Taking the Veil

This has to be a short post, since I am now required to pay for my internet. I found a place where I could use the internet for free, but in return, I would have to put up with the overly amorous owner of the cafe, so I have decided that I can afford the price of peace and quiet. I have moved into a convent not far from Santa Maria Maggiore, which is what the internet advertisers would probably refer to as a "colorful" neighborhood. I would probably be more likely to use a word such as "sketchy," but hey, I feel pretty safe with all the nuns. They run a very neat ship, although I hear disparaging things about the coffee they make at breakfast. However, all this information comes from my roommate, a thirtysomething Australian woman whose parents were from Sicily. She is a bit of a character, and chose to introduce herself to me by telling a very detailed story about how the Sicilian men were all over her, rather than telling me her name. I have since learned that her name is Celeste, but she seems to regard me as her psychiatrist, as I find myself obligated to smile and nod through her stories about her extravagant Italian boyfriend. It is not that I mind listening, or being friendly to my roommate, but I am in the middle of an Umberto Eco book, and those of you who know me well know how hard it is for me to do anything but read when I am mid- good book. At least I have a semipermanent place to stay now, until I find an apartment with Roisin, which should restore some semblance of regularity to my life. I would say normalcy, but that is the last word I would use to describe this trip! When I prayed for adventure, someone upstairs was listening...