Italian offices. The saga continues. Part two. Since we received a receipt the other day confirming our residential permit is being processed we armed ourselves again with a copy of every conceivable paper that might be needed and went to USL this morning. USL is the office where they will assign you a GP, amongst other things. Since the health services will be given only to those that can show theyre paying taxes I wasnt feeling very positive....we could show we are earning money but not that we have payed any taxes yet so we anticipated theyd tell us to come back next year, bringing this years tax papers! We presumed wed have to buy some sort of health insurance to cover us for the remaining six months of this year. I was sweating profusely already as we left home. Its a well known fact by now that Italian authorities do not bring out the best in me... But I was determined to be prepared and ..nice! So in advance I got on to the OFFICIAL site of USL and found their address and opening hours. We started early and arrived at the given address..which was a lovely family home...eh....( I repeat: OFFICIAL WEBSITE) Went across the street for a coffee and some information. - USL office HERE? Noooo....nooooo...its never been here! - Eh...but it says so on the website..?! - Nooooo, thats wrong. Never been here. Oookey...what do we do now?! Oh hold on! I see a policeman over there! Well ask him! And off we trot. No, no he says....the USL office is at the hospital. I say no, no....we have been told its here, in Bassano! He gets in touch with the commanders office and we are given another address, not too far from where we are standing. I thank him with a smile and as he stares at my boobs he assures me it was no problem and anything, anytime..his pleasure! As we walk away he waves his hand and yells ciaooooo! Mike has the good taste of not making comments.... We eventually find the office compound. There are several buildings, as a matter of fact eight, appropriately called A, B etc all the way to H. No further information is given. Just A that way and an arrow. B that way and an arrow. I catch sight of a sign indicating mental health office and suggest Mike drops me off right there when were through with the morning. The temperature has now risen, the sun is up and my feet are blistering..Im sweating even more since weve been walking a good half hour...and after having ducked in and out of virtually all the buildings the one we needed was G. Plastering the usual grin on my face and finding my happy, friendly tra la la - voice we march into a room chockablock with people. We get a number and sit down waiting for our turn....and today really WAS our lucky day!!!, Not only did we get the loveliest lady...but as we joked about this and that and I turned myself inside out like a bagel to be nice, entertaining and wonderful..she agreed to and accepted everything I said and swiftly produced a Health card each, asked us which doctor wed prefer..got it all stamped and ok:eyed by the superior forces...and within half an hour it was all over! We have medical services!!! Were ok for a year! We can get sick now!!! Happy dance! We then spent another two hours in another office to officially change our address.....and then of course the soap opera of actually going to see the doctor we had been given. He has two offices and needless to say, the information we were given was incorrect. Hes not at all at the offices at the times given but much more according to his own fancy...so after having driven to the first office and found it closed I drove to the second office..and found it closed even though the sign on the door said hed be there between 14-16... And my watch clearly said 15....!!!!... So several phone calls later in finally got his cell phone number and called and made an appointment for Monday...because he had decided he had worked enough for today and went home.. My entire day has been spent driving between offices, waiting in lines, in and out of the car.... I am exhausted...but REALLY exhausted from being nervous things would not work out.....from the stress...from the + 35 C.....that as I came back home I just stepped into the shower....had a meal.....and collapsed in bed! No bar hopping tonight, thats for sure! Lol I love Italy. I love so many aspects of Italy and our life here. I think we live such a privileged life and Im so thankful......but boy, oh boy....the beaurocracy of this country is overwhelming! The slackness...the I dont give a damn attitude..the difficulty...even the people working in the offices themselves acknowledge the whole paper bit of Italian life is IMPOSSIBLE! However...today was a good day! We accomplished a lot of very important steps toward being legal and having some benefits and not only obligations! Tonight I shall sleep well finally...and hopefully not waking up an 3 am to worry about this or that! Have a good weekend, my friends!
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:44:15 +0000
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