This blog post is very overdue, my apologies but in between surviving the amount of food consumed at Danish christmas, trying to pack a year into my 20kg suitcase, setting off fireworks, cooking Australian food and saying goodbye to people I love, I seem to have neglected my little blog. So I can hopefully cram everything I have been up to in this blog post. A whole 2 weeks worth!
So christmas has been and gone. There are no longer christmas trees in the streets, no more christmas songs on the radio and all signs of christmas have been put away until next year. But the christmas I experienced this year was very different to those that I am used to, and it is one that I will always remember.
As I have probably written in previous blogs, December in Denmark is totally devoted to christmas related activities. Wether it is picking a christmas tree from the forest (which i forgot to write about in my last blog post) attending a julefrokost, eating, christmas shopping, baking more cookies to eat, attending church, Tivoli tours or just hyggeing, December is a really special month in Denmark. And christmas was just the same.
I have been to my fair share of julefrokosts, with my class (which was by far the funnest) held on our last day of school. We all slept over at my friends house and went to school together the next day. It is a night that I won't forget in a hurry. And I have also been to one with my Rotary club which was also really nice. Before hand, we went to church, sang some songs and then went to hotel prisden (where our meetings are held) to eat more food and hygge. It was a really fun morning.
I have also been to church at christmas time both with my school and with my host dad. My school holds a christmas service on our last day of school in the big famous church in my town. It was really really special to be in there and so hyggeligt. The next church service i went too was on the 24th in the morning. It is so cool to sit in the domkirken. I love it so much. There were christmas trees (of the real kind) and it had such a nice atmosphere. My host sister from number two family also sang so it was nice to see her before christmas!
I am so used to having christmas on the 25th.. Waking up in the morning to open presents with my siblings and then hoping in the car hoping to avoid traffic to drive an hour to my mum and dads parents. This year christmas felt completly strange, because it was held on the 24th... in the evening. This was weird, because when does Santa come? Well in Denmark, Danish kids actually enjoy a live santa visit! Pretty cool. So anyway, christmas this year was at my host famalies house so in the day, the kitchen smelt SO amazing as my host mum cooked all the danish christmas food. Then, after all showering, and decorating the christmas tree (A REAL LIVE ONE) we were ready for our guests. Juleaften was shared with my host mums brother , his three girls, his wife and their dad (so my host grandpa) It was a really hyggeligt night. We all sat around at the dinner table eating and eating and eating. My favourite Danish christmas good is brown potatoes which are sugar covered potatos. THEY TASTE SO AMAZING! and it is one of the many things that i will be bringing home with me. Nanna expect them to be on the table next christmas. After eating the main meal, we ate dessert which is one of the best things about danish christmas. It is called Ris-ala-mand. This is like rice porridge, but sweetened and throughout it are little almonds. There is one whole almond in the grol and the person who gets it wins a prize. But if you get the almond, you have to wait until the whole bowl is finished before you say anything, otherwise it is no fun! I didnt get the nut unfortuantley, but it was a lot of fun. Andddd so after eating our weight in food, we moved to the christmas tree. This was a whole new world for me because Danes have many traditions surrounding it. To start with, there are actual live candles on the christmas tree that are lit on christmas eve. This was so cool, although i was a little scared because its a live tree, with candles in the middle of a house. The second tradition is to hold hands and sing traditional christmas songs around the christmas tree. This was cool to be apart of! We sang songs like little child in bethlam and ones that we dont have in English. Then we danced around the house singing "nu det jule i gen" which means now it is christmas again. We danced around the whole house through bedrooms and even went outside. It was crazy! And finally after all that, we sit around the christmas tree and opened presents. I got some really nice things, from my family back home in Australia and my host famalies in Denmark. They are all things that will remind me of my magical danish christmas. After it was about midnight, and we sat around with tea and chocolate. Then, went to bed.
And that was danish christmas.... day one
Day two occurs on Australian christmas day with another jule frokost. Of course, there is a lot of food involved. A traditional danish jule frokost consists of: lots of rye bread, herring, prawns, more sea food, schnaps, liver paste and frikerdellers (meat ball things). It was interesting to try of course, but I am not the greatest fan of herring. We ate this traditional food on the 25th with my host mums dad. We held it together with the same people that we were with on christmas eve. It was really hyggeligt and once again we ate so much food. We went for a long walk, and then played a game called packalej, which i am not sure if i have explained before, but basically it is a game that involves some fun gifts and a dice. If you roll a 6, you can take a gift from the middle of the table until they have all gone. Then a watch is started and you continue to play but instead of taking a gift from the middle of the table, you take a gift from someone else. When the stopwatch stops, you get to open all of the presents that you have. It is a lot of fun, and is played to most julefrokosts. It was a hyggeligt day.
And finally day three consisted of us sleeping a little longer and relaxing. Which is Australian boxing day.
When comparing Australian and Danish christmas, they are both very very different. I really love December in Denmark, but I love that christmas in australia is for the whole day. I suppose maybe it would have been different if there had of been snow. But Danish christmas is something that I will always remember.
And the next few days followed by as normal went into Tivoli a lot to see the fireworks, and it is sad to say that I have now been there for my last time :( until next time we meet Tivoli! And then before I knew it it was NEW YEARS EVE.
NEW YEARS EVE is also filled with many traditions that we do not have in Australia. New Years Eve was again held at my host famalie shouse, so the day was spent making food, cleaning and setting the table. and covering the house in confetti from head to toe which was a lot of fun. We got all dressed up in high heels and dresses and were ready for our guests. New Years Eve also consists of food (surprise) but it is really good food, of the three course kind. We had delicious food! After eating, we went outside to let off fireworks in the front garden NO KIDDING! This was so strange for me because it is illegal to do it in Australia. But it was so much fun and I wish that we could do it in Australia. I was a little worried at first, but i ended loving setting them off legally! Denmark has some pretty cool traditions. After fireworks, I went to a party with my host brother which was really fun. Safe to say that I have enjoyed a Danish new years.
The first few days of 2014 have been a blur. My life has consisted of packing, unpacking, taking things out, weighing, crying, taking more clothes out, putting more in the pile I have to wear home and repeat. Packing a life into a suitcase is by no means easy, and it is really difficult as there is so many things that I want to take home with me. So many memories, places, people that I wish I could take, actually I just wish that I could take the whole Denmark home with me. The countdown is now just 2 days!
I have had to say my fair share of goodbyes and the really hard ones began when I said goodbye to Lauren. We sat Frost på Dansk which i Frozen in English. It is based on a H C Anderson story and I really reccomend seeing it. Although I cant see it in English anymore, because it is just so good in Danish!
On the 3rd of January I also had a hard goodbye when I invited all of the girls from my class over for an Australian dinner. This was so hyggeligt. I made an aussie meat pie, damper and of course pavlova. We also ate tim tams and they tried vegiemite which was the funniest thing i have ever seen in my life. I gave them all a little koala and kangaroo so that they can remember me and all the strange animals living in the land down under. They also gave me a really nice ring, with a four leaf clover so that I can wear it for luck. It actually bought me to tears. Saying goodbye to some of them was really hard. But they liked aussie food and we all had a nice night sitting around talking and enjoying each others company.
After, we went into town with some of the boys from my class. This was also really fun.
Sade to say that I will miss my class so so so much! I have been so lucky to have been placed with them. They have been so welcoming and nice. I know that I have friends for life.
I am now back at school a little on and off. On Monday, I was there for the full day and in the afternoon, I went to Jensens Beefhouse with Simon and Karoline. This was a tradition we had when I first came and we bought all you can eat ice cream and sat there talking and laughing. We reminiced that last time we were here, I did not know a word of Danish... How is that only a year ago? It was so hyggeligt! and I will miss them both so so so much.
Tuesday I was in Copenhagen for my last time with my roomie from intro camp Jayanna. This trip was really fun and we managed to tick off all the touristy things in Copenhagen. Starting off at Rosenborgs Castle, taking a tour through to the Little Mermaide, having a mini photo shoot there and enjoying the lack of tourists, then on to say our final goodbye to Princess Mary, moving on to my little kebab shop in Nyhavn then doing stroget and picking up some final souvineers. We were pretty tired by the time we hopped on the train! We also managed to pick up some Danish pastries on the way, i Mean gotto make the most of them whilst we can! It was a really great day, but I have to admit, it was a little hard to say goodbye to the places that I have enjoyed so many wonderful memories. On Wednesday which is yesterday, I packed my room almost completely up, cancelled my bank account, and did some other things around town. During the evening though, I gave my final speech to Rotary. This was for around 15 minuets in Danish. I was a little nervous, and a year ago I though I could have never spoken danish infront of 50 people for 15 mins. But they seemed to like it and understand what I said. All of my host famalies were there which was really really nice, and one of my friends from school whose Dad is in Rotary was also there. It kinda made me feel a little nervous that she was also there, so that was really nice. So things went well and I am really happy with how it went. In my presentation, I spoke about my experiences in the year, what I have learnt from all my host famalies, my class, my travels and what I plan to do after. I will also have to do the same for my Rotary Club when I come home. It was a really hyggeligt night and I do really love my Rotary Club. They are all so so sweet and I have been so blessed to have been placed in the club.
And so today is Thursday. Tonights plans are final pack so that I can just enjoy my last day in Denmark with no stress. I plan on going to school tomorrow to say my final goodbyes to my class, then going to something that is called Fredags Cafe which is a special Danish thing. It should be fun. Then, I will go home and greet all of my host famalies who are coming over to say final goodbye.
Thennnn Saturday ill hold my breath as they weigh my suitcase and say vi ses to the country where I have enjoyed the greatest year of my life.
See you very soon Australia.
I can not believe it!
The first few days of 2014 have been a blur. My life has consisted of packing, unpacking, taking things out, weighing, crying, taking more clothes out, putting more in the pile I have to wear home and repeat. Packing a life into a suitcase is by no means easy, and it is really difficult as there is so many things that I want to take home with me. So many memories, places, people that I wish I could take, actually I just wish that I could take the whole Denmark home with me. The countdown is now just 2 days!
I have had to say my fair share of goodbyes and the really hard ones began when I said goodbye to Lauren. We sat Frost på Dansk which i Frozen in English. It is based on a H C Anderson story and I really reccomend seeing it. Although I cant see it in English anymore, because it is just so good in Danish!
On the 3rd of January I also had a hard goodbye when I invited all of the girls from my class over for an Australian dinner. This was so hyggeligt. I made an aussie meat pie, damper and of course pavlova. We also ate tim tams and they tried vegiemite which was the funniest thing i have ever seen in my life. I gave them all a little koala and kangaroo so that they can remember me and all the strange animals living in the land down under. They also gave me a really nice ring, with a four leaf clover so that I can wear it for luck. It actually bought me to tears. Saying goodbye to some of them was really hard. But they liked aussie food and we all had a nice night sitting around talking and enjoying each others company.
After, we went into town with some of the boys from my class. This was also really fun.
Sade to say that I will miss my class so so so much! I have been so lucky to have been placed with them. They have been so welcoming and nice. I know that I have friends for life.
I am now back at school a little on and off. On Monday, I was there for the full day and in the afternoon, I went to Jensens Beefhouse with Simon and Karoline. This was a tradition we had when I first came and we bought all you can eat ice cream and sat there talking and laughing. We reminiced that last time we were here, I did not know a word of Danish... How is that only a year ago? It was so hyggeligt! and I will miss them both so so so much.
Tuesday I was in Copenhagen for my last time with my roomie from intro camp Jayanna. This trip was really fun and we managed to tick off all the touristy things in Copenhagen. Starting off at Rosenborgs Castle, taking a tour through to the Little Mermaide, having a mini photo shoot there and enjoying the lack of tourists, then on to say our final goodbye to Princess Mary, moving on to my little kebab shop in Nyhavn then doing stroget and picking up some final souvineers. We were pretty tired by the time we hopped on the train! We also managed to pick up some Danish pastries on the way, i Mean gotto make the most of them whilst we can! It was a really great day, but I have to admit, it was a little hard to say goodbye to the places that I have enjoyed so many wonderful memories. On Wednesday which is yesterday, I packed my room almost completely up, cancelled my bank account, and did some other things around town. During the evening though, I gave my final speech to Rotary. This was for around 15 minuets in Danish. I was a little nervous, and a year ago I though I could have never spoken danish infront of 50 people for 15 mins. But they seemed to like it and understand what I said. All of my host famalies were there which was really really nice, and one of my friends from school whose Dad is in Rotary was also there. It kinda made me feel a little nervous that she was also there, so that was really nice. So things went well and I am really happy with how it went. In my presentation, I spoke about my experiences in the year, what I have learnt from all my host famalies, my class, my travels and what I plan to do after. I will also have to do the same for my Rotary Club when I come home. It was a really hyggeligt night and I do really love my Rotary Club. They are all so so sweet and I have been so blessed to have been placed in the club.
And so today is Thursday. Tonights plans are final pack so that I can just enjoy my last day in Denmark with no stress. I plan on going to school tomorrow to say my final goodbyes to my class, then going to something that is called Fredags Cafe which is a special Danish thing. It should be fun. Then, I will go home and greet all of my host famalies who are coming over to say final goodbye.
Thennnn Saturday ill hold my breath as they weigh my suitcase and say vi ses to the country where I have enjoyed the greatest year of my life.
See you very soon Australia.
I can not believe it!
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