Exam Period & a Roman Winter
These last three weeks were a mix of intense studies and a modified house schedule here at the NAC, which allowed us to prepare and take our first round of oral exams, following the European educational system.
The days of rain and foggy, cold, and dark skies, found us longing for the sunshine and balmy breezes! But it was a great feeling to complete our first semester abroad!
The following poem sums up the environment of a Roman winter well, I think:
R.C. Trevelyan, "Winter Rains," in Cambridge Poets 1914-1920. An Anthology Compiled by Edward Davison (Cambridge: W. Heffer & Sons, Ltd., 1920), p. 189:
When after weeks of winter rains____________________________________________________________
The foggy air hangs chill and wet,
When misted are the window-panes,
And walls and sheets and cupboards sweat;
When chilblains itch in every shoe,
And the mind's furnished chambers too
Are damp and sodden through and through;
When meals are glum and shoulders ache,
No match will strike nor firewood blaze,
Fiddlestrings squeak and tempers break,
No robin sings and no hen lays;
When paths are pools, and noses pearled,
And cats in kitchen fenders curled
Dream of a happier, drier world;
Then suddenly, when least we think,
A bright wind breaks the mist, and there
The sun looks out above the brink
Of piled up clouds, stair over stair:
Glad then at heart are all live things,
Both small and great, on feet or wings,
Birds, boys and beggars, cats and kings.
After finishing exams, we enjoyed a wonderful trip to Scandinavia, but more on that later! Now, I'm halfway through my first week of classes during this second semester. I'm finding the subject matter even more interesting than the last! Here's my schedule:
On another note, here at the NAC, we have been hosting the American cardinals as they come to Rome for the consistory meetings with the Pope! What a neat experience!
Look for more updates on this blog this weekend!
God love you!
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