Ok, so I know I said I wouldn't post anything till after I get back from my trip this weekend, but this could not wait. Tonight, I had dinner at Norby's house with him, his niece, Tammy, and her friends Michael, Andy, and Marie. They are all about 16 or 17 years old, and are legit local Luxembourgers (the best source of information about people in Luxembourg).
So after dinner, over coffee and dessert, we had a long chat about all of the differences between America and Luxembourg. None of them had ever been to America, so it was fascinating to hear what they thought of our country. So basically, here is what they knew about America:
1. You can drive when you're 16. They all think this is crazy. They think it's even crazier that you can start learning to drive when you're 15 and a half.
2. All they see on television about America is Barack Obama or obese people. So, they think all Americans are fat. Please note that I'm not blaming them for these opinions (true or false), and that I just think it's interesting to see the understanding that they have of American culture.
3. The only Americans they ever see in Luxembourg are the Miami students, and they said that they have never seen students who were not drunk. But they were very sympathetic about this, and seemed to feel bad for us, since we cannot drink until we're 21.
4. They think all people from Texas are crazy and own guns. I have no argument against that fact (just kidding) (but not really).
5. When I asked what was the first thing that comes to mind about America, Andy said, "Spring Break." I explained how much of a giant holiday this was, and how everyone goes to Florida. They also wanted to know about other American holidays, so I explained how big the 4th of July was. Also, for all my Miami friends, I explained to them the importance of St. Patrick's Day, and also about Green Beer Day in Oxford.
6. They do have at least a basic idea of American geography. They all knew where New York, Chicago, California, Florida, and Las Vegas were. But, they didn't know where Columbus, Ohio was. I don't blame them.
7. They thought it was crazy when I told them that there are no trains. All of Europe, trains rule, but we have no real passenger train system in America.
So, these were just some of their base observations about America. Mostly, they said these opinions had been formed from media such as "The Simpsons," the "American Pie" movies, and the news. I talked to them a lot about some of the differences I had already noticed, and explained some of what I thought were interesting parts of American culture.
Our university systems are vastly different. Marie was telling me that when you are 15 in Luxembourg, you basically have to pick your career - because then you go to school for that specific profession. I explained that I switched my major just last year, and that it was no big deal. They were very interested in the party culture in America, and I tried to handle that as accurately as I could (since I'm not exactly the world's biggest party animal). They had no knowledge of the greek system at college campuses, so I was explaining fraternities and sororities to them, which was surprising for me.
All in all, it was awesome to get an opportunity to talk to young people from Luxembourg about everything they knew about America, and to talk to them about my European experience so far. Norby was telling me that many people who come to study to Luxembourg have a hard time really learning from the locals - due to less openness from Luxembourgers. I told them that if you come to America, specifically in the midwest where I live, that everyone is extremely friendly and outgoing.
None of them, except Norby, has ever been to America, but I told them if they ever want to come visit, just let me know, and they can come stay with me in Oxford or Columbus. All of them spoke English very well, even Tammy who has only had it for two years at school. It was much better than my Luxembourgish (for now - I'm determined to make progress). Anyway, I need to pack and get ready to go to Brussels and Bruges tomorrow, so I have to go.
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