Hey Now, Hey Now, Don't Dream It's Over

(Yes I know the title is Crowded House lyrics and that's lame but I don't care)

     Devoted readers of my blog will remember the last time I left Ascoli, how mature and calm I was about it.  I recall writing that I did not cry because I knew I would be back, and how I was even somewhat excited to get back to the States.  I wish I could say the same about this time... but first, let's go over the last week in Ascoli.

     Last Sunday there was a festival and a show in Piazza Arringo.  I went to Murphy's and did some homework over a bowl of Mozzerelline and a Passerina.  The show began and I was lucky enough to score a seat right outside of Murphy's to see what I can only describe as the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my life.  The show was sort of a Cirque-di-Soliel meets videomapping storytelling of finding God and avoiding the devil, temptation, etc.  Here's a video of it that I encourage watching.  Video was projected onto the walls of the church of St. Emidio and it was truly breathtaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW_hLKZTzso

     That was honestly one of the most copacetic nights I had in Ascoli.  The definition of good food, good company, good art, and even good weather.

Videomapping is my new favorite art form

     I made one last trip to the river with Faby which was so much fun.  More good times had during the week as I slowly made my rounds to all my different favorite spots to say my goodbyes.  We went to La Nicchia for one more black crust pizza by Guido, and I am officially putting that pizza down as the Best Pizza I Have Ever Had In My Life.  The black crust is a vegetable based bread and it compliments the pizza so well.  Do we think shipping pizza from Ascoli to St. Louis is an option?

     Finishing up at Piceno Tour was sad but I'm really proud of the work we did!  We put together a whole theater tour of Europe that I would go on in a heartbeat.  Even though I was the only Sant'Emidio-er in that office, the Piceno Tour crew could not have been nicer to me.

     My last lunch at Cavallino's was perfect.  They were actually closed for siesta but my mom and dad kind of like me so they let me have lunch with them.  Two pieces of margherita and some pineapple for a dessert!  I'm so happy to have a set of parents in Ascoli.  They look out for me, scold me when I don't eat enough, and always greet me with the biggest smile.

Christmas Card 2015

     The last day in Ascoli was bittersweet.  The weather was dreary but beautiful.  At that point I was calm and at peace with the inevitable bus ride to Rome I had the next morning.  I got my last drink at Meletti's, said goodbye to my grocery store friends, and even got to pet Local Stray Cat goodbye.

     Shannon, Jane, and I finished out Ascoli the only way we knew how - Pub Murphy's.  First place I ran to when I got off the bus and last place I went to before leaving.  Perfect bookends.  I think I spent more time there than my own apartment.  There were Passerinas, Mozz Balls, and good times about.  Toph played our favorite playlists with Eminem and even played Cheerleader twice in a row when we begged him to.  

Getting this was like Christmas but 100 times better.

          The night was truly perfect including all of the weird adventures it held.  What made it more perfect was the parting gift from Toph.  A Pub Murphy's shirt from the Fritto Murphy's event and it's just the best.  We stayed until 3 AM I had exactly three hours of sleep before I got up to finish packing and ran to get my last Nutella Cornetto from Bar Lori.  

      Back to the beginning of the blog.  Leaving was so different this time.  Why?  Was it because I was only here for a month as opposed to three?  Or maybe it's because last time I left I was about to be a junior and knew I had the opportunity to come back.  Now I have my senior year ahead of me which is terrifying.  Being on the trip with a bunch of new people, I was asked a lot about what I plan to do after I graduate.  Every time I had a plethora of answers.  Grad school, if I get in, preferably out east.  Teach for America in New Orleans.  Working on a cruise ship.  Teaching English to bambinos in Italy.  Scary.  And next time I go to Ascoli I know it'll be different.  I won't be a student for one thing.  Who knows who will be there or who won't.  But the one thing that every single person who said bye to me was "When are you coming back?".  And I guess that is a valid question.  I've been to Ascoli three times in the past year.  It's a pretty central part of me now.  

     I don't know the answer to the "When are you coming back?" question, but I know there will be an answer at one point.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.  Hopefully for longer than a month.  Ascoli Piceno is my favorite town in the world so we all know I'll do anything it takes to get back.  

       Thanks to everyone and anyone who has ever read Sono Maria Rosa.  I'm so happy that I kept this blog and will be able to re-read these entries from both of my times studying in Ascoli.    That town has brought me so much happiness and I hope I was able to do the same for the town and the people there.  

    Grazie Ascoli.  M'arusta furia.

   

   

Bombs and Books

     I found myself awoken from my brief siesta by a loud boom.  The thunderstorm had been earlier, so it couldn't have been that.  Was it a car issue?  I turned over and fell back asleep.  Shortly after, there were probably fifty gunshots and a couple more bomb type sounds.  In Ascoli?  Was Ancona declaring war on us?  I scurried outside to protect my local stray cat only to find out what the ruckus was coming from.  You guessed it:  Another medieval festival!  This one may or may not involve flag throwing but from what I witnessed it does involve marching bands and medieval cheerleaders, so take that as you will.

     One of my new favorite hobbies is reading American books that have been translated into Italian.  It's the perfect activity for those days where I go three cappuccinos deep at Bar Lori.  I've tried reading books by Italian authors before and found it really difficult.  Now I may be very wrong, but I think reading American books translated into Italian is a much easier task for native American speakers.  Obviously in the cases of the books I got, I already knew the story so I knew roughly what should be happening at any given moment.  But also speaking a language requires you to almost think in a different manner.  I've talked to some of the other kids on my trip about this as they were curious about what it's like to converse in a different language.  When I speak Italian, especially when I'm answering a question, I'm not translating any part of it in my head from English to Italian.  I think this is where I've seen a lot of people go wrong.  And I'm sure it's why language learning softwares use images and re-learning a meaning attached to a different word over translating everything word-for-word.  Anyway, I think that American books as translated by Italians retain enough of the American style of writing and thinking so that it is easier to comprehend.  But that being said, reading in Italian isn't easy.  I finished Harry Potter and am currently working on To Kill A Mockingbird and there is a LOT of Passato Remoto WHICH I WAS ASSURED WAS NEVER USED EVER.......

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

To Kill a Mockingbird - (the title translates to "The Darkness over the Hedge")

     Today was a nice day in Ascoli.  It finally rained!! Not only was I thankful for a respite from the torturous heat, but I believe Ascoli may be even more beautiful after it rains.  The water reflects off the stone and it's beautiful and dreams come true. 

Cappuccinos are a rainy day's best friend.

     One more week in Ascoli.  That's all I'll say for now because I'm trying not to think negatively.  

The Quintana Games

    Last time I was living in Ascoli, everything revolved around Carnevale.  While I do miss the fried pasta, the beautiful decorations, and the funny costumes, I think I like the current festival even more. Quintana is a fest in Ascoli that is quite strange.  There are six districts, and each district puts forth two young people, a boy and a girl.  The twelve youths fight to the death in Piazza Arringo while us spectators drink our bottles of Peroni and Passeria.... okay, just kidding.  Quintana is (unfortunately) not the Hunger Games.  It IS really fun though, and some would say I'm getting swept up in it.... I would just say passionate.  There really are 6 districts.  My district, the best district, is Sant'Emidio.  Sant'Emedio includes BOTH Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Arringo, therefore including Yoghi, Murph's, Bar Lori, and pretty much everything and everyone I hold dear in my heart.  Not to mention it's named after a saint who got his head cut off and then held onto it.  If that is not team spirit and resilience then I don't know what is.  My second favorite team is Porta Romana, but that could just be because they had an amazing beer festival that I went to this weekend.  Porta Solestà wins all the time, and they're also pretty much the Slytherin of Quintana so I'm not a huge fan of theirs.  My new favorite thing to do in Ascoli is find out what district people live in.

    So while there's not fighting to the death, there are other fun activities.  Like flag throwing!! Flag throwing in fancy costumes!!! Flag throwing in fancy costumes in fancy costumes in 90 degree heat!!!! One guy throws up to five flags and the people watching go crazy.  Remember the bombs at the soccer games?  They're back and more medieval than ever.

Porta Romana, my backup district.

     The biggest day of Quintana is in the first weekend of August, where there's jousting and I can only assume more flag throwing.  Unfortunately I won't be able to be there for my district, but they're always in my heart.  And on my arm, with my new Sant'Emidio tattoo. 

Jellyfish, Lions, and Cappuccinos: Oh My!

     Things have not slowed down here in Ascoli Piceno.  On Friday morning Shannon, Jane, and I decided to get a little rest and relaxation in and headed to the nearby beach town of Cupra Marittima. A short 40 minute train ride away and we arrived in sandy paradise.  Our hotel was right on the beach so we threw our stuff in the room and ran to our chairs to soak up some rays.  We swam in the Adriatic, took naps under the hot Italian sun, and engaged in a little gelato action.  A very choice way to start the weekend.  For dinner we hit up different bars for appetitivo - when you order only drinks they bring you food too!  As it grew into night we decided to get some night swimming in.  It was so copacetic to be in the warm water and look up at the stars, until someone cut us off.  That someone would be a jellyfish.  The jellyfish decided to give Shannon a hug and me a couple high fives.  We got out of there pretty quickly.  The next morning we passed on the swimming but still got a couple hours in at the beach before we headed back home.

    Last night.  Anyone who was talked to or lived with me for the past week knows that I have not shut up about the Lion King since I heard it was happening here in Ascoli.  Being a theatre lover, actress, fan of Disney, and lover of all things Ascoli, this event could not have catered to me more.  For the past week I've been sitting in Piazza del Popolo, my anticipation growing as I watched crews set up the stage.  Hang and focus is a lot more fun when you're sipping a cappuccino watching other people do it...

    The show was amazing.  It was all in Italian but I actually understood most of it (it helps that I know the story like the back of my hand and the show is written for children).  I really loved hearing the lyrics in Italian and comparing them to the English version.  For example, Scar's "Be Prepared" song is "Saró re" in Italian, which means "I'll be king".  Others were more similar to the original, like "He lives in you" was "Viva in te, Viva in me".  The actors were impressive and the costumes and props were so elaborate.  It was a great evening.  During curtain call, the director came out and looked so excited and happy that I cried.  I know how great of a feeling putting on a show is, especially when they only had one performance, and to have the magic of theatre happen in the magical setting of Piazza del Popolo made me really emotional.  As people left, they played the English versions of "I Just Can't Wait to be King" and "Hakuna Matata" and I danced my heart out.

    Shannon, Jane and I went to Murph's for a nightcap of vino bianc and mozz balls.  Afterwards, Shannon and I headed over to Porta Romana for a beer festival.  Now, even though Porto Romana is a rival district of mine in Quintana, I decided to be a bigger person and show my face there.  I got a great blonde beer, but afterwards I was so tuckered out that bed called to me.

    Today I woke up depressed that I only have 12 or so days left here.  And I know it's more important to be happy and that spending the next two weeks in a state of dread is not the way to live.  I went to Cafe Meletti to cheer myself up with a Nutella cornetto and TWO cappuccinos.  There I met a man who grew up in Ascoli but moved to Australia when he was 19.  He comes back with his family for a couple weeks every summer but he said he's much more Australian than Ascolano.  They were really nice, but talking to them I could feel my eyes welling up with tears.  I get why he would want to leave, hell, I've pretty much all but abandoned Chicago myself.  But I was jealous that he got to choose to leave, whereas I'm being dragged away from Italy by my lack of a visa, need to get a wisdom tooth out, and impending obligation of school.

    Tomorrow Bar Lori opens back up and that will be amazing.  Today, I'm enjoying the dolce far ninete - the sweetness of doing nothing.  Ciao!

Hot in Herre

I realized I haven't updated you all since Milan, I'm sure some of you thought I got Taken but don't worry- sono vivo!

    One word to describe this week?  HOT.  Every day was at least 90 degrees with a "RealFeel" of over 100.  No matter how much water I slammed, I constantly felt dehydrated and sick.  I'm starting to feel a little better (especially with the treasure trove of powerade and electrolytes I found), but it's definitely hard dealing with the heat.

     Last night we went to a Cinema Divino event.  It was a screening of Boyhood (dubbed in Italian, English subtitles) at a vineyard!  We got to sample three wines and eat some food as well.  The event was run by some of the people that I'm doing my internship with, so it was neat to see all the hard work they do come together.  I also really liked Boyhood!  As someone who was born in 1994 like the main character, a lot of the segments were so familiar, like the Harry Potter book release party and the gameboys and whatnot.  Also I was so excited that I didn't need to read the subtitles that much, and when I did it was funny to see the difference in what the Italian dubbing was conveying as opposed to the subtitles.

    Today I'm going to a nearby beach town with Shannon and Jane, tomorrow is LION KING(!!!!!!), and the Sunday there is a beer festival that has my name written all over it.  Keeping busy keeps me from remembering that I only have two weeks in Italy left....

A dopo!!!

Drooling Over Design and Risotto: Milan.

Just as I am hunkering down with a Diet Coke and some patatine (chips) to write this blog post, I encourage you all to do the same while reading it. 

Early Thursday the entire group boarded good ol’ Start Bus to take a journey to Rome for a day.  Because I’m not in the history class and have been to Rome many times, I got the opportunity to spend the day doing whatever I wanted.  I took it and set out in Rome itching to hit up my favorite spots (read: Giolotti and the boutiques on via Borschetto).  Starting around Termini, I walked to the Republic.   Then the Wedding Cake.  Then to the Pantheon.  And then to Piazza del Popolo.  For those not well-versed in the geographical layout of Rome, that's a long walk.

Even the Snapchat filter can't hide how red my face was

Because it was summer and it was Rome and it was packed, it was HOT.  Over 90 degrees.  From reading my blogs or knowing me, you can figure that my body doesn’t respond well to this heat.  Right when I hit Piazza del Popolo, I felt my body giving in and consciousness slipping.  I flagged down an angel in the form of a taxi and spent the next couple hours before dinner moving between cold showers and laying down on my hotel bed.  Thankfully I was able to rally before dinner at La Carbonara, where we had a great meal.  I got pasta con solo burro (only butter), temporah vegetables, and tiramisu.  No tomatoes were consumed and my heart was so happy!  Everyone was understandably beat after a full day in Rome, so I went to bed early in order to rise for my 6 AM train to Milan with Jane.

Milan.  How do I even begin.  Walking up the stairs from the subway and immediately seeing the Duomo for the first time was surreal.  It’s towering, huge, and gothic, but has more detail and intricacies than anything I had ever seen before.  Right then and there I had a good feeling about Milan.  We made the short walk (which seemed longer thanks to my 30 pound backpack) to the Hotel Galileo, our home for the next two days. 

            The first thing we did was check out the extraordinary shopping district located right in the shadows of the Duomo.  It was at La Rinascente, the 11 story department store, where I learned a couple things about myself:

1.     That I have impeccable (and expensive) taste.

2.     That if you even attempt to see if you can fit into the clothing of a very large child, you will be judged.

3.     That I was inspired to get a good job so I can maybe buy something other than a cappuccino from that store one day.

We payed homage to the high end clothes and then left in search of things that cost less than our semesterly college tuition.  Milan delivered in that aspect as well, as there were many adorable and affordable options both in the Duomo area and around the Navigli, a hip area surrounding canals. 

Friday night was exciting because I discovered that there were two American musicals playing in Milan – Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Dirty Dancing.  Why are these two shows the stuff Milan is choosing to import from the States?  I do not know.  We got tickets to Priscilla, which really excited me.  I had seen the show in St. Louis and I was excited to see the differences in theatre culture between the two cities.  The first, and most major of the differences, was a big one.  The show did not start until 22:00.  That’s 10 PM.  TEN.  P.  M.  TENPM.  Look, I love trying to fit into Italian culture.  I can see my meals starting to begin later and last longer.  But there are some things I cannot morally get behind and a theatrical performance starting at 10 PM is one of them – especially when I had gotten up at 4 AM to get ready for our train.  Thankfully Priscilla is an outrageous show and I couldn’t fall asleep during the second act no matter how much my body wanted to.  There were other, less noticeable differences too.  The theater was beautiful but small, about the size of SLU’s theatre.  The audience was about the same size as a typical SLU theatre performance too, which made me wonder how they were paying to keep this show running from April-October.  The performances were great an on par with anything I’ve ever seen in the states.  It was fun to hear the text in Italian and I tried very hard not to look at the subtitles projected on the top of the stage.  Speaking of Italian Theater – FIVE MORE DAYS TIL LION KING IN THE PIAZZA OF ASCOLI!

 SMALL. 

 No Wicked, no Phantom, nope...Priscilla..

Day 2 was just as busy as day 1.  We woke up and headed straight over to Expo, located 30 minutes outside of the city.  Expo was incredible.  As we walked in it reminded me of a Lollapalooza of food and sustainability but as we explored further that metaphor was blown out of the water when I saw how much money and effort each country must have put in.  For those not aware, Expo is an international exposition that is located in Milan this year.  It is running from the begging of May until the end of October, and the theme is feeding the world and food stability.  It isn’t something I necessarily ever thought of before but the Expo did a great job at teaching and making learning interactive.  Most every country in the world has their own pavilion, which is basically a huge, archtitectuarlly beautiful structure in which they show what their country is doing in regards to food, why food is important to them, so on and so forth. 

Favorite Expo Pavillions:

1.           BRAZIL! – Brazil was the runaway winner here.  They had a giant net course that you could walk on going over a garden.  It represented the need of biodiversity and technology to feed the planet.

2.           ITALY! – Italy’s pavilion was the biggest, obviously, and had cool exhibits such as a food arcade, an entire bar dedicated to San Pelligrino, and a giant Eataly restaurant in which there was a Nutella Bar. 

3.           Switzerland had a very cool pavilion in which there was a grocery store type tower filled with salt, water, and apples.  You can take as much as you like but they said they will not replenish the supply of these foods for the entire duration of Expo.  That begged the question of how much you can take, because you want to leave some behind for future Expo attendees.  Very thought provoking

4.           Czech Republic’s pavilion had a tiny pool which was so greatly appreciated at the end of the day, when Jane and I were able to soak our poor little feet and talk about how much we loved the Czech Republic for being so clutch.

I also really liked the Tree of Life show and the Belgium pavillon for giving out free cookies.  We went to the United States pavilion, and it was pretty cool.  It was called “American Food 2.0” and it described the importance of agriculture to America.

After a good 8 hours at the Expo, we ventured back into the city to get a later dinner and wander around Piazza del Duomo.  The next morning we got up bright and early to make the most of our last morning in Milan.  We made it up to the top of the Duomo, which had incredible views of both the intricate spirals and the city below.  After a final walkabout, it was time for the trek home.  The trek home….the train ride to Rome, and a bus ride from Rome to Ascoli.  It wasn’t until I went to my internship today that Stefano pointed out I was an idiot and we could have take a train from Milan to Ancona and Ancona to Ascoli… okay he is obviously way too nice to call me an idiot to my face, but dang it Mary Rose…

Bye Milan!!!

And that was the Milan trip!! Right when we got home we stopped a Murph’s, obviously.  Everything was as we left it in Ascoli, except for Bar Lori being closed this entire week which is breaking my heart and making me consider protesting breakfast all week.  All in all, I loved Milan.  Everything about that city is so aesthetically pleasing from the church to the piazzas to the art to the style and the people.  OH, an risotto Milanese is TOP.

If you think this blog was a doozy to read, imagine writing and living it.  Ciao!

Career Goal: Gelato Photo Shoot Assistant

            I have to confess that this blog is being written under many sins.  First, I’m outside at a café drinking a cappuccino despite it being above 95 degrees and sweating enough to bathe a small elephant.  Second, I’m drinking said cappuccino after the acceptable cappuccino window (5 am – 11 am more or less).  Third, I am drinking this cappuccino 5 minutes after slamming two pezzis of margherita at Mamma and Pappa’s.  As they say in Ascoli, TE VO ARREGNA? (Yo, you wanna fight me?)

Sometimes things happen and all you can think to yourself is, “Only in Ascoli”.   I have two cases for your consideration today, on opposite ends of the “I Am Okay With This Happening” scale.  Let’s start out on a positive note.  I was sitting on the side of the church in Piazza del Popolo, enjoying some good people watching and overall chilling.  A man approaches me with a cup of gelato and asks (in Italian) if I would like it.  Now, America conditioned me to not take candy from strangers.  But Italy has conditioned me to know that gelato is not candy, it’s liveliness and should never be denied nor shall calorie content be looked up.  So I took it, but made him take a bite first.  As I sit, enjoying my free gelato, that group of Italians calls me over to the front of a restaurant.  I venture over to discover that they are doing a GELATO PHOTOSHOOT.  They had a little light box and took pictures of the beautiful gelato, presumably for a menu of some sort.  You know why I had been brought over there?  To eat the gelato after it’s modeling moment was done.  I was an Official Gelato Eater.  This was a DREAM COME TRUE.  I was triple fisting gelato while laughing and talking to some extremely nice Italians.  Birds were singing, children were laughing, I’m pretty sure Hall and Oates’ “You Make My Dreams” was playing in the background.

            But despite Ascoli being quite magical in every way, some things make you confused as to how you can be on the same planet as the rest of modern society.  Things like seeing a man eating dinner with a cage on his table.  A cage in which there is a FERRET.  A ferret watching him eat some carbonara.  That was a truly puzzling moment.

            Other than gelato photo shoots and dining ferrets, things have been pretty normal and nice.  Stroll around, drink cappuccinos, do homework in the piazza, eat a lot of tomatoes.  There are some new, fun aspects to my life in Ascoli, though.  My first day of my internship went really well!  Stefano and the other people that work there are very cool and know a lot about the coolest things in Ascoli.  What is better than combining my love of travel, theatre, Italian, and air-conditioned spaces!?  Quintana, the medieval celebration of Ascoli, is really fun.  It’s pretty much Ascoli’s March Madness but with less Charles Barkley and more flag throwing.  Everyone has a guild based on where in Ascoli they live.  I’m part of Sant Emedio! I have yet to see someone flip over a car but I may get carried enough away to do it myself.  Life here is grand despite having bug bites in horrible places and sweat covering my entire body.  It’s like a warm, wet hug from Ascoli welcoming me back. Right? Right.

            There are a lot of exciting things coming up for your girl!  This weekend I’m going to Rome for one night with the entire group and then I’m going to Milan!  I’ve never been to Milan and I’m really looking forward to seeing all the sites, going to Expo, and going shopping.  Okay, my shopping may be for a Nutella cornetto to eat while wistfully staring at the Miu Miu and Mossimo windows…  The next weekend Ascoli is putting on a production of THE LION KING in the main piazza!!  Are they going to do it all in Italian?  Sing in English speak in Italian? Not speak at all and only sing?  I don’t even know but I do know that I am getting there at 1 PM for a good seat, so hopefully someone can deliver me some water, Diet Coke, and mozz balls. 

    I’ll update you all after or during the Milan adventure! Ciao!!