As I am in the third year it is more and more to study but I still think I have time to do what I want to do, most of the time. This past week I went to the cinema and saw the Black Swan, it was good and it was nice to do something other than just stay home. I’ve been seeing my course mates for a pub quiz. This is something British people like it seems like. Which is fun, I like competition and it’s a fun social event. So I am integrating into the British culture.
I am called Swedish by my course mates as I am Swedish, I like my name and it shows that I am someone in my class which I obviously appreciate. However, I do like to not be considered a foreign. I don’t know why but I feel a bit offended being stamped as a foreign for some reason, even though I am. Holly in my class sees that I get offended and she assures me that she does not think of me as a foreign, just another person in our course who is called Swedish, bless :). Don’t get me wrong I understand why and all that its just that it sometimes comes in my way. Ill give you some examples:
1. The second year at uni I had a tutor who got to know that I was not British, probably my accent and the way I speak gave it away (yes, I’m working on it actually). We all in class had not brought in drafts to our class and she got a bit upset and told us off that we are in our second year and that we should be planning better. I raised my hand and told her something in the lines of us having very very much to do and that we just had a hand in that day so maybe we didn’t make her draft a priority. She understood me as an individual because she said: well, I understand you because you are a foreign and it is obviously harder for you to plan as this is your second language and all that it takes more time. My reply was (maybe sadly without thinking too much): Well, I don’t think that me being non British makes me a less good planner, I actually am a very good planner I just didn’t have time to write the full draft for today. And I am sorry I will bring it in next week if you still can consider to look at our drafts.
It makes me a bit upset that foreign people sometimes are looked down upon as they are a bit less intelligent and that they do not understand. I have been experiencing tutors and other older people talking to me as I am five years old; loud and clear in other words which is totally uncalled for.
Another experience was just after Christmas on the train to Southampton. I had my suitcase by the loo's (see I am adapting to the British words just fine) and a man just coming out from the toilets moved it. My instant response was just to look at him and looking pretty chocked and flabbergasted more than anything (in a bad way) and he said to me: I AM MOVING YOUR BAG, IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ENGLISH?? my response was (in a better English than his) yes I understand perfectly. But I do not understand. As I was still in chock I didn’t get to say what I really wanted to say which was: why you move my suitcase when you have just come out of the toilets instead of asking me to.
The third experience I have encountered was recently. I just got an essay back with a really unimpressive mark. Which is fine as I can’t really do anything other than take note of the constructive criticism. One comment was that the tutor has not taken my language barrier into account when marking it. I suppose that was kind but I have never gotten any bad critique for my language, more the opposite. So this was a bit of a surprise in the third year. I believe I am very good at English although I am not British.
I think that I might take offense as I really want to be my own person. I don’t want a label and where I am from to help or hinder me. I have experienced that enough in my life. But that’s another story...
xx
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