What A Year It's Been!

On a Danish Beach in December 2011 - on an Australian Beach in February 2011

My new year's resolution for this year was to make the most out of 2011, and I'm sure there's NO doubt that I've achieved my resolution!!! 

Without a doubt, 2011 has been the most dramatic and exciting year of my life so far and I feel exhausted just thinking back at how much I've achieved within the last 12 months. 2011 has made me feel so much more independent and mature, and I've made many important decisions and gone through a lot of new but exciting challenges. Here's a few achievements I can think of at the moment:

• I've been in 6 countries (Australia, England, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway) not including the stop-over at Singapore! 
• I've adjusted to a life with a temperature (at times) over 30 degrees colder.
• I more-or-less jumped off the plane that landed in Denmark and found work straight away- working as a substitute teacher which was so much fun and the kids were awesome!
• I passed my European Open Drivers Licence test, and got top marks in subjects that were all run in Danish!
• I've travelled long journeys on my own on many different modes of transport including planes, trains, coaches and bicycles!
• I survived Northern Europe's largest music festival and experienced unforgettable moments :D
• I literally stood on top of the world with Kristine watching the midnight sun!

I could go on for months, but this blog does it for me quite well :) 2011 is almost over, and so is this blog. It's been so good sharing my experiences through this website. I've enjoyed it a lot and I hope you have too! 

I hope to carry on blogging about 2012, where I'll have new adventures and challenges, including turning 20 years old, going through Danish exams,  moving in to my own apartment, starting university and being reunited with my family again and spend a holiday with them in Italy, plus all the surprises in between! I'll post a link if I decide to continue blogging for 2012. Next year sounds promising!

To end my Joseph in Denmark 2011 blog, I'd like to share this video I've made where you can see just how incredibly exciting 2011 has been for me! 

Once again, thank you so much for reading my blog through the months of 2011! I can't say it enough but it means a lot to me. I hope this blog has inspired you to travel and make the most out of a year! As the famous Danish author (who in fact was born in the same town as me!) Hans Christian Andersen once said: To travel is to live. I couldn't agree more!

Happy New Year for 2012!! Godt nytår!!

             

          - Joseph

A Quick Word on Christmas

In Denmark we celebrate Christmas on the 24th December, Christmas Eve. It was really strange not being with my parents and siblings- my first Christmas ever without them, but it wasn't too bad.

As cold as it was compared to Christmas in Australia, it didn't become a White Christmas this year. In fact, it was the warmest Christmas ever recorded in Denmark- a massive 11.3 degrees!! However 2 days before Christmas eve there was a layer of frost on the roads and gardens (which you can see on the photo above). 

The usual Danish Christmas traditions were all performed as usual, including walking around the Christmas tree whilst holding each others hands and singing Danish Christmas carols. A very lovely tradition and it gives you a chance to admire the REAL Christmas tree (not plastic!) with REAL Candles on it (not electric!)!!!! Don't worry- there was a bucket of water in the room in case it all went up in flames ;) For dinner we had duck and belly of pork which is the norm in Denmark. They think it's funny we eat Turkey! The Danish Christmas dessert is called risalamande (rice pudding with whipped cream and vanilla with plenty of chopped almonds) and contains only one whole almond. The one who finds the whole almond first wins a prize! Quite a fun game and it surely gets people to force more food down their throat in search of the whole almond!

Well that's about it! So much for being a "quick" word about Christmas!

Glædelig Jul!

Getting Into The Christmas Spirit!

Here I am holding the flight tickets that could've taken me back to Australia.
But they were never used.

So guess what! On the 30th November there was a seat on an Airbus booked with my name on it, scheduled to take off at Heathrow Airport and touch down in Australia on the 2nd of December. But I wasn't on the flight. It was a tough decision, but I decided to  stay in le Danemark and study. It was a weird feeling waking up on the 2nd of December thinking "I could be in Australia right now, seeing my family and my friends again, but instead I'm still up here in the cold and dark Northern Hemisphere." but I know I've made the right decision. I'm DEFINITELY not done with Denmark just yet ;)

I've been having exams in chemistry and physics which were VERY different to the Australian exams. First of all, they were oral exams, which basically happened like an interview where you're alone in a classroom with two teachers and they interrogate... I mean question you on your knowledge on the subject. Before I tell you what grades I got, it's probably best you look at my excellent Danish to Australian grading system table where you can understand how things are graded in Denmark and the (rough) equivalent in the Australian grading system:

Pretty damn good table I made eh? ;D As you can see, the best possible grade is a 12, and the lowest you need to pass is 02. I can honestly not explain why on Earth they have picked those random numbers as their grading system. Okay so are you ready to hear what I got in chemistry? I got a 12! I couldn't believe it! The highest possible mark! Also pretty impressive  (if I may say so myself;)) considering it was in Danish and I've only had that chemistry class for 3 months! I'm gonna miss not having that chemistry class where I met some new mates but I'll be having a new chemistry class next year at a harder level. I haven't yet had my physics exam but I expect to pass (UPDATE: I got 07 for the Physics exam!).  And for the subject Danish we had a practice written exam and for that I got a 7 which is a solid B. I'm VERY happy with that, considering I haven't had Danish in school since 3rd grade and right now I'm studying the highest level of Danish required for university!!

The city of Odense has also become decorated with Christmas lights which makes it so pretty to walk through. Sunrise is at 8:40am and sunset is already at 3:47pm meaning that when I leave home it's dark and when I arrive home it's already dark again!  

I've also bought a new (expensive :/) winter coat to withstand the cold Danish weather! The last month has been between -2 and 8 degrees and EXTRA cold when I'm biking down a hill with a wind chill factor most likely exceeding -12 degrees! Brrr!!!

Doesn't it looks so much more classier and magical with plain white/yellowish lights than quick-flashing multi-coloured lights?

Despite the freezing cold temperatures, there's only been a few mornings with  frost and ice on the roads and hopes are fading that Denmark will be having a white Christmas this year, which they otherwise have had the last 2 years. Oh well. It'll still be nice to have a cold Christmas than a stinking hot and humid Aussie Christmas!

A cosy little alleyway in Odense decorated for Christmas!

Christmas is only 10 days away. Admittedly it's starting to hit me that I won't be celebrating Christmas with my parents, my brother and my sister. I hope it won't affect me too much! Afterall, we're only 15 414 km away from each other!!! 

I'd like to end this entry thanking the people who read my blog! I appreciate it so much and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do writing it! Thank you and I'll be sure to update soon again!

A Year Since I Graduated...

A video I made with recordings from my last week of school.

I'm finding it very hard to believe that it's been a year since I graduated from high school. It's gone so fast. I remember that this time last year I didn't even know anything about what I was going to do after school. 2011 was still a huge question mark for me! That scared me. I hated that. Although I love surprises, it's not a nice feeling waking up with absolutely no plans for the future. I definitely knew that I wanted to have a gap year in Denmark but I hadn't bought any tickets or looked into it seriously so that was still only a slight possibility. The tickets weren't bought until 2 weeks before I left!

"I wonder where I'll be this time next year?" was a question I remember thinking clearly, with great excitement. Would I still be in Bundaberg, would I go down to Brisbane, or would I travel to Denmark? 

Little did I know then that now I'd be living in Denmark and experience so much this year- and that I've already begun studying again- just in Danish!

Looking back at the video I made about my last week of school makes me think how incredibly different my life has changed. To think that my friends were all around me and now they're scattered all over Australia, and I'm up here on the other side of the planet! I took school for granted, and just the  simple fact that I could be with my friends everyday was something I didn't properly think about. The temperature was 30+ and just chilling out under D block and laughing non stop was how things used to be. Now all that is over a year old! But even though it's a year ago today, nothing whatsoever will take my memories away from all the great times we had together. Well maybe dementia :P But seriously, although the times are gone now, I will cherish every memory and I'm so pleased that I made this video. It's like a time-capsule where it shows exactly the way we were. 

An Autumn Update

Jesus Kristus! Is it already November!? Christmas is just around the corner which is getting me excited- I will actually have a cold Christmas this year!! For the last couple of weeks it has really been obvious that it's Autumn :) Beautiful reds, oranges and yellows are everywhere on the trees but the leaves are slowly starting to fall now. Daylight Saving time has also gone now so sunset is already at 4:30pm! I'm noticing too that it's getting harder to wake up in the mornings because it's dark. Temperature-wise, the last few weeks have been between 6 to 9 degrees but it's expected to go below zero already this weekend. I find it funny that my mother sends me photos of how in Bundaberg right now it's already reaching 30 degrees and the temperature of the water is 24 degrees!! That reminds me of the good ol' days...

I can feel Christmas is nearing! The shops and streets in Odense already have Christmas decorations hanging!

My Danish lessons are still a real pain the neck but I'm surviving! I feel like I've gone back to High School, only that the assignments have to be written in Danish! At the moment it's assignment after

assignment after

assignment after

assignment!!

I think I'm about to go crazy with all the Danish assignments I have to write up. It's one after another with no stop! I can definitely feel though that I'm improving greatly :D

I took this photo on my bike ride through the Danish countryside.

The other day I biked for an hour from the house I live in to get to a large shopping centre called Rosengårdscentret to buy Christmas presents for my family in Australia. It was a beautiful ride biking through the Danish country side between fields and small villages. The Autumn colours were so colourful! But why is there ALWAYS headwind no matter when I decide to bike long distances?? I don't get how that is always the case. Then magically the wind turns so my hour-long bike ride back home is ALSO against the wind! But it's alright, I don't mind a work-out ;)

So now I've packed all of the Christmas presents and ready to send them to my family in Australia! Hopefully they'll get them in time! It's going to be strange celebrating Christmas without them. The GREAT news is that they have booked tickets for a Eurotrip next year where I'll be reunited with my family in Rome, Italy!! This will be in May so it's still quite some time away but I can't wait :D

One last thing I'd like to share before I go- Today I visited the place where my parents met for the very first time! It's the café you can see above. It's a scary thought to think that I wouldn't be here today if my parents hadn't gone to that exact café at that exact time... Mindblowing stuff.

The Doctor Who Experience

This is what my dreams are often about;
me floating in a blue box above Denmark...

One word to describe the Doctor Who Experience: FAN-tastic! It was the best exhibition I have EVER been to! If you're not a Doctor Who fan, I suggest you leave my blog at once! Shame on you! This blog entry will be PACKED with photos from my enjoyable day out at the DWE! Geronimo!

So let's start from the very beginning! It was my Autumn holidays and I've been dreaming for a long time to visit the Doctor Who Experience. I know a lot of my Australian friends would love to go to it but because it's on the other side of the world it's pretty impractical (unless you own your own Tardis- but in that case the exhibition would be rather pointless...) so this was a real dream come true!

That's funny...
I don't remember anything being behind me when I took the photo ;)

It's difficult trying to explain to people in Denmark what Doctor Who is about. Telling them that it's about a time-travelling alien flying around in a police box with a screwdriver doesn't exactly help them understand it... Anyway! I found my way through the city of London alone pretty well, including the many different overground and underground trains to get there- and I made it all in one piece! I get so proud of myself sometimes :)

The authentic interior set of David Tennant's Tardis!

The first 30 minutes was a real experience! You were a part of the adventure, where the 11th Doctor talks to you and guides you through some big screens! The Tardis magically appears and you enter it where it really is bigger on the inside! It looked identical to the Tardis used in the current show! You then get to fly it and the floor actually moves around! It was amazing! Then Daleks come towards you, threatening to exterminate me and you also had to walk through the forest of the Weeping Angels! It was creepy but I loved every moment of it! The adventure was very well made and I smiled through the entire experience!

Here's a handful of the many great monsters I saw :D

Then came the big exhibition where you can get up close with many of the monsters! There were SO MANY to see and I could have spent a whole year there! There was also all of the 11 doctors' and the latest assistants' clothes on display, and a lot of small props used in the show too!

Probably my favourite monster- The Silence! They're deliciously creepy yet stylish at the same time ;P

My wallet certainly became lighter after I visited the Souvenir shop! As I left the Doctor Who Experience,  I imagined a camera tracking into a close-up of my face, with Vale Decem being played in the background and where I would take a brief pause until saying "I don't want to go!"

The Olympic Stadium for the 2012 London Olympics!

My trip to London wasn't just spent hanging around with Daleks and Sontarans (though I wish it was!)! I saw a few other things, such as the brand new Olympic Stadium which will be the centre of attention of the world next year! I'm looking forward to when the entire stadium's crowd vanishes, and then reappear again ;) 

I also got a photo with the Countdown at the famous Trafalgar Square! My English relatives also had a surprise for me- they had booked tickets for me to see the musical called Les Miserables at a theatre in London. That was certainly a different experience compared to taking a ride in the Tardis!! Pretty sure which one I preferred too ;)

I visited my wonderful English relatives and met some people I've never met before who are in fact family! My English relatives took me to the near-by "beach". I wrote beach in "" because technically it's more an inlet. I laughed so hard when I discovered this sign at the beach!! 

An award winning beach!!??! According to who? The tide was out, the sand was in fact quicksand-like mud and made the whole thing look filthy and grey and in the horizon you could see factories polluting the air! It wasn't exactly Noosa Heads!

So that was my Autumn holidays! It was a whole bunch of fun!

A Rough Time

I haven't had one of these for a while. A depressing post telling you how bad I feel. To be honest right now I feel so numb. I'm fed up with everything. I sat down and tried writing about how tough the last few days have been but it's impossible. A lot has been on my mind lately and it seems like the whole world has deliberately been against me. I decided that this song was the best way I could express what I've been going through. Watch it before I decide to take it down. 

Summing Up September

Here's a beautiful map of Denmark showing the places I've visited this month :)

For me, September has been REALLY busy! I hope you're in the mood for quite some reading, because I'm about to update you on just how jam-packed September has been for me:

FIRST WEEK



The cathedral in the back is Denmark's oldest, largest and tallest church

In the beginning of September I spent 3 days in Denmark's 2nd-largest city called Aarhus (roughly pronounced like "Or-hoose" for you Un-Danish people!) and enjoyed strolling through the culturally alive city! I wish I had more time to explore the city! I didn't stay at a hotel- that's way too mainstream for Mr. Dowsett of course ;) So I stayed in a tent out in the middle of the harbour of Aarhus!! Damn it was cold at night! Thankfully I brought Mrs. Kangaroo along to keep me warm at night ;)

My cousin brought along his kangaroo, that I got him, to Aarhus :) Isn't that cute?
And is that a Solar Eclipse happening in the background? ;) 

SECOND WEEK


I went for my driving license and passed! Funny how on my way home I crashed on my bike leaving me with a real nasty bruise! Still, I was so relieved from passing my driving test that a crash on my bike didn't matter one bit :)

Then the next day I had to get up early to catch a train to Fredericia, which is in Jutland, to go to my millitary conscription day. They made me go through dozens of tests to see if I was fit for the Danish defense force, and luckily I didn't get picked to get in! Phew!

Then the day after that, I applied to go to a TAFE-like school to do supplementary subjects for Danish, Physics and Chemistry (because I didn't have these subjects in Australia). Why? Simply because I'd like to study Biomedicine in university next year in Denmark! Now I know that my friends who know me well know how much I love film-making (and I admit I'm pretty damn good at it too ;)) but I feel like I need to move on... anyway I'd rather not talk about my love for filming and editing because quite a lot has been p''''''g me off and it'll just make me feel even more frustrated if I start explaining... 

But Biomedicine is REALLY interesting stuff! I love biology, I love learning, And I've always been curious about science and research, so I'm sure this is the right thing for me. But let's see. I still have plenty of time to make my mind up! And no matter what happens, I'll never stop making videos :)

THIRD WEEK

VUC (Voksen Uddannelse Centre, which means Adult Education Centre)- where I have my Chemistry and Danish lessons

This was my first week at studying in Denmark. Although I love chemistry and I get along well with some people I met, Danish is pretty difficult for me. It's like English in year 12, except that it's all in Danish- if you catch my drift! I am definitely coping but it's seriously hard. I am not use to being the worst in the class! But I'm very proud of myself and how I keep working hard and trying my best :)

This is Odense Train Station, where I catch the bus home every day.

The Thursday was a very hectic day! I had to get up at 6am and then bike 15 minutes in the cold Autumn morning (around 8 degrees) and catch a bus into Odense where my lessons are; then have Chemistry for 2 hours, then jump on a bus back to Munkebo and vote in the Danish election for the very first time, then bike home and pack my bags for the 3-day trip to Bornholm, then catch another frikkin bus back into Odense to have 3 hours of Danish, before walking 45 minutes to my uncle's house, who I was going to Bornholm with! I feel exhausted just typing that!!

On the ferry from Sweden to Bornholm. The land on the horizon is Sweden!

I got up at 4am and drove through Denmark and into Sweden to Ystad, where we caught a ferry which took us to the beautiful and rocky island of Bornholm! Bornholm is situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea which makes it the most Westerly point in Denmark, which you can see on the map too.

You like fish? Then you'll love Bornholm! Everywhere you go you'll see old smokehouses where fish are smoked. The colourful Bornholmian smokehouses have long chimneys and look so good!

This is how they look like inside. You can see the fish hanging on the stand. I think it's safe to say that I certainly had an overdose of Omega-3 that weekend!

Bornholm is also said to be the sunniest place in Denmark and it definitely lived up to expections! Blue skies! But of course, being a small island out in the middle of the sea meant that it was quite windy...

Among other things, I visited a clifftop fortress from the 13th century called Hammershus which was really interesting! It's just so nice to see really old things- I mean there are no historic buildings older than 200 years in Australia!
 

And here am I with the Danish flag blowing majestically in the wind with a Bornholmian smokehouse in the background! Now I can add Bornholm to my long Been There - Done That list of 2011!

 

 

 

FOURTH WEEK



The leaves are magically turning red! I actually took this photo today on my way to my Danish class :)

Well I guess that's now! This week I've just been busy studying. I've been really snotty this week (just thought you might like to know that ;)) so I hope it's not a sign that I'm starting to get sick! Autumn has really kicked in this week, with the trees slowly undergoing their colourful transformation! I've really missed that! In Australia we don't see that at all, except some palm trees...

 

Anyway! October's approaching and I'll be spending my Autumn holidays in London which should be fun! Looking forward to then!

 

And if you're one of the very few who actually was bothered enough to read the whole thing- Thank you for actually reading it! I can now go to bed feeling like it was worth all the effort :)

 

Re-Gathering My Thoughts

I have had the most exciting Summer this year. Come to think of it, I've had 2 Summers within one year! But my Summer in Europe has been full of adventure- with Roskilde Festival and the trip through Norway being the highlights. But now the Summer has come to an end. So what now? Good question.

Well I have spent around 90% of all I've earned on getting my driver's license. It is bloody expensive in Denmark! You might think that the theory and practical lessons would be enough to pay for, but no. You have to of course pay for getting a medical certificate, a First-Aid course, an obstacle course driving on slippery surfaces to prepare myself for possible future scenarios if ice is on the road, and then of course the actual theory and real test (plus car rental). All up, it will probably cost me 13 800kr (roughly AUD $2560)!! To make matters worse, I haven't earned any money in the holidays since I work at a school and they have holidays too, and right now none of the teachers are sick. I know it sounds quite horrible, but I really hope they get sick soon!! I'm also keeping my eyes peeled for a new job, but just like in Australia, no one seems to be hiring! Grrrr.

Anyway, guess what I got in the mail today: a letter from the Danish Defense Force calling me in for a Recruitment Day!! What The Fish!? Unlike in Australia where it is voluntary military service (no conscription), there is compulsory military service. Apparently they do a few tests with you and then you draw a number which tells you if you are one of the unlucky ones to be forced to do military service. I'd rather shoot myself than do that! So let's see how it goes this September! The recruitment day is also a day after I go for my drivers license. What fun :/

What else can I moan about?....

I have been incredibly busy the last week or so planning my future and what I'd like to study at university. It's been quite a head-ache ringing my ex-school in Australia, getting my grades converted, and figuring out what I need to do to be able to go to university here in Denmark. I have almost made my mind up about what I'd like to study, but I'll tell you about that in my next blog entry :)

Oh, and perhaps a little piece of news I may have forgot to mention. It may be bad news, or good news, depending on how much you like me:

I'm going to cancel my return flight to Australia. That's right- I'm staying in Denmark!

Norway Part 2

Welcome to Bergen, Norway!

After an amazing few days in Tromsø (which you can read about in Part 1), I continued my journey through Norway by flying down along the coast to Bergen, a popular city on the West coast of Norway. Here I met up with my aunt and uncle and enjoyed telling them about my trip so far!

Unlike Tromsø, the sun did set (late) at night so sleep was a little easier to do :) Bergen is also said to be the most rainiest city in Europe- but it didn't rain a single day that I was there! I'm convinced I had an influence ;)

 Bergen was really nice with a big fish market and old colourful houses, but we moved on (gradually towards Oslo) and visited a few tourist attractions along the way- one being Preikestolen.

Now Preikestolen is what you can see in the photo. It's 604m over the fjord below. It was quite a long trek climbing up rocks and mountains with a few of the other tourists deciding to turn back along the way as it was too tough to continue. It was a real example of The Survival Of The Fittest to reach Preikestolen- and I made it! It was also a breath-taking view!



Here I am! The guy sitting on the edge got blown off the cliff soon after. Not really :P But the wind was so powerful up there that I definitely didn't want to get that close to the edge! A 604m vertical drop is gut-wrenchingly high, especially when there is nothing preventing you from falling!

Everywhere I looked there were just beautiful landscapes that were just crying out to be photographed- which meant that my camera certainly got a work out! The picture above shows the kind of terrain we had to trek through to get to Preikestolen. Norway is so attractive.

I went along the coast and visited towns such as Stavanger and Kristiansand before finally reaching Norway's capital city, Oslo! It was actually quite a long trip as fjords and mountains were in the way! I travelled on many ferries to cross the stunning fjords and drove through countless tunnels that cut through mountains and sometimes fjords. I drove through the World's Longest Road Tunnel which was a whopping 24.5 kilometres long! One of the tunnels I also drove through was 350m below sealevel- so in just under a week I had been on the top of mountains and deep below the sea! That sure is quite a change in altitude!



Ancient rock carvings of boats around 1500BC. This is way before the vikings.

 Of course being a tourist I visited many other interesting attractions, one being the rock carvings above, and a few viking-related stuff too. But after visiting things from Norway's distant past, I finally visited Oslo's newest and most popular tourist attraction- The Holmenkollen Ski Jump!

It is in fact the world's newest ski jump and was used for the first time early this year hosting the 2011 World Ski Championships. I got to stand on the top of the tower and from there you could see Oslo and its surroundings. 

 Just imagine sliding down that! Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to try it, because there wasn't any snow :( I was also told that if some one non-professional were to try it, they'd most likely get killed. What a shame. Sadly I neared the end of my Norway-trip, but the last thing I did before leaving was to go sight-seeing in the city-centre of Oslo!

This building is Oslo City Hall, which is where the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony takes place. I'm looking forward to revisit this place in the future when I come to collect my award ;)

 And finally, here is the Norwegian Parliament, or as Norwegians sophisticatedly call it Stortinget which literally means The Big Thing. My trip in Oslo was really nice, and it was shocking that is was only a day after I left the city, that those terrifying terror attacks happened. I was only a few hundred metres away from where the bomb went off the day before it happened! Scary stuff.

So that was the end of my trip exploring the wonderful country Norway! I really didn't want to go home! As soon as I crossed the border between Norway and Sweden, the clouds appeared and it poured down raining all the way home to Denmark. It was as if the weather knew I was upset about leaving. You can probably sense though that I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday and I experienced so many things that I am so grateful to have done! I'll never forget those 2 adventure-filled weeks of my life!

"But I don't wanna go home!"