Research Update: I'm going to Berlin!

I've realized that a few people actually do keep up with this blog, be it directly through this site or via facebook. Uhh, I know a lot of you are only interested in my travels and stuff around Europe, so if that's all you're about I would highly recommend to not read any further for your own good.

Wow, so I still got your attention. Ok, so a few posts ago I mentioned that I submitted an abstract to present at the ECerS (that's European Ceramics Society) Annual Conference in Berlin this June. Well, good news is that it got accepted! For those of you that care, the title of my presentation is, "La2CuO4 sensing electrode configuration influence on sensitivity and selectivity for a multifunctional potentiometric gas sensor" So yeah, essentially what that means is that I work on sensors that make sure that combustion engines don't emit too much bad gases into the environment, like carbon monoxide, etc. Do something good for the environment and get to do some research in Europe, not a bad deal eh? Plus usually conferences have some good free food and open bars (again world revolves around food). So hopefully they'll be some good free sausages and weizen beer.

So, what do you think for this as an opening slide? I sent a presentation to my group back home to let them know what I'm doing here and decided to add a crazy picture. Not so sure that the picture would be appropriate for a conference.

Hate it or love it!!

In the wise words of the G-Unit, you either hate it or you love it. In this case, I'm referring to my Italian language. Ok, so I'm not really Italian, but if I were to claim it I'd claim being Roman. With this includes learning Roman slang. To give you some perspective, this would be like being a foreigner in the States trying to speak like he was from Boston or with Southern slang and twang. This includes rockin statements (with quasi translations) like "Propio Da Paura" (That's wicked), "Do' Stai" (where's you at), or "C'ho una chitarra" (I gots a guitar). Or another example, if you were to correctly say let's go eat in Italian it would be, "Andiamo a mangiare". In roman this is said "Namo a mania".

So, the Italians I know who are from Rome absolutely love it when I start breaking out in slang. However, the non Romans usually respond "Why are you learning Roman you should be speaking Italian." I tried it on my Italian teacher here, and let's just say she wasn't too happy. This is a good example of the make up of Italy. There is somewhat of a cultural divide between the North and South, just like the United States. Industry and fashion are big in the north in cities like Milan and Turin, while you got more agricultural and grass roots stuff in the South (Rome and below like Naples). Juventus, in the booming rich city of Turin is just like the Yankees. They are the most successful team in Italian club history and you either love them or hate them.

Amici Fiorenti in Roma

If you saw from the last post, two of my friends studying in Florence, Nick and Danny came to visit with their study abroad group. I joined them for their group dinner which was a good representation of Roman food. I joined them for a walk around the city afterwards in which we ended up at the Trevi Fountain, one of my favorite spots in the city (especially at night). A couple of their friends wanted to go out, and I was glad to hear that they wanted to avoid the typical American college hangouts. So we decided to just sip on some bottles of wine out in Campo di Fiori. Crazy how small the city is as I ran into the same Arkansas guys who joined me in arguing our point that the SEC is so much better than the Big 10 with this idiot from the University of Illinois while watching the National Championship Game (I know I said it before, but you don't have any grounds to talk smack when you're talking to students from the two schools who played each other in the Championship of the toughest conference in college football and you go to a school that sucks big time at football and hires our reject coach).

Anyhow, Francesco and Andrea eventually met up with us. After dropping off the Ragazzi Fiorentini at their hotel Francesco, Andrea, and I went to this awesome disco which was built in an abandoned school building. In Italian fashion, we avoided the crazy long line by conveniently skipping to the front of the line (When in Rome...). Francesco and Andrea decided to use my Americanness. They did their best to speak in American accented English and whenever the bouncer said something they'd just say "What the heck is he saying?". It worked. Another crazy coincidence, Andrea ran into one of his friends who he met like 3 months ago, and what do you know when he introduced me, she ends up being a Florida alum. All in all, fun night.

Co, Co, Corrado!

So two friends of mine from the good ole University of Florida, Nick and Danny, are studying in Florence for study abroad. So I was telling Corrado (If you're new to the blog, this post introduces Corrado) about how they are coming to Rome tomorrow night. Knowing that he was supposed to be gone this weekend, the following conversation ensued (all in English mind you):

Me(M): "Will you still be around tomorrow night?"
Corrado(C): "Why?"
M: "Well I have two friends from UF that are studying in Florence and their whole class is coming to Rome tomorrow night and we're probably going to go out after dinner. I wanted to see if you wanted to come."
C: "You know what my next question is right?"
M(While rolling my eyes and shaking my head): "Yes, there will be girls." (Corrado's eyes light up and his ears perk up)
M: "Actually, there should be a lot of girls. For some reason girls tend to study abroad more so than guys. In fact, when my girlfriend studied in Florence two years ago there were about 30 or so total people and only 5 of them were guys."
C: "Ahhhhh f**************k!!!"
M: "So I take it you won't be here."
C: "Unfortunately no"

Gotta love Corrado! :)