Roman Eclipse

It is 10am in the morning, and teenage girls are already staking out their spots to see stars that will arrive 8 hours later.

As I was sightseeing in Rome  a few days ago, I stumbled upon an interesting observation.  I was walking along the sidewalk near St. Peter’s square after taking a private vatican tour, minding my own business when all of a sudden a mass of teenager girls began to block my way.  I do not mean a group of 10 gals out sightseeing in Rome.  I mean at least 150 teenage girls sitting, standing, and blocking my way. At first I could not help but wonder, “For what reason are over 150 Italian teenagers doing so close to the Vatican?” Suddenly it all made sense when looking around  I noticed a gigantic sign hanging from one of the buildings, "Eclipse. 30-06-2010."  I asked one of the teenage girls what was going on and appearently Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner (two of the main actors) where going to be in Rome that evening for a special premier of "Eclipse," the Twilight saga film which has made Volterra, Italy an overnight sensation.      

                    
(The "calm before the storm")

Out of curiosity, I decided to wander back towards the premier later on in the evening.  I had a strange feeling as I approached the area.  It was as if a strange sense of comfort washed over me when I saw the mass of screaming girls surrounding the red carpet.  As I looked around the area, I understood why I had this strange sense of comfort.  It was funny to observe the laughing, screaming, crying, smiling, and tearing girls who were beyond ecstatic to merely have the chance to see, let alone get an autograph, from these actors.  It was comforting to see that regardless of a young girl's cultural upbringing, a heartthrob like Taylor Lautner could still fill a girl's heart with endless hope for love.  Even though I am over 4,500 miles away from home, teenage girls still go crazy for heart throbs.  I guess some things truly are universal.