Megan Beard - VIC to Denmark

Fri 19 Mar 2010

Megan Beard, from Lara VIC, is currently in Denmark on a year program. She wrote an update to let us know about the challenges she was facing learning a new language and adapting to life in Denmark:

So I have been in Denmark for a week now, and I must say I knew it would be cold but nothing could prepare me for freezing! My host family is amazing though, I am staying with the Jakobsen family, and there are 4 children Thomas (18 years old), Mathias (17 years old), Line-Kathrine (11 years old) and Kenneth (9 years old) and my host mom Heidi and dad Finn. But starting from the start…

I arrived to Copenhagen to be greeted by snow. Just walking out of the airport alone I never knew I could wear so many layers of clothes and still feel it. After 5 flights I finally met my host family. I had already spoken to my host brother via email and webcam conversations so it felt like I already knew him, but really it was all new. Just seeing them at the airport put a smile on my face. My mind had two thoughts; that it was so cold but also that I have accomplished something I set out to do, and now this wonderful opportunity is here.

We arrived home a very short one hour later (nothing compared to the long flights). I was feeling a lot of different emotions while drinking varm kakao med flødeskum (hot chocolate with whipped cream on top). I soon learnt over this afternoon tea that my family enjoyed bread and were a very chilled and laid back family. From the minute I arrived at my home for the next 10 months my host family was welcoming and rather patient in teaching me Danish. I had been told it was a hard language to learn, in fact one of the hardest and I definitely do agree, but having some English in my host family does make things a little easier. However we still find that the Dansk to Engelsk ordbog (Danish to English dictionary) is our best friend at times.

Dinner arrived and it looked lovely and smelt very nice but jetlag had started to set in so falling asleep at the table felt rude but my eyes couldn’t stay open. My family understood so I went to bed and left for a while. Waking up really early the next morning and still a little bit awkward with the family as I wasn’t too sure if they were liking me or what their thoughts about me were but over breakfast that tension and silence went away. I soon realised that something I had in common with my family was we all enjoyed doing “Sudoku” puzzles. I also found a new love for Danish coco pops eating them for breakfast every morning now. The first morning in Denmark, and over breakfast I was learning numbers and helping the family solve a puzzle. I slept most of my first day in Denmark sleeping and napping trying to catch up on sleep and adjust myself.

My family life is very different to what I am used to in Australia, being the only child back in Australia I am not used to so much noise and energy from younger children. Let alone having 3 brothers. It’s crazy!!!! Crazy in a good way. The family are very loving of each other and even Heidi and Finn join in the children’s fun. I am living in a small town called Borbjerg (pronounced Borbia), it’s a very quiet town and I am just living on the outside of it where fields (of snow at the moment) surround me and very narrow roads. Walking to the bus in the morning with Mathias to go to school was very different for me. Walking at 7:45am in the morning, in the dark with a torch helping us see and the temperature set at -14, it was definitely something I wasn’t used to.

The school I am attending for 6 months, before being able to go to College/Gymnasium, is called Sct. Jørgens Skole. At first I was worried about it simply because of what my host brother told me about it but it wasn’t as bad as I thought on my first day. All sitting in Chemistry and doing nothing was actually kind of boring, the thoughts that crossed my mind where”I wish I knew Danish then I could understand this” and a few times ”What did I get myself into” popped up too but I just had to keep remembering I will eventually get there and understand I just have to be patient with myself.

But other then that I am having a blast and am excited to see what comes.

Farvel for nu (goodbye for now).
Megan

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