This week we will learn more about EVS in Estonia as we get to know Giulia Marullo 23 years old, from Italy. She does her EVS in a Kindergarten in Tallinn where she gets to learn a lot from the kids.
What was your main motivation to do EVS?
After two years of working in different jobs in Italy, I was not satisfied with what I was doing and felt the need of change. I was just too serious, some weekends, I even worked up to 16 hours! So I said to myself: Let’s just go out!
I found out about EVS and thought it is the best option to develop myself and get the change I was looking for. I just wanted to do something different. I felt way older than I was and thought: Let’s go back to the start. By working in the kindergarten, I hoped to become funnier. And everything you do with kids is more beautiful.
Is there any funny story you want to share?
Since I am in Tallinn a lot of funny stories already happened. Just yesterday, a girl was drawing some circles. As I can’t speak Estonian, I did not understand what the drawing was about. When I asked her, she told me it’s me, Giulia. I wondered a lot, if this drawing of circles has any meaning, but in the end, it was just her imagination and had no hidden meaning.
It is also always funny when I speak some Italian with the kids and they do not understand. That always creates a lot of laughter. And working here showed me that what I consider “normal” is not consequently for the people around me “normal”.
Is there anything people in Estonia do, which is not “normal” for you?
Yes, many things. Food here is really unusual for me, especially because Estonians put all the food on one plate, while in Italy for example, I would use a plate for my salad and a plate for my pasta.
Did you choose Estonia or did Estonia choose you?
Estonia chose me completely. I first wanted to go to Poland, but then I heard about Estonia and now I am finally here :).
I am really happy with the way things went, because Estonia is so different from Italy and therefore I had to and can learn a lot. I still have a cultural shock every day.
What did you learn so far? And did you feel big change?
Yes, now I am a completely different person than before my EVS. Also thanks to the children and my friends here. I definitely learned to be more patient because of my work in the kindergarten. But the work with the children also helped me to understand basic things. I do not even know the person I was a year ago.
Giulia Marullo stays in Estonia for 12 months within the project ”Education through Experience III” which is funded by Erasmus+ European Voluntary Service programErasmus+.
