Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Pesce d'Aprile

Yep, its April Fools Day! One of those 'holidays' that usually goes unnoticed like Lincolns Birthday. In Italy, its called Pesce d'Aprile or literally, April fish.

A pesciolino, or fish cut out of paper, is commonly taped to an unsuspecting person's back. His or her friends laugh silently and tiptoe around them. They ask each other, in mock seriousness, "l'hai visto?" - "have you seen him?" The unsuspecting person asks, "Chi?" or "who?" Everyone bursts into laughter and replies "Il pesce d'Aprile" - "The April fish."

Unlike in the US, they also celebrate here with chocolate!!! Chocolate fish began appearing in shop windows alongside the chocolate Easter eggs 2 weeks or so ago. Today Pesce d'Aprile is celebrated with presents of tiny chocolate fish. I feel the need to participate in this cultural experience today!

And in keeping with the day, I thought I would update you on the latest with my quest to cancel my internet connection over here. To be honest, I wouldnt doubt if what I found out is an April Fools joke but then again, in Italy, you just never know....

So, we finally got through to a person who said that yes, indeed they had received both of my requests (the second time they told me to fax it instead of mail it (thanx for making me spend 3.50 euro the first time) to cancel and that they will call me a week before the date to confirm. Well, of course, silly me...how could I not know your standard operating procedure of not replying or contacting a person about the request until 1 week prior to the cancellation!

Then we asked about how to return the modem. I no longer have to mail it back to Milan but I can drop it off at a place here in Venice. We called that place and the man said that I would need to show up about 4 days before the cancellation with my contract paperwork and codice fiscale number (like a SSN) to open a ticket for the request that he accept my modem. Then I can come back with my modem on the cancellation day and see if the ticket has been accepted by Milan and therefore he can accept the equipment! Are you joking? Is this candid camera? Is there a paper fish taped to my back? Why on God's green earth must they make things soooooooooooooooooooo difficult?

Well, anyway....happy pesce d'Aprile!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You have taught me something. I never knew about the "April Fish". Celebrating the day with chocolate sounds great to me :)