domani è già qui [tomorrow is already here]

Today is the one year anniversary of the L'Aquila Earthquake. Since then, I've been a lot more aware of earthquakes around the world. Either that, or there have just been a lot more than ever before. Here is one blogger's memory/reflection of the quake.

And according to this article, there will be plenty more memorials and remembrances as well as debate about reconstruction after the quake. If this earthquake, occurring in a developed country, still affects so many people, can you imagine how long it will take to put Haiti back together? It's overwhelming.

Like all the charity work and celebrity attention Haiti has, there was also a group (Artists for Abruzzo) who wrote a song to help the residents of the Abruzzo region. I love it musically--all my favorite Italian artists in one song! And the lyrics are solid as well. This version translates the lyrics, and while they are a little confusing at times (some things don't translate all that well), it does give you the same message--we're not alone, tomorrow comes to everyone.

More thoughts on solidarity

 I saw this article on cnn.com this morning and had to agree. Adding to it, I believe solidarity can help everyone prevail. Here's a passage talking about Chile's 1960 earthquake:

"Back in 1960, the whole nation came together to rebuild the country. I spent the month after the earthquake, like many university students, collecting money, food, blankets and mattresses that were sent down to the south in caravans filled with enthusiastic volunteers.

"It was a lesson in solidarity that I have never forgotten -- those who were most deprived gave so much, cared so much, sacrificed so much for their wounded compatriots. If Chile is more opulent now, it has also become a more egocentric and individualistic society where, instead of a vision of social justice for all, the citizenry is, for the most part, engaged in a frenzied race toward ever more consumption and subject, of course, to the accompanying stress and anomie."

 I believe you can replace Chile with America in that last sentence and it would make perfect sense--maybe we don't have an earthquake to recover from, but this sentiment applies even in daily life. We are barely citizens these days; instead we are labeled as consumers.

The good news is we don't have to accept that label. A growing economy does not mean good times for all and consumption for consumption's sake won't help anyone. Instead, we can reclaim citizenship with the help of solidarity, remembering that our own welfare is linked with the welfare of our neighbors and fellow citizens.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know I recommend Colin Beavan's approach (No Impact Man), but there are tons of people, resources, and philosophies to help you think through solidarity and simple living in your own life.

More Human Than Human

Today in Film and Lit we watched Blade Runner. I've seen random parts of it, probably on the USA Network (Characters Welcome), but never the whole thing.

I found it really easy to relate to the leading lady/replicant, and not just because we share a name. The way she could be so emotionless and still have so much emotion made her seem abnormally human. I'd love her too, if I was Harrison Ford.

In other news, there was a mild earthquake in northern Illinois this morning?

Good Friday

Today was Good Friday, and in Rome that's a big deal. Tourists have been flooding Rome ever since Holy Week started last Sunday and tonight I saw a good number of them at the annual Way of the Cross (Via Crucis) procession at the Colosseum.

The theme this year was prayer for the persecution of Christians in India, but there was also a lot of focus on the earthquake victims. Even though there is traditionally no mass held on Good Friday, they made an exception this year for the funeral of the victims.

The Way of the Cross started tonight at 9:15 and I got back to my apartment at 12:15--but it didn't seem like it took that long. When I got to the Colosseum I squeezed my way through the crowd trying to find a place that gave me a good view but wasn't too crowded. As I was doing this, I saw two people faint--the crowd was so dense and the air was stifling at times.

Most of the procession was in Italian, but when they announced each station they did it in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese. At the end of each station the crowd said an Our Father (in Italian). At the very end, Pope Benedict XVI gave an address to which the crowd responded with much applause.

The amount of people there was unbelievable--priests and nuns, families, old people, young people. And people speaking all sorts of languages. The atmosphere was somber, yet charged. As everyone was leaving I found myself in front of some girls with British accents. One of them was talking on the phone and I overheard her say, "Well, it was nearly two hours and there were no fireworks, but it was cool." I'm not sure exactly what she was expecting at a ceremony held on the day Jesus was nailed to the cross...

Ostia Antica part II

We went back to Ostia Antica today for class (pictures are uploaded, at the end of the Ancient Roma-Art History album like the others). We saw more baths, which is kind of funny because I'm starting to think ancient peoples must have smelled better than the Romans of today. We also saw the ancient world's equivalent of a laundromat and fire department. It was cool to see something that wasn't another temple, forum, theater, or marketplace (though we did see those too).

There were a few aftershocks from the earthquake again today, but nothing major has happened in Rome. It's strange because some people felt next to nothing (like me) while others said their beds shook or they could see the ceiling moving back and forth.

Earthquake in Italy

Good Morning everyone! I don't know if you've seen/heard/read the news yet, but Italy was hit with an earthquake earlier this morning. The story is on msnbc.com but I first found out from my roommates, who have class earlier than I do on Mondays.

I was still in bed when I heard them talking about something that happened last night--something that scared Ro so much she couldn't sleep. Apparently she felt the earthquake, just little tremors. The rest of us slept right through it.

Anyways, just wanted to let you know everything is okay here--my study abroad advisor emailed this morning to check up on us so I figured I should let others know as well, in case you saw the news already!