ZIPIDEEE DOOO DAH, ZIPIDEEE DAY, MY OH MY our internet and telephone work!! As I write I am sitting in the comfort of our apartment and all is, today, at this moment in time, glitch free. (Well, to be really honest, I'm not sure about the phone as yet because it's charging and no one has called).
Our appointment was for 10AM but our worker came about 2PM; not too bad. No different than the cable people telling us "anytime between 8AM and Noon". People in the complex kept saying, "Just remember, this is Italy (I know, I know)" and Kim responded that it's same for us at home. Our technician was quite the sweet, young handsome man who knew a little English and I think may have picked up on our nervousness as we asked "e complicato"? He just smiled and let us know that he was going to do alllllll of it. (and what a smile it was)!
Once it was all connected, the internet, the phone connection and some sort of direct tv box that comes for "free" with all of this we remembered one detail--no phone. So, our next journey was to try to find a home phone, NOT a "telefonino" aka cell phone. Kim thought the main phone company was located at one of the main big piazzas and so that's where we headed. Of course, we couldn't find it and so it was up to me to ask for directions. I chose an older gentleman (figuring he'd understand about a telefono en la casa) who said he understood my question but was going to consult with his friends on the neighboring bench. So, before we knew it, four older folks were all talking at once and pointing in various directions. Once they came to what we think was a general consensus, I asked Kim if she understood. She said sort of (which is her usual response after hearing many, many sentences in Italian spoken rapidly without a breath), so off we went.
After quickly finding the store, we were shown two models of cordless phones and chose the cheapest of course. Rachel, naturally, had to examine the box and make sure all was well. But it wasn't-it was missing the "special" wall adaptor (un grande problema) and I (Kim) was too cheap to buy the other model which included its own damn adapter. After much Italian going nowhere and all the hand gestures (Rachel trying to demonstrate without words what the hell she was talking about), the woman took us to the cash register with the adapter from the other model in hand. We thought she was going to sell us that one. But after a few words to a man standing nearby, she took 10 Euro from the cash register and headed out the door with our phone. We looked at each other and realized that she was going to buy us our needed adapter!! She must have gotten tired of trying to get us to understand where we could go. About 5 minutes later she returned, proudly yet modestly handing us her purchase. We couldn't say thank you enough and while she was gone, Rachel kept telling me to practice saying how kind she was being toward us and how much we appreciate it. (And so I did).
PS:
And today, as you see, we have a picture of the outside of our little apartment where our new phone resides. It's the unit on the lower first floor with the iron gate in front.
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