The American Flu

Im down with the flu – it sucks!

My host mom won’t let me out of my room in fear of catching it herself. She actually got disappointed in me “for not taking care of my body” aka getting sick… So now I’m doped herbal medicine – GREAT!

Ooh and did I mention I’m STUCK in my room!
I’m not fond of American vira, they seem to like me.

I NEVER GET SICK IN DK!

But on the bright sight (there is always a bright side) I’m watching a lot of “How I met your mother” So that’s something – and maybe I get a chance to blog some more J

The Danish Brotherhood in Seattle

Thursday Pernille and I were invited to gathering in The Danish Brotherhood. We mainly went because of the Danish food and “rugbrød” we had been promised, but also because it would be very exciting to meet some Danish immigrants. We were picked up at Pernille’s place, at her neighbor, Wibeke, who was the one that invited us to the meeting. We talked a lot in the car, all in Danish of course! It was really nice hear someone else than our classmates talk Danish. 

We talked about the differences in Danish and American culture, and how it all was working out for us over here.  We told her about the rather unsatisfactory teaching and school system, but also about our great host families and the great experiences we are having.
When we arrived to the gathering, we couldn’t believe that this was a Danish gathering..? Everybody was talking English… Pernille and I when turned our attention toward the food table which contained “rugbrød” and “leverpostej” – The two things I miss the most!<3

After eating a whole lot of food, the meeting was about to start. Everybody rose and started to quote The Pledge of Allegiance!

I pledge allegiance to the flag
On the United States of America
And to the republic for which is stands
One nation under God invisible
With liberty and Justice for all

We were speechless! We just didn’t get it? This was a gathering to celebrate their “Danish-ness” and they all acted so very American!

Disappointed we sat down and the meeting started. We had nearly given up on the Danish immigrants, who wasn’t that Danish at all – until the meeting got started!
They joked and had fun in real Danish manner! :-) It was a lot of fun to hear the discuss matters and upcoming events as real Danes! Pernille and I even had to present ourselves and we quickly became the center of attention.
After the short meeting it was time for Bingo! Again in English, but it was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed playing and Pernille even won a gift! I was only close to winning something, missing only 2 bricks all the time!
But I’m glad that Pernille won a gift, because she is the worst looser in history of the human kind! xD

Smelly dog, smelly dog

Everything is going splendid over here; I’m enjoying myself and having a blast as usually. But (there is always a but) my host mom’s dog, Beauty, is driving me crazy – LITRALY!
Here is why:
It’s smelly
It’s old
It’s demanding
It’s licking my hands and knees – making me smell like dead dog
It begs for food at the table
It’s trying to kill itself by eating raisins
And and and and…

IT ATE MY CHOCLATE AND PIRATOS!


GGrrrrr… Im very angry! - no livid to be specific!

Not so much about the Piratos, but more about the chocolate.
In fact it was not just some random chocolates – it was really fine and expensive chocolates, bought for my parents as a gift. And now there is nothing left except for a chewed up box and a torn bow.
The chocolate box was inside a bag, which was inside a gift bag, which was inside my suitcase, which was in my room. How the dog succeeded pulling it out of the bags and suitcase or even finds it surprises me.

The dog shouldn’t be called Beauty – but The Beast!
But the worst part was that Mariana became really disappointed in me, because I didn’t shut my door so Beauty ate the chocolate. Dogs can’t eat chocolate, they will get really sick or even die.
But Beauty was fine - a little trippy because of the sugar rush. No harm done.I really felt bad, because even though I don’t like the dog doesn’t mean that I want to kill it.
I will just have to remember shutting my door every time I’m leaving my room. It’s just a stupid old habit leaving the door open because of my bird.

It’s a lot easier with a bird – birds don’t eat a whole box of fine chocolate!

Spirits on an Island

Today is going to be a terrific day I think. Me and Host-mutti is going to an island and participate in a spiritual gathering. My host mom is very spiritual and loves to alternative things. She asked me if I wanted to join her today, OFCOURSE I will! It’s going to be really cool. We are driving down to the ferry in about an hour (11:30) so we have a lot of time to explore the island and the beaches surrounding it. She said that I would love the little town on the island, because of its many cute shops and alternative environment. The spiritual thing is first in the evening, and there will be a lot of singing, dancing and “chanting”. Im so excited to go there! I really think I'm going to love it there – let out my inner Hippie! J

And by the way – Im going to my host mom’s son wedding the 14^th of November! That is going to be awesome :D

That was all for now – I will make an update when I get back!

-         Stay tuned! 

Living in homework hell

This part of the trip I didn't think much about.. The homework part. We are literally drowning in homework from our history teacher – 71 pages, an essay, focus questions and an online quiz – all in English!
I’m getting real frustrated by this!
We don’t have time for anything else – my weekend is all about the homework...
This wasn’t what I had imagined it would be, not at all. I have just realized that I can’t read that many pages and still remember it for Tuesday. And we have to remember it because we are having a test about the material. DAMM YOU, HOMEWORK!

We send an email to our Danish history teacher, but that didn’t help much – In fact nothing. “Take it as a challenge” – It’s not a challenge, its torture!   
 I don’t want to go around and exploring Seattle, and feeling bad about the homework im putting aside. I don’t want to feel this way. This was not what I had in mind when I took this trip.

Okay, enough bitching in one page! – But it was good to let out some steam J

-          - Stay tuned!

The Mall!

Hey you all!

Today we all went to The Mall - to shop our buts of!
- and we did!

I bougth a lots of things, and even some gifts to the guys at home - OOhhh Lucky you!

Short thing today, not much to say - other than History is a pain in the ass...!

- Stay tuned!

Little Denmark and cool Seattle

I’m a bit behind with my blogs – but I’ll try to keep you all up to date!

Sunday my Mariana took Marlene, Maja and me on a trip to downtown Seattle. She was going to get her hair done in Ballard by her daughter, and we could go around town in the meanwhile. On the way to Ballard, which is 30 min from Lynnwood, she took us by the fantastic park with the most splendid view over a big lake. We drove through the park and up on the main road again. We all talked, laughed and joked around in the car – so the time just flew by. Mariana stopped in front of a bakery in Ballard, and told us that this was a Danish bakery.
AND THEN THE CROWD WENT CRASY!
We just had to have some Danish’ pastry!

There was a lots of things: Kaj-kager, Napoleons Hatte, Kringler, Kanelstænger, Københavner Birkes, Spandauer, Kransekage, ect.
But the funniest thing they had was, little marzipan pigs… 3 months until Christmas and the already have Christmas candy out. Weird stuff!
After buying a bit of sweets, we went on to Ballard.
In Ballard Mariana got her hair cut and in the meantime we girls went to Ballard Sunday Market. It was a wonderful place, with a lot of smells, colors, sounds and atmosphere. Musicians on the street playing the emotional jazz, grocers selling their colorful vegetables and then us trying to absorb the many inputs! We walked around the small market, and I ended up buying a purple hat – which goes perfectly with my winter jacket. Shortly after, we went on to the marina to look at the boats in the canal.
The sun was shining from a clear blue sky, and we came just in time to see the boats going through the canal. Inspired by the marina we went to thins little “Fish & Chips” –place where we got the world bests fish-taco with Chowder (super delicious fish soup with vegetables) The food was really good and not too expensive – only 9 dollars for taco, nachos, homemade salsa and pops. You have to love the food <3

The rest of the day was spent in Fremont, Seattle’s alternative district, looking at their market and tasting fabulous chocolate. At the market we saw an other danish thing: The Ebleskiver Lady... WHAT? Is Denmark moved to Seattle? It was just like home, accept for one thing....

They eat them with bacon...
Crasy, crasy stuff! 

It was really funny and it became the joke of the day. Shortly after we had to go home, because we were going to a Beatles memory concert at Lynnwood Center for Art. But I definitely wants to go back there, it was such a nice place!
The Beatles thing was a fine little event which started with the shoving of the movie “A Hard Day’s Night” followed by a concert preformed by a cover band. All in all it was a really good experience – but the cover band could have been more true to the soul of the music… There were too noisy and the rock was too rough! They had forgot the simple music.... But that’s just my opinion!

From now on I will try to update every day or every second day – because I don’t want to be behind J
- Stay tuned!