9/28/2021
So I went to CIEE today to meet and greet the new Block II students during their orientation and tell them all about my experience during Block I. I was very transparent about my experience, voicing my opinion aboout the pros and cons of my exploration thus far. I applaud myself for being more vocal than I was before I came to Rome and I can really see my growth. We went out to eat shortly after and I really enjoyed the meal and conversation with everyone. I took the bus home, and the stop was less than a 5 minute walk from my new apartment which is nice. While walking home a, I see a fat Italian man parked at the end of the street in which I am aboout to cross. He rolls down his window and says ‘excuse me’ I’m like what? He asked did I live in Rome or was I a tourist. I told him I’m here from Egypt (IYKYK) and begin to start to walk away. He then unlocked his door and patted the passenger seat while saying, ‘why don’t you come inside, we can be very good friends and I pay you very well’. Man, I’m tired of this. I'm not a damn prostitute, I'm a student who worked hard to get where I am and would be appreciated if I could be seen as more then my physical attributes. I continue walking and I'm now less than 3 minutes away from my apartment now; I see an Italian mother and daughter are walking in my direction. The daughter is holding a large grocery bag, and once the mother saw me, she hurriedly grabbed the bag away from her daughter and pulled her close. Am I a threat just by looking and being myself? What about me just screams prostitution or theft? I don’t understand why, no matter where I am in the world, I can see that Malcolm X's words from 1962 still stand true: the black woman is the most disrespected and disregarded creature.
Snapping a quick pic of my OOTD while I wait on my bus.
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