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10 Things You Should Know if You Want to Live In Rome

7Dec

Rome is a beautiful and historic city with countless hours – even years – of things to do. It’s simply impossible to fully grasp the enormity and complexity of the “eternal city”. The city presents the fantastic rewards to those who seek them out, yet offers interesting challenges which many Americans find unique.

1. The Coffee:

The coffee in Rome, and Italy, is very different than what we are used to in the United States. Everything is espresso-based. If you order a coffee, or caffè in Italian, you will receive a small cup with a shot of espresso. It’s strong, yet sweet. There are many options for your caffè: cappuccino, doppio (double shot), lungo (more water), caffè latte, among dozens more. Try experimenting with the different coffees and try out a traditional Italian breakfast, which consists of a cappuccino and a buttery cornetto (croissant), sometimes filled with Nutella, cream, or a jam-type substance.

2. Live centrally!

Rome is a large city and it can be difficult to navigate at times because the attractions, sights, venues, etc. can be spread out in the different neighbourhoods. This difficulty is compounded by reliability with public transport, frequent strikes, and traffic. Not only that, but Rome is a lovely city to walk in. It’s safe and you can come across many cultural treasures during your walks around the city.

3. Hope you like pasta and pizza!

Yes, it’s true: many Italians choose to eat pasta very frequently! In fact, at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations based in Rome, Italy, the cafeteria offers several varieties of pasta every day. Your typical Italian mean includes an antipasto, primo, and secondo. Yes, that’s three courses – not including the dessert! Don’t worry, you can opt for only a primo or only a secondo.

Pizza is very common here and quite different than what we are used to in the United States. You will find many options and styles of pizza. The pizza here, especially in Rome, is very thin and crunchy. Toppings can include zucchini flowers, prosciutto, mushrooms, and potatoes. Pizza is typically considered a dinner item, but you can easily find quick grab-and-go pizza places open for lunch. I’ve never had a bad pizza in Rome! You simply cannot beat the food in Italy.

4. Yes, it’s busy with tourists, but you can avoid typical tourist traps:

Rome is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s no surprise that during peak tourist season from April to October, it can be packed with tourists and tourist traps can pop up. It’s recommended to avoid restaurants which try to coax you inside with greeters on the sidewalk, and especially restaurants boasting large pictures of food items in English on the outside. At these types of places, the prices are expensive and the food is usually of subpar quality. Use TripAdvisor (more popular in Rome) and Yelp to find restaurants you might not otherwise notice.

As far as sightseeing goes during peak tourist season, ALWAYS book tickets in advance on-line or in-person! Many people spend hours of their vacation standing in line to buy tickets. This is especially true for the Colosseum and Vatican Museums. Have you seen the lines that wrap around the Vatican for nearly a kilometer? You can skip that by buying a ticket online!

Remember: play tourist! You may be here studying or working, but take the chance to still be a tourist, also.

5. Be careful crossing the street!

For your first few weeks in Rome, you will find that it’s incredibly difficult crossing the street. Try shadowing locals whenever they cross the street until you can get a feel for the technique. Cars will – usually – stop, but you cannot always rely on that. Don’t go if you have any doubt that the driver isn’t paying intention or has zero intention of stopping. Many cars will continue driving and will not brake until they are a few feet from the crosswalk – that’s always fun. Running stop signs and street lights is relatively commonplace, which poses hazards for pedestrians. Best advice is to remain vigilant and don’t take risks.

6. Research what Rome has to offer and what you are seeing.

We all know about the history and the wonders of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and St. Peters Basilica, but Rome offers many hidden treasures. For example, near the Colosseum there is a church called “San Pietro in Vincoli” which features Michangelo’s grand statue “Moses”. It’s an incredible experience as there are usually very few people people there, which offers the opportunity to take the time and appreciate it. San Giovanni, a Papal Basilica, features the original ancient doors from the Roman senate house. These are just a few examples of the hidden, little-known treasures Rome offers.

7. Be prepared for the infamous bureaucracy

The Italian bureaucracy is quite infamous and frequently discussed. My experience with the Italian bureaucracy was relatively smooth and painless, but for many it is not. Yes, if you stay over 90 days you will need to get a visa and then a Permesso di Soggiorno. The cost, when adding up all the fees and taxes, came out to nearly €200 for a temporary residence permit. It took multiple trips to government offices, but when it was all said and done, it was no different than getting a driver’s license in the United States. Remember: you’re no the first person to go through this process! Ask friends, ask colleagues, and scour the internet for information on how to fill out your forms.

8. Learn some Italian:

I came here with not-so-great Italian language skills, and I do regret not putting the time into learning the language better. Although in touristy and business areas some Italians will speak English, many will not speak English. This is completely understandable as it shouldn’t be expected for nationals to speak a foreign language in their own country. In my opinion, knowing Italian greatly enriches your experience as Italians are very expressive, friendly, and very people-oriented. For practicality purposes, it eases the transition and makes daily tasks such as eating at restaurants, getting groceries, etc. much easier. No one expects you to be fluent, but a little bit goes a long way for many locals.

9. Try the “acqua frizzante“

You may notice that many Italians and Europeans opt to drink fizzy water instead of normal, still water. If you read up on why this is, it’s a very interesting history lesson. The trend dates back to when naturally effervescent water from mineral springs was the optimal drinking water because it was safe and thought to offer medical benefits. Drinking fizzy water, or acqua frizzante in Italian, is a different taste than normal water. At first, I didn’t enjoy it. However, I eventually came to appreciate the taste and favour it over normal water. Give it a shot – maybe a few – and you might come to really appreciate it.

10. Bring an umbrella and rain coat!

When it rains in Rome, it pours. There have been many days where I walked outside into a pleasant, blue sky and come back from lunch soaking wet from the rain. It’s quite the experience. The metro tends to flood, the streets sometimes flood, and the whole city seems to come to a screeching halt. Be prepared!

 

Ian Sprouse

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Rome, Italy – Fall 2015

How to Take A Day Off in DC

12Nov

Kangas FlagsWhen you work in Washington, DC, it can be jarring to take a day off, even if it’s for a federal holiday.

It can be tempting to catch up on the things you need to: laundry, grocery shopping, the latest episode of The Mindy Project, but it’s also important to remember that you live in Washington, DC! Take advantage of where you are, and try to make the most of your day off.

Try not to sleep in, especially if your day off is during the week–it’ll throw off your sleep schedule and you’ll waste your day! Okay…sleep in a little bit. But still set an alarm. Stop and get breakfast somewhere you’ve never been before; Alexandria and Georgetown are full of diverse shops and are only a metro ride away. (And you won’t even have to deal with slower weekend metro service!)

Explore the city and make an adventure of your day! You’ll never know what comic book store or cupcake shop you’ll stumble across while you’re wandering. Eat food that doesn’t come from a food truck or cafeteria. Whenever I have a day off, even if it’s a Saturday, I try to do one thing that a tourist would do. I’ve visited the White House for a tour of the fall gardens, I’ve been to a 4D show in the Newseum (well worth the admission price), I’ve walked to the Lincoln Memorial at night, and I’ve scoured the city for cherry blossom soap.

ArlingtonFor example, November 11th is Veteran’s Day, which this year happened to fall on a Wednesday:

8:15 Alarm goes off

8:30 Actually wake up to alarm this time after snoozing

8:34 Receive text from suitemate asking why you aren’t up yet

9:00 Leave for Arlington National Cemetery

9:42 Arrive at entrance of Arlington National Cemetery and realize what a great decision this was

10:11 Take selfies with the American flags handed to you by volunteers

10:12 Ask the people behind you if they’re willing to take a picture of you because you lucked into amazing seats that put you only ten rows in front of the stage (everything is marble and exquisite)

11:00 Star spangled banner, wreath lying ceremony, moment of silence

11:16 Vice President Joe Biden arrives (gasp, hit your friend to tell them the vice president and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, are present, take as many zoomed in pictures as you can)

11:18 President Barack Obama arrives (record to remind yourself this really happened)

11:20 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the Vice President and President of the United States (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

11:39 Record the address you’ll read about on Instagram (@whitehouse) and in the news for the next day and a half (commit to recording even past the eight minute mark)

12:16 Walk back to the Visitors Center, reflecting on the millions of men and women who have served to protect us and our freedoms, enabling you to even walk here in this moment

1:27 Stop at Astro for a Creme Brulee donut and chicken tenders (have a bite of your friends’ maple bacon and raspberry passionfruit donuts as well)

2:20 Window shop in Georgetown (vow to

Food
come back when you have a salary)

2:35 Order a raspberry lemon cupcake and a latte from Baked and Wired (best cupcakes in the city)

2:56 Stumble across Lush, buy everyone you can think of presents

3:40 Continue window shopping, but avoid going into stores where you know you can’t afford anything (unless they have candles)

4:11 Take pictures of giant Georgetown gingerbread house display

4:23 Order some macarons to take home for dinner, head back home

6:00 Start watching Frozen with your roommates and your macarons

Try to go to bed early because you’ve been walking around all day and need to be well-rested for work in the morning, end up talking with your roommate and going to sleep after 11 anyway.

When you work in DC, you deserve a day every now and then to relax and appreciate where you are and what you do every day. Commit to making the most of your day, and it’ll pay off.

Sara Kangas

National Farmers Union

Washington, D.C. – Fall 2015

Things I learned as an Intern at the Hill

29Jul

1. Washington DC is awesome.

There is so much history and there is a very proud American feel in the environment.

2. Be a tourist but don’t look like one.

When getting off the metro, walk on the left and stand on the right especially during the workweek.
When heading to work dress professionally but wear comfy shoes if you have to walk a bit.
No one cares if you are wearing tennis shoes with your professional work clothes, what matters is getting to the office in time without falling or getting blisters before you actually get into the office. The metro can get you close to where you want to go but for some destinations, if you don’t have a car, you’ll have to walk quite a lot, so put your heels in your bag and then change into them.

3. Georgetown Cupcakes are not the only cupcakes in DC, try Baked and Wired too!

4. The DC Metro is easy to get used to.

Study your metro route before the start of your internship
You know the direction in which the train is going by the destination it has on its lightboard.
example: If you’re heading to the Hill from Crystal City, take the yellow line toward Fort Totten and get off on L’enfant plaza and then take any train on the Largo side. You’ll know what I am talking about later.

5. When working on Hill, there will already be other interns from different schools.

First, be friends with them.
Two, if there are too many interns and you’re not doing much because your supervisor has not assigned you anything, it’s okay. Your supervisor knows that you are in the office, you could ask them every once in while if there is anything that you can do, but if they haven’t assigned you anything it means there do not have anything.
Three, get out of the office, if you are not doing anything and the phones are being taken care of.
capitolgrapevine.com
Four, even if you realize that your internship is not the career that you want to take, do your job.
Don’t be afraid to tell your supervisor how you feel about the job, but keep in mind that they are the ones that write your letter of recommendation.

5.Brunch is the thing to do in DC, but make reservations or call ahead.

6.White House tours are very hard to get, as soon as you know that you are coming to DC, fill out a White House tour application.

7. The only thing that DC does better than Texas is the weather.

But Texas has better Mexican food than all of the east coast.

8.Giving Capitol Tours are really fun!

The training session is terribly long but taking constituents to the Capitol gets you out of the office, you get to talk about American history, and you get to know and interact with the constituents!
For the whisper spot, it takes a little bit of practice to get it right and it works a lot better if there are not a lot of people in Statuary Hall.

Ada Morales

Office of Congressman Vela

Washington, D.C. – Summer 2015

ANRP 25th Anniversary

22Jul

Kotula ReceptionHowdy! My name is Chris Kotula and I am currently interning for Congressman John Carter on Capitol Hill.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the ANRP 25th anniversary reception being held in the Capitol. The event was a time for Aggies from all over the Washington, D.C. area to come together and celebrate the achievements of the ANRP program. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience, showing me in person how extensive the Aggie network is even so far away from home. The doors that the network opens up is truly amazing, I got to meet congressional staffers, lobbyists, a United States Colonel, and a handful of congressman all of which were alum of Texas A&M. Regardless of their occupation or years outside of the university everyone was incredibly nice and showed their Aggie spirit and willingness to help me out in any way I felt necessary. I ended up going home with a pocketful of business cards and new connections from all over the D.C. area.

Chris Kotula

Office of Congressman John Carter

Washington, D.C. – Summer 2015

What To Do When You Don’t Like Your Internship

19Jul

1. Admit that you do not like your internship.

Keep calm and breathe because that is completely okay.

Contrary to what most of my fellow co-interns would say, I do not like my intership. I am not saying that I hate it and dread coming to work, but that I realized that this type of work is not what I want to do the rest of my life. I definitely do not regret taking this internship because it gave a once in a lifetime experience, which I am very thankful for. After all, an internship is meant to give you a taste of a particular career; to learn about yourself and make smart decisions yourself.

2. Ask yourself, what would you rather do?

Personally, I wish I was back in Texas doing research with my little parasitic wasps, I’m trying to finish my grad schools applications now. Take this experience to get to know your future a little better. Ask yourself, “ do I like the environment I am in? am I enjoying this assignment? am I proud of the work that I just submitted to my boss?” Knowing that you aren’t too happy where you are, opens your mind to the career you would rather be in.

3. Walk around.

Go to a meeting that you know you have no interest in (it could become interesting), talk to people, research something, read a book, ask your supervisor about other work/intern opportunities, they might just know someone that has your same interests. It won’t hurt at all, I promise.

4. You do you.

Find little things that make your internship enjoyable. For me, I love the all the free coffee and lunches! And I really like to dress up and wear medium sized heels, I can’t do that at grad school or in a research lab. Also, if you are interning in a city that is not home, take advantage of that; find restaurants that you won’t be able to find back home, visit local landmarks, and make it a goal to at least make one new friend.

5. Still do your job.

There’s nothing worse than having an intern that does not do what is expected out of them. You may not enjoy it but you do need a good letter of recommendation so work for it.

 

Ada Morales

Office of Congressman Filemon Vela

Washington, D.C. – Summer 2015

Once in a lifetime

3Mar

Today Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu came to speak in front of a joint session in Congress. While it may have been of some controversy, Congressman Vela agreed to attend and with that, a guest ticket was allocated to him. Never did I think he would offer ME his guest ticket, but he did, and I was on my way to hear Prime Minister Netanyahu address Congress. The room gave a warm welcome to Netanyahu as he made his way down the center of the aisle, shaking hands of Congressmen. This man that newspapers and media have been debating about for weeks was finally here, and I was in his presence. My seat was behind the Speaker’s Chair and to the right in the gallery, so throughout the speech I only had the visual of the room’s responses to Netanyahu. His speech proved to be strong and powerful, with the whole House standing up cheering him on more times than I can count throughout the hour. He gave a great speech and I enjoyed every minute of it. Regardless of your stance on the Prime Minister’s visit, he is a powerful and important man. I am so grateful to the Congressman for allowing me a ticket to see this once in a lifetime speech.

Krystyn Krafka

Congressman Filemon Vela

Washington, D.C. – Spring 2015

Never a dull moment in Austin

2Feb

It has been an incredible time so far at the Capitol these past few weeks. It is hard to believe that it has only been a month since I arrived in Austin and a few weeks of working in the Capitol. So much has happened that it feels, in a positive way, that I have been here for months. From the Governor’s Inauguration Ball (we saw Lady Antebellum and Pat Green!) to the little things like bonding with my office staff, there is never a dull moment here in Austin.

Capitol BBQAs far as the governmental side of things go, I am definitely being thrown into a new world and gaining hands on experience that is far greater than I could have imagined. My primary responsibilities include scheduling for the Senator, administrative duties around the office, and interacting with constituents and lobbyists–as I am the front face of the office. Scheduling can be difficult and consumes most of my day, but I feel important making sure the Senator’s schedule is in order and helping out my fellow team members so that we all can have a successful session. Due to these responsibilities taking all of my attention, I am not as heavily involved in the legislative process. However, being at the front desk, I overhear much conversation regarding different bills being introduced and drafted, topics of the various meetings the Senator is to be a part of, and my co-workers and I discuss a variety of controversial topics that are the main focus of our constituent calls. Wit h this being said, I do receive a more indirect introduction into our legislative process and feel this is a great way for me to learn more about our state government.

IMG_8460There is so much newness to this experience that I am glad that there is a large group of interns to experience it with. We have gone to receptions together, went out to movies, attended church together, experienced different Austin cuisine, and even had hang out nights at each other’s apartments. It is nice to come together as a group and be able to share experiences with each other and feel that we can relate.

I feel that this experience will only grow increasingly interesting, fun, maybe stressful, and new, but will serve each of us differently on our paths to success in the future.

Erin Carney

Senator Van Taylor

Spring 2015 Austin, Texas

Inaguration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concert

 

 

Unexpected Lessons

13Nov

It’s now Week 6 in DC at the National Corn Growers Association Office! unnamed_thumb[1]

This internship experience has been great not only because of the experiences and learning opportunities, but I’ve learned a lot about myself and my family as well.  Before I left, my dad (who is a career firefighter/flight paramedic) taught me about some of the technical farming topics I might encounter that were being used in the neighborhood.  He grew up on a farm near Enola (north of Madison, NE) where we’ve recently had some baby calves.  My grandpa (on my dad’s side), Leland Nelson, was one of the first members on the pork check-off board a very long time ago.  Needless to say, my internship has brought out some very cool stories about the family that I didn’t know.

NCGA is involved in pollination issues as well, which was another odd strike of luck for me.  I grew up assisting my dad’s beekeeping operation.  Not only would I suit up and help tend the bees, but I helped extract and sell the honey.  I’m not sure which is worse, detassling corn or extracting honey (yes, I did both).  Because I’ve been away at college for five years (and was a busy high school kid before that) I haven’t done anything with the bees for a long time.   Not to mention sad losses of bees at home and nationwide.  My dad’s knowledge of the issues facing beekeepers nationwide has been a great resource for my knowledge about the issue with regards to my internship.  He was previously a State Bee Inspector, and illustrated the very issues that were recently briefed on Capitol Hill.

When I left Nebraska as a country kid (not a farm kid), I thought that my lack of farming experience would put me behind quite a bit.  What I learned instead (and found to be a truly valuable lesson), is that it takes all kinds to complete the necessary knowledge in an organization.

– Morgan Nelson, Public Policy Internship Program

First Day of Sight Seeing and Work in Rome, Italy!

23Sep

Insights into the first few days of interning with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the United Nations in Rome, Italy. Copied with permission for Kerstin Alander’s personal blog.

Yesterday was my first official day at the FAO headquarters.

wpid-20140922_073328I still can’t believe it.

I woke up very early and the mother of the house dropped me off at a coffeehouse so I could buy a bus pass. She explained everything to me very well and I had no problem getting a ticket! I took the bus for a bit and then got on the metro! The only other subway system I have been on was in New York and this was a lot different. The main difference was that in New York they had announcements for the stops and scrolling bulletins on the stops. Here you have to watch because there are few announcements and no bulletins. The subways themselves are also heavily marked with graffiti.
It was almost pretty in a sense.

Look what you see as soon as you walk out of the station! It’s the UN flag!!!!

Since I left the house so early I got to the headquarters a little over half an hour before I was supposed to arrive! You know what that means? I finally got to do some sightseeing. Although I was in a three piece suit so I wasn’t super comfortable, haha. I walked around the Circo Massimo, which in English is Circus of Maxentius. In ancient Rome it was a circus, most well-known for its chariot races. Now people use it to walk their dogs and jog, but more of it has been excavated over the past few years.

Finally it came time for me to start my first day! I was all butterflies as I went through security and gave them my passport. One of the HR reps met me at the gates and gave me a tour of the building. This place is a maze! It used to be several separate buildings,dscn6987 but over the years they have connected them. That means one minute you are in building B, than you turn a corner and are in building F! Everyone who works here is incredibly nice. For those of you who don’t know UN staff is very diverse, with only so many staff members allowed from each donating nation. Fun fact, because the US doesn’t donate that much to the FAO there are very few permanent staff members from the USA. Crazy huh? The scientist who I am directly under is extremely nice, and so is the other member of the GLEWS I met today. They had me join them at lunch in the cafeteria on the 8th floor. Let me just tell you- THE VIEW! It’s amazing. The FAO is open to visitors so if you are in Rome, come to the FAO to get some pictures. You can see the Coliseum, Vatican City, and Circo Massimo to name just a few.

It’s super cool. One of these days I want to come at night when it is all light up. So then I started on the way to Termini Station. That’s when I made my first mistake. Rome is a very crazily built city with everything on top of itself and the streets are not labeled as well as in the US. So I quickly got lost. It wasn’t too terrible; I got to see some really cool normal buildings. People were also very friendly, and if you just said Termini they would point in the direction. The issue was roads that slowly split and I either didn’t realize my street was now a different one or I couldn’t find the street name. I eventually got to Termini after a several hour zigzag path. I did get to see the The Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore during my adventure as the clueless tourist though!

A Hollywood Moment

21Aug

There’s something about being a political science major in Washington D.C. that just makes my heart sing. The sighting of a Congressman, on either side of the aisle, is akin to a teenager passing by Justin Bieber in Hollywood. For me, walking the halls of the Supreme Court or the Capitol is far superior to the glamour of the red carpet. However, there is more to D.C. than the Congress, the Court, and the Commander in Chief. Our nation’s capital is the heart of policy and advocacy. Hundreds of associations, representing everything from dairy farmers to university presidents, work throughout the city to influence the formation of laws and regulations and provide expertise on a variety of subjects. The work of the associations often requires regular gatherings of their members, in order to discuss the important pieces of legislation, regulation, and news that will affect their organizations. For those with interests in either the dairy farmers or the educators, these meetings are the perfect opportunity to Capitol Buildingmeet your own celebrities. While others may not recall the faces and names of the attendees at these gatherings, you likely know their life story!

As an intern at the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities, I was able to sit in on one of these gatherings. The university presidents of APLU’s member organizations convened in D.C for a daylong meeting. While this meeting may not have excited everyone, I have been doing research at Texas A&M University, as an undergraduate research assistant with the Project for Equity, Representation, and Governance on management in higher education. I have spent hours researching a variety of university officials, including presidents and chancellors. I have read about their lives, backgrounds, and accomplishments. Consequently, seeing these university presidents was somewhat of a Hollywood moment! Just as an avid movie goer could point out their favorite actor or actress, I was mentally noting the presidents I had spent so much time learning about. It was a wonderful opportunity to be a fly on the wall in such a meeting and get to brush shoulders with such VIPs.  Thank you to PPIP and APLU for providing me with this experience and the chance to be surrounded by the issues, people, and policies I find so interesting.

—Claire Stieg, 2014

Association of Public & Land-grant Universities

Claire Stieg is a member of the ANRP Internship Program sister experience called the Public Policy Internship Program. 

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