NOVEMBER 2023
Time to say goodby…
Ciao Everyone,
I am here for the last time this month to tell you about my month.
November was the last month of my project. That’s why it was a very emotional and thoughtful month. Because although I missed my family and friends, unfortunately I felt like I was not ready to leave here and return to my country yet. Because there are so many memories here and so many people that I don’t want to leave. But despite everything, life goes on and no matter how beautiful it is, everything ends one day. I spent the month being as aware of this as possible, thinking about all the experiences and wonderful memories I had here, and trying to say goodby.
We visited Trani with Michalina at the beginning of this month. It wasn’t my first time, but it was still a pleasure to explore the city with Michalina. Our weekend getaways and little adventures will be some of the things I will miss the most.
Afterwards, this month was a month where I worked intensively. It was very enjoyable to spend 3 days a week with the children in Capurso, helping them with their English homework and having chitchats in Italian. In addition, this month I was assisting the English Speaking Club organized for the elderly people in Triggiano and supporting it as a second teacher. Apart from this, I supported Mensa Social Restaurant as always. In the last week of this month, I said goodbye to them all and thanked them for all I had learned. It was hard to leave, but it makes me happy that I touched their lives in some way.
When we came to the last weeks, I finished and shared my personal project this month. I would like to share it with you too. I recorded a 5-episode podcast series in spotify which I shared my experiences throughout the project process. Even though it was a little difficult at first, I think I liked making podcasts and I want to continue in the future.
Another thing I enjoyed doing this month was making Pierogi at Mensa with Michalina and Katy. Pireogi is a traditional Polish food and since I was very curious about it, Michalina brought ingredients from Poland for us to try together. We wanted to try it before I left and we made about 170 pirogi.
Besides all this, I did my best to see and meet my friends more this month. I know that I will see them again and that I will not be separated from them, but I still know that it will be difficult to leave them, so I was doing my best to store more memories with them.
After all this, I would like to add something about my 7 months in Italy. Coming to Italy, discovering this culture, meeting new people and learning new things here was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. I met wonderful people and had amazing experiences. Of course, it wasn’t always easy, but at the end of the day, I am so thankfull and really happy to be here.
Thank you for following me and reading my blogs during this time,
OCTOBER 2023
“ Autumn has come and all three of us were blown to different places by that wind, both in our inner world and in the outside world. Only thing that we can do to wait for spring again with patience. “
Ciao everyone !
I’m here to share my October blogpost with you! I grabbed my coffee and my computer and I’m starting to tell my story!
October was busier than ever, bringing so much change. Change is good and always improves, but at the same time, ıt is something so painful itself. This month was a month in which I felt very tired, both physically and emotionally, and was always waiting to rest and return to my safe space. The month is over, but I still don’t feel like I’m there. Because there are a lot of things changing.
At the beginning of this month, my roommate Sena’s project was finished and we sent her to Turkey. Even though we knew this would happen, it was difficult to leave Sena. It’s still hard. I miss knocking on her door and saying “Sena, let’s drink Turkish coffee and talk a little bit.” Sometimes we talked question life and who we are (because people do this a lot when they are away from their country, family and friends, and their own culture) and sometimes we sat and talked about the existence of aliens for 3-4 hours together.
But I feel like Sena wasn’t the only one who left, she took all the magic of the house with her when she left. Autumn has come and all three of us were blown to different places by that wind, both in our inner world and in the outside world. But that’s life, people come and go. We came too and we will go too. Part of this experience is learning and changing. Only thing that we can do to wait for spring again with patience.
After Sena, our new roommate Kemal moved into the house. And at the end of 5 months, our entire comfort zone that we were used to suddenly changed with the arrival of a new person. After all, we are human beings, people look for what they know and are used to. We are also searching and still trying to get used to each other.
In addition to all this, I am coming to the end of my project, in fact, there is only one month left until the end of my project and I am trying to do my best to make the most of this last month. I try to enjoy this place, this world we have created here, our own little bubble, as much as possible. Because like all good things, this experience will end, and I am nearing the end.
After all this summary, let me tell you a little about what I did this month. First of all, this month my sister came to visit me from Turkey and we spent time together in southern Italy, especially in Puglia. Afterwards, I attended the Midterm Evaluation Training organized by the Italian National Agency in Rome. We evaluated our project processes with 50 participants and 6 instructors for about a week, talked about what we did and what we could do to further improve this process. In addition, we attended a festival in Triggiano and together we prepared and sold a local dish at the festival.
This month, I also switched to a new work schedule and started supporting an after-school project in Capurso. Children come here after school and we help them with their homework. Here we help children with their English homework and play games together in our free time. We also started a new Italian course.
Finally, last weekend, we took one more item off our list and went to Ostuni La Citta Bianca and were amazed by the silence and peace of the city. Ostuni took its place as our second favorite city on our list.
That’s all from me for now, hope to see you next month,
SEPTEMBER 2023
” Even though it came a little late this year, I am very happy that we embraced Autumn. “
Ciao!! Everyone,
I am with you again with a fruitfull month and endless experiences.
Autumn and spring months have always been my favorite months, and that’s why, in the last 3 months before the end of my project, I made lists and set goals in order to evaluate this process in the most efficient way. So, before I leave Italy, I want to spend my time here to the fullest and travel to more places. So I made myself a list of places I wanted to visit in and outside Puglia, taking recommendations from all the locals and tourists we met.
We started this new month with Michalina’s pastry ventures. It was a wonderful month amid the smells of brownies and cakes. This is how we welcomed Sena, who returned from her visit to Türkiye. After a whole month without Sena, the team was completed again and we continued our balcony meetings and card games.
Autumn always starts on September 1st for us in Turkey, but here I learned that Europe welcomes September on September 23rd. This was my biggest cultural shock this month. Even though it came a little late this year, I am very happy that we embraced Autumn and escaped the desert heat of Bari.
With the start of September, we returned to our routine that we took a break in August and returned to our local activities, the Italian course. Also, this month was a productive month where there was plenty of travel and I discovered new places and new people.
I was in Bulgaria for the JOUR-YOU (Academy of Citizen Journalism for Youth) project, which took place in Sofia between 11-15 September. We met in Sofia, Bulgaria with participants from 7 countries Bulgaria 🇧🇬, Albania 🇦🇱, Tunisia 🇹🇳, Jordan 🇯🇴, Egypt 🇪🇬, Greece 🇬🇷 and Italy 🇮🇹 and we worked onmedia literate. In the training I attended on behalf of EUROSUD, we worked on topics such as analytical thinking, fake news and disinformation, cognitive mechanism and 6 Sentence Argumentation Model. We learned new information about other countries and their perspectives on journalism. Also the Italian team was great and I met wonderful people!
When I returned to Triggiano on September 16-17, I found a bright Triggiano because there was a festival here. We had a great weekend with many shows, concerts, and socializing and dancing with local people. I also tried my first Aperol Spritz in Italy the following week with my new Italian friends.
We set off for another weekend, Polignano A Mare, which is our other travel destination. Thus, we ended the summer season at the most famous beach of Puglia by swimming there for the last time. At a cafe where we sat for focacio, we met a Canadian couple and listened to their Puglia adventure and got some suggestions.
When we came to the last weeks of September, we were quite emotional because my other Turkish roommate, Sena, was leaving at the beginning of October and we spent our last memories with her in this house. The three of us sat together on our balcony, ate, played games, and even celebrated Michalina’s name day a few days ago. And we chose a new route for our last trip together; Giovinazzo.
Giovinazzo was a much smaller city than the other cities we visited and had fewer tourists. But it fascinated us with its coastline, sea and peaceful energy. After this short trip, we spent an evening with Italian flavors at a local restaurant in Bari and met new people.
See you in October !
AUGUST 2023
“The thing we call belonging is also partly inside the person and wherever you go, it goes there.“
Ciao everyone ! With the end of August I would like to share what happended this month. I start writing my blog post with pen, paper and coffee in my hand.
Earlier this month, I went to Turkey to surprise my family and attend my childhood friend’s engagement ceremony. I missed my family and friends so much, it was good to see them again. My family didn’t know I was coming so they were surprised when they saw me, we hugged each other and it was an unforgettable memory in my life. I have always believed that Izmir, the city where I was born and grew up, has a unique energy and spirit. Being in this city and feeling this spirit, eating Turkish delicacies that I missed, spending time with my loved ones made me feel more energetic and recharged.
While experiencing all these beautiful things, I realised something. When I returned to Izmir, somewhere inside me İ felt like I took away the longing for my home in Italy and my roommates. This time, I started to miss them and my home in Italy because my home was no longer Izmir, but Bari. I think this taught me a very important lesson. The thing we call belonging is also partly inside the person and wherever you go, it goes there.
Besides, returning to Turkey helped me gain a new perspective on the new life I had established in Italy. I have fulfilled one of my biggest dreams, even my childhood dream, which is living in Italy. Here I made new friendships and social connections, discovered how life flows and adapted to their culture. I am very happy that I did this and İ wanna share with you the pride of keeping the promise I made to my myself when I was little.
This time, on the way back from Turkey, I wanted to visit Greece, and I made my flight from Kos Island, so I had a chance to discover the island of Kos, where I went by ferry. And when I returned to Bari tiredly around 06:00 in the morning, I encountered a surprise that I never expected but made me very, very happy. My roommate Michalina got up early in the morning and welcomed me wıth a sign Welcome Back Merve, poem and Turkish song. Then we eat the brownies she baked for me. Although I was very tired, my home, my roommate who is my family here, the Italian I heard on the street, these are what makes me feel like home.
Over the weekend, Michalina and our other friend attended the San Rocco Festival, listened to Italian songs and danced and enjoyed the beautiful lights that were prepared as decorations. I made them the Turkish Coffee I brought from Turkey and we ate Baklava. Even though the baklava was a little sugary for them, they liked the Turkish coffee, and I even gave a package to my French friend as a gift.
The following week, my friend from Germany came to visit, together we went to Matera, one of the places I was very curious about in Puglia. We had a great day laughing together, enjoying the city and taking lots of pictures. Apart from that, I showed her around Bari, tried Italian gelato and she loved Southern Italy. I also feel like sharing my life here with someone who knows me and is an old friend has integrated my past and present.
Finally, I have to add Tiramisu, it was the best one İ ever had and one of the most beautiful discoveries of this month. I must say frankly that it is not even close to the truth of what I ate before. I fall in love with tiramisu. I think I found my new favorite desssert until I discover something new. 😊
JULY 2023
“Fun, Friendship and Warmth “
Ciao everyone ! I am here again after a busy, but enjoyable July. If I have to describe this month in 3 words for you, I would choose those ones Fun, Friendship and Warmth.
I experienced the famous summer of Italy in Bari and Rome with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees. Although these difficult weather conditions make life tiring and slow for us, if you are by the sea and you like to swim, it makes it so enjoyable.
This month, we started our trip to Rome with my roommate Michalina, when the National Agency of Italy invited us, the ESC volunteers from the country, to Rome for the On Arrival Training. After 5 days of workshops and visiting some famous places in Rome, we returned to Bari with many new friendships. We are very lucky that these friends of ours live in Molfetta, which is very close to us. Thanks to this, I now have more friends here and somehow I feel more airy here.
Besides, we did the best thing to do in this hot weather and went to the beach few times after returning. The first of those was Pane Pomodora, which ıs the closest to us. The other and my favorite was the beach in Monopoli. We had our roommate Sena practice swimming, enjoyed the beach and had a lot of fun.
In addition to all these, we have a large balcony in our house and we spend a lot of time in the there with the girls. Some evenings I cook for them and we eat together and spend the night playing card games. Because we play so many games, we switch to and master a new game almost every week. I also started writing a new project this month so I spend a lot of time on my computer at home, but I’m happy with it. I sit at our balcony table and work. Sometimes the girls accompany me, playing games, studying or doing their own business. I already feel that I will miss this balcony and spending time here. I am writing you this blog post from the same balcony on a lazy Sunday where Michalina ıs sitting with me doing sudoku.
I am very excited for next month because I will be making a small visit to Turkey to surprise my family and attending my childhood friend’s engagement ceremony. I’ve already planned all the details and I’m very excited. Because I miss my family, my friends and (don’t tell Italians) Turkish food so much. After returning from Turkey, I plan to continue to travel to visit new places in Italy. I already feel that the month of August is going to be full and I am looking forward to writing my blog post at the end of the month. Until then, take care!!!
JUNE 2023
“Still, all these new feelings and experiences give me a new inspiration every day I wake up in Italy.”
Ciao everyone! I have now completed my 6th week in Italy and now I look at this experience from a completely different perspective because I have completed my orientation process and now I am used to living here. So what happened in this process? Let me tell you a little about them.
Even the simplest acts of daily life were a new knowledge and a new excitement for me this month. I rediscovered everything and tried to adapt to this culture. Having Turkish housemates during this process helped me to go through this process more smoothly. Although I am very happy to be here, I can say that I have overcome the longing of my family and friends. Still, all these new feelings and experiences give me a new inspiration every day I wake up in Italy. I feel they make me more productive and more creative.
Now I don’t go out because I know that every place is closed at certain hours at noon and they are closed on the weekend. I’m not surprised that I can’t find anyone who speaks English and I’m trying to explain myself in Italian. I know where to find the best gelato and pizza, and I enjoy one of my favourites, pesto. I can order myself coffee or have simple conversations. So I feel like I belong here now.
In this process, we explored Puglia with Asia, among other volunteers, and of course, we chose Alberobella as our first stop. Alberobella houses, which are listed and protected by UNESCO, have been restored and are home to many restaurants and businesses. It was very good for us to visit the houses and the town and read their stories and it was very enjoyable. We want to continue with Monopoli and Polignano a Mare in the months to come. Because the summer in Bari is much hotter than I expected and I think it’s time to experience Puglia’s most popular beaches.
Besides, as we entered the summer months, summer camps started and a busy period started for me. During the summer, we support 3 different summer camps with other volunteers and do activities with children. I support at Mensa Social Restaurant, and on office days, I support social media and other things.
Another return of this month was new friendships. Our new roommate Michalina started her project and we spent a lot of time with her in the process. We gave her a tour of the city and of course, most importantly, we experienced Italian flavors together 😊
In addition to all this, we started our Italian lessons last week. Even though I study and learn by myself during the weeks I spend, I am happy to start my Italian from a more professional point. Having taken Italian before during my university years gives me a big plus in the lessons, I can easily remember and grasp it quickly. Seeing that I can succeed also increases my motivation to learn. Although there are many reasons why I chose Italy, I can easily say that my desire to learn Italian is among the first. I look forward to learning this language, which sounds like music, before returning to my country, and to speak Italian with the local people and get to know the culture better.
In 2 weeks, we will be going to the On Arrival Training organized by the National Agency and we will be spending 1 week in Rome. This is one of the things that excites me the most for the next month. We are very excited to have the opportunity to tour Rome with Michalina and to find ESC volunteers like us. We also have new travel plans in mind and we are making new plans with my housemates.
That’s it from June for now. See you next month 😊
LET’S MEET FIRST
Hello to everyone ! My name is Merve, I am 24 years old and I am from Turkey. In May, I came to Bari, Italy for the ESC Erasmus+ “Bolu Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports” project. In my project that will last until December, I will support my host organization, EUROSUD, and share my experiences with you here.
First of all, if I tell you a little about myself; I graduated from the Department of Psychology in Izmir last year. In addition, I have been working as a youth worker in non-governmental organizations for 3 years and I am working on Erasmus+. I have worked with youth, children and many disadvantaged groups in associations, municipalities and projects. My aim is to understand people and try to find solutions to their problems, and in this sense, I participate in volunteer projects, write and support them. As someone who believes that we discover a piece of ourselves with every new person we meet, I would like to meet new people here. I hope to discover Italy, the wonderful Italian culture and myself. I want to be enlightened with this experience, to enlighten myself and my surroundings.
I believe that volunteering transcends cultures and borders, and that help and support bring us together. That’s why I came to Bari with the Erasmus+ ESC project to become an international volunteer. Here is where I will work for EUROSUD for the next few months, support them and gain experiences that will improve me.
Besides, I enjoy reading books, seeing different places, meeting new people, trying new flavors and cooking. In the first week in Italy, I tried to do these here. I discovered Bari and Trana, tried great italian delicacies and spent time with new people I met. All of them were very inspiring for me. Especially during our visit to Trani, at sunset, which is the most beautiful time of the day, walking through the narrow Italian streets and feeling the historical texture made me feel like I touched the soul of the city.
I am very lucky that everyone I meet here is open to communication, helpful and very polite. Even though I don’t understand Italian, I can say that it sounds like music and is pleasant to listen to. This pleasant language often makes sense to me, along with people’s body language and facial expressions, and I feel that we somehow understand each other. I am very excited to gain the experience of being able to understand and speak this language in the future, and to deepen this culture, which I am gradually acquainted with, by learning the language.
For the rest of this month, I plan to complete my orientation by participating in more activities here, enjoying the sunny days and traveling as much as I can.
That’s all from me for now and see you on the next blog!
