All of us are still exhausted and now people are starting to get sick. Sarcastic huzzah! We've all been grumbling about the horrible disorganization of life in Italy and the meshing of classes because we really have no idea what is happening next each day. We cannot rely on the printed schedule because it isn't accurate. The professors relay everything via word of mouth like a game of telephone. They tell two or three students who in turn have to tell two or three more students and we have to trust their authority as official. For example, this morning I woke up and asked one of my roommates when class starts and she said 10:30 because we really thought it was 10:30. It turns out it was 9:00 and the professors were waiting and no one showed up because it was a 40 minute walk to Villa Giulia. Usually we are early and the professors are late so it was a switch today. When the stragglers arrived (including myself) everyone was already drawing so we had at the most ten minutes to draw. I'm not 100% sure but I think because I'm not in the Tuesday drawing class that thankfully those sketches are not due because my actual class is sketching tomorrow somewhere else. If that sounds confusing that's because it is. I honestly don't really know what is going on...just in general.
I think we've established that even those of us who don't get homesick easily are homesick this week. That combined with actual sickness isn't much fun. I'm not technically sick yet but one of my roommates skipped today because she really doesn't feel well. I just have a sore throat and perpetual headache. Sore throats are the bane of my existence. I can just hear my mom giving her advice "you need to drink more" from somewhere across the ocean. But really, dehydration has not been fun since I've arrived in Europe.
Anywho. Here are some of the things I'm grateful for:
1. The fact that I can still drink tea here. Moldy kitchen or not, I can still boil some water, use some of the tea I brought from home, and add this amazing honey with berries in it that I found in Campo di Fiori.
2. McDonald's fries. That's right. Today after some of us left Villa Giulia we went to McDonald's and bought milkshakes and french fries from the euro menu. Those fries were the most glorious thing I have consumed since the night of the banana pancakes. Now if only we could have tacos or burritos...
3. Next semester we will be out of this studio. Previous classes have all said that it's terrible that we are moving but the people here who got to see the completed new building are convinced they said that because they are jealous. Personally I don't know because I haven't seen the new building but I'll take their word for it. I don't have anything against this building (except the moldy kitchen...I'm done talking about that now, really) but it's just exciting to me that we have something new to try out. Plus I've heard that it has COUCHES! and big terraces and you can see the Colosseum.
4. We have internet in studio again and I was able to wash clothes on Sunday.
5. The cheap classical guitar we have. I think we may need an actual capo though because I used a pen and rubber band last night and it wasn't enough to hold down those pesky nylon strings (at least the middle strings).
6. The music of The Avett Brothers. I recently discovered that a classmate likes them just as much as I do so he and I learned the riff to "One Line Wonder" last week.
7. I could go back to the hotel and take a nap right now if I really wanted. I could also fall asleep right here at my desk since it isn't studio class time and maybe people would let me sleep...they probably also wouldn't judge....or maybe they would. Doesn't matter.
8. Here's a song that sounds like it should be motivational for this week but isn't exactly.
9. I just received word that the awesome custodian here is making lunch for us on Thursday. He's a very good cook...or so I've heard and smelled. I wish there wasn't so much of a language barrier because I'd like to say something more than hello to him.
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| "I say nothing to Him, I love Him." |
It's a huge birthday month for my studio. One of my good friends has his birthday on Thursday, another is the day before mine, another is the same day as mine, and two more are slightly later in the month. They are all a year older than me, however. I have a feeling there will be a substantial celebration around the 12th when we are finished with reviews and Michael Graves leaves.
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| Yeah, I know I didn't pick a Giotto and El Greco is a Mannerist. Deal with it today. I'm feeling Greco. |
11. The incredible thunderstorms yesterday that we got soaked in. The streets turned into rivers. I also saw out of the fountain-like windows on the bus a church with roses and a St. Thérèse outside that made me even more happy.
12. It amused me for some reason that today Michael Graves was explaining something to his eleven year old son Michael Graves Jr. about graves. I also enjoyed creepin' over M.G. Sr. watching him sketch something in the museum. I also swear I saw an amphora today that I studied in a Greek Art and Architecture class that I took at CUA to fill an elective requirement. Granted I saw a lot of amphoras but I'm pretty sure I'm not crazy...at least not in this scenario.
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