Facing Italian Bureaucracy (again)

For returning readers (or can click here, here and here) with recolletion about my experiences with Italian bureaucracy, you understand how daunting it is.

Yesterday I went to Immigration Office in Siena to renew my resident permit. I arrived last week but somehow they closed all this week except Friday and Saturday. The announcement on office wall said that the allotted time to submit application for non European is between 8.30-11 every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. The queuing number will be distributed at 8.15.

So I thought, I just need to be there when the number are distributed right? Wrong!! It meant ALL the number will be distributed at 8.15. I arrived at 8.20 at the office and the official told me that no more numbers and I must come back another day.

But amidst the annoyance and sleepiness (not sleep again after sahur), I feel something is not quite correct. Yes, the announcement is not clear about what to expect at 8.15 but if that what suppose to happen they actually did it on time. (If you don’t know any Italian, their schedule is as flexible as Indonesia’s rubber watch). On the way back, I met a senior student from department that said he waited from 5 in the morning to get the top number.

So this morning I left my room at 7 in the morning to make sure I am in the front part of the queue (no number on Saturday, it supposed only to receive the permit but student can submit). But when I arrived there, the door is already open and the official was already taking people receipt and checked if they resident permit already issued. The official opening time is 8, last year I came at 7 to get ahead on the queue and by opening time the line already more than 50 m long (with some old ladies freezing in January weather).

At 8.05 all the queuing people was already served and either get their permit or told it was not ready. I was just reading a book while waiting when the officer call for me (in Italian, I did not notice in the beginning until other people called me). I said (in Italian) I am a student and want to renew resident permit. To my amazement she told me to go inside and start the processing. As the cherry on the pudding, after giving all the paper she told me confidently in English that it will be ready in two month. I am off in 10 minutes.

Now it is beginning to seem unreal. Last year none spoke English and it took me more than 4 months to get the permit.. Of course the second part still need to be proven but the increase of efficiency is apparent. I talked to my class mate and he attributed it change of government where Prodi with centre left coalition replace Berlusconi’s rightist coalition.

Nonetheless, it is definitely improvement of public service in the most unlikely place. If Italy can do it, maybe Indonesia can too.

Back in Siena

Three months passed just like a blazing light, suddenly I was thrust into plane for a 22 hour journey (1,5 hour transit in Bangkok and 5 hours in Kuwait) and found my self pushing heavy luggage along ancient streets of Siena.

Very few things change here, after all the centro storice (historical centre) at city of Siena remained pretty much the same for the last 300 years. One thing that changes is my accommodation, albeit still on the lavishly comfortable Collegio Santa Chiara, but now I am assigned to a single room. It’s really good to have a room on your own.

After a good night sleep yesterday, now its time to reflect on my summer sojourn back home. One thing for sure, I don’t feel like 30 years old. That is if being thirty means loosing more of idealism and dynamism (which I think I still have plenty) while worry a lot about how to pay for car and home mortgage (which I have none). Some of my friends that already turns 30 also starting to review how they have been living their life, but I am quite contend on the life I live and might not change much if given chance to re-do it again. I know I am on the right track and living the life I always wanted.

As for the 3 month holiday, there are things I wish I do more (like going to QB closing sales more than once), friends I wish I saw or seen more, spending more quality time with family (instead sluggishly finish the two overdue papers (one for class and one to be refereed)) but I am happy that I managed to collect data for this year research (to attend more conferences (a.k.a free trip)) and hopefully managed to publish some at respectable journal). Its good to be able to gave workshop at UI, seminar at Undip and met up with old friends as well as tightened up some muscle at fitness centre. However, I do wish I did not forget my sarung back home.

So, let this be a beginning of a better year than before. It’s certainly good to have more Indonesian (in Siena and Italy) than last year, especially with Hengky starting his PhD in Rome. Hope I will managed to go to Netherlands to visit some of my friends that start or continue study there, as well as fulfilling some impending invitations to Germany, Switzerland and UK.

Now got to finalize a paper to be presented at a conference in Bordeux Uni, France and drafting opinion on some recent events.