12 August 2011

How to get a job?

You want to enjoy all the beauty here? Learn new culture? Your dream is to live in Italy? Your first step probably is to study the language first, secondly you start to search for a persons and make friends from Italy. Through internet, moreover meet the italians who stay in your country and support your idea so enthusiastically. So you speak italian, your mother language is english! Yeah! Go on! You can find something!
Finding a job in Italy now is not the easiest competition to win. Disoccupied italians stay here a lot! Most of them are graduated in university, and they do not want to do the "dirty" jobs anymore, what they have willingly gave to the foreigners who came to live here. Italians dream to be an archeologists, doctors, architects, advocates.Something that they think to be "higher position", they are superstars of their lives! They can be whatever they want! As well if they fail, and live at home of the parents in age of 40!
Where to start if you arrive here? Oh well, most important here are connections! Dipend a lot who you know. People can help you, if you do not know then here works a lot so called "family politics". Is possible to find something on your own of course, but good positions are always given to one whom the boss know, or moreover is a member of a family. They can fire you here, if the nephew just graduated in university and now did not find suitable job as fast as dreamed. Ahhh...But we can fire the foreigner! So you lost! Not always of course, if they have seen your work and you do your work good, they have no reason to change.
Another thing very important is the way you dress. People first meeting you observe you for 30 seconds. Your clothes, hands, make-up - very important things! Your dress must be suitable for the post where you candidate.
Italians LOVE to talk, almost about everything, but as well during the interview you cannot forget yourself. They ask about even about your family during the interview, here the conseption of it is so important (in north it is loosing it's importance), they ask all kind of things, which maybe you are not so used to talk about, you can always politley refuse to answer to their questions. Of course if they do the interview, may happen that they hire you without. Like staff for bars and restaurants.
How to get started? Firstly you must go around the city and give your CV around in every bar, restaurant and shop. More luck you'll have in turistic areas, languages are advantages, 'cause most of the italians do not speak another language, except of italian and maybe-maybe dialect (importance of the dialects in north is fading ). Find a job in shops, specially the cloth shops is really hard, either way you know someone who talk for you or you have the perfect experience, and of course it all again depends WHERE you have worked, which shop, and you must be very qualified in fashion.
Another possibility is to give as well your CV to agiencies, which here are a lot, like GiGroup, StartPeople, Kelly Services, Il Working etc. Register yourself through internet. Send your CV to companies directly even if they are not searching now, you can send it impontanously. Important is as well to send a letter that introduces you a little. Who you are, why you stay here, what are your qualities etc.
What type of works you can find? If you are not super qualified and "million" diplomas from Oxford holding in your hands, then probably you end up in some restaurant working as a waitress, dishwasher; in hotel reception; as a hostess or if your language skills are fantastic in university cities you can find a work as a teacher for students.
Italy is not easy country, not even for some italians, who decide to go and search the happiness in another country. But if you manage to survive here, you'll stronger by 1000 experiences, that it will give you.
Of course... If you do not end up as a prostitute! Sad faith, but happens with some of  girls who come to search here the happiness, job and another type of life! Money is "good", temptating and necessary for surviving!

My favorite region

Calabria is divided for 5 provinces
Italy in total has 20 regions.All of them I have not yet visited.But where I have been the most I like Calabria.Once when you have stepped on the ground of this part of Italy you can understand why.Like has said one writer L.Répaci once:
3 km from Sicily
"The day when God decided to create Calabria,He found 15 000 km2 clay and permitted himself to be the greatest artist of the world.Thought that this should be perfect place for about 2 millions habitants.He started his work and Calabria he managed to do more beautiful than it were Riviera and Japanese islands."
Polistena-City of peace
This region is situated in south,is surrounded by Basilicata,Campania and Puglia.3 kilometres away is Sicily.Residents are about 2 million,the capital of this region is Catanzaro.Calabria is not very turistic place,there is maybe 2-3 cities where tourists enter,for example Reggio Calabria and Tropea,which is the favourite place to enjoy the vacation for german people.Another cities are not popular among the tourists,'cause in this region you cannot find signs on the road,showing you the way to the next city,some of them are pierced by a bullets,as well is dangerous to wonder around alone.Better way to go around there is if you know someone who can show you the way of very magical places,like some little villages in Apromonte,Pentedattilo(little abandoned village in mountains).
Pentedattilo
North-italians rarely go there,only if they know some person from there or if their parents,grandparents are from there.They tell this to be the society that lives in 19th century,and open-minded people never would survive there.But to have a vacation there is marvellous experience.
From this region comes "ndrangheta" most feared clan of maffia,more structured and stronger than was once Cosa nostra,although the last one is more known over the world from movies and books about it's founder Corleone."Ndrangheta" roots come from Reggio Calabria,but has spread all over the world,it's "branches" you can find in North-Italy,America,North-Europe.Where stay big money stay as well person dealing with part of mafia.
"Calabria is a dream,the sea there is fantastic,people are beautiful,"told one of my co-worker,venezuelana,who lived there for 4 years and dream one day to return.
Castle of Scilla
People there have their own language,dialect of calabrese,which varies city by city,after every 3 kilometres it is little bit different.People there do not use italian to communicate,some of them even do not understand it.Specially old people,they only use dialect,even though after unifying Italy official language is italian.So if you're lost you cannot ask the way,'cause is impossible to understand the language,even if you speak good italian.Probably this increases the fear to visit the place.
My first visit to this place was in year of 2010,and ever since I love this place.I visited mostly the places south of Calabria.Like Tropea,Scilla,Pentedatillo and Reggio Calabria.This place is not full of beautiful houses like Venice or Florence,but it will catch your heart with it's semplicity and beautiful nature.Gives you another type of experience which you just cannot forget so easily.
Street view in Scilla
Who speak italian,can watch one comedy of Antonio Albanese "Qualunquemente"  ,which has funny point of view of Calabria and it's politicians.




11 August 2011

Poveglia-island of horrors

Poveglia is one island's of Venezia,but it's place full of secrets and is frightened by venetians,who call this island "a place where you never return".Most of them believe this place to be living and breathing heart of the evil.The island during the day is beautiful and calls you to come and visit,but during the night place turns to be frightening.For tourists this island is closed.Enter to this island can only the researchers of abnormal activities.The island belongs to the italian government.
The island was first mentioned for the first time in year 421 B.Cr,while people escaped from Padova and Este to live in this island and to protect themselves from the attack of barbars.By the 9th century the island was fully populated and it's importance grew in time.Many wars were held there,because the barbars had interest of the people who had run there to live.Most of the wars were won by the people who lived in the island,until the year of 1379,when island was attacked by genoas and won the war.Island was abandoned by it's natives,who found new home in the island of Giudecca.After winning the war government of Venice built there castle-fortress Octagon,what is as well visible today.Next centuries the island was abandoned.1527 the ruler of the Venice offered the island to  Camoldolese munks,but they refused to take this place.1661 offer were made to the people who were nativley from there,as well them refused to take the offer.In the year of 1777 island went to Magistrato alla Sanità (Public health center).It became one of the trading points,where people came and went with ships.1739 year  two ships were found where there were people with plague and the place became temporarily as an infirmary .Under the lead of Bonaparte,1805,the island became officially as an infirmary.He let to destry the tower of the church called San Vitale,building instead a lighthouse.1814 year infirmary were closed.
20th century this place were used again as an infirmary.1922 the excisting buildings were re-built to elderly house,to accomodate old person from Venice.1968 year this island was abandoned,was used only for agricultural purposes short time.After the island was abandoned.
There are many legends about this island,why it is so frightened place.One of them tells that during the Roman times it was used as a living cemetery.People who were sick of plague were taken there to die.As well it was used as a living cemetery during the time when in Europe spread plague called black death.It was thought to be very efective method to divide sick and healthy from each other.According to legend in this island died about 160 000 persons.
According to second legend this island was used as a mental hospital in year of 1922.It's doctor tortured and killed his patients,before loosing his mind and jump off the tower of church.Legend tells that he survived the jump,but was killed by the fog that arised from the ground and strangled him to death.Bones are visible as well nowadays.Institution was called a mansion,but evidence has prooved that it was used as well as a mental hoospital.
Reality shows about this island,very interesting to watch are for example Ghost Adventures,Death in Venice:Demon doctor and Scariest Places on Earth.