Last days of March

So what have I been up to these last days of March? Well....

The Solemnity of St Joseph (March 19th) is one of the major feast days here in Italy. And yes, we break the Lenten fast from eating sweets. I just had to make my own contribution, since, after all,
St Joseph provided us with tons of fresh lemons.... Mmmm. Mmmmm.

       Last week I staffed our French section because Sr Donata was making her annual spiritual exercises. I should have made a recording of "I beg your pardon, I don't speak French.

May we speak in English?"

     "Oh, but Sister, eventually you must learn French because when we come here, we always speak in French with the sister who works here."

     Okay, I'll add that to my bucket list, I think to myself. Then there was this one,

     "How can you help us find the books we are looking for if you don't speak French?"

     Now I really feel inadequate. "I will ask you how to spell what you are looking for, and I'll look it up. I also understand most of the French words that I read."

     "Oh, okay."

    I guess I did okay because some of the people I helped went away with a few books I recommended....

Then there was the man (I have a funny feeling he was a priest) who greeted me in song. I made a comment about being greeted that way, and he said, well, it costs the same. "Thanks be to God," I said. Then he proceeded to ask me if we had a certain title in stock. Nope. We didn't. But I told him that I would be glad to look it up to see if it was a book that we could possibly order for him. "You must be American," he said. "You have to find out all the information there is to know about that book." Whoa! So, he meanders over to look in the English section. When he had another question, who does he go to? The sister working in the English section, or the American in the French section who will provide all the information that can be possibly be obtained about what he is looking for?

This past Thursday we had a pre-Easter gathering with our employees. It was my first "party" with them. It was great being able to be with them outside of the work place for a little. Here's a little peek.

Last night I went to the Basilica of St John Lateran to participate in a Taize prayer service with the young people of the Diocese of Rome. It was a wonderful experience. The first part was a catechesis with Cardinal Vallin, the Vicar of Rome. He did a wonderful job. Then there was Eucharistic adoration with Taize chants. Loved it.

It just so happens to be my turn to cook for the community for Easter Sunday. What a way to start cooking here! Thank God we are going to celebrate Easter with the sisters who form the student community on the First Floor. They will be helping me. I am going to make biscuits for antipasto with various cheeses. The "first dish" will be Lasagna. Then we'll have lamb and artichokes for the second dish. The traditional Colomba and chocolate egg for dessert, topped off by cantalope with prosciutto and pineapple. Who wants to come over for Easter Dinner? I'll make sure to take pictures.

Well, I will be praying for all of you during this Holy Week. May the love that is revealed through the memory of the events that we recall this week becoming a living reality in each of our lives!

In the Ghetto





Last Sunday, I went with a friend to Trevi Fountain and then to the Jewish "Ghetto" where the famous Roman synagogue is. It was a gorgeous day, and I am so glad I was able to go to a place where I had been wanting to go for a long time. This section of Rome was developed by Jews as early as the 1st century AD. This would have been an area that both Sts Peter and Paul would have frequented, if not lived in, when they were here in Rome. But first we'll stop at Trevi Fountain--my absolutely favorite spot in Rome! (at least that's what I'm planning. I have no idea what order this program will decide to put my pictures in.... sigh....)

Belissima as the Roman's say. Words would never do this piece of art justice.

A street artist we saw on our way from Trevi  Fountain to the Ghetto.
One of the most original art forms I have EVER seen. Love the colors.

Well, we're not there yet. Yes, I got distracted. Saw a sign for the Church where St Catherine is buried. I have always wanted to go there since she is my patron saint (my baptismal name is Mary Kathleen...for those of you who may not know that). Outside the church in the piazza is an obelisk.
I fell in love with the elephant. Wouldn't you?

Yes, one more distraction. My goodness you can't move anywhere in Rome without bumping into something. In this case, I turned about 40 degrees from my lovely elephant, and there in front of me was.... the PANTHEON... tucked into the neighborhood.

I promise this is THE LAST distraction. However, I am sure I am not the first tourist in Rome to have this happen to. This is the famous Tortoise Fountain that I had seen pictures of but had never seen in person. It looks like I'm not the only one enchated with this fountain. These birds still just long enough for me to capture them. 

We are finally here. And this is the entrance to the neighborhood. Interesting apparatus here at the opening. Makes you wonder what made it necessary, doesn't it?

Small metal plates like these can be found outside of houses, identifying the people who were arrested, imprisoned and murdered by the Nazies. It's pretty impressive.

Some ancient buildings in the Jewish neighborhood.

The temple. It is lovely from the outside. I hope to visit inside of it one day. We arrived too late to visit the museum and the synagogue. I'll have to go back another day.

I finally made it to the English section of the book center. Now I have spent time in each of the sections of the book center except the administrative section. And yes, I am taking an inventory by hand, again. Great way to get to know the inventory, though! Here is a picture of myself and Sr Giovanna, who staffs the English section. We are on the roof of the North American College.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am still a sister. Our community here in Rome has chosen not to wear the veil. Wearing the veil is an option in our constitutions. Therefore, when I joined the community here, I adopted their choice. It's all a part of community life!

This next week, the sister who staffs the French section will be making her spiritual exercises. And I will be taking her place in the book center. Exciting! Let's pray another Pentecost miracle is in store! Thank God most of the people who come into the book center also speak Italian.... But when you have to look up French titles...well, I will let you know how it goes.

Rome from on high

It's been a marvelous week. The weather has been perfect--cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect conditions to see Rome from on high. That "high", of course, is the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica.

I went with a sister from Korea who came to Italy 8 months ago and is still struggling with the language. We had a wonderful time! See for yourself!

After takiing an elevator, we arrived on the inside of the cupola high above the majority of the basilica. Here we had a pretty good view of the mosaics and could see how big they really are!

These pictures will be a little out of order. Somehow the blog program keeps changing the order of the photos and I cannot figure out how to put them where I want them.... This picture as well as the ones that follow go after the last two photos. Oh well. Here you can see one of the fountains in the Vatican gardens. This one has a huge image of an eagle on top, reminiscent of imperial Rome....

What a view of the piazza, Via della Conciliazione, and beyond!

Papal insignia made out of flora.... Beautiful.

Castel Sant'Angelo, among other things.

The papal palace is to the front right. It's the building with the blue-greenish trim.

A view of the statues that stand on top of the facade of St Peter's,
along with the roof on top of the body of the basilica.

Looking down on the roof of one of the side chapels.

A view of the cupola from the level of the roof of the body of the basilica.

One of the mosaics at eye-level. Here we could observe the slight necessary distortions of the images which, when seen from below along the curve of the cupola, look proportionate and perfect.

Climing these stairs is not for everyone.
It is very narrow at a certain point, there are no handrails, and the sides curve with the curve of the structure of the cupola. Here is my companion--from the back. My apologies....

As for my work in our book center, I spent most of this past week "underground." I have been learning how to do the shipping and receiving because the employee who does that will be out most of this coming week. Thank God I don't have to learn that from scratch since I have had experience doing that in our book centers in the US.

This morning, Sr Giovanna invited me to go with her to the English College to attend their liturgy. About 20 priests concelebrated the Mass. The singing was absolutely incredible--mostly Gregorian Chant. Three soloists chanted a rendition of the Gospel of the Transfiguration for the offertory hymn. It brought tears to my eyes. I think I might be going back!

It's All About Perspective

If there is one thing I am being reminded of quite often since arriving in Rome, it is that there are so many ways of looking at things, doing the same thing, etc. Since I am a newcomer in so many ways to the Italian lifestyle, I have so many reminders of this. All too often, value judgments are assigned to these differences, or they are elevated to the realm of the universal when in reality it's all about perspective.

The category of masculine and feminine is one such area. It's a bit stronger here in Italy since the nouns are either masculine or feminine, as well as the definitive articles and pronouns that accompany these nouns.

A feew weeks ago I was looking around our convent for a scale so I could weigh myself and came up empty-handed, so I asked Sr. Tarcisia if we had one. The word I remembered for "scale" was "bilancio". When I asked Sr. Tarcisia if we had a "bilancio", her eyes got really big as if to ask," why in the world would you want a bilancio? Another sister was nearby and overheard what I had requested, and noticed Sr Tarcisia's confusion. "O," she said, "I think she is asking for a "bilancia". "Isn't that what I just said?" I'm thinking to myself.

"Oh," Sr. Tarcisia says, "You want 'la bilancia'--it's feminine. What you asked for was 'il bilancio,' which is masculine, and means the balance sheet that we prepare at the end of the year. I couldn't figure out why you wanted our balance sheet." So, there you go--a balance sheet is masculine, and of course, the scale would have to be feminine! At least I asked the right person: Sr Tarcisia is our accountant!

This is not the only word in Italian which has both a masculine and feminine form, each form having a different meaning. There's also "Il fine" (masculine) and "La fine" both of which could be translated as "end" in English. However, the feminine formof the word means the end of a show, or the end of the world; the masculine form would be used when indicating a goal or purpose. God help us we confuse the two! It could be the end of us! 

A lot can also be said about ways of doing things, customs, etc. Even handwriting! This past week a gentleman asked me for help in the book center. He had written down the title and author of a book he was looking for. I typed the title into the computer and couldn't find it, so I went to the sister in the Italian section. She typed the title in, a different title than the one I had typed in, and of course it came up. Then I realized that what I thought was a "D" was an "A". When the customer left, she turned to me and said, "why couldn't you find it? His handwriting was perfectly clear." I said to her, "I thought the D was an A because I am used to different handwriting." "But that was beautiful handwriting," she said to me shaking her head. Another employee who had overheard what had happened said to her, "But they have different handwriting than we do." The sister still couldn't comprehend that and went away continuing to shake her head completely bewildered that I couldn't read the "perfectly clear, beautiful handwriting."  Once again, it's all about perspective!

I have a lot of reminders. Every evening after we have eaten dinner we have a ritual here. That ritual is to open the windows and air out the dining room--even if the air outside is bitter cold. WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE AIR IN THE ROOM. Okay, I get that. But when I want to change the air in my bedroom by leaving the door open, one of the sisters always closes it, even when I am in the room.... Then she came to me the other day, asking I if ever open the window to change the air in my room. "At times," I told her (after all, I open and close the window every morning and evening to open and close the metal shutter). "Well, it's not enough, she said, because you leave your bedroom door open and the air from the kitchen gets inside of your room. You need to open your window, not your door" Okay????

So, you want to know what my new mantra is?

That's right, you got it: "It's all about perspective."

And that my dear friends, is the end (feminine please, I remind you) of this blogpost (as well as the purpose (masculine, I remind you).

Carnivale

Carnivale is a big deal here in Rome. Not quite like in New Orleans, but it certainly has traditions here that are new to me. For a whole week, children dress up in costumes--like our Halloween. So, I saw cats, and Winnie the Pooh's, and Zoros, and lady bugs. Cute kids!

We got together with the student community that lives two floors below us. And we had such a good time. I baked cookies--a Canadian recipe. They were a hit. And of course, we dressed up too.

With the consistory the day before, of course someone had to dress up like a cardinal.
And every cardinal needs an altar server! Thank God I brought jeans with me!
They came in handy for this little altar boy!

Yours truly--closest I'll ever get to the mafia!
Sr Francesca is with me. She is Italian, but was a missionary in Romania for 10 years before returning last September to finish her theological studies.

Sr Ancilla from Korea and Sr Giovanna--our two "white hats".

The two students from Pakistan entertained us with a dance. The sister who introduced them (seated behind them in a Pakistani yellow/brown outfit) told us that we would not be able to understand the song they danced to. It was pretty obvious that it was a love song because they kept tapping their hearts at certain times. At the end of the song, the sister told us that she would now translate the song into Italian and that it could be summed up in two words: I love you (Ti amo in Italian).

Whew! The candles they use on cakes are awesome! They are like mini fireworks.

Does this really need a caption? Pecans coated with egg white and brown sugar....
Best cookies I have EVER had.

I contributed to the festivities by organizing a game. I wrote something up about how confusing it is to learn directions again in another language--you know, right, left, up, down, etc. Before I left, one of the sisters in our community in Boston played a game that told the Nativity Story and every time we heard the words right, and left, no matter how the word was used, we passed a bag containing a gift in that direction. I modified it a little to fit the Italian situation, and added up and down and straight ahead. Well, the sisters were laughing so hard at a certain point, that they couldn't hear me anymore. It was a lot of fun.

Now about the book center. Last week I helped out in the Spanish section, and this week I am in the French section. While I understand Spanish fairly well, and can speak it enough to make myself understood, it was hopeless in the speaking category last week. Keeping Italian and Spanish separate is quite quite difficult. No problem with the French, can't speak a word of it. However, as I am taking an inventory by hand (please don't laugh) in the French section, I am beginning to discover how many English words are similar to French. If only the pronunciation were the same.... Oh well, can't have it all!

Say What?

I have to admit, the cold weather is keeping me indoors. I did make it to Santa Susanna's for Mass this morning. Santa Susanna is a home for American pilgrims and residents in Rome. It is a beautiful Church, built over the ruins of the house where Santa Susanna lived.

It began to dawn on me shortly after I arrived that I have to completely change the assumptions and ways of relating to the world around me that I have developed. The first incident happened three weeks ago, the day I came to the community where I am staying now. As I was unpacking, the superior was bringing me things that she thought I would need. Among these items was a 2nd set of sheets. I almost said to her that I didn't need them because I usually wash my sheets and put them back on my bed the same day. However, since I knew I could not say that in Italian, I just accepted the sheets and put them in my closet. Well am I glad I didn't say anything. The following Saturday I was introduced to how we do our laundry here. Although we have a dryer, the general custom here is that clothing is still line dried. There is no way that I will be able to wash my sheets and put them back on my bed the same day. And if I had tried to explain that to my superior, she would have had quite a hard time understanding my reasoning!

Then the community was talking about the possibility of going somewhere on a weekend. One of the places that came up was Moscow. The look that went across my face was something like, "How in the world can we go to Moscow on a weekend?" Then I realized that I am now a lot closer to Moscow than I am accustomed to being. So, I asked how far away it is by plane--2 hours. Amazing.
This past week, I was helping out for a few days in the Spanish section. I had just finished placing an order for a publisher called Ediciones Encuentro. When I finished, the Sr Chiara told me that I could put the paperwork in the file behind "A". So, I am thinking to myself, "How come she wants me to put the paperwork behind the letter "A" when the publisher starts with "E"? Then it hit me--the way the letter "E" is pronounced here is how we pronounce the letter "A". Whew, problem solved.

Now that the sisters are discovering the types of things that I am good at, I am getting quite a few requests. Yesterday, the student community who lives in the same building that we do was having trouble with one of their computer monitors. So they called on me to help them figure out what was wrong with it. Thank God it was easy because a computer technician I am NOT. However, the fact that I figured out this simple problem has convinced them that I am an expert. Oh dear.... But in the end, it allowed me to get better acquainted with our sisters who are studying--one is from Kenya, two are from Pakistan, one if from Italy, and three or four are from Korea. They are also closer to my age. So, we have decided that I will go to have dinner with them every Saturday. Last night we exchanged stories of acclimating to Italy, and some of the mistakes that we have made with the language. We laughed and laughed. Now I have something to look forward to on Saturday evenings! And yes, I'll remember to bring my camera with me the next time.

Snow in Rome & more

The biggest news in Rome right now is that it snowed yesterday and last night. If I understood correctly, the last time it snowed in Rome was in the mid '80s. Like most of the southern US cities, Rome is not prepared to cope with snow. Even St. Peter's Basilica closed--which I am told never happens. And while I am used to snowy winters, I certainly was not prepared to face one in Rome. Needless to say, it's melting as I type.... However, I made sure I snapped a few pictures.

The street just outside of the "front door" of our residence looking toward a nearby "piazza".

I am adding this to my list of firsts. First time I ever saw a palm tree frosted with snow.

And today marks the completion of the second week of helping out in the book center. Thanks to these two wonderful people, I have made remarkable progress. I wanted to take a picture of the third person this morning, but nobody made it to work this morning, except us, of course!

Rita, all decked out in her wintry best ready to scurry home yesterday. She works in our A/V department and, thankfully, knows English.

Marcelo works in our Italian section and boy does he know his stuff. Thanks to his expert explanations of the various sections, I succeeded in helping a few customers without help. Yesterday, since there were no customers, he put some music on where we were working. It was great hearing him sing along to "What a Wonderful World", and "The Streets of Philadelphia."

So, I went from the smallest section (A/V dept) the first week to the largest (Italian) section this past week. Whew! And the stock is not only completely unfamiliar to me--but there's tons of it!

One woman approached me at the computer--I was alone at the time--and started rattling off what she needed. After looking one book up in the computer (thank God she had everything written down so I had a cheat sheet), I went to the shelf to get one of the books. Then I heard her asking in English, "How long have you been here?" My response, "A little over a week." Then she said, "But you must have been here longer than that, you speak better Italian than someone who has been here a week." So, I told her that I had lived her for a year a few years ago. "Oh, she said. Because when I started speaking to you so rapidly in Italian, a look of panic crossed your face. I knew you couldn't have been here that long, but then when you replied, you spoke so well...."

Then as I was helping a sister yesterday who was purchsing books for a priest who lives in Australia, as I was explaining one of the books to her she said to me with a compassionate look on her face, "You can speak to me in English" she said--music to my ears!

A highlight of the week was seeing a familiar face in the book center. Bishop Lennon, now the bishop of Cleveland, was here in Rome for the Ad Limina visit. He stopped in our store on Tuesday morning. It was wonderful to see him and catch up a bit.

Stay tuned for more!