After arriving at Malpensa airport on the 3rd of January, I have only spent a few days in Trento, but I have already made friends and acquired memories for life. When I first landed at Malpensa (Freno), I thought the air in all of Italy would be as smoggy and dirty as it was here. Upon arriving in Trento, I understood why doctors used to ordain a trip to the Alps to cure respiratory issues. The air here is so fresh and although the winds are at times ice cold, the air is so clean that I would think this is the cleanest region in all of Europe. Trentino's recycling and enviroment programs seem to have made a difference. I currently live with Amaya, Anaelle and Ercan. The view from the balcony is wonderful, and in the mornings you can hear the chicken across the river cackle, you see the Faculty of Engineering up on the mountain and have a perfect view of the alpine mountains surrounding Trento. The apartment holds a good standard of living, but I am still very careful when using the gas stove. The first days here were moments of cultural shock, before I came here, I heard that Italians were loud, but this is only true in the cafés and restaurants. Even if you don't speak Italian, and the elder generation of Italians aren't as proficient in English, they will go out of their way to help you as much as they can. They are a very hospitable and loving people. The autobus in the urban area can get very crowded, for me as a Swede who is used to standing 1 - 3 meters away from strangers, having a stranger right in front and behind of you is odd to me. Even at bus stops in Sweden, they usually don't even share the bus stop but rather stand outside. I am also amazed at the price in Italy, for me everything feels extremely cheap. The IVA (VAT) isn't low and is most of the time being at 15-20%, but I feel more free that I have so much variety to choose from at a low cost. One kilogram of gnocchi di patate for 1 Euro? It's a a dream. One thing I must admit to not liking is their continued use of cash currency, many cafés don't have card readers and will only accept cash as as payment. I would think most of Europe today prefers bank or debit cards to cash, and hearing the coins in my pocket is a pet peeve of mine. Tuesday (martedì) was my first day at the InCo office, the office itself is very properly decorated with well thought out interior, my coworkers are gentle and always a helping hand in times of need. My Italian studies are progressing, but at times trying to learn from what strangers in the street are saying can be hard, as Italians very often speak fast. I try to read one newspaper article in Italian every day, as I believe written Italian is a good start for understanding and eventually mastering the language.
Part of the office after everyone went out for lunch
