“Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”-The theme of Milan Expo 2015 Missed CWG in New Delhi, but not Expo in Milan Ever since I first landed in Milan in 2010, there was this buzz in the air about a big event called the Milan Expo […]
Life of the eternal Nomad Born in India’s Tech Capital, Bangalore in 1987, the earliest childhood memories I recall are from my early seven years in God’s Own Country, Kerala. Living in Kottayam & Cochin as a non Malayalam speaking kid, I picked up English […]
I love internships so much that I did 4 of them for over 1 year 3 months across 3 countries.
Why so much of enthusiasm to work for nothing or just mere peanuts? Working for the sheer joy of gaining experience and not for any monetary gain allows you to work at some really great places that would otherwise not be able to fund your job position considering that you really have not gained much experience to offer in return. You meet many mentors who take the extra step in helping you out. As a young intern, every one assumes that you are hungry and you thus can enjoy some really great food interning around the world.
As a regular employee, you can forget getting spoilt by some of this extra attention.
Here is my story of Internships starting out from India from my very first “Training” experience as it was called.
Duration: 3 months
Company: BHEL Hyderabad (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Engineering, Turbines etc)
My first internship at BHEL Hyderabad will teach me the basics of what is expected at the work place. I am talking about a good appetite for lunch time. An opportunity for me as a mechanical engineering student to get in the production floor and learn more of how things are actually done in the industry. First experience, understanding work culture and developing technical knowledge.
HIGHLIGHT DISH: South Indian Thali generous in rice and chutneys (Price: Company Canteen 30 paise & 5 Rs meals)
I enjoyed 30 paise (100 paise = 1 Indian Rupee, 1 US/EUR cent = 60-80 paise, so 30 paise = 1/2 cent) subsidized lunch at the workers canteen which served the best south Indian vegetarian lunch full of rice, sambhar (like dal but tastier if done right), vegetables and interesting chutneys. The food was so good, that I traveled over 2 hours to reach work everyday. Taking the newly established Hyderabadi MMTS/ Local train to travel all the way from Vidhyanagar to the BHEL township at Lingampally. I could have also paid 15 times more (5 Rupees) and had even some Chapati at the Officers canteen. But devouring good food with a bunch of other hungry people after strolling around huge production shop floors all day was an other feeling.
Duration: 3 months
Company: Minda Corporation Ltd (Automobile Accessories manufacturing OEM)
Working with the R & D Design team at Minda Corporation, Noida served as a great opportunity to transition into a serious employee under a management inspired from the Japanese. The design team of over 20 would head down for lunch together and then spend the rest of the lunch hour outside on the grass to warm ourselves under the sun before we head back to our air conditioned premises.
HIGHLIGHT DISH: North Indian Vegetarian Thali (Price: Company Canteen, Free)
The meal at Minda was so simple, nutritious and tasty that I would again find myself traveling all the way from Delhi to Noida everyday to try some nice UP food. Best thing about Minda was the birthdays. Every once in a while when we had a birthday, the guys would rush down and bring over some nice refreshments including tasty Samosas and Kachoris with Gulab Jamuns, Chips and Coke. Big teams ensure a very collage atmosphere and I remember making loads of great friends at Minda even among the senior managers. We spoke about films and all kinds of stuff during our common evening Chai breaks.
Duration: 3 months
Company: Dubai International Financial Center (Financial regulatory organization, Macroeconomic research)
Hoping from Engineering to Finance, i could not have asked for a better internship to get the ball rolling. At DIFC, I would be expected to bring in much more value working in an international context, and thus I would need to be replenished with a healthy dose of proper Hyderbabdi Biryani and Lebanese kebabs.
HIGHLIGHT DISH: Too many choices at the Dubai International Food Center like Kebabs, Salads, Fish & Chips, Sandwich, Indian non vegetarian food like this biryani below etc. (Price: from 20 to 100 AED)
DIFC is clearly the winner when it comes to great lunch time. Accommodating to the diverse expats working in the Dubai financial sector (Financial hub for the MENA region), the restaurants cater to the best of the taste buds from across the world.
Duration: 6 months
Company: Mercer Consulting (Investments & Retirement Consulting)
Finally, my last Internship at Mercer, Milan for 6 whole months. Felt more like full time work actually. Best thing about interning in Italy is that you eat good. You are lucky if you receive buono pasto or vouchers for a full course Italian meal. Eating good lunch everyday at work is what leads to the great Italian results. A good meal is of top priority to the Italians. Though often due to busy work loads the guys might just grab a quick Panino or Sandwich. Having sampled great Italian food not only in Milan but all over the North of Italy, I was still constrained with choice as I do not eat Beef and and Pork. My red meat comes from only Sheeps and Goats, and boy was I lucky to have visited the hilly Sheep laden region of Abruzzo with the guys from Mercer.
HIGHLIGHT DISH: Usual meal at the Platz a real nice lunchtime Italian restaurant that serves great food in the price range of < 10 euros per dish.
Food in Italy is kind of like this:
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Benefits of Team Work: Omnipresent I walking home from the supermercato in Milan on a typical rainy winter day. Was soon going to appreciate the simple everyday learnings of life. Stuff that is imbibed in all of us subconsciously but nonetheless has to be highlighted […]
Saved from pick pocket by mysterious Italian ticket collector So many adventures to blog about when your parents visit you in Europe all the way from India for the first time. The latest adventure was a pick pocketing incident which happened at the most unlikely […]
As a 29 year old Indian male living away from home for most part of the last 11 years in different cities and countries, often needing to adapt to local customs , I have always found living with people very beneficial in learning a new language, culture and idea or just to gain motivation from some body else’s energy.
La Taverna Aquaviva is a name chosen by me for the apartment I am sharing for the last 3 years in Milan, Italy. During my stay here, I have met many interesting people.
Made many life changing decisions career wise, added a lot of value to the society capitalizing on skills gained and am currently so happy with my stay here that I write an other blog describing behind the scenes of sharing apartment space with other people. My previous stay at La Taverna Rossi Bonardi is another story of a younger me that wont come all easy on a blog. Too explicit.
“Behind the mighty oak desk, sat the oldest of them all, a quite Bocconi veteren from a distant land in the east. The excited new tenants from Salento and Sicilia where full of energy, relishing the grand space in the study pimped up with music, and old piano, the old but comfortable couches and the two big tables across the room that have held several drinks during our earlier occasional Italian Great Gatsby parties hosted by Pietro the Pugliese.
Lately the international crowd have returned. The new tenant, a Croatian Architect student and his international buddies from Politechnico show up often. The large space that currently hosts two bloggers on a Saturday evening can be a party paradise as well as a great study room that fosters creativity and idea exchange.
Michele from Catania, Sicilia feels very inspired from his stay here. He has taken up to blogging and has begun to question things around him like never before. But where did all this come from?
Some of these ideas as new and radical may have very well originated from a previous tenant who no longer lives here. But everyone have left behind a legacy for others to follow.
Captain Milan Ka Raja is from the distant land of Hyderabad. He is the oldest tenant and has served many years of life in apartments across the city.
Living with different people, looking at all of this experience as a hazy map to a Treasure Island imbibed in his head.
The recession in Italy helped sustain a competitive culture with mass mobilization of people towards opportunities. Milan served as a hub for all those ambitious voyagers seeking out for their treasures in life. Over the years, Captain Milan Ka Raja has seen many individuals arrive at the Taverns. Most leave often to a much better life enriched with the experience.
The old Captain himself learned to speak Italian and has worked in several great jobs. Building life long relationships with people he would hardly have met otherwise. The shared apartment creates an optimum balance of comfort and uncertainty. This is very important for young graduates to adapt to as it simulates a competitive life. You learn from your flatmate and you also influence them with your harebrained schemes like writing a Blog on a Saturday evening.
As of 18th March, 2017, this silly blog has fully recovered the cost of its 1 year domain. Next goal is to recover the cost of hosting. Then, I recover the cost of Pizzas eaten while building this blog. The positive thing is the earnings grow exponentially. Like they say in Italian: Vediamo!
Read more interesting stories at milankaraja.com
Milankaraja knows the best. Look no more. Bushlark could be the ultimate travel app.
Milan apartment cooking experiments: Behind the scenes Indian expat living in international Milan tastes the most exotic food from across the world. The best thing about apartment sharing life is the cooking. Everyone who initially starts sharing apartments is very interested in cooking and sharing […]
Clean and Green Milan Skyline That is me in front of the Bosco Verticale or Vertical forests, the sexiest looking residential building in Milan. I never referred to a building like that before. But with diminishing forest cover in our cities, the idea of these […]
