I got my CODICE FISCALE! - Next Step My Soggiorno

Today I had the distinct disadvantage to witness Italian bureaucracy in action. I've always known Italians take their good old sweet time in doing things but this experience put the icing on the cake. I was informed last Thursday when updating my Soggiorno I needed to also get a CODICE FISCALE as well. This is so crazy because I've lived in Italy for the past 2 years without one and haven't even had a need for one thus far. Truly, I think this is just another way to piss off the Americans. The Italian govt loves to control it's people. If you're not paying taxes then you're filing out a pile of paperwork for you to keep on you at all times. So I guess the new rule for all military dependents is to have your own CODICE FISCALE number. Normally I would blow this sort of thing off, but because you need a Soggiorno to get back into the country when flying Space A, and to get my Soggiorno I need my CODICE FISCALE it seems as though they got me stuck between a rock and a hard place. If only I wasn't planning to fly Space A this summer... Darn it! They got me!

I was told by the Italian Cabineri I could either apply for my CODICE FISCALE at the Base Housing Office and wait 3 to 4 weeks for it to arrive and then once it arrives I can apply for my Soggiorno or I could go down to Pordenone and receive it the same day. Well, since I have major trust issues with the military and allowing them to send off paperwork I decided to test my luck with the Italians in Pordenone. So this morning with nothing else to do, yeah right, I set out for the Pordenone Municipale Office. After endless amounts of traffic and a long search for a parking space, it took 30 minutes, I was so ready to get this whole process rolling. The parking spot was actually free for 90 minutes and surely I would be done by then - Right? So I began following the directions I'd received from Pass and ID. Let's just say the whole ordeal was quite an experience from beginning to end.

First off, it took me a good bit of time to find the place, and once I did, it took me even longer to figure out the whole signing-in process. These are the times in which I wished my grasp of the Italian language was better. After observing a few people I soon realized I needed to sign into a touch screen computer, which was totally in Italian, that then assigned me a number. Then I had to sit down in a stinky waiting room for almost 3 hours to wait for my number to show up on a big screen. If you've ever lived in Europe you know what I mean about nasty B.O. or what the Giles family fondly refers to as "Saudi Karate". We discovered this unpleasant aroma after our tour at The Defense Language Institute in San Antonio where Tom worked with Saudi and African students. It's deadly! And today it was in rare form and kicking all over the place! That's what happens on warm days in Europe where there isn't any air conditioning. Then after 3 hours of INTENSE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE(I swear they could bottle it up and use it as some sort of defense!) my number finally appeared and I was directed to another booth. Once I made it to this booth the process only took about 5 minutes to receive my very own CODICE FISCALE. It's pretty amazing when you think after all that time it only took a few simple key strokes to get my own number - Are you kidding me?

I have to say at this point none of this actually mattered. All I knew is I felt so blessed that I had actually been seen because my parking meter had already expired, and it was almost reposo. Of course we all know what happens at reposo - total Italian lock down! It was almost 12:20 and reposo was approaching very quickly and the thought of having to sit through that smell again was so unnerving, even with a good book and no children. I felt even more blessed when it turned out my assumptions were totally correct. Even though so many had already waited for so long, they were then turned away and told to come back at 2:30 when the office opened back up after lunch. Gotta love reposo! - God forbid anyone work and actually miss their lunch break or how about this idea- schedule someone to work through lunch! What a concept!

At this point, since I figured I'd already received a parking ticket for running over my time limit, and it was now reposo so the meter maid was at lunch, I decided to make the best out of a bad situation and stop for my own lunch - While in Rome...Right? I Eye Spy'd this great outdoor cafe and had a Spritz(Friulan) and a Grilled Vegetable Panini - Yummy! I then wandered around the town for a bit and of course, if you know me, you know I always have my trusty camera in tow, so I took the opportunity to take a few photos. The best part of the day happened on the way back to my car. I stumbled upon this beautiful church with some of the most amazing frescoes and hand painted ceilings I'd ever seen. I'm still not sure if I was allowed to take photos, but since there wasn't anyone around to ask, and it was so beautiful, I just couldn't resist. Here are a few pictures. And oh, by the way, I never received a parking ticket! Maybe God was rewarding me for being so patient or taking the time to stop by the church and say a few prayers for friends and family. Either way, Praise God, I survived the whole ordeal and got my CODICE FISCALE ! - Next Step My Soggiorno!

Church in Pordenone

Pordenone Strade del centro