First week in Denmark!

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DENMARK 2009
Thursday 29/01/09
I arrived in Denmark on Sunday. Since arriving, I have travelled across the country to Jutland, been to school, attended a Rotary meeting, tasted traditional Danish food such as Ponzi (a sausage bought from a street stall which is eaten with toasted bread- note the sausage doesn’t go inside the bread), and been shopping among other things.
The school I am attending is Ordrup Gymnasium and is an old but pretty school. The students are friendly but it is an effort for them to speak English and because I can’t speak Danish yet, I don’t participate in most conversations at school. Subsequently, school is really boring and I still haven’t lasted a whole day, instead leaving at lunchtime and other breaks to go home and sleep (I’m still a bit jetlagged). The school is very different to at home. It seems to me more like a university or college. Phones, ipods and laptops are regularly used in class, teachers are referred to by their first name, there are no uniforms, it is co-ed, and many people smoke on campus. On the last Friday of every month, the students hold a party at the school where there is a DJ and alcohol is provided. I think MLC would have a heart attack if anything like that occurred there.
My family, the Lange family, are very kind. I still don’t feel like I know them very well as they are somewhat quiet, and communicate amongst each other in Danish. The mother, Cathrine, has very good English and will make conversation with me regularly but that ice barrier is still not completely down. The daughters, Isabella and Josephine, are also nice. Isabella is eight years old and cannot speak any English, so communicating with her is hard. She is very sweet though and really cute.
The weather is very cold. At any time of the day, you can see your breath in the air. I miss the hot weather. The fashion is nice here though, and I bought some clothes yesterday so I fit in a bit better. I also bought a big coat as I didn’t have anything warm enough.
I miss my friends and family a lot. I’ve had a lot of contact with my family; several times a day we will talk, which makes it a lot easier. It has helped me to remember that they still care about me and helped me to not feel completely alone (although at times I do). It is very hard not having anyone I really know in the country, and it has at times made me very frustrated and sad. Being on exchange has been tougher than I expected, and I’ve only been here less than a week. I am looking forward to meeting the other exchange students a lot, because I know they are in the same position I am. It’s hard for the students at my school, and even my host family, to understand how lonely it can be on exchange. That said, it’s not like I’ve tried to explain to them how I’m feeling.
On Sunday, I am going to Switzerland for a skiing holiday with my host family. I have never been skiing, so this is very exciting for me. We are staying near Lake Geneva, which sounds like a beautiful place. I am staying there for a week, before returning to Denmark to attend an Orientation camp with the other inbound exchange students in the Copenhagen district.
My counsellor, Peter, has been very helpful to me in organising the language course and eurotrip among other things. I am staying with Peter for one night when I return from Switzerland, before going to the camp.
Overall, I am enjoying exchange but finding it very difficult at times. I am looking forward to meeting other exchange students because I think it will be much easier then.

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Comments

[ben]

kaaaaate i want to hug you and other things too raow but seriously you poor bub!