My Street

 Not the street I live on but one I chose as part of a photography assignment.  When given the assignment I didn't realize that this would become the street I walk down most often to go from home to anywhere else.  At the time I just saw it as an excellent representation of a neighborhood in transition.  We were asked to provide an explanatory text along with these photos and that text appears after.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

Pastor Martin Niemöller

Our daily lives can be hectic, eventful or ordinary filled with mundane chores, joyous times with friends and relaxing moments with loved ones.  But there are times when the tide of history calls for our attention.  Unfortunately we often do not hear that call or we set it aside to be answered another day and then forget to return it.  Or we simply ignore the call completely.  It is easy to wander the streets of our lives and only notice what is on the surface; the markets, the playgrounds, the traffic that gets in our way as we rush off to work or school or the gym.  But underneath the stream of daily life is another world, one that is populated with people on the verge.  There is the homeless person wondering if he will eat tonight, the Christian, Muslim, or Jew hoping to pray in peace, the illegal immigrant fearing deportation, the homosexual awaiting execution.  In Uganda, Syria, Bosnia, Somalia, and yes, in Europe and America too, this world exists filled with people hoping ‘they’ will not come for them tonight.  We do not know if ‘they’ will ever come for us, and we should not sit idly by and watch as ‘they’ come for others.

Scuola e finito

 Last night was the official end of our scholastic journey here.  Our last hurrah was a display of some of our art work made over the term.  The photography class included our midterms (the bicycles), our street photos (next post) and our final triptych.  Our assignment for the final was to capture light, shadow, and color.  My entry :

Where have I been?

I've been busy studying.  And here's the proof.  Ok, so it's just the cover page but trust me, there is a long essay/chapter in a detective novel behind it.  I think it turned out pretty well but we'll see what Dr. Touchette has to say about it.  This picture is symbolic as it was taken resting on the tomb of Gianlorenzo Bernini.  It was also taken at the end of the class in which it was written for--not merely the end of the day's session but the end of the class itself (except for next week's final).  It is also marks the end of classes here in Rome.  Finally, it also marks the end of my classes as an undergraduate.  This has been a very long journey and one that I am proud to have completed.  I toyed with college back in the 90's, studying for a few quarters at Seattle Central Community College, then later taking classes as they interested me (and finances allowed).  When I returned to New Mexico in 2002 I started working for the University of New Mexico and started taking classes there beginning the spring of 2003.  Eight years later I'm finished (again, save for the finals).  On Saturday, May 14 I will be walking down the aisle to pick up a little piece of paper that represents the culmination of all those years, the papers, the studying, the sleepless nights, the stress of exams.  I've missed movies, and books, and camping with family and friends because my studies had to come first.  I realize that most of the people reading this blog have already reached this achievement and understand the hard work behind it but for me personally, it has been a difficult challenge.  I'm smart--I know that--but I'm not very disciplined and often don't see things through.  I play music-a little, I speak French-a little, I can draw-a little; all things that interested me at one point but have fallen to the wayside because I cannot reach the high standards I set myself, because I lost interest or because I just didn't want to keep practicing or whatever.  This degree means a lot to me because I set the goal and have seen it through.  I've made the Dean's list, I've written papers that received A's from notoriously tough professors, and I've seen it through to the end.  I am very proud of myself and thankful for all those who encouraged me and supported me and helped me along the way.  My brother asked me once what I was going to do with my degree and I joking said that I'd be hanging it on the wall.  Now that I'm about to receive it I realize it isn't a joke at all; I will be proudly hanging it on the wall.

Colossalness in Rome

The last two days have been spent admiring two colossal structures; the Basilica of St. Peter's, and the Basilica of Constantine (or Maxentious, depending on which side of the Milvean Bridge you prefer to stand).  Approximately 1,300 years separate the completion of these two buildings but they have a few things in common.  One, they both have coffered ceilings in their barrel vaulting.  Coffering was not only decorative but greatly reduced the weight of a ceiling.  For example, the building they call the Pantheon also has a coffered ceiling.  Another thing these two buildings have in common is that they are big.  Really big.  Really, really, really, amazingly, astonishingly big.  St. Peter's visit was during class which means no photos were taken.  It wouldn't have mattered; everything is so far away because the building is so frickin' big and I don't have a zoom lens.  I do have some pictures of the facade which I took much earlier and may have already shared them.  The little teeny, tiny black dots in front of St. Peter's are people.  Some are even tall people. 

Those little black dots...at the bottoms of the columns...those are people

Constantine's basilica, unfortunately, is only a shell of its former self and only one third of the original building remains.  What you see below is only one third of the original building.  Oh, and the little green and blue dot at the bottom?  My roommate, Nick.  He stands somewhere around 6'3". 

Basilica apse and tall roomie.

Not my photo but you get the idea

Another striking similarity about the two buildings is that you don't really notice how big they are; they lose all sense of scale.  It it was just you and there were no other people around you don't actually notice how enormous these two structures are.  It is not like you've just ventured into a rabbit hole, you realize the space is monumentally huge, but until someone is standing next to something inside, you cannot really grasp the size.  For example, looking at the baldicchino in St. Peter's it is easy to tell it is large and impressive.  But until someone stands next to the pedestal you don't realize that the pedestal alone stands about 10 feet tall.  Those four little white blocks the massive, bronze columns are standing on are about ten feet tall.  And the baldicchino is dwarfed by the church surrounding it and especially the dome above it.  However, just standing there and looking up you lose all sense of perspective and all you can do is admire the beauty of what you see.

Parks and Paddle Boats and Beaches

 I love all of my classes, even the Italian.  But the Photography class has to be my favorite.  Not only am I doing something I really enjoy but we get to do it in some really cool places.  Just last week we visited the largest park I've ever seen-bigger than Central Park and Stanley Park I'm sure or at least felt like it after wandering around it for three hours.  Then we traveled south a bit to visit a 'modern' section of Rome, the EUR.  By 'modern' I mean that most of the architecture comes either from the fascist 1930's or the post-war late 1950's (preparing for the 1960 olympic games).  That is where we took a paddle boat ride.  And yesterday, to make up for a couple classes we missed because our instructor, Susan, had to be out of town, we went to Santa Severa, a quaint beach town just north of Rome.  It was a beautiful day with beautiful weather, a beautiful castle and a beautiful sea.  Here we took tandem bikes around town and had gelato.  Come to think of it, gelato is a part of almost every session of photography.  Maybe that's why I love the class!