(Mar. 27) – A law degree opens many doors: you can become a lawyer, a notary, a magistrate, choose to teach in high schools, try a diplomatic career or focus on private banking, insurance, consulting firms and companies. But there are those who want to look beyond, who decides to change their lives for their dreams and aspirations. Michela Congiusta made this choice, leaving her town, La Spezia, in Italy, for China: “I graduated in law at Pisa, and I continued to attend forensic classes in Genoa and Viareggio until I left for the East. When I chose to leave – Michela continues – I didn’t know what to expect: in Italy I left a steady but underpaid job without future prospects, but there was nothing waiting for me in China, so it was like a shot in the dark”. “My plans right now are to expand my legal knowledge by attending a master degree in business here in Beijing and then working in a law firm specializing in international trade,” she explains. “I’m attending an intensive course in Chinese language and culture to help myself in everyday life.” The only difficulty seems to be the distance from her loved ones: “I arrived in Beijing last year in January and don’t often come back in Italy. Apart from that, a young Italian abroad will not find great difficulty to settle down – says Michela Congiusta – and the desire for new experiences represents the right incentive.” The young Italian woman also met young migrants in China, ready for new adventures as she was: “I know many Italians who study and work here. However the East – she says – is not one of the main destinations of the new migration. Those who come to Beijing to study or work stay for a very short time.” Michela does not deny some initial problems when she arrived in Beijing: “The difficulties I encountered were related to the different cultural practices: from eating with chopsticks to get used to see people spitting on the ground. For all the rest, the Chinese are very similar to Italians, – admits Michela – both people are chatterbox, have family worship and love pasta.” (Gil/Peg)
