Roman Holiday

Hello friends,
It's heating up in Rome and the Romans are getting out of town. It sounds like pretty much everybody goes on vacation for the month of August and the city is full of tourists and no locals. I can tell people are already starting to leave. The buses are getting less crowded and the FAO cafeteria is clearing out.
I'm glad I got a place with AC. One of the other interns is forced to wander the streets till it cools down to the point where he can go home to an apartment that isn't a million degrees inside.
A perk of the heat: All along the river, near my house, they set up outdoor restaurants, bars and shops that only open after the sun goes down. They appear to be open pretty much all night. I went out with some of the interns last Saturday and when I left at 2 there were still masses of people out and with no sign of letting up.
I sort of finished this paper I was working on. I couldn't find information on the second part of what I was writing about. And my boss took off for a week without telling me in advance, so I'm left without much feedback. I wanted to create something that would be useful to the organization in some way--not sure if I accomplished that.
I have one more weekend in Rome, then I'm off to Geneva/Paris for a week and then I head home. I'm excited to go to Minneapolis! I haven't been since December and I miss all my people there.
I hope everyone is well!
Hugs,
Lauren

Update

Hello friends,
I went to Venice last weekend and had a nice time with my friends who are there for a few weeks this summer. We went to the Doge's palace, St. Mark's Cathedral, wandered the streets and had a lovely time. Culinary highlight: Squid in its own ink. It was surprisingly delicious. Not chewy at all.
This weekend I'm off to meet Peter in Genoa--birthplace of Christopher Colombus. After this weekend I'm staying put in Rome for my last 3 weeks here. Time sure flies! I can't believe how fast this has gone.
I got a new pose at yoga 2 nights ago--Bhujapidasana. I'm finding it difficult. And, I'm finding that I'm really exhausted after practice--more than usual. I think new poses take not only extra physical exertion, but extra/new emotional exertion as well and that can be very draining.
I slept the sleep of the dead last night as a result. I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in with one arm completely numb.
Work is good, but my project is progressing slowly.
More updates soon. Sorry this one is so short!
Hugs,
Lauren

Roman Sinus Infection

Hello friends,
I've decided I have a sinus infection. I've been sick all week. I started to get sick over the weekend, not sleeping on Sunday night didn't help things and I am still sick and haven't really been getting better. You don't need a prescription for things like antibiotics here (I'm not sure if you need a prescription for anything) and they gave me some at the FAO pharmacy. Hopefully they will make me feel better.
Feeling better is in order since I'm going to Venice this weekend. Vanderbilt has a study abroad program for the law school in Venice, so I'm going to stay with some friends there. It's nice to hang out with people who know their way around a place. Especially a place as confusing to get around as Venice. And it will be nice to stay with them on the islands and get to experience tourist-free mornings and evenings.
In other news, my yoga teacher here helped me into Yoga Mudrasana yesterday. I've been doing full lotus for a while but she helped me grab my toes and bend forward. Here's a link to a picture:
http://www.sanatansociety.org/yoga_and_meditation/images/gp_asana_yoga_mudrasana_jpg.jpg
I am not as flexible or as creepy looking as this guy, but at least it gives you the idea.
I can't wait for my head to feel better.
Nothing else to report.
Hugs,
Lauren

Genetic Diversity in the Food Supply

Hello friends, I thought I'd share this article from today's NY Times with you. It deals with a topic that I'm currently working on at FAO--preserving the genetic diversity of the world's food to avoid situations just like this one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/opinion/18koeppel.html?ex=1214452800&en=8f110d855cac5e76&ei=5070
I can't figure out how to make the web address into a hyperlink, so you'll have to cut and paste into your browser. Sorry.
Enjoy.

Switzerland, etc

Hello friends,
It's been a while since I updated you with my happenings.
Last weekend I met Peter in Southern Switzerland. It's the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, only about 1.5 hours by train from Milan.
We met in Lugano, a lovely city on a lake. The lake was beautiful--it almost looked like a series of fjords, with mountains jutting out of the water.
Saturday we were lucky enough to have beautiful weather (which I'm told is rare in Switzerland) and we went hiking in the foothills of the Alps. It wasn't clear enough to see the really big mountains, but we had good views just the same. The hike was lovely and it was nice just to be outside without many people around in the woods. We had a really nice lunch in an old town on the side of the mountain. It was very medieval looking--the buildings were made of stone and the streets were windy. It reminded me of Nepal a little, actually.
Sunday we went to Bellinzona, only about a half hour away by train, to see 3 medieval castles that used to protect the mountain pass in the area. It sounds like that area was fought over regularly. The castles were really, really cool. And we had an amazing lunch in the castle--polenta, gnocchi, wine, salami and cheese, etc! It was delicious. The company wasn't bad, either.
The whole weekend would have been absolutely perfect, except there was a strike in Italy on some of the train routes (at least that's what they told us). So, I had the displeasure of eventually making it to Milan from Lugano, but having missed the last high-speed train to Rome. I had to take an overnight train from Milan that didn't leave till 11:30. Then, I had to persistently bother people until they let me sleep in a bed on the night train rather than sending me back to sleep in the seats in the back part of the train. I was so upset-I was trying to explain that the fact that I missed my train was not my fault, I paid for an expensive seat on a high speed train, etc. It took some time, but eventually they let me pay the 7€ difference to use a bunk. Thank goodness.
I arrived in rome yesterday morning at 7:15. I went home, showered and went to work. I was so tired and I seem to have picked up a cold, which is unpleasant. I slept for 12 hours straight last night! I hope to do the same again tonight.
I'm sorry I haven't posted any photos yet. I'm having some trouble finding a place that will do it quickly. it doesn't seem right to do it at work and the internet place by my house won't let me download the program I need to upload lots of photos at once.
Hugs!
Lauren

Milano/Cinque Terre

Hello friends,
I'm back from a lovely 6 days of fun in Northern Italy. I had 4 days off this week because FAO had a conference about food safety and global climate change and all non-essential personnel were told not to show up. Yay for being non-essential. You may have seen the conference in the news?? It seems to have gotten a lot of press.
Anyhoo, my gentleman friend, Peter, happens to be working in Geneva this summer for the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization. So, he and I met in Milan over the weekend. We had a lovely time in Milan. We walked the streets of the city, window shopped at the designer stores, and saw the Last Supper. I was unaware before reading about the Last Supper (by Leonardo da Vinci) that it is on a wall and is about 29 feet long. Finally, a famous piece of art that didn't make me think "I thought it would be bigger." It was immense and really amazing in the space. I could only imagine having dinner in that big hall and looking up to see that painting on the wall--very powerful. We also had an amazing sea food meal--mussels and clams, followed by seafood risotto and then a local fish. It was so good.
Milan was very different from Rome--the roads are wider, the streets seem cleaner, and the buildings newer, but it also seemed more sterile in a way. Part of the fun of Rome is that there are people everywhere all the time and it seems so full of life. p.s. I love it here.
On Sunday we took a day trip to Stresa on one of Northern Italy's lakes. Some guy built a palace on an island in the lake with a giant garden. Let's just say conspicuous consumption did not originate in the US. This place was almost gaggingly decorated--lots of naked babies with wings, seashells, and the coup de grace...a giant unicorn on top of the gardens that can be seen in all its glory from the mainland. It was a beautiful day and nice to see the foothills of the Alps and be outside in the fresh air.
Peter went back to Geneva and I went on to the Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean--5 old villages on the cliffs overlooking the sea. I did the 8 mile walk between the villages on Tuesday and was tired of climbing stairs by the end (I was having Nepal flashbacks!) and Wednesday I sat my butt in the sun, next to the water and alternated between reading my book and watching the water. It was lovely.
This was my first real time off since spring break and it was nice to do nothing for a little bit. I think last year really took a lot out of me and I'm tired. But I'm happy to be here. I get why so many people visit Italy--because it's pretty awesome!
My one semi-complaint...the food. Great, wonderful, etc for a 2 week vacation. Three weeks of eating food derived from bread and cheese is taking its toll on my poor tummy. I require more roughage and some whole-grain products.
I hope you are all well. I'll post some photos soon.
Hugs,
Lauren

Baptized by a Pigeon

Hello friends,
I got pooed on by pigeon last night. Luckily I was with a friend who was kind enough to use a napkin to get the poo out of my hair.
It's been really hot in Rome for the last few days. Today it's raining, so it cooled down a little bit. The heat during the day is ok because at night it is absolutely the perfectest temperature ever. I had some vino and pizza with one of the other interns on Tuesday night as a birthday celebration. Last night me and the other intern from Vandy went and had a beer and a stroll. It's so pretty outside.
I'm headed to Milan on Friday afternoon. Then, I have Monday through Thursday off because there's a "high level conference" in the building and non-essential personnel have been instructed not to come to work. No problem. So, Monday I'm heading to the Cinque Terre to sit on the cliffs and look at the ocean for a few days.
No complaints from me thus far. I'm feeling more comfortable here this week--both with being in Rome and with the research I've been doing at work. I've been using public transportation a lot, which makes me feel good. I like knowing how to get places on the bus.
Hugs,
Lauren