Rounding the bend...

Boom! Mistaken for an Italian by an Italian! A guy stopped me and asked me “Dov’e Fontina Trevi?” “Where is the Trevi Fountain?” and if I knew the word for “blocks” as in city blocks I would have been able to answer him in Italian, but I had to switch to English. Either way, goal accomplished. Last night Mike and I went to our favorite little pub, The Abbey, to watch the American game. AWESOME. I have a sweet video that only captures 1/10th of the energy of the USA winning in the last 40 seconds. Those of you on face book can see it now in my profile, everyone else will have to wait till I get home because I can’t post videos on the blog. After it was over we wanted to go out but no one else was very excited so we just came home and went to bed at 8pm. Tonight we watched the Italian game at the same place, it was just as packed with Italians but they don’t cheer like Americans do, they are much more reserved and they lost so it was a somber event. Tomorrow is my last day of class before my finals on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, so just as in America, its time for the crack down. The trick to law school is that you should be able to guess what the final question is, and then write an answer to it, and the day of the test just copy your answer back in with minor tweeks. I could definitely tell you what’s on the finals next week, so I’m expecting great results. Either way though there is still a curve, so I can’t just do well, I have to do better than everyone else.


I haven’t been able to read for pleasure here because they are pounding us with law stuff. My business class is so poorly run and they keep adding readings because they don’t have a plan. Very poor pedagogy, and believe me I know. That class might end up a shame because the teacher doesn’t know the material and so it might come down to me actually being right and him confused and not giving credit. Such is life though. I’m still ready to leave Rome and see something new, my desire to leave is increased by the respitory disease we all seem to have from breathing smog all day. I can cough till I throw up or hawk a luger any time of the day, the smog is not as I’m accustomed to. I have 3 days between the end of finals and leaving for Venice so I’m going to get some last minute sight seeing in, but the Italian train web site does not function properly (and its not just me, no one can get it to work) so I must go alllllll the way to termini to buy a ticket to Venice in person. Pain in the ass.

With the exception of my roommate who has been great the whole time, all the other Americans we are hanging out with have been fighting with each other or boyfriend/girlfriends back home and so everyone is mad at everyone or stressed or whatever, so relations are breaking down there. We all want to come home. I’m excited to see 11 more cities in Europe, but I too miss home and America. I’ll survive and won’t regret it when its over, but two programs was maybe a bit much.

To keep my sanity I’ve been thinking of all the things I want to do when I get home; I want to eat at Sal’s, Famous Dave’s, some good Mexican, I want to cook a bunch of other stuff I like such as steak and mashed potatoes. I want macaroni & cheese, turkey barbeque, hot dogs bbq chicken on the grill, take out Chinese/Thai food, I can’t wait till I’m dressed in a suit and I’m the most rather the least dressed person in a room, I want to sit in air conditioning, go swimming, pay for a 75 cent cup of real coffee with a $50 bill and not have it seem as though the world is ending, have a Sam Adams, I want to play video games, watch the history channel on a tv bigger than my laptop with more than 6 channels, go to the movie theater, eat a salad that doesn’t suck, cook, see my girlfriend, drive a car (maybe a ‘new to me’ one?), go on the internet, sleep somewhere not blasted with the noise of crowds and motorcycles, order something off a menu and change it ever so slightly such as a “no mayonnaise” request and actually have it done- again without seeming like the world is ending, baked potatoes with sour cream, do my laundry myself for 1/15th the cost, quesadillas, chicken wings, an all you can eat buffet, starbucks, go to musikfest, walking on a sidewalk without the fear of being hit by a car or moped, see everyone, and of course, not look at a law book.

Things I will miss, Italian vs. Italian-American food (olive garden just won’t cut it anymore), being able to walk everywhere, excellent vegetables, amazing scenery and history and statues, learning a new language, street fountains, cappacino machines, exploring, cheese, open markets, wine wine wine, espressos in the cafes, being able to buy beer anywhere for dirt cheap, everything fresher, calcio, chanting USA, delicious meats, 2-8 course meals, and tiramisu.

I just feel I’ll appreciate Rome a lot more once I leave. Till then I’ll be elbow deep in the CISG, bill of lading, foreign corrupt practices act, Montreal, Stockholm, Rio, Rome and various other conventions, arguing if something is a custom, approach or principal, debating if something is a grease payment or a bribe, is scientific certainty required for legal obligations, POP ROC, trans-boundary pollution, polluter pays principals, sustainable development, prior informed consent, duty, risk, steveadores, Trail Smelter, Restatements, LRTAP, Acid Rain, MNE’s, INCO terms, CIF, FOB, UCC, Statute of Frauds and Himalayan clauses. At least until Thursday afternoon anyhow. Hope you enjoyed the lists.