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End of Year Q&A with Hui

Greetings, in time for the New Year!

In my last post, I had just arrived home and started to reflect on my semester abroad. There is so much to unpack from my time in Rome, both figuratively and literally!

I’ve been asking my friends, followers, and viewers online for questions they’d like to ask me about my time abroad, and let me say that you all did not disappoint! Thank you for your questions! Here are my answers to them.

Question: How did you choose a study abroad program?

When I was on campus, studying abroad was a something I hear a lot about! As a first-year, I heard older students talking about how they either planned to go abroad or had just returned from their time away from campus. I attended the Study Abroad Fair and got to hear first-hand accounts from students who had studied in different places. I learned more about specific programs through formal information sessions and through one-on-one appointment with the Office of Study Abroad.

I worked with both my Study Abroad advisor and my academic advisors to find a program that was right for me. I took into consideration my goals for the future. As a double-major, I had to look through multiple program catalogs to find one that would best help immerse me in another culture while still keeping me on track with my academic plans. I created several courseloads that would work with my two majors and looked at programs in more detail from there.

I chose Temple Rome because Rome was the best fit for my plans and interests. As a Classics major, I had always wanted to see the things I had studied for so long come to life in front of me. I started learning Latin in middle school and delved deeper into the world of the ancient Romans in high school. I loved seeing ancient artifacts and learning about the people whose language I was studying in museums.

At Holy Cross, I expanded my views of the ancient world beyond Rome: there were so many other cultures and peoples to explore in the ancient Mediterranean! I knew from my ancient history classes that ancient Rome had expanded into the largest civilization in the region and incorporated the cultures and histories of the lands it covered into the empire. And I had a chance to study in the city that was once the center of such a large expanse of land. I wanted to go to Rome not only to learn about not only the ancient Romans, but also to look for the influences of other cultures in the city and beyond.

I learned a lot about the diversity of the ancient world in Race in the Ancient Meditterean, a Classics course that included a lot of field trips to museums. This picture of the Rabirii relief in the Palazzo Massimo, where we had our last off-campus lesson, captures the multicultural world that was ancient Rome. The two people on the left have Greek names while the woman on the right was thought to be a priestess for a foreign deity.

My other major, psychology, impacted my decision as well. I learned about the beginnings of developmental psychology in my introductory psychology classes, and a name I remember seeing often was Montessori. I looked up this name, and it turns out that Maria Montessori was an Italian physican who devised the Montessori method of education for the underprivledged children of Rome in the early 1900s! I was lucky enough to have seen where the method had started in the San Lorenzo district in the city, an area I had explored in not a psychology course, but in my political science course! I’m glad I got to walk through history for not only my Classics degree, but also for my studies in psychology as well.

I saw Maria Montessori’s Casa di Bambini (House of Children) with my own eyes in Rome! A major turning point in the history of psychology.

Question: What was the most unexpected experience you had during your time abroad?

There were so many unexpected things that happened while I was abroad I don’t know where to start! I had two travel-related mishaps, one when I missed my bus to Pompeii because of construction on the Roma Metro (a misadventure I made the most of here) and the other when my flight back to Rome was pushed a day back because of aviation strikes (transportation strikes are common in Italy) and I stayed an extra night at a hastily-booked room in Catania, Sicily.

An unexpected experience I had in Rome was when I used three languages in one day while walking through the Nuovo Mercato Esquilino at Piazza Vittorio (an adventure I wrote about here). I heard a lot of the merchants say “Ni hao!” (“Hello!”) to me in Chinese (a language I didn’t think I would hear much of in Italy). My professor’s friend, Omar, who works at a butcher stand in the market, asked me a few questions in Chinese! It took me a moment to switch from English to Chinese to respond to him, and even longer for me to switch back to English to talk to my classmates, and later from English to Italian for Italian class! I was not expecting a trilingual experience that day!

Question: What are some highlights from visiting Florence?

When I went to Florence for a weekend in October, I liked seeing how different the place was from a city like Rome! The streets were less crowded and more colorful, with distinct architecture and art from the Renaissance. My favorite place was Ponte Vecchio, where I got to see an amazing sunset! The pictures I took from that short trip are some of the best ones I took from my entire semester abroad. The photo of the sunset in Florence was also one of the prints I gave away for my fundraiser; it was very popular in the Temple Rome community!

This photo, which I call “Bridge to Dusk,” is of the sunset I caught near Ponte Vecchio in Florence. It was in high demand in December!

Another highlight from my trip to Florence was the food. I had heard of Tuscan cuisine in the United States, but I had never tried until October! I tried charcuterie for the first time in Florence and loved the local pizza and pasta as well. I even got to try something new in the Mercato Centrale on my last day there! One of my former professors who read my post about Florence said I was “adventurous” for trying fried rabbit there! It’s fun to try new things.

Question: Did you have a new favorite food you tried?

This is a hard question: I had so much good food abroad! While I loved trying regional dishes in the places I visited (cannoli and chinotto in Sicily, sarde in saor in Venice, and so on), I have to say my favorite food from the semester is a tried and true Roman classic: carbonara. I tried the dish of pasta, eggs, pancetta (pork belly), and pecorino cheese (the local sheep’s cheese in Rome) several times, both near Via Flaminia behind campus and farther away from the center of the city. My favorite carbonara was at the seaside restaurant I went to in Ostia. I giggle to myself every time I think about the ingredients, because I can imagine trying to make an omelette from bacon, cheese, and eggs at home!

Carbonara: a tried and true Roman classic! Hope I can find it in the States. Maybe the North End in Boston is worth a try.

Question: What was your favorite lunch place around campus?

Yet another hard question! So many good places to eat lunch around campus. Almost every day, I looked for places to eat along Via Flaminia and tried a few different ristoranti (larger places to sit down and eat) and trattorie (places to get a quick bite of pizza or sandwiches.) I’d say my go-to place behind campus was Alice Pizza, a pizza chain with a lot of choices! I got to try classics I’ve tried in the United States like the margherita (tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese) and tried new toppings like prosciutto (sliced ham) and roasted melanzane (eggplants). Orders are priced by weight and heated up in the oven while you pay.

A photo of Alice Pizza’s selections I found online. So many kinds of pizza to choose from!

Question: Any activity recommendations besides just sightseeing and eating?

A very important question! While there is so much to see and eat while abroad, it is also important to get involved with local activities at school as well.

When I was at Temple Rome, I got notifications about upcoming events and could access places I could sign up for them. We all signed up for Italian cultural labs, which could be anything from exploring in the historic markets of the city to learning Italian with dogs to listening to Italian music!

Some of my classmates volunteered at local places like high schools near campus or the refugee center further downtown. Others signed up to play calcetto (soccer) or basketball after classes. I was lucky enough to sign up for the last cooking class of the semester. Making pasta by hand was hard, but it was lot of fun and definitely worth it in the end!

Made pasta by hand at the last cooking class of the semester!

We also got to attend special lectures on campus about issues we wouldn’t have learned about otherwise. I went to a discussion about race in Italy and met Susanna, an Afro-Italian activist who shared how she found her identity in Rome. I got to plan my own activity on campus through my fundraiser for QuestaèRoma, the organization Susanna works with. (Read about how I planned this project here.) I’m grateful to Temple Rome for their support through my independent project. I’m glad we could make something wonderful happen for the holidays!

Those are all the questions I got for this Q&A! Do you have anything else to ask me? Leave a comment below, and we’ll see if I get enough questions for another short Q&A next month as well. Happy New Year!
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Reflecting on My Semester Abroad

Greetings…from Boston!

That’s right: I’ve returned home after my semester abroad! It feels strange, not writing this from Rome. The last time I published a blog post in the United States was back in September, on the day before I caught my flight to Fiumicino Airport.

Arrivederci, Roma! Adesso, a Boston! (Goodbye, Rome! Now, to Boston!)

As I unpack the many things I brought with me from Rome, I’ve been thinking a lot about my experience abroad. So many sensations – sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches – from just three and a half months in another country! The whole semester was a lot to take in and a lot of fun to explore!

I had a hard time packing my suitcases on my flight back to Boston, I can’t believe I got so much stuff! I paid a little extra for my checked bag because it was over the weight limit.

I’m slowly but surely recovering from jetlag. There is a six-hour time difference between Rome and Boston. It took me three days of naps to readjust to Eastern Standard Time.

I miss Temple Rome already. I smile every time I think about the people I met there. A lot of good memories! How time flies.

Miss you already, Temple Rome!

In the three days of re-orienting myself to my hometown, I looked through all of my previous blog posts and all of my favorite photos. I decided that it would be a waste not to combine the two and create a digital record of my experiences. Why not make a video of my adventures this semester?

On Christmas day, I did just that! Check it out right here!

One of the last things I saw in Rome before I left for the airport. How festive!

As I continue to reflect on my time abroad, I think it’ll be nice to hear from you, my readers, about what you would like me to write about in my next post. (I’m thinking about publishing a little Q&A based on what you would like to ask me.)

Leave a comment, and I’ll either respond to it on this post or include it in the future as I continue to look back on my experiences. It may take a little bit for comments to appear on my post, but be assured that I do take every bit of feedback I get! Can’t wait to hear what you would like me talk about as a study abroad blogger.

Happy holidays, everyone!

I’ll leave you with a picture of the Christmas tree in front of Piazza Venezia in Rome.
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One Month in Rome

Today is October 9, exactly one month since I started classes at Temple Rome. And what a month it’s been! It’s hard to believe I arrived in the eternal city just over a month ago! I can’t tell if it feels like I’ve just left Boston, or if I’ve been in Rome for over a semester already.

It’s been over a month since I left Boston (and my family) for my adventure abroad! I’ve called them a few times to keep them posted.

I’ve experienced and learned a lot in Italy during my first month abroad. I like to think that I’ve grown considerably (in maturity and wisdom…not physically, i.e., sideways – all this walking keeps me in shape!) in this one month. I’m happy to take some time out of my busy class schedule to reflect on what I’ve learned since September.

Getting used to Rome was certainly a crucial experience by itself.

Adjusting to my apartment was unlike my housing situation in my first two years at Holy Cross – I had much more to work with but also much more to maintain. Chores and shopping every week. I’m used to doing chores for my family at home, but it feels different because they’re on the other side of the Atlantic. At least I can make dishes (like my favorite stews) in the kitchen. Just like Mom used to make. Surely makes me feel at home!

Making do (and stew) with the kitchen in the apartment. I’m doing all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning for myself.

Figuring out the city and its sights was a lot easier thanks to the advice Temple Rome gave me during orientation. I learned how to get my monthly pass and how to take the Metro. I figured out the transportation system and can see places I had only seen in books and screens back home. It’s very fulfilling to see wonders like the Pantheon in person!

You look much better in person, Pantheon! Excited to see the landmarks I had previously only seen in books in real life!

I’ve more or less gotten used to my schedule. I’m getting to know my professors and classmates better by the day. I love the interesting details I get from lectures and discussions, and I like staying after class to talk to my professors more about the topics we learn in class and about being in Rome in general. I also get to go on field trips for a lot of my classes this semester. What better way to learn about Rome than to see Rome itself?I’ve gotten a lot of suggestions about places to see on my own while I’m abroad this semester. I appreciate the heads-up on cool sights I can see at my own pace.

I also learned a lot about Italian and other European perspectives on certain topics such as race and immigration. Some are similar to perspectives I’ve listened to in the United States while others are unlike anything I’ve heard before. It’s good to enhance  I also got to learn more about modern issues in Italy from events with guest speakers. So far, I’ve heard from activists and photojournalists focused on migration. Really adds to what I’m learning in my classes!

I admit that I do get homesick sometimes. I’ve called my family a few times since moving into the Residence. It’s nice to hear my parents’ voices and to get caught up on what’s happening back at home. I also made the space my own by taping postcards and setting up sentimental trinkets from the United States at my desk. I’ve put them alongside the expanding collection of new postcards I’ve been collecting every time I go to a new place in Italy. I also bought some international stamps (francobolli internazionali in Italian; it’s what I ask the cashier for in gift shops) so I can write to people in the United States.

Made myself feel at home with some decorations from my old dorm! Also adding new postcards every time I see a new site – can’t wait to add more!
Got lots of postcards and international stamps! Going to be writing a lot of these.

These little bits of home and local comfort aren’t the only things I’ve kept close to me in Rome. I always leave the residence with some important things stored in a discreet travel belt that goes under my shirt. Passport (for identification – also needed for checking into hotels in Europe!), mini-wallet, cash, driver’s licence (my American ID), credit/debit cards, insurance cards, and apartment keys all stay close to me while I’m out and about.

I also got a stick-on phone wallet before I left the States. It’s been very handy in holding the cards I use the most: my monthly pass, my Residence Candia gate key, and Temple Rome ID. The detachable wrist strap is a nice bonus, too! I like being able to feel where my phone is at all times.

I don’t go anywhere without my travel belt – it holds my documents/IDs, credit cards, mini-wallet, cash, and keys. My stick-on phone wallet holds my monthly pass, my Residence Candia gate card, and my Temple Rome ID. It has a detachable wrist strap, too!

In addition to my locking backpack, I also have a crossbody camera bag that I carry my digital camera in. I like the security of having my precious camera by my side. I also have an anti-theft crossbody bag with locking zippers and a slash-proof body for my leisurely walks around the city.

Wearing my crossbody camera bag and travel belt. I also have an anti-theft crossbody bag that has locks and slash-proof material.

I’m also glad I got an eye exam before I left and used my updated prescription to get not only a good pair of glasses, but also a handy pair of prescription sunglasses. I’m so happy that the sun and my nearsightedness can’t get in the way of enjoying the sights of the city! If you wear glasses and don’t have contact lenses, I highly recommend you invest in a pair of prescription of sunglasses! There are sights you don’t want to miss.

Too much sun and less-than-ideal eyesight shouldn’t get in the way of taking in all the sights abroad! Glad I got sunglasses with my prescription before I left.

In addition to seeing places with my own eyes for the first time, I also tried a lot of new things. I tried a classic Roman dish for the first time last month; carbonara is my favorite dish by far. I also went to a Roman salon for the first time. I liked talking with Federico, the local English-speaking hairdresser, about being in Rome. It was interesting to hear what he had to say, too.

My new haircut!

I’m proud of how much I learned from my first semester abroad. I’m happy with how much of the city I’ve been picking up, piece-by-piece, as I explore my home for the semester. I’m learning new things every day, and that’s not limited to new Italian phrases I see and hear on my way to class – I’m learning more about myself and how I’m adapting and growing in a new environment. I look forward to applying my new skills (and new Italian skills) in my next two months in Rome! Ciao for now! A dopo! (See you soon!)
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Rome-ientation

My first week at Temple Rome felt like my first week at Holy Cross. Move-in day abroad was a lot like my first move-in day in the United States. After I had unpacked my suitcases, I attended new student orientation, organized by Temple Rome staff. I followed the Alumni Assistants, staff who studied abroad at Temple Rome and were now graduates of the program, to the Temple University Rome campus. We walked for 25 minutes from the Residence to the school building.

I took in all the sights on my walk to campus. Before I arrived in Italy, I had only seen Rome through photographs. Now, I was walking on the same streets as the locals and experiencing the city in person. My favorite part of my first walk was the view across the bridge. I got to see Temple Rome in the evening light. What a first sight of campus!

Greetings from Temple Rome! Excited to be taking classes here for the semester!
What a view of campus across the Tiber river! Taken on my first walk to campus during orientation.

We checked in with the staff and began orientation with a welcome meeting and a huge pizza party. I tried Italian pizza for the first time. It tastes different from the pizza I’ve tried in the United States. Food should be no problem – I like it! I’m looking forward to not only trying the Italian food at local restaurants, but also to trying new recipes from scratch in the apartment kitchen!

I got to meet other students in the program at orientation. A lot of them live in the Residence; some are only a few doors away from where I’m staying. Others are part of the homestay program and live with local families in the area. I also met some classmates who are staying in independent housing with other students. I explored the area with a few new friends and helped one of them get a monthly pass for the metro. We went shopping and got pizza together afterward.

The Flaminio Metro station; I’ll be seeing a lot of this on my commute to and from class! 15 minutes from the Cipro station (a 5 minute walk from the residence).
Got some pizza at a local restaurant! You bet I ate the whole thing! So stuffed…

The other students and I had fun at social events such as a “speed friending” exercise, where we chatted with each other for five minutes before moving onto the next person, and a team scavenger hunt around the area that helped us find convenient places around campus. We named our team “Primo Posto,” which is Italian for “first place.” We got to see sights such as the gorgeous Piazza del Popolo, right outside of the Flaminio metro station, the closest subway stop around campus. We found all the places on our list but did not return to campus in time to be first place. We came in third place.

My first time entering the Piazza del Populo (short walk away from campus). We were sorted into groups for a scavenger hunt. Our team was “Primo Posto,” which mean “first place” in Italian. How fitting: we came in third place!

Part of orientation week involved getting set up with useful tools such Italian SIM cards, textbooks, and even portable Wifi devices! I got all three. I feel much better after getting a good data plan – I can use Google Maps without worrying about my data roaming speeds! We have a lot of data and minutes every month. If we run out of euros for the plan or need to pay for the next month, we can go to Tabacchi or phone stores to refill our plans. We can use a lot of social media apps without tapping into our data, so I got to add a lot of my new friends on social media.

I learned a lot about living in the city during orientation. We listened to talks about the local culture and safety rules from Temple Rome staff and from a representative from the US embassy in Rome. We filled out a few forms for our stay. I’m glad we got help completing our applications for the Permesso di Soggiorno (“Permit of Stay,”) which is a legal document that allows us to stay in Rome. We got our forms done and made appointments to continue the process at the local post office. Glad that’s out of the way!

I am much more prepared for my life in Rome. The jetlag is gone, and I know the city a little better. Can’t wait to see what else I’ll learn during my time here!
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“Ciao, Roma!” Settling In for the Semester

Greetings from Rome!

I arrived in Italy before noon on Monday, September 3 (around 6 a.m. in my hometown of Boston – six hour jetlag!) and moved into the Residence Candia, where many Temple Rome students will call home for the semester. We will be living right outside the Vatican! I am staying in an apartment with five other girls. I share a bedroom with two of them. It feels like I’m living in a triple with a bathroom and a kitchen/dining area shared with our other three housemates.

Staying in an apartment at the Residence Candia, just outside of the Vatican. Convenient location in the city!

I made steady progress unpacking my suitcases and setting up my part of the room. I sorted my clothes into drawers and put my books, glasses, and alarm clock on top of the dresser next to my bed (bottom bunk). I used one of my adapters to install a set of US outlets for my electronics.  My housemates and I bought other things for our apartment at local supermarkets and outdoor shops. We helped each other set up our shared spaces and got to know each other. We also learned about the amenities both at and around the Residence, such as weekly linen-changing services (with all towels and sheets are provided by staff) and local shops and cafés a short walk away.

Via Candia, the street in downtown Rome where the residence is. Lots of local stores and cafés, alongside convenient Tabacchi (which are everywhere in the city; you can get monthly passes and add money to your phone account there, too!).

I’m glad I’ve been able to get a lot of help moving in from both the Residence Candia and from Temple Rome. They have been very kind to help us all get settled in the city for the semester.

The Residence staff have been wonderful at answering our questions about the place and listening to our requests for additional supplies for our apartment. I appreciate their patience with my limited Italian during my first week; I was looking for an extension cord and asked for “una prolunga” (Italian for “extension cord”) for our room. This was before classes started (I’m starting Italian this semester and had only a basic grasp of “survival Italian”), so I didn’t know how to pronounce the term I found in my English-Italian dictionary. I was happy to see the receptionist smile and praise my attempt at speaking Italain. I borrowed an extension cord from the Residence until I bought a US-friendly power strip for my roommates and me. The friendly interactions with the staff made moving in much easier.

Asked for “una prolunga” (extension cord in Italian) from the front desk at the residence. I’m glad the receptionist was amused by my attempt at asking for something in Italian! I was relieved to see that I had found some outlets for my adapters: we all have power now!

Temple Rome staff helped me get useful resources for the semester as well. I learned where to buy my monthly pass for the public transportation in Rome, which consists of buses, trams, and the Metro. This is crucial to my stay in Rome; as a Bostonian who takes the buses and trains on the MBTA very often, I see myself taking the Metro and (occasionally the bus) to campus. I also had some help getting an Italian SIM card and phone plan with a special discount for Temple Rome students. I also got to rent a portable Wifi device through a university deal online. I’m glad I have all of these things now – I feel prepared and supported for my semester in Rome.

My part of the room. I share a bedroom with two other girls in the apartment. All set up with my backpack, books, alarm clock, US outlets, and cards (Temple University Rome ID, eRoma monthly transportation pass, Residence Candia gate key, and phone SIM card)!

All of these thorough preparations, along with the reassurance from and positive interactions with the local staff, have made my adjustment to a new city in a new country much more comfortable. I feel confident and ready for my adventure!
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Rome, Here I Come!

Hello! My name is Hui. I’m a Classics and Psychology double major from Boston, MA. When I’m not in class, I take pictures of events and scenic views on campus. I will be studying in Rome this fall as part of Temple University’s Education Abroad program, which is one of the many study abroad opportunities offered at Holy Cross.

I can’t believe that I’ll be going on my adventure overseas already! It feels like I learned about the study abroad experience from returning students at the Study Abroad Fair, during program-specific information sessions, and through one-on-one appointments with the Office of Study Abroad just yesterday!

I am grateful for the guidance I received at Holy Cross throughout the study abroad process. I’m thankful to my professors and advisors for helping me with my application last year and with my class planning for my semester abroad. Over the summer, the Office of Study Abroad made sure that all my travel documents were ready before I leave the States while the staff at Temple Rome helped me enroll in my courses for the fall and gave me a pre-departure checklist to prepare for my time in Rome.

I’ve put the finishing touches on my preparations this weekend: exchanged some dollars for euros, bought some EU-to-US outlet adapters, sorted all my travel documents, and unlocked my phone so I can use a local SIM card in Italy. All ready to go!

Suitcases, documents, and money ready to go!
Packed my suitcases, got my documents (passport and student visa, as well as consulate letters for my stay), exchanged some dollars for euros…Rome, here I come!

I’ve learned some useful tips in preparing for my time abroad. I had a lot of questions about getting ready for my semester in Rome, and I’m glad I had access to a lot of helpful resources. I met other students studying at Temple Rome this fall on social media and have been in touch with Temple Rome staff to take care of miscellaneous questions and forms. Here’s what I picked up from my experience:

1.) Reach out – don’t be afraid to ask your study abroad advisors and/or reach out to your host institution if you have any questions or concerns about preparing for your study abroad experience. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you’ll get answers!

2.) Plan ahead –  you’ll be notified of anything you’ll need to do for your applications or preparations far in advance. This applies for both the study abroad application during the year and for forms in the summer.  Make sure to do things that might take longer to complete first.

3.) Stay up to date – check your email to make sure you haven’t missed anything from the Office of Study Abroad or from your host institution. Any issues that might come up in your progress can be resolved easily if you’re aware of them! People are here to help.

4.) Get to know other students and administrators online – there might be social media groups where you can meet others in the program. You never know when someone else may have already asked or answered a question you have. You may even get learn new things from what other people have already discussed. I had a lot of “Wow, I haven’t even thought of that!” moments after seeing what other Temple Rome students mentioned online.

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at Temple Rome and to exploring the campus and city at orientation! I’m ready to embark on this adventure: this road leads to Rome! Here I come!