Text: Inge Corino
Because of Covid-19, Bea had to change her thesis plans and start with a long literature study at home. ‘I wasn’t very successful at first, and spent a bit too much of my time finding distractions, whether that was watching Netflix or simply going for a walk.’ So she’s really happy she’s able to go to the lab again to perform some experiments. ‘I go to campus two or three times a week for a few hours. You have to reserve the lab you’re going to use, because only a limited number of people are allowed at a time.’
One of the forms Bea’s procrastination took during her time at home was watching Dutch children’s TV. It has been helping her learn the language. Grinning: ‘That made me feel a bit less guilty about not writing.’ Bea is Italian and has wanted to learn Dutch since she first got accepted for Wageningen. ‘I knew I would stay here for at least three years and so I really wanted to communicate and understand the culture well.’ But university life got too busy for her, and she postponed taking language classes until now.
My Dutch is still very basic but I’ve just subscribed to an actual course and I’m improving rapidly.
Bea spent last weekend in Limburg with her boyfriend’s family. ‘I think I was very talkative. I even told them, if I talk too much please tell me,’ she laughs. Her experience with a Dutch family has been mostly positive. ‘It was somewhat weird that they put the salad on their plates together with the pasta.’ Bea’s plan is to stay in the Netherlands after finishing her study. ‘My second choice is Germany, but definitely not Italy.’ Going back to Italy would mean she would have to build up her life again. ‘Plus, I have already lived in that country for more than 20 years.’