152 days left!

Half of my exchange year has now passed. It is quite strange to think about it, but it is also a feeling that comes with a warmth in my little heart. I realize how secure I now am here in Canada. I do no longer fear for new, strange things because this - this is my reality now. Denmark is a foreign country that I can talk more about than my friends. Canada is my home for 6 months more - and I am going to have the funniest six months I could imagine :-)
When two Australians arrived at my place yesterday here in Oil Springs as an arrival place for them, I realized that their faces were the exact same faces I had 6 months ago. The same confusion, the same excitement, the same feeling. It is quite funny to think back now - to see how much has happened. My first school day, god, how confused I was! I couldn't figure out how to get around on the big school, which is no longer a problem for me. Or the first week where I did not know where to sit at lunch. I remember that very clearly, but that is luckily not a problem anymore, either. But now I start to think "Wait! This means that I have little time left here!" And so I do. But as I mentioned above, I will use this time in the best way possible.
I just wanted to make this blog entry before I am going dog sledding. As I said in my post last time, I am very excited. The people there - the other exchange students - are so incredibly nice, and it is going to be a blast. A cold blast, but a BLAST.


Today I have to follow the World Cup in Handball 2011, where Denmark is in the final against France. I do realize that I just wrote that 'Denmark is a foreign country' for me now, but it IS the finals, and it IS the World Cup, and so I have to. :)


Hugs from me to you, spread the message about love and understanding, and support the Egyptians for their right to freedom!
Bella

Joining band and a snowfest

Hey girls and boys! 
I am sorry that I really haven't written that much in January, but it is so difficult to find the time now that we are approaching exams. And I really shouldn't be writing this post since I have to make an assignment for Monday and also study for a final test! But I will do it anyway! (Especially because I am sick and can not focus on anything else...)


Since my last post I have joined the School's Senior Band. It is all very exciting; even though I am just playing percussion right now while we are playing The Lion King. The rest of the people around me are the best; they are so nice and awesome! And luckily I am friends with some people in my little village that have their drivers license and can drive me to school early in the morning for practice. Good thing that they are in the band too! 

Uuh. What else has been going around... Oh yes! I think it was Tuesday I performed my last assignment for Drama with my wonderful group. It got a little bit messed up in the end, but I think my scene went OK and all around I was pretty satisfied. The play was called "A Thing of Beauty" and I played this rich woman who believes she knows absolutely everything about art. (Which she of course do not, since she thinks a piece of driftwood is made by Picasso...) It was quite a hilarious character, and I enjoyed it. 

This is Eddie (quite a funny musical fella') who played the main character in our play. He has an obsession with beards if you wondered

So wednesday I just wrote my final test for my Vocal Class and I think I did well. I was kinda freaking out about the test before, but then I did some studying with my wonderful teacher (who I just HAD to choose for next semester) and now I think I did allright in the test. Thursday was the day of my Final vocal performance where I sang a Danish song (in english) called Open Wide by Tina Dickow. It is quite a good song, here is a link if you are interested... Tina Dickow - Open Wide I'll see if I can upload my performance for you guys when I get the video. form my friend Rachel who recorded the video and also played guitar for me. She has been amazing


Today I went to this thing called a 'Snow Fest.' Even though I am sick, I still went out in the cold to see cool statues in snow and ice in -16 degrees celsius. Yep, it's pretty cold right now. Anyway, here are some pictures from it.

This was the coolest statue, unfortunately it wasn't done when this picture was taken, and when it was done I took a pic with another camera (of course this statue was made by a Canadian...)

People from the states coming over to make some snow art 

An ice-slide for the children (and me.)

Pretty sight! :) 

I think this is all for now. The semester is soon ending. It will be strange to make new friends in new classes, but also exciting of course! I think mostly I will miss my Foods Class and my Vocal Class. But many of the people I will meet some where else in the activities at the school. Cheers!!  

And so the school starts...

I know this is quite a random post. But I thought it was about time, now that it has been 14 days since I last wrote a post. It is not that I have done anything particular this week, nope. I have only been working on my ISU (it is like a final project for a class) and been busy with homework and stuff. I have to admit; it has actually been a week with a little bit of home sickness. It hasn't been bad at all, but I maybe think it has been the worst so far. I guess it is because of boredom of the homework! But now when I look at it; it will be better soon after the exams I think. 
Soon half of my exchange year has passed and now when I think about all the stuff that has happened, I realize how much I have 'grown' inside and how much has happened. When I got here first I didn't expect to get friends that quickly, but I am very happy I did. I have got a lot friends now. And what I like about that is that I can turn to different 'groups' of the school whenever I want to. I find myself in a very lucky position where I can talk with everybody without problems. This is achieved because I really want to talk with everyone and I do not only stick with the same people all the time. 
My friends are generally all older than me, about 1-2 years older than me. This means that they have their G2- driver license and can drive me around (if they are willing to of course.) In the beginning it was a little bit strange I think, but then I have realized that this is where I fit in.
To be on exchange isn't easy all the tme. I sometimes feel left alone, but luckily I have a nice host family, and some really good friends here to cheer me up. For that I am deeply grateful. 
I should really finish my ISU today, so I think this is all for now. I promise I will write a blog entry about my final performance on thursday in Vocal Music where I am playing the song "Open Wide" by Danish singer/songwriter Tina Dickow. In about 18 days I am going Dogsledding with the rest of the YFU exchange students and my friend Lindsay who could go dog sledding because there was three spots left on the trip. So yeaa, I am very excited for a lot of stuff! Cheers for now!

Christmas Holiday

Hello everybody! I hope you had a nice christmas/hanukkah/or just random holiday with everything that belongs to it (and of course a good start in the new year.) Myself? Well I would say it has been great to try something new this year by celebrating christmas the 25th instead of the 24th. The magic all started the 24th actually, when I went to the evening church service with my host parents. I was not really in the 'christmas mood/spirit', but after singing Silent Night with a candle in my hand I suddenly felt all warm and comfortable in my little body. I was prepared for waking up the 25th opening presents from Santa! But - I have never tried to celebrate Christmas Eve eating snacks and partying without a pork roast, dancing around the christmas tree, or opening presents. So it wasn't a christmas as I am used too. 

To me christmas is a time to think about others. Canadians are extremely good at charity and fundraising. This picture is from a day I visited a house playing music and having a light show for a good course. 

Christmas Day I woke up (actually quite late) and ran down the stairs to find my christmas sock full. Actually it was so full that there was a box of presents beside the sock... Apparently Santa thought I had been nice in 2010. I don't really know about THAT, but I just know I was very grateful. The best present in my sock was the many oil pastel colours I got, and I have been experimenting a lot with them. This was my second try:

I know it is not good yet, but at least it was a try. Haha. Anyways, YES, it is a picture of a Canadian landscape. (Though not from Ontario.)

During the day I had fun with the new stuff and family and friends came over to say merry christmas. Some stayed over to eat the christmas dinner. We got turkey and all sorts of good stuff together with the danish dessert, Ris Ala Mande, which is a rice pudding with almonds. After this I could finally open my presents under the tree, I got lots of stuff! (I do not really have the time to list it all.) 


The rest of the holiday (though it is not over yet) I've spent with friends and family. I made a gingerbread house, went to the cinema twice, been ice skating, sledding, had another exchange student over, read german books, etc. 

A gingerbread house close-up

The Gingerbread-team

New Years Eve was spent at my friends house. Of course I forgot my camera for this event, so you wont see any pictures. The only thing I can tell is that it was a nice evening with lots of laughs, and for counting down to the new year we were watching the countdown at Times Square in New York. I think this is all for now. Hope you guys are all set for a new year with lots of adventure, love, peace, harmony, and without thinking it is the last year to live in because of 2012. 

Happy New Year!