As we finished up the third week of classes, I feel I am starting to learn and grow in my CSR class. As I talked about in my journal last week, Professor Gupta has one or two students share the article they read and wrote about for their WSJ assignment. Once they share and the student who commented on their article shares, the rest of the class starts to share their opinions on the article. The more we do this, the more comfortable I feel sharing my opinion, adding to what someone said, or even disagreeing with someone. Everyone in the class is very open and wants to hear what you have to say, which I really like. I view it as an open discussion rather than a debate.
This week, I had a conflict and unfortunately did not attend the Internship Seminar Class. I asked a few of my classmates to fill me in on what I missed, and they said we discussed the importance and differences between the cultural identities in Italy and in the US. This is a topic that I find very interesting, and before coming to Milan, I would not think that there is that big of a difference. Now being here, I know that it is day and night. Where you are raised, how you grew up, and the people you are around shape you to who you are. Each place you go has a different culture and things they do, and I am still adjusting to the ones here. It’s crazy to think about how I think something is so different, but Italians wouldn’t think twice about doing it and vice versa. If they saw me carrying coffee on the street in a to-go cup, they would think that it was strange, whereas at home, it’s completely normal. I find it so amazing how each culture has different habits and ways of life, and it is extremely eye-opening here.
At my internship this week, we continued working on the same project we did last week by finding clients who might be interested in attending Sigep, a trade show that Gen USA was invited to, and sending them emails and calling them. My favorite part of my internship this week was going to my boss’s house with my other boss Mauro, Kamal, Jen, and the two boys we work with. We had lunch at his house, and he cooked us an amazing ravioli dish. I was so excited to see what the houses are like here and how they differ from houses in the US. My boss, Mauro, has a cat that is very energetic and playful. He was always up to something and kept us on our toes at lunch! This has by far been my favorite experience I’ve had at my internship, and it really shows the culture of the office and their close-knit relationships.
This weekend has been the most relaxing weekend I’ve had since I’ve been here. On Friday, I went to Florence for the weekend with a few girls. We didn’t have any set plans, which was nice because we could just relax and explore the city as we pleased. I noticed how different Florance is from Milan. It is a lot more touristy, but less of a city, which I liked. It felt more relaxed and calm there, even with all the people. The food here was so good. I had one of the best sandwiches of my life. Florence is a beautiful place, and I definitely hope to go back. This weekend, I am going on a completely different type of trip. I am going to Cinque Terre, which is definitely more beachy than Florence. I am excited to relax and get some sun as it has been rainy in Milan recently.
Florence Duomo
Lunch at my boss’s house!
The sandwich I had in Florence
My boss’s Cat!