The end of 2008...

Well, after a week of vacation, I'm back working in the portineria. I can't help but think about what a memorable Christmas season it was. It's funny, looking back to last Christmas, I would have never guessed I would be spending Christmas 2008 in Italy. Goes to show that when you try to speculate the future, there are always surprises lying in store. What's next year? Iraq? This was the first time in my 23 years that I spent Christmas outside of home (and outside of the United States for that matter). I was far from alone this Holiday season, though. First of all, I had the people here in Rome: Friends at Sant'Anselmo and people I've met along the way. On top of that, my Dad and his wife, Donna, came along for 8 days over the Holiday. We had an awesome time. Let's recap:

Monday, Dec. 22nd: Tour Around Roma
I met my Dad and Donna at their hotel. Although they were jet-lagged and tired, I showed them around Rome. We walked a lot (you'll get that impression by the end of this re-cap). First, we walked by the Roman Forum and the Colloseum, then along the Tiber River to the Vatican. We strolled around St. Peter's square and went into the Basilica. After that, we took the Metro subway to the Piazza di Spagna (aka the Spanish Steps) where there was an outdoor Christmas concert going on with children singing in both Italian and English. We stayed for a couple of songs, then made our way over to the Trevi Fountain. I took pictures of my Dad and Donna throwing coins in for good luck. We had some authentic Italian pizza and vino, then walked back to their hotel near Termini. They needed to recharge their batteries for the next day. We never really got lost that night, but that would soon change...

Tuesday, Dec. 23rd: Ancient Rome
After meeting Dad and Donna in the morning at their hotel (they slept like babies), we made our way over to the Roman Forum again, except this time we went in and toured around. The Roman Forum is awesome and the best vision of what's left of the ancient city 2000 years ago. Then we toured the ancient Palatino (palatine aka royal palace). We hit the Colloseum next, going inside and walking around the ancient gladiator arena. We then walked by the Circo Massimo (my Dad's a big Ben Hur fan) and I showed them around Central Rome where we ate a late lunch by the Pantheon. We capped off the night at the Campo dei Fiori where we met up with some of my friends and had some vino.

Wednesday, Dec. 24th: Mass, Christmas Carols, and more Mass
I let my Dad and Donna sleep-in today. I met them at their hotel at 3:00 pm. We were planning on grabbing an early dinner and then going to a Christmas mass in English at 6:00 pm. A friend of mine who I had met here in Rome, Todd from Australia, joined us. He needed a family on Christmas, of course. Another friend of mine from Australia, Paul who is a student at Sant'Anselmo, was singing at the Christmas mass, so we had to check it out and get our Christmas Carols' fix for the year. We got on the wrong bus heading over towards the church, but thanks to the patience of my Dad and Donna, I finally got us all to a restaurant where we had a great meal, then to the church for mass. After mass ended at about 8:00pm, we headed over to St. Peter's square to stand in line for the midnight mass with the Pope. Did I mention I got tickets? Lukas, my German comrade, was already holding a place in line for us. What a saint. They started letting people in at about 10:30 pm. We found some seats about halfway back from the main altar (St. Peter's Basillica is massive), and settled in until mass started at midnight. It was a pretty interesting Christmas mass. Many parts of the mass were in Latin, but the readings and such were in a wide variety of languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and more). The homily was in Italian. It was really cool. The mass ended at 2:00am. It was th first time I had ever gone to more than one mass on Christmas, let alone in one day. Lukas and I hopped in a cab and Dad and Donna decided to walk back to their hotel (all the way across town!). I was hesitant to let them do it, but they insisted. Map in hand, they treked back to their hotel. They made it.

Thursday, Dec. 25th: The Meal of All Meals
Dad and Donna met me at the Metro stop near Sant'Anselmo. We walked up the Aventino Hill to the university and had a small little Christmas pre-game in my room. Nothing crazy. We listened to Christmas music and I opened a few gifts. Then, at 1:00, it was time for pranzo (lunch). This was no ordinary meal for the faint-of-heart. This was the mega meal of all meals - The Big Kahuna. Before the meal began, we had an apperitivo (pre-dinner drink of champagne, gin and tonics, etc.). We stood around in the refectory, chatted in many languages, and I was able to introduce my Dad and Donna to the friends I had met since being here. Then, we settled down at the table and ate food for an hour and a half, probably longer:

Starter Course: Various cheeses, thinly sliced meets, artichokes, and olives. Also, there was this delicious fried dough I couldn't get enough of.
First Plate: Two kinds of pasta (I had both). One was a spaghetti with pesto and the other was a canneloni dish (long thick rolled pasta stuffed with cheeses) with marinara. Insanely good!
Second Plate: The biggest hunk of meat I've ever had in my life. An Italian version of a midwest steak. Seasoned Potatoes as a side.
Dulce (Dessert). Two kinds of cake, can't remember what they're called but both were phenomenal.

After Pranzo, we stood around again for a half hour drinking post-meal liqueurs and caffe. People broke out into Christmas Carols and we all laughed constantly while talking. Then my Dad and Donna showed me their wedding video in my room (since I couldn't be there) from last September. I walked my Dad and Donna down to the Metro stop and planned to meet them in the morning. We all vowed to never eat again...

Friday, Dec. 26th: Picasso and Exploring
It was a rainy day, so we decided to hit an art exhibit nearby. The exhibit was exclusively Picasso and it was incredible! It inspired me to a whole new level. Then we had lunch by the Pantheon again...yeah we were finally hungry 24 hours post-Christmas pranzo. Next, we went back to St. Peter's Basillica, then walked to the Villa Borguese which is a big park in the norther part of Rome. We caught a Metro from the Spanish Steps down to my neck of the woods in an attempt to find a place with good vino and Italian food. However, there is apparently this British/Australian holiday called Boxing Day that the Italians must celebrate. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas and things kind of just shut down for a day. We walked around for about two miles before finally finding a good Italian restaurant in Trastevere. I might have gotten us lost. We almost ate at this Indian restaurant, but my Dad put his foot down. The Italian restaurant was hoppin' at the end of the night and we left happy.

Saturday, Dec. 27th: Firenze aka Florence
Dad, Donna, and I all met at the train station to make our excursion to Florence. We bought the cheap tickets (not the Express) and after four unnecessary hours, we arrived in Florence. It was a lot colder in Florence than Rome. Florence is farther north and sits on higher elevation. I could feel my ears pop as we were in the train traveling. I had been to Florence before, so I was able to guide us a little bit. We spent the day in Florence walking around, going in churches, buildings, exploring piazzas and markets, and hanging out by the Arno River. We had a nice dinner then headed to the train station at 8:00 pm to head back to Rome. We took the express train and were back in less than two hours. It was a bold move, but we did it.

Sunday, Dec. 28th: Market and revisiting favorite sites
I took my Dad and Donna to the big Sunday morning market today. It's a market stretching for more than half a mile with everything you could possibly think of to purchase (clothes, electronics, crap, and more crap). It's quality crap, though. I've bought a nice running watch for 3 euro and a hoody sweatshirt for 10. Solid. Then we walked around the center of the city and hit some of our favorite sites: Piazza Navona, the Pantheon (not the Parthenon, Dad), Trevi Fountain, and more. Good day to take it all in again. We ate at an Irish pub that night...for the second time! I had forgotten what an American steak tasted like. It still tasted Italian.

Monday, Dec. 29th: The Final Day
There was still one, correction, TWO important things Dad and Donna hadn't yet seen in Rome: The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Today was the day to do it and it would be the perfect final day activity. The Sistine Chapel is probably one of my more favorite things to see in Rome. Word's can't describe. So, we waited in line for an hour and got in to the museums. After spending a couple of hours walking through the museums, it culminates with the Sistine Chapel. We spent some time in La Cappella Sistina and soaked it all in. Even after the third time I've been there, it still amazes me. We grabbed a quick caffe and dulce, then Dad and Donna went back to their hotel to organize things for their departure. I went back to Sant'Anselmo for a quick nap and shower. We met up again at 7:30 pm for dinner. Some friends of mine joined us at this Chinese restaurant with an Italian twist. Great food. We then headed over to Campo dei Fiori and enjoyed some Italian cigars and vino. First time I had ever had a cigar with my Pops. After some good conversation and a lot of laughs, I walked my Dad and Donna to the bus stop that would get them back to their hotel. We said our goodbyes and I promised to give them an in-depth blog post after such a great week. Ecco. Thanks for a great week, Dad and Donna. It went by way too fast!

So, now I'm back to my routine, which is good. Work will begin again and I couldn't be more excited for the next six months I still have in Rome. I sit here, on the last day of 2008 thinking about all that's led me here. Wow, what a ride. Here's to all of you readers out there. I miss you all and wish you the best in 2009!

Much love,

Brady

Immagini da Spagna e Buon Natale!

Woah, it's been over a month since I last updated this bad boy. This is not because there has been nothing new to report. The main reason I haven't updated lately is because my computer is ungodly slow when uploading images. I'm just going to be patient with it today and give it an update before Christmas. Ho pazienza adesso.

So, first thing's first: At the end of November, I traveled to Madrid, Spain for four days to visit a couple of friends. One friend is studying Spanish there for the semester and the other was visiting as well from the States. It was the first time I had traveled outside of Italy since arriving to Europe last August. Madrid was awesome! In comparing it to Rome, I definitely think Rome has a lot more to see and experience. The history here in Rome spans much farther back. But even though there is more to see and do in Rome, the nightlife of Madrid was second to none...feel free to draw your own conclusions.

During one day, I took a 3.5 hour walking tour (for free!) around Madrid one afternoon and saw a lot of cool things: churches (that used to be burlesque houses), palaces, famous statues and plazas, and places of executions during the Spanish inquisition. The one complaint about the tour...the weather was bad. It was rainy and windy the entire time, yet it was still worth it! Pics from the trip below:

A place where a ton of drummers play every Sunday night, people sit around enjoying the beats while drinking Spanish wine.

The big Christmas tree getting Madrid ready for Navidad.


A famous bear statue at "El Sol." It's said that the berries from the tree he's eating are a potent aphrodisiac...used to make a fine wine. It would have been interesting to buy some...

The Royal Palace of the Monarchy

Notice the lovely weather...

I got lost, so I had to get in my map. Always been a visual learner.

One of the oldest parts of Madrid...the wall located in the lower portion

After returning from Madrid, I went back to work doing the usual: working outside in the morning and in the portineria in the afternoons. We installed a path in the gardens here that leads down the big olive tree hill I had mentioned in a previous blog post. We installed this stradina (little road) so that we could bring gardening tools and the lawn mower down there (the massive staircase wouldn't work so well). This was a fun project. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures at this time. Hopefully soon!

Then, just last week, the friends who I visited in Madrid came by Rome for a three day visit. It was fun being the tour guide. And next week, my dad and his wife are coming for a visit, so I got some nice practice in showing people around Rome. I'm excited to have some family here for the first time since coming here and showing them my life for the last five months.

I probably won't make another post until after the New Year. So, I wish everybody a Buon Natale (Merry Christmas) and an awesome Nuovo Anno (New Year)! Here's to 2009...the best year yet! Salute!

Coming soon:
Trip to Germany, January 2009

Ciao amici,

BK

Sant'Anselmo Demographics and Chainsaw Skills

Sant'Anselmo is truly a remarkable institution. There is such a diverse population of people from around the globe living here. As I've said before, one can see the world while sitting in the refectory eating a meal or walking around the main cloister. I thought I would analyze the data to let you all see how diverse a global community there is here.

The following is a breakdown of the number of people (students, faculty, staff, volunteers, etc.) who live here according to their countries of origin:

Argentina: 1
Armenia: 1
Australia: 1
Austria: 1
Belarus: 1
Benin: 1
Brazil: 3
China: 3
Congo: 2
Croatia: 1
Egypt: 1
France: 5
Germany: 8
Hungary: 2
India: 6
Iraq: 1
Ireland: 2
Italy: 7
Japan: 1
Kenya: 1
Lebanon: 3
Macedonia: 1
Mexico: 1
Nigeria: 3
Philippines: 2
Romania: 2
Senegal: 1
Slovakia: 1
South Korea: 5
Spain: 6
Switzerland: 1
Syria: 1
Tanzania: 4
Ukraine: 1
UK: 5
USA: 16
Venezuela: 2
Vietnam: 2

Total Residents: 115

It wasn't until I received the 2008-09 edition of the Collegio Sant'Anselmo facebook directory that I was able to see all of this. I knew we represented a lot of countries here, but it is pretty neat to see it all laid out in numbers. Keep in mind that these numbers represent only the people living here. There are other students, faculty, and staff who live elsewhere but still attend classes and work here.

In other news, work has been a bit wet lately. It's been raining almost every other day for the past couple of weeks here. There is sunshine and great temperatures one day then the next is forceful winds and lightning of the likes I've never seen before. It's kept the grass wet and work soggy, but still enjoyable. I am still working outside every morning mowing the lawns and doing my best to help keep this place beautiful. Lately, though, I've been using the killer chainsaw! Here's why: Sant'Anselmo sits on a high hill in Rome called the Aventino. There is a long cobblestone staircase that allows one passage to the street below. I mean it's really long with a bench halfway up for a quick rest for those who may be short of breath. In the vicinity of the staircase sits a ton of olive trees that tower high above the street and provide shade and shelter for the long staircase.

Here are the olive trees in the upper portion of the picture. The staircase begins where that building is to the left. The stairs wind down to the Via Marmorata down the hill.

These trees get cluttered every couple of years and it is necessary to cut some of the branches off to allow more sunlight to reach more of the trees, so that's where I've come in lately. It's fun cutting with the chainsaw; however, it's when I lug the branches up the massive staircase that things are a little less enjoyable. On the upside, it gives me a nice workout. I must have made 30 trips up and down that staircase today hauling logs and branches. There are olives all over the stairs now. I'll probably have to clean that up later. Hope nobody slips on an olive in the meantime.

Here are a couple of pics of me finally reaching manhood:



So, that is in the morning. In the afternoons I work inside in the Portineria or the Front Desk at Sant'Anselmo. I'm being baptized with fire into learning Italian through working here. Lately, I've been learning Italian faster than initially anticipated so I am content. However, here have been my most common responses to the people who come up to the desk or call on the phone seeking answers:

Non lo so = I don't know
Mi dispiace = I'm sorry
I don't understand = Non capisco
One moment please = Un momento per favore
Please repeat = Ripete per favore
Excuse me? = Mi scusi?
I don't speak Italian very well = Non parlo italiano molto benne

The good news is that there is always someone closeby to help me if I am truly at a loss for words. And most of the time, working there is pretty relaxing. My Italian is getting better, I feel. I don't know who said it, but I hope they were right when they said it can only get better from here. There was also someone who said things need to get worse before they get better. Hope that's not the case! I'll try to get a picture of the portineria up here sometime soon. Try not to stay on the edge of your seats for that one. Until then, keep on truckin'.

Salute,

Brady

I almost forgot!

Okay folks, I had forgotten to post this until now. About a month ago, during the Congress of Abbots, I was able to attend a private papal audience and saw the Papa himself, Pope Benedict XVI. I was sitting in the way back of the room and the Pope is a smaller man than I had anticipated, so I could just see the top of his little hat that he wears, but I snapped one picture. You can't really see much, but that is the Pope.

That's him in the white, I promise. Best pic I could get.


This all took place at his summer vacation home Castel Gandolfo, just outside of Rome. Not too shabby a place to have a vacanza...

And some Swiss Guards. I can't help it, but I always chuckle at the uniforms. Props to Michelangelo for the design.

In Italian, the Pope is called "Il Papa," but I kept referring to him as "La Papa" by accident. There are two definitive articles in Italian as opposed to just using "the" in English and depending on the article, the word's meaning can change dramatically to denote masculinity (il) and femininity (la). For instance, "La Papa" means something like "The Potato". Whoops, won't happen again. It's "Il Papa"...the Pope, not Potato. That's it for now. Have a good one.

Firenze, Orientamento, e Nuovi Studenti

What's new? After the end of the Abbot's Congress, I returned to working on the grounds around Sant'Anselmo. The mornings here have become quite nice as the weather started cooling down. I still wear shorts when mowing the lawns and working in the garden. People make fun of me. It has always been my opinion that mowing a lawn can be a work of art. I like to think that the residents here enjoy my straight lines in the grass when I mow. Perfetto. Maybe after my completion of service for the BVC I should start my own lawn service. Something to think about. Besides working on the grounds, I am a server for meals now during pranzo (lunch) and cena (dinner). This reminds me of my days as a waiter at Old Chicago, the only exception being that I can't sign people up for the World Beer Tour here. I enjoy it though. Beginning in November sometime, I am probably going to begin working in the portineria (front desk). The reason for waiting until November is that I need to get my Italian up-to-snuff. Crunch time. I am now at the level of a 4-year old, piu o meno.

I was able to travel to Florence or Firenze, in Italian, this past weekend. It was awesome. Here are some pictures:

Piazza at the Cathedral


pondering life


Okay, this was the highlight of the trip. Climbing to the top of il duomo of the cathedral and looking at the entire city.


anche questo


e nuovamente

Prego. It was quite incredible to be up there. After coming back from Florence, the new students began arriving one-by-one. The new academic year kicked off today. It is pretty neat to sit in the refectory during a meal and look around at how diverse a global population there is here. There are so many countries being represented at Sant'Anselmo. You truly see the whole world during a meal. Being able to meet some of them has been really interesting. Along with the new students there comes a new and positive energy. I had the privilege to join many of them for the orientation activities this past week. One highlight of the orientation last week was going to Subiaco where St. Benedict established his first monastery in the mountains some 1500 years ago. I was honored to get the opportunity to go. The natural beauty of Subiaco was phenomenal. See below.

The cave where Benedict lived

Subiaco was definitely a highlight. Other than that, I am still enjoying very much being in Rome. I discover something new about my time here everyday, both internally and externally. I find that vespers with the community in the evening before dinner is the best time for me to slow-down and reflect about the day.

In short, goals for the future: improve my Italian (a lot), continue to meet new people, challenge myself, explore, and that's good enough for now. I will try to update this blog more often than I have been, even if it's something short and quick. In the meantime, be excellent to eachother.

Nuove Immagini!

A shot of the River Tevere at night.

View from the tower at Sant'Anselmo. The taller white building is the Vittoriano in the Piazza Venezia in Central Rome, about a 10 minute walk from where I live.

A Swiss Guard standing watch at the Vatican. They literally do not move.

Lukas (black shirt) and some friends from Italian class at the Campo dei Fiori. Lukas is the other volunteer here at Sant'Anselmo for the year from Germany.

This is a posed picture of me throwing a coin in at la Fontana di Trevi. I really did throw a coin in before this was taken. Legend has it that throwing a coin into the fountain brings good luck and ensures a visit back to Rome in the future. Sweet.

River Tevere with the Castel Sant'Angelo in the background. I've run to the castle a few times from Sant'Anselmo along the river. Really neat.

A new stage and stepping out of the comfort zone

It's 11:11pm in Rome right now. I tried to go to bed an hour ago as I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. However, I cannot sleep. This time the inability to fall asleep has nothing to do with the incredible heat of my room or the flies that occupy it (I have to keep the window open). Rather, it has something to do with a newfound sense of purpose, excitement, and the inability to shut it off for 8 hours. So, it's time for another update.

I have now been at Sant'Anselmo for one month. The time really is flying by. Although I am beginning to feel more and more at home here, I STILL cannot believe that I actually live here. The purpose of this blog is three-fold: A) Tell you what I'm currently up to; B) Explain how things have changed since the last post; and C) Attempt to offer a glimpse of what all of this means to me at the moment. So, here goes...

A) What I'm up to: Last Friday was my final day of Italian class at Dilit Language school. The last four weeks have been very intense in the classroom as I went from practically zero Italian to now having a basic knowledge. I must make clear that this "basic" knowledge is very primitive and lacks little if any sophistication. The good thing to keep in mind is that it will only get better from here on out...one can only hope. So, having my afternoons free now, my job description is now changing quite a bit. I will continue working on the grounds, for the time being, as well as working behind the scenes for the Congress of Abbots that is currently going on here for the next 10 days.

B) What has changed with me: I now understand why the people here at Sant'Anselmo tell me to "stay flexible." This has nothing to do with stretching or calisthetics in the morning in order to develop vigor before work. Instead, I'm finding out more and more the necessity to stustain mental flexibility because, starting today, every day will be different for a while. This week begins the Congress of the Abbots which is hosted every four years at Sant'Anselmo. I am not entirely sure of the details of the Congress, but about 250 Abbots from monasteries all over the world will be arriving at Sant'Anselmo these next few days for the Congress. Today was jam-packed full of excitement! I spent today preparing documents, attending a couple of meetings, greeting the incoming Abbots, showing some of them to their rooms (many of whom I couldn't understand a word they said...and probably vice versa), and washing dishes after dinner this evening. Tomorrow, I will do this all over again, but maybe in a different order, maybe something entirely different, probably the latter, I am not really sure. All I know is I better stretch after my run in the morning...

C) What does this all mean? Well, to put it as simply as I can, it means that just when I think I have a routine in life, things can quickly change directions and all I can do is go with it, stay enthusiastic, and enjoy it along the way. I've known this reality in life before, yet I constantly forget all about it when I get into a routine. The first four weeks I was here, I had a routine and it was nice. Yet, that is not why I applied to the BVC and it's not why I came here. I came to Rome to challenge myself, try something new, step out of my comfort zone, and learn a thing or two about myself and this big unique world. So, for me, these new challenges really force me to step out of my comfort zone. Back home, in the United States (both in Omaha and CSB/SJU), I was around people whom I knew, a language I used freely and easily, and I usually had a routine. I come to Rome knowing nearly nobody, though I'm quickly making friends (the people here are so welcoming), and trying to speak a language I've just learned to people I've recently met. There have been a few uneasy moments where I've questioned "Why am I here?" Yet, each new day brings more and more reassurance that this is where I need to be right now. That through this experience I'm going to continue searching and figuring out the person I'm suppose to be. Maybe not, but I do know that the only way it COULD happen is for me to continue feeling a little uncomfortable every day and experience an element of "how do I get through this?" I know there are people here working WAY harder than me, so I'll keep that in mind. All I can do is continue to make it my goal to try my best, be honest with myself, seek new challenges, and hopefully grow in the process.

Writing this has made me a little tired, so I think I'll hit the hay.

More pictures coming very soon (maybe some artwork too)...

I can't believe I live here...

Being that I've now been in Rome for almost two weeks, I think it's sufficient to give my first update on what's been happening since I journeyed to this incredible city. On Tuesday, August 19th, after 12 hours of traveling, I arrived at the airport in Rome. I didn't sleep a wink on the plane because I was so excited I could barely sit still. I watched a couple movies, read a little, but my mind wandered constantly towards thoughts of excitement about the unknown of the upcoming year. Sleeping was impossible. Arriving in Rome, I was greeted by Michael and William, two monks from Saint John's who are currently working at Sant'Anselmo - the monastery/university where I will call home for the next year. That's part of the deal with the SJBVC, I work and volunteer at Sant'Anselmo and I am able to live with the community here. Pretty nice gig so far. So, in transit from the airport to Sant'Anselmo, Michael asks me if it would be okay for me to start my Italian class that afternoon. I was incredibly eager to start learning Italian as I knew that would be the initial barrier to overcome in living here. So, I forgot about the jet lag for the time being and started getting excited...yet again.

After unpacking and settling into my new room, I took the 5 minute subway ride to the center of Rome where Dilit, the international language school, is located. It was a bit overwhelming the first day in trying to keep up with the teacher (she only speaks Italian in the classroom) but the exciting demeanor of the other students kept me interested. The class has been phenomenal so far. I have just completed Week Two of the Level One program and already my Italian is vastly improving (which isn't saying much being that I had zero Italian prior to coming here). Although I would not say it is very good, my Italian is at a state where I can survive in the city, ask people for directions, greet and dismiss myself, etc. One of the most interesting components of the Italian class is that I am the only U.S. American out of about 16 people in the class. In class, I have met people from Sweden, Holland, Brazil, Yemen, Australia, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Canada. In just one short week, I have met more people from different countries than I have met in my entire life before this. It is truly remarkable to meet people from all over the world and the even more amazing thing is that many of us share so much in common. In the evenings after dinner, I have been meeting up with them to explore Rome. I am thankful that I have been able to find some good friends so quickly since arriving here. They all speak English pretty well too, which is nice for me...for now.

Italian class makes up about 3 hours of my afternoon. In the mornings I am working at Sant'Anselmo, primarily outside on the grounds. I wake up at about 7:00 every morning Monday through Friday. I go for a quick run, shower, eat breakfast and then start working around 8:30. So far, I have been mowing the lawns of Sant'Anselmo, weeding, sculpting/trimming bushes and shrubbery, as well as planting flowers. I am really enjoying the work so far. It gives me a chance to work outside (the weather here in the morning is awesome) and get down and dirty a little bit. I finish working before noon. The other volunteer here, Lukas, is from Germany. He is 20 years old and will be here a year also. We work together in the mornings and get along great. He was here a month before I arrived so he was pretty eager for another younger person to get here. It makes the morning go by a lot better with someone to talk to, work with, and joke around with.

After work at 1:00pm is lunch. Now lunch here in Italy is an experience. Lunch in Italy is what dinner is in the U.S. By that I mean that it is our biggest, best, and longest meal of the day. I think it's safe to say that it looks like I am not going to be starving this year. We eat well. You might not recognize me next time I see you as I'll probably be 20 pounds heavier, hence the running everyday. It would be an understatement to say that the food is great here. It exceeds greatness. It is a true Italian meal just as you would imagine it. I always need a cup of coffee or two after lunch in order to avoid dozing off in class in the afternoon.


The evenings and weekends have given me opportunities to explore Rome with Lukas, the other people from my class, as well as by myself. This city is truly one of the greatest cities in the world. I have seen so much so far and from what I hear, I've just caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg. From the Vatican, Colloseum, Circus Maximus, Pantheon, and A LOT of neat churches, castles, and monuments. I could go on, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves and even they can't do Rome justice for how great it is to experience. That's it for now. I miss everyone back home tremendously and wish you all the best in this coming year. If you get an itch to go do that Europe thing sometime this year, visitors at Sant'Anselmo are always welcome. Peace out and stay cool.

Motion

Motion #1
Oil on Canvas
Spring 2008




Motion #2
Oil on Canvas
Spring 2008

Wanted to capture motion, intensity, and determination. These will probably be the last running portraits I create for a while with drawing and painting.

Waiting

Waiting
Oil on Canvas
March 2008

This is a self portrait I've been working on over the month of March. Again, I'm learning more and more when it comes to painting with every one that I dish out. I was pleased with the perspective I used with this one. I guess I wanted to make this one ambiguous in regard to what I'm looking at, what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling. To be honest, I don't really know what was going through my head when choosing this pose. I just want to paint in the exact way that I feel right at the moment. I suppose this one can be explained in that it seems like, lately, I'm always waiting for something. When I can't make up my mind, I'm waiting. That feeling of waiting can finally kick me into gear though. I don't know what lies ahead. But I do know that sitting around waiting for it, worrying and such, that a lot of other great things can really come and go. So, in short, live in the moment, plan for today, and let it flow.

Portrait

Phil in Jupiter
Oil on Canvas
February 2008

This was a portrait I did of a classmate in Painting class. We had the task of painting a portrait of someone (besides ourselves), so I painted Phil and he painted me. This was my first time using oil paint in color so it was definitely a learning process. I experimented a lot with mixing colors for this one and using warm tones as well as cool tones in making the right pigment for human flesh. Not as easy a task as I imagined.

Why Jupiter? Well because the background looks like Jupiter and Jupiter is the name of a really good 311 song. The song is positive with a good rhythm, much as I think painting can be. Phil's a positive, upbeat dude as well, so that worked.