生日快乐 (Shēngrì kuàilè)

Early in the afternoon, our class got to visit the art galleries in Villa Borghese. We learned all about the Borghese Family’s involvement with the papacy. Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V, was a passionate patron of the arts. His collection spanned the works of Bernini, Caravaggio, and Raphael. My favorite pieces in the museum were Benini’s marble sculptures, especially his renditions of the Greek gods from the epic poem “Metamorphoses.” Scenes like “The Rape of Proserpina” and “Apollo and Daphne” were brilliantly sculpted to make the observer circumambulate (or walk a full 360 degrees) around the sculpture to get a complete sense of its message. The painted ceilings of the galleries were also impressive and produced vivid illusions of multiple depths. It was a complete shame that we weren’t allowed to bring cameras to the museum—the masterpieces were incredible.

After class, we ate dinner at Magnolia—a restaurant located on the corner of Campo de’Fiore—in celebration of Molly’s birthday. I learned how to pronounce “shēngrì kuàilè,” which is Mandarin for “happy birthday.” I always have a great time eating with Yuting (Mandarin, Cantonese), Kate (Hindi, French), Molly (Spanish), and Maggie (German) because I get to expand my knowledge on world languages. That’s what I love about being around my honors peers: we all bring diversity to the table.

Dinner: pasta with salmon.