MARIA EUGENIA'S REPORT
Who would have thought it? I was in London.
I still remember my feelings when I left my family behind at the airport and stepped on the plane. So anxious and quiet at the same time. I was scared of travelling alone, but so confident of the fact that such trip would change my life.
I woke up October 24th and prepared myself for the Singing Competition organized by ESU, to be held at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Buenos Aires. I do not remember being very excited, I was not actually expecting anything. My headmistresses had chosen me to represent Jesus and Mary, on my last year at school. Of course, my answer was yes. I have always loved singing and performing and this was particularly interesting, as I was going to be tested together with other 22 contestants.
About to finish school and in the middle of a very important year, I hardly had the chance to imagine myself winning. But I did, and I cannot avoid rejoycing because it was the best day of my life.
Four months later, after stressful weeks of preparation, I realized I was really going to experience something beyond my wildest expectations: three days in London, two in Oxford and a weekend in Malvern, three different shows, a whole schedule full of cultural and vivid activities and everything for free.
When I say free I am not talking about money. In fact, I felt this trip was a gift. Getting to know British culture by living with British people is unaffordable, singing and playing Argentine Tango and Folk with my guitar 15.000 km away from home is unaffordable, being made so welcome, spoiled and recognized is unaffordable. But most of all remembering home and wanting to get back is something invaluable.
Travelling alone, at least at my age, is not something easy. You depend on yourself and you need to be accessible at all times, specially having such a tight schedule. Sometimes I went to sleep so tired I did not know how I would manage to wake up the next morning.
However, things get easier when you are with people like I was: friendly, nice, warm… people who tried their best to make me feel comfortable and at ease.
I could not be more grateful to ESU Argentina for giving me this opportunity but still could not be more grateful to ESU UK for receiving and taking care of me like they did. From the Headquarters’ secretaries, to Valerie Mitchell and my three hosts: Diane Jones, Geoffrey and Marion Goodall and Sonia and Jim Chance. All of them tried hard to make me fell good and show me the England they know.
As for myself, I tried to portray my country, my people, my Argentina from my own point of view: through my words and through my songs. And I don’t think it is merely by chance that out of nine songs, the one they liked best was the Argentine folk song, La Pomeña.
This was not just a tourist trip, a holiday. This trip I made shows that people from different backgrounds and different cultures can be united, can communicate and share their life experiences and opinions.
We are all human beings, living under the same sky, sharing the same destiny and though each of us has chosen a different path in life, this time there was no boundary of language. This time, in a definite spot in the big world, between me and people I did not know, there was complete understanding, and it was accomplished through the English language.
María Eugenia Corradetti