Ivan Nikolic
February 2012
High is high: 6.39 feet (195 centimeters), strong is strong: he trains almost every day at the gym. Ivan Nikolic, from Serbia, is a very funny!.. And polite guy, who works as a security man inside and in front of the nightclubs. It ‘verycourteous, but also very determined and professional when dealing with difficult situations, with people drunk and aggressive. Ivan currently resides in Carpi, a small town in the province of Modena. He lives in Italy since many years and here’s what he thinks of Italy:
1. Ivan, how long have you been here in Italy ? I’m here since august 1999, thus they are almost thirteen years.
2. How do you feel to live here ? When I was arrived here I was still a child, I was about eleven years old, and i loved it very much immediately, I began attending the school so I succeeded in learning very well the Italian, and in joining group really well. Also the Italian children accepted me in a terrific way, intrigued by the fact that I was the unique foreigner within the class, and therefore they wanted discover a lot about me. I’ve always felt good to live in Italy and I think to stay to live here, even if, in the last ten years, with the crisis, it is much more difficult to find a job. I don’t give up and keep going forward to look for a job and a better future.
3. Have you been in other cities in Italy ? Which ones ? Which was your favorite one ? I’ve been in different Italian Cities ( Turin, Milan, Verona, Siena, Florence, Bologna, etc..), but my favorite one remains Florence, a gorgeous City full of History, and I suggest everybody to visit it.
4. If you were to give advice on Italy to a foreigner person, or to young people from your Country, what would you tell them ? I’d like to tell them that anybody who comes in Italy for work, study, etc… is very well accepted, even if in the last years the number of foreigners has increased a lot, and then, with the crisis the job is decreased. Anyway…I think that, if a person tackles it , he can succeed, integrate and obtain what he wants.
5. How do you see your future in Italy ? For now I see my future a little less well than a few years ago, when the work was not scarce, and the prospects were better, but I do not give up and keep going forward always with the thought, sure that ,sooner or later, things will improve, and there will be more opportunities for all.
Clare Harrison
April 2012
Clare Harrison is a really smart and nice girl. She’s teaching english in Reggio Emilia, in Italy, and she works and lives in this Country since some time by now. We askerd her how is it living in Italy.
1. Clare, how long have you been here in Italy ? I’ve been here for about 2 and half years now.
2. How do you feel in Italy and what are the first, main differences you have found, comparing it to your own Country ? I like it here very much, the biggest differences to everyday life are small things like keys with 2 sides, weighing your own vegetables in the supermarket and having petrol put in the car by someone else! In terms of culture, the most obvious differences are the emphasis is on personal relationships, people make time to be with each other, more so than in the UK and this affects everyday life from having a long lunch hour to eat with the family to trying to find a new job or appartment.
3. Do you think to stay in Italy for a little, medium, or a long period ? I’m not sure but I can’t see myself going back anytime soon.
4. Would you recommend to your friends to come here in Italy to live or to stay for a while ? Definitely! They need to make sure they have some sort of support system (job etc) and determination if they don’t speak the language!
5. Which are your italian favorite Cities, and places? A difficult one! I like Lake Garda and Venice is my favourite city to get lost in- you never know what you might find!