The Goodbye

Lido di Jesolo
Euro Tour 2016

This one is only in English to truly capture the emotion that I felt when this happened.
Denne her blog er kun på engelsk, fordi jeg kan ikke forklar det så godt på Dansk. Undskyld!

This was written several weeks back.

It's recently hit me that my exchange program is coming to an end in just under a month. I've started travelling much more than I did before, and I'm struggling to find time. I am thoroughly enjoying myself, but at the same time, I find it hard to believe that this is all going to come to an end. Of course, the end of my exchange doesn't mean the end of my life. Being on the exchange has changed me in ways that I never thought anything could. I am the same person as I was last year, but different in many ways; and I'm very happy with the change this exchange has caused in me.

My Class - 1x

An exchange program puts you out  in the world, no filters. For the first time, you find yourself alone. Of course, you have amazing host families, a counsellor and friends, but you don't have your little cocoon any longer. I have experienced all of that first hand. Oftentimes, people hear only the good things about the exchange program; the things that really motivate them to do it. However, doing it requires patience and a lot of courage. It's so hard, you feel like giving up so many times. But with a little bit of courage and determination, you're always able to listen to the voice inside your head that tells you to go on and face a new day, no matter how difficult the previous one was.

My counsellor
Arvid

I recently had a cousin who went to France for the Rotary Youth Short Term Exchange Program. On her first day of school, she asked me for advice and tips, and I simply said, "Not many people may talk to you. You have to be prepared for that." As interesting as exchange students may be, most people don't talk to them, be it because they are too shy, or because they don't want to get attached to a person who will be in their lives for such a short period of time. Everyone stares at you out of curiosity, and strangers judge you for your inability to speak their language and an odd accent. But if I had the chance, I would go through that all over again, because it was all worth the experience, friendships and knowledge that I gained.

Venice
Euro Tour 2016

I am certainly going to miss Denmark, and everything that came along with it. It's a little hard to ignore a whole year in your life, especially when it has been one of the most important years in your life. I credit my exchange program for making me the person I am right now, a much more confident and independent person. I have done more in a year than I have done in a lifetime. It's hard to imagine that I knew none of these people a year back. They were completely unknown to me; everyone who I'm with right now, were nothing to me but foreigners. Today, I can call them my family, my friends, and people I will remember for the rest of my life. I can't even imagine how much my host families must trust me to leave me alone in their houses. They have done so much for me, it's unbelievable. Yet, now, they are like bonus families to me. I cannot imagine living without them.

All my Danish families

And yet, with this post, I say goodbye to Denmark. Goodbye and thank you to everyone who helped me and made my exchange the best year of my life. I will never be able to forget you, and I hope you feel the same. I do not know when or if I will see you again, but every small thing that you did for me meant a lot to me.
Mange tak til jer alle sammen. Det har været en fantastisk oplevelse. Jeg kan aldrig glemme dette år.
Farvel, og vi ses.

Author's note (edited): I have decided to end my blog with this post, but that is not the end of my blogging. I will soon be starting  new blog for general things that I want to express my opinion on. The link will be right here soon.

Stockholm and Copenhagen

For at læse denne på Dansk, tryk her.

If you want to read this post in another language, find the Google Translate button on the left side of the screen (not available on mobile devices). Select your language from the drop down, and this post will be translated into the language of your choice. Beware that the translations are not very precise.

Stockholm

Last month, I travelled to the Swedish city of Stockholm with my school choir. It was only four days long, out of which two days were solely for travel, but it was amazing anyway. We did a lot of sightseeing, including the King's castle and the Globe, and went shopping in the evening. We were hosted  by the students of Stockholms Estetiska Gymnasium. Estetiska Gymnasium was a school of art, with many aspiring musicians, dancers and actors attending it. I lived with the family of one of the choir members, and I had an amazing experience with them. On the last evening, we had a small concert, where we performed along with their choir, followed by a party for all of us.

Copenhagen

I travellled to Copenhagen twice last week, once with my host mom, and later with my friend. It was amazing to see how two big cities like Mumbai and Copenhagen can be similar, yet different from each other. With my host mom, I saw severeal places, such as Christenshavn, Christiania, Nyhavn and Amalienborg. I also went on a boat tour through the canals of Copenhagen and saw The Little Mermaid, the newly made Opera House, and some of their oldest ships. I most enjoyed walking through the streets of Christiania. It was quite an interesting neighborhood; abstract art filled the walls, the houses were differently built, and small wooden ships lined the lake. It was beautiful.

A attended the Game of Thrones exhibition later that week, and managed to get onto the Iron Throne and the Hall of Faces.

Confirmation

My host sister, Celine, was confirmed on the 22 of April. It was great to be a part of such an important day in her life, and experience a large part of the Danish culture. My host family held a party for their friends and family after the ceremony.

It's summer in Denmark again! The weather is finally great after some pretty unfortunate weather (including snow in April).

I have only about a month left in Denmark, It's going to be so odd not living in this absolutely stunning country, but at the same time, I also miss my family and friends in India now.

My Euro tour starts next week!

Stockholm og København

Så her har jeg skrevet en Danske blog igen! Hvis i vil læse den på nogen anden sprog, kig under denne tekst.

Here comes another Danish blog! I had slight trouble with translation to other languages last time, so I decided to write another English post myself instead of relying on Google Translate. Click here if you want to read it in English (It's the same as this post), and if you would like to read it in another language, then follow the link to my English blog, and I have written instructions on how to translate it into another language there. Enjoy :)

Stockholm

Sidste måned tog jeg til Stockholm sammen med min skoles kor. Det var en meget dejlig tur, og jeg er så glad for det. Det var en kor udveksling med vores, og Stockholms Estetiska Gymnasiums kor. Vi boede hos studenternes familier, og jeg boede hos en meget dejlig familie sammen med tre andre piger fra min kor.
Vi så meget af Stockholm, og kiggede i flere farverige butikker der hen. Vi så også kongens slot. Stockholms Estetiska Gymnasium var en kunst skole, med mange sanger, danser of skuespiller som gik der. Deres kor var så gode! Vi havde en lille koncert på vores sidste aften, og en aftensmad+fest efter den. Det var en virkelig hyggelig aften.

København

Jeg rejste til Danmarks hovedsted, København, sidste uge sammen med min værtsmor. Det var en fantastisk oplevelse, of jeg var meget overæsket til at se vor forskellig Mumbai og København, begge to store byer, var fra hindanden. Jeg så Christianshavn, Nyhavn, Amalienborg, og også Christiania! De var alle sammen så smukke, men jeg synes Christiania var den mest anderledes. De var meget normalt mennesker, men man kunne se de var også, på mange moder, forskellig fra de andre mennesker. Det betaler ikke skat, og de har selv lavede en kommune for sig selv. Der er meget flot kunst og arkitektur der, og der er altid mange turister omkring den. Det var ikke farligt der, heller ikke beskidte. Det var faktisk meget rent, og jeg tror ikke der var mange fattig mennesker der. Det var en virkelig fedt oplevelse. Vi tog også på en bådtur. Jeg tog også til København sidste weekenden for at se en Game of Thrones udstilling sammen med min veninde. Det var meget hyggelig, og jeg var så glad for det.

Konfirmation

 Min værtssøster, Celine, blev konfirmeret på den 22 April i Ringe kirken. Det var så spændende at se en konfirmation for første gange, og at være med i en meget vigtig dag i min værtssøsters liv. Der var også en stor fest efter hendes konfirmation, og det var mega sjovt.

Det bliver sommer i Danmark nu!

Jeg har kun en måned tilbage i Danmark. Jeg er meget ked af det, men jeg glæder mig også til at møde min familie og at tage på Euro turen.

Holidaying

I wrote this blog post more than a month back, but the reason I have not posted it yet, is because my laptop began to fail and I had a hard time transferring pictures to the other laptop I'm currently using. Enjoy reading :)

Alle der vil gerne læse denne på Dansk, bare tryk på den Google Translate button på højre siden (det kommer kun på computere).

The past month of my Exchange has been pretty eventful. We had our Winter vacations in school, and my host Family took me along on a one-week long vacation with them and their friends.
We had out last whole-Denmark get together in Holbæk - a city on Sjælland (Zealand). And finally, today is the day that marks my 7 months in Denmark. That Means I have only 3 months left here, and I'm going to leave this country forever.

Trip to Austria

We left for Austria on the 13th of August by train. It was a long journey; it took ore than 12 hours to get there. I had never been on skis before, and even trying the ski boots winded me. When I finally figured out how to walk with ski boots on (while holding skis in my hands), we took a Gondola to the top. At first, I was on the children's training course with my host dad, surrounded by four year olds. It embarrassed me in the beginning, but I soon found my balance on skis, and we headed over to a gentle slope. I tried something that I called the stick lift, and I fell at the beginning, causing the entire lift to stop and landing headfirst in snow. After falling once more and stopping the lift yet again (much to the annoyance of everyone), I finally managed to balance myself all the way to the top. I didn't fall off a single lift after that. I continued to ski on that slope for the next 2 days. I was instructed by one of my host family's friends on day 3and 4, and I learned a lot in that period of time. He was a professional ski instructor, and I felt so fortunate to be taught by him. On my fourth day, I tried out a steeper slope, fell about a million times, and tried the chair lift (almost knocked myself over with the lift). That day, my host father took me down some very icy slopes to a small cafe where everyone decided to meet, and after a lot of shouting (from the both of us) and crying, I made it. After taking a one-day break (because my legs felt like they were dying), I did all the same things from the previous day with a little more skill and precision, and no tears. By the end, I was ale to stand up on my skis on my own when I fell, and I consider that a great achievement. I thank my host family for pushing me to my limits. I learned a lot when it comes to skiing only becuase they put up with my tantrums and forced me down some difficult slopes. In the end, they told me that I'd done much better than they had expected. I'm not sure if that was a compliment :)

Get-Together at Holbæk

The Rotex team (previous exchange students) in Denmark organised a get together for all the exchange students in Denmark. It was great to meet people from other parts of Denmark, who I hadn't seen since intro-camp, and also my fellow Indians. However, the highlight of the weekend was the Fastelavn costume party (kind of a Danish Halloween) on the second day. We painted barrels ourselves, for a game where candy was hidden in a barrel and you have to hit the barrel till it breaks. I was obviously not able to break the barrel myself, weak as I am, but luckily we were in teams. For the costume party, I decided to play Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter (yes, the nerdiest costume ever) since it was the cheapest and easiest costume for me, and because she is the most amazing villain in the history of fiction.
It was overall amazing, and I enjoyed myself to the fullest, but the most difficult part was yet to come. It was the last time I was meeting most of the exchange students, since I will most probably be leaving for India before the next get together.

I recently realized that I have been in Denmark for 7 months now! That means that I have only 3 months left. It may sound like a lot, but the rate at which time has been passing till now, My departure day will arrive in the blink of an eye. I have been away from home quite long, and I'm beginning to miss my family and friends much more than I did before, but at the same time I love living in Denmark. I have lived with two absolutely amazing families, and I'm going to move to my third within the week. I have new friends, and I've learned so much about Denmark, the world, and most, myself.
 I've heard people talk about how they went through self-realizations and know things asbout themseles that they never did before. It's hard to believe it before it happens to you. I've found myself to be a much more confident person, and comfortable with my own personality and appearance than I was before. A year can really change a person.

Language Check: I'm a Dane.

P.S. Since this post was written a long time back, it has, in reality, been 8 months since the day I came to Denmark. I have moved to my third host family.

Mit første Dansk blog

På Ringe søen

If you cannot speak Danish, refer to the translate button on the left side of the screen :)

Edit: If your translate button doesn't translate to English, Click Here.

Man kan sig jeg bliver bedre og bedre til Dansk hver dag. Jeg har skrevet hele denne blog post uden Google Translate, men jeg har brugt lidt hjælp fra mine seje Dansk venner.

Den hele sidste måned var meget lang og spændende. Jeg har lavet mange ting. Jeg har haft et møde med en meget søde Rotex member, og det var dejligt at hør hans historier fra da han var en udvekslingstudent til Australien.

Min fødselsdagkage!

Men den maste sjovt ting jeg har lavet var at holde min fødselsdag med min værtsfamilie og min veninder. Den morgen vækkede de mig med deres fødselsdag sang og mange Dansk flager. Efter skolen, har jeg spist dejligt hjemmelavede lagkage (tak til Susanne og Karla), og har jeg også spist min yndlings brunsviger sammen med dem! (det er en lækker kage med kaffe bønner i og sukker på!). Min værtsmor har også lavede deres families specialt fødselsdag boller. Vi spillede korter og det var en meget hyggelig aften. Næste dag, jeg inviteret min venner hjemme og spiste aftensmad sammen med dem før vi gik til en gymnasiefest. Den var en meget hyggelige aften. Jeg har også besøgte min veninder i Odense.

En billede før vi gik til festen

Vi fik meget sne

Min presentation i Vestermarkskolen

Jeg har lavede mange presentationer. Jeg har besøgte min første værtssøsters skole i Årslev og fortælte 3 klasser om Indien (også hendes). Det spurgte mig om mit land og jeg var glad for at svare deres spørgsmåler. Jeg har også lavede en presentation i Vestermarkskolen sammen med min værtssøster (som jeg bor hos nu) om at være en udvekslingstudent. Det var til en internationale klasse i den skole. Det var helt vildt sjovt og vi drikkede meget lækkert kakao i den skole.

En lille tegning af os de gå til vores
Dansk undervisening

Så ja, det har vært i travl måned og jeg er meget ked af det at sig, næste uge har jeg min sidste Dansk undervisening. Mit Dansk er meget bedre nu, men jeg har lavede mange gode venskaber i mit Dansk klasse, og jeg vil hele sikkert savner dem.

Mit sprog - Det kan man alle rede se; jeg har skrevet en hele side på Dansk. Jeg prøver også at lær Spansk nu, fordi det er en spændende sprog.

Halfway through my Exchange!

Last week, the world saw the beginning of a new year, and so did I, from the perspective of another country. I wouldn't say it was very different from New Year's in any other place. A little party with friends, fireworks lighting the sky and counting down till 12; that's what usually defines New Year's everywhere. In Denmark, it is also almost a tradition to watch the Queen's speech in the evening. Overlooking the fact that it was a little bit messy this year, I quite enjoyed hearing the carols played after it. In short, it was a 'hyggelit' (lovely) evening, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Slight changes have also been made to our classes in school, and we have many people who left our class, and many new people who joined it, It's interesting having new people in the class, but also a little odd. Also, my course is going to be focused on Math, Physics and Chemistry now, so I guess that makes thing a little easier.
On a more sad note, however, I am already halfway through my exchange. I have lived in Denmark for 5 MONTHS now! Although it makes my heart weep out of despair, I can't help but start thinking about how it's going to be like to go home again. It's such a difficult part of your exchange - you love your host country like crazy but you also begin to miss your home country and start appreciating a thousand times more than you did before. In any case, time flies, and I can't help but think back to my first night in Denmark:

The last time I saw my family

"My friend and I said goodbye to our families at the airport in Mumbai and boarded the flight to Frankfurt airport. She didn't cry a bit; I cried a river and caused everyone at the airport to stare at me in curiosity. Our reached about half an hour late, and we missed the first flight to Denmark. After a long hassle and asking for help from a lot of people at the airport, we finally managed to rebook our flight and we waited for about three hours before boarding the next flight to Denmark. At the airport, we figured out that our luggage had been left behind at Frankfurt airport, and that it would be delivered to us a day or two later. Meanwhile, my counsellor and his wife, who were supposed to pick me up three hours back, had to wait near the airport which was about 1 or 2 hours away from their house. I recognised my counsellor as soon as I stepped out of the airport, and he greeted me with a warm hug that erased all my frustration about the flight and luggage. They drove me to my new house, and on the way, they talked to me about Denmark. I had heard a lot of it before, since my mother had taken up reading about Denmark as a hobby, and she kept popping random facts at me sometimes. When we reached home, my host parents had to go somewhere else, so I spent the evening with my host mom's parents. They were lovely people, and I had one of my best dinner's ever at that time - spring onion pie. Reading that, you'd think it was nothing special, but at that time, it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. They talked to me about India and Denmark, and at about 9, when the sun had yet not set, I retreated to my bed, and tired as I was, I was asleep immediately."

The first time I met my counsellor

Every day of my life in Denmark, I picture myself virtually walking through my house, remembering where every room, every sofa, even every picture frame lies. I'm too afraid of forgetting how my life used to be before I came here. Everything seems so vivid, it's like no time has passed. I think I will hold the memory of the day I arrived in Denmark. for the rest of my life. I thank everyone I met in Denmark, and everyone in India who helped me go on this exchange; thanks to them, I happened to be one of the 25 people to represent my district in India.

Language check: I guess I'm getting pretty good at Danish, because everyone person I meet tells me that I am great at Danish; it feels amazing!

2 days to Christmas: Weekend Get2Gether & Christmas markets

There's about two days left for Christmas, and the celebrations are full fledged. There are many 'Julefrokoster' (christmas lunches/dinners) and the decorations are out. Christmas trees have been bought and every house is lighted up with Christmas lights. Danish people associate the Danish flag with celebration, so basically, it looks like a HUGE political party rally. It's snowed only once till now, and although the weather forecasters may deny it, I still wish for the miracle of a white Christmas. It's the perfect possible Christmas I could imagine - sitting in the living room watching television or playing cards with my family, while fire burns in the fireplace and the trees are covered with snow outside.


Rotary Weekend Get2Gether

Our Rotary District

Rotary arranged a little weekend for all the exchange students in our district to meet and have some fun. We toured Odense, H.C Andersen's house and a Christmas market. Christmas markets are the most crowded places I can find in Denmark. Of course, it's not the most pleasant thing, but it reminds me of home. Some of these market are unaffordable, and others are relatively cheap. I haven't found a place as cheap as the dear, sweet, crowded markets of Mumbai, but Denmark is not very expensive if you look in the right places. We spent the weekend in a little camping cabin. On the first day, we got Christmas food from all of our countries and made a little buffet. India doesn't have any Christmas food, so I simply carried samosas. I was pretty lucky since a lot of people brought vegetarian food, but I wish sometimes, that I could taste all the food people offered me. We played pakkelej (a Danish Christmas tradition in which everyone has a gift and you can steal gifts from others if you roll a six on your dice). We also had a little part (without alcohol, of course) and we danced till late at night. I still haven't caught up on any sleep since that weekend, because that's how less I slept. It was great fun, and I can't wait till the next District Event.

Christmas spirit in Odense

Christmas Shopping
Shopping for Christmas gifts is one of the most confusing things that I have ever done. You want to be a bit humorous, but not offensive, you want to spend money, but not too much, and so on. I haven't bought all my gifts just yet, but it is so difficult to choose what to buy for everyone. There are Christmas sales in a few places, but Denmark is expensive even after sales!

My fitness took a little turn since the beginning of December, when I started gaining weight instead of my customary loss of weight. Maybe, it's because of my chocolate calendar (a Christmas calendar with one candy for each day of the month), or maybe it's just the many Christmas feasts and fatty food, but Christmas is sure a month when even vegetarians gain weight. It's so difficult to control your temptations and keep track when you have an array of candy and cakes lying in front of you.

Language check: I'm on a rollercoaster that only goes up!

Santa Claus is coming... to town!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the world!