Leslie's First Post

The View from the window @ Language School - Lord, Help us learn so we can speak Your love to this people!


So far, no two days have been alike. They are all full of adventure and challenges... Before we moved here we heard LOTS of stories about how hard it is to get anything done in Italy... especially in August when EVERYONE is on vacation. We have been pleasantly surprised that most things have gone very smoothly. I have for you the story of yesterday’s adventure, and today’s challenge!!

THE SEPTIC TANK
Monday morning I awoke to a terrible smell... and it wasn’t Mark! It seemed to be wafting up from the floor in our basement bedroom. Now, I am not used to living with a septic tank, but those of you who have done this know how bad they smell when they get full. That’s just what was happening.... so, we got up and went off to language school. As we were walking along the ancient streets surrounding the Duomo, I was looking at the ground, wondering how long those stones had been there while also wondering how long our septic tank had been full.... I was also BEGGING God not to let it overflow into my house while we were gone!! I am thankful to report that we came home to the smells, but not the sights, of a full tank. Here, I would like to introduce our amazing neighbors (Mauro and Luanna) who live next door ~ well, kind of right out of our front door to the right... anyway, I boldly rang their doorbell to ask them if they knew anything about the septic tank. Now, this is all very difficult because I speak three week’s worth of Italian and they speak less English. But, after much gesturing, dictionary flipping, and smelling of our house, they get the picture. Mauro goes home and gets a piece of paper with a friend’s number on it and calls his friend from our home phone. PRESTO!! The guy is coming in the morning at 7 AM to clean out our septic tank!!! It’s all who ya know, folks! And indeed, he came this morning - RIGHT ON TIME - and did the job. The smell is gone. Course, the funniest part of the evening last night was when we were all sitting around playing cards and the doorbell rang and the landlady, her three kids, and her mom all come in and want to smell the house too! Then there was the long conversation (again with two different languages and dictionaries) about whether we should wait to see what would happen. Obviously, we didnt wait!

THE QUESTURA
Then... there was today. A day that would surely fit into the category of “Well, that’s what Italy is like....” It was our appointment date at the immigration office here in Italy. We were supposed to be fingerprinted for our Permesso di Soggiorno (our Italian permission to stay.) We have jumped through many hoops to get to this day - including the Miami trip to get our Visas. We have (we think) all our i’s dotted and our t’s crossed. We have made copies abounding of all the necessary documentation. We are ready!! I go down early to get in line (since Mark is meeting the septic tank guy), which means I am on the 6:55 AM bus. I am so filled with love for this country and its people as I ride the bus down listening to worship songs on my ipod. I take the 10 minute walk to the Questura office feeling quite proud of myself for being out and about ALL alone at this hour. When I arrive at the office at about 7:20 there are already 300 people (really... not exaggerating!!) in line. I am pretty sure I am the only American there... definitely the only anglo. At about 8 o’clock the line starts moving slowly into the building where a policeman is handing out little tickets with letters and numbers on them. Mine says A114. So, I find a bench to sit on in this large L shaped room with 18 windows for the Questura workers. All the benches are set up in twos facing each other so we all get to try not to look at each other for the hours and hours we are there. Mark and the girls show up at about 8:30 before our number is posted. When A114 shows up on the screen I feel like I’ve won a prize!! I walk up and show the lady our stuff and she hands me ANOTHER ticket - H788. It is now 9:15 and I realize that since 8:30 only 15 H’s have been called. But at least they started with H701. We settle in for the long wait. The girls and I take a trip for coffee and when we come back we make friends with a cute little boy with brown eyes and dimples sitting across from us. Mark also makes friends with Luciano, an Italian man who is there with a lady he has imported from Georgia to take care of his elderly Mama. Time goes on.... at 12:30 we once again get called. This is where things start to get difficult. The lady behind the window is having a bad day... all she does when Mark says a cheerful, “Ciao” is roll her eyes. She gets angry because we only have one number for our family and I try to explain to her that the policeman told me to take only one for my family.... ah well. Frustrated with our English, she stomps off and gets her coworker who speaks our language. He then explains to us that there is some seal or stamp that we were supposed to receive at the Consulate in Miami to approve our letter of invitation... we have no idea what he is talking about since Fabbio at the consulate didn’t give us such a thing. And so far, no one else on our staff here has had to have the mysterious seal. He tells us we need to get the seal and come back another day to be fingerprinted. Then they give us ANOTHER number for someone to look at the girls’ papers.... B40 and B41. So...... another hour goes by so that the same english speaking guy can tell us, “You need that same seal on the birth certificates for your children.” Really??? Yeah.... my patience is running out (ok, it ran out already!!) So, at 1:45 PM we leave the building with nothing accomplished except to be told we need to come back another day and do it all again!! We are still puzzled as to how to get the seal. That will be an adventure for another day!! As we ride the bus back UP the hill to our house I am remembering my love for this country and these people.... Thanking God for the refinement that this day brought to all of us.