November 2020

Mayday, it starts to get dark

On the first day at school in November our teacher at school showed us a video of a man. He said that the year has actually 16 months, and that 4 of these are November, as it's getting dark and cold. But I have to admit, this month went by quite fast, even though some days seemed to last forever.

It's actually going great with my Danish classes. I caught up very quickly and I can already understand a lot of things and have Smalltalk with people. My co-workers and my host family started to talk more to me in Danish and I'm perfectly fine with it.

the language school in the middle of Svendborg - LaerDansk

In addition to that, I started talking Danish to the kids at the scouts. It feels good to finally be able to communicate with them and they appreciate it, too. We made our own paper and Christmas cards, which was a lot of fun.

the lovely Christmas cards we made

As I have Danish classes until 2 and go to work afterwards, I am very tired at times. Some mornings I even wake up and have 0 motivation for the day, as it's still dark outside and I know that it's going to be dark again by the time I get home. This amotivation is sometimes accompanied by generally feeling really unwell in the mornings. Still, I fight it by just starting my day and doing my stuff.

Somewhen I also got a package from home with a lot of stuff in it, such as socks, my winter boots and Semmelknödel. There even are some gifts for my people here, so I can't wait to give them their Christmas presents.

Talking of my family at home, I had some extremely concerned days because of the terror attack in Vienna. I slept really badly for some nights, but I calmed down again, as long as I knew everyone was well.

At the office we had some quite stressful days. In the end, though, we managed to find solutions to all the problems and get the workflow going again. I still really enjoy working at Kontakt mellem Mennesker and being around.

At Genbrugskontakten I started to know more and more what to do. At first, I was always a little lost when I arrived, but now I just start sorting through things or wandering around the shop, fixing things that look off. It's great and I actually have been dreaming about working in a shop when I was little, so it's real fun. One day I even got to stand behind the cashier's desk, weher I could flaunt my Danish skills (and be very happy about the calculator).

These experiences make me feel like I'm genuinely growing as myself. I feel quite independent and it gives me a different, special strength. In general, I still feel extremely well being here. Even if there are not-so-well days, I kow they won't last forever and that those are normal and even needed.

What always helps me getting back on track is the calmness of my host parents. They unconsciously remind me to slow down and just chill, or to step on the brakes. I feel incredibly grateful for that.

On a quiet Saturday my host mother took me on a car-tour around the nearest harbours, which are Ballen, Rantzausminde and another one in Svendborg. I've never seen any of them, so it was a lot to see. After that, I even took my bike on a harbour-hopping tour to see if I can find them by myself. I mean, I got lost on the way home, but it was still beautiful.

on my harbour-hopping tour with my bike (yes it was cold)

me being a VERY responsible biker with my helmet

On the weekends I sometimes meet up with friends. We always have fun, sometimes we meet up in Odense, sometimes in Svendborg and sometimes somewhere in between. It is always good to see them again. Especially now, with the Christmas lights, Odense is a very lovely place to be in the evening. 

on a weekend stroll in Odense (we agreed on not liking the Danish Glühwein)

Nevertheless, most of my evenings throughout the week are spent in front of the TV and the fireplace. I'm trying to join my host parents in watching "Den store Bagedyst" (a baking competition) or "Vild med Dans" (a dancing competition) as much as possible and I surprisingly really enjoy those shows. Someimes I feel like I mutated into an old, calm lady, and I love it.

In some evenings I took our dog, Vincent, on a walk. I realized that I have never walked a dog before and honestly, he rather walked me, but it was still fun

ready for a walk with Vincent

My host mother took me on another car-tour, this time to Langeland, which is an island south of Fyn. It was great! I've seen so many nice, beautiful places and we were on the road almost for the whole day. It made me feel very well and welcomed.

my host mom being a little cold at Dovns Klint on Langeland

Big news - I have a host sister now. Kristyna, an exchange student from Czech Republic, is living in our house until her organization finds a new host family for her. I have never lived with anyone else besides my mom, grandmother and grandfather, so also this is a new experience for me. We don't have any problems, as we get along very well and have fun together. It's great having someone my age in our house.

in the town with my new host sister

By the end of the month, I started to get a little homesick. I talked a lot to Rosa, another volunteer, and figured, that most of us are feeling a little off lately. I guess it's just the time for missing home, as Christmas is coming up and days are getting shorter. It helps me a lot talking to people in my situation, as it makes me feel like I'm not alone.

As Christmas really is starting, I prepared something lovely in secret for the office: a big Christmas tree on a board. "Why?", you may ask. Well, there are also ornaments with the tree. Everyone can just take one of them, write down something positive (like what they are thankful for or made them smile) and decorate the tree with it. It was a lot of work and it's nice seeing my co-workers liking it.

the 'Christmas tree' I made

On the first Sunday of Advent, we also had a dinner with my host parents' daughter. I enjoyed it a lot, as it was the start of an unusual, delightful Christmas time.

Negative:

• wondering about people at home who I have no contact with but used to randomly meet
• forgetting to take pictures of the beautiful nature in autumn
• feeling lonely on some days
• feeling like I'm wasting my time (which I'm not)
• missing my childhood friend's birthday
• gløgg (danish Glühwein) is not good
• having quite unproductive days
• it's getting extremely cold and dark

Positive:

• slowly creating a safe network here
• the cafe Little Local being my calming point
• HYGGE!
• friends still taking time to check up on me
• taking myself out for lunch
• decorating the house and baking Christmas cookies
• eating (very expensive) sushi for the first time here
• having my first conversation with a customer in Danish