Trials and Tribulations of getting anything done in Italy...

Is anyone still reading this? Safe if you are. It's been a while since I last updated.

I want to tell you the story of a land...a magically land shaped like a boot somewhere in the south of Europe. The most amazing thing about this land is that they have managed to convince the world they are a meaningful economy and diplomatic world leader because if anyone has to live here they would soon understand how big a lie that is.

Welcome to Italy, where you'll wait for something, only to be told you can't have it and have to go somewhere else/talk to someone else. They will then say no problem, but do you have a photocopy of your passport? If no, well you'll have to come back when the secretary is next open which will probably be half an hour sometime next week. So eventually you have your passport and you're in the right place, but wait...do you have a tax code? Why not? The fact that you might only need one if they want to work here doesnt occur to an Italian and causes yet more chaos with the beaurocracy!

And so this has been the story of my first month in Italy. Mostly queuing to get things done, only to be turned away with a smile and polite chat about where you're from and what you're doing before coming back the next day/week/month and finally getting it sorted. This was what happened when I went to sign up at the library, to find a doctor, to get a bloody tax code, to sign for a house, to get a sim card, to use an internet cafe. Honestly its a wonder they don't demand a blood sample with your shopping.

To continue the rant at the University of Udine. The last 2 weeks, classes have been disrupted due to building work. Any sensible institution in a developed company would surely e-mail students and inform them of this...not Udine. They simply pin a notice on the door of the class informing you when you turn up 5 minutes before class that its moved, not next door, but to the other end of the city and you have to get there, half an hour late to sit and listen to a professor mumbling about eastern european history understanding 1 word in 3.

Another thing which I discovered today is that, in fact, international students don't have the same rights as Italian ones. We aren't allowed to use the university printers, we can't take books out of the library and whereas Italians pay 1.90 for a meal, we pay 4.10. Fair...I think not! I'm also certain it goes entirely against the spirit and rules of the ERASMUS agreement so as soon as I figure out who to send it to, someone at Leeds/Udine is going to get an angry letter.

In case I haven't told anyone (and if you care). I'm studying 'contemporary history', 'history of eastern europe' and 'social geography'. It's not too bad.

Well thats enough of making it seem like I hate the place, I don't honestly. Udine is a lot smaller and a lot quieter than I first realised. Few bars stay open past midnight and there are no clubs in the town. It's also got really cold this week. On the plus side I've met some great friends already through Erasmus and we all go and get drunk and do the EU proud by integrating and sharing cultures! Last week, the English, Irish, Spanish, Swedes and others went to Trieste for a night out. Drinking in doorways is the way forward. Certainly in comparison to getting free entry to a club, but then not being allowed out unless you'd brought a drink for the reasonable price of 10 euros. They actually wouldnt let Sally leave. It was quite funny. I'm playing rugby for CUS Udine too in the Italian Serie C division. It's a good standard actually and we've got 2 wins from 2. I'm playing fly-half and learning as I go, I've not played many games there in 14 years still we should do ok. Ive also got 3/3 conversions so thats cool. The guys are a great bunch of lads and try and include me lots. I find their Italina difficult to understand. Not so much difficult as I usually understand what they are talking about, but I never feel like I've got enough to fully contribute to the conversation, still I'm sure I'll get there.

Erm...cheers for sticking with this rant if anyone still reads this. I'm back in England this weekend in Bristol with Kim.

Bye xxxx