Lënster LycéeRoots and differences: Small parts of Luxembourg in the US (2)

While there are many more factors that make Luxembourg a great country, something that can absolutely surprise people is the mindset of the population. Not only do they enjoy a slower pace of life than Americans, but they also like to think that everything is possible. This mindset is obviously highly supported by the people around them who share the same belief, including those in the government. 

„I do marvel at how many political parties you have and how civil they are with each other,“ said Kevin Wester. He went on to tell how much he’s been impressed by the tolerance and acceptance he encountered in Luxembourg. While not everyone has to be liked or loved, anyone can find a place somewhere in Luxembourg. And while it may take some time for Luxembourgish people to open up their hearts to strangers, Kevin was astonished by the diversity he encountered all across the spectrum. He also said that „there’s just a civility with all these different parties“ – and he later on went on to explain that he was ecstatic to be able to say that there’s not only such a civility between the members of the different political parties, but also between the individuals he was fortunate enough to encounter on his countless trips to Luxembourg.

„When you lose being civil and respectful with others, it just brings down our society,” says Kevin, which would explain the possibility and privilege for Luxembourg’s residents to get to experience such a high quality of life. The government alone is not able to build and sustain such an extravagant lifestyle, it needs the help of the people it’s supposed to support. The more satisfied the people are, the better the quality of life – since they will actively seek out change, and work towards a shared goal: a good life filled with opportunities not only for themselves, but also for their children and grandchildren.

Most of the interviewees focused on Luxembourg’s culture and society, but Luxembourg is also famous for its business opportunities. Mike Ansay, a businessman who’s family owns multiple companies, such as a beer-importing company, including wine and hard apple cider from Luxembourg to the United States, pointed out the differences when it comes to making business. After having been an honorary council for over 15 years for the government of Luxembourg, Mike observed that the people in Luxembourg are less trusting and more skeptical when it comes to the people they do business with. Like many others, he had to not only prove his business acumen and competence for the job, but also himself.

„In the United States, everybody is in your face, trying to do anything they can to get to business, but in Luxembourg it is a different protocol of the culture,“ says Mike. While he thinks that both the Luxembourgish and American markets are great for business, he stressed that there are not a lot of things that can create problems in Luxembourg, since it is more stable (but also less competitive) than in the United States. In Luxembourg, everything depends on your mannerism and how well you follow the etiquette. Luxembourg‘s business culture is very formal and is based on a sacred hierarchy – and the separation between business and personal life.

Dan Pieper, who is currently learning more about his roots and how they are connected to Luxembourg, has not been to Luxembourg yet but was surprised to hear that it is possible to tip too much and that it is considered disrespectful. While the unspoken etiquette is considered common knowledge in Luxembourg and the countries surrounding it, it is something completely new to the people living 4,778 miles or 7690 km away. On the other hand, Luxembourgers would be blown away by the level of competitiveness Americans take pride in. The level of competitiveness one can find in Luxembourg is nothing compared to the one that spreads over the different States in America.

This competitiveness is not only found in business but also in sports and education. While the majority of schools mainly focus on the grades and then the extracurricular activities of the students, schools in America make a point of encouraging students to play as many sports as possible and join as many teams as they can. In Luxembourg, grades pave the path of their future, whereas in the US sports and extracurricular activities take over that role. Luxembourg values people that know how to learn and study, while America more so focuses on how active and involved they are in the community. After having the exchange students talk to college and high school students from Wisconsin, many have observed that the two systems have their main focus set on different things, while still encouraging and honoring other factors.

The exchange students were encouraged to eat lunch with athletes of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. The volleyball team was more than eager to switch seats and joyfully invited the students to sit at their table, while the football team cheered them on upon their arrival in the cafeteria. The conversations were anything but forced, and both the students from the university and the exchange students were genuinely interested in each other. „Is this how you guys make friends? You just sit at someone’s table or you walk up to them and talk to them?,“ was a question the teams were frequently asked. Their responses were mostly the same: „Yes! Obviously not everyone is as outgoing as we are, but you can just walk up to people and they‘ll most likely talk to you, and maybe you guys will eventually become good friends.” This obviously is not the case for everyone, but it is in fact a thing that is often seen in Wisconsin

Kevin Wester had previously stated how proud he was to be able to say that his great-grandfather came from such a civil, accepting and tolerating country as Luxembourg. While all of these things can be seen as true about Luxembourg, Mike Ansay‘s comment about how skeptical and suspicious the people in Luxembourg are would not be considered wrong either. Having to prove yourself and your intentions can be a long process and even though it is good to not blindly hand out one‘s trust, maybe Luxembourg could take a few things from the student‘s exchange.

The lifestyle in Luxembourg couldn‘t exist without its culture, society and the hard work people put in to achieve their goals, but maybe one could take some time to appreciate all the different aspects of life in general that are oftentimes considered „normal”, such as fresh and clean tap water or the free public transport. On top of that, maybe not only opening your mind, but also your heart for new people and new experiences or unknown stories, could cause less pain than some may think. After all, this is not only a great opportunity for the students who get to experience a different way of life, but also for the people they left behind in Luxembourg and will soon return to.