A Tale Of Two Exchange Students

Two exchange college students — one from Denmark, the other from Korea — sit down and go over their observations about lifestyle in America, such as their thoughts on American dentistry, the myth about gun ownership, and the sheer quantity of drive-thrus.

By Jon Wick

Mia Pederson is a 16-12 months-old exchange pupil from Hinnerup, Denmark, a tiny town about three hours northwest of Copenhagen. She arrived in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as a junior at Manitowoc Lincoln High School, in August, 2009. I had a opportunity to sit down and inquire her about the experiences she’s had in her travels, as properly as her first four months in America.

Can you tell me about daily life in Denmark?

I am from a small town, genuinely modest. We have only a single grocery shop and that’s about it. To do anything at all, genuinely, we go to Arhus, a town about 30 minutes away and it has everything.

Frequently, Denmark is a very family-minded spot. We commit lots of time together enjoying games and hanging out. My dad is the principal of a college and, considering the fact that it is a compact school, our classes are only about ten college students. It’s so little that he is also is a teacher there. My mom is a nurse in Arhus. I also have two younger siblings, a 13-yr-outdated brother, Tobias, and Laerke, my three-12 months-outdated sister.

In which have you traveled in your life?

I have been all more than Denmark — it is a compact nation. Traveling in Europe is very easy it is like going to various states. So I have visited significantly of Europe, together with France, Spain, Norway, Italy, and Sweden. Every 12 months my household would travel to a new place, so I have also been to Thailand, Malaysia, and America.

Your preferred?

I believe Bangkok, Thailand. It’s a big city, and I don’t get to too several huge cities. It was just crazy, so that was great.

Denmark is known as the “happiest place on earth.” What a let down coming the U.S., eh?

Ha! I do miss it, but it’s dwelling. We really do not truly consider about being the “happiest place” really substantially. Because currently being in America, I comprehend how great Denmark is, though. I feel men and women who say that, search at our no cost overall health care and no cost colleges. From birth to nursing properties, other than elective matters like plastic surgeries, they are all taken care of. With school, you can go wherever, every time you want. Truly, my mom went back to school just to get smarter, and many people do that.

There is also not a quite large distinction in economic amounts like you see right here there is quite very little homelessness in Denmark. Along the line of variations, I guess we are a very neutral country, also. No one is truly an enemy of Denmark. We just try to get care of our own company.

I miss it, but I know I’ll be back at some point. So I want to get advantage of the expertise right here.

What was the procedure like in purchase to be able to come to the U.S.? Are you going by an organization?

I might have been a minor bit of a specific case. I knew exactly where I desired to go and with whom I was going to keep. My host relatives basically hosted my father and uncle when they had been students, as well. The organization referred to as STS (Pupil Travel Providers) was suggested to me when I very first started looking into this.

It can get a great deal of time, and there is a good deal of paperwork, but it is well worth it to be certain a excellent expertise. One of the neat items about STS is the meeting that is organized with all of the exchange students coming from Denmark, so that we have contacts though we are right here. At that meeting, we heard from old exchange college students about their occasions abroad, all so favourable, and I’ll have to do that the moment I’m household. Now that I’m right here, they comply with up with newsletters and information and facts.

You said your father and uncle did an exchange. Has travel been a part of your lifestyle?

Yes. We normally consider journeys. We have a household sabbatical presented by the government, perhaps a different purpose we are so delighted, ideal? Fundamentally, prior to your little ones grow up, you can take a 6-month leave from your operate and you are guaranteed to have your work, no matter what that is, when you return. Some men and women pool all of their children’s time collectively and consider a serious long trip. That may well add to the high quality household atmosphere.

Most importantly, how is your time here going?

It is going quite, quite nicely. Anything is just a lot more thrilling and far better than I had imagined.

College was hard to get used to. It’s really various than what I’m utilised to, and it took some time. I’m from a small college the place we all know just about every other like a family. Now my science class is more substantial than my whole school in Denmark.

There are so lots of variations. My school was substantially freer: we identified as our teachers by their first title, our classrooms have a huge circle table and no desks, and we can speak and go over extra freely rather than raising hands and asking for permission. Oh, and if you have to go to the bathroom, you just go, there are no passes or bells. There are also no tests, only finals.

My school days are behind me, but I know which I’d select.

I like both methods, definitely. Here, you have a set routine. It is rigid, but knowing what is going to happen all the time is great. On the other hand, I also like the Danish surroundings with more freedom and equality with teachers. It is much more cozy, but I would say I like each.

What are some of the strangest points you have come across?

White teeth, unquestionably. Everybody has them here. Perhaps since visiting the dentist is cost-free in Denmark, individuals do only what’s required. I didn’t see that coming. I would also say yellow taxi cabs. I know they are not exactly strange, but they’re pretty awesome, and I rode in one particular when I was in Chicago.

. . . and a blanket with sleeves. You just do not have to do something by yourself. There appears to be an invention for every thing.

Have any of your stereotypes of America/Americans changed?

I learned I’m a victim of the motion pictures. I imagined all Americans have been going to be big, which they are not, and beautiful like the motion pictures, but they’re not. It does not even make sense pondering all people is fat and wonderful at the similar time. As in Denmark, however, everybody is an person, but general persons do care much more about how they seem here. You just cannot judge individuals anyplace. I wouldn’t say there is a sure “American” appear.

What are a couple of points you have learned here?

So significantly! Wow. I’ve most likely learned extra about myself than something else. I’ve turn out to be extra outgoing. I uncovered out that I have to make contact with other people and I have to be a great conversation starter. Residing and studying right here is a thing distinctive for me, but everyone else is just living their lives, so that has made me get in excess of my shyness. You only master items like this when you go out of your comfort level, so far away from your house and culture.

* * *

Suji Shin is in the middle of her second yr at Lincoln Substantial College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The bubbly 17-yr-previous from Seoul, South Korea, spoke candidly about her lifestyle in Seoul, the vast distinctions of the colleges, and living out her “dream” in America.

Now I’ve been to Seoul, and I can assure you it’s about the polar opposite of middle America. Can you tell me about your existence in Seoul?

Seoul is a enjoyable city. We appreciate to go to Karaoke that is most crucial. There is so much buying, immediately after finals at college we typically go to Everland Amusement Park, which is so much entertaining.

I have a loved ones of four and we all live in the same apartment. There are practically no homes in Seoul, everything goes up. My dad is an importer/exporter who travels a good deal. He finished working with Hyundai and is now doing work with cranes. My mom is focused right now on finding out English and my younger sister is in seventh grade.

College in Korea is complicated. Our finals are incredibly essential to our placement and count for just about 80% of our entire grade. Persons start off studying for them months prior to they come. It is like we have no daily life, just studying.

Why the U.S.?

I had an previous boyfriend in Seoul that went to Canada in sixth grade, and that made me want to go to yet another nation for college. I had several foreign teachers in college and I would always stick to them all-around talking . . . just to practice. They acquired me interested in America. I also view a great deal of films and Television.

I didn’t want to go to Canada because I heard they have a terrible accent, and I was studying American English, not British English.

When I was in ninth grade I located an exchange program termed CCI, but I was as well young to go then. It grew to become my dream to go to the United States so I waited to get older and waited for my father’s permission and came to America in tenth grade. I have been residing my dream here for far more than a year.

How does your expertise right here differ from your expectations?

School is not what I believed it would be. People today really don't seem to be as pleasant as I considered. In Manitowoc there are many Hmong people today, and I did not know about this. When I to start with came, I didn’t communicate really properly, and everyone imagined I was Hmong. I would be separated from everybody and I did not want to be only with the Hmong students. That was extremely tough for me, simply because I’m not Hmong, but it is superior now.

I under no circumstances expected to stroll into my very first class in America and hear a language I didn’t acknowledge. I don't forget considering, “I really don't know that language.”

Sometimes I laugh simply because when I very first heard I was going to Wisconsin, I was like, “What? The place?” I researched and only noticed cows and farms. Possibly I was a little anxious, but I mentioned, “it’s my dream, so I’m going to do it.”

Beside that, it is only a minor various from the films.

Genuinely? So anyone DOES carry guns?

Ha. That’s what my mates in Seoul asked me about when I went house. Of course not.

All round, how’s it going?

Everything is excellent for the most aspect. I have manufactured very good mates.

I nonetheless have a very little trouble in college from time to time, especially with studying, learning, and in my literature class. This is my 2nd senior year and I hope to attend one extra year to improve my English just before going to school someplace in America, I hope.

What had been some of the most significant adjustments?

You need to have a vehicle all the time! You can do anything in a car: get foods, go to a pharmacy, quit at a bank. I bear in mind learning about McDonald’s drive-thrus in school and my class had to analysis to come across out what they were. I believed it was crazy, but I forgot about them. I came right here and will generally try to remember the first drive-thru I was blown away. I seriously like the banking institutions, where you put the container in the machine and, BOOM, it flies away to the building.

Also, the school parking great deal. There is just no space for that in Seoul. I considered is was so odd after my 1st snow storm when everybody was scraping their windows off. That was weird.

What are some of the strangest items you’ve come across?

There are many, like signs (at gasoline stations) where you can alter the letters. I think Americans really like their flags, they are everywhere. Food is very distinct here: it is incredibly sweet and bland. When I went dwelling, I couldn’t consume my mom’s kimchi due to the fact I considered is was so spicy immediately after living here. I believed salads have been weird. They are just a bowl of veggies, but now I like them. There is also cheese everywhere. I like the white cheese.

Oh, also boxes at dining establishments that you can get your food residence if you haven’t completed it. I guess that is fantastic because the portions are big.

Have any of your stereotypes of America/American’s modified?

I didn’t imagine individuals right here would be so open and prepared to share information and facts.

Not everybody is fat. They may perhaps be more substantial, but there are many balanced men and women. It seems that anyone drinks so significantly soda. That is very various.

Schools are so a great deal freer. You have so substantially free time and it is extremely much less rigid. Homework is treated pretty different. You can nevertheless pass courses devoid of carrying out the homework, like learning is overlooked. In Korea, the finals are at times in excess of 80% of your grade. I like it better right here. It is substantially additional comfy, but I discover much less respect. Korea is rigid, but respect is extremely essential. I have observed people today be really rude to teachers, talking back, and I would under no circumstances do anything like that in Korea, primarily to folks older than me.

Sports activities are crucial here. I really feel quite fortunate to be capable to play soccer here. Back house, ladies are much significantly less integrated in sports activities. My moms and dads asked how quite a few women have been on the group. When I advised them it was a girl’s team they believed that was really particular. Even receiving into colleges, you need to have good grades, but also do many other items to have a superior opportunity at getting into a great university.

Everywhere is so clean. There is no litter. In Korea, you depart garbage everywhere, it is no huge deal. When I was 1st right here, I threw my wrapper on the ground with out considering and my host family members mentioned, “Suji, you can’t do that right here.” Now, I know.

What’s the best point you have completed?

Very easily going to New York was the greatest. It is quite various than Manitowoc, it reminded me of Seoul. It was incredibly interesting getting there because every person in the world understands New York. Plus, when I see videos I like to say, “I’ve been ideal there!”

I also imagine playing soccer is incredibly special. I don’t have that chance in Korea.

If there was one point you could do though in America, what is it?

I want to dwell in New York.

What are a few points you have discovered here?

Oh, I don’t know. I know I am different. When I went household, so numerous individuals mentioned factors like, “Suji, you are weird now, you are different,” or “you hardly ever did that prior to.”