Remember when Larry King wrote a column for USA Today? Whenever he couldn't come up with 500 words about one subject, he'd just do a series of random thoughts. If it's good enough for a multimillionaire media personality, it's good enough for me.

• Kim bought an electric beater today. Spent 15 Euros on something we'll leave here because of the different electrical system. Making special meals each week for the students, she wanted it so she could do a better job.
• We've been attending mass at a different church each Sunday. It's good because we see the differences and don't assume "all" Italian churches are the same. We've been to 3 different churches and haven't had to go outside the walls yet. The first had an organ and small choir. The second had a capella singing, but only a little. This week the church used recorded music.
  
• Have I mentioned that I was shocked to see a number of vending machines here? In 2002 about the only thing sold in machines was cigarettes. The idea of getting a soft drink or - horrors - coffee - from a "self-service" machine was unheard of. I guess even Italians want convenience.
  
• Along those same lines, it could be my imagination but I believe there are more frozen foods. There was always plenty of frozen stuff, but there now appear to be more of the "heat and serve" sorts of items.
  
• I came over here wanting to be of service to the program but I can't help but feel I am a burden. No, this is not some "woe is me" sentiment: I feel the visiting professor, whoever it is, must require a tremendous amount of the staff's time. I mean, I speak some Italian but I still need their help all the time. For instance, our washing machine went out last week. No big deal, but it required Angelica to call the guy who does the repairs. Then, because he was coming on a Friday when Kim and I accompanied the students on an excursion, Angelica had to meet the repairman at our apartment, let him in and wait for him to do the repair. The same was true a couple of weeks ago with a plumbing issue. Filiberto had to drive me to pick up my Mac cable (it arrived after 6 days). And I don't really consider myself high maintenance - imagine the professors who require a little more "attention."
  
• Italy is "leaderless" since last week when Prodi stepped down. One of these guys is highly likely to be the next PM - Velroni (left) or Berlusconi. Berlusconi was Prodi's predecessor and is probably the wealthiest man in Italy, or certainly one of them. His company owns the three major private TV networks. If an election happens right away, everyone predicts he would win. Veltroni is the mayor of Rome and his most likely opponent.
  
• Italy gave up the Lira as its currency when it adopted the Euro, in 2001 or 2002. Yet, there are still a number of price tags around that have, in small print, the price in Lire. In conversation when someone mentions that something cost X Euros (usually some large amount, like the price of a new car), they then say "or Y Lire." It's an addendum that has come to mean, "My how prices have gone up."
  
• Some of the students are frustrated by the way things are done here, especially the hours of businesses. In Rome or Florence most things are open morning until night, but in the rest of the country, they still follow the old way. Shops open in the morning and close around 1 p.m. They will reopen sometime between 4 and 6, depending on the business, and remain open usually until 8. Restaurants have a different schedule: they open usually about noon and close around 3, reopening around 8 (some a little earlier). Pizza places that specialize in "by the slice" are generally closed 1-3 or 1-4, and then close again early when restaurants reopen. Of course all of them have at east part of the week they don't open. Most stores are closed Sunday, but if they happen to be open Sunday afternoon they will be closed another afternoon during the week. I try explaining to the students that it's part of the cultural difference they came over here to experience.
  
• Having reread that last bullet point, I'm convinced I have manic/depressive tendencies. There are moments when I am so proud of these students and think they are great for stepping out of their comfort zones to learn. Other moments I get frustrated because they don't want to try something different, or get tired during an excursion. If an overweight 51-year-old like me can make it through the day, I can't understand why they get so tired and have to sit rather than pay attention to an explanation about some architectural or artistic work. Let me reiterate that I think they're a good bunch and haven't had any trouble.
  
• Anthony and Nicole will get a chuckle out of this: I've got the students saying, "It's not weird, it's different." That started back in 1995 when we went to Slovenia. To me "weird" implies something out of a science fiction novel. Students tell me that's not their interpretation of the word, that they consider it synonymous with different, but they humor me and say, "that's different" now instead of calling things unfamiliar to them "weird."