Go raibh maith agat!

It must have been May or June in 2005. I remember it coz it was very warm, International Economy classes are never too busy, however budget cuts allow only one air conditioner per room, and the only place left was very far away from it. Still the lesson was quite interesting and everybody stared at Prof. Pigliaru listing countries examples of economy growth: >.

It is weird now recalling that moment so well as if back than I had already draw my future in here, however the truth is , back than I had no idea. I was fascinated, I am not going to lie to you, I was fascinated by the growth, so high and flourish compared to the desperate 0.01 % of Italy and when you are young you kind of want that worriless future rather than: >

Time goes by and we kind of forget things, so after college, London was the elected place. However London is famous, expensive, there is too many foreigners (Italians), and City people don’t really have time to talk to you . I needed a place that is not all these things? So, here I am studying until I am able to upload my brand new updated English CV online. The recruitment agency called me 20 minutes after the upload : God, that was some good 7% Growth! Pigliaru was right! Delighted, as I would say now, Very happy, as I said back then. But life wasn’t always easy. Fitting into my Irish life implied things like: In the morning face wash is a choice between cold or hot water there is no mix, coffee it always too long and watery, there is no plugs to bring the radio in the bathroom, translate an Italian joke will not make anybody laugh (not for the joke), and your conversation with people will always start with: Where are you from? followed by Oh! Don’t you miss the sun? On the other hand tea is really tasty, and the bus driver will always say: Hi! How are you? Brown bread and milk is fresh and delicious and In any house you go when people will offer you something the first answer must be: No, Thanks. They’ll ask you again. There are four national sports games and the Irish follow all of them with extreme passion, victory and loss will always turn into a party. Weekends are a break from daily boring life and “Enjoy yourself” is the motif. It is plenty of parks and natural beauties and walking or jogging are very common especially in suburbia. Going for one year to Australia it is something like a military service but unlikeMilitary Service everybody enjoys it. When the sun is out foreign people don’t feel like wearing summer clothes (because Ireland is known as a cold country), Irish instead will have an instantaneous BBQ and dress like if they live in the Hawaii. Personally I didn’t mind the weather that much and I was too excited about the job to get worried about what cultural limits I could have. I wanted to fit in at any cost.

COOK IRL was at my eyes something like “the White house” for any president of US the first time they walk in; and it is not just because of the shape of the building also it was my future, a great opportunity but also a challenge:” to stay in I had to prove I am good enough”. I think I managed quite well withthis part and I am very thankful to this company for everything I have learned and I really, really hope I was able to give something back. Still as you probably know the 27th will be my last day in COOK IRL and I personally think after 4 years the real important part of my experience in Ireland is not about the job itself but about the people I have met in this company. It is about the tag rugby team where they couldn’t understand a word of what I said the first year, and they made me Capitan in the third. It is about the same people bonding together and creating a group of friends to hang out with, it is about who gave out to me when I couldn’t say a word properly and forced me to learn, it is about who advised me what to do when my car was broken, it is about 21 invitation for Christmas dinner when my flight was cancelled. It is about who is driving me everywhere lately, who showed me how to pass a rugby ball, who wouldn’t mind waiting for me, who invited me to her wedding who gave me a room to stay, who invited me for Irish stew, who came with me on holidays, who came and visit me when I was sick, who always asks me if I need anything. It is about who was able to trust my abilities and gave me opportunities, it is about managers dancing with me at our Christmas dinner, it is about that rough soccer (don’t go for the ball get the man) that you play in Ireland: So much fun! It is also about the silence you create when O’Gara is kicking, or the devotion you have for the National anthem. It is about who helped me to work on my future and the agreement I get when I give out about Cork!It is about all these people that sometimes I don’t even think, and they don’t even think they touched me so much, but they are the thing that am going miss the most!! To all of you: go raibh maith agat!