GRAZIE

GRAZIE

Here we are again, for the last time! Does anybody else need a tissue?

It has arrived… the last day of my classes, my last lesson in my last week in Krakow. 

I have never been good at expressing my feelings and now I have no idea how to express these emotions. How do I describe the joy, sadness, and gratitude I feel at this moment?

This month has been so full that I didn’t have the time to stop for a second and realize… that I am leaving.

This month was full of wonderful experiences, like some flowers given to me during Women’s Day by one of my students, visiting some museums with friends, and some “awful” hiking (I am a domestic animal, I am not built for exercise) that nevertheless culminated in a wonderful landscape 🙂.

These experiences will stay with me, in my memories and my heart, and since this is not enough for me, my friends and I decided to have a more carved memory. 

Yes, baby, we did it! A tattoo!! Crazy, I know!! 

My flatmates and I decided to have a memento on our bodies. After debating until the day before the appointment, we finally decided what to do, and after we checked multiple times the meaning of this word, we did it!

Drum roll, please 🥁🥁🥁 “Połączenia”.

“Connections” is the best word to describe this experience for me.

“Connections” with my flatmates who became more than friends in these months, and the thought that I would not be able to live with them anymore, to talk to them about life, work, love, and even the most insignificant things in that kitchen table that more than anything has become as a lighthouse for us – it fills me with a sadness that is hard to describe; “I will miss them” is not even close to describing what I feel. Words sometimes are simply not enough.

“Connections” with this city: Krakow has been a dream, much more than what I was expecting, and the more I get to know about this city the harder it is to let go. 

The architecture, the museums full of arts, the history, the markets, the walks along the Vistula, the park near my house, the smell of coffee in the beautiful cafeterias, the snow, the library.

I left some fragments of me in all these places, and all these places have left fragments of them in me.

“Connections” with my students: meeting for a few hours a week with all these amazing people so passionate about learning Italian and my culture, and available to spend some of their time with me, makes me grateful. I hope I was able to express the happiness that this experience has given to me also thanks to them.

“Connections” with the library staff: they have always been ready to help me, always so cheerful and prepared to make me feel welcomed; work in this library has been one of the best gifts of this project.

“Connections” with all the Polish people whom I met during my stay, from the people in my organization. They were my very first taste of Polish culture, and they did an amazing job (too good; now it is hard to say goodbye) and all the other people that I met along the way.

“Connections” with all the other amazing people that I met in Poland (that are not Polish hahaha), from the Italians that I met in the Italian meeting, the other volunteers from all over the world staying here in Poland, the Polish teacher (to whom I am sorry that I didn’t always give my best), the people in the workshops to which my friend dragged me (thanks Clara), and all the other unexpected encounters that made these six months some of the best in my life.

This experience changed me and I hope, in a way, that I’ve also left my mark in Krakow, and… as I said, this is not a goodbye, just a 

SEE YOU SOON 🥰

Meglio tardi che mai

I know I know, I am late, I should have posted it in the first week of February and it’s the last, I am sorry but to be sincere it’s not like I didn’t try, I DID. Really! But every time I try to write something it feels lame, it was a struggle, so please forgive me for my delay, it’s in goodwill.

I should have written about January, but I don’t know what to say about that month, by the time I realized that I was back in Poland my month was already done, and my daily life was already back in place.

I recorded January as a series of moments, like a Spanish meeting, the minus 17°(🥶), a man starting to play the piano in the bar to wish happy birthday to his friend, a “fancy” dinner in a ceramics studio, the photo exhibition of Edward Steichen, meeting new volunteers from all over the world.

Instants that will stay with me and in my phone gallery since my memory is not the best.

And just like that, February comes…

Oh, February, I loved this month, I feel so heartbroken that is almost finished!! One of the most beautiful things that happened was the visit to Wroclaw (Breslavia in Italian).

One evening during dinner with my flatmates, we were talking and from nowhere, we checked the weather (sunny, of course) and we decided that the day after we would go to Wroclaw, detto fatto (no sooner said than done) we buy the tickets.

Wroclaw is wonderful, the three hours to arrive there in a Flixbus not, but apart from that it was a marvelous trip.

The central square is so full of colors, and the people, the food, and the small gnomes scattered throughout the city (yes, I tried to see and take a photo of all of them). 

I believe to be a sincere person so let me be sincere, I love Krakow and I still think is the best but the central square in Wroclaw is better than the one in Krakow, my personal opinion and after you read this part let me say, it was good to have you in my classes I understand if you do not want me as a teacher anymore.

Apart from that, in the afternoon before leaving we decided to have a coffee, and when we sat I discovered… I didn’t have my wallet anymore 😱.

I’ll let you imagine how I felt, from panic to “let’s try to find it”, to “let me block my cards”, to “I have to go to the Italian consulate”, I had my mind so full of things to do and the same time with this bitter feeling in my mouth, awful evening.

The day after it was Sunday so I took some free time on Monday to go and file the complaint, and here I was, in bed, trying to fall asleep and forget about what happened, when something amazing happened…

I received a message, from a boy saying that he had found my wallet!!!! And he sends it back to me, with also some chocolate 🍫.

It was so amazing for me, this in Italy would never happen, I was so impressed by the kindness of the Polish, the gesture warmed my heart and made me realize the gentleness at the core of this beautiful country.

This is the end of my update, I hope that my next one will not take so long

Thank you for reading 

See you in class (I hope)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 BUON ANNOOOO

Yes, here we are, 2024

It arrived, the new year is here baby, and as a gift to you here is my updated new post (yeah I know, better than money).

I should have posted earlier but December flew by in a second, and before I knew I was on a plane back home. Here things were frenetic, but I am back (figurately, I am still in Italy).

December is gone, and that made me realize that I am halfway through the project… it’s a bittersweet feeling. You know the saying “Times flies when you’re having fun”? Well, it is so TRUE!! (please someone stop it 🛑)

Without further ado let me do a small recap of least of the last month.

I started the month preparing my last lectures of the year, and I immersed myself in the beauty of the Christmas markets to find souvenirs for my family. I lost count of how many times I went there just to finally buy something the day before leaving.

The markets are beautiful, but I prefer them in the morning, I mean there are too many people in the evening; I think I have slammed into more people in those weeks than in all my life! (by the way, rude people deserve to be “accidentally lightly pushed” ops).

Before departing me and the other people on this project had a Christmas party with the organisation. It was one of the best nights in Krakow,  we ate some typical Polish dishes, and we baked cinnamon cookies together, our organizers gave us gifts, and their warmth and affection for us were so tangible, I feel lucky, I was welcomed with open arms.

I felt I was in the right place.

And speaking of things that make me grateful, my wonderful students gave me some gifts (yeah I am a material girl😂).

Jokes aside I didn’t expect that, I was so surprised and kept staring at them like an idiot for hours. I also got some presents from my coworkers ( a lot of chocolate, I’m pretty sure they figured out my weakness🍫), It wasn’t the gifts or the thought that I also appreciated, It was… It just struck me at the moment: they like me, they like my lessons, they want me to come back, and maybe is because they want to learn Italian and it has nothing to do with me as a person nevertheless moments like this make it all worth it.

I am writing this from Italy, here all those experience seems so far away, It feels like I’m talking of another person, a version of myself that only exists in Krakòw. I love my family and friends, and being here is wonderful, but I yearn to come back.

See you soon guys👋  

Bentornati

Here we are again! 

Hi, it has been another month so you know what that means, time to read my report 😆

In one month, so many things happen that is hard to reassume everything but let’s start with some challenges.

First of all, the weather (Du Dun Dunn!!), even if we still have good enough weather (at least that is what my Polish colleagues tell me) for me is different, it’s not the cold…is the color, yep this grey sky that every morning welcomes me, that makes me want to go in a solarium or back in my bed 😆I am not still used to it, but luckily I have my new friends that warm me up enough… and the vitamin d 💊.

📚

This month I also started my lessons, and after the fear that my flu wouldn’t allow me to speak, I hope it didn’t show how scared I was, my “students” (it’s strange to call them like that because most of them could be my parents or grandparents) were really welcoming, and sweet and so intelligent!! I had to update all the materials that I had ready.

In my Polish lessons, I am not nearly near their level with Italian/English  (still struggling with the pronunciation of too many things).

📚

My lessons allowed me to share not only my languages but also my country and personal story/life, from the boring grammatic to the story of the amazing land that I can call home, I wish I was able to share my knowledge in the most understandable way, please be aware that I have never been on the other side of the school desk and I can feel subjugated at times but I am working on it.

A really good thing happened right when I was writing this report, it was snowing! ❄️ The snow seemed to put more color in the grey sky, years had passed since I last saw it and one of my roommates had never seen it before, her expression was priceless and we were so happy that we started to jump like children (yes, I am blessed with very unique roommates, that now are more than that, are friends).

I am so delighted about the arrival of the snow even if my disponibility of clothes is not nearly good enough for this weather, but the sigh is worth every finger that I might lose 😂.

I have been writing this post for almost 2 weeks now, and how you notice the snow has fallen is more than enough for me to say… I need to buy gloves and hand cream 🤣 

I have been to Warsaw for the week thanks to an opportunity given to me by my organization and i got to say, it was beautiful, really, but… BUT Krakow is better.

I know, I know, I shouldn’t do discrimination nonetheless it is my personal perception, and I am just sharing.

Even after meeting all the beautiful volunteers that are spread for all of Poland, it was a blessing to come back home (don’t tell my mother that I call Krakow home, please).

I have so much more to say but it’s time to close however I hope you will be reading the next update, since then 

Do widzenia (see I am becoming better in Polish).

Buongiorno!!

My name’s Maria Lostorto, I am 26 years old and I come from the south of Italy, more specifically from Apulia. My hometown is a tiny and antique “Borgo” with a really peculiar name, which I will tell you about during my lessons.

This year I graduated in “Science of Tourism”, I love traveling and meeting new cultures so this field seems perfect for me, after I graduated I searched for opportunities to challenge my limits, and as my thesis was based on women who travel alone so going abroad seems the normal outgoing of my journey (mom doesn’t agree).

So here I am, the first time alone abroad, and after a month I can say that this was the right decision. Krakow is everything that I couldn’t imagine, I could start with many things to describe this city but I am Italian so … food.

Don’t get excited, I will not say that Polish food is better than Italian’s (I am fond of my citizenship), BUT polish food is really good, I am particularly in love with potato pierogi and Paczki, and if you have advice or need someone to test some dishes I would sacrifice myself.

🙂

Apart from the food, it was the culture that really conquered me, the massive number of museums and libraries, there is not a day that I don’t see a girl with a book in a coffee shop in the most autumn vibe ever seen, for not talking about the architecture that seems to conserve a solemnity from the past in a modern world.

❤

I can be a little shy but I am so looking forward to experiencing more of this city, and of this culture, so after two weeks in the library where I had the chance to meet wonderful people, I am anticipating the moment when I will meet all of my future students and share my culture and immerse in yours.

I’ll see you soon

Ciao !!!

Che bello! – spotkania z językiem włoskim dla osób 18+ gr. 1 i gr. 2 (poziom średnio zaawansowany) | 11-2023

Che bello! – spotkania z językiem włoskim dla osób 18+ (poziom średnio zaawansowany) |

Dzięki programowi Komisji Europejskiej – European Solidarity Corps (ESC) / Europejski Korpus Solidarności Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna w Krakowie ma przyjemność gościć  wolontariuszkę, która będzie prowadzić bezpłatne spotkania w języku włoskim dla osób 18+ – Che bello! (poziom średnio zaawansowany). Podczas zajęć Maria będzie również promować kulturę swojego kraju. Zajęcia odbędą się stacjonarnie.