Belgrade, Serbia
"Whaaaaaaaat? Belgraaaade?" This is what myself and my surroundings thought or expressed loudly (!) when Aiesec suggested this traineeship...
The decision was not easy to make, but more difficult was to get a visa from the yugoslav embassy in Bern...I spent days and days struggling to get it. Let's say that my first contact with the yugoslav burocracy was rather conflictual and discouraging!!
Now 1 month has passed since I came back from Belgrade and I can tell it was a unique, stimulating life experience more than a work experience.
Let's go back in that 2 months: At Belgrade airport, many aisecers were waiting for me...obviously aiesecers boys as I was a girl. They took me to the university city called " Studensky Grad" and I got a room there, with a bathroom. Imagine: I was in a place with something like 6000 thousands yugoslav students...far from the tiny, so small Lugano's campus. Believe me, at the begining, I got lost in that Studensky Grad more than once...
At work, I understood after one week, that I wouldn't learn anything. My company was a state company, without much to do, even for the employees. And I got so disappointed and furious that I was about to come back to Switzerland! My aim was to learn how to run a business, to get more skills and not to drink coffees all day long. But Aiesec convinced me, I don't remember how, but fortunately they succeded in!
I had the opportunity to live historical days ( elections and demonstrations in Yugoslavia, I was there!!!!!!! ), and most important: I opened my eyes to another reality, a reality which is not that far geografically, but far ages from many other points of view.
I met students whose parents earned 150.- monthly, although they had had a very good education and were the best in their profession. The parents were bound to have 2-3 additional jobs, because a family there needs at least 1000.- monthly. I learnt what it means to grow up in a sanctioned country: I met Young my age who never went out of Yugoslavia, I saw what "there isn't electricity for everybody" means,...
But most amazing of all, people were joyful, with a terrific sense of humor there, despite the political-economical and the social situation. I definitely fell in love with the people: I felt like a princess, everybody was taking care of me, I always found somebody to help me in any situation. This was for real, not only during the first days, not only help from Aiesec, but from every single person I met in Belgrade, in the countryside, in other cities there...
I am thankful to everybody I met there ( and they are A LOT! From the Studensky Grad receptionist that didn't speak a word in english and made me laugh, to my manager that was treating me like a daughter or the hairdresser that was pregnant but never tired and smiling born!!!!! ), included AIESEC. AIESEC Belgrade has a very good reception organisation so that you can not only have fun, but also make cultural understanding.
Obviously, that stay was not perfect, I don't want people to think that. There are many things I didn'd agree with, especially about politics. Many ideas and behaviors have to change there. But, what is precious to me, is that I lived that experience with maturity. It was not a touristic trip, but a 2 months deep life experience.
There is one phrase I want to write down, since I heard it millions times. First it used to drive me crazy, because it was the only answer I got when I was wondering "But why...How is this possible?!?" , and then I understood the meaning and I totally loved it: "Concetta, in Yugoslavia everything is possible!"
Concetta Amendola, Switzerland
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