29 Jul 2007 2 Comments
Goodbye Italy — finally in Bergen
As you have probably noticed lately I did not have so much time to write on the blog, which is not a news. 
Actually these last days I have been busy more than usual, because I was preparing for a great change in my life.
Until some month ago I was still a simple student willing to graduate soon, and I was living with my girlfriend in L’Aquila, not far from my family. Today instead I am a full time worker and I live in Bergen, Norway, more than 3000km far from my loved ones.
Why this radical change? After getting my Master Degree I started to receive several job proposals, like to apply for a PhD position at my university (without guarantee of receiving a scholarship), or alternatively to move to Rome or Milan and work in one of the many IT companies. Considering the working conditions and the salary, none of the offerings I received was prizing my little but intense academical and working career, but this of course is my point of view. Some friends and colleagues continue to say that this is normal, that they had the same treatment, that the labor market is like this for everyone, especially software developers… but I had no wish to accept such conditions.
I have also to say that since a long time I am stressed by all the social-political problems that are ruining Italy, but I do not want to talk more about considering that I already suffered them too much.
I received from Norway a unique job proposal, that even if it is normalized to the cost of life is much better than the others I received from Italy. A the end I made my choice, not completely conscious about the future I decided that I would come back in the city that already hosted me for one year.
How long will I stay here? Who knows, I would like to travel the world so it is not sure that Norway will be the place where I will settle, but at the moment I stay and I take the best it is offered to me.
Obviously I will miss something: girlfriend, family, friends, weather, sun, sea, cuisine, motorcycle… 
By the way, I think I made the right choice, here I have a lot to gain and a little to loose.
Goodbye Italy, you lost a brain and gained a tourist.
Aug 01, 2007 @ 11:49:24
Alex!
hai operato la scelta piu’ difficile da fare ma la piu’ redditizia dal punto di vista socio-economico.
per capirci…solo chi ha le palle quadrate e’ capace di far una scelta del genere!
tra qualche mese quando verro’ a bergen ne parleremo….
ti invidio!
un abbraccio da hull!
ah….spulciavo sul tuo sito per vedere come avevi impostato il CV dato che tra un po ho un colloquio di lavoro in un ristorante e per fare bella figura ho pensato bene di prendere spunto dalla tua impostazione.
ciao bello!
Aug 03, 2007 @ 21:50:03
It’s nice to see you back in Bergen again Alessandro!
You’ve taken a big step in your life by coming to Bergen to work. I’m sure it has not been easy for you to make this decision which may be regarded as one of the big changes in your life I think. What this will eventually mean to you only time will tell, but I’ll hold my fingers crossed that it was a smart move for you to make.
I’m sure you’ll miss many things about Italy while here, and that Bergen sometimes will be far away from home. You’ll have the opportunity to experience both happiness and joy here, as well as disappointment and regret. Being young and ambitious I expect you’ll gain a lot of experience from your time here and grow as a person, and hopefully see that the time invested here will contain both quality and results that if not immediately then eventually will be cherished by you, and seen as time well spent.
Some tips btw… the weather can be unpredictable so dress like an onion… the sun can sometimes hide quite long, so cherish it with every opportunity… Also when there is a laptop in front of you
Even though winters here a preferable spent inside, remember that in summer you can read the newspaper outside almost as long as you want. And to be honest (I’m totally biased) there are few things as pretty as Bergen with all its colors when the sun finally decides to appear 
I guess I’m in part to blame you ended up in Bergen for this phase of your life. I wish you all the best of luck, and I’m really looking forward having you as a coworker here.
Velkommen tilbake til Norge!