...And I'm not just saying that because they're reading my blog.
DIS has a program where students can opt to be paired with a visiting family, which is a Danish family that one gets to hang out with, eat dinner with and get to know, without living in their house full time. I was lucky enough to be paired with Helle, Rick, Jamie, Marc and Jonah Schless, who live about 10 minutes away from me in the town of Hedehusene.
They have been incredibly kind to me, making me feel so at home and part of a family which is just what I needed during my first few weeks here. They have also significantly increased the quality of the otherwise sad diet that I have been eating, mostly due to my lack of cooking skills and lack of adventurousness in buying unfamiliar products. Today I was treated to brunch, probably one of the most decadent delicious meals I've ever had. Quiche with spinach and lox, scrambled eggs (prepared by their 10 year old son Jonah), bacon, oranges, melon and pineapple, hot chocolate and pineapple juice, lox, liver paste spread on rolls, cheese, and three types of Danish baked goods. I haven't eaten dinner yet because I am still full. Pasteries here are nothing like what we call Danishes in the US. The bread is the key - it is incredibly light and flaky, and they are not stuffed with large amounts of egg or jelly to make up for the mediocre bread, like they are in the US. They are filled with small amounts of custard, or jam, or almond paste, and adorned with chocolate or frosting, or nothing on top. I have had the pleasure to try several different varieties so far and have not been disapointed.
I am also learning a lot about Danish values and ways of life from my interactions with Helle, Rick and their family. Rick and Helle have both lived in the United States and Denmark for long periods of time and so we talk a lot about how the cultures compare with one another. For example, in Denmark everything is extremely expensive because of the 25% tax that is included, but more things are covered by the government, such as education through college and health care. So Danes don't, and don't need to, have as many savings accumulated as Americans because the government acts as a safety net in many ways, but there they also have less disposable income.
Tomorrow begins our second week of classes. I am excited about all of my classes based on their introduction during the first two days. I'm learning about the EU, how it was formed, how the countries interact with one another and the current challenges it faces. I'm also learning about how Danish political parties and their parliamentary system functions, about the problem of human trafficking in Europe, taking a summary 20th century European history course, and of course taking Danish. So far we've only learn how to say our names, where we come from, where we are living in Denmark and what we study. I am excited for what tomorrow has in store. Maybe they'll teach us how to ask for a hot dog, I could imagine that coming in handy :)
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