Saturday 8 June 2013

Exams, endings and where's my birthday?

Apart from stress and judgment, exams are symbolic of change. They represent endings, new beginnings, uncertainty.  It's no wonder we had a couple of classroom battles in the last month. I have one more Danish exam on the 24th of June (happy birthday Sis) and so far I've passed the reading and writing.  I can watch and read news in Danish, have conversations with my bonus kids and the Captains family, and even manage a joke or two at the local bar now, but I still don't consider myself fluent. When I have a client sitting in the chair, I still have to point to parts of the body, or struggle with metaphors because we're not taught the names of internal organs, foot bones or complex emotional reactions in danish classes.

I've decided to keep learning Danish by studying 10th grade Biology and Psychology. The local school is a wonderful modern building with a great atmosphere and plenty of teachers I'll enjoy keeping in contact with. This decision is both a learning and networking opportunity and being close to home, it's a great excuse for a walk through the forest two days a week.  Ironically, even though I have studied both subjects at more advanced levels, I never studied them in high school - what you resist persists.

The classes will provide me with more words, more language, more inspiration. Do you think the kids will benefit from learning about nature and the mind with a therapist and ex-nurse in their class? Learning a new language has made me wish I studied so many more things. How cool would it be to know everything a linguist or anthropologist knows. My WIP has an anthropologist in it. My next book, perhaps a linguist, I can learn through my characters, what fun.

I am no stranger to exams in the heat of Summer, but I am a stranger to the end of the year being in June.  In Australia we grow up knowing about school years ending mid year in America and Europe, and it's a strange concept. The end of the year for us meant the start of Summer holidays, as well as preparing for Christmas, celebrating the new year, advancing a level in school and for me, born in January, I also turned another year older, that's a lot of new beginnings neatly packed together.


3am, sky doesn't get fully dark in summer
Sunrise at 4.30am
Summer in June and Christmas in Winter is wonderful, but I don't think I'll ever get used to my birthday being in Winter and the year not starting with a long holiday.  A break in the middle of the year, in summer, is perfect though. People can afford, or have time to go on holidays because it's not Christmas. The best of both worlds would be Summer at the end of the year and Christmas in the middle, or the other way around, just not together.

After 3 years I have acclimatised to the Scandinavian heat and can feel 'warmth' in the cold night breezes. Midsummer is celebrated on the 23rd of June, Sankt-hans-aften (St Johns Eve), the equinox or summer solstice, some say it is the official start of summer. Bonfires with witches on top are burned along coasts and waterways, all over Scandinavia. The days feel like they are getting longer but in reality they start to get shorter, the golden fields of canola are ready to be harvested, the blossoms have been replaced, and the vibrant greens that seemed to arrive so late will soon change to brown again. Queen Bernadotte of Sweden once said that there are only two seasons in Scandinavia, a white winter and a green winter.

sunset on Mariager Fjord
Despite the icy cold waters and chilly nights, I think my missing birthday is the main reason it never really feels like summer here. This year, some of my friend's are visiting  from Australia, (I've told them to pack some warm clothes). I'm starting a 'non' birthday barbecue tradition. Everyone should have a Summer birthday at least once in their lives, or celebrate festivals outside of their normal timezone, pretending works too.

The final photos for the day are some funny business the locals pointed out to me yesterday, quite literally in the center of town.  Here's the plant box.



Does anyone recognise the plant in the middle?


Did you know there is a Freetown in Copenhagen called Christania?  It's like a permanent hippie festival in the middle of the city, and it's main street is called Pusher Street, no need to guess why.

13 comments:

  1. The fact that you are learning a new language is so inspiring. I have "Learn a new language" on my bucket list so someday soon, I hope to be fluent (or at least close) in French. Scandinavia sounds like Manitoba. We go from winter to summer in one quick step. We get sweltering heat for a few weeks in mid July and otherwise those cool breezes are a familiarity here too.

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    1. They say the second language is the hardest to learn, I would love to learn Italian next but I have a head start and can understand a lot of it because my parents speak it. Language has a lot to do with learning a new tone, singing french songs will help... for years I thought oui was spelt wi. I love the weather here now, I had short sleeves on and it was only 17 (62) degrees, when it reaches 21(70) I wonder how I survived so many summers in the high 30's (100's) :) Hope you're happy and well

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  2. I hear you loud and clear and have been feeling the same at times (minus the pneumonia), sometimes I even wonder if the blog is just another distraction, I've only managed a few posts since the challenge but I actually enjoyed the toil, confusion, and difficult process of putting this post together, especially just deciding that it was enough (perhaps even too much) not perfect but finished *publish*, and no need to post tomorrow :D Nice to know you are on the mend, maybe writing will help, maybe a little more distraction is just what you need. Thanks for dropping by.

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  3. Greetings Ida,

    I am very impressed with the way you continue on with learning Danish and your attitude inspires. I can imagine that the challenges are good challenges. Adventures for your spirit. And to think that Christmas is in the winter and not in the summer as you were used to. Your birthday has a somewhat different climatic feel about it.

    Well done, Ida. I can speak fluent North American English and English, English :)

    A peaceful, positive week ahead for you.

    Gary

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    1. I really love Christmas in the Winter, it makes sense, it seems like perfect weather and a time of year to enjoy being indoors and fattening up for the winter... There is nothing worse than preparing and eating too much food in really hot weather, but one of the reasons I love your fairy garden is that it reminds me of Christmas in Summer time. I would add fluent heart song to one of your languages :) I can add Aussie English and fluency in so many immigrant dialects, as well as pig latin and danish is so similar to norwegian, and swedish I get them confused with danish. I once told a worker at Copenhagen airport that I could hear the difference between her capital city dialect and the local dialect from where I live... she laughed and said it was because she was speaking swedish... Thanks for dropping in Gary, I hope you have a wonderful week too

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  4. What a great undertaking --- new place, new language. Congrats on the exams, and I hope you find ways to enjoy your birthday regardless of the season in falls in. I'm sure it feels odd when you're used to a summer birthday. Amazing how we eventually adjust to changes, isn't it?

    Best,
    Silvia @ Silvia Writes

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    1. Hi Silvia, thanks and yes how quickly we can adjust is amazing, I never thought I would think 10 degrees was warm and I really have enjoyed and celebrated my birthdays in Winter here. It really boils down to Summer not quite feeling the same, and yes the gentle heat has something to do with it but I do love the Summers here and even the dreadfully cold Winters, I guess I just want another birthday :)

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  5. Hi Hilary, just thinking about celebrating my birthday in the next few weeks makes me feel like it's really Summer, another good reason is if I become 42 sooner, 43 ill be a little bit longer away, in some sort of twisted logic it feels like it could be a good way to cheat ageing .) Also, here is definitely a difference between what you are taught and language with the locals. Nice to see you here Hilary, thanks for dropping in.

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  6. ooohhhh funtimes.. can't wait :)

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  7. Learning new language is in my Bucket list! But never attempted it yet! Congrats on yours.
    And yea adjusting to a new place is something which we will get used too soon...!! And the sound of Christmas always brings the chill of winter in spite of the weather! :)
    Loved all the pics... and beautiful flowers too. :)

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    1. Hi Shethal, I never thought my language would be Danish, but whatever it turns out to be it will expand your brain cells :) There is nothing chilly about Christmas Down Under... Thanks, hope you're well.

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  8. Good luck with the exam!

    My aunt used to say the weather you got on the first day of a season would dictate the way the season itself would be like.

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  9. As William and the others say: good luck with your exam. I'm a firm believer in making your own traditions: in a sense making your life your own and not a copy of others. :-)

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