Tricksters

Good news: I've been sleeping very soundly lately. Bad news: that makes me reluctant to get out of bed!

After a few (or more...) slices of bread for breakfast, we began the day with a discussion of the novel Trickster Travels in Prof. Kasaba's class. The book details the life of Joannes Leo Africanus, a widely known scholar who was responsible for the writing and translation of numerous highly significant texts regarding history and religion in Africa and Europe. Africanus was originally born a Muslim, then captured by Christan pirates and led to convert to Christianity to regain his freedom. His tale is an amazing, lengthy, and significant one, and we had some good dialogue about his life and character.

For lunch I had a zucchini flower and mozzarella sandwich from the Campo di Fiori bakery. It looked interesting, and I thought I'd give it a try. The zucchini flower has a very subtle flavor, perhaps like a lightly sweetened zucchini, and the mozzarella was of course as delicious as ever. I also had a bit of leftover penne with meat sauce (thanks, Daniel!)

Our afternoon class with Prof. Friedman consisted of a discussion regarding our experiences in the Esquilino district (including the market in Piazza Vittorio) the day before, as well as a related novel which we read. It was really interesting, how unique the district is, but also saddening how poorly integrated it is with the broader Italian society. The name "Esquilino" is derived from the Latin "Ex quilinus", which means foreign and non-native. Nearly all of the people there immigrated to Italy in hopes of starting a new, better life, but many find themselves stuck in dead-end jobs and only a meager sense of belonging. We really are privileged, and it is sadly ironic how we students have the resources to fly out to Italy for a study abroad program while these immigrants try day after day to improve or escape their static lives.

David made teriyaki beef with sauteed peppers for dinner today. We had some rice from the Piazza Vittorio, and soy sauce from the local grocery store (David actually bought four bottles... we only needed one). It was a tasty meal, and a nice detour from the daily pasta (never thought I'd be tired of pasta!). I'll have to make some stir fried noodles or fried rice sometime...

In the evening, some of us convened in the UWRC to watch a film called "The Leopard". To be honest, I was rather bored with it. The imagery of the wealthy lifestyles of gentile Italian families was well done, but it seemed to drag on. Shots would stretch over thirty seconds with little more than ballroom dancing on screen. Plot was nebulous, and there was little sense of direction. It's not surprising that the film wandered along for nearly three hours...

Oh well, now it's time for bed! G'night, all.