Che giorno oggi!!!

How does this country work? I have always thought that I have a long temper, but not anymore, since I arrived to Italy. My friend said to me that my temper has also become italian, maybe that is true. Does it mean short and heated...?

There is some official documents you must take care, when you start living in Italy, in my case Milan. You must get for yourself "Codice Fiscale", which is an Italian version of tax identification number. You will need it to open up a bank account and the account you will need to sign the rent contract. And you must get residency of Milan. This all seems like done in no time. Yeah right!

Last Friday I started with getting the residency of Milan or at least I thought I would get it. I found the right place after asking two times from the street and twice inside the building. I started waiting with all the copied documents I should have....for two hours, until I had to return to school. All right I though, I have to try this later with more time.

Yesterday morning I went for the Codice Fiscale. I was behind the government building already 30 min. before it opened, but later on I found out that so were about 100 others. So I had to do an other try this morning, when finally I got it. After getting this in the morning I realised that I was too late for fashion design class. I desided to skip it and go to the bank instead. In the bank, opening an italian account isn`t that easy. It would cost me 120€/ year. After asking the costs of wiring money, interest or paying the bill via internet and not getting proper answer, I was pissed. I desided to think this through again.

My journey continued back to the office of residency. (Remember, two hours waiting last time?) There I got told to go to "Tribunale"/court, to get my copy of insurancecard translated from english to italian. WTF??? So I continued to Tribunale (the place is a size of Chicago airport) to translate my document in italian...Or not! After asking from 4 people where this office is I got turned down and laughed at.

Yes, I lost my temper. I didn`t know that after spending 11 days in this lovely country I could already swear so well and really scream at some poor officeman. When leaving the court, this nice security guy (to get in the building you must go through x-ray like in the airports) asked me if I got my things done. I guess I looked like just bursting into tears or killing somebody cause he told me to go to this translation-shop just around the courner. There I found out, that getting the god damn insurancecard translated, would take a week and cost me 70€. This card is valid EVERYWHERE in the world except in Italy I guess.

I truly believe when italians move to finland, they will have all their documents translated in finnish language. ;o) I have been taking care all these in italian, I would just like to know how do other foreigners do it here? How will I ever get used to dealing with all this paperwork and bureaucracy.

My evening ended nicely finding out, that I might not get to move to my new italian apartment cause I won`t get in time from Finland 15 000€ money transfer. If you come from Marocco and have a job selling umbrellas on the streets you will get an apartment, but if you are a Finnish student, studying in the best fashion school in Italy, having the cash available... you are not allowed to sign the rentcontract...

Aperitivo

I have always thought that Sundays are great for meeting friends like they always do here in Italy. Tonight after drawing human bodies for schol the whole day, we went out for aperitivo with my beautiful school friend from the Philippines. Here is a great tradition in the evenings at "aperitivo"-time around 19-21.00 when you enter a place and order a drink with 7 euros, you get to eat free from the buffet table.Basicly you will get your stomach full with this. I have already found a few really great places around the area.

Here were are at Más with Monica.

Apartment hunting

My biggest worry for the last week has been finding a decent apartment from Milan in just two weeks. I have had a certain budget what I want to pay. I already knew that living here is expensive, but I never thought it would be like this. I got a good advise from my Finnish designer friend how to start searching. He advised me to start walking in the areas where I want to live and start looking for "Affittasi"-signs. If there is an apartment free in the house, there is always a sign outside the building to show it.

So my walks around Navigli, Ticinese and Porta Genova started... After finding tens of these signs I started to call after them and make appointments. All of these phonecalls were made in italian. What an incredible way to learn the language better. I don`t recommend it to anyone, though! At the same time I was searching through internet and calling other rental agencies...and not to mention this has been my first week of school.

On Friday I went to see one apartment at Navigli, by the canal. It was an old building which I love and it had been just renovated. Meaning new kitchen with oven (others just have had microwaves), new bathroom, new bedroom and new sofa. I highlight the word NEW cause I have seen such disgusting places with increadibly high rents that I can`t believe. I have visited one-room-apartments with the rent of 650€. Huh!!! How in earth can people live here like this?

First day; behind the door

I never thought that it would happen to me, but here we go... First day in Milan and I left for a walk to see how is the surrounding area. Walking here on the streets, tall, blond, Finnish girl... a lot of attention and people calling after you. Anyways, I found a supermarked and did some groceries. Walking 10 blocks back with 4 heavy bags in sun shine, wearing "winter"-clothing makes you thirsty and sweaty. I couldn`t wait to get back to the apartment.

Behind the door trying to open up the locks and not getting in, makes you a bit nervous. So, my first day here in Milan and I didn`t get in to my apartment. I was trying to open the door for 30 minutes and felt quite frustrated. It was Saturday and I was wondering to whom to call... I went to ask help from neighbours in this building, but nobody was home. After asking help from two guys passing me and still no open door, I had to call the rent-agency. Feeling dumb, blond and very much tourist the guy from Rentexpress came. He couldn`t open up the door as well. Nice! We had to call the repair man to open the door. After 1,5 hours I finally get in and at the end I didn`t feel that bad anymore. One new experience to get yourself cleared in italian behind a locked door...

Destination Bella Italia

I finally made it to Milan about one week ago. I was planning to start writing every day, but it has been a huge hassle here... as well. Back in Finland I sold my apartment in Turku and moved all my stuff to my parents house. ( My mom is so happy with me...) What a job to do all by yourself. Luckily my dad has helped me a lot. ;o)

Anyways, I arrived to Milan Friday evening with my 10 bags (I had about 120kg extra weight in my bags) and got a little assistance in the airport from a nice italian gentleman. He helped me to taxi. The journey started great with the taxi driver trying to screw me of with paying more than normally. I speak italian and I didn`t give up with the price. At the end, outside my new rent apartment he left me and all my bags in the middle of the road and pulled of. Great!

I have been staying in this nice apartment from Rentexpress for a week now. It is hideously way too expensive, but I had no other choise. This one or hotel with no kitchen. It is in Porta Genova, really close to a metro. I have kitchen, bedroom and livingroom in the apartment so it has really served me well. It is in the area where I want to live so looking for the apartment and staying already here, has been good decision.