Discovering Denmark: 5 Days In

So I've now been in Denmark for 5 days, I can't believe it's been 5 days already! What I have experienced thus far will be unforgettable... and maybe irreversible... I still can't feel my toes...

On Friday I attended school, as usual, but Friday's timetable was, and will remain to be, very special. Every Friday at school I have DOUBLE ENGLISH- that's two hours of every living being in the room talking English! Now, I know the point of an exchange is to experience a lifestyle different from your own, but no amount of understanding of this notion could have prepared me for the culture shock experienced when all of a sudden no one speaks your language. The funniest part of not understanding, however, is when someone looks you dead in the eye, talking to you, asking questions in Danish and all you can do is smile politely and inform them (in English of course) that you don't speak Danish. The look of complete and utter shock and confusion that you are then met with is priceless.

Friday started out with an hour of Danish, which I didn't understand a word of, but my endurance and attempts to follow the lesson were rewarded with double English. The lesson was meant to start with the analysis of a short story, 'The Shed', by Chris Womersley, coincidentally an Australian author, followed by a lesson in grammar. However the analysis went so well that we stuck with that for the whole two hours. English was followed by lunch then 2 hours of Biology.

From day one Martin, the Danish SISEP Coordinator, had asked if we would like to participate in a night activity his group was running, and we had agreed. So Friday afternoon, after arriving home from school we grabbed our bags, we were smart enough to pack them the night before, and headed out the door on our way to Ballerup, about an hours drive away. Along the way we made a detour to the Slagelse Transit Centre to pick up Oliver, my Host Brother, who has come home from boarding school for the weekend, and then stopped to pick up my Host Father, Kurt, from work. We then drove through McDonald's... which was by far the fanciest McDonald's I have ever seen in my life... The employee's were wearing Bow-ties, it was a two-storey building, and it was covered in decorative fairy lights with coloured glass bottle feature walls. Eventually we made it to the Ballerup train station, where we were to wait for the other scouts involved. And wait we did, it was nearly an hour before their train finally arrived. Once they had arrived, however, we were quickly informed of how the night was to run and what our role was. The evening was to follow a similar story to 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas', however Natacia (my Host Sister) and I were to be 'good guys' and help the younger scouts by giving them hot chocolate to warm them up. After a brisk walk in the freezing cold we reached a point in the road where Natacia and I were to split from the rest of the older scouts to find our base. We followed the map we were given and searched high and low for where our hot chocolate making gear had been dropped off, and were unsuccessful. Eventually we gave up and called the others for help, and they didn't answer their phones. After many unanswered calls we had success, and someone came to our rescue. After informing us that they too had had issues finding it we decided to move it closer to the road, so that the young scouts would find us easier.

Not long after the first pot of water was boiled we had our first patrol come in. Once they were finished their drinks, and their allotted 10 minutes at the base were up, we guided down the road so that they could begin their next leg of the journey. As they were leaving we had another group arrive, closely followed by a third. Unfortunately Natacia had walked the first group down the road, so I was left alone to greet the Danish scouts, who, upon my telling them that I didn't speak Danish, thought they were in the wrong place and went to keep walking. Eventually I got them to understand that I was with the scouts, I just couldn't speak the language, and they followed me down to the base.

Once all four patrols had been through our base, some of the other older scouts came through with their bikes to help us carry the supplies back out. We then made our way to the scout hall, where the young scouts would get back and 'save Christmas' by wrapping up all the 'bad' older scouts. This was very funny to watch, listening to their cries of 'Jul' (Christmas) as they attacked the others with wrapping paper. We then all headed inside for some risengrød (rice pudding). Everyone was very excited as this was my first time trying the risengrød. I found it to be very similar to creamed rice, though risengrød is a lot stickier. Some of the older scouts asked me questions about Australia, including one particularly interesting question about 'Fairy Bread'. It seemed totally unbelievable to them that we would put butter and sprinkles on bread and eat it. It was very interesting to watch everyone as they went about their traditions, singing a song before they ate the pudding, then another one when they had finished. Despite the fact that it was absolutely freezing I had thoroughly enjoyed myself, but was extremely tired by this point as it was nearing 2 am.

Once all the festivities were complete the older scouts put their boots and overcoats back on, braving the cold to go and find our accommodation for the night, the 'secret hut', though I must say the only thing secret about it was how you entered. We arrived, expecting an easy to find code lock, so that we could get the keys to enter. After circling the building multiple times a phone call was made and the keys were found. We went inside, made up our beds and went to sleep.

We woke for a 9 am breakfast of porridge and bread rolls. The scouts, once again, sang a song. After we had finished, the other's went for a run before heading back to the younger scouts to continue their weekend activities, while Natacia and I got a lift into the Ballerup Train Station, to catch a train home.

We arrived home safely, and I can honestly say that compared to trains in Queensland, the Danish trains are luxurious. the seats are like you are sitting on a lounge. Though the second train we caught was less luxurious, it was still very different from what we have at home. At home we were greeted by nice crusty bread. While the rest of my host family had fish and/or fish paste on their bread, I was delighted to discover that they had a jar of Vegemite, left behind by their last exchange student, and I was in heaven. Luckily for me I can have ht jar to myself as none of my Host family like it.

The rest of the day has been spent relaxing, not too much though or I would have fallen asleep.

Below are some photo's of the weekend so far: