THUNK! or My Morning in the Pronto Soccorso

So my Monday was particularly exciting. I, as a Classics major got to do what many of my fellow major will never do: ride an ambulance through the Roman Forum.

Let me explain.

First of all: I am perfectly fine, it was not my accident.

Now, the story. My friend had been sick for the weekend (since we had dinner with a friend on Thursday night), and had therefore not been eating quite as much or as regularly as she should have been. Monday morning rolled around and we needed to be to the Roman Forum by 815 and had, thus, to leave the Residence around 730. She did not eat breakfast. By her own accounts: she felt fine until she got to the Forum around which time she felt a little dizzy, but not more than she thought a few deep breaths could calm. The next thing she knew--after things started to fade in and out--she was looking up to the sky with someone blotting the blood off of her forehead. By my accounts, she was fine until I watched her (in movie-like slow motion) fall to the ground--her forehead breaking her fall on the Forum stones. She regained consciousness, her color, and her humor within a minute of falling. But her forehead had a Harry-Potter-esque scar about her left eye. The ambulance came and I went with her (having been in Rome before, and being an old friend from back home). I walked her into the Pronto Soccorso (ER), completely calm since I have worked now for some time in a hospital myself--Thank God for that. And then waited until the director of Student Affair arrived, and we then sat together in the waiting room until my friend was released...perfectly fine is a little embarassed by the Frankenstein-style patch job the surgeon did.

Now, a few words on the Pronto Soccorso. (1) Italy has socialized health. Now, say what you will, but my friend paid not a dime for what she received: ambulance, X-Ray, CATscan, stitches, insulin (after she passed out a second time; even though she told them she was really hungry and was feeling light headed because of it, they still did not give her anything until she passed out again in the ER), nothing. Also, their first question was what is you name, and that was it. They then wheeled her in and treated her. She didn't have to wait to be questioned, the wait to be Triaged, the wait for treatment. And never was she asked for an insurance card. (2) For being an ER, it was fairly orderly, and quite clean. (3) She was a little nervous since (even with head gash) she had to play a bit of interpreter, since the doctor knew enough words of English to let her know what was going on, but not enough to really converse with her. For example, she was asked, "Is. it. possible. if you are...um...maybe, how you say? with child?" Her answer, "Wha...oh...no, I'm not pregnant, but thanks for asking." Not that any of us ever expect to have English spoken, but I know the hospital I work for has translators available since in times of crisis and trauma one usually reverts (if not voluntarily) to one's native tongue. Ah well.

Anyway, she is now fine and is having her stitches removed on Tuesday. She's a little black and blue and still has a bit of an all-over headache, but she's just fine--and in perfectly fine spirits.

Just a bit about the excitement of the last week!

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

The Beginning...

It has been a bit of an awkward start to this semester...for some reason knowing your way around a foreign city while 250 of your peers don't is more awkward than I had ever thought. But, the semester has stepped off and I couldn't be more pleased. Orientation was fun--I only had to do the fun stuff: Pizza Party, and Todi--and lead a walking tour. My classes thus far (two of four) has been great. I have two Gadeyne classes again this semester, Classical Mythology, as well as High Renaissance Art History.

There are, of course, a few downsides: There are about 35 Penn State students here. There are almost none last semester. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Penn State, per se, but I'm not thrilled with having to take classes with 35 "Public Relations" majors whose smile never leaves their faces. One of Gadeyne's classes has 35 people in it. Ugh. There are two feelings welling up inside of me: (1) As a future professor, I am overly pleased that so many people are interested in Classics (of 35, only 3 are Classics majors); (2) As a Classics student who is very passionate about the subject matter, and especially since it is with a professor I love, I resent having to have twenty Penn State "Finance" "Economics" or "Public Relations" majors who are only taking this particular course as a filler between the beer-binges they have until 4 am in the apartment right below mine in the Residence. I'm sorry, but on the evening of your first day of the new semester in a foreign country, if you're still going to a club to party 'til 5am, getting so smashed you have to call a friend to figure out where you are, or to walk you home because you're scared of the city (my roommate, with whom I have no qualms, was the nice guy who went out with some girls last night--begrudgingly--because they were afraid to go out by themselves), there is a problem. I think I'm just missing last semester when all the party kids (from Duke and Brown) whose parents had bought them houses so they didn't have to live with us commonfolk in the residence, who spent their free time talking about the fact that their trust-funds did not give out enough money per month for them to do the traveling they wanted to do therefore they would have to come back over the summer or skip next semester to do the travellling they thought they could do.

But I digress in non-flattering ways.

But this semester looks like it is shaping up to be good (at least with the people I care most about making memories with).

Updates soon...but for right now it looks like Spring Break is to Athens (again), and other parts of Greece (Thesoloniki, Delphi (to see the oracular temple), and possibly Istanbul). The only problem facing us the the continued decline of the Dollar to the Euro (it's projected to get as bad as 1.6 USD to the Euro...damn over-spending airhead in office, among other things)!! So, let's hope for a solution to that problem (already some friends of mine have decided they will be Spring Breaking in Egypt, which they don't not want to do, but which they chose solely because it doesn't use the Euro).

Oh, and here's my schedule for this semester (just in case anyone wishes to call, please add 6 hours to your time to make sure we don't conflict):
Classical Mythology: MW: 1500-1630
Ancient City/Rome: MW: 1800-1930
High Renaissance: T: 1800-1930; W: 900-1200
Late Antique/Byzantine Art: W: 1630-1800; R: 900-1200

Much Love,
RomanTraveller

p.s. In case any of you did not get my e-mail (it seems, from the many e-mails that got bounced back to me that I need to update my address book): I realized over break that I had not officially invited y'all to come visit me while here. Please, consider yourself invited; but please let me know if you are thinking of coming since three of my four classes have weekend excursions planned and I don't want to be out of town while you are here! ~RT

I'm Here!

So I am now fully moved into my room. It's even better than I had remembered. Let me explain: I requested which room I wanted (SHHHHH, I'm not sure I was supposed to do that, but I did) from the assistant to the dean. When I got to see the manager on Friday, he almost gave me another room, until I brought up that I had been told a different room (the room I'm currently in) and he responded by giving me two keys to choose which room I wanted....I love being such a good person that everyone loves helping me. So I chose...the one I originally wanted.

I am rooming with a friend of mine from main campus, which helps a bit since we were both screwed over as far as rooms/roommates last semester. It's also nice because we were both here last semester. I'm not sure who the other person is, but I figure two against one can conquer anything. Anywho, as it is, I'm alone until Tuesday when everyone moves back. Oh well, more time to do hassle-free laundry!

Talk soon, and hopefully more pictures soon!

Ciao!
RomanTraveller

MOVING DAY!

So today I officially move to the apartment that I will be in for all of next semester. There was some reason (whatever it was, I didn't really get it ) that I could not move from my old 4 person to my new 3 person right away at the beginning of break when I would only have had to move downstairs. Instead I had to move to a one person on the other side of the complex which involved two elevator rides and lugging bags across the courtyard. To top it all off, my room is smaller than most hotel rooms. But what a view I have had!

Anyway, I had wanted to move before the rest of the Temple people get here (on Tuesday...YAY, Lauren's coming!)...and was thinking of way to coax the manager (who is very business minded and therefore not always practically minded) into letting me move sometime this weekend. Anywho, he called me into the porter's loge the other day and told me he wanted me to move on Friday, completely broken-hearted I agreed ;). And now, today, I move!

YAY!

RomanTraveller