United in Diversity Erasmus+ Corato 10.03. – 10.07.
My main motivation to choose the Italian trip was the friends I made in the Budapest project week back in March. We stood in contact, and this event made it possible for us to meet again and enjoy each other’s company one more time, before getting separated for another god knows how many months.
My overall opinion about last week is positive. Even though we didn’t get much freetime in the afternoons (we finished between 6-8pm), we still got to talk to and meet new people. Everything was well organized, although sometimes we bumped into some technical difficulties, which lead to small frustration among the students and teachers, but overall the whole thing was well constructed. We travelled to beautiful places, we learned about the history of churches, important towns, and cities. We watched a breathtaking sunset from the bus, we went to Bari, and we had guided tours in Corato, Castel Del Monte, Trani, Matera and in Alberobello.
We learned a lot from the friends we made there. They introduced us to the Italian language, culture, everyday life. Most students were Italians (obviously, because they were the hosts), but I talked with the Croatian, Latvian, Portuguese, and Spanish students too. This exchange program is about meeting new people and creating new connections around Europe.
I’m extremely grateful for my teachers and for my school for giving me this opportunity, and I strongly recommend this to anyone who is slightly interested in other cultures or languages, because this truly is the best thing ever.
Lipka Márton, NP osztály, 10. évfolyam
When I applied to this program I knew I wanted to go to Italy as I plan to move there for a while after graduation. After the Budapest meeting I became even more determinded. I made friends I could finally see again this October and we still talk almost every day ever since.
The week was wonderful, tiring, exciting and overall even better than expected. As I love the Italian culture, it was really interesting to learn about it from the students’ perspective. All the walking was worth it, because now I know all about the main historical buildings and their importance nowdays. The cities we visited were all beautiful and the trips were well organized (the best parties happened to be on the coach). I especially enjoyed how we got to try and do things they study in that school and those programs such as claying or making art.
My host became one of my closest friends with many others. The language was not a problem and we even improved our public speaking skills which can be really useful to everyone. The school, the teachers and the participants were all welcoming and warm towards us. The familiarity of this country is magical.
I would defenetly recommend this to anyone who would fully participate in the programs as it is a great opportunity to imporve your language or social skills and meet new people. I don’t have many advices, but be prepared for a heartbreaking goodbye and take one more pair of jeans with you (you might think you have enough but trust me, you do not).
Bakó Júlia, NP osztály, 10. évfolyam
Well. Before this trip to Italy, I wasn’t sure if this is where I want to go but at the end of day even if I could, I wouldn’t change my decision. You know that you have made the right choice when the only thing you can think about is, when am I going to be able to see these amazing people again? I still find it fascinating, how in a short amount of time you can make friendships that even distance won’t break apart.
I didn’t really know what to expect from the workshops, but I have to say other than some minor bumps, the whole thing was organized very well. The programs were interesting and authentic. During this one week we participated in a wide variety of programs. I really liked that we were able to see so much of Puglia. The number of astonishing landscapes and buildings that I saw in these couple days were something else. We didn’t only see these, but also had the opportunity to get to know their history. The combination of architecture, beautiful landscapes, churches and food. Oh, don’t even get me started about the food. I definitely have gained some weight, but I am not complaining! There is not a single day where I am not missing the Italian food.
By the end of this project some part of me definitely became Italian. Not only did I learn a lot about Italian culture but learned a surprising amount of Italian in one week. The even crazier thing is that I managed to learn some Croatian, Portuguese, Spanish and even Latvian. All you need is to be open. I definitely have learned a lot about the cultures of my fellow Europeans.
I can’t describe how grateful I am for my teachers and the fact that we have the opportunity to participate in something this wonderful. Not only is this program excellent for education, but also for bringing us closer together.
Nagy András Márton, BM osztály, 10. évfolyam
The reason I applied for the Italian trip was that I really love Italy itself, the foods, and their mentality. I have to say it was a great choice because I could be part of the Italian lifestyle for a week, and I could experience everything from a different perspective.
During our stay I have collected both negative and positive experiences. First, we had a lot of programs for a day, and we finished about at 6 or 7 p.m. Also, sometimes we had a little delay in a program because for example we finished lunch an hour later than planned. This wasn’t a problem because we ate a LOT of great Italian food. Sometimes there were also some organization problems when I didn’t really understand what we were supposed to be doing, but other than this we travelled to very nice places. My favourite was Polignano because we walked by the sea, and I love that feeling when you can just enjoy this beautiful view.
My host family was nice too. The parents didn’t speak English, but my host translated when the parents wanted to say something to me or when I wanted to say something to them. In connection with this when I met my host friends, at the 75-80% of the time they spoke Italian and I didn’t understand a word about their discussion. I wasn’t happy about this, but overall, they were nice when I talked to them, and I spend a great time with this friend group after the programs. I enjoyed when were just sitting and talking about a random topic until like 11 p.m. Due to this I didn’t have that much rest, but it was worth it because I feel like I have made a few new friends.
Overall, I feel good about attending this Erasmus because this was a new way of travelling and staying in a country. I highly recommend Erasmuses for everyone because this way you can experience new cultures and you can practice English, or your 2nd chosen language.
Somogyi Laura, AN osztály, 11. évfolyam
