This week, I read three articles on how companies and consumers are struggling on what to do with individuals’ data after they die. While we have not started our corporate social responsibility class yet, these articles were a great introduction on the types of real world scenarios we will be learning and applying in our class. I am also very excited to become more familiar with the Wall Street Journal as it has always been one of my goals to be informed with what is going on in the world. I believe these assignments will ease us into becoming more knowledgeable and engaged citizens. I enjoy learning about Italian culture as well and how Italian companies compare to US companies ethically. I look forward to hearing about my peers’ companies and what impact they are each making, because as of right now it seems that many of their companies focus on sustainability or impact. On the surface, it appears that European companies and the culture in general are more conscious of the effect they have on society than US companies, but I am sure by the end of the 7 weeks and the class, I will be able to confidently answer these assumptions/questions. 

I really enjoyed Professor Swain and Gupta’s internship Seminar this week. It has been one of my favorite aspects of this trip and is one of the reasons why I chose to study abroad in Europe and explains why I am drawn to study in Europe again spring semester junior year. I thoroughly enjoy learning about and immersing myself in different cultures. I truly believe this experience will enhance my ability to be adaptable and flexible– qualities I currently strive to improve. Learning a new way of life has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and I found it to be so unique and interesting how we were able to talk about the cultural significance and meaning of coffee for 20 minutes. This experience is truly a learning curve but it is so cool how I am able to take what I learn in this seminar class and apply it the very next day.

Despite working for a company I thought was only big in America, I am still gaining new knowledge and a new perspective on working for an Italian company. Within just a few minutes of first arriving, I was offered a coffee, and immediately regretted my decision of denying it because I had just finished my coffee on the way to work. (I will be sure to accept now with my knowledge!) It was unique to see my workspace as I did not really understand it until I saw it in person. I was working on the top floor of the Hard Rock Cafe in a booth alongside a few other employees. I immediately found that my tasks seemed unclear and more complicated…. Or so I thought. After about 20 minutes of questioning and getting familiar with my role, I ended the conversation with, “I am sorry for asking so many questions.” I was relieved to learn later in the day in class that it was normal for Italians to be vague and we are encouraged to ask questions and take initiative when we are confused. After I felt like “prying” answers out of my boss, I quickly discovered that my task really was not at all difficult, but it ultimately consisted of me re-organizing and gathering data in excel. I sat in the booth for the entirety of the time, but really enjoyed listening to the language around me and observing how the other employees interacted with one another. I could tell the environment was very much collaborative and not competitive and was intrigued to see that all the employees sat together at booths rather than in an office space . At the end of my shift my boss came over, looked over my shoulder, told me to send it to her, and then I was free to leave. I am glad to know that no feedback is good feedback because I think I would have been discouraged if I didn’t know this coming in. I was surprised to find that lunch was on my own and that I was merely released on the dot; However, I ended up discovering a little cafe/sandwich shop on my way home! I only had one day of my internship since I had Monday off, so I am curious to see how lunch plays out the rest of the week. 

While we have only been in Milan for a short period of time, I feel that I have picked up on so much of the culture already. The 8:30pm dinners have been a little rough for me as I am someone that likes to be in bed by 9, but I could definitely get used to the 4pm gelato as I have found that this is when I’m craving it most. Within just 24 hours of being here, I went to the grocery store and tried to buy bananas. I quickly learned the hard way that is it not like how you buy them in the US; however, by my second time at the grocery store, I was able to confidently print out the barcode and purchase them with no problem. While these are little things, these are not things I expected to struggle with before coming here, so I am interested to see how I adapt when I go back to the US and what cultural differences I can pick up on. I also really enjoyed our Lake Maggiore trip. The entire time was filled with breathtaking views and better weather than I had expected. Observing the 3 different islands was something I’ll never forget, especially the gardens. Something I noted was that there were no security guards lining the gardens or entrances to the exhibits and there were no little kids picking flowers or ruining the bushes. This was a small yet noticeable observation. It appeared that everyone was respecting the exhibit and everything else with ease. When I go to exhibits or gardens in the US, I feel that I always notice at least one out of line person not acting in a respectful way, but I did not find that on this trip. I also attended an AC Milan soccer game. This experience was awesome and definitely made my friends back home jealous. I had never seen a soccer crowd so enthusiastic and a game so close like this one before. This made me realize how important soccer is to Italians and how committed they are to supporting their favorite teams.