I have a home in Rome!

17 July 2007
11:45pm Rome/ 4:41pm Houston

(If you want to see pics of my new place, here's a link to the pictures of my apartment:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37023&l=f8047&id=800405227.)

Wow ! The last couple of days have just been a bit surreal for me! I’m actually so tired & worn out tonight, but figured I better write a blog before I forget everything that has happened.

Now I know getting an apartment here is very different from in the US. Before you can get the keys there is so much more to sign & so much you have to pay for! I just had no idea! It was all a bit overwhelming! Before I went to the apartment to sign everything I needed 1) a check for 3 months rent (I must pay for 3 months rent); 2) a 'libretto al portatore' from the bank for 2 months of rent for a deposit 3) over €130 in these stamps you buy (I think related to taxes, I don't really know for sure); and 4) cash to pay for registration tax.

So yesterday morning (Monday, July 16th) I had an appointment to meet with the girl from the agency at the bank so I could get the libretto and a checkbook so I could write a check. The libretto is kind of like a check but when the person who receives it deposits it in the bank, it stays separate from their account so the interest on that piece can be tracked separately. The landlady wanted it this way so when she returns it to me at the end of my lease she won't have to calculate the interest. Oh and since I didn't realize that it would cost so much up front to get an apartment, I only transferred a little from my US account & not enough to cover all the costs. Thank goodness the landlady was willing to hold my rent check until the wire from my company for my yearly “living” allowance comes through (as long as I showed her that the wire was made).
Anyway, I’m thinking an hour max at the bank to do these things - not so! It ended up taking over 2 hours. First we have to wait for them to open the bank because even though they say they open at 8:30, that doesn’t mean they actually open the doors AT 8:30. Then we had to get a ticket because at their banks you have to get a ticket with a number & you just wait for your number to get served. As we were waiting the girl from the agency decides to ask the reception lady (who finally showed up) if we needed to talk to one of the personal bankers (that’s not what they call them…I think they call them executive bankers or something like that). So we find out that yes we do need to talk to the executive banker. Of course on only 1 executive banker is working, so we wait in line to talk to him. Then it takes him about half an hour to do the libretto & he tells us he can’t issue the checkbook, only the tellers. So we have to get another number & wait again for our turn.
After we finally got it all done we called the agency and found out that the appointment for my apartment wouldn’t be until 6:30pm. I had taken the whole day off as a personal day, but decided to go to work because there was no use just sitting in the residence.
I get off work a little early and caught a bus & headed to my soon-to-be apartment to do all the paperwork & get the key. So the time comes to go through the contract, which they sent me a copy of before hand all in Italian of course! Thank goodness for google translator! When it came down to the us signing the contract, it was a bit stressful! There were 5 of us at the apartment - me, the girl from my agency helping translate, the landlady, her agent, and then another lady that I guess was a lawyer of some sort. The lady from the landlady’s agency read the contract word for word out loud as we listened. And them the girl from my agency would tell summarize for me what it said. Thank goodness the contract was only about 3 or so pages! In the middle of going through it, they realized that the copy they had printed to sign was not the latest version! I had printed the copy they sent me & they were able to go make copies of that - thank goodness! We also went through the inventory list to make sure everything was really there & okay. And for all the paperwork, I had to sign 3 copies of it and initial/sign every page! So about 2 hours later we were finally done with all the paperwork and I got the keys! I was so caught up in trying to figure out what was going on that I didn’t really take the time to comprehend what was going on. It would have been a bit overwhelming in English, but add onto that it was all in Italian & they were all speaking Italian - it was a bit nerve wracking! After they all left, I went back up into the apartment - at that moment was when it hit me…I actually have an apartment in Rome! A place to call ‘home’! THIS makes it seem more permanent.
I took pictures & video & then just sat on the balcony just trying to soak it all in. I finally had to leave because I needed to grab dinner. I decided to go to a place in Piazza Navona (about a 10 minute walk away) & had a mini celebration all of my own - with wine, pasta & dessert - as I watched the crowd at Piazza Navona. Now it wouldn’t be my favorite pick because it’s definitely geared towards tourists (the prices show that!! Way more expensive compared to most places I’ve been), but I needed to be around people & noise & a crowd & the excitement, so being there did all that. As I was sitting there I was just feeling so, so blessed. Realizing that I’m now getting to experience something that many will never get to do & something that growing up I never would have imagined would happen. Looking out from my balcony that evening with the cars (& tourists) going below on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and looking towards Castle Sant’Angelo I was thinking 'This is such a far cry from Wallis! This is so different! How did I actually end up here?!?'

Needless to say that last night was very exciting & emotional night for me. I was so excited I didn’t know if I wanted to just jump up & scream and shout or just cry - I didn’t really do either, but came closer to crying! The only thing was that I wished I had someone here to share the excitement with…that’s the only down side to being over here by myself. When you get so excited about something & you just want to give someone a big hug…but there’s no one here to share that with. But I was able to email back & forth with a good friend through the whole thing & I knew she (as well as many friends & family) were with me here in spirit. So that does help!

And I tried to get on the internet at the residence last night & this morning so I could share pictures and video with all of you right away, but I couldn’t get it to work. Figures the time I have news I want to get out right away, the internet is down!
So today was the day I actually moved in. I ended up taking today off instead of yesterday to get things all set up. I took it easy this morning sleeping in & packing up (& trying to get on the internet!). I actually felt a bit sad leaving the residence for some reason. And strange enough - the room that I thought was so, so small when I first got there didn't seem that small anymore.

Moving ended up being a workout for me! I somehow managed to get a lot more stuff in the last several weeks & it took me 3 trips to get all my stuff. By the time the taxi came I was already all sweaty! :-o I finally got to my apartment a little after noon. Again since I had so much stuff it took me 2 trips up the elevator just to get my stuff to my apartment (it has a very small elevator!).

I also realized that I would need to go to the store today to get stuff because I didn’t have some of the basic stuff I needed like bed sheets & towels. So after I got everything into the apartment I decided to make a trip to Ikea. Using my blackberry I looked up the directions & it didn’t seem hard to get to - but I had to take a bus to the metro go all the way to the end of the metro line & then take another bus. Of course I didn’t look up the bus stop’s name either, so I ended up missing the stop & walking at least half a mile to get back to Ikea! I think the whole Ikea shopping adventure ended up taking 3 hrs! In Houston, that would have been an hour max!
This whole lifestyle of having to carry everything I buy is something I’ll have to get use to as well! In the store I was going to buy something, but then would look at my basket and realize I couldn’t carry any more. I ended up having 1 huge bag of stuff (I had to buy the bag of course!). I ended up carrying that bag all around the parking lot to the bus stop, then on 1 bus, then through the metro station & on the metro, then trying to find my 2nd bus…then when on the way back I wasn’t sure on the stop & ended up getting off about 4 stops too early so I had to carry it even further! That was workout #2 for the day! One of these days I'll get the bus and everything all figured out...then I'll have to find a gym since I won't have as many workouts from everyday tasks! ;-)
One part of moving I forgot about was the cleaning! I spent a lot of the evening cleaning & it still seems like I have so much to do! I need to go to the store to buy more stuff to clean with before I can do too much more!
Between the moving, Ikea trip & cleaning I’m just really worn out!
My apartment doesn’t have internet yet, so other than my blackberry (who’s battery was showing low all day long) I have no connection to the internet. It’s times like that I realize how dependent I really am on it! It's sad, but true! When I thought my blackberry was going to go out I felt like I was about to loose connection to the world & everyone I know! I almost went to the office to get my work computer to use as well as my blackberry power cord, but didn’t because my load in the washer was taking too long! I guess maybe I should learn not to be so dependent on it…but in this day & age it’s hard!
Well I better close since I’m about to fall asleep typing this!
Ciao!
12:35am Rome/ 6:35 pm Houston

18 July 2007

11:30pm Rome/ 4:30pm Houston

I'm writing this blog out on my balcony enjoying the nice cool evening breeze with the cars going past below me! I was able to get the wireless connection to work on my work laptop, so now I'm finally able to post this blog and upload pictures & video (the videos are taking a while to get up, so those will come in a later blog)! Now I feel connected to the world again!

This morning was my 1st real commute to work (the 5 minutes walk from the Residence doesn't count as a commute). Today it wasn't that bad - about a 10 minute walk to the bus stop, a 30 to 40 minute ride on the bus, then about a 5 minute walk to the office. The only question is how long I will have to wait at the bus stop for a bus...today I was lucky on my way in & one arrived as soon as I got to the stop. I also don't know my clients yet, so when I find out where they are located I will have to see how long that commute will be...I hope it won't be too terribly long! It was a little strange this morning walking to the bus stop in the small, cobblestone streets. That would never happen in Houston! Even though I've been here almost a month, it still hasn't really sunk in that this in my new home.

The apartment will take some getting use to as well. The bathroom is so tiny - especially the shower! This morning I had a river flowing through it from where I accidentally sprayed water where I apparently didn't have the curtain closed all the way. Thank goodness it's all tiled floor! And then the super small washer & air drying clothes I'm not use to either. My clothes are all stiff because I still need to buy some softener & then hopefully can figure out where to put it in the washing machine! Oh & I haven't found out yet how to get hot water to actually come out when I turn the hot water know in the kitchen & bathroom sink (seems like it should be simple, right?). It is definitely a different way of living here, but I think I'll be able to adapt.

Today at work I was asked to read a couple reports that were in English. The partner wanted someone who's native tongue was English to read through them before they went out. So the manager sent them to me & I read them & mad e a couple of changes/comments. Reading through them though, I was starting to doubt my English skills and hoping how I interpreting what they meant to say was really what they intended. I spoke with the manager on the phone and we discussed them, so I think the changes I suggested were all okay. The other thing is here the English that is used is more like the UK English...and any of you who have been to England know that it is a bit different. Then this afternoon I receive a call from a lady who starts asking me if I speak Italian and some other stuff in Italian. I told her I only spoke a little. She said okay good because I don't know if so & so (I didn't catch the name) speaks English that well....let me transfer you to him. So then a guy gets on the phone and starts rattling stuff off in Italian. I realize then that it was the partner who's reports I had looked through this morning & he was asking me questions about them. I was thinking to myself 'Dear God I have no clue what he's saying!! Why don't I know Italian yet!!' I did understand some, but didn't know how to respond. During a long pause he asked if I spoke Italian & I responded in Italian a little...then he says 'oh well then' in English and continues in English. I really, really need to focus more on learning Italian! After that incident I started studying it at work this afternoon! I don't know why I haven't picked up any more. I'm not very confident in trying and every time I start to try to speak in Italian instead of English I stop because I don't think I know how to say it right. If I could only get more confident in trying even if I say it wrong I think I could do better. Learning Italian is a MUST for me & I have to do it! I need some extra prayers with this one...because it seems like it will take a miracle! :-)

Well not much else to say tonight - mostly wanted to get the blog, pictures & video (to come later) posted.

Take care! Ciao!

Lynette

11:55pm Rome/ 4:55pm Houston