I have to admit, hearing "ciao bella" is a great way to start the morning. I might see a familiar face in the neighbourhood on my walk to the metro who will call out the familiar greeting, or it might be from one of the baristi at the IFAD coffee bar. It always puts a smile on my face, because the thing is, they are genuinely happy people and that is why they say it. There is also one lady at the bar at IFAD who always has a smile as well, I love seeing her and smile back as she says "Ciao cara." Italians are so endearing and happy. It doesn’t even matter if I don't always understand what the baristi are saying to me in Italian, but it always makes me smile as I see their beaming faces and hear them speak in Italian that sounds like a song.
I wish I could see more of that everywhere. It's safe to say that it is an Italian thing. Italians simply are loving people.
So, like hearing “ciao bella” in the morning, life in Rome has had small things here and there that have made a huge difference. Writing about Italian’s genuine happiness makes me also think of the closeness of the people here. Not close as in knowing each other, but just the way they treat each other, with affection. A greeting is always two “kisses” and the same with a farewell. This greeting isn’t even reserved for close friends. There have been many occasions where I have just met someone and they always give everyone kisses when they say goodbye. Also, affection is across the board and the Italian guys are so sweet too. One morning on the metro I saw a high school aged boy cross through the packed metro train to an older gentlemen and they had the hugest smiles as they greeted one another.
Seeing these things and experiencing them is because I’ve been able to actually LIVE here. It’s been fun living in an apartment with an Italian roommate and working here and thus knowing people throughout the city. I might randomly run into a friend or meet up spontaneously and they always have a huge smile on their face and then the Italian greeting. Sadly enough the greeting doesn’t really work though if the people don’t truly embrace the Italian lifestyle…I’ve contemplated it and I don’t think if it would work with the American lifestyle…it’s Italian.
Little things are happening and evidentially I am becoming more and more Italian every day. One transformation has taken place that I would have not even expected; I am in love with Acua Minerale Naturale. Who would have guessed? It all started when I was at my supervisor’s house for dinner, the drink options where wine, beer, and mineral water. They insisted on me having some wine and kept insisting on me to have more. Luckily I was able to keep it at bay because I would have been asleep in my seat if I had anymore. Thus, I reached for my only other option, the mineral water. I’ve never liked it before, but it was the only option. Then it happened, I was transformed, ended up loving it and ever since I have been addicted. Turns out mineral water is even better for you than regular water and that they recommend to drink it in the extreme heat…the little things I learn from my Italian friends (and then verify through research). Thus, now as I type I am treating myself to my favourite, S. Pellegrino Acqua Minerale Naturale.
Il mercato is definitely one of my favorite parts of living here and especially of working at IFAD. There is the Testaccio market which sometimes I frequent on Saturday mornings, but my main mercato is the one close to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My vegetable vendors always smile when they see me approaching. We chat in broken Italian and they know my usual purchases. They just continue to hand me the little brown sacks that I fill up with fruit and vegetables. It is unbelievable how cheap it is and how delicious the food is. As I have already explained, I am addicted to the tomatoes. The tomatoes have changed while I have been here. The small ones are no longer in season and now they are a different type, still on a vine, but larger. Other fruits and vegetables that I had at the beginning of my stay here are no longer in season. I just have to adapt to what they have. It is funny to think of how much asparagus I ate when I got here, now I haven’t seen asparagus for ages. A new fruit that is recently in season that I have loved are tiny green pears; they are super cute and delicious.
Of course the people in IFAD have made a huge difference too. I have no idea what I would have done without meeting my amaaaaazing Italian friend in IFAD. We are so close and it’s scary to think about saying goodbye. We have had so many fun times in IFAD together and fun times on adventures through Rome. Of course my IFAD experience has mainly been shaped by my supervisor and her assistant. They were fabulous and I can’t imagine a better team. Last week my supervisor left for holiday, thus we already had our goodbye. It was sad and harder than I thought, but I think it was good to say goodbye before I actually left IFAD. It has made it an easing process. It was exciting to hear her feedback after months of work; I wasn’t expecting all the great things she had to say about my time here. It was great to hear, and now who knows what the future will bring!
This week our Portfolio performance report for Eastern and Southern Africa was published which was quite the excitement for my “team.” It is what was started when I first came here and the main reason I was brought in. Seeing the hard copy finally finished is so exciting, I can see my work in it and it looks so simple, but I remember the months of hard work that it took to get to that point. It’s funny now too because I can go through the report and understand what it is all about. My first week here I was given last year’s report to read and it didn’t make nearly as much sense as it does now. It’s truly been a learning experience. It’s going to be an adjustment to not talk about loans, grants, and missions when I get home. I’ve come to know ESA so much better and hopefully in the future I can even go there to see some of the projects taking place.
Since the report was published things have been closing up. I worked on some other projects for the Regional Economist and worked on another assignment dealing with, of course, loans and grants. Also I get to do some research for a mission my supervisor is going on later in the Fall. It’s all exciting to be wrapping up, but surreal at the same time.
Along with things wrapping up, I have a three day weekend coming up, which was just turned into a four day weekend the other day. Thus, after weeks of looking for accommodations in Cinque Terre and then expanding my options to pretty much all of Italy and the surrounding islands, and getting stressed with work on top of this and bad headaches…I found a trip down to the south of Italy with the same company as the three day trip I took in Ireland. The trip in Ireland was tons of fun and I met so many great (young) people, so hopefully this one will prove to be fun as well. It meets in Rome (fantastic and saves me lots of money) and takes me down to Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, and Amalfi. Saturday will be spent all day in Capri on our own, so I am PUMPED for that. Relaxation, thank you very much. Maybe I will meet some great people or maybe not. I don’t mind adventures on my own, as they always have an amazing twist in them, so it should be a good time. Is it strange that I am also just looking forward to sitting on the bus, being taken care of, and reading?! The past three months have been tiring taking care of everything; I just kind of want to be whisked away.
(Side note as to why no available accommodations: all the Italians in the big hot cities leave this weekend for holiday, it’s literally eerie how empty Rome is right now, everything is shut down. I’ve never seen anything like it before.)
So, at the moment I am looking forward to Capri. Also, who knew four years later I would be returning to Pompeii and Amalfi. I’m looking forward to that bus ride again on the coast :) Too bad Granny Riffel won’t be there to sit next to be and be afraid of us falling to our death!
Of course I have excitement before I leave for my trip tomorrow. My best friend here in Italy (my Italian friend from work) and I have to celebrate our last night together. I woke up this morning upset with the thought of leaving her and she too is so sad. It’s crazy how close we have become. Her mom even said it is as if we have been friends for a lifetime.
Well, I do believe this is the longest post yet. Hopefully it makes sense as it was the result of typing here and there at different times and actually different days. I was able to finish it up now with the relevant upcoming events. Events like slicing my toe open and other things happened in between which made finishing this a bit more difficult. All the crazy things that have happened that I can’t even keep track of!
Ciao ciao and can’t wait to write about adventures in the South!
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