Worked hard yesterday but now almost ready to move. So how to change the bills for electricity and gas into our name? Heavy rain all day… go find appropriate shop: over one hour search; find shop. Take ticket to join queue. 25 or so people before us… each one taking a little longer than 6 minutes; the maths (math for US – why the difference?) means they close for lunch and we have not been seen.
But back in afternoon. Now only four people before us. Oh yes… oh no. Can’t do this here, you must phone this number. So we phone the number ‘habla ingles?’ is an ever hopeful starter to make it a little easier… but hopes dashed. (In Spanish) no you can’t do that here – got to do that through the shop. But….!!!!
Try the phone again later – this time – unless we have really messed up in the language it is done (and no mention of the aforementioned shop). A day’s work completed at 4.45 in the afternoon.
But today beds arrived, tomorrow internet, and Thursday a fridge / freezer. Makes up for the wet day and the change of bills.
Thanks for those who commented on the keys. We too saw this as very significant. New keys for the next phase, please Lord. At least he does not say ‘can’t do that here, try somewhere else’. Patience is needed, but he always answers.
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7 Comments
Good story…it reminds me that when we lived in Italy, we considered it a major accomplishment to get two things done in one day, like pay the electric bill and make a bank deposit. The best one was the three days it took us to get the “codice fiscali”, basically a social security number without which you can do nothing. It turned out to be a five minute affair after we brought a friend with us who was somehow related to the official or something. I also think the heavy Sicilian accent helped.
I also know the feeling of it being a major achievement if we accomplished more than one thing at a time in a day, and that applies to Denmark, US and Latvia, if you don’t know the system it is hard even when you do know the language. The thing is we often compare it to the UK and don’t realise how long it can take someone in the UK to do something similar unless they know the language very well, or have friends who know the system, it has certainly helped me to appreciate the plight of immigrants into the UK and how easy it is to fall foul of some laws and requirements without really knowing.
Anyway I pray the weather improves for you, it is finally dry here but just a minor detail of -14C to deal with
Wish you all the best
We found it hard enough in English speaking Canada!!
great comment Joanna
I always find myself comparing to the UK system. Is that uniquely British to compare or does every nationality do it?
Is that the empiracal side of me coming out?
Still……. back to work to understand the system
I think (as an American living in France) that the comparison process is pretty universal! I remember in our missionary training where they said that you need to expect that in a foreign culture you’ll only accomplish 50% of what you could accomplish in your home culture (an axiom that after 10 years on the mission field I probably still think about at least once a month). Cultures are simply THAT different and THAT pervasive in our lives. The impact (and sometimes you really feel the “punch”) of culture is simply astounding!
Well Rusty I have to chuckle about the codice fiscale in Italy. I got mine in 15 minutes. Really. Seems the tax people are happy to get a number to me for tax purposes. But the permesso di soggorno is an entirely different subject. Days spent walking around to get the required info and stuff to fill it out. At first I was told I needed a specialist to fill it out. Days spent seeking one to find only closed doors and a time limit fast running out (you have to file within a week of arrival). Then I had to get a stamp on it from a tabacchi. Why? I have no idea. But it was another 15 euros. Then it was off to the post office where the fellow who processed it told me not to steal things. Steal things? Do I, a middle-aged woman, look like a thief? How would he know? Then it was a wait for a month for the appointment at the Questura (local police). I got fingerprinted twice. Why? I don’t know. And now I have to wait 3 to 4 months for it to arrive at my appartamento. What happens if it does not? Then what do I do? All very time consuming and confusing. Yes, this is Italy.
I woke up to snow today.
Cheryl
I agree with you David, every nationality refers back to their own country be it Canadian, American, Danish, Swedish, or Sierra Leone. One thing about moving around though as I have found some systems better for one thing and some worse so I guess at the end of the day for the state it is what makes it work best.