HUM 325 Week 8

“There are so many things in Rome that I don’t like: the traffic, the Gogolesque bureaucratic quagmire, the endless expanse of car roofs, the violence… But Rome is still endlessly fascinating… A flash of sunlight through a flotilla of shifting clouds glancing between two cinquecento palazzi is enough for the city to appear renewed in all its charm,” explains Federico Fellini in The Smiles of Rome. Fellini goes on to tell us that Rome “obliges us to make contact with remote and unknown parts of ourselves.”

Coming to Rome, I knew I would change. I did not know exactly how, or what would change. But I knew I would. Not only because I have been told that Rome changes people, but I was also hoping that this experience would help me grow as a person, an individual. Right now, 3 days before we are leaving to go home, I can see numerous differences in who I was before this experience, and who I am know. And I also feel as if I will see more differences after my return to the States.

In the past, history, for me, was stupid. I really did not care much about it at all. Being in Rome, this incredible, historic place, has much aided in my interest of the past. After all, what is the Colosseum, the Baths, the Aquaducts, Pompeii, St. Peter’s, and everything else without the history that comes with it? They are all astonishing by themselves, but the knowledge of how they came to be makes them that much better. Even though it is a minor change, I feel as if being here has aided in the importance of something, or someone’s, past. I know actually want to learn about what I’m see, whether it be in America, or not. If I could go back in time two months, I would have done additional research on what we were going to see, because at times it got overwhelming and I feel as if I, on occasion, did not retain much information. Overall, the significance of history is definitely something I will take home with me.

The change in culture has shaped my new self as well. New experiences and new things. A totally different way of life has facilitated a whole new outlook on life for me. One thing about the culture that I can really see a change in me is the food. I was not very open to trying new foods, especially those containing meat, and I have found myself trying, and liking a variety of foods that I would not even have a bit of at home. More over, when I first got here, I was totally freaked out by the lack of personal space here. I felt so uncomfortable being so close to strangers, sometimes even people in our group, on the trains, buses, and metros, but now it kind of just seems natural, and okay.

As meeting new people is one of my favorite things in the world, I tend to not be open to forming new “best” friends. For me, it’s all about trust, and I do not trust people unless they give me a reason to. To be perfectly honest, I knew everyone here would get close, but I feel as if some of us got closer than I expected. I did not expect for me to dread going home because I would not get to see everyone when I woke up in the morning. I did not expect myself to form such grand friendships with some of the people here. Friendships that I hope, and I pray, will never fade. The kind of friendships that, no matter how far away you are, you know they are there. The kind where a call at 3 AM is acceptable, if needed. The kind that, no matter what happens, they will always be there. I did not expect this, and for me, it’s big, because it represents that my trust, and faith, in others is growing, and maturing.

My family and friends have always been significant to me, more than I can even begin to explain. But being across the world for two months has really made me appreciate everything my family, and friends, has done for me, and how much they have been there for me. They say you don't know what you have until it's gone. And even though they are not gone, I really did not realize what I had until I could not call, text, or give someone a hug when I needed, or wanted to. I did not realize how much they supported me with everyone, and I am truly grateful for everything my family, especially my parents, and my friends, have done for me.

Prior to this experience, my religion, my faith, was there, but I never acted on it, mostly because I have a hard time believing without seeing. I would, and still do, constantly question things, especially when it comes to things that the Bible tells us. How do we know what we are being taught to believe in really happened? What if someone, or a group of people, just made this stuff up? If it has not been proven, how do we know it is true? Even being here, I still question so many things. I question if the chains in St. Paul’s Basilica are really the chains the held him to a cross. I question if the relics in Santa Croce in Geruselam were really the relics of Jesus Christ himself. Although I still question, and although I still have a difficult time believing, I feel as if my faith, and my relationship with God has grown so much since I have been in Rome. The churches, and the faith of Italians, inspired me to expand that connection, that bond, with God. It has inspired me to go to church, and to pray; things I did not see myself doing before.

That relationship that I am currently forming with God is also helping me with other details of my life. Even though I am a huge advocate for not regretting decisions I have made in my past, because at that time, it is what I wanted to do, there are many things in my past that I have issues with forgiving myself, as well as others for. This developing connection of God, and myself, is assisting me in being able to forgive myself for some decisions I have made, as well as a select few others for things that they did to me. I, at times, find myself praying for the one person I loathe, as well as praying for that person’s family and their well being, which is something I never thought I would do, at least not this soon. While I am still in the process of this forgiveness, I have accomplished a lot more than I thought I would in a mere two months.

I cannot tell you how, or why these changes have occurred, as I do not know. It seems weird that such major accomplishments on discovering one’s self can happen just by going to Rome, but it happened. Maybe it’s the change of culture, scenery, lifestyles, people, or maybe it is just Rome’s fatal charm. While I am not sure of how these changes came about, I am sure of how I feel about them. I feel happy, pleased, and tremendously content with these changes. I feel lucky, blessed, and extremely fortunate that I was given the opportunity to come here and experience this wonderful country and these superb people.

This was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m so pleased with my decision to come. Every day, every excursion, every experience (including Palermo), every conversation, has meant something to me. Every person that I met has affected my life in some way, shape, or form. Each person in this group, including Professor, Danillo, and Sara, has influenced my outtake on life for some reason or another. I feel as though this trip would not be the same if we were missing just one person. We have had our ups and downs, our days when we cannot stop smiling, our days when we are bitchy and crabby, but every one of those days has meant something. Never again will we all be able to sit together in the lounge playing games, or have an enormous dinner together, whether it be in Florence, in Castel, or in the basement of campus. But, forever, we will have the memories of sitting together in the lounge playing spoons or one of Dayna’s games, and forever will we have the memories of our delicious dinners and sometimes weird, but amazing conversations. This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I am so thankful that it was with our group. It is now time to go home, and move on with our lives, but never, will I forget this experience, nor the people that I got to share this experience with.

"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on. When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant." Author Unknown.

HUM 225 Week 7

This week I decided to do a painting on an oil canvas by Caravaggio. The painting is called Judith Beheading Holofornes, and was completed in 1599. It is 145 by 195 cm and now is currently in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica in Roma.

For this artwork, I will discuss the iconology, as well as a couple formal aspects. As said in the Bible, Judith, as a woman, symbolizes the power of the people of Israel by defeating the enemy by means of cunning and courage. This painting shows Judith beheading Holofernes after she goes into his tent and mesmerizes him with her beauty. They feast and drink lots of wine. After getting he drunk, she returns enters his room from the right, which contradicts the direction shown in the painting, while he was lying naked on a white sheet. She steals his sword and decapitates him.

Even though Judith is extremely elegant and beautiful, Caravaggio showed the fierceness of the scene with Holofernes’ inhuman scream and body spasm. This shows how Holofernes is dead, indicated by his upturned eyes, yet signs of life are portrayed by his screaming mouth, the toning of his muscles as he strains himself, and his hand still gripping the bed. Judith was originally shirtless, illustrating her bare breasts, but they were later covered by a semi-transparent blouse.

HUM 325 Week 7

This week, we went with our small groups of three people on walking tours that another small group prepared. These walking tours were our finals for SOC 325. My small group consisted of Dayna, Clint, and me, and the one and only Prof. Mustafaga, aka Lar, accompanied us. The walking tour we went on was of San Paolo, which is the second largest Basilica after St. Peters. Our classmates Carol, Eric, and Pamela created this tour.

After a delicious and much needed café/espresso at Momento, our group headed to the metro to begin our journey. When we got off at our stop, Basilica San Paolo, we got lunch at this little, delicious pizza place. We “posted up,” as Dayna would say, and ate looking at the side of the Basilica, where I accidently killed a, what seemed to be injured, fly (may that fly rest in peace.)

After lunch we walked down a walkway where we were told to look for some metal poles. In the walking tour, we were told that these are called La Foresta D’Acciaio, which literally means “The Steel Forest.” These poles represent, and honor, Italians that were killed in a terrorist attack in Nassiriyah, Iraq. The “forest” was actually pretty cool, and we got to walk through it!

Following our walk through the forest, we went on another little walk toward the Basilica, which lead us past a little park and playground. Naturally, Dayna and I could not pass a playground without trying it out! We went on the seesaw, which was a bit painful, but extremely fun! Then, of course, we tried out the swings, and the slide.

After our trip back to childhood, we continued walking until we got to the Basilica. I was in awe when I saw it. The front of the Basilica was a stunning courtyard. It was just so beautiful and peaceful. There were a couple statues in the courtyard, one of St. Paul, and another of St. Paul’s closest follower, St. Luke.

The inside of the Basilica was incredible. It was HUGE. Around the inside was pictures of all of the Pope’s, with Pope Benedictine’s lit up. On the left were some scooters, like the ones you played with in gym class in like, middle school. We so wanted to scoot around in them, but figured we would be shot if we did. The tomb of St. Paul was in the center of the church. The sarcophagus of St. Paul was just recently (2006) found, as it has been covered by a lot of material during the reconstructing of the Basilica that has taken place over the years. Not only was the sarcophagus really cool, but also so were the chains that were above the sarcophagus. The chains are said to be the chains that bound him to a Roman soldier that was guarding him while he was on house arrest in Roma.

Another aspect of the Basilica that I really enjoyed was the mosaic behind the altar and sarcophagus. The mosaic is way too detailed to describe here, but it was absolutely incredible. One thing that I really enjoyed about this mosaic was having a description of it in the walking tour. It pointed out a lot about the mosaic that I would not have noticed on my own. Such as how Christ’s eyes are not similar in shape and size, just like his mouth is asymmetrical.

All in all, I think this was a wonderful walking tour. It was a beautiful day, and we got to just relax, walk around a park, and admire an astonishing Basilica. I learned a lot, and enjoyed the day much more than I expected! Great walking tour Carol, Eric, and Pam!

SOC 490-2 Week 6

This week in class we discussed the relationship of healthcare and religion/spirituality. To start, I will discuss what religion and spirituality is. Spirituality is “an integrative energy that ‘encompasses all aspects of human being and is a means of experiencing life.’” People usually look at spirituality in the means of nature or animals, or in relationships with themselves, others, or a divine being. Religion is the “practical expression of spirituality,” that usually takes place in organizations, with rituals, and in the practice of one’s beliefs.

“Spirituality is not meant to be separate from the body… Sickness and aging represent the body’s inability to reach its natural goal, which is to join the mind in perfection and fulfillment,” says Dr. Deepak Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. Spirituality is said to have an impact on one’s health for many people across the world. For years, way before we had any medications and technology, people have turned to spirituality and religion to help them get better, and well as with concerns about health and illness. Studies have shown that people who engage in spirituality and religion can help to not only prevent illness, but to also live a “longer life, more hopefulness, less depression, healthier lifestyles, longer marriages, and an expanded social network.” (Koenig)

A major part of spirituality is a person finding their meaning in life and the experiences that come along with it. With this said, spirituality can help people who are seriously, chronically, or even moderately ill connect with that process of finding meaning and come to terms with their illness. Not only that, but Rhi tells us “religious cultures are the most powerful factors that modify the individual’s attitudes toward life, death, happiness, and suffering.”

While religion and spirituality aid in a person’s wholeness and health, it can also have a negative affect when it comes to treatment. Some people, because of their religion, will refuse treatments and preventive health measures, have extreme guilt and marrow-mindedness, as well as isolate themselves from loved ones, and have extremely high expectations for themselves. From the standpoint of someone who has worked in a hospital, and wishes to do so after graduating college, I can find this harmful. Many patients, or people, will not take prenatal precautions, will not give there children immunizations, will refuse transplants of any kind, and so on. For most healthcare professionals, this can be frustrating.

Seeing has I have never really been a religious or spiritual person, I do not have much to say about my view on the subject matter pertaining to health. But one thing I can say, is that since I have been in Italy, as I mentioned in a previous blog, I have been, more religious, I can say. I have seen numerous churches, and have prayed more in the past month and a half than I have in the past, lets say 10 years. I do not want to say that before I came here I was not happy with myself, or I was not healthy, but since I have started to have a better connection with God, and myself, I have felt better. I would like to say more on this subject matter now, but I will leave that for another blog, where that is actually the topic!

HUM 225 Week 6

Being the good student that I am, I was reviewing my notes when I saw that I underlined the title of Sandro Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus. Even though I probably just underlined it due to me liking the painting, I decided to do my art blog on it. The Birth of Venus is located in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. It was made in 1485 and is 67 7/8 by 109 5/8 inches and is on tempera on canvas.

The painting the Birth of Venus was constructed with the thoughts of the Greek myth Aphrodite in mind. Aphrodite, or Venus, which is her Roman name, was born when the titan Chronos, meaning ‘the time’, castrated his father Uranus. Uranus’ severed genitals fell into the sea where they were fertilized, causing the birth of Venus. She was born from the foam and by a giant cockle that was taken ashore at Paphos on Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Birth of Venus, clearly, portrays Aphrodite being born, but Botticelli adds a bit of his own touch to the myth that goes along with the story, such as her being shown on a huge shell. As the myth does say that she arrived on a cockle, or clam/shell, the one in the myth is much smaller than the one revealed in the work of art.

HUM 325 Week 6

The Pope starts his Easter and Christmas Papal address with “To Rome and to the World…” The blog for this week is, how, and why, is the Church both Roman and Universal? I think that this concept goes along with how Italians think that everything is and/but, while Americans think everything is either/or.

Would it really be fair to Catholics around the world if the Pope addressed just the Roman Catholics in religious ceremonies, while there are tons of Catholics around the world? I think not. I feel that part of the reason why the Pope addresses things to Rome and the world is because of this concept of and/but.

Barzini tells us that “Rome was also God’s seat on earth, the rock on which Christ has established His Church, the centre of a vast spiritual Empire of which all Christians had been subjects…” The way I look at this statement is that Rome is where God established ‘His Church,’ clearly, but at the same time, it is for all of his Christian followers. ‘His Church’ is not only for the Roman Christians, but also for the Christians around the world who follow, and believe in him.

Not only that, but as Peter was traveling spreading the word or Christianity, he came to find that Rome was the center of the world at that time being, as well as “God’s seat on earth,” as mentioned earlier. Therefore, seeing as the Church was started in Rome, and Rome is the home of the Church and the Pope, it is only proper for him to start his East and Christmas Papal address with “To Rome and to the World.”

SOC 490-2 Week 5

This week we went to a public hospital in Rome called Santo Spirito. We got intruduced to the hospital and learned a bit more on Universal Healthcare in Italy. We then went on a tour of the hospital to get to see some of the departments in the hospital, and compare them to the U.S.

I really enjoyed seeing a hospital in another country. I found it very interesting to be able to see the difference from a public hospital in Italy, to one in America. The thing in Santo Spirito that I was most surprised about was the technology. I was extremely impressed with the medication dispenser. Since so many people, especially at hospitals, abuse medications, I found it very pleasing that they have a dispenser that is extremely high tech and only allows the exact medication that is prescribed to be dispensed. I feel that these most likely help to minimize abuse of medications on so many levels.

One thing that I was kind of disappointed in was their levels of cleanliness. I did notice sinks to wash hands in, but I did not see one antibacterial dispenser in the hospital. At most hospitals in America, there are antibacterial dispensers, as well as sinks, all over the place. It really frusterated me to see that they were not making more, and bigger attempts at minimizing the levels of bacteral that are transfered thoughout the hospital on a daily basis.

The last thing about the hospital that really bothered me was the amount of privacy that they provided the patients with. Being a nursing major, and having worked in a hospital before, I have come to realize that privacy is a very important thing, especially for the ill. While in Cardiac Department at Santa Spirito, it came to my attention that the patients had little to no privacy. There were tiny curtains between each bed that were barely pulled. The same was in the Maternity Ward. There were two women laying in beds waiting to go into labor, and there were no curtains at all between the two of them. Seeing as Italians do not care as much about personal space as Americans do, this issue with privacy may be perfectly acceptable for them, and that is okay. That is just one of the things that I noticed about the hospital that severly troubled me.

All-in-all, I had a wonderful time at the Santa Spirito. I absolutely loved seeing the difference between an Italian hospital and an American one. Even though a couple things did disappoint me, I think that it was a wonderful experience and I would love to learn more about the healthcare system in Italy, as well as the policies and whatnot in the hospital setting.