Personal Interview with Elsa Abergel

By Jessica Fruehbrodt, Germany

Basic Questions

1. Where are you from and how does your hometown/-city look like?

I’m from Belgium in Antwerp. It is a pretty small city but really nice.

2. When you compare it with Santa Barbara, CA do you think your hometown is similar to this city? Where are the differences?

My home city is really different compared to Santa Barbara. The city where I come from is a lot bigger than SB. Our downtown is much bigger than State Street and Paseo Nuevo.

3. Do you have siblings? Do you already miss your family?

Yes I have one brother and one sister. I’m the middle one. Yes I miss them but I’m already excited to see them soon because I’m going back to Belgium to spend the holidays with them.

4. Have you ever been to the USA before? And where have you been exactly when you answer that with ‘yes’?

Yeah I’ve been here for a few times. I’ve visited Washington, Miami, Philadelphia, and right now I’m enjoying my life here in California.

5. Are there any other cities or state that you want to visit while you’re here in Santa Barbara?

I definitely want to see Las Vegas. That will be my last trip here in California because I’ve already been to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  

Unusual, open-ended Questions

1. What would be your first reaction if a shark attacks you while you’re surfing?

I would get a heart attack because I’m really afraid of sharks. That’s also the reason why I don’t go into the water at all.

2. You’re going to transfer to Boston soon. Why did you choose this city? Aren’t you afraid of the cold?

I choose this city because it is the biggest EF school in the United States of America and also because my best friend goes to university there. I’m not afraid of the cold because I’m used to it because it is also really cold in my home city.

3. What was your most awkward situation ever?

When I was in the plane I was talking about a girl sitting next to me and I said to my friend that I’m sitting next to the ugliest person ever. I didn’t realize that she also spoke French and understood me.

4. When you could decide where would you like to spend the rest of your life where would that be?

I would move to London, England.

5. When you would be stranded on a lonely island. With whom would you want to be with?

I would want to be there with my best friend.