Video: When in Rome?

Some of the greatest moments of this trip were spent waiting around. I really have grown to love these people.

Eman and the Vatican

ROME - After a nice dinner of – you guessed it – pasta and pizza, we called it a night a bit earlier than normal, at least for us. It was a bit of a struggle to get everyone to do so. The consensus by the end of the night was that no one should go to the Vatican hung over or tired. I was especially looking forward to the next morning.

The security at Vatican City was rather strict. We passed through metal detectors, our cameras and phones passed through x-ray machines, and the guards waved their wands over each of us. Once through, our tour guide handed us radio transmitters with earphones into which he would speak to us via microphone. I shut mine off after Ned, our guide who reminds Chad of Boris Karloff, chose to plant us in one spot for over 45 minutes while he explained what seemed like the entire history of Rome.

I don’t consider myself particularly religious, but I do look at the Catholic faith with a great amount of reverence. Perhaps it was my upbringing or even just remembering my grandmother, but I do feel a sort of spiritual connection with it that borders on nostalgia.

The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking. It’s a bit surreal seeing the real thing. For some reason, it didn’t occur to me how crowded it was going to be when I saw it. Of course it would be. Guards along the walls and in the crowd clapped frequently and loudly at people who took photographs of the ceiling. “No fotos!” they yelled.

One other thing to note is that everything in the halls leading up to the Sistine Chapel was also impressive. The ceilings were intricately painted with 3-demsensional designs. The paintings, sculptures and tapestry that decked the halls of the museum were unlike anything I've seen.

There was an elegance to the museum I could feel as I walked through among thousands of other people. There was an elevated level of grace in the water flowing from the fountains. The Vatican truly is a site worthy of an association with God.

Sights of Rome

The Forum

Il Coliseo
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps

Just because....

When in Rome (Day One)

The class took a train to Rome on the third weekend. We met at the station at Santa Maria Novella around 8:30AM. My roommates and I were first to arrive. After two weeks of pasta and pizza, we were somewhat delighted to each have an egg McMuffin at the station’s McDonalds.

When we arrived in Rome after a two-hour train ride, we waited quite some time before we could check in. We sat in the lobby and told variations of that old “When in Rome” saying. We decided that once in Rome, that saying is no longer applicable. The U.S., Chad declared, was now the new Rome. “When in the U.S.,” he said.

While waiting for our room, we had lunch at a small restaurant near our hotel. Again, we had more pasta and pizza. Since Rome is known for its carbonara sauce, I had the spaghetti alla carbonara. The funny thing about this restaurant, however, was that it seemed to be all Filipinos in the kitchen. There was, however, one old Italian woman, whose temper flared up when someone asked to pay with a credit card. Though I'm always the type to pay with credit or debit, I always make sure to bring cash to restaurants out here. What can I say? When in the U.S., I suppose.

We spent the first day pretty much just sightseeing. We saw the forum, the coliseum, Trevi fountain, where I threw in one Euro, and the Spanish steps. It was hot that day, but I climbed to the top of them. I love the Spanish steps. I'd love them more if they weren't so crowded all the time.

I roomed with Xander at Hotel Torino. It was probably the best air-conditioned room I've ever been in all of Italy. In talking with some of the others, it seemed that the accomidations weren't equal all around. Xander and I got one of the nicer rooms. Some of them had bathrooms with just one room, a toilet, a sink, and a shower head. Ours had a complete shower with a door. I’m not used to sharing a room, but this experience was quite alright. He certainly is an interesting character. We fell asleep with CNN in the background. I haven’t watched too much television since I got here (besides MTV Europe). The top story at the time were the explosions in India. I guess there’s always a lot going on in the world.

CSUF Article on Summer Program in Florence

Summer School in Florence

Students to Attend International Media Workshops

It's the opportunity to explore a European city and culture while attending classes — what could be more appealing to a group of 26 California State University students?

This month, they're beginning a four-week program that blends academics — in the form of courses in feature article writing and Italian cinema, plus guest lectures — with a cultural experience exploring the art, food, people and sites of Florence and surrounding communities.

"We wanted to give students opportunities to learn and enhance the classroom experience," said Tony R. Fellow, chair and professor of communications, who coordinates the International Media Workshops in Florence program. "This program helps students experience the communications field in a community and culture far different from their own.

"It's been very well-received and has continued to grow," said Fellow. Students from Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona are joining the Cal State Fullerton program this year.

Cal State Fullerton students participating in this summer's program are:
Buena Park — Melanie Arce
Corona — Emmanuel
Escondido — Gina Baxter and Caroline Wagner
Fullerton — Gabriela Valdez
Hacienda Heights — Carolina Gonzalez
La Habra — Kristin Swinford
La Habra Heights — Yvette Garciaparra
La Puente — Diana Martinez and Larry Tse
Loma Linda — Stephanie Albertine
Los Angeles — Akejandra Ulloa
Mission Viejo — Nancy Cunningham
Moreno Valley — Benh Pham
Redondo Beach — Alexander Reynolds
San Carlos — Jessica Barron
San Diego — Dominic Sanfilippo
Spring, Texas — Chad Anderson

Participants from Cal State San Bernardino are:
Hesperia — Breanna Nece
Highland — Holly Roy
Oak Hills — Stephanie Lumley
Phelan — Joy Kuhns
Redlands — Heyley Favorite
Riverside — Priscilla Torres
San Bernardino — Elizabeth Anne Johnson

Also taking part is Sean Dan of Rowland Heights, a student at Cal Poly Pomona.

"I would like to expand and develop similar programs in other countries, like Argentina," said Fellow, who believes so strongly in the program that he and his wife created a scholarship for students studying abroad. Fellow also would like to develop a center for the study of media and politics in Florence, which could bring scholars and professionals together each summer to discuss world issues.

Last summer, Fellow served as Fulbright Vercelli Chair at the University of Piemonte in Milan, where he taught 20th-century mass communications history, as well as a course on the press and modern society. While there, he also conducted research in world media history and the conflict between Muslims and Catholics in Italy.

Video Blog: Chianti Wine Tour

Here are some clips of us on the Chianti wine tour. In my opinion, the ending is just too great.

Chianti Wine Tour & Tasting

CHIANTI, Italy - The Chianti Wine Tour was a trip that I had been looking forward to for quite some time. There’s a certain level of sophistication associated with wine tasting in Tuscany. I almost didn’t make it, actually. After our weekend in Viareggio, I didn’t realize what day it was and almost walked to school instead of our meeting place, which was the Bibliotecca Nazionale. Luckily, I ran into Joy and her roommates along the way.

Our tour guide was a California guy who met an Italian girl and never left, and he actually was very good. He explained the history behind the cantinas we visited as well as the nuances between the different wines he poured for us. Some of us were better than others at holding our alcohol. I most certainly was buzzing, I will admit. The good news is that no one got hurt.

Yvette and I with barrels of vino.

Vintage wine cellar

Our trusty tour guide

Inside a Pozzi family dungeon

Me and my shirt.

Stephanie opted to keep her glass empty.

Yvette and I toasting

A little bit of wine goes a long way...Just ask Chad.

Italian Men Playing Soccer

FLORENCE, Italy - What I love about the Italians is that they're constantly playing soccer. It's almost stereotypical.

I know it's creepy that I stood at the top of the bridge and photographed these sexy, sweaty, shirtless men playing soccer, but I'm hoping I can pass as one of those Japanese tourists that will photograph anything that moves. That or I'm just another gay paparazzi. They didn't seem to mind though. It's almost as if they wanted to be seen.

Engagement

FLORENCE, Italy - One of the girls got engaged this week. Pricilla's boyfriend, now fiancee, suprised her by flying clear across the Atlantic to propose to her on the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge on the Arno.

We could not be happier for her. Congratulations to both of them.

20 Girls, 6 Guys

So I walked into class on the first day in Fullerton, and there about nine girls in the classroom. They all introduced themselves to me, and Hayley was the first. What was funny is that one of the girls in the classroom said out loud, "That guy is SOOO lucky," referring of course to the ratio of girls to guys.

Little did they know...it wasn't in my favor. ;)

Video Blog: "Italian 101"

Here is a clip of us brushing up on our Italian at dinner in Viareggio. I have to say, Chad is one of the most hilarious people I've ever met.

Skinny Dipping in Viareggio

VIAREGGIO, Italy - My roommates and I took a train to a beach town in the Versilia coastal area of Tuscanny called Viareggio after practically wasting our first Italian weekend on sleep and alcohol. We missed an opportunity to go to Pisa with some of the girls in our program, and I could tell when we caught up with them in Viareggio that they were slightly upset with us. That didn’t last too long, however, and once we smoothed things over, they sneaked our things into their hotel room, which made clear to the girls that they weren’t to have more than one boy over. (Three girls and one guy? What a country!).

In contrast to Florence, it was nice to see the Italians in a place where they were not the minority in a tourist-infested metropolitan city. What I love about Italian women is that many of them will walk gracefully in high heels, whether on cobblestone or along the boardwalk at the beach.

Viareggio, though only 1 hour and 40 minutes from Florence by train, seems like a world away. The shops along the beach stay open in the late hours of the night, it is slightly less accommodating to non-Italian speaking patrons, and things seem to cost what they really cost.

We stopped at a small pizzeria for dinner where we all got to know each other a little better. I guess it's sort of inevitable for a group our age to have a candid conversation about sex, among other things. Fine enough, except for the fact that with a bit of alcohol and a juicy topic of conversation, we instantly turn into the loud Americans we were trying not to be.

After dinner, we started to walk towards the nightclub that the waiter recommended, which, according to him, was “in the forest.” Along the way, we stopped at a nice restaurant and bar where we were treated to live music in the street right outside of the patio. It was a one-man show, and he performed a wide variety of American songs, everything from Pink Floyd to Michael Bublé . Throughout the night, I would step in and out of the bar to listen while Beth danced - sometimes by herself - in the street.

Inside, I had candid moments with Hayley, who is turning out to be one of my favorite people not only on this trip, but in life (coincidently, her last name is Favorite). I’m sure many of the stories I’ll post will involve her.

After the musician closed with “Easy” by Lionel Richie, we shook his hand, wished him well, and continued our stroll along the beach. By 1 a.m., the streets were dead, and it felt like just another late night at the beach.

Perhaps the most memorable experience of this trip was skinny dipping in the ocean at 2AM. It wasn’t entirely by choice. Chad, Pricilla, and Beth ran into the water partially clothed, and I unfortunately wasn’t wearing any underwear. For a second, I hesitated, but I took one look at the endless beach and before I knew it, I dropped my denim and ran into the ocean wearing nothing but my watch. It wasn’t too long before (some of) the rest of them followed in my steps.

We sneaked back into the hotel close to 3AM, where we each rinsed off the sand from the beach and told ridiculous (homoerotic) ghost stories in the dark. There must have been far too much laughter coming out of a room that supposedly had only 3 girls in it. In any event, it was nice falling asleep in the company of these people.

There really aren’t enough words in the English language to describe just how much fun I had at Viareggio. Perhaps I should look into Italian.

Tour of Firenze

The franciscan basilica Santa Croce. The piazza of the same name was opened for the loads of faithfuls who could not cram inside the church. It was also a stage for other events and festivals.

Our class on the steps of Santa Croce.

The Torre d’Arnorlfo is 94m high with striking crenellations. The Palazzo Vecchio is the traditional seat of the Florentine government.

Statue in la Piazza della Signoria.A copy of the Michelangelo's David which stands in the Piazza della Signoria.


Standing tall with a pink, white, and green marble façade, Il Duomo (Cathedral) is probably the most recognizable structure in Florence’s skyline.

Our side of the Arno

Mio Amici Americano!

An Introduction to my fellow Americans


From Left: Yvette, Beth, Xander, Eman, Gina, Diana, Hailey, Dominick, Pricilla

From Left: Chad, Pricilla, Dominick, Eman, Jessica, Yvette

I Came. I Saw. I Ate.

So I thought it would be cool to photograph things I've been eating here. So far, the food has been great, but I have yet to be amazed. The meal vouchers have gotten us great deals on food. The Italians definitely know how to do lunch.

Plate of Mixed Meats

Ranch Burger & Fries (House of Sizzle in Florence)

Pollo e Patate

Lasagna & A Coke

Spaghetti a la Bolengese (Goldenview Openbar)

Pork Steak

Pasta with Meat Sauce (Viareggio)

Pizza (Viareggio)