Hey. This week my Dad and Aunt flew into Rome. I did more sightseeing with them in two days than in the several weeks I've been here. I finally got to see the Pantheon, which is very impressive. Oh, and while we were there a group of college-age kids ran in and mooned the congregation, making it a much more memorable--and hilarious--experience. That night we went to Gregory's Jazz Bar just north of the Spanish Steps. We ate dinner first then watched live jazz till almost two in the morning. The featured performer was the clarinet player who, after a few on-stage glasses of whisky, really brought the house down. At one point he took over the drums, bouncing the sticks off the cymbols a foot into air before playing the stand-up base with the drum sticks. It was fun because the crowd was into it and everyone was cheering. What really made it interesting, though, was how I woud never be able to converse with the band or the audience but the music kind of transcended the language barrier. I'll definitely be back there. But unfortunately right now I have to leave "rhythm and blues" to go back to the daily rhythm of class. My Dad and Aunt leave in a day or two. But it was nice to get a little slice of home and all that jazz. I have an English quiz on Ernest Hemingway today and a quiz on the European Union in Political Science class. well, ttyl.

 p.s. next week's blog: details on my trip to Oktoberfest 07' in Germany!