From Croatia to Bologna
My name is Ozren Kanđera. I am 28 years old and I come from Croatia. As most people of my generation, I have spent my 20s trying to find myself, thinking about what I want to do with my life. I have a degree in translation studies in English and Russian languages, but after I graduated, I somehow ended up working in an unrelated field. I have always had a strong urge to live abroad and work on projects that would contribute to communities and the society in general, so when I saw the advert for the EVS position in Bologna, I knew that my time has come.
Working and living in Bologna is great. Sure, there have been some things that have taken me some time to get accustomed to, mostly the language barrier, but in general, everything is great. For that, I have to thank my roommates, who are also EVS volunteers, as well as all the nice people I have met. They really make me feel like I am home here.
My life as an EVS volunteer is pretty interesting. During the day, I work in the social centre Antonio Montanari. There, I work with older people. I help them to organize their activities and I participate in their workshops. I also teach them English, which means that I am getting practice for my profession. In the evenings, I study Italian and hang out with my roommates. I am also trying to meet as many new people as possible because I really like being part of the community in Bologna. Weekends I like to spend travelling to nearby places, such as Florence or just climbing the hills outside of Bologna. I mean, more often than not, I spend my weekend in bed, ha ha, but in my defence, during winter it’s not particularly appealing to go out. As the sunny days are getting longer and warmer, I know that my EVS experience will be even better.
Working and living in Bologna is great. Sure, there have been some things that have taken me some time to get accustomed to, mostly the language barrier, but in general, everything is great. For that, I have to thank my roommates, who are also EVS volunteers, as well as all the nice people I have met. They really make me feel like I am home here.
My life as an EVS volunteer is pretty interesting. During the day, I work in the social centre Antonio Montanari. There, I work with older people. I help them to organize their activities and I participate in their workshops. I also teach them English, which means that I am getting practice for my profession. In the evenings, I study Italian and hang out with my roommates. I am also trying to meet as many new people as possible because I really like being part of the community in Bologna. Weekends I like to spend travelling to nearby places, such as Florence or just climbing the hills outside of Bologna. I mean, more often than not, I spend my weekend in bed, ha ha, but in my defence, during winter it’s not particularly appealing to go out. As the sunny days are getting longer and warmer, I know that my EVS experience will be even better.