurance that I am not dreaming. I find myself making a mental note for my future self to acknowledge that no, it's not a dream. It's close. Not to lose hope. And to fall in love with this dream and let my heart be led by these desires.