One week in a Boarding School

Every exchange student with AFS has to do a "mini-exchange" around the middle of their experience, where they go to another family and school, in another part of the country, during 1 week. Usually, they go in chapters, for example, the chapter from Viborg would go to Copenhagen. They went each to different families and attended a normal school. 

In my case, I had the luck of having a much different experience around the danish culture: a boarding school! This happened because one of the members of my host family is the principal of that school, and they talked to AFS in order to give me this opportunity.

What is a Boarding School?

A Boarding School, or in danish, Efterskole, is a school where the students live during the whole lesson period, with people from ages 14 to 18. These students may attend a boarding school after finishing the basic education, the 9th grade, and then proceed to the Gymnasium. An efterskole usually offers a variety of "study lines", focussing on specific sports or performing arts, such as soccer, music, media, cooking, dancing, etc. These schools are famous for having a spirit of friendship and acting as a group, being cooperative and independent. This is why the students have a lot of freedom and enjoy to be there.

My week in FAAE

The school that I attended was called Faaborgegnens Efterskole, or FAAE, located in the south of Fyn. I arrived on a Sunday afternoon, and a teacher directed me to my room, where I met my two roommates, Cung and Sebastian. They were very friendly and helped me a lot throughout the week! We went downstairs where some students were relaxing, playing games and talking in the sofas. Cell phones weren't allowed in the lounge so everyone was socialising. 

I met some new people and we went back to the room, where my roommates explained the rules of the school. Alcohol and smoking weren't allowed, the classes started at 8:30 and ended around 15:00. The students should be in their rooms at 22:00 and the internet connection was closed at 23:00. There was a lot of free time and it was mostly spent with friends, talking and playing games. The school had a lounge with a lot of card/board games, table soccer, air hockey and even a pool table! There were a lot of classrooms, dedicated to specific areas, such as informatics, arts, sports, climbing, etc. The school was very big and clean. The motto of the school was "Jeg er fordi vi er" which means "I am because we are".

Then everyone started going to their rooms, and they hugged each other in the corridors to wish a good night. I was quite surprised, but they explained that it was a habit to hug everyone in the school. I had the chance to notice in the next days that everyone was always hugging the ones they were friends with, anytime. 

The next morning we woke up at 7:00, went for a walk outside and took breakfast. Then, we went to a big room where everyone was sitting and talking. The principal talked to the students and told me to present myself, which I did mostly in danish! Then we sang 2 songs, with the help of a teacher on piano and went to classes. There were different classes and I could choose since I was there only for a week, so I went with Cung to his class, which was English and then to Sebastian's class, called 10+.

The cantine (not a picture from this year)

I was impressed by how free and fun the classes were. In English we did a game with some papers and then read a story with a pair and talked about it. It was very chill because we could go out and sit on the sofas, with there were inside of the classroom as well. We had a lot of time and freedom, which was awesome. In 10+ it was even freer since there was no subject to learn. In this class, they work in projects during the year, and the students learn how to think outside of the box and being open-minded. On this day we did some games about body language and it was very interesting.

School ended at 16:00 and we were free to go out, sleep, socialise, play games, do climbing and much more. Everyone went to other rooms and had fun. It was like this the whole week and every day felt very relaxing. I wasn't there since the beginning so it was harder to make friends than I thought. Not a lot of people were interested in meeting me since they already had their friend groups formed. Anyways, I had to be the one taking the initiative and talk to people, which allowed me to meet some people, the ones who cared, and it was fun as it was. 

On Friday night there were movies until late and we also made some pancakes outside, at night, with a fire. Saturday we slept until late and the day was very free, but I was picked up by my host parents and left the school at 17:00. I think it was a rich experience and it helped me try a little taste of what is a boarding school in Denmark, even tho I know I would experience much more if I had known those people for a whole year and was fully integrated into the culture. 

  

Here is a video made by some students from FAAE this year, they show you around the school, the lounge, the classrooms, the outside and also inside some dorms!

Skagen - The North of Denmark

15/02/17

Last week I had holidays for one week, so my host family arranged a little trip of 2 days to Skagen! It's an amazing little town in the north of Denmark, and it's known for being the most far away up you can go in Denmark! 

Since it's very narrow, there are beaches on both sides of Skagen, and on the tip, it becomes one beach and two seas meet front to front! It's where the Baltic Sea meets the North Sea. These seas come from both sides, creating waves and exploding in the middle! The incredible thing is, they meet but don't mix!

The tip of Skagen

See how the seas have different colours

The beaches are incredibly beautiful in the winter, but also in the summer time. That's why this a very big touristic attraction in Denmark. I visited it in the winter at the afternoon, since the trip took a while. There were also some bunkers from WW2 burried in the sand, located in both sides of Skagen, used by the Germans to defend the territory. 

Bunker in the beach

But Skagen is not only beach. It has very interested museums and monuments. I visited a very curious and old church, that is burried in sand, and you can only see the top. It's called "Saint Lawrence Church" but Danes now call it Den Tilsandede Kirke which means Sand-Covered Church.

The Sand-Covered Church

The church is one of the oldest buildings in Skagen. It was built in 1387 and it used to be 45 meters. The body of the church was built in red brick with a lead roof, and the tower raised in patterned yellow brick, but later it was painted white. During the last half of the 18th century the church was partially buried by sand from nearby dunes and the they had to dig out the entrance each time they had to use it. The struggle to keep the church free of sand lasted until 1795, when it was abandoned. It was demolished, leaving the tower as the only part of the original structure still standing. We couldn't go inside but it was very special to see it so close!

We also visited the city, where we ate some hotdogs and visited typical stores from the area, like shops that sell used clothes for really cheap. I also noticed the very typical Skagen houses, famous for their yellow colour and white strips in the red roof.

The typical houses in Skagen

After that we visited the Kystmuseet Skagen, a museum about the local history of Skagen and the danish adventures in the sea. It talked about the fishermen that came back in boats during huge storms and the saving teams that were there to protect them. Skagen has a big history with fishing and they used the method of drying the fish in the sun to make it last longer. There was a memorial for the dead fishermen in the storms.

The museum on the outside

Outside the museum there was a perfect replica of a normal poor house at the time. It was very small but interesting. I found funny that the doors were super low, because everyone was very little in the old days. Inside a little room with 2 small beds there used to sleep 2 parents, their 6 children and maybe some grandparents. People used to live off fishing and raising animals. There was also a windmill and a old "rich" house. 

Little ancient house

So this was my trip to Skagen. I really enjoyed it and I recommend to anyone who wants to visit. You get a really cool feeling of being transported to the past while walking through the city and seeing the old houses and the beauty of the monuments. I will like to go back in some years perhaps!

First School Day - DAY 4

I woke up for the very first time in my new room at about 7 am. I got up and dressed up as fast as I could. In August it was still pretty warm weather in Denmark, but still freezing in the morning. My new family was awake and greeted me enthusiastically in the kitchen. I had a typical danish breakfast while talking to my family. My host mum explained me that she was going to follow me and show me the way to go to school that day. It was my first day at a danish school, where there was a ceremony of introduction for new students and a presentation of the teachers, principal and workers at the school. This presentation would start at 10 pm.

I prepared my bag to receive some books and went outside, where my host mum was waiting with 2 bikes. AFS Denmark had given me a bike, since they knew I would have to use it to get to school, every day. The day was beautiful, the sun was rising and an orange atmosphere filled up the air. It was cold and the air was so fresh and pure. I remember the very first weeks in Denmark I could feel a certain smell in the air, especially in the countryside, where I live. It was a pure smell, very pleasant. This smell I got used to, and now I can't feel it that often, but I can still remember its exotic fragrance.

The view I have every morning before biking

I got up in my bike and followed my host mum. We biked through the huge fields of wheat. I was wondered with the beauty of the countryside by the morning. There were no houses to be seen, even at a huge distance; if I tried to focus my eyes on the horizon, all I could see was the delicate blue aura of the sky touching the earth, while the subtle sun brightened the sky with a plain light orange. She told me it was the magic of the summer in Denmark, and when we got to the Spring, it would be even more amazing. I was looking forward (and still am).

The bike trip lasted about 20 minutes, as we biked roughly 4km. We arrived at a bus stop, where we dropped our bikes. My host mum told me that everyone has a bike in Denmark, and it's not common to steal another's bike or to steal anything in general. This is because, unlike other countries like Brazil or Portugal, there is no substantial and noticeable financial difference within the population. In other countries, it is very clear a contrast between the very rich and the very poor. In Denmark, that doesn't happen. The country's richness is very well balanced and distributed to everyone! This is one of the reasons why Denmark is the happiest country in the world. But more about that subject another time!

So, a bus arrived shortly after and we got in. It traveled for 30 minutes until we arrived at the Kolding Bus Station. There, we had to catch yet another bus, which only took 10 minutes to arrive to my beloved school: The Kolding Gymnasium!

Entrance to the school in a normal day

First thing I noticed, everyone was dressed up in a very festive way. Still some meters from the school entrance, a boy from the 3rd year gave me a Hawaiian necklace, full of flowers and colors, with a pacifier on the tip! I wore it and proceeded to the path to enter the school. On the floor it was written “SUT”, which kinda means baby or newbie, but translated directly is pacifier.

The entrance to the school and the ones welcoming the new students

The necklaces for the newbies

As soon as the automatic doors with KG written on them opened, I heard a lot of noise, loud music, people screaming and partying. There was an obstacle course that I was forced to go through to enter the school. A crowd of older students were watching in the side, taking pictures, laughing and screaming.

The beggining of the obstacle course

The party inside the school

When I finished on the other side, I was greeted by the school's vice-principal. I went to his cabinet with my mum and he talked in English with me, welcoming me to Denmark and to the school. He said that I was very welcome as an exchange student and if I needed anything I could just go talk to him. He was very nice and I was already overwhelmed with the school!

It was very big, with 4 different sectors and 10 classrooms in each sector. There was a cantine, a lot of space to sit and talk. It was extremely different from the schools in Portugal, more advanced and sophisticated, very clean and slick. There was also an opened stage, directed to the chairs, where we were sitting and waiting. Then, the principal got up on the stage and started his talk. Everyone was listening with attention. Sadly, I couldn't understand anything because it was in Danish, but my mum explained me that this was the ritual of welcoming the new student to the Gymnasium.

The Gymnasium corresponds to the Secondary School before the University and it welcomes students from 15 to 19 years old. It has 3 years, in whch case I'm in the 1st. More about the Danish education system in another time.

Speech and students listening

After the speech, the classes were designated and we all proceeded to our respective classrooms. Each class had about 23 students. I entered the classroom and met my new class. The teacher was very nice and started by introducing himself. He gave us a paper to write our names and put it on top of the table. After that he grouped us up in groups of three, being that each three persons had to met each other first and then present each other to the class. Everyone talked in Danish but I talked in English. I noticed I wasn't the only one scared, since everyone was new, but it was scarier for me knowing that I was an exchange student and it would be even harder to make new friends in the class, since I couldn't understand their conversations.

After the short presentations, we played a game to know each other better and shortly after, it was time to go home. I got out of the classroom, where my mum was waiting for me. I didn't talk to anyone else, because I felt so frightened that I couldn't understand anything! Everyone was going home anyways so I knew I would have more chances in the next days. We took the same way back, catching 2 buses and biking through the fields.

We arrived after 3 pm and the rest of the day was spent walking around and meeting more of the property of my host family. I also had time to rest for the first time in 5 days. We had dinner at 18:30 and after one or two hours I went directly to bed, of how exhausted I was. So this was my first day at school. I was impressed with all the new things I didn't knew and so many I still had to learn, but, on the other side, scared to be alone in a place where I don't understand the language and don't know anyone. It took a while, but I'm now happy with what I accomplished. After some hard weeks I was able to make good friends. It's a story that's worth telling... for another time.

Christmas in Denmark vs. Portugal

This post comes with some delay since I've been quite busy lately.
I will continue the story from day 4 as soon as possible.

So, this was the first time I spent the Christmas holidays away from my country and my family and even tho I thought things would be similar, I had the joy to experience a lot of interesting traditions of danish Christmas! So I'll try to tell you about the different habits and traditions between Christmas in Portugal and in Denmark.

Christmas in Portugal

These holidays in Portugal, particularly in my family, are spent uniting all the family together, in one big house, where I meet all my uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins and family friends living far away, which I don't usually see every month. It is a very magical time. I'm the oldest of the cousins from my father's side, so I really enjoy to see all my little cousins play and run around. It was hard to not see them this year and I missed them a lot.

The houses are decorated with a Christmas Tree, usually a plastic one, with little lights, balls, angels, sprinkles, and Christmas ropes. We put a star on the top of the tree. A big tradition is also the Crib, or "Presépio", where there's little figures of Jesus' family, the shepherds, some animals and the 3 holy kings. We mount the tree and the crib at 1st December and we only take them off after 3 Kings Day. There is an advent wreath in a table and we light one candle every Sunday, read the bible and each candle means one word.

The Christmas Crib

We have dinner together and we have a lot of traditional Christmas dishes such as codfish and octopus! As deserts, we eat rabanadas, bolinhos de bolina and pêras bêbadas, between others! It was surely a challenge to not eat all this delicious food this year!

Rabanadas (bread with cinnamon, egg and sugar)

Bolinhos de Bolina 

Pêras Bêbadas (Drunk pears- baked pears with wine)

After dinner, our family has a tradition of doing a little show, where the kids show their talents, such as dance, sing and playing an instrument, and the adults do the same to entertain the children. We are a very united family.

We also have the tradition of the Santa Claus, and we do a small role-play every year where an adult of the family dresses up as Santa and delivers the presents everyone has bought at mid-night of the Christmas Eve night (24th December). It's really funny and I remember how magical it was when I was a kid. I'm sure my little cousins enjoy it as good as I used to. After opening the presents, we talk in family and play some games until we eventually go to bed.

In the morning we use to go to church and have lunch together as well. Portugal is a very religious country, and we celebrate the catholic Christmas, as the born of Jesus. It is a time of happiness and hope when the family gets together again and celebrates life. That's the meaning of Christmas.

Christmas in Denmark

I probably don't know all the traditions from this Christmas, but I will try to describe it from what I've seen and learned. Christmas is spent home with family and friends. The preparation for Christmas starts way before. There is an advent wreath hanging in the living room and we light one candle every Sunday, just like in Portugal. We went out some days before to find the perfect Christmas tree, a real one! Danes like to get the "fatter" trees, so they can dance around it at Christmas Eve. It was very funny to go to a field and try to choose the best one. We were always indecise and went back and forward until we were happy with it. Then, my host dad took a saw and cut the tree. We then went to pay for it and put it in the back of the car.

My sister, dad and me after cutting the tree

They don't give such importance to the crib, but it was in the living room several days before Christmas. The tree was only put up 1 day before Christmas Eve. It was decorated with real candles instead of lights, little danish flags, some balls and the star on the top. It seemed really massive in the middle of the living room, in comparison to the small thin tree in the corner of the house back in Portugal. The living room was also changed, the couch was moved as well as some armchairs, to form a circle to talk as a family. There were ornaments all around the house, such as candles and beautiful little decorations. You could feel the Christmas spirit in the air.

Dansk Juletræ

Adventskrans

Each Sunday there's the tradition of singing songs in family after dinner in the living room. Even tho I didn't know most of the songs, I enjoyed to be a part of it and it was very Hygge! Making cakes and biscuits is popular in the time before Christmas. In every Sunday morning the children use to get little presents, such as candy or little gifts. Some families also participate in a Christmas scratch card, where you scratch a number each day and you can win up to 1 million kroner! (135k euros)

On 24th December, everyone was very excited, and we went to the local church at 4pm, where we met a lot of friends and their families. It is a tradition to hear the priest's speech on this day, on a Lutheran church. When we got home the dinner was eaten at 6.30pm. It was served on a beautifully decorated table. My host siblings came home from Copenhagen to spend Christmas with us. Popular Christmas foods include roast duck, goose or pork. They are served with boiled and sweet potatoes, red cabbage, beetroot and cranberry jam/sauce. 

The desserts were surprisingly good and I'm going to miss this food for sure! We ate 'ris á la mande' (a special kind of rice pudding, made of milk, rice, vanilla, almonds and whipped cream) for dessert. All but one of the almonds are chopped into pieces. The person who finds the whole almond gets a present called a Mandelgave (almond present). The present this year was a little snowman made of chocolate! It was incredibly delicious!

Ris á la mande

After dinner, we went to the living room where we danced around the tree holding hands while singing Christmas songs. The older person in the family chose a song to sing and after it was finished, the second oldest person and so on. I was not used to this tradition so it was very interesting to be a part of it. The Christmas tree was lit with candles and it gave a really warm feeling to the room. One of the songs made us go in a train through the house while singing. 

After that, we sat together in a circle in the living room and opened our presents, that were below the tree. I had bought presents for my host parents and I also received some really nice presents, which I loved! Between them, there were a Denmark scarf, a little toy called Hoptimistic, from a Danish designer, and a game of Yahtzee!

Hoptimistic

Danmark scarf

Yahtzee board game

I also had time to Skype with my family back home, and to see all my big family in Portugal. They were very happy to see me but not as much as I was to see them! We could share experiences and they also got the chance to meet my Danish family.  It was very funny to see the reactions of my little cousins to see me for the first time in such a long time. They were very excited, screaming and jumping! After talking to each branch of my family for a little while, we hung up the call. It was incredible to think that even tho we were so far away, and with such different cultures, we were connected and could share that moment together! :)

Printscreen from the Skype call :)

After a while of talking and laughing, we went to bed. It was surely a very different Christmas from what I was used to, but definitely the most interesting, and I really enjoyed it! I hope it's not the last Danish Christmas that I will have!