MIRAMARE

29/06/08 Have you ever had a sensation living in a fairy tale? MIRAMARE castle seems like a castle from a fairy tale. This eclectic edifice was built between 1856 and 1860 according to the wishes of Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg. It is surrounded by the extensive park (22 hectares) that is located on the seashore and was designed by the Archduke. The cliff it was built on at that time did not have any vegetation and because of that it was cultivated with numerous tropical species of trees and plants. If you want to relax, there is a nice port and beach of Grignano not far from the castle where you can bathe in the sea enjoying an amazing scenery! What can I say more...simply spectacular views that I already got used to:-) !

FILMING CREW FROM BRUSSELS

23-24/06/08 This morning I had special guests in the true sense of this word. Well, they are not guests but let's say special people. That is Stéphane and his shooting crew from Brussels. During these days I had the possibility to taste the life of a film star and to tell the truth, now I know why actors and models are so highly paid:-) You have to repeat some scenes several times and from different angles, the camera is often near your face, you have to wear a microphone that looks like a bomb and seems to explode soon, you have to wait till the barking of a dog stops and when the sound of the bells vanishes in the air, you have to prepare a cup of coffee 4 times and only then you hear the word ACTION. It sounds annoying, doesn't it? Despite that, when you make friendship with a camera, you start having fun! There was one moment during the shooting when I felt like Julia Roberts in the film " Pretty Woman" :-)Frankly speaking, Stéphane and his film crew were very nice people and it was a pleasure and honour for me to work with them. Thanks to my employer, Adriano Ruchini, and his organisational skills, the filming set was arranged in beautiful places of Gorizia, also while having lunch and dinner in the restaurants located in eye-grabbing places. As you can see, hard work was combined with pleasure, otherwise, what would be Italy without "dolce vita"?:-) The next day was dedicated to filming in MINERVA and in the castle. That day I was giving the presentation on the COMMUNICATION IN THE COMPANY and it was my first debut in public in Italy and...in Italian, of course...:-) Those two days were full of intensive work and memorable moments...The work is done and now we shall wait for the final result of this work.Good luck for you Stéphane in making an interesting video!

MY BIRTHDAY

12/06/08 This year my birthday "caught" me in Italy...In the morning I woke up and heard the sound of a delivered SMS. It was Ilaria. Her greeting reminded me that today I have to celebrate! Later followed other SMS's from my Lithuanian friends and I felt that this day they are with me wherever I am. The distance can't change the relationships if they are really strong and profound.
After entering the office, my colleagues greeted me with AUGURI (congratulations) kissing me on both cheeks, and it was pleasant to know that they are aware of the fact that today is my birthday!I was really satisfied and sat by my computer to start my work...After some time all colleagues gathered by my computer greeting me once again and gave me a beautiful orchid and a fantastic present that was a real Italian coffee machine. In addition to this, from Anna and her family I received the desired book of Susana Tamaro which I wanted to read in Italian...and... inside the envelope PER KRISTINA there was a birthday wish in Lithuanian:-) In the evening, after work, my colleagues came to me to have a toast for me and to drink CHAMPAGNE. Grazie, grazie, grazie for making my birthday a special day!

SAN GIMIGNANO

01/06/08 Approaching San Gimignano I can see distinctive towers. While in other cities, such as Bologna or Florence, most or all of their towers have been brought down due to wars, catastrophes, San Gimignano has managed to conserve fourteen towers of varying height which have become its international symbol. It looks like a town plucked from a fairy tale and set into the Tuscan countryside. Spectacular!!! It is nice to be again in the square of Cisterna and in piazza del Duomo. The atmosphere is lively, people are relaxed and walk along the narrow streets and at that moment I realize that I am filled with a sense of FULFILMENT. I cannot describe exactly that feeling but I FEEL…the subtle beauty of this town has touched me and I enjoy my psychological state…

WEEKEND IN TUSCANY

31/05/08 Here I am, in Florence. The city of Florence, which is found between the banks of the River Arno and the hillsides dressed up in olive green, is extremely captivating. It is the cradle of the Renaissance Era, the native birthplace of Machiavelli, the Medici Family and Michelangelo and chock filled of art, history and culture. I would call Florence the city of bridges. Its oldest bridge, the only one left standing during World War II is the world-famous Ponte Vecchio, filled with jewelry stores, of course. I feel great there not only because of its culture…Florence conquered my heart 8 years ago and many events in my life had made me return to this magnificent place. By the way, there is a great GELATERIA (ice cream parlour) where the ice-cream melt in your mouth at once leaving a sweet and rich taste in your mouth. Mmmmm….Tomorrow we are going to San Gimignano, the town of the beautiful towers. Viva DOLCE VITA!!!

LITHUANIAN FRIENDS

24/05/08 What a nice feeling to meet people from your mother-country! It seems like you have never been away...and communication is so fluent and warm that sometimes you don’t need words. It’s enough to listen and feel vicinity...

PLEASANT TURN-UP

19/05/08 Today I had another surprise! I had an official meeting with a deputy mayor of Gorizia, Fabio Gentile. After a formal speech he welcomed me in the Lithuanian language. I thought he had learned some phrases in Lithuanian just for this special occasion but later I discovered that the reason was different.
His wife is Lithuanian and you can see that TUTTO IL MONDO E’ UN PAESE (the whole world is just one country).Thank you, Adriano Ruchini, for a nice surprise! Life is full of surprises and that is the best part of it! Otherwise, life without mystery is like a flower without smell!

MY COLLEAGUES

16/05/08 My colleagues are nice people. Elena helps me to learn new things, Neva is always ready to explain the details of the work and Daniela who is working next to me never refuses to give advice when I have some questions. I don’t know them all very well. It takes some time to know people and, of course, you have to be open to them. Time will show…

MY FIRST WORKING DAY

12/05/08 Good morning, Europe! Today is my first official working day. I am excited! I have many questions in my mind. Is MINERVA waiting for me? What about my colleagues? I am ready, MORE than ready to contribute to the work of the company and bring some fresh wind in the working life of the staff. Here I am. I went to MINERVA with Ilaria Sicilia, my Eures Adviser and Luca Cipriani, the head of the office “Centro per l’Impiego”. We were met and welcomed by the president of MINERVA Adriano Ruchini and presented to the company’s personnel. Later my duties were indicated and my job started. Wish me GOOD LUCK! :-)

DAILY ROUTINE

08/05/08 I don’t want to write about my daily routine. Who cares? So I’ll try to be as interesting as possible and will write only about significant events…Today nothing special…I am getting used to the Italian lifestyle. Good night!

GORIZIA

07/05/08 What can I tell you about Gorizia ?Well, Gorizia has now become a model of integration and cultural exchange while Transalpina square, which is both Gorizia’s and Nova Gorica’s (Slovenia) administration, is a symbol of unity and friendship between nations. The Castle of Gorizia is today a robust and articulate construction in the shape of a pentagon around the wide Court of the Lanzi. I love walking there because it gives me a feeling of history and different emotions. There are beautiful parks and gardens and I can enjoy a beautiful landscape riding my bike along the coastline of the river ISONZO...

FIRST SURPRISE

04/05/08 Today I had an amazing experience. My employer Adriano Ruchini brought me to a little airport and there I had my first SURPRISE. He himself piloted a small plane and I could enjoy a panoramic view above Gorizia, Trieste and Slovenia. Amazing! Forests, mountains, the sea, houses and magic tranquillity. Later the journey by car followed…vineyards of il Collio, Cormons and small villages of Slovenia. A beautiful region and really worth visiting! What are you waiting for:-)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

02/05/08 Good morning everyone! What a beautiful sunny day! First of all I would like a cup of wonderful Italian coffee…by the way, I love Italian food, it is fresh and various. Later I will go to visit Ilaria my Eures adviser and get some information. It is always a pleasure to talk to her. If you imagine that in Italy people work little and have a lot of time to enjoy themselves during lunch time, you are very wrong!!! They really work a lot and eat in haste. First comes the duty and only later pleasure (prima il dovere, poi il piacere). This fact returns me to reality and reminds me that I am not on holiday:-)

ARRIVAL IN ITALY

30/04/08 Hello everybody! Finally I am in Italy. Do you want to know how I feel? A lot of emotions overwhelm me…satisfaction of being chosen, excitement, sadness, curiosity. I am here just for a couple of days so my impressions are very fresh and superficial. I still have to reconcile myself with the idea that I have to forget my previous life and start creating a new one here. I know that everything will be fine but I still think about the life I left behind…in Lithuania…enough…I have to go forward!!!!