Iceless Icebox Iceland

[Note April 5/06: I was told this was confusing, because I forgot I hadn't explained this (I wrote this on the train home). I was in Iceland with my class on a class trip. In Denmark second years get a week long trip somewhere. While in Iceland we worked on a project we had started working on in November when the Icelanders were in Denmark. So we were at school in Iceland. Hope that clears things up]

On Saturday after we got off the plane we found ourselves in the middle of no where. After hours of driving, we arrived in the town we were to spend the night. There was running commentary most of the way. Our teacher told us we were to fend for ourselves for dinner. He suggested a couple of places we could go; a steak house, a Japanese joint and, of course as my geography teacher named it “American Imperialism” as in McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza hut.

First we went to the hostel where we were spending the night and unpacked our things. I had brought sheets with me, as I didn’t want to pay $7 a night for three nights (we are to stay at a hostel on Friday and Saturday as well). I was in a room with three other girls from my class, they are really nice and we spoke a bit (Danish, of course). After some wait we went with some others to go eat dinner. We walked down to Pizza hut, where I haven’t eaten in a couple of years. We ordered pizza, after a long wait it was brought to us.
After eating my pizza I ordered apple pie, we had English menus and it claimed to be warm apple pie with ice cream. It was okay, but didn’t taste like apple pie.
It was insanely expensive (like $35 or so) but I didn’t know the conversion rate then.
We walked back and went to bed, some of the girls went to go clubbing (how can they after all this traveling?) but none from my room did.

On Sunday we went to the Blue lagoon. I had to rent a suit because I didn’t know we were supposed to have one with us (mine was in my suitcase). Let’s just say the swimsuit was highly unflattering and leave it at that.

It was really nice, the water was a pretty milky blue color. And it was really warm. I got in the water and submerged in the warmness. I had my hair down and I noticed I was the only one who did. One of my classmates then approached me and said, “I don’t mean to ruin your week, but your hair is going to be destroyed for a week or two because of the water.” …Thanks for warning me.
I stopped in on the gift shop and bought some postcards, stamps and patches.
After four hours of driving we stopped at a rest stop. And I paid two dollars for a two inch stick of deodorant (I just told myself “that’s only 12 Danish kr., that’s only 12 Danish kr.—which is nothing), because I had forgotten mine.
We drove for another 2 hours before we got to the school where, Salka picked Emil and me up.

Salka gave up her bedroom (because she’s very nice) and there was the master bedroom, so each of us got a bedroom. There was a bit of an disagreement on who would have which bedroom. It was settled when Salka’s sister mention she gets up at 7:30 and however was in the master might get woken up. That was when Emil gave it to me.
We went to a shop, it was like shops in Denmark but there was mountain dew and lucky charms!
We had some ice cream. Salka claims it’s the best ever, it was pretty good.

A couple people came over. And we just hung out for a couple hours.

On Monday we had to be to school at 8:30, we left at 8:27 (she is 3 minutes walk away).

Nothing interesting happened until we went to the pool. It was warm, and all of the areas I could stand in. I just sat around until a couple people I was sitting with left. Then I went to the other group and played catch.

After that we had a scavenger hunt, 2 hours of cold, hills, pussy willows (which I’m allergic to), and asthma. Not a lot of fun. Some how my group didn’t finish last. For the first hour we had two Icelanders with us, but they had to leave.
I got a horrible headache but it waned a bit and we went off to a coffee shop. Most of the classes (Danish & Icelandic) were there. I ordered an Americano. I was hoping it was like the one I had in Århus, which was half coffee, half chocolate. It wasn’t, it was fairly black coffee. I had a tasty slice of cake with it. I was one of the few people who had coffee, I was told it’s for old people.

I chatted with an Icelandic guy about a lot things and found out that 80% of Icelanders believe in ghosts.

Today we went to the school and after a lesson with our teachers we met up with the Icelanders. We “worked” on the project for ten minutes and then had a 15 minute break. Twenty minutes of doing nothing and then we went ice skating. It was a lot more fun than the last time. The skates didn’t hurt this time, I was actually decent. But I was really slow.
We had lunch at McDonalds (which I’ve now had in six countries, no matter where you are…).
We worked on our project. I made a survey. Surveys are fun. I handed them out to a lot of people I didn’t know. And got a ton back. People apparently like filling out surveys.
Salka dropped some friends off, so they could apply for a job. I ran into a drug store and bought some head ache medicine—I still had a head ache.

We just went out to dinner and I had a cheese pizza. Jelly came with it to put on it if the cheese was too much. It was. And jelly didn’t help, but I had a side dish of French fries. So, now I know I can’t eat strong cheese.

Arisa

Galloping off

Last weekend I moved Saturday morning (the 11th). Breanne came over and we went to Louise’s party (she’s my classmate and Klause my new host brother’s friend). It was fun but they didn’t dance that much. They had karaoke and for Danes that’s singing as bad as you can (by this I mean It’s-burning-out-my-eardrums-even-though-I’m-plugging-my-ears bad).

My host dad came to pick us up at one. He wanted to get coffee first, meaning we were there for another half an hour.

Horse back riding Thursday and Friday. Rikke had us go through the routine for the horse show. From A to X (imaginary letter) to, B turn right make a circle from A to X, go back to center. Turn left make another circle, from A go to P from P go to H from H go back to A. From A go to B, turn left make a circle. From A make another circle? Go back to A, go to X stop. Something like that, very confusing. Wild Fred didn’t like doing it, he wanted to be off running with the other horses.

On Friday it was a bit easier to do it, but he was walling me, something he hasn’t done in a couple months. By walling, I mean randomly turning into the wall and stopping. Most of the class I was at the back end (it’s like a big indoor barn(?), big empty place) and trotting past people. It was fun trying to keep him in gallop when horses on the track were walking and horses were walking in the center too, so a lot of weaving was required. We also went to gallop*, it was a lot fun, surprisingly. We managed to stay in gallop for 20 or so seconds straight (new record!), but we were galloping with a bit of trotting for much longer.

*I have been informed by Breanne that while the Danish word is gallop, the English word is canter. This having been brought to my attention, I have come to the conclusion that I don’t care. Plus I’m too lazy to root through all my entries fixing the error. Also, I looked it up and gallop is a four-beat movement whereas canter is a three-beat, some authors consider them to be a single gait.

All of this was written on the train, I was hoping I could pick up wireless net somewhere (almost, but we speed out of Århus too quickly). In route to Iceland. I left Saturday morning at 6:50. I rode the train to Copenhagen with my classmates. We played cards and I used my laptop as an mp3 player (I forgot to bring extra batteries for my CD player). We flew for two and a half hours (second shortest flight I’ve been on). I’ll post this now and catch up on what’s happened since.

Arisa

Rotary get together in the ghetto of Copenhagen

On Friday Breanne came into Randers a big after nine to go shopping (she wanted a bag). We killed a couple hours around Randers. Nothing exciting, I just bought some nylons. We also ran into Maz, the Brazilian oldie. She goes to the other school with 6 newbies (while I am alone at my school). Breanne finally found her bag but it was in a mustard yellow color that she didn’t like for some reason (it was just a bit hideous).

I was home at 11:45, I finished packing and went down to my bus stop. Arriving five minutes early I was planning on taking the 12:38 which starts at another city. At 12:45 I was worried. But hey, there’s a bus that comes from Langå at 12:50. I didn’t want to take that one because I didn’t think I could make the 1:20 train. 12:50 comes and goes. I’m checking my watch twice a minute, pacing back and forth. Finally at one the Langå bus comes. I go to the station and head to my platform (buying a magazine first, I had enough time for that, thankfully). On the platform there were a bunch of students. I ask a guy standing a bit away from the group, if he knows if this is the right platform for Copenhagen (not thinking, I had asked in English). He looks blank so I try again in Danish. Then he apologizes in English because he can’t understand Danish. It was a class of Finish kids who spent their class trip in Randers. We spoke for a couple of minutes and then the train zoomed in.

I was really confused as to where my seat was, I grabbed one that I thought was mine but someone near me asked in English if I was sure it was mine (another Finish student I assume), I said no I wasn’t and showed her my ticket. She pointed my in the right direction. I hauled my heavy suitcase down and headed off.

I moved to another compartment, this time my seat number matched my ticket. A man that was sitting there helped me with my bag.

One of the conductors comes to check my ticket, I thought nothing of it at the time, but the other guy stops him and asks him to bring some fruit. Breanne gets on at her stop, she doesn’t see me waving at her. After ten or so minutes I’m confused as to what happened to her so I go searching. I pass her without noticing, but she waves at me her and I see her on the way back.

I was rather confused at this point and a woman looks and my ticket and says I must have gone to first class. Ahah, I guess that’s why it was so nice. Oh well, I go back and get my stuff and sit with Breanne. Hmm, I probably could’ve stayed there the entire time, ah well.

After many uninteresting hours of reading my magazine we arrived in Copenhagen. Finding the big clock we see a ton of exchange students sitting under it with all their baggage.
After a wait Rotex people showed up and led us out of the station. We loaded out bags into a van and then walked to the school.

After unloading stuff for a while the guys have a snowball fight outside. I tackle and white-wash (as in bathe in snow) a South African exchange student. It was a lot of fun.

They locked the doors so we had to get someone to let us in, which was weird. But shortly after we come in a bunch of kids show up and are trying to get into the school. They kept doing that, it was weird.

We had pizza for dinner. Breanne was feeling sick, so I went out with her to find a Rotary person. He put us off in this little box quasi-room. I gave her some pain killers. And after talking to rotary they come back 10 minutes later and offer some pain killers and then disappear.

I got Alyssa, and she blew up Breanne’s air mattress. A Rotex guy comes in and is barking at everyone to get downstairs. I rave at him and I think I looked like I was about to cry (this was way too stressful a day), so his eyes popped and he looked panicked and started telling me to relax. Then he ran off. Some female Rotex came back and talked to us.

I went to check on Breanne in the bathroom, she was shivering and looking really sick.

Breanne went to lie down and I stayed in the room for a while, not wanting to go downstairs and listen to just another Rotary lecture.When Breanne was about to fall asleep I headed downstairs.

After a couple minutes everyone was back upstairs, talking. Breanne was lying down. After a while she gets up. And a couple minutes later calls me over. She successfully threw up, lovely. I dump the stuff. She started feeling a lot better after that.

Rotary called an unexpected meeting. They had searched some bags that were sitting open and found alcohol in them. They brought the people forward and proceeded to hand out typical Rotary lecture. They asked everyone to get their alcohol and turn it in. Those later found with it would be sent back to their home countries. Breanne and I were among the few that didn’t scramble upstairs.
In the end they had three huge boxes full.

After that, bed.

For Saturday I had signed up to be a “reporter” because it seemed more interesting than sports. Rotary was being really annoying about how there was one too many of us reporters and that wouldn’t do.

I was in a group with two others. Both of my partners are planning on writing professionally, I felt a bit out of place. But for the first couple hours they were slacking horribly.

I interviewed two exchange students, Pokchat and an Australian newbie.

The newbie has a vision of having a lot of Danish friends and doesn’t want so many exchange student friends. She came here for Danish culture, not for exchange student culture. I think everyone thinks that at first, I know I did before I came here. I don’t know anyone that worked for.

It was rather hard to interview people when they were dancing and when they were playing dodge ball. Oddly, it was easier to talk to them during dodge ball.
I wrote my section of the article, my group is going to be published by the Nordic Rotary magazine.

We took a photo outside in our baggy Rotary hoodies, you can’t tell I’m me in the photo because of this. One student arrived late because he was at the hospital, so he isn’t in the final picture.

At eight we had dinner, boring speeches ensued. We went off to the gym and watched the dance. After five minutes my attention span was failing. Zuzu and I snuck out and got soda.

Then some students preformed. Breanne and Jordan went, they had some microphone problems. Jordan bent over to help her with the mike, it was on her back, catcalls and laughter followed. Breanne looked rather embarrassed but they played really well. Everyone was impressed.

At the end Jordan closed with a rather sad song ‘Leaving on a jet plane’ everyone was crying and hugging. It seems odd to think that this is our last big get together.

No one was in the mood to dance. Then we listened to the school's swing band, really upbeat music. After a while everyone cheered up a bit and we went out to the ‘discotheque’. It was supposed to end at one but it ended at three (because all the rotary people were too drunk to care) and I was out there until the last. I think it was the most fun I’ve had at a rotary thing. Which is funny bcause most exchange students thought it was the least fun because they couldn’t get drunk.

We left in the morning for the train station. The van didn’t carry our baggage this time. We killed some time in the train station and I wandered around a bit. When I came back Breanne was gone and someone asked me if I was taking the noon train. I said I was, he said I better hurry. I followed another exchange student towards the train. Farmer boy (nice guy from western New York) came and warned us we were at the wrong track. Making a dash for it we caught the train.

My host mom confirmed that we were in the ghetto of Copenhagen, apparently whenever something bad happens in Copenhagen it happens there. Gotta love cheap Rotary Denmark. Amusingly the hoodies say “Rotary Gettogether” on them.

Arisa

Just ignore the door

Ah well, I just finished writing on my week in Sweden (finally) which you can view below. This week in short:

I had art on Tuesday, also more volley ball which I still suck at. I like my art class, right now we’re working on textures and I have homework for it.

On Thursday I had horseback riding and Wild Fred was in less than perfect temper (as always). We got to gallop multiple times, I lost a foot from the stirrups multiple times. And as testimony for his poor mood he kicked at one of the TWO horses he doesn’t hate!

On Friday Rikke told me not to follow anyone, it was odd having people follow me for once. Wild Fred was not per say happy but at least less angry than usual. Got to gallop a couple of times. As Rikke told me “there are a lot of things I can teach you, balance is not one of them”.

Unfortunately balance is not a thing I have in large supply. Nearly fell out multiple times, from different directions each time. I find it a lot easier to ride when I have a Devil-may-care attitude. Friday was not one of those days.

Rikke told me there is a show she wants me to compete in, it’s in three or so weeks. She explained the program to me, I’d be riding alone and making Wild Fred go in various directions. The kicker is that I would not only have to memorize this but not go up and down. By up and down I mean raise myself up when Wild Fred is trotting as to avoid being shaken up and down. I took a couple rounds without doing this not only does it hurt, I sound ridiculous.

The heaters died on Friday, or rather a fan which distributed the heat died making the upstairs bathroom the only warm place. Right before it died I think someone opened my window (Danes have this absolute obsession with fresh air).

Saturday, I have a cold and a silly Rotary thing to attend. The Rotary thing was an anniversary for how long my club has existed. They also celebrated Fæstelavn's day a thing that is around 40 days before Easter and special somehow. They used to put a cat in a barrel and beat it. The cat somehow represented everything evil and bad in the world. Now they just beat the barrel. We beat two barrels (one for the men, one for the women). I was asked if we did this in the US, I said no, we like cats. I got there at six (left my house at 5:20) and was back at one. There was one couple in their 30s everyone else was 50 or older. I was rather bored. I went with my 3rd host family. My YEO, Tage was at another party. To entertain myself I tried to see how many times I could make the jukebox play “Feel Good Inc.” by the Gorrillaz. It played 12 times and I honestly think no one noticed.

Well the day has just began and I’ve already lost a dollar. Because of Fæstelavn's, children are going door-to-door in costumes and they get money. Why? I have no idea. No one seems to be able to offer a good explanation. All I know is some came to the door started singing and offered their box to me. I dropped in 6 kr, my host mom told me that you should give 6 kr. a piece and there were three of them but whatever.I should just ignore the door.

Arisa

Wrap up no Sweden (finally)

Day Six – Friday

Differences between Sweden and Alyeska (a resort in Alaska) that I noticed were: in Sweden the hills are rounder, the resting stops are fuller (whereas the runs didn’t seem as full), no impending doom cliffs (at Alyeska you have a lot of runs with turns that wouldn’t be fun to miss), there were a lot of white hill that look like they went down forever (but didn’t).

The chair lifts they did have had long lines (and there was a lot of rather aggressive cutting) and they were made for six people! Now I’m only used to three or four, so it was a bit of a step up.

On the last day of skiing both my ankles hurt (one felt like I had used it wrong the day before and the other, like I was using it too much that day). There was a lot of cross country over the hill, they like the bumps (I don’t!). Crash into a hill again and again…over a bump and still stuck, and caught on branch. Through the woods, such fun (but not)!

Then I was mentally and physically exhausted. Mentally exhausted, because there had been people around me all the time. Perhaps it’s the difference of coming from a smaller family to a large one, rather than cultural (I’ve talked to Danes that say they couldn’t stand that, but not a lot). But I think it’s more common for a couple of families to go on a vacation somewhere together than it is in the US (but perhaps I’m ignorant).

Day Seven – Saturday

On Saturday we packed it up and drove off. We made it to the ferry earlier than we expected but the one that was leaving was full. So we went and looked at a couple of stores. One had nifty American things. I bought some Twizzlers and Beef Jerky. Swedish candy I’m in love with, Chex (like Kit-kats but better). We had dinner at McDonalds (I have now had McDonalds in five countries; no matter where you are you can’t escape).

We had around 15 hrs of driving and being on the ferry.

3.15 of those were on the boat. I read four books while in Sweden (mostly in the car). I bought another book (one of the few English ones), walked in circles, spoke to my host mom and a Dane that teaches English.

It’s odd at times I’m reminded I’m not just here in another country but at the same time representing my own. I was asked a lot of random questions on Americans and also how we vacation. I think Europeans in general have a negative image of American tourists, that we see all the sites in a day and move on. And a lot do I suppose, my host mom told me that she met a couple of Americans that were seeing Denmark in a day. While that seems rushed to me, it doesn’t surprise me (it certainly surprised her).

I got sea sick but not as bad as on the way over. These ferries are so cool, I didn’t notice on the way over. There was a room for children which had giant Lego statues and two gamecubes (which the little kids were hogging!).

Arisa

Skiing in Sweden

Day One – Sunday

I went to bed at 11:30, but I wasn’t asleep until midnight and I was up again at 2:45. We drove until six a.m. Driving the car on the ferry, we went in. On the ferry we found a spot to sit down, we had got on early enough. I lay down on a cushioned bench to sleep, shortly after laying down I was pushed in. Someone had sat down and made me curl up, while I did sleep, it wasn’t the most restful I’ve had. We were off again at nine a.m.

We drove until noon, when we got out of the car and stood in the cold. So far Sweden looked similar to Alaska, but without the mountains.

At three we were at out cabin. I stayed in a room with my host parents. There were bunk beds that had nifty curtains, in the room.

We were, my older host brother, a friend his age, two girls (both around 12 years old), Jens and two other young guys (14-15), six adults, and myself. It was a three story cabin. The ground level had two bedrooms with bathrooms and a living room with a TV. The bottom level had a shower, a sauna, a smaller living room, a fairly large storage closest, a kitchen and a dining room. The upper level had two bedrooms with bathrooms. I was in one with my host parents, the boys were in other upstairs room.

I was feeling rather uncertain about my skiing abilities, but excited all the same.

On a side note I found out you can not refuse a 3rd helping, like if you don’t take a 2nd helping and your host offers you a 3rd you have to accept it otherwise it’s rude.

Day Two – Monday

Awake at eight, skiing at nine. I had a plastic credit card like pass for four of the resorts (I was told there are around six more in that area). The plastic card sat in my snow pants and I was able to get through with the machines picking up on that (it is cool having a big pad of lift tickets, but this is more convenient).

I despise the lifts here, I miss my chairs lifts. They had a couple of chair lifts but largely it was another kind (and a few of yet another kind). Think of an upside-down T, on one side of the T is one person and the other is another. You place it right below your butt and it pulls you forward. You have to stand while it pulls you forward, I found it hurt less going down the hill than up it (skiing versus lift). I will never underappreciated lifts in Alaska again. The first time up I got caught in the track of another’s ski, thankfully the guy I went up with jerked me back in. My first time going up the lift alone, I was knocked on my rump trying to get off (but then again, every lift I get off at Alyeska I have to fall at least once). Another time one guy tossed it at me and it bounced away (I hate how some of those people just chuck them at you). One time a guy chucked it at me and I grabbed it, but it was just below my shoulder blades. Being pulled up one hill, the lift stopped so I slid backwards and then the pulley went forward, cracking my back very loudly (I could hear it over blaring music). At one point it was jerking and I couldn’t hold on to it, so I bailed. Anders (my older host brother) also bailed, he went down with me and gave me advice on using the lifts (he can be nice some times).


We started off skiing on blues (the order from easiest to hardest is green, blue, red, black), I had hoped to try a green because I was really worried about having not skied in some time. After about five blue runs we took on two reds. And then we took three black runs.

My first black ever, wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be. But I retook that same one again (the 3rd run) and fell a couple dozen times (I was going to slow and didn’t want to go fast). And I couldn’t turn because the snow was very dry and chalky.

We went down to an outdoor hut that had a fire pit. Then I followed Jens (my younger host brother) and his friend down some blues for a couple more runs.

We had lunch, sausages (think Danish hot dogs, not break fest sausages) that were cooked over the fire and buns that couldn’t fit them. It was really good though.

My host dad, Jørn drove me back to the cabin. He dropped off the cooler (that had held the food) and I borrowed some knee high socks from Karen (my host mom). My normal socks didn’t give me protection from the ski boot, the boot had given me burns (I still have two vampire bite like marks on my shins).

We went back and I took three or so light runs with my host parents, we went and stayed back at four.

Danish adult males often have a queer since of humor, making jokes that often make no sense, or saying offensive things to goad out a response. One of the other guys there had such a humor. He said that all Europeans know that all Americans use drugs (I told him we don’t, just make and send it to Europe). I find that form of humor to be exasperating, but at the same time those with it are offended by nothing. Ways of responding to it are picking back, which I find to be the most amusing way (and they usually find it entertaining as well) or of course ignore them (which doesn’t work).

We were watching the Olympics I was having fun by pointing out the Americans at the top and lack of Scandinavians (Denmark only is in curling so the adopt Norway/Sweden/Finland and Iceland).

Day Three – Tuesday

My mind felt splattered. Those stupid pulleys killed my arms (just relax everyone says, but it’s hard to).

And the pulley guy wasn’t there! It was annoying getting on it on my own. The lifts often stop, sometime for many minutes; it seems like that I see a stopped one once for every 9 times I don’t. This time it wasn’t moving after three minutes of waiting. We were close to the end, but I was of course the last person in the group. It took seemingly forever to get over the first bump and then forever more with the second (which I crashed into, while trying to go over it). I thought this was downhill, not cross country! But we traveled along the side of the hill. Then a little boy on a snowboard goes down as I’m going across, I managed to swerve him.

Going on a red a turn and counter turned and maybe crossed my skis and…face full of powder (I think the worst or at least most annoying crash I had).

The other crash of the day was not my fault, Nicolas (Ander’s friend) suddenly stopped and I swerved uphill (there were people downhill) but I went up a bump and going down it caused some hold up. After lunch (lots of kinds of meats and Danish black bread), I followed the adults around (the teens had gone off to do bumps and jumps). I was tailing one on a black and he made it up to somewhere I couldn’t. He suggested I didn’t follow him and his wife on a later run laughed and said I shouldn’t. But at one point I got separated from them and they said to follow him (conflicting instructions…).

We went back at five for waffles (with jam and sugar!).

Day Four – Wednesday

It was freezing cold, only minus five Celsius but blowing horribly, and bad snow (and ice). The wind was going downhill so going down wasn’t that bad…but going up the lift was horrible. And there was a lot of fog too. By the time I got to the bottom I could only make out bright colors. I had assumed this was because of the fog, but then one of the women comes over with a handkerchief and wipes a part of my goggles. Suddenly I can see through a little hole. I scraped the ice off, at the beginning of the day I was annoyed about the smears that made my vision fuzzy, now I cared more about seeing anything.

Around noon we leave, we shop at a grocery store and two winter gear stores. I bought some nice warm clothing. A winter jacket because my blue one was loosing feathers, a pullover, long socks, and skiing underwear (the tight warm long stuff). Also, I had noticed my poofy coat fits in, in Sweden. In Denmark the girls wear tight thin coats (and complain about the cold).

My host dad asks the cute cashier guy how much the Swedish key chains are, he says they’re not for sale but he’ll give me one for free. I think I like Swedish guys more than Danish guys.

Day Five – Thursday

An even colder day. I wore my big blue coat over the new red one. I could barely see and the wind was worse then. It was snowing and there was some powder but not enough over the dry chalky stuff. At noon the guys and the younger girls went back. Karen, one of the other woman, and I skied on. At two we took a break and ate some food from McDonalds (wherever you are, you can’t escape it), it’s expensive to eat out for a lot of people, so it we only got it because it was a few of us. The fact that’s it’s expensive to eat out is most likely why on vacations Danes still make just about every meal.

(I’ve been too slow about updating so I’ll post this and have the last couple days next update, in a day or two)

Arisa

Heading off to Sweden

I spent last weekend at Breanne’s, on Friday we just watched Dark Angel (finishing off the series, which sadly ends on a cliff hanger). On Saturday we went into Århus and watched “Memoirs of a geisha” (a pretty movie, I loved the flow of things). We also did a bit of shopping, I found a couple shirts. Saturday evening, her host parents had guests over and they gave us permission to leave the table after each course was served as they were going through things slowly (which seemed rather odd). We also watched “Napoleon Dynamite”, stupid movie and only amusing because it is so stupid.

On Sunday I left around noon because I had Danish homework to do. I didn’t stay up until midnight to watch the Super bowl because I felt way too drained (sadly, the Seahawks lost).

On Monday, in geography a couple of the guys were drunk and really tired because they had stayed up all night watching it. The geography teacher kept threatening to throw one guy, who was falling asleep out, but he didn’t and the guy managed to stay awake. Maria and I successfully derailed English class with an argument on whether or not the lead character of a story we were reading could raise a dog (he got a dog at the end of the story, so it wasn’t that off topic).

On Tuesday, in gym we played football (soccer) indoors and I found out I’m a lot better at in inside (I was able to get two goals!). After that we played volleyball which I suck at, thankfully everyone else also sucks at volleyball.

Fairly bland week, I’m still seeing a chiropractor for my back. I’m going to Sweden tomorrow for skiing! I’ll be gone until Saturday night, next week.

Arisa

Weekend ago summary

Friday Breanne came by and we went to the school dance, it was fairly boring. There were a lot of people I knew and a lot of drunken people. But they were more reserved as it there were also a lot of parents.

On Saturday, Breanne and I did largely nothing. Went on a walk with Zenta (my host dog, a black lab), watched some more Dark Angel.

On Sunday, we went to a Rotary thing. We were hanging out in the coat room and Breanne was calling it a wardrobe and we couldn’t remember what it was called (I did, many minutes later).

We met the newbies, it was odd. Australians and Brazilians of course, I met my newb. She’s a very shy girl and very different from my oldie. We got the exact same lecture we got when we first got here. It was very déjà vu. Everything was happening exactly like it happened in the first Rotary thing in Nibe that we went to. But different, because we were watching other people nervously chatter and were far more a peace.

It was disappointing that we didn’t go to the same super market to buy candy. We did however go to the same room and sit and talk.

Breanne and I were talking to two of the Aussie newbies and spilling out all the random info we could think of.

Today I went to the chiropractor about my arm. And found out that it’s not my arm, it’s my back. It was really weird but apparently the pain is coming from my back. The lady was checking out the rest of my back and said my lower back isn’t good either. She suddenly asked me if I sometimes get pain here (she pointed to here lower abdomin), I said yes, usually around my period. She said that was due to my lower back. It was like 50 USD but it made my back and arm feel a lot better, I’m going to see her again on Monday.

For the weekend I’ll be over at Breanne’s.

Arisa