Interesting Rome

Just realised that it’s really been awhile since I last blogged. Not too sure why but words don’t come as easy nowadays. There was a period of time when I just had so much to say, so much to comment about. These days however, I’ve been doing more thinking than anything else.

Perhaps it’s because I’m reaching that age. I’m almost a quarter of a century old. And yet, I still do not see my legacy. We are all capable of achieving greatness. I know that. But, what is this ‘greatness’ I’m supposed to be doing?

That aside, here are some pics from my last trip to Italy. Pictures are really just a fragment of the real thing. If you get the chance, you have to go to Rome! (My roman history isn’t really up to date. Don’t kick up a fuss if I’m wrong!)

The Colosseum. Rumor has it that once upon a time, almost thousands of animals were killed here daily! The Romans were poor and the King, in order to placate the masses, organised daily fights and battles.

This might also have resulted in the extinction of many species of animals from Africa and maybe Asia. Not too sure if you can picture this, but how the colosseum works is brilliant. Animals and humans alike are placed below the stage. When it is their turn to fight, elevators, powered by humans pulling on pulleys, raise the fighters up the stage to meet their fate.

The arch of Constantine. If I’m not mistaken, Constantine was the Emperor who made Christianity the official religion of Rome.

The Trevi Fountain. Tonnes of tourists visit this fountain and toss coins over their shoulders for what proves to be an ancient tale. According to legend, if you use your right hand and toss a coin over your left shoulder, you will return to Rome. The larger the amount, the faster the return. Two coins signify romance and three coins signal wedding bells.

Another interesting fact. If you look closely at the rightmost window, you will find that it isn’t exactly a window. In fact, it was bricked up because someone who stayed there attempted suicide by leaping out the window!

During the tour of the Palentine Hill, our tour guide told us a couple of interesting facts. I will attempt to relate them as close to what I heard as possible.

Fun fact #1
Do you know the reason behind bridegrooms carrying up their wives and stepping into their bridal rooms? Before Rome was what it is today, Romulus held a party and invited all the warriors of Sadin (not too sure if I got this spelt correctly.) He and his army got all the Sadin soldiers drunk, went on to ‘pick’ up their women, locked to doors to his city and commenced populating his city.

Fun fact #2
Do you know the reason behind the colours of wedding costumes - white for females and black for men? Well, in the past, women didn’t have money to buy luxurious gowns. So what they did was seek help from the priests and borrowed their garments for wedding, hence the white colour. Men were typically dressed in black because men were seen as sinners. In fact, in the past, men used to stand on the left during the taking of vows because the left was seen as the side of sin!

Fun fact #3
Do you know the origin of the phrase ’something up his sleeve’? Apparently, during Roman times, people didnt shake hands when they greeted one another. Instead, they ’shook’ forearms. In other words, you grasped the forearm of the person you were going to greet instead of his hands. Businessmen used to even grasp the upper arms to make sure knives were not carried hence ‘nothing up their sleeves’!

I’m sure most of you didn’t know alot of that! I was super surprised when my guide told me all of this! Interesting isn’t it? That we are in a way still behaving and living like Romans!

The Vatican City. A scared place of worsip - tonnes of visitors, a lifetime of luxuries. A hidden conspiracy? I’m not being blasphemous but one really has to wonder where the church managed to amass its wealth and still keep it running like a country on its own.

Hot and sunny Vatican

A huge pity because I didn’t manage to get into the Sistine Chapel to see Michelangelo ‘The Creation of Adam’. Apparently entry closes early on Saturdays. Who would have known. Bah.

Here’s just a few photos of us having a little bit of photography fun inside the Vatican. Not really appropriate considering that it was inside a church but hey… life’s short!

Is it technically possible to jump so high? Even I’m amazed!

From left, Ivan, me, Wenyi and Cheryl. Members of a non-existent pseudo band!

Wonder what the big guy above said to Ivan. (Be a priest? Perhaps.)

That’s all for this post. I really have to get back to Spanish. Oral exam tomorrow. Wish me luck! Till next time, take care, stay healthy and see you soon!