When getting to know new cultures one must be aware of stereotypes. The first thing you learn is not to expect the German blonde to strictly obey the rules and not to talk only about sex and pasta with the Italian guy. So, what about stereotypes about Erasmus students? I would like to give you an impression of a typical Erasmus day. It is full of subjective impressions and politically incorrect statements that bare the risk of endangering narrow-minded thinking.

The typical Erasmus student lives in a bedroom the size of a closet. Through the paper-thin walls she hears the passionate phone call of one of her seven roommates, talking about how much he misses the lasagne  from his Mamma. The smell of burned potatoes is accompanied by barking commands from Dieter, who tries to rescue the international dinner that is planned for tonight. The typical Erasmus student has just finished her morning Yoga and packs her laptop to bike to the beach. With headphones, sunscreen, and freshly pressed papaya juice she is ready to listen to the online class about French history, while working on her summer tan. She stops by at Jean-Claude’s boutique, where he sells his local produced goat-milk soaps to discuss the negative impacts on biodiversity of the recently planned supermarket’s enlargement. The question is if an orange sign attracts enough attention at the upcoming protest or if the banners should be light red. Her feet are still hurting from the seven hours hike through the vineyards from the day before, so she takes her book “misunderstandings in international negotiations” and waits for her friends to meet her at the park. With an emptied glass of white wine in the left hand, the discussions about future dreams regarding how to save the world become more and more philosophical. The day ends with nine different hair colors from seven different countries swimming naked in one blue ocean, watching the sun set at the horizon.