When in Rome…
While studying and living here in Rome, we are expected to adopt to the Italian schedule and way of life, truly living as the Romans do! My typical week day goes something like this: my alarm goes off at 7 a.m., I get out of bed sometime within the following half hour, and then I traipse into the kitchen to get a bite to eat. There I find the breakfast my host mom has set out for me. Italians usually just have coffee and a sweet bread/ pastry for breakfast, but we get a little more than that provided for us by the program since Americans tend to be used to bigger breakfasts. So, my usual Italian breakfast spread consists of orange juice, coffee (really dark Italian coffee), cereal w/ fruit and milk, a plate of sweet breads and cookies, and fruit. My host mom sets placemats and table settings along with all the food on the table for my roommate and me every morning (I feel kind of spoiled!).
After eating, I wash my dishes and then wait for a chance to use the shower (when my host mom and brother have finished in the bathroom). After tackling the European-style shower, I get dressed and get my bag together to head to school. My roommate and I walk down our street to a bus stop, where we catch the #2 tram. That takes us to La Piazza del Popolo, from which we walk to school. The whole commute takes about 30 – 40 minutes.
If it’s a Tuesday or Thursday, I have class from 9 am – 12:30 pm (with a coffee break partway through). If I don’t have morning class, I usually come to school a little later, and then just do homework or work on my laptop (since the only place I have internet access is on the wireless network at my school). Some mornings I’ll do a little work at home or shop or wander around town before heading to school. From about noon to 4:00 pm, we have lunch break, during which time I either get together with friends to go to a café or restaurant, or grab some food to go or some groceries to eat at the school for lunch (to save time and money). I then usually hang out or do my Italian homework before Italian class at 4:00.
Our intensive Italian classes goes for three hours (Monday thru Friday) until 7:00 p.m., with a coffee break halfway through, although it’s more of a gelato break for most of us students. After class, we commute back home via tram #2. My roommate and I arrive at our apartment to the greeting of Cristina and Rudulfo, our host mom and brother. If the table hasn’t been set, we help with that, and then usually eat within an hour of our arrival home (so dinner’s around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. which is interesting to get used to!).
We eat dinner in the traditional Italian style, consisting of four to five courses (and lasting a solid hour or more)! We usually start with a pasta or risotto dish, then have a cheese/frittata/meat/fish dish (she always changes it up), then salad or caprese, next fruit, and sometimes dessert in addition to the fruit. Some nights we finish with naci liquor, which is an alcohol our host mom’s friend makes homemade from walnuts, and is apparently good for the digestion. After we stuff ourselves at the encouragement of Cristina: “Mangiate! Mangiate!” (Eat! Eat!), we attempt to haul ourselves into our rooms to do some homework or reading before falling asleep. And therein ends my typical Italian week day!
|
