Buying Saline Solution in Italy

IT STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO, when I'd noticed that I could no longer read the blackboard in school.

Told the folks, quick trip to the eye doctor, and I had glasses.  I was nearsighted (meaning I couldn't see far away) but only mildly.  It was just a -1.00 prescription.

I was a little self-conscious about wearing glasses all the time in school, so I would only wear them during classes to read the board.  They would go in their case and into my backpack for most of the rest of the day.

BUT EVENTUALLY, I caved in and decided I wanted contacts.  I still remember when I walked out the eye doctor with them in my eyes.  It was like seeing in high definition for the first time.  Although learning how to, and being comfortable with, putting contacts into my eyes were a struggle at first, it is something that I no longer have to worry about.

I only brought two bottles of saline solution with me for the trip to Italy (that's the liquid you use to clean your contacts when you take them out before you go to bed, for those non-contact wearers).  But Saturday, I ran out and needed to get more.  I went to the supermarket for what I thought would be a relatively easy process.

I'D HAD A FEW OTHER THINGS that I'd needed at the grocery store, which I got first, and luckily at the last second remembered that I needed saline solution.  I looked up and down the aisles of the supermarket, but no dice, I couldn't find any.  Only some of the products are even recognizable American brands.  And the fact that the labels are in Italian didn't make things any easier.  Who knows, I may have glanced over the lens cleaning solution without even knowing.  Nonetheless, I left with just the groceries, and went to try another place.

It's a small boutique store, just about a block away from my apartment.  They have a hodge podge collection of goods there, such as toiletries (e.g. toothpaste), cleaning supplies, school supplies, and other little random trinkets.  I looked around the entire store, and again, couldn't find anything.  I figured I'd try to ask the owners.  It was two people, a man and a woman.  The woman was standing closer in proximity to me, so I gave it a shot.

"Parlo inglese?"  I asked.  She gave me a confused look and a shoulder shrug, and decided to call for reinforcements and ask the other clerk.  He followed suit, but this time with more exaggeration, extending his shoulders up and putting his hands out just above his waist, and had an even more confused look on his face.  Looked like I was out of luck.  But it turned out that there was another man in the store, who the clerk thought might speak English.  She turned to him and gave it a shot.

"Scusi, signori?" she asked.  The man turned to her, and then she pointed at me.  I spoke in English, and he indicated that he understood.  I told him what I was looking for (even fake rubbed my eye to better indicate what I needed) and he translated it to the clerks to see if they had it.  They answered back, and he told me that they didn't.  I was 0 for two.  But he did say that the Farmacia should have it, but that it closed at 5:30.  For the record, it was about 3:00 when he told me this.  I said thank you, and continued on my endeavor.

I walked down the street past my apartment to where the Farmacia was.  But it was closed, even after he said that it should've been open.  Typical Italy.  I went home for the day, and decided that I'll take another crack at it tomorrow.

SUNDAY IN ROME was beautiful! 75 and sunny, barely a cloud in the sky, and a breeze to cool you off when you needed it.  Before I tried the Farmacia, I figured maybe I oughta try to figure out what I was asking for in Italian.  I asked one of my roommates at his computer to type in what saline solution meant in Italian, and he came up with "contattare soluzione."  I repeated it to myself over and over as I walked down the street, but of course forgot what it was by the time I arrived at the store.

BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER, the Farmacia was, once again, CLOSED!  I was disappointed, so I bought a cannoli for the way home to cheer up (which it did!).

Today would be my fifth attempt at buying saline solution, and I saw a Farmacia on my way home from class (different than the one near my apartment) that I noticed was open.  I took a deep breath and walked inside.  I went to the clerks behind the counter.  "Parlo inglese?" I asked.

"Aw, no," said the clerk.  But just as I was about to leave, I remembered what contact solution meant in Italian.

"Conttatore soluzione?" I asked.

"Si!" she exclaimed.  Eureka!  She went to get the bottle, asking me if I wanted a big bottle or a small one (I went with the larger) and even understood her as she told me how much it cost.  I'd finally got my saline solution.

In the states, this would've been a one stop trip.  But here, it took three days and four separate stores to finally get what I was looking for.  If this wasn't a sign that it's nearing the time to come back home, then I'm not sure what is.

More updates later on.

JC