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