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May 22, 2007

...one last thing

This was too good to not post:

On Sunday morning I was at the Rome airport, on my way back to the USA. I had checked my bags, gone through security and waited in line at passport control. After about a half-hour wait, I stepped up to the desk where the intimidating officer, clad in his shiny-buttoned uniform, glared at me through the glass between us.

"Buongiorno!" I greeted him enthusiastically. One of the best lessons I've learned in Rome is to suck up to the government officials and you'll never have any problems.

"Buongiorno," he began, and then continued in Italian, "How long have you been in Italy?"

"Since January," I said. "I study here."

"What do you study?"

"Communications," I replied. This is when the officer at the next desk chimed in:

"Where? La Sapienza?" He was referring to an Italian university.

"No," I said, "The American University of Rome."

"Ah, up on Gianicolo?" my officer asked. I nodded. These guys seemed pretty friendly for passport control.

"When are you coming back?" my officer continued.

"September."

"Will you go out for a pizza with me when you get back in September?"

This totally threw me off. I stared at him in shock. In fear of making him angry and potentially not letting me go back to the US, I nodded.

The other officer leaned over, "I'll come along, and make sure you bring a pretty American girl for me too!" Unbelievable.

My officer took some official document and tore off the bottom. He slip the paper under the glass window to me with a pen.

"Do you have a cell phone number? Write it down and I'll give you a call." I scribbled down a made-up number. He gave me back my passport.

"Have a nice summer and I'll see you in September," he said with a wink.

Posted by Kelsea  at 10:11 AM | Permalink

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