japanese maple

I love my country, I really do. But if someone asked me today whether I mean to go back to Italy to work after my Master’s I wouldn’t answer yes at once. When I decided to study journalism I definitely didn’t think it would be easy to achieve the aim. Yet, I thought that if I worked hard I might have a chance. It was a tough blow to find out that it was not exactly so.

Italian journalism is, to be kind, stagnant. One strike follows another, publishers and owners often make their own rules. Journalists are a closed caste, they are not keen on giving up any of their privileges to create room for new generations. The latter, when lucky, become temporary trainees with neither pay, nor rights.

I have actually experienced this situation personally, and at some point I decided I deserved something better. Therefore I moved abroad to see what goes on outside my country. And abroad is where I would see myself in 12 months’ time. Ideally I would like to train in some UK newspaper. Before moving to Cardiff I exchanged e-mails with The Independent deputy editors office, getting an invitation to contact them again once I had obtained my Master’s.

A traineeship at the European Commission would be another great experience. Although it is not pure journalism, it would surely open my mind to an even more international view. Besides, with a bit of luck, it might act as a bridge towards some other goals.

However, I don’t expect to be well paid. I know I will face massive competition. I would only like my capabilities to be given an opportunity.

Human relations are sometimes so complicated and difficult to handle that you would like to escape on the top of Everest moutain and live there for the rest of your life. Just not to have to do with people you don’t know how to cope with.
While building relationships we set up a complex system of fragile balances. The slightest thing is likely to compromise them. It’s like shanghai sticks. When you let them fall they combine them selves accidentally. Yet if you try to pick one up you might move all the rest and change their asset. In the same way, we should be carful of how we act and behave towards people because a wrong action can sometimes lead to unsettle the whole.

Here we go. Although it felt like it has lasted for ages, the long period of holidays is almost over. Yes, it’s true that since January 8th all MAIJ students are supposed to be back on the tracks of work already, I’d dare to say, immersed within that important process of reading which in few weeks will climax with the first step in the draft of the final dissertation. That is the literature review.
Even so, it’s quite known and proved that among students the “taking it easy” philosophy tends to prevail whether there’s no deadline hanging over their heads. My head, for its part, is still wandering in the clouds a bit. However the flight ticket on my desk reminds me that within few days I will be flying over the Channel and setting off for Cardiff again.
The first semester flew away in a jiffy. I still remeber the kind of hilarious feeling that raised in me by late September when Gary, Howard and co. told us about the assessed assignements due by middle December. It really felt like we had plenty of time to work on them. And it’s not only me who felt that way. I can assure that the majority of people I came to talk with shared the same feeling. Nevertheless time began to pass. Time is strange. When I first began to settle in my new life in Cardiff by middle September, it dropped so slowly. I knew no one yet, spent my time all alone while getting to know the place and waiting to meet people to make friends with. By then it really felt like days lasted ages.
As I was saying by the beginning of the semester I wrongly thought I’d have had plenty of time to reasonably accomplish the tasks. I should have known I was wrong. Indeed at that point I should have learnt from my past student’s life, having already exprienced that procrastinating is not the right thing to do. They don’t say “don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today” for nothing.
“How could I have forgotten that saying again”, I found my self thinking while sitting in front of my laptop, 3 am, a steaming-hot coffe on the desk, Financial Times cuttings all over tha place and violet bags below my tired eyes, working on my assignements.
Attending classes every day, studying at night, we barely had time for socialize. During the last month and a half before Christmas my mind was entirely focused on working hard. Assignements was the first thought in the morning, assignement the last before switching off the light late in the night.
However by the end, when all the homeworks were handed in, although exausted I felt I had done something good. Setting aside the actual quality of my works, I think all my efforts to create a valuable piece of work made me more confident in my capabilities. I acquired a number of skills that might be useful in my working life. Therefore I felt like I was proud of me eventually.
Now a new semester is to become. Everyone seemed to promise it will be not less than tough. I’m already shaking about it. A good warning I give to my self as a good intention for the New Year just that has just begun: do what you can today. Never ever procrastinate again. You bet!