Ciao à tutti, 🤗
My name is Valentina and I’m from Vienna. 🇦🇹🏙️I am 18 years old and I graduaded from high school last year, and now I want to make new experiences and learn new things before I start studying again.
I love drawing 🎨, reading 📚, travelling ✈️ and playing volleyball 🏐. My parents are from northern Italy so therefore I already speak Italian. However, I have always wanted to get to know southern italy better and thanks to EUROSUD I can immerse myself in this new environment and new culture. 🇮🇹
I noticed how important it is to step out of your comfort zone and make new experiences, because you learn so many new things that you have never learned at school and these are the things that help you in life.
I am really excited and happy to have the opportunity to live in Triggiano for the next six months and I can‘t wait for all the activities that I will do. 🤩
I want to explore Puglia, meet new people and help others. 🫂
I am motivated for this beautiful project and ready to grow! 🙂
Since my parents are from Italy, my father speaks Italian with me, so I already know the language. However, it is very good for me to practice my Italian by speaking with people in the mensa.
So far, I didn’t practice Italian much at home, and it makes a big difference.
I used to do everything with my sister, so this is my first time living alone. I wanted to go out of my comfort zone, do more things alone, and become more independent. I lived with a Polish guy, and I also did some trips alone. We did some things together, but not everything. I enjoyed both experiences, but I enjoyed spending time with him more because it was more fun. When I was alone, I paid more attention to details and noticed more things.
It has been four weeks so far, and I’m interested in starting a new project.
I think the culture here is different from Austria. People here are warmer, which I expected because of my family background. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it.
I also discovered that I really enjoy cooking. I want to improve my cooking skills and learn how to prepare meals like the ones we make in the mensa. In the mensa, we learn teamwork because we have to help each other, and I really like that. The people in the mensa change all the time, but it always works well no matter who is there.
I want to become better at expressing myself, especially verbally, and I was very open to learning about new cultures. I also noticed that northern Italy is very different from southern Italy, and I already knew they were different.
I tried to find all the information online by searching websites and learning about projects. In the project, I mainly create videos for social media and learn video-making skills.
So far, I haven’t had any problems, and I haven’t fully developed my project yet. The financial conditions were very clear from the beginning, which is nice.
When I first arrived and lived with the Polish guy, we spoke German, which was very practical for me. When I speak Italian, I’m very careful not to make mistakes.
DECEMBER
Ciao à tutti,I have now been in Italy for a whole month, and I have already done a lot of things.
When I first arrived here, I lived with a Polish guy named Bartek. He was really nice and I enjoyed living with him a lot! He told me everything I needed to know, explained everything to me and showed me Bari, which helped me a lot when I first arrived. As he was busy with his studies, I also visited some places on my own. I went to Monopoli, Polignano and Ostuni and loved each place more than the last!
As I went there in the off-season, there were barely any tourists, which was great as well. I had plenty of time to do the things I love in these places: I sat in cafés and drew something, read something or called my loved ones.
The weather was beautiful, so I enjoyed the sun while walking around. I even ate ice cream in December, which I would have never done in Vienna, due to the cold.
During the week, I helped Ketty in the social kitchen in Triggiano, where I learnt lots of new recipes. We made lasagne, „minestrone“, „Fave e cicoria“ and many other things. I really enjoy trying and learning about typical Puglian dishes.
In addition I also attended italian lessons twice a week in Bari.
At the end of the month, I returned to Vienna to visit my family and celebrate Christmas with them. It was great to see all my friends again, but of course I was also happy to return to the warmer weather.
When I came back, my new turkish roomate, Özge, was already waiting for me. She had cooked pasta for me. We also get on really well – she‘s very nice and friendly and I am really happy to have her as a roomate.
Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Bartek, because his project had finished.
I‘m looking forward to meeting our new roommate and taking part in this month‘s activities!
JANUARY
Ciao à tutti, let me tell you about my second month here in Triggiano. Over the past few weeks I have helped out a lot in the social kitchen in Triggiano and learnt lots of new recipes. I also made videos of my time at the mensa to share on our social media account.
This has helped me to become more familiar with video editing and has given me the opportunity to acquire new skills.
We made fried artichokes three times in the social kitchen this month, and I think they are one of my favourite dishes that Ketty does – they are simply amazing! I also love the typical Puglian „tiella“ with rice, potatoes and artichokes. With Ketty‘s help, I wrote down everything I need to know, to once make one at home for my family.
Our new volunteer arrived from Poland this month. His name is Szymon, he is really nice, and we all get on very well! Besides helping in the social kitchen we also went to Capurso to meet the teachers that we are going to work with, since Özge, Szymon and I are going to start a project in a school in Capurso, where we will be practicing english with the students while supporting the teachers. I am really looking forward to be teaching english to the Italian students.
We’re mostly going to play games with them, to help them practise their English more.
I also attended Italian language lessons twice a week, during which I learnt some new vocabulary.
EUROSUD was invited to an event about the regeneration and development of new innovations, which we all went to together.
Unfortunately, this month I did not get around to visit new places on the weekends, but that is why I am keen to visit even more places in the upcoming weeks. I am looking forward to seeing new places and starting the school project
FEBRUARY
Ciao à tutti, let me tell you how my third month here went: At the beginning of February, my roommates and I met Gaspard. He’s a French volunteer who works in Trani. We went to a cat café together and it was my first time seeing Trani. The weather was amazing and I fell in love with the small coastal city.
We had the great opportunity to stay in the hostel before heading back to Triggiano the next day.
This month, I also had my first teaching lesson at a primary school in Capurso. I help a teacher practise English with the students once a week.
To do this I prepare weekly activities that teach the children English in a fun way.
The students are aged between nine and ten and are very nice! I’m really glad to have the opportunity to experience standing in front of a class and stepping out of my comfort zone.
One of my highlights this month was definitely my trip to Rome! I had the chance to attend an arrival camp in Frascati, near Rome. We attended lots of workshops where we explored what it means to be a volunteer. We also discussed various topics, such as culture, and learnt things like how to solve problems and overcome difficulties. My favorite part was having the opportunity to explore Rome for one day! One of the best things about my on-arrival training was the people: everyone was so friendly and open, and I left the trip with a whole new network of friends.
After the OAT, I stayed in Rome for the weekend with some of them. It was amazing!
One weekend, Szymon, Gaspard and I went to watch a rap battle in Bisceglie. It was really interesting to see such an event!
All together we also joined some ESN events this month, which were all very fun! Özge and I also went to a birthday party in Barletta. It was my first time visiting the city and I really enjoyed it.
Of course I continued to help Ketty in the social kitchen in Triggiano, which I really enjoy and attended Italian lessons in Bari.
I am excited for the next few months!!