Our Exchange Student - Neel Hasan - December Report
Hej alle sammen,
Finally, the report is here. The flu was really throwing me in a whirl, and it was pretty damn tough trying to focus my mind toward a semblance of concentration. But now we're good. Hope you enjoy what's below.
Thanksgiving is a bit more relaxed here from what I saw. The different events involving hand turkeys and being grateful for stuff like in the US isn't too popular here. There was a Rotary party for my district where the exchange students, parents, and plenty of Rotarians, including the governor, showed up. It was a goodbye to the inbounds who would be leaving in January, and they were given credit for their hard work on stage with a speech and a certificate displaying the completion of their exchange.
There was classic Danish food there: potatoes, sweeter potatoes, more potatoes, Danish gravy (they call it brown sauce), meat, beets, and a rice desert, which has a French name for some reason, Risalamande.
With my Danish family we had a dinner that was based off an old Danish story. There was a fellow named Morten who had an issue with some geese. Honestly, researching the story online and hearing it from the Danes, you get totally different stories. It's not super official anyway. I was told in person that he was killed by a bunch of geese, but the internet says that he was a Roman soldier who left the Empire to start the first Christian monastery in Gaul (modern France). Then when he hid to avoid becoming a bishop in his town, a goose revealed his location, and he was so upset that he declared the people in his town eat a goose each year as a kind of revenge...peculiar guy.
But the thing was we ate duck, so it was a bit nonsensical, and unfair, to blame a duck for a goose's actions 
Erm, we didn't talk too much about the United States' traditions. My family back in California isn't too big on the Thanskgiving traditions; we just have fun with it. I've been acting lazily in regards to discussing American culture. I am trying to talk to them much more about the United States, Canada, and Bangladesh because I realized it has been a one way cultural exchange so far, just them teaching me about Denmark. That has to change, and I'm making an effort to do that. More updates in the future.
I can't tell you where I'm on the graph. Some days are awesome, some are okay, and some are pretty lame. I'm not at any specific low point or high point. It's just about taking each day at a time and making it worthwhile, which is sometimes successful and other times not. I can say the highs are higher and the lows are lower than back in California. I'm more emotionally sensitive to what happens because it's often necessary to be aware and active in a foreign country. You have to pay attention to what people say or you won't understand, and have to feel comfortable with some sort of isolation. You don't yet understand many of the cultural intricacies that the natives have developed over years (jokes, sayings, slang, a cultural connection, etc.), so an extra push has to be done to participate in the daily life of those around you. It can be exhausting, but I believe it's a good investment.
School is all right. The teachers and I still have an agreement that the school work is too complicated for me to do and that it's best to keep learning Danish. In class I spend an hour listening to the discussion and asking my sweet classmates if they can translate a word or two and an hour doing personal work. There's also enough free time at school to use their newly renovated gym for intense exercise throughout the week. It's great.
Just have to add a story about school. There was a party there last night and I had to speak 70% Danish, 25% French (two girls from France and Belgium) 2.5% English, and 2.5% Bengali (met a guy from Bangladesh). It was insane because even when music was blasting so loudly, comprehending everyone only took a bit of strain. I ended up having some great conversations in Danish with classmates and strangers. Suppose that's what happens when you try to learn every single day.
The downside is the educational system feels so American. After four years in high school, it gets boring and restricting. I'm grateful I get so much freedom to learn what I want there. It's only a minor negative.
The vice principal at school felt my Danish was going well enough that he suggested I try to take the exams at the end of the year for the hell of it. Susanne, my dear counselor, raised my monthly fund again because she was impressed with what I've learned.
My club and I don't see each very much because the day of their weekly meeting clashes with language school. It's impossible to go to both. Susanne and I arrange a day off from language school when we feel like it so I can make it to a meeting. I'm friendly with the club and have had some great talks with a few members, though overall we aren't extremely familiar with each other. Now that Susanne has stepped down from her position as president and can be a full time counselor, perhaps we can find a way to hang out with the other Rotarians more.
Okay, those were all the questions on the list. If there's anything that's missing, please let me know.
Thank you all for reading,
Neel