http://dreaminginitalianthistime.blogspot.it/2011/11/welli-guess-tide-didnt-roll.html
Good morning...it's election day, but here in Italy it was Questura Day for me! The Questura is like an official office where you go to do...well, I go there for the Residence Permit and I've seen others there doing official stuff with their passports and stuff.
So, first I got up and took a shower, got dressed, and Nick did the same. We decided to have an Italian breakfast for our last morning. We had been both having oatmeal...that's right...I shared my oatmeal...
Okay, now that you've all picked yourselves up off the floor I will continue. Nick also never ate quite as much oatmeal as I do...I eat a full serving...he does not. And because Nick always plays music, we danced some more before we left! :) So, we headed to the bar where I always see the old men at, and I always want to stop, but never do! However, we headed here because it was near where he needed to catch the bus. So, we stopped and each got a cornetto; mine was filled with cream and his was not. We sat outside of the bar and ate. My cornetto was AMAZING...it was like an Italian crispy creme donut...it was delicious!!
Then we walked to the bus stop and waiting for his bus to come, hoping that t would not be tooooo late, late yes, but we did not want him to miss his train...that would not be good! I was really sad to see him go, but we are all meeting in a city for Thanksgiving...so I will not be "alone" for long!
When I arrived, I went to the wrong place and they sent me to this small waiting room. I was glad I got there when I did (8:45...for my 8:51 appointment) because I was able to get a seat at least. They did not call the first group of names until just after 9:00, and my name was not part of it. Then, as more Italians arrived, they did what they do best...wait impatiently...they started knocking on the door and trying to break in "line"...theoretical line of course...and when the guy would come out, a few persistent ones would practically attack him trying to give reasons as to why they should go ahead of everyone else. I sat there and read my book, La Bella Lingua, people watched, and tried to be patient. I texted Nick some, and at one point I did ask when my turn might be. Finally, at 10:30, a man came out and started saying, "Maria? Maria? Maria? Maria Americana?" Only at the word, "Americana", did I realize that they were talking to me! Thoughts running through my head: 1. That's not my name...and Im glad you said Americana 2. I am not Maria...never could be...she's awesome and amazing and brilliant, and I am not her. 3. I miss my Maria.
So, at 10:30, it was my turn. The guy's first question to me was, "did you vote for Obama??" I just side stepped it and explained that I voted before I came to Italy. They were having a hard time understanding what I am here for, and so I showed them the letter from Fulbright...he read it and said, "ahh sei brava!!" They did some things...and then sent me to this other room. Here I had to sign some things and they used my photos. He asked my height, and I had to measure myself on the wall because I could not remember my height in the metric system. He asked my eye color, but then started asking me something about my arms or something (in Italian)...he finally said, "tattoo??" Haha...no! He tried to take my prints and then I had to put lotion on so that they could do it and get better prints. After this, I went back to the original room and they told me that I had to come back again because my "position" does not exist. It took me a while to get them to understand that I do not work at "The University" and so I had to "schedule" another appointment for Friday after 1 pm. I was pretty proud of myself though for understanding 80-90% of their Italian..that made it all worth it...well, not the ridiculous wait time, but still.
I was so excited that I had done what Devorah (in Rome) told us to do...I swam in the language and understood a lot of it...next step...responding in full sentences!!
My next stop was the bank. I figured while I was tackling official stuff, I might as well do this one too! I went in and thankfully Valentina remembered me. She is so sweet and so helpful! She speaks a little bit of English, so between our langauges, we made it work!! She gave me the information that I thought I needed for Fulbright to put money into my account, and I had to sign some form, and I was in and out of there in no time!! Thank goodness!!! I also just walked down Corso Mazzini, stopping in H & M...their clothing sizes are weird here...they appear to be the same, but are not. Then I stopped at TIM to get some credit on my phone so that I could call my mom. I successfully navigated THREE official type places today...IN ITALIAN...I was feeling pretty good about this!!
Then I came home for lunch and had waaaayyyy too much glob as a sweet after lunch. I ate too much glob...and felt sick the rest of the day!! So, I did some things on my computer, but was falling asleep, so I decided to give in and sleep! I had been asleep for maybe 30 minutes when this horrendous noise started over my bed/my wall. It was the elevator people and there was no hope for sleep at this point. So, I just got up and went to the hotel.
I was able to talk to April, Mrs. Malissa, Kelly, and sent emails. FAVE part...Erin was on facebook and I was able to talk to her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOthing like my Erin to turn the day around. I spent a good bit of time there, and then came home to eat dinner, and I wrote very little before I fell asleep at 9 pm. I do not even know the last time I went to sleep this early...when I set my alarm, I had over 10 hours to sleep...which I ended up doing...what???
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