I'm Getting Dangerously Close to a Social Life...

Finally, it's Friday! I keep forgetting how much I love weekends.

So, a funny story from the bus this morning: I often see priests and nuns, but the priests are usually wearing all black with the white collar. A guy got on this morning dressed in a long white robe with a frilly thing at the top, and getting a split-second glimpse of him, my immediate thought was, "Oh my gosh! It's the Pope!" Then, of course, I realized that the Pope would NOT be taking a random public bus, but it was still pretty exciting for about half a second.

As it turned out, we didn't have our big level-up test today. It sounds like it will actually be next Friday, so at least I have another week to study... whatever I'm supposed to study. I really have no idea. In fact, we spent most of the class talking about food, so when we all started complaining about being hungry, we all helped each other out by making each other hungrier.

In my other class, we got the special surprise of listening to one of my classmate's CDs! She had told us she was a singer (for hotels and cruises and the like) and that she and her siblings had all had a lot of musical training, but lo and behold she also has a CD! The best part was, one of my other classmates brought it in. So that was very exciting, especially since one of the tracks we listened to was an original song in her native language. She's from the Philippines originally, but obviously her work has taken her all around, so she sings in several languages. I guess I'm lucky to be friends with a star now!

After our little entr'acte, we got down to business discussing good and bad qualities in people. There was a list of things to choose from (honesty, courtesy, modesty, etc. on one side and their opposites on the other), and we had to choose which we valued most in a person and which of the bad traits ticked us off the most. It was an interesting debate, because although obviously we all liked the good traits, there were different "orders" to our preferring them. Which do you value more, honesty or loyalty? Modesty or courtesy? That sort of thing. It certainly gave us plenty to talk about.

Then... wait for it... I did an actual sports thing tonight! Bart, Isabel, and I met our friend Pablo at the Piazza Venezia to watch the Italy vs. Costa Rica match in the World Cup. Unfortunately, Italy lost 0-1, but honestly I don't think we were really watching the match... we were too busy talking. Still, I think Dad was impressed that I was in attendance.

After that we went out to dinner with their friends Carem and Edward, who I hadn't met before, from Phoenix (though with Lebanese heritage) and London. We had a lot to talk about and just had a good time chatting and joking. I really am making friends from all around the world!

Sadly, this was my last night with my roommates! Bart leaves really early tomorrow morning, so tonight was goodbye. Isabel will still be around for at least part of the day, but then she will go too. So, I'm happy that we finally got to go out and do something fun together! Considering that I've only known them for two weeks, we've become really good friends and I'm going to miss them!

Finally, a roommate picture!

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, by the piazza.