It seems as if spring has sprung. The sun has been shining, the trees are in blossom and there are vintergækker and erantiser everywhere. It is so beautiful, but it's still cold.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Bowling with My Friends
My class had a bowling hangout put together so that we could all be together outside of school. I thought that it was a great idea, and it was even more fun because almost everyone came. We bowled for an hour and then hung out and ate pizza. I had lots of fun even though I am not the best at bowling. My group included: Ellen, Kirstine, Lukas J., and myself.
Trying a New Horse
Today going to riding. I had had my mind made up that I would be riding on a new horse. The first thing that I did was ask if I could ride an other horse than Fussie. Bente said yes, but there was still time to get ready later so first, I wanted to go over to Fussie and say hi. I told her that I wouldn't be riding on her but I still wanted to be friends.
Sofie (turns out that it is spelled with ph), came later and started getting ready right away. She was going to ride on a pony named Rigina. As I got Amira ready with Moster Lone, I was a bit nervous because it was a different horse than usual and I didn't know how it acted. The reason that I chose Amira was because 1) I thought she looked like Pippi's horse and 2) I was told that she was super sweet and 3) I wanted to ride a new horse.
Before the lesson started, Moster Lone walked me around and told me not to worry. Once the lesson started, we started trotting around. It felt as if Amira already respected me. She followed my commands and stopped when she was told. The one thing I like more about Amira than Fussie is that she doesn't get aggressive around the other horses. Later in the lesson, we were told to gallop. I have never galloped by myself on any other horse than Fussie. This time, Silke and Sophie galloped at the same time on their horses and I did it on leash.
It turned out to be a good lesson and Amira is a sweet horse.
Sofie (turns out that it is spelled with ph), came later and started getting ready right away. She was going to ride on a pony named Rigina. As I got Amira ready with Moster Lone, I was a bit nervous because it was a different horse than usual and I didn't know how it acted. The reason that I chose Amira was because 1) I thought she looked like Pippi's horse and 2) I was told that she was super sweet and 3) I wanted to ride a new horse.
Before the lesson started, Moster Lone walked me around and told me not to worry. Once the lesson started, we started trotting around. It felt as if Amira already respected me. She followed my commands and stopped when she was told. The one thing I like more about Amira than Fussie is that she doesn't get aggressive around the other horses. Later in the lesson, we were told to gallop. I have never galloped by myself on any other horse than Fussie. This time, Silke and Sophie galloped at the same time on their horses and I did it on leash.
It turned out to be a good lesson and Amira is a sweet horse.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Jylland
We woke up early on Thursday to go to Jutland to visit my mom's friend, Mette, her husband, Peter, and Bob Marley. We drove to Allerød, took the train into Copenhagen and then got on a bus. It was nice and warm and it was easy to settle in and count the 3 hours until we were there. We were all very excited. I read my book and Stella was on the iPad. Mom slept and looked out the window. Mom and Mette have known each other for over 30 years. They have gotten together a couple times during our year here but haven't caught up all that much. Mette had just gotten a new house about a year ago, and designed it herself. The past times that we had visited her over the years was at her old house. We would stay for a while and go to Legoland. This time was different. We hug out and went "sightseeing" as well as visiting some of Mette's family. When we arrived, Mette picked us us and took us to her house. We chatted for a while and then ate dinner. When dinner was done, we caught up a bit more and then went over to some mutual friends, Finn and Dyna. These are friends that we have gotten to know through Mette and Peter when they all came and stayed with us one Christmas in California.
The second day here was a bit of an adventure day. We woke up and ate breakfast and before we went "sightseeing", we went and picked up Mette's niece. She is thirteen and in 6th grade. Emilie, Mette's niece, is also very nice and cool enough, goes to an art school.
We went to the Jelling stones, Egtved (where the Egtvedpigen was found), walked around in the Engelsholm Castle garden, went and saw some Robert Jacobsen sculptures, and looked around in Bindeballe Kømandsgård. The day was a bunch of fun and it was great to have spend it with close friends.
The next day we hung out and chillaxed. Later in the day, we went over to Mette's mother's house and got Bob Marley, the dog. Mette's mother has lived in that house since Mette was a little girl and it was cool to see how it was full of beautiful antique furniture and cabinets. We had some soda and homemade pastries over there and had a good time. When we got home, we got to see Bob Marley do a couple of tricks, and as I helped make dinner, he begged successfully getting the vegetables he wished for.
Sunday afternoon it was time to leave after our great visit. We enjoyed the day, and when it was time to go, we had said a good farewell. Mom and I both had a very hard time leaving and by having that experience, we started to think about how hard it will be leaving Denmark and our family and friends here.
Pictures from our trip to Jutland here.
The second day here was a bit of an adventure day. We woke up and ate breakfast and before we went "sightseeing", we went and picked up Mette's niece. She is thirteen and in 6th grade. Emilie, Mette's niece, is also very nice and cool enough, goes to an art school.
We went to the Jelling stones, Egtved (where the Egtvedpigen was found), walked around in the Engelsholm Castle garden, went and saw some Robert Jacobsen sculptures, and looked around in Bindeballe Kømandsgård. The day was a bunch of fun and it was great to have spend it with close friends.
The next day we hung out and chillaxed. Later in the day, we went over to Mette's mother's house and got Bob Marley, the dog. Mette's mother has lived in that house since Mette was a little girl and it was cool to see how it was full of beautiful antique furniture and cabinets. We had some soda and homemade pastries over there and had a good time. When we got home, we got to see Bob Marley do a couple of tricks, and as I helped make dinner, he begged successfully getting the vegetables he wished for.
Sunday afternoon it was time to leave after our great visit. We enjoyed the day, and when it was time to go, we had said a good farewell. Mom and I both had a very hard time leaving and by having that experience, we started to think about how hard it will be leaving Denmark and our family and friends here.
Pictures from our trip to Jutland here.
3rd Day of Winter Break
Stella and her friend Josefine went to the movies. They saw a Danish movie called "Far til Fire" and they had a good time. While they were at the movies, Mom and I went shopping. A little retail therapy and time with mom. Just what I needed!
ISM Lottery
The ISM lottery happened on the 11th of February. I was SUPER nervous about getting in, especially now because I thought at the beginning of the year: we will go to Denmark for a year and then go back to ISM and what we are used to. Of course! That is just how it was and would continue to be. On the morning of the 12th, Mom came into my room with a neutral expression. I had a hard time going to sleep the night before because of thinking so much about it. I looked up at Mom and she looked a little sad. We didn't get in...
I felt okay at first. I was sad, but it just needed to sink in. I hadn't yet realized it. Sometimes if you are hit by a shock you feel confused, sad and hurt all at once and you just need time to think and take it in and breath. Some shocks are harder to realize than others and this one is pretty hard. Stella is taking a longer time realizing that we didn't get in than I have.
When I first heard, I felt a light blue. I felt light blue because it just started soaking in and I was sad about the fact. Throughout the day, that blue got darker and darker. I also felt red. Red as in angry and scared. Not at anyone at all, but just at how we didn't get in. Purple as well. Purple means confused. I was very purple over what had happened. I know that there might still be a chance of getting in, but we don't know if anyone will leave ISM in the grades that we need. All I know right now is that Stella and I did not get into ISM. I feel so sad. I only know ISM - it's my family, my comfort. I don't regret my time here in Denmark one bit, but I can't help feeling very, very sad not being able to return to my familiar surroundings and to graduate from ISM.
All of this is very hard to take in, but we will figure it out and by two months into the next school year, it will be our new normal, hopefully....
Many have said to calm down and don't worry but it is harder to do when it is actually happening to you for the first time. Here is some of the good advice that I have gotten...
I felt okay at first. I was sad, but it just needed to sink in. I hadn't yet realized it. Sometimes if you are hit by a shock you feel confused, sad and hurt all at once and you just need time to think and take it in and breath. Some shocks are harder to realize than others and this one is pretty hard. Stella is taking a longer time realizing that we didn't get in than I have.
When I first heard, I felt a light blue. I felt light blue because it just started soaking in and I was sad about the fact. Throughout the day, that blue got darker and darker. I also felt red. Red as in angry and scared. Not at anyone at all, but just at how we didn't get in. Purple as well. Purple means confused. I was very purple over what had happened. I know that there might still be a chance of getting in, but we don't know if anyone will leave ISM in the grades that we need. All I know right now is that Stella and I did not get into ISM. I feel so sad. I only know ISM - it's my family, my comfort. I don't regret my time here in Denmark one bit, but I can't help feeling very, very sad not being able to return to my familiar surroundings and to graduate from ISM.
All of this is very hard to take in, but we will figure it out and by two months into the next school year, it will be our new normal, hopefully....
Many have said to calm down and don't worry but it is harder to do when it is actually happening to you for the first time. Here is some of the good advice that I have gotten...
"Danya, there are no certainties in the world (save death and taxes), but there is absolutely no reason to grieve. I strongly urge you to separate from the sadness and feelings of loss. Sit tight. Love what you're doing and experiencing. Love the people around you. Hold on to your friends. Skype! And stay in touch through Facebook, if you can." - MSped
The Botanical Garden
We went to Copenhagen to go and see the Botanical Garden and shop.
In the Botanical garden, we saw a huge amount of plants from around the world. There were around 4 large greenhouses and a HUGE greenhouse with a few rooms inside. I was so impressed!
The Botanical Garden is part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. The garden contains the largest collection of living plants and also holds three gene banks. The garden is affiliated to the largest Danish herbaria collections with plants and fungi, and is furthermore linked to the central library for botanical literature in Denmark, Botanisk Centralbibliotek.The purpose of the Botanical Garden is to add to our knowledge and understanding of the diversity of the vegetable and fungi kingdom, and through that advance the knowledge of plants and fungi and their conservation. Another purpose of the garden is to strengthen the interest in national and global nature values.
In the Botanical garden, we saw a huge amount of plants from around the world. There were around 4 large greenhouses and a HUGE greenhouse with a few rooms inside. I was so impressed!
The Botanical Garden is part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. The garden contains the largest collection of living plants and also holds three gene banks. The garden is affiliated to the largest Danish herbaria collections with plants and fungi, and is furthermore linked to the central library for botanical literature in Denmark, Botanisk Centralbibliotek.The purpose of the Botanical Garden is to add to our knowledge and understanding of the diversity of the vegetable and fungi kingdom, and through that advance the knowledge of plants and fungi and their conservation. Another purpose of the garden is to strengthen the interest in national and global nature values.
Pictures from the Botanical Garden here.
Going on a walk...
On our first day of Winter Break, Stella, Mom and I went on a nice walk in the warm(er) spring weather. It was very beautiful and relaxing to go and get some fresh air.
With this beautiful weather, we decided to go on a walk together with Moster Lone and Mormor. We drove up to Gilleleje and went for a walk on the beach. It was very nice and a beautiful day!
With this beautiful weather, we decided to go on a walk together with Moster Lone and Mormor. We drove up to Gilleleje and went for a walk on the beach. It was very nice and a beautiful day!
Slumber Party!
I went to my friend, Solveig's, house for a slumber party for her birthday. All the girls from my class was there. Her parents had made up an awesome menu.
Velkomstdrik m/æblechips
Tunmousse m/ristet brød
Kalvesteg m/hasselbagte kartofler og waldorfsalat
Kanelæble m/is
We ate and had fun playing games together. After dessert, we saw Hunger Games and chatted. When we woke, the was a huge breakfast and a bit more "hygge"...
Riding
I went to riding with Mom and Stella and a bunch of flødeboller. We went out after a week of thinking over what happened and how it would happen this time. This time, there would be no falling off and only doing what I felt was comfortable. When we got out to the stables, we were the only one from my riding group that was there. I went over to Fussie and got her all brushed up until she shined. Mom and a couple other moms helped with the saddle and the bridal. Once Fussie was ready, a few others from my group came. They were almost done with getting ready too.
We started riding in the stable. We did dressage in trot and a couple exercises. When we got to gallop, I followed along doing my best. Jumping came and I got a bit nervous. I didn't feel like doing jumps in gallop and Bente understood and thought that it was normal that I was afraid. I did a few jumps in trot and then, after being convinced, did two in gallop. It felt good to do it and I hope that soon I won't be afraid of jumping.
Next time, I am planning to try a new horse, though it will be weird after riding Fussie for so long. I will miss her and have a hard time seeing someone else ride her or her standing in the stall. I will really miss Fussie, but she will always be in my heart.
I got to hand out the flødeboller and say a good farewell to Fussie.
We started riding in the stable. We did dressage in trot and a couple exercises. When we got to gallop, I followed along doing my best. Jumping came and I got a bit nervous. I didn't feel like doing jumps in gallop and Bente understood and thought that it was normal that I was afraid. I did a few jumps in trot and then, after being convinced, did two in gallop. It felt good to do it and I hope that soon I won't be afraid of jumping.
Next time, I am planning to try a new horse, though it will be weird after riding Fussie for so long. I will miss her and have a hard time seeing someone else ride her or her standing in the stall. I will really miss Fussie, but she will always be in my heart.
I got to hand out the flødeboller and say a good farewell to Fussie.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Forest Walk
Mom and I went to the Allerød forest before all of the snow was melted. We walked and skated through the trees and it was very peaceful and fun. The forest is a good place to see the seasons and a good place to go to take a breath.
Frost in the Theatre
We went to the movies with my aunt, uncle and his family. We saw the movie Frozen - here it's called Frost. Stella has been searching everything about this movie on youtube and has seen all of the musical parts. She explained a lot of the movie and we sure felt prepared... ;-)
It turned out to be a really good movie! Afterwards, we went to Morbror Anders's house and made pizza and hung out. It was a fun day!
It turned out to be a really good movie! Afterwards, we went to Morbror Anders's house and made pizza and hung out. It was a fun day!
Sledding
I have been sledding with my friends and now also with my family. Mom decided that we had to go sledding before the snow melted. We borrowed Mormor's beautiful, old sled (the one my mom went sledding on when she was a kid). We went to the hill behind Uggeløse church where I had been sledding with my friends. Mom hasn't been sledding in a long time and had a bunch of fun. Stella hasn't really ever tried sledding, so she had a great time....
After sledding, we walked across the street to a field covered in ice and snow. Stella went skating there the other day and wanted to show it to us. It was really fun!
After sledding, we walked across the street to a field covered in ice and snow. Stella went skating there the other day and wanted to show it to us. It was really fun!
Riding with Fussie
I went out to riding with confidence and with my Mom and Moster Lone by my side. I was very excited that I would be riding on Fussie again but possibly for the last time. I had decided that if I continued to ride on Fussie, I would have an even harder time saying bye to her, but I still needed to ride on her one more time so that I wouldn’t be afraid of jumping on her since last weeks fall. I brought some flødeboller with me, like promised. When we got out to the stables, my friend, Sofie, was very sad about something. Tarzan, the horse that she loved, had been sold. Bente seemed distant, and Mom and I both noticed it immediately. She was not her usual cheery self.
We started the lesson and everything was going smoothly and very fun. We did a lot of trotting in dressage, pony training (I think that that is what it is called… It is where you go, for example, through cones, one handed, with a rock in your hand. It is a way for the rider and the horse to work even better as a team.), and gallop. When we galloped to the left, I couldn’t do it right and I was a bit disappointed when I wasn’t allowed to try again. We finally came to jumping. I was a bit nervous when Bente started pulling the jumps out because I wasn’t 100% confident, though it was better to do it now than wait a long time and then be even more nervous. Throwing yourself out in things helps most times.
We started off with pole work. I tried my very best because of my aunt (an exrider) and because there were a couple more people than usual watching. Slowly, Bente raised the jump to a low cross. That was it for the jumping. I pulled Mom over and I told her that I was happy for the great lesson, but sad that I didn’t get to jump very much. She misunderstood me and went over to Bente to ask if I could jump after the lesson to overcome what happened last time. Bente agreed, but suddenly she pulled out a jump and told everyone, “Danya is going to jump now so please move out of the way.”
The jump was about a meter high, way too high for my comfort zone. I listened to Bente, though, and tried it anyways. Fussie went around the jump twice, so Bente lowered it to about a meter high, the same height as the one where I fell off. I set Fussie in gallop. She jumped. We landed cleanly. She continued in gallop but then I fell right over her head, right down on my face. The tears streamed down my dirt covered cheeks; not because I was hurt but because I was very, very disappointed that I had to fall off. The first thing that I did was blame my mom for asking Bente without my permission. I realized that it was wrong of me and I shouldn’t have blamed her.
By the time my tears stopped and everyones words of comfort and compliments slowed, everyone was almost all gone and I didn’t hand out any flødeboller, and it was time to go. I decided that this wouldn’t be the last time riding on Fussie, but hopefully the last time for a while that I will fall off.
After telling some of my rider friends at school, the best advice (from Solveig, a girl in my class that has ridden 8 ½ years) was, “Just grab onto the horses neck if that happens again. That’s what I do…”
Next time I go out to Bente, I will come excited, proud and prepared. I’m gunna kick ***!
We started the lesson and everything was going smoothly and very fun. We did a lot of trotting in dressage, pony training (I think that that is what it is called… It is where you go, for example, through cones, one handed, with a rock in your hand. It is a way for the rider and the horse to work even better as a team.), and gallop. When we galloped to the left, I couldn’t do it right and I was a bit disappointed when I wasn’t allowed to try again. We finally came to jumping. I was a bit nervous when Bente started pulling the jumps out because I wasn’t 100% confident, though it was better to do it now than wait a long time and then be even more nervous. Throwing yourself out in things helps most times.
We started off with pole work. I tried my very best because of my aunt (an exrider) and because there were a couple more people than usual watching. Slowly, Bente raised the jump to a low cross. That was it for the jumping. I pulled Mom over and I told her that I was happy for the great lesson, but sad that I didn’t get to jump very much. She misunderstood me and went over to Bente to ask if I could jump after the lesson to overcome what happened last time. Bente agreed, but suddenly she pulled out a jump and told everyone, “Danya is going to jump now so please move out of the way.”
The jump was about a meter high, way too high for my comfort zone. I listened to Bente, though, and tried it anyways. Fussie went around the jump twice, so Bente lowered it to about a meter high, the same height as the one where I fell off. I set Fussie in gallop. She jumped. We landed cleanly. She continued in gallop but then I fell right over her head, right down on my face. The tears streamed down my dirt covered cheeks; not because I was hurt but because I was very, very disappointed that I had to fall off. The first thing that I did was blame my mom for asking Bente without my permission. I realized that it was wrong of me and I shouldn’t have blamed her.
By the time my tears stopped and everyones words of comfort and compliments slowed, everyone was almost all gone and I didn’t hand out any flødeboller, and it was time to go. I decided that this wouldn’t be the last time riding on Fussie, but hopefully the last time for a while that I will fall off.
After telling some of my rider friends at school, the best advice (from Solveig, a girl in my class that has ridden 8 ½ years) was, “Just grab onto the horses neck if that happens again. That’s what I do…”
Next time I go out to Bente, I will come excited, proud and prepared. I’m gunna kick ***!
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