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Archives: November 2006

Tue Nov 28, 2006

Farewell Chigi Babies / fall 2006

This is the last week in Italy. Saturday we will now go our separate ways. One of our greatest experiences has been our commonalities. We have already set a date for our group’s reunion in Ariccia, Italy five years from now. No one wants to leave, but we have to go for now. We came and we conquered; this beautiful country has much to offer. Italy will be in my heart forever, and so will all of the beautiful people that shared in this experience. Here are some of my "high points."

Farewell Chigi Babies / fall 2006

A few weeks ago in Milan, I learned that there is season for everything, and this season is filled with skinny jeans, flats, knee high boots, and lots of accessories. An Italian retailer/flagship store in Milan, Fay, gets the season started with the help of their design team, and the look is “British Style” for winter 06/07. The Fay Donna (woman) is wearing lots of layers with texture, tweed cape, leather gloves, and is ultra conservative.

Fay’s design board for Fall/Winter 06/07

Last weekend, as one of my independent cultural experiences I attended a classical music concert at the Chigi Palace. It was not what I expected--it was much more. The music spoke to my heart as it told a romantic story about an Italian love affair. The musicians created very romantic style music that got everyone’s emotions going. Wow! The power of classical music; it is moving.

Last week, a few of us celebrated Thanksgiving with wonderful host, Marco and Mary Lou Antonini. We had a lovely Italian style dinner, conversation around a warm fire, and the presence of family and friends to complete our American holiday experience in Italy. And thanks to the Antonini’s that made our Thanksgiving experience feel like home away from home.

Finally, this week, we got the opportunity to visit a unique fashion designer studio in Rome, Chiara Valentini. Valentini specializes in custom design wedding dresses and evening wear. Her clientele can come to her with ideas that she puts into a stylized sketch that comes to life through exquisite fabrics and excellent couture handwork. Valentini’s attention to details is what sets her shop apart from other design studios in Rome. We also got the chance to preview a private showing of her recent collection along with the original sketches that Valentini sketch herself.

Chiara Valentini Rome, Italy Fall 06

Art work on a building side in, Albano, Italy, just a few minutes from where we live, could be one of the symbols that represent my experience. The artwork displays two hands extending towards one another that seem to symbolize students reaching beyond the classroom to gain practical experiences and making the effort to becoming more worldly people.

Art work on a building side in Albano, Italy

Posted by: Leslee Strong on Nov 28, 06 | 10:25 am | Profile

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28 November 2006 Something to Consider

Oh the pleasures of Rome, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain…just a few of the major attractions tourist flock to year around. These, and many more, have occupied our time and conversation while living in Italy. Yet this past week we visited a place that to most Rome is not known for- The World Food Programme. Not popular on tourist list but key to the human scientist, the WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is based in Rome. Putting aside the sites and the scenery of Italy, we entered into reality for a few hours to learn and see how miracles happen for 90 million people a year. In over 80 countries a year, WFP conducts 80% of their work in emergency situations. Be it natural disaster or victims of political conflict WFP races to meet their number one need- food. From there, they strive to improve nutrition, promote education and protect livelihoods.
Being in HDFS it did not surprise me when they told us their two major focus groups were women and children. These are the two groups most likely to suffer first and the most when natural disaster or political conflict strikes. From a nutritional perspective, women are more likely to have an iron deficiency and children have more nutritional needs then adults. This does not mean that men do not get food. It just means that the food is place directly into the woman’s hands because WFP has discovered they will not sell it.
Learning these facts and seeing WFP photos was enough to remove our minds from the Italian way of life, or what we had come to know of it. Though we were only in the WFP for a couple of hours, we were exposed to a reality that will impact the rest of our lives. This reality is something that you as a reader could experience as well. After reading this, I ask that you simply make yourself aware. To do this visit: www.wfp.org.
Just knowing can make a difference.

Posted by: Lizabeth Logan on Nov 28, 06 | 8:01 am | Profile

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Wed Nov 22, 2006

13 November 2006 Confessions of a Fashion Fanatic

From the designer label to the size-2 “modela” (model), it is not hard for one to see why Milan is considered one of the fashion capitals of the world. As you pass by the original Prada store you feel a sense of the history and tradition passed on from generation to generation by the moms and pops who started these future empires in their basements. Because of their hard work, long hours, and obsessive attention to detail the old “moms and pops” of yesterday have set a standard for the fashion realm of today. While in Milan, I came to understand why “made in Italy” is what it is today. It is in the stitching, in the texture, in the tailoring, and in the dry-cleaning bill. It is all about quality. With fashion, interior design, and architecture pumping through the veins of this city, an eclectic mix of culture is formed; three exceptionally different genres that flow together very well. Although it has always been a long standing argument which of the three is the leader of the pack, the fact remains that they always end up in the same place.

The showroom we visited, Studio Next, was full of very interesting apparel and accessories. My favorite piece was the gold hat. Our visit to Studio 900, a place that specializes in unconventional pieces of furniture, was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see all the different furniture designs from different eras. The Mirror of Sottsass was my favorite piece.

View Slideshow

There was a consistency in the advice that I was given by the experts in their respective areas. A career in fashion is full of stress, divas, responsibility, long nights, and early mornings, but what is a job without stress? There is no such thing. This leads me back to the creed that will forever be a part of my life. To make it in this industry and all aspects of life you must “believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.” (Auburn Creed)

~Tiffany Kellogg

Posted by: Tiffany Kellogg on Nov 22, 06 | 2:26 am | Profile

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02 November 2006 Celebrating In Our New Home

Italians have many different holidays, including All Saints/All Souls Days, that we do not celebrate, but they have slowly started to adopt our American holiday of Halloween. Recently there were windows here in Ariccia filled with ceramic pumpkins overflowing with candy and decorations, and even a costume store. Although it is only to a minimal extent, there are little hints of a growing American influence on the holidays. Halloween and other holidays are becoming intertwined with the everyday Italian life making it apparent that the American culture is having an influence on the celebrations in other countries. With the family being such an important focus here in Italy, Halloween is another great way for family members to share and enjoy each other.

While here in Ariccia we celebrated a little piece of home by creating our own Italian Halloween. We made last minute costumes from items we collected among all of us and gathered at Dr. Bradbard's house for our Italian Halloween celebration. Even though we were far from the Hallmark and candy overload of this holiday at home, we implemented our own little piece of Halloween in our new home of Ariccia.

The whole group celebrating at Dr. Bradbard's!!

Posted by: Courtney Jamieson on Nov 22, 06 | 2:22 am | Profile

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15 October 2006 When In Rome...

Being seven hours ahead and 7000 miles from home was a shock no one could help me grasp until my plane landed at 8:30 in the morning. The initial physical adjustments when I arrived in Italy where pretty harsh. My body struggled to make up for the difference in time change. While the jet lag only lasted a few days, I have been in Italy for five weeks, and I am now experiencing a different type of time change. Being surrounded by remains of an ancient world gives the Italians a perspective of time that is unfamiliar to Americans. Italians see the elapse of time as a slow progression, not only through history, but also on a daily basis. And because of this, I am learning to live at the pace of the Italian society, a pace much slower than what I am accustomed.

Americans are constantly in a rush. The sense of urgency to be somewhere or to do something never escapes our conscience. We have to hurry to school, to work and to dinner. We become very impatient of the world around us because of the rush in which we live. The Italian lifestyle, however, is one with less emphasis on schedules and urgency; therefore, Italians live their daily lives at a slower pace. Dining out in Italy is a prime example of this: because the food is prepared fresh, the service is much slower, meaning a meal usually takes about two hours to complete. Fast food is rarely an option and “doggie bags” are nonexistent. One is almost forced to actually sit and enjoy a meal.

The Italian family life is also affected by the slower pace. In Italy, it is not unusual for a person to live in a home with their family until they marry. It is also not unusual for a couple to date for up to twelve years before marrying. Because of this, the typical family household in Italy could have children up to the ages of thirty-something.

Because Italians are surrounded by remains of the ancient world, their perspective of history changes, too. For example, Mary Lou Gray, our conversational Italian teacher said, “Prince Chigi died recently.” When we inquired how recent, she replied, “Oh, about ten years ago.” Italy is an ancient country, therefore on a time line, ten years is recent. However, America is still a baby, and we see ten years as an eternity.

Adjusting to the Italian way of life has been an adventure of its own. This new way of seeing time go by has been an eye opener. I have to remind myself to slow down, smell the flowers and like they say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Michelangelo's David - Florence, Italy

posted by Audrey Helms 15 October 2006 More...

Posted by: Audrey Helms on Nov 22, 06 | 1:57 am | Profile

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07 October 2006 A Universal Love

07 October 2006 A Universal Love
We were all a bit tired this afternoon after an early morning start and a full day in Assisi, but we all perked up as we passed through the gates of the Nestle chocolate factory. We do not understand most signs in Italy but we were very familiar with the one that read Nestle chocolate.
We have been very excited about this field trip, patiently awaiting the visit to the factory where Baci chocolate kisses are made!
The Perugina factory is located in Perugia, Italy and is the home of Baci chocolate. The factory produces about 1.5 million Baci chocolates in a day and is the only place they are produced. Baci chocolate got its start back in 1907 by Francesco Andreani and is still going strong as one of the number one chocolates in the world. We learned that the process of making the Baci chocolate is done in three stages: mixing, refining, and conching. We were given a walk through of the factory where all the chocolate is made and packaged, in the meantime our appetites were growing bigger and bigger because of the sweet chocolate smell all around us. We were all in love!

We have been in Italy for almost a month; although we are settled in we can still feel the distance between our homes back in the U.S. and our temporary home in Italy.
There are so many differences between the culture we know so well in the U.S. and the Italian culture that we are currently immersed in. On a daily basis we experience things that are very foreign to us and remind us how far we are from home. Today was a great reminder that as human beings we all are alike and we share the same interest even though we may speak a different language. Chocolate, cioccolato, Schokolade,
De bonbon, sjokolade!
Spoken in many different languages chocolate still carries the same love among many nations. Baci chocolate is a simple yet great way of reminding us that all cultures can have at least one commonality, the love of chocolate!
BACI! ( kisses)

So many miles away we can still find a piece of home right here in Italy!

posted by Amber Forbes 07 October 2006

Posted by: Amber Forbes on Nov 22, 06 | 1:52 am | Profile

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A Quality of Life Perfectly Preserved in a Petrified Pompeii.

Our guide, Raffaele, led us through the history and devastation of a once thriving, active, and creative population of Pompei, Italy. The city reflected an enlightened society of art, design, and freedom of expression. I couldn’t put to sketch fast enough all of the wonderful and exciting sights surrounding our group. Wall frescoes decorated their homes with depth and coloration of mostly yellow, red and black. Notably, research still has not discovered the unique and extraordinary technique used by these artisans that allowed the frescoes to survive for thousands of years. The color we now know as Pompeii red was derived from this particular shade from the Pompeian society. Textile design and manufacturing was one of the leading industries in this ancient city of Pompeii, enhanced by the fertile soil which was responsible for most of their natural fibers. Business innovation was apparent in a predominately uneducated community with their above ground plumbing, sliding doors, and fast food in the facilities of the marketplace.

Among their frescoes and sculptures were depiction of erotica that showed a society at ease with its sexuality as a symbol of health and well-being. I was fascinated particularly by a fresco that illustrated a preparation for a wedding ceremony where people were wearing masks, perhaps inferring that they believed we all hide or protect something within ourselves that is never fully shared with another. “Southern hospitality” was an aspect of their culture I could relate to, as this was an important part of my own home life growing up. We visited a house in this southern Italian town with the words “H.AVE” above the door, which translates to “hospes ave” or "welcome guests". I can imagine I would have been very comfortable had I lived within this creative, open, and friendly environment. Quality of life for these citizens of Pompeii was so great that even the knowledge of certain death was not enough to tear some of them from their homes as they suffocated under the ash.

My sketches of the petrified bodies in Pompeii.

Kenzie and Audrey sitting in the bakery, and an image of the fast food buffet before them.

Posted by: Alisa Emerich on Nov 22, 06 | 1:45 am | Profile

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Tue Nov 21, 2006

22 September 2006 The “Onion” of Rome; The Heart of Human Sciences

On Thursday we ventured back in time with our amazing tour-guide for the day and Bernini expert, Francesco Petrucci (lovingly referred to by Dr. B as “Bernanini” meaning little Bernini). After having studied the history and structure of basilicas, I was eager to see a tangible representation of the power point drawings I attempted to interpret; I couldn’t have imagined the extraordinary depth (literally) that the Basilica of San Clemente held. In Rome it is said that nothing goes to waste; marble, bricks, paintings, and columns are all reused and recycled in more modern buildings. Likewise, no land in Rome is off limits simply because it already holds a construction. The Basilica of San Clemente is like an onion; layers of sanctuaries literally built on top of generations of old basilicas, temples, and churches. (Francesco took us so far underground to see the original level that a river was running next to us.) As centuries go by, the earth builds up and covers the initial layer of the basilica; as beliefs, emperors and popes changed, new layers were built upon the old ones including marble columns from all around Rome.

As I stood underground arm in arm with Francesco, I couldn’t help but think about how similar humans are to the structure of San Clemente. Our government is done in layers, our desserts are done in layers and even our education program here in Ariccia is done in layers, or generations, of educators—all dedicated to the same goal. Our Conversational Italian courses are taught by Mary Lou Antonini, her husband Marco Antonini is our History teacher. Years ago he started the organization that makes our education here in Ariccia possible; he recently passed his business to son, Maurizio who is our program director. Maurizio’s wife Rosella teaches us Western Philosophy.

Seeing the structure of the basilica and thinking about the structure of family displayed in our CHS in Italy program made me realized just how much Human Sciences applies to my everyday experiances. An ocean away and hundreds of feet underground, Human Sciences stills proves to be a common thread that runs between cultures, generations, and layers of earth.

Francesco Petrucci with the Fall '06 Babies!!

posted by Joy Bodie 22 September 2006

Posted by: Gina Caprara on Nov 21, 06 | 8:41 pm | Profile

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