“I’m a curious person, I get bored quickly and I always have to make new experiences. Maybe that’s why I see myself in it China since three years”. Barbara Delprete47 years old, lives in Shenzhen since 2020 where he teaches mathematics in a university. “When you’re born, you grow up, study and graduate Puglia You already know that in order to even get a decent job, you have to leave. Removed”.
Born and raised in the provinces Tarantobachelor title mathematicsShe quit a permanent contract at a multinational company in her city, ended up in the army (“I came second out of 11,000 in the competition, there were a lot of questions about logic and mathematics”), from which she resigned after three years of service. “I left my country for the first time in 2009 to work as a software developer there Milan“. Goal London. “I didn’t run away from Italy: I had a well-paying job, one beautiful house, a good life – he explains to fatto.it -. I was just curious I wanted to have an experience abroad and England Because of the language, it was the easiest solution.”
In 2012 barbara Take advantage of UK Government Scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies to gain access to the teaching profession. The original intention was to stay a year and then return to work computer area in Italy. “And instead I stayed for seven years.” So that Barbara could live in it England It meant transportation was always on time and public places were clean and tidy Secure, See people who rarely break the rules (“Most of the time they do it because they’ve been drinking, not because they’re disrespectful”). But although his life had reached a certain stability, this was not where he wanted to stay. “I bought Apartmenthave that citizenship and the passportbut I never felt at home.”
In 2020, also due to the “impact of Brexit”, barbara decides to change scene and, after being selected at an international job fair, receives a job offer Shenzhen. Partial, in full pandemic e.g the city of 14 million inhabitants in the south China, where he now teaches at a private college. It is a metropolis that offers many charms: art exhibitionsrestaurants of all kinds, performances, exhibitions and many parks. “They surveyed 1,200,” he says, “but the numbers are growing all the time.” When the weekend comes, he says, “we’re spoiled for choice: we can go and do something.” surfing in the ocean, or a ski on the snow (do it before of course since the area is like that subequatorial)”. The only obstacle was the Covid: being allowed to arrive China in full pandemic, barbara Received a letter from the Chinese government certifying his highly specialized expertise, which the country urgently needed at the time to obtain a visa in a very special way, which at the time was only granted to certain categories given the period of people. “After I arrived, I spent two weeks in complete isolation in a centralized quarantined hotel,” he recalls. We had to report our temperature three times a day.”
Also in China In recent years, “the psychosis of the foreigner” has developed, he adds barbara. “On TV they said the virus was tightly controlled and the new cases had been brought in by foreigners passing through,” he continues. People looked at me suspiciously and sometimes I couldn’t take it taxi“. The city’s lockdown lasted “a couple of months” and all residents “were swabbed daily” and “followed with an app”. The restrictions were finally lifted last December. Today barbara He lives on the campus where he teaches: he can reach the classrooms with the elevator directly from the front door. A “great relief” for her after years of driving “a few kilometers at absurd times” by car, especially the last one in which “I drove in the direction”. London with traffic at walking pace”.
For them the biggest difference between Italy And China it’s in the perception of the world, Barbara explains. “My friends and colleagues come from Zambiaphilippines, AzerbaijanBesides that from EuropeUnited States, Australia, India. Here you really understand that your way of living, thinking, perceiving reality, speaking to others, praying to God is only one grain of sand amidst a sea of others options“.
At the moment, “unfortunately” nothing can persuade her to return to Italy. “I tried to stay – he continues with a touch of regret –: I worked for one for three years multinational Taiwanese who operated at Taranto and for a few months at a company that liked to call itself the largest IT company in the world Midday. Both offered ridiculous contracts and salaries based on the theory, “You also have to thank us because we’re offering you a job.”
In China It is different. “I know that our Culture It’s still a long way from that Chinesebut maybe we should learn from them what commitment is sacrifice in the first twenty years of life they guarantee satisfactions tremendously in the following years”. The Chinese guys are very good at it, he adds mathematicsespecially when they come here public schools. Many manage To renowned American universities. When Barbara reads about graduates in Italy who take on the job of garbage collectors to stay in their own city, she is “shocked”: “You have to do your job.” passions, should lead to the end of the world. And learn a lot.” In Italy It’s in the Midday In particular, Barbara concludes, “It is difficult to live with dignity“. But our “is a wonderful country: the climate, the food, the culture, the history, the warmth of the people: everything is wonderful. But spend the holidays there.”