Thursday, February 23, 2012

Cause we are living in a material world...

Just for a quick minute I would like to indulge my superficial side. I'm going to dedicate this post to some of my favorite things; some new, some old. The shopping here is insane, I haven't been able to indulge like I would like to, but I'm really happy with some of my new purchases. Obviously Italy is known for some of the top designer brands, leather goods, and impeccable taste. Sometimes you'll see a ridiculously beautiful man riding a mike down the street in a three piece suit and it literally takes your breath away. The same goes for women, although my personal taste is a bit more eclectic than the understated elegance that dominates here (although I've been eyeing fur coats in the outdoor markets.... I hope one day to find the perfect one.) That being said, there are about 10 'eurotrash' looking people for every one breath taker (sculpted eyebrows are no longer an indicator for my gaydar.) Still, I have to say that Rome is, overall, a very stylish city. Italians can be very brand oriented, and although he'll deny it Gino is no different. Some of the first gifts he gave me were from Gucci, and he himself is a Prada man (his shoe collection is unreal, our closet is filled with Gucci and Prada shoe boxes.) I am a firm believer in high-low dressing. While it's good to chose some pieces (bags, shoes, sunglasses, the occasional sweater) to invest in, in general my taste changes quite quickly, and to invest a large amount of money in clothes that will wear out, go out of style, or I'll simply lose interest in.

While on my University trip, some of the girls found this incredible store called 'Brandy Melville.' Although it's an American based store (locations in L.A., Hawaii, New York, as well as here in Rome,) all of the clothes are made in Italy. It's ridiculously well priced. They sell jeans, accessories, and lots of other things, but their main focus is cotton blend t-shirts and sweaters to die for. They are really reasonably prices, usually about 25-30 euros for shirts and 30-50 for sweaters. Needless to say, it's my new obsession. There are at least three locations here that I know of and it's dangerous to my pocket book. Gino gave me some money for Christmas after I got here to buy some new clothes and I spent almost all of it at Brandy. All of the fabric is really soft, and they seem to effortlessly blend style and comfort. On my next day off I'm going to go look for some new finds. Anyways, here are a couple of my favorite that I've recently acquired.

long sleeved, jersey type cotton blend

Jim Morrison vintage style tee

Cozy sweater that I can dress up slightly, or down 
The next of my favorite things are presents from Gino when he went on some business trips. The first is a drangonfly ring he bought for me in Berlin. I think it's a really original piece, and it's really grown on me since he gave it to me. I wear it pretty often but it's a little too small, and if i fiddle with it it pinches my finger. He also gave me a 'Breakfast at Tiffany' Audrey Hepburn pendant necklace from the same shop. Although it was a really thoughtful gift because he knows that's one of my favorite movies, I have yet to figure out how to wear it.


On his last business trip to Florence (he got back yesterday) he bought me my first Prada. A new wallet that is the softest leather. It feels a lot more grown up than my last wallet, and I totally love it (the understated Italian style I was talking about.)


My next new favorite things are two new pairs of boots that were also gifted to me (I'm one spoiled ginger.) They were both on sale, half price, and I've gotten a lot of use out of both of them so far. We spent a couple of hours in a big shopping center, but I was looking for something really plain and had a really hard time finding something that I loved. Finally we came across these ones. I have to say they were a major score. The black pair were down from 210 euros. They have some reall nice details like minimal silver hard wear and a leather braid around the back of the calf. The beige pair were down from 100. They're suede and are a little harder to wear, the weather here is a lot more forgiving than in Vancouver. I think they make a nice addition to the collection since for the most part I stick to safe black boots and this helps to switch it up a little, plus I left my motorcycle boots at home.


My other new favorite things have got to be our furniture. Gino has been a bachelor for so long, and moved around quite a bit, so he had pretty much nothing when I moved in. We still need to get a new bed (ours is a serious P.O.S,) but we're recently acquired two new bedside tables, a chest of drawers, and a mirror. The mirror is sitting on top of our chest of drawers and I've turned it into a quasi-vanity with some of my cosmetics, and pictures I brought from home. It took almost a month for our furniture to be delivered, even after paying 8% extra for the delivery. It finally came at the worst possible time, after a long night at work where we had a toga party. I was insanely hung over (Jim Beam.) I was a useless lump and we had to unpack, fold, and reorganize anything. Gino (who doesn't drink) was particularly unimpressed with me. But it was worth it, and has made our house feel more like a home.

A little cluttered, still have to figure out how to hang pictures on our (mostly) cement walls.


Tin decorations from Mexico, gifts from my mom.

I started using this big shell of Gino's as a place to put my jewelry when I take it off at the end of the day. 

We still desperately need some bedside lamps, and some other little things to make it a little more homey, but this is a good start.

Anyways, thank you for indulging my materialistic side, and letting me indulge in a few of my new favorite possessions. I have the day off tomorrow so hopefully I'll be able to get some more interesting material.

xx


Saturday, February 18, 2012

Tanti Auguri!


It's been almost a week since my last post since nothing much has been going on. We've had a couple large groups in the campsite, and have all been working. We've also hosted lunches for various parts of the staff over the last few days, so even on our time off we're still at the restaurant working. Gino is almost always busy with something, he is very business minded and trying to expand his empire. The other day I made a joke about how I only see the back of his head when he's running off to do something, and that I spend more time doing his laundry than with him. It was not well received. Every once and a while I think he needs to be reminded because he's so used to being on his own, and a terrible workaholic. He is literally on the campsite 7 days a week. Even when he has a day off it's not really a day off because without fail we will end up spending time there, or he'll be on the phone, answering emails and solving everyones problems. First thing in the morning when he wakes up, he checks the emails on his phone in bed, replies to messages, and generally does boss things. At times I am tempted to flush his phone down the toilet.


On a lighter note, today is his 30th birthday. Yesterday we spent most of the morning in bed (I think he was trying to make up for my complaints of never seeing him,) had some breakfast, then a nap. We went to buy his birthday present before going to the campsite so he could help with an unexpected dinner reservation for 30 people. He wanted new things for the kitchen, so I bought him an electric mixer, an electric kettle, and a new space heater since ours died (rip.) While we were in the Vatican, the tour guide made a joke about all of the presents people give the pope saying 'what do you give the man who has everything?' I responded 'Good question, my boyfriend's birthday is coming up.' Sadly I was not able to buy him the Porche he wanted, but maybe next year. Anything that I would have been able to afford and he would want he buys for himself, so the easiest solution was just to take him to the store and let him pick some things out. Today we went for lunch with our roommates in Ostia, which is a little town right on the Mediterranean. We had spanish food, then came home and I baked him a cake. It was a chocolate brownie cake with fresh strawberries on top and inside topped with whipped cream. The whole thing kind of collapsed because I was too impatient to wait for it to cool entirely before cutting it in half to fill it with strawberries, but it tasted delicious. 

Birthday Cake















Crumbling to pieces.

Birthday Cake at the campsite with all the staff

In front of a bar we went to that overlooked the Colosseum. 
I think I've made it in with the family. Gino told me that last time he went to Florence his mom was upset that I didn't come and that his parents always ask about me. I think they just want us to get married so they can have grandkids in Italy (his brother lives in Australia with his wife and daughter.)

Enough for now, I'm sitting in the kitchen noming a sausage from Gino's family's farm. We're probably going to watch an Italian movie tonight and go to bed early. Since we work in a bar, going out some times feels like work, and I'm just starting to get a cold. It's so nice to stay home and snuggle with the new heater and tea. 

xx

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The weather outside is frightful.

So for the last few days there has been a snow storm in Rome. Anyone who knows me knows that I loath snow. Coming from the west coast, we rarely have to deal with this fluffy, white, wet, cold, inconvenience. As a child, we would go up north to visit my mom's family over Christmas. The family would try to take me to do things like sledding, and I would be frozen and unprepared in my gum boots, and generally miserable. My loathing continued through my childhood as my father pushed me into winter sports. As soon as I was old enough I refused to continue. I thought that living in south Italy would save me from this, my most hated of weathers, but unfortunately this year we've already had 2 big storms.  Italy, much like Vancouver, is unprepared for this kind of weather. Everything closes, stores, restaurants, monuments (marble is too slippery.) The internet stops working, the cable stops working, and the only thing left to do is spoon the space heater and watch movies on the lap top. Since we had a couple of Top Deck groups come through, we both had to work. Gino and I had to stay at the campsite  because our driveway is really steep and he doesn't have snow tires. He also has the world's most impractical car for the snow because it's really wide and low to the ground. It's kind of fun for a couple days, but I'm definitely glad to be home, in my own bed, with my beloved space heater, and Gino cooking me dinner. :) (tonight we had artichoke quiche, burrata, fresh artichokes)

Gino on the way to our bungalow. 

Campsite covered in snow. 


We had a couple of masquerade parties for the groups that came through. Nice change from the usual toga parties since it was waaay too cold for that. To give some perspective on how crazy people get in the bar last night there was literally a girl passed out in the bathroom last night. She was on the floor of one of the stalls with her face dangerously close to the toilet bowl scrubber. I found her after the bar was closed and she must have been there for about 2 hours. She was alright, but she blacked out from not eating dinner and then drinking one of the 1.5 liter buckets.

There's also some rugby games going on, England versus Italy, so we're have some Brits staying in the campsite as well. Two of the were very entertaining, and generally nice guys. There were 6 others who were complete idiots. They came into the bar so drunk, proceeded to drink more, knock things over, make a mess from spilling beer and one even fell asleep in a chair in the restaurant. After the bar closed, one guy was standing outside in the snow, in a t-shirt, and couldn't remember how to get back to his camper. He had fallen down and was bleeding from the face and bruised. One of the bar staff had to walk him back to his caravan. This is how people die. This is my life. Usually at the toga parties girls get so drunk that they end up flashing EVERYTHING to the entire bar. Guys end up in their underwear. The more I watch people drink the less it makes me want too.

Enough of my ranting and on to the good stuff.  We went for lunch at our favorite fish place in Fiumicino. I have no idea how Gino and his friends found this place. It's a hole in the wall but the food in amazing and fresh. Since I've known him we've been there probably about 6 times together. It was actually one of our first dates. He asked me if I had ever tried ostrich, and although I thought it was kind of weird from a fish restaurant I decided to go for it. Turns out he meant oysters. ESL problems.

Usually when we go for lunch there are about 6 courses. To start there is a buffet of vegetables and various fish that have been drenched in olive oil and are prepared in different ways. Following this we usually get calamari and fried anchovies. Following this are muscles, and oysters. Then there's maybe a pasta course, maybe more muscles. Then for the main we usually have a plate of mixed grilled fish and a few sides like fries, salad, spinach and broccoli. This time we switched it up a little. We had two types of pasta instead of a main. This is usually accompanied by tanto vino bianco and finished with limoncello, lemon sorbet, espresso and the other day we had to die for panna cotta (which is my weakness and the fastest way to my heart.)

Don't be fooled by the picture, these are the size of my palm and look prehistoric. 





gnocci con vongole e funghi 



Anyways, enough for now. Going for a couple drinks in centro. XX 

Monday, February 6, 2012

Il Padrino

Living in the religious capital of the western world (at least for Christianity) has been a huge change for a young woman coming from a largely atheist country. I'm no stranger to religion, having been raised in a practicing Protestant extended family, however I would define myself more as agnostic than anything else. It's hard to claim that life in the world as we know it is anything short of a miracle, but Christianity has become so far removed from what Jesus tried to preach that it's difficult for me to relate to on many levels. Having said that I truly think that every person is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, as long as they don't try to force them upon me. Something I saw on facebook I think sums it up perfectly: 'Religion is like a penis. It's fine to have one, it's fine to be proud of it. Just don't bring it out in public and don't try to shove it down my child's throat.' I think in this case that mutual respect is integral.

It's so strange to be surrounded by religion every day. Seeing Catholic priests and nuns running around the city and living as normal people out of their natural habitat (haha like habit...) is at times surreal. The other day we went out for lunch and their was a priest with his collar unbuttoned talking on his cell phone. I realize it's totally naive to think that these people don't have lives outside their jobs, but as I mentioned before it's new for me and still sometimes makes me chuckle. Although I've never had the chance to see il Padrino himself (the pope, a joke since this translates to the godfather) I think it would be very interesting to watch one of the services in St. Peters. One day when waking up in time doesn't seem like such a chore.

All of these things aside, the majority of the most incredible art in the world was commissioned by the church and Rome is filled with art and architecture because of religious commissions so I am at least thankful for that.

Today a friend and I did a guided tour of the Vatican Gallery. As the second time I've had a tour of the gallery, and someone with a background in art, I would highly suggest hiring a guide. A lot of the small details are overlooked while going through on your own, and it can at times be quite overwhelming. Having the history and important details pointed out to you, and being able to ask questions makes a huge difference. Having said that, it is quite expensive. Because my friend has connections we paid 30 euros each for our 4 hour tour (with my university we spent 6 hours and didn't even see the whole gallery). The couple we were with paid 45 each. We were also lucky because it's the off season and their weren't that many large groups (ours was only 4.) I've been in the summer as well and it's a completely different experience. The galleries are FILLED and you shuffle through, lucky to catch a glimpse while being pushed through by the thousands flocking through behind you (an estimated 20 000 a day.) Today I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with many of the pieces. The Sistine Chapel is of course a must see (literally, you must see it to leave the gallery, it's before the exit) for many people, and is still in use by the clergy. You're not allowed to speak, or take photos, or show your shoulders (although cleavage of young girls is usually overlooked by the mostly male guards.) There are small patches that are left uncleaned on the ceiling to illustrate the difference between before and after. Apparently there are lectures in the Vatican on plans of what they're going to restore, and the process. I must at one point attend. I find this fascinating, and a very important aspect of preserving these masterpieces, a point punctuated by the difference between the dark marks and the rest of the frescoes.

Our guide was a huge history buff, she told us that in the 6 years she's been working as a guide she even comes to the Vatican on her days off. She was able to point out some of the graffiti etched in the walls of the Raphael rooms from when the Vatican was invaded by Protestant reformers in the 16th century. In her spare time she deciphered the meaning. These are the kind of things you miss on your own, and being the nerd that I am I appreciate these little details.

Without going into too much tedious detail, the gallery is filled with works from masters of the Renaissance. For me, the Vatican Gallery and St. Peter's Basillica are two of the highlights of the city. There's even a fairly large modern collection in the Borgais rooms (which have a chilling history, Lucrecia's biography is next on my list of must reads.)

Something that I will never understand is how such a conservative religion can so easily sell its soul (pun intended.) You're not allowed to wear shorts, skirts shorter than your knees, or expose your shoulders, yet you can buy a lollipop with the pope's face on it. Or for that matter a pope bobble head. Or pope on a rope soap (guess what I would wash with it...) Vatican City is like Disney Land for Catholics. It's grotesque and perfect and I love every minute of it (burqas aside.)

Apollo Belvedere 



Bacchus: the god closest to my heart.

Nero's bath, actual use mixing wine for parties. Also made of the most expensive marble in the world which no longer exists in nature. The Vatican owns the vast majority. 

Close up from a floor to ceiling tapestry from the late 16th century. It's from the masacre of the innocents, yes he is killing that baby with a spike. 

Roma! Gallery of maps.



Tile floor detailing in one of the Raphael rooms. One of the many mosaics covering the floors of the vast galleries, this one dates to the Renaissance, although some are from ancient Rome. 

In front of the original plan for St. Peter's Basillica. The finished product is quite different.

The man himself. 


XX

Sunday, February 5, 2012

I got 99 problems... and my Visa is causing most of them.

Anyone who has had to deal with Italian bureaucracy will understand these issues. And I thought getting the visa in Canada would be the hard part...

Having researched a working visa for a few months, the one that I decided to apply for is called a 'Working Holiday' (hence the title of the blog.) It's valid for 6 months, and once it expires you cannot reapply for the same visa. Having said that, it's also the most easy to obtain and through some contacts working at the Italian consulate Gino and I decided this would be my best option. I am incredibly lucky because Gino is in the position to give me a job, and write me a work contract. I think this helped immensely with the entire process. Before my arrival I took a semester of Italian lessons at UBC. Although this in no way prepared me to deal with applications and offices, it did vastly improve my conversational Italian skills and ability to understand in some situations. 

Anyways, after jumping through all of the appropriate hoops and obtaining my visa I thought I was in the clear. All I had to do was check in with the 'Questura' (for those non-Italians this is like a police station with an immigration office in it) within 8 days of arriving and request a 'permesso di soggiorno' (which after all this time I'm still not really sure what that is, apparently it helps me be able to reapply for a different visa.) Piece of cake right? WRONG. 

Having a native Italian helping me with the entire process was a god send. I realize how silly it is that I would expect anyone to be able to speak enough english to help me with this, but the people I was dealing with work in government offices that process immigration applications everyday. Also, Italian offices are open only from 8 am to 12 pm, for someone who usually works nights this is an issue. Not only that but some offices will stop taking appointments, not when they close, but when they have filled their quota for the day (number unknown, but we arrived 2 hours before one office closed and they refused to see me). Getting back to the point, we go to the Questura who has never heard of my specific visa before. She tells us that although my Canadian documents tell me specifically to go there, we're in the Wrong place and must go to the post office to get the proper forms. 

So off to the post office, which in itself would be a hilarious situation if it weren't so frustrating. There are probably 20 different tellers. When you go in the post office, there's a machine that gives you a number depending on why you're there. There are usually about 30-50 people waiting ahead of you depending on the time of day. Sometimes people give up and throw out their numbers. Without fail, almost every Italian who comes through the door will check through all of the discarded numbers to see if they can find one that will get them closer to seeing an actual person. This is typically Italian, not wanting to wait for anything. 

After getting the appropriate papers (the post office teller had also never heard of my Visa) we decided to call it a day since all of the offices would be closed anyways. The next day we start again. This continues for TEN DAYS AND TWELVE OFFICES. The most hilarious of which was when we went to this huge office on the outskirts of town that deals specifically with immigration. They had never heard of my Visa. Finally, the third person helping us has heard of it, but informs us that they don't have the forms that we need because my Visa is too new. IT HAS BEEN IN USE SINCE 2006. They also asked me why I would want to come to Rome from Canada to work in the most condescending possible tones. 'FOR LOVE, PEOPLE, but it doesn't really matter anyways because I have the visa to just give me the papers,' I wanted to say, but I refrained and simply chuckled. 

Seriously, we went all over town. We waited for hours in every possible office. We discovered that I actually needed much more than to just check in with the Questura as the consulate in Vancouver had informed me. I needed a fiscal code, I needed copies of my documents, I needed a copy of my work contract. It was so incredibly frustrating. Having been taught that usually you get more flies with honey than with vinegar, through out this whole process I tried to be a sweet and friendly as possible. THIS IS ALSO A MISTAKE. Apparently in most Italian offices they will tell you that there is no way they can help you until you start to get upset/ be rude at which point they actually help you. We finally get all of the paperwork together, find the right office with all of the appropriate forms. The man tells me (probably the 10th person) that he has never heard of my visa and that I need to get some paperwork before he can help me. By now I know the drill. I take out the forms he asked for, point to their titles. He adjusts his glasses and starts to make phone calls. He finally fills out the form that I need. I feel like hugging him and crying of joy, I restrain myself. 

Only one more step left. Back to the post office to pay for the processing of my papers, and set up my appointment! Repeat number taking, wait an hour and a half, drink three espressos while waiting. My number comes up! I have to pay the man 85 euros to process the papers. This is on top of the 150$ I paid to the consulate in Vancouver. He makes me an appointment. It's not until half way through March. My Visa expires at the end of June. 

Throughout this ordeal I had native Italians, and a gps helping me. Can you Imagine if I had tried to do this on my own? I would be back in Canada. Whenever I tell this story to an Italian they say 'Haha Welcome to Italy.' The silver lining was that while riding all around Rome on the back of a scooter in the morning, I got to smell the espresso roasting wafting through the city. Something that I might never have experienced had I not had to be up so early. Simple pleasures. 

We've come to the conclusion that I am the only person, in the history of Rome, to have had this visa. Or at least the only one to have gotten the right paperwork. 

More pictures to remind me why I'm here:








XX

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Rewind one year. As a college student thinking I had found my passion, I enrolled in a study abroad program with my favorite professor to pursue my dreams: studying art history in a place where both of these things are available in abundance: Italia. Using every charm I posses to convince my father that this would be the perfect opportunity for me (dinner, copious wine, and careful constructed arguments as to how this would better me as a person), he finally agreed to fund my studies and we signed me up for a month in Italy. This would prove to be a dangerous investment because here I am, eight months after the start of the program, living in the eternal city.

The study abroad program exceeded my expectations in every possible way. Spending personal time with my favorite professor, experiencing first hand the art I had studied (an indescribable experience) in both museums and Churches in Firenze and Roma as well as the art and architecture that lines the streets of both cities, experiencing the abundance of culture in the country and completely indulging myself for one glorious month. The people of Italy (for the most part) were warm, friendly, and happy to indulge me. I met some incredible people who I would still describe as some of my best friends. I ate everything. I almost drank the country out of wine. Oh yeah, I did some studying too.

All joking aside, as my first experience in Europe, I would not have changed a thing. I studied a lot more in depth something that I'm passionate about. And as I previously mentioned, experiencing the rich culture that the country has to offer is something that was beyond my widest dreams. Having come from the west coast of Canada (a city where our oldest building is around 150 years old) I felt I had found my place. One of the most beautiful things as an expatriot living in Rome is that the city is FILLED with history. One minute you're completely lost, the next you're stumbling across a ruin that's almost 2000 years old in the middle of the city.  Italians of course are completely oblivious to the gloriousness of their everyday surroundings, and if they do happen to notice them they are usually too sophisticated to care.

Also on this study abroad program I met my incredible boyfriend who we shall call Gino for the sake of anonymity (inside joke). He works as the manager of the restaurant and bar at the campsite where my class stayed in Rome. After two weeks of blissful vacation time spent getting to know each other, neither of us thought it would escalate beyond that but here we are today. Having just moved in together (a first for both of us), we're experiencing the trials and tribulations of starting our life together. For the most part it's been an incredibly fulfilling experience, although we do have both language and cultural barriers working against us at times.

Having spent a month backpacking around some other places in western Europe, I still felt that Italy was my place and longed to go back and spend more time there. I was lucky enough to be able to fulfill that wish (throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain was apparently a solid investment for 2 Euros) and here I am today.

This blog will be a place for me to document my experiences in Rome. Please excuse the length of this post. Mostly for introductory purposes I will try in the future to be more specific to a single event or topic. Most people reading this will have already heard my story (by most people I mean my Mom, who will probably be the only person), but like I said new stories to follow. Enjoy!!

XX