GL 350 week 7.. Don't overthink just let it go

Okay so I realize I have been slacking on telling you what I have been doing over the past two weeks. I’ve just been so busy doing last minute things before I leave and completing assignments that are due this coming week. On Monday, November 26, we climbed to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. It was so cool to look over all of Vatican City and some of Rome. After the Dome, we walked to the Vatican Museum where we were able to see the Sistine chapel. Although pictures were not allowed, it was cool to see something that I’ve heard about from textbooks but never seen. On Tuesday, November 27, Brandon and I had our student led tour of St. Peters Basilica after we went underneath the church to see the remains of St. Peter, luckily our tour went off without a hitch. On Wednesday, November 28, we had a free day that was spent by relaxing around campus. On Thursday, November 29, we went into Rome to conduct our SOC interviews. It was an awesome experience but it was scary because we had to approach Italians to ask about their health system. Nonetheless it was an awesome experience to learn how they felt about Universal Health Care. On Friday we left for Sorrento/Pompeii with Mike!

It was an adventure getting to Sorrento since there was strikes on the trains that went right into Sorrento. After a few hours we arrived in Sorrento, and continued on the planned route. On Saturday, it was raining but we still went into Pompeii to see the ruins. It was awesome to see a city in the form that it was a century or so ago. Even though the rain didn’t let up and we all got soaked, it was an amazing opportunity and I’m glad we got to do it. That night we had a group dinner that took over three hours and was simply chaotic. We left on Sunday to come back to Campus to begin our seventh week. This past Monday, December 3, we had Katie B and Katie D’s walking tour of Esquiline hill. It was so cold, but we got to see the chains that held St. Peter onto the cross. On Tuesday, it was supposed to be a free day, but the four education student’s had to go to an Italian School to do our observation hours. It was so cool to see how an Italian school operated and to see how similar they actually are to American Schools. As we were leaving we even got to see a school bus!

On Wednesday, we went to the papal audience to see the Pope! It was an amazing opportunity that most people don’t get to do while in Italy. We were in the second row, thanks to Danilo, and had the best seats in the house. Since I’m Catholic it was an honor to see the person in charge of the Catholic Churches. At the end of the audience we were able to get things blessed. I got my two necklaces blessed and myself since I was also in the presence of the Pope during the blessing. I am so thankful for this opportunity. On Thursday we went to the American Cemetery in Nettuno. While at the cemetery we walked around looking at all the two types of graves, the cross and the star of david. In the chapel there were names of soldiers who died but were never found, and I was able to find over five people who share the same last name as me. Although I don’t think I am related to any of them, it was cool to see. It was the first time we were in the town of Nettuno, but we got to go the sea and have class on the rocks. On Friday, Katie and I hit the city of Rome to explore and find a store. We also went to the Trevi Fountain for the first time since we have been here. Since your not supposed to throw a coin in until you leave Rome, we simply saw the fountain and then left and headed to The Hard Rock to celebrate Katie’s birthday. It was a lot of fun just to take the day and relax and enjoy ourselves before our weekend full of assignments.

Even though this weekend is a free weekend, we have two finals that we have to write and other little things to do before we leave to come back to America on Friday. It’s a very weird feeling knowing that this is my last week in Rome. While writing my Global Learning Final, I realized how much I have changed since I left home. As Highsmith says, “He had improved, at least, since he left New York, and would improve more.” This quote represents me so well since I left New York to come to Rome, and I am growing everyday because of new experiences. I just consider myself to be extremely lucky to have experienced what I did in the seven weeks that I have been in Rome. I now have an outlook on life that makes me appreciate what my parents have given me and what I have accomplished on my own. When I go home it is going to be really weird that stores are open from the morning to the evening without a break since that is what happens in Italy. “Places closing from noon to four” (p. 47), will be a thing of the past and it will take some getting used to. Just like I had to get used to the stores being closed it the first place, I will have to readjust to them being open whenever I want to go. Like I said in my last blog, I’m not sure if I’m ready to go back home just yet. I already know I will come back to Europe sometime in the future since it is simply beautiful. 

SOC 490, week 6.. The end:/

      I can't believe six weeks has already come and gone. This is my last post for Soc 490 since our class is coming to an end. The question of the week is, can we cure disease through power of prayer? Well that depends on who you are talking to and what country you are in. It also depends on the religion of the person who is sick. Many Christians and Catholics believe that prayer will help heal a disease or sickness. For me, I don’t think a chronic disease can be cured solely from prayer I think there are other factors involved such as medicine and doctors. I am unsure whether prayer is a strong enough method to cure someone, but then again that is only my belief and I know others feel differently. 

Last Thursday, our class went into Rome with a survey in hand about the Italian Health Care system. Our mission was to interview ten Italians on the state of their health, the quality of their physician, if they have visited a hospital and if so the care they received, if the Italian healthcare is good, and which hospital in Rome has the best doctors. While I was interviewing, I found that some Italians didn’t want to answer my survey because they didn’t know what it was about. I also found some Italians say that they have never been to a doctor and they have excellent health. I don’t know if they were built with an awesome immune system or if they believed in the power of prayer. On the day of the interview I was nervous to approach these Italians because I have previous knowledge that Italians don’t like giving out person information. After getting passed my first couple of interviews I noticed that the people who were answering my survey were helping me out because they knew I was an American Student doing a study for my University. It probably helped that I approached them saying, “Senta Scusi, Buongiorno, mi Chiamo Katie, La studentessa di Americana...” or something to that effect. 

Over the past six weeks we have been discussing the topic of Universal healthcare. Through discussions we have talked about whether the United States should model a Universal Plan based off of the “Roman” model or the Canadian model. For this week we are looking at the steps the United States can take to achieve Universal Health Care. The biggest question is if the United States needs to create a new system or if we can repair the current system. According to Johnathon S. Ross, an extension of Medicare is the most efficient way to go. Ross says, “Low-income individuals and families who do not qualify for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) or Medicaid would receive subsidies toward the purchase of insurance through the experience” (p. 163). Ross also says how if a family doesn’t qualify for Medicare there would be a system that requires everyone to have insurance or they would have to pay a fine. 

On the other hand William Hoar asks, “Do we really want healthcare run by those who have displayed the efficiency of the DMV and Postal Service and the compassion of the IRS” (p. 170)? Hoar also says that the Government says the Medicare system that is in place now will be going bankrupt within the next ten years or so. If this is the case do we really want to mirror an entire healthcare system off of a failing Medicare system? After interviewing ten Italians and looking over everyone else’s results, I have decided that America needs to create a new healthcare system based on the Italian or Canadian models. Even though there is flaws in both of their systems, it would be better than basing our universal plan off of a failing medicare program. 

GL 350 week 6: I wanna live while I'm young

As many of you know I have been living in Rome for the past six weeks. Every weekend I was given the opportunity to see other cities besides Rome. For instance, I saw Paris, Venice, London, Florence, Dublin, and Sorrento. Next Friday I will begin to make my journey home and I am sad to say goodbye to my life here. At this moment I am confused to whether I miss home, or I just miss simple luxuries that I have at home, such as driving my car or going to a grocery store whenever I want to. Looking back I wouldn’t want to change anything about my experience. Over the weekend I read The talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith, and I forced to remember the little details about my trip. Before my adventure to Castel Gandolfo, Italy I lived in New York, and I was not a big proponent of change in plans at all. 

After being away from home and familiar places I have changed but in a good way. As Highsmith says, “He had improved, at least, since he left New York, and would improve more” (p. 232). Everyday I face a new challenge that I have to work through and I have to make the best of every situation so I don’t ruin my experience. On our second day in Rome, we learned how some business have a siesta during the day. I had never heard of a business closing during the day to take a break before that day. Frankly it was weird to me and I didn’t understand what was happening. Now that my trip is over I have come to terms with the fact of “places closing from noon to four sometimes” (p.47). On my first free weekend, I was scared out of my mind to travel to Paris with two other girls. I was just getting comfortable with the Italian culture and here I was about to throw myself into the French culture. After all Paris “was the atmosphere that he had always heard about, crooked streets, gray-fronted houses with skylights, noisy car horns, and everywhere public urinals and columns with brightly colored theater notices on them” (p.121). Everything looked the same to me, the architecture, the streets, the metro, and even the restaurants. 

Our next weekend was a school trip to Venice, Italy. “American tourists raved over Venice” (p. 184), but why? I hated Venice for the most part. The only way to get from one place to the other was by ferry or walking. Not to mention it was supposed to be flooded why we were there. Luckily, the rain held off until Sunday but then San Marco’s Square was almost completely flooded. “The weather was bad, but Capri was Italy” (p.177), or in this case Venice was Italy. Everyone in my group was making the best of the situation because we were in Italy, the best place on Earth. Looking back on that weekend now, I think we over looked how miserable some of us were because we were in a “honeymoon” phase about being in Italy. I also learned about the hotel policies this weekend. In Europe, it is common courtesy to leave your one room key at the desk so your roommates can come and go as they please. It was weird every time we returned to the hotel we “collected the key at the desk” (p. 107), and proceeded onward. In my opinion it is a waste of time since I was always with my roommate. 

  I think my favorite part of my trip so far was experiencing Dublin with my friends. Since I am almost a 100% Irish, it was cool to be in the country where my ancestors once lived. I learned that visitors can bring their ancestry information to a building in Dublin and trace down their family roots. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I would have done it if I had the information with me. Most people believe, “Italy is the most beautiful country in Europe” (198), frankly I disagree. I think Italy is beautiful and all but nothing can compare to the atmosphere in Ireland. Everyone was so nice and happy all the time and they spoke English! My biggest downfall this trip has been the language barrier. It is challenging trying to speak the little Italian I know to the Italians in Rome, which is probably why I find Ireland so irresistible. If I could hop on a plane right now and go back, I would. 

Although at the moment we are finishing out our semester abroad strongly in Italy. I am beginning to connect the information we have learned at tours with what I have learned about in school along with information from other tours. It’s amazing how everything is connected one way or another around Rome.  After reading The talented Mr. Ripley, I am remembering the small details that I so easily forgot about. There was the first train ride into Rome, the first metro ride to the colosseum, our first journey on the crowded bus 64, and other things that have escaped my thoughts. I think when I get home I am just going to want to come back to Italy to the family that I have spent the last two months with. I think this trip has defiantly brought me out of my little shell not including my dislike of food. I cannot wait for my American food since I am a very picky person. If anything I have grown a greater appreciation for the differences between people and cultures since America is almost all the same. Everywhere that I have been throughout Europe have been the same but different since the countries were established on different grounds and different beliefs. 

I will never forget this experience or the people I shared it with. I will also not take my life for granted back home because according to how most Italians live, I demonstrate a very luxurious life style. I also learned that I can live without the little things in life like cars and T.V’s since they have not been available to me for the past two months. The one thing that has drove me crazy was my cell phone not working. If I wanted to talk to my family I had to make sure there was money on my prepaid phone or that they called me back. In the end I learned that these are all materialistic things that people throughout the world go without everyday. It’s almost nice to “think about the meaning of possessions, and why I (he) liked to live in Europe” (p. 240). Living in Europe is like putting life on hold and just enjoying life for a while. Things like Gucci, Prada, ferrari, and things will still be there in the end and there’s no point wasting time getting caught up in having the best of the best when it’s not needed to survive. It’s like Danilo said the first week we were here about knock-off purses and goods, if he has the money he will get the real thing, if he doesn’t he will simply wait until he can afford it. Who knows, maybe I’ll start living like an Italian in America and only survive on the bigger things in life.