First Impressions...

So, I live in Rome now.  It’s still a little hard to believe.

The Aurelean Wall near Via Appia Antica

 That pretty much sums up the last few days as I begin to settle into my new city and my new community.  I’m still the same person:  I don’t want to get up in the morning and I look forward to that first cup of coffee.  But, then, I’m reminded that I’m in Rome: the shower is smaller than I’m used to, I’m greeted in the chapel with “Buongiorno, Fratelli,” and the coffee is much stronger here.  When I look out my bedroom window onto the street below the traffic is crazier, the sirens sound funny, and laundry is hanging out to dry on balcony railings.  It’s hard to walk anywhere without seeing some piece of centuries-old architecture.  And let’s not even talk (hee, hee) about the different language thing!  Toto, I don’t think we’re in Dayton anymore!  Amidst all this change, the Brothers I live with have been very helpful.  They are very welcoming and generous in introducing me to life at Via Latina 22, and they are very patient with me as I make a feeble attempt to use the little Italian that I know.  Even though we are from many different countries, the same Marianist spirit is evident in the house!

And then there’s Italian bureaucracy.  One of the first things I need to accomplish in Rome is to get my “permesso di soggiorno.”  It’s like a residency card that allows me to be in Italy for an extended period of time.  Here’s the basic plan:

• Go to Vatican Congregation for Religious Life and get a letter signed that says everything is legitimate

• Go to post office and get an application

• Fill out the application

• Return to post office to turn in application and pay a fee

• Go to Police Station to be fingerprinted and receive the card. 

Sounds easy, right?

Here’s how it really works:

• On Friday: Go to the Congregation office and find out they’re closed on Friday, but we can come back on Saturday.  Go to nearby post office and hear that they are out of applications and don’t know when they will have more.  Go to another post office across town (you can only get the forms at certain offices) and get the form.  Stop by a photo booth to have pictures taken.  Go home (we’re close by this point) and fill out application.

• On Saturday: Return to the Vatican and wait in line for about an hour for a signature that takes no more than five minutes.  Go the post office and find out that they don’t process applications on Saturday.  Stop for gelato on the way home.

• On Monday: Return (again) to the crowded post office where you are told that they are too busy and too far behind.  They won’t do any soggiorno applications for another two weeks.  Meet a Sister of Mercy trying to do the same thing who knows of another nearby post office that we can try.  Begin praying to Venerable Faustino (a young Marianist on his way to sainthood.)  Take a ticket at this post office and wait in line.  Finally have the application processed.  Thank Faustino and report this as his first miracle.  We also receive an appointment at the police station in two weeks, but I’ve been told that this might not mean anything…documents get lost and appointment times are just suggestions.

All I can say is: “Welcome to Italy.”  It is my understanding that this is very typical.  I won’t complain the next time I have to wait in line at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in the United States.  Compared to Italy, the BMV is quite efficient!!  I’ll keep you updated on how things end up.  Feel free to start making bets as to when I’ll have the card in hand.

I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the wandering I’ve done.  Today, I went to the Coliseum area.  I only had a few hours and found out very quickly that there’s no way to see everything there in a day.  As I passed a group of tourists hurriedly snapping photos and quickly going from place to place in a frenzy it hit me: I can take my time and soak in the sights since I will be here for three years.  I found myself slowing down, simply meandering along the sidewalk, and telling myself I can see more things on another day.  Maybe I’m starting to become Italian!

Ciao!

Constantine's Arch

Church of Sts. Cosma and Damian

The Colosseum

Old and New

The Roman Forum