The last entry.

Whilst it has been over four months since I headed out from Frederica train station, having said a tearful vi ses to my host family and amazing friends, and eventually made my way into Copenhagen airport to board a plane that would finally take me home, I’ve felt my exchange isn't fully complete because I haven't written about it - so this is it, my closure.

Doing the long haul flight thing alone was actually very good - I had time to reminisce, get my brain a bit more organised for what it meant going home and get all my luggage together - many of my blazer pins are lying around various airports mind you. luggage was one thing that made me exceedingly nervous - not only was I at max with my checked in luggage, but regarding hand luggage, while the max is 7 kg, I had 16 kg, carried obviously surreptitiously  in a sports bag - most of the stuff were books and by the time I actually got to australia, my shoulders were much lower than i had started with. as well as the bag, i also had a very full handbag, was carrying my rotary blazer and later my snow jacket (turns out that wearing a pair of pants, long sleeve top, thin jacket, adult jumpsuit and snow jacket at the one time is a bit warm. to say the least. 

But hey, no one stopped me from getting all my stuff home and on the Bangkok - Melbourne leg, the stewards even helped me put it in the overhaul compartments - I required help every time to get it up there.

From Copenhagen through to bangkok, the plane was very very full unfortunately - I ended wedged in-between a soldier and a smoker who was about to go 11 hours minus nicotine - so that was an experience in itself but I talked a bit to these two blokes (the australian  words begin to creep in) and got to practice my bad danish for a little longer. Now Bangkok to Melbourne was awesome - in a carrier that would perhaps hold 200 people, this one only had about 40 - I'm amazed they hadn't cancelled it but it meant that I had a glorious row to myself, could go to the bathroom whenever desired (on the previous flight, I wasn't inclined to hop over a burly soldier all the time and then its just annoying when you have to wait for the person to wake up before you can go for that longed for walk... life is so tough...*) 

anyway, point is it was a good flight, with a personal steward, green tea on demand and if not sleep, then many a movie was available (although flight movies aren’t great quality) I do dawdle in the unimportant a bit 

one last chocolate milk

I flew into Melbourne at about 10 pm and saw the sun set over home, and it was simply a moment when you breath a sigh of relief that it all actually happened and soon, you would set foot on a land that you dreamt of for a year (s’cuse the change of point of view mid sentence) seeing the undulating hills of victoria, the sparse paddocks, even the rare lake was in no better word, awesome! To a degree, actually a large degree, Denmark is very flat and the landscape (aside from North Jutland) is pretty similar so seeing something new was quite swell. The heat and business of Melbourne was a bit of a shock ( I was also wearing a lot of clothing which contributed to the warmth) but a macca’s choc fudge sundae was a perfect cure :D Admittedly doing the whole customs thing was a bit daunting, the lady behind the counter looked a tad frazzled, and wasn't to happy when I lent down to grab my fallen passport ‘ stay standing up, a camera is filming you’ in a frazzly voice - she stamped a no on the form next to my tea bought back from Copenhagen - however this was avoided by smiling at the nice man at baggage claims who put a cross through the no - a smile and friendly voice can get you out of many a tight squeeze - also helped by a) wearing a onsie/adult jumpsuit and b) having your teddy bear (yes, I do still have one - what of it?) tucked under your arm.

Spent the night in a deluxe suite in Melbourne - the one I was booked into was to far a walk for someone with my baggage claimed the counter lady- Yess!!! It was pretty cool - and as you do, depleted their tea and coffee supplies, cranked up the music (TV only played cricket - pshh European handball definitely trumps it) and jumped on the very comfortable bed - also slept between bed sheets for the first time since London - the Danes only have a bottom sheet and then the quilt.

my last leg was the next morning to the Gold coast and whilst I hated donning my masses of clothes, the knowledge that it’d only be 2 hours till I didn't need them was gooood. actually on that flight, I sat next to an English couple (always a bonus in my books) who had a 9 month old (generally a downside on planes - but not this time) called Wilfred (Wilfy for short) anyway, he was a bit of a gurgly tyke but the main advantage of this is that one day, one of my potential sons has a high chance of being called Wilfred (much to the rest of my family’s horror :D )

and then it was - the moment that I had imagined countless times over the year - to see them. That 2 minut walk from along the tarmac to mum’s arms was so many emotions mixed into one that I’ll say ‘jhashasddfhbi’ the feeling of knowing its finally over - but this is both good and bad, the pure joy of knowing the people on the other side of the glass know you and love you, and that you can now fully communicate with everyone and not always ask ‘am I saying it right’ - the feeling of being home. But this have I contemplated much  because as Mr Lewis explained, this world will one day be a shadowland so how much more relieving and joyful and exciting will it be to go to my true home, with the Lord, where I am unconditionally loved and known and actually say ‘I am home’. Australia will forever be my earthly home, but that’s it. Heaven will be so much more spectacular. 

After giving mum and dad the biggest hug, right in front of everyone, I decided the snow jacket, other jacket and onsie had to go - fortunately not being a Queenslander, the chance of me actually being known by others than my fam was very low, so there was no question of embarrassment. My brothers and their 2 fiancee’s and girlfriend were standing in a row holding smiggle erasers and pencils in floral bouquet fashion which was all a bit cute and beautifully complimented the flowers mum and dad had bought. There is nothing better than family in this world other than Jesus. 

I was straight into the wedding stuff and after a pie on the beach at Coolangatta, we headed to our farmstead place at Bangalow (10 minute drive from Byron Bay - Very very cool - strongly suggest, if chance arises, to visit it and have a look at the apothecary and grab a coffee from Utopia. Rehearsal and bridal party dinner was that afternoon and night and the next day, I headed back to the GC with the rest of the bridesmaids and of course, my future sister for a rather fun girls night.

It seemed bizarre, the ease that I seemed to slip back into things but seeing how much was going on, t’was probably a good thing. The wedding was beautiful, it began to rain just as we started driving to the church but stopped in the 10 minute period when we had to get Heidi (Bride) into the church. Everyone sang to their hearts content, I didn't trip or giggle whilst walking down the isle or collapse from jet lag (which never arrived - on the first night in QLD I was a bit hyped before bed but conked out and never had problems with sleep patterns - that was a nice perk) and the main thing, my bro got married to a wonderful woman with Christ at the centre of their lives. and I finally have a legit sister :) 

In the 2 weeks in QLD and then road trip along the Great Ocean Road after I had spent a night in Adelaide, I had little time to think about what it meant to be home, and that I was no longer the exchange kid, and that all the people in Adelaide actually knew me - I wasn't a fresh slate, and that life here had changed in someways, but in other ways, was all the same. But bit by bit over the last 2 months, it sinks in a bit more each day, and when reading my journal from intro camp whilst listening to Medina, I realised what had  gone on, and am slowly coming to believe that I actually survived but also that it was real - when people ask if I've travelled, it takes a couple of seconds to formulate my answer. 2011 Seems like such a surreal year, like I was simply gone a day, so for now I wait for it to keep sinking in, realise just how much I miss people, or weather and the independence I had ( in some respects, no at all) 

When people ask if I had a good time, just exactly what I reply is a problem - elements of it were amazing and some people were unbelievably cool, but other aspects where the hardest of my life - the homesickness and reality of what it means to be so far from everything ever known, and culture shock - while perhaps I didn't notice it there, I can now see subtle differences that are responsible for the different way the two cultures go about life. I’ve been told that on exchange you experience the highest of highs, and the lowest of low's and at least for me, that was true! So when people ask if I would do it again, I’ll say yes but with some tweaking and when they ask how it went, I simply say ‘ worth while’  

Life here continues like I always imagined it would - I’ve started uni, went back to my same church, take the same bus route every day, watch all the same shows, love all the same music, hang out with the same people - it wasn't an experience in which my whole world was tipped upside down - just one where I was.

For the experience of living in another country, meeting people, traveling to long desired places and learning new ways of living - I am and will always be grateful, especially knowing what it meant for some people and the sacrifices made! 

So to you readers who have read the occasional post or followed my year, thank you - I hope it was enjoyable to read, minus any spelling and grammatical errors, and I hope you’ve been able to a) get a feel for Danish life b) learnt to love travel as I have c) gotten to know a bit about Aussie culture and overall somewhat experienced the life of an Exchange student. 

To everyone I knew in Denmark - thank you for making my year one never to forget and helping me assimilate into your culture - it was an amazing whirlwind. To Jesmin, Jeanette, Sabina, Camilla, Maddy and Toby, and all of 2c - every moment, in which ever country, was loved saa kom og besoge mig!! :D 


Tak for alt!

For the final time, 

Farvel og har det godt!! 

DK11

*please note masses of sarcasm - I feel the term ‘first world problems’ is appropriate :)

So this is Christmas

Sadly, no snow has fallen and I can't count this year as being the one where I got the long awaited 'white christmas' - just an excuse to return to Europe or head over to America. However, culturally - I am certainly satisfied with the Danish christmas and all of its splendid traditions. So where to start?

Gløgg

Well for starters, they celebrate it on the night of the 24th and I'm not sure if its the same in every family but on that day, we head to our local church where I assume we'll sing some songs, maybe hear the nativity story, and after, head to a nearby city to eat and open presents with some of my host mum's family. The tree for us doesn't go up til the 23rd.  The 25th is a more relaxed, eat leftovers, hang out with some more family time, or in my case, finish the rest of my packing, say my goodbyes and get ready to head home.

The tree outside Copenhagen city hall

chillin with my homie

Food wise - ah. so so good. and the best part of their christmas meals is its not like in Australia, where maybe we'll have the roast ham on the 25th and only on the 25th, they have what I like to think of as trial runs. I've already chowed down at least 5 christmas dinners and with each one, I realise how great christmas traditions can be. For the most part, they have roast pork with crackly, or turkey or geese, with gravy, brown potatoes ( potatoes cooked in a sugar butter mix so they become all crunchy) red cabbage stuff (not sure what it is in english but tastes good) and dessert follows, being a dish called risalamande which is creamed rice, with whipped cream and chopped almonds and a cherry sauce for dressing - the first time I ate it, I really had no idea what I was eating but it has since become a favourite. It's also tradition to put a whole almond in the middle and who ever gets it, wins the 'almond gift'. This dish often begins as being risengrød - rice porridge or simply, non sweet creamed rice eaten with a stick of butter and cinnamon sugar as a main meal - that did take me a bit by suprise.

one of the christmas stalls in Axeltorv in Copenhagen

Decorations at Illums Bolighus

A paper star that my host mum made

Also in the lead up to christmas, æbleskriver are devoured - they're basically balls of cooked dough which you dip in jam and icing sugar - simply, but delectable. One of the drinks is gløgg which I think, not fully sure, is the equivalent of mulled wine - so when drinking it, I imagine myself to be in the Tudor times, chugging down warm wine on a cold winter evening - everything always end back up at England in my world :p but gløgg is warmed red wine with some essences and spices, with some berries and nuts at the bottom such as dried rasins and almonds etc. The first time I had it, not knowing that you could eat the bottom stuff and thinking it was like tea leaves, chucked it out every so sadly. It has a sort of sourish taste, not as smooth as I expected, but still a new and ok experience.

Some elves that I made from an advent gift from my host mum

They go nuts with decorations here - that or Australia doesn't really do anything for christmas - mind you, its a bit harder to get into the spirit when its so warm - Danish people seem shocked when I say we might have  BBQ, and just chill and maybe head down to the beach - seems unfathomable although I have noticed, and perhaps it is the background I come from, there is more emphasis on the reason for christmas and the nativity story, and a bit more carolling. Still decorations - well, one thing is the amounts of candles - most people have a kalender lys counting down the days til Christmas (when I say christmas, think 24th, not 25th) and on the 4 sundays before Jul (christmas is too long - danish wins) one candle is lit, and added too every following sunday. Its also popular to set a candle in clay, and decorate it with pine leaves and dried orange, or cinnamon sticks, or baubles etc - its usual to sit down for an evening with the family and go all out with decorations. Also, lots of little trinkits put up all over the place - especially elves everwhere!  I've realised when thinking about Jul in Oz, we really don't include elves in decorations or anything - they're simply santa's slaves.

Lights from Tivoli

Advent candles

Caroler's in Copenhagen

There is also a TV tradition here called Julekalender - every year it runs - a series from the first til 24th in which a story about a group of people is told, obviously to do with christmas. There was one series ( a new one made every couple of years or else reruns) in which english and danish were mixed, or rather english words subbed in for danish ones - with the danish sentance structure. I've seen a couple of episodes of that series and found it quite hard to understand although one saying 'Because you are the one with the biggest tænder and the grimmest tøj' seems to be repeated quite a bit (tænder = teeth, grimmest tøj = ugly clothes) for some reason. Anyway the new series is a bit fun, about an evil ghost that wants to inhabit a humans body - probably better suited to Dr who.

My Kalender lys

Jul decorations

So thats the most part of christmas however in my next post, I'll have to tell you about all the christmas proceedings. For now, getting ready to go home and the horrid saying goodbye part comes - and also a wedding, for which I feel no part of - being on the other side of the world doesn't prepare you mentally for such an event oddly enough - guess the two days I have prior to the wedding will have to suffice.

Sugar Roasted almonds could not be a more delectable treat

 To all a Merry Christmas, Happy new year and to a wonderful and ever growing family of Austins, vi ses in one week! 

Typical Denmark - make everything out of Lego :)

I've started saying goodbye.

The first time I uttered those words was a week ago to another exchange student, but I know it's not the last time we meet and living in the same country helps. I've been so preoccupied thinking about the wedding, and seeing my parents, and getting enrolled in uni, and thinking about the future, that I've forgotten to live the now.

But I've started saying goodbye to Danish people and realised just how mind numbingly sad the next week and a half will be. I do feel myself closing up - putting emotions in the back corner and going through everything very clinically - chucking out clothes, organising flight itinary, getting bits and bobs into my suitcase and working out what I want to wear for a 2 day flight - and yet it hadn't hit that this is it - the end. I think its my defense mechanism to dealing with the change that lies ahead, and just how emotional it will be.

The night before leaving Adelaide, I set out my plane clothes, had a quite stressful dinner with the family, took photo's, packed my suitcase at 2am, slept like a log, showered, ate brekkie, made it to the airport in time (for once), had that last coffee with the fam, did a bit more rushing - without once actually realising it would be a year before I was back. But then it got to the point of picking up my bag - and boy did it hit! that last hug from the family and bam, this was it - I thought after 6 years of planning exchange, this wouldn't be hard - I would have steeled myself for it. I was very wrong. I remember standing there wondering why on earth I was doing this - a year was so long, and things were going so well - I was so happy, like I was on top of the world - but no matter how sad and scary the prospect of exchange was, I would be back, and hopefully all my family would be there at the airport - so this time, the goodbye's have become that much harder.

I won't be back to Denmark in a year. I have no idea if I'll see any of these people again, have that last hug or do any of the stuff that has finally become a part of my life, in the place that has now become my home. Even now, it feels surreal beyond belief and every now and then, when I have to say goodbye, it will no doubt hit again but it doesn't stick that in 2 weeks, I'll be in my other home. So taking that train from Fredericia - my bet is - that'll be it. The moment it hits home that my year is over - I want to be able to ready myself for that change, and painful moment - but I can't. I don't know how I'll react or how to deal with it. Or if it will ever feel like my year here was real - it feels dream like now, and I imagine once in Australia, it will only feel more so.

So, very sarcastically, the fun begins - and I will have to say that final 'Vi ses' to the people who have become my family, kept me sane, listened to me, taken my mind of home and simply accepted me and opened their hearts to me. This, above all things, scares me - and I come from a land of snakes, sharks, spiders and to many poisonous critters. Go figure.

The home stretch part 2

Galla 2011

Plenty of beer and whatnot was drunken by a) the parents and b)
the teachers :p

Being at the back of the line had its perks.

For my third time, I had the task of getting ready for my formal/prom/Galla. It was just that this time, it was a bit more complicated, and much more enjoyable. The way its done in Dk is that all the senior's dance a special Danish dance called Lancier. We practiced for a week leading up to the night and I gotta say, not the easiest thing. Despite having done dancing with Mr Davis during Prep school, learning the Macarena, U.G.L.Y and the Nutbush don't prepare one for Lancier. I was patnered with the other Aussie, Maddy, who is sufficiantly taller than me. Problem no. 1 - I was not going to wear heels for 30 minutes while dancing. I care not if they say beauty is pain - Blisters and I don't have a good relationship.

Getting ready with Jeanette

So, practicing was fun, the first time was predominantly Maddy and I giggling our way while we fumbled with every step but it eventually got to the point where we could manage most of the steps, without ruining everone else's dance steps. You stand in a  group of 8 - 1 pair on each side of a square facing each other. In the whole dance, I think there are about 9 steps but we only learnt 4 of them which took about 20 to 30 minutes. We decided we wouldn't get a set in stone quadrille (the square formation) until the very end as a way to meet other people from third grade - worked pretty well, met some rad folks. In every step, one part plays the male and one the female however due to the uneven ratio of girls and boys, many girls were partnered together so I took the female part, thinking that the male would usually be taller anyway. It's not very hard to be taller than me.

Pasta time

With some of the beautiful girls from my class

The night came, and after spending a couple of hours getting ready with Jeanette, we headed out to din dins at an Italian restuarant - getting there in my sufficiantly shorter dress as compared to every female with beautiful floor length almost wedding gown dresses was a little bit of 'oops, should've gone for a gown' moment but hey, it was pretty cool to admire all the other cool dresses. We took cars, no overpriced limo's this time, to the school where we mingled a bit before getting into out lines and heading into the school gym where we did a march for what seemed like 20 minutes in which pairs would join up and walk the court and then meet with another 4 and walk and then split up and yada yada - slightly confusing.

Maddy and I just followed in the hope that we were getting it right. We eventually got into our groups of 8, after I briefly had to bend down and do up Maddy's sandals when they came undone much to the amusement of people sitting about 50 cm away. The dance mostly went good, with a couple of giggles and wrong turns - not all our fault :P although when my shoe came off half way when we were skipping around each other, progression was lost and we stumbled our way back to our partners in time for the next step. At the end, we all marched out again and ended up on the upper level of the school while parents and family looked on.

The rest of the night consisted of mingling, meeting new people and just chilling out, which was ever so hyggelit. Regardless of having been a part of the organisation team for my year 12 formal, this was so much more fun - we didn't spend the entire evening standing in line for pictures, or being slightly bored, we has a stack of fun, learnt a new dance, met new people and loved the experience. Australian formals could learn something. It was also a great time to spend with my class, especially the time getting ready with Jeanette - you know the word hyggelit - it is just so perfect for so many instances!

My host parents, Sanne and Ole

With Maddy, my equally clumsy and fun dance
partner

Rotary at Carlsburg (Didn't take any photo's - sorry folks)

I don't go to every Rotary meeting as it falls on the same day as scouts but my counsellor suggested I attend this one - so I did. And I must say, it was a bit fun. The majority of the meetings are held in a small restaurant down town where a guest speaker talks on something relevant to Fredericia, or sport, or education, or infanstructure but this time, it was a trip to the Carlsburg Brewery in Fredericia, in fact the only one in DK. This company has beer and what not all over the world and if you look back in some of the Friends episodes, Joey has a box sitting on his fridge - lame that I know that.

But anyway, rocked up, got a free sandwich (My life revolves a bit too heavily around food - especially as christmas gets close!!) and while all the Rotarian men stocked up on open bar Tuborg Jul brew, most of the females stuck to water and soda. A little fact that amused me a bit :)

So Carlsburg is pretty famous and loving dot points as I do, here you go :

• The factory is as big as 108 footy fields
• They get 5000 calls a day
• It's the 4th biggest company in the world
• Began in 1847, which I will forever associate with Pulteney Grammar, the same year school was opened :p
• They make all of DK's coke, sprite, fanta, nestea, sommersby, eve and cocio (or at least bottle it all there)
• Over the last 20 years, beer has lost a third of its ground to wine
• The warehouse pallets are 40 m high, with 18 cranes in each bay (70,000 pallets in all)
• Beer takes 3 weeks to make, soda only 3 hours (seeing its just syrup and water) 

So those facts are all very random but I think the funniest thing is that even though all this is made in Fredericia and you would expect it to be cheaper, its still cheaper to drive down to Germany to buy it .I love Europe. 

 Holbæk GTG

With Jacquie (WA) and Ellie (QLD)

A couple of weekends back, I went to the final get to gether for the oldies and newbies ( January and August exchange students) in Holbæk over on the Copenhagen island - Sjællend.  We rocked up at about 4pm on the Friday after a fairly long train trip (actually only about 2 hours but that seems like a long time for me now - Australian time will be a bit of a surprise) We got signed in, officially welcomed and so began the start of the end. The gathering was run by Rotex people (former exchange students) so it was pretty casual and relaxed. Just right. For the most part, we sat around and talked, or danced, and maybe, just maybe some sleep would slip in. The first night a sort of youngish band played, and the most crucial point of me telling you this was that the bass player looked like one of the Wealey twins so I referred to him as Fred and after getting his guitar pick, just like a little tween, stuck it in my journal under ' Fred Weasley' yep, thats my lame lame life.

Onsie time - childish may it be, they are fantastic to wear

The Saturday was a trip into Holbæk, nothing struck me as totally different but we did get a very nice, and expensive cup of coffee and chill at a cute little cafe with a lot of the Aussie girls, so that was ever so sweet. And seeing a lot of the Jul decorations are starting to appear, it was nice to go and look at them ( Also forgot to mention that the Friday was J-Day - a very big tradition in DK that we unfortunatly missed so Ellie and I made up for it on the walk home ;p )

More chilling and whatnot, a soccer game and then dress up party. This was the fun part in my opinion. Myself and 2 other friends had ordered onsies online from a company in Norway and they hadn't arrived by the day before so we were pretty worried that they wouldn't be here in time which would be unfortunate due to the cost but as it happens, we got them by the friday and had them in our hot little hands for the party. The onsie is split in 2 - quite literally, a zip seperates the whole thing, and we all got two colors on ours. Mine is a tad to tall for me, like most stuff :s but they are incredibly comfortable and the best thing I've slept in - I'm considering having it on for the plane home :D

This dog seemed like a mini horse - seriously, who breeds
dogs to be so massive?

During that night, we also had a bit of a skit show - the Aussie's danced Nutbush, South Americans with their dances, some songs, one cover of Laura Marling (!) and some more dancing as the night wore on. The next day was a bit odd. Brekkie as normal but then they got all the oldie's up on stage together and played music - of course 'I'm leaving on a jet plane' was played, but it was a bit odd, most people ended up crying but myself and a couple of others just sort of tootled around, if people wanted a hug then sweet, whatever, and I realise I sound a bit heartless in saying this, I just wasn't so sad. Of course it sucks that many of those people I'll never see, but we at least come from the same country. I'm far more worried about leaving my Danish friends than anything else - it's them who I've spent the year with, so I figure I'll save my energy for that - and just to reassure people, most likely mum, I do still feel emotions - I'm not totally cold :p

Aussies, Argentinian and South American doing the oldies proud

I dont think I've talked about this before but for brekkie, its
tradition to have bread rolls that specifically have a hard crust
(and taste brilliant) and on top, you can chuck cheese and jam,
or what you will - but among the common toppings, this is one of the
best - thin layers of chocolate that you squish on the bread and munch
down, filling your stomach with sweet goodness. 

So that was the GTG - pushed the nail in a bit further that I'm coming up to the end, and this year that had been in the making since year 6, is almost over. I thought which I struggle to comprehend. Just part of the whole parcel I guess.




So not much more now - most of my weekends are filling, and I fortunatly don't have long left at school! For the second time in my life, I say in happiness that I've almost finished school. phew. I'm certainly a bit more ready to get cracking at Uni and all that entails. 

The home stretch part 1

I don't know what quote would be appropriate  here so for once, you shall go without. This is all me. Except for that Alice in Wonderland picture - it appropriately describes my emotions.


I have had a rather busy time since my last blog but before I tell you of the adventures of Galla and all that entailed, the last moments with other exchange students, visits to universties and breweries and scouting adventures, I'll have you know that I will, in 5 weeks, be taking the train to København and flying out of this land. Away from the place that become a sort of home, that had been a dream from year 6, and be arriving into the next chapter. This thought scares me more than I would like to know and to a degree, I dread what lies ahead.

Just randomly, how awesome is this cake!

This year has not always been easy and truthfully, the thought of being with mum and dad again is incredibly exciting, and of course being with the bro's, having a new sister and all that entails with a wedding. But (there is always a 'but') this year,while completely different to what I expected, has been a fantastic opportunity. 


Perhaps I am being premature in my writing of this, but going home is always on my mind and too an extent somewhat dreaded, and as much as I try and forget that number of 35 days, its determined to stick in my brain, on its continual countdown. The thing is, in 5 weeks, I have to go through another massive change of re-entering Australian  culture, and life post exchange. And many people say, that this next shock, is often harder than the shock of starting exchange, and I guess it's because I know what to expect. 


When I first arrived in Denmark, I had all this new stuff to learn, new people to meet, new food to try, new places to explore - but now I know what to expect in Australia, I know in a couple of months, I'll be taking the same 864 bus down Glen Osmond road, getting off at Pulteney St and walking to Uni - and this freaks me out, its not such a new adventure, and I know what is round the corner. Of course I'll meet new people and experience new things, but in general, life will most likely resume it's normal pattern - so my new aim is to always have another adventure waiting.


Hopefully I'll be able to get my P's quickly and get a car, the taste of independance (or travel bug at least) has arrived at my doorstep and the best way to deal with it I think, will be to drive to new places, explore Australia and see everything it has to offer. Money wise...well, I'll deal with that somewhat influential issue later :)


And the thought of (You know, I was always told to never start a sentance with 'and' - my grammar  (which has never been tops) is constantly slipping away - not so good for an arts degree) saying goodbye to everyone here, not knowing when or if I will see them again, and not being here for their big events like graduation,  not such a pleasant thought as it happens. But its all part and parcel of exchange so I just have a massive learning curve ahead. 


So to those in Australia, I apologise for my potential moodiness when I come home, in advance. I have no clue as to how I'll react when it hits home, that I am home for good.But then again, home has sort of changed. SA has been a great place to grow up, but it can't always been home, so one day, I will again make a home, maybe in another state or hopefully country, so no doubt this feeling is perhaps more temporary than anything else. I ramble far too much.


But for now, enough on the weirdness that is the end of exchange. As I said, life here is getting busy. While many people say the time goes fast at the end of exchange, it's gone at a pretty normal pace for me but I like that, it allows me to enjoy the last parts.

Had some fun in history watching Ferris Bueller and found this nifty little quote 

Scouts - halloween party, jul tur 

The ever so creative Jul træ

I don't think I've written about Scouts very much, so here goes. My first host dad organised for me to meet with the local groups leaders which was back in March or there abouts, and so I headed to troupe meetings as a sort of leader (My potential here is majorly limited due to lack of communication skills, which is a bit frustrating) The troupe is from about 11 years to 15 ish with a couple of leaders and they meet every Thursday night. Even though I often struggle as to how to help out, not always being up to speed with everything, and also not being knowledgable on things like knots - simple, but seemingly important, it feels incredibly comfortable. Being able to get outside or learning practical skills, I sort of feel like a member of the Venture Club again, or Guides for that matter - a community of people, keen to ensure that scouting values are passed on, and who enjoy chilling out, and providing opportunities for young folk to run around, eat too much sugar, and importantly get into nature. So, my time at Scouts has been pretty good and on top of that, I've been able to meet new people, and make new friends - it sounds like something a year 6 kid would say, but all the same, making new friends is a pretty nifty feeling.


So we had a Halloween party a while back, in which I dressed in a witch (called 'Heks' på dansk) and helped the little cubs and beaver scouts make ghosts out of half a banana dipped in coconut with colored icing for eyes, spiders out of marshmellows and licorice, orange lanterns (which just don't work well - to much mess, but smell good) and attempted communication with them. I think one of the most encouraging moments was when a couple of the little girls said they thought I spoke good danish - pure lies of course, but ahh, I was a big ball of warm fuzziness until the next kid, when speaking to me said 'Hvad' (what) 50 million times :p

The girl in pink told me that I had a nice name. nawwww. Ball of
fuzziness right there. 

Just recently, in fact today, we had a Christmas camp up to a place called Houns Odde - a big scouting campsite about half way between my city and the next big one, Kolding. We (leaders and oldest troupe) headed down Friday evening and unpacked, went through the program and went out to the troupe who were sleeping a little way off in open huts - so I've still avoided having to sleep in minus degrees outside. The next day, after the troupe arrived back at base, the little chaps came around 10.30 and we got cracking with activities - I was on 'Build a christmas tree' along with the 'make christmas decorations' with one of my scout friends. 

Nom nom nom 

So one kid got some branches, tied em to a big branch and there it was - a very leaveless tree. It was then decorated with finger knitting, popcorn and paper on thred and various bits and bobs - the most inventive tree I've seen for a while :D The day was pretty cool - the kids went around to all the stations making decorations or crafty things (The theme was that this chap called Jørgen had taken over christmas and just wanted to make chips but the kids had to prove that christmas was the way to go - as much as I'm not a kid anymore, I did think it was very cute)


The evening bought a typical Danish dinner which I'll talk about in another blog and afterwards, cloth wrapped on a stick and  doused in oil was lit (called 'Fakla') and we all went for a wee little walk down to the water with Julmand (Santa) and Jørgen had a little dialecty part before we all went back up to the main area to dance around the christmas tree, holding hands and singing christmas songs - in danish. 

Walking with  the lanterns - always had to watch where
they were being waved :p

Santa and the tree

Of course, this presented a little problem for me, not even knowing the scout songs in danish, let alone some new ones but it was all very cute and hyggelit (at one point Santa's reindeer (a Russian terrier dressed with some red stuff) got loose so santa waddled off trying to catch her) 


For a late dessert we ate 'isalamande' - typically around Jul in Denmark, there is a dish called risalamande with is sort of similair to creamed rice, but tradition goes that an almond is always hidden in it, and who ever finds it, gets the present. So for this dish, it was icecream with an almond  hidden in it, with cherry sauce. And who finds the almond but me - gah, admittedly I try my darndest not drawing attention to myself, my danish being so rubbish ( although I have been told I sound a little like Mary - always a nice thing to hear :D) so I went up and collected the present that I had wrapped the day before :P

The next day, parentals arrived to do activities with their kids while I went and helped with lunch prep and all that jazz, before finally being finished by 1ish when we began pack down. For the first time, I don't get to be one of the campers, who doesn't worry about organisation or any of that, but simply comes and goes whenever. It was a tiring, but satisfying lesson to learn.


So thats a bit about Scouts, perhaps when I get home, I look into a local troupe to get involved with - it's a pretty decent organisation to say the least.


I figured seeing the length of this blog, I'll chuck the other stuff into a new one for your reading convenience :)

I think one of the best things about riding everywhere
is that you get to experience beautiful moments like this,
while your fingers freeze, and Noah and the Whale blast into your ears.

Nature is ridiculously stunning

What are things like in Denmark - or at least a bit different from the Aussie way of things.

Fredericia is the 7th largest city in DK supposedly and I guess it has round about the same amount of stores as most of Mt Barker. The set out is that of a grid, similair to Adelaide but is surrounded by hills and moats with the only entrances being through the city gates. It is an old military city which explains the canons on top of the hills. The big military base is a 5 minute drive from the main city. There is not a particular main shopping street but a couple of sectioned off areas (which electronic up, down poles which many people know the code for - bit of a funny story here, a friend and I were waiting to eat at a famous Danish eatery called Jensens Bøfhus, and were sitting on the poles till they studdenly disappeared and we were sitting on air, and very quickley the ground. We glanced over to see some people cackling away at our misfortune and sore behind...)
My school lies outside the main city but is within walking distance so thats a bit of a plus. Oh and the Bibliotek (Library) is ever so swell - very good music selection and Harry Potter in english - I was set for the year :D

I thought I'd include this to show the mix in products - Maddy
next between the alcohol isle and the baby food :D

Shopping

Fakta, Netto, Fotex - for me, these are the main places to buy a) too much chocolate or b) too many tubes of pringles - and ever now and then some yoghurt to convince myself that I'm eating healthy. Netto and Fakta are the more cheaper options which accounts for lack of some products however even though Fotex has nicely displayed shelves, self checkout machines and is generally a k-mart and coles mixed together, it can be a bit to expensive to fund the lifestyle of an exchange student :D so Netto it usually is. There are also a couple of German  stores such as Aldi and the like but I'm not very well acquainted with them. There is also a superstore called Bilka where you can buy any and every thing. I think the best thing about all of these stores is the pick n mix lolly unit- gah! so swell... and yet so bad. Clothes wise, aside from op shops and the like, H&M is pretty good - it's all over Europe and I believe the US but sadly hasn't hit Australia yet - they have a lot of clothes and usually a lot of sales - I really do seem like a bit of a stinge :p but hey, I'm just the exchange kid

Matas is your basic makeup, perfume, Terry whites minus the pharmacy part - thats saved for the apotek which is simply medicine's and the like.
There are also the homeware stores that have most types of Danish design including my two favourites - Bodum and Georg Jensen- mind you, Georg Jensen is to say the least, expensive...but pretty.





Transport
So the best form of transport to get from city to city is train! Obviously I can't drive, and petrol is too expensive so that cancels that plan (not that it ever was one) cycling really only works within Fredericia and if I want to cycle over to Middlefart which is a very beautiful town - there's this Danish word called 'Hygge' and while there is no direct translation, it sort of means comfortable and cosy and usually applied to situations with other humans, but I think that Middlefart is a very Hyggelit city - it has the small town feel, but has a modern shore front and there is also a castle/old royal residence on the tip, surrounded by beautiful green deer parks!

So thats cycling. Now the train system. Very efficant and on time but expensive - the shortest fare I've paid for a one way ride is 38 kr, approximatly $8 which compared to the $2 bus fare at home, is a bit more annoying. And as for buses, no matter how short the ride, the fare is about $4 - obviously it sounds like I'm being ever so stingy, but as an exchange student, money must be spent on the right things (usually chocolate) - and if I can cycle, it makes more sense - hoewever come winter and snow, my attitude towards the 5km ride to school may change!

School
School here is a tad more complicated than the Aussie system - everyone goes to folkeskole which is primary and middle school mashed together and once  you've finished, you can go onto do grade 10, go on exchange, have a year off and earn money, go to another type of school for a year where you sometime's board, or go straight onto the next education step, which is either gymnasium (if you want to head to university and become a lawyer, doctor, scientist etc) or there is business school for all things financial and moneyish, or a technical school sort of like Tafe.

So I'm at the gymnasium which is pretty much yr 10 to 12. I've completed half of grade 2 (yr 11 equivalent) from January til May and have begun the yr 12 section in August (grade 3) and I definitely like being top of the school again - not that you really notice it heaps as an exchange kid. but still.
At the gymnasium, you take subjects on a A, B, or C level - C level is one year, B, 2 yrs and A, 3 yrs. Within each grade, you have a certain line - my line is biology, maths and physcology - I however had the chance to drop maths after half a year - and I certainly took it! I now get to do English on the advanced level - and don't get the top grade - another fail on the governments side of not teaching us grammar.

There are no school sport teams which sort of sucks - I've realised that it was a key way of getting to know kids from other grades and be involved in team sports, rather than individual fitness training. The same goes for debating and music teams - if you're in the music class, then you can join in the choir and if your a very good sport player, there are some teams you can join, but for something for fun, its not that simple.


Weather


Unfortunatly summer this year was a bit of a let down - for the last couple of years, they've had heat waves here which would've been awesome after the normal cold but it wasnt to be - every now and then we had a warm day or week but I've found myself missing the heat of the Aussie sun when you can feel it burn - a little bit odd, I won't deny it. Its now autumn which means rain, and a bit more rain, and then bucketloads. I'm excited for snow simply because it means less rain. But going to bed while the rain rattles the window, or standing in front of the wood burner with the dog is every so hyggelit.

Obviously the weather is all opposite to Australia so I'll hopefully be having my first white christmas although the idea of a BBQ on the beach for christmas is an odd thought for the Danes. and the greyness, oh the greyness - currently looking from the window in my bio class out to a very very grey sky - in which I'll have to cycle my silly bike home....joy of joys :s Snow, its not to bad, beautiful when it falls, frustrating when you attempt to maintain your balance on your bike and have to layer on every piece of clothing in the cupboard.

Admittedly the weather here has been a bit odd of late, which is fine by me, as there has been much sun and not much rain  which makes it swell for walks, knitting in the sun while listening to Beirut, Charlottle Gainsbourg, Bell and Sebastian and The Kooks, or starting Lord of the Rings (I say this after commenting on the buckets of rain - silly Hannah, silly.)

Free time

home no. 2 - about 5 kms from school

This I have a lot of - all the time. Unfortunatly they don't have school sport clubs like we do in Australia, nor things like debating and singing so that was a bit of a bummer but I will maybe go into the musical choir for a month just for fun. So aside from that, I do a lot of reading and I'm quite happy with all the books I've gotten through, my old english teacher would've been proud :) I also write a lot in my journal, going walking whilst listening to music or podcasts, or at the moment, the audiobook of Pilgrims progress and every now and then, go to the gym which is quite overpriced but some of the classes are pretty fun, although I still havn't gotten around to giving zumba a crack.

I'm also a scouts leader so every Thursday night, I go and help out - which doesn't really involve much, learning how to tie knots, sharpen knives etc. I also, oddly have learnt how to knit so if I'm slightly bored at the TV because the Danish or occasional German program is beyond my knowledge, I knit. So far a normal size scarf has taken about 3 months (not even finished yet) while my host mum sits there and whips up a poncho in 3 days...my skills need to improve a bit.

Mico and I på tur

Sometimes the weekends involve trips to other towns to catch up with other exchange students, or a movie at the Biographen, the occasional party, dinner at my counsellors or a movie with the host fam. Summer holidays were pretty painful, so much time with not knowing what to do was a bit frustrating, especially when you're so close to all of these amazing countries but you can't travel out of Denmark - definitely had a few frustrating moments there, but none the less, I survived and came out the other side, mostly unscathed. Every now and then I head on down to a Rotary meeting for a couple of hours, or grab a coffee in town with friends.


So in all, thats life for the moment. I'm soon approaching the 2 month mark which is odd. Talking to other people who are about to start exchange throws me a bit, and the prospect of reverse culture shock and all the returning home entails, hits me every night just before I sleep - by the time going home comes, I think my nerves, and sanity will be in tatters. But thats exchange, learning to adapt and cope with the situation - all part of the parcel.

To Dad, Happy fathers day and happy birthday - Your present still sits on my window sill but it will be sent...soon :P and I love you to the moon and back!! xx

To every one else, especially those in Australia-I now get jealous that the sun is starting to shine over there - when it gets to 35 degrees, think of me probably cycling to school in the snow :D

Farvel for now.