It's Sunday afternoon. I am with two friends waiting desperately in the cold for the train that will take us home after having survived one week in Amsterdam. We are tired, hungry, a little hung-over and want nothing more than our own beds. We are hating our lives and looking like hell.

It is then the token European teenagers walk past us. "Walk" is the key word here because that is all teenagers in Luxembourg seem to do. They don't actually go anywhere-they can't be found at bars or in dance clubs, not even at coffee houses. The only thing they are ever seen doing by the students of Miami University Dolibois European Center is walking. Walking, staring at us, and (more often than not) laughing at something we will never be able to understand.

However, it is not the general populous of those 13-18 that irks Americans abroad. It is a specific type. A breed, if you will, of teenagers who seems to ooze an undeserved sense of self-worth out of every pore in their body-far more than an American teen ever could.

This teen can be recognized in several easy ways:

1. The clothing. It will generally fall into either the "punk" or "gangsta" category-in other words, a mess of black, neon or ridiculously large and brightly colored pants. Hair is, of course, crucial to both of these looks, and I have on one occasion spotted an individual sporting hair that was green, red, purple, yellow and orange. The patience and planning is admirable, as was the height of the mohawk on the boy following said multi-colored head.

2. Music. This is something that really needs to be seen to be believed. The cool Luxembourg teenagers strut through train stations and apparently like to pretend they are in a movie. Movies have soundtracks. Ergo, theme music is necessary. Often this requires one member of the little caravan to be carrying a boom box. Yes, a boom box. Or for those who prefer something more mobile, a cell phone featuring volume that can be turned up to such a point all those within a 30-foot radius can hear the music being played. Popular selections include rap that is at least 10 years old, European rap (trust me, it isn't very intimidating in French) or any form of music that sounds tough-even if those listening to it are about 13 years old and have a 9 p.m. curfew.

3. The strut. A normal walk is absolutely unacceptable among teenagers in the know. One must move one foot in front of the other in such a way that clearly states, "I am cooler than you." Ridiculous? Yes. But still widely attempted.

So European teenagers, I salute you. Because of you, I miss the smug know-it-alls who exist in the heartlands of America.

At least I can understand what they're saying.