February 15th, 2015: Madrid, Spain (exploring Rome with Chiara)

Anne and I in front of La Puerta de Alcala

Classes are going well; most of my classes consist of group projects which is nice. I’m working with students from a variety of backgrounds. Very much like the environment in Italy the students and professors are very relaxed and usually arrive a little late to meetings. In one of my group projects we have had some problems. The group consists of three American students and two students from the University. The main problem we are having is that the two JCU students are not rechecking their work nor are they punctuating properly or using proper citation formatting. This has resulted in the rest of the group having to rewrite their sections. We spoke to them about it this week, hopefully things get better.

El Oso y el Madrono 

This past weekend two of my roommates and I went to Madrid. So far it has been one of my favorite places. It was so nice to hear people speaking a language that I understand. Even though I speak Spanish I did encounter some minor communication barriers. The Spanish dialect spoken in Madrid is very different from the Spanish I know. Spaniard Spanish uses different words for some things compared to the Spanish spoken by Mexicans. For example the word juice in Spain is “Zumos” whereas the word I learned for juice in Spanish is “Jugos”. So minor difference like this cause minor communication barriers, but overall it was very easy to talk to everyone. Someone instantly recognized my accent and said I had an impeccable Mexican accent, which is flattering since my Spanish is not as good as it used to be.

Sitting at El Parque de El Retiro

While we were in Madrid we walked around everywhere, visited major monuments, and also visited a museum called Museo Arqueologico Nacional. While walking around Madrid we found a Mexican restaurant with amazing food. I was beyond excited, because I had been looking for a Mexican food restaurant in Rome and have not been able to find one. It was nice to have food similar to that at home.
Things that I learned this week:

1. Communication is important when working in an international group
2. Spaniards don’t have a dramatic lisp like shown on television
3. There are still communication barriers even when you know the same language due to different dialects
4. I want to explore more of Spain 

February 8th, 2015: Paris, France

     

At the Lourve

       Although I got over whatever throat infection I had last week after returning from Dublin it seems that I have a cold. So this is my second week being sick, I really wish I would have brought some medicine from home. I’m glad that the pharmacists here are very patient and helpful even though I don’t speak any Italian. Being sick for two weeks in a row has made it difficult for me to focus on anything, I’ve just been constantly tired. On the bright side two of my roommates and I decided to go to Paris despite the Charlie Hebdo shooting in early January. Many of the study abroad students are avoiding the Paris right now since the attack was so recent, but we felt confident enough to go.

The Eiffel Tower

While in Paris we visited the Eiffel Tower, the Arc De Triomphe, the Lourve, and Notre Dame. It was definitely a lot easier to get around in Paris since they have a great subway system. There was much more of a communication barrier for me there than in Rome, but overall it seems like a lot of people in the major tourists area know English and are willing to work with you as long as you make an effort. I’ve heard many people say that the French are rude especially to Americans, but I didn’t find that to be true. Everyone I met or spoke to was very nice and welcoming. I even thought people seemed nicer than in Italy. Overall the trip to Paris was okay. I was a little underwhelmed by Paris, I thought it was going to be a very romantic city filled with people. I think it’s just that we visited during the off season. The good thing was that we did not have to wait in long lines for anything.

In front of the Mona Lisa

Things that I learned this week:

1. Find out who you travel well with and don’t be disappointed if you don’t travel well with everyone
2. Know that it is okay to split up, that way everyone gets to see what they want
3. The stereotype that French people are rude is nowhere near true
4. Buy more Macaroons than you think you’ll want 
5. Paris’ subway system is very helpful
6. Buy all day passes or 2 day passes for the subway system (its more cost effective)
7. The Mona Lisa is very tiny (that is true)

Dublin, Ireland: February 1st 2015

I have decided to share my journal entries from when I was studying abroad. These entries will include things that I did while I was abroad as well as things I learned from the places I visited. This first one is from Dublin, Ireland. 

Cliffs of Moher

This past week has been a major struggle. I went to the school nurse on Monday because this past weekend I felt awful. When I went to visit the nurse the line was ridiculously long, everyone is waiting to get a physical to use the gym. After waiting for about 3 hours I got in. The nurse looked at my throat and told me I had some sort of throat infection. I asked if I had strep throat (I had been googling what it could be) and she responded “I don’t know what you have, it could be strep throat, but I don’t know. Take this medicine and if you done feel better in 3 days come back.” I left the doctor’s office feeling so helpless. When I picked up my medicine I had no idea what I was taking and couldn’t read the labels. I spent the rest of the week going to class and coming back straight to bed to get some rest. By the time Friday rolled around I felt a lot better. It has been really frustrating not knowing what was wrong, but I’m glad whatever antibiotics I took worked.

Cliffs of Moher 

We spent this past weekend in Dublin, Ireland. It was such an amazing experience! Getting there was a whole other story. I now know why the flights were so cheap, you get what you paid for. The lines waiting to board were not even lines, you board outside, and the plane felt like it was going to fall apart. Once we landed everyone clapped, it caught me off guard, but I was happy to be back on the ground. For some reason all of us thought that Ireland used the pound, so when we got there and one of us took out money we were very surprised to get Euros. Aside from the flight over, the Ireland trip was a success. We took a day tour to visit the Cliffs of Moher and other sights around Ireland. The following day we took a tour of the Guinness Factory which was so much fun!

First Guinness Beer in Ireland

Things that I have learned this week:

1. Being sick in a foreign country is difficult
2. Be prepared and bring medicine and vitamins 
3. People in Ireland are very nice
4. Brace yourself for RyanAir flights
5. Still not used to Italian Taxi Drivers
6. Everyone claps when your flight lands
7. Ireland does not use Pounds they use Euros
8. Bring flip-flops for hostel showers
9. Hostels are not as bad as movies make them out to be 
10. Ireland is beautiful 

Studying Abroad In Rome

Colosseum

       This past Spring semester I was fortunate enough to have studied abroad in Rome, Italy. Although this was not my first choice when I decided to study abroad (Paris was my first choice) I am so glad that I decided to go to Rome. It was such a great experience and I would recommend studying abroad to anyone that gets the chance to do so. It will definitely be worth any extra loans you need to take out. 

Altare della Patria: Rome in the quiet hours of the morning

         I must admit when I first got to Rome I was a little skeptical and I was definitely questioning my decision, but after having some time to reflect on this experience it has definitely been one of the most exciting things I have done so far.  I got the chance to spend four months in such an amazing and beautiful city surrounded by history. On top of that I enjoyed amazing food everyday. I mean pizza everyday?! Can it get any better than that? It got to the point that the everyone in the small pizza shop knew who I was and what I was going to order. Aside from the amazing food and beautiful scenery I met one of my best friends while I was studying abroad and learned a lot about myself. I learned how to enjoy my own company, overcome communication barriers, how to manage money, and how to deal with the unexpected.  

View of Vatican City through a Key hole

         Although I was ready to come home when it came time to leave Italy, I did not know what to expect. The first few days back in the United States felt strange. Even though I have lived here my whole life, I felt like a stranger. When I heard people around me speaking English it felt like a foreign language, I had gotten so accustomed to hearing Italian everywhere I went. As the months went by, I adjusted to life back in the United States, but when I finally adjusted I began to miss Italy. I missed the beautiful Italian language, the historic cites, the relaxed lifestyle, and the sound of the accordion everywhere I went. It was like being in a romance movie all the time! Needless to say being back at RIT and trying to do work has been a challenge. 

Sitting in front of the Spanish steps in Rome 

        I recently found this video of Rome and it perfectly captures the beauty of the city (as perfect as you can get without being there).

R O M A from Oliver Astrologo on Vimeo.

I cannot wait to go back and visit Italy!  

Lasagna Recipe

This past weekend I made some Lasagna for a couple of friends and one of them gave me the idea to create a info-graphic. So I decided to make an easy guide on how to cook lasagna and stuff your face! Enjoy!