Dan the Dane

One week already over! There's so much going on, but it flies by so quickly...

Last week was spent organising bank accounts, citizen numbers, train passes, bus passes, enrolling in school and other such necessary tasks. I started language school on thursday with 15 or so other exchange students who have already been there for 6 months. There's two kiwis, a boy from Ghana, two from the US, several from brazil, one from Colombia, a girl from Italy, a girl from Belgium, a girl from France and a few others from various corners of the globe. They were all very nice and welcoming, and a little crazy as all exchange students seem to be.

On Friday, the language school had an excursion to a salt farm. We went swimming in lovely warm salt baths:


After the salt baths, we went on a bus to our language teachers village to eat with the entire town of two hundred people. We ate Rod Glod med Flode(Red Jelly with cream), a food invented for the sole fact that it is truly impossible to pronounce if you are not Danish.

Me and Sinead (New Zealand) eating Rod Glod med Flode:


This week I joined Soren's band at school. They are a small rock group, run by a teacher from the school they have a performance on the 7th of February. The keyboardist was unable to make the performance, and I am now playing for them! This weekend, I have a music camp/jam session with Soren over two days.

I have attended my first rotary meeting and attempted some danish for them, and I think they mostly understood me! I ate some herring (gross!), but washed down with tasty Danish pastry it was perfectly fine

The Rotary club has bought me a 2nd hand bike to use during my stay, which seems to be the primary mode of transport around here. There are so many bike paths around, and I would almost go as far to say that in Ry sometimes there are more bikes than cars on the roads! It's a very flat place and quite beautiful to cycle around.

On Monday, I began my new school. I travel by bike to the train station in Ry, then train to Silkeborg (20 minutes) then a bus to the school. I begin school at 8:15, though in about 4 of the ten days I don't begin until 10. My class is very friendly, and willing to translate what is going on for me. I take Engelsk, Mathematik, Fysics, Kemistrie, Biologie, Musik, History and Social Science. I now go to school in the dark and sometimes come home in the dark which is a little depressing, but it is nice to see the sun rise each day.

In summary, I'm having a brilliant time. My family is awesome, the school friends are great, and I have found several pianos available to use! I have been craving Vegemite, but today a package arrived from home with a small jar of it and a whole heap of other goodies. Thankyou Mum! My Danish is coming along rapidly, but it will be a couple of months before I will be able to have a conversation I think. I can now understand my 7 year old brothers books from school.

Here is a photo of me at the "beach " in Ry:


and eating breakfast with Berrit and Freddie:


and finally, a pretty house in a town not too far from Ry:

Farvel!