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  • Writer's pictureBen DeSouza

A New International Environment

Updated: Apr 27, 2020

Like my last Erasmus placement at Bookingpetz I am working here at my role at Alteredu involves working with people from a variety of backgrounds. One of the main reasons I chose to do a placement year abroad was to have the opportunity to work and befriend people from a range of different cultural backgrounds. After being in Southern Italy for about a month I can reflect on what it has been like being in this new international environment.


There were many similarities from Bookingpetz that I was expecting when coming to work in Italy including a common curiosity to know and work with different people, an eagerness to explore Italy when possible and to be generally closely connected. I certainly have received these impressions from the other interns who have given me a warm welcome by including me in travel plans, social gatherings and of course the work itself. There are big changes to the relationships with the interns here compared to the ones I have had with the Bookingpetz interns in that I live with other interns working in Terranova da Sibari so I get used to being with them throughout my daily life. This increases the range of bonding to even the simple things such as shopping, cooking and practicing Italian which we enjoy doing together.


The range of different backgrounds is also incredible, from Turks to Cypriots, to Lithuanians, to Indians and of course the home-grown Italians. Each intern here has an interesting background of general experience and cultural traditions which I have come to learn and hopefully share in the future. I was recently presented with traditional Turkish breakfasts from my fellow interns and I returned the favour by cooking an apple crumble and sharing the recipe. New interns are also expected to come later into February and March 2020 so myself and the other interns will be sure to give them a warm welcome as I received.


Compared to working in the Netherlands, the most obvious difference is the language barrier as English is rarely spoken around the town and the tasks I have been set often need translating into Italian. Whilst I at least have English as my first language, other interns who come here have different levels of English so the conveyance of instructions can become harder. This is where as a part of a team I can help greatly with extra conveyance of instructions and tasks and even with my limited Italian, I can translate parts of Italian instructions to help my other fellow interns. Each intern here (whether they be working for Alteredu or Futuro Digitale) has great talent and having the chance to work with them has allowed for a great collaboration of skills for projects and tasks.

It has been an enjoyable first month having getting to know new people from different nations and I look forward to who I am going to meet next. As far as what is next for what we plan to do together, there is a festival happening in a local town named Castrovillari happening at the end of the week so it's another chance to explore and bond with the interns.

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