A Walk in the Park

I arrived at my modern tribes of Rome class on campus today as we were not scheduled to be on site. Professor Thommason decided that it is too nice of a day to stay inside and we left for a near by park. As it turns out, it is the biggest park in Rome, a title I thought belonged to villa borghese. I was wrong, this park was beyond massive and more natural than villa borghese: less fountains more forest and field. We walked through the park for twenty minutes before sitting on a slightly damp but vacant soccer field. The lecture of the class shifted to the topic of the park, and we discussed what we observed on our walk. As it turns out the park attracts the foreigners of Rome. Various immigrant groups use the enormous park for weekly get-togethers. Not only is it used by immigrants, but by the homeless population as well. They use the park as a safe place to sleep, as all the entry ways are locked at night. We learn that the park was once the private property of a wealthy family that died out and left the grounds to the city. Much to my surprise we have seen less than half of the park, it continues on for miles. I begin to think that this must be the park that Stu found in one of his wanderings while I was stuck in class. After the lecture a few people give their final presentations. Some were quite interesting including a girl who spoke Russian and reported on the Russian population in Rome. I didn't even know there was a Russian population in Rome. Listening to these presentations was a painful reminder that I had yet to re-find and question Yousef on his life. Becca and I have enough trouble re-finding places we've visited and it has now been two full months since we met Yousef. This made me nervous, but not nervous enough for me to take immediate action. Once in Art Gallery management I apologized to my group for missing our meeting. I felt immediately less guilty when I learned only two people had attended the meeting, and I didn't miss anything big. We were assigned an exhibition review in class to be turned in the following Wednesday. I chose an exhibit up the road from our school at the American Academy in Rome. It was a video presentation, which would give me more to write about in addition to the fact that it's opening was tomorrow, meaning free food and wine. After class I return home and munch on my Easter candy, which I finish. I also work on my opera paper, which I do not finish. I briefly entertain the idea of flying home for the services, and check the price of flights. I know that the insurance I have through the program covers plane tickets home in the case of death. Its not a terribly serious thought; with no idea how the reimbursement process works or what kind of proof the insurance company would need I drop the idea. I figure that my homecoming would be a distraction. I do feel better for looking however. I end my night excited for my busy day tomorrow.