Ciao a tutti,
Allora, I was hoping today that my second trip to the commune di Magenta would be more successful than the first and result in me being officially recognised by Magenta and more importantly the children being able to have school dinners. School dinners are a service offered by the Commune and you have to show proof of your (husbands) wage so they can decide how much you pay, and if you don't have school dinners you don't get to play out at lunchtime- full stop no early returns.
So I met up with our Raffaella official translator first I venture to the Fiscal Code office where we all need a number, whether aged 8, 10 or 40. Easy- photocopy of passport, 1 form per person, 2 stamps per form and no cost. They weren't even phased that I don't use my maiden name.
Buoyed by this, Hugh, I and Raffaella (our woman who can strop at officialdom )set off to the commune. No queue.
I have with me: 3 photos each, photocopy of passport, plus originals. Originals of birth certificates, marriage certificate, Hugh's (hastily written) contract with his wage on it. Because we have to prove that Hugh can afford to keep us in Italy, clearly marriage break up unknown in Italy. The cost the Italian government have decreed as a living wage is 12,000 euros. I would of course uproot the family, give up my job and deal with this for 12 thousand bucks. Hugh's residency details, our newly obtained and drying fiscal codes. 2 Marca da Bollo's bought from the tobacconist - because that's where you buy stamps obviously and just in case 2 baptismal certificates- well you never know with a Catholic country.
All laid out neatly on the counter and Rosanna behind the glass says in her best Italian voice- 'Where is your official translation for these documents?'
Well 50 minutes,2 offices, and 3 women later, having been shown the law of what is required and pointing out to Rosanna that nowhere in the law does it say translation into Italian required. And when she showed us a Romanian translation and we pointed out that actually we were British (funny how that didn't work!) and EU citizens so actually not the same as Romanians (none of us knowing whether Romania is part of the EU) we walked out.
So as I pointed out to Tudor at lunchtime- the bad news is we are not registered, the good news is I get to lunch with the children every day still!
And for this I turned down my first offer of coffee with Mums from school today- Rosanna is not in my good books- bloody woman. One day she will come to England and I will exact my revenge.
We may have a telefono de casa soon. Vodaphone do a deal, they provide an old fashioned pin for old houses for connection and guess what- we have a connection but no old fashioned pin- just the wires. So I am off to my nice hardware store tomorrow to the man who, praise the Lord speaks English to have the sort of conversation I cannot understand in my mother tongue about wires, pins and electrical things.
Raining here- lots. Freddo as well. Sole and Caldo expected at weekend. My daffs look nice on the balcony though.
Lots of love
Signora McManoos
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