Thanksgiving og artikler

Igår, d. 22. november, var det Thanksgiving her i USA. Det var en rigtig hyggelig oplevelse at være med til at fejre. De sidste par dage har der ligget en meget stor kalkun i vores køleskab og ventet på denne dag, og igår blev der ellers serveret mad til den store guldmedalje. Kalkun, kartoffelmos, sovs, stuffing, yams (kartofler med skumfiduser), brød, diverse salater, græskar/æble/chokoladetærter med is og flødeskum. Hele familien var samlet her i huset. Min værtssøster Kayla kom hjem i onsdags, hvilket er rigtig hyggeligt, da hun er den i familien jeg bedst kan lide, og vi har allesammen savnet hende, men nu bliver hun heldigvis til d. 3 januar. Ellers var alle de internationale elever her, alle mine værtssøskende pånær min værtsbror, deres 5 fætre, onkler og tanter og bedsteforældre og så selvfølgelig mine værtsforældre.
Inden maden skulle der siges tak for maden, da det jo er det Thanksgiving går ud på, og vi stod i en rundkreds med hinanden i hænderne, mens min yngste værtssøster Julia på 12 sagde tak. Meget amerikansk! Efter det var der ellers dømt spisning og jeg tvivler på jeg kan spise noget de næste mange dage, selvom der er rester til flere uger!
Men Thanksgiving var faktisk rigtig hyggelig i modsætning til mange andre amerikanske ting, hvor amerikanerne ikke har tid til at sætte sig ned og hygge sig som vi er så vant til fra Danmark.

Ellers sker der ikke så meget i den her weekend. Eli er hos sin familie oppe i nordcalifornien, Cecilia er i Portland og Elena er i Carpinteria syd for Santa Barbara, så der er ikke rigtig nogen at hænge ud med. Har dog lovet Kayla og en af de andre internationale elever, Jacky, at vi skal ud og finde nogle venner til dem, da alle Kaylas venner stadig er på college og hun er den eneste, der er tilbage i Santa Barbara. Lidt senere fandt vi så ud af at Jacky faktisk ingen venner havde, så nu skal vi ud og finde nogle venner til dem. Det skal nok blive spændende.
Igår nat var der også det der hedder "Black Friday" som er et kæmpe udsalg kl. 4-5 om morgenen hvor folk står i kø i flere timer. Anastasia spurgte om jeg ville med og det var egentlig meningen jeg ville have taget med, men jeg var alt for træt, da hun og hendes kæreste tog afsted kl. 2 om natten. Hun ringede senere og fortalte at det var helt sindssygt dernede (i Ventura syd for Santa Barbara), hvor der var flere 100 meterlange køer og folk lå i soveposer etc. for at være de første til at komme ind. Hvad man dog ikke gør for at spare lidt penge. Skøre amerikanere. Men Anastasia kom hjem med omkring 10 kæmpe indkøbsposer her til morgen, så hun har sikkert sparet en masse penge.

Jeg lægger også en artikel som jeg har skrevet ind, hvis nogen skulle være interesseret i at se den. Den er fra min journalistik-klasse, hvor jeg satte mig for at finde ud af, hvorfor der dog er så mange svenske studerende på SBCC. Jeg fik 95 ud af 100 points for den.

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The Swedes are here

The invasion has started! Blonde hair and blue eyes and the sound of a Nordic language are no longer a rare thing at SBCC. In fact, it’s the second most common sight on campus this year. The Swedish students are here to stay.
Last year there were 121 Swedish students and this year they are the second most common group of international students at SBCC.
“The location of SBCC and the climate in Southern California is definitely a reason why so many Swedish students choose to come here,” Maria Bernander, 22, says. The blonde-haired and blue-eyed woman grew up in the country herself where the winters are just as cold and dark as the weather is warm and sunny in Santa Barbara. According to Bernander, who has worked as an intern at the International Students’ Office since August 2007, popular TV shows such as the O.C. might also have an influence on Swedish students’ choice to go to California to study. She says that most Swedish students like to travel and see the world after they graduate high school and therefore choose to study abroad for one year.
“I think it’s because of the word of mouth,” Bernander says when asked how Swedish students hear about SBCC. “Some Swedish students bring new friends over here, too.” Bernander also points out that the Swedish government provides Swedish students with grants of approximately $1000 each semester.
Many students from Sweden travel through a travel agency called IBS. IBS does a lot of marketing in Sweden to persuade students to study abroad, and they send out catalogues to all students that are old enough. According to Bernander, most Swedish students choose to travel through IBS because it gives them a sense of security and also because they meet other Swedish students that way.
And exactly the fact that they get to meet other Swedish students through IBS is a reason why Bernander thinks a lot of them tend to gather in groups of Swedish students only.
“They create a Swedish community,” Bernander says. “I did that my first year at SBCC, too. You don’t feel as homesick when you have friends from your own country around you. American students might not know how it feels to miss your home country.”
However, Bernander recommends that the Swedish students get to know other international students and American students, too, for example through the International Students Club which she runs with 3 other international students (read more about the club and different events for international students on: http://www.sbcc.edu/international/index.php?sec=1&subsect=45). The club is open to both international and American students.
Even though the Swedish students might tend to gather in groups of Swedes only, Bernander is sure that they are doing well at SBCC. “Do you want the Swedish stereotype?” she says and laughs when asked what reputation Swedish students have on campus as she is referring to the country’s many blonde-haired and blue-eyed people. According to her, Swedish students are liked by their professors because they are hard-working and have good English skills when they come to SBCC. She says that high school in Sweden takes one more year than in the US which makes the Swedish students prepared for college.
But Bernander also admits that because Swedish students might dress a little differently from other international or American students and because they tend to stick together, they can seem a little intimidating.
“But I think that we should take advantage of the fact that there are so many different nationalities at SBCC and in every class.” According to her, all students are the same whether they are from Sweden, America or China. “I would recommend for everybody to get to know the Swedish students – and international students from other countries, too,” Bernander says.
You can read more about international students and the international students’ program on: www.sbcc.edu/international