(quote from Haruki Murakami)
10th of June in 2018:
Hello everybody.
This is my last blog entry, which will also end this blog about my work experience in Belfast. It has been ten days since I arrived back in Berlin. Before concluding this journey by writing this article, I went to school and went back to my usual life habits. Now I want to share some last experiences and words.
What I’ve learned during my work experience the most was how to deal with different situations. I had to face a lot of difficulties like problems in accommodations or communications misunderstandings or else, which nearly made me cry.
In my accommodation, it was hard to feel like at home because the first room was mouldy and second I missed the privacy in my shared room sometimes. I’ve wished I had one or two hours for myself to retire.
Did I improve my English language? A little, I think, because I didn’t talk much English, which was also frustrating. I used every opportunity to speak English, but in my eyes, it wasn’t that much. I feel like I stagnated there. But let’s see what the results of the language certificate will answer my question.
Sadly my host company there wasn’t an IT company, but the colleagues were great. They welcomed me warmly, and I tried to fulfil the task to my best, which I got there.
Belfast is a beautiful city, where you can reach everything by feet and has a lot of green areas. For me, it is healthy to walk that much, because back in Germany I used to use the public transports. The people are amiable and open-minded. I will miss them here in Germany. I want to come back one day.
What I didn’t like about Belfast, was the way to deal with trash in general. Belfast doesn’t have a waste separation, which made me uncomfortable. I felt terrible, always throwing everything in one trash bin.
All in all, I have to say I’ve enjoyed my time here. Thanks to this two months I got to know my classmates much better. I am grateful to it. It was relieved to be free from all the duties which I have at home. To stay independently is such a great experience, which I recommend to all of you.
Thank you, Erasmus, for offering me this opportunity to did this work experience. Thank you to my instructors, who allowed me to go. Thank you, Volunteer Now, for taking me as a trainee. Thank you, the school, for helping with my documents. Thank you, my classmates, who made this time in Belfast unforgettable.
-Huong Giang-