The Italian Job.
Okay, I will try to keep it as rage-free as I can.
Kate recently asked about how things are going here in Italy.
My reply:
Let’s just say it’s not remotely as fun or interesting as it looked on paper.
The idea was pretty neat: Lazy B. gets stationed in Italy, and our little family comes here, we travel on the weekends and see the sights, we get to take trains through the rest of Europe, and basically have a great time, experience some European culture, eat great food, blah blah blah.
How it worked out so far:
Stationed here… Lazy gets the shaft from new unit.
Little family gains another member, which is good, but house stays the same size, which is crowded.
Weekend travel? Gas prices skyrocket- if gas was costing you eight bucks a gallon, would you go for a Sunday drive?
See Europe? We still are waiting on the baby’s passport. Paperwork involved with having a baby outside the U.S. is horrendous.
Culture? The damn Italians protest us. Never mind that we can’t do anything about being here, and that their own elected government is who they should complain to if they don’t like the U.S. base. They make it uncomfortable for the families of folks who are only here doing their damn jobs. Thanks, jerks.
Food? Italian restaurants don’t have a lot of space for big strollers, and I have yet to see a high chair anywhere. With all our babies and so forth, it’s a huge production just getting in the door.
So yeah, I am really disappointed with the whole experience so far. We weren’t accurately informed of what to expect here, for sure…
…yet I sometimes think to myself that if Lazy were to get stationed in Japan, I would love to go. Meh. Probably not though.
oy! I’ve been in Britannia for a little over a month and a half now and it is nifty, but I don’t have any snot-factories to tote around, either. I just realized you have your own domain so I can visit this on my gov’t puterbox, hah. The Brits protest off-base over here but they are mostly protesting the British military. It is cool that people sort of speak English over here (haha) but the Sterling Pound is 2-1 on the US Dollar so buying stuff off-base is expensive. That makes the gas as bad here as it is in Italy. At least gas is normal-priced on base (and 94 octane which my turbo-powered car just LOVES). I finally got a phone yesterday so I am thinking I may have internet in another month, haha.
Comment by dogpoop — 21 May 2008 @ 1348
POOOOOOOOOOP
Damn I wish we’d gone someplace that spoke english, even british english… haha! The Italians plan their protests at the gate to the housing area, so I figure they’re just plain mean- what on earth have the kids of soldiers done to them?
I swear I want to go out there and yell “Fine, next time you jackasses get a Mussolini running your country, DON’T COME CRYING TO US!” What a bunch of sissified, noddle-sucking so-and-sos.
Comment by Dorkelina — 21 May 2008 @ 1709
Transfer up to Ireland. It was nice up there. . . .you get to choose where and when you go, right?
Comment by Deathlok — 22 May 2008 @ 1526
Deathlok - Oh sure. If that were the case, she’d transfer to Hawaii! :)
And you wouldn’t like Japan, either. Too damned crowded. But at least you’d tower over the citizens.
Comment by Wyatt Earp — 22 May 2008 @ 1714
Don’t think there’s anyplace for Army in Ireland now. The AF gets to go to the UK (as evidenced by dogpoop’s remark), but not us. Lucky bastards.
And no, I wouldn’t go to Hawaii, except on vacation- which I am actually planning to do. Eventually. For that honeymoon thing we never took.
Crowded or not, I am fascinated by Japan, and I am pretty sure Lazy and I are plenty short enough to blend in. ~_^
Comment by Dorkelina — 22 May 2008 @ 1852
i am hoping for Japan next, but even someplace like Guam would be nice. not sure about Hawaii, although i imagine i’ll be an E-6 by the time I PCS again so money won’t be as big an issue. it’s kind of bizarre over here for me, because we have like 3 or 4 bases close together and everything is spread out between them. the base i work on doesn’t have the big BX or Commissary so i have to go for an admittedly short drive to buy real stuff
Comment by dogpoop — 23 May 2008 @ 1240
When I was in Germany (87-89 ) the Rads were a lot more hospitable toward us. But then again there were 85,000 Russian tanks just waiting to come through the Fulda gap and f*ck up their Bratwurst. Amazing how a little fear changes your attitude toward those who protect your schnitzel isn’t it? Now that the Russians are exposed as the frauds that they are everyone thinks they don’t need us anymore. Asshats.
Anyway it was much easier being single overseas. No cleaning up after drunken weekends ;) Anyway…
When you get things straight you HAVE TO GO TO ROME. I’M TELLING YOU, IT WILL MAKE ALL THE AGGRAVATION WORTHWHILE. JUST GO AND SEE IT. YOU WON’T REGRET IT.
Comment by CaptainAmerica — 29 May 2008 @ 356