Houston has a Cardinal...And I was there to see it happen!

Every now & then certain once in a lifetime events come up & you are blessed to be a witness to them...and when you do it's simply exciting & an amazing experience you will never forget! For me, this weekend was one of those experiences.

Those of you in Houston might be sick of hearing about this since apparently it's been all over the news for the past week, but this is the events from my point of view...which I KNOW you haven't heard/read!

This weekend the Archbishop from the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese (all the parishes in the Houston & surrounding areas...actually a VERY large surrounding area!) became a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church & I was lucky enough to witness it and actually got to congratulate him in person soon after the ceremony (called the Consistory Ceremony)! For those of you who aren't Catholic, the Cardinals are the ones who elect the Pope...so basically the level below the Pope. Cardinal DiNardo is the 1st bishop from the Southern US that has become a Cardinal...so for us Catholics from the Houston & surrounding areas that's a big thing!

Let me go back a couple weeks to let you know how this all played out. On 17 October 2007, Pope Benedict announced the 23 bishops that would be elevated to Cardinal... including Archbishop Daniel DiNardo from Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. That same day I got an e-mail from my mom with the news saying the ceremony would be in November & she said 'Who knows, maybe you will get to attend!' I've requested tickets for a mass at St. Peter's before, so figured it was worth a shot to see if I could reserve tickets for the Consistory. With events at the Vatican where the Pope is celebrate, tickets are usually required if you want a seat...they are free, but you have to request in advance. So I sent an e-mail & the next day I got a reply saying they would reserve a ticket for me. Yay!

So then a couple days later I got an e-mail from one of my friends from a church group I was in back in Houston asking if she came to Rome of the Consistory, if she could stay with me. Of course I said yes...and I was able to get a ticket reserved for her with no problems & fortunately she (Hilary) was able to arrange to stay here in Rome with me for over a week.

So now I'm going to fast forward to Sat. morning. Hilary & I had been looking forward to this day & decided that it was going to be worth getting up VERY early to make sure we had a good spot in line & thus a decent seat. The Consistory was to start at 10:30 with the doors opening at 8:30, but the nun at the US Bishop's office told me when I picked up the tickets that if we really wanted to be near the front of the line we probably would need to get there really early...like around 6am. So that was our plan...and thankfully I live about 10 minutes from St. Peter's, so we left my apartment around 6am and were there soon after. We even had a backpack of stuff to keep us busy & food...we were prepared!

St. Peter's is SO AWESOME that early in the morning...before sunrise. I have pics and you can see for yourself. Anyway so I hurried to the line as Hilary met with her Aunt & Uncle who also came to Rome for the Consistory. I got to the line & just wanted to jump up & down...only 2 couples in front of us (one from Monterrey & the other from Houston)! Woohoo...number 5 & 6 in line! Accomplishment #1 for the day! (Wait #2...accomplishment #1 for me was that I actually got up before 6am!)

There was a little confusion later about the lines because they did the lines a little different from usual and made everyone move out of the square (piazza) & had 4 entries vs. the one like normal. When they moved us it seemed that they were going to make the 20 or so of us standing inside the piazza go to the end of the line that had already formed outside the piazza, but they didn't...we just had to squeeze in the front. I was stuck between a column, a gate & the other people in line for several hours...legs & feet in weird positions...but it was worth it. Oh & that backpack of stuff...didn't even use it...actually didn't even have enough room to pull anything in it out! But the couple right in front of us ended up being from Annunciation Church in Houston, so I talked to them as we waited. They also sat behind us in the basilica.

Another bit of confusion was where the Consistory was actually going to be held - the announcements and tickets said it was to be in the Piazza, but due to the threat of rain they decided to move it inside the Basilica. The major problem with that is that they issued tickets based on the number of chairs they put in the Piazza, but the Basilica holds a lot less. So that meant even though you had a ticket, that didn't assure you a seat.

When the gates open for an event like this at St. Peter's, it's almost like when you see people going for the big sales the day after Thanksgiving...people just running to be the 1st in line & trying to get the best seats! And yes I was one of them....but so were nuns, priests, and tons of other people! I didn't shove anyone or anything like that! But before they opened I had thought through my strategy - from past experiences I knew that the best spots are the aisle seats - it's better to get an aisle seat vs. a seat up front. So that was my target. And Hilary & I actually got separated when the line moved because she had gone back to my apartment to get the Texas flags she brought that we left back at my apartment. I told her that I would go get both of us a seat and save one for her. So my strategy worked & I did get us an aisle seat! We still had about 2 hours until the Consistory was to start, but it seemed to go by fairly quickly.

This is the 3rd event I've been to inside St. Peter's that the Pope celebrated - one was with my sister almost a year ago when he did the evening prayer service the 1st Sunday of Advent, one was in June with my friend & her mom during the feast of Sts. Peter & Paul, and then for this occasion. One thing I LOVE at these types of ceremonies is to just look around the Basilica and look at all the different types of people there from all over the world gathered in this one place. Also during the Consistory & Mass most parts were in Latin or Italian, but they also did some in various languages. The Pope himself speaks multiple languages in which in addresses the pilgrims every Sunday. It is just amazing & makes me realize how global the Catholic church is and that I have brothers & sisters in Christ in every place of the world!

The countries represented by the new Cardinals alone were: US, Italy, Spain, Ireland, France, Senegal, India, Mexico, Brazil, Kenya, Argentina, & Iraq. The Cardinal from Iraq always received a big applause...he is likely to become a martyr because of all the violence in Iraq against Christians and now that he is a Cardinal he is even more of a target...but he has willing accepted being a Cardinal.

I was able to get some pretty good pics of Cardinal DiNardo & Pope Benedict at the Consistory as they went past us. During the Consistory any time DiNardo's name was announced there were cheers throughout the Basilica - the Galveston-Houston Diocese was very well represented! I've read that there were at least over 600 people from the diocese that came for the event...but then someone else said they were told it was more like 3000 -- not sure what the actual count was, but it was A LOT! One thing Hilary & I noticed is that if someone from Texas brought a flag, 9 out of 10 times it was a Texas flag & not a US flag. This was confusing many people & we were asked several times if we were from Chile (since their country flag looks similar...blue is just half the length of the flag vs. full length).

The Consistory lasted about 2 hours, but it flew by! When it was over the couple from Houston we met in line asked if we were going to the reception for Cardinal DiNardo. Since we weren't part of any tour group we had no idea there was even a reception. They found a priest from Houston that had all the details & he actually lead us to the North American College (residence for American seminarians) where the reception was taking place. We walked in & the seminarians did a fantastic job greeting everyone, providing music & answering questions. There was finger food set out, drinks, and some jazz music. They had signs posted - receiving line for Cardinal DiNardo on one side & for Cardinal Foley (another American) on the other side. So Hilary & I made it toward the DiNardo side - maybe 50 people from the front. They said he was meeting with the media, so they weren't sure how long it would take. We didn't care - we were going to wait until we could see him & congratulate him! As we were in line I saw Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, the retired Archbishop of the Galveston-Houston Diocese (he is the one who confirmed me). I also saw a coworker from PwC Houston...in addition to just seeing a lot of faces I'm sure I've seen before...some of them I finally realized which church I've seen them at before! The Houston news crews were going by too. I got in a couple seconds of a Channel 2 video when they were talking to a priest (http://www.click2houston.com/video/14683403/index.html at about 1:53). We were interviewed by the Houston Chronicle too, but the apparently didn't use any of it. They did put a horrible picture of us on their website - but it's only chin down (the one in my pictures is MUCH better!)

Before Cardinal DiNardo arrived, we looked back at the line and it was all the way down the hall as far as the eye could see with more & more people arriving. When he arrived he took time to greet each person & take a picture with them. If you have not met him before, he is such great guy...very kind. But as Hilary & I are walking up to go see him, I was thinking to myself - what do you tell someone who has just knelt before the Pope & became a Cardinal?!?! 'Congratulations' I believe is all that came out...and 'An exciting day, isn't it??!' Because of the number of people in line, you couldn't talk to him for too long! But hey we saw him & took a picture with him THE DAY he became a Cardinal!

Another surprise was as we were leaving we passed this bishop that looked familiar...and I quickly realized it was Bishop Pat Zurek, who grew up and still has family in Wallis (my hometown). My parents knew him ever since he was little! So I was able to tell him HI and take a picture with him too!

The day was so exciting, but I was also exhausted...ended up taking a 5 hour 'nap'!

On Sunday was the mass celebrated by Pope Benedict in which the Cardinals received their rings. Hilary & I decided that if we were able to get really good seats on Saturday, we would get there a little later on Sunday - so we go to St. Peter's around 8ish (gates open at 8:30 & Mass at 10:30). When we got there, there were of course tons of people in line already. As we looked at the crowd we figured there was no way we would get inside St. Peters -- not with all those people! Once the gates opened we watched as hundreds of people rushed to get into the Basilica...many probably ones that weren't able to make it in for Sat. We got through security, but when we got closer to the Basilica they stopped the lines for a bit to see if the Basilica was full yet I suppose (they don't count the number of people as they go in). Then they let us go, but when we got to the front doors they told us to go the the right & we ended up going halfway around the Basilica on the outside. Then we went up this small stairwell & we arrived in the Basilica behind the high altar. But again they didn't count, so when we got there Hilary found a seat but I didn't. I thought there was a section right next to where we were that had seats, but as we went around they kept telling us to keep going until we got to the front of the Basilica. I finally asked a Swiss Guard if we needed to go outside & he told us that we could stay inside, but there were no more seats so we would have to stand. I was wearing heels again (wore them on Sat. too & my feet were killing me!), so I wasn't looking forward to standing for 4 hours straight, but was willing to do it if I had too. We were standing behind the last row of seats with a couple of Irish couples between us and the seats. After about an half hour of standing there, one of the Irish ladies taped me on the shoulder and said someone was looking for me. I was a bit confused because the only person I was with was Hilary, who was right next to me. So the Irish crowd parted so I could see who it was & it was a husband & wife that looked at me & asked 'Are you Lynette Uhyrek'?!? I guess for this to make sense I have to mention that my mom had emailed me to tell me that the couple that has the hardware store in East Bernard (small town next to my hometown) were going to Rome for all the events. My parents gave them my contact information & I actually told my mom maybe it would be good for them to at least show the couple a picture of me since I don't know what they look like & they probably wouldn't recognize me. I received an email from them, but they said they had a lot of things going on & weren't sure if we would be able to meet. So I look at this couple & ask 'Are you the Vacek's from East Bernard?" They said 'Yes we are!' I was just thinking how in the world did we actually run into each other amongst these hundreds (well thousands) of people?!? Then they ask if I would like to sit with them because they had an extra seat. I asked if they had a seat for my friend as well...and they did! So we actually got to sit with them! Mr. Vacek told me that he was actually praying the rosary & was scanning the crowd & just caught a glimpse of me. He said he couldn't see my whole face, but he thought I looked like the picture and apparently I look a lot like my mom too! Then he asked his wife and they were trying to decide & when they saw they Texas flag in my purse they figured it must be me! They also said they were saving a couple chairs for people in there group & felt a little bad saving the chairs with all the people standing, but in the end all of them were used! I just could not believe how it all happened - it was meant to be & I must have had angels guiding me...because if I didn't end up right in that spot, I probably would have never got to see them!

On Sunday I really didn't take that many pictures, but I did get a few of Cardinal DiNardo. The mass was about 2 hours long, but was very nice.

There were other events that took place on Monday & today, but I didn't get to go to any of those since I was working.

Overall it was an unbelievable experience. All the people I was able to see, experiencing the ceremony for the 1st Cardinal in the South and then being able to congratulate him THAT day only hours later, being so close to the Pope, being surrounded by other Catholics from all over the World....no other way to describe it except UNBELIEVABLE. And it also left me feeling very blessed...that I am...blessed in many ways!

Here's a link to my pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71162&l=f2f82&id=800405227

(I've having problems getting the pictures from Sunday to post, but hopefully in a day or so they will be there!)

Thanksgiving in Rome

I must say that holidays that are only celebrated in the US such as Thanksgiving are tough when you aren't in the US and not in a country with a lot of American expats! The 4th of July was my 1st holiday like that...but I guess since Thanksgiving has even more traditions I missed it a little more. Halloween isn't really celebrated here much (the small kids dress up & you will see some costumes in stores, etc.), but 1) I've never been really into Halloween & can't even remember the last time I dressed up on Halloween & 2) Nov. 1st is All Saints' Day, which is an Italian holiday and everyone gets it off...so to me that's better than Halloween! But going to work on Thanksgiving day just felt wrong - I haven't had to go to school/work on Thanksgiving my whole life...until this year!

At least for Thanksgiving this year I had a friend from Houston staying with me for a little over a week, so I had another American around to 'celebrate' the holiday with. Since I'm not much of a cook & had to work on Thanksgiving...making a homemade Thanksgiving meal was out of the question! I tried to find a Thanksgiving dinner for us to go to, but the only one I found was way too expensive. So then someone from work suggested going to Hard Rock...at least that's American food. BUT when we were waiting for the bus to go to Hard Rock (around 8pm), I called to make a reservation & they said they weren't taking reservations any more for the night & the wait was almost 2 hours! So we dropped that plan. The only other place I could think of that served at least semi-American food was this bar down the street from me called the Bulldog Inn. So my friend & I headed there, scanned the menu & determined that cheeseburgers were as American as we could get. So there we sat Thanksgiving day, on small bar stools in a bar (American style bar, not Italian) in Rome, eating our cheeseburgers in celebration of Thanksgiving! (I figure it's the only time I can justify passing up the pizza & pasta for a cheeseburger anyway.) It wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but good just the same. I did get a turkey fillet at an Italian restaurant the next evening - so at least I got a fix for that craving. I'm still craving some green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with cinnamon & pecans, dressing, and some pie! Don't think I'll find all that here though....so guess I better learn to bake all that myself!

New Pictures & a video

It's been a while since I've posted anything on this blog...and it's not because I don't have anything to write...I just haven't had the time. Here are some links to pictures and a video that I've taken over the last several weeks. I'll try to write a blog about my experiences related to these pictures later (before I forget!). For now I hope you enjoy the pictures & video.

MTV Concert
Pictures taken at the MTV concert held here in Rome (another in Milan) on Sept. 15th celebrating 10 years of MTV in Italy.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53086&l=4b80d&id=800405227

Basilica di San Giovanni Battista de'Florentini
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53332&l=ed5d4&id=800405227

Ostina - beach near Rome
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53337&l=60460&id=800405227

Trip to Munich, Germany
Sept. 21-23rd I joined some of my friends living in Holland (from Houston, but on assignment in Holland) in Munich, Germany. We were there for the 1st day of Oktoberfest.

Dachau concentration camp: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55406&l=b057c&id=800405227

Oktoberfest: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55442&l=da36c&id=800405227

Beer & Brewery Tour: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55450&l=8ab5a&id=800405227

Misc. Munich pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55458&l=51479&id=800405227


This weekend
This past weekend I had my 1st apartment guests - my friends living in Holland drove down to Rome for a basketball game & stayed with me for the weekend. We had a blast spending time together, going around Rome, and attending a soccer game.

Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59236&l=e5970&id=800405227

Video taken at an Italian soccer game: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=19693050

Links to pictures from vacation & other misc. stuff

I've finally posted my vacation pictures & some others I've recently taken. Here are the links:

Abano Terme, Italy: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50240&l=b610f&id=800405227
Belgium Part 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50502&l=66702&id=800405227
Belgium Part 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50506&l=1c202&id=800405227
Open Air Museum: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50535&l=9413c&id=800405227
Amsterdam: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50524&l=b9d1c&id=800405227
Various Holland pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50538&l=abb2c&id=800405227
Trip to the US: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50546&l=59e96&id=800405227
A day in Rome: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51860&l=36126&id=800405227

Enjoy!

Sept. 3, 2007

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all are enjoying a very relaxing day off with friends & family or however you decided to spend your holiday!
Well my first trip back to the US and the return to Rome! I must say when I first got back to Rome it seemed a bit weird. I went from being back home where it was easy to do things, to communicate with people, and where I could just be more relaxed…to a place where I feel like I have to be more on my toes & am more confused that relaxed! It didn’t help I arrived tired and again had trouble getting the key out of my lock (olive oil helped again!). And then I used the toilet & ever since I can’t get the water to stop running (thank goodness it’s no where close to overflowing, but still annoying). At least I can use it because it’s basically constantly flushing! I emailed and called my landlady, but still no reply after at day. I hope to get that fixed soon.
I’m still trying to adjust back to the time here and slept in very late this morning - good thing I took the day off! Yesterday I slept for 5 hours in the afternoon when I got in…I originally laid down for a 2 or 3 hour nap. I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll be okay for work, which is why I’ll have to cut this blog short and get to bed soon (it’s already past the time I had planned to go to sleep!).
Coming back to Rome this time was a bit easier. At least I know how to get around on the buses & metros and didn’t even have to look at my map at all today when I was going around town (although I still carry it with me always!). I also got two big things accomplished:
1) I got the new Vonage box to work (since I blew the fuse in the last one!), so now I can be connected with everyone back home again. Up until now the only time I called home was when I left my mom a voicemail on her birthday in July. Yes believe it or not I went 2 months without calling home! Today alone I talked to my mom & my sister! Yay!! If I went 2 months without talking to them, now that I’m connected things have to be a bit easier!
2) I got my annual bus/metro pass today! I was warned about the long lines to get things and everything taking forever here in Italy, and up until today I didn’t have too much of a problem with that. But at the place to get my pass I had to wait in line for over an hour (in a building with no air conditioning) because although they had about 10 windows for clerks, only 2 were opened. And then people were shouting at the clerks about stuff. And at one point the police came in and made an announcement about something (I have no clue what) and a lot of people got mad and were yelling stuff at the cops about the fact that it wasn’t written on the sign on the door. I was worried that once I got up to the front they would give me an application and tell me to come back later. Fortunately they gave me an application to fill out there, I gave them one picture and my passport and oh about 10 minutes later they gave me my card. At least now I don’t have to worry about buying a bus or metro ticket for the next year! I was also glad I decided to go get it on my day off & not after work, because then I would have probably waited and then they would close before I got up to the front.

Tonight I had to go get a gelato from my favorite place and take a walk through Piazza Navona and St. Peter’s Square. The temperature here is great too – in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s I believe. I have to walk around the city every now and then to remember why I like being here so much! ;-)
Well that’s in for now because it’s way past my bedtime!

Sept. 1, 2007 - Trip back to the US

September 1, 2007
Trip back to the US
Well my trip back to the US didn’t start out so well. My suitcase was delayed in arriving to Orlando and I didn’t get it until Saturday night, which was a day after I arrived! As things seem to go with my trips though…once I got the suitcase, things were much better!
The whole purpose for my trip back to the US was for me to attend training in Orlando (at a hotel in Disney World) from Monday afternoon (August 27th) thru Wednesday afternoon. Since I was already in the US, I decided to make a short trip back home as well.
I decided to arrive early to recover from the jet lag & to be able to have some relaxing time in the Florida sun before training started. Unfortunately there were thunderstorms that came through every late afternoon/evening for several hours Friday through Sunday, so I didn’t even make it to the pool until Monday morning before my training started. A couple of my coworkers arrived Saturday evening, so I went to Animal Kingdom with them on Sunday which was fun.
It was interesting to go back home even after this short period of being away. First of all it was different being in an airport where everything was in English and basically only English was being spoken around me. I was actually glad that my layover going to Orlando was in Atlanta…in the South. It was great to be able to say ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘yes sir’ and to hear it back! I was born and raised in the South and no matter where I go there will always be a piece of me that will be that ‘Southern girl’. When I was in the Atlanta airport I ended up sitting at a table with this guy from South Carolina and we talked a bit and he asked where I was from. I told him I was living in Rome, blah , blah, blah and when I got up to leave he told me ‘You take care of yourself in Rome, okay!?!’ And of course my response was ‘Yes sir I will!’
Another thing was that I’ve gotten use to in Rome is the price of things being with tax included…and I realized I like that better than having it added on at the end. I know I’ve gone my whole life the other way, but I like going to the counter knowing exactly what I will have to pay (and no I’m not good at doing the tax in my head!) Walking around Downtown Disney on Saturday I also noticed something that I knew, but never really paid attention to before…it is true that America is overweight. Going from Europe where it isn’t as much of a problem to the US, you notice the difference. (Not to offend anyone, but I’m not pointing out anything not already known.)
Seeing my colleagues at training was great! This was just training for partners and managers, so I didn’t get to see all the colleagues we worked with but did see many. This is the only partner & manager training for 2007 that people on assignments outside the US can go to, so I also got to talk to the other expats. Even the little things were great…like being around people who actually realize that you got a haircut or that you got more tan. Of course I did get told I’m already “Euro”, but to me I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. ;-)
I went back to Houston/Wallis to see family and friends on Wednesday night thru this morning, which really wasn’t much time. I am still glad I went though, even if it was for a short time. I spent one day just running errands and barely got them all in. It was the first time I have driven in 2 months too, so that was a little weird at first. I was glad to see the family & friends that I did see in the short amount of time. I had to keep reminding myself that I still have an apartment in Rome because going around running errands and visiting with family & friends it almost felt like I’ve never moved. I also had to get in some of my favorite food I’ve been missing – PF Chang’s, Chuy’s (Mexican food), and Vincek’s BBQ!! I also made a trip to Wal-Mart with my dad to pick up a few things I haven’t been able to find around here. I ended up with my suitcase 15 lbs over the limit, so maybe I brought back too much stuff! Oh and my Uncle took me for a ride on his new Harley – that was fun too!
Although I do miss home, I am a bit excited to return to Rome. One because I’m tired of living out of a suitcase for over 2 weeks and also because I’m ready to get back to getting accustomed to life in Rome. I think I got the relaxation I needed and the training I went to really did motivate me from the work aspect to want to do my best at work, so I’m hoping when I return I will have a client schedule and can get to do actual work!
I decided to take Monday off (Monday is not a holiday for me in Italy) to recover from the flight & to do some errands I need to in Rome. Hopefully I’ll be ready to go bright & early Tuesday morning.
I better go, my battery is about to die! I still have several hours left to go on the flight, so I guess I better get some sleep!
Ciao!

Sept 1, 2007 - Part 2 of my August Vacation

September 1, 2007
Trip to the Netherlands (aka Holland)

I’m writing on yet another flight, but this one is back to Rome. I meant to blog over the past week, but just didn’t make time to do it. So here over a week later I’m blogging on a plane once again.
I spent August 17 – 24th in the Netherlands, which is also referred to has Holland. As I mentioned before, I didn’t really plan that much in advance for this trip but decided to go there because 1) I knew it was a place where there are typically layovers when flying to the US & thus a better chance for me to get my flights covered by the company since I was going to the US for a training class & 2) because I knew people from Houston living there (doing similar 2 year assignments like I am). They were generous enough to let me stay with them while I was in there too! (Thanks Jose & Claudia and Jeff!) I spent Friday in Amsterdam, Sat. morning – Tuesday evening in Den Haag with trips to various places including to Belgium on Saturday, and then back in Amsterdam Tuesday evening through Friday morning.
Prior to going to Holland, there were only a few things that I knew about it - tulips in the spring, windmills, people like to ride their bikes everywhere, wooden shoes, colder weather, lots of canals, and prostitution & smoking weed (aka pot) are legal there and most of that occurs in the Red Light District. Now after visiting, I have confirmed that those are all true, but here are some other observations (or more info on the above):
1) Although I knew about them using bikes, I didn’t realize the extent to it until I got there! Bicycles are everywhere! Hundreds parked at train stations, dad’s riding around with a kid in front of them & behind them and groceries in these bags over the back wheel. Kids, moms, dads, business people, elderly people – it doesn’t matter their age, gender, status… they all ride bikes. Any type of weather – they ride bikes! Any time of day you go out on the street & you will see someone riding a bike down the street. Oh & they are not nice, new bikes either. They are very ‘old school’ and I saw several that were spray painted florescent pink and another in green and others in just awful colors. I think it has to do with the fact that stealing bikes is somewhat of a sport there apparently, so if you have a nice bike you would be the first target for this ‘sport’. And because of the way the handle bars are, they always look so prim & proper riding there bikes with their backs straight, etc. I was going to rent a bike and ride around Amsterdam, but the day I was going to rent one it was suppose to rain so I decided not to (in the end, it didn’t rain anyway!). There are tons of places to rent bikes too. So the Dutch (people in Holland) ride bikes a lot – fact! I took some pictures of the ones parked outside Den Haag and Amsterdam Central Stations, but you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it!
2) Cold weather – that I found out quickly & the hard way. It’s not super cold, but colder than Rome or Houston. I was in Venice prior to flying to Amsterdam and the temperature when I left was about 98F. I was wearing a t-shirt, some pants that I rolled up to look like capri pants, & flip-flops. I got to Amsterdam around 7:30pm, got a taxi to the PwC Amsterdam office to pick up my friend’s apartment key that he left there for me, & then went to his apartment. I was having problems opening the front door to his apartment & was locked out of my blackberry (as mentioned previously, I’m having issues with even simple things!), so I decided to walk to somewhere to call my friend to make sure there wasn’t some sort of “trick” to opening his door. So I headed down the street & then decided I needed to roll down my pant legs. I was still cold and then actually paid attention to what the people around me where wearing and realized they were wearing jackets, down-filled vests, scarves, etc. So I was the only crazy person walking around in flip-flops! Needless to say the rest of the time I was in Holland I wasn’t wearing flip-flops & I wore the blazer I brought with me! I think most of the time the temperature was in the 60’s, which for a Texas girl is absurd for August!
3) I went with some of my friends and a group of people to the Red Light District on Sunday night. I think I read & heard enough about it to not be completely ‘jaw dropped’ about everything, but it was still a bit odd. The prostitutes rent their rooms where they stand in their lingerie in the front window trying to attract the men walking by for their ‘business’. For most there were red lights actually lighting up the windows (thus the red light district). Each room had a small bed, sink, bathroom & not much else (or at least not from what I could tell walking by). When they are doing their ‘business’ they close the curtains & then open them back up again when they are done. There are some streets where the width is so small basically just 1 person can walk at a time & the windows are on both sides. Down those streets I just wanted to get to the end! In the Red Light District there are also tons of shops selling anything related to sex & drugs (esp. pot) that you can think of and live ‘sex shows’. There are also “coffee shops” all over where you can go & order and some pot & mushrooms (and not the kind you get at any normal restaurant…these might make you see some crazy things!) As a side note, whenever in Holland if you want to get coffee go to a café not a coffee shop, or you might smell some funny stuff in there! The whole coffee shop thing is in all of Holland, not just the Red Light District. If any of you are wondering, NO I did not partake in any of these activities – all I did was walk thru the Red Light District. Some things I found odd about the Red Light District were the day care in the middle right between the ‘windows’ a church in the middle. Also most of the ladies in the windows did not seem to be Dutch.
4) Since things like prostitution & smoking weed are legal, you would think that the city would pretty much be chaos, but it isn’t. I had to actually make sure I crossed at crosswalks (unlike in Rome)! Also my friends told me that the Dutch do not believe in drinking and driving…even if it’s one drink (they will ride bikes, but not drive a car). They also have series of traffic cameras set up along the freeway where it will measure the distance between to calculate if you are speeding and if so you will get a ticket in the mail (and it’s not like in Houston where the cameras are marked). Overall the city seems orderly & clean…but then again I wasn’t in the Red Light District really late at night/early in the morning.
5) Dutch, the language, to me isn’t that pretty on the ear (sorry if any of you speak Dutch!). To me it sounded like English with extra letters and them sounding like they are hocking a loogie (or maybe it’s a hairball stuck in their throats). I was in a museum and heard someone speaking Italian behind me & just though ‘Oh Italian is such a pretty language!’ Now I actually want to learn Italian even more when I get home & am grateful I don’t have to learn Dutch! The good this was that almost all Dutch speak English too, so I really didn’t have a communication problem (except not being able to say the street names!).
6) I did see a lot of farmland, livestock & windmills as we were driving through Holland and as I was on the train. We even took some pictures with some (that was one of our challenges during a road trip!)
7) Climbing Dutch stairways can be considered an exercise routine!! In an email my friend sent me, he told me he was on the 3rd floor of a building and he had “Dutch stairs” in his building. And just put “Yeah, have fun with those!” I really didn’t know what he meant until I opened the front door to his building & looked up at the staircase in front of me! They are VERY steep, the stairs are small, and when you stand on one the next is about mid-shin. There were about 50 stairs to get to his apartment & let me tell you getting my huge suitcase up & down that WAS a workout!
8) The Dutch eat fries with EVERYTHING! Most meals we ate came with a side of fries. And they dip them in a mayonnaise type sauce (Fritz sauce) instead of ketchup.

Although I stayed in Den Haag several days, I didn’t really see much of the town because we went everywhere else. On Saturday I went to Bruges and Brussels in Belgium with Claudia and Jose. They have a car, so we just drove there. It’s crazy how in just a couple hours you can be in a different country. They didn’t seem all that different from Holland. I did do some of the ‘Belgium’ things like have waffles, get chocolate, and drink beer (at home I would never drink beer, but in Belgium & Holland I had it and it wasn’t that bad!). We kind of did a whirlwind tour of Bruges, just having lunch there & looking at some of the landmarks. Then we went to Brussels and looked around there in the rest of the afternoon & evening. One of the most fun things we did in Brussels was go to this place called Mini Europe that has miniatures of main landmarks of most of the European countries. It also had where you could press the button to play the anthem and make things on the models move. I think it was built for kids, but it seemed that all the adults were having more fun than the kids! It’s a place that if you went to by yourself it wouldn’t be that fun, but since it was a group of us and we were taking pictures of each other etc. it was a blast. Also for dinner we were joined by another couple from Houston that just moved to Den Haag (again doing a 2 year assignment there similar to what I’m doing).
On Sunday afternoon we went to a Latin Festival in a city close to Amsterdam. Claudia & Jose’s friend who’s originally from Mexico was dancing in it. It was interesting going to a festival in another country (especially a Latin festival…meaning Latin America…in Holland). The biggest thing I found funny was that although there was Mexican dancing & mariachi bands, there was no Mexican food! I actually had some Turkish food there! The dancing was really good & the weather turned out great that day too!
Monday afternoon the 3 of us decided to take a ride to the islands in Northern Holland, but we didn’t really plan ahead and when we got there we found out that the next ferry was going to leave in another hour and that if we took that one we would be stuck on the islands because there would be no more ferries coming back that night. So we decided to make the best of the situation & took a ride through the country side and then stopped at a couple small towns along the way back. Also Claudia decided to make a challenge for us to take pictures with as much livestock as we could, so I actually went in a pasture with sheep to take a picture with them! We went to so many places I don’t even know the name of too. We would just stop & take pictures…and I can not remember the names of them all!
On Tuesday I went to the Open Air Museum in Arnhem, which was about an hour train ride & then 15 minute bus ride from Den Haag. The Museum was more like a park with probably about 20 different house and building in a large open area with paths. The houses were set up like they would be in Holland during different periods and you could walk through different areas of the houses. They also had a building with people weaving in it, a blacksmith making different things, fresh bread baking that you could buy, display of the equipment of how cheese is made, etc. They also had gardens and playgrounds set up like in the ‘old days’ and had several restaurants & cafes. I spent several hours there and enjoyed it a lot! I was very glad that the weather was fairly warm and it didn’t rain!
Wednesday & Thursday I spent exploring Amsterdam on my own. I had a guide book I used to pick the main places I wanted to go & other than that I just kind of made my plans as I went along. Some of the things I did were running & walking through Vondel Park, which is a HUGE park that they have. It was so relaxing going through there & is a place where the Dutch go for picnics and just to relax. I also went to several museums including the Rijks Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. I also went to the Anne Frank house, which was probably one my favorite things of the whole trip. I’ve read the Diary of Anne Frank in school and found it interesting, but going through the house and seeing all the places that she wrote about was something else. There were also videos of the secretary who brought the families their supplies of food talking about what happened and even video of Anne Frank’s dad. I also went and saw Rembrandt’s house (the painters). That was interesting because it was set up as it would have been when he lived there with all the artwork & his painting supplies, etc. Those were the only “big” places I went to & since I spent several hours in each place it took up some time. Also since I wasn’t on a set schedule I slept in a lot too. J
I also went back to Den Haag on Thursday night to have dinner with some of the people there since it was one of the girl’s (from Houston) birthday. I even got to see the PwC Den Haag office, which was cool to see how different it is compared to Houston and Rome. They have an open bar at the top floor every Thursday evening there, which doesn’t happen in Houston or Rome! It’s probably the most different than the Rome office since our office there is not modern at all and is so much smaller.
I think the part I enjoyed the most about the whole trip was being able to hang out with people that I know and not having to travel alone! It was great visiting with them, traveling with them, and laughing with them. Overall I had a great time!
I took lots of pictures that I'll post later this week (it's getting too late to do it tonight!)

August 24, 2007 - Part 1 of my August Vacation

August 24, 2007

I’m typing this as I’m somewhere over the ocean on a flight from Amsterdam to Orlando with a layover in Atlanta. I decided to take advantage of “Ferragosto” & the Italian tradition of taking a long vacation in August. Well I decided to take it after the urging of many co-workers and my Italian Global Mobility contact that said t would be best if I take some time off in August. My vacation didn’t start off so well, but thank goodness it did get better!
I guess I am getting use to living in Italy because on Tuesday night I had to go for one last piece of pizza & some gelato (because now I don’t want to eat it anywhere else!) & found myself sitting in a couple piazzas trying to get just a little bit more of Rome in before I left. And even though I was leaving for vacation, I found myself not really wanting to leave because I felt there is so much more in Rome for me to see and many things I really enjoy there! Now about a week & a half after leaving - I do miss it! I guess that’s a good sign that I’m adjusting.
August 15th is a holiday in Italy (Feast of the Assumption) and the day I started my vacation. I had a ticket for a train to Padova, Italy (in Northern Italy) for an 8:50am train. As I always do, I was up late packing the night before & woke up a few minutes later than planned. But that was okay because I wasn’t that far behind on schedule so figured I would catch my train no problem. So I lug my big suitcase & backpack outside my door, go to lock my door & am ready to go catch my bus to the train station. So I lock the door - an easy task…I’ve done it a million times. Well apparently I need to take classes on how to lock & unlock doors in Europe because lately I’ve had tons of issues with this simple task! Well I did lock the door okay, but getting the key out of the lock was another issue. I have no idea what the problem was, but I could NOT get the key out! I tried all kinds of things (including putting olive oil on a q-tip & putting it around the key thinking it would help it come out!), but nothing seemed to work. I spent over 45 minutes just standing at my door trying to get it out! About the time I was suppose to catch my train, I finally got it to come out! (Oh and there was a whole lot of pleading with God going on before that point!) So then I take my stuff down & catch a bus - which was a challenge in itself because despite my attempt to pack ‘lightly’ and using my ‘feather light’ suitcase, my suitcase was HEAVY! Try to take a suitcase that is heavy and about half your size on a crowded bus in Rome - it’s not fun, but I did get there. And luckily it is very easy to switch your reservations for the rain and there were many going to Padova, so I didn’t have to wait long.
I’m really enjoy the train rides now, especially when they go thru the countryside and the Tuscany region of Italy. You can see so much from the windows of the train & the ones in Italy (the fast ones) are very comfortable & clean. I was on the train for about 4 hrs and it went by very quickly and I even got some reading done! I read this book call “La Bella Figura - A Field Guide To The Italian Mind” that a friend gave me before I left for Italy & I loved it. It is written by an Italian (Beppe Severgnini) and he talks about various things in Italy and traits that Italians have. Now that I’ve been in Italy for a couple months, I could relate to many & some parts had me cracking up! I’ll share some of my favorite excerpts with you in another blog.
One thing about this trip is that although I did book everything several weeks before I left, I didn’t really plan all the details and figured I’d just figure it out as I go. I knew I would catch a train to Padova, then catch a taxi or bus to my hotel in the small town of Abano Terme next to it by following the instructions on the hotel’s website, then I would stay at the hotel enjoying the pool & spa at the hotel until Friday, then catch a taxi or bus to Venice where I would catch my plane to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam I had plans to stay at a friend’s apartment (he was out of town for work unfortunately) for 1 night. Then I would catch a train early Sat. morning to spend several days in Den Haag with some friends living there (doing an international assignment like me). Then I would head back to Amsterdam to see the city there until this morning (Friday) when I would fly out. I didn’t look up the exact bus numbers or anything like that…or even look on the map to see where they were all located, but just figured I’d go along and ask people for help when needed. I really didn’t do too much research about Amsterdam or the Netherlands (aka Holland) either, and just figured I’d take a tour book & figure it out as I went along. So there was some wasted time & me carrying my luggage further than I thought (and in Italy it was about 98F when I left, so it would have been hot walking around even without all my luggage). I was luckily that I found people to help me along the way & I am pretty patient so I don’t mind waiting. Of course I must admit waiting on a hot bus when I got to Padova was starting to get to me, but I was too cheap to pay for a taxi. Also on Sat. when I was suppose to meet my friends despite me waking up early, I still missed the tram to the train station (because I was trying to figure out which way I needed to go & where the stop was as the tram I needed passed by…not realizing it was the one I needed & since it was early on a Sat. only 2 went every hour). Oh and then I got to the train station in Den Haag & realized that I did not have a specific meeting place to meet my friends & I was locked out of my blackberry for several days (use it for my mobile phone & to check emails) because I forgot to write down the pin number and the one I have now requires it anytime you turn it on (like when you have to turn it off when on the plane & then on when you arrive!). Plus I didn’t even have there cell numbers to call them. So yes poor planning on my part and some wasted time, but over an hour later of the original meeting time they found me (I felt bad too for them having to wait!). But live & learn…that’s my motto live & learn. There is a balance between being super structured on trips where you are so stressed about making sure you are on schedule and get everything done vs. being so carefree you waste time and don’t get to see it all. I’m still trying to find that balance apparently.
Back to my vacation details…
I arrived at my hotel in Abano Terme around 3pm on Wednesday & stayed there until early Friday afternoon. I found this place on the internet & was able to get a package that included meals & some spa treatments for a very reasonable price. I wanted to go to this area because I’ve heard about the thermal springs that are suppose to be very healthy for you (only 2 places in Italy have the natural thermal springs where they have the spas to do mud baths, etc. I was told). I read online that this place wasn’t really for young singles if you wanted a lot of action, but that was okay with me because what I was looking for was some relaxation & sun at an affordable price. But I must say that even though I knew this, I was a bit surprised at first to see the crowd staying there. I saw maybe 2 or 3 families with younger kids, maybe 3 people there close to my age & the majority were probably retired couples (not saying that’s bad!). The lady that gave me my massage said that she doesn’t see many people my age there, but thought it was a good idea to get treatments like the mud baths early when it can help vs. later in life when it can just maybe help with the pain. Also what surprised me is that I heard mostly Italian with some French & I think German. I think the Italians (and maybe others) can even get some of the spa treatments paid for by their insurance so they go for a week or so for medical reasons.
The town where my hotel was located was a cute little Italian town. There are tons of hotels all centered around these thermal springs with people flocking to them for dips in the pools & the spa treatments. So there are little shops set up all within walking distance & all the hotels have bikes you can use if you want to ride around. The town was very different than Rome - bikes instead of scooters, very quiet & laid back, and in the evenings there wasn’t much going on except in hotels that had bars/dancing. So I spent most of the time by the pool (but it closed at 7pm!) and then catching up on my sleep!
They had about 4 pools all with this thermal spring water & the only difference in the pools other than the shape was the temperature of the water. The big pool (and coolest temp) had jet in it that they would randomly put on during the day (meaning at times half the pool would have air jets going for an hour or so), it had a couple bikes in the water you could use them underwater & it had these huge faucet looking things that would spray out water that would massage your shoulders & neck if you stood under it. It was very nice & very relaxing. I spent most of the time laying out by the pool rather than in it though. It was quite enjoyable!
I did have several reminders that I was in Europe vs. North America though! The hotel was very strict in all their handouts & signs that you were to wear the white robes in your room for the spa & the blue ones for the pool area, you were suppose to shower before you entered the pool, & it said swimming caps were required (but no one followed this one), and there were dress codes for eating in the dining area (I.e. no shorts in the dining area, etc.). BUT with all these rules, the one big different vs. in the States is that apparently tops for the females are optional in and around the pool! I know that there are many beaches in Europe that are topless beaches etc., but I just didn’t realize that at hotel pools where there are families etc. that this was the case. There weren’t many women doing it & when it was more crowded they put their tops back on, but I was just a little shocked at first. And NO I did not participate in this activity (that is to answer anticipated questions).
Another thing that was very different was the spa experience itself. First I had to have an exam with a Doctor in order to even do the thermal baths. I did that on Thursday morning & it didn’t take that long - just ask me if I was one any meds, if I had any heart problems or aches, then checked heart beat, blood pressure, lungs, etc. He said my blood pressure was a bit low (probably because I hadn't had anything to eat or drink at that point) , so he told me they wouldn't put the mud too hot because that would lower it more & he suggested I at least drink some coffee before. I ended up having a full hour until my appt, so I had a full breakfast & was much better.So first I had my mud bath. So this Italian lady did it & I have no idea what she said half the time (well she didn't say much anyway). So they have this spa bed they put this canvas like blankets on and then they put two piles of mud on it. So I sat down & she put some on my back & then I laid down in one of the piles & then my feet when in the other pile. I thought they would put mud everywhere, but they only put it on my joints, back, feet & right hand (not sure why only 1 hand), but later I realized it was in the places the Dr. circled on the diagram when I met with him. So then she wraps the blanket around me so I looked like a mummy & I laid there for probably 20 min. And oh my gosh I was sweating like crazy after a couple minutes! But it did feel really good. And the room was far from any of the spas in North America. There was no AC, just a big window opened (with blinds of course) & then just a curtain in the doorway between the room and the hallway. The walls were just white tiled walls & floors. So then when that was done I went to the shower area in the room & the lady sprayed me down to get all the mud bath. Yes you just stand there in your birthday suit as she sprays you down! Then I sat in this tub thing in the room for about 15 min that was filled with the thermal spring water & they had jet things in it.And I found out later the mud they use comes from some lakes around there & then they put it in big basins with the thermal water & let it sit for months & it forms some sort of algae that's suppose to be good for you.So after I drank some sort of herbal drink (had one before too) I went upstairs to the massage room. I only had a 28 min massage, so kind of short but still good.Ahh and the massage – they definitely don't believe in 'toweling' like they do in the North America (for those of you who haven’t been to a spa before – in the Spa in the US & Canada, they always cover your ‘private’ areas with towels…even if you are getting something that involves them using the shower.). At this place you just lay there in your birthday suit & then she used a towel but only one & would only cover small areas. I'm so glad I had a female & not male this time because I don't think I could have relaxed as much if I had a guy! (Especially just laying there with my whole top half exposed during the massage or just laying there with nothing!). Oh & the room had all the lights on & no candles or anything like that like they usually do back home. It did have AC & she had music on, but it was just a radio station that she changed several times. The massage was good, just very different from back home. I'm a very 'modest' person, so this definitely made me step out of my 'comfort zone', but I still enjoyed it. Guess it helped that 1) the people doing it were females and 2) I know there is no one that was there that I know & will probably not see any of them again! ;-)

I’m starting to get a bit sick at the stomach from typing on the plane, so I’ll close for now and write more about my Holland experiences later.

One more shout out to B-G-O

Many of you might be tired of me writing about Craig Biggio in my blogs, but hey he's my favorite player & I'm missing a lot of his 'big moments' and last moments as an Astros player & this is my only way to kind of be a part of it.

Yesterday was the celebration for his 3000 hits. My sister had tickets to the game & sent me pictures - it's great looking at them, but at the same time it makes me wish I could have been there!!

Below is an article about the festivities. Especially read the part from his son's speech - wow I can't imagine what an honor it must be for a dad to have a teenage son say that about you!

08/12/2007 3:33 PM ET
Biggio bat presented to Hall of Fame
Friends, family, fans gather to pay tribute to Astros great

HOUSTON -- Craig Biggio already experienced the peak of his legendary career on June 28, when he slapped a 2-0 pitch from Colorado's Aaron Cook into center field for his 3,000th career hit in front of a deafening sold-out crowd at Minute Maid Park.
But when he has time to reflect, Sunday might come a close second.
Before Sunday's game, Biggio and the Astros took part in an official day of celebration for the milestone, presenting the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the bat, jersey, batting gloves and cap used by Biggio on that historic night. The Hall of Fame only requested the bat, but Biggio, in typical charitable fashion, donated them all.
Brad Horn, director of communications for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., attended the presentation and accepted the items on the organization's behalf.
"We put in a request [that] we'd like to have something," Horn said. "We particularly wanted the bat. Craig has been particularly generous with us throughout his career. He's given us the spikes he wore in the World Series, the elbow guard when he set the modern record [for being hit by pitches], [and] the jersey from when the Astros commemorated the Columbia Space Shuttle.
"The bat was something of Craig's we did not have. On a number of levels, the bat signifies the best memory of the 3,000th hit. It was his decision to donate the jersey and gloves. It just helps us tell the story."
Astros radio broadcaster Milo Hamilton directed the ceremony and had words for Horn upon his receiving of the artifacts.
"We trust that you and our friends at the Hall will take good care of these items as you prepare for that display case that will go up in five years to honor our very own Hall of Famer," Hamilton said.
The ceremony lasted approximately 45 minutes, with numerous Astros and Biggio representatives on hand to take part and testify about the greatness of Biggio's accomplishment and his career.
The baseball notables taking part in the presentation included Horn, Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr., Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith, Astros general manager Tim Purpura, Biggio's agent Barry Axelrod, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and former teammate Jeff Bagwell.
Nancy Caminiti, wife of the late former Astro Ken Caminiti and a close friend of the Biggio family, also attended along with the couple's three daughters.
After the participants were introduced, Biggio was driven onto the field through the right-field gate with his wife, Patty, as well as his daughter Quinn and sons Conor and Cavan. All were greeted with a rousing standing ovation and loud chants of 'B-G-O' from the standing room-only crowd at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros welcomed Biggio with an eight-minute tribute video that featured highlights of Biggio's Houston career along with a montage of all 27 members of the exclusive 3,000 hit club, with words of congratulations from Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, George Brett, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr.
Following that, Bagwell, Conor Biggio, Hamilton, Sunshine Kids member Frankie Velazquez, McLane, and Biggio all gave brief speeches to honor the occasion.
"As I watched that video, it brought back tremendous memories of that night," Bagwell said. "Truly, it was one of the most special days in which I've been associated with the game of baseball. I was really moved.
"The thing that's important is that there's only one Astro [with 3,000 hits]. To spend his entire career with one organization, to get to 3,028 with one team, that is great. I'm very privileged to have had the opportunity to play with [Biggio] for 15 years."
Perhaps the most touching tribute came from Biggio's 14-year-old son, Conor.
"My father is simply amazing," he said. "He may not have been there at every Little League game or every birthday, but we always knew in his heart he was there. He taught us respect, hard work, integrity, loyalty and courage. He taught us about charity and kindness to the Sunshine Kids.
"Most of us, he taught us all about love. It's in how he loves the city of Houston and how he loves the game of baseball. We see it in his eyes, and we feel it in our hearts. I love you, and you're my best friend. Dad, I am so proud of you."
Conor embraced his father for several moments following his emotional speech.
In addition to the kind words honoring his on-field greatness, Biggio has always been known for his dedication to the community, even when away from the clubhouse. On that front, Sunday was no exception, with Sunshine Kids executive director G.W. Bailey and long-time member Velazquez on the field to give Biggio specific praise for his dedication to the group.
"You have shown me a love for baseball and a love for life," Velazquez said to Biggio. "I hope there will be others that follow in your footsteps and give what you have given to me. You are, without a doubt, the heart and soul of the Houston Astros."
After Velazquez spoke, he and Bailey presented Biggio with a card of congratulations signed by all of the kids from the Sunshine Kids House in Houston.
"It's no secret that Craig Biggio has played the game right," Hamilton said. "He hustles and he grinds, always leaving it all out on the field. This passion and drive follows Craig outside the lines of the diamond, as he spends countless hours with his charitable work. Where Craig really shines in the community is his work with the Sunshine Kids organization."
McLane followed Hamilton, presenting Biggio with a crystal 3,000th-hit bat and a commemorative 3,000 sign on the left-center field brick facade at Minute Maid Park. From there, it was finally time for Biggio to come to the podium.
"I thought this was going to be easy, but I don't think so," Biggio said in addressing the crowd. "It's a very overwhelming experience for a player. I just love to play the game. To have this many people come out and honor you is one of the ultimate compliments you can have. Getting your respect is the most important thing to any player. It's beyond words."
Biggio never was the most physically talented or imposing player, but he made up for that with incredible drive and passion. On a day honoring his incredible career, that was the message he chose to send to his fans.
"I know all the kids in Little League fields across the world have big dreams," Biggio said. "You should go for it. I am a person that can vouch for that. I wasn't the biggest kid, and I wasn't the strongest kid. But if you've got a big heart and a big dream, you've got to go for it. Don't let anyone crush your dreams at all. If you want to be a big-league baseball player, go for it."
Biggio's daughter, Quinn, delivered the game's ceremonial first pitch to Biggio, and Biggio concluded the presentation by taking a lap around Minute Maid Park just minutes before the start of Sunday's series finale between the Astros and Brewers.
Biggio played second base and led off in Sunday's game.

2 Reasons why Houston will never be the same

I've only been gone for about a month & a half now and already 2 things have happen in Houston in which I know already when I return it will not be the same.

July 24, 2007 - Craig Biggio, who has played his entire 20-year career with the Astros, announces that he will retire after this season

Before I left I knew that Biggio would probably retire before I returned to Houston, but getting the official word made me a little sad. I was sad because I realized I will never get to see him play again and shout B-G-O, B-G-O. As long as I can remember watching the Houston Astros, I remember watching Craig Biggio. I've had a crush on him since I was about 9 years old and still think he's very cute! (Even though my friends give me a hard time about it since he's one of the 'older' players.) I always enjoyed watching him play because he always looked like a little boy out there getting dirty & just enjoying the game and playing the game!

The other thing about Biggio is that he just seemed to be such a great guy on & off the field. When other players almost seem to be in it for the glory of the game or will try anything possible to try to beat the other guy (legal or illegal), Biggio just played the game like the game was meant to be played! Yeah sometimes he had hitting slumps or in the later years he couldn't steal bases as well as in his younger days, but he was a player out there with integrity. I'm so happy for him that he reached 3,000 hits because he is a guy who deserves it.

Off the field he always helped with charities like the Sunshine Kids and never did you hear of him getting arrested any of that other nonsense that goes on with other players. He had his family & was proud of his family (his own family & baseball family) and I am happy for him that now he can spend more time with his own family. And I also have to give it to the guy for sticking with the same club for 20 years, even when at times he probably could have gone to other clubs for more money. That is loyalty you really don't find these days!

So thank you Craig Biggio for the 20 great years of baseball and for being loyal to the fans!

B-G-O B-G-O B-G-O

July 29, 2007 - Marvin Zindler dies of pancreatic cancer

Growing up my parents always watched channel 13 news and in my lifetime there has not been a time when Marvin Zindler was not on the TV. I would go around the house saying 'and have a good weekend - good golf, good tennis or whatever makes you happy! Marvin Zindler Eyewitness news!' Of course followed by the 'Thank you Marvin.' Or 'Slim in the ice machine' or 'It's hell to be poor!'

You may remember Marvin for his white suits or his famous sayings or his white toupees and blue glasses...or for the infamous chicken ranch in LaGrange that lead to the broadway musical 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'. Yes all those were Marvin, but was even more 'Marvin' was helping those that needed help most. One of the news clips I watched had someone saying that Marvin solved more problems before breakfast than most consumer reports did in their career. He did help thousands and thousands of Houstonians and other people all over the world.

I knew he did a lot, but forgot how much until I was watching some of the news stories and clips they had about him on the channel 13 website. And what was shown on TV was just a small bit of what he did. They said there was no letter that was sent to his office that was not address in some form or fashion & most by Marvin himself. I mean just mention that you write Marvin to anyone in the Houston viewing area & most people would quickly solve your problem because he was one person they did NOT watch to have to be on the opposing side of.

He could get away with so much stuff other people couldn't - his fashion, being loud, in the way he was just straight to the point...but it all worked for him. He definitely was one of a kind & very unique and there will be NO ONE that can ever replace him! He's also definitely one that left his mark in this world & made this world a better place! If only each Houstonian could do just 1/50 of what Marvin did for the poor and the down & out, then the world would be a better place & his legacy will live.

So there is nothing else to say other than 'Thank you Marvin'.

Tidbits (Aug 7th blog part V)

Here are a couple other tidbits of things I’ve observed that I’ve found interesting:
· Italians really can live on pasta, pizza & gelato! Yes they do eat other things including all types of meat (lots of veal & seafood), salads, and veggies, but for instance when you go to lunch with colleagues, they will typically ask ‘What are you hungry for pizza, pasta, fruit with gelato?’. I thought maybe it was a misconception about how much pizza and pasta they eat, but they do eat a lot.
And gelato…oh gelato…I still LOVE gelato! When I came here on vacation, I thought maybe gelato was something mostly just tourist ate all the time…but from my observation it isn’t. You will see kids eating gelato, teens going to get gelato together, families getting gelato, a guy in a business suit walking around with gelato, older people eating gelato…and they are not all tourists! And you know how in Houston it seems there is a Starbucks on every corner…in most places in Rome I think there is a gelateria on every corner! Last night I realized that the restaurant 2 doors down from my apartment building sells gelato…only about 20 steps away…that could be dangerous!
· Italian drivers get impatient with a lot of things – one being when the light turns green and the car in front doesn’t move (I hear them honking all the time since there is a light right in front of my apartment building.). But what they don’t get impatient with are people who walk out in front of them in the street or motor scooters who zoom past them to get to the front of the light or just go in between lanes just to get through. It’s quiet amazing! And people walking in the street or crossing the street wherever – I’ve quickly adapted to that one. No more waiting on the street corners for me – I just start walking & assume they will stop (there are some streets you can’t do that on, but most you can)…and amazingly they do with no horns honking! Anyone who walks around with me in the US when I’m ever visiting, please watch out for me there because I’m liable to just starting walking in the street and get run over!
· Rome, despite it’s size, is a very safe city. Yes of course you have your pickpocketers and stuff like that, but on the news and in the newspapers you really don’t see the murders, stabbings, kidnappings and stuff like that like you do in the US. Maybe they do have more than I think & since I don’t read/understand Italian well I just don’t get it all, but even the Italians have told me it’s very safe here. Walking around late at night, you don’t have to feel like you are watching your back all the time and people really do leave you alone (haven’t had any guys trying to hit on me because I’m walking alone at night or anything like that). Of course you have to be safe & smart and don’t do things like walk with your purse open or go in very dark areas etc., but for the most part it is very safe. And yes sometimes you see people yelling at each other in the street and they seem quite heated (the other day I saw a man on a bike & a taxi cab driving yelling at each other while they were stopped in the middle of the street), but they yell and then move on – that’s it.
· Just visiting the Italians seem so friendly that I thought it would be no problem making friends, but I’ve been told it is difficult to make Italian friends. They also said that once you do they are the kind of friends that stick by you through thick and thin and are always by your side when you need, but that it can take years before you find that friend.
One of the other expats in our office told me that in Italy you typically don’t hang out with co-workers outside the office. Working at a public accounting firm, what is nice is that your peers are usually all around your age, many still single (okay at my level more are probably married, but I don’t want to face the fact yet that I’m getting older and marriage is no where even near in sight, so I’ll make myself believe most are still single! ;-) ) and so it’s very common…at least in the US…for you to hang out with coworkers after work to grab a drink or a bite to eat. But I’ve been told here that usually doesn’t happen and if it does it’s probably mostly expats. Many Italians live at home until they are married and family is very important, so maybe it’s because they always go to eat with there family – I’m still not really sure why.
There are some Italians in the office I talk to and have been to dinner with a couple (a non-Italian colleague invited us all), but mostly I have had dinner with people from various countries. Some of the ones I’ve talked work at PwC and have moved here indefinitely from other countries, some are Americans that have moved here, some are others working in Rome for a short or long period of time that I happen to run into from various countries – really sometimes I have just met people in random places and start talking to them. When you are alone and have no friends, you find yourself just talking to anyone else who speaks English too. Before coming here I said I didn’t plan on joining any of the ‘American’ or ‘English speaking’ groups here, but now that I have learned how difficult it can be to get into the Italian ‘circles’, I’ve changed my mind about that and plan to join some. I have to be able to network and socialize somehow! I do have several people (Italian & non-Italians) that are friends of friends or from online discussion groups that I’ve been corresponding with that I plan to met up with in person after the August holidays, so that will be nice to at least have people to visit with.
· There are a lot of priest and nuns here – I probably see at least 10 priests/nuns a day. At this point I’m not sure how many are tourists and how many live here, but in a couple months I will know. Also I’ve found that the more nuns here wear their habits compared to back home. In the US it’s actually hard to pick out nuns because many dress in normal clothes, but here even when it’s really, really hot they will wear their full dress…habit & all.
· It gets hot here and although not as hot as Houston, there are less places with AC and you walk a lot more – thus there is no way around it, you’re going to sweat! Many buses/ metros don’t have AC’s in them, most places the AC isn’t as low as in the US, you will eat outside, wait for the bus outside in the sun – yes no way around it you will sweat!
· Tattoos and piercing seem as common here as in the US. Even models in some of the ads have arm tattoos that aren’t airbrushed out.
· There is more American music and movies played here than I ever thought would be. The movies and TV shows are dubbed in Italian, but the music is in English. I will be in a store and start signing along (yes I do have a habit of people one of the annoying people who starts singing to music and not even realizing it) and then it hits me…oh wait I’m in Italy and this is a song in English!
· Not all Italian men are Italian models! I’m not walking around with my jaw dropped drooling over men all the time! Now they do have some very nice ads I have to say, but again those are models.
I have to throw this one in because of all the comments I received about me coming to Rome to find an Italian husbands or that I’m definitely going to come back married…or those of you who have asked me to find an Italian stallion for you! ;-) Now yes, there are some very attractive men here & the dark skin, dark hair, sense of fashion, etc. are very attractive, but again just like everywhere not all are hot Italian men! The men are of every shape, size, personality, etc. – not all tall, dark, handsome with a six pack and gorgeous hair. And most of the time when you do see that very attractive man, he has a very beautiful Italian girl on his arm! And yes it is tourist season, so sometimes it is hard for me to pick the Italian men out from afar compared to tourists (at least for me right now), so maybe when the tourists are gone I’ll say there are more attractive Italian men!
Anyway I have found that now what I see as ‘attractive’ has changed a bit already. I was never one for the ‘metro’ guys, but here all guys seem a bit ‘metro’ - men to seem to have a very good sense of fashion & it seems that there might be just as many clothing stores for them as there are for women and they flock to them. Maybe it’s that the men here also typically wear suits to the office, which to me a man in a suit always seems a lot more handsome. As a side note, I haven’t really figured out the dress code at PwC for us females. It’s supposedly business, but most wear knit sleeveless shirts with no jacket, etc. – so I’ve started doing the same since it’s so hot here & all I’m doing is sitting in the office. I bought a black blazer I have in the office if need be, but don’t typically wear it.
The other thing is finally it’s not odd for me to see guys hugging…or most of the time greeting each other with a kiss on each cheek or calling each other ‘bello’ (beautiful in English)…that’s just normal here. Italian men seem to show there emotions more…towards females & towards other males, that’s just how it is!
Oh and also found out that most Italians are very much into astrology and even before they will date you some will want to know your sign and even the date and time you were born to see if you are compatible before they will go out on a date with you! (A non-Italian told me they did indeed have this happen to them).
I have never been one to say – when I get married I want to wear this dress, or have it here or my bridesmaids dresses will be like this…never any wedding planning…but I must admit that after seeing the brides & grooms walking around taking pictures, and seeing pictures in windows, and being in the churches, I have found myself thinking ‘well Rome would be a great place to get married’ (and I now know you don’t have to be Italian to get married here…even in St. Peter’s). And after I went to Noi and saw a bride in there having her hair and make-up done, I caught myself thinking ‘Oh I could have my wedding in Rome & could come to Noi to have my hair done…”. I think it all has something about being in Rome in July and all the weddings!
But any of you thinking you’ll come to Rome in a couple years for my wedding…don’t book anything yet! Or those who have said I’m not coming back to Houston because I’m going to get married here and never return…don’t count on the fact that I won’t return…not yet! ;-)
So with all that said, no I’m not on a husband watch here and not already planning my wedding here – I mean if it happens, it happens, but it is not something I am on a mission to do!
· Italians do talk a lot with there hands. There are 2 common gestures they use often I’ve noticed – one with one hand where they kind of have it cupped & move it in a gestured to & and from them…the other where they put there hands together like they are praying & will move them back and forth (not sure if I’m explaining it will…easier to demonstrate). Usually they do this to emphasize a point I believe. Once I was looking out on my balcony and say a guy on his scooter talking on his phone with his Bluetooth doing these gestures while at the stop light. It’s actually a bit entertaining! I will say that when I start using them regularly, I will know I’m becoming a bit more Italian!

What I am enjoying (Aug. 7th blog part IV)

What I am enjoying
· All the beautiful places! I look at St. Peter’s and stand in awe. I’ve been in Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the piazza outside the Pantheon, and various other places tons of times & just can’t get enough of it. The size, the history, the art, the beauty, people everywhere – just can’t get enough! I love when I’m sitting at one of these places & I hear someone’s expression when they see it for the first time…it takes me back to when I first saw it and I can’t help but smile. I also enjoy when I can share any info I have about what to see or where to go with someone else visiting – it’s a bit of a way to share the places with others. And I hope I can find even more ‘hidden treasures’ to share!
I’ve been fortunate enough to be inside St. Peter’s for probably about 10 hrs already (not at the same time, but in total) and am still in awe every time I go in there. I can’t grasp everything that is in there or the size or the beauty. For any of you that have not had the opportunity to see it, I don’t even know how to begin to describe it except that it is amazing. The imagine when the built it and what they were using to build it and how long it must have taken them and just the sheer size of the place – amazing.
Since I’ve been here I have been fortunate to see Pope Benedict 3 times and it probably won’t be the last times. Growing up I never thought I’d get to see the Pope once, much less one Pope 3 times in less than 2 weeks.
I am a 10 minute walk from St. Peter’s, so a couple Sundays I woke up and decided ‘I’m going to go to 12:15 mass this Sunday at St. Peter’s!’ and off I go to attend mass there. I can go see Michelangelo's Pietà any time I want to (for any of you who haven’t see that – it’s an amazing statue…so real and life like I can’t comprehend that it’s actually marble).
This weekend I decided to attend mass in the Pantheon – only took me about 15 minutes to get there on the bus & walking. (you can see links to pictures I took inside the Pantheon during mass here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41661&l=e1c8f&id=800405227)
Do you know how amazing it is to just be able to wake up & say I want to go to mass at St. Peter’s or at the Pantheon. Never in a million years did I think I would be able to do that!

· There always seems to be something to do. Any night if I get bored I just start walking & I typically run into some sort of festival, or can go watch the entertainers in Piazza Navona, or can go shopping (well not at night, but during the day), or just go somewhere & people watch. It’s always something. And during the summer there are festivals all over. In Trastevere (one of the areas in Rome) during the summer they set up booths, restaurants, movie viewing areas, etc. along the Tiber river and have it open every evening. One Sunday I met this guy who showed me around there and we ended up having dinner at one of the restaurants there. We were leaving around 11pm and some people were just getting there – so Romans really do eat late!
I remember when I first vacationed in Rome one of our tour guides was talking about how the emperors would always make sure there were lots of things for the people to do because if they kept them busy and entertained, then the emperors could basically do whatever they want and no one would mind. Thus they had the Roman baths & the gladiator matches at the Colosseum, etc. It still seems like there is a bit of the idea of making sure there are a lot for the people to do here and to keep them entertained – the free festivals, events all the time, free newspapers, and then you even have the free water fountains that are running all the time where you can get water (and it’s good & cold).
Every Friday I think to myself ‘hmmm…what can I do this weekend?’. I’ll go online and look at the events going on (if you ever go to Rome, look at the site http://www.inromenow.com/ , it’s the best!). I typically have a list of 3 or 4 things to go see and don’t think I’ve ever made it to all of them on my list!
This weekend I went to the Valentino exhibit at the new museum Ara Pacis and it was just amazing. The videos and pictures don’t really do it justice, but it was the best that I could do.
You can see my videos & photos of these at the following links:
Valentino videos of dresses:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=15021263
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=15022750
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=15023899

Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41669&l=33db5&id=800405227

(I have about 65 pictures in total that I took, so if you want to see more let me know & I will send you the link to my pictures that are on kodakgallery.)

Two weekends ago I saw that one of the churches in Trastevere was having this festival honoring the Virgin Mary that lasted for 2 weekends and during the course of the festival they had various processions where they carried the statue of Mary through the streets and the one on the Sunday was down the Tiber river. It was suppose to go close to where I lived, so I headed out there to see what it was all about. It wasn’t really that many people there, but it was interesting to watch. I think more people were in the neighborhood where the procession ended.
For pictures of various places I’ve been and things I’ve seen, see the pictures I’ve posted here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41654&l=f1f60&id=800405227

The shopping is unbelievable. I have never been one for very high fashion and just stayed out of the “high end” stores in the Galleria. But I now I will walk into Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Fendi, Dolce & Gabanna – not to buy, but just to look and to see what type of stuff they have and how much it really is. It’s almost like going into another museum – just a fashion one. I don’t think I’ll ever understand what makes a shirt €800 when it’s made out of the same fabric as a €50 or how people can wear €400 not walk around with a body guard for them, but it is fun to look.
One thing I haven’t quite figured out yet is how the Italians afford the clothes here. Because although they are much cheaper than buying them abroad, even many the non-high end items are a bit expense when you compare them to the salaries people make. For instance I’ve been looking for a pair of dress shoes and have seen very few that are less than €100 – and that’s during the sales! And I’m taking little shops down some small street and all kinds of places, not just the ones by the Gucci and Prada shops.

· The food, caffè (espresso), & wine! Although I am starting to miss some international food a bit (especially Mexican & PF Chang’s- a Chinese restaurant we have in Houston), I must say most of the food here is really good. For lunch I can typically get pizza or pasta for about €5 or less. Dinner if you sit down at a restaurant will be about €10 or as much at €45 (for more typical, full course meals). I have had a couple things I really didn’t like or didn’t think was worth the money, but for the most part I really enjoy it. I have found that buying fresh fruits and vegetables is pretty easy and affordable, especially because of all the open markets and even little food stands that sell them (there is one close to my office open every day).
Caffè (esspresso) after lunch is a common thing – and pretty much every Italian does it. I’ve finally learned how to work the coffee machine in the office which has free caffè, so I’ve started to drink that more often now. It’s not as good as the one in the bars, but it’s free and convenient. Plus it’s fun to watch because the machine actually has this little ‘arm’ that brings out your coffee!
I wasn’t much of a wine drinker back home, but I’m also starting to enjoy having a glass of wine with dinner and have found that the house wines are really cheap and still good. I like both the red and the white wines. I have learned the hard way though to make sure you don’t drink too much wine and/or grappa (a very strong after dinner liquor). It’s not a good combination!
Oh and some things I’ve just fallen in love with and never even knew I liked them…like eggplant and artichokes. Now artichokes I’m still not all that fond of, but will eat it now. But eggplant I love! I even buy it at the market and fix it up myself…never knew I liked it!
Another thing I’ve noticed is that usually lunch is very light (or at least with my colleagues), is not typically long, and most of the time is eaten standing up. Maybe it’s just in the area where our office is, but most of the pizzerias & bars are pretty small so what they will do is set up tables outside where you can stand or there will be benches nearby. So you go and order what you want (pizza, panino, etc.) they give it to you in parchment paper or your pasta in a plastic plate and you stand on the sidewalk eating it. I actually kind of like it that way. You get to stand for a bit, get some fresh air, and don’t spend any time sitting around chatting afterwards. After that you the whole group heads for an caffè.