Hey everybody!!!! Ok, so I promised a new blog update, and I’m so sorry it’s been like a billion years since I’ve written about what’s been going on here in Denmark. So! Just to make it up to y’all, the FIRST PERSON that can correctly tell me what movie my title is from will get something in the mail from me in Denmark. I just want to reward those of you that read my blog =) so no cheating. No googling the answer. You have to know the movie. And then I’ll announce the winner as soon as they’ve won =D I also can’t promise WHEN you’ll get it in the mail, because hey, I’m on a fixed income right now, but you’ll get it before I leave the country =P
So it’s been roughly 2-3 months since I wrote about things I’ve been doing in Denmark. Time to play catch up!!!! So please bear with me as I try to recap my life for you. I might, as I said before in an earlier post, just make a few new entries. So there isn’t just one ginormous story to read. Ok, so without further a due (no idea if I spelled that right, my English is suffering a lot) I give you my adventures =)
Back in the middle of October we had autumn break, efterårsferie. This was for a week. And it was great! During that week I didn’t do much. I had a party with the girls in my class. We went to this Italian restaurant and had dinner, and then we went back to one of the girl’s apartment and just relaxed with each other for an hour or so. That was nice to get to spend time with the girls in my class. We surprisingly don’t get to do that very often. So I hope we get to do it again soon =)
Also during that week, Stephanie (the girl from LA) and I went to a club in the city called The Crazy Daizy. See, normally you have to be 18+ to go to most clubs, but since this was in the break, it was a special day where 16+ could go. She and I had bought tickets to get in at school, and after waiting in line for about an hour in the freezing cold, we finally made it to the door. One thing, they were taking ID. Did Bekah think about bringing her ID? Nope! So I was seriously just freaking out that they wouldn’t even let me in because I didn’t have my card. I just walked up to the bouncer (A BEAST OF A MAN), gave him my ticket, and when he asked for ID I just calmly said in English, ‘I’m an American foreign exchange student and I don’t have any.’ Do you think he accepted that? YESSSSSSS! Haha that’s probably an abuse of being an exchange student on some level, but hey, he let us in the club. So I was happy. I was completely prepared to beg and cry, but I think it was the English. I’ve learned that to some extent, if you’re an English speaker you get a few perks along the way. =)
Like this other time steph and I were shopping and we stopped to get an ice cream. She walked up to the counter, stood there for a good 10 seconds like a deer caught in the headlights, then blurted out ‘DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?’ to the poor guy behind the counter. Of course he spoke English, so she just ordered her ice cream in English. So he was about to grab the cone for the kind we bought, the soft serve not the scoops, and she stopped him and said ‘Can..can I have THAT one?’ and pointed to a bigger cone used for scoops of ice cream. He said sure and gave it to her =P same price as a small one. Then he got to me and asked if I’d like the same. Um, OF COURSE! Haha so yes, I’ve learned that there are plenty of perks to speaking English in a jam. Sometimes I feel like I get treated better. And other times it’s almost as if I’m looked down upon. And other times it’s just plain frustrating to have a barrier. But it’s coming.
THAT! Was my fall vacation in a nutshell. after that, there have definitely been lots of other fun things! For Halloween, I had a rotary get together weekend with ALL the exchangies in Denmark. It was so fun. We were in Holbæk from Friday-Sunday, and it was pretty much a huge party every night =D dancing and music. It was so much fun. On Saturday we had a Halloween party where we all had to dress up. I was a fairy =D and an adorable one too! If I might add =P I bought the costume on Thursday at a children’s toy store. Yes people, it was a CHILDREN’S costume. But I fit into it, so in my book it’s ok. If it fits you, then it’s ok to wear children’s clothes once in awhile =P it was a great weekend. All of my friends were there (except for Stephanie because it was her birthday that weekend). I miss them all so much. We had a lot of fun. Then on Sunday we got ready to go home. Oh, wait, I forgot to mention, we were all delayed about an hour because of a minor detail: some idiot brought over 1,000 USD with them on the trip and some bigger idiot decided it would be great to steal it. -_- yes, there was thieving among the exchanchies. Which I personally think is just disgusting and horrible. But there are just bad people in the world everywhere I guess. Even as rotary exchange students. They eventually found the money. The person who took it tossed it in the men’s bathroom and that is where is was found. They never did catch the person though. Being threatened to have the police called on us all wasn’t enough motivation for the thief to come forward. A bunch of people just missed their trains and busses. That’s all. No biggie….people these days…
Um, for now, that’s all this entry is going to be about. I have to think about what happened in November =P so stay tuned, but it will be soon! Promise =D thanks for all of the support. Thanks for remembering me. I love you all.
Hugs and kisses,
Rebekah <3
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, December 24, 2010
merry christmas...happy new year
HELLO MY LOVELY PEOPLE!!! i cannot believe that it has actually taken me this long to write in my blog again. But it has. I am terribly sorry. I plan on writing a few entries very soon so there won't be just one super long post. Be looking for them =) But until then, I just wanted to wish everyone, all across the world, a very merry christmas.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! GLÆDELIG JUL!
HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR! MAKE THIS ONE COUNT. I KNOW I AM.
many hugs and kisses <3
Rebekah
MERRY CHRISTMAS! GLÆDELIG JUL!
HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR! MAKE THIS ONE COUNT. I KNOW I AM.
many hugs and kisses <3
Rebekah
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Truth...Revealed
If you want the truth about my exchange and how I'm doing, then this blog post is for you. If you are tired of the shallow posts saying how grand life is, then this post is for you. If you care about how I'm REALLY doing, then this post is for you. Otherwise, stop reading now.
I decided to write this post awhile ago. I just haven't been able to do it until now. I figured that I owe it to my faithful readers, family, and friends. You deserve to know how I really am doing.
It's the day before Thanksgiving. Almost a month before Christmas. Just weeks until my 18th birthday. I've been in Denmark almost 4 months right now. Some days it feels like it's been a century. Other days, it's like the blink of an eye.
I've had my struggles here in Denmark. As I'm sure all the exchange students here this year have. It hasn't all been a bed of roses or a walk in the park. It's been a year, give or take, since I first filled out my application and completed my interviews. Wow, how long ago that seems. And how surreal that I'm actually here now. I'm doing something that I never in my entire life desired to do...I guess people and dreams can change, can't they.
Ok, it's time for the 'nitty gritty'. The truth about all things.
That non existant bed of roses that I mentioned earlier is true. It hasn't been. Every day is a challenge for me. Something I have to work for. I have to work for my language, my school, my rotary, my friends, and most importantly, myself. I want to look back in this year and have no regrets.
Having friends over here has been hard. My closest friends are other exchange students. I love them all to pieces. I do have some Danish friends, but not a million like I would like. My class of 26 people is generally very nice to me. But sadly, I can say I'm only genuinly friends with less than half. The language barrier didn't scare me at first when I came. Everyone said that Danes love speaking English and would gladly practice on me. Well, I don't know which Danes they have been talking to, but my Danes choose to almost never speak English. The language barrier is now a huge deal with making friends. I speak Danish when I can, but not understanding what your classmates are saying to each other across the lunch table or classroom is just a horrible secluding feeling...do I wish I had more Danish friends? Yes. But I love the ones I have right now and I really wouldn't trade them. I just keep hoping I'll make more as the language goes along.
Speaking of Danish...it goes. It just goes. I'm like a duck out of water a lot of the time. I understand so much somedays. And other days it's hard to make out two words. I have the reading and writing level of a middle schooler I think. That is to say, I can read a lot and write a lot. But not everything. Especially not super scientific or advanced pieces. My speech, however, is probably more like that of a small child. 5-8 maybe. That's the frustrating part. Thinking about the language and everything I say before I say it. I'm
not worried about saying it perfect anymore, cuz heaven knows, I probably will never say it just perfect. I still get laughed at or chuckled at when I try to say some things. That's a bit disheartening. It was cute in the beginning, but really? Four months in, and you're still having a problem with my accent? I don't comment on when you say English words wrong...so yea. Danish is coming. Slowly. I like to think I'm on track with most of the rest of the exchange students here. But somedays I'm not so sure. Sometimes I feel like I'm so left behind. That I'll never dream in Danish again. That I'll never hit the fluency where I can have a whole conversation. Those things worry me a great deal...I try to integrate Danish into life whenever I can. I type to friends in Danish and I speak when I can. I just want it so bad. And I fear it'll never come.
Now for home. Do I miss my home of Newport? Yes. And no. I miss my family a lot. I miss being my daddy's little girl. I miss my mom. I kiss fighting with my brother and sister. I miss terribly my niece and nephew who are like my own children. I miss them all. I miss my friends too. Not as much as I originally expected too. But I do. I muss driving the loser lap around town cuz there is nothing better to do. Miss Dutch bros. ^_^ but in general, I don't miss 'newport' very much at all. Sure, it's my home. But here is something I realized the other day. I am really blessed. Some people don't have any place on God's green earth that they can call a home. And I've got 4. My home in Nebraska. That will always be my home. My home in Ohio. My family will always welcome me. My home in Newport. Where I decided to let myself sink in and take root. And now my home here. Denmark. It is a blessing to say I have that many homes and places where I know I belong. But you can only be in one home at a time. And you'll always miss the others. I have cried since I've been here. Not a cry to go back, but a cry to not be forgotten. Replaced. A cry that you'll always love me no matter where in the world I go. That's what I cry for.
And my last, but certainly not least, subject that I will be addressing tonight with complete truthfulness is changes. Changes here in Denmark. Ones I see in myself. Ones I wish to see. Ones I wish will never take place...I have changes already since coming to Denmark. I'm becoming who I am. What I see so far is that I'm becoming assertive again. I've changed a lot in the past few years. I lost who I was for a long time. But now, I see that person coming back. It might not sound like much to you, but I've struggled with being assertive for a long time. I've been working on it over here. If I don't do it for myself, no one else is going to. It's not a bother to people to ask questions or favors. And it's not embarrassing. I've asked so many people for help out here. More than a year in Newport probably. Huge change for me...another change I'm working on and that I gradually see improvements in is my self esteem and confidence. I used to be a confident girl with esteem as high as the sky. But somehwere along the bumpy ride of life, I lost a lot of it. I'm working on that over here. People ask me why I've stopped using make up or why I only use mascara now. Because I want to feel beautiful just being me. I don't want to be covered up anymore. I want to be real. And I've been doing that here. I wear some mascara and that's all. And believe it or nor, I feel beautiful no matter what. Because I am beautiful. You can't get your worth from anyone but yourself. I'm perfectly, beautifully, and wonderfully made...now a change I don't ever want to see in my time here. Alcohol. The drinking age is 16 here and it's hugely part of danish teen life to get hammered at parties. My classmates and friends no that I don't want to get drunk. They have a hard time accepting this though. I don't want to regret anything I do out here. And a drunken night at a party could undo my whole life. I've seen what alcohol can do to people and families. Alcoholism is a huge part in my family background and history. I've never had the desire to drink or get drunk. I don't think people realize this. I don't think they can really understand my reason: I care too much. I care about my future. I care about hurting my family. I care about hurting myself. I've always been the one to think about the consequences something could have. I've never been a live in the moment kinda gal. My decisions do effect other people. Just like their decisions effect me. In my life I never want to have a negative impact on someone's life. I don't want that part of me to change. It's too important.
So...I think that's about it. The truth. The real truth. Nothing but the truth. I bet some people are reading this thinking why would I post something like this? Well, as part of the changes thing, I'm working on not caring about what people think. It's only what I think that matters. And I thought this would be good to inform people on how I'm really doing. So! If you want more truth, send a comment or email. Questions are always welcome.
Love you all so much!
Rebekah Smith <3
I decided to write this post awhile ago. I just haven't been able to do it until now. I figured that I owe it to my faithful readers, family, and friends. You deserve to know how I really am doing.
It's the day before Thanksgiving. Almost a month before Christmas. Just weeks until my 18th birthday. I've been in Denmark almost 4 months right now. Some days it feels like it's been a century. Other days, it's like the blink of an eye.
I've had my struggles here in Denmark. As I'm sure all the exchange students here this year have. It hasn't all been a bed of roses or a walk in the park. It's been a year, give or take, since I first filled out my application and completed my interviews. Wow, how long ago that seems. And how surreal that I'm actually here now. I'm doing something that I never in my entire life desired to do...I guess people and dreams can change, can't they.
Ok, it's time for the 'nitty gritty'. The truth about all things.
That non existant bed of roses that I mentioned earlier is true. It hasn't been. Every day is a challenge for me. Something I have to work for. I have to work for my language, my school, my rotary, my friends, and most importantly, myself. I want to look back in this year and have no regrets.
Having friends over here has been hard. My closest friends are other exchange students. I love them all to pieces. I do have some Danish friends, but not a million like I would like. My class of 26 people is generally very nice to me. But sadly, I can say I'm only genuinly friends with less than half. The language barrier didn't scare me at first when I came. Everyone said that Danes love speaking English and would gladly practice on me. Well, I don't know which Danes they have been talking to, but my Danes choose to almost never speak English. The language barrier is now a huge deal with making friends. I speak Danish when I can, but not understanding what your classmates are saying to each other across the lunch table or classroom is just a horrible secluding feeling...do I wish I had more Danish friends? Yes. But I love the ones I have right now and I really wouldn't trade them. I just keep hoping I'll make more as the language goes along.
Speaking of Danish...it goes. It just goes. I'm like a duck out of water a lot of the time. I understand so much somedays. And other days it's hard to make out two words. I have the reading and writing level of a middle schooler I think. That is to say, I can read a lot and write a lot. But not everything. Especially not super scientific or advanced pieces. My speech, however, is probably more like that of a small child. 5-8 maybe. That's the frustrating part. Thinking about the language and everything I say before I say it. I'm
not worried about saying it perfect anymore, cuz heaven knows, I probably will never say it just perfect. I still get laughed at or chuckled at when I try to say some things. That's a bit disheartening. It was cute in the beginning, but really? Four months in, and you're still having a problem with my accent? I don't comment on when you say English words wrong...so yea. Danish is coming. Slowly. I like to think I'm on track with most of the rest of the exchange students here. But somedays I'm not so sure. Sometimes I feel like I'm so left behind. That I'll never dream in Danish again. That I'll never hit the fluency where I can have a whole conversation. Those things worry me a great deal...I try to integrate Danish into life whenever I can. I type to friends in Danish and I speak when I can. I just want it so bad. And I fear it'll never come.
Now for home. Do I miss my home of Newport? Yes. And no. I miss my family a lot. I miss being my daddy's little girl. I miss my mom. I kiss fighting with my brother and sister. I miss terribly my niece and nephew who are like my own children. I miss them all. I miss my friends too. Not as much as I originally expected too. But I do. I muss driving the loser lap around town cuz there is nothing better to do. Miss Dutch bros. ^_^ but in general, I don't miss 'newport' very much at all. Sure, it's my home. But here is something I realized the other day. I am really blessed. Some people don't have any place on God's green earth that they can call a home. And I've got 4. My home in Nebraska. That will always be my home. My home in Ohio. My family will always welcome me. My home in Newport. Where I decided to let myself sink in and take root. And now my home here. Denmark. It is a blessing to say I have that many homes and places where I know I belong. But you can only be in one home at a time. And you'll always miss the others. I have cried since I've been here. Not a cry to go back, but a cry to not be forgotten. Replaced. A cry that you'll always love me no matter where in the world I go. That's what I cry for.
And my last, but certainly not least, subject that I will be addressing tonight with complete truthfulness is changes. Changes here in Denmark. Ones I see in myself. Ones I wish to see. Ones I wish will never take place...I have changes already since coming to Denmark. I'm becoming who I am. What I see so far is that I'm becoming assertive again. I've changed a lot in the past few years. I lost who I was for a long time. But now, I see that person coming back. It might not sound like much to you, but I've struggled with being assertive for a long time. I've been working on it over here. If I don't do it for myself, no one else is going to. It's not a bother to people to ask questions or favors. And it's not embarrassing. I've asked so many people for help out here. More than a year in Newport probably. Huge change for me...another change I'm working on and that I gradually see improvements in is my self esteem and confidence. I used to be a confident girl with esteem as high as the sky. But somehwere along the bumpy ride of life, I lost a lot of it. I'm working on that over here. People ask me why I've stopped using make up or why I only use mascara now. Because I want to feel beautiful just being me. I don't want to be covered up anymore. I want to be real. And I've been doing that here. I wear some mascara and that's all. And believe it or nor, I feel beautiful no matter what. Because I am beautiful. You can't get your worth from anyone but yourself. I'm perfectly, beautifully, and wonderfully made...now a change I don't ever want to see in my time here. Alcohol. The drinking age is 16 here and it's hugely part of danish teen life to get hammered at parties. My classmates and friends no that I don't want to get drunk. They have a hard time accepting this though. I don't want to regret anything I do out here. And a drunken night at a party could undo my whole life. I've seen what alcohol can do to people and families. Alcoholism is a huge part in my family background and history. I've never had the desire to drink or get drunk. I don't think people realize this. I don't think they can really understand my reason: I care too much. I care about my future. I care about hurting my family. I care about hurting myself. I've always been the one to think about the consequences something could have. I've never been a live in the moment kinda gal. My decisions do effect other people. Just like their decisions effect me. In my life I never want to have a negative impact on someone's life. I don't want that part of me to change. It's too important.
So...I think that's about it. The truth. The real truth. Nothing but the truth. I bet some people are reading this thinking why would I post something like this? Well, as part of the changes thing, I'm working on not caring about what people think. It's only what I think that matters. And I thought this would be good to inform people on how I'm really doing. So! If you want more truth, send a comment or email. Questions are always welcome.
Love you all so much!
Rebekah Smith <3
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Mamma Mia!!
Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I will now tell you about the rest of my weekend! =) Here we go!
So after my tour of Næstved, I managed to catch my bus in time (always a good thing) and I went back home. I was only there for a few hours, however, before I was picked up =)
See, I was going to Copenhagen for the weekend with a family from rotary! How exciting! I was picked up by Marianne Bülow and her sister at about 4, then off to Copenhagen we went! We got into the city at about 6 maybe? not sure, but we parked the car and got out. We walked towards Tivoli (the oldest amusement park in the world) and then we walked towards this restaurant. A really fancy one, I might add. (Better than Applebees ^_^) And we went in and ate dinner there. I MUST tell you, I met probably the nicest waiter in all of my life! He was sooooooooooooooooo nice!!! He heard I didn't speak English, and he spoke directly to me, and he asked about why I was in Denmark and for how long and stuff like that. SO NICE! He had a pretty thick british accent, and I think he said he came to DK in the 80's and just never left ^_^ yea, if it were up to me, I would have tipped him a million kr. He just started off my night amazingly, and when we left, he told me to have the best year and the best time here. Yea, he was awesome =D
After dinner, we walked outside and towards the main entrance to Tivoli. It was all decked out for halloween =D it was great. We were able to go inside and walk aruond the park for a bit. It's closed right now, but will open again next week. We were all just a really special group that got to go in =D Tivoli looks like so much fun, if only I had enough time to come back next summer to go! So we walked around the park and then finally started heading towards the theater house in the park. O yea, I forgot to mention, but I was going to see the musical "Mamma Mia" performed live and in Danish!!!!!! I found out that the play was coming to Denmark a few weeks after I arrived (I saw in a magazine) and I new from that moment that I wanted to go! And then in late Sept. a woman from my rotary club called me and told me she had an extra ticket and would I like to go...WOULD I LIKE TO GO!!!!!! yea, I was sooooo excited and looking forward to going. =DD So we got to the theater house and went inside and waited for us to be allowed to be seated. (I really need to mention, that this wasn't an ordinary showing of the play, it actually doesn't open for another week. But this was a special showing for rotary. This was a fund raiser to get the polio vaccine to the few countries that need it still. I found out just the other day, that with all the money made on this night and the money that Bill Gates has promised to donate, over 100,000 children can now be vaccinated. Way to go rotary! Make a difference in the world!) When we were finally allowed to take our seats we went in. The seats that Marianne had gotten were about 4 rows back from the stage and dead center! Yes, it was amazing. The musical was performed in Danish for the first time, and they all did a marvelous job =D I was able to follow the story and understand a lot, and I was really glad for that. It was an amazing time at the musical. I loved every second of it =D
Then on Sunday (Marianne and I stayed in her flat in Copenhagen for the night), her husband and 2 sons came to see us. We left the house at about 11:30 and set off for a tour around the city of Copenhagen! It was just a lovely time. The best ever. And I thought Næstved was lovely, well it's got nothing on Copenhagen ^_^ we walked down the street and I looked to my left and guess what I saw! The royal guards were marching down the street! No kidding. Haha so we walked a little behind them and walked to the queen's castle and saw the changing of the guards at noon. That was really neat to see. Then after that we walked through the royal garden and saw the new opera house that seats over 1,000 people. We walled down the canal-front and saw the headquarters of the biggest ship building company. It's owned by denmark's rishest man, go figure. We walked all over to where the little mermaid usually sits. She is on vacation in china right now though ^_^ then past this old english church. I saw about twenty churches in Copenhagen I swear =P we went to this old park that's for remembering WWII and all the soldiers. That was really cool to see. And there were statues everywhere in the city! Some kings, some heros and soldiers. Really awesome. After walking for a little over an hour and a half, we made our way back to the flat for some lunch. But on te way, I went into 2 churches. One was a Russian church, and I went to the top and inside the sanctuary, they were having a little ceremony. A baby was being baptized I think. I didn't take any pictures, but that was cool to experience. Then I went to this other church, one of the biggest they told me. It was absolutely gorgeous inside. There was a domed ceiling and all 12 desciples' pictures were up with their names. And there was an old set of organ pipes on one end of the room, and on the opposite end there was a newer set. It was a gorgeous old church. I'm really happy I went inside. Then! We finally got back for lunch.
After lunch, we went out again! But this time we didn't walk very far, we got onto a boat =D and took a canal tour. It was so amazing to see most of Copenhagen from the water. I saw so much, and such beautiful buildings. Once that tour was over, we set out on foot into the dead center of the city. We saw all the shops and I saw some familiar brands =) (Tommy hilfiger, I miss home) haha and gucci! I saw that, and was tempted to go inside =P I got this really delicous hot chocolate from a street vender =) I saw a balloon animal making clown! And some of the most 'hygglidt' (cozy) things in Copenhagen, there we little cafes with seats outside about every 30 meters, I swear! And there was a fire outside next to the tables sometimes, and usually there were fuzzy warm blankets on each chair outside. How cozy!! I want to go to one =P (I learned this is just a recent phenomonon in DK, only the past 10 yrs or so.) there was one last sight to see in Copenhagen before the day was done! So we walked over to this other church with a huge cylindrical tower right next to it. Guess what we were going to do =P I don't remember if I have ever mentioned it, but I'm deathly afraid of heights ^_^ however, I haven't once given up a chance to go up high when someone asks =P up the tower we went! This was no ordinary tower though. No stairs. Inside it was jst a spiralled incline. All the way to the top. (there was a floor with a modern art museum in it. I really am not fond of modern art. It doesn't speak to me at all. I could make art like that, people) but finally we made it to the top. It was gorgeous to see all of Copenhagen from a birds eye view. Loved it. This was one of the highlights of my trip =) and then, the trip was over. =( we headed home after eating again at about 8? I didntt get home until almost 10, so yea haha it was a great trip though =D
So that! My friends is the rest of my weekend. I'm hoping to be posting pictures here soon. So please come back and check them out. Take care of yourself! Miss you all. Keep reading, and keep questioning and commenting. Love you!
Rebekah<3
THINGS IVE LEARNED::
-It's not uncommon at all for guys (haven't seen a girl do it yet) to wear the same outfit two days in a row.
-scarves are super popular here, even among the guys.
-big, clunky looking wedge shoes are 'in'. They looked awkward at first, but I really want a pair.
-most girls wear some type of heel everyday whether it's a wedge, boots, or stilettos.
-if you're riding a bike, it seems like it's safer than walking. Cars will stop for bikers crossing the street, but if you're on foot, they WILL hit you ^_^ (that's not actually true, but it seems like it. Very different from Newport where pedestrians have the rght of way no matter what)
-a lot of people consider going to McDonalds a real novelty and treat. Most people go at MOST once a month. But that is a lot!
-WINTER IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is now frost on the ground in the mornings, and it is near 0°C, luckily, I won't have to ride my bike from Nov 13 on. (I switch families)
-in Taiwan they don't celebrate Christmas =((( (my second family has a son there right now)
KEEP READING! THANK YOU! love!
So after my tour of Næstved, I managed to catch my bus in time (always a good thing) and I went back home. I was only there for a few hours, however, before I was picked up =)
See, I was going to Copenhagen for the weekend with a family from rotary! How exciting! I was picked up by Marianne Bülow and her sister at about 4, then off to Copenhagen we went! We got into the city at about 6 maybe? not sure, but we parked the car and got out. We walked towards Tivoli (the oldest amusement park in the world) and then we walked towards this restaurant. A really fancy one, I might add. (Better than Applebees ^_^) And we went in and ate dinner there. I MUST tell you, I met probably the nicest waiter in all of my life! He was sooooooooooooooooo nice!!! He heard I didn't speak English, and he spoke directly to me, and he asked about why I was in Denmark and for how long and stuff like that. SO NICE! He had a pretty thick british accent, and I think he said he came to DK in the 80's and just never left ^_^ yea, if it were up to me, I would have tipped him a million kr. He just started off my night amazingly, and when we left, he told me to have the best year and the best time here. Yea, he was awesome =D
After dinner, we walked outside and towards the main entrance to Tivoli. It was all decked out for halloween =D it was great. We were able to go inside and walk aruond the park for a bit. It's closed right now, but will open again next week. We were all just a really special group that got to go in =D Tivoli looks like so much fun, if only I had enough time to come back next summer to go! So we walked around the park and then finally started heading towards the theater house in the park. O yea, I forgot to mention, but I was going to see the musical "Mamma Mia" performed live and in Danish!!!!!! I found out that the play was coming to Denmark a few weeks after I arrived (I saw in a magazine) and I new from that moment that I wanted to go! And then in late Sept. a woman from my rotary club called me and told me she had an extra ticket and would I like to go...WOULD I LIKE TO GO!!!!!! yea, I was sooooo excited and looking forward to going. =DD So we got to the theater house and went inside and waited for us to be allowed to be seated. (I really need to mention, that this wasn't an ordinary showing of the play, it actually doesn't open for another week. But this was a special showing for rotary. This was a fund raiser to get the polio vaccine to the few countries that need it still. I found out just the other day, that with all the money made on this night and the money that Bill Gates has promised to donate, over 100,000 children can now be vaccinated. Way to go rotary! Make a difference in the world!) When we were finally allowed to take our seats we went in. The seats that Marianne had gotten were about 4 rows back from the stage and dead center! Yes, it was amazing. The musical was performed in Danish for the first time, and they all did a marvelous job =D I was able to follow the story and understand a lot, and I was really glad for that. It was an amazing time at the musical. I loved every second of it =D
Then on Sunday (Marianne and I stayed in her flat in Copenhagen for the night), her husband and 2 sons came to see us. We left the house at about 11:30 and set off for a tour around the city of Copenhagen! It was just a lovely time. The best ever. And I thought Næstved was lovely, well it's got nothing on Copenhagen ^_^ we walked down the street and I looked to my left and guess what I saw! The royal guards were marching down the street! No kidding. Haha so we walked a little behind them and walked to the queen's castle and saw the changing of the guards at noon. That was really neat to see. Then after that we walked through the royal garden and saw the new opera house that seats over 1,000 people. We walled down the canal-front and saw the headquarters of the biggest ship building company. It's owned by denmark's rishest man, go figure. We walked all over to where the little mermaid usually sits. She is on vacation in china right now though ^_^ then past this old english church. I saw about twenty churches in Copenhagen I swear =P we went to this old park that's for remembering WWII and all the soldiers. That was really cool to see. And there were statues everywhere in the city! Some kings, some heros and soldiers. Really awesome. After walking for a little over an hour and a half, we made our way back to the flat for some lunch. But on te way, I went into 2 churches. One was a Russian church, and I went to the top and inside the sanctuary, they were having a little ceremony. A baby was being baptized I think. I didn't take any pictures, but that was cool to experience. Then I went to this other church, one of the biggest they told me. It was absolutely gorgeous inside. There was a domed ceiling and all 12 desciples' pictures were up with their names. And there was an old set of organ pipes on one end of the room, and on the opposite end there was a newer set. It was a gorgeous old church. I'm really happy I went inside. Then! We finally got back for lunch.
After lunch, we went out again! But this time we didn't walk very far, we got onto a boat =D and took a canal tour. It was so amazing to see most of Copenhagen from the water. I saw so much, and such beautiful buildings. Once that tour was over, we set out on foot into the dead center of the city. We saw all the shops and I saw some familiar brands =) (Tommy hilfiger, I miss home) haha and gucci! I saw that, and was tempted to go inside =P I got this really delicous hot chocolate from a street vender =) I saw a balloon animal making clown! And some of the most 'hygglidt' (cozy) things in Copenhagen, there we little cafes with seats outside about every 30 meters, I swear! And there was a fire outside next to the tables sometimes, and usually there were fuzzy warm blankets on each chair outside. How cozy!! I want to go to one =P (I learned this is just a recent phenomonon in DK, only the past 10 yrs or so.) there was one last sight to see in Copenhagen before the day was done! So we walked over to this other church with a huge cylindrical tower right next to it. Guess what we were going to do =P I don't remember if I have ever mentioned it, but I'm deathly afraid of heights ^_^ however, I haven't once given up a chance to go up high when someone asks =P up the tower we went! This was no ordinary tower though. No stairs. Inside it was jst a spiralled incline. All the way to the top. (there was a floor with a modern art museum in it. I really am not fond of modern art. It doesn't speak to me at all. I could make art like that, people) but finally we made it to the top. It was gorgeous to see all of Copenhagen from a birds eye view. Loved it. This was one of the highlights of my trip =) and then, the trip was over. =( we headed home after eating again at about 8? I didntt get home until almost 10, so yea haha it was a great trip though =D
So that! My friends is the rest of my weekend. I'm hoping to be posting pictures here soon. So please come back and check them out. Take care of yourself! Miss you all. Keep reading, and keep questioning and commenting. Love you!
Rebekah<3
THINGS IVE LEARNED::
-It's not uncommon at all for guys (haven't seen a girl do it yet) to wear the same outfit two days in a row.
-scarves are super popular here, even among the guys.
-big, clunky looking wedge shoes are 'in'. They looked awkward at first, but I really want a pair.
-most girls wear some type of heel everyday whether it's a wedge, boots, or stilettos.
-if you're riding a bike, it seems like it's safer than walking. Cars will stop for bikers crossing the street, but if you're on foot, they WILL hit you ^_^ (that's not actually true, but it seems like it. Very different from Newport where pedestrians have the rght of way no matter what)
-a lot of people consider going to McDonalds a real novelty and treat. Most people go at MOST once a month. But that is a lot!
-WINTER IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is now frost on the ground in the mornings, and it is near 0°C, luckily, I won't have to ride my bike from Nov 13 on. (I switch families)
-in Taiwan they don't celebrate Christmas =((( (my second family has a son there right now)
KEEP READING! THANK YOU! love!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
It's Like a Fairytale
I've had a very interesting weekend/past couple of days.
On Thursday, nothing really spectacular happened. I had volleyball like usual, but it wasn't a normal practice. The coach had another obligation with the school that night, so a bunch of us just fooled around and played a game. This was Stephanie's first practice, and another exchange student, Ruby's (New Zealand) 2nd or third practice.
On Friday, I got out of classes early, 11:25! And I was going over to Stephanie's house for the night, but she didn't get out until 1:30. I decided to make the time productive, so I walked to the library which is 2 minutes away from the bus stop. I got 6 new books. Yay me! The last 3 Harry Potter books (I have read the first few, then stopped, and now I don't want to be surprised when the new movie comes out), The Poisonwood Bible, a book with Edgar Allen Poe's writings, and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I honestly can't wait to finish these books because I have heard such great things about all of them! Ok. Then at 1:45 I headed over to the bus station to catch the bus to Steph's house. I met her on the same bus about 5 minutes later (she took a different stop) and then we were off together! That night we both just had a lot of fun hanging out, we always have fun just doing that. We watched an anime movie "Howl's moving castle" by the same artisit who did "spirited away" and I love the latter movie =)
And on Saturday, we had to wake up pretty early (8;00, o my goodness) because we had to be back into Næstved at 9 to meet up with our Danish class. This is why I stayed the night at her house, that way I had a ride into town that morning. Our class (only 3 of us ended up being able to go) took a tour with our Danish teacher around the city. Well, more through it than around it =P We walked all over the center part, and we learned some history about the city, and we saw some really great things. Like I have mentioned before, the ancient-ness of all of the things out here just warms my heart. I love it. We saw some old churches, but didn't get to go inside =( they were closed. We were just able to see a whole new side of the city. I found out that there is a Saturday market there, so now I want to come back into town on a weekend! And then, since we had about an hour before I had to leave to catch my bus, my Danish teacher drove us 3 in her car to the outside of town. And guess what we saw!!! A CASTLE! A REAL CASTLE! yea, it was pretty amazing. We rounded the corner in the car, and there it was. You could hear all of us girls just gasp as soon as it was visible. Breathtaking really. It's a yellow castle, and I found out that that is where the crown prince stayed with Mary (his now wife) when they got together. And I learned that there is a winter thing that happens there. I want to go!! haha and in the spring there is a huge thing with a bunch of tulips. People plant them like crazy on the grounds I guess and they start to bloom in the spring. It's supposed to be really beautiful...I can't wait to go! I hope I can =D =P It was a great day with my Danish class. Det var meget hyggligt =D (It was very...cozy/comfy/not sure) I can't wait to go back into the city and explore some more.
That's about all for this post, guys. I will be writing more about my weekend very soon. So stay tuned!!! =D
THINGS I'VE LEARNED SO FAR::
-use of the word 'toilet' and not bathroom. So if you come here, don't be offended when someone says to you "I need to go use the toilet"
-my butt no longer hurts from my bike =D actually, this isn't new news. it's like a month old =P
-There really aren't any suv's out here. all the cars are pretty much the same--small. but there are a few, don't be fooled.
-when you buy a car here, you actually pay for it about 3 times because of all the tax on it. So if it cost 100,000 kr, it would cost you about 300,00 kr
-when Danish students raise their hand in class, they always point one finger up, as if you say 'I have a point'??
-Næstved turned 875 years old this year =) one city is older than my entire country! haha
ok, that's all for now. MUCH LOVE! =D
Rebekah
On Thursday, nothing really spectacular happened. I had volleyball like usual, but it wasn't a normal practice. The coach had another obligation with the school that night, so a bunch of us just fooled around and played a game. This was Stephanie's first practice, and another exchange student, Ruby's (New Zealand) 2nd or third practice.
On Friday, I got out of classes early, 11:25! And I was going over to Stephanie's house for the night, but she didn't get out until 1:30. I decided to make the time productive, so I walked to the library which is 2 minutes away from the bus stop. I got 6 new books. Yay me! The last 3 Harry Potter books (I have read the first few, then stopped, and now I don't want to be surprised when the new movie comes out), The Poisonwood Bible, a book with Edgar Allen Poe's writings, and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I honestly can't wait to finish these books because I have heard such great things about all of them! Ok. Then at 1:45 I headed over to the bus station to catch the bus to Steph's house. I met her on the same bus about 5 minutes later (she took a different stop) and then we were off together! That night we both just had a lot of fun hanging out, we always have fun just doing that. We watched an anime movie "Howl's moving castle" by the same artisit who did "spirited away" and I love the latter movie =)
And on Saturday, we had to wake up pretty early (8;00, o my goodness) because we had to be back into Næstved at 9 to meet up with our Danish class. This is why I stayed the night at her house, that way I had a ride into town that morning. Our class (only 3 of us ended up being able to go) took a tour with our Danish teacher around the city. Well, more through it than around it =P We walked all over the center part, and we learned some history about the city, and we saw some really great things. Like I have mentioned before, the ancient-ness of all of the things out here just warms my heart. I love it. We saw some old churches, but didn't get to go inside =( they were closed. We were just able to see a whole new side of the city. I found out that there is a Saturday market there, so now I want to come back into town on a weekend! And then, since we had about an hour before I had to leave to catch my bus, my Danish teacher drove us 3 in her car to the outside of town. And guess what we saw!!! A CASTLE! A REAL CASTLE! yea, it was pretty amazing. We rounded the corner in the car, and there it was. You could hear all of us girls just gasp as soon as it was visible. Breathtaking really. It's a yellow castle, and I found out that that is where the crown prince stayed with Mary (his now wife) when they got together. And I learned that there is a winter thing that happens there. I want to go!! haha and in the spring there is a huge thing with a bunch of tulips. People plant them like crazy on the grounds I guess and they start to bloom in the spring. It's supposed to be really beautiful...I can't wait to go! I hope I can =D =P It was a great day with my Danish class. Det var meget hyggligt =D (It was very...cozy/comfy/not sure) I can't wait to go back into the city and explore some more.
That's about all for this post, guys. I will be writing more about my weekend very soon. So stay tuned!!! =D
THINGS I'VE LEARNED SO FAR::
-use of the word 'toilet' and not bathroom. So if you come here, don't be offended when someone says to you "I need to go use the toilet"
-my butt no longer hurts from my bike =D actually, this isn't new news. it's like a month old =P
-There really aren't any suv's out here. all the cars are pretty much the same--small. but there are a few, don't be fooled.
-when you buy a car here, you actually pay for it about 3 times because of all the tax on it. So if it cost 100,000 kr, it would cost you about 300,00 kr
-when Danish students raise their hand in class, they always point one finger up, as if you say 'I have a point'??
-Næstved turned 875 years old this year =) one city is older than my entire country! haha
ok, that's all for now. MUCH LOVE! =D
Rebekah
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Oreos+Peanut Butter=Heaven
So since I had just a thrilling weekend =P I was hoping that the actual week would be a lot better. I really wanted to do stuff this week! Because let's face it, staying at my house, in the middle of no where, is not the most exciting thing in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love living where I am. It's beautiful, but I miss being able to go to town whenever I wanted..I miss living in an actual town! =P So this week I was hoping that something fun would come up =)
On Monday I went to school like always. My first class on Mondays is always gym...great way to start off the week ^_^ No, it's not that bad. At least I can participate in that class! It's usually fun. I have a great teacher. He's really nice..so anywayz, there was gym, then after gym was the rest of school =( yea...haha I got to see my friend René though! Yea that was great. We were able to talk for a bit, and then we decided that we wanted to hang out after school. (I didn't have my normal Danish lessons because the teacher was sick) So René came over that night from about 7-10. We just relaxed in my room. Ate some candy. Takled..O how I miss doing that! Having a friend over or going out and just chilling. It was really nice to be able to spend time with my best friend =) As it turns out, René is kind of a neat freak, and he didn't like the way I had cleaned my room. So guess what he did! ;) yea, I want to have him over more often if he'll do that for me haha then after that we just hung out and ate candy from my candy stash =D he had like 30 pieces of salt water taffy, I swear. ^_^ And you know why that's really funny? Cuz the first time he had them, he said they tasted terrible...Well, I showed him!We also ate some skittles (if you remember, they don't have those here, so it was quite a treat) and then! I gave him the best thing he will ever experience in his life! An oreo with peanut butter =DD Everyone over here says that sounds just disgusting (they don't like peanut butter, but I think they just haven't had the right kind) but René really liked it =P He said it was so strange to put those together, but it was good! YOU are welcome =P Then at about 10, he left. Sad day =( I wish I could hang out with friends 24/7 sometimes...
On Tuesday, I had biology in first module. So I was just sitting there minding my own business when a friend leaned over and asked if I'd eaten breakfast. I hadn't had time that
morning so I said no. Next thing I know, I'm in the front of the class getting my bloodsugar tested for an experiment! They had those little diabetes bloodtesters, you know, the ones that prick your finger. So I had to do one for a baseline. (I helped a bit) and then I ate some apple, and I had to have 4 more tests at timed intervals. SO.MUCH.FUN. =P not really. It's a good thing I'm not sqeemish with blood. But my fingers hurts for awhile after that. Haha
then we all got off of school at 11:30. No way I was going back home for 10 hours =P So me and Stephanie decided to go shopping at the mall since we didn't want to walk around downtown in the cold. But first, we had to walk to the bus station and go to the post office so I could mail a HUGE letter back home to the US. (you're welcome amber hatten ^_^) We got to the post office, I picked up a package of envelopes and went to the counter to mail this letter. I was really disapponted that I couldn't talk to the lady in Danish. I couldn't for the life of me remember how to say letter in Danish =( but I did it in English. So the letter is now *safely* on its way home now. Haha...
then Stephanie and I boarded a bus and went to the mall. Niether of us has eaten lunch yet, so naturally we were starving. Guess what we bought!! A pizza =D and we ate it all. It was soooo good guys. =P then we went to scout out some shoe stores and sales. It was sad, we didn't find anything too amazing. So we just stuck to buying the necessities. I love the store "Bilka" because it's like walmart. Always some good sales. After purchasing our 'stuff' we decided that an ice cream cone sounded good. It's called soft ice. And let me tell you! It's the creamiest soft serve ever!! It's sooo good =) Stephanie then decided she didn't want one, so I got one by myself. And I ordered in Danish! It's funny how things like that just excite me so much ^_^
at about 3 we decided to head home as both of us had busses to catch. Stephanie caught the bus back to the station and I, not having any money in my pocket whatsoever (spent it all shopping and hadn't gotten my allowance yet), decided that I could just walk the few kilometers to my nearest bus stop...don't you just love how I get ideas like this! See, if you remember, I had walked to the mall already. So how hard could it be to get back? Well, I went a different way than the last time because I knew it would be shorter to go the straight line route instead of taking the big "L" route. So I set out!! I got maybe ten minutes down the road when I started to doubt myself. Am I on the right road? Will I get lost?? I can see the headlines now! "Foreign kid wanders from næstved to Germany, how she got there, we may never know" lol these things just started running through my mind. Lucky me.. Then I saw something familiar on another road. "should I turn?" I didn't turn. I decided I would just keep walking the way I was headed. About 30-40 minutes after I started, a road came into view. The main road my bus takes!! I made it =DDD that's right, I didn't get lost =P so I walked to the nearest bus stop, sat down, and waited for about half an hour for my bus. Great times haha.
O, and Tuesday night during dinner, I found out that parliament was having an important ceremony. The new year for them had begun. I guess that's a big thing? I really didn't know much about it, so for the next 10 minutes or so, my host dad and I talked about it and ue explained how the system works with the elections and everything. Really interesting, not gunna lie.
And today is wednesday! Nothing special going on today. I get out of school at 1:30 and I'm just going to go home an relax. Can't beat that right now. The 5:30 wake up is taking its toll. I just want to sleep most of the time haha. Really looking forward to sitting in some comfy clothes and watching some tv. Wish me luck ^_^ I will write more later! Thanks for reading!!
THINGS IVE LEARNED SO FAR::
-Danish tv is mostly in English with Danish subtitles. There are a few channels with only Danish speaking though.
-they put ketchup on their spaghetti here =P sounds disgusting, I know. But it actually good. It's pasta, this plain meat sauce, then ketchup on top!
-in grocery stores, you have to bag your own things..most places don't provide bags eitwr. You need to bring your own or buy them.
-waking up just 30 seconds before your bus stop comes is very awakening.
-Danes must bleed carbs, I swear. From all the breads, pasta, rice, and potatoes.
-Danish has some insanely longs words..why? Because they are actually a bunch of little words squished together! Seriously, like 'whole grain pasta'turns into fuldkornspasta. The trick is finding out where the words start and stop.
-I now ride my bike when it's very dark outside. No sunrise. I'm very thankful for the 'dorky' lights on my bike. I haven't gotten run over yet! =D
-a lot of people bring their laptops to school. Pretty much 30% of the time is spent on school work. The rest of the time they are on facebook or surfing the Net.
-snails are becoming a new nuisance here.
-all the good Danish guys are taken =((( haha just kidding
-there are only chalk boards at the school. No white boards. 2 smart boards that I've seen, but the teachers I have don't know how to use them.
-danes who will be driving soon are insanely jealous when they hear how cheap and easy it is to get a license in the US.
-I look forward to thursdays because that means volleyball. =)) (except for tomorrow, there is no practice)
-Denmark is probably one of the most expensive countries in the world (for those of you who don't know)
-there is a mixed knowledge of english among older people. Some can understand perfectly but can't speak very well. And others can communicate very well in English.
-I love how rotary is made up of normal everyday people =) just wanting to make a difference
I think that's all for now! Remember to check out facebook for pictures! (if you don't want to be on facebook, I will be uploading on some kind of picture sharing website soon) keep reading my blogs and tell me what you think or ask questions. I love it. Talk to you all soon! Miss and love you =)
<3 Rebekah knus og kys (hug and kiss)
On Monday I went to school like always. My first class on Mondays is always gym...great way to start off the week ^_^ No, it's not that bad. At least I can participate in that class! It's usually fun. I have a great teacher. He's really nice..so anywayz, there was gym, then after gym was the rest of school =( yea...haha I got to see my friend René though! Yea that was great. We were able to talk for a bit, and then we decided that we wanted to hang out after school. (I didn't have my normal Danish lessons because the teacher was sick) So René came over that night from about 7-10. We just relaxed in my room. Ate some candy. Takled..O how I miss doing that! Having a friend over or going out and just chilling. It was really nice to be able to spend time with my best friend =) As it turns out, René is kind of a neat freak, and he didn't like the way I had cleaned my room. So guess what he did! ;) yea, I want to have him over more often if he'll do that for me haha then after that we just hung out and ate candy from my candy stash =D he had like 30 pieces of salt water taffy, I swear. ^_^ And you know why that's really funny? Cuz the first time he had them, he said they tasted terrible...Well, I showed him!We also ate some skittles (if you remember, they don't have those here, so it was quite a treat) and then! I gave him the best thing he will ever experience in his life! An oreo with peanut butter =DD Everyone over here says that sounds just disgusting (they don't like peanut butter, but I think they just haven't had the right kind) but René really liked it =P He said it was so strange to put those together, but it was good! YOU are welcome =P Then at about 10, he left. Sad day =( I wish I could hang out with friends 24/7 sometimes...
On Tuesday, I had biology in first module. So I was just sitting there minding my own business when a friend leaned over and asked if I'd eaten breakfast. I hadn't had time that
morning so I said no. Next thing I know, I'm in the front of the class getting my bloodsugar tested for an experiment! They had those little diabetes bloodtesters, you know, the ones that prick your finger. So I had to do one for a baseline. (I helped a bit) and then I ate some apple, and I had to have 4 more tests at timed intervals. SO.MUCH.FUN. =P not really. It's a good thing I'm not sqeemish with blood. But my fingers hurts for awhile after that. Haha
then we all got off of school at 11:30. No way I was going back home for 10 hours =P So me and Stephanie decided to go shopping at the mall since we didn't want to walk around downtown in the cold. But first, we had to walk to the bus station and go to the post office so I could mail a HUGE letter back home to the US. (you're welcome amber hatten ^_^) We got to the post office, I picked up a package of envelopes and went to the counter to mail this letter. I was really disapponted that I couldn't talk to the lady in Danish. I couldn't for the life of me remember how to say letter in Danish =( but I did it in English. So the letter is now *safely* on its way home now. Haha...
then Stephanie and I boarded a bus and went to the mall. Niether of us has eaten lunch yet, so naturally we were starving. Guess what we bought!! A pizza =D and we ate it all. It was soooo good guys. =P then we went to scout out some shoe stores and sales. It was sad, we didn't find anything too amazing. So we just stuck to buying the necessities. I love the store "Bilka" because it's like walmart. Always some good sales. After purchasing our 'stuff' we decided that an ice cream cone sounded good. It's called soft ice. And let me tell you! It's the creamiest soft serve ever!! It's sooo good =) Stephanie then decided she didn't want one, so I got one by myself. And I ordered in Danish! It's funny how things like that just excite me so much ^_^
at about 3 we decided to head home as both of us had busses to catch. Stephanie caught the bus back to the station and I, not having any money in my pocket whatsoever (spent it all shopping and hadn't gotten my allowance yet), decided that I could just walk the few kilometers to my nearest bus stop...don't you just love how I get ideas like this! See, if you remember, I had walked to the mall already. So how hard could it be to get back? Well, I went a different way than the last time because I knew it would be shorter to go the straight line route instead of taking the big "L" route. So I set out!! I got maybe ten minutes down the road when I started to doubt myself. Am I on the right road? Will I get lost?? I can see the headlines now! "Foreign kid wanders from næstved to Germany, how she got there, we may never know" lol these things just started running through my mind. Lucky me.. Then I saw something familiar on another road. "should I turn?" I didn't turn. I decided I would just keep walking the way I was headed. About 30-40 minutes after I started, a road came into view. The main road my bus takes!! I made it =DDD that's right, I didn't get lost =P so I walked to the nearest bus stop, sat down, and waited for about half an hour for my bus. Great times haha.
O, and Tuesday night during dinner, I found out that parliament was having an important ceremony. The new year for them had begun. I guess that's a big thing? I really didn't know much about it, so for the next 10 minutes or so, my host dad and I talked about it and ue explained how the system works with the elections and everything. Really interesting, not gunna lie.
And today is wednesday! Nothing special going on today. I get out of school at 1:30 and I'm just going to go home an relax. Can't beat that right now. The 5:30 wake up is taking its toll. I just want to sleep most of the time haha. Really looking forward to sitting in some comfy clothes and watching some tv. Wish me luck ^_^ I will write more later! Thanks for reading!!
THINGS IVE LEARNED SO FAR::
-Danish tv is mostly in English with Danish subtitles. There are a few channels with only Danish speaking though.
-they put ketchup on their spaghetti here =P sounds disgusting, I know. But it actually good. It's pasta, this plain meat sauce, then ketchup on top!
-in grocery stores, you have to bag your own things..most places don't provide bags eitwr. You need to bring your own or buy them.
-waking up just 30 seconds before your bus stop comes is very awakening.
-Danes must bleed carbs, I swear. From all the breads, pasta, rice, and potatoes.
-Danish has some insanely longs words..why? Because they are actually a bunch of little words squished together! Seriously, like 'whole grain pasta'turns into fuldkornspasta. The trick is finding out where the words start and stop.
-I now ride my bike when it's very dark outside. No sunrise. I'm very thankful for the 'dorky' lights on my bike. I haven't gotten run over yet! =D
-a lot of people bring their laptops to school. Pretty much 30% of the time is spent on school work. The rest of the time they are on facebook or surfing the Net.
-snails are becoming a new nuisance here.
-all the good Danish guys are taken =((( haha just kidding
-there are only chalk boards at the school. No white boards. 2 smart boards that I've seen, but the teachers I have don't know how to use them.
-danes who will be driving soon are insanely jealous when they hear how cheap and easy it is to get a license in the US.
-I look forward to thursdays because that means volleyball. =)) (except for tomorrow, there is no practice)
-Denmark is probably one of the most expensive countries in the world (for those of you who don't know)
-there is a mixed knowledge of english among older people. Some can understand perfectly but can't speak very well. And others can communicate very well in English.
-I love how rotary is made up of normal everyday people =) just wanting to make a difference
I think that's all for now! Remember to check out facebook for pictures! (if you don't want to be on facebook, I will be uploading on some kind of picture sharing website soon) keep reading my blogs and tell me what you think or ask questions. I love it. Talk to you all soon! Miss and love you =)
<3 Rebekah knus og kys (hug and kiss)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Hash...anyone?
This past week has been awefully dull =( A few things happened, but not many..
Monday started a new week at school. And an odd week it was. It's call 'AT' week. All the classes stay in one classroom for the entire week, and the teachers come to us. There is only one subject talked about during this week, and it's usually one that's worth thinking about and trying to figure out how to fix. My class's subject was Burma, and all the bad things that have happened there with the dictatorship and everything, and what we could do to help..Now, I thought that normal school was boring, but nothing compares to sitting in the exact same classroom for the whole day. ^_^ My ipod has become my new bestfriend.
Monday afternoon I had my Danish lessons like always. It's getting better. My friend Stephanie was deathly ill the past week, and Monday was her first day back. She walked into the classroom, and all 6 of us (5 students, 1 teacher) just stare at her. Then I think I may have said it first, or our teacher did, but someone said 'Wow, Steph. You look like hell' hahaha funniest thing ever. Not that my friend looked horrible because she was still sick, but because all of us in the room said it. =P It's ok, she laughed too..and she blames me for her illness. So she has plans to get me =/ haha
Monday night I went to a Rotary meeting. This one was held in Næstved at a museum type place. They played about 6 films on the old times in Denmark. The first was about the Suså (which i thought was going to be the only one) but then more and more films started playing =P I really don't mind going to the Rotary meetings. Even if I get really bored because I don't understand it. You know why? Well, the poeple are really nice, and they always have tea, coffee, and cake ^_^ hahhaha yea. i'm a bad person, I know. =P
On Tuesday nothing really happened. Same old same old. After school, I went shopping with my host mom and sister to look for winter shoes for Astrid. That was pretty much all that happened...Wednesday morning I was finally able to open a package I had gotten from my mom in the States! Yea, you don't know the excitement. haha it's better than Christmas! So I opened it before I had to leave for school. Candy (they know me too well), my winter coat (they care if i freeze), some socks (she is a mom afterall ^_^), and probably my most favorite things in the entire box! A pair of gloves =DDD thanks mom, now my hands don't freeze while I'm riding my bike in the morning.
Wednsaday after school I decided to do something brave, go to the post office next to the bus station and mail some stuff. See, I have already done this (I mailed my grandma a bday card) but I decided to try to talk to the lady in Danish. So I braved my way up to the counter and I did it! I told her how many letters I had, where they were going, and everything! So proud of myself ^_^
Thursday was volleyball. I showed up to practice and there were about 10 guys there already and no girls. Fun fun fun..yea no. =P Then more guys started showing up. I think there were 15, and then the coach started practice. In the middle of warming up, a few other guys came, and then 2 girls! yay. haha overall it was a good practice. I need some work, cuz it's hard after not seriously playing in a year. But it's coming. I love volleyball. And it's going to be great to have a team again. Maybe some new friends? The guys are really nice ^_^ nice looking too =P
Friday night my host parents took me to Christiania which is in Copenhagen to see their oldest son play with his band at a club to celebrate the release of his second cd..Now, I can't tell you everything there is about Christiania, but it's a strange place. It's literally it's own world. It used to be a military base, then the government gave it up, and some guy from nowhere comes in and sets up camp and starts his own city ^_^ and I'm not joking. They have their own rules there almost. If you want to know more (or better) info, look it up. I'm sure there's a lot about it..Well in Christiania we went to this club, right. We get in the door and guess what's right there on a table: a sign saying 'hash cakes for sale' lol!! and actally sitting there were some! People were even smoking it inside the club, which I have just come to learn, it's ok to smoke it in Denmark. You just can't sell it...how you're supposed to smoke it without buying it or selling it is beyond me...=P So we saw the band, it was good. Very different music than what I normally go for.
Saturday was a cozy day. I didn't go out, just stayed at home all day in my pj's. I cooked some mac 'n' cheese for dinner as my host family was out of the house. And I just relaxed =) Same with Sunday. Not much has happened today. Just chilling out and enjoying life...That's all folks!
THINGS I'VE LEARNED SO FAR::
-it's illegal to smoke inside a club, but no one really cares and they all do it anyway
-'leftovers' don't really exist in my house..if it's not eaten and it's not meat, it gets trashed
-there are some people in this world that you will just not get along with..ie, hot shots on the volleyball team
-riding a bicycle applies directly to life (comment if you want more info)
-Danes think some American foods just sound disgusting..peanut butter, mac 'n' cheese, etc.
sorry I can't think of more! Like I told you before, I just forget what I think about to write down =( message me! email me! comment me!
miss you all. love. knus og kys! (hugs and kisses)
Love, Rebekah <3
Monday started a new week at school. And an odd week it was. It's call 'AT' week. All the classes stay in one classroom for the entire week, and the teachers come to us. There is only one subject talked about during this week, and it's usually one that's worth thinking about and trying to figure out how to fix. My class's subject was Burma, and all the bad things that have happened there with the dictatorship and everything, and what we could do to help..Now, I thought that normal school was boring, but nothing compares to sitting in the exact same classroom for the whole day. ^_^ My ipod has become my new bestfriend.
Monday afternoon I had my Danish lessons like always. It's getting better. My friend Stephanie was deathly ill the past week, and Monday was her first day back. She walked into the classroom, and all 6 of us (5 students, 1 teacher) just stare at her. Then I think I may have said it first, or our teacher did, but someone said 'Wow, Steph. You look like hell' hahaha funniest thing ever. Not that my friend looked horrible because she was still sick, but because all of us in the room said it. =P It's ok, she laughed too..and she blames me for her illness. So she has plans to get me =/ haha
Monday night I went to a Rotary meeting. This one was held in Næstved at a museum type place. They played about 6 films on the old times in Denmark. The first was about the Suså (which i thought was going to be the only one) but then more and more films started playing =P I really don't mind going to the Rotary meetings. Even if I get really bored because I don't understand it. You know why? Well, the poeple are really nice, and they always have tea, coffee, and cake ^_^ hahhaha yea. i'm a bad person, I know. =P
On Tuesday nothing really happened. Same old same old. After school, I went shopping with my host mom and sister to look for winter shoes for Astrid. That was pretty much all that happened...Wednesday morning I was finally able to open a package I had gotten from my mom in the States! Yea, you don't know the excitement. haha it's better than Christmas! So I opened it before I had to leave for school. Candy (they know me too well), my winter coat (they care if i freeze), some socks (she is a mom afterall ^_^), and probably my most favorite things in the entire box! A pair of gloves =DDD thanks mom, now my hands don't freeze while I'm riding my bike in the morning.
Wednsaday after school I decided to do something brave, go to the post office next to the bus station and mail some stuff. See, I have already done this (I mailed my grandma a bday card) but I decided to try to talk to the lady in Danish. So I braved my way up to the counter and I did it! I told her how many letters I had, where they were going, and everything! So proud of myself ^_^
Thursday was volleyball. I showed up to practice and there were about 10 guys there already and no girls. Fun fun fun..yea no. =P Then more guys started showing up. I think there were 15, and then the coach started practice. In the middle of warming up, a few other guys came, and then 2 girls! yay. haha overall it was a good practice. I need some work, cuz it's hard after not seriously playing in a year. But it's coming. I love volleyball. And it's going to be great to have a team again. Maybe some new friends? The guys are really nice ^_^ nice looking too =P
Friday night my host parents took me to Christiania which is in Copenhagen to see their oldest son play with his band at a club to celebrate the release of his second cd..Now, I can't tell you everything there is about Christiania, but it's a strange place. It's literally it's own world. It used to be a military base, then the government gave it up, and some guy from nowhere comes in and sets up camp and starts his own city ^_^ and I'm not joking. They have their own rules there almost. If you want to know more (or better) info, look it up. I'm sure there's a lot about it..Well in Christiania we went to this club, right. We get in the door and guess what's right there on a table: a sign saying 'hash cakes for sale' lol!! and actally sitting there were some! People were even smoking it inside the club, which I have just come to learn, it's ok to smoke it in Denmark. You just can't sell it...how you're supposed to smoke it without buying it or selling it is beyond me...=P So we saw the band, it was good. Very different music than what I normally go for.
Saturday was a cozy day. I didn't go out, just stayed at home all day in my pj's. I cooked some mac 'n' cheese for dinner as my host family was out of the house. And I just relaxed =) Same with Sunday. Not much has happened today. Just chilling out and enjoying life...That's all folks!
THINGS I'VE LEARNED SO FAR::
-it's illegal to smoke inside a club, but no one really cares and they all do it anyway
-'leftovers' don't really exist in my house..if it's not eaten and it's not meat, it gets trashed
-there are some people in this world that you will just not get along with..ie, hot shots on the volleyball team
-riding a bicycle applies directly to life (comment if you want more info)
-Danes think some American foods just sound disgusting..peanut butter, mac 'n' cheese, etc.
sorry I can't think of more! Like I told you before, I just forget what I think about to write down =( message me! email me! comment me!
miss you all. love. knus og kys! (hugs and kisses)
Love, Rebekah <3
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