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!