Migration stories 1c

MIGRATION STORIES AND INTERVIEWS Climbing down (B. Toguo)

Collected by the students CLASS 1C

Ioannis, by Natasha Otilia, by Denise Simone, by Gabriel Claudia, by Evelyn Elizabeth, by Linda Carlo, by Antonio Silvina, by Lisa Lena's mum Jennifer's mum Fatima, by Chiara Martina's grandparents Isabelle, by Angelique Giuseppe, by Matteo Abdul, by Simone Mendum, by Maria Sofia Clara, by Milena Lucia and Maria, by Roberts Enis, by Sara Mirzan, by Veronica Eva Anneliese, by Martina O.

IOANNIS, MY FATHER FROM GREECE TO TRENTO It was 1993 when my dad met my mother in Greece, Rhodes, for the first time. In one week they fell in love. For 2 years they were 1800 km faraway. In October 1995 my dad decided to come to Italy for love, it was too difficult to stay away from my mum Mirella. He was excited but a little bit nervous because he knew that all was new for him: culture, food, people, life style...and the weather. It wasn't the first time that he had been to Italy. In 1992 he went to Milan for 1 week. He was afraid, being away from parents for a long time is not easy. In 1997 my parents decided to get married. They got married in Rhodes , Greece, in summer time. There were all the relatives, and the Italian ones took advantage of it and had a holiday. For months they stayed in Greece and then went back to Italy. The big step had been taken! At first it was so difficult, but with her love he went on. My grandparents, so my dad's parents, weren't so happy of his decisions. They didn't want their son to go to Italy but he was so determined that they had to leave him. He really really loves my mum, and I think that for her, he would do everything. He has been living in Italy for 20 years. He doesn't know the Italian language perfectly but he has integrated well. He has a good job with my mum, and a beautiful flat. I don't want to lie…so I must tell you that he likes Greece better than Italy. The place where he lived was smaller than Lavis (where we now live) and the people there are more open and smiling and it is near the sea, which we can't find in Trento! The weather in Rhodes is always beautiful in fact the island sometimes is called “ the island of the sun”. Looking back my dad would do the same things. Every summer we go to Rhodes to meet our relatives, friends and have a holiday!

My dad misses a lot of things of Greece, but the place isn't important if we are together.

Malona, the village where my dad used to live

Lavis, the village where we live.

Haraki, where my parents fell in love♼

Where Malona lies.

Natasha

OTILIA, FROM MOLDOVIA TO TRENTO

Otilia Popescu is 16 years old and she comes from Moldovia.

She left Moldovia when she was 11: her mum took her to Italy to give her more chances for the future and also because of Moldavia's difficult political situation; she says that's why lots of people are leaving the country.

When she left Moldavia she was sad but also angry with herself: she thinks it that was because she didn't want to leave. She was scared because she didn't know anything about Italy, just some Italian words like “buongiorno”, “ciao”, “grazie” and “come stai?”.

She returns in Moldavia everytime she can and the last time she went there was in January. She misses it a lot, more and more every day.

It's her country and she says since she left Moldavia a piece of her broken heart has stayed behind there. She says also that one of the reasons why she misses Moldovia is because she has all her family there. Otilia thinks that Italy is a beautiful country but it has a horrible organization: there aren't many opportunities for young people, but she believes that the situation will change.

MIGRATION STORY: THE INTERWIEW I: Hi Otilia, how are you?

O: Hi Denise, I'm fine thanks I: well, I want to ask you some questions about your migration story.

O: Okay, let's start.

I: How did you feel when you left Moldovia? Why? O: When I left Moldovia I was sad but also angry with myself. I think it was because I didn't want to leave I: Did you know anything about Italy?

O: I didn't know anything , just some Italian words like "grazie", "ciao", "come stai?" and "buongiorno".

I: Do you return to Moldavia in summer or in winter?

O: Yes, I return there everytime I can. Last time that I was there was in January.

I:Do you miss it when you leave it?

O:I miss it a lot, more and more every day. It's my country and since I left it piece of my broken heart has stayed behind there.

I:Do you have relatives in Moldavia?

O: I have all my family there. I think this is one of the reasons why I miss it.

I: Why did you leave Moldavia?

O: I left Moldavia because my mother took me here in Italy to give me more chances for

my future. There is a difficult political situation and that's why lot of people leave the country.

I: How old were you when you arrived in Italy?

O: I was 11 years old.

I:What did and do you think about Italy?

O: I think that is a beautiful country but it has a bad organization.

I: Why do you think that?

O: I think that because there aren't many opportunities for young people . But I believe that in the future the situation will change.

I: Thank you so much Otilia for your beautiful story.

O: Thank you too Denise

Denise

Simone, from the Netherlands to Italy I interviewed a boy. His name’s Simone, we’ve become friends because he is my neighbour and he decided to tell me his story.

Simone comes from the Netherlands and he has been in Italy for about six years. He came to Italy when he was 11 even if he doesn’t remember a lot of things about that time.

Then I spoke with his parents and they told me the story more in detail.

His parents didn’t have a job in the Netherlands, then his dad and mum looked for a job in Italy and they found it. His dad found a new job as a bricklayer but now he’s got a factory.

When he was a bricklayer, with his salary, he bought a house. Now, they’re happy here.

Simone told me that his problem is speaking Italian, because it is too difficult. When he arrived in Italy, Simone didn’t have friends, but today he’s got many friends that help him to speak Italian.

Unfortunately he’s got the other relatives in the Netherlands, and he would like to see them.

This summer he’s going to the Netherlands, and he’s staying for one month.

He likes living in Italy very much.

Gabriel

CLAUDIA-GERMANY INTERVIEWER: Where did you move?

CLAUDIA: The first time I moved I went from Nürnberg in Germany to Milan in Italy, the second time I went from Milan to Trento.

INTERVIEWER: How old were you?

CLAUDIA: The first time I was 3-4 years old, the second time I was 12.

INTERVIEWER: Why did you move?

CLAUDIA: Moving wasn’t my decision. The first time my family decided to move because of my dad’s job, he was an scanner operator (photography), the second time we moved was because my mum died and my dad wanted a smaller and safer city for our childhood and adolescence. The opportunities were Bologna, abroad or Trento and my dad tought that Trento was the best for our lives.

INTERVIEWER: What do you remember about that experience?

CLAUDIA: When I moved from Germany I was really young so I don’t remember a lot, I just remember that I really missed my grandparents but this wasn’t a problem because every holiday I went to Germany and every summer I stayed in my grandparents’ campsite.

When I moved to Trento things were really different, I was a teenager and I was really shy.

I was a little bullied for my pronunciation and the way I talked.

INTERVIEWER: How were the people?

CLAUDIA: I had some problems when I moved to Trento because as I said before I was shy and the people here are more introverted than in Milan. In Trento people are suspicios, they don't trust foreigners. My mother’s death made things more difficult although my dad made everything possilble to make me and my brother happy in this new city.

In Germany people are more serious and accurate, this could be a quality or a lack.

INTERVIEWER: Now are you happy where you are?

CLAUDIA: When I was young I was happy to live in Italy, now I think that living in Germany could give me a better life. There I could have more opportunities in job and lifestyle.

Evelyn

ELIZABETH FROM GERMANY I want to talk about Elizabeth. She is 16 and she lives in Trento but she comes from Germany. In 2006 she moved here because her mother is from Trento and when their parents got divorced she decided to stay with her. In 2007 she started school again and now she attends the high school in Trento. I met her through a common friend two years ago. She told me that when she is 18 she would like to go to Berlin for a while. There lives her father and she wants to talk to him to renew their relationship. Then she will come back here to find a good job. Now we are friends and I see her two or three times a week after school. She is very nice and we get on well.

Linda

(Carlo Aquilia from Frankfurt to Trento) MY FATHER FROM GERMANY TO ITALY My Father is 50 years old and he was only 8 when he moved from Germany to Italy. He lived in Frankfurt. In 1972 my grandparents decided to come back to Italy to the place where they were born.

He actually remembers the day when they decided to move from Germany. My granddad woke my father up and prepared him breakfast. During breakfast my grandmother told my father that they had decided to move, they didn’t know where but they really wanted to come back to Italy.

My granddad decided to move to Trento because there was my uncle that could help my granddad to find a job.

They called my uncle on the phone and he said that he could help them and gave them a house and a job.

They were very happy.

I asked my father: “ If you could go back to Germany would you do it?” he said no, now he's Italian and he loves Italy.

Antonio

SILVINA POTOUKIAN She is my best friend's mother and she migrated to Italy 21 years ago. She came from Buenos Aires. She came to Italy because she met a young Italian boy that invited her to visit Italy. If she liked Italy, she would stay in Trento. She started to love Italy and the boy, so they got married. Silvina's parents weren't happy, but she wanted to listen only to her heart. In a few months she visited all the places in Trentino. She didn't find it easy to learn Italian, now she considers Italian her mother toungue!! She tells me that when she was a child her dream was to come to Italy, because in her opinion Italy has a lot of history. As soon as she arrived in Italy, it seemed to her that she was in a fable, because Italy is very different from Argentina , the streets are different, the landscapes are different. She got divorced and she would like to return to Argentina , but she has two daughters and so, she can't. She really misses her country because it is a completely different way of life.

Lisa

MY MUM'S MIGRATION STORY from Germany to Italy  How did you feel?

I was happy, but worried because I thought that I wouldn’t find a job because I didn't know the language.

 Can you tell me the reasons for coming from Germany to Italy?

I came for new emotions and adventures because I had a boring life. In 1976 I came here for a holiday, but when I had to return I was unhappy and so I decided to stay in Italy.

 Looking back, what would you change?

Nothing! At the beginning it was a jump in the air but nowadays I'm happy with my choice and I’d do it again for 1000 times.

 Do you have nice memories of your country?

Yes, Germany is a beautiful country, it has many possibilities, it has everything you want and it's one of the most powerful countries in the world. I like returning there for a few days but if I had to choose I'd like to go to another country like the U.S.A because I want to discover the world.

 Can you recall the best thing of Italy that convinced you to stay here?

The sea, because when I went there my eyes were bright and so I came to Italy to live near the sea even if then I turned up in Trento.

 Can you talk about your city?

Fürth is a tipical city of North-Germany. It's a crowded city, there are many activities to do, but for me it was a boring place. I liked spending my childhood there because I had many friends and there was a good spirit.

ď ś What do you think about Italy?

I think that the people in Italy are hospitable, friendly and kind. They always want to help other people, while in Germany they are introverted and too suspicious. It seemed to live in a big family.

I arrived in the right place at the right moment.

Lena

MY MUM: FORM HOLLAND TO ITALY This interview is about my Mom who migrated from Holland to Italy.

1) Why did you migrate to Italy?

Because I worked in Italy and my future husband asked me to stay.

2) When did you come here ? And how ?

I came here in 1991 in my blue car.

3) What are the differences between Italy and Holland?

Italy is the 'sunshine' state of Europe and Holland is very rainy. I like the sun! And in Holland there are no mountains, but I like mountains and I love skiing. My husband is from the north and here I found love, sun and mountains.

4) Do you miss Holland?

Not very much, just my family, some habits and some kind of food.

5) When you arrived here in Italy did you know Italian already ?

Just a little bit, I learned the language directly here.

6) Was it difficult to learn Italian?

Yes, it took about two years to understand Italian well and to be able to discuss with someone.

7) What do you like about Italy?

I like the climate, the language and the mountains.

8) Do you often go back to Holland?

I go to Holland about once a year, but my family and friends often come on holidays here to visit me.

9) Did you ever want to go back to Holland?

Not really, even if there are many advantages about living in Holland like better salary, lower cost of living, better working opportunities and so on, but I prefer the way of living here in Trentino.

10) Do you meet other Dutch people who migrated here?

I know several Dutch people who have been living in Trentino for many years, some have gone back to Holland.

11) Tell me something about your city.

Ede is situated in the middle of Holland and is completely flat, it is surrounded by meadows and forests and it is great to ride around on your bicycle.

Jennifer

FATIMA FROM LIBYA Fatima comes from Libya. She came to Italy because of the war. Her dad left to go fighting against the enemies and she, her mother, her two sisters and her newborn brother were home, all alone. They were poor and hungry. Secretly Amina, her mother, raised money to leave the country. Her cousin took her to buy some food, and when they came back, Amina said: “now we have enough money to escape from the war and from death”. Fatima still remembers with sadness these words. It took lots of months, but in 2012 they made it.

The journey was difficult, especially for Amina that was carrying lots of food to feed her children. They were transported on a boat. She didn’t know anything about who was in charge and she didn't want to know either. They survived but they suffered a lot. They landed in Lampedusa and the police took Fatima and her family and all the people who travelled with them to the identification center, where they had to show their documents.

Fatima and her family were sent to a center where they could sleep. A few months later the brave mother who had saved her family decided to leave that city to come here, in Trento where they were helped by the Caritas, and tried to forget their past. Fatima is now thirteen and I can read sadness in her eyes when she tells me her story. Now she’s almost happy. She and her sisters can go to school and study. The family know our language really well and they finally feel safe. Looking back, they would make the same choice.

Tripoli, the capital of Libya.

Chiara

The flag of Libya.

From Italy to Spain Bruno and Stefania are my grandparents and they migrated to Spain 2 years ago.

They decided to go to Spain because some friends spoke very highly of this country.

When they went there, finally they bought a new house.

They found it difficult in the first period but with the help of some friends, they had new Spanish documents and they had “Spanish nationality”.

They had new experiences and they thought that this migration for them was easy because they had some friends in Spain.

They remembered Italy just as a beautiful country, but they went to Spain because life is cheaper and my grandfather’s pension is worth more there.

They do not want to return to Italy because they are happy and they like this country.

Looking back they would do the same thing.

They migrated there not for the fact that they weren’t happy in Italy but because they wanted to continue their life in another country.

Martina

MIGRATION STORY: MY MOTHER ISABELLE. My mother met an Italian man in France in 1990, his name is Guido, they fell in love and after a long distance relationship my mum decided to migrate to Italy in 1994, to live with my dad.

Sometimes mum tells me that she misses her city and her family (my granddad and my grandma) but she says that she loves living here in Italy with us. Every summer (for 2 months) and some Christmas holidays (for 1/2 weeks) we go to Avignon, our city, and we stay at my grandparents'.

Life is not very different in France from here, only the language and food.

When my mum met my dad she didn’t speak Italian so for a period of time they spoke only French. And then she studied Italian.

With my mother my sister and I speak French and with my dad Italian.

It’s beautiful to have a person in your family who comes from another country because you can understand and love different cultures.

Avignon the city near Pujaut.

Pujaut the village where my grandparents live.

Nimes where my mother lived.

Angelique

...My grandfather Giuseppe from Sicily...

I want to talk about my grandfather Giuseppe...

He was born in 21/12/1945 in a little village near Palermo. There he lead a hard life because he didn’t go to school but he went to work with his parents. He worked in the fields and then he sold the crops in the market. He could study only at night. After some difficult years spent between work and study he got a bachelor’s teaching degree and he began to work in a small primary school in Palermo When he was 30 he joined the police and 2 years later he moved to Trento and became marshal.

When he was 37 years old he left the role of marshal and decided to open a shop of fruit and vegetables.

The shop was near this school…in that street lived my future grandmother.

One day my grandmother went to my grandad's greengrocer's and bought some fruit and vegetable.

Since my grandfather was funny my grandmother became a frequent customer.

They became friends and began a relationship that would last for a long time. 5 years later they got married and my grandfather began working as a teacher in Tambosi school.

8 years later they went back to Sicily.

Matteo

Abdul, from Morocco Some years ago Abdul came to Italy (no-one knows when and how) and then moved to Trentino. He didn't study when he was in Morocco, so he was searching for a part time job. While he was waiting for an answer he began to learn Italian, but he hasn’t finished to learn it yet.

A month later he got a job as a kitchen-helper in a restaurant. He accepted and did it for two summers. The job was a summer job, therefore he was unemployed during the winter.

Fortunately the restaurant where he worked was twinned with the Ski Centre Panarotta which needed staff, and he was offered a chair-lift manager position. The boss of Panarotta treated him as the “new entry” and gave him the coldest, darkest, and the worst accomodation of the entire Ski Centre!

Inspite of this he is the kindest person in the world and he has always a big smile printed on his face. One day my friend and I were going to catch the chair-lift and we started to talk to Abdul. My friend told him:- Simone is a “special boy” because he attends Bonporti Music School in Trento! And then he said to me:- Così sei un musichista, bravo, Ghitarra!!

From that moment I’m the Musichista!!

Simone

MENDUN FROM BULGARIA TO ITALY Mendun, 18 years old, Bulgaria.

QUESTION: What’s your name and how old are you?

ANSWER: My name is Mendun Dimitrov and I’m 18.

Q: Where are you from?

A: I came from Bulgaria, Targovishte. It’s a city located on the coast.

Q: How old were you when you have came to Italy?

A: I was 2 years when I left my country Q: Why did you leave Bulgaria?

A: ‘Cause I was adopted and my parents weren’t able to sustain myself Q: What do you remember of Bulgaria?

A: Thanks to some pictures I remember the orphanage institute and something about my tutor.

Q: Have you ever met your (real) parents? Have you had a contact with them?

A: No I haven’t but I would like to seek some information about my roots..

Q: What was your experience when you came to Italy for the first time?

A: Traumatic… I cried the whole time and my mom told me that when they came to take me I screamed and rolled over the airport floor.

Q: Would you like to rediscover your origins?

A: Sure, I’m planning to go back there. For a long time I thought that my first goal was finding my parents but now I've had some problems with the Bulgarian embassy for my passport and my ID and so now I’m not sure if it’s the right think to do.

STORY I interviewed my friend Mendun, who is from Bulgaria.

He’s lived in Italy since he was 2, ‘cause he was adopted: he spent his first 2 years of life in Targovishte, on Bulgaria’s coast, then he was adopted by his parents.

His real parents weren’t able to sustain him, so they sent him and his brother to an orphanage : he can remember the institute and his tutor thanks to some old photos.

Mendun’s first experience in Italy wasn’t so beautiful: he was scared and he didn’t understand what was happening, but he was really young so he just cried and screamed; he told me that was traumatic.

He hasn't had any contacts with his real parents in Targovishte, but he would like to find some information about his roots.

Mendun is planning to go there, ‘cause for a long time, when he was younger than now, he

thought that his first goal was to find his parents, but recently, when he planned to g to Targovishte, he had some problems with the Bulgarian embassy about his passport and his ID so now he’s not sure if it’s the right thing to do.

I hope that Mendun will be able to find his parents, he’s an old friend of mine and I also hope this meeting (if it ever happens) will be the best moment for him.

Maria Sofia

CLARA AND HER FAMILY -from Argentina Clara is a sixteen year old girl who migrated with her parents and her younger brother from Argentina to Italy.

She came here in 2008. Her mother is a mathematician and in 2007 she asked for a workpace in the Netherlands. She didn't get the job, but the business firm gave her a contact in Italy. After sending her rĂŠsumĂŠ and doing an online-job interview, they took her. The family arrived here one year later.

At the beginning, Clara's mother was excited and hoped for a brilliant future.

At the same time, Clara, her dad and her brother were perplexed: they didn't like the atmosphere that they found when they arrived. In their opinion, the first two weeks everything was strange: they saw that a lot of people from Trento had a glacial character.

While in Argentina they could even go to a shop and stay there chatng with the employees, in Trento people just wanted to see how and what the newly arrived people would do and they weren't very kind either. Especially their neighbours: when they talked about them, they called them "THE FOREIGNERS".

In short, they didn't find the attude of Latin-American people.

Clara wasn't very open-minded either: she missed her school classmates, her family, her best friend and her town. That's why it took her a long time to adapt to her new life.

However, now she has accepted the situation, has a lot of friends, she already knows two languages and different cultures.

She thinks the main thing she has got by coming here is the many educational opportunities.

She thinks that schools are incredible in comparison with the ones in Argentina. She explained to me that Italian schools instruct better for the adult-life. In her country, if someone wants to receive a good education, he/she has to pay extremely expensive schools and young people have less opportunities to find a satisfactory job. Maybe it's not the same in other regions of Italy, but she thinks that schools are excellent in Trentino.

The only thing that she doesn't miss about Argentina is the food. Everybody loves Argentinian food, but she doesn't. She prefers the Italian one. When I asked it to her, she answered "Come on... Empanadas? What kind of name is that? It doesn't mean anything!"

Now that she has lived in both countries, she would absolutely prefer to live in Argentina. She thinks Italy has a lot of advantages, but if she were to choose where to live, she would choose her motherland. She really misses her family and Latin-American people in general. It's not enough going there just during the summer holidays.

Milena

FROM GUATEMALA TO TALY I interviewed my friends Lucia and Maria, from Guatemala.When they were little their parents divorced and their mother went to Spain for work, but they stayed in Guatemala with their Uncle. Two years later their mother met Diego, from Trento, and she went to Italy to marry him, but before that she returned to Guatemala to bring them to Italy with her. They told me that they were very young (Maria 6, Lucia 5) but they still remember how excited and happy they were but they were also sad because they had to leave their friends and relatives.

When they came here they were uncomfortable, because they didn't know the place and the language, but they quickly got used to living here.

They miss the sea, the climate, their friends and relatives, but every year they return to Guatemala in the summer, but sometimes their father comes here.

Roberta

ENIS FROM MACEDONIA MIGRATION STORY: INTERVIEW I have interviewed Enis, a friend who migrated from Macedonia to Italy.

ME: Hello Enis! I would like to ask you some questions about your migration story ENIS: Hi Sara. OK! ME: So, where were you born? And where did you live?

ENIS: I was born in Macedonia and I lived there, but I’m Albanian. In fact, over 40% inhabitants are Albanians and just 50% of the people are Macedonians.

ME: That’s interesting! Could you explain to me what was the reason of your migration?

ENIS: I migrated to Italy because we needed and were looking for work. In fact, some years earlier there was a big war in Yugoslavia, the Balkans War. ME: OK, thank you! When did you come here? How old were you?

ENIS: It was 10 years ago and I was 4.

ME: Who did you travel with?

ENIS: I went to Italy with my family, but my father had already been here for work.

ME: How did you come to Italy?

ENIS: I came to Italy by car.

ME: When you left your country, can you recall how you felt?

ENIS: Mmh… I don’t know exactly because I was very young but nobody in my family wanted to come here because we had a life there.

ME: And now, do you miss the country of your childhood?

ENIS: Yes, a lot. In fact in every holiday I go to Macedonia to see my relatives and my friends.

ME: When you were here in Italy for the first time, what was the first thing that you thought?

ENIS: I was very worried to leave my country and I thought: “Oh my God! Where will I end up?”. All was different in Macedonia: the people, the cultures, the places, the lifestyles…

Finally, I arrived here when I had to go to the primary school, I didn’t have friends and I didn’t know the language.

ME: You were very confused, I remember it! But why did you choose Italy to live, work and study?

ENIS: My family and I chose it because we had uncles and aunts here.

ME: This is the last question Enis. What was your first reaction when you set foot in Italy?

ENIS: Well, I don’t remember but I wanted to go back to my home straight away.

ME: Excellent! That's all. Thank you very much for your answers, for your patience and your helpfulness too!

ENIS: You’re welcome. See you soon Sara!

ME: Bye, Enis!

MIGRATION STORY: TALE I met Enis when we were at the same primary school. He migrated from Macedonia to Italy 10 years ago, when he was 4. He was born in Macedonia and he lived there but he has Albanian origins, in fact over 40% of inhabitants are Albanians and just 50% of the people are Macedonians. He migrated to Italy because he and his family needed and were looking

for work. In fact some years earlier there was a big war Yugoslavia, the Balkans War. They chose Italy because they had uncles and aunts here. So, Enis came here with his family by car, but his father had already been here to work. Nobody in his family wanted to leave their country because they had a life there. Enis misses the country of his childhood a lot, in fact every holiday he goes to Macedonia to see his relatives and friends. When he was here for the first time, he was very worried to leave Macedonia and all was different: the people, the culture, the lifestyle, the places‌ Enis arrived in Italy when he had to go to the primary school, he didn’t have friends and he didn’t know the language, but he learned it immediately.

Sara

MIRZAN FROM MACEDONIA I’ve interviewed my classmate who was in the primary school with me. His name’s Mirzan and he moved from Macedonia to Italy.  Why did you come to Italy?

I came to Italy because my father was without a job and we left our former country because my father hoped he could find work here.  How did you feel when you left your own country?

I felt very sad when I left because I was afraid of loosing all my friends.  Who did you come with?

I came with my family: my father, my mother and my younger sister.  How did you come?

The first time I came by plane.  When was the first time you had come here?

The first time I had come I was 8, in 2007.  Did you attend the school there before you left?

I had already done half a year in a school there.  Are you happy here in Italy?

Yes, because I made new friends, but I would have been happier if I had stayed there because it is the country where I was born.  Looking back, do you really want to make this experience again?

No, I wouldn’t, but if I was forced to, I would come back here, even keeping my residence there.  When you grow older, do you think you’ll go back to Macedonia?

Yes, I think I’m going to return to Macedonia one day.

Veronica

EVA FROM RUSSIA I interviewed a friend who has been adopted. Her name is Eva 1)Hi Eva how old are you?

I’m 18 2)Where are you from?

My former country is Russia but now I’m Italian 3)When did you arrive in Italy?

I arrived in Italy when I was 8.

4)How did you come to Italy?

My parents contacted an adopting agency that was in touch with my orphanage. My parents came to meet me and my brother and after a few months they obtained all the papers for the formal adoption 5)How was it there?

It was terrible: we had not enough to eat, the orphanage was always cold and I had to work in the potatoes field. For Christmas we received a few apples but they were not enough for all the children.

6)What do you remember about your real parents?

I never met my father and my mother was an alcoholic and that’s all.

7)How did you feel in your new country?

Obviously I felt very lucky to leave that horrible place and other children didn’t get this chance.

8)Do you think that one day you will return to the place where you were born?

I don’t want to think about it.

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INTERVIEW TO MY GRANDMOTHER ANNELIESE FROM GERMAN Y

 How did you feel when you first arrived in Italy?

I was very excited to live in Rome for a year, because it was my first important trip.  Why did you come to Italy?

Because I had to attend a course of specialization in physiotherapy.

3. What did you know about Italy, before you arrived?

Before I arrived I only knew about Italy that it is a country of happy and hospitable people, where you can eat very healthy food and at the same time delicious and it’s also famous for its art.

4. Why did you not return to Berlin?

At the end of the course I should have gone back to Berlin, but during a tour in St. Peter’s Basilica, I met a man and instead we fell in love.

5. What happened then?

After I married Pasquale, we moved to Trento, I worked in a hospital, I had three children and then nine grandchildren.

6. Why did you choose to live in Trento?

I chose Trento because it is a calm, clean and a green city.

7. How is your life like?

Now I have nine grandchildren and I am satisfied with my life. If I went back I certainly would do it again.

8. What do you miss?

I miss my family that lives in Berlin and I would like to visit them more often.

Martina O.