Napoli… so far.
I am writing this looking at vesuvius. Since day one, no day has passed, that I haven’t sat on the balcony, listened to the neighbors chat, sing, play music…you can always feel the energy of the volcano in this mystical town. About eight weeks have passed and I fell deeply in love with this city. The people, the food, the way of life. I have learned a lot, about myself, about friendship, about work with kids, about history, about struggling.
Because of Covid I did not start a language course for a long time, what I learned, I learned doing compiti with the kids, visiting the markets, on the street… I am thankful for every day spent here, because it is so different to anything I ever experienced in my life. Everyday I am amazed by the fantasy and cleverness of the kids we work with. At the moment there is not a lot of opportunity to go out and play, but we, the volunteers and social workers, try to make every day special and give comfort to the kids, as they face so many obstacles because of the ongoing pandemic. In general I can say, that we laugh and dance a lot, as we all have one thing in common: The passion for music and dancing.
Eight weeks ago I could not imagine doing homework in Italian or even sharing a room with a complete stranger. But strangers become friends and we create a home for us, together. The history of this city, like Quattro Giornate di Napoli, the cinema by Luciano de Crescenso, the music, a lot of jazz around here, the specialties in cuisine like friarielli… there is a lot to discover!
In general I can say that the opportunity to live in a foreign country for a couple of month is very special. I am not a tourist, i am experiencing the daily life, the real character of this town. I consider myself an open minded person but this experience makes me even more aware of how important it is to build bridges and get to know other cultures. Since my roommate is from Turkey, I also learned a lot about the Turkish culture. I will miss the shared meals, philosophizing on the dinner table, having coffee in the morning sun…
Community is always created by the people. European Union is created by the society, by people who not fear the foreign, but exchange kindness and culture. This program helps to connect young people from all over the world and I highly recommend it to everyone who is curious about the world.
Saluti,
L.S.
Lisa is hosted by Rinascita Sociale Salam House within our project “Global Change Makers”, financed by the European Solidarity Corps and JUGEND für Europa.