Exchange students in Swedish university cities probably always live in what a somewhat partially own world were connections spread from the hard tongued Germany to the wide softish U.S. This wedding in San Sebastian gathers many people together in a small town about the size of Uppsala but just a little bit more exotic of which many got to know each other during their studies in exactly this Swedish university town.
Probably as a matter of their own situation as being exchange student they form a long lived friendship as that. For a regular Swede with an own social world this other sphere is easily missed. It is just convenient to continue to live in one’s own world isn’t it? But it is obvious that if they knew what they missed then integration would be favoured!
There are movements in Sweden that don’t want education to be free for exchange students since it isn’t in many other countries. Probably it’s usually the same persons that favour investments in promoting Sweden abroad. There’s an obvious connection. It at least appears as though it would be better to provide free education to exchange students than to spend it on guys to promote by chitchat and priced smiles. Exchange students might not finish their studies, they might not tell anyone of their experiences or even have any good thing to say about Sweden. But at least it’s their opinion. If we are to spend on telling the world who we are, let’s do it by giving others that opportunity in an more honest way.
