Back By Poppular Demand

It has been requested that I start this up again. I was originally blogging to keep in touch with friends and family while on my year of service in Denmark and since then there hasn't really seemed like much of a point. I was home. People knew where I was and what I was doing. I didn't feel like my ego was big enough to keep broadcasting my life while doing what I normally do. However I have recently moved and, while I am still in Ontario, it is far enough away that the suggestion has been made to revive the blog.

So for me it will feel somewhat like going about my normal life but this is a different part of the province and there are new things to discover. I'll do my best to share what I can and keep people back home up to speed.

Danish Christmas Traditions

A group of us were sitting around last night and had an interesting conversation about Danish Christmas traditions. Here are a few of things that were mentioned.

-The big day for celebrating is Christmas eve.
-Christmas day is mostly for visiting and playing with presents.
-Boxing day is known as second Christmas day and the 23rd is sometimes reffered to as little Christmas.
-One person remembered that one Christmas eve morning his mother would serve hot chocolate and æblesivers (little apple dounuts that look like Timbits) for breaakfast. Most of the others thought that much sugar for breakfast sounded terrible but the man pointed out that it was no worse than North Americans eating pancakes for breakfast.
-Turkey is not big thing here. It tends to be a certain kind of roasted pork or, if you want to get very traditional, goose.
-Desert, aside from æbleskivers, is traditionally rice pudding with an almond in it. Whoever finds the almond, gets a prize.
-Presents are opened on Christmas eve.
-Candles are lit on the Christmas tree. Yes, with real fire. My Danish family in Canada do this too.
-Santa Clause is called Julemand. I asked what he does over here and was told he delivers the gifts in person on Christmas eve. I guess there's no need for milk and cookies then.
-Apparently many people here feel that believing in Julemand is healthy for children. Teaching them about God, however, is indoctrinating them with superstition.

I just booked my ticket out of here. It feels kind of weird to think that I've been here almost a year and it feels just as weird to think I'll be leaving so soon. But I won't be going straight home to Canada. The month of February is going to be spent in Ireland doing a bit of extra Baha'i service and seeing the family again. In the mean time there are still about six weeks left to go in Denmark, including the Christmas holiday. The weather has stayed pretty warm here and we still don't have snow yet but there's been pleanty of rain and almost no sunlight. I've been told that I've been very lucky when it comes to the weather, that's it's usually much worse, but that doesn't really help.

God Jul

Even with everybody over here trying to abandon religion Christmas is still a big deal and now that winter is here I can see why. It's dark. The days are getting very, very short and the few hours of daylight we get are usually full of thick, grey clouds. It's not that cold though so we aren't getting snow and that makes it even worse. At least when there's snow it reflects the light. We are very much in need of a cheerful hoilday at this point so people cling with all their might to those strings of Christmas lights.

There are a few differences I've noticed. One is that the decorations tend to be more old-fashioned. Lots of evergreen branches and candles. The lights are mostly white, not the mulit-coloured ones we put up. I think there are also a lot of people who tend to feel they need a little extra something to get them through the dark time because there's a special juleøl ...Christmas beer with double the alcohol.

God Jul

Even with everybody over here trying to abandon religion Christmas is still a big deal and now that winter is here I can see why. It's dark. The days are getting very, very short and the few hours of daylight we get are usually full of thick, grey clouds. It's not that cold though so we aren't getting snow and that makes it even worse. At least when there's snow it reflects the light. We are very much in need of a cheerful hoilday at this point so people cling with all their might to those strings of Christmas lights.

There are a few differences I've noticed. One is that the decorations tend to be more old-fashioned. Lots of evergreen branches and candles. The lights are mostly white, not the mulit-coloured ones we put up. I think there are also a lot of people who tend to feel they need a little extra something to get them through the dark time because there's a special juleøl ...Christmas beer with double the alcohol.

Halloween

Halloween is a fairly new holiday in this part of the world and seems to only be celebrated due to North American influence. I was out that night and saw no sign of trick or treaters anywhere. When I tried to tell friends about Halloween costumes from my past I was met with blank stares. The only way I know it was even celebrated at all is that an old woman was telling me that she had a group of kids come to her door looking for candy. She didn't have any candy so the kids told her money would do just fine. I personally don't remember getting money for Halloween so we're wondering if some details were lost in translation.

The really big dress-up holiday over here is Festelavn in February when it used to be tradition to beat up cats.

Larissa's European Adventures

Since I've been away for 4 weeks out of the past 5 a breif review is probably in order.

Last Two Weeks of September

• Went to Northern Ireland via Dublin. The round trip flight plus a train ticket to Belfast cost me about 200 Canadian dollars.
• Sights seen included Giant's Causeway, Ards Peninsula, Anitrim Coast and Mourne Mountains.
• Spent time getting to know many relatives, many of whom I'd never met before.
• Saw the old family home.
• Learned a lot about Irish culture. They are very lively and outgoing over there and that was a bit of a shock after being in reserved Denmark for so long. It also turns out that they are very romantic people who like to flirt.
• The flight back was full of football fans flying over for the big match metween Ulster and Copenhagen. The city was taken over by drunken Irish men for the following few days. It was a nice change from the usual drunken Danes and I felt like my holiday was extended a few days.

One Week Back

After Ireland I was back in Copenhagen for one week during which time I had a three day workshop to attend as well as my usual study groups, meetings and social activities.

Junior Youth Training

The next week I was away in a town called Vinkel outside of Viborg. We had a guest trainer coming from Austria to teach us about a new program for starting junior youth groups. The whole thing was amazing and I can't wait to actually get a group going.

Italy

• Last week I was in Italy with my roommate.
• Sights seen included the Vatican, Colesseum, Pompei and the island of Ischia.
• Got lost as soon as I got there, bank cards didn't work and trains were never on time.
• Never go to that country if you're on a gluten-free diet.
• I prefer the Irish men.

Off to Ireland

It's amazing how much you notice the difference in sunlight here as the seasons change. I was getting used to still having light at 10pm but now the days are several hours shorter and it gets dark before 9. In a couple of months I might start to have regrets about deciding to stay here till January but hey, that's life. At least we are having fairly good luck with the weather and not getting too much rain.

Ireland, on the other hand, has been having some nasty weather lately and it has me a little bit worried because I'm supposed to go there in a few days. At least my main reason for going is to visit family not sight-see but a little sun would be nice.

I should be there for the rest of the month. Thought I'd give myself a break from these crazy Danish people who, by the way, are trying to talk me into living here permanently. I've tried to tell them that my visa expires at the end of January and that staying longer would be less than legal but the line I keep getting is, "Well, if that wasn't an issue, what would it take to make you stay?"

I'm think that I should make a list of demands and hold myself hostage. What all could I possibly want? A nice house. A car. A good job and/or money. Maybe a nice young man. Since this is Denmark I should probably ask for a good bicycle and a lifetime suply of Lego.

Now, of course, anyone who is thinking straight would take a look at that list, say "I thought you came here for religious reasons" and send me home in January but you never know.

Blessed Is The Spot In Danish

Velsignet er den plet, og det hus,
or det sted, og den by,
og det hjerte, og det bjerg, og det ly,
og den hule, og den dal, og det land,
og det hav, og den ø, og den eng,
hvor Guds navn bliver nævnt
of Hans pris sunget.

-Baha'u'llah

Summer Travels

Well, I'm a little cheesed since the pictures I wanted to post on here from my travels this summer won't cooperate. I've tried several times but they just won't load. Some were from the island of Mandø, off the west coast of Jutland. It's an interesting little place with about 54 permanent residents. (Or was that 53? One died this summer.) If you don't have your own boat there are two ways of getting out there: the first is to take "the bus" which is like a big wagon that gets pulled through the shallow water by a giant tractor and the second is to wait for low tide when the water goes down far enough to reveal a road. We took option number two and drove for six kilometers on soggy gravel, trying to avoid potholes filled with salty sea water.

The other pictures were from other places in Jutland but mostly around the city of Vejle. I spent about tree weeks of July in different places around Denmark including Baha'i summer school up in the north and a performance with the dance group at Kronborg castle where Shakespeare set Hamlet. That was an experience I never thought I'd have!

For now I'm back home in Lyngby (north of Copenhagen) but trying to make plans to get around some more over the next few months. Besides Denmark I would like to get over to Sweden at some point and I am very determind to make it down to Germany. Ireland is also a must!

Stay tuned.

The Beach

Well, we've all heard talk of European beaches but I don't think it every really sinks in until you see it for yourself. We are in the middle of a heat wave at the moment so I thought a quick dip in the sea might not be a bad idea. The last time I was at the beach it was before the summer holiday started, not as hot and not as crowded. When I got down there this time the place was packed and as I was trying to find a place to mark as my territory I was caught off guard by what I was seeing. There was a moment when I asked myself why all these skinny men had grown breast before I remembered that this is Scandinavia and what I was looking at were women. Topless women.

There were others there who were more modest, but that only means that they were wearing the other half of their bikinis and those of us with one-piece swimsuits were obviously in the minority. I think the strangest part of it was how normal it felt. Because everybody was mostly naked nobody paid any attention ...except me, that is.

So here's another experience to add to my life. Sorry guys, no pictures.

Lates News

I've been quite busy lately with lot's of interesting things. We had another holiday on June 23 called Sankt Hansdag (Sankt Hans being the Danish name for Saint John the Baptist.) At least this holiday didn't require everything shutting down. It was a celebration of Midsummer, a bit on the pagan side and had very little to do with John the Baptist. In the evening people go outside and light huge bonfires that have a doll sitting on top that's made to look like a whitch. In the old days that used to be a real person sitting up there. These bonfires are big community events a bit like we have for Canada day, with the early evening being fun for families with kids and then beer, beer and more beer. I was over on Jylland that day in a city called Vejle which is right on a fjord so we could look across the water and see all the other fires burning along the shore. The thing that really has me in awe, not just that day but all summer, is the amount of daylight there is. I didn't get there till almost 10pm and it wasn't anywhere near dark. Even last night I was walking home at 11:30 and there was still a sliver orange in the sky.

The dance group was in Vejle that weekend and the next day was spent doing a lot of consultation. Many of the members are getting older and over the past year it has been hard to get people to stay committed. We have also been very aware that the Danish Baha'i youth in general are growing and we really wanted to take a look at where things are going in the future. After a long time the dancers decided that this would be the last year and that after the summer holiday -and one last performance- the dance group will end.

Now, everyone back home knows that this was my original reason for coming to Denmark but I am actually quite happy to see the way things are turning out. It is refreshing to see the mature way these youth are handling a difficult decission making process instead of just letting things drag on and peter out. I will still stay here to finish my year of service but my energy will be spent on helping to set up other youth activities. The Danish community is in the middle of many changes right now and it is a very exciting time to be here.

End of Danish classes

This picture was taken at the end of year party for the Danish school. The two women on each side are my class mates and the blonde one in the middle next to me is our teacher. She will not be returning to her job next year because she got a grant from the government for a reseach project on imigration. The two girls with me that day were from a Baha'i family who asked me to babysit. There were about seven other students in our class who didn't make it that day.

Frequently Asked Questions From Danes

• Why on Earth did you choose Denmark?
• No really, why?
• You are going to be here such a short time, why are you bothering to learn Danish?
• You don't drink???????
• What's a Baha'i?
• Are you some kind of Muslim?
• You're from Canada so you must be used to this weather, right?
• Hey, do you know my cousin so-and-so in Vancouver?
• How's it going with your new prime minister?
• Why don't you speak French?
• How do Canadians feel about Americans?
• Do you remember that TV show about the Canadian ranger in America?
• Can you say "aboot" for us?
• You have to pay for university?
• How did you end up with five different cultures in your blood?
• How much tax do you have to pay in Canada?
• Are you bored with Denmark?
• How old are you?
• When are you going home?
• Would you like to stay here permanently?
• Why not?

A Few Interesting Things About Denmark

• We are further North here so the days are longer in the summer. Right now the sun sets at about 10pm and there are still traces of blue in the sky at 11. Of course this also means that six months from now there will only be a few hours of daylight so the idea of staying for the winter isn't too exciting.
• Danish people love flowers. There are flower shops all over the place and when you go into people's home there are usually fresh flowers on the table. There are also flowers growing all over the place...imagine daffodils growing in the ditch.
• There are certain words that look a bit funny to English speakers. For example, on my first day here I was surprised to see "slutspurt" plastered all over store windows. (It means clearance.) Other words include afslut, bådfarten, fartplan and a town call Middlefart.
• I was at one point offered candy and told that if I didn't like it I was allowed to spit it out. It was VERY salty and basically one of the worst things I've ever tasted. Danes love it.
• Gluten-free diets are very common here. Every time I tell someone why I can't eat bread -which is even more common here- they always say, "Hey, I have a friend who can't eat gluten..."
• There is no tipping waiters here. Service charges are included with the price of the meal and so it the 25% tax. The food is usually expensive to start with so by the time you have paid most people are swearing they'll never eat out again.
• Denmark is one of the few countries in the EU not to switch to the euro. We have the good old krone. 1 Candian dollar = about 5 Danish kroner. It's neat when you get 100s from the bank machine and upsetting when you spend 15 on a cup of tea.
• Gas for the car is about 10 kr/liter.
• A Danish parking lot is a place to park your bicycle.
• Over here peanut butter is viewed as a specialty food and only sold in little glass jars.
• Even in the big city of Copenhagen most buildings are no more than 5 or 6 stories high. It makes things feel very hygge (cozy).
• On a good day you can see over to Sweden.

The Zoo

Danish people love dogs. Not everyone, of course, but the affection is widespread enough that nobody has ever bothered to create a pooper-scooper law.

At my house we have now taken the love of animals beyond the usual. Last week there was a dog and a few fish in a tank. When I got back from Fyn at the end of the weekend we had added three rabbits to the back yard and the population of the aquarium had more than doubled because the fish had had babies. The next three days I was left alone with all of them because the woman I live with was going out of town for work.

Kristi Himmelfarts

It's another long weekend for us here as the country celebrates Kristi Himmelfarts day. This one is in honor of the day when Jesus flew up to Heaven and once again very few prayers are being said.

Some Pictures of a Dance Practice

Another Holiday

Denmark is a place that always seems to be on holiday. There was whatever happened around Christmas, then the kids got a week off school in February, then there was a week off for Easter and depending on where you live you may or may not get May 1st off as some kind of workers protest day.

Last Friday was another one of the these special days. St. Bededag to be exact. I have heard a few different explanations for this but basically what it boils down to is an old king taking all the saint's days and combining them into one big prayer day. (This means that they used to have even more holidays!) I'm told that his idea was to save money. It felt a little strange to be in this super materialistic part of the world and hear everyone talking about the upcoming holy day but true to Danish culture there was very little praying done.

There were, however, many fine picnics to be enjoyed and my household spent the afternoon by the sea at Charlottenlund. It was a pretty big shindig that was organized to celebrate the end of term for my roomate's school. They had the usual barbque but they also invited people from one of the local museums to teach us some traditional games. This museum is all about toys and games and it turns out that the really old ones that they are trying to save from extinction are what we now call cooperative games.

So the next time you play a cooperative game remember that you are saving Danish culture.

The Danish Birthday Song

I dag er det Larissas fødselsdag
HURRA HURRA HURRA
Hun sikrer sig en gave for
Som hun har ønsket sig i år
Med dejlig chokolade og
kager til