Tight Squeeze

The biggest transition from Private to Public I have had to make in Rome is actually using public transportation. I drive everywhere. I hate being on someone else's schedule. I make up my own schedule, I don't chase the bus, the train or taxi. Every time I have taken the train/bus/tram so far I have gotten lost either going in the wrong direction or being on the wrong bus. Taking the train is also a challenge for me because I have extreme germaphobia. I try not to touch any public spaces. For me poles, railings, handles, buttons and other things touched daily by hundreds is an area that screams GERMS. On top of that, there are the sweaty people who are standing so close to me that I could practically feel them breathing on me. Everytime the bus stops I feel like with my luck and germaphobia someone will tumble onto me and use me as their human napkin. The apartment I am living in also took some getting used to. At home I have my own room and my own bathroom that no one else uses. When I first walked into the room I was going to be sleeping in for the next six weeks I felt the germs creeping up on me. I layed out my clothing and bedding and only touched the areas of my room that were covered with things I brought from home. Every other surface which is not mine was automatically covered in germs. I am getting better now that I have spent about 10 days here. I still think about the germs but not as much. Maybe this trip will cure my germaphobia.

My name is pretty popular...

When I was in elementary school the name Elina was quite uncommon...I only knew one other person named Elina- the Elina that is studying abroad in Rome with me right now. Over the years I have met people named Elina and my name does not feel so unique anymore. There is even a store in Rome called Elina Ogay...

Private Space becomes Public

Our temple online accounts are something I consider private, but our school computers are making them public. Everytime I go to log on to my TUportal account I have the option of logging on to someone else's account- their username and password are automatically stored on the computer. It makes me wonder....Does someone else log on to my account once I log off from this computer? By having access to my temple email account someone can view my cell phone account info, my credit card information, the grades I got last semester, my name and address and a whole collection of personal information about me. Our email accounts tell everything about us. By browsing through my old emails you can also see information about who my friends are, what airline I am flying with and where I am staying in Rome. I always thought that I am super careful and don't put too much personal information about myself on the internet but am actually unintentionally making all the information about me available through my inbox and sent mail.

INVISIBLE CITY

When looking at all the pictures I have taken, the picture which makes me think of invisible city is the picture I took of the metro. It is covered in graffiti. I’m not exactly sure how all the metros get covered in graffiti since they are always moving. I believe it is something that Italians are not really proud of .In my mind graffiti is associated with the ghetto or a bad neighborhood where street wanderers have nothing better to do than to vandalize property. So to me the graffiti is something we see that the Italians might not want us to see. I actually like the metro here in Rome, i feel safe on the metro unlike on the subway systems of America. The chance of being in danger seems less of a possibility than in Philadelphia. I feel (and hope) like the worst thing that could happen is that a pick pocket could sneak something out of my bag. I don't think about getting mugged or held up at gun point when I use the public transportation in Rome. Taking the bus, tram and metro is sort of a vacation from driving since I drive everywhere at home.

WHAT I CARRY WITH ME

I have more keys in Italy than I do at home. There is the key to get into the gate where my apartment is, then the key to the front door, the key to my apartment, the key to the school gate and lastly the key to the locker holding the art supplies which I no longer need. In my bag are the other half of the art supplies I no longer need. I have chap stick with me because my lips are always dry. I have a Allegra-D pill with me just incase my allergies worsen. I have my wallet with all my credit cards just incase I find some cute stuff after class. I have a pen that I borrowed (stole) from the drive through window at commerce bank. I have my sunglasses which my best friend Nataly gave me for my 18th birthday. I have a camera with me to take pictures of all the beautiful things I see in Italy. I have my cell phone with my so my mother can reach me at all times.

Broken Technology

The picture I took of the street lamp made me think of broken technology because it is simply dangling in the air. It is a lamp hanging on electrical cables between two buildings. It immediately made me think of the terrible rain we get in Philadelphia and how there are broken trees and power lines everywhere after the storms. They must not get strong winds and rain if they can just hang the street light instead of attaching it to a light post like back home. Or we might have been really lucky with a straight week of beautiful weather in Rome.