# 05
Photo and concept by © Rob Venom 2022
I was born in Brindisi in April 1984. I lived in Apulia till 2007 and after my graduation in Communication Sciences, I moved to Emilia Romagna to attend a Master degree. Emilia Romagna and Reggio Emilia are cities where I spent almost 10 years. There are both very lively areas with plenty of small-medium sized companies so I started to work there after few months of liking the place.
Initially I worked in the publishing industry part-time whilst I was attending the University and finally in 2011 I got a full-time job in a recruitment company. Even if the industry I worked for is different, I am passionate about media that’s why I wanted to collaborate as journalist for the local press.
Also, I recently opened a YouTube channel, that was an idea I was thinking since 2009. My resources, in terms of technical equipment are quite limited, however I think that if you don’t start you cannot improve!
What do you do in your life in London?
Currently, I work as consultant for an IT recruitment Company here in London. It is very similar to the type of work I was doing whilst in Italy.
During the weekend, I love walking around the city, exploring and discovering new places. Also, I am a quite passionate food Lover (after all I am Italian aren’t I! ). I love trying food from different cultures. It’s always a good idea to try new small independent restaurants or markets around the city to help really understand the different cultures.
What is the reason to leave Italy and come to London?
I moved here at the end of 2015, the main reason was the fact that I was gradually losing enthusiasm in what I was doing. Reggio Emilia is a nice city but it quite difficult to stay there if you are not born there or if you don’t have a strong reason to stay. I was born near the sea, in a sunny city of the south, and was becoming more and more difficult to justify why I was living a life away from my home and family just because I got a job there. That’s wasn’t enough anymore.
During my years in Reggio Emilia, I met a guy (who became my boyfriend) and he also felt the same way as me. Last but not least my bother lives in the UK and he strongly suggested me “to jump” in order to became more satisfied. London for us was the possibility of a new exciting life, the possibility to do something different of what society was expecting from us to do , to decide after many years of hard work that was time for us to change things as nothing was set in stone. Was the time to try .
What were your best and worst experiences in London.
I like the multicultural soul of this city. I still feel emotional when I see kids coming from different background from all over the world, speaking the same language, doing the things all together as part as one country who can welcome them all. In Italy we do have this kind of situation but we are to an initial stage I feel, we need more time .
The worse experiences I have had are more related to London life itself – like renting an house or opening a bank account.
Some situations can become quite challenging if you come across the wrong person. Sometimes people are not that flexible they seem blocked, unable to listen to you and find together a solution instead of stuck on the problem..
I asked you to choose a place in London that you like or you are tied to, what was your choice and why you made it?
I would choose a park. I absolutely love the parks available here in London.
Those massive trees, all the plants available seems to me a little miracle every time I look at them.
During your early times in London, did you have any problem?
All the problems I had where related to my confidence with the language. At the beginning there were few language barriers, and in same social situations I felt deeply uncomfortable. I am still improving and I am far away from the final destination, however I am now more relaxed about it and feel like working here in London has helped me improve! I speak to English candidates on a daily basis, all from different backgrounds, so this has really helped me.
What do you think about this project?
I loved this project since I saw it and I got to know more. I have would love to be myself the creator 😊
How do you think you could support and promote Italian culture?
Italian culture is a precious thing to me. We as Italians belong to a beautiful country full of history, culture, stunning landscapes, great food, life style.
As an Italian born member, now living in the UK, I feel like I have the advantage to merge two beautiful cultures together. I want to ensure that I learn the true British culture whilst also ensuring I do not lose my true Italian roots.
I am a “piece “ of Italy here, the best thing I think I can do to spread Italian culture is to be a good Italian citizen here.
