When in doubt...

My mind is a blur these days - a whirlwind of ideas and questions... do I apply to grad school to get a student visa? Do I try to work here illegaly or take what I can get and move back home in December? Should I continue to buy beer just for the cute label? I find it's usually a good idea to eat at times like these.

So tonight I made a dish of pasta with all the veggies in my tiny fridge... finocchio (not that kind, Ben), carrots, beets, garlic, corn, onions and red pepper. First, I roasted the red pepper directly on the stovetop (a la Mamma Adams) and roasted the others in oil / salt / pepper / rosemary in the oven:
... then enjoyed them with Bavette pasta, which is sort of between spaghetti and linguine in the width of the noodle. The risultato: delizioso! I am now a HUGE fan of roasted carrots on pasta, and cannot for the life of me understand why it's never found this way in restaurants, etc.

Tomorrow's lunch/dinner - spaghetti with clam sauce with the real clams, not from a can! Instead, from a man at the market who threw in a little parsley for me knowing what I was going to make!


Then, feeling satisfied, I headed out to the piazza to watch the outdoor premier screening of the documentary "Core de Roma" ("Heart of Rome" in the local dialect), all about Testaccio through the eyes of the old signori at the local soccer club (around the corner from my home, incidentally). Here are some pics, though it was dark. Apparently the captain of the AS Roma team is one of the guys up there:

Or Am I...?

My interview at Glocal Forum was Wednesday and looking back on it, I'm telling myself it was good practice. It is not going to go anywhere, because I don't have work papers. The character/philosophy/personal side of the interview was excellent - I impressed those interviewers enough for them to arrange for my second interview, right then and there, with some big-shot at the org. He told me that I had 10 mins to convince him he should hire me because he was on his way out the door. At the end of my impromptu speech, he said, well we have a legal problem because you do not have a permesso di soggiorno. Vabbe', you knew this from the get-go, what are we doing here anyways?!

It's a predicament that I find very Italian in that it is full of dichotomies. It's like the pollo and the uovo - to get work papers you must have a job, but to get a job you need the papers.

So, I was feeling a bit beaten and decided to walk home, about an hour's passeggiata. It was a beautiful day, around 79 degrees , sunny... so I figured the fresh air would do me good. While I was walking I had to pass through a group of chatting middle-aged hairy men and one asked me - ma lei e' un'attrice (are you an actress)? I admit I sort of appreciate comments like this - especially because it got me thinking. While I told him I was not, in a way I am. In the job hunt process, I am forced to convince these people that I am the greatest thing since sliced foccaccia, but I don't feel that way. I am completely and absolutely acting during these interviews - I mean, that's not news to anyone, nor is it unique to me, but this whole Italy adventure is bringing into sharp focus what is true and real and what isn't.

So, feeling better after my walk, I arrived home and put together my dinner - had I know what was to come later, I would have eaten more... but all I wanted at the time were mozzarella stuffed zucchini flowers, so that's what I made - delicious!

Then I went to meet Tina, Flavio and their friend Marta to head over to the bar to watch the soccer game. Rome lost in the end but the evening turned into a mini-reunion among Tina and Flav's buddies so a party was born on the front patio at the bar. I don't remember much else so... good this Tina sent me some photos and put some up on her blog - now we can all see together what the heck was so funny until 3 o'clock in the morning.

So today I slept in and tabled my whole plan to not suffer from the time difference, it's not working anyways. So I slept and slept and then headed out for a walk around the 'hood. Nothing remarkable to report, but I did see a beautiful plaque, finally dedicated to the women of World War II:







"To the women of Rome who, together with the soldiers and countrymen, in days of extreme danger and intrepid resistence, defended their city and their country, healed wounds, comforted the dying, all while themselves facing death, many losing their lives. The City of Rome and the National Partisan Association of Italy, place this plaque to forever remind us of, and honor, the courage, the devotion, the ideal, of liberty and of peace."

Bello, no?

Just cause I'm in wine country...

...doesn't mean I can't enjoy a beer once in a while.

Today I learned an important difference between my homeland and my motherland: Americans put athletes on cereal boxes; Italians put them on beer.


Peroni beer has released collector's edition beer bottles with various scenes of the Azzurri World Cup victory on the label. Mika sells a product that removes and preserves wine/beer labels (look-up 'winememory') and has very generously offered to give me some for these treasures. For now, enjoy the photo! (Note: before you ask, I haven't yet learned if there's a label with Materrazzi running around the pitch in his tighty-whiteys).



And what a way to enjoy a beer - opening it with a talking Boston Red Sox bottle opener. When you use it, it plays the announcer's commentary the moment the Sox won the World Series in 2004, complete with fanfare in the background. Thank you Jackie for that awesome gift! Mika was fascinated and thinks I should sell them in Italy with the World Cup commentary - so maybe if the do-gooder NGO thing doesn't work out....



So hear's to Italian beer - and to drinking responsibly. I have another job interview tomorrow after all:

An International NGO based in Rome is seeking intern with passion for youth and international affairs, strong administrative and written skills, and willingness to learn. The position involves support tasks for a global youth network including contact with members, development of program website, and research on partners and funders. Applicants must be fluent in English, conversational in Italian, and highly competent PC users. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Let's just hope it's a paid internship.

The Adams Luck

There's a strange happening in my family, that only those who know us really well will notice. Somehow, things always work out for us. It may be subtle, but we always seem to have the light shining upon us, and the worst never happens. If we are running late (which is always), whoever or whatever we were rushing to happens to be running late too. If there is something we need, someone is trying desperately to give said-thing away. This luck likely makes some of you upset at times, but believe me, I am grateful for every blessing, large and small. For me, it has created an eternal optimism and easy-going nature that are perhaps somewhat naive, but that serve me well.

Today, I had a job interview here in Rome that was almost a sure thing - the guy had responded to my resume right away and had waited 6 weeks to meet me even though he had to fill the position urgently ("urgently" to be taken with a grain of salt...this IS Italy after all). In any case, I trudged through what I was sure was worst rainstorm in all Roman history, in my fancy new suit...hair and make-up done, route planned out, resume in hand. After a few deep breaths at the bottom of the stairs, I arrived at the office only to be told that they'd filled the position on Saturday and "hadn't Marco contacted you this morning to tell you not to come in?" No, no he didn't, but that's ok, thanks anyway! I am out within 60 seconds of having entered.

As a pick-me-up (the translation of "tiramisu"), I continued soaking my fancy new suit in pursuit of 'arancini', those delicious Sicilian fried rice and cheese balls.

There was a place that made them especially well that I remember from my last time in Rome, about 15 mins from my non-interview. Not having had lunch because of nerves, I was especially excited...and desperate.

So I get there only to learn that Monday is the one day a week the "World of Arancini" is closed.

HOWEVER, and here is where the Adams luck comes in, it happens to be located exactly where I need to get the bus home and the bus comes right away. Once home, my roommate tells me that this happens all the time...you don't want to work for a place like that... something better will come along and you'll be so glad you didn't take this job. I go to change into dry clothes and to check my email and find an message from Signor Marco - interviewer extraordinaire. He apologizes and tells me he really found my resume really very interesting and he is going to keep it on file, provided I approve. He would very much like to keep in touch and apologizes profusely for not having contacted me earlier to tell me not to come - he even apologizes for the rain.

So, in the end, even though my best chance, thus far, at finding work here in Rome has fallen through, I am somehow ok. Mika and I are going out for pizza, which is a cure for just about any ailment, if you ask me (aside: I made sure they were open today). I am finding plenty of places to apply to and in the meantime enjoying my free wireless internet, the impending thunderstorm (one of my favorite things) and the feeling that it'll be ok. I can do this, luck or not.

Rome is even pretty in the rain after all... (view from the kitchen - that's the courtyard down there, with real lemon and lime trees)

An American in Rome

Ironically, this movie was playing last night out in the main piazza of Testaccio, on a big screen outside. Today, the second full day of my Italian adventure, was as Italian as it gets - I took Il Dolce Far Niente to heart with a morning stroll through the outdoor market to buy curtains and such (see the photo), an afternoon lounging welcome lunch prepared by my new roommate Mika with friends Tina and Flavio, followed by a birra at the local bar while watching Roma kick Parma's culo at soccer.

The rest of the day (which, by the way, felt very very long - perhaps a side-effect of being unemployed? I like it.) was spent unpacking, decorating and chatting with Mika over tofu, rice and wine from a box. Oh, I also chatted a bit with my new little cuddly friend Ramo.

The view from above window - that's the Tiber you see through the leaves! And yes we ARE high up! I'm on the 5th floor (in America it'd actually be the 6th floor), without an elevator. I consider it a good balance to all the pasta, bread, dolci....