Luxembourg

Hi! So I haven't updated in about a month. On the general front, things are going good, I've been to my last school party (and Denmark throws rad parties, can you imagine...), I went on a day tour with my Rotary club where we visited many of the different borders between Denmark and Germany, and THEEEENNNNN a couple days later went to Luxembourg while staying at my host dads house near Düsseldorf, Germany. (Disclaimer: He lives part time in Germany because he works for NATO).

The first day (Saturday) the other exchange student and I drove to Düsseldorf, Germany, with my host mom, and arrived around dinner time. Technically there isn't much to talk about on the first day because it was all spent driving.

The next morning (Sunday) we woke up at 7 which was ridiculously hard, ate breakfast (which I was hoping wasn't mandatory at such an hour of the morning), and then drove a couple hours to Luxembourg City.


We got there around 3:30 that afternoon, and went to the American Cemetery from WWII. It was like a smaller version of Omaha Beach, with 5,076 burials, many people unknown when lost in combat. We wandered around there for a while before leaving and driving into Luxembourg City.

We drank some grass water when we got to the hotel (it was really Schweppes tonic with lemon but I panicked while ordering because I ran out of time so I just chose something that consequently tasted like grass), and then went and wandered around for a while. We ended up eating dinner in a Tex Mex restaurant, and ate a pepper that was probably grown in the sixth circle of hell, it was so hot. I did however have refried beans, which I have not had since I left the U.S, which was like taking a flight on the airline of taste buds back to the U.S. Which in all honesty will be better than my delta airlines flight back, so cheers again to my itinerary that gets worse each time I think about it. (Really though, was geography not taken into consideration when making this itinerary)?!

After that we had some ice cream, and then went back up to our room for the night. Monday morning we woke up slightly later than Sunday but still early for the weekend, and ate breakfast together. We then went up, finished getting ready, and checked out of the hotel. My host parents went down to old town Luxembourg, and Claire and I went around Luxembourg City together, and ended up in a café. We met again at 12, and drove from Luxembourg City to Vianden, which is home to Vianden castle. It is so beautiful there!

We drove home after that, however not before a stop in Aachen, Germany at the lindt chocolate warehouse. I first walked in and thought I saw a couple other things like fruits, normal groceries, I thought it was kind of a grocery store with a couple extra lindt chocolates. No. My eyes soon adjusted to what was in front of me. It was all chocolate. Every shelf was lined with Lindt Swiss Chocolate. What a time to be alive.

Tuesday we were "home" in Germany, and toured the base with my host dad. We went into a couple shops and were blown away because we were lead to the American food section which was stocked with Ritz crackers, flamin' hot cheetos, regular cheetos, beef jerky, honey mustard pretzels, and all kinds of doritos. We didn't actually buy anything besides two personal sized honey mustard pretzels and bag of beef jerky which we shared (I didn't really eat the kind of food they sold here in Germany when I was back in the United States anyway), however it was like we were back in the United States for a couple hours. (You read hours correctly). We even heard people speaking English to the fluency of other Americans which, to be honest, it'd been a while, and even longer that we've really heard the nasally twang of Americans...and lets be honest, we can't deny we all sound a little nasally...

The biggest shock was when we walked into the shop to be greeted by a friendly display of pepperidge farm brand food, which if you recognize that brand name you probably know the goldfish crackers "the snack that smiles back." (I know you sang along to that). We scoured the store looking for them, practically running, but were unfortunately dismayed and disappointed when our hopes were brought up once again, and they really had set out a display of everything pepperidge farm, minus what is probably their best selling product. If you know what goldfish are, without jumping to conclusions we eat live goldfish, then you are American. (Clarification- when abroad you must clarify that goldfish double for crackers, I have indeed encountered this obstacle many times).

I have had a lot of people tell me "I know this great place with American food!" I have learned to dismiss these comments however, before I get my hopes up, because what Europe has yet to catch onto is that goldfish and cheez-its are probably the most American food of it all, and these shops will never be selling American food to me until I walk in and see a display of goldfish or cheez-its after a hearty nine months. (Tbh I'm well and functioning without goldfish and cheezits and have kind of hyped it up a bit this year, but what's a little hyperbole to make a story).

And tomorrow we drive home! So that was that.

Vi ses!

Påske Ferie

"Påske,' translated from Danish means "Easter" in English, and "Ferie," translated from Danish means "break" in English.

So therefore, you could probably predict that I just had my "Easter break," or otherwise spring break here in Denmark.

It started out on Friday night after I got out from school, where my host family and I ate "middags kaffe," (afternoon tea/coffee/cookies), and then a couple hours later my host dad, host sister, two host brothers and I all went to the movies. I ate more than the recommended dose of popcorn, but what else is exchange for besides gaining a bunch of weight and pushing your body to maximum exhaustion limits (as previously mentioned in my last post.)

Saturday the whole family took to the summer house (minus my host sister.) We went for a nice, frigid cold walk outside on the beach, and then came home and made dinner. After dinner we watched a movie about navy divers as I continued reading the Anne Frank diary for the second time.

Sunday after we ate breakfast we all relaxed a little bit, and then went to my host brothers soccer game (minus my host sister and first host brother). After that we drove back to the summer house after a few stops along the way, and I made dinner a couple hours later, a dish that my mom made. When dinner was over I spent the rest of the night rotating between the movie that was playing on TV, to listening to music, while reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Technically I bought it back in October but never got around to reading it until now, so applause to Grace for actually picking up a book.

Monday I went with my host father to his mom and dad's house where I met his father, and when we walked back to the summer house I was driven back to their regular house. I spent a nice night at home just listening to music and sitting on the couch for hours on end until I went to bed.

Tuesday I went out with Claire to a café to eat dinner, and then we went out before coming home later that night. We're actually so regular at the café we go to we're on an acquaintance basis with one of the waiters. One morning we went there to get breakfast after a cancelled class and didn't realize it didn't open for another 20 minutes. They let us in anyway while swinging open the door yelling "Helllooo girlies!"

Wednesday I went over and spent the night at my first host sisters house, where we rotated between speaking a healthy dose of both Danish and English, talked a lot about exchange, and just generally had a great time together.

Thursday was a Påske frokost, which is basically the same thing as a jule frokost, only we don't play pakkeleg or eat risalamande (although I wouldn't object, I'm always in the mood for risalamande.) There is however a substantial amount of rye bread, and food, and people, and laughing. I met my whole host dads side of the family (give or take a few). They're incredibly fun and have a lot of personality to them.

Friday I met with a girl (former exchange student in Port Angeles) and had coffee with her.

Saturday my host parents were at another get together and my host siblings and I stayed home. I went out for a good two hours and biked around in the sun while taking photos. The sun FINALLY came out. It was wonderful.

Sunday Claire came over and spent the night, where we had a pretty good time as always just talking.

And Monday...well actually today is Monday and nothing really remarkable happened, but I know I'm getting sick. Funny though, it came in time for me to miss school (fingers crossed.) Normally whenever I'm sick it comes at the most inconvenient times like breaks or vacations, where I don't get any extra time off.

Tomorrow I'll be waking up and going to four classes (only two of which I can understand) and repeating for 5.5 more weeks of Danish schooling. Hard to believe how fast time is flying.

Friday is eight months that I've been here, and I have a little over two months left, approximately five blogs left, here in this little itty bitty country.

So there was Easter!

Vi ses! :-)