As I suspected, I was far too busy to get to post. However, thankfully it is all over now and I can again rest easy. Tuesday began wonderfully, as I was finally able to sleep in. I’m sure my cold played a role in this, and hopefully it has helped me recover. I then walked to class and got to suffer through four hours of class with a runny nose. To put it in perspective, I went through three rolls of toilet paper in one day just blowing my nose. I’m sure the people around me didn’t appreciate it much, but so far I think I have avoided infecting anyone else. Anyways, my mind wasn’t functioning all too well, but luckily it didn’t need to be. In writing we began our presentations on our ethics papers. The first ten people went, while the last eight (including me) went the next day on Wednesday. The presentations were all really good and very interesting. I think you would all be surprised at how well we nerdy engineers are able to deliver a presentation, but maybe that’s just a little pride coming through.

Then, during our break, five of us made a hike to a calzone place that the Accent staff highly recommended. We didn’t realize it was quite that far and we barely made it back to class in time. However, they were quite good and were only 1.80 euro, compared to the typical 2.50. So the trip was worth it, but it won’t be something we do every day. In ISE, we continued with Chapter 4, which is dealing with bonds and mortgages. Not the most thrilling topic, but I managed to digest a little. I also succeeded in finishing by crossword puzzle that I designed. I even made it look nice on the computer. I printed it out and a few people saw it and asked to do it and it turned out to be a great success. It wasn’t the most challenging thing in the world, but it was quite entertaining to make. After class, most of my friends went to the cooking class which I was originally going to attend. However, I switched with someone else to avoid infecting more people with my cold. I am now going on Thursday. It also gave me an opportunity to get to work on my presentation. I put in about three hours and got a good outline that guided me through my speech. I even practiced it a few times, and overall felt pretty confident.

The rest of the night was spent watching soccer and playing knockout on our mini basketball hoop. We organized a tournament that was a great distraction from our homework, and at the end I was actually voted MVP of the night. I had a slow start, but towards the end I got the hang of it and won about 4 out of 6. I tried to get some pictures but they didn’t turn out so great. Oh yeah, I also watched a little Lost. I think I watched the 15th and 16th episodes, but I am beginning to lose track. It’s so good. Eventually I went to bed.

This morning I woke up and chatted with Kristin a little bit. It had been a while since we talked, so that was nice. Then I practiced my presentation a few more times and got ready for school. We walked again, and it seemed especially hot today. In class, the presentations were again good and I didn’t go until almost the end. My presentation actually went really well. I relied on my notes a little too much, but it was much better than forgetting what I was going to say. I’m sure I lost a few points because of that, but cost-benefit I think I won out. We got out early and I took advantage of the time to watch another episode of Lost! We grabbed a quick lunch and then went to ISE. I paid attention pretty well today and was able to pick up some important tips for tomorrow’s quiz. Hopefully it goes well!

We walked back to Via Candia, changed into pants, grabbed our cameras and headed over to St. Peter’s Basilica. We got there at around 5 and it closes at 7, so we weren’t planning on finishing it all today. As soon as we walked in I was struck breathless. Literally. It was so amazing. The light coming in through the windows was amazing and just the sheer size and intricacy of every corner was mind boggling. I got to see my favorite piece of art, Michelangelo’s Pieta, but only from a distance as it is now protected by glass. I tried to get some pictures, but it was a little difficult. To think that it is made of stone is unbelievable – it looks like flesh and bone. And then there was Bernini’s Baldacchino, which was also awesome and huge. I can’t even fathom how he made it. There was a mass going on at the time and we got to see the procession of the priests and cardinals after the service. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it in time to go up the cupola, which apparently has the best view in Rome. I guess that will be for another day.

On the way back we stopped for some spaghetti, and then decided to treat ourselves to some gelato. Then, we decided we deserved an extra reward for finishing our presentations and we got some delicious pastries. Not sure it was justified, but it was definitely delicious. At nine we had our Bible study again, which had been postponed because of the presentations. We had six people this time, double last time and had some very engaging discussion. I thought it went well overall. The rest of the night I have been watching more of the Euro Cup and working on a little homework. I hope to sleep in a little bit tomorrow and maybe go see a museum before class, so I’m headed off to bed. Buona notte!