Veronika P    Stop memorising, start understanding!

What is your favorite word in your language and why?

ぶっちゃけ This is a Japanese word meaning “frankly”, “honestly”, “to be blunt” and it stems from 打ち明ける or ぶち明ける, both meaning “to confess something”. It’s very used by Japanese people on a daily basis and I find the consonant gemination gives the word a very cute sound.

What is your favorite dish from your hometown? If you no longer live there is there a good local restaurant that serves it?

My favourite dish from my hometown is bomba fritta. It literally translates as “fried bomb” (which makes me chuckle every time I think of the literal translation) and it’s a small, round piece of fried bread filled with ham and pasta filata cheese. It’s very cheap (under 2€ on average), you can find it in most coffee shops both in the morning and in the evening, and it’s quite filling.

Besides the languages you teach, do you speak or study any other languages?

I can speak English, Spanish and Italian fluently, and I also speak Hungarian, Polish, Korean and Chinese to some extent. I am currently trying to learn Czech, as my fiancé is Czech and I’ve recently relocated to the Czech Republic for him.

What are your interests outside of teaching at Strommen?

I personally enjoy singing, shopping, travelling to places, making new friends, drawing and learning foreign languages.

What do you consider your hometown? Why do you love it?

I consider Giarre my hometown. Although it’s small and old-fashioned in many respects, I love it because it’s the place where I was born, raised and educated. It is a place where I have a lot of memories with my parents and where my father is buried; therefore, I have an important emotional connection to it.