Ancient Rome vs Ancient Pompeii

I have been in Rome around seven weeks and in this time span I have seen so much history and learned about so much history that it is ridiculous. Before coming here I learned about some of the history in Rome and Pompeii throughout elementary and high school, but none of it compares to being-to-face with the history and being taught about it from the best experts. I will be honest and say that I have never found much of history to be interesting to me, but with it right in my face it is hard for me to ignore it and not get interested.

Ancient Rome seems to be pretty unbeatable when it comes to interest in history. I mean there is so much about ancient Rome that everyone can relate to at least one thing and become interested. My impression of ancient Rome was that it used to be the most powerful empire and had everything going for it. There were different social classes that separated the rich from the poor and the most important to the less important. The rich tended to flaunt their money by having homes with extreme art and architecture. Rome has had a couple of different emperors and all of them played a part into making ancient Rome into the powerful city that it used to be. However, the play of Christianity, self-indulgence, economic troubles, military problems and a few other minor problems caused this great city to fall.

After learning about ancient Rome and then going to see Pompeii, its history and old ruins I must say I was more impressed by Pompeii. Pompeii was very progressive in its time before the volcano erupted and put a stop to its progress. It had running water, a thriving market place, and amphitheater, public baths, sidewalks, cobblestone streets, private shops and a structured government. Since it was located right next to the water it allowed them to bring in goods from exotic places to trade with ancient Roman cities and within its own city. Pompeii had basically the same social statuses when it came to the rich and the poor in the city. Also like the ancient Romans the rich were not afraid to flaunt their money .With the information I have gathered about ancient Pompeii I am wondering if this city would still be thriving if it wouldn’t have been for the volcano, or would have it fallen exactly like Rome?

The parts that I am mostly impressed with and take the most interest in about these two ancient cities is the art, and in my opinion I am more dazzled by the things I saw in Pompeii. Yes, I think that Bernini’s and Michelangelo’s paintings, sculptures and architect are amazing but the mosaics and frescos I saw in Pompeii really hit the wow factor for me. It may have been the simplicity of the ancient art in Pompeii that got to me. To me their art was so simple but yet so pure and beautiful. Whereas all of the ancient Roman art I have seen has so much detail and in my opinion sometimes is overdone.

Catholic Church Worldwide

Pondering the question of if I see the Catholic Church as a Roman or a worldwide I would have to say I view it as worldwide but its core in Rome. Growing up in a big Catholic family and attending a Catholic school from kindergarten to senior year of high school I have learned a lot about Catholicism and the Catholic Church. However, just being in Rome for a couple months has added so much more to my knowledge on the Catholic Church and different views of it.

Before coming to Rome I knew that the Catholic Church’s core is in Rome. Rome is where the Vatican City is which is where the Pope resides who is the leader of the Catholic Church thus the core of the Catholic Church is in Rome. I sometimes was disgusted with what I have learned about past Popes and how they wanted to treated as kings and how they just cared about power and wealth, which is not at all what the Catholic Church stands for. With the past Popes acting like that it scared some people away and of the Catholic Church and made them not want Catholicism in their country. The United States was one of those countries that was scared of the Pope and was not sure how they felt about having Catholic Churches and him having some power in their country.

I say that the Catholic Church is worldwide and not just Roman because there are Catholic Churches all over the world and Catholics all over the world. However, as I have noticed in my small town, through school years growing up, visiting different places growing up and now at college that being Catholic means different things to Americans and Italians. I have viewed in America that only in certain places such as when I am on retreats or at certain masses that Americans take being Catholic seriously and take pride in it. Whereas in Italy I can clearly see Italians and people on pilgrimages take their Catholic pride to a whole new level. I have seen hard core devotion to a faith on retreats back home but I have never seen hard core faith like I do here in Italy. These Italians and people on pilgrimages are so devoted to their faith and it makes me want to be more set in my faith with them.

Moving away from comparing Italians to American and the Catholic Church I am going now talk about the Pope. Even if this sounds silly I feel like I have a stronger core to my religion after seeing the Pope with my classmates and professors. I never thought I would meet and/or see in real life any man that was Pope in my time. There was a since of realism when I saw the Pope that made my faith feel even more alive. Never in my life have I ever seen so many people excited to be Catholic. There was so much joy in the room prior, during and after seeing the Pope. Everyone in there was from different countries from all over the world and they were all there to celebrate one thing and that was being Catholic. This gave me the sense that no matter where a person is from they still love the same God and same religion with all of their heart, which connects all of us that belong to the same faith and believe in the same God which to me is very cool. Like I said before I have been on retreats but never in my life have I seen so much love for God and being Catholic as I have when I am in Italy.

Leisure Time

One of the most comforting words known to mankind is “leisure.” When I hear that word I think, “Ahhh yes finally a break from a busy life and time to relax.” Leisure is something that a person enjoys doing when they are not working, and we all have different ideas of leisure. It has changed drastically since the beginning of time, being that when humans were first here on earth they didn’t really have the pleasure of leisure because they had to work for everything they did in order to stay alive. Nowadays nearly everyone is blessed with a chance to have leisure time because it is becoming a part of everyday culture, but some cultures take leisure time more seriously and hold it to a higher importance.

Being in Italy for the past 4 weeks has given me a new insight to the word “leisure.” I feel like Italians have a secret about leisure that they are not sharing with the rest of the world. They deserve the leisure time that they get and they do it so well. Italians are pros at relaxing and enjoying what they do. When I go to any piazza in Italy or other parts of Italy such as parks or restaurants there just seems to be an atmosphere of relaxation and leisure. Italians really know how to take a step back from their work and busy lives and just breathe and do something that they really enjoy without being on the clock.

There are all different types of leisure’s that people enjoy doing, and some of these include; reading, taking a stroll in a park, painting and/or drawing, floating around the pond, watching a movie, baking, taking a nap, and many others. However, do not confuse leisure with being lazy. There is a big difference with relaxing with a good book or movie for a day and just sitting on the couch doing nothing all day (or even more than a day in some cases).

I feel that Americans have a hard time balancing work and leisure time. I have seemed to notice that most Americans are either work alcoholics or plain out lazy. Many Americans do not seem to know how to balance out the proper ratio or leisure time versus work time. Some of it had to do with Americans working all day and then taking their work home with them to work on all night and then just repeat the cycle the next day. Yes, it is okay to do this sometimes but if a person is working that much and making their work life that important it will really start to stress them out and start wearing them down. There are also the people that think everything can be handed to them so they get lazy and feel like they do not have to work for anything, so everyday to them is some sort of “leisure” day even though they are abusing the word.

Americans should really start to look into the way of life in Italy and the culture they have going on here, because these people seem to know what they are doing and it is most defiantly working for them. At the end of these 8 weeks here in Rome and other various parts of Italy I have visited I am sure to take back a better appreciation of leisure time and should not abuse it at all. Hopefully I can teach or show by example to some friends, family members or even some strangers how to properly take a couple hours or a day for leisure. Every citizen in every country should know how and be able to take leisure time because without it we are all just working and not really living.

Life in a Piazza

To understand Italians and their way of life one must submerge themselves into their culture and way of living, and the best way to do that in Rome is to explore and relax in one of the many piazzas. After a month of being in Rome we have visited many piazzas. A piazza is what we Americans would call a town square, and it is where the Italians go to socialize or grab a bite to eat and/or drink. There are piazzas all over Rome and we have been to a few of them including Piazza Navona and Piazza Del Popolo.

When in a piazza I feel like I get a whole new insight to Rome rather than when I am just on the train or walking around the streets of Rome. There is cultural practically everywhere in Rome but there are chances to see the most of it in piazzas. I could sit or stand in the middle of a piazza and literally watch for hours of all the different interactions people are making towards each other. There are some people who are just relaxing and taking their time with one another at either lunch or dinner, or there will be the occasional person who is in a hurry and I will jump out of the way for them to pass me so I won’t get knocked down. Also, I stated before that piazzas are full of cultural which is so true; there are fountains, obelisks, local painters, different foods, churches, art and historical buildings located all over different piazzas.

Also, there is a whole different feeling when being in a piazza during the day verses being in a piazza at night. For example I have been to the Piazza Navona a couple of times during the day. This piazza is your typical pizza where there are people relaxing and enjoying each other’s company over a bite to eat or an espresso. However, when I went to Piazza Navona at night time with some friends the scenery and feel of it changed immensely. The piazza was completely packed (more so then during the day), everything is lit up and there are musicians everywhere trying to earn a buck for entertaining those who choose to go out for the night. I also think that people act friendlier at night towards each other because everyone is just trying to relax and unwind from the day they just had.

After being in a couple piazzas and observing and interacting with the people there I realized how different Rome is from the U.S.A. I’ll actually compare Rome to New York City for this. When I was in NYC everyone there was always rushing and doing everything on the go, and I would never feel comfortable to ask one of the natives there a question and if I did I would normally get a rude attitude back. It seems to me that Americans have a hard time relaxing and always have everything planned on a set timed schedule with no room to relax or take their time. Where as I am finding out in Rome everyone likes to relax and take their time doing things. Also, I am not afraid to ask for a locals help because more likely than not they will help me out without any attitude at all. No one seems to be in a rush here and seem to really enjoy everyone’s company. I think that the citizens of the U.S.A. and myself need to take a lesson from Italians and just relax.

Faithful Rome

Rome seems to be the capital of Christian and Catholic history, which as a Catholic I think it is a pretty big deal. I get pumped every time we go to visit a new Church or site that has Catholic roots and history. To me it makes my faith have more depth and the more I learn about the history of my faith and the ways it has changed allows my faith to grow in different ways.

To me learning about the past has helped support my faith. I think that Catholics have come a long way from what they used to be. One of the things that Catholics have come a long way on would be the pope who used to want to be basically an emperor or king rather than the leader of our faith like he is supposed to be.

When visiting the San Giovanni and Scala Santa (which are two big deals to those going on pilgrimages) the other day I felt like a big part of something inside of me had changed. These places are such big deals to a lot of people and so have been some of the other churches and sites I have been to, but yet I treated all of the past sites I have visited in the past couple of weeks just as sites and parts of class. However, with the San Giovanni and Scala Santa I just felt different when inside them and learning about them. I went up the Scala Santa which is also known as Holy Staircase. Yes, I actually went up stairs that Jesus is said to have gone up on before His trial with Pontius Pilate. How mind blown I was to be going up these stairs (notice I don’t say walking because in order to go up the stairs one must be on their knees and be praying on each of the 28 stairs). That in itself was a life changing experience.

To those who don’t have a Catholic or Christian faith can still appreciate these sites but just not in exactly the same way. There is so much history and beauty to be looked at and adored. In the San Giovanni there is a beautiful door where many go to touch St.Peters foot (which actually changed colors from so many people touching it over the years), that alone is enough for the nonChristian to appreciate. However, if they aren’t too fond of the door there was the whole inside to appreciate. From the floor to the walls to the ceiling the art and beauty just never ends. The ceiling looks like a never ending treasure chest of gold and some colors including red and green painted up there making the viewer never want to put their head down. The statues and painting that are on the walls could be stared at for days to just take in all of the details.

The Exhilarating Rome

Is Rome oppressive or exhilarating? To me this seems like a no brainer and without giving it a second thought I will say Rome is indeed exhilarating. The World English Dictionary has exhilarating as, “causing strong feelings of excitement and happiness,” and I feel that was way whenever stepping foot out of my dorm room and into the exciting and beautiful Rome. The people in Rome are so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty 24/7.

When walking around Rome I feel as if I am traveling through time. All of the history that has taken places here it just remarkable and incredible. Rome is like a massive museum that never closes and is free to all. Everything I lay eyes on here I think should be preserved and put away into safe keeping, even some of the food looks to pretty to destroy by eating (i.e. some of the pastries and cakes are works of art themselves).

As I walk around and go on different tours of museums and parts of the city I try to soak it all in. It is starting to be harder to soak it all in and remember every detail because I have seen so much and am learning so much, and it is only the second week! I will say it again that my grandpa was right about not being able to comprehend and soak up all the history and how old everything really is. To think maybe in hundreds of years there will be people coming to the United States to try and understand and take in all of our history, and we will have been alive during the things they are learning about. I actually think that is pretty exciting. Such as 9/11, as bad as of a disaster that was I was alive in that big historical event for the United States and my great great great great grandchildren may not be able to get their heads around it.

I am getting more used to the gypsies and illegal immigrants. However, I do still find then horrifically rude. Also, “Operation Blend In” goes pretty well except when we are traveling as a class or need to purchase something. If I am just walking around though with a couple people I feel as if we are blending in better and don’t stick out has tourist. I am buying more clothes which I get pumped for after every purchase. There is just something about most Italian clothes that I find classy and fall in love with.

Coliseum

This may sound funny but before coming over here to Rome I wanted to blend in. I read up on how the Italians dressed/acted and asked my family (who has been over here a couple of times to visit other family members) some pointers. To pack I went through my closet and grabbed all of my dark clothes that were also mostly modest. I even went out to buy a few more clothing articles to help out "Operation Blend In". After doing more research I found out that a lot of women and men had their noses pierced so I was stoked that I had mine done and felt one up on my operation. I didn't want to stick out as a tourist because I didn't want people to be staring and gawking (let us admit it I know everyone has done this before at some point), and I still feel that way.

Before leaving for this trip my grandpa told me how hard it is to exactly grasp how old and beautiful buildings, statues and others things are. I listened to him but thought that when I would get to see them I would be able to “get” it, boy was I wrong. After just arriving in the city of Rome I was swept away and when my eyes first landed on the Coliseum I was in awe, and my jaw dropped and wouldn’t close for some time. After walking into the Coliseum and being able to tough it I couldn’t contain mu excitement. I started thinking how my grandpa was right and I couldn’t fathom how old and beautiful this place is. When I was inside I tried to picture the gladiators and animals battling it out and the crowd cheering in the stands. It is interesting to thing how things change so much over time, such as nowadays people go and watch soccer games instead of the gladiator’s battle here. The history is incredible here and I hope that as the weeks go on I will be able to soak up and appreciate it more.

I can only name one thing that I do not like about Italy and it is just the way some of the men make me feel and that is a disgusted and ticked off feeling. It isn't really the Italian men here but more of the illegals that try to sell you things. I hate rudeness and when men look at women like they are animals. The illegal immigrants that I have come across try to sell things are do so in a very rude way and sometimes I will watch them and just watch the way they get when a woman walks by which just ticks me off even more after witnessing their rudeness. I honestly would just like to take them and have Manners101 with them. They give off a bad reputation to Italy and they don't even belong here.

I really look forward to and am stoked to meet and talk to some of the citizens here. I can't express how bad I want to learn Italian so I can converse and not feel embarrassed when trying to talk to an Italian. Being here actually makes me want to learn history, which is a big thing to say because I have never been a fan of it and just have never been that interested in most of it all throughout my school years. Seeing the Coliseum and being able to appreciate a big piece of history like that really jump started my thirst for more history.