Interview with an expat: A language school adventure - Part 2
By Agnese Roda
About Paola La Serra
› 29 years old
› Italian Language teacher
What do you think about Amsterdam?
Being an Italian in Amsterdam is a great experience; fun, discovery, freedom, freshness and chances are the terms to describe it!
First impressions?
Amsterdam is such a beautiful city! Here, you can do what you really want to. Put simply, if you have a project in mind, people will hear you; they are open to suggestions. Apparently, this is a great opportunity, especially for Italians today.
Why did you come to Amsterdam?
I moved to Amsterdam for love - my boyfriend is a jazz trombone player and he is studying at the Conservatory of Amsterdam - and job opportunities. When I came here, I did not know exactly what I was going to do, but I wanted to work as a teacher - back in Italy, I was a high school teacher.
So now, apart from my collaborations with Mrs. Corrina Manara (theatre workshop for Dutch adults) and psychologist Mrs. Giovanna D’antonio (activities for children and parents), I teach at:
› the International School of Amsterdam
› the British International School of the Netherlands in The Hague
› Studiolingua (children course)
Sounds like a busy schedule..
Quite! I work all week long - sometimes during the weekend too - but there is always time for concerts, jazz jam sessions, museums etc. There is always something to do in Amsterdam!
Any suggestions for the expats?
Do it yourself! The Netherlands is an open country but you have to go out, search, and find out what is going on; fortune favours the brave!
Agnese enjoys interviewing people with a story to tell, a project to unfold, a dream to share… always with an amazing bottle of wine selected for the occasion.
For Manuela and Paola, Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto DOC Ammestesso 2006 was chosen.
Tasting Pignoletto is tasting regional grapes grown in solitude; an unforgettably sweet feeling of distant hills and the patience required to get up there.
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