So I've been here one and a half months, which seems like both a long and short time. Time flies in some moments, and can't go fast enough in other moments. i.e. Time is going very slowly at the moment, because in two weeks, my class and I will be flying, for two hours, out of København Lufthaven, across the North sea, over the coast of my ancestors ( I think...) and into England!
Saying that I am excited, does not do it justice! However, instead of talking all about London here, I shall promise to do a blog all about my wonderful adventures and all the sights, most importantly, the Tower!
Living in Denmark and settling down into a routine is strange but fun but exciting but frustrating... you get my drift! There are too many feelings and experiences for words to justly express it. However I will tell of some of the things I've noticed since being here:
- The window latches are very different to those in Australia, but are most certainly a smart design
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| I cannot take credit for this photo - another exchange student ( and good photographer) took this one |
- Instead of having a hot and cold tap in the shower, there is one bar, connected with the movable hose shower thingy, with two knobs on either end - on for water pressure, the other for temp - simple design, but it was one of my biggest challenges working out how to use it, somewhat embarrassing I know....
- There are three different letters: å/Å æ/Æ and ø/Ø and distinguishing between them is quite difficult
- Lego is pronounced lAgo (as said by my host father)!! For those who say lEgo... you were wrong. Of course if I get corrected by another Dane on that fact, it'll be a tad humiliating...
- Potatoes (Kartoffler) seem to be the staple part of the winter diet, fortunatly they taste brilliant though.
- Danish hotdogs are amazing, they put the most bizzare things on top, but the result is so good! So you have the bread as usual, and a sausuage, and then ketchup, mustard and remoulade (Danish remoulade has a mild, sweet-sour taste and a medium yellow color. The typical industrially-made variety does not contain capers, but finely-chopped cabbage and pickledcucumber, fair amounts of sugar and hints of mustard, cayenne, coriander and onion, and turmeric for color. The herbs are replaced by herbal essences, e.g. tarragon vinegar. Starch,gelatin or milk protein may be added as thickeners.) Good ol Wikipedia deserves credit there - anyway, back to it, so after remoulade, you put roasted onion pieces, followed by agurk salat - the pickles that come on a burger.
- My bike is my worst enemy and my best friend - it allows me a lot of freedom and independence, but being annoyingly unfit makes it my worst enemy - I would like to blame year 12 IGA runs as the predominate source of my unfitness, but thats not really fair to all those delicious chocolate croissants that Georgia and I consumed
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| 20 cm of snow |
- The Danes know english grammar better than myself - quick note to Julia ( is she still in power?) Put Grammar lessons into the national curriculum!
- Snow is both beautiful and annoying - when it fell, it glittered like diamonds under the street light, and was incredibly light and fluffy. Riding in the snow however, is a different matter - and stacking it on the ice is quite painful if I may say so. I did think, while riding on ice, of year 10 Physics, that ice removed the friction ( or something similar) and decided that I cannot elude school, wherever I go
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| I find myself being much more patriotic here, than when I'm in Australia |
- I accept that putting on many a layer for 5 minutes, is part of life and something you suck up and do, because it'll be better in the long run
- All the chairs at school, are lifted in and out of little slots under the table and it generally takes more coordination that I am capable of
- I daydream a lot - maths especially....oh, and do Sudoko
- There is this thing called Kaffehaus at the school held 4 times a year. Most people come and sit on the stairs in the school, eat food and watch while some people perform music, or skits etc. The other Aussie exchange ( Perth) and I thought we might, if brave enough, do a typical Aussie song at the last one - very open to suggestions, preferable not one where we have to play guitar - that would be something of a fail
- There was a whale that became stranded on a beach last year in a nearby city called Vejle, and it ended up dying, after being pushed out, and coming back into the fjord. Anyway it was 17.2 meters, 24 tonnes and about 130 years old - I can't really give any more information however, my Dansk reading skills are a bit rusty.... My point to that little tale was that my host father and I went and saw the bones, which currently reside in Vejle
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| The wee beastie |
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| and his jaw! |
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| In Kolding with Mariana and Paulina ( Mexican Oldies) |
- Night time train rides from Kolding are very enjoyable, you have a whole seat to yourself, maybe even a cabin and even if the ride is only 20 minutes, and you then walk/ride/ freeze your way home in - degrees, its all part of the experience
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| Maddy (other Aussie exchange) and I on our way back from Kolding |
Anyway, I think that's about it for now - I will have to get some pictures from around the school and Fredericia however my next blog will be all about the London experience - If only I could find a way to gate crash the royal wedding... I dream. But for now, Farvel
P.s. Happy Birthday to the most wonderful women in my life! Mum, You are amazing! xx
