Prossima Fermata

Part I(I for Italy!)

Section R(R for Rome!)

Oh, where do I start. I suppose I can start by saying that Italians fascinate me. they seem languid, fashionable, confident, have a penchant for dressing standards that outstrips the decency standard-by how much depends on where you're from. and the language! I'd never really taken an interest in Italian, but after hearing it properly all around me in Rome, i must concede that it really is a beautifully expressive language, i love the way it's all lilting and lolls around the tongue.

The sights? of course, the first place we went to was the Colosseum. this must be one of the most touristy spots on the entire planet. don't be afraid to be caught dead looking like those frightful tourists you see sometimes-go ahead and wear those shorts, clip on the fanny pack, sling your big-ass SLR around your neck and wear a cap and a backpack, almost two-thirds of the people around you are dressed exactly alike! The Colosseum itself is impressive, of course, but i suppose the whole experience was a bit tainted by the fact that it's so touristy to the point of being suffocating.

But i think it's awesome how Rome has ruins and sculptures and arches and aqueducts and whatnot scattered all over the place(there were even ruins they turned into cat shelters!). I think one of the sights that had me most awe-inspired was the Vittorio Emmanuel II monument(which is actually not ancient so to speak, built recently in 1911), which just takes grand to a whole new level. I mean, it IS quite a monstrous building, all big and square, but I love the statue at the top of a woman with wings(a goddess, apparently), riding a chariot pulled by four horses. it's beautiful. It's crazy awesome, as Demetri Martin would say.

Another brilliant building was the Pantheon. Go inside, and you'd see how stunningly perfect it's built.

of course, how could i forget to mention these? St Peter's Square(hello Bernini!), Vatican City, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain.

We took a day trip out to Naples!and!and!we went to POMPEI!

ignorance alert: i actually thought Pompei was an island(must have confused it with Krakatoa) and was somewhere in Greece. i didn't even know the city was preserved under all the volcano ash and whatnot when it erupted. i was under the impression the island just blew up or sunk into the sea or something(once again, may have been confusing it with Krakatoa). i blush with embarrassment.

Pompei was amazing. the ruins were just as awe-inspiring as Siem Reap's Angkor Wat. it was fantastic. well, i loved it. the American family we passed by had a teenage son complaining "it's so damn hot", which was true, because it was damn hot, but i think it was worth it.

Despite all the walking and successive visits from one place to the next, there was still time for some contemplation and a little ruminating. like this thought: it's hard to find someone you truly feel at ease with. someone who you feel can understand you or at least tries to just as much as you try for them. so when you do meet someone like that, i suppose it's best to hold on tightly. don't let them slip away, or if they do anyway, don't let them go without the knowledge you tried to give it a go.

sometimes i read random peoples' blogs and i see how they're always expressing affection for various different people so heartily and frequently, and sometimes i think:"alah, macam betul je you have that many friends you're so super close with. i bet it's superficial", and that's the cynical(and dengki, i suppose) side of me talking, and sometimes i think:"you lucky bastard/bitch. why is it so easy for you to find so many people you're so comfortable with?".

anyway, Rome is awesome. there were tons of places we didn't get the chance to visit, like the Villa Borghese and St Angelo's bridge,etc, there's just so many things to see.

p/s:the title of the post, 'Prossima Fermata', is actually italian for 'next stop'. we rode the metro in rome quite a lot, so i grew quite used to the automated speaker saying "prossima fermata, .....(name of next stop)".