We decided to meet in Rome to help inaugurate Sarah's European adventure. Granted, one can only do so many things in Rome in two days, so most of the time we went our separate ways, but it was neat to meet at the beginning and end of the day.


Our night with Sarah, James, Rosanna and Steph ended up taking us for a bit of a loop. We tried catching a bus to the Colosseum, only to get off at ... well ... whatever it was, it looked like the Colosseum. Except for the offices poking out of the back. Oops. We had to walk all the way back around, smack into a gay rights candlelit march (in the dead of night?). And then we found the real Colosseum and took the subway back to our hotels.

Here's something I realized about Rome in early September: It's just like Taiwan in the spring. It's humid, it's muggy, and there's a strange olfactory combination of incense and body odor. So for day 2, Ian and I decided the theme would be "air conditioning." Museums were the way to go. The National Museum had a photography ban, not that the Spanish tourists draping themselves all over the Discus Thrower paid any attention. There were also at least 3 sculptures featuring Hadrian's boyfriend Antinoos. Young Antinoos drowned in the Nile, and the emperor was so upset he had statues of him erected all over the city. Apparently a lot of them survived. My friend Kaly says they're everywhere, but I only noticed the ones in the museum.

Our next stop was the Capitoline Museums, near the Vittorio Emanuel. To my surprise, we were greeted by a giant banner calling for the relase of Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Wow. That's very aware of them. And kind, since he's been held prisoner for over 3 years now. Also, there were brides everywhere, including one who was actually getting married as opposed to just taking portraits.

 Here they let us take the cameras out. Some of the big stuff:


It was a long walk from the museum to Piazza del Popolo. That long walk took us by a lot of shopping. My favorite store was probably the one devoted to upscale Hello Kitty, but despite the scads of merchandise (and yes, at one point I thought of dropping a ludicrous amount of money on some suede Kitty pumps ...), there was no Italy-themed Kitty merch. Not even one with the Colosseum in the background or something! Your loss, Kitty store. I was willing.

And here we have the picture from dinner -- the entire trip was full of happy occasions and meetings (Jay, Sarah, James), but this one stands out for its unexpectedness: the company, the pasta, the randomness of it all.

I liked Keith Urban's breakout stuff. I'm sure I'd like his current stuff, too, if I were less lazy about getting access to country radio. Anyway, I saw a promo for his concert on Facebook and decided I'd buy myself a ticket. Just me. I compare Keith and his music to a boyfriend you can't really show off -- he's good-looking in a devilish sort of way (and has pleasingly ripped arms) and I just soak up the exuberance from his music, but I can't take him out in the city (aka, karaoke) because I don't want everyone seeing his borderline-incoherent lyrics splashed across the screen. Also, Keith himself has been to rehab twice. That doesn't really matter much in the entertainment industry, but it's one of the only 2 things he's known for in New York: rehab and Nicole Kidman. Oh, and maybe some people have heard that sweater song. *wince*

The opening act, Sugarland, has been around for a few years, but I guess in some ways they're still considered up and coming? Anyway, this was where Nashville's blessing seriously counts. The last country concert I attended, for the give-Nashville-the-middle-finger Dixie Chicks, featured some dude I'd never heard of. And to confirm that I hadn't heard of him in the ensuing years, I had to run 4 or 5 Google searches to fish out his name. But Keith Urban? Nashville loves Keith, so he gets his pick of great opening acts. The lead singer for Sugarland has this outrageous twang -- I can barely understand her. Still, they were fabulous! I'd only heard one of their earlier hits ("All I Wanna Do"), but I had such a good time listening to their 45-minute set that I'd rate their overall show better than Keith's. Seriously.

But nobody plays stringed instruments like Keith Urban's band. Really, I think they're just a bunch of rockers with a slight country bent (though it is the banjo opening to "Somebody Like You" that really gets me going). Those dudes love their guitars, and they're so good that I am okay with it. At first the instrumentals overwhelm the singing, but eventually either the equipment adjusts or my ears find a way to cope. It's the second-to-last stop in North America, and I think Keith is kind of tired. There's a lot of "interactive" singing, meaning he holds the mike out to the audience a lot, but I only know half the songs so I find this kind of annoying. I'd take a lip-synched song or two in exchange for hearing all the words. He also goes out into the audience several times, moving to 2 smaller stages in the middle of the arena. It's pretty funny when a bunch of women try to grab his butt and he has to lurch forward a little.

I need to go to these concerts with Julie, though. There's a lot of dancing to be done, and Ian's still traumatized from the Dixie Chicks. Something about "Goodbye Earl" and screaming girls.

I forget how many songs Keith Urban has spun out over the years. The many songs he plays include all the ones I know except "Your Everything," which is a waaay old early hit: "Where the Blacktop Ends," "Raining on Sunday," "You'll Think of Me" (featuring YouTube clips of other people singing it), "Days Go By," "Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me," "Kiss a Girl," and of course my absolute favorite, the closer, "Somebody Like You." As a bonus, Nicole Kidman's in the house, hidden in a suite somewhere. There is a 2-second shot of her (curly-haired) silhouette on the big screen. He mentioned her twice and played "Thank You" for her. It's a beautiful song.

I was very tired and a little late to work today as a result. But what a wonderful day! The choice of Obama for the Peace Prize (um, why, thank you. We are so honored. Confused, but happy. Yay America!) made for the perfect daytime rhythm at the office: delegation, coordination and interesting work. And then short ribs at home. A good 24 hours all around.