"I know the heart of life is good"

Hi!

Updates from Rome:
Spring Break starts this Friday. I cannot wait! My mom is coming and it will be an amazing, much needed break from classes. In other news ...

As the Romans do:
- My roommate is dating an Italian, Matteo, who I love. He is so much fun and is really helpful when trying to learn Italian. He was appalled that I like to go running outside and that I enjoy peanut butter and apples. Italians also have a hard time saying my name, so Matteo always says, "Ciao Caaaiiilllann!"
- Italy is kind of racist! Was not aware of the extent until I began reading articles, hearing stories, etc. My PoliSci prof recently informed us that Italy passed a law where foreign born and Italian born students cannot be taught in the same classroom during primary school. There is also a lot of tension in the north between Italians and those of Middle East or Muslim descent. The mayor of Torino explained, "We don't want them here, so why would we build mosques?"
- Picture this: 65 degrees, sunny, gorgeous day! I am, of course, wearing flip flops and no jacket. Italians, on the other hand, are still wearing their fur coats and boots!

Italians still entertain me and I find a new reason to love them and be fascinated by them on a daily basis.

Other important things:
This past weekend I was in Paris with my friend, Ally, from back home! Ally is studying abroad in France and we met up in Paris for the weekend. We have both known each other since kindergarten and it was great to be with a friend from home.

On Friday, I left for Paris at 7am and was at the Louvre by 12:30. I stayed for 2 hours (not as long as I would have liked) but saw all the paintings I had been dying to see for so long. Da Vinci in person! Woah! I also went to the Musee d'Orsay which I actually enjoyed more than the Louvre. It's an impressionist museum and I saw all of my favorite artists ... Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse. It was amazing. I cried when I saw Degas' "Tiny Ballerina" in person, which has been one of my favorites since I was little. That night, Ally and I went to the Eiffel tower with a bottle of wine and baguettes. We were very classy Americans.

On Saturday, we had a full day. We headed back to the Eiffel tower again and went all the way to the top. Dad, I really don't think you could have handled it. I was getting nervous on the elevator up to the top. But the view was totally worth it and it was so much fun to actually be at the top of the Eiffel tower! After, we went to the Arch de Triumph. The Arch de Triumph is in the center of a traffic circle where (I believe) 12 lanes merge. There are no traffic lights, no stop signs, and no lanes. It's a free-for-all and was very entertaining to watch. We also spent a lot of time walking around Paris and taking in the sights. We eventually made our way to Notre Dame. I was actually able to go to Confession at Notre Dame (!!) and the Priest had studied in Rome. It was fun to talk to him and he gave me a lot of advice and information that I needed to hear.

On Sunday we went to the Peter-Lachaise Cemetery (the most visited cemetery in the world). It was huge, beautiful, and full of gothic and eccentric tombstones. Ally and I were able to see Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison's tombstones! I actually saw Jim Morrison's tombstone, which was something I had to do before I cam back to the States. There were also a lot of tombstones dedicated to those that had died at Concentration Camps during World War II. They actually had a tombstone dedicated to the victims of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp, which was the camp I visited while in Germany. Later on Sunday, we went to see Sacre-Coeur and walked around Montmarte. Ally and I even bumped into the grocery market from the movie Amelie!

That about sums up the weekend. It really was an amazing time and I am so happy I was able to go. Probably won't update again for another two weeks, but hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather!

You are loved and prayed for,
Kait


"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with somebody else when you're uncool." - Lester Bangs, Almost Famous

And for all those kids without facebook ... here are my pics,
http://picasaweb.google.com/kait2311/CiaoBella#