Having spent the past 16 days in both Malta and Italy, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and I am appreciative of CIBS for providing me with a scholarship. In these 16 days, we were fortunate enough to visit and interact with four Italian businesses. Each business, while ranging from food production to technological advancements, was able to provide some form of insight into the Italian way of life and how they specifically conduct business.
While visiting Callipo Group, we were able to see first hand the manufacturing process of the tuna cans and just how much effort goes into production. One of the biggest identifiable factors I noticed in the factory was that every employee seemed excited and genuinely happy to work. They mentioned the familial aspect of the company and how many of the workers had been there for decades. Because the company created such a positive and familial environment, they have been able to increase working conditions and keep their employees happy and eager to do their jobs. Thus highlighting that Italian companies focus on their employees well-being while being able to maintain steady production of goods and services.
By means of engaging with Italian individuals, almost all were willing to help. If ordering at a restaurant or communicating with someone on the street, they always offered advice or translation help to ensure we were able to effectively grasp the language. Not to mention, if an individual found out we were from America, they immediately started asking questions about our country or tried taking pictures of us. This of course was completely harmless, they were just interested in learning about our culture and always ended up asking me why I lived in Texas as opposed to somewhere like Italy (I never quite had a rebuttal for that question).
I would not say I came into the country with a certain perspective or thought of anything in particular, however, I did have a couple initial impressions that were not accurate. One specifically was that most items purchased were going to be costly. Upon doing further research and understanding the less touristy areas, I found that I was able to purchase food items or souvenirs for a very reasonable price (if I did not go to the most touristy place). Another initial impression was that most individuals would not be willing to help me. This stemmed from one interaction that I had with an individual at the beginning of the trip and could not be further from the truth. Although that interaction was not particularly pleasant, almost all of the locals I ran into were more than willing to lend a helping hand or show me directions.
I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to study abroad and I cannot thank CIBS enough for their generosity!
