So sorry! Through the errors of thinking that all my devices worked seamlessly with each other – I sent the blog “Vote Early” from my iPad. It was an older un-edited version. ERRRGGGGGG! Those of you who think I can’t spell voting – and worse – couldn’t see the red line underneath it. I am sorry for causing you pain. Just know – it caused me even greater pain.
Midge
I loved the age old mantra – heartening back to Tammany Hall I think – or was it a “Chicago- style politics” slogan – “Vote Early and Often!” Using the Federal Voting Assistance Program, Jack and I voted on April 22nd for the June 7,2016 Presidential Primary. Now that is early! Don’t be silly! I’m a Rooseveltian Democrat I didn’t vote in the Republican Primary. Earlier, I had posted that Jack and I had initiated the process before we left New Jersey. Here is how it worked.
It is really simple. Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website. Fill out the forms. Print them, scan them and se-mail them to your local election official. On the website they give you all the information you need.
The Fabulous Stephanie, Somerset County Clerk’s Principal Elections Clerk, sent us PDF’s of a NJ Democratic Ballot, An Electronic Transmission Sheet, Waiver of Privacy and a cover page. You need to know that if your vote electronically from abroad everyone knows how you vote – that is the waiver I had to sign. Hell, I didn’t care. I tell people anyway. The Transmission sheet is like a FAX cover sheet that has been pre printed with my New Jersey and Italian information. I printed it all out, marked my ballot, scanned the documents and e-mailed them back from whence they came. What – the e-mail address bounced back! I carefully typed the address from the original Transmittal Cover Sheet again. FxxxxxxxxnxxxA – Bing a bang it came back. Damn, I am going to vote. Using the number that was on the Transmittal Cover Sheet, I called the County Clerk’s Office – yes from Italy and got voice mail. I left a smarmy message about calling from Italy, about voting and when would be a good time to call again and get a real person. I left my Italian number knowing that no one would call me back. What’s a determined Democrat to do?????
I looked at the original e-mail from Stephanie and noted her direct number. I dialed, she answered and deserves a raise for dealing with me. She was happy to hear that I got the ballot, sad to hear about my problem and then gently asked me where I had sent the ballot. Why back to the County Clerk’s Office. Midge, it goes to the Board of Elections – that address is on YOUR transmittal cover sheet – you used the address from our Transmittal sheet!!!! ERggggggg. All those lectures to my college students about reading every page of everything before you do anything came bounding back into my head. Maybe the professor should do as she says!!! We both laughed at my stupidity. Sure enough the federalvoter@co.somerset.nj.us worked.
Then I read all the instructions and realized we might be in deep do do. It says that you not only have to e-mail the PDF you have to snail mail it as well. Now I have mailed birthday cards a month in advance from Pontelandolfo and they have gotten to the folks two years later. My landlord sent me a Christmas Card in November and I got it at Easter. The instructions said you had to airmail the packet immediately. Oops. Monday, April 25 was a national holiday in Italy. Il Ufficio Postale will be closed. We had processed the ballots on Friday night our time. Ooooops. Tuesday the 26th was the best we could do.
The post office here is the local bank, Bill paying station, and sells stuff. There is always a line. I brought a book, sat and waited my turn. It is civilized. We do have seats. I explained that I needed to send the documents rapidly. What type of services did they have that would expedite an envelope to the USA. The clerk didn’t have a clue. She asked her boss. They waded through boxes and looked in files. Now, I could send a box – but that seemed absurd with 6 pieces of paper. Finally, since apparently airmail is a thing of the past – I mean all mail is airmail so why the hell is that on the instructions???? Hmm maybe they remember the slow boat to China??? It cost me 9.05 euro to send a quasi registered letter to the Somerset County Board of Elections. I hope they get it. I hope they get it this year.
Question. If they do not receive the paper ballot do they disqualify my e-mail ballot? On May 6th I sent them an e-mail asking them if they got the e-mailed ballot. The Board of Elections responded promptly – yes. I didn’t ask if they needed to have my hard copy too. Does my vote count without it?? I’m going to wait until the middle of May and call and find out. It does say to “find out the status of your ballot contact your election official.” I’ll keep you all in the loop.
Ex-Pat Pals – No Excuse – Vote Early!
Ci Vediamo!!!
Enough! I do not want to see another ugly wind mill on one Southern Italian Mountain! They are putting up more and more around Pontelandolfo, Casalduni and Morcone. What I discovered is that the local community doesn’t benefit one iota from the ugly things. I thought they could tax the landowner – who is getting rent. Or the town got a piece of the revenue generated – or even a break on the electric bill. Nada. Niente. Nothing.
Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I have been talking about the turbines for a number of years. First I thought they were wonderful. Than, I thought they we’re ruining the south’s chance to get a piece of the tourism pie. I mean would you want to sit on the terrace of a charming agriturismo and stare at the whizzing blades and hear the ongoing whoosh of the colossal metal whirligigs? Now, my anger has intensified – they are defiling mountain top grazing lands. The mega corporations are the only winners.
My ire increased last summer when Jack and I finished a mini vacation in Northern Italy. We drove on A7 through the mountains in Liguria and noticed high tension electric lines transmitting power but not one giant windmill between Milan and Genoa. Not one. Staring out the windows I realized that I also hadn’t see one gargantuan whirling edifice in the hills surrounding Lago Como, any where in the regions of Lombardia, Toscana or Lazio! Hmm, the trees were flowing in the wind. Perhaps that was an anomaly. Obviously, the wind has stopped blowing in Northern Italy. I’ll bet those ski slopes never feel the slightest breeze. The hills of Rome must cry for a breath of wind. Years ago cute Dutch looking windmills were used in Montefiesole, Tuscana for the salt production industry. But now, there obviously isn’t enough wind now to generate electricity or blow out a match.
We are tired of the disparity and don’t want to take it anymore!
The residents of Morcone are taking a lesson from the Dakota Pipeline. On February 14th, they decided to peacefully stop the building of windmills on yet another ridge. A mountain that for hundreds of years has been grazing land for large herds of white cattle and its rich soil farmed. Stalwart citizens stood in the road blocking access to the bulldozers and mammoth drills. Pleadings, negotiations and dialogue have been going on for years. The mayors have gone to Naples championing the cause but no one seems to care what happens in the Province of Benevento’s mountains.
Saturday, February 11 environmental groups and local residents organized a sit-in on the mountains outside Morcone. They wanted to draw attention to the abject devastation that occurs to a mountain by the savage and seemingly careless construction. Complaints had been submitted to Comando Stazione Carabinieri Forestale di Pontelandolfo, Comunità Montana Titerno e Alto Tammaro the Carabinieri Command of Pontelandolfo and the Prosecutor’s Office of Benevento siting irregularities and asking for urgent intervention and suspension of work in progress. These arguments apparently had no impact.
Photo by Pupo in Pontelandolfo News
So, on Valentine’s Day morning mountain farmers, ranchers and citizens stood in the way not of progress but of the degradation of the Sannio hills.
Pontelandolfo News has a great article full of interesting yet depressing data on how the south gets screwed again – this time it seems by the politicians. (How unusual, she said with great rancor.)
American newspapers have not picked up on this political travesty.
Errrrrggggggg.
Hmmm, maybe I should really call this Coffee Etiquette or “How Not To Be An Obvious Tourist.” We all know the adage – “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” Well, we know it, we’ve heard it and we may have even spouted it, but do we do it???? Those silly ladies in tube tops and short shorts who want to see Italian Cathedrals don’t do it and sometimes – gulp – this is embarrassing – even the folks who come to see me here in this little Italian village don’t do it. They don’t do as the Romans do – they want to drink cappuccino after lunch or dinner!!!!
In Italian restaurants, Jack and I giggle at people in the USA who order cappuccino after dinner. We know that Italians would never dare. That said, I still sometimes appear teary eyed at around 11:00 AM at Bar Elimar and in a soft, sad voice say to Marilina, “un cappuccino per favore.” The other day I really got in trouble –
Midge, said my favorite barista, ora è mezzogiorno (noon) – no cappuccino per te! It was time to review the rules. Marilina spouted them off –
the other. Your stomach will appreciate it. I will admit, I misbehave and have often done this – I really like succo di arancia rossa. Maybe that is why I feel quesy ten minutes later.There you go. A quick guide to how not to look like a tourist, enjoy coffee where the beans are ground just before it is made, stand at the bar and enjoy la dolce vita.
Ci Vediamo!
Evil, have I mentioned that Verizon Wireless is F%$#$%n EVIL???? Why you ask? Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps, the smiling voices in the call centers really can’t override the corporate computers. Perhaps, they have the best network and enjoy yanking the proverbial balls of their customers?
I have now – in one month – called Verizon Wireless from Italy, no fewer than 5 times. Actually, I started in March before I left to alert them to the fact that I would be in Italy AGAIN for six months and wanted to suspend my phone service. Suspend it with out being billed – you know -I’m not using it so I won’t pay for service. For two years I had to argue with Verizon about suspension – their website said you could suspend without billing for 6 months once a year. Perfect, we are gone for six months once a year. For two years, I pled, argued, referred to the jargon on their websites and was eventually able to suspend for 6 months. It took weeks of wrangling, moving up the food chain and feeling tension invade my entire body.
This year, after noting that now you could only suspend for three months, once again, I tried to suspend on-line – once again their web site sent an arrow to the pain in my butt. Hence, I called to make the suspension happen. Once again, I jumped through hoops, argued and pontificated. Finally, I got a sweet young woman who said why don’t we also change your plan to a flip phone cheap plan so that after the three months you will only have to pay $40 something a month for the privilege of using Verizon when you get back. Wow – a bargain! I get to pay for something I’m not using! Weeoooo
That sounded like a plan so, with her I downgraded the phones to flips and allegedly suspended the lines. Allegedly, because being the good administrator, I went to My Verizon on line and checked in three days. Now remember – the Verizon sim cards are no where near the phones. WHAT! Not suspended. I called and got some other nice sounding smiling person. That person said, oh I see the notes, but the order never got processed. WHAT! So he allegedly processed the order to downgrade us to two flip phones and suspend us for three months. He rambled about how we would have to be reimbursed we would get a credit etc. Fine. Just do it.
April 30 I got the e-mail from Verizon that they had paid my bill with my credit card. What bill? I went to the website. I was charged $97.22 something for March 10 – April 9. Of course, I was in Italy on April 1st and had promptly put in my Vodafone sim card. That bill included data charges for April and – get this a 36 minute call to someone in Long Branch, NJ on April 2nd when I had just landed in Italy and swapped sim cards????
My mistake was not shutting off automatic bill pay – World Travelers learn this lesson from me. Turn off automatic bill pay for those bills that are always a pain in the ass to deal with and usually wrong. The $97.22 was paid automatically.
I called Verizon. Verizon didn’t recognize my magic pin number. I called Verizon. After being in the cue, I was disconnected. I called Verizon. I got a nice young lady – notice that all of the Verizon call center people and nice. They are well trained to be nice. The company breeds them to be nice. Effectual??? Not so much.
She explained that there was a BIG NOTE on my account that I was to be credited for the data and for a good junk of that bill. I explained that I remembered the credit but why didn’t they just put it on the bill. She explained it would be on the next bill. WHAT? I pointed out that the phones were suspended so the bill would be a whopping negative number. I asked her to send me a confirmation of the credit and a confirmation that my phone plan had been downgraded. She said she could text it. I started to give her my MagicJack New Jersey number so that she could text. Oh no – I can only text to the numbers on the account. I explained again – they are suspended – the sim cards have been taken out of the phones. She put me on HOLD.
She came back – I asked – send me an e-mail. I can’t we don’t have private e-mail accounts at work. WAIT – Verizon e-mails me my bill – you must have my e-mail address on file and you must be able to e-mail. She put me on HOLD.
Miss Margaret – Do you have the cell phones with you. Yes. I will call Global and they can text. WHAT! The phones are suspended. I do not have a Verizon Global plan! But do you have the phones – were they Verizon phones? No, we bought them from Apple. I refuse to buy anything from Verizon. But do you have the phones. I am talking to you through the phone – with my wonderful Vodofone sim card. She put me on HOLD.
Do you have the Verizon sim card in the phone. ERGGGGG No I have an Italian cheap sim card. Do you have the Verizon sim. You could put it back in the phone. You can only text me the information to that sim – but the phones are suspended. I know ma’m but we can only text to the numbers on the account. But those numbers are suspended. If I activate the sim so you can text, I will have to go through the seven levels of Verizon suspension hell again.
Wait, listen my MagicJack VOIP number is the contact number on the account – I can see it on-line at My Verizon – text to that. I can’t ma’m it isn’t on my screen. But I can see it on My Verizon – don’t you have the same screens. No Ma’m, I understand your frustration. Hold. Hold.. HOLD…
I could continue the rant but what would be the point. Allegedly, some supervisor would e-mailed me the note about the reimbursement.
It started with me looking out the window, and wondering if the post office was open today. Why am I wondering? Because it is a national holiday here – Festa Della Liberazione. Over the weekend, Jack and I both voted absentee in the June 2016 New Jersey State Presidential Primary. After emailing a PDF of the ballot to New Jersey, the rules say we must immediately airmail copies of said ballad. (Does that mean I’m voting twice?)
Since things close here when there are no holidays and some are open when there are holidays – no I haven’t figured out the system yet – I wondered if the Ufficio Postale would be open. It was freaking pouring buckets of freezing rain and I didn’t want to go to the post office if it was closed. The Ufficio Postale web site didn’t have a list of hours or holidays. Many Italian websites are difficult for me to explore – it isn’t the language barrier – it is the – who the hell designed this – barrier. Maybe the hours are buried somewhere – or maybe the hours change from region to region or province to province. The province of Milan had its own easy to use website and list of post office hours. La Provincia di Benevento did not. Bo!
The temperature dropped to close to freezing, the rain turned to slush and I decided it would be more interesting to find out what Festa Della Liberazione was all about then to walk down the hill to the post office in the pouring rain to find out if it was closed.
Thanks to Giorni-Festivi.it, I got the story –
L’anniversario della Liberazione, conosciuto anche come Festa della Liberazione, è un giorno festivo italiano nonché festa nazionale. Essa è conosciuta anche come anniversario della Resistenza, o semplicemente “25 aprile”.
The anniversary of the Liberazione, also known as the Liberation Day is an Italian public and national holiday. It is also known as the anniversary of Resistance, or simply “25 April”. The day honors those partisans who, during World War II, opposed the fascist government of Mussolini and German occupation by Hitler’s Nazis. It is a symbolic date.
My favorite source of information, The Pontelandolfo News, has a full story and you can – on my computer anyway – read it in English.
There are celebrations in big cities – particularly the north where citizens eagerly joined the partisans to help kick out the Nazis. Jack and I celebrated by going to Don Peppino in Campolattara. When I think about it – we were thinking and talking about partisans (including the briganti) who suffered for freedom – while we gorged on great artigianale food – hmmmmm. Is that like having a beer blast at the beach on Memorial Day? Our hats are off to all those brave men and women who fought for freedom then and continue to fight for freedom now.
PS – we drove to the piazza and the Ufficio Postale was closed. So was the bank, edicolo, tabacchi etc. Guess what was open???
Ci Vediamo!
My talented and delightful niece, Alexandra Rose Niedt, takes her Italian heritage seriously! She was the third person in our immediate family to apply for – Italian Citizenship. (She would have been second but her mom had to get it first.) The winsome lady also has the wanderlust! Not afraid to travel alone she often pops into Pontelandolfo – when we are here and when we’re not! We had only been in town for three days, when with toothpicks holding open our travel weary eyes, we headed to the Naples airport. She glided into the airport pulling a suitcase bigger than she was and people noticed her. The kid is a chip off the Guerrera block and carries herself with Una Bella Figura – just like her ancestors. Shut up Auntie M! OK, OK, here’s Alex –
Dear Readers,
Years ago, I started coming here to see my family, so not too much surprises me when I come to my ancestral home. Though this trip, I did notice something that took me for a slight loop that I wanted to update you all on: my Aunt Midge has become a complete local.
Now let me clarify a few things on this topic-
• I don’t know if it’s because of my roots or because of the bond I have with my family here, but I always feel somewhat like I’ve been here forever. Whether that be all of the familiar faces I see in the piazza, or the friends and family members that make me laugh entirely too hard, it’s difficult to say. All I know is that I always feel a sense of belonging.
• Midge has been spending more and more time here over the past 3 years, from 4-7 months at a time, so granted there has been time for this all to take effect.
• Being considered a local and simply feeling like one are two drastically different things.
Midge arrived back in Pontelandolfo nearly 3 days before I got to our gorgeous little village, so she’d really only had the chance to see our family, go to IKEA to buy some more furnishings for her house and drive to Naples to pick me up at the airport. (A task which I am always grateful for, as taking the train from Naples in the evening is not on my top 10 list of things I most enjoy.) Because she hadn’t had the chance to fully settle back in to the swing of things I got to bear witness to her complete transition from “that crazy American lady that’s always writing at Bar Elimar” to “one of our own.”
I thought, as my generation is obsessed with them, I would present this to you in list form.
1) Walking through the Piazza random people come rushing over to my aunt saying “Bentornata!” (Welcome back) with hugs and kisses all around and excited conversation. This happens frequently, with people I know and also people I have never seen before. I thought I knew everyone! Dead wrong.
2) While sitting in the Piazza drinking a macchiato, a school bus full of children drives by and the kids lean out of the windows screaming “Hello! Hello! Hello!” to their former English teacher. I laugh for a solid minute at the ridiculous nature of little heads popping out the window in Italy shouting hello!
3) We need cheese, so I say why don’t we go to the caseificio in town? My aunt responds with “Oh no, we can’t go to him…” And follows with some story about the inner workings of the politics of the town and our family… Or was it that he sold her bad mozzarella once and she won’t go back? Same thing!
4) When we do make it to the caseificio (the one she frequents a little outside of town) after more hugs and kisses from Nadia, the long time employee, she proceeds to ask for specific cheese. Nadia on the sly tells her what is most fresh and what to stay away from today. Because you know, she’s a regular.
5) Sitting at one of the bars around 9pm Midge is about to leave when one of the women we know stops her. She asks for help making costumes for the town play “Dramma Sacro du Santa Giocondina.” Midge, being the true thespian she is, heartily agrees. This play is so important, it happens once every 4 years and is taken very seriously. Go Midge!
6) We are having a little gathering at Midge’s house the night before I leave for London, so of course we have to go to the pasticceria to buy dolce for after dinner. Upon arrival we begin to talk to the girl behind the counter, when out from the back (having recognized Midge’s voice) comes the owner Nicola, who immediately takes over our order and starts shooting the shit with us. After we’re finished he takes the treats to the register, tells the girl to give us the friends discount and waves goodbye. I mean, what a life?
I love this town, it’s home. It’s beautiful in the morning, and lights up after 10pm- literally and energetically. I hang out with the same people whenever I’m here, and have created really beautiful relationships with friends and family alike. But I’m always just visiting. Sure, I’m from here, sure I feel like a local, but I haven’t put in the time to truly deserve the right to be considered one.
My Aunt Midge has, and is now sitting back and reaping the benefits of a truly loving community. And I am forever impressed.
Questa e l’Italia- La dolce vita.
Ci vediamo la prossima volta,
Alex
(Thanks Alex, I actually cried when I read this. I love you to pieces! Auntie M)
Here in Pontelandlofo, Wednesday is market day. The trucks parade in and transform Piazza Roma into a Centro Commerciale. People come into town to buy everything from soap,shoes, clothes to baby chickens. When I got up, I yelled down the stairs to Jack – are you ready to go? The wnd was whistling and I remembered those hot summer days and how great that forceful breeze felt. Then I bellowed, there is laundry in the washing machine. (I had put a load of towels in last night.) Jack,if you’re ready please hang the towels up, outside.
I love the smell of air dried clothes. It is one of the perks of not having a drier.
Jack came back in red faced and said the towels will be dry in about ten minutes if the wind doesn’t take them to London. Then he said, it is too windy – there won’t be a market. Psshaw, I thought. Pontelandlofese are mountain people. What’s a little wind. I shoved Jack back out the door.
When we got outside the wind grabbed my hair and whisked my head around – think horror movie rotating head. Ouch. It tossed me towards the car. Jack said, “there won’t be a market.” Not be a market, I screamed over the wind. These venders are tough and I have to buy Zia Giusipinna a sweater for her birthday. Jack sighed and drove us down to the piazza.
I see the trucks! I shouted. Jack pointed out that the owners were still in the trucks and nothing was out to be sold. There were lots of cars so people are here. Oh, they are sitting in their cars too.
Jack parked and I dashed up to Dr. Polumbo’s office to try to get rid of my evil sounding cough. When I came back down I saw that the market –
shoot I can’t lie. Out of the twenty or so normal trucks full of stuff about three braved the wind. They partially set up.
Sadly, no one was walking around, chatting, haggling or buying. Sigh….. Ain’t living in a Windy City grand!
Welcome to the Province of Benevento!
Ci vediamo!
