Not-So-Happy Holidays

Well, the Christmas and New year holidays have come and gone, and I in fact spent most of it on my back, in bed hacking my lungs out. I'd been sick for the week preceding Christmas, nothing too serious, just a cold. But then after Christmas it escalated to Pneumonia, at the same time I caught an Influenza virus, which lasted about a week and a half, dredging through New Years and the rest of my winter break. Had several doctors visits, and a couple hospital visits for x-rays and blood tests after seeing no recovery from the penicillin they gave me. I did, however, survive the ordeal, and I'm counting my blessings that I didn't become majorly ill until after Christmas.

Christmas itself, or, Jule as I should probably call it, was very 'hyggelit' ( cozy ) Now for those of you who don't know, the Danes celebrate Jule entirely on the evening of the 24th. We spent about two and a half hours eating dinner, which was followed by dancing and singing around the christmas tree. Then we broke into the presents. I was lucky enough to receive a full sized Danish flag, which I'd been hoping for. ( It's traditional for the exchange students to purchase their host countries flag to have friends and family sign so they can put it up on their wall when they return home) Also a scarf, and a danish version of my favorite comic book ' Calvin and Hobbes' ( yes!) My dear sister Anna got me some facial toner to match my cleanser... hahah. what a sweetheart. But hey, I needed it. A while later we ate the rice pudding with cherry sauce, everyone trying to find the almond in theirs to see if they won the prize. Turns out, it didnt really matter who got the almond, since the prize ended up being a multiplayer game.

I have to admit, it was pretty wierd waking up the morning of the 25th and treating it like any normal day. There are a lot of elements to our christmas that I prefer over the Danes. For example, putting the Christmas tree up a couple weeks in advance so that the whole house smells like pine. Going to sleep all excited, hardly able to wait for the following morning. Stockings, and such.

Speaking of Christmas trees... I have a story that illustrates my awful exchange student clumsiness. My siblings and I were decorating the tree, and Emil hands me a very fragile looking ornament. I asked if it was home made, because it looked like it had been made by a child. No sooner had Anna informed me that she had made it when she was little, that I go to put it on a branch, and it slips from my hands, shattering on the wooden floor.

I was mortified.

But they just could not stop laughing! They helped me clean it up, while I apologized over and over. Oh my gosh Im so sorry, im sorry, undskyld, im sorry, ah! They kept telling me it was okay, etc, etc. But the rest of the decorating period, they teased me about it. Here, you can put this one on, its made out of paper. Ah, don't give that one to Sydney, its a pretty one! Careful, don't drop it.

I can't blame them for their caution. I am pretty talented at breaking things. since my stay in Denmark I have broken two computers, a vase, and a christmas ornament.

Just call me Butterfingers I guess.

Things have pretty much returned to normal, got my Apple computer fixed in Germany. Thank goodness it was under warranty. Although, my Rotary oldie, Amy, has returned to her home in Australia last week. We miss her. Who am I going to waste all my money on kebabs with? There's a new student coming at the end of the month. Gotta get my Danish up to par if I'm going to be the one showing her how things work around here.

Well I think Ive drawn this out long enough.

Vi ses,

- Sydney