Hej!
I have been in Denmark for a total of six days; seven if you
count time aboard an aircraft. My time here has been full of gorgeous,
red-brick buildings, random rain showers, and beautiful Danish people. The
first three days after arriving weren’t packed full of things to do. Instead,
they were rather leisurely. There were some obligatory things I needed to do,
like register with the Danish municipality and set up a bank account, but I
mostly hung out with my counselor and her family. We made a plum cake, walked
around the shopping area in Viborg, and went to the Rotary meeting. Although it
was not what I was expecting, it was a great way to start my year here.
The other three of my days here have been spent at my new school,
Viborg Katedralskole. I am in class 2Y, which is part of the science line. I’m
not quite sure how I got put into the science line but being able to recognize
some of the concepts will be helpful considering all the classes, with the
exceptions of English and Spanish, are taught in Danish. This has made my
participation in some classes very hard. A few of my new classmates try to
translate for me, but they need to learn the material as well so this is a
little spotty. There are 29 students in my class; two being exchange students,
myself and Lorenzo from Italy. My classmates are amazing and very welcoming. I
can already consider many of them my friends, even though I can’t pronounce
most of their names.
Coming to Denmark, I was aware that my Danish was bad but I
had overestimated how much I would be able to speak with the little I knew. For
some reason, I thought knowing how to introduce myself, count to twenty, and
some random fruits and vegetables would get me through a conversation; it can’t.
This would be more of a problem if everyone didn’t speak English. My classmates
teach my random words and phrases. I would estimate that the amount of Danish I
know has doubled in the short time I’ve been here. I hope to be able to speak
sentences soon.
The food I have been eating is delicious and most of it is
very healthy. Almost everything is homemade and freshly grown, meaning they don’t
typically eat things that come in boxes or cans. This is a refreshing change
but I am already starting to crave hyper-processed foods. One thing I am having
a hard time adjusting to is the actual process of eating. Danes are ambidextrous
eaters; they eat with a fork in their left hand and a knife in the right. When
I try to eat like this, most of the food ends up on or around my plate and I
end up laughing at myself, then eating how I normally would.
Another thing I am having a little trouble getting used to
is not driving. Rotary rules state that I am not allowed to drive, mostly
because the insurance they supply won’t cover expenses in a crash if you are
the driver that caused it. Even if I was allowed to drive, I’m not sure I would
be able to. Driving automatic in Denmark is almost unheard of and stick shifts
are too confusing for me in miles per hour, making kilometers per hour
virtually impossible. Traffic regulations are also very tricky. There are many
times when roads are only wide enough for one car so determining who has to
yield and who gets to go is very confusing. When I was on the other side of the
Atlantic Ocean, I could bring myself everywhere and essentially do whatever I
wanted. It is humbling to have to ask for rides and have people drive you
around.
Tomorrow, I move in with my first host family. I have met
them and love them already. I will be staying with them until just after
Christmas, when I will move to my second family. I am very excited to finally
settle down and unpack both suitcases.
Farvel for nu!
Candy Shop in Viborg
Town Center
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