GL 350 Week 2

Week two in Rome proved to be just as fast paced and memorable as week one. The week has been filled with many new sights, experiences, food choices, and insights to Rome living. For example, insight number one; the 2:23 train from Rome Termini to Villetta is not my friend. Not even close. Barzini said we would eventually see some flaws in this beautiful city, the 2:23 train, definitely a flaw. After making a mad dash to the train only see it roll out of the station just as we reached the platform I knew I had an issue with the train system; but then just two days later after making the 2:23 train but then it breaking down for forty minutes and being forced off the train at a stop that wasn’t ours I definitely came to the conclusion that the train system is a flaw in my eyes. Oh and did I mention both days it was raining and cold because it was.

Now the second insight I gained from this week basically was the polar opposite but it still came from that horrible train ride and believe it or not. Just to make a quick recap of the situation what basically happened was the train broke down and an announcement came on over the train but sadly for us it was in Italian. Now even though I am taking an Italian course my understanding and comprehension of the language is at about that of a two year old, maybe a little below so basically Aubree, Katie, and myself were sitting there like “ummmm help.” Luckily though this gentleman sitting next to us obviously could tell we were American and when I looked at him completely confused he told us that the train was broken and we were all to get off at the next stop and another train would be there to pick us up. This conversation was the first part of my insight. This gentleman was a complete stranger to us and he had no obligation to translate what was being said over the loudspeaker but he still did. Once we were all shuffled off the train at the stop we lost our translator and we were left standing again by ourselves in a sea of savvy Italian people already locating their correct train. Well we managed to find our train platform and even found some nice older ladies and a man in a red sweatshirt all whom were headed to Villetta. We felt good, until an announcement came over the train station that I guess meant that the schedule had switched and the platform we were at would no longer take us to Villetta; basically all that was going through my head was greatttttttt. Oh and don’t forget it was still raining. Well so to make an already long story have a short ending basically, because everything here in Rome seems to be fast paced, we ended up half jogging half running to the right train. The part of this experience that made an impression on me though was the ladies who we had stood by us and were headed to Villetta got to the train before us and before they got on the train they turned around and smiled and looked relieved that that we had made it on the train as well and they were yelling at the man in the red sweatshirt hurrying him along to the right train.   

Barzini said the fatal charm of Italy was that people no matter who they are always feel wanted here. “It (the charm) made and still makes unwanted people feel wanted, unimportant people feel important, and purposeless people believe that the real way to live intelligently is to have no earnest purpose in life” (pg. 42). These were the exact words Barzini wrote in his book about the charm that draws so many people to Italy and this is the charm I felt that day. To so many Italian citizens I’m sure I am probably just another gawking, clueless, unimportant tourist but to the man on the train and the older ladies I was someone of stature and that gave me a sense of belonging and a little less like a tourist and a little more like an extended family member.