First Few Days

Before I tell you about my flight and my first few days in Denmark I want to tell you all about one thing AND apologize for not posting something sooner.

But it's hard to post something without any internet in the camp you were staying in.

So the thing I wanted to tell you about was that the day before my flight (right after my previous post) my parents gave me a stuffed animal otter. It was one from my childhood and I was really happy to see it. Then my two friends Ronja and Vanessa came by and gave me a picture of three adoreable otters and a Schleich otter.

For those that don't know what Schleich is: It is a German toy company specialized in small animal figures.

So that was a neat coincidence and now all three of those things are traveling with me.

Now then my flight was pretty uneventful. I met up with one dude (Yannik) I knew from my preparation weeks in Germany and we waited together in front of the gate. (We were looking for a friend - Chiara - and later found out had just missed her.)

One funny thing was I sat next to a German girl (Maxie) who after we got off turned out to be going to the same camp as Yannik and me. Neither of us had a clue while we were sitting next to each other. XD

Anyway we got picked up and after a few hours when everyone had arrived we were shipped off to Arup (the a with the circle here) near Odense for a two (and a half) days camp. The landscape was beautiful and I met a LOT of really AWESOME people.

Friday evening we ate dinner and quickly went to bed. We were all exhausted. One negative thing though: The house/shed my group slept in. Air mattresses + sleeping bags + renovation/shed dust + dust allergies = BIG PROBLEM.

Lucky (/paranoid) me I had my anti-allergy medication with me.

Saturday all of the volunteers (our group was called 18+ because we were) mostly talked about different things and went for a walk and learned an old dance that was originally English, but now only the Danes remember it. (Wait what?)

We talked about what we think it means to be a volunteer and about Danish traditions all while getting to know each other better.

Sunday was mostly preparing to meet our host families and evaluating the camp. Then we had lunch which was a mix between smoerrebroed (read: smörrebröll) and lasagna. It was really yummy, but I didn't get ANY lasagna. *shakes fist*

So they finally got us on the trains to our host families. The train was hot, full and then broke down.

They tossed us out of the first class (we went there because second class was FULL, but they still wanted us out) and after one stop the engine broke. So we needed to switch the front train with the back train so the latter could pull the former.

It took SO long. In the end I think we arrived an hour later than we intended to.

My host father Jens and I found each other really quickly at the train station and we were off.

We went by the store real quick to pick up some things and then we drove to Randboeldal. By the way there is also a Randboel right next door, but Randboeldal is in a valley. Randboel isn't.
Britt, Kaya and Mille (host mother, host sister and dog) were there to greet me and showed me around the house and town.

Jens, Mille and I went for a walk to show me the town and I learned some Danish words (and Jens some German ones).

THEN this morning I had my first day of work at Boellen in the Kindergarden section!
At first it was a little difficult because the kids talked to me in Danish and I only understood simple things like:"What's your name?"
My colleagues were all very nice and VERY patient with me. We agreed that they should speak Danish and when I have a question that I ask them in German or English (depending on who I'm asking).
So far it works.

The morning started with the kids arriving and playing inside for a little bit. Then we cleaned up and had a little snack. Fruit and knaeckebroed. (The knäckebrot was delicious! <3)
Afterwards we got ready to go outside.
Then we were outside for the rest of the day. We had frokost and middagmal (I think that's what they're called. They're both meals.). A noodle soup with bread and then bread with butter and a thin slice of chocolate. The chocolate was Plataeschokolade (that first a is supposed to have a circle over it) and it looks really weird and cool at the same time.
I'm probably not making any sense. XD

After some initial awkwardness due to the language barrier I was able to roughhouse with the boys a bit and push some girls on the swings.
I also found out that three of the girls speak English well because they're mothers or fathers are native speakers. Then I met a mom who had German parents so we chatted in German for a bit.
Bad Kathryn! You're here to learn Danish!

At 15:30 I helped clean up a bit and went home. Best part about that I walk for five minutes and I'm home.

But I'm exhausted. Here are the pictures from my days at the camp and more of the next few days will follow shortly.

Vi ses!

Met some Japanese exchange students who sat with Chiara (the blond girl) and me. Taichi is doing the peace sign.

This is Shanti with his awesome Naruto t-shirt. Off of the picture to the right a girl called Aki was seated and I got to know her to.

Two of the German exchange students. Marlene and Lena. Guess where Marlene is going. Greenland. :D

My little corner in the house/shed. (With Chiara's corner.)

Chiara documenting (like me) where we are staying.

The rest of the room.

The entryway.

The house/shed from outside.

Eating tent and sports field to the right. Rest of the school building to the left.

The school building from the front.

More of the school building.

More of my house/shed.

Documenting with Chiara. XD

Bless you Piriteze. Bless you.

Most of the 18+ group listening to one of the trainers.

Our trainer Annelise talking to us.

The other trainers Alex and Josefine.

More of the 18+ group.

A lovely shot of my Canadian friend Mari-Beth.

Walking back from lunch to our classroom which doubled as my sleeping place. (And Marjolein the Belgian being shy.)

Working away.

Still working.

I cannot remember what the stickerwas about anymore, but I swear it had some deeper meaning. I'm tired okay?

Chiara, Yannik and Kevin relaxing between sessions. (German, German, Argentinian)

The group relaxing.

Rennan deep in thought. (Brasil)

Now come some landscape pictures because we went for a walk! :D

Waiting for stragglers to catch up.

PONIES! :D

Walking on the street because we own it. (And there was no sidewalk...)

Mari-Beth loving the camera.

So what do you think of the current prices of mushrooms?

Yannik being... Yannik. XD

PONY! :D (I know I'm crazy.)

Between sessions.

Still between sessions.

My otter being discovered by Araceli (Mexico). He was much fawned over. <3

Did I mention he was fawned over yet?

Super popular.

Nadia gave me Mexican candy! It looks strange (to me), but it actually tastes delicious! I shared German chocolate in return.

Here we shared candy from our different countries. I am proud to say the German chocolate cookies were the most popular.

Rennan (probably laughing about my picture-taking obsession.)

The guys goofing off. Little did they know I had a video. >:D

Watching others dance after trying it ourselves and washing the dishes.

The whole 18+ group. We were the coolest group. Because I say so.