“The thing around your neck” can be linked to many different topics going from adaptation to stereotypes and even racism. These are very controversial and serious topics, which I have to admit have never really affected me so far. I have lived in 3 different countries so far, but it was only European countries and the last time I moved was 6 years ago so I hadn’t really had any big problems of adaptation to a new country so far since it is so much easier to adapt yourself as a kid rather than when you are grown up. The only thing I actually face is stereotypes and racism (much less than stereotypes). As an international student who likes joking with his friends, I of course face stereotypes. Many of the joks we do with my friends are related to stereotypes about our origins. For example me, I am French, with also Greek and Algerian origins which atributes me the stereotype of an arrogant selfish person who dresses well and drinks wine for the French “part of me”, a broke hairy and loud gay philospher for my Greek side and an overly patriotic thief and islamist fundamentalist for my Algerian part. This gives me 3 gateways of stereotypes and gives people 3 times more facility to joke about my origins. I really like joking about stereotypes as long as it doesn’t get too personal and offensive; joking about our country’s stereotypes can be another way to show your friends that your are interested in their culture by joking about it as long as it doesn’t turn into racism. Racism which I also did face sometimes in my everyday life. I have a face which could make people think I could come from wherever. And in Belgium, people usually see me and expect to be morrocan or souhtern European. This exact thing put me in some delicate situations like during this summer when an old woman dropped her bag by accident and started yelling “don’t steal my bag you arab” when I leaned down to pick it up for her.