Roma, the capital city of Italia, is a bustling city of approximately four million people. The roads are quite packed throughout the day, and the metro is hot with people packed together so tightly that one feels uncomfortable if not violated. Besides this, there is always the danger of pickpocketers which the local police seem unable to control. So, in tight spaces, I have been asked to put my neck wallet down my shirt, and then down my pants. This is rather embarassing as I feel somewhat barbaric, but I am told that this assures no one will steal my money.

At night when first getting to Roma, I did not expect someone to force a flower into my hand and then ask me to pay for it. Someone else ended up paying for it, but it was still a learning experience when dealing with the street vendors of Roma...