The Denmarkian in Daneland

The first day of Winter - this means Christmas is coming up!

There was frost in the morning, and it was so dark that we could hardly see the numbers on the busses until they drove by. Also we saw the moon, REALLY closely. It was just so huge and so red, at first I thought it was the sun. Seriously, it was like this really great big giant orange ball in the sky.

The weather today though after the morning was surprisingly perfect. No clouds whatsoever. I walked home from the bus stop, which took me about an hour, but that was okay because the weather was so lovely.

During music class we did some theory, which was really, really, really crazy easy. Think grade one theory in AMEB. We had to label the keys on the piano.

I love how school finishes at like 1:35pm every day for me, and on Friday it finishes at 11:35am. Sweet!

During Latin I was so, so bored, so I came up with a list for You Know You're in Hasseris Gymnasium When ...

You Know You're in Hasseris Gymnasium (or just possibly any Danish gymnasium) When:

1. Jeans are all you need.
2. If you're not blonde, then dye it blonde.
3. You dont admit it, but the Jantelov is God.
4. So is Lectio.
5. A straight cut fringe and long blonde hair, plus a big black headband is the way to go.
6. You're immediately considered fashionable if you don a black coat, skinny jeans and black boots.
7. The IBs are losers.
8. Class is for Facebooking.
9. A total of 3 hours of sun during a whole month sucks, but is okay.
10. Foreigners suck.
11. Halfies do not exist.
12. You've always got something on every weekend.
13. Big black sunglasses do not make you look like a douche.
14. One word. Mascara.
15. You are a master at spotting fake tans. They are everywhere.

I love this message Caroline wrote on the board.

Stupid Danish System people:
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

IB people:
When life gives you lemons, break out the salt and tequila!

Not that I'm an alcoholic or anything. I just thought that was funny. :)

It's been ages I know! But I have been so so crazy busy, which is a good thing!

I think it's gotten to the point where I can't really write about each day (but I promise I'll write more from now on!).

Today I have a 'study day' ... a day off school where everyone does anything BUT study! I can't get used to how relaxed and free school is here.

So exchange is going really well! My host family is awesome (Birgit and Niels told me first thing that I wouldn't have any problems with them at all because they're so wonderful, and I totally agree!). It doesn't feel like I have been here almost three weeks now. It feels like it's been longer. But then when you think about it, that's almost a month, which is a third of my exchange already over ... !

So that is kinda depressing.

I'm friends with basically everyone from my class (I was complimented by David and Louise on my social skills yesterday!), been to two Danish parties, which were very fun, and yesterday I sang in the Melodie Grand Prix, which is a competition between the school music classes. I was probably the most nervous one there I think! And everyone was so relieved when it was over ...

Aalborg is my favourite city. It's so small and pretty and hyggeligt. I love the concept of 'hyggelig' - there isn't really an English definition for it. I guess the closest one is 'cosy,' but it's not really the same. Being with family in a warm room, sitting on squashy armchairs and having candles everywhere is hyggeligt, but so is riding a bicycle down a muddy dirtpath, trying to combat the wind and rain ... sometimes. Personally I think 'hyggeligt' means you feel like you can do this forever and feel so good doing it.

It's an awesome feeling.

Denmark is crazy about Christmas. Right now Aalborg has Christmas lights everywhere - on the trees, over the streets with the winding lanes, candles in shops ... I love walking through the town.

Also, I have good news! Next week from Friday to Sunday my host family is taking me to Copenhagen, to see all the sights and do touristy things! I can't wait!

Yep ... life is good.

-Stella

Side note: the site Exchange Student World has made this blog a 'VIP Blog'! So that's very exciting. :) If you're thinking of becoming an exchange student, or you're an outbound about to set off on exchange, you should really check it out!

This is my third day here, and I'm only blogging now because I've been busy ... and a bit lazy. Plus I'm still jetlagged ...

Sunday:
Arrived in DK, went to sleep at 6pm. Not much to write about, really.

Monday:
Toured the boundaries of the old farm with my host mor and Bosse. Then went swimming with Julie, Peter, host mor, and later host far. My first big shock? You might not believe it, but when Scandinavian people go swimming, they take all their clothes off completely in public, walk stark naked towards the showers and shower there. And no, there are no doors or separate cubicles for the showers. It's completely open. And yes I had to join. There was a little girl staring shamelessly at everyone showering, standing just a metre in front of me. And guess what. They always shower after PE and so they whip off all their clothing in front of their classmates.

Then we had a very traditional Danish dinner with beans, potato, a type of Danish sausage, 'apple slices' - it's a dessert which I can't remember the Danish name of, host far's 'famous chocolate sauce', red cabbage and bolle.

Today:
Followed Julie around her school. We had kemi (John er LÆKKER), biologi, og PE. Yep. PE. We did this thing called 'jumpdancing' - the guy was overly enthusiastic. And I mean OVERLY. I still have his voice in my head: "fem, seks, syv, otte!" BANGBANGBANGBANG. Jumpdancing is basically like dancing with a lot of jumping and stomping. It gets really tiring after a while, and your legs start to hurt. And then oddly, we did ballroom dancing right after. Big contrast, yes. Thankfully I didn't do the whole showering thing stark naked with classmates, because I went 15mins earlier since I had to meet Birgit, my coordinator, at 2pm. So we went to Hasserisgym, got my subject choices done and all the dry, administrative stuff, and drove back to Julie's skole. And then Astrid came to take me to her apartment since Julie had 'big band,' and now here I am, haha.

I'm tired.

-Stella

I just got the email from Sue.

Yes. THE email!

I am going to be living with a family in Nibe, Aalborg.
Nibe is an old fishing town in North Jutland with a population of about 4,700. It is characterised by old houses, winding lanes and cobblestone squares.

I will have four host siblings - one brother, and three sisters ... and they also have a pet labrador!

I wondered quite a bit about whether I'd be placed in a folkeskole (primary school going from kindergarten to year 10) or a gymnasium (secondary school which goes on for 3 years). So it turns out I'll be in a gymnasium! :)

Heads up Hasseris Gym! I'm coming your way. ;)

-Stella

Today I was speaking to my maths teacher, who said that if I was going to miss out on all the maths we're doing after the yearly exams, I would be really behind in year 11 and 12 because they expect us to build on what we learnt at the end of year 10.

So she told me to take my maths textbook with me (which is like a kilogram - thank goodness there is a version on CD ... then again I'm considering just photocopying the last few chapters we have left - I hate having to stare at the computer while trying to do homework) to Denmark, and to give her my email address so she can email me my maths homework, which is really nice of her.

She also suggested that in Denmark I request to my teacher during maths class to let me do my Australian maths homework during class, and to ask her for help if I needed any.

I feel like a bit of a suck-up saying this, but my teacher is really quite awesome.

I just wish I didn't have to do my maths homework whilst on exchange!

-Stella