It has been hot in Rome. The temperature has been hovering between uncomfortably sweaty even when not moving and mind melting (actual temperature is measured in Celsius which I have not quite mastered yet). This has made me and the rest of inhabitants of Rome very irritable.
After a particularly trying day of standing in long lines in the sun to get into the Vatican and being crushed by tourists in the Sistine Chappell, I snapped at my very sweet but ever-present Chinese roommate. I was attempting to get some peace and quiet by suggesting that he do some summer reading and he responded with "I don't read." Now, this guy has a master's degree from an English university so I know he is capable of reading (in multiple languages) so that isn't the problem. He just doesn't see the value.
Since he seems to have a lot of time on his hands, has a woeful ignorance of anything Italian or Roman despite the fact that he lives here, and is constantly asking me to teach him English swear words, I convinced him that he could solve all of these problems by simply reading. I browbeat him into taking a Complete History of Rome, a gory crime novel, and Chuck Palahniuk's "Fight Club" into his room with him.
I feel a bit bad that I was clearly impatient, appalled, and perhaps a bit condescending about his lack of reading. But really. Reading is one of life's greatest pleasures and in the heat of a Roman summer there is no better distraction.
1 comment:
Hmm...although Rome and Urulikanchan, India seem to be very different places, it's nice to read that some internship experiences cross all borders. I too have difficulty with the Celsius conversion and have made no real effort to learn. I had no idea how many times people would ask me about the temperature in Boston!
I also have similar roommate woes. Why is the concept of 'alone time' so hard to understand? My roommates don't ask me for swear words, but they do ask me if people in the US commonly perform exorcisms or like to tell me about their one aunt the family shuns b/c they think she drinks wine with her husband occasionally. Does your roommate also enter the room while you are eating just to watch you eat? I hope so, b/c mine do and it’s awesome!
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