Consulate General of Italy Visit Part One

As a United States citizen if you wish to stay longer than ninety days in Italy you need a visa. As such, I went to the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago to determine how I would go about obtaining a visa. There are many different types of visas and I was forced to determine between a work visa and a business visa. I emailed the requirements to our affiliate office in Italy and also to our general consulate at True Partners. The determination was business visa as I will still be employed by True Partners here in the US. Next step, make an appointment. The Consulate General of Italy requires that you call an 800 number and then give them your credit card so they can charge you 2.49/minute to make the appointment. After five minutes on hold I finally secure an appointment for Wednesday, December 10 at 9:30. I think I have all the requirements and I arrive thirty minutes early (I know you are all shocked). The man in front of me is being drilled and I hear him say this is his third visa as his wife is an Italian citizen...I'm staring to get nervous. The man working behind the bullet proof glasses for proof of health insurance during his visit...my palms start to sweat. I don't have proof of insurance yet but I do have a note in the letter from TPC verifying my employment that they will cover my health insurance. Will that be enough I wonder. He is then asked if he has a notarized copy of his drivers license. What is that? Beads of sweat are now starting to from on the back of my neck. I walk over to the information desk and ask what this notarized copy of the drivers license is. He informs me that if I am here in person I will not need a notarized copy. Phew...crisis averted. I go back and wait for the man who has the 9:00 appointment (which of course begin at 9:10...man I love Italians) to finish.
I am called and present my information. A questioning look appears on the mans face (who happens to have cigar hanging from his lips...unlit...but stationary as he speaks...I think it was the mustache holding it up). You are applying for a business visa...yes I reply. The documentation is for eight months...no sir six months. Oh he says...we do not issue business visa for longer than 90 days. I begin to get confused as you don't need a visa for less than 90 days so why would you ever apply for a business visa? Of course I do not want to ask as I am still sweating and now have started to shake a little bit. I don't want to be on a black list so I can never get a visa. He tells me to wait as he goes behind the wall. He returns with a young lady while they are finishing their passionate discussion in Italian. I can catch a few words here and there that tell me it isn't looking good. He tells me that he was correct and a business visa can not be issued for longer than 90 days and that my documentation is not for less than 90 days so he can not accept it. My voice starts to quiver as I see my entire trip being cancelled. I ask what type of visa I would need and he replies a work visa which I know requires a work permit. I ask if it matters that I will not be paid by an Italian company but that I will still be paid by my current US employer. No he replies it does not matter. He hands me back my paperwork and I leave. Have on fear another appointment has been booked (by what I am pretty sure is a call center in Ireland) for January 16th. Think good thoughts!

Life as Cork

I think I finally understand what Cork feels like when I talk to her. She does that cute lab head tilt with her ears all perked up. I always think she looks like she wants to listen and she is trying her best but she just can’t understand what I’m asking her do to. Sure part of it is because I am talking to my dog like she actually understands full sentences such as use your brain, did you do this, or when you get sick after eating all the leaves in the hallway I am not going to feel sorry for you. Well, for the past two days I have been Cork (only not nearly as adorable) and my new Italian friends are me. I really am trying to understand what they are saying whether it is at dinner, trying to find an apartment, or trying to understand a passionate debate about the tax treatment of the sale of an Italian subsidiary (yes I was actually trying to understand what they were saying), but I just can’t. Sure I can pick up a few words here and there but I am pretty much like a yellow lab wishing I could figure out what was really going on!

Italian Lessons

It is a very interesting experience to learn about a foreign country. For instance, in Italy I was told it is illegal to allow irons in the hotel rooms. Now this information would have been very useful before I went down to the front desk in my broken Italian and asked for an iron to press my shirt for this morning. They can have my shirts pressed for me but alas they will not be ready before 900 which will really not help this morning so I guess it will be a super hot shower and a literally pressing of my shirt to make it presentable. Oh well.

I met the people I will be working with during my time here in Italy and they are all very nice…I mean nicer than Midwestern people nice!

I learned that getting your CPA in Italy is harder than in the United States. You first attend university to study economics, then you work for three years, a “studyship”, during which you study for the exam.

I have also learned that I can handle Italian coffee...oh and that I need to learn Italian STAT! The coffee is really not much more than a couple sips and with sugar it actually tastes pretty good! I successfully turned it down three times today but at dinner I was unsuccessful. Two partners, Sabino and Luigi, and one of the associates Silvia, took me out to dinner tonight. They spoke Italian most of the night with a bit of English mixed in for me. It was actually very nice as I picked up a few words…like when they were talking about shoes and windows! Thanks Rosetta Stone. The first time I recognized a word and the said I was right I was like Tiger when he wins a major…fist pump and all (not as dramatic but if you are picturing me in the middle of a beautiful piazza in Italy fist pumping you would be correct). They ordered dinner for me and I can honestly say I’m not sure if I had chicken or rabbit. I’m leaning towards rabbit…it was good…tasted like chicken. Sabino asked “Do you trust me” and of course I said yes and after a passionate discussion between the three he ordered my dinner. The same phrase was used when ordering my gelato this evening. It was great!

Travel Days

It is crazy to think that just over twenty four hours ago I was getting up for a run and getting ready to start my trip (after I voted of course). The Frankfurt airport was interesting. First, I get off the plane and am greeted by what else but a German pretzel stand! I have to get my passport stamped and renter security and I was told to go to a security line of which I was not certain since I don’t speak German. I guess I was in an acceptable line, whether or not it was the right one I will never know, and proceeded through. Of course I get stopped and frisked by the German police woman. A couple odd things about the German airport: 1) There was a gumball machine in the bathroom (Dad I think that could be a new market for you) 2) There was a door to the men’s room from the women’s room…not sure where it went but it was weird and 3) There were employees riding bikes around the airport.

In the Frankfurt airport I listened to a replay of McCain’s concession speech and some of Obama’s speech in Grant Park. It was very interesting to see how captivated the rest of the world seemed to be by our election. Two German couples sitting behind me on the flight cheered when the pilot gave an update of the results. The whole world really is watching!

The flight to Torino was short and a little bumpy due to flying over the Alps. It is pretty cloudy here so there was not much to see on the flight. I landed and was greeted by Natalia who works in our affiliate office. I walked right out with my bag without going through customs so she was very nice and helped me make sure that I wasn’t going to get my passport revoked. The person at the information desk told her that since I had gone through customs in Frankfurt I was fine. The last thing I need is to get thrown in the Italian clink for skirting customs.

Natalia dropped me off at my hotel and said she would meet me around 1800 for a short tour of Torino before dinner.

I realized after reading the instructions that the converter I purchased would NOT infact work for smaller voltage appliances like the Best Buy guy said. I know this because of the sparks that were emitted when I tried to plug in my computer. I decided then to go in search of a smaller voltage converter and set out to shop in the city center which was not far from my hotel. I walked for awhile and didn’t see anything that looked like it would have a converter so I stopped in at the Pharmacia to get some help. They directed me to a store down the street. The store owner at that store did not speak English but did speak Spanish so he directed me to a “gigante” electronic store. I found my way thanks to my ability to speak Spanish only to discover that this store did not carry the converter. He directed me, in English, to a store down the street…again with no luck. The store owner did not speak English so he walked me down the street to the gelateria where they directed me to another store. As I was walking I thought that I was getting close to my hotel (thanks for the great sense of direction Dad) and sure enough the electronics store, which is more like a hardware store, is a block away from my hotel. Finally, after four misses I found the converter! If only I had used my brain and walked by the store ealier!

I’m going to try and brush up on my Italian while watching their version of what looks like Law and Order!

Counting Down to the Initial Visit

Yesterday was another day I was reminded that half the things my mother told me growing up were true (the other half she completely made up but when you have a kid who won't stop asking questions I don't know what else you'd do). One of her favorite sayings to me was and probably still is "you would lose your head Tara Joy if it wasn't screwed on to your body". This was particularly applicable today when I left a check to be deposited in the ATM at the post office as I was waiting for a coworker to buy stamps. How this happened I still don't know. I signed the check at the counter and apparently forgot to pick it back up. Good thing it was still there after we had eaten lunch. I'm pretty sure my luck in these types of situations is about to run out!


I have come to realize that as much as I'd like to jump on the ADHD bandwagon there is no medical cause for my absentmindedness...I just can't seem to slow down. Now if this would be in some sort of productive sense I would have no problem with the constant questions my mind comes up with but instead it thinks about stupid things that have no consequence . In one of those rare moments where I think about actual important things I realized that in a week I will be packing (we all know I am not going to be packed and ready to go until Tuesday morning five minutes before I leave for the airport) and getting ready to leave for my visit to Italy. Just like everything else it seems the time has gone by so fast. It seems that just a few days ago this entire experience of working in Italy was just a suggestion to my boss. Now I'm getting ready to go to a country where I don't speak the language to find a place to live!

The crazy part is that I'm not worried about not knowing the language or not knowing a soul over there...my main concern is that I'm pretty sure I don't own any clothes that are Italy appropriate. As most of you know I have no fashion sense and could easily spend spend more money buying new running shoes or cleats then strappy sandles or leather boots. This is going to come as a shock to many but I'm actually worried about what I'm going to wear! NRM/Sara/Stacey you have finally accomplished your goal! Seriously though what do you pack to go to one of the most fashionable countries in Europe...I had a hard enough time packing for LA. Now I have to pack for the country that produced Armani, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, and Versace. This is like putting The Fridge at midfield for Brazil in the World Cup! I am completely out of my element. Suggestions would be much appreciated!

My secondary concern is what to do if and when I am asked to go for coffee (which I am afraid will happen almost daily). Doesn't seem like a big concern for most people but a Tara full of caffeine is like a normal person on speed. A quarter can of red bull once made me think my heart was physically going to thump right out of my chest. Don't get me wrong I'm all for hanging out at a cafe in the middle of the day but I'd prefer not to look like the stupid American who can't handle her coffee. I'd like to make it to my first night out drinking wine for that!

I realize that these concerns may seem silly and stupid in light of what many of your concerns are today but I hope this post has made you forget about those concerns and you are now mulling over how to help me figure out what to wear while politely not drinking coffee!

Initial Post

As most of you know I have been given the opportunity to work with my company's affiliate in Torino, Italia for six months next year. I have decided to start a blog to chronical my time there next year. And as all of you know I LOVE to tell stories...some of you may know them as "Tara Stories". These stories contain precise details such as dates, times, what people were wearing and the weather at the time of the story. Now these stories will be available for you to read at your leisure and you can skip parts that you don't want to hear which is not available on the live Tara Story version. I am sure many of you have a few questions/concerns about my trip such as: 1) Does she speak Italian? 2) What is she going to do when she locks herself out of her apartment? 3) Does she know anyone over in Italy? 4) What is she going to do without playing any sports for six months? 5) Is she finally going to pick up the game of soccer? Here are the answers: 1) Nope...using Rosetta Stone to learn the language. 2) Good question and one I can't answer until it happens (which we all know it will). 3) I am going over the first week in November for five days to meet people in our affiliate office but other than my future coworkers no. 4) I plan to fill up my time driking wine and skiing. 5) I think that I may have to! I welcome questions and comments about my journey and look forward to hearing from everyone!