Financially (In)dependent...what a problem?

Being 22 years old, having a bachelor's degree, being about to finish your master's one and being still financially dependent on your parents is a problem these days... isn't it? Well, it surely is at least for me.

It is not that you want to be still under their "umbrella" but a combination of the Greek mentality (both for the children and their parents) and the uncertainty that professions like International Affairs Specialist etc cause to you. I will focus more on my field of studies (International Affairs etc) because i am not in a position to write about other fields.

Now that i am about to finish my Master in International Relations i start getting worried about my professional career and i think that's normal. What is not normal at all is that i still depend on my family in order to cover my expenses. Since i was 17 i have been doing various jobs, internships and voluntarism: waiter, administration officer, intern in economics, intern in Embassies and volunteer for UNESCO and others. Guess what, i got paid only when i was a waiter and a secretary. All these internships in International Organizations, Embassies, Ministries etc are UNPAID. It is the first thing they mention in bold letters in the description of the job. I then wonder WHY? I mean, it is an internship with a prestigious International Organization, for instance the United Nations, with a very good budget...why aren't you get paid? I forgot to mention that in order to get that internship you have to have an excellent CV and probably some years of work experience..which means you have to be at least 22 eh? On top of that, if you get the internship you have to work either in New York, Geneva or cities with a very high quality of life, thus very expensive! So here is my question: If ones dad is not rich. will he/she be able to acquire the experience provided by the internship with the UN? and if the daddy is rich, is it given that he will support you? and until when he will support you? I think that this is a major problem for young people like me whose studies are more abstract than specific (ie law, medicine etc).

I dont have any solution to that problem (or better, i do have but its not that someone will read my blog and will try to fix the problem)! I am writing about it because i believe that there are thousands of young people like me out there with the same concerns...

To get back to the point, if you are financially dependent at your 22, with an uncertain professional future, high ambitions and little chances to obtain the required work experience in order to get a serious job in the future, then you are driven to look for alternatives in your life that might not be part of your dream. Or- there is another solution- you continue studying with the hope to cover your lack of work experience with academic knowledge! True eh?

That's the point where the parents get into the picture! If they are good*, they support you in one or another way. If not then you have to get the life into your own hands.
* I put that star there cause i am of the opinion that being supported by your parents for a long time is a catch 22. You get used to that and you want more and more every day, month, year! How long is that gonna last anyway???????

I have the impression that many issues have been raised in that post and i am not sure if i made myself clear!Anyway, i enjoyed putting my random thoughts on the blog and i look forward to my next post tmr!

Greeko!

My first words as a blogger!!

Hi everyone!

Before I start writing anything on this blog, I think I should introduce myself first! My name is George, I am 22 and I am from Greece. At present, I am a postgraduate student at HKU studying International Relations and Chinese Foreign Policy. However, from September 2008 and for the next 2 years I will be in Geneva, at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. I will attend the MIS programme( specialisation: International Law). I recently received the offer letter and I just can not wait to go there!!

I started to be interested in blogging thanks to my best friend in HK, Ben! He has an amazing blog about his adventures in HK. I have to admit that he is a very good writer and i became a fan of his blog from the very begining of our friendship...i read it every single day after reading the BBC news online!

So, here I am. I know that it took me almost 8 months to decide if I want to start a blog or not but there is something in my mind that tells me to take that step! To tell you the truth, a year ago I had no idea what a blog could be, yet that's what life is; a source of knowledge and experiences...

There will be no specific theme for that blog! Not only intellectuall stuff about Politics (as my friend Nikki says) or shallow things that make no sense to the people that will read this blog. I will try to maintain a balance between experiences of my daily routine, international issues of great importance and finally thoughts that may be thoughts of other people as well. My goal is to make the people who will honour me by reading this blog, to feel better in any way!

Last but not least, I would like to apologise for my english! I know that there will be mistakes, but sorry guys...I am not a native speaker!

Well, I hope you liked my first words as a blogger and I will talk to you soon!!

Greeko!