it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

Having a European christmas is something that I have always wanted to experience. I have only ever seen what it would be like in movies as the snowy covered christmas trees, the magical lights and the concept of a cold christmas is very very far away from the Australian christmas that I enjoy every year around a swimming pool. Whilst I am yet to see a real snow covered christmas tree, European christmas is everything I thought it would be, and so so much more. 

In Denmark, I think December would have to be one of the biggest months of the year. Christmas is in full swing, and they do not hold back to show their love of the festive season. Around almost every town, there are special lights that light up at night, well rather afternoon because it is dark now at 4 30pm. There are also other decorations that add to the feel and get everyone in the festival season. At 7 30 every night, a show called 'julekalendar' (christmas calendar) comes on and famalies all around Denmark tune in to see it. I am actually enjoying it. Here is a short add, sorry its in danish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CiO8SUUb7E

In my town now, there is are two REAL christmas trees that are yet to be decorated with decorations.  There are people wearing santa hats, and I have an excuse to wear cute christmas socks and sweaters. Quite a change from the Aussie attire of thongs and a singlet!! There are christmas lunches in nearly every weekend, and time is now dedicated to making decorations, christmas cakes, staying warm and counting down the days til the 24th, not the 25th! 

Some traditions mirror those in Australia. For example, most kids have an advent calendar which for those who have been deprived throughout their childhood, is a calendar where every day in December, you get a chocolate, like a countdown. This year, I received one as a gift from my host family on the first day of advent which is something that we do not have in Australia. In Denmark, it is actually a tradition to get a christmas present every Sunday in December. Why, I have no idea, but it is a tradition that I think Australia would like a lot! It is called 'advents gaver' which translates to an advent present. Pretty cool tradition! 

I have also enjoyed seeing Copenhagen at christmas. Last Tuesday, I had an early day from school so I met my friend Lauren in there. We had some souvenirs to buy, and we admired Copenhagen in the festive season. Along the shopping street, there were decorations that were really magical, and made the dark day seem okay. We strolled along strøget (shopping street) and came across a christmas market that had stalls made out of wooden houses. It was something quite special and I really hope it snows before I go home so that I can see it in the snow!

Shopping street in Copenhagen 

Lauren at the christmas markets we found 

WITH A SNOW MAN! 

One of the fanciest hotels in Copenhagen. The stage is set up to look like the nutcracker. really beautiful! 

After collecting what we needed, and feeling more like tourists than we ever have before, we headed for Tivoli. How do I even begin to explain Tivoli's beautifulness or magicalness. It truly was soooo wonderful and I thought that it couldn't get any better! The theme was Russian, so in the middle of the park, there is a tower that resembles Moscow. The colours are so wonderful. Lauren and I arrived there in the late afternoon, to see the lights being turned on at night. Amazing doesn't quite cut it. Hopefully these pictures will do it justice.

TIVOLI! Hard to believe that just 2 weeks before, it was decked out in so many pumpkins! 

The main entrance 

MOSCOW tower! 

During the day 

and during the night 

TIVOLI! so magical 

Tivoli om aften

How can you not love this?! 

Lauren and I enjoyed some christmas food from the little market stalls that are set up around Tivoli, we also visited Santa Clause and admired the reindeers that were nearby where he was sitting (ACTUAL REINDEERS!) It was a really wonderful day that totally got me into the Christmas spirit and ready for the days that would follow. 

On Wednesday after school, my host family and I drove the 6 hours to Berlin! If someone asks me if i have ever been there, I can say that I have been there 3 times, in the space of one year. Pretty crazy! The three times i have been there though, I have traveled there a different way. In April when I met chris and sal, i flew, for Euro tour back in May, we drove through Jutland (an island of denmark) andddd for this tour, we drove to the border, caught the ferry and drove the rest of the way. It was my first time on a ferry of that kind... where you drive your car on and sit on the top deck. It was around a 45 minuet tour, and the sea was pretty rocky! There was a border shop on board, where you can buy things like makeup and perfume cheap. Then we finally reached land- in the space of just under two hours I was in a different country. Europe's geography continues to amaze me. We arrived, and drove straight to the border shop which is something that I have always wanted to see. This is basically a four leveled store, where you can buy cheap food, fizzy drink and alcohol. It was HUGE! 

After this, we continued to drive the rest of the way which was about 3-4 hours. We arrived quite late at night and went to bed, ready for our first day in Berlin!

We woke up the next morning and after eating breakfast, we walked down the shopping street in Berlin which was close to where we were staying. Along the way we came across what would be the first of many christmas markets. It was so beautiful with all the lights that lined the streets and the little wooden houses. It was like from a scene out from a movie. The first day consisted of christmas markets and a lot of walking. We saw some of Berlins sights along the way.

The next three days that followed continued in a similar pattern.

We managed to tick off some of Berlin's major attractions- Brandenburg gate, the Reichstag, berlin tower, berlin wall (but a part that I have never been to before), berlin dome and Charlottenburg Palace (which I had also never been in before). Another attraction was of the restaurant kind. Being on euro tour, I only ever ate fried chicken served by our hostels.... and never managed to try one of Berlin's famous curry wursts- which i found out actually taste okay! On one of the nights in Berlin, my host family and I ate out at a blind restaurant. This was really cool, as it is a restaurant where blind people are the waiters. It is completely black inside so you literally can not see anything at all! It is quite difficult to eat, and you actually have no idea what you are eating, you just pick a type of meat you want to eat before you go in. We were guided to our table by our waitress, through the pitch black. We had no idea what the restaurant looked like on the inside, and it was so strange and quite funny to sit in the dark eating your dinner. It was a really cool experience. Another place we visited was called 'Das klo' which translates to the loo'. This place had so much character, there was a toilet at the end of our table and when you opened the lid, there was a little surprise that looked real. The dj of the night found out I was from Australia, and played 'down under' as we sat down. He then proceeded to ask me if i had tried german tomato sauce, and then squirted a bottle in my face that looked like ketchup but was actually just red string. It was a really fun night, and I recommend the place to anyone in Berlin. You are guaranteed to have a fun night that you won't forget in a hurry!

I really love snowmen 

Everything is dedicated to christmas in berlin- even buildings... 

Display in a shop similiar to Myer or DJs

At night! 

Check point Charlie 

Brandenburg Gate- for the third time ;) 

Beautiful Christmas tree at a christmas market 

Palace exploring 

Berlin Tower 

Beautiful Christmas market in Berlin! 

The main reason we were in Berlin though was for the christmas markets and they were really something special. The whole of Berlin seemed to be dedicated to christmas. We went to a shopping centre and the whole place was lined with christmas trees and christmas lights. It was quite a sight!

It was a really nice tour to Berlin and I had a wonderful time exploring the city for the third time! 

And now December is in full swing- where has this year gone?! Before I know it it will be new years! Just 38 days to go, and I plan on making the most of them. This week, I don't have too many plans,  except for Rotary, then maybe just a trip to Copenhagen to buy some last minuet things and then on Saturday a trip to the Ballet with my councilor and his wife which I am very much looking forward to and on Sunday, I have a christmas thing with my host family. The rest of my time here is just going to pass by before i know it! But I did manage to achieve one of my biggest aims for the school year;  a 12 in English! (which is the equivalent to over 90 )

For anyone having a bad day, check out this link.... another reason why I love Denmark so much 

http://www.upworthy.com/see-how-a-bunch-of-awesome-danish-people-made-an-immigrant-bus-drivers-day?g=2

stamina of a viking

I think that this weekend would have had to be one of the busiest, craziest and best weekends of my exchange. To say that I am exhausted is an understatement, but it was so worth it!

On Friday night, I had a hygge night with some of my friends from my class. I ate dinner out with two of my Danish friends at a place called Jensens Bøfhus in Roskilde which is Danish chain restaurant that is quite popular. Being a beef house, I ate beef of course. It was really hyggelit to eat dinner with the girls in my class! Roskilde was also really hyggelit at night, as the christmas decorations have been set up. The lights haven't been turned on yet, but there are little christmas decorations hanging off the lamp posts, similiar to the one in Camden. I am really looking forward to when the lights are turned on!

Anyways after eating dinner we caught the bus back to school (school on a friday night?!) for a thing called Råhygge. This is a special thing in Denmark that we do NOT have in Australia. It was really nice though, and had a chilled atmosphere. There was just some music playing and my class played cards. After, we went into Roskilde. It was a really fun night. 

On Saturday, I went to Holbæk, which is the neighbouring big town to Roskilde to have a hygge night/day with my four Australian girls who I was with on Euro tour. This was the last official time that we would be together. We arrived at around midday, and we ate lunch, reminisced about Euro tour (of course) and talked about what we had been up to lately. It is strange to think that we won't be able to do this next year. We watched a movie, ate junk food, and just had a really chilled afternoon. Lauren and I had a little surprise for the girls though. In the weeks before, we had made a little sash for each of them. We decided that it would be a good idea to award tiltes to the five of us and what we will be remembered for. I was awarded Miss Tivoli, Lauren was Miss Common Sense, Laura was Miss Rural and Kathleen was Miss Selfie. Each award suited us perfectly and there were a lot of laughter and tears when we all sat around opening them. After the movie finished, we all got ready to go out for dinner. We had chosen to eat at Jensens (again) hahaha but it was a really nice night. Kate somehow managed to fall in the water fountain before we even entered the restaurant, so she sat there freezing and pretty soaked. It was a good way to start the night. I think we sat in Jensens talking for three hours, and we even stayed there til almost closing time. It was such a nice dinner! After, we went out in Holbæk, came home and crashed!

MISS TIVOLI! 

The five of us with our sashes 

The opening of our sashes 

The next morning, we had bacon and eggs for breakfast, and then I headed home to Roskilde so that I could get ready for my first official Jule Frokost (christmas lunch) with some of the girls in my class. I carpooled with a girl in my class, and we arrived at around 3 and talked about Friday night, and then waited for the other girls to arrive. We then hoped in the car, drove to Netto (Danish equivlent of woolies) and walked around for a while getting together a few ingredients... But that was kinda an epic fail because we all stood there and were like "who knows how to make this danish christmas food" or "what ingredients do we need". It was rather funny. So we just ended up getting 'christmas pizza' which is just normal pizza with a christmas title so we didnt feel too dumb for not sticking to our traditional christmas theme. There were signs of christmas though. We bought a countdown candle and had that on our table, and made marzipan and nougat christmas confectionary. This is apparently traditional in Denmark, where you make like little animals. We then made pizza, talked and played a danish christmas game called 'pakkelige' where everyone buys some cheap fun gifts, and puts them in the middle... then you roll a dice, and if you get a 6 you get a gift.. then the next round if you get a 6 you get to pick someone elses gift, and if you roll a 3 you have to pass a gift on. Then the final round, all the gifts are open so you can see what you are taking and giving away. It was really fun and I have never played this game before! So the food wasn't traditional but the Danish idea of a christmas hygge sure was. I drove home with a girl in my class, then crashed pretty tired after the weekend!

This week is also pretty booked! Tomorrow I have an early day at school, so Lauren and I have planned to go into Copenhagen to finally buy our souvineers, and then on Wednesday I am off to Berlin with my host family and get back sunday where I have another christmas lunch. 

One things for sure, this busy schedule means that the remaining 48 days are going to fly by! 

oh and ps it snowed last night ;) YAY! 

what am i going to do without remoulade?!

weekend shenanigans

Another weekend has been and gone, December is creeping around the corner, and I now only have 54 days left in Denmark. WHAT! This timeframe is strange and scary... because before I know it is will be Vi ses Danmark og G'day Australia. 

This weekend was a pretty quiet one. It was actually the only weekend that I had free before I went home. Pretty crazy. 

On Friday night, I made some christmas decorations with my host family. These were hand made, and different to the decorations that I am used to in Australia, as they are more hyggelit, and are designed for the cold winter days that surrounds christmas time in Denmark. Actually, it is a little weird to think that christmas is just around the corner, as the weather is everything that I dont associate with christmas. It is cold, dark and rainy.... total opposite to Australia! 

I am really looking forward to experiancing a Danish christmas. Singing the song "let it snow" this year will make sense. I get my first taste of a christmas lunch or 'julefrokost' in Danish on Sunday, with the girls in my class :) I think it will be really fun. There we will play games, and eat traditional danish food. I am really looking forward to it. 

On Saturday, we had a quiet day in, except for a little tour to the summer house which, I was scared for my life for as this tour was not in a car, it was on a motorbike. I wasn't really too keen on this, as I am quite scared of motorbikes, having witnessed many accidents on the highway to Stuarts. So I was basically scared for my life on the back of the motorcycle..... But it was actually fun and I found myself enjoying it. I'm glad I experienced it, and am glad that I made it out alive however I think it will be my last tour on a motorbike!

On Sunday, it was just a quiet day around the house, but in the evening, my host family and I went into Copenhagen to see Stomp the Musical, which was really really cool. It isn't on the same scale as Grease, or Legally Blonde, but Stomp is in its own element. There is no singing, and hardly any talking throughout, it is purely through dance and rhythm that makes these characters and the musical worth seeing. The cast of 9 basically made sounds and music out of every day things... such as plastic bags, rubbish bins, brooms and kitchen sinks. There was a lot of humour throughout and it was a very clever musical- recommend seeing it to anyone who heads over to London's West End. 

Today I am back at school and so I will be for the rest of the week. Nothing really exciting is happening this week, weekday wise.... but On Friday, I am hoping to do something with the girls in my class, on Saturday I am having a day with my four australian best friends as the last time we will all be together and on Sunday I have a christmas lunch with the girls in my class. Booked schedule, but undoubtedly a great weekend and week ahead. 

A-Z of My Exchange

A: is for Autumn leaves because I have never experienced an Autumn so beautiful 
B: is for biking because I bike nearly everywhere now
C: is for cake because Danes love it so much
D: is for darkness because it gets dark at 4:30pm in Winter
E: is for Euro tour because it was the best 18 days of my life 
F: is for frikadeller because they taste so good 
G is for guff because it also tastes so good. similar to the inside of a pavlova that you put on ice cream
H: is for hygge, possibly the most important word in the Danish language  
I: is for ice cream because I ate so much of it during summer
K: is for København because i love the city so much  
L: is for liquorice and liver paste because they are some Danish food that takes a little getting used too
M: is for Mary because she is Australian 
N: is for nik and jay because they are a danish band that i love ;) 
O: is for the size of my mouth when I first saw snow  
P: is for Paradis is the best ice cream in the world 
Q: is for quarantine & Customs because in Europe it doesn't exist 
R: is for rødgrød med fløde and røg brød they are words that I can not sayS: is for snow because I hope that it comes really soon 
T: is for TIVOLI!!!!!! because it is my favourite place in the world
U: is for understanding because I understood nothing when I first arrived
V: is for very…very…VERY cold winter.... I mean I thought 10 degrees was cold! 
W: is for WEEKEND!!!!!! because today is Friday! X: is for x-hausted because sometimes I have nooo energy 
Y: is for youtube because sometimes in maths class it is my best friend 
Z: is for sleep  because I never seem to get enough of it 

made it to the front page of my school website

In history this morning the front page of the school website popped up. Turns out I made the homepage. This photo is taken of me and my fellow ring master from my schools party on Saturday night. Kinda funny as it is not the most flattering photo.... 

For those interested in my schools website to see what its all about, check it out :) http://www.roskildekatedralskole.dk 

humour

This is what I learnt at school today ;) 

For those not up to date with the scandanavian sterotypes, scroll down for my latest blog post!