Let my people go!

The title of this blog has zero to do with anything except for the fact that I have been on a Prince of Egypt craze. The soundtrack, the movie, I'm just all over it this week, idk why. Maybe it's because of Easter? I am into biblical Disney films? No idea. All I know is that the soundtrack is on repeat in my brain. Good times.

So I am blogging today to do what I did with the Palermo blog, to teach the rest of you to learn from my mistakes. Because I am just so kind like that, that I can put my pride aside, for you.

So here it goes: Today was a lovely Roman morning (now it's pouring, wonderful), so Alex and I decided to walk to the API offices. On the way there, as my ballet flats rubbed a massive blister into my heel, a car pulled over on the side of the road and asked Alex and I for directions. He was looking for Piazza Del Poppolo, and Alex quickly informed him that he was going in the wrong direction. And once we whipped out our trusty map and told him where to go, we assumed that we were free to go. But this man decided he wanted to tell us his life story. He was an Armani sales rep, from Milan, who was lost in Rome, with a rental car that was running out of gas. He then whips out his portfolio and shows us all of his stuff. We nod and smile, he continues with more stories in broken english and mainly italian. He then asks me if I can understand italian because I am italian. I kindly tell him no, and that Im in fact mexican. He gets all excited and tells me that Mexicans and Italians think the same. And Im just like "Oh ya, totally, mhm" and then he looks at Alex and askes "Is this your girlfriend?" Now, you see, I am a little worried that this guy is trying to ask me out or put me in his car and drive away, so Alex and I give each other tentative looks like "This guys is super sketch" and Alex puts his hand on my shoulder (in an awkward Ive-never-touched-you-in-my-life kind of way) and calmly says "Oh ya ya, she's my girlfriend." So Milan man proceeds to say "Do you mind if I give your girlfriend a gift?" We say no and he whips out a purse and says "This is a prototype, it's Armani, dont sell it ok?" Then he asks Alex what size shoe he wears, and reaches in the back and give Alex this fancy pants socks. Once again he reminds us not to sell these things, and explains how expensive they are. After all is said and done he says, "All I ask in return is for any kind of money for gas, my credit card is broken" (shows us the card). I legit have no money on me so I say sorry, no can do. But Alex does have money on him and gives him a 20 because he is a genuinely nice guys, and sympathizes with him. he says thank you, tells us to enjoy the gifts, and drives away.
Immediately when he leaves my mind starts Nancy Drew-ing this entire strange encounter. A) a Sales Rep for Armani from Milan, probably not driving himself anywhere. But I mean, whatever. but then...B) His portfolio was a little sketch, and it was plastic, not in a brief case, and it was just there and ready to be shown. But ok, that's fine too...BUT! What really caught me, was his watch. C) I know fashion, I know labels, I know what you wear if you also know fashion and labels. Even if you are fashionably inept, if youre rich, you have fancy things. Homeboy extended his hand to shake my hand (btw, weak, weak handshake, dead fish, wippy) and I immediately looked at his watch. It was meant to look nice, but it wasnt. It was a Seiko watch. Which for a regular bro is fine, but an Armani Sales Rep is not going to be caught dead with an a Seiko watch. Not once, not nevah. The minute he left it all comes rushing back to me and I'm like "lets see this stuff". The socks were socks, but no label. But the purse, aside from it being ugly (Armani or not) it was the most fake bag I've ever seen. And I know bags. I dont know much, but I know bags, and I can spot a fake from a mile away. This bag was the saddest fake I've ever seen.
Once we get to the API office, we dont even get to properly begin the story before Luca (advisor) has already finished it for us. Apparently, this guy is famous. But we were lucky. He usually just takes peoples wallets and guns it out of there. So we werent upset, we were actually kind of impressed hahahaha.
All and all, we got scammed I guess you could say. Neither of us bought it, but we still gave him money, but at least Alex got socks, and can give his actual gf a new purse.
Rome cracks me up. The fact that this guy spends his days pretending to be something he isnt, to make money, is just funny. But then again, I guess people do that everyday. Pretend to be something or someone they arent, to get ahead in business, or get a promotion, or beat someone out for a position. So what separates them from him? Nothing really. Cheating is cheating, neither is more honorable. It also made me kind of sad for him too, he is living his life, always pretending to be something more than he is, which is just a common criminal.
It's a funny story. It reminded me of Dan the Man from Paris (if you can recall that story), except Dan was for real, but still very strange.
Moral of the story is, always look at what people are wearing, it tells you everything you need to know. Idc what people say, what you wear says everything about you. hahahaha But really, dont take any wooden nickels, or fake purses.

This weekend is the Beatafication(sp?) of Pope John Paul II, so Rome is going to be crawling with people, theyre expecting at least a million tourists. I'll be there. I'm a little nervous to be surrounded by that many religious fanatics, but it will be the experience of a lifetime. There is also a bunch of free concerts this weekend too, so it's gonna be a good time. But when is Rome not a good time?

Lastly, on the bus ride home today I saw some graffiti that said "Si no sei felice, prova amare" meaning, "If you arent happy, try loving." I love that. I love love. I dont know much, but all I know, all I know, is love will save the day. <3