Friday

It is a good thing someone didn't magically read my mind and bring me an AS Roma ticket! I was watching the game on tv and a full fledged riot broke out in the stands...and here the is the interesting part: no one cared! It was the second half and all of the sudden the cameras flashed to the stands where spectators had started a pretty large fire and people were fighting, like throwing punches and kicking each other. The cops came and started beating fans with sticks....this went on for a good ten minutes, but the teams kept playing and the commentators were like, no big deal! I kept thinking, if this had happened in America, it would be the top ESPN story for a month...here, no one even took a second look. Crazy. It was an experience to go to a bar and watch AS Roma play in Roma with all these crazy Roma fans! I had a lot of fun. 

I have been with the Sisters for a full week now and am picking up on the ins and outs of the convent. I LOVE to cook- I found cooking for just myself at home to be so depressing, but here I love it. I am going to try and take a cooking class while I am in Roma. The Sisters did spoil me by letting me cook on my very first day... I don't like peeling, chopping and washing the vegetables....it is so boring, and if I am working with another volunteer, I usually try to race them to make it more interesting ; ) I do consider it a small miracle I haven't sliced a finger off yet... I am very intrigued by the organizational structure of the convent and am making it my mission to figure out how it works by the time I leave. I want to know how many Sisters they have, how many volunteers they are dependent on, what happens if no volunteers show up, how do they pay for their food and supplies, how many people do they feed a week, how did Reverend Mother get to be Reverend Mother, how involved is the Vatican, how many convents world-wide do they have, etc, etc, etc. I don't want to ask too many questions just yet, they might think I am a Protestant spy or something...

I am very encouraged by the fact that I see runners EVERYWHERE around the city, especially along the Tiber. I took a long break after my marathon in June, but am so excited to get back into a regular running routine, once it gets cooler (it is still very humid and in the high 80s here). It will be another great way to see the sights.

It is Friday night and I wanted to do something fun, so I tried to go see a movie....The only thing I could figure out how to see was "Dolphin Tale 2" and um, no thanks (its a self service ticket machine) so I bought some popcorn and walked home. I did go back into the convent this evening to help clean and wash dishes post dinner.  I do have a funny story about the Sisters and my Bible, which I will tell later- they can be quite the characters!!

Finally, my dream CAME TRUE and someone offered to take me on a scooter ride!!! I walked to Villa Borghese on Thursday and explored the 200 acre park and gardens when a man approached me. He was talking to me for a few minutes, I was politely (then not so politely) trying to get him to leave me alone when he said "we go for cafe, then I take you on a scooter ride like Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn" and I almost died! I waited until I had broken free and then erupted into the biggest grin! Believe me, if I had the slightest interest in this guy, I would have said yes- I was flattered but just couldn't accept. I might tell the Sisters...only so they know I am not hopeless ; )

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

xx SJK