Giulia Tagliaferri’s account: from Alzano Lombardo (BG) to Berlin, Germany for a year with Intercultura and the support of Fondazione Pesenti.
SECOND QUARTER: DECEMBER – FEBRUARY 2021
My relationship with my host family – Over the past few months, my relationship with my host family has grown closer. This is certainly due to the fact that we spend a lot of time together now that we’re in the middle of a lockdown; furthermore, my knowledge of the German language has improved, allowing me to communicate more and more.
I enjoy spending time with my host sister. Our favorite activities are definitely cooking together, going for walks, and watching movies. She is always very kind and helps me every time I have trouble understanding. My host parents are no different: they are always suggesting new and fun experiences!
Interaction with my host community and friends – Because of the public health situation, it’s not always possible to meet up with friends. The school closure since the end of December and the ban on sports activities, in effect since November, have made it difficult to maintain relationships with local people. Despite this, I continue every week to help a boy with studying Italian and discovering Italian culture.
In Berlin, everyone loves Italians; this is very advantageous for me because whenever I meet new people, they immediately take a liking to me. Sometimes I get in touch with some friends from school, but it’s always very difficult to communicate only through the phone, which is why I sincerely hope to return to in-person classes as soon as possible.
My academic progress, both in terms of grades and interpersonal relationships (with classmates and teachers) – In the academic field, I can only be satisfied with my grades. Not long ago, we received our midterm report cards, and mine was one of the best in the class. Of course, I must thank both my teachers and my classmates for the patience and kindness they always show me.
At the moment, we are doing distance learning, which means we only have a few video lessons per week and assignments for the various subjects. Personally, I would even participate in more videoconferences, but the number remains low due to the school’s limited preparation.
Three words that describe my experience so far
Flexibility: over these months, I have understood how important it is for anyone who finds themselves suddenly thrown into a new reality to be flexible and to have a good spirit of adaptation.
Responsibility: I’m almost eighteen now, and this experience is giving me the opportunity to understand the true meaning of responsibility and especially of independence.
Clarity: staying far from home and away from all the things I’ve been involved in for years is helping me understand the value of people and things that I used to take for granted.
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