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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

ONLY IN ITALY - 2

The Water Office phone seems to have been reconnected but still, no one is bothering to answer it, so I don’t know if a refill has been ordered or not for this week. And now [I fear you won't believe this, reader] the phoneline at the Law Courts has been cut off for the same reason - non-payment of the bill! This is being reported in a matter-of-fact way and surprise is being expressed only at Telecom Italia’s audacity in taking the decision to disconnect; no one is astonished that the Comune didn’t pay this bill in the first place. You have to laugh, reader, for if you did not you would cry but this failure to attribute blame where it really lies is the root of so many of Italy’s problems.
Note to my FCE students: Note passive forms here: "have been reconnected"; "has been ordered"; "has been cut off"; "is being reported"; "is being expressed". I have not mentioned the "agent" [person or persons doing the action ] in any of these clauses because it is either obvious or not important for the reader to know.

18 comments:

  1. How ridiculous...your right, you do have to laugh..I hope you get your water!!!

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  2. I know how you feel... still waiting for the gas board to phone back and still have my leaky tap!!

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  3. Love your grammatical explanations! I hope they understand it.

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  4. How extraodinary that that would happen, can only imagine the sheer frustration of it all.

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  5. Frankly I'm surprised that Telecom Italia is so efficient or that they did not extend them some kind of professional courtesy or something similar. Do you know how overdue the bill was? As you say, only in Italia.

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  6. No wonder Berlusconi manages to keep avoiding trial.

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  7. That is so funny Welshcakes.
    If DT and I visit Sicily next Autumn, do you suggest that we bring our own water ? He he!

    Di.xx

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  8. This story sounds more and more like the Flanders and Swann song which has the line: "It was on a Monday morning that the gas man came to call"

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  9. Anonymous12:53 pm

    Thats quite helpful -if you are a criminal of course!!

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  10. how bizarre indeed, i think most aussies would feel shame at having their utilities disconnected, maybe things are different in Italy... hmmm

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  11. The LAW COURTS cut off for non-payment of the telephone bill... How very Italian-sounding!!

    Have you any idea of the reasons behind this nonpayment? Was it sheer incompetence? Are the law courts underfunded? Did someone embezzle the phone fund money?

    I think Britain will be going in that direction very soon... have you heard all about the so-called Credit Crunch and the chaos overpriced housing and lack of loans is causing already? And the great financial depression has barely even begun to nibble, let alone get a proper BITE!!

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  12. Soon you'll be a walk on character in 'The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner'

    'Water everywhere, but non of it showing up soon, water, water everywhere- except anywhere near Welshcakes Commune!'

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  13. Hi, Anne. So do I! Hi, Liz. Absolutely! Hi, cherrypie. I do empathise there! Thanks, Leslie. I hope so, too. Ciao, nunyaa. It is very hard to imagine, isn't it? Hi, jmb. No, no idea how long it had been overdue. - A long time, I should think. Quite so, WW. Hi, Trubes. I don't think you need go that far! x Ciao,Calum. Ah, Flanders and Swann - what memories!
    Good point, Mutley! Hi, kyles - very different indeed! Ciao, Gleds. Yes, very Italian as you say. I would bet on sheer incompetence. Yes, read about the credit crunch, etc. Glad I sold my house when I did! Nice rhyme, Crushed - and you might just have found me my new career!

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  14. You couldn't make it up :-)

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  15. Hi, ellee. Indeed you couldn't!

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  16. And now [I fear you won't believe this, reader] the phoneline at the Law Courts has been cut off for the same reason - non-payment of the bill!

    I think everyone should get the maximum mileage out of a blogpost. May I suggest: "Conjugate these."

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