Northwestern recently e-mailed its graduate journalism listserv about a fellowship opportunity: "The 'Forsberg Fellowship' was established in honor of the late former US ambassador to Sweden, Franklin Forsberg." To apply, an American student must suggest a project based on one of the two topics the fellowship committee has suggested.

Choice one: "Anti-Americanism in Sweden – possibly with a broader European perspective."

Choice two: "Lack of confidence in the financial markets."

If you win, you get $15,000 to live in Sweden for two months or more.

But which topic to chose? For advice, we turn now to Joan Ochi, an American who lived in Sweden for a time. She worked at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm from 1996-1998, and later she wrote about her stay.

Some of her impressions:

About the people: "Swedes are notorious for being relatively slow to befriend foreigners."

About the restaurants: "TGIF (very expensive)"

About the groceries: "We spent close to $10 on a head of lettuce, milk, and bread, but soon forced ourselves to stop converting the bill to dollars in order to avoid going crazy."

About the morale: "The long, dark, winters, can also be hard ('SAD' is not uncommon). That said, summers–which are almost painful in their 'fleeting-ness' — are glorious. I've never been somewhere where the personalities of the people change so much between winter and summer."

We thank Joan Ochi for her remarks. To sum up: The Forsberg Fellowship will allow you to pay high prices. To reportedly unfriendly people. In a place so depressing that even the summers are painful. But of course, as in any opportunity for an American student abroad, your study will be just as rewarding as your life. Either Forsberg topic will enrich! Will you write about how much the Swedes hate you? Or about how the financial markets will keep you from ever getting a job?

Decisions, decisions. We turn back to Joan Ochi for a final tidbit:

About alcohol: "Alcohol is available only through 'Systembolaget,' government-run shops with limited opening hours (e.g. not on weekends) and is outrageously expensive."

I wonder what $15,000 can get at Systembolaget.

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