Roma - The Eternal City

My first impression of the Leonardo da Vinci/Fiumicino airpot was that it was OLD. buses still ferry passengers from the plane to the arrival terminals and vice versa. What was also unappealing was that the buildings was old and dirty. We (Shirrene-my kindergarten friend and I) took the train of 9.50 Euro from the airport to Stazione Termini which took half and hour. I was beginning to be excited.. I was finally in Roma (as spoken in Italian) but as the train moved towards the centre of Rome.. I saw graffiti on buildings and some of the buildings were so old and dilapidated that it really should be torn down. When we landed at Stazione termini, a foul smell, not unlike sewerage, assaulted us.

We then walked to our hostel on roads that was littered with garbage. All the shops were closed (it was Sunday). a few suspicious looking characters were lurking around. We walked for at least half a hour (it sud have only been 10 mins)before we finally spied Sunshine 2 hostel. The signage was only 1cm x 4 cm long... cis! however the door was massive with big brass knockers. when it was opened, I saw a very ancient lift but we had to walk up the stairs.. dang!

Sunshine 2 was not exactly sunny. The people running the place was sullen and only allowed us to dump our bags and we have to go out until 4pm. It was 1.30pm and we were dead tired form out flight that took us 16 hours in total.

In the end we parked ourselves in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II where Shirrene promply fell asleep. I looked around and noticed that the park neither had the grandeur of Buen Retiro in Madrid nor the merriment of klcc nor even the usefulness of tmn Paramount.

As you can tell, I was sorely disappointed. But that is today... tomorrow will be better... much better!

How...

No matter how far I go away from your presence
I am still aware of it
Aware that no matter how great the distance I run
Your work on me has just begun

I am like a child who does not know enough
yet still stomping my feet to get what I want
Childish rage on my sallow face
Feltless tears that leaves no trace

Do I know what I want?
Is that the question I should ask?
Do I know what I ought to want?
Can I know how to get what I ought to want?

Thirty... how swiftly time has fluttered by
I am here for such a time as this
Yet.. what have I done?
Have I done anything of worth?
Or is everything like dross?
Worthless, useless, to be trampled on the ground

How far must I go?
How deep must I delve?
How painful must it be?
How much more must I see?

Mi Mancherai (I'll Miss You)

This song of Josh Groban from the movie Il Postino has been playing in my head and on my lips. I just find the voice of this talented young man like the voice of an angel.. not that I have heard angels before but that is how I imagined Gabriel and Michael to sound like when they sing!

Summary of the movie Il Postino:
The life of the fisherman Mario changes dramatically when the famous Chilean writer Pablo Neruda settles on his little Italian island. Living in exile becuase of his political beliefs, Neruda needs a postman to deliver the huge quantities of mail sent to him by his admirers and Mario takes the job since he hates fishing anyway. The two become friends and Neruda helps the shy and clumsy Mario to win the heart of Beatrice, the beautiful waitress at the village's inn, by showing him the beauty and power of poetry.

Mi Mancherai is the song from the movie and I am learning it as one of my Italian lessons since I am going over to Italy in 2 days. Yippee Italy.. here I come.

Also.. Pablo Neruda's works are beautiful.. I have a collection of his poetries but the one I love most is the one mentioned in the movie Patch Adam where Dr Patch spoke the words on the deathbed of his loved one... here it is in all it's glory.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,

I love you simply, without problems or pride:

I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,

so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,

so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

___________________________________________________________________

Mi Mancherai (translation)

I’ll miss you, if you go away

I’ll miss your serenity

Your words like songs in the wind

And Love, that you take away.

I’ll miss you, if you go away

Now and forever I don’know how to live

And joy, my friend, goes away with you

I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you, Why do you go away?

Because the love in you is dead?

Because, because...Nothing it’s gonna change, I know

And inside of me I feel you

I’ll miss the immensity

Of our days and nights,us together

Your smiles when it’s getting dark

Your being naive like a little girl

I’ll miss you, my love

I look at myself and I find emptiness inside of me

And joy, my friend,

goes away with you

PJ Public Library

I spent 2 hours in the PJ Public Library (Publib) today. It's near the Assunta Hospital. I have never been to a publib before. Only the ones in school and university and they were ok.. not great but sufficient for minimal research. I was quite impressed with the publib as my expectations were very very low.

I had been renting my books from a rent-a-book place which cost me RM30 at least a month cos I read about 6 books or more a month at the moment. RM31 is how much you need to pay to be a member of the publib. The idiotic thing is that you can only borrow 2 books at one go. On good days, I can read 2 books a day. Looks like I am gonna be going to the publib daily.

But I was there today to check out my watercolour painting guide and also my knitting guide.. talk about me being a grandmother... sigh! Where is the career woman gone to?.. in hiding I think. But I did do some studies related to 'work'. I was all alone in the 2nd floor of the library. I wandered to the 3rd floor and there was no one there too. I think Malaysians must not like to read so much... how to membangun sebagai satu negara yang maju dan bervisi?

Mad at Myself

I was trying to book flights on Ryan Air and Easy Jet and then realised that just one month difference in dates for something that is still a month away increase the flight fares to double. I am so mad.. it makes a difference of RM500. So sad.. sob sob.. I feel so stupid. Idiota! Estupido! Why don't I know this? Marido thinks that I am making a mountain out of molehill. He says " You learnt, right?.. c'est la vie". I refused to go to bed and he is now sleeping without me. I am still on the net searching for ways to go about cheaply in Europe.