theromanoklahoman

Well, I have to say, February and March flew by!

I could build quite a list, but a few of the most memorable:
survived semester testing;
sweated a few rounds of bullets;
studied more than ever;
breathed some sighs of relief;
welcomed my dad to Roma;
passed my Italian test;
and celebrated Easter, Alleluia!

Everything is great and I always stay busy!

Right now, I’m about two and a half months away from semester testing for this spring semester and I’m beginning preparations. I do not want to be preparing last minute this semester like it felt like I was doing last semester. Even though I studied literally every day for over a month – it was still difficult.

One of my tests is in Italian this semester so, that one might be a little tricky – but I’m preparing for it. It’s my Pentateuch class and it’s very cut and dry. To begin preparations I am reading the text of the Old Testament that we’ve covered and then I will begin reviewing the notes (in Italian and English.)

Well, enough about school, Palm Sunday and Holy Week were interesting this year. It’s the first year in five years that I didn’t spend them at Conception Seminary in Missouri.

I’m in the Gregorian Schola at school so we practiced a lot of the chants for Morning and Evening Prayer and the traditional chanted Mass parts and antiphons. It was a lot of work but the liturgies were beautiful. I’m glad they are teaching us how to chant – these chants have been with the church for hundreds of years and they really help set the mood for the day. Especially during Holy Week, they are written in a way that the sound of the chant really helps to convey the mood of the text. It really helped me enter into prayer.

This summer I’ll be studying Latin for 6 weeks in Ireland in an intensive language program at the University of Cork in Ireland. I’m still working on the room and board details but, those shouldn’t be much trouble. I’ve sent an e-mail but I think I need to just make a phone call. One of my close friends is going with me this summer so, that will be nice. This is pretty much our only chance to study it – so we’ll have to take advantage of the opportunity.

He [Brandon] and I visited Austria together for Easter break and spent 6 days in this small town in Gaming. We were on a beautiful campus in the middle of the mountains on Franciscan University’s study abroad campus [from Steubenville, Ohio]. It was relaxing to get enough sleep every night and it was very retreat like. We were able to take walks, pray and… best of all… eat great, cheap German food. I’ll have to post a couple pictures from this sometime.

Austria was a beautiful country. We didn’t see a lot of it but on the way to and from Gaming, we did take the train and so we got to see the countryside and a bit of Vienna when we traveled in between the airport and the train station.

On Easter Sunday I went down to St. Peter’s for the Easter Mass. Some of us at the NAC had tickets to sing with the ‘people’s choir’. It’s the choir that they ‘mic’ for t.v. and radio stations. So, we sing everything like normal, but we are recorded for that purpose. Getting to sing with that group normally gets us very good seats. It’s nice also because the group is pretty much all seminarians, sisters, and brothers so, during the Mass – everyone around us is focused on the Mass and not trying to take pictures or stand on their chair or something.

We were going to be just to the Holy Father’s right, to the right of the Canons of St. Peter but when it started raining, we luckily got moved under the atrium. So, for the Mass we were dry while it was pouring. It was kind of sad because so many people were there and many of them in their ‘Sunday Best’ and they were getting soaked. They kind of rushed the Mass. I think the Holy Father may have said the Eucharistic Prayer faster than normal and he also did not deliver his homily.

The priests said it was hard to distribute communion because as people came forward and would bow, the rain would run off of the umbrella into the suboria (the containers for the consecrated Hosts). So, they ended up with bowls of mush – that someone had to consume.

It was kind of ironic because just behind us, the largest Church in the world (St. Peter’s) was sitting empty. But, they couldn’t have just moved it indoors – it wasn’t set up for that, the servers weren’t trained for it, security wouldn’t have had their positions, etc. etc. So, everyone just had to get wet.

After the Holy Father delivered the Urbi et Orbi blessing and was processing back into St. Peter’s, I was able to see him from about 10 feet away. I love getting to see him – seeing the Pope really connects me to St. Peter and to Christ. I really enjoy Masses and liturgies at St. Peter’s even though they are huge and sometimes kind of crazy, it is great to see the pilgrims gathering from all around the world to atend Holy Mass with the Pope.

Anyway, I’d better bring this to a close.

Until next time.

I’ve been here 6 full months as of January 15th.

 

A few things about being here for a half of a year:

 

First, just so I can post these two pics… I got to lector at the Papal Epiphany Mass this year on January 6th!  It was such an awesome experience.  I prepared the reading for about a week, off and on.  Then, when the day came, I could really tell that God was with me, because I wasn’t nervous at all.  Not all of the seminarians even get chosen to do this while they’re here, so I’m especially lucky to have been able to do it my first year.

  

 

What a way to start the new year!

 

I enjoy the set-up of University studies in Italy. It’s a very self driven program. We have class every day, but if you’re not there, no one will say anything. Well, there is one professor that I will have in late-February through June that does notice everyone’s presence or absence – but that’s an exception. It’s interesting to see how much bigger the class gets when there is a quiz or test… some of them amazingly double in size!

 

During the semester I was mostly worried about getting work done for my seminar class and with cramming for Greek tests every month and a half.

 

Monsignor Millea’s (below… obviously on the left) seminar class:

 

 

I think it’s a great class.  He absolutely expets us to have the 60 pages or so of material read each week.  Then we write a little one page reflection (American-style busy work.)  

 

But, despite the stress of the reading load, class discussions are interesting and fun.  He manages to cover every bit of the material each week.  No one can get this priest off track.  We systematically get through it all, but under the guise of a open-ended discussion.  For this class, we have read such a great range of theological excerpts, which are mostly from the same 4 or 5 theologians (Ratzinger, Nichols, Dulles, Alfaro, Pieper.)  My least favorite parts of this class are the fact that our readings are in a photocopied loose-leaf packet (which gets scattered at times) and that it takes so much time.

 

And the latter of the two, our Greek class:

The one word summary would be ‘horrible’.  It’s one of those classes where EVERYONE could learn more by reading the book and practicing on his own for 3 hours a week. Plus, we’re only on about chapter 6 -  but still talking about chapter 1 material and concepts. 

But, hey… I’m not complaining, that’s for sure.  Greek isn’t my cup of tea but, it is interesting to be learning the basics.

 

Going to school and back takes about an hour each day.  It’s approximately 30 minutes, which ever way I walk.  If I take the bus, I can get there in about half the time.  I take the bus when there is poor weather or if I’m sick or tired.  Sometime I want ot take the bus but once I get past the main bus stop, I’m fine I enjoy the walk and a nice view of several monuments/historical places along the way.

 

Castel Sant’Angelo:

 

Piazza Navona:

 

The Pantheon:

 

Trevi Fountain.

 

The city is about 3.5 miles square, but it’s not like Oklahoma City where the streets are on a grid, with Reno and I-35 as axes.  Thre are streets everywhere.  About once every week (like today for example) I’m still wandering down a new street when heading toward school or back to the NAC.  It’s awesome though… such a change from Conception, MO.

 

But, let me move on to classes:

At first, I was discouraged about the amount of time I was spending on my seminar reading but I’ve noticed that it correlates well with my classes (one in particular) and in reality, as long as I’ve taken this month to prepare for the tests, there won’t be a problem.

 

 

 

 

I’m happy about being able to study Church documents and teachings, the Early Church Fathers and the Holy Scriptures for classes.  I was getting burned out on philosophy studies.  Don’t get me wrong, it was great, but philosophy is not what drew me into the seminary – at first I didn’t even know what it was.  So, this is a breath of fresh air.

 

Life at the NAC:

I enjoy how it is more laid back than at Conception.  Lunch is the main meal of the day, but if you’re not there once a week  (or even twice, if necessary), it’s no big deal – as long as you sign out.  At Conception, it was the opposite.  You had to be there for dinner every evening  – end of story.  You could be excused for different things but, not to do homework or something of that sort.

 

So, if I have to run a couple errands, I don’t need special permission anymore, I can just go.

 

The biggest thing at the NAC is being timely and in attendance.  It’s nice knowing that your formators (the faculty) are not looking hard for you to see if you are at prayer or Mass.  They assume that you’re there unless they have a reason to think otherwise… then they might pay more attention to whether you’re there.  I have not missed yet, even though it’s taken a while for 5 AM to become (mentally) a good wake-up time.

 

I could keep going on and on about life but, I’ll stop here (for now.)  Being in Europe is great and Christmas was wonderful – even though Belgium definitely wasn’t home.  Maybe I will write about my Christmas break next time.

 

Ci Ved! *

* (“Ch-EE  ved”… our colloquial phrase for “Ci vediamo.” which means “We will see each other [later.]”)

Yesterday was my first day of classes. So, I got up at 5 A.M. and had a nice big cup of coffee before Mass and Morning Prayer at 6:15. We have a small breakfast then after Mass. You can then walk to school whenever you want. It’s about a thirty minute walk which is nice to do when it’s nice and cool out. It’s amazing how empty the streets are at 7:30 A.M. and the change they undergo during the four and a half hours that we’re in class. When we leave at Noon, the streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of Rome… vendors everywhere selling scarves, ties, belts, sunglasses, posters, calendars, postcards, and other knickknacks.

The walk back from school is a little different and it’s a much warmer outside… I can do without the heat though. I’ll be dreading the end of the school year in June… just because summer is rolling in. Skipping summer wouldn’t bother me.

So, when we arrived at the school, we went in and first looked at the board and I found out my Italian test was today. I was hoping it wouldn’t be until Thursday or so but, no big deal… I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be.

A buddy and I walked up stairs and found our class room… the desks are ancient… they were probably old when Father Greiner sat in them for lectures in Latin. I’ll have to take a picture of them sometime. The seating isn’t stadium style but the professor does stand in an area that looks like a judge would sit in for court.

I got settled in and waited for class to start. The professor started with the sign of the cross while everyone was still talking and we all stood up quickly and joined in for an “Our Father” in Italian and as we finished the bell rang. It’s funny… we were all looking at each other… it rang so long that it could’ve been a fire alarm… and it’s a real bell… so, it’s really loud.

The lecture started and I was pleased by how much I was understanding. The NAC guys sit close together in the class of 150 students or so and we take control of the window side of the room. Seminarians from other countries don’t always have the same hygiene standards as us so, a hot room can be bad. But, 10 minutes into class, the jack hammers started up in the piazza below us, in front of the neighboring building. We shut the windows and it wasn’t bad in the classroom but it’s nicer to have them open.

The professors both spoke a little differently. None of them were native Italians, although the American teacher has flawless Italian… he speaks with his hand and words… you could easily mistake him for having been born and raised here. The British teacher is funny with his British sounding Italian… he’s pretty boring too… if you can imagine a Old British Professor that drones on and on… that’s him… but what he has to say is good so it will be bearable.

Today, class was nicer, minus the jack hammers and I only went for a couple hours because we had to leave early for the Italian tests. They weren’t too difficult, so I think I passed them. But, if I don’t, no worries, I can take it again in February. Everyone passes it in the February retake.

Now, I’m just trying to get organized and work out a weekly schedule so I can get everything in. I’m excited that the school year finally started… four more days of vacation and my summer would’ve been 5 months long (the longest summer vacation in my history of schooling)!

I hope you all are doing well. Keep in touch and keep up the prayers. You all are in mine.

This is from last Sunday. It took me a while to finish writing this and to get the pictures posted.

Addressing us New Men, the Holy Father told us, “I pray that your formative years in Rome will help you to grow in wisdom and personal charity.”

Today was amazing.

After Mass I finished getting ready for our trip to Castelgandolfo to see the Pope for the Sunday Angelus. When we arrived at Castelgandolfo, our bus pulls into this gate and we get out and stand around for a minute. It was so beautiful. We start walking up this really nice street and get to the top and our Rector tells us that we’re going to be waiting in a special place and at about 10:30 we went through a couple gates to an area separated off from where all the rest of the people trying to get in for the Sunday Angelus had been waiting for hours.

At about 11:00 one of the higher-ups comes to speak with Msgr. Checcio and we then follow him in past the Swiss guards and the courtyard is still empty. It was just a small little piazza. I figured there would’ve been more room. And we go over to this waiting area off to the side for a while.

So, it’s about 10 minutes before the Angelus begins and they tell us to come forward, in front of the ropes and everything, and I move up to the front because I’m short, along with some other short guys. And we are less than 30 feet from where the Pope’s balcony is, he’s on the 3rd story. But, there’s no one in front of us. We were just right there.

Then Monsignor Checcio tells us that he’s getting ready to come out and I’m watching the Swiss guards grab their spears. As soon as I look up the Pope walks out on the balcony and I was just stunned… it’s hard to describe. I mean, even though I’ve seen him once before, it was still so cool to be there. And it was even greater being there with all of the New Men to experience it.

He started looking from right to left at the crowd and when he looked at us he smiled really big and raised his hands up even further. He was looking right at us and smiling.

The Pope, successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ was just looking at us and with such a glowing expression. You couldn’t help but feel Christ’s presence through that look of contentment and I didn’t know what to do. I was smiling as big as possible and just kind of raised my hands up in front of my chest and beamed, it was just a natural reaction like, accepting a hug or something. You kinda freeze as you’re totally caught up in the moment.

We were really there.

On one hand it’s so exciting and on the other it’s very humbling. Humbling because many, many people have been waiting hours to come in to pray the Angelus with the Pope and not everyone gets in. And we just get to come right in without having waited in the hot sun all morning. And not only that, but we got to have a front row position, too.

Before the Angelus started, we were just beaming with excitement and anticipation. We were just telling each other how amazed we were at how close we were going to be. I’ve been in this mood all day… teary eyed with awe, puzzled, fulfilled, and humbled. Just the other day we had Mass at St. Peter’s Tomb, the first Bishop and now, and were able to pray at the Tomb of John Paul II, and now we’re here… to see the current Pope.

On the bus we received and practiced for the first time our school’s Alma Mater “Ad Multos Annos” which we sing at important events. And the first time we sing it as a group (not including the couple run throughs) is for the Pope.

So, the Pope gives his Address and then begins to greet people and we were the first ones he greeted us:

“I am happy to greet all the English speaking pilgrims and visitors. May your stay at Castelgandolfo at Rome renew your love for the Universal Church… And welcome to the new seminarians of the Pontifical North American College…

*Ad Multos Annos*

“Thank you very much… thank you… I pray that your formative years in Rome will help you to grow in wisdom and personal charity.”

When it was finished we went through the side doors to exit and were able to catch the really short blessing the Pope gives to all the people that could not get in for the Sunday Angelus. Most people probably don’t get to see both, because I don’t think they let the people exit until he’s finished.

Then we just had to walk around the corner to get back into the area where the buses were. Soon after, Archbishop Harvey met up with us and gave us an afternoon tour of the Papal Gardens at Castelgandolfo. This is something that no one else really gets to do. It’s only because the head of the Papal Household (Archbishop Harvey) is American and a graduate of the North American College (Class of 1975) that we get this privilege.

It was such an honor to be able to walk in the Pope’s private gardens and to see where he gets to pray and enjoy the outdoors.

At first I was astonished that they keep those gardens so beautifully manicured for just one man and his close family and a few friends. But, I understand why. The Pope can’t just go out for a walk, to get away from everything, or have a safe, quite place outside to think and pray. So, I’m glad that he has a place like Castelgandolfo with these gardens.

Archbishop Harvey showed us the little pond where Pope Benedict comes each day to pray and feeds the fish with his brother. Archbishop Harvey told us, “They must be attracted to his whites, because they don’t seem to be coming to all of you.” This is the same pond at which there is a beautiful statue of Our Lady where Pope John Paul prayed the Rosary twice a day.

Then there were the more fun things, like the cows… yes… they had some dairy cows out there in an area of the gardens which is like a farm. And there was even a pool, but it was in a fenced off area that we couldn’t see.

It was so peaceful and serene out there. I walked toward the back of the group and it was so quiet out there. It was really the perfect place to walk and pray.

After this, we went to a restaurant nearby and had a wonderful, huge lunch/dinner at this place that overlooks the lake.

It took me a couple days to process what I thought about this past Sunday and I think this describes it pretty well. I posted pictures on my photos.corystanley.com page too.

Today, my class had Mass at 7:45 AM at the Tomb of St. Peter. It was an incredible experience. To be that close to the remains of Peter and the Tomb of John Paul II was only 15 feet away. It was great to be able to take a minute to pray at each of those tombs.

This is the class photo that we took today after Mass:
[Click here. I’m on the far right in the front.]

Today has been so cool.

The birds woke me up at oh… 5 AM… but that doesn’t bother me. It would be sweet if I could keep getting up this early everyday, without hassle.

So, I had time to just sit around my room and relax, wake up slowly, and to do a little spiritual reading and all that. Then, I met the seminarians down at “Firmum Est” at 8. This is at the front doors… where our seminary’s motto is designed into the terrazzo floor.

We went down to the parking garage (yeah, sounds trashy, but it’s nice) down the street and had cappuccino and coronetti (a pastry) at this coffee place on the top floor of this big tour-bus parking garage. Most tourists don’t even know that this place is on the 5th floor though. In all, there were about 30 seminarians up there. We were just kind of killing time, the other half of the new guys weren’t going to arrive for another hour or so. The parking garage/building is owned by the Vatican and so, I mean, what better place to get coffee… at a place that’s paying rent to the Vatican. Sure beats shopping at a Wal-Mart or getting coffee at a Starbucks.

So, the new men, their flight ended up being a bit delayed.

After we had some coffee and visited for a while we came back to the school and hung out in our (air-conditioned) student lounge for 45 minutes or so until the buses were about here.

The new guys pulled up and we welcomed them all by clapping and some of the second year guys were ringing the church bells. When you arrive the first time, they welcome you in with the church bells and as they’re ringing you go around to the Chapel and the faculty claps you in and you (we) processed in two single file lines into the Chapel. We genuflected and went around to the two sides of the Chapel and filled in the pews. They want the first thing you do together as a class to be prayer. So, we prayed Daytime Prayer together and had the introduction homily from the rector, Msgr. Checcio.

Then when you leave the NAC for the last time (as a 4th year man or a priest finishing his license), they ring you out with the bells and you leave the Chapel for the last time. I didn’t think about it too much but, I’m sure that will be a really emotional day. But, I did think about it enough to realize that it’s an awesome tradition.

Afterwards, they served us brunch. It was totally American-style; bacon and eggs, pancakes and fried potatoes… with Heinz Ketchup. It was the most American breakfast I’ve had in the last month. This was out in the courtyard (that my room overlooks) and they did some basic introductions. It was really cool. And while we ate, we got to know some of the newly arrived (tired from the flights) new men.

They got to see their rooms for a good thirty minutes after brunch before they had a big walk through the city with one of the second year men as a tour guide. I didn’t go on this, because I needed to go to the Pharmacy. I needed one refill for my prescription.

Yesterday, I talked to a Sister here at the school about getting some more medication. She told me that I could go to the Pharmacy in the Vatican because she knows a brother there who speaks good English. So, if I took a copy of my passport and my prescription, I should be able to get in.

So, I went down to the Vatican and told the Swiss Guards that I needed to go to the Pharmacy and that I went to the NAC and they let me in. I think it helped that I acted like I knew what I was doing. The sister here at the school said to make sure I didn’t look lost or anything or they wouldn’t want to let me in. Hah, so, I wandered around a bit after I got in before finding the pharmacy. But, I walked with purpose. ☺

There are only about 3 streets in that part of Vatican City but it was cool because I was able to explore a little. So, I went to the Pharmacy, talked with one of the brother pharmacists there (who spoke English) and got my meds.

I tried to go yesterday but, the pharmacy closed at 3. I thought they closed at 6 though. But, as I was leaving the school yesterday, about 20 Swiss guards were leaving with me. They use our soccer field to play on, since it’s the closest field. So, I was telling one of them that I was headed towards the Vatican for medicine and they told me that I’d have to go tomorrow because it closed at 3. I’m really digging being able to speak Italian and being able to be understood. It’s cool.

I turned around but, didn’t go all the way back to the school. I went ahead and went and tried anyway. I figured that the Swiss Guards were right (since that’s their job and all) but, I was bored and had already put on the clerical attire. The sister in the infirmary here said I should wear them, because I’d get in easier. So, I tried and the guard told me to come back tomorrow (today) between 8 and 3 sometime.

It’s cool because when you’re in clerical attire, the Swiss guards salute you. I’m not a priest but, the seminarians say, if you’re having a crappy day, just go and talk to the Swiss guards for a minute so that they’ll salute you a few times. Then you’ll feel better. Hah.

So, after that, I went back to the Vatican and went to St. Peter’s, went to confession and prayed a while. I’m trying to go in there every day or so and to read about the mosaics and other art. Then, I’m coming back and doing some research (on Google or what-not) to find out more. I’m eager to know enough about the art and history enough to where I can just start talking to the pilgrims about it and about St. Peter’s and stuff. But for now, I just keep my mouth closed, because I don’t know anymore than them.

On the way back to the school, I decided to practice my Italian, I was walking next to a priest. So, I told him that I thought it was a really nice day out and we talked for a couple minutes. At the end I introduced myself as a first year theologian at the NAC and I asked where he was from, turns out, he’s Cardinal Rode and he was going back to his apartment which was about 10 steps from where we were standing.

Okay… So, anyway, this evening was cool. We had an awesome dinner on the roof top on the 5th floor and then had Night Prayer on each floor of the building with our respective floor priest and the other seminarians in our halls. All of the floor priests/administration live right above and below each other. They call it the tower of power. When you go into their rooms/houses (practically), you know you’re a little removed from the rest of the seminary. But, we prayed together and visited for a few mintues beforehand. But, I’m getting ready for bed now.

In the morning, at 7:45, we’re having Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter. It will be our first time to be together as a class in formal clerical attire. Then, Sunday, we get to go to Castelgandolfo for a Sunday audience with the Pope. It’s really awesome.

I’m so pumped to be here.

Funny Happening (3 of 3)

Yesterday morning, after breakfast I was walking back to my room and rounded the corner, headed back to shower and shave before class.

I passed an old lady just around the corner and shot her a quick “Buon giorno” to which she shot back weakly with the same.

So, I walk a few steps more and turn around to look back at her and she seems to be having trouble rounding the corner to get to the elevator. She’s hobbling forward, both hands working to steady herself: the cane in the left with the right on the wall for extra support.

She would hobble forward and nearly get to the corner and then shuffle back to her previous position. I decided to go offer her a hand.

And she shakes her head no and motions with her hand for me to lean in as she tells me in Italian (in a voice that only an old hard of hearing lady could think is quiet):

“I don’t want to ride down with that lady that’s standing by that elevator. She just talks, and talks, and talks. And, if I ride down with her in the elevator, I’ll have to sit with her all through breakfast. *rolling her eyes and shaking her head* Could you walk out there *pointing with her cane* and tell me if she’s gone?”

So, I go out for a reconnaissance loop for her and while behind the stair case wave a big umpire-type “No!” to her. And I think she thought I meant she was gone already and started to hobble forward… so I had to think quick and tell her with my facial expressions and stronger hand movements not to go yet. Luckily she backed back up. Close call. She would’ve killed me.

As I finish the loop, the other woman boards the elevator and I tell her it’s safe now and to have a nice breakfast.

They are so funny.

*tangent*

I’m not sure if I mentioned but this Hotel is really nice. But, it’s funny in a way because, right now, there are probably 170 guests here and the average age (with 20 young seminarians) still manages to hover near 80 years old.

And I’m not stretching it either. There are maybe 25 people other than the sems here that are under 60. So, you know how old people need things to talk about? Well, I’ve been the talk of this little Il Chiostro Albergo.

They all know I’m sick… I’m the “Poverino”. And, it’s kinda funny because, two or three of these old women (they’re almost all women) cannot be convinced otherwise… but they think I have an “insect in my ear” (which I guess was carried in by the wind… which they also fear) and that’s what causing my facial paralysis.

Lordy. Lordy. They are crackin’ me up.

BTW the facial paralysis is getting better.

Don’t forget to read the two funny stories below. I think they’re worthy of your time.

This is funny happening number 2 (out of 3), so don’t miss the blog just below this.

The last couple days one of the waitresses in the Hotel Ristorante is Rossanna. She’s a very nice lady, she’s normally around for lunch and dinner. And lately she’s been telling me about healing oils. So, I listen and practice my Italian… and she’s been telling me to make sure I relax the last few days.

At dinner last night she comes up to the table (I’m sitting at a table corner) so, she starts pulling these little boxes of scented oils out of her maroon Il Chiostro Ristorante vest and laying them on the table. Then she opens each box and takes out the oils and has me smell them: one was orange and the other, mint.

Mind I say, this seemed even more random for the guys at the table. They probably don’t know that I’ve been talking with her a little between meals. So, needless to say, the conversations of about 8 other guys dropped to a whisper as they’re watching what’s going on at my end.

So, I smell them and she asks me which one I like most and I tell her and then immediately ask “Perche?” (Why?)

Without missing a beat, she shakes some out onto her thumb and smears it across the affected side of my forehead and that area in-between your eye brow and hairline/ear.

I’m a little shocked, or amused, but then funnier, she just boxes it up and hustles back to the kitchen to keep working without any more words.

The guys are cracking up and one of the guys is offended that she did that to me. I just think it’s hilarious. Then I went ahead and explained to them about my experience yesterday (previous blog, below this one).

During the meal once, she swung by and shot me a quick “Relaxed yet?” in a low voice, to which I responded “Si” just to pacify her and she walked away again. It was nice and cool actually, but at first it was so cool that it was kinda burning/cool that I wiped some of it off with the back of my hand (after making sure she wasn’t watching).

Then after the meal as I was leaving, she stopped me before the door and got out the bottle and did it again (this time in a more ‘holy-oil/sign-of-the-cross’ manner) and then put some on a little white cloth for me to take back to my room… with instructions to “Relax for the evening.” She speaks no English, so I can only communicate so much with her about her oils and relaxation techniques… I haven’t opened that bag of vocab yet.

The people here are really nice and caring, which is great. Luckily, I’m one who doesn’t get shocked or uncomfortable easily. Some of these guys are telling me about how they’d respond, so I’m glad it was me.

Sheesh. Funny stuff.

The last couple days I had some very funny encounters. Being sick here has been quite the experience. I know how my stories about Italy will begin for the next 70 years or so.

So, Monday morning I’m going to the doctor, via my Professoressa, Maria Pia. The trip there is a short one, it’s just the next town over. When we get to the Pronto Soccorso, the ER, I find out my teacher has practically no patience. Especially compared with the teacher that took me to the doctor this past Friday. She was running around looking for the receptionist, trying to find a ticket machine… that’s how they do everything over here… with tickets and rubber/ink stamps.

I tried to tell her that every 10 minutes or so, they call the next person back to the office to take your symptoms and to give you a number and color (green, yellow, or red). Finally, we go back there when it was our turn and she was appalled for me to get green and kept asking the other people what color they had… because lots of people went before me. This, I understood – but she could not comprehend. I was glad that the guy with the broken foot that came in after me went first.

Eventually, a doctor sees us and answers my questions and we go back to school and take a walk around the Il Chiostro, my hotel/school. We sit down to talk (in Italian) for the lesson on this patio that’s kind of removed from the other students. I didn’t think much of it for a while. My Virtus-alert was going off though. Maybe a Code-yellow.

So, she and I are talking about Japanese teas and stuff, because I’m a little sick and they can’t get over it. And I know that she’s one of these health freaks, a vegetarian, super into animal rights, etc, etc. So, I thought she said, “You’ll have to try it (some type of tea) sometime.” So, I nodded my head and soon found out that I had missed something.

Somewhere in the last few words she had been talking about Reiki (some kind of Japanese New-Age healing methods)… so she stands up and I start to ask something but she silences me with a ‘be quiet’ type hand motion and comes behind me and covers my eyes with her finger tips and has her hands on my forehead and I can feel her begin to sway behind me as I get this light/almost imaginary massage. Serious Virtus-alert! Code Red!

I’m thinking… what the heck am I supposed to do. If I stop her, she’s going to feel all awkward about starting this, because she thought I assented. So, I did one of those inner-self eye rolls and probably an inner-self Stanley-sigh and sat through it trying not to bust out laughing.

Totally awkward… especially since is was in semi-seclusion.

So, later in my lesson, after I suggested us return to the regular area, I couldn’t think of this English word (you know… when it’s on the tip of your tounge… anyway) and she was convinced that it was the relaxation powers of the Reiki and just smiled.

This still makes me seriously LOL.

And that’s only the first funny thing. I’ll have to break here and start a second blog. One story at a time today.

Last week I managed to catch some kind of virus. I can’t move the left side of my face right now, which is annoying. So, I can only raise one eyebrow (I’ve never been able to do that before). I can also only smile half-way, and I have a hard time shutting my left eye. The doctor prescribed me a few RX’s and if I take them, it should go away. I read about it on the web and it sounds like you can recover from it in two weeks without medication. My Dad had something similar when he was younger.

It’s nuts because here, they blame everything on the wind.

See, we had a cold front blow through a couple nights ago so, all my teachers are asking me (in Italian), “Did you sleep with your window opened or with the air conditioner on?” And they’re serious about it.

I guess they don’t subscribe to the whole saying about, “Getting a little fresh air.”

For example, in the mornings, it’s cool and breezy until the sun heats the town up at about 90 degrees… and our teachers wear long dresses and scarves and wait until the sun is shining to take the scarves off… crazy.

The other seminarians here said their teacher’s were saying the same things… everyone was blaming it on the air.

Even the first doctor and nurse I saw asked me if I had been in the wind, so I was thinking, “Crap, it’s going to be a miracle if they prescribe me something that works.” But eventually they sent me upstairs to see an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist (a very long word in Italian) and that Doctor said nothing about the air… Thank God!

The ENT acted like she sees it all the time. So, we’ll just have to wait and see. LOL. Hopefully it goes away before we take our formal pics at the NAC… those pics stick with you until you leave, they don’t take a new one every year.

One cool thing about Italian hospitals is that they’re free. The only thing that costs anything are the RX’s. So, that was nice to find out.

Other than that, everything’s well, I did some laundry today and hung it out to dry so I need to go collect it all.