As you all know, we are in need of writers for the main site. So we are having a contest.

For the details, please check out http://www.expatsinitaly.com/contest.htm

Hmm, no interest?

How about some ideas for topics to get the ball rolling:

For EU Citizens (we need to fill up this area!)

• moving to Italy
• Getting a permesso
• Joining the SSN
• finding work
• converting your driver's license
• bringing pets over
• etc.

For all

• having a baby
• being pregnant on the SSN
• more info on electrical items
• more info on telephones and internet
• getting visas (we need info from as many different consulates worldwide as possible)
• opening a bank account
• bank information
• driving school
• getting married
• pensions from outside of Italy (getting them and making the most out of them)
• starting a business
• scuola materna, scuola elementare, etc.
• learning the language
• your house buying story
• renting an apartment
• more first person interviews
• etc.

Besides that I would love to hear ideas of what you would liek to see on the site.

Well I for one 'thought' I was interested, but then realised that most of what I know about the EU section and the pitfalls one can face, and the fringe of several of the other topics, is little more than anecdotal.

Ask me to write/tell a joke or demonstrate how to 'insert foot in mouth and fall over' then I'm your (wo)man!

But serious stuff like this? I don't 'think' it's really my scene!


Carole B.

I can point people how to get a tax ruling from Revune Canada [whatever the lastest name is] or the rules on Pensions.

If I get offered, and decide to take this job, I could definitely write up something on how to convert a student PdiS to a work PdiS...

Or I could always do a 100 reasons NOT to attend Scuola Politecnica di Design....

Lori

I'll do one on driving school as soon as we finish in another couple of weeks

I know I promised something on pregnancy and having a baby but that was before I had a baby! Now I don't have time to scratch my a***!
But I will try sometime over the summer when schools out.

I can write an article about buying a house. I'm swamped with work now but can do it this summer.

Best,

Rita

Under the Property Questions forum there is a post by CJ under the thread Suggestions for buying property in Italy, May 11.

Ask him if you can use it for the main site?

Hurriedly,

Rita

Ok, I did it. I saw the contest and spent 5 hours writing about my birth experience. But I don't think it is what you want. Rather than being helpful it would probably out anyone off doing it here! It is lingering in Word on my computer, what shall I do with it?

Please send it in Nicki and get me off the hook
Anyway mine would be exactly the same as yours so I guess that says something about giving birth here...

Sorry I'm not starting that discussion again, anyway I'm hiding behind Carole's sofa so you can't get me!

The thing is, since these are all first person accounts, even if we have 10 articles on the same thing (i.e. giving birth in ITaly) they will all be helpful as I am sure that people will find differences in each.

I am going to be working on a new interview (since the one I set up with frontpage doesn't work the way I need it to work and gives errors) and I am hoping that everyone will also want to write their story for the site as I think this would be extremely helpful. I am in the process of discussing a book deal with a publisher using actual stories (I will be contacting those with stories to see if they want to write a longer chapter) to have a real "Under the "Tuscan" sun" type memoir but using facts (can you tell I do not like the book )

Another example of many stories, most of us have to get a PdiS and so each has their own story. If we could have every member who got a PdiS write about their experience that would be WONDERFUL. Same with getting visas, residency, etc. Each comune is different, each story is different.

So send me anything you can think of cristina@expatsinitaly.com

Damn it! I would LOVE to participate in all of this, but I can't since I'm not there yet... sure I could write really lengthy about dreaming and yearning, but I'm afraid that wouldn't really be too interesting.

Annika, how about writing FAQs by gathering the info from the forum? That would be a HUGE help and would be a great contest entry too!

Good idea! I'll see what I can do!

I am extending the deadline for entries as we only have 7 articles in total that were sent in. The new deadline will be Sept. 30th, 2006.

Come on folks, we know you have it in you!

Hopefully mine was one of the 7. Since I seem to ask more questions than I answer, I too am hoping that others will share their expertise, or even just their experiences.

... feeling extremely guilty about this whole thing, I have still not written a single word even though I promised to...

I have racked my brain. I don't think I know anything I haven't talked about on here. Or things I don't know about that I conjecture on. God knows I post constantly. Maybe I should research "how to shut up."

I'm the same....I'm not at all sure that any of my experiences over here would be of use or interest to others.

Being an EU citizen, and having lived here before AND being lucky enough to have some family here , does alter the perspective somewhat on how I went about getting things done.

Yes sure I've got one or two anecdotes on how I've dealt with the 'odd difficult bas***d' over here...but the good ones I've used on the 'blog'. I must admit that when I heard about the 'Writing Contest' I got all fired up and was raring to go - then....zilch - bordering on total brain death!

Carole B.

Scroll up to the top (second post) and see what areas are in need although if you come up with something else, go for it! Carole, you converted your license right? You got a PdiS right? Just write about what you needed, what you did, where you went. You could also write about being in hospital here, or having a specialized condition on the SSN. Honestly, while you and others may bnot think your stories will help others, this is not true. Just think what it would have been like when you had never had the experience but was told by a doctor that you needed to go in hospital for some procedure. Being able to read 4 different stories (for example) of someone who had been in hospital in Italy would calm your nerves (well maybe not really but you get the idea.

If everyone could write about getting their permesso as an example, 1 day ago, 2 weeks ago, 3 months ago, 4 years ago, 25 years ago, we will have some stories for people to arm themselves with so they can feel confident and at ease. The more stories on the same topics the better.

I didn,t know where to send my story, so I emailed it to Annika I think....Annika? Did you get the edited version?

Hi Nicki,

Annika got it and forwarded on to me. THANKS

I'll have a final version of my kitchen story ready soon. do you wnat me to also send the pictures, and if yes, how do you want them sized?