The Questura

Oh boy oh boy. You think you know about what it's like to be an immigrant in a foreign country, but you have no idea... Bureaucracy can be challenging.

So let's talk about my morning shall we? As you may or may not know, today I went to the Questura *police station/immigration office* to apply for what they call a "Permesso di Soggiorno" This is basically a permit of stay. It allows you to stay in Italy for a longer period of time even if your visa is expired...

I filled out lots of paperwork, jumped through a few hoops, and finally made it to the appointment today. I arrived to wait in the line of other immigrants at 5:30am even though the doors don't open until 7:15. So after I arrived, there was a moment where I thought "I wonder if anyone else just wants to throw their hands up and just say screw it, this is ridiculous." But because I am a survivor, I knew I had a responsibility. I have worked too hard just to be told "no, nice try."

After waiting, I got inside to wait some more until the workers arrived. On the bright side, there were many chairs, so after being on my feet for about 2 hours, it was nice to sit down. When you get in, you must take a number from one desk. You must wait for your number to be called, go to the window, and then they give you another number. You have to be careful about how much water or coffee you drink before your appointment because there is NO opportunity to use the bathroom. If you miss your number being called, too bad for you, it's over. So on a lack of sleep and hydration, you must be patient and alert enough to except all of this. If you are missing a document or even small thing from your packet of information, they send you home and say see you next year.

Today the appointment went surprisingly well. I had a book, music, and piece of fruit. After my waiting, I walked up when my number was called, handed over my documents, gave my thumb prints, and left. I had brought my bicycle to ensure quick arrival and exit. Before leaving, I received a letter saying that I had succeeded and I was to go and pick up my "Permesso" on the 15th of October.

It is true, good things come to those who wait/or have the patience to do a lot of hoop jumping. There is just a different level of organization here. It doesn't make it wrong or right, it is just different.