Fest Fest

well just like exchange, time is passing at an unbelievably fast pace... Maybe it's the danish air? But whatever it is I know that the next four weeks are going to fly by and I have to make the most of every day...and that's exactly what I have been doing!

So since I last wrote, I have eaten heaps of ice cream, biked too many kilometres and seen nearly everyone I know in Denmark-including Anna, the exchange student who lived with my parents whilst I was in Denmark. It was so nice to see her again and also kind of strange because it feels like yesterday that she was in Australia.

On Tuesday I went to Copenhagen... And it felt amazing to be back strolling the cobble stone shopping street and exploring the side streets that hold hidden gems of the city. Of course I had to visit Nyhavn, the coloured lined house street that is my favourite place in the whole world. A danish hot dog and ice cream were also consumed because when in Copenhagen you must do as the Danes do. Tuesday was also Sankt Hans aften, which is a traditional celebration in Denmark to get the witches or spirits away. It's traditional to light a fire with a witch at the top... And all hedges must be trimmed before. Roskilde holds a community fire in the park, and we went down to see that... They had singers, and it was a beautiful afternoon with a gorgeous sunset. However the fire didn't light... :( as an australian though it was kind of strange to see people walking through a park with fire sticks..... Bush fire hazard anyone?

Yesterday I went to my gymnasium- Katderalskole, to see some of my danish friends graduate. It's sooooo different from what'd have in Australia. In Denmark, students have exams all alone... Some are speaking ones and others are writing. On your last exam, your family comes to your classroom and waits for you to finish.... They have a red rose, champagne and a special type of cak. Once you finish your last exam, you have to wait for your result... 12 is the best. Then you get your hat, and go and hygge wit your family drinking champagne and eating a cake at school. It is a really cool  tradition. Another is a studentergilde, which is a little party that you hold with your family and friends. I went to two yesterday and they were so nice. I also spoke at my rotary club in danish and told them about what I've been up to since I've come home.  Then I went to dance bar with my class where we danced the night away and I, so danish if I do say so myself,  biked home.

Which brings us to today and the long awaited vogntur..... Then roskilde festival starts TOMORROW.... I'm sleeping in the que... It's gonna be an experience !

The long awaited return

We'll I've talked about it, dreamt about it, saved for it and eagerly awaited it for a year and a half... And now it's finally here- my eagerly awaited, long anticipated return to Denmark. And let me tell you, it feels bloody good to be back 'home'...

So I arrived in Copenhagen at 6:25am on Saturday morning. 22 hours on a plane... Sitting, catching up on movies, trying to figure out how the Turkish woman sitting next to me was going to get her Australian lime tree all the way home,  running frantically through Singapores massive never ending airport, feared missing plane, arrived out of breath, catching up on lost breath whilst waiting one hour for plane, teaching old guy how to use wifi, waiting, sitting, stretching, boarding, not sleeping, making friends with the two stem cell scientists from Singapore,  eating, sleeping, anticipating, watching the map, cringing 8 hours...7.......6.......5.......4......3....2...1 

Note to self: be aware of the time in Singapore upon landing to save frantic running... 

Finally landing... And so my adventure began and with a quick stretch of the legs, I was ready for  more waiting, more sitting and bag collecting. But this time instead of running frantically, I could walk at ease... Being back in a country where I could understand the language, read the signs and enjoy the Carlsberg sponsored sign 'welcome to the worlds happiest nation'- I was finally 'hjem' 

And so I walked through the airport doors and was greeted with a sea of Danish flags from my third host parents and a little surprise.... Three of my danish friends were there too! It was soo nice to see them and a little surreal because maybe it was a little bit of jet lagged brain but it felt like a dream! Driving to roskilde also fels like this.. Driving on the wrong side of the road didn't even seem that strange!  I was surrounded by so much familiarity that it feels like I have never left.

Arriving so early in the morning meant that I had a full day in denmark. I resisted the temptation to sleep and instead hit the shops (surprise) and went to Rosilde Havn with Paige, th australian exchange student who is currently being hosted by my third host family. We got some Paradis, aka the worlds best ice cream and soaked up the sun  wearing teeshirt on an 18 degree day (i think it's actually warmer in Australia right now). Then we came home and celebrated my host sisters boyfriends birthday complete with games, cards and Tuborg. 

Yesterday was another sunny day spent at an old town kind of like Soverign Hill in a town called Lejre. People pay to live like the Vikings for a week and wear all th clothes from a time that is wayyyyyy older than Australia. It was interesting to see the houses and what life in denmark looked like in the old days. The history loving buff is baccccccccccccck. Then Paige and I walked through roskilde, bought some fresh strawberries and sat by the harbour listening to music and sharing exchange stories. It was hyggeligt. Frikadeller and of course potatoes was a good way to end my second day in Denmark. Yesterday was also the longest day of the year in demmark so the run set at about 11..... 

And so begins day number three. Depending on the weather a Copenhagen trip may be on the cards... We'll see!