Rome, Italy, 23rd September 2011

Rome, Italy, 23rd October 2011 MR BEAN Erhan broke the window to the room. I thought it was funny Me: Do you know that Mr Bean is a comedy show? Erhan: No it is not. It is a comedy for people like you but in actual fact, it is a reflection for everyone else. (By everyone else, he meant himself) XENOPHOBES Third night in a row I felt dicriminated. This time round, it was in a bus. We took the public bus in Rome to go to Vatican City and when coming back. In the evening when we were making our way back to Republica from Vatican City in a public bus. I decided to make my way to the back of the bus out of habit as in Singapore, although I didn't have to because in Rome, passengers can get onto the bus from the back door as well. Anyway, I just thought I would stand in a more spacious pocket in the bus and it happened to be beside a young lady who was seated. When I stood beside her she just pulled her bag closer to her and looked away from me. I hadn't touched her bag at all! I tried to look at her face and she had this disgusted look. What the hell? In the entire time that I was standing beside her, I was trying to think of ways to prove that I am more respectable than she thought. When Ömer talked to me, I tried to reply in the most proper English that I could put on. But I only had very little opportunity to talk. Her Iphone rang and I thought I should also show off that I have a handphone close to her Iphone. My Samsung Galaxy S. But, that may get the wrong kind of attention from other undesirable characters in the bus. So I thought fuck it. I don't have to give a shit. Later on, I found myself a seat. The moment I went away from her, I saw the lady just let her bag loose again. What the hell, man! When I got down from the bus, I told Ömer about this and he also noticed it. It was really not me being overly sensitive. I have been discriminated, three nights in a row! All by Italian ladies! VATICAN CITY Today, we went to the Vatican City. It's a very holy place, the main area. I don't remember the names of the places. Security there was real tight. There was a differentiation between the places for tourists to walk and the places for officials working there. It was very crowded. We had to queue up to get in. Erhan and Ömer cut queue twice and I couldn't bring myself to do the same. I could hear the others in the queue grumbling how we just cut the queue so I went to the back of the queue. I lost them twice but Erhan found me again. He was grumbling away how I should not detach myself from the two of them. They were the ones who left me behind. Anyway I decided to just carry on with my sightseeing.  Actually, because of pressure from Erhan, I missed an important part of the Vatican, the tower. And as a result, Ömer took the opportunity to bring us there again so that he could see Vatican City again. The prayer halls in the churches were very nicely designed. The walls were covered with paintings from famous artists. There were columns in the halls that were beautifully designed. Altars as well. Paintings, statues, busks. It's amazing how the artists can come up with such beautiful masterpieces. PERFORMANCE ART AKA BUSKING The Italians and of course some other foreigners have very interesting ideas for busking. There were singers, musicians, the new type of buskers who just stood still until someone dropped money into their containers. Today, in the area around Vatican City, I came across some more really good buskers. The Capoeira Guys. Theywere doing their acrobatic moves in the streets of Vatican City. Mostly somersaults. Two of them did a kind of multiple rounds somersault on the spot. He was like a wheel turning. Then they did some nice, swift capoeira moves with the kicking. The Singer. This lady sang and played the guitar. She was singing in latin and Italian. I enjoyed her performance and did not want to leave her audience. But Ömer and Erhan just wanted to leave so, I couldn't stay on. The Breakdancers. This was a group of five to six b-boys and they danced really well, better than what I was used to seeing in Singapore. Theirs was more stunts and some handstands, headspins, that spinning thing of the whole body and the one pivoted on the hand. It was awesome and I was very impressed. And all the dancing was done on a cobble-stoned floor. It must be really difficult and at times, painful. The spray painter. He was also very good. I only got to see him finish up one piece. He did the painting in about half hour. I was waiting for him to do one more painting that I could buy one but alas, again, Ömer and Erhan were too hungry, we had to leave. So I just left the artist with 50¢. Such disappointment.  Because of the fascinating street arts scene around Vatican City, I would like very much to come back to Rome for a second visit. ÖMER THE WALKING GOVERNOR Ömer was so engrossed in his walking it made me and Erhan so tired. There were so many things to see in Rome but we didn't have to see everything. But no... Ömer had to see as much as he could in the short two days.  But I am supposed to be on holiday. I don't want to tire myself. I would have to be his moderator and he, ours. NEW SHADES While at the Vatican City area, I decided to stop by an optician to buy my new pair of shades. Ömer wanted to buy as well but he wanted to buy it together so I bought a new one as well. My old sunglasses are broken although wearable. I am not certain though if the UV protection is stil good. I got a headache yesterday from walking too much in the sun and wearing the shades for a prolonged period and also reading a map some of the time.