10/11/2013

New plans and exciting projects

It is Sunday and all sundays bring with them a bit of pensive mood, when you rethink all your life and completely restructure it and then follow exactly the same path the following Monday. Anyway, this is not going to be a depressive, super analytical post where I bother you with all my problems, this is a post full of projects and expectations!

I have just over two months left here in Brussels and I have been thinking about what to do next. I came up with a whole project just a few days ago. It took me almost a week to develop it fully but I think it is pretty good now and I shall start working on implementing it. I know that as soon as I put it down in writing it will probably sound quite childish and stupid but it is the closest I have to a realistic and easy to put-in-action plan so it is pretty good for my standards. It doesn't involve moving to the South Pacific looking for mermaids or something that bizarre. It is my speciality making up projects that are just impossible! So this time is something a bit more down to earth, I guess. I am a bit disappointed because I would always be on the run if I could. I mean, the world is so big and vast why should I just sit somewhere and wonder how it would be like to be in a completely different reality? Just go!! This is the answer! But I have just recently figured out that if I really want to do that I need to sacrifice a few years stuck somewhere a bit less adventurous.

This working experience here helped me understand what I want to do and what I don't. I am definitely not pursuing a career in communications. It is not for me and I don't like what it brings and involves. I know I want to work in human rights, because it makes me feel right with my conscience and you meet amazing people that live in the most atrocious and inhumane conditions but they still find the strength to smile and fight for a better life. Everyday it is a life lesson and knowing that through my job I can help those people in their fight is a rewarding sensation. Therefore, this is what I want to do; I want to find a specialisation and do that for the rest of my life. I think I would like to work on women' rights. It is something I feel very passionate about and there are so many women still facing abuses around the world. I went to an event at the European Parliament last week on women's rights. They showed a film produced by a Swedish human rights organisation. The film tells the stories of three women activists who focus on different aspects of women's rights in Abkhazia, in the Kurdish area of Iraq and Liberia. It really made an impression on me, maybe because as a woman I feel really close to those situations. I can only imagine what it might feel being a woman in those societies but I thought that since I probably had more opportunities (and considerably less courage sic!) I should use what I learnt to helping their cause. 

Therefore, I believe I need to study law. At least the majority of people that are working in the field  I want to work in have a degree in law. The degree would make me much more qualified to work in human rights organisations and then I will specialise on women's rights. I would probably need to campaign or take part in some initiatives but I think I would need another degree for sure. I thought extensively where I should start my law career. The best bet is the UK. For those not familiar with the system, in the United Kingdom, you can take two years of law conversion whatever your previous degree is and qualify as a lawyer. Unfortunately, the costs are very high. I thought about France but I believe the system works a bit like Italy; I would have to study four or five more years. 

I also thought about Italy. It is my language, my culture (or maybe not anymore) and it is free! Now, don't take any offence here, my Italian friends and relatives but the news from Italy are quite disturbing and worrying. The country is apparently sinking to its lowest point. I don't know if it is true but a few weeks ago I read in the papers that the economy is doing so badly we are not even part of the G8 anymore and we have been overcome by Russia! As someone put it: 'Italy is almost a third world country and you don't want to hold a degree from a third world country!' Well I won't put it quite so harshly but I believe I will not find myself familiar with the mentality and the way of doing things. Often I see when I speak with Italians that have not lived or travelled much abroad that we don't perceive the world in the same way, that we have completely different ideas about life and what surrounds us. Despite the free education I don't see many other reasons to go there. 

The bottomline is that I will go back to England and more specifically Bath and find myself a job. During the time I will spend in Bath I will apply for the Law Conversion Degree at the University of Bristol.  I will try to invest the money I earn into the degree and because I would live home (this is the less adventurous part for sure!) I will save up on accommodation and other living costs. Then during the summer with the money left I will do some internships just to build up the right experience. 

This is the plan and this is what I am probably going to do for the next three years, maybe! I believe working is still essential because I cannot afford to be out of the job market for three years as my mother suggested and so internships plus any paid jobs are the answer. I have already applied to a few. I always do that; when I make a new project I can wait to start. I had an interview already but I don't think there will be a second one. I didn't like the way the job sounded and I didn't do a follow up after the interview so they probably took it as a sign of my great interest. The job was with Bentley motors (!!!) and it involved dealing with customers enquires and spending my whole day over the phone. They were very interested in my Russian but they don't know I haven't got the slightest idea on how to drive a car or how it works even, and can you imagine trying to understand how an engine works in Russian? Well, I can't so I don't think I fit for the job!!! 

Then I had another offer with a Catholic school and I had to fill a rather lengthy application that even asked for references from my parish!! Of course I do have references from the priest, the Church is my second favourite place after the Catholic school I went to. I mean, I consider myself a Catholic and I believe, I have my doubts but I believe but truly I am not really a regular at the my parish! So I don't think that went down very well and I bet I won't hear from them either. I had a success though. I applied for a position in an international advertising agency based in Bristol and they are so interested in meeting me that they even agreed in waiting to have the interview when I am back to Bath, just before Christmas. I have a good feeling about this so fingers crossed!!

For the rest, everything is going well. I had two nice weeks. Winter is coming but Brussels looks lovely and I just love the period before Christmas. It is full of expectations and dreams and it is just magical. I also think winter suits my nostalgic and melancholic character.

Two weeks ago I went to the Hammam or Turkish Bath and it was a wonderful experience! At the beginning I didn't feel very comfortable at all. Having these big women scrubbing my whole body but after it I felt so good that I am thinking about taking a friend from England next week! I think it is a great experience if you have never been. Last week I went shopping and I bought myself the nicest dress, I love it so much that I just want to wear it all the time now! I am so crazy when I buy something new! I can take it off! It really suits me and I immediately fell in love. It is from a French brand Sessun. A friend introduced me to it and it was a great discovery. Yesterday I watched two games of rugby in a row for the first time in my life and actually enjoyed them. I am  improving. I believe I am finally getting all the fuss about sport. I mean I really enjoy running (even though I could never race and I don't enjoy running with other people) and for me that is a huge success! For tomorrow, Armistice Day in Belgium, I am debating on whether to go to see a military parade in a town in the North but I am so lazy these days!!

I realised this is a very long post and I should probably stop here now! I hope this finds you well and I will be back next week! A friend is coming to visit and I can't wait!!!!!!! 

Enjoy your Sunday evening!