Rome, Italy, 22nd September 2011

I'm writing here from a bed in a hostel in Rome. I arrived here last night with Ömer from Karlsruhe. NICE KARLSRUHE NEIGHBOURHOOD Karlsruhe was also another nice town, worth taking the walk. We walked through the shopping areas to find what Ömer said was a palace. We found it but Ömer was just interested in just seeing and just being there. I wanted to see and experience what could be. Anyway we didn't have much time for that. I should come here again myself and spend all the time I can at one place and not worry about going back. From the main town of Karlsruhe, we had to take a bus to the airport. It was quite a long journey and brought us into a neighbourhood. The kind that I could only see on TV. Bungalows and other types of houses and also apartments. The whole place was generally quiet but there was more than enough space for people to play or just do their thing. APPEARANCE MATTERS One family was busking out in the sun. Teenagers walking home from school. The fact that they were not in uniform probably taught these Europeans how to dress up. That and probabaly the four seasons. Or perhaps these people are just blessed with good looks. Not all of them though. Upon closer scrutiny, some of these folks are not that good looking but they just know how to present themselves.  TURKEY-FYING EUROPE We arrived in Rome yesterday evening at about 6pm. Rome was different from what I saw in Germany or Vienna. The streets are not that clean. The air was clear but didn't feel that clean. My nose started to feel uncomfortable from the dust. Ömer began talking about how Rome was like another Turkish city. He kept going on at it for a while. I could only give a smile because although there were similarities I didn't want to think I'm in Turkey. To me, after seeing Germany, Rome was like the Kuala Lumpur of Europe. Actually I can say like Jakarta albeit with less cars. The roads are crowded but not as bad as Jakarta. The vehicles are a little disorderly. Actually I can't say that. The Italians have their own order which in this short trip, I haven't yet understood. Despite being not as developed as Germany, Italy still had a very good architecture. There was a fountain in one part of Rome but I wasn't sure if it was the same famous fountain of love that they always featured in the movies. WINE AND DINE Another thing I realized about the whole Europe experience was that drinking has to be a part of it. Altay! Wherefore art thou? The Europeans drink everywhere, anywhere, anytime. Ok, maybe not time. Someone was denied alcohol when he tried to buy beer at 3am. When I was in the bus from Vienna to Karlsruhe, I saw a bottle of cola on the pocket in front of my seat. I just ignored it and slept. In the morning, when I woke up, I saw snugged away behind the cola was a small empty vodka bottle I think. With 37.5% alcohol. I assumed the vodka must have been mixed with the cola and the guy must have forgotten all about it. Must be a great loss to him. They were also selling beer and other drinks at the coffee shop. So unlike Singapore. Oh by coffee shops, I mean shops/cafeterias that sell coffee and tea, not the coffeeshop that we see in Singapore. IT'S ABOUT CLASS Speaking of the meaning of coffee shop or what I understand of it in Europe and in Singapore, it brings me to the topic of class.  After going to Germany and Vienna, I noticed that these folks have class. They have their style. I was thinking why this is not so in Singapore. And I decided to conveniently blame it on subjectivity. The Europeans have class because they created class. We adopted the European standards of class and therefore it will be more difficult to have the same class as the Europeans. As for us Malays, we have class too. When it comes to eating rice with hands and the wearing of Sarong. Can anyone beat us to that? My note of self consolation. ERHAN MISSED HIS FLIGHT Erhan missed his flight yesterday from Bratislava. He called Ömer from there. This morning we are still waiting for him to arrive from the airport.