Sindu Toompally’s Blog Post #1: week Ending 5/29/2022

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I arrived in Milan on Monday, May 23. Once we got to the airport I met up with all the kids in our group. I felt a little jet-lagged but I took a nap when I got to the apartment. I met our resident advisor, Francesco, on the bus ride from the airport to the apartment. He is very nice and has a lot of good stories about growing up in Milan. He has been really helpful with restaurant recommendations and showing us how to navigate the city. On the first night we went to an introductory dinner and met the students in the other IES group. After dinner we walked to the Duomo. It was so beautiful! I took a lot of pictures with my friends and walked around the city. The next morning we went to a café and drank espressos. The coffee here in Italy is so delicious. After coffee I went shopping with my friends Sanj and Alex. We took the bus to the fashion district and bought clothes and shoes. At night we walked to the canals and sat down for a nice drink. I became friends with some fellow Lehigh students who I didn’t know prior to the trip. On Wednesday I had my first day of internship work. My friend Jackson and I are doing extensive research work for a Professor in Italy. We also had class with Professor Gupta. In class we learned about corporate social responsibility. I am very interested in the foundations of corporate social responsibility so I really enjoyed sitting through Professor Gupta’s lecture. I feel as if I am quickly adapting to the unique culture that Italy has to offer. I hope by the end of the trip to come home with a lot of new knowledge about this country.

 

Jenny Svanson’s Blog Post #1: Week ending 5/29/2022

My travels to Italy was nothing short of complete chaos, and about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. One of my flights got cancelled 24 hours ahead of time due to storms that were expected later that evening. At the time, this seemed like a blessing in disguise because it allowed for me to drive straight to Newark airport, and I was able to spend more time with my family before leaving for this trip. Once I arrived at Newark airport, my traveling nightmare began. I spent 1.5 hours standing in a massive line waiting to talk to customer service. I then proceeded to run around the airport trying to get my bag tagged. After a handful of stress induced tears and some encouraging words from my mom, I was finally able to make it through TSA barely 10 minutes before my flight boarded. The flight in itself was uneventful, but my nightmare would start up again once we reached Milan. The obvious next step in my traveling adventures was waiting around baggage claim for 45 minutes, and never getting my luggage. I had to find the customer service area, wait for around another 45 minutes to talk to someone, only to find out that my bag was never put on the plane because there is no record of me boarding the flight from Newark to Milan. At this point the tears has started again as I was dealing with my lost luggage, worried about whether the bus transporting us to the apartments had already left, running on barely any sleep, and now I was also worried that I had some how entered illegally this country because there is no record of how I got here. I managed to pull myself together, get on the bus, and once I made it to the apartments everything began to calm down. I took a much needed nap and got to go on a little shopping spree that was funded by United. I did spend my first 3 days in Milan without my suitcase, but since its shown up its all been smooth sailing.

Other then my initial flight issues, everything I’ve done in Milan has been spectacular. The first night we had a welcome dinner with the other IES students, and it was nice to be able to connect with them and learn more about the type of things that they were going to be doing while in Italy. A group of us also went to the Duomo and got to see the celebrations that were going on for AC Milan. We didn’t last too long at the Duomo, and a group of us went on a mission to find a very needed Aperol Spritz. We were a bit directionally challenged and found ourselves wandering the city for a long time with no idea as to where we were going. We found ourselves on a street and we were like fish swimming upstream. Hoards of people were walking at us, police vehicles were driving past, and we could see flares in the distance. Instead of being smart and leaving, we decided to stop in our tracks and try to figure out what was going on. Luckily for us, it ended up being the bus parade for the team. We got a front row view of the players and the celebration which was completely unexpected. On our venture home we were finally able to find our Aperol spritz, and we were able to get it for takeaway and wandered the streets sipping on them.

All of the locals that I have met so far have been beyond kind and very helpful when dealing with the language barrier. They mix between speaking English to us and also teaching us some Italian words and phrases for us to use in the future. Its easy to feel comfortable walking around the city and going into stores and restaurants, and I’m learning more about their language and culture everyday.

Milan Stock Exchange

AC Milan Parade Video

AC Milan Celebration, Duomo

Gunnar Hanson’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 5/29/2022

                 My first few days in Milan have been incredibly beneficial to my education and equally as successful at broadening my perspective. Thus far we have covered several very interesting topics including corporate governance and the interrelation of government and market, and their individual downfalls and graces. For example, our last discussion pried into the morality of a free market. Questions like whether a bank was unjust for charging interest rates on mortgages for homes, a basic human necessity, or if a bank is responsible for an elderly customers mishandling of money were asked and we had to develop rational arguments for both  sides.
                 For my internship I have been tasked with financial analysis for a small startup fashion company. My two co-workers, Sean Werfel and Alex Copits, and I are developing a marketing strategy, comparing financials of similar companies, and estimating/forecasting its sales. Thus far, it has been a great experience. We are being treated almost as peers, having the ability to give critique and talk openly about how we feel about products and their services. A lot is expected of us, but it is a welcome and an exciting challenge.
                 Culturally, Italy is nothing like I have ever seen; albeit, I have only been outside the country once… to Canada. My favorite part of the city, visually, and possibly the biggest standout oddly enough for me has been the graffiti. As I have made my way around Milan, there have been many small intricacies of the city I have noticed: the small cars, government cap on coffee price, beautiful ancient architecture, multi-generational culture and many more; however, the graffiti are almost always beautiful works of art. When I say graffiti, I am referring to spray paint used to create something, minus the signatures and small symbols, to represent a larger idea, and it has given me good insight to the history and culture of Italy. Fascism, soccer, roman leaders and more have been bleeding through the walls via paint. It reminds me of the saying: if these walls could talk. Pictured below are some of the many art pieces I have come across.

Graffiti of Ganesh, a mythical Indian God!!

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Dean Bleiler’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 5/29/2022

Lake Zürich view from the train on the way into Zürich.
Countryside in Switzerland captured form the train.

When you are packing you think about everything you need and make sure you don’t forget any necessities. Then when you get to Milan you realize the only necessity is yourself. I have learned, experienced, and explored so much and it’s only been a week in Milan. What I’m saying is that we all entered a new world. We left our life back in America patiently waiting for us when we come back. We have been gifted this opportunity to explore the boundless world we live in that we have only experienced through movies and stories. Europe has been much of just a fairytale to most of us and now it is becoming part of our own reference and scope. I can already tell this trip is going to fly by but I am going to seize every opportunity I can along the way. During breaks from class I found pasta trucks that provide quick meals. Walking around during the day I have wandered into shops and cafes with completely different feels and styles than anything found in America. I’m writing this blog on a train through the Swiss Alps to a northern city in Switzerland called Zürich. The beautiful country side is on my left and a gorgeous lake on my right. I consider myself extremely lucky and privileged to have this opportunity especially at such a young age. The people you meet here are from all over the world and couldn’t be more friendly. I can already tell I’m not only going to learn a lot about other cultures and countries, but also about myself and my values in life.

Selfie with my friend David Alano in front of Duomos de Milano!
Picture of historic monument down the road from the classroom. (It was closed so I could not get closer to see what it was for)

David Alano’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 5/29/2022

Prior to coming to Milan, I had a little information about the city itself. To my knowledge, Milan was the financial district of Italy and the fashion capital of the world. Walking in the streets of Milan, it is exactly like that and much more. Men and women dress business casual regardless if they are working, eating at a restaurant, partying, or doing errands. No matter the occasion, Italians are fashionably dressed. On the business side of things, there are many financial, information technology, engineering, and research firms in particular areas of the city. During my stay in Milan, I am working at Studio Lazzereschi, an accounting firm based in Milan and Genoa. The street I work on has many banks and accounting firms and some say it’s like the “Wall Street” of Milan. Before starting work, I thought that the language barrier would be a major issue which could hinder my work performance. However, it has not been a problem thus far. In most offices, there are at least a couple workers that have good enough English to direct English-speaking interns what they need to do for the company. Commuting is a very significant part of the culture in Milan. The streets are crowded with all kinds of transportation such as buses, cars, trams, scooters, and bicycles. If you are not careful when crossing the streets, you can easily get hit. Italians simply don’t stop when they see a pedestrian trying to cross the street. All throughout the city, there are amazing architecture and history. You could be sitting in a Café and across the street could be Leonardo da Vincci’s home. I am looking forward to seeing and learning more about the history of the city as I travel to more areas of the city. Below I share some pictures I took during my commute to the office. The first picture is of the Stock Exchange building and second is the Duomo.

Milan Stock Exchange
Duomo di Milano

Robert Lapsley’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 05/29/2022

Leading up to my arrival in Milan, I was filled with feelings of both uncertainty and excitement. My brain had constantly been running through the countless logistical nightmares such as travel to and from work, the language barrier, and many other cross-cultural complications. I decided the best way to eliminate these uncertain feelings was to do my best to immerse myself in the Italian culture. After day two, I found myself looking forward to morning espressos and croissants, pizza and pasta for lunch, and evening gelatos. Now that I have been in Milan for almost six full days, my anxious feelings have subsided and have been replaced with amazement and curiosity. I am still struck with wonder on my walk to work every morning as I pass by the rich architecture and history that this country is filled with. Pictured below are me and fellow classmates Dean Bleiler and David Alano enjoying some espresso and gelato.

I am looking forward to starting my first full week of work at Gen-USA this upcoming week. Gen-USA is a company that helps European entrepreneurs who are trying to expand their business into the United States. They provide consulting for these firms with regard to sales, marketing, and production. I am eager to learn more about this business and gain valuable experience. My boss also mentioned that the interns will play tennis and even participate in cooking classes during my time here. I am incredibly excited to continue to immerse myself in the Italian culture while gaining valuable work experience.

Megan Robinson’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 05/29/2022

Going to a new country can be nerve wrecking for anyone. However, going to the land of pasta, bread, and pizza can be especially daunting for someone who has Celiac Disease. On the plane I was wrecking my brain for an equivalent alternative to homemade pizza and pasta. While the naturally gluten free options were a justifiable alternative, eating salads in Italy did not fulfill my Italian carb eating dreams.

When I arrived at my first restaurant all my worries quickly vanished as the words “senza glutine” meaning gluten free became my new favorite Italian words. Each restaurant, café, or pizzeria either had a separate gluten free menu or various gluten free options. I quickly learned that America had some catching up to do.

Although the United States does offer gluten free options, such as pizza and pasta, I tended to stray away from these choices as they often resemble the texture of cardboard. However, in Italy the gluten free bread and pizzas are soft and doughy, closely resembling regular pizza and breads. I found myself forcing my friends without Celiac to try my gluten free meals to see if they could even tell the difference. More times than not, they could not identify the differences between the two.

Along with the plethora of gluten free options, I was excited to hear about the emphasis of rice, seafood, and meat in Northern Italy. Although Milan does offer tomato based pastas and pizza, they are known for their Milanese risottos and fresh off the boat seafood. Both of these options happen to be naturally gluten free. Milan is truly someone with Celiac’s dream destination.

Gluten free clams, mussels, and linguine that was just a five minute walk from my apartment!
Thanks to the cultural importance of fish and rice in Milan, I am able to get my favorite meal of a poke bowl at almost every restaurant I went to in the city!
Rossopomodoro was my favorite gluten free pizza so far in Milan! I ordered prosciutto pizza with the softest gluten free dough I’ve ever had.
The meal I was most excited while entering Milan, the gelato. My friends and I went to go get gelato after dinner to end our perfect first night in Milan.

Anousha Mehta’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 05/29/2022

Arriving in Milan almost right after taking my last finals, the travels were definitely overwhelming at first. However, I stepped out of the airport, which immediately reminded me of one of my many reasons that I chose to study abroad in Italy: my love for coffee. I was welcomed with so many friendly people and a shot of Nutella espresso to wake me up for the busy day ahead. Exhausted from the plane ride, I was thrilled to grab a plate of fresh pasta that our Italian student companion, Francesco, recommended to us. Continuing on, after heading to our group dinner, we were able to experience the AC Milan celebrations of their win of the European soccer league. This truly opened my eyes to Milan’s sense of unity and culture. This day was definitely a bit scary seeing so many people flooding the most popular areas of the cities, especially the Duomo; however, it quickly became an iconic moment when I was able to see the trophy and the AC Milan team itself right in front of me. 

The next couple of days we had so much planned from our welcome dinner with Professor Gupta to our first days of interning. I am placed at Circularity in which I am to work on analyzing and tracking the relationships between their new media-styled platform that mediates that sense of a sustainable, circular economy in Italy. At first, I was slightly confused by the mission of this company, but after arriving, meeting the great employees, and hearing about Circularity, the company is so new and interesting to me, making me so curious about my work every single day. While the commute is definitely rough, (traveling around 45 minutes towards the outer parts of the city). Kelly, Jason, and I commuted many times together, learning the ins and outs of Milan’s public transportation system (with some hiccups along the journey). In general, I think there is a bit of a culture shock in terms of the fact that I started out with knowing no Italian at all and a lacking fashion sense in comparison to locals. Despite this, with learning little conversational terms, shopping, purchasing impractical amounts of delicious Italian food, and getting to know my schedule and this city, I feel like I am going to experience so much in the next couple of weeks.

Dee Mikkilineni’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 05/29/2022

Before we arrived in Milan, I was super nervous and  unsure what to expect, going into the program knowing almost no one. My first day started off rough, after missing the bus to our apartment because my flight was delayed, and having to meet up with the rest of the group late. That night, we went to an ‘aperitivo’ hosted by IES, getting to enjoy some really nice drinks and food while getting to know other IES students. After that, we walked around the city, wandering over to the Duomo, where we were greeted by crowds of AC Milan fans, donned in red and black, who were celebrating their team winning the championship game. A few of us became separated from the bigger group and ended up right in the middle of the parade, next to a bus carrying the team, and this was an experience I will never forget.

The next day we had informative orientation activities all day planned by IES, and on Wednesday began our first day of our internships. My internship is at Phloema, a small consulting firm, where I am working with two other Lehigh students on a project researching methods of AI in drug development. We met with our supervisor who took us out for my first espresso, which though delicious, I couldn’t drink without putting sugar in. We went over our work plan for the next few weeks, then headed over to an amazing welcome dinner with Professor Gupta.

The next morning we had our first class, then stumbled upon a small gelateria, where we got the best gelato I have eaten so far. We went over to the canals in the evening to walk around and explore some more, then ended the night with doing some work together in the lounge in our apartment.

Overall, this has already been an incredible week getting to understand and appreciate Italy and its culture, and I am so excited for what the next few weeks will bring.

Walking around the canals

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espresso with sugar
Lunch while people watching

Kelly McCallister’s Blog Post #1: Wek Ending 05/29/2022

As someone who has never been to Europe before, I did not have many expectations arriving in Milan.  I knew that speaking a different language would be a challenge for me, especially in the work place. However, I was surprised how well most people in the city speak English. We arrived on Monday the 23rd after a red eye from Newark, and you could say that the jet lag is still in full effect. The first few days were very overwhelming, as I am not a “city person” in the US, let alone a foreign country. I felt overloaded by the information sessions about public transportation, city “norms”, and Italian culture. However, I can easily say that each day is getting easier and more enjoyable.

My place of Internship this summer semester is Circularity. This company has a very unique mission surrounding the circular economy and sustainability. When I first arrived at work on Wednesday the 25th I was extremely anxious as to what my supervisors would think of me. We have only previously met on Zoom while I was back in the states. Meeting in person was a pleasant surprise. Everyone in the office was extremely welcoming and curious of me and my American “co-workers” (Anousha and Jason). The workers of Circularity are all very young, ranging from 22-30, with a few exceptions. Everyone is very fashionable yet casual at the same time. I knew that Milan is extremely well known for its fashion industry so I came prepared with proper professional work attire. In comparison to the US, I feel as if the workers that I am surrounded by dress more casually and fashionable. They wear bright colors, fancy shoes, and pretty skirts. I was extremely excited about this, as I am someone who loves fashion. I know I’ve only been in Milan for 5 days so far, but I feel as if my sense of fashion is already taking a turn for the better.

The entrance to place of internship
My very first meal in Milan (Pesto Rigatoni)
My first night in Milan exploring the night life at the canals