Flashback, Romesickness, and Random Stuff

 

     One of the things I got for Christmas this year was an iTunes giftcard. (Did I get the capitalization right? I can't tell with all these i-things. It's the new e. People just like to purposefully break the rules of spelling and capitalization so-- okay, fine. I'll shut up. Pardon the English major.) The last two Christmases, I got pretty much the same thing: a number of songs which we burned to a disk. The last two discs were named "Epic Conventions" and "Song of the Spoudaios," after things I had learned about in school during the months before Christmas that year.

     This year, I had to name it after something in Rome. During a short fit of brainstorming, I thought of the dear, crowded Roman Metro, and was ECSTATIC to find this on YouTube:

     There are more weird people out there who find it funny!!! "... Destro?" Oh, the Metro. There are weird things on the Metro. Like men with noserings; feminine noserings, like the kind Indian women wear. What's always lovely are those times when it's so packed, that you're literally PUSHED into the Metro by the people behind you, and you end up standing on the thing with a couple strangers against you. Those are the times when you most need your sense of humor. And you're hand by your money. The bus, too. Ah, those few times when five people get OFF the bus to let a sixth person off, and then the first five get back on again. Metro does that, too. And let's not forget Rubicchio, either. Our good, time-traveling buddy.

 

http://www.rubicchio.it/

 

     Oh, Rome. The buildings, the churches, the cappuccini, the cornetti, the nutella-filled pastries, the kebabs... In case I've not explained, a kebab is NOT a shish-kabob. A kebab is mystery meat (okay, so it's lamb, but it looks suspicious at first glance) drizzled with ranch-yogurt sauce and wrapped in tortilla alongside french fries and cole slaw. WHY is that not only edible, but good? It shouldn't be, but it's soooo good. Man, I really want one, now. The meat is in a huge round... block, or something, turning on a vertical spit, and they shave it off with a device that looks like a sander or a staple-gun.

     And speaking of food, I have to go get some. Signing off for now!

Capitoline Museum

     Well, this is a post that has been a draft for way too long. Without further ado, here is a messy and bare-bones version of what we did at the Capitoline museum:

     Capitoline Museum, nice area of town; weather is gross and sticky and I never knew this, but I love AC. (This was a Friday in mid-September. The Italians aren't exactly big users of Air Conditioning, and walking almost everywhere meant that you got even warmer and stickier.) The bus and the museum went on strike, so we had to be kicked out and we couldn't go down into the forum. Statues: the emperor from Gladiator (Commodus) dressed up as Hercules; "Constantine the Leper" as Prof. Lev dubbed it (pieces of a HUGE statue of Constantine); the dying Gaul, whom Andrew Hepler looks like now. This was the first public museum and it was opened by Pope Sixtus IV. Pliny’s doves, it’s a mosaic, even though it doesn’t look like one; it’s really good. The day before--- nothing happened Thursday, save that I scared Zach and Brizek by sneaking up behind them and pretending I was a tour guide. They fell for it. :D

     I apologize for the poor state of this post, but I know all too well that if I don't put it up as is, I'll just keep procrastinating. Enjoy the pictures at least!

. . . Amusing . . . This actually isn't part of Constantine the Leper

Bust of Hadrian

She-wolf with Romulus and Remus, who were added on at a much later date

Marcus Aurelius

Commodus dressed as Hercules

View of the Roman Forum from the Museum

Pliny's Doves, mosaic. Sorry I couldn't get a better shot. This is when we were getting kicked out.

Carols and Sniffles

     I have been monstrous lazy of late, I know. And am I going to remedy that now by recounting more of my adventures abroad? Nope. Of course not. I will, however, tell you that I plan to use this to speak of my adventures at school... Perhaps. Not entirely sure. I will also reccommend to you some Advent and Christmas songs (hopefully I am introducing you to some new ones) in sundry European tongues. Thought that might kind of go with the theme of the blog.

English (Best versions are by the Westminster Cathedral Choir, which I was lucky enough to have heard last month at St. Mary Major's. See my post entitled "The Rest of the Last Free Weekend.")
The Holly and the Ivy
Hob and Colin
Coventry Carol
The Sussex Carol
What Child Is This

French (Try Fribourg L'Accorche-Choeur.)
Minuit Chrétiens (O Holy Night)
Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes (Angels We Have Heard on High)

German (I like Kammerchor der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.)
Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming)
O Du Froliche (to the tune of O Sanctissima)
O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree; not a religious song, but still one that's pertinent to the season)
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night)

Latin (Just about any decent choir ought to do these pretty well.)
Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)
O Sanctissima

     The 101 Strings Orchestra is also fun to listen to, but it doesn't give you the full sense of the song, since it's just instrumental. They do a cool version of Greensleeves (same tune as What Child Is This). Happy Hunting and enjoy the last 5.5 hours of Gaudete Sunday!