A Gelato a Day...This, is Italy.

The Arch of Titus with the Colosseum in the background

Dad said that the Colosseum is essentially like any other stadium. To me however, there's just something wonderful and fascinating about it. Much like the Eiffel Tower at night, I can look at the Colosseum all day and not be sick of it.

So I did just that. Tired of just wandering around looking at yet another pile of rocks, I plonked myself down on a random piece of marble outside this magnificent ruin, opened up my umbrella (it was spitting rain somewhat), and just stared at this hunk of a very old, rather damaged amphitheatre. I was riveted with wonder and admiration at the thought of people in togas cheering on in vernacular Latin as a gladiator fights off a charging elephant shipped in from Africa in an inconceivably distant past.

While I love Rome for its rich history, the roads (system and drivers) suck. Crossing roads in the city freaked me out. Cars don't stop for pedestrians. You just have to take a deep breath and step onto the busy road, hoping to God you don't get mowed down. (Someone I met in the hostel later told me that it's best I stick to a group of at least three because drivers are indecisive when there's only two of you waiting to cross the road. Even better, find a person pushing a baby stroller. Drivers would never want to hit a baby.)

A dumb habit I'd developed - before I received this very useful tip - was to dash across with my head bowed and eyes downcast. The way I saw it, if I don't see the drivers, they won't see me.

I am an asinine fool.

I am also useless with directions. But we've already established that earlier in the year. My first day, I got lost trying to find the Colosseum. It turned out I'd overshot so far I was out of the map area. It just irks me that most roads in Rome almost always lead to piazzas. From there, I'd have to once again dig out my trusty map to figure out my directions. It's during one of these Yan-stares-at-the-map-totally-befuddled episodes that I got chatted up by an Italian man: [pointing at the Colesseum] "Do you know what that is? Is the Trevi Fountain, no?" being his pick-up line.

"Do you see water spouting from it?" I wanted to retort. But you gotta give him points for originality.

He was your typical smooth talker. I asked him whether it was in his daily routine to wait in front of the metro station and ambush tourists. He said only for the pretty ones. No matter how many times I attempted to excuse myself to leave, he was like a leech you couldn't scrape off.

He also took it upon himself to be my personal tour guide for the next two hours. I definitely got to see a lot more of Rome than I planned. So "Leorendo" (alas, I cannot remember whether it is "Leonardo" or "Lorenzo"), grazie - and my apologies for giving you a false name and a fake number.

Trajan's Column

Overheard while waiting in line, "Wait, whaddaya mean the Pope lives here?!?!?"

The Pantheon