Hi! My name is

I have no idea if anyone is actually checking up on this blog anymore or gave up. I just got my laptop back two days ago. Ouch.

I have seen and done a lot over the past few weeks sans laptop so these next few posts might be a total shit show of recorded events, my apologies.

I went to Venice for a weekend! The second picture in the middle is the Indiana Jones building where the "library" is in the Last Crusade. Sick right? Venice is really interesting. So different and strange. The place is just canals, bridges, and medieval buildings. I see why people are enchanted with it.

On the other hand, there is no culture there. It is hard to explain but I will try. First of all, Venice's main source of income is tourism. The amount of tourists outweigh the number of Italians there. Tourists are always coming and going and then there are really rich people that have summer houses and such that are empty for most of the year. Also, most of the Italians that are in Venice are actually form the mainland, they are just workers that come and go by train daily. So after dinner time, Venice practically shuts down! The place is like an abandoned theme park except some little campo areas with some bars, if you can find them, 'cause dear lord that place is truly a maze.

Then I was told that there was a point when Venice was not stable and Italy was considering ridding of it. As a solution, they re-created and transformed the "culture" of Venice to attract tourists. For example, Carnival was not really a tradition of Venice. Apparently it was only something that happened among the elite in medieval times and was not a city-wide celebration. This festival of course disappeared with time, along with the art of mask-making so most of the ones sold there now are honestly made in China. Even if they are certified masks hand-made in Venice, it is a traditional craft made to draw in tourists! It's crazy!

 (The mask I would've bought Taylor Fance if it wasn't 90 euros...sorry man.)

Once I was told this I realized that all the people there are looking everywhere else at something else because they are ALL tourists! It is so weird. The place is really neat and very strange, but overall a fantastic trip.

No one knows what it means but it's provacitive! It gets the poeple going!

Boom shaka laka. I just came back from the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine! Some men were dressed as gladiators outside again, I took pics from afar cause apparently they will scare you into paying them a lot of money after you pose with them. Those funny lookin' D-bags.

Anyways, I also saw about five more Caravaggio paintings this week - all in churches. Which means that with the combination of awful chapel lights and my height deficiency, I took some crap-tastic photos. so there is no point in me uploading them. I will provide links again though! Here:

Crucifixion of St. Peter: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Caravaggio_-_Martirio_di_San_Pietro.jpg/315px-Caravaggio_-_Martirio_di_San_Pietro.jpg

Calling of St. Matthew: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBL7FE8aoes7wP8kT-2j7060YnXtYk2eBskzZmul7h98h8Fkt4qoH_pEeGZ7-IcWTZDgYChIM6dTEWTRWuHdSfDBdT5NUMznW2wBRPOAXWAEvLvf44uEqI4b2bjukZPDeR_cuGeDrCC1h/s1600/caravaggio-call-st-matthew.jpg

Madonna of the Pilgrims: http://www.gnosis.art.pl/iluminatornia/sztuka_o_inspiracji/caravaggio/caravaggio_madonna_dei_pellegrini.jpg

The Martyrdom of St. Matthew: http://www.baroque.us/painting/carava/martyr.jpg

The Inspiration of St. Mattew: http://faculty.txwes.edu/csmeller/Human-Prospect/ProData09/01ModCulMatrix/ModPICs/01Baroque/01aBrqCath/Caravaggio1573/Carr1602MattInsp1177.jpg

And this is a photo I just found online! This is from the Church of St. Louis, from the Contarelli Chapel- three Caravaggio's just there on the wall:

I also got to visit the Roman Forum, what used to be the center of the city and where the emperor would live. Finally got to see Constantine's Basilica and the Arch of Titus!

I also thought I would take this opportunity to just talk about strange little quirks I have noticed in Rome. First off, their female mannequins have nipples. I have no explanation for that. But on that note, I also have a funny picture of the undergarments they offer in one of the MANY lingerie stores in the downtown area of Rome.

Man. I just don't know.

But let me continue with some more oddities. The bathrooms. Not mine - you already know about my one-room bathroom/shower. I am talking about the public restrooms. First off, one cannot simply walk through a door labeled "Toilette" and walk into a private room. The first room is for the sink that men and women share. So though I have not experienced this, I am bound to have awkward eye contact with a stranger after we both just took a dump. And then someone watches the other wash their hands. (Also, the sinks have pedals to pump the *always* freezing water. If one of my firends hadn't spent 15 min. in the bathroom trying to figure this out before me, I would've been lost and bacteria ridden.)

Another thing - I knew that Rome was an urban city but not how urban it truly is. I don't know the names of any of the streets and I doubt the Romans do either because that information would make no damn difference - either way, unless you know where you are headed, you will get lost. There was no city planning while Rome was expanding, it's just all winding roads! And when you're walking around and think you have the right strut in the middle of the cobblestone street, a freakin' car and dangerous gang of Vespas come zoomin' through. Besides the buses, all the transportation is toy-size and could squeeze through a doorway. Freakin' Fiats.

What else is there that's kinda odd?...there is no such thing as coffee to go. Not that no one is in a rush here sometimes, just for some reason, there are no mugs or "to go" cups! You have to drink at the caffe. I suppose it's cause no one drinks coffee here to wake up and get the jitters. It just tastes really good! There's hardly any caffeine and the sizes are pretty modest. No triple shot iced mocha for me till I get back to the states or go to the McDonald's outside the Vatican's walls. Oh yes. Yes, there is a McD, a Burger King and Subway just outside St. Peter's. And I know how to get there using the metro...I got fries last night....

That's all I can think of right now! Arrivederci!

Ruh Ruh Like a Dungeon Dragon

So my week was meh. Just went to the conservation and restoration labs of the Vatican. Here's pic of my professor telling us about all the study that must be done before any restoration can begin on a piece. She looks and talks like the character that make costumes for The Incredibles. She doesn't have the sass though, that would be too much awesome to handle in a 3 hour class.

So behind her is La Pieta by Carlo Crivelli from the 15th century. (here's a link to see it close up: http://i.pbase.com/o6/93/329493/1/115466743.3tHnN4Z8.RomeOct08687.jpg) The odd thing is, I was told told that by the Renaissance period (I think), by another professor that it was considered too dramatic to show Mary (the one that's Christ's mother) as hysterical, so the strong emotion shown here is actually a rarity. It's not that the other Mary's in other Pieta's are not sad, but if you just click on the link and look at Mary in the lower left corner, it's shocking.

Next thing I did was go to a museum dedicated to the Etruscans. Pretty sick shit. This trip was for Ancient Art of Rome and it's by far my favorite class. The professor is a fun-loving as*hole. And those are the best kind. I saw the famous Apollo of Veii (6th c. BCE, http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/upload/q2605930.jpg ) and Sarcophagus of a Reclining Couple (also 6th c. BCE? http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/upload/q2605329.jpg ) there!

Damn. This is a long post. Hang in there. Just a few more things I gotta tell you. I also went to the Borghese Museum where they have SO MANY Bernini statues! They don't allow photographs so I'm gonna make a list with image links for you. Also, the picture to the right is the front of the museum.







The Goat Amalthea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun (http://www.terminartors.com/files/artworks/3/6/9/36934/Bernini_Gian_Lorenzo-The_Goat_Amalthea_with_the_Infant_Jupiter_and_Faun.jpg)
Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius Fleeing Troy (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/RM/AenasBernini.jpg)
Pluto and Persphone (http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyemxwBykg1qzko9j.jpg) and an important close up:

Apollo and Daphne (http://www.lib-art.com/imgpainting/9/4/6949-apollo-and-daphne-gian-lorenzo-bernini.jpg)
David (http://bettybaroque.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/bernini-david1.jpg)
Cardinale Scipione Burghese (http://www.bramarte.it/600/img/ber4.jpg)
Truth (http://artmight.com/albums/2011-02-07/art-upload-2/b/Bernini-Gian-Lorenzo/Bernini-Truth.jpg)

Dayum. I also saw about 5 different Caravaggio's there. Freakin crazy. I made another list:

Sick Bacchus (http://www.paintinghere.com/UploadPic/Caravaggio/big/Sick%20Bacchus.jpg )
St. Jerome (http://www.paintinghere.com/UploadPic/Caravaggio/big/St.%20Jerome.jpg)
St. John The Baptist (http://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/St-John-the-Baptist.jpg)
Madonna dei Palafrenieri (http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/multimedia/MiBAC/images/upload/large/4/1249491722491_02.jpg)
David Holding the Head of Goliath:

*If you wanna know, the Madonna painting was originally for St. Peter's altar but was taken down because the Madonna is actually Caravaggio's mistress and the baby Jesus was too old to be naked and slightly scandalous. The Goliath head is also a self-portrait. This painting was made after Caravaggio murdered someone and fled Rome. He made this as a gesture of apology and self-metaphorical/spiritual-penance for the Pope. My professor just casually mentioned the whole murder stuff and didn't go into further detail than what I'm telling you. I will find out more info for sure. Caravaggio just got way more interesting.  

*I just learned a couple of days ago that the Via di Pallacorda  (translates to "ball-rope"; is real damn close to the Pantheon) is where Caravaggio had a tennis match with his sworn enemy and I assume he lost cause he totally killed the bastard and then fled Rome.

Omg, Santa Claus, I need a DVD player

Over the weekend it snowed! Rome is so pretty with snow. There were a lot of people outside during the day throwing snowballs and walking their dogs. Me and a friend even two bros leaving a pharmacy laughing with giant tuberware lids, definitely planning on sledding

Also, there were moon boots freakin' everywhere!!! Check them out, so awesome:

http://www.moonboot.it/#/en/home

My friends and I decided that we would slack off on our homework as a fresh start to the new semester and walk around the downtown area instead. We found that the main shopping street was gated off to cars and everyone was on the streets! (That's what the picture above shows.) It was so cool and I bought a 30 euro purse for only 8 euro. Freakin' steal.

Here's another pic of what I saw Sat night:

Today, I went to listen to some Gregorian chant. Badass. I went to mass for about 15 min to hear the monks and it was amazing. I was so used to just hearing them on my laptop envisioning scary men with black cloaks only holding candles to barely show their faces. This mass was not like that. It was at 9 am first of all, and second, they did not have their hoods up, which would've been pretty awesome, but since it was an average Sunday maybe they chose to take it down a notch.

Then I went to a flee (sp?) market. A giant flee market in Trestevere and it was amazing. They had everything. They sold bras, watches, iPhone chargers, hub caps, food and soooo many jackets. Badass jackets are my thing so it was nice to know I only had 5 euro or...shit would've gone down in my closet. Now I know and am preparing myself for this coming Sunday. Yes mother, I am going to buy another jacket.

Your voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus

So last night, I had pizza. And it almost made me barf. I did not have multiple champagne fruit bowls, so don't blame it on that. If you joke about that when I speak too you I will be disappointed 'cause a young-person-drinking-elbow-nudge type of joke gets old real quick. Only I hold the right to make that joke. And don't take this the wrong way but I have a good tolerance for alcohol...Shout out to Taylor Fance 'cause it's a wildly suggestive and inappropriate place to do so!!! Ha.

Explored Rome some more with a walking tour for my class Barons, Popes and Patrons. Ended it with the Parthenon, 118- 125CE I believe? During the Medieval period lots of ancient buildings were destroyed to utilize the materials for other purposes but the Parthenon was saved because the medieval people decided to just use the building as a church. The top of the dome is made of cement that gradually becomes thin the closer it comes to the oculus (the circle letting the sun in) and you can see in the picture of the wall how impressive the architecture is because it the niches, columns and such allow the weight of the cement to funnel through the building rather than just apply pressure until the walls collapse.

I'm a white boy but my neck is red

Today, I put champagne in my fruit bowl. Shout out to mom and dad!

These are the cool Italian babies I saw in the Trastevere area of Rome.

One Shot, Two Shot

I finally figured out the freakin' internet here. And now all of my editing options for the blog are in Italian. @)$*)*$#Q&!!!!

Trying to get over here was dumb. I say that because my original connection was in Madrid but since there are so many strikes my connection was changed to London. After I was shuffled onto a bus by Hagrid, I went to the correct terminal for my next flight only to find out it was cancelled. I was put on a flight with apparently only 3 seats left. Then that flight was delayed. Dumb.


*I'm just gonna mention some extra bitching here cause my last connection had two screaming babies and my seat was in the last row so I couldn't nap with a reclined seat. I was also right where the bathroom and stewardess area was so there lots of door slamming and gossip. I pulled the tray out, put a blanket on my head and passed the F out. I am proud of myself.

So I am officially staying at the convent. No drinks in my room allowed and its just immoral to have boys over. My bathroom also has a slight scent of horse barn and I cannot figure out why...Otherwise, I have the sweetest room. It's actually twice the size of the rooms everyone else has but actually the size of a single at OXY. I can't imagine having anything smaller.

Also, the shower head is just in the middle of the bathroom. There is no separation but thank god I have a spacious bathroom or I would actually be grossed out.

So let me explain. I went on a tour just this morning and these are the first few things I saw. This lady on the old-person-mobile made me laugh so hard. There are no signals here, all the cars just fight to get in and out, and this lady had the balls to cross traffic and stop the cars. One almost ran her over and she just kept barging through.

While this was happening, to my right were these dudes dressed in Party City style Roman Soldier costumes with fake mini-swords. Pretty hilarious.

I took more pictures but I will upload them later when I can actually give correct info on the pieces.