South Africa | Spring Break in Lesotho, Botswana and Zimbabwe

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BY KELLI HAMILTON

Since the seasons in Cape Town are the opposite of those in America, it was winter for most of my time in South Africa. Therefore, our week off of school was called spring break or as the locals say, “short vac.” For our short vacation, my housemates and I decided to travel around southern Africa. My housemate, Matthew, lived in Africa for a number of years and said he had always wanted to go to Lesotho. Thanks to him I now know how to pronounce the country too. It is Leh-sue-to. On September 7th, me, and my housemates, Ekshika and Matthew, began our amazing spring break trip.

A common thing in Lesotho are blankets, which often have cultural and personal significance. Additionally, horseback is the main mode of transport and the country is filled with scenes that take your breath away (video on the left). We hiked for 3 hours to Maletsunyane Falls, which was huge and beautiful. We had a local 12 year old boy lead us there!! The next day we rode horses through the mountains and Ekshika bought a blanket of her own! WE ALSO GOT TO PLAY IN THE SNOW FOR MANY HOURS ON SATURDAY, WHICH WAS SO COOL (no pun intended). On Monday, we started our drive back to Bloemfontein and met up with some friends from UCT which was extra special. I could hardly wait for the rest of the trip!

The last two days of our trip were the perfect ending to such a great vacation. On Friday we went to high tea at the oldest hotel in Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls Hotel. The Hotel is beautiful and offers a nice view of the bridge near the falls. The best part of the day was the high tea, however. We were able to get iced tea due to the 100-degree weather and we had pastries and finger sandwiches. We also took the time to have a little photoshoot because, how could we not in such a beautiful establishment? On Saturday, we went white water rafting on the Zambezi River, the 4th longest in Africa. It was my first time rafting, and it was tiring, but great. Our raft of seven capsized once and it was scary, but we got back on after rearranging ourselves. It was an amazing experience that culminated in a 30-minute hike to grab some lunch with our fellow rafters. On the way back, we got a flat tire, but a bus quickly rescued us. Sunday morning marked the end of our vacation, and we flew back to Cape Town with the lovely Kenya Airways. I think I can sum up my experience in four words: BEST SPRING BREAK EVER.

Kelli Hamilton studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/south_africa/Pages/univ_of_cape_town.aspx

Ghana | Manhyia Palace, Adanwomase Village, and Ntonso

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BY ASHLEY YOUNG

Another weekend trip coordinated by our UCEAP staff was to Kumasi, which is the capital of the Ashanti Region in Ghana. While there, we visited the Manhyia Palace, Adanwomase Village, and Ntonso. We also went shopping at a local art market, went swimming at Lake Bosomtwe, and had some awesome group meals. Below, check out some descriptions and cool pictures of our adventures!

The Manhyia Palace:

The Manhyia Palace is the seat and residence of the Asantehene, the traditional ruler, or king, of the Ashanti Kingdom and the Ashanti Region. We visited the Manhyia Palace Museum, which has been converted from the original palace and is directly adjacent to today’s Manhyia Palace, where the current Ashanti King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, lives.

Visiting the palace was very interesting, as we were able to learn about the traditional systems of power in Ghana. The trip was also relevant to one of the classes I am taking while studying abroad: Issues in Africa’s International Relations. Just last week, my professor spent a portion of the class discussing how traditional and modern political systems in Africa interact, and how their relationships are largely a result of the European scramble for Africa and colonization. All over Africa, there are systems of power layered over one another – systems that existed before colonization, based largely around ethnicity and historical power – and systems that came to be as a result of colonization – those determined, sometimes arbitrarily, by European powers as they divided and occupied Africa amongst themselves. These overlapping systems constantly wrestle with one another, and this has many implications for African nations. For example, while the sovereignty of African states is recognized externally, it may not be recognized internally (by the people living within it). This can lead to a variety of issues, such as irredentism, low resource mobilization, ethnic armies, and dependency on external governments. All in all, visiting the palace was a great way to engage with my academic learning on an experiential level – something that I have really enjoyed about studying abroad.

Adanwomase Village and Ntonso:

Adanwomase Village is a small village near Kumasi where kente cloth, a type of fabric made of interwoven thread, is made. Kente is native to the Akan ethnic group of Ghana, and it is very important in the local culture. Many of the various patterns that can be seen in kente cloth, as well as the colors of the threads themselves, have symbolic meaning. The cloth was traditionally worn only by kings, but today its use is more widespread. At Adanwomase village, our group watched locals weave kente cloth, and we even got to try our own hand at the craft!

After learning about kente, we drove to a nearby town – Ntonso – where we learned about adinkra. Adinkra are symbols, each with a distinct meaning, that encapsulate messages, or proverbs, concerning traditional wisdom and aspects of life. The symbols are often carved onto furniture and into buildings, painted on pottery, and stamped onto fabric to be worn or decorated with. In Ntonso, we each picked out adinkra symbols that resonated with us, and then stamped them onto pieces of kente cloth, making our very own pieces of art. This was a great way to learn about some of the philosophies and perspectives of people living in Ghana, and allowed us to understand the culture a little bit more.

All in all, the weekend was great fun! I can’t wait for what’s next!

Ashley

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Complimentary Twi Lesson!:

Wo ho te sεn / εte sεn? – How are you? (Literally: How is your body?)

Me ho yε / εyε – I am good (Literally: My body is fine)

Yɛfrɛ wo sɛn / Me din de sɛn? – What is your name?

Yɛfrɛ me … / Me din de … – My name is …

Ashley Young studied abroad in Accra, Ghana in 2018: https://uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu/programs/explore-ghana

Cyprus | Our Last Midterm and Limassol Weekend Excursion

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BY ARISA DHIENSIRI

This past week we took our last midterm of the program and we’re officially 3/4ths of the way done with physics! It’s kind of amazing how much physics I’ve managed to cram into my brain in the past month and a half. It’s also unbelievable how much more physics I have to learn before our final in a week and a half, but I’m remaining positive and stocking up on coffee.  

We just got back from our last weekend excursion of the program! This weekend we went to Limassol, Cyprus a metropolitan city on the southern coast. A bus picked us all up in front of the apartments Friday morning. The tour guide that took us through Nicosia during our orientation came along with. Before arriving at Limassol we took two stops and our tour guide explained the history of two historic landmarks.  

The first stop we made was at Kolossi Castle. Kolossi Castle is the most well preserved castle on the island and was used as a Crusader stronghold. It was first constructed in the 13th century and overlooks Kolossi village, a couple of miles outside of Limassol. The castle looks like a tower, and the rooms inside are all identical to each other. After exploring the castle we went to the rooftop to take pictures and take in the view.  

After Kolossi Castle we went to Kourion, an ancient city-kingdom, where we explored the architectural ruins of a Greco-Roman theater. Kourion borders Kouris River and was the site of an ancient Greek city-kingdom. The main attraction is a Greco-Roman theater that is still used for live music and art performances today. Next to the amphitheater is a villa housing mosaics similar to the House of Dionysus. The tour guide explained the mythological significance of the scenes depicted in the mosaics. 

Once we finished touring Kourion the bus dropped us off at the Kapetanios Odyssia hotel. We spent the weekend exploring Limassol and enjoying our last free weekend. Limassol itself is mostly known for being a tourist area with nightlife attraction. During the day on Saturday we went to the Limassol Pier and walked along the boardwalk. Like the rest of Cypriot climate Limassol was extremely hot and humid so we stopped at a Haagen-Daz shop to cool down and have some ice cream and milkshakes. Afterwards we walked around the Old City area of Limassol, which was very reminiscent of the Old City in Nicosia. 

Limassol has a really broad range of Mediterranean restaurants but after a month of gyros I was really craving pasta. My roommate and I went to a TGI-Fridays right across the hotel for dinner. This weekend was kind of bittersweet since it’s the last weekend we’ll all enjoy relaxing together. This summer has gone by so fast and I already dreading having to say bye to everyone, but I’m happy we still all have a week left together. 

Arisa Dhiensiri studied abroad in Nicosia, Cyprus, in summer 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/Cyprus/Pages/univ-of-nicosia-summer-science.aspx

Cyprus | Structure of Classes / An Overview of Our Day-to-Day Schedule

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BY ARISA DHIENSIRI

Last week we wrapped up Physics I and right now we’re just getting the ball rolling with Physics II. Most of our time here in Cyprus is mostly spent in lecture, lab, or the coffee shop studying. Since class takes up the bulk of our trip I thought I’d break down our class schedule and take you through what it’s like to be a physics student at UNIC.  

Our week is made up of three different schedules, lecture days, lab days, and a combination of the two. We have lecture days every Monday and Wednesday, lab days on Tuesday, and on Thursday we combine the two.  

Lecture Days 

Most of my days begin at 9:15 am when my alarm goes off for class. We begin lecture every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10 am, and even though it doesn’t seem early it feels super early. When we were staying at the Altius hotel we would all convene for continental breakfasts in the lobby. However since we’ve moved into the apartments most of my breakfasts consist of yogurt, granola and some cereal. Since UNIC is only a five-minute walk from the apartments forty-five minutes is plenty of time to prepare for the long day of physics ahead. 

Breakfast at Altius

After breakfast we make the short trek to class. En route to class is everyone’s favorite dog, Cow. Cow lives in an apartment near the university and mostly everyone stops to say hi to her before we get the day started.  

We begin lecture at 10 am and end around 1 pm. We usually get a ten-minute break in between the hours depending on how quickly we’re going through material. Lecture is very similar to lecture at UCLA, except the classroom is more intimate and there are only 30 other students. The low-key setting is really nice since the pressure that comes with asking questions in class is alleviated. The hardest thing for me was getting adjusted to such a long lecture and learning how to stay focused but right now I think I’ve somewhat gotten the hang of it.  

After lecture we have a one-hour lunch break until workshop. Most of us get lunch at the cafeteria right underneath the lecture room but some groups make the journey to the restaurants on our meal vouchers. After lunch we have a two-hour Workshop until 4 pm. Workshop is dedicated to problem solving and asking the professor application or theory related questions. It’s similar to a discussion at UCLA, except it’s led by the professor. During workshop we work on Problem Sets, go through confusing concepts from lecture, or finish up whatever material we didn’t have time to go through earlier in the day. Workshop is nice because it has the one on one elements of a discussion but the feedback is directly from the professor. I’ve learned that stamina is the most important part of these days, it’s hard to be involved with the material after 5 straight hours of class, but paying attention in Workshop is a really integral part of tackling the Problem Sets.  

Insert pic of classroom  

After workshop we’re finally free from classes! Except we’re not. Since each day is dedicated to absorbing new material it’s really easy to get behind, and so after class most people head to the library or Coffeeology, the Kerckhoff of UNIC. The library closes at 6 pm, so only two hours after class ends but is a really ideal place to sprawl out and study. Lecture days usually end with dinner at a meal voucher restaurant, and then finalizing the lab reports due the next day.  

Lab Days  

Tuesday is Lab day and is the most relaxed of our week. Labs take place in the RT building, a little off campus, and so Global Semesters has arranged a bus to take us back and forth. Lab lasts about three hours and is led by a TA and two lab assistants. Each lab consists of doing experiments and projects in small groups to apply the concepts learned in class and develop a better understanding. It’s usually set up so that different groups do different experiments within one lab section, and so the lab assistants really bounce around trying to explain each experiment to everyone. Performing labs are easier when we’ve learned the concepts in class beforehand, but sometimes we have to do labs on material we haven’t touched yet. Initially it’s pretty tricky, but it helps when the professor goes through the material later in class.  

Lab Days and Lecture Days 

Thursday is when our long week concludes and our long weekend begins. It also happens to be the hardest day of the week. We have two hours of lecture in the morning before heading off to lab in the afternoon. Time in between is usually spent eating, cramming in the library, or trying to fit in a quick nap. Even though Thursdays are stressful, we end the day preparing for the long weekend which makes it all worth it.  

Right now we’re prepping for our last midterm next week! See you soon! 

Arisa Dhiensiri studied abroad in Nicosia, Cyprus, in summer 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/Cyprus/Pages/univ-of-nicosia-summer-science.aspx

Cyprus | Physics 1 Over! Moving into Apartments, Halfway Done with Physics Forever!

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BY ARISA DHIENSIRI

This week we took our first final exam and we are officially done with Physics I! This week was pretty stressful since most of us were holed away in preparation for the exam. However this weekend is a free weekend with no excursions or day trips. Most people in the program are traveling but my friends and I decided to stay in Nicosia and catch up on some much needed rest. We had our last class with Dr. Anastasia Hadjiconstanti, which was very bittersweet, but we met our new professor this week and he seems just as nice. We’re already learning material for our second midterm in a week and a half. Even though the physics seems never ending at least we get this weekend to sleep it off.  

Our last class with Dr. Hadjiconstanti (bottom row, white shirt). We’re going to miss her so much! 

 

Last week the apartments were finally ready for us to move into! As soon as we finished our first midterm we bussed back to Altius Hotel, got our stuff, moved into the apartments, and headed straight back to lecture. The apartments are about all condensed within 5 minutes of the University and surrounded by the restaurants listed on the food vouchers, which is very convenient. Most apartments are set up suite style, two double bedrooms complete with a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom, and a furnished living room. Most of the girls and the guys live in separate buildings but they are all within walking distance of each other. The apartments are pretty spacious and since they come with air conditioning I couldn’t ask for anything more.  

My friend Grace made a video documenting the first half of the trip, which you can view below!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5hx8mknKqk 

 See you next week!  

Arisa Dhiensiri studied abroad in Nicosia, Cyprus, in summer 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/Cyprus/Pages/univ-of-nicosia-summer-science.aspx

Senegal | Tabaski

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BY ELIZA AMSTUTZ

The eve of Tabaski, everything is quiet, except the five or so sheep atop our roof! Most have traveled to the suburbs of Dakar, or beyond, to join their loved ones for the holiday, but others, like my family, stay in their neighborhoods.  

What is Tabaski?  

The Senegalese equivalent of Eid, la fête de Tabaski commemorates Abraham’s devotion to God in his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael.  Upon seeing that he would indeed make this sacrifice, God excused Abraham from carrying through and instead, had him sacrifice a sheep. Therefore, as my host sister Aida explained to me, each boy must sacrifice a sheep annually to celebrate Abrahams devotion to God.  

Weeks leading up to the day of Tabaski, walk the streets of Dakar to find every open plot of ground packed with sheep under tarp shelters, their hooves pegged to rocks and wooden stakes, vendors keeping watch day and night. It was for that reason that I didn’t get to know my host brother Gorgui until after Tabaski commenced. I would catch him coming home for dinner, then leaving again to spend the night shift watching over the sheep to be sold the next day.  

Wednesday morning, the day of Tabaski, I woke up, restless in anticipation because precisely between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00am, the streets would be scattered with the blood of sheep, one or more per family, depending on how many men.  After much thought, I decided I wanted to watch the sheep ritual take place.  

The women had been preparing food since the minute I awoke. Standing on our little porch, my eyes surveying the sandy street, I watched the men returning from prayer, mats rolled up under their arms. After disappearing into their houses clothed in beautiful silk robes, they emerged in common clothing to dig deep holes in front of each doorstep.  

When my brothers brought our sheep, several friends appeared to help out.  Jumping aside as my brother Gorgui dragged a struggling sheep that had been living on our roof, past me and out the door, I watched as they laid it on the ground, neck over the hole.  Along our street, groups of boys and men did the same. After gently cutting the sheep’s throat, they directed the blood into the hole, and when it was dry, carried the dead sheep inside to butcher it.  

Aida, Mama Thiam, and Sigé had begun food prep early that morning, and the guys pitched in by butchering the sheep, and literally using every last piece. I chopped veggies and tried to take in all that was going on around me. Relatives and neighbors stopping by, kids playing, music blasting, the flow of people and greetings never seemed to cease. It is custom for each visitor to greet everyone in the house, I’m not going to lie, it got pretty overwhelming, but what a great way to get to know the extended family and neighbors, Oh! And break out of my shell as they made me dance to Senegalese music all day long!  

Having finished chopping up the mutton, the men handed it off the the women to BBQ alongside frying potato wedges, spices ground with stone, onion sauce in the making, and proceeded to sit down, smoke, make tea, and talk, comme toujours! In Senegal, the women do almost all the housework, though considered a guest, I was expected to sit with the boys and men, chatting and making tea.   

After a morning full of preparation, lunch was served.  My sister placed the big round bowl on a cloth in the common area and relatives flocked around the neatly placed BBQ mutton and homemade potato wedges topped with a spicy onion sauce. It is custom to use your right hand as you tear chunks of mutton from the bone and to use a friend to get more leverage of the meat is too tough. I don’t recall ever having eaten meat so fresh.  The bone on which I was gnawing had belonged to the sheep I had watched my brothers drag down from the roof that morning, and now, several hours later, I was eating it with spicy onion sauce.  

A now well fed extended family sat back, “sourna” – full/unable to eat more, but my sisters didn’t rest. Qu’est-ce que tu fait? I demanded, watching Mama and Aida chop and fry more potatoes and refill the BBQ with more cuts of mutton. Turns out it was time to prepare the next meal, the one we were to have in less than 3 hours. I don’t know how many extended relatives and friends stopped by that day, but there was an entirely new group present for the late afternoon meal.  I was happy to catch guests snacking on my California pistachios throughout the day.  

A little more relaxing and greeting family, and it was time for dinner! One thing I love about the way we eat here is the mentality that everyone takes care of everyone around the meal bowl.  People will take it in turns to break up the meat with their hands, distributing bite size chunks to each person’s corner of the round bowl to ensure they “mange bien!”. Nek naa torop – everything is delicious! The many meals and gathering of family reminded me of my US family’s celebration of Thanksgiving, a holiday on which other day is spent enjoying each other’s company and cooking food.  Tabaski, however, or just Senegalese eating habits in general, don’t permit you to over-stuff yourself because you’re eating out of one bowl and must leave some for others.  

A day full of festivities and it was time to sortir. The night of Tebaski, people generally dress up and walk the neighborhood visiting friends and loved ones.  It is tradition for children to dress in their best and parade around the neighborhood asking for treats.

Later in the night, my sisters Aida and Mama Tiam loaned me a beautiful orange and blue blouse and skirt and we got ready to “sortir”. Taking a bit of time to prep, I rushed to be ready on time. Turns out there was no need to worry, my sisters took another half hour to hour doing their make up and deciding what to wear. This was one of my first exposures to the reality that everything here is pushed back an hour or more from schedule. 

Two of Aida’s friends picked us up along with our friend Binta and we drove across town, my sisters taking selfies the entire way.  Arriving at Djob’s house (my sisters friend), I thought we were stopping in for last minute items before “la fête”, but this empty house was “la fête”! All six of us lounged in the living room.  I drank juice as my sisters spent an hour posing for photos in their Tabaski best. A cute room backset with Senegalese and Nigerian music and chatting with my sisters friends, I was content. After being there for several hours, we got back in Djob’s car and drove home. I definitely got an age specific perspective of Tabaski night for had I been with my mom, we would have walked around the neighborhood, stopping to see her relatives. Anticlimactic though it was, I enjoyed our little “sortir” that helped me get to know my sisters.   

Somewhat analogous to Thanksgiving, Tabaski was the perfect holiday to have during my first week in Dakar.  I met the extended family throughout the day, spent hours chatting with my brother and his friends around Ataya (tea tradition), witnessed the ritual Tabaski ceremony, and experienced a wonderful introduction of Senegalese culture through their practice of this major holiday.  

Eliza Amstutz studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal during Fall 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/senegal/Pages/african_developmental_studies_Dakar.aspx?_ga=2.46751911.1203383737.1560395031-875334149.1560395031

Senegal | Bienvenue a Dakar!

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BY ELIZA AMSTUTZ

Transition, Travels, Neighborhood, and Family

Hello to all and welcome to my “Official Blog!”  Dakar!?  I can hardly believe I am here..

As I begin my third week living and studying in Dakar, it truly feels like I belong here.  But let me get you caught up on my travels to Senegal, my living situation, and my neighborhood! When I emailed my flight plan to my local advisor she responded, “Ohhhh Eliza!  My prayers are with you!” But my flight path to Dakar was a kick start to a wonderful semester.  After saying goodbye to my family in SFO, Itook WOW Airlines to Iceland, where I transferred and arrived in Denmark at ~5 pm.  Practically jumping off the plane and boarding the city Metro, I began my 12 hour layover at the Copenhagen metro stop my friend Anna had suggested.

I decided to center my adventure around finding the famous Little Mermaid statue, and saw some lovely architecture and cute narrow cobblestone streets on the way.  After sleeping a few hours near my gate in the Copenhagen Int’l. airport, I boarded yet another flight… to Lisbon!

A few hours later, I began another 12 hour vacation in Portugal!  The red, yellow, and deep orange tiles pop out against the blue sky, and after wandering through oceanside Lisbon for several hours, I met up with Sammy, another student en route pour Dakar!I am eternally grateful I did, as we bonded immediately and have been each other’s “comfort zone” ever since. After some tasty food and drink in a cute alleyway, we hopped back on the Metro to catch our evening flight to Dakar!!

Dakar, Senegal’s capital, is situated on the westernmost point of Africa.  A former French Colony, Senegal’s national language is French, while Wolof is the language most prominently spoken in Dakar.

Touching down in Dakar after speaking French to the Senegalese man sitting next to me for five hours, I couldn’t have been more excited and at ease. Driving through Dakar that night, my head out the window, smiling cheeks enjoying the night air, my mind full of enthusiastic anticipation, I finally started to feel like this was all real.

My host mother, Jacqueline Gomez, greeted me at the Brioche Dorée, a bakery at the center of our neighborhood; Cite Assemble, Oakam, Dakar.  Her arms open wide, I immediately felt comfortable and at ease. Having worried that arriving at 2:30am would awake the family, I was surprised to find everyone still up; Aida and Maman Thiam, my 27 and 21 year-old sisters, my 24 and 14 year-old brothers, Gorgui and Sherif… everyone was up and awake except for Baby Couree, my mother’s 6 months old granddaughter who lives with the Thiam family while her mother studies in Washington DC.  I would soon learn that staying up until 2:30am is habitual for this family, and that “going out” for Senegalese youth means returning home at 5:00 or 6:00am! They care for me like I’m truly their sister & daughter, and I cannot imagine a better fit for me.

I learned more during my first full day in Dakar than perhaps any other so far, and I spent most of it in our house. I think everyone can relate to the feeling of waking up, having arrived somewhere new in the dark, and feeling completely surprised and renewed.  I woke up to Senegalese pop music blasting from the main room, under my blue mosquito net, and smiled as I greeted my new reality. I have a small room and my own bathroom in which there is a bed, chair, shelf for clothes, locking drawer, toilet, sink, and shower. The shower is cold, but honestly, I wouldn’t want anything else in this humidity. Emerging from my room, my mom took me on a brief house tour, showing me the boys’ room, girls’/her room, living room, hallway/hangout space (where we spend most of our time), 2 small outdoor courtyards for cooking, hanging out, and dishwashing, and the tiny kitchen.  The front room of our house, which opens to the street, is lined with colorful garments and serves as my mother’s tailor shop. Next, she took me to the roof where they keep 7 goats. I get to hear and smell them constantly throughout the day. The house is small and simple, but a perfect size for my family and the many visitors they host as they pass through daily. That leads me to discovering the atmosphere of “Teranga” here in Senegal.

Teranga refers to hospitality, an allusion to the warmth of the welcome.  It’s a Wolof word that comes from the word Teral, or the word Earth, signifying arrival. To this they hold true.  It took me a few days to figure out which of the guys sitting in my house was actually my older brother, because there are 5-8 friends & neighbors in our house at all times. In addition, it is unacceptable for someone to enter without individually greeting every person in the room… but aside from that, come and go as you please!  Hence, I was given a very warm welcome not only by my own family, but by the whole block.

Because it was my first day, my sister Aida made Thiéboudienne (chéh-bu-jen), the national dish of Senegal, which consists of red rice (made with tomatoes and vegetables), fish (traditionally “chof,” but not so available today due to overfishing), cassava root, carrots, eggplants, cabbage, and peppers.  This dish truly embodies the concept of “teranga.” It is served in a large, round bowl, rice on the bottom, fish, veggies, and sauce on top, around which everyone sits. One uses their right hand to pick the fish off the bone, break off a piece of vegetable, and/or scoop up the seasoned rice, squeeze it into a ball, and mange!! Having been a vegetarian for the past few years, I found myself struggling with the meat, but as everyone eats, people take it upon themselves to break off chunks of meat, sometimes tugging the chunk between two people with harder meats, and distributing it to each person’s portion of the bowl.  I decided to put my vegetarian diet on hold while in Senegal, and boy was that a good idea. Not only do they eat meat for just about every meal, but these dishes are to die for! They are hearty,saucy, spicy, and you just can not overeat because everyone is sharing from the same bowl. I’ve found it to be the perfect amount per meal, and although I sometimes crave more vegetables than I get, I couldn’t be more impressed with the cooking.

That evening, I accompanied my sisters to nearby boutiques (small corner shops where you can buy anything from cell phone credit to ice cream), and went on a brief neighborhood tour with the other 15 US students living in Oakam. Our neighborhood lies in north-western Dakar, bordering the Atlantic. It’s only a 15 minute walk from our area to the beach, which is truly a gift! Walking to the beach after a long, HOT, Dakar day and swimming in the Atlantic could not be more refreshing! There is a small restaurant at our local Mamelles Beach, and a beachfront perfect for swimming, football, or watching the sunset.

Aside from the beach, Oakam is famous for an enormous monument to the African Renaissance and a hilltop lighthouse.  La Monument de la Renaissance Africaineis a solid copper statue built in 2010 that commemorates the Rebirth of Africa and Senegalese independence.  It is 49m tall, and atop a hill of approximately 100m, therefore, climbing the stairs and taking an elevator to the top guarantees quite the panoramic view of the Dakar peninsula.

I can thoroughly say I am pleased with my neighborhood placement, fellow students, and family in Dakar.  There is a dirt soccer field next to my house, a nearby beach, incredible food, interesting and genuine people visiting 24/7, and Wally Seck and Maitre Gims playing in my house all the time.  Yes, it is hot, and Dakar is definitely an adjustment, but I am feeling positive and like I adjusted relatively fast. Quality time socializing is an enormous part of the lifestyle here, which gives me the opportunity not only to become close to my family and neighbors, but to practice French all the time! I am grateful for all my French teachers and classmates in the past who helped me build enough ability to successfully communicate my needs, and to engage in more than surface level conversation with Senegalese family and friends. French is the official language of Senegal, however, everyone in the capital and surrounding area speak both French and Wolof. Learning Wolof has been slow thus far, but I hope that through my class sessions and full immersion, my understanding will continue to grow.

I called my Dad on face-time the other day and found myself saying, “I was born to live in Senegal!” Obviously, Dakar is only one small peninsula and CIEE has provided me a very smooth start, but I thoroughly love it here.  With every day comes an adventure I never could have anticipated. I look forward to many excursions, my classes, and beginning my Internship at the Ministry of the Environment for the Senegalese Government!

Eliza Amstutz studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal during Fall 2018: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/senegal/Pages/african_developmental_studies_Dakar.aspx?_ga=2.46751911.1203383737.1560395031-875334149.1560395031

Italy | The Pantheon

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By Andrea Zachrich

The Pantheon

I love the Pantheon, especially as a college student and a person who studies classics. As far as being a college student goes, its completely free which is awesome because many of the sites in Rome can get expensive. You can go back as often as you would like (I actually took 2 of my friends to the Pantheon while they were on vacation in Rome and my brother and went another time on my own). As a Classics enthusiast, the Pantheon is perhaps the best preserved ancient monument in Rome (and maybe even in the world). The structure, floors, and walls are all mostly original (with some restoration work and later Christian additions). While there have been some modifications in terms of the sculptures due to its conversion to a Christian church, what remains can really give you a sense of the grandeur and beauty of ancient Rome, which is difficult to imagine in many of the other ruins from antiquity, even in places like Pompeii and Ostia, where the buildings are very well preserved, because they have lost a lot of the stucco and marble facing that would have made them so incredible.

History

The Pantheon really has 5 main histories: 3 rebuildings in antiquity, it’s use as a Christian church from the end of antiquity onwards, and it’s modern history as a tourist attraction in Rome. This building was very influential during the Renaissance, and is one of the most popular sites for tourists (and locals) today.

Ancient Times

The word pantheon is actually Greek in origin. It roughly translates into “all the gods”. Pan means “all” and theon means “gods”. It is, as the name suggests, a temple dedicated to all of the gods. Some scholars, however, think that it was dedicated not to all the gods in the Roman pantheon, but to all the planet gods. Due to the removal of the Roman sculpture on the inside, however, we cannot be sure exactly which gods the temple was dedicated to.

The first Pantheon was built during the years 27-25 BC by Marcus Agrippa. Marcus Agrippa Agrippa was a powerful and influential man who was the right hand man of Emperor Augustus, and essentially served as co-emperor. He has a lot of building projects in the Campus Martius (which is where the Pantheon is). Originally, Agrippa had wanted to put a statue of Augustus inside the temple alongside all of the gods, but Augustus would not allow it, stating that he was not a god yet. Instead, Agrippa decided to put statues of Augustus and himself on the outside of the temple in order to show that they were favored by the gods.

This first Pantheon was destroyed in a fire in 80 AD, and rebuilt by the emperor Domitian. This second temple was again destroyed in 110 AD. Very little is known about these earlier buildings. No one is quite sure what they looked like or their decorations. Some ancient authors have written about them, but even these writings lack clues as to what the building may have been like. Some scholars have speculated that the original entrance actually faced in the opposite direction, but we really don’t know.

The Pantheon we can visit today was built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, sometime from 117-138 AD, although most scholars agree that it was probably finished at some point during the 120s. We’re not sure because Hadrian actually put up the original inscription on the new building that reads (in latin of course) “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, during his third time as consul, made me”. Most believe that he put up this inscription because he wished to associate himself and his rule as emperor with that of Augustus.

Middle Ages and Beyond

The Pantheon was given to the Catholic Church in 609 AD by Emperor Phocas, who was the Byzantine emperor in the east. The temple was then turned into a Catholic church. While the church left most of the exterior and interior marble decoration intact, they did remove the pagan sculpture from the inside. Eventually, the marble that covered the exterior brick you see today was taken, as well as the marble decoration from the pediment. We can’t be entirely sure, but many scholars believe that the decoration on the pediment was that of an eagle based on the holes left from where the decoration was nailed into place.

The interior and exterior dome of the Pantheon, as well as the interior roof of the porch used to be covered with bronze. This bronze was taken by the Catholic church in the mid 1600s during the reign of Pope Urban VIII and was actually used to make canons for the Castel S’ant Angelo (known as Hadrian’s Mausoleum to us Classics nerds), and Bernini’s bronze baldachin that you can see inside of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican today. It must have been a marvelous looking building before the bronze was stripped away (although it is still quite impressive without it).

During the 1600s two bell towers were built on either side of the porch, but they were removed in the late 19th both because they were fairly unattractive (they were nicknamed the “ass’s ears”) and because they did not reflect the original design of the building.

Today, the Pantheon is still used as a Catholic church, although they only have services on Sundays (Saturday evenings for English speakers), and also do not enforce the usual rule of churches in Italy where you must cover your shoulders and legs down to the knee. It is treated much more like an ancient monument and much less like a typical church. It is, however, free to visit because it is still a church.

The Building

The structural integrity of the building has not been compromised in the nearly 2000 years since it was built. The building has managed to survive fires, earthquakes, invasions of the city, and floods without any worry by modern engineers that it will collapse, which really is remarkable.

The building can be divided into two main areas: the porch and the interior (with the dome). The porch is beautiful. It features monolithic columns of granite imported from Egypt. The word monolithic means that these columns are each made using only one piece of stone! They each weigh over 60 tons, and it would have been an incredibly costly and time consuming process to import them. The pink granite columns on the left side, however, are from the Baths of Nero and replaced the original ones in the mid 1600s .

As stated earlier, the interior of the porch roof used to be covered with bronze, and there were two giant statues of Augustus and Agrippa in the niches on the porch. While the decorations from the pediment and the bronze have been stripped away from the porch, it is still a very imposing and beautiful building to look at from the front.

The Pantheon is, of course, most famous for it’s dome. It was the largest dome in the world until the mid 1800s, and is still the largest unsupported concrete dome in the world. Roman engineers were able to accomplish this thanks to a well-made design and their choice of material: roman concrete. Roman concrete is particularly strong because it makes use of volcanic ash as one of the ingredients. The chemical reaction from using this material actually makes the concrete stronger over time. The design has also allowed the dome to stand for as long as it has. The supporting base of the dome is very wide, at 21 feet thick. As it climbs upwards, the concrete dome gets thinner and thinner until it’s only about 4 feet wide so that there is less weight to support as it gets taller. The dome is a perfect half sphere. The diameter across is as long as the dome is tall from floor to oculus. There is an oculus that’s about 8 meters wide at the top of the dome to allow in light and air. The photos show what the inside looks like today.

Two tombs of Italian kings (and one of their wives), and the tomb of the painter Raphael reside inside of the Pantheon. The tomb of Raphael is surprisingly simple for such a great painter; it simply has his coffin and statue of St. Mary that one of his students made. Even though his tomb changes the ancient design, it seems fitting that he would be laid to rest in such a beautiful place.

While we did not get to experience it while we were there, Professor Gurval says that his favorite time to visit the Pantheon is when it rains because rain will actually fall though the oculus (and all the tourists usually clear out). If you look closely, you can find drains built into the floor directly under the oculus. Originally, these drains ran out into fountains that lined the portico that surrounded the Pantheon.

Why I’m So Obsessed with it

The Pantheon is easily my favorite place in Rome. Besides having a courtyard on the outside with a fountain where you can fill up your water bottle and being close to my favorite gelato place in Rome (Giolitti’s), it really is one of the few places in Rome where you can really get a sense of the grandeur and wealth of ancient Rome. Most of the other buildings from antiquity are in ruins, and when they are not, they have been stripped of their decoration. The Pantheon still has all of its original interior marble decoration on the floors and the walls, and the impressive dome still stands in near perfect condition. It’s hard to walk into the forum, or even the coliseum, and fully grasp the wealth of Rome when all you see are dilapidated structures devoid of any sort of decoration, but walking into the Pantheon really shows you what ancient Rome would have looked like, and you get a sense of how powerful and wealthy the empire really was. It also helped me envision what the other sites would have looked like their prime, with beautiful, colored marble decorations and statues decorating the inside. The Pantheon may be one of the best preserved ancient monuments in the world, and it really allows you to get a taste of ancient Rome with much more accuracy than many of the other ancient sites.

Best Time to Visit

Unfortunately for those people who are not morning people, the best time to visit the Pantheon is right at 8:30 AM when it opens. I managed to drag myself here this early, and it really was incredible compared to the other times when I went in the middle of the day. There were maybe 20 other people inside with me (compared to the hundreds during other times). With less people there, you can really examine the floor and the walls (especially if you’re short like me), and admire the tombs and decorations without other people crowding you in. Additionally, with less people you really grasp just how large the structure is, it seems much smaller when you’re surrounded by people. The emptiness really allows you to take it all in.

In short, I love this place. It’s so well-preserved and really a beautiful site, and it’s completely free to visit. Definitely make sure to stop by if you’re Rome! It’s worth taking the time to see.

Italy | The Coliseum

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By Andrea Zachrich

My first impression of the Coliseum was that it was smaller than the Rosebowl. My second thought after that was that the Rosebowl was unlikely to still be standing 2,000 years from now in the same way the Coliseum is. My third thought was awe at the fact that this incredibly large structure has withstood the test of time (not without damage, of course, but what’s left is still pretty spectacular).

The Facts

Its Name

I love the story of how the Coliseum got its name. During the reign of Emperor Nero, he commissioned a massive bronze statue of himself as the sun god that was often called the “colossus” because of its huge size. (It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). This statue, which was nearly 100 feet tall, stood right next to the coliseum (with various reworkings of the face for different emperors) until an earthquake in 1000 toppled it, but by then the name of the amphitheater had already been determined. So the name Coliseum comes from the word colossus and essentially refers to a structure that is near the colossus statue of Nero. The true name of the amphitheater is Amphitheatrum Flavium in latin, or Flavian Amphitheater in English, because it was constructed during the Flavian dynasty. That name, however, is rarely used, and the word coliseum with a lowercase “c” has even come to be used for other amphitheaters from the Roman world.

Ancient History

The Coliseum was started around 72 AD by Emperor Vespasian, and was completed by his son Emperor Titus in 80 AD following Vespasian’s death. The name Flavian Amphitheater comes from these emperors, who were a part of the Flavian dynasty. It was paid for by using wealth acquired from booty during war. According to ancient sources, the inaugural games of the Coliseum lasted a full month, and 9,000 animals were killed and there were hundreds of gladiatorial fights and other spectacles. Some scholars even believe that the amphitheater may have even been filled with water and used for mock naval battles, but other scholars believe that this may have only happened once at the inaugural games or not at all (the Romans did have these mock naval battles, called naumachia, but the location usually made use of existing bodies of water and thus the Romans may not have needed/wanted to use the Coliseum for this purpose). It could seat around 50,000-80,000 people depending on the amount of wooden seating at the top and how packed in the people were. The structure has a series of underground tunnels (you can see them today because the wooden floor no longer exists) that would be used to raise wild animals into the arena or sometimes gladiators from special trapdoors. It also had a canvas cover on the top of the amphitheater called the vela or velarium, the latin word for sail (like from a sail boat) that served to protect viewers from the sun or rain. All of the games at the Coliseum were free to attend and were usually paid for by the emperor, but you had to secure a token with a seat on it prior to the event in order to be allowed in. But, if you were an elite, you didn’t need this token. The emperor had his own box, the senators had marble seats (you can still see this section of seating today), and many elite families had their own boxes in the Coliseum from which to watch the games.

Materials and Architecture

The Coliseum is really a remarkable structure, and has stood for nearly 2,000 years with minimal damage aside from deliberate material robbing. The Coliseum is the largest amphitheater from antiquity. It is mainly made of concrete, tufa (a volcanic stone common in Roman building), and travertine (another stone commonly used by the Romans). It was faced with marble and had statues facing outwards in all of the archways in antiquity. It has three stone layers of seatings (with ionic, doric, and corinthian capitals on the outside) and used to have a top, wooden layer of seating that was the Roman equivalent of the nosebleed seats which most likely burnt down. These wooden seats required near constant maintenance in antiquity, and were frequently subjected to fires and other damages that come from being outside. The structure had a central wooden platform (now completely gone – probably because it rotted away over time) that would have been covered with sand where all the spectacles took place. As discussed earlier, there is an extensive system of tunnels under this floor that were used to place animals and people into the arena. Below are some photos that show the series of tunnels under the floor.

Modern History

During the early medieval ages, the arches of the Coliseum housed shops and were used as housing. There was also a chapel built in the structure at this time. Around 1200 AD, the Frangipani family took over the entire Coliseum and used it as a fort and to house their family. In the mid 1300’s, an earthquake toppled much of one of the sides, and the stones that fell were reused in other buildings around Rome. Similar to many other buildings in Rome, the bronze clamps that held the stone together were actually dug out of the stone, and you can still see the holes that this left on the structure today (and makes it even more remarkable that the Coliseum is still standing). In the mid 1700’s, Pope Benedict XIV declared the site to be sacred and forbid further quarrying because he claimed that Christians had been martyred in the structure. While the Roman did prosecute Christians for much of their history, there is no historical evidence that executions took place in the Coliseum, and many scholars believe that no Christians were ever killed there for the crime of being Christian. There is, however, still a large cross inside of the Coliseum, and this Pope’s declaration did help save the amphitheater from further damage. The Coliseum was finally fully excavated under Mussolini, and underwent a massive restoration project from 1993-2000. There used to be a ton of cats that lived in the Coliseum, but there aren’t as many today. I saw one when we went as a class, and none when I went with my brother. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, and draws in massive amounts of revenue for the Italian government.

Random fun fact: gattara is the Italian word for an old lady who takes care of cats on the streets, and its one of my favorite words I learned in Italian (along with cucchioli which means puppies or kittens which I learned when visiting my Sicilian family and their puppy!) Writing about the stray cats in the Coliseum reminded me about this word.

The Gladiators

Now we get to the good part: the gladiators of the Coliseum. Contrary to popular belief, only about 10 percent of gladiators ever died in battle or from their wounds in battle. It was still a very risky profession, but not as dramatic as is often depicted in movies. Gladiators often did not battle to the death because a gladiator is an expensive investment for their ludus, or gladiator school, because they must be trained, housed, and clothed. It would not be economical to own gladiators if your investments die half the time they were used for a fight. Most gladiators were slaves, although some people did choose to be gladiators. They occupied an interesting place in society. Many were wealthy, as they often got paid large sums to fight, and good gladiators had a type of celebrity status in Rome, but they also were denied the right to citizenship, and many were slaves (although they could often afford to pay for their freedom with their battle fees). They could not marry Roman citizens (although there are stories of particularly famous gladiators consorting with senator’s wives), and had tattoos to signify that they were gladiators. The fame and wealth accompanied with the loss of rights meant that gladiators occupied this strange limbo ground in Roman society.

Going There

Honestly, getting into the Coliseum is really quite a process. As with most tourist attractions in Rome, I would recommend going early and maybe even getting in line before they open. I would also get tickets in advance, or get the super ticket from the Forum the day before so that you don’t have to wait in line to buy a ticket here. When we went as a class, we got there quite early, maybe around 8:30 and only had to wait in line about 30 minutes. My brother and I went a different time and got there around 9:30, and had to wait in line for a little over an hour before we even got to buy our tickets. It takes so long because they send you through security (of which they should have more open) and then have you purchase your ticket after, which, as you can imagine, is a slow moving process. The price of the ticket isn’t terrible, i believe its only 15 euros to visit both the Coliseum and the Roman Forum.

I really enjoy learning about the Coliseum. It is an iconic symbol of Rome, and reminder of the wacky types of entertainment the ancient Romand enjoyed. It’s name, history, construction, and the gladiators that fought (and died) here are all fascinating, and learning about them really enhanced my visit to this awesome place. It was even cooler to take my brother back a second time and teach him all of things that I had learned. In many ways, the Coliseum is symbolic of the ancient Romans: its massive and beautiful and opulent with a violent and bloody history.

Italy | Some handy Italian (and Rome) Tips

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By Andrea Zachrich

I thought it might be useful to make a guidebook of things I learned in Italy and differences between the culture there and in the U.S. so that you don’t look like an idiot tourist like I did. Not all of these are super strict guidelines, and some only apply to Rome, but I hope they can help you in your future travels!

  1. You almost always pay after you eat (or drink, if its coffee), regardless of if you eat in a more traditional sit down restaurant, or a walk-up to the counter and order kind of place. Basically, they just trust you to pay after you finish eating. Trying to pay before usually leads to a lot crazy looks and most places will just tell you to wait.
  2. That being said, however, if you’re ordering something quick like a gelato or a drink, they often ask you to pay before you eat it, and then you walk up with your receipt to get your order. Giolitti’s, my favorite gelato place in Rome, functions like this. I would default to the first way of paying unless you see a register near the front of the store or notice someone else paying first.
  3. Grazie – this is the word for thank you. You will use it a lot. For the love of all that is holy, it is not pronounced “gra-zi”, but rather “gra-zi-aye”. I realize that sometimes it will sound like the first pronunciation because Italians often talk rather quickly, but they make fun of Americans who pronounce it the first way.
  4. Italians don’t really have a concept of lines or right of way, so often times if you’re tying to order something you have to be a little assertive and make sure you are heard. I don’t think its them being rude, but rather they assume that everyone behaves like that. Same goes with crossing the street. Drivers won’t stop for you unless you’re already in the street. True Italians just make eye contact with the driver while stepping in the street in front of traffic and assume the cars will stop.
  5. People in Italy eat pizza with a knife and a fork. This took a little getting used to, but I think it makes it better because you can get a better bite of pizza. I also saw my Sicilian relatives cut up parts of the pizza with a knife and fork, and then eat it in pieces with their hands, but I wouldn’t do that unless you see other people doing it (that could have been a more casual way to eat because we were with family too).
  6. For some reason, Google maps worked a lot better for me than Apple maps while I was in Rome. Apple maps would often take me to the wrong address, while Google maps was much more accurate. I’m not really sure why this is, but to save yourself the hassle of going to the wrong place, I would just start with Google maps. You can also use Google maps to figure out which public transportation line to take if you tap on the symbol that looks like a train (super useful!)
  7. If you’re in Rome, I would start with an English “hello” when you walk into a store or restaurant and not a “ciao” even though this goes against everything I stand for in terms of not looking like a tourist. The reason is that if you start with ciao, and you look Italian (as I do because my grandparents are from there), people will start rapid fire speaking to you Italian, and then have to repeat themselves in English after they realize you don’t speak their language when you blankly stare at them, and that’s frustrating for everyone involved. If you start with a hello, they know to start in English, and then if you’re trying to work on your Italian you can always tell them that and ask for some tips.
  8. Download the Italian language dictionary of google translate onto your phone so that you don’t have to use your data. Many museums won’t translate the placards by the art, so the app is useful to have to know what you’re looking at. Ditto for restaurant menus so you know what you’re ordering (at least at first until you get the hang of it).
  9. Watch your stuff , especially on public transportation, because there are a lot of pickpockets. (The amount of times I had an older Italian lady on the tram motion at me to close my bag was absurd. When I was in Catania, Sicily, an old couple even stopped their car in the middle of a busy street to tell me to close my bag, so clearly pickpocketing is an issue in Italy).
  10. Meal times are different there. Lunch is around normal time (usually 12 or 12:30 to 2:00), but dinner is later at around 8:30. If you can’t wait until then, you can head out and grab aperitivo, which is pre-dinner drinks and snacks. It usually starts at around 7:00 (honestly, its a great concept). Breakfast is usually something very simple such as a coffee with a small pastry.
  11. It’s hot in the summer. Like really hot, with humidity on top of it. Visiting sites in the morning and the late afternoon, with an A/C break and nap mid-day, is the way to go. You might feel like you’re missing out, but trying to move around in the middle of the day is miserable and makes you feel terrible.
  12. Get an Italian SIM card for your phone if you’re going to be there any substantial amount of time. It’s the easiest and most stress-free way to communicate. Yes, you do get a different phone number, but your friends and family can use Whatsapp with your old phone number to get in contact with you. Also, Vodafone offers amazing deals on internet usage I got 8GB of data for 10 euros (essentially unlimited data at that amount)! That’s unheard of in the US.
  13. Bring a reusable water fountain to fill up at the nasoni fountains that are all around town and save yourself some money!
  14. Always have cash on you. Many smaller gelato and coffee places only take cash, and even some bigger places act like its a huge inconvenience when you try to use your card. You can get cash at ATMs. Look for one that has a flat fee to pull out money. Make sure not to keep all your cash with you in case it get stolen. Also, get a travel credit card. Bank of America offers an awesome one that covers all international transaction fees.
  15. If you know Spanish, it will really help you in Italy. There was one person in our study abroad group who would just speak Spanish to waiters and servers, and they almost always knew what he meant. I’m not sure they appreciated him speaking Spanish, but it was an effective way to communicate. Most places in Rome have at least one person working there who speaks English, but Spanish may be better to start with if you’re fluent.
  16. Some useful words and phrases:
    1. “Ciao!” is hello and goodbye. I like this word a lot.
    2. “Prego” is translated into “you’re welcome”, but it’s used in more ways than that (although its still used as you’re welcome frequently). Often times, it could be better translated into the word “please” or “go ahead”. When servers are ready for you to order or a hostess takes you to your table, they will often say “prego” to let you know that they are ready for you to speak or that this is where you’re sitting.
  • To order: “per me, ________”, which means “for me, _______ and then whatever you want to order.
  1. The bill is “il conto”. Servers in Italy don’t get tipped for their service, so they generally care less than servers in the US. Don’t be surprised if you have to ask a couple times for the bill. You’re also kind of expected to sit and chill after you eat, so often times they won’t think to bring the bill right away if you don’t ask.
  2. How to say excuse me: this one is particularly useful. There are three phrases in Italian for the one English phrase of “excuse me” and I was a little confused about the usage of the different phrases at first…
    1. “con permesso”: excuse me when you are walking past people (very helpful on public transportation)
    2. “mi scusi”: excuse me when you are trying to get ones attention (such as in a restaurant)
    3. “scusa”: sorry to apologize for something (usually used by my clumsy self when I bumped into someone)
  3. “Dove il bagno?”: where’s the bathroom. You can also just ask “il bagno?” and they’ll usually point you in the right direction.
  • “caldo” and “freddo” are hot and cold, respectively, which is useful for when you’re trying to order coffee.
  • “andiamo” is let’s go! Professor Gurval used this often while trying to get our class places in Rome.
  1. And lastly “allora”. This is one of my favorite words in Italian. It’s basically a placeholder word, and functions as “um” or “well” does in English. If you hear someone say this, they’re probably thinking about what to say.

That’s all I can think of for now. Rome is a pretty easy city to figure out, between Google maps, the internet, and the fact that many people there speak English, you will be a-ok. Good luck on your travels!