Week Eight SOC 490

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” - Albert Einstein

After living in Italy for two months it is clear that Italians could teach us all about a few things in regards to our health and well being. First of all, healthcare in Italy, is a right for every citizen. There is no question about who receives care or how they pay for it, because it is provided to everyone equally. But Italy’s healthcare system is not the only thing that we should learn from. Italians have good health not only because of their free access to care, but also due to their generally healthy lifestyle.

We got the opportunity to visit one of the public hospitals in Italy, San Giovanni. This was a very interesting experience because I felt it would give me something physical to compare between a universal healthcare system and a privatized one, and it definitely provided me with this. Functionally, San Giovanni was very comparable to a hospital in the United States. (Just one example of this was the Cath Lab, which looked practically identical to one found in the US). One thing that I believe American hospitals could take from Italian hospitals, aside from universal access to them, would be the idea of early diagnosis and patient assessment. In Italy, every ambulance has both a doctor and a nurse which allows for more immediate attention to the patient. Conversely, something that I felt was better in American hospitals, was overall sanitation and more modern hospital comforts.

But the Italian healthcare system itself is not the only thing we could learn something from, we could use more of the Italian lifestyle in America as well. When we would say to drive somewhere, Italians would choose to walk. When we say "I’d like a Big Mac super-sized,” Italians ask for buffalo mozzarella instead of regular to go with their fresh produce. It’s these cultural aspects to life in Italy that I feel have a real impact on their health. To put it simply, I think we can learn from the Italians when it comes to choosing healthy eating options, buying fresh produce, incorporating physical activity into our daily lives, and avoiding processed food. These things in Italy are more culturally appreciated, so much so in fact, that organizations like Slow Food, have emerged in Italy in order to protect these traditional values in regards to healthy and clean foods.

Like Einstein says, it’s crucial for us to keep questioning. I feel that this philosophy should apply not only to new things and inventions, but things in our society as well, even if they have been the only thing we really know. I think it is easy for Americans to assume that our privatized healthcare system and lifestyle is the best option for our nation and that nothing could work better, however this is simply because we have stopped questioning it. We have settled for the system that is in place even though it might not be the one that is best in this day and age. I hope that enough people begin to question our privatized healthcare system and look to learn from nations like Italy who have found success with universal coverage.

Week Eight GL 350

“Why was it that, sometimes, you needed to see the people closest to you as others saw them to remember how fantastic they were?” - Elizabeth Noble, Things I Want My Daughters to Know

Traveling is not simply a matter of seeing new things a visiting new places, it’s also about remembering what it was like to see the things that are now so familiar, for the first time. Whether it’s the people in your life, the sights that you see, the voices you hear, or the food you eat, it is crucial to never become complacent about what they mean to you. Being abroad for two months has given me plenty of opportunities to see new things and to sort of “practice" experiencing things for the first time. It has made me learn and adapt to new cultures and cuisines and languages sure, but it also has made me appreciate my own culture and life back home. This is what being a global citizen means. Appreciating the universality of our world does not come through learning history and culture alone. Certainly, that is a huge part of becoming more globally aware, but that’s not all that being a global citizen entails. Becoming a global citizen requires using that sense of newness to truly experience the world, regardless of how long you have been in a place or how many times you have experienced it.

I thought studying in Rome was about learning to be like the Italians. And to some extent, it was. I mean, it almost goes without saying that I have learned so many things about Italian culture that I would have never known, had I not traveled here. I’ve learned the big things, like how to eat dinner like Italians, the customary greetings, the history, and the pride that Italians have for their country. I’ve seen things that people all over the world dream about seeing: the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope, the Baths of Rome, the Roman Forum, the remains of St. Peter, the David, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain, Pompeii, the Holy Steps. These places are monumental and after experiencing them all it’s hard to imagine ever growing used to them.

But I’ve also learned the little things; the quirky things. For example, I have learned where to sit on a partially-filled train in Italy: not to close to someone else as to disturb them but not so far away that you make an uncomfortable distance between each other. (If you need to know, the answer is always diagonally across from the other person… That means one, enough leg room for each of you, and two, a place to put your bag on the seat next to you so that you can act slight put off when someone asks to sit there once the train fills up, but not annoyed enough to not actually move it for them.) It’s hard to explain the little things because it’s not like they can just be taught to someone who doesn’t understand them. It’s the little things that we need to notice more often. And it’s not just about where to sit on the train, don’t misunderstand, that was just a slightly humorous example of the seemingly infinitesimal subtitles in different cultures. It’s about the fact that being here, and traveling in Europe, has trained me to look for those kinds of things.

So, I didn’t come here and magically become Italian. (Granted I’ve done almost too good of a job of adding Italian flair to my wardrobe… So much so in fact, that all the new clothes along with my tanner complexion, make me appear fit right in, or at least on the surface anyway.) But that’s as far as it goes, my “Italian-ness” is only skin-deep. I had slowly begun to realize that I didn't “become” Italian at all and that’s not what this whole experience was for. After all, I am American and it’s not as though my nationality can simply change because of my current location. But what can change (and what did change) is my ability adapt, appreciate, and find the sense of awe in things again. That’s what it really takes to become a global citizen - to experience every country, every nation, every city, and every street corner with the same excitement of seeing something new, whether you’ve never seen it before or you’ve seen it a million times before.

“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,

you get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger. May you never take one single breath for granted.” – Lee Ann Womack

A Short Week!

Monday, March 23th - Wednesday, March 25th

As you can tell, life has gotten a little busy lately, as I am just now catching up on my blogs! Luckily, we have a short three-day week and a free weekend starting on Thursday!

On Monday we had another group’s walking tour, this time we went to Campo Dei Fiori and walked Via Giulia. San Giovanni dei Fiorentini was yet another beautiful church that we got to visit. What was unique about San Giovanni was that in the church was the foot of St. Mary Magdalene as well as the crypt for the artist Franciscus Borromini.

We walked down Via Giulia, a very straight and kilometer-long road that was originally designed by Pope Julius the II. Afterwards we stopped at the fresh market in Campo Dei Fiori and I enjoyed some fresh fruit and vegetables and got to do a little shopping as well. (My mom is about to be so excited about the goodies I am bringing back for her!)

We ended our tour at Torre Argentina, the ancient remains of the Theater of Pompey, where Julius Caesar was believed to have been killed. After the tour we grabbed some lunch in the Jewish Ghetto, I had schnitzel and a delicious burger!

On Tuesday, we took the early train into Rome so that we could go to the Villa Borghese Gardens! It was an absolutely beautiful morning and we enjoyed our walk through the gardens to get to Villa Borghese Museum. We started our morning with a tour in the museum and it was packed! Luckily we had a time slot for our tour so we were able to get right in and explore! We didn’t have a tour guide, but Professor gave us a tour to follow along with our audio guide from the museum, so with both, we had a really great experience!

After the museum, we found a quiet place in the gardens (which really isn’t hard to do even though it is busy, because the gardens are SO huge!) where we could have class for Global Learning. When we were done with class, we met up with Mike for our bike tour of the gardens! Little did we know, Mike was our “tour guide” so needless to say, there were multiple circle trips around every practically every fountain in the park! It was really great being able to ride our bikes through the paths in the gardens, especially because it was a beautiful, sunny day! We also got to see an amazing view of Rome from the edge of the gardens that overlooks the Piazza del Popolo. That was one of the best parts of the bike tour!

On Wednesday, we had Italian class except, it was not a just a typical day in the classroom! We had a traditional Italian breakfast up in Castel Gandolfo and we got practice our Italian with the restaurant owner and some of her employees. We not only got to enjoy a traditional Italian breakfast, but we had some real-life conversation too!

Week Seven SOC 490

“Airports see more sincere kisses than wedding halls. The walls of hospitals have heard more prayers than the walls of churches” - Unknown

Prayer is the most private and personal form of conversation with God. Some people pray daily, other people pray occasionally, and some people just pray when they need something most. But regardless of how often you pray or what specifically you pray about, the only person who knows whether your prayers “work” or not, is you. I use the term “work” loosely however, because here’s the thing: prayers are not simply wishes that magically come true. I don’t think of my prayers being answered by God as if there were some magic genie in a bottle granting my wishes, I just have a hard time believing that praying works like that. I think about some of the things I have prayed for in the past, and I am challenged to come up with an experience when my prayer was simply answered with the arrival of the solution I had asked for. My grandmother’s brain tumor didn’t shrink, my cousin’s Schizophrenia didn’t go away, nor did my friend’s immune system start working again. Those prayers were never answered. But that doesn’t make me believe in God any less, or question my faith any more; I just don’t think that’s what prayers are truly meant for, I don’t believe that’s how they work.

Prayer is certainly a powerful thing. How many stories and witnesses have we heard about people whose prayers have “come true” – of the unloved finding help, the fearful finding rest, and the sick becoming healed? It’s undeniable that these sorts of miracles have happened. The Bible tells us that Jesus has cleansed the lepers, allowed the deaf to hear, and the blind to see. Our faith tells us that God is all-powerful and that He truly can do anything because he is our Creator. But why then, is not every single prayer that is given to God, granted like wish given to a genie?

I think there are two reasons. First of all, I feel that we humans have a tendency to pray for the wrong things. We pray for world peace. We pray to end world hunger. We pray for a cure for a life-threatening disease. And of course, we want all of these prayers to be answered, but we are just humans, and those things can only be decided by God. Why do we pray for these ambiguous and exceptionally complex things that God has not yet given to humankind? Why pray for these vague outcomes alone, when instead, we could be praying for things that can help humanity reach these goals, such as love for each other, comfort in times of suffering, and relief from pain, or trust in His love and His plan. I don’t believe that a prayer alone can cure a disease. Those who have been “cured through prayer” were cured for a reason; they had something left to do during their life on earth. Certainly, prayer may help with things like the role of one’s mental and spiritual well being when dealing with a disease of this kind, but a prayer alone is not a cure.

Which leads me to my second reason: prayer cannot work as a cure to any disease because God has a plan for each and every one of us. I am a strong believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason. Any illness or injury I have had in past, has happened for a reason, just like anything that happens to me in the future will happen for a reason as well. Being able to pray and change His ultimate course for our lives would mean altering why we were put on this earth in the first place. God has given us so much in this life, most of which we don’t know how to fully appreciate, let alone try to understand and deal with, but it is never without a purpose. A prayer cannot cure a disease when it is necessary in the bigger picture.

Week Six GL 350

“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.” – New Missal Translation of the Nicene Creed

The Catholic Church is Roman. After all, many English-speaking Catholics tend to refer to it as the “Roman Catholic Church,” so it must be Roman, right? In the way that most complicated questions wind up being answered: yes and no. Allow me to explain this ambiguity. Technically speaking, no, the Catholic Church is not specifically Roman. The truth behind the term, “Roman Catholic Church” is that it was an adopted term that is now used interchangeably with the Catholic Church by many believers. The Church itself however, does not use this term except when referring to the Diocese of Rome. Even though the Church is not specifically “Roman” in that sense, it is not hard to see the ways in which the Catholic Church is Roman, or at the very least, Italian.

As Barzini writes, “All the great Popes of the era (some were among the greatest in history) were Italian, as well as most of the famous cardinals, theologians, writers, scholars, preachers, educators, heads of religious orders, who practically constructed, within a few decades, a brand new Catholic Church.” Just as Barzini describes, the “Roman” root of the Catholic Church lies with the history of the religion itself. He later says, “The Church went about its sacred, eternal, and universal mission with Italian prudence, savoir faire, and intelligence. It was manned by Italians. It could not help embodying also some Italian ideals.” The Catholic Church is Roman in the way that its history comes from Rome and Italy. There are Catholic churches around every street corner in Rome, religious Italian artwork that was done by famous Italian artists everywhere you look. Even the Pope himself, the head of the Catholic Church, resides in Italy in the Vatican. The Church is woven into Roman history just as much as Rome is into the Church's history. While it is possible to take the Church out of Rome, as we see through the universality of Catholicism, it is nearly impossible to extricate “Rome” and the Italian flair from the Church.

Regardless of the ties to Rome, the Catholic Church is also universal. According to a statistic from LiveScience taken in 2010, there were an estimated 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide who were practicing in 157 different countries. Clearly, Catholicism is international. But while numbers and percentages do help in explaining how the Church is universal, I think the universality of Catholicism can best be described through a personal experience. When we first arrived in Rome, (almost two months ago!) we went to a Catholic mass in an Italian church and when we originally walked in and sat down, the thought had even not crossed my mind about the language in which the mass would be said. Looking back on it, I suppose it was ignorant of me not to even consider that the mass would not be in English, and much to my surprise at the time, the whole mass was in Italian. (I’m not sure why this was so surprising, after all, we were in Italy, other than the fact that we grow so accustomed to the regularity of mass and how it is at home) The only spoken words I understood were “Dio” and “amen.” The readings, the homily, and the prayers sounded like complete nonsense in my lack of knowledge of the Italian language. Strangely enough though, I understood everything that was happening at mass, maybe not the actual words being spoken, but the universal routine of a Catholic mass was unfalteringly the same. The order of events, the sitting, the standing, the kneeling, the singing, all happened at the right time, regardless of what language was being spoken. 

But maybe that wasn’t so strange after all. I understood it because it was universal, because we were all Catholic. Could we not argue that the Catholic Church is also American? Or Spanish? Or even Tanzanian for that matter? Our faith is universal in the way it is practiced. Whether mass is said in English, Spanish, Swahili, Italian, or any other language, it can be always be recognized as Catholic.

*The same can be said for the universality of the Church in a world-known place like the Vatican. Going to mass at St. Peter's was a reminder of how massive the body of Christ really is, and not only is it massive, but exceptionally diverse as well. At the Papal Audience experience, it was definitely clear that the Catholic Church was both Roman and global. While the service was initially all in Italian, (the Roman aspect), Pope Francis's greeting and address to the crowd were both translated into 10 different languages! Italian, French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish... it seemed as though the translations would never end! And what was the most amazing part of the Papal Audience was that even though there were clearly enough people to have at least 10 different languages, at the end everyone said the "Our Father" in Latin together. Our Catholic faith is truly universal.