Snacks

It doesn't matter that school gets out at random times because parents do not pick up children after school.  Kids about 10-13 years old take themselves to a club off-campus and parents pick them up there.  Older kids hang out with friends or go home to an empty house.  Younger kids go to an afterschool program (SFO - Skolefritidsordning) on campus and parents pick them up later in the afternoon. 

Around 2pm one of the kids goes around and rings a bell announcing that snack is ready.  I am fascinated by the Danish snacks.  Here is a little list -
  1 rice cake, 2 apple slices, 2 orange slices
  1 cracker, butter, and thin slice of chocolate
  roasted potato with side of ketchup
  2 crackers, 2 large slices of cucumber
  pasta with choice of pineapple or tuna fish
  your choice of corn flakes, oat flakes, raisins, and milk
  hot dog in a mini-bun (or just the bun)
  1 piece of chocolate, 1 orange
  applesauce with cream and jam
  SFO-made rolls with butter and jam

Firsts

In the past couple weeks I have seen three firsts, in random order -
    a bumper sticker
    an obese person
    a Subaru station wagon

I have yet to see -
    an umbrella stroller
    a hummer
    a personal snowblower

Here I see more -
    fur coats
    runners with reflective gear
    Wii (in most homes, in the library, at work, at the afterschool program)
   

Another mystery

This picture was taken in the short period after all the leaves had fallen but before the first snow.

About a block from our house is a street that leads down to the fjord and the main road north out of town.  Just before you get there you pass this magnificent house, which is labeled Haraldsborg, although it is not the fortress from 900 years ago.  What is odd is that this house is on Baldersvej (Buttocks Street?), not on our street, Haraldsborgvej.  We have no idea about the house's history, but currently it seems to be a group home or maybe individual apartments.

Winter

It is definitely warmer, as you can tell by the clear roads and paths, but it was still chilly (below freezing).  This picture was taken on our street while cycling home from the library.

1 December

I still haven't heard much about St. Nicholas Day or St. Lucia, but the first of December in school was all fun.  Robin took a small gift to school, which was added to the class advent calendar and each day a different student gets to take a gift home.  The class will have secret nisser/elves, which is a new concept to my kids.  The good news is that she can leave the gift by his cubby instead of figuring out which tall, lanky boy with short hair wearing a bjorn sweatshirt is the one she is assigned.  Arlo's class has an advent calendar made by their big buddies and each day they burn part of the advent calendar.  They will bring in a small gift just before Christmas vacation and have some sort of party.  In a few weeks the whole school will go to the cathedral to sing carols and to hear the Christmas story (no sermon), although it is not mandatory.

Meeting Denmark

Our event hosted by relocare

The Danish government has done research showing that it has been losing money because it invests in new hires only to have the people leave before the government's investment is returned.  Their solution has been to increase activities for expats and hold seminars to teach people about Danes and how to adapt.

Our family was invited to a two-day seminar in Køge.  Here is my first hint for the government.  Hold the meeting in an easier-to-pronounce place so that when Danes ask where I am going I don't have to mumble or stutter, have them say the correct pronunciation, repeat it, and have them laugh.  I suggest Vig or Lund.  How hard could those be to pronounce?


The first leg of our trip was also a challenge.  We arrived at the station in the blowing snow and sub-freezing temperatures to find that our train had been cancelled.  I was concerned because in Denmark a meeting is said to start at a specific time, that is what they mean.  On the other hand, if you call and tell them your train is cancelled, they understand.


The kids were excited to take a taxi to the hotel (because we were late) and to learn that the nanny was young, energetic, and had brought her netbook.  One highlight for the adults was meeting the other expats from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Iran, Italy, and China.  Another highlight was having someone else cook for us!  We had a chance to have ris á l'amande, a rice pudding taken from the French.  Although it wasn't done at the hotel, it is traditional to hide a whole almond in one serving and the person who finds it receives a gift.

Typical hotel room in Køge

What seems normal to people here (and the Germans at the meeting) is that the hotel rooms had two single beds pushed together.  I don't need to get into my personal life, but it seems odd to me.

Walking to the beach (look carefully to see the flag)

No skinny dipping today

Even though the weather was not great for swimming (windy and -5C), we did take a walk to the beach.

Not only are there flags everywhere, there seem to be orphan bicycles everywhere, too.

If the course had been taught the first week we arrived it would have been more useful, but I was happy for the chance to see somewhere new, meet new people, and to be by the water.

A miracle!

At the end of the driveway we often have puddles, but since it has been so cold they are frozen solid.  Arlo was excited to be able to walk on them and declared that he can walk on water.  I have thought so all along.