Il Presidente!

On my dad's birthday, I was on a train with 20 classmates at the crack of dawn in what felt very much like a middle school field trip. Our professors met us on the train platform, having ridden in first class, and led us through the streets of Rome. Twenty minutes later, we approached the Palazzo del Quilinale, passed through security, and entered the palace to be greeted by a garden boasting palm trees and other tropical plants. I was reminded why I love this city. Passing by guards who were never under 6'5" and who wore gold metal helmets with a horn on the top boasting a long black horsehair tail, we wound up a stairway to the private office area of the palace where we were granted a private meeting with the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano. He is a balancing force in the government, being a very proud communist, to Prime Minister Berlusconi, and has a soft spot for John's Hopkins because our institution sponsored his travel visa to the United States when his communist affiliation barred him normal travel admittance. He spoke for only a few moments, all in Italian (thanks to our Director who told him we all understood!) and then shook our hands.

Hottie

Following the meeting, we got a tour of the beautiful palace, which was built for the pope in the 1500's. It is like many other palaces with walls ordained in silk upholstry, intricate chandieliers, beautiful moulding, and tons of beautiful furniture you can't sit on.

Here is the picture which is today on the homepage of the President's website. He's shaking Donatello's hand... mine is that blonde/foreheady bump in the background!

After this, Melissa and I scooted uptown to try to drop off visa applications at our respective embassys (Thai and Russian), only to find that they all close before noon! Oh well, we enjoyed seeing a new part of Rome and had a lovely lunch before heading back with the group on the 2:30 train.

Back to reality. I loved my little mid-week escape and felt refreshed to work on a paper, sitting on my desk so i could be right by my giant open window, before making strawberry shortcake to take to a potluck dinner that evening... can you tell someone has spring fever?

It's all in the timing...

13 classmates, a script, and an empty theater dominated my week following Spring Break. With our meager props, ideas, and hard work, we transformed the rented empty theater into a set, even constructing a curtain, in about 6 hours. Together, we became characters as diverse as Rosenbaum’s typing monkeys and Trotsky as we went onstage on Thursday for opening night. It was a smashing success.

The play was “It’s All in the Timing,” six one-act plays written by David Ives, modified by SAIS’s Rational Actors to be appropriate to our audience (mostly SAIS’ers but open to the public). For example “You’re in a Philadelphia” became “You’re in a Bologna.” The plays are all comedies, some darker than others, and all very detached from reality- perfect for stressed grad students. My role was Dawn, a shy, stuttering young woman who falls for a con to learn a new language called “Unamunda.” In our play, “The Universal Language,” I was fortunate enough to act opposite a professional actor. His natural talent made learning lines comprised of a gibberish language much easier. Because the production was made up of six individual plays, it worked perfectly for busy schedules. Everyone was in a play with one or two others and could rehears their little play as their time allowed and the whole group only had to get together occasionally to put them all together. We worked under the direction of Johanna, one of the best friends I’ve met here. She’s German too, so there was no room for mistakes or tardiness! She whipped into shape a diverse group made of people who haven’t acted since high school (like me), pro’s, and those who have never before stepped onstage.

The first night went flawlessly and we all celebrated at a bar afterwards, basking in opening night glory, and enjoying some chocolate (it totally goes with beer!). The second night had a hitch or two but the audience never knew that some people left out a few lines. Before each show and at our group rehearsals, we learned to let our guards down around each other by screaming, doing animal impressions, and meditating as a group. The result was people who, after spending every waking moment for the past week together, were able to completely let loose and work together to put on a production that reflected the genuine affinity we had for each other and for the show itself.

The other plays were “Sure Thing,” which found a couple in a café who can't quite connect until the end. The same scene set itself over and over with the ringing of a bell until the couple gets their timing just right. Next was “The Bologna,” where two friends exist in alternate worlds where one has everything going her way (she’s in a Los Angeles) and one can’t get anything she wants (she’s in a Bologna). In the end, she learns to embrace her current metaphysical locale and finds it’s not so bad. Also, “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” was a surreal act in which simple lines are spoken, then at the ringing of a bell, the same lines are repeated in a sing-song manner over and over until the bell again brings the group back to reality. "Variations on the Death of Trotsky" boasts different scenarios occurring if Trotsky didn’t realize he had an axe buried in his skull (well, smashed actually- you can still see the handle), and finally, "Words Words Words" examined the interactions of three monkeys given typewriters to see if they could produce Shakespeare.

After closing night, we had to strip the theater and afterwards, headed to a dance club to boogie our little butts off. Italian men (who, I am sorry, don't deserve at all their debonair reputation) tried to be part of our group, meaning we didn't close down the club but still stayed a good while. I had forgotten how much it takes to do theater, but it is completely remunerated in the bonds you forge with your cast members. You all suffer together from stress, anxiety, you help each other with lines and direction, and all share the jubilation when all that hard work pays off. Saturday had us all feeling a bit empty as we didn’t know what to do with ourselves (and knew that it was time to hit the books again- eep!). A cocktail party thrown by some friends helped with this last night, and today Student Government is hosting an International Food Festival. In a rare act, I will not be cooking anything for it, giving myself a free pass after the last week plus the 5 hours I will spend setting up the event today.

Believe it or not, I only have three academic weeks left and then two weeks of finals! The time here is winding down eerily quickly. The springtime sunshine makes it hard to want to concentrate and gelato beckons constantly! Hope you are all having a wonderful day, wherever you are!

No Earthquake Damage in Bologna!

Hello- Just wanted to drop everyone a quick note to make sure you know that the big earthquake that hit Italy occured far south of Bologna and, while this region did experience a more mild quake last night, it was away from buildings and no one was hurt nor was any damage sustained. We are all fine up here, but do keep those who have suffered in the southern one in prayer and thought!

Thank you all for your concern!

Brussels

Ryanair is either loved or hated by all… it’s very cheap if you catch the right deal, but you must pay extra to use a credit card, to check in at the airport (which you must do if you are not an EU citizen), you don’t even get water on the plane and you cannot carry a purse in addition to your carry on. Still, if you are poor and the opportunity to fly to Brussels and back for a grand total of 30 euro presents itself, one can find herself on the “Ryanair-PRO” side of the fence.

Rachael whisked me away from the airport Thursday evening upon my arrival to this multi-lingual land. We drove into the city center to fetch two of her friends, Sandra and Savegry, then drove to the university part of town for dinner. I had a cherry wine followed by another dark brew, both of which are made in Brussels. The angelic Rachael already had a box of chocolates in the car for us to nibble after dinner and we, after driving in many circles, drove around the Atomiun, a giant model of the atom built for the 1953 world’s fair… it’s no Eiffel Tower but it’s neat looking. Because of bad road signs, it took about half an hour to find and involved some laughs at our driver’s expense, but we had chocolate to keep us happy. I also got to meet her German beau, Peter, who drove two hours to just to have dinner with us and to meet the new girl, knowing the whole time he’d have to wake up in only a few more hours to drive back to Deutschland and go to work. I found him to be a most considerate chap.

The next day, I got to wander the sights of this city, after a tutorial from Rachael. I saw the Manneken Pis, the comic strip museum where I got a picture with a Smurf, or should I say Schtroumpf that somehow didn’t format correctly on my camera (Darn you Gargamel!) They have a great pedestrian zone with shops and crowds, where I was approached by a middle aged man who asked if I had been at his philosophy lecture that morning because he was sure I was the girl who asked a question bout how one goes about reconciling Plato and Aristotle in the artwork of the Sistine chapel… righhhttt. I asked him what on earth needed to be reconciled and he actually smiled and said “That was my answer.” He’s smooth all right. I left him to go and try

a Stella on tap. I stand by my choice.

And chocolate, oh the chocolate! Shops everywhere peddling house-made confectionaries. It turns out Neuhaus was the first man to create the concept of an individual chocolate- a filled chocolate shell. And my oh my, how those Belgians fill those shells. Caramels, nougatines, marzipan, fruit pastes, nut creams. From the ones selling to the masses to the specialty one who is commissioned to perpare confections for the royal family’s events (Pierre Marcolini- where they dress in suits and play trendy music… it’s like shopping for fine jewelry there!), there is

something for everyone and one wants to wander into every one of those shops.
That evening, Rachael and I went to dinner at Sandra’s place and had a wonderful girl’s night. Her friends have enough boy drama to fill many wine soaked evenings so we had a great time. Rachael and I spent the rest of the night up until the wee hours bonding over chocolate and drunky skyping her family.

The next day passed like a blur as we drove around different EU buildings for my last glimpse of the city. Then, like a grand hostess, she could not let me leave without experiencing one of Belgium’s finest inventions: The French Fry. The line for them was comparable to ones I have stood in for the right Philly Cheesesteak or the perfect cheeseburger. They have perfected the

technique by double frying at just the right temperatures before serving to you in gargantuan portions with any number of sauces to dip in.

It is sad that no more weekend trips are possible until Spring Break, being that I’m wrapped up in preparations for midterms. Still, there have been amazing dinners with friends here and celebrations for anything we can get out hands on as an excuse.

Some weekend escapades around Northern Italy

Sometimes you need to get away. It’s great to live in a place where planes and trains are readily available for just these moments.
Just before the semester started, after my London experience, I got to be on the receiving end of the aforementioned need to get away. Mike, a Yank who lives in Germany, came to Bologna for a short visit and because he’s not the only one who fancies escapism, we took a train to Ferrara to take in the sights of this lovely little town only 45 minutes from here on the cheap train.
Most ruling families want their castle up high on a hill… away from commoners and protected geographically from invaders. Not Marquis Niccolò II d'Este… he decided to build Castello Estense right in the middle of his city… “Haha, I have a big castle and you can’t come because I’m going to surround it with a giant moat!” An added bonus, he put in some great dungeons which you can still go into and have messages written by prisoners over 500 years ago. They have dank down to a science.
Of course, Ferrara boasts its own lovely duomo and a number of other neat churches. They have a row of great confectionaries along a main street which make incredible tiny delights. Mike was so taken with one that he ordered a second round and declared it the best dessert he’d ever had. Their specialty is a kind of Lebkuchen surrounded by chocolate… it’s good, but it’s not the best sweet to be had.

A freak rainstorm during this sunny day led us to duck into the natural history museum. It was run by two bored middle aged women who were delighted to have visitors. We spent the remainder of the storm looking at animals from around the world, randomly placed in exhibits together. A manatee was sharing a display with birds. The ancient bug exhibit was creepy… and they even had a shrunken head!
Our dinner that night was amazing. Ferrara is known for its pastas stuffed with zucca, or pumpkin- a specialty of this region and without a doubt one of the best pasta dishes I’ve experienced in Italia. We both got it for our first course and at the homemade ravioli was almost an inch tall because it was so full of orange goodness. A walnut cream sauce completed its flavors and our Chianti washed it down while we waited for our second course- I had a swordfish steak in a lemon sauce accompanied by roasted veg. After all that, we should have stopped but “boozy cake” and a dessert liquor was too tempting to pass up for me. He had a custard dessert and a liquor recommended by the waiter, who took amazing care of us. We enjoyed the meal for almost 3.5 hours… this is how Italians do dinner.

The following weekend, Lenea and I spent Saturday afternoon in Padua. It was another short train ride from here and we soaked up the spring sunshine as we wandered through and intricately landscaped park. The town is beautiful and peaceful… not overrun by tourists but still boasting its share of treasures.

The Scrovegni Chapel, built for the owner’s usurer father in order to make restitution and get him into heaven, is the main attraction for any art lover or history buff. In the early 1300’s, He hired Giotto to paint frescos on the walls and the works, which cover the life of Jesus and Mary and also depict the final judgment, cover every surface in the small church. It is one of the most influential frescos and is said to be the first to use three dimensions in its technique. It also features faux painted marble that I never would have known wasn’t real if the 15 minute informational video you watch while sitting in an airlocked, temperature controlled room before the church keepers allow you to enter the main attraction in order to maintain the integrity of the somewhat damaged works. You get only fifteen minutes to take in the beautiful artwork and it truly isn’t enough… although you so tire of getting watched like a hawk the whole time.

On one of the piazzas, we wandered into the Palazzo della Ragione, which is a large building that is supposed to be one of the largest roofs in Europe to be unsupported by columns. There are paintings all along this huge cavernous hall and a giant wooden (and… er… anatomically correct) horse on randomly placed inside as well. The best part of this however, was the sunny walkway with beautifully painted porticos and a great view of the city.

We wasted the next hour people- watching on the piazza and drinking coffee… followed by wine. The sunshine infused us with hope of winter’s imminent departure and we traded stories of spring romances before traipsing across town to get back to Bologna in time for our friend’s birthday dinner in a beautiful restaurant on the Piazza near my house. It was a glorious end to a perfect day... we even managed to study on the train ride- is there anything SAIS students can't do?

Austria and a Viennese Ball

A free glass of wine, courtesy of the student government, relaxed the students on three coach busses heading east, far from Bologna, away from the confines of studies, the darkness would lift and in the morning, they would find themselves in a land of imperial dynasties and a center of European history. But not before some individuals on Bus 3, which happened to contain me as well, supplemented their free wine with cheap whisky and Italian beer and spent part of the night taking care of one of their friends, snapping photos, and gleefully replaying his less than dignified performance the night before as he wondered why he smelled so awful in the morning…
We groggily departed the busses and checked into our hotel rooms. In a place known for its cafes, I went out to a real breakfast at a most beautiful one with large wooden tables, high ceilings, chandeliers, and waiters dressed impeccably. They offered a wonderful real breakfast consisting of crusty rolls (back to a land of German baked goods- oh the difference!) with fresh butter, eggs, ham, fresh squeezed orange juice, and Viennese coffee, which is like a cappuccino with less foam. Revived and ecstatic to have a breakfast consisting of more than one pastry, some of us set off into the city to walk around its sights. The large cathedral in the middle of a pedestrian zone was a good meeting spot and we traveled along the ring road, passing historical buildings and amazing architecture, ending up at the Danube… which is a little less romantic in person than in your mind.

That evening, all transformed from scruffy students into debutantes and gentlemen; the fellows donned tuxedos and ladies went to the hairdressers to complement their intricate ball gowns. 210 SAIS’ers and their guests (our entire student body isn’t that big!) started the evening at a wine reception in the Museum auf Abruf- a gallery which shelters the contemporary art collection of the Department for Cultural Affairs of the City of Vienna. Here a SAIS alum, who heads this department, (how can I land a gig like that!) welcomed us to his city.

Walking to the for the actual ball, many of us stopped at the many small market stands set up close by and had German Christmas market food for dinner… in our formal wear. I had wonderful ham on good dense bread with sharp mustard and fresh horseradish (if you have been paying attention, this is my second serving of ham in the same day)… heavenly, but it could explain why I didn’t get asked to dance more…

The many rooms in the expansive Hofburg (built originally as a medieval castle, expanded into a residence for the all-powerful Habsburgs, currently home to home to offices of the Austrian President, National Library, Schatzkammer Imperial Treasury, Museum of Ethnography, the Spanish Riding School, and many intoxicated foreigners trying to master elegant 19th centrury dances) where the IAEA was having their ball each held surprises. Some had bars and sold appetizers, one had an oyster bar, another with hot dogs! One small room near the grand central staircase boasted a swing band and inexpensive wine while another, with a wall of windows looking into a courtyard, featured different Latin music all night. On the bottom floor was an 80’s dance room.

The main ballroom, however, was the sight to behold. Debutantes in white dresses all had their time to shine as they made their first appearance with their dates and showed us all how to properly waltz. Other events in the room included a square dance, different waltzes throughout the evening, and even an Abba cover band- completely dressed to the part.

We had two rooms to call our own, which were next to the small stage where the Celtic band played and people pretended to know how to Riverdance. We had a champagne toast in those rooms and could come and put up our feet, which was quite necessary for ladies who are used to wearing boots or sneakers day in and day out.

Until about 5am we kicked off the new day dancing in the 80’s room, everyone just letting go and going making the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can say I danced with one random dude who works at the IAEA, whose name I’ll never know. One of the band leaders, about 60 years old and resembling Kofi Anan, got up on the bar and danced for us. Taxis took us to our hotel rooms for a few hours of sleep. My roommate and I spent the morning watching Darkwing Duck dubbed into English.

We had the entire of Sunday to run around Vienna and walked around, took pictures, went to a few museums. We got to see a wonderful Klimt and Schiele exhibit at the Albertina. I knew nothing of Schiele before this but can say his work amazed me and his life story is nothing short of tragic.

Managed to find some fun sights. I had multiple servings of good, seedy Austrian bread. We hopped upon our busses at about 9pm and managed to get a few hours of sleep before we arrived at 7am in Bologna. The entire student body went home and slept. I have not taken a nap without being sick in years… I didn’t even make it under my covers.

I am taking a class called “Evolution of the International System” which is a European-centered history of the world since Napoleon, and we were just learning of the Congress of Vienna before going there so it was amazing to see the actual sights where these world-changing decisions were agreed upon… and to ice skate in front of them while dancing the Macarena with your friends… oh life, you are simply too good to me…

Venezia and Carnivale

Revelry is best enjoyed with wonderful friends amidst scores of strangers... from behind a mask.

Venice is a mere two hour train ride but it is another land. All the romance, the sighs, the old buildings, the gondolas, it's all there and if anything, it is underemphasized by the romantics who have tried to verbally depict it.

Arriving in the early eveining, we got to soak in but a few fleeting moments of the sun-drenched canals before the sun set and the mischief began.

The masks in the stores are amazing- everything you can imagine. For Carnival, the masks are also on everyone you pass. Some vendors have stands outside peddling their goods, others just keep their stores open late. The truly dedicated appear in full costume- resembling aristocrats, fairy tale characters, or fools. We wandered all about and all ended up finding just the right mask along the way. I certainly don't want to brag... but mine garnered more than one compliment and photograph from scores of people. The only problem was smiling as it pressed on my cheeks a bit!

For dinner, we found a chinese restaurant- one of the few places we could actually afford to sit down in- and thoroughly enjoyed hot sauce on everything we ate. I had the privledge of being with two people who have lived in Asia who had good advice on what to order. The lazy susan in the middle of the table facilitated a way to taste a bit of everything and enjoy the escape from the chilly evening! It was also the only place where one coudl see that everything from my dress, leggins, boots, earrings and mask all matched perfectly. Otherwise, it was all hidden beneath the coat.

The scores of people bring the streets to life and everyone is enjoying drinks and dancing to the techno or live bands blaring music from every piazza. Blue light ornimentation hang above pedestrian streets and one can meander to all the different locales and take in all the energy and cheer that goes with this celebration.

At almost three in the morning, about twenty SAISer's departed from Bologna train station, thoroughly exhausted but wickedly happy. As we walked home, my roommate charging ahead... (full bladders do that to a person) we reflected on a truly wonderful way to spend the Saturday evening after the start of a new semester. I am proud to say many of us were up and at 'em this morning, hitting the perpetual books... also proud to say many of us also spent the evening at Tracy and Daniel's having dinner together and remembering not to take ourselves too seriously.

B