Some Observations

We've been here four full days now.  I've had the opportunity and pleasure on three of those days to ride a tram from our apartment to the historical center of Rome on a tram approximately 25 minutes each way and observe silently.  Further, I've walked a bit, shopped a bit in grocery stored and spoken a bit to Italians.  Finally, we are so extremely fortunate to have an Italian live with us and share her culture.  So, it's late here and I still have homework to do, but here's a few things.

• Romans seem to have acclimatized here in a much different way.  While I am wearing sleeveless dresses and sandals and can't stand to have my hair down on my neck and all other tourists that I see are doing similarly, I have spotted MANY Romans wearing long pants, sweaters, corduroy pants, suit-coats (for fashion - these guys didn't look like bankers), boots and, if the women are wearing shorter skirts, they also have tights underneath!  Because in a month or two it will go from 80 and moderately humid to 95 and unbearably humid, this must seem like mild spring weather to them. 
• Italians have a strange relationship to milk and milk-products.  At the supermarket, one can buy "fresh milk" from the refrigerator section and then shelf-stable milk out of the cold.  One can even buy shelf-stable "panna" which is cream.  It's actually a bit confusing.  Also, Italians generally feel it is not good for your digestive system to ingest milk after lunchtime.  This is why they don't drink cappuccino or caffè latte in the afternoon.  It's apparently really bad to drink milk after you've eaten.  Have I mentioned that if they have cereal in the morning, it is with warm milk?
• Italians don't appear as homogeneous as we have been told (or even as I remember having observed).  Especially on my tram, I see all walks of life, all nationalities, sizes, ages and colors.  And it's especially interesting to hear them speaking Italian!
• Studying Italian in a place where people come from all over the WORLD to do so makes for fascinating cross-cultural learning.  In only 3 days, I have had conversations with classmates from Japan, Brazil, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, England and Russia in Italian about film, smoking, shopping, emigration, discrimination, abortion, narcissism, working conditions, maternity practices, sports and driving in our respective countries.  This is in 3 of my 15 class days!
• Lastly, I have observed (or, have been reminded) that Brian and my kids are amazing!  We pulled them out of their home, away from their TVs, routines, toys and schedules and they are just rolling with everything with happiness and an adventurous spirit.  Maybe the daily gelato helps a bit and surely every day won't be perfect, but it is a relief and a joy.

More pictures next time.  For now, a joke from Sam: How did one from communicate with the other frog? By ribbeting!