It happened on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at about 12:30pm. It was sunny day and the temperature was rising, a rarity these days - I mean, I was so hot I took off my scarf! I was leaning against the wall at the top of Piazza Italia with my Brazillian friend and taking in the views of the Perugian countryside.
We were just chatting about life, friends, and where to get the best pizza in Perugia when I felt like someone was watching me.... so I peered over my shoulder just as this paparazzi snapped my photo!! Okay, so it was just a German tourist, but he thought I was Italian! That makes it official, right? He showed me the picture which turned out to be pretty cool with the hills in the background and then he walked across the street to meet his wife. I am pretty sure he deleted the picture having burst his bubble when told him I was American. I mean, come on. Who wants random American girl in their romantic, whimsical Italian photograph?
Comunque (co-muuuunk-way: aka, my favorite Italian word meaning "anyway" or "whatever")... this was a sign! At 3pm I was going back to the Questura to pick-up my Permesso di Soggiorno!
Cut to 3pm, Wednesday November 11, 2009:
When I arrived at the Questura there were about 50 people waiting at the gate. At first, the officer on duty wasn't going to let me through because my name wasn't on the list, but I insisted in a rather agitated voice, "No! La signora mi ha detto che devo venire oggi!" Clearly he realized he was wrong and I was right as I pointed to the date and time wrecklessly scribbled on the back of my documents: November 11, 2009 between 15:00 - 17:00. So, he let me in.
Since the sun was still shining and they had just called #24, I took a seat in the sun and waited for #63. Somewhere around #44 I started to wonder why my name wasn't on the list. It should have been on the list. How strange! I checked the date again: 10/11/2009. What's today's date? 11/10/2009? 11/11/2009?
Insert culture lesson here:
Did you know that in Italy they write the calendar date as day/month/year? I did, but I read it wrong. "Cazzo!!!!" I was supposed to be here yesterday. I am such an idiot! How on earth could I have done this to myself!!!! This is not a good thing. So much for being officially Italian today, Julia. (N.B: This emphatic "parolaccia" or "swear-word" sounds a lot less serious when I say it in Italian then in English which is why I feel okay screaming it in my blog. Cazzo!!!!)
I decided to wait for my turn since it had already been an hour, and frankly, what else was I going to do? Eventually, I would need an appointment at the Questura. I only hoped that I didn't have to go see the same guy I spoke to regarding my tatuaggio.
Here's the short version: I tried to explain politely that I had made a mistake, but the officer just looked at me like I was an idiot (warranted), yelled at me a bit, told me I would have to come back for another appointment, walked away, came back, spoke to his colleague, left again and eventually came back with my Permesso di Soggiorno. He took my fingerprints and basically threw it at me, as best as one can when standing behind bullet-proof glass. Then we joked about how we write the dates differently in the States. Sometimes, I think they just like to mess with you for fun.
So now I am offically legal (3 months later) and allowed to stay in Italy and study until July 2, 2010, if I want. I guess we will have to wait and see what the Spring has to offer. As for now, I'll see you in Philly for the holidays and will be in CA by the end of January...after that who knows what life holds for me. The good news is I can come back to Italy whenever I want... which I am hoping coincides with some more sun and warm weather! I am such a wimp!
