hdfs

I have been hearing from many of the incoming students.  They report being excited and nervous.  For many of them, this is their first international travel and for others it may actually be their first flight!  The good news is that we had a lot of happy students last year who realized their capacity to manage in new situations and their love of travel. 

One of this year's students asked for a list of things that is definitely needed for the trip.  I started out writing a short list and then I realized that would be insufficient.  I had gone online last year and culled information from several websites with suggestions on things to pack.  I was very happy with what I had brought last year, so suggest this list for a starting point.  Obviously each person will have specific needs and desires and can modify the list as appropriate.  I would be interested in seeing what others would add/subtract from the list. Cheryl has this blog entry about packing.  We had also sent everyone a Heads-up list with suggestions about packing.  I will be sending that again soon to remind everyone of what we suggest and what the students from last year suggested.  Here's the list I have compiled from a variety of sources:

For checked baggage

 * Make sure to check airline for size restrictions, weight limits on baggage, and # of bags allowed.  Remember you will have to haul your bags yourself up several flights of stairs in Rome and around the airport if you have to go through security more than once, so don't overpack!  Also, if you plan to travel after you leave Rome, you will have to take whatever you bring with you.

Shoes (walking/dress/beach/hiking)

Skirts/tops/shorts/capris

Socks

Swimsuits

Pajamas

Rain protection

Sweater/sweatshirts

Underwear/bras

Washcloth

Comb/brush

Shampoo, hairspray

Hairdryer (if it's compatible with 220V)

Deodorant

Nail polish/polish remover pads

Lotions/creams

Contact lens stuff

Cosmetics

Shaving cream, shaver, shower gel

Nail clippers, emery board

Toothbrush/paste/floss

Sunscreen

Jewelry

Pain reliever, hydrocortisone

Travel plugs/adapters

Extra luggage space for purchases

Sanitary pads/tampons

Bag for carrying groceries

**You can buy much of this stuff in Italy, of course, but you may want some at first.**

Course material (books/readings/syllabi, printed or on computer)

In carry-on luggage  (have carry-on luggage that can be used for short trips once in Europe)

*Check airline restrictions for how many bags you can carry

Prescription medications (in original container with prescription info.  If you have a liquid medication, please check with doctor about travelling with it)

Vitamins and over-the-counter medications (travel sickness, headache, indigestion, diarrhea--again, if liquid, make sure to consult airline website for restrictions on total amount of liquid allowed in carry-on luggage)

Tissues

Extra pairs of sunglasses, prescription glasses, contact lenses

Cell phone and charger (with converter/adapter for Italy)  YOU NEED TO CHECK TO SEE IF YOU CAN USE YOUR PHONE PLAN IN ITALY.  EACH APARTMENT WILL HAVE ITS OWN PHONE, SO YOU MAY NOT NEED TO BRING ONE.

Camera, video camera, film, batteries, binoculars

Magazines, books, portable music or DVD player, playing cards, Kindle or other portable reader if you have one)

Computer

DVDs (to watch and share in Rome, if you want)

Head phones

Travel maps, guidebook, phrase book

Snacks (NO LIQUIDS ALLOWED THROUGH SECURITY.  BUY WATER ONCE THROUGH CHECKPOINTS)

Lip balm

Towelettes/hand sanitizer

Ear plugs

Travel pillow

Wallet/purse (may need to pack purse away if restricted on # of bags)

Credit cards

Health insurance card/printed-out insurance information

Student ID card

Driver's license

Passport/visa/paperwork for stay in Rome

Copies of passport (to carry around in Rome)

Recent photo for Sede to have to submit permission of stay in Rome

Airplane tickets/copy of e-ticket

   Address book/list of contacts (printed) (I printed out labels last year to make sending postcards easy)

Cheryl has already left for Europe, with a brief stopover in the U.K. to continue some research she started last year relating to identity issues.  Her leaving has signalled that we are about to begin our program, since she'll go directily from the U.K. to go to Rome!  I am sort of jealous, since I would love to be in Rome, although I am also relieved, since I still have a month to get working on my stuff. 

I have finished the syllabus for the Early Childhood in Italy class which was challenging since I am changing the journal assignment to having students create blogs.  Some of the students have already been writing blogs for other classes so hopefully they'll be able to help the less technologically able.  And Mike will be there to help, of course.  It's so great to have a TA who I know will be a great help!

Finals are almost upon us.  Oops!  I just realized I have to write my final for the HDFS 129 classes today!  I was thinking I could just play around with the Rome classes today.  Glad I got that reality check now and not late tonight!! 

Every day I feel that I have to pinch myself to see whether I am dreaming or really going back to Rome!  After the meeting at Boucke the other afternoon, I realize that this reality just keeps getting better and better.  It was so exciting to see all of the students who are going to be joining us for this year's program. 

Imagine my delight when I opened the New York Time's this a.m. to find an article about Venice from the Frugal Traveler.  Although the main point of this article was about travelling with a small family on a budget in Venice (and in the off-season), I still got a thrill from thinking about being back in Venice.  I went when we had the five-day weekend open last year with my in-laws and kids.  We took the train to Venice and stayed over night in the same hotel the students stayed in.  It was great; it was near the train station and we were able to keep our luggage there the day we checked out while we walked and walked and walked around Venice. 

The pictures from the article remind me that it rained almost the entire time we were in Venice.  When the students from last year's program were there, it rained as well and they even got to see some of the flooding of San Marco!  Now that's a story to remember.  I remember the rain and shops with loads of Venetian (Murrano) glass.  We bought the cutest glass 'candy' to give to my daughter's friends and some other odds and ends.  I realized then that I paid WAY too much for the earrings I got at the market in Pompeii.  I had been so proud that I had haggled, but the students had been t  oo kind to point out how badly I had been taken.  Sigh. 

Anyway, I appreciate how this year's batch of students in helping me get into the spirit of Italy again.  Not that it is taking much effort for that.  I am recalling all of the wonderful places we went, sights we saw, and people we met.  I think I'll write about our travel "angels" we met who helped us immensely in my next blog.    

What a day!  Cheryl, her husband Wayne, and I spent the whole day on Tuesday at the International Programs fair at University Park.  We met loads of students who were looking for study abroad opportunities.  It was so exciting to see all of the international programs that Penn State and other universities were showcasing at the fair.  I enjoyed talking with students and finding out where they were interested in going and what programs they wanted more information about. 

We already have a few students who have completed their applications for the HDFS in Rome 2009 program!  That is wonderful.  Our application is at:  http://www.aa.psu.edu/webaccess/hdfsrome/register.asp  It is important that students fill this application out.  There is another one on the International Programs/Education Abroad program's website, but that is for after students are accepted into our program.

We had a lot of students wondering how we decide about whom to let into the program.  Here is what Cheryl came up with as the "prescreening" test.  Here are the questions and some brief information about those questions:

1.  What is your major? 

We can accept students from all different majors at the university and from other universities.  Students should check with their advisors to make sure the courses we offer can work towards their degree, if desired.  For some students, it may make more sense to apply to the programs designed specifically for their major alone.  We do give priority to HDFS majors and HDFS minors, but we enjoy having a diverse group. 

2.  What is your grade point average?

We require a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA for students to be considered for our program.  Beyond that, we will be looking at the student's other information, such as major, reasons for wanting to go to Rome, and so forth, in addition to the GPA when determining whom to accept.

3.  Are you a serious student?

We are looking for students who want to have an excellent academic experience in another culture.  We do not want students who are planning just to party and be on summer vacation.  There are other ways for students to fulfill that desire.  Our program requires students to complete 9 credits of coursework in 7 weeks, so we need them to be serious students!

We are looking forward to another wonderful year of making plans for the program in Rome.  We are already discussing the field trips to Florence, Venice, and Pompeii.  We have ideas for new projects, readings, and assignments for the three different classes we offer.  We know that this year will pass quickly as we plan.  We are looking forward already to the the best gelato in Rome contest.  I am sure that Cheryl thinks she knows which is best, but just wait and see!

Ciao for now.

  (Photo used with Creative Commons license permission:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Gelateria_Naia1.jpg)

I cannot believe that we have already started planning the 2009 HDFS in Rome program!  I am so excited to be continuing on with this program.  I had such a wonderful time last year, getting to know Rome and working with the students.  I have lots of ideas on what to add and the students were kind enough to provide feedback so that we could improve the program and give suggestions to incoming students as well. 

Some of the suggestions for incoming students were: 

•          Be prepared for anything and everything.  Keep an open mind.

•          If you think you'll need it...bring it.

•          Get Oriented:  Don't be afraid to explore take yourself on walking tours of the city. Use maps as much as possible as soon as possible.

•          Learn about the Rome public transportation system ASAP: metros and buses are super easy and useful. (Get a free metro map.)

•          Bring a Rick Steve's guide book.

•          Be prepared to spend money...there's no way around it.

•          Don't expect to be well-groomed all day every day - your feet WILL get dirty!

These are great ideas.  We have plenty more ideas to share as well.  We hope that you will come by the International Programs fair on Tuesday, September 23 from 11-5 in the HUB Alumni Hall.  We are hoping that some of our students from this summer's program will attend and chat with you.  If you don't know where the HUB is, go to:  http://www.campusmaps.psu.edu/print/pdf/extended_color.pdf and look for G5.  The HUB is short for the Hetzel Union Building.  There is a parking garage right next to the HUB.  If you can't make it to the fair, don't despair (hey, I'm a poet...).  You can contact me at r2y@psu.edu

Ciao for now!  I hope to see you on the 23^rd.  I'll be there all day!!

 This is a picture of the cat sanctuary at Largo Argentina (photo by Maggie Brock)

I can't believe that there are only three more classes left to go in this year's program!  I thought I would blog a lot while I was here, but we have been off and running since we got here.  We have loved everywhere we have visited so far. 

I think Boys' Town was an excellent trip.  This seemed to resonate with a lot of the students, especially those who have considered working with homeless children or children in general.  I really didn't know exactly what to expect while we were there.  We had to take two buses to get there and it took about an hour.  We went with the CAS folks, which was nice, since it was my first experience with Roman public transportation.  I must say that the bus system is incredibly easy to use.  When my kids and I went to Siena and Volterra (more on those in a later blog) this week, we did quite well, even with the language issue (although we are all becoming more adept at speaking Italian and also making trip angels (more on those later as well)).  Anyway, it took about an hour to get to Boys' Town.  We were in a much more rural area than we had been previously this trip, except for Pompeii. 

The road was dusty but the air was full of perfume from unknown (to me) flowering bushes.  We walked up a long driveway to a series of low, stucco buildings.  Fortunately Jenny from CAS was there and she speaks excellent Italian, so she could let some folks working on the grounds know who we were looking for. 

Two lovely ladies came bustling up and introduced themselves.  They had kind faces and spoke very good English, thank goodness for me.  We were shown around the grounds, starting with the classroom and computer facilities.  We were fortunate enough to meet up with the computer instructor, who had been at Boys' Town as an orphan previously.  He was shy and spoke through an interpreter.  He told us about some of the projects the children worked on during the different years of instruction.  I had a chance to speak with him later and found he was from Eritrea.  What surprised me and some of the students, I believe, is that most of the boys living at Boys' Town were not from Italy, but from other locations, such as Afghanistan.  We found out that the boys were identified as in need by Roman or Italian social service workers and brought to Boys' Town.  Somehow they had gotten themselves to Italy where they were identified as in need of help. The boys ranged from 8-18 years of age.  Some of them have horrific stories, according to the director. 

We had a tour of the chapel and meeting area and then went on to have cookies (yum!) and delicious tea and coffee for a break.  Then we went on to the ceramics and metal shops where the boys create amazing art.  We also saw around the grounds works of art created by current and former residents.  We also saw a place where the boys could be led in Muslim prayer by someone brought into Boys' Town for that purpose. 

The students took lots of pictures of themselves and some of the boys who helped with the tour.  The current "mayor" of Boys' Town and two of his good friends were extremely outgoing after a while and were happy to talk with the students and answer their questions. 

Several of the HDFS students said they wanted to work here, starting that day!  It was hard to peel them away from the place and get back to the busstop.  I haven't heard much about orphanages in the US, just foster care.  The director of Boys' Town indicated that in Italy there was a new law recently that affected orphanages and almost led to the shut down of Boys' Town.  We all were glad that hadn't happened, since we got such a warm feeling from the people and place.

Well, we arrived on Tuesday and slept for quite a while.  Then we went out for a walk of some amazing places.  First, we went to the church next door to our apartment block, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which had been constructed atop a temple for Minerva, goddess of war, wisdom, medicine, and science.  This church has lovely frescoes and even a minor sculpture of Michelangelo.  This sculpture has its private parts covered by a bronze loincloth added by later Reformers.  Catherine of Siena is buried here, except for her head and part of her finger, William reminds me.  The head, at least, is in Siena, which we may visit in a couple of weeks on our way to Volterra.  Outside is an obelisk brought to Rome by Augustus from Egypt which tops an elephant sculpture created by Bernini.  On the top of the obelisk is a cross to show the dominance of the church.   

Next stop, the Pantheon.  This building was originally built by Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus. It burned twice and was finally reconstructed by Hadrian in 118 A.D.  It was consecrated as a Christian church in about 609 A.D.

Next we went walked down to Trajan's column and then saw the backside of the market.  I didn't realize how amazing looking the market is until we were on our way back on the other side. 

We had delicious pizza but skipped the Gelato from what Cheryl claims is the best gelato place in Rome because we were so full.  Next stop was the Coliseum.  We have to go back there again to take the tour.  Shannon, the TA, assures us tours are worth every euro! 

 I feel very fortunate that our apartment and the Sedi are in such great locations.  We have hung out at the fountain near the Pantheon tons of time already.  We are about to go out now for a walk, perhaps along the river.  We went there the other night and Cheryl got some great pictures of the Vatican, reflected in the Tiber.  Wowl  Nice neighborhood, hm? 

Photo from:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_0353_-_Villa_Borghese.jpg

This lovely park is the largest public park in Rome.  The park had been a vineyard and then it was transformed into a park by Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V.  This cardinal then commissioned a villa, which included the main house (now the Galleria Borghese), an aviary, and lovely gardens.  During the 19th century, the villa was opened to the public for viewing.  In 1901, the state purchased the property.  Now the villa is a city park. 

The Galleria and Museo Borghese is an art gallery that contains works of Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, and others and museum with sculpture by Bernini.  Apparently some of the sculptures that had been kept here were sold to Napolean in the early 19th Century.  The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna and the Museo Nazionale Etrusco are also located on the grounds.

Go to this really helpful site for an excellent, detailed map of Rome.  In the center top quadrant, you will find the Villa Borghese. 

Photo by Kurt Naks

This lovely piazza was designed by Michelangelo in 1538 for Pope Paul III.  Here's a great aerial view of the piazza.  The Italian government and the Roman civic government are centered in this area on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.  The other hills of Rome are:  Aventinus (Aventine), Caelius (Caelian), Esquiliae (Esquiline), Palatium (Palatine), Quirinalis (Quirinal), and Viminalis (Viminal). 

The buildings around the piazza had been the seat of government in medieval times.  The buildings are the Palazzo Senatorio, and the two buildings of the Capitoline Museum:  the Palazzo Nuovo, and the Palazzo dei Conservatori.  The latter two are now museums that contain collections of ancient sculpture and Renaissance art as well.  Go to the Musei Capitolini website and you can get a preview of what you can see there.  There are a couple of virtual tours and lots of great images of the art that you will see. 

Outside of the buildings, you will see some interesting sculptures.  One is a reproduction of a sculpture that was assumed to be of Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, but is now considered to be of Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor during the second century C.E. (Common Era).  The original of this statue is now in the Palazzo dei Conservatori.  Apparently the reason why this statue was not destroyed, along with all other statues of emperors, was because of the confusion about who was represented by the statue.