Trionfo!!!

When we first arrived in Soriano, I had some letters to mail, so I took them to the post office. The system was a little confusing...unlike the US Post Office, you don't just get in line and wait for the next available window. There are categories of service and you can only accomplish certain tasks at certain windows. You have to take a number. There are two choices on the “take-a-number” machine. One choice allows you to wait for service to buy stamps, mail a letter, mail a package and other things relating to mail. The other choice allows you to wait for an assortment of banking and bill paying services. Without this knowledge, you might take the wrong ticket, wait for your number to be called, then be told that you must go back to the beginning and start over, with the correct type of ticket.

After standing at the “take-a-ticket” machine trying to read the instructions and with a little help from a fellow customer who seemed to know the ropes, I finally figured out which kind of numbered ticket I needed. I pressed the button, took the ticket from the machine and sat down to wait my turn. More confusion. The tickets have a letter and a number. A through E; 1 through 99. I had C33. I noticed an electronic board on the wall above the seating area. The letters A through E ran vertically down the side and the numbers alongside each letter changed. As the numbers changed, a clerk at one of the windows would call out the next number and serve the next customer. It sounded like Bingo night: C32...B6...D89...A75...C33...Bingo!! I jumped up and looked at the board to see which window was serving C33 and then I heard...C34. Crap! The nonna who had C34 was a pro. She was already standing, waiting to pounce as soon as her number was announced. I timidly approached the counter alongside the Nonna, waving my numbered ticket. The clerk shrugged and told me to wait because I was too slow.

OK, lesson learned.

Next time was a little different. I had to pay a parking ticket. Now this is an interesting process. When you get a parking ticket, you go to the stationary store and get a bolletto, which appears to be a universal form for paying official bills. Italians receive bollettos in the mail from the utility companies already filled out with the amount they owe for gas, water and electricity. For parking tickets, you have to fill out all the details yourself, but you pay at the Post Office. Another lesson learned. The challenge, however, is which numbered ticket to take when you arrive at the post office. What service is this...paying a parking ticket? Certainly not stamps and letters. Must be the other one. I pushed the button, got the ticket and didn't sit down to wait my turn. Instead I hovered near the counter waiting to pounce when I heard my number...Bingo!!! I was ready. I gave the bolletto to the clerk and told him that this was my first bolletto and I hoped it was filled out correctly. He smiled and said it was. I paid my 38euro, received my receipt and was done. I felt so proud moving from Beginners Poste Italiene to Intermediate Poste Italiene.

Time for Advanced Poste Italiene. Another letter to mail...no sweat. Got my ticket...E17. Waited in pouncing position. Moved quickly to the counter when I heard my number called. And waited…and waited...and waited...while the clerk continued her conversation with the customer at the next window. And I waited some more. Finally, she turned to me and said “A67”. I waved my ticket so she could see E17. She looked at her computer screen and repeated “A67” and shrugged. OK now what? So I pointed to the board and tried to tell her that according to the board, E17 was the next customer at her window and that I wasn't deferring to A67. And she DIDN'T ARGUE!!! She just shrugged again, took my letter and my 60 centessimi and called again “A67”.

I have triumphed over Poste Italiene!!! You can't imagine the sense of accomplishment. No, I mean it...you can't know how great this is!!!

Continuing Education Poste Italiene: I found myself the winner in an online contest held by Michelle at BleedingEspresso. The prize was a copy of Dianne Hale's fabulous book, “La Belle Lingua”, which had just been released in paperback. I don't usually win things, so you can imagine my delight...then dismay...to realize that the book would be mailed to me from the publisher in the US...and be delivered (I hoped) by Poste Italiene. Well my stars must all be aligned or something, because in yesterday's mail was a neatly addressed package delivered right to my door. “La Bella Lingua” had arrived, without any hassle or...dare I say it?...without any tariffs due. Score one for Poste Italiene!!!

Trionfo di nuovo!!!!!