Week 2: A Little Bump In The Road

This past week has been full of rain, maps, hospitals, and bus cards...not to mention a ton of foreign language.

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01.29.19

Zappata Romana is one of the three internships I get to collaborate with while abroad. On Tuesday I got to shadow my supervisor Sylvia around and get to run errands and see what it actually takes to run a business like this. At the end of the day I was awarded with being shown the Garden that I will eventually be working in when the weather warms up. Sylvia went over the the logistics of everything today. I got to be involved and actually go on a trip to see the garden and the work space of Zappata Romana. I chose to post this picture because it made me really think about how life changing it could be to have a garden in the middle of a busy city like Rome. Being able to get your hands dirty and know where the food on your plate is important, but also this option should be accessible to all. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have grown up on an island surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables, so being here in a place with so much hustle and bustle it is exciting to see the greenery and hear what is possible with programs like Zappata Romana!

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Wine on Tap at Eataly

01.30.19

Today we went on a class trip to @eatalygram. Here we got to see native food, drinks and customers to Rome. We did a scavenger hunt where we had to identify a specific food or drink that is native to a specific region in Italy.

Wine Region Map of Italy

was interesting to me because I never put much thought into how different pastas, wines, and cheeses could be from all over Italy not just one place. I really enjoyed this field trip because I got to appreciate small farmers who were able to showcase their products at this place. I also learned the term “slow food” today. I will from now on try to only eat at slow food places.

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This Friday I got to meet and shadow my second internship that I will participating in while abroad. I was introduced to mikalah  my supervisor from the. “Mediterranean project”. This program was created about a year ago and has already accomplished so many wonderful things. I’m very excited to be apart of an organization that bring communities such as migrants together while involving food and sustainability. It’s very inspiring seeing how successful  this organization has already become, because when I first changed my major to sustainable food and farming I have no idea what type of job options there would be. Feel free to check out the website of this organization......http://www.retisolidali.it/mediterranea-vivaio-multiculturale/

Fruit tree native from Japan : Kumquat

Aromatic Garden

Navigating Rome on "european crutches" is a challenge I didn't see myself facing over the next four months. Last night I tripped on the cobblestone road and sprained my ankle. I spent all of Sunday in the local emergency room. After I arrived I soon found out that nobody spoke english there. This was a surprise to me also. Luckily a younger couple was witnessing me struggle with this language barrier and helped to translate. With in a few hours, I had gotten x-rays of my ankle and foot done, and bandaged up and then sent across the city to the only pharmacie open on a Sunday to purchase crutches.... Did I mention that stairs are a popular thing in rome.... even in the hospital. So far I have found it almost impossible to even navigate my own apartment. The next few weeks will definitely be challenging, but i'm hoping to not let my spirits get down... because I am in fact still in Rome!