La Montagnola in Bolgana, Italy
Firstly, I must apologize for my lack of blog postings. After returning from Christmas break, I received many visitors including dear friends like Hannah Berlin-Burns of study abroad fame, fellow former Duke TIP employee, John Stokes, and the loyalist of mountain alums, Chris Gracey, so my days have been spent entertaining and being entertained by these wonderful people and not writing. OOPS.
HOWEVER, the past two weeks I have been on spring break: 2013…it has been a complete whirlwind of excellence, and because of the daily adventures and excitement, it’s story (much like the most recent Hobbit film series) will be divided into multiple parts for royalties, merchandising, and cash money
My journey started in Bologna, Italy where I graced the home of John Stokes and his fellow Hopkins classmates for a few days. Upon arriving, I was greeted with a blizzard of epic proportions by my southern standards, but experienced delicious food, including a squid cooked in it’s own ink during a day trip to Venice!
HOWEVER, the past two weeks I have been on spring break: 2013…it has been a complete whirlwind of excellence, and because of the daily adventures and excitement, it’s story (much like the most recent Hobbit film series) will be divided into multiple parts for royalties, merchandising, and cash money
My journey started in Bologna, Italy where I graced the home of John Stokes and his fellow Hopkins classmates for a few days. Upon arriving, I was greeted with a blizzard of epic proportions by my southern standards, but experienced delicious food, including a squid cooked in it’s own ink during a day trip to Venice!
Pont di Rialto in Venice, italy
The unique timing of this Roman adventure did allow for some once in a lifetime opportunities. For example, I went to the Vatican when there was no pope: an opportunity that I doubt I (or many others) will be able to experience again for a while. Despite the distinct lack of pope in the neighborhood, the Vatican a really aw-inspiring experience. One of the things that contributed to this experience was an encounter I had with a well-known American in the Vatican.
As one can imagine, there is quite a bit of news coverage of the Vatican right now due to the bizarre circumstances of the pope’s retirement. The square and the street approaching St. Peter’s were filled with local, European and international TV news stations. As a result, when I was leaving St Peter’s square, I encountered a familiar face from American television, ABC news anchor: George Stephanopoulos.
As one can imagine, there is quite a bit of news coverage of the Vatican right now due to the bizarre circumstances of the pope’s retirement. The square and the street approaching St. Peter’s were filled with local, European and international TV news stations. As a result, when I was leaving St Peter’s square, I encountered a familiar face from American television, ABC news anchor: George Stephanopoulos.
Alter of the Fatherland in Rome, Italy
Now as many of you know, this isn’t the first time that I have encountered ‘famous people’ haphazardly, but I have a standard rule of conduct around these people: treat them as if they were normal human beings because that is truly all that they are. However, since being away from America for so long, I have felt the need to talk to anyone from America I recognize by virtue of the fact that it is relatively surreal to think that we are encountering one another across the globe. As a result, my reflex immediately is to talk to George Stephanopoulos as we cross paths in the street. The conversation went thusly with the parenthetical representing my inner dialogue:
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Me: Mr. Stephanopoulos! (Andrew, you don’t actually know him. What have you done.)
George: Hello!...How are you?
Me: (Mmm he is clearly wondering why he is even talking to me. Best thing is probably to make a joke) Well sir, like many today, I’m utterly popeless but otherwise functional. (Boom.)
George: Haha…That’s a good one…Do I know you?
Me: (Mmm judging by your two “ha’s,” I honestly doubt you thought it was “good one,” George. This is now awkward) No sir, you do not…but you go report the news. I’ll hold down the fort over here.
George: Alright, you have a good one.
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The conversation was over. We went our separate ways, and I sincerely doubt that George Stephanopoulos is writing a blog post about our interaction. As I was walking away though, I started to think about how dumb it is that one of ABC’s lead anchors (let alone any body) was covering the Vatican.
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Me: Mr. Stephanopoulos! (Andrew, you don’t actually know him. What have you done.)
George: Hello!...How are you?
Me: (Mmm he is clearly wondering why he is even talking to me. Best thing is probably to make a joke) Well sir, like many today, I’m utterly popeless but otherwise functional. (Boom.)
George: Haha…That’s a good one…Do I know you?
Me: (Mmm judging by your two “ha’s,” I honestly doubt you thought it was “good one,” George. This is now awkward) No sir, you do not…but you go report the news. I’ll hold down the fort over here.
George: Alright, you have a good one.
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The conversation was over. We went our separate ways, and I sincerely doubt that George Stephanopoulos is writing a blog post about our interaction. As I was walking away though, I started to think about how dumb it is that one of ABC’s lead anchors (let alone any body) was covering the Vatican.
The news area in the Vatican City.
Was it a unique day in history? Yes. But let’s be real for a sec: it is literally a thirty-second news segment were you have someone say, “Yes, I am standing in the Vatican City, and the rumors are true. He wasn’t bluffing. There is no pope right now.”
Better still, is that there is a rather elaborate scaffold structure for these news teams to continue reporting the situation, suggesting that they are going to be staying there for continuous coverage as if something is going to change within an instant…I imagine George Stephanopoulos almost like a weather reporter in this instance: “Yes Bob, the dew point in the Vatican City is around 48 and there is still a 0% chance of pope today.”
Needless to say, though I was excited to meet George, I am not envious of his situation because he did not get to see all the awesomeness that I saw nor be around the wonderful people with which I was lucky enough to visit. To get an idea of what I saw check out this video.
Better still, is that there is a rather elaborate scaffold structure for these news teams to continue reporting the situation, suggesting that they are going to be staying there for continuous coverage as if something is going to change within an instant…I imagine George Stephanopoulos almost like a weather reporter in this instance: “Yes Bob, the dew point in the Vatican City is around 48 and there is still a 0% chance of pope today.”
Needless to say, though I was excited to meet George, I am not envious of his situation because he did not get to see all the awesomeness that I saw nor be around the wonderful people with which I was lucky enough to visit. To get an idea of what I saw check out this video.
Part two of this adventure will be coming soon! Thanks again for all of your support, and I am sorry again for not being in better touch!
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