“Slow down!” Meliha Kaya, of Turkey, said. This phrase is uttered on an almost daily basis in our apartment. The tendency to talk fast and slur words together is one common to anyone speaking their native language, though it is apparently particularly prevalent in Americans. “You have what people think of as an American accent,” Timothy Daniel, French, said. “You talk fast.” A lot of misunderstandings can be avoided with proper enunciation and slowing it down. This is obvious to anyone who has tried to learn a use a different language with a native speaker, but it is very difficult to remember when you are the native speaker in question. Excitement also makes it difficult to slow down. I challenge anyone to try and calmly and slowly say, “The huskies are here and we can drive the dog-sleds to the top of the hills to see the Northern lights let’s go!” My self-control is not strong enough for that. In this case, sign language and dramatic gestures and grins get... ...

Encountering stereotypes is an inevitable part of meeting new people. Meeting new people from other countries just means there are more stereotypes to work through and be aware of. For Americans, there are two big stereotypes to be aware of. First, Americans are stupid. This one is interesting because I have yet to encounter it directly, but I have been asked if I have had any problems with people who believe this stereotype. This implies one of two things: either people are aware that the stereotype is a ridiculous overgeneralization so no one actually believes it, or I have a flashing sign saying ‘not stupid’ floating over my head making people think I will disprove the stereotype every time I encounter it. When asked what it is that perpetuates the stereotype that Americans are morons, the most frequent answer is reality television. Understandable, if my only encounter with America was Jersey Shore, I wouldn’t be impressed. Another component which is actually rather amusing is geography. We are notorious for not... ...

“Get involved” is the mantra of any college or high school advisor. “Set foot on campus and become fresh meat for clubs and organizations that need new suckers to do heavy lifting” is a little long to fit on motivational posters. The mantra stays in the background, like those ‘buy shirts’ songs that play in Kohl’s, but it never quite leaves. After nobly resisting, the boredom of the previous semester fueled a desperate application for a Växjö International Students board member position, which I got. New suckers? Check. Did I get some heavy lifting or tedious jobs shoved onto me? Yeah, that happened too. Since I was expecting it, I thought a preemptive volunteering gig would be less risky. Turns out the trip I volunteered to arrange got its date changed, so instead of a month to arrange it, I had two weeks. Thankfully, last semester’s crew did a lot of the legwork on the trip so I just had to pursue their old contacts to renew some old deals... ...

An interesting trend in Sweden is recycling drop machines at grocery stores which accept certain plastic, aluminum and glass items. After tallying the refund amount the machines spit out a receipt which is turned in to the cashier for cash or to be put towards any purchases made. The ease of access and immediacy of savings make this a top option for students looking to save a little. Another option is to save up the receipts until a certain goal is reached so splurging on more luxury purchases—like ice cream—doesn’t dip directly into the food-fund. Even more convenient than the machine’s location is the route between it and my apartment, which passes straight through the main party zone on campus. Cans and bottles with the proper symbol for the machines to process can be picked up off the ground on the way to the store, easily saving 6-9 kroner per trek. Sunday mornings are especially lucrative. This convenience can grow out of hand though. When the first thought hearing about... ...

Three years ago there was a big fuss over a small-time country singer who made a shirt out of an American flag. Words like disrespect and treason were bandied about. Apparently, no one in Europe cared about that story, as nearly every clothes store has something with an American flag based pattern on it. Tank-tops, sweaters, scarves—I have seen more people wearing American flag-based merchandise in Sweden than I ever did in the States! This is a common fad in Europe, my Polish friend assured me as she showed off her American flag print bag. Here I was, thinking my Captain America backpack would make it obvious I was from the States. If anything the obviously America-based pack has helped me blend in. It especially helps if, should someone ask why you got it, the reply is something along the lines of ‘it looked cool’. Don’t make the mistake of thinking all these young people boasting stars-and-stripes scarves are politically aware and supporting America’s policies. Most share a marvelously similar... ...

Last year’s Breaking News Editor Suzanne Craig chronicles her adventures while studying abroad in Sweden. Food is more expensive in Sweden than in the U.S. It’s hard to notice at first due to the currency conversion rate being so high, but after a few weeks the pinch to the pocketbook gets noticeable. This leads to money-saving efforts. Walking instead of taking the bus, remembering to bring reusable bags instead of paying two kroner for a plastic bag when you shop, small things like that. Another idea was to get a job. Getting a job in a foreign country where you don’t speak the native language is pretty difficult. Depending on your skill set and what you want to get out of it, you could just be out of luck. Thankfully, my main concern was the high cost of food and boredom. Spending hours a day consciously wondering ‘Should I really go for another run around the lake’ is not conducive to immersing yourself in a culture. It’s conducive to going... ...

One would think, being on the other side of the planet and all, it would be difficult to get a hold of the current presidential debates. If only it were so. Instead, escaping the presidential debates and the exclamations of “oh but you’re an American, what do you think?” requires an intimate knowledge of the bus-system and a talent for dodging the question. If dodging the question requires throwing another American to the wolves, so be it. Politics is a dirty game. Two weeks ago I received an e-mail asking for an interview regarding American politics and the presidential elections from a local journalist. After consulting with other American students he interviewed, it appears he wants to try and guess who will win based on the Americans he questions. Good luck with that, Mr. Johansson. At first the interview seemed like a neat idea for the simple novelty of it. After a week of questions and listening to the debates on the city buses’ radios over and over again I... ...

Last years’s Breaking News Editor Suzanne Craig chronicles her adventures while studying abroad in Sweden. Student discounts are pretty common, but going on trips managed by student organizations aren’t necessarily such a good deal. Depending on the trip you could end up spending more than if you had gone by yourself or with some friends while not being able to spend your time however you want and instead following a set schedule. Some trips are worth it though, so research ahead of time is a good idea. Unless you are one of those lucky people who can fling money at a problem until it gets fixed, the money you save can be worth the time you spend. An example is the Glass/Moose trip the local international student organization (VIS) set up. It was 150 kroner for the day trip, which is about $25 and it included a tour of a local glassworks, a couple hours in a glass-outlet mall for lunch and a moose nature reserve. Most of the cost... ...

Culture-shock refers to the period of time where you have gotten used to day-to-day living and are starting to see the parts of your new culture which grate on you. Kind of like being in a relationship–first it’s all hearts and flowers because they’re wonderful in every possible way and then after a while you notice they tap their fingers on the table constantly and if they don’t stop right now a pencil will appear in their eyeball. Fortunately (or not) there is no such target for culture-shock aggression besides random members of that culture. They don’t know that the way they argue for a cheaper postage rate for twenty minutes is the most infuriating thing that has happened on an already cold, soggy and miserable day. Chewing gum helps. When frustrated, the tendency to chew faster results in biting your tongue, causing pain and providing a distraction from the frustrating behavior of other people. Another thing that helps is finding a place where you feel comfortable outside your apartment.... ...