Jag gick ner i källaren och min hostbrorsa Patrick frågade mig "So are you excited?" "About what?" "Well, didnt mum tell you?" Och Cindy sa "PATRICK!!!" Så jag visste som vad det handlade om då... sen fick jag samtalet och fick det bekräftat att jag vunnit en weekendresa till LA!
Från början... Min organisation, EF, har en slags konferens i Los Angeles varje år, och de vill ha 4 st utbytesstudenter att komma och tala inför alla deltagare om deras upplevelser.. så vi fick skriva ett A4 om våran upplevelse, och jag vann!
Jag ska till LA med 5 andra studenter från trakten men de måste betala.. MOAHAHA! Bara flyget går på $400... och då får jag även hotell + mat betalt! KA CHING!

Här kommer uppsatsen för den som ids läsa!
I think there comes a time for all exchange students where they ask themselves:”What have I gotten myself into? Is this really what I want for one year?” These questions probably arise closer to the departure, maybe when sending in the application, getting the flight information or standing on the airport saying goodbye to the parents. For me, it was not until a few days after my arrival. Due to the stifling heat, I had to sleep and catch up with the American time with my window open. I woke up one morning because of some noise in the backyard. I looked out, seeing my host brother carrying out a cage with ducks. “Pets!”, I thought enthusiastically , and ran down the stairs and out to the backyard. When I got closer to the scene, I realized that something was wrong. The whole family was now gathered, and they had invited some friends over. The mood was good, the sun was shining, and on a piece of wood with two nails, my brother now placed the first duck and stretched out its neck. The mood was even better when the duck now ran away – without a head. Even today, this is a story I have not shared with my parents. I hope they get to see it themselves when they come over in June.
From the north of Sweden, a country that EF themselves has said is liberal in their information to host parents, the transition to a small community in Indiana could not have been bigger; from the liberal Sweden to the perhaps most conservative part of the U.S. Just the fact that the only time I’ve been to church in Sweden was in 1994 when my parents got married because we’re basically atheist can really break the ice and get a conversation going. The first weeks here I had to adapt and learn what to say and what I shouldn’t discuss. I learned fast. But after adapting, I wanted to be a part of what I had been seeing as something different for the first few weeks. I went to church with my host family, other friends took me to their church and I sang in the church choir on Christmas Eve. I think in order to get as much as possible out of the year you have to not just see what’s different, because a lot is, but try to take part of what you find to be interesting and what you are not used to.
I did not settle just with trying live the life as the ordinary white American, but expanded my view even more. Warsaw has a fairly large Hispanic population and since I’ve taken several years of Spanish in Sweden I have become quite involved in different activities with Hispanic students. It started out with a college visit for Hispanic students that I was invited to by my Spanish teacher as an exchange student. Even though I did not understand the dirty jokes in Spanish, I had a really good time and learned how to dance bachata and appreciate Latino music. I was then later invited to more parties with the same group where we danced some more latino dances and I enjoyed it! I am not just Jonas from Sweden because in their eyes I am now Joaquín.
I think the key to a successful year as an exchange student is to have an open mind and really try to get involved with as much as possible. You will discover differences everyday, and it is not wrong to let others know how it is done in your country. The trick is to not sound like everything is better where you’re from, because it is not, but to discuss differences and try to evaluate both advantages and disadvantages. Like the motto of EF say “It is not wrong, it is not right. It’s just different.” And if we were not interested in the differences, what are we then here for? I think that maximizing the experience is all about mentality, and I would love to tell others about how I have found that mentality, because I am really having the time of my life.
Snyggt jobbat Jonas! :D
SvaraRaderaJag visste inte ens att den här konferensen fanns..men det här var ju ett sjysst break ifrån den "överväldigande snön". Mkt bra "uppsats" också.. ack du äro ett praktexempel ;P
"I did not settle just with trying life the live as the ordinary white"
SvaraRaderaråkade du byta plats på life och live? ;)
Tack Emilia!
SvaraRaderaHaha ja främling, jag råkade byta plats på dem.. ha, jag råkade t.o.m. ladda upp min rough draft istället för final draft! Hoppas jag inte skickade in rough draft.. ha fast det spelar väl ingen roll :)