Knife in the Vatican

30 Aug

I have to jump back to Rome, because I forgot one of the more memorable moments of the trip.  Our second day in the city was notable for the wonderful picnic lunch that the kids bought in the morning.  I sent them off in groups to buy the necessary ingredients.  It was a great success, except for the one group that boarded the wrong bus and ended up in a rough neighborhood outside of town.  But, they made it back and we enjoyed a nice lunch in Piazza del Popolo.

PIazza Del Popolo, where we had our lunch

It helped me a bunch that one of kids brought with them a knife to help cut the food.  After lunch, we headed back to the hotel. We boarded the metro and waited the two stops it would take to get back to the hotel.  And…. here the troubles began.  We arrived at the stop for the Vatican (close to the hotel) and half of the kids didn’t push hard enough for us to get off.  Thankfully, my separation plan too effect.  The kids who made it off sat on the platform and waited for the rest of us to go an additional stop, get off and make it back.

We’re all together.  We head back to the hotel and then have to walk to right outside the Vatican for our tour to begin. I’m worried about the girls wearing appropriate clothing for inside, so that was what I focused my attention on.  Not on knives.

Where groups wait for tours to begin

You have to pass through security in the Vatican.  I’m bringing up the rear with another group leader (all four Italy groups were in Rome together) and heard from the someone else, “One of your kids is being stopped by security.”  Well, he was.  They had found the swiss army knife from lunch.  I was freaking out.  “Maybe they’ll think he brought it to come assassinate the Pope.” That would have been an insane assumption, but sometimes I don’t make sense.

Anyways, they confiscated the knife and put it with the coats.  The only really bad part of what they did was that the student and I had to walk around the entire complex (from St. Peter’s) to pick up the knife after the tour.  In 105 degree heat. Now, it’s kind of funny.  Remember that time you tried to sneak a knife into the Vatican?

Peaking out from St. Peters

You Outta Know

29 Aug

1) New Expedition Maps Titanic Wreck Site: not since the end of the movie has such an ambitious exploration of the RMS Titanic been attempted.  In its August issue, National Geographic writer Brian Handwerk authors  an incredible article about the state of the ruins, and describes fears that the wreckage might collapse. “Expedition Titanic” launched recently and its website allows online users to actually explore the wreckage.

A sonar pic of the wreckage. Thanks to Boing Boing.

2) Tea Partiers Descend on Lincoln Memorial for Beck-a-thon: Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck hosted “Restoring Honor” sermon/political rally yesterday.  Many story lines here.  Thousands of people attended, but the actual estimates range from 50,000 to well over 1 million. At the rally, baseball slugger Albert Pujols and manager Tony La Russa were strange honorees (side note: my dad and i watched the Washington Nationals beat their team, the St. Louis Cardinals today). One attendee blamed “homosexuals” for the country’s problems.  Beck later denied that he desired the presidency, but attacked President Obama’s religion on the Sunday talk shows. The Daily Intel describes many of the attendees.

One attendee of the controversial rally

3) NYC Subway Miracle: Early Sunday morning, an unidentified young woman walked onto the subway tracks seconds before an incoming train pulled into the station.  An alert driver stopped the train in time and averted a tragic accident.  Amazing photos of the scene were taken, but why were you taking pictures and not helping her, Mr. Onlooker?

Thanks to NY Daily News

4) History on… YouTube: Yep, it’s possible and Mashable has created an excellent list of 10 historical moments that you can watch on YouTube.  On the list: the moon landing, “I Have a Dream,” Fall of the Berlin Wall, Gandhi’s Salt March and many others. Check it out.  It’s worth the time.

5) 48 Hours?: Well the name doesn’t work, but Longshot Magazine went from concept to published work in 48 hours. Hundreds of people assisted in creation of the first issue, which is partially available online.

Enzo offers some “protection”

29 Aug

Napoli is a dangerous place.  One day, as we’re waiting to pretend that we’re British, we take a trip out to the beach.  Most of the kids are chilling and chatting (doing everything to not go into the beautiful water).  Except for Lowell, Nolan and Travis.  They’ve found a couple of lady friends.

They spend most of three hours we’re there chatting with these ladies.  At some point, one of them goes to Travis “ti voglio” or “I want you.”  He didn’t understand.  Well I go in the water. I get wet.  Enzo thinks this a major problem that must be remedied.  So he takes me to his home and I shower off.  Well, specifically, he says, “My house is five minutes away.  You can shower there.”   Instead, it’s about a 15 minute drive (we take the mega bus) and there are four of us to shower.  It takes a while.

The beach where we were

We make it back.  The boys have been offered a chance to go to the discotecca with these girls (too bad that this place is 1.5 hours from our hotel).  They miss out.  But Enzo recognizes the potential implications for Travis.  He goes, “Tomorrow, I’ll bring you my box so that you can be protected.”  Yes, condoms.  Awkward.  Travis doesn’t know how to respond.

Well, the next day Enzo does show up and, indeed, has a box.  He tells Travis, “You can take whatever is inside.” Travis nervously opens the box.  It’s just a box for sunglasses and we all have a laugh.

Oh, Enzo.

Links: 8/28

28 Aug

1) What year is it again?: A middle school in Mississippi just dropped student government election rules that mandated that certain positions would go to specific races.  Don’t worry though.  In the past, positions would change races each year and the rules were designed to ensure “ensure minority representation.”

2) Cat, Owner Reunited Thanks to Technology: Isn’t it a wonderful world we live in? Somehow, a cat hopped onto a train  and arrived dazed in Dublin far from home.  Thankfully, station managers reviewed closed circuit footage of the cat and were able to determine when it boarded.  Then, they tweeted a picture of the cat.  The owner saw the tweet (seriously, who isn’t following IrishRail?) and the two were reunited.

3) Two young transit workers have ancient disease: Two NYC transit workers have been diagnosed with consumption, a disease still common in Asia and Africa, but very rare in the United States.  The Daily Intel has the complete lowdown.  The money quote for a spokesman:

“Who the hell knows how they got it? Consider what these guys do. They take trucks, go to stations and hose them down. They’re in constant contact with crap in those stations.”

4) Juice from a penguin?: Laughing squid brings us an interesting concept for juice boxes.  Click here for the official website with additional designs.

A Strange Question

28 Aug

One day we’re back in the hotel, waiting for the next part of the day to begin.  Enzo is there, chatting with me.  We’re about to go get a coffee at the hotel bar.  I think the amazing thing about Italy is the fact that no matter where you go, whether at a bar in Piazza San Marco in Venice or in a tiny hotel bar, the coffee is good.

Enzo would offer the coffee whether I wanted it or not.  Today he offered and I accepted.  As we’re about to go for the coffee, Lowell comes down and purchased some internet time.  You pay by the hour for time used on the internet in Europe.  Enzo sees this and approaches Lowell.

You are looking for the good pornos? I can give you some suggestions.  My own favorites.

I wasn’t sure how to respond.  Lowell wasn’t either.  It was one of those “huh?” moments that stunned me.  Enzo was joking, but that was not clear at the time.

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