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!