Beads and Thread

The other day, I rode the metro with a handful of beads in my pocket. It wasn’t an intentional choice, but it made me oddly happy to reach for my phone and realize I had brought my work home with me. I started my internship with Atelier Daniela de Souza in February, when the weather was still cold and I could see my breath fog in front of my face. It’s been a little over a month since my first day and I’ve definitely learned a few things about the Italian work ethic. 

First things first, my process of getting said internship was fairly straightforward. I filled out the optional form on the IES Abroad website, sent in my resume, and waited to hear from the Internship Office. My CV went through a few rounds of editing and condensing to ensure it stayed within the one-page standard. Weeks later, I received an invitation for a Zoom call with IES Abroad’s internship advisor to discuss my placement. I was given a brief overview of the place, as well as the main supervisor’s whatsapp number so I could contact her about setting up an interview. It took a couple of messages back and forth before we settled on a date, but eventually I was sitting in front of my laptop discussing my skills with an independent designer. 

Communication was rocky at first, not because of a language barrier, but because I quickly found out that my boss is an extremely busy woman. I definitely had to adhere to her schedule as I planned out my weekly hours. When taking an internship with IES Abroad, you will have to take an Internship Seminar class. It meets once a week, and gives you an idea of what the Italian way of life is like. Submitting a time sheet with your normal work hours is required and only needs to be done at the start of the internship. During orientation, a separate panel for internship students gives you all the information you need to get started. 

At first, I had permanent butterflies in my stomach. Back home, I consider myself to have a great work ethic. I’m always on time, communicate with my coworkers and supervisors, and accomplish any and all tasks thrown my way. But Italy operates on a whole different playing field. For starters, the norm is for employees to take an hour-long lunch. As someone who was used to only having twenty minutes, this shocked me. I won’t complain, however, because it’s nice to be able to take a breather and enjoy the lunch I bothered to pack. 

Additionally, coffee breaks are mandatory. Even if you don’t drink coffee, it's almost expected that you will join your coworkers and chat with them. The majority of my associates speak English, but they converse normally in Italian. I try my best to keep up with the conversation, mostly listening rather than contributing, but sometimes my coworkers will pause and explain what they just said in English. I appreciate the effort, which is why I attempt to speak in Italian from time to time. 

My internship varies day by day, but my main task is to work on whatever garment needs attending to. Before I became comfortable asking my coworkers, I would message my boss directly and ask her if she had a project in mind for me. Usually she did, and she would call the store to speak with a more experienced intern to direct me in the task. Now that I’ve gotten to know my associates better, I go straight to them and ask what I can help with. Confidence is something I struggle with in new situations, so I still occasionally stand around dumbly while I gather the courage to just go up and ask someone what I can do to help. I’m improving bit by bit, and I’m excited to see how I’ve grown by the end of this opportunity.

Overall, I enjoy the work. The drag of a needle through fabric is cathartic. Building using beads and thread, creating a piece of art to be sold—it’s all very achieving. During my last shift, I was tasked with cutting off the beads from around the hem of a wedding gown. This would make it easier for the seamstress to fold over and stitch the edge. By the time I finished, beads and sequins littered the carpet like flakes of snow. I vacuumed, then crouched on the ground and picked up the remainders. When I got home, I fished through my pocket to pull out my phone only for my fingertips to brush a pile of stowaways. 

My heart swelled with pride at the realization. I don’t quite understand why, but I was glad to see that a few little trinkets had followed me home. It’s a hazard of the job, I suppose. Thread tangles in my hair and beads land in my pocket. I can’t wait to discover what else will stay with me long after this internship ends.