12. June 2024

Leo: May – finally two friends came to visit me!

This month started with a new trip to another city, but this time in Slovakia.

On 4th of May, me, Anais and Evelina went to Trnava, a little town near Bratislava.

We left our flat around 10 am and after 2 buses we arrived in the main station of Bratislava, and then we took the train.

I really loved the view from the window and after 50 minutes we arrived.

We went immediately in the center and after a tour, we had same relaxed time in a very nice place. It was an old synagogue that they have transformed in a bar. We spoke there and we enjoyed the atmosphere of that place.

After that, we continued our tour of the town and after an hour, more or less, we came back because it wasn’t so many things more to see.

P.S. I discovered that Trnava is the twin city of Casale Monferrato, which is in Italy! And that Bratislava is the twin city of Perugia, another Italian city! And also same other city have their twin city in Italy…wow, how many things I discovered since I live here in Slovakia xD.

After some days at work, Barbara told us that on Saturday 11th we had to work because they were organized in a park (here in Bratislava) a feast for mum s day. So, we went there and we could see a lot of mums and their children. They had to do different tasks and when they finished all the tasks they could receive an ice cream. Me and Anais put also a sun costume and we become the mascots of that day. Evelina instead was the person that has to do the pictures and the videos for creating contents for social medias. We went for many times around the park for saying hello to the children and their parents. Almost everyone was happy to see us. Some others, on contrary, were a little bit scared.

For me it was funny also because many people asked to take a picture with their children dressed with the costume and I felt like I was famous xD.

I really liked this experience and see many people smiling and enjoying this time together.

The next day, on Sunday, I went, as I do usually in this period in Sundays, close to a church here in Bratislava, to give food to homeless people. I discovered this opportunity thanks to Barbi when she spoke to us about these one day volunteering activity. I really like when I go there because I really like helping people.

After some days we had to present for the first time our workshop in INEX office. It was not so bad, but I could go a little better my presentation. The fact is that for me is difficult to speak in public. I’m a shy person, and I prefer writing instead of speaking (overall in English). But they gave me same advices and I want to improve my public speaking for next time I will have to present my workshop again.

It was, during this week, also the volunteering week and we helped INEX people to tidy the stock house and for 2 days in a row (you can see how it was if you see the reel on the INEX Instagram page).

On Thursday 23th of May, me and Anais went together with Mirka in a high school to count our experience to students as ESC Volunteers. We had to get up very early, because we had an appointment with her at the main station of Bratislava at 6.35 am.

We started to speak and to try our presentations during the trip and during our trip, we could meet also a friend of Mirka! What a coincidence xD.

We arrived in Senica and when we arrived to the school, we started our presentations with some energizers. After that, Mirka started to speak about ESC and Erasmus plus opportunities in Slovak language. When she finished it was my turn. I was very nervous but when I started to speak, half of my anxiety got a little bit down and I felt more confident. After my turn, there was the turn of Anais. When we finished a lot of students said to us thank you and we repeated to another group of students our experience. Speaking in front of a public is not easy but I have to say… we did a good job! We were very happy! After that we turn back to Bratislava, we ate and we slept a little bit…and after that…

I finally met 2 friends that came for visiting me! They arrived during the morning, but they slept a little bit after their arrival because their flight was so early and after they went to Slovak Pub for trying some typical food and during the afternoon they started to visiting Bratislava and we met each other in the old town hall. It was incredible! We walked to see some monuments that they hadn’t seen yet and we took an ice cream. When it was almost the time for dinner, we came back to the city center and we went in the same Mexican restaurant where I went also with my parents before they leaving Bratislava last month. After eating and speaking of our lifes, we came in a place where I am using to go with my friends since I live here and they tried Kofola for their first time. They liked it and around 23.30 we came back to home because both of us were tired.

Next day, on Friday, when we arrived to our office, Barbi told to me and Anais that a postwoman gave to her 2 tickets for a concert and she asked to us if we were interested to go there. We said to her yes. My friends in the meanwhile went to the center to visit better the castle and some other monuments. After work time we came back to home and we arrived there. It was an incredible experience even because musicians played just with their mouths and voices. There were some moments in which people on the stage started to speak in Slovak and many people laughed but unfortunately me and Anais could not understand what they were speaking about. When the concert finished, we took a photo together with one of the singers. She was so nice and her parents also were extremely kind! When I said to them that I am from Italy she said to me that she went recently in Sicily and she enjoyed a lot her experience there! And also, that her dad can speak a little bit of Italian. After that, we meet my friends in a place close the place of this concert and we stayed all together in a restaurant. After some hours together, they have left and also I decided to come back to our flat because next day I had to go with my friends to Wien

 

The following day started very early and we met each other to Most SNP bus stop at 8 am. After an hour we arrived to Wien. Unfortunately, at the beginning the weather was not good and it rained. But after a while, it changed and we arrived to the center and we visited the city. After lunch time, rain came back and we went to Sissi museum and here you can see a pic of my friends during the backstage of one of their pictures that I find very funny hahahaha. When we finished our visit, the sun was back. We went to a place to eat some typical desserts and we went to visit some other monuments. At 22 our day in Wien was finished and just arrived to Bratislava, we came back to home

Our last day together started very late, because we were very tired. We met each other to their hotel, we spoke in a videochat with Melissa, one of our friend, and then, we ate there.

After lunch, we went in a very nice park that I didn’t knew and around 16 they took a Bolt for going back to Malta. They are Italians but they are working there. We gave hugs each other and they left Bratislava. I said to them have a good flight and I came back to home. I really enjoyed these days even with them and they also enjoyed too!

At the end of the month, on 29th of May, instead, we had also to organize our tea meeting of May. This time was the turn of Nadia who spoke to us about her experience in Peru and Colombia.

Thank you for the support