Archives: September 2007
Wed Sep 26, 2007
Who knew I’d fall in love…
For many people falling in love in a foreign country can only be achieved in their dreams. Who knew it could happen to me. To friends and family he may be known as Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, but to every fashion-conscious person from age 15-101 he is known as Valentino. On Spetember 21 we ventured into Rome to do a school related scavenger hunt. While we were there a few of us decided to visit the Ara Pacis Museum where they were having a exhibit to celebrate Valentino’s 45 years of style. What started as a cultural experience turned into 6 girls drooling over the most amazing things we have ever seen. For fashion majors, whether design or merchandise (me being the latter), this was the most incredible place.
The exhibit contained around 300 garments, a few pair of shoes, handbags, and rare archive material (a.k.a his actual sketches) . The layout of the museum exhibit was the most fascinating thing to me. When you first walked into the the exhibit there were many dresses hung up on the wall. About 15 minutes, and probably 100 pictures, later we emerged from the first room. The way the dresses were displayed was so dramatic. For starters, the rooms had a color scheme--red and white, black and white, and then various other colors in the last room. The dresses were displayed on platforms that used many angles to show a more dramatic effect, and amazingly, the dresses were not in display cases.
Just when we thought the exhibit was over we discovered the best room of all. We walked into a room where the dresses were very familiar. There were dresses worn by many celebraties and even royalties such as Princess Diana. Many of the dresses we have seen walking down the red carpet at events such as the Golden Globes, the Emmy’s, and other various award shows, but for us we got to see them up close and personal. For anyone who is going to be in Rome, Italy before October 28, 2007, I believe this is a must see. Just be prepared…to fall in love.
Diagonal black and white display
Actual Valentino sketches and notes
Halle Berry's dress from the 2002 Golden Globe Awards
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Fri Sep 21, 2007
SO much to do and too little time...
Lake Nemi. Our view at lunch on our field trip of the Castelli Romani.
There are many things to do while in Italy, but probably my two favorite things so far have been in Rome. Last week we had an assignment where we had to lead the entire group of students around areas of Rome (which was interesting in itself), and we also had a scavenger hunt of ancient Rome. How lucky are we. Who gets to go on a scavenger hunt in Rome? We went searching all over the Roman Forum and the Colosseum looking for specific buildings and monuments. Not only did we have to find the buildings and momuments, but we had to research before we went. This made us appreciate what we were looking at more than we would have if we had been on a tour.
This week we also went on a field trip to the old Etruscan tombs. It was really neat to see the old tombs still standing. The best part was that we were allowed to go inside them. Throughout history one thing that has remained the same is the pride people take in the burials of their loved ones. These people painted frescoes on the walls and made the tombs resemble their actual houses. They left jewelry and pottery for them so they would be prepared for the afterlife.
After being here for almost two weeks, I have learned a lot. I have learned from the field trips and from the classroom, but I have learned the most by being immersed in the culture. On just a little walk to the hotel for lunch or on a long day in Rome, you learn about the people and develop relationships with them that I know will last me a lifetime. They are always eager to help you with Italian and want you to feel at home. It has been a wonderful experience, and I cannot wait for another day in this great country.
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The beautiful Colosseum
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Thu Sep 13, 2007
One day at a time. . .
There are many things in Italy that will require some adjustment, both of routine and attitude. Jet lag, new food, and a different language all take time to become accustomed to. More than these things, however, the Italian perception of time may take me the most time to get used to. Punctuality and lesuire definitely mean something different to the people here than to people in the U.S. Being on time is not a priority, while taking three hours for lunch is. To be honest, at first this bothered me. The shops were not open when I needed them to be, people were not on time, and it took entirely too long at resturants. Being the stress oriented person that I am, it took me a couple of days to understand that this lesuire was not a product of laziness, but of enjoyment of life. This is evident in almost every facet of Italian culture.
Italians spend time with the ones they love over lunch and dinner, lingering over multiple courses for hours. Waiters don't rush people out, but rather encourage them to stay and have a coffee and enjoy their meal. This quality time is something we often skip back home. The two to three hour lunch break they take is not spent running errands, but rather enjoying the weather and the company of friends. In the square outside the Palace, people can be seen talking and walking with each other during these hours. This culture is helping me to understand that life is not all about accomplishing tasks and making money, but about taking the time to truly enjoy people and things around me. I think that this will help me in many areas of my life, especially in my chosen field. Being a designer, it is important to be driven and goal oriented. This experience will help me to remember that while I want to be successful, the most important things in life can not be enjoyed in a hurry. Like the lounging dog in this picture, we should all approach life one day at a time and enjoy each one as much as we can.
Enjoying the view in Ariccia
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