Meeting Myself Through Trieste

This story is part of the literary competition created by In Trieste magazine in collaboration with Comune di Trieste called “Stories from Trieste to the World” which was open to all female writers living in Trieste as part of the annual “Festa della Donna” initiative by the city of Trieste.

by Smritirekha Talukdar

It was a warm November morning when I glanced last at the black iron gate of my home back in India. Unsure of what the new place would be like in reality, I remember scrolling through every social platform to see, feel and understand Trieste as much as I could when I would be studying, eating or hanging out with friends (even!). Investigating on every single source there was in internet to look and feel the place, I had an idea of the blue sea, the rainy winters, the city cuddled by hills, mesmerizing Piazza Unita, Ponte Rosso and the canal, the historical influence in the place and the calmness and gleefulness in people. I was so excited! The car started towards the airport. I saw my mother with tears in her eyes as I was to leave home for the first time in 24 years of my life. I was still their little daughter and they couldn’t believe it that I was going to be on my own in a foreign land where I was still a novice in uttering the words in their language. 

The airplane landed in Ronchi dei Legionari airport and I was tired, excited, slightly worried because I was concerned more about the pillow that was in my luggage that I had brought back from home. It was, is and will be the most special pillow for me and I couldn’t lose it in any way. I’m a weirdo but yes at that moment I wanted to make sure my pillow was okay more than anything. I finally got my trolley bags and I received a message from my professor that he was waiting for me in the arrival section. Oh, how I’ve met the kindest people on this Earth from then on! I lived in an Airbnb for the first month and that was the best decision I took for myself rather than booking some hotel. I felt at home there. I learnt to make Gnocchi, we talked about our cultures and I tasted wine for the first time in my life. I could only mingle with them after my quarantine but my room was in the attic and I could tip toe and see the city lights through the window. 

The best memory that I could recollect was of them asking me to cook something before I left and I told them I could make chicken in an Indian style and a special rice dish called Pulow. I was strangely nervous as well as confident that it would turn out good but the fact that I never cooked chicken ever before in my life terrified me a little bit. They invited two three more people as a special dinner and I just took all the tips I could from my mom. I knew they liked fresh chicken from the farm so that was another adventure for me as the guy spoke Italian but I didn’t. Well, Google translate saved the day. That evening was simply perfect. I prepared the meal and maybe it’s true that if you cook with your heart and soul into it, it will always turn out good. They absolutely loved it and I was jumping with joy inside of me and I felt so proud of myself. I was very happy.

People tell me of how I’ve been lucky but to be honest everyone is so kind here that my heart fills with gratitude that I don’t know how to repay. Once it happened that I didn’t know how to operate the self-serving coffee machine as I had never operated that specific kind of machine before. The man standing beside me explained in Italian with hand signs and it resulted in a spilled cup of coffee cause apparently, I had chosen the wrong cup. He smiled rather and explained me again on the next cup and later when I went to pay found out that he had already paid for the spilled cup of coffee. How can someone be so nice!

There have been days when I wouldn’t feel at my best and all I needed to do was to go for a walk and stand at the end of Molo Audace and stare at the wide blue sea and listen to the waves. The sea has always a different story to tell. Sometimes it would be calm and the jellyfishes would come to say hello while sometimes the sea would be dramatic and beautiful with waves gushing as Bora brushes the city with her touch. 

Trieste has been a city of firsts for me and I wouldn’t have wished for any other place. I can’t wait to grow more with you, Trieste. Thank you for allowing me to meet myself.