roma (!)

I am in Rome! The city of sweltering heat and old things and sunny rains. I really like it. The landscape and context make me feel small and infinite at the same time. 

Every panorama here feels like a postcard, but the sort that Antonioni or Fellini would send. A few days ago, I was walking near the Pantheon and a row of counterfeit bag sellers were busted by a group of undercover police officers. At the exact same time, an entire group of grown men threw armfuls of faux Gucci and Hermes bags into the air and ran in all different directions. It was incredible--seemingly choreographed if not for the screaming and aggressive brutality--because as the bags all fell from the sky in unison... it reminded me of some sort of grandiose consumerist parade, with colors and movement akin to releasing a cage of doves or a fistful of balloons.

I don't normally do food photos, but this was an amazing slice of potato and rosemary pizza.

This is perhaps my favorite part of my walk to class every morning. I am not particularly fond of the area surrounding il Colosseo--it is very crowded and not very cute and also there is no shade--but it is such a surreal place. I do miss it on some days because I periodically use the public bus system, but let me tell you, there is nothing quite like a bus in Rome during the morning commute. The number of eyes that I have seen almost clawed out rivals the content of words such as "Mississippi" and "anti-authoritarianism" (IE, at least two sets of eyes.) It is not a pleasant or comfortable experience.

I have spoken almost no English during my time here! Che strano! One week down (almost), three to go.