1) Someone asked if she could call my son Dylan "Danilo" as she wasn't a fan of "those trendy foreign names." Perhaps she forgot that the name was not foreign to me. The local priest also complained about my son's name as there is no saint associated with it. One of the many reasons we didn't baptize...
2) I went for a dermatological visit at a hospital in the center of Milan. I had bloody pus-oozing red dots on the bottom of one of my feet and could not for the life of me figure out what it was. It took me more than two weeks to get an appointment and I was told I was lucky to get in as it was a cancellation (the original appointment given to me was for September). I was told to go to pavilion one when I arrived at the hospital. When I got there, I noted that the pavilions were not numbered but color coded. I popped into "giallo" (yellow) and began walking aimlessly along the corridors. I spotted a room where people were taking numbers and went in there figuring that must be where I had to check in. I walked in and took a number and began to watch the digital board where numbers were flashing, but I had no idea where to go when my number was called. I asked another waiting patient and she told that when my number was called, I'd have to go to another room down the hall to pay for the visit. My number was finally called, I went and paid my 22 Euros for the visit and then was told to go to the ambulatorio in pavilion "rosso" (red). The ambulatorio had a waiting area with actual chairs (nice touch!) and led to a long hall with about 20 numbered visiting rooms. I gave my receipt proving payment to the woman behind the glass and she told me she'd call me when the doctor was ready to see me. Within 15 minutes she called my last name and said "Examining room nine!" I went to door nine and stood outside until the doctor opened it and motioned me in. He was not at all friendly, responded to my questions with one-word answers and was extremely dry. As dry as that patch on my foot. I have a pesky form of eczema! Ouchy. I just have to wonder, however, if they couldn't cut out a bunch of those (bloody, pus-oozing) steps and have allowed me to reserve and pay for the visit by phone (online would be a bit much to ask, I guess) and just have me go straight to room nine in the ambulatorio of the red pavilion at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday July 14?
3) I began the process for getting Italian citizenship for myself and the Green Card for my husband (our plans for "immigration" are a topic for another day, but that is what is on tap for mid-2010 - excited, exhilarated, nervous and nauseated).
If you were following me on Twitter, you'd know all of this except the part about my blood oozing pus and blood. I really know how to win followers and influence people!
