Easter

I am learning about Danish traditions through Hugo’s børnehave activities. The preschool is on Easter break now, so yesterday (the last day of the term) they had a ‘formal’ lunch together, which is how many Danes celebrate at Easter. Each student brought food to share, and they dressed up in their nice clothing. They also had a short Easter service at the church next to the preschool (I think it’s a Lutheran church) and each child put a daffodil onto a wooden cross.

Daffodils (according to wikipedia) are traditional table decorations at Easter lunch.

One month

We’ve made it through our first calendar month in Copenhagen. We’ve achieved a lot … the days are longer! (a little bit). I can buy most of the things I need from the supermarket, and I hardly ever buy fish thinking it’s chicken anymore … although weetbix are still eluding me (I think we got some at the Irma or the Netto in the city … but I’m not traveling ALL THAT WAY* to get more). I have a Danish bank card and I CAN USE IT! (It helps when you use the right PIN). We’ve got bikes and we ride. I can get places on public transport AND I can get home again. Hugo will be starting preschool next week (hooray! This happened much more quickly than I was anticipating).

Last night we had our first language lesson. Ho hum. I have to say, considering we will be here only 11 more months, and this language is so difficult to speak (the pronunciation is just beyond me), I am tempted to stick to the basics and memorise “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Danish. Do you speak English?” and hope I never need to call anywhere that uses an automated answering service.

* All that way to the city … is actually about ten minutes on the bus, and I could probably ride it in about the same time.

I *am* that person now.

Yesterday, as I struggled to find the change to pay for my groceries … today as I failed to use my new chipped visa card properly (several times), irritating the cashier and the lengthening queue behind me … last week when I didn’t know how to use the ticket machine on the bus …

I *am* that person now, the one I’ve been stuck behind at the supermarket, the one I’ve rolled my eyes in irritation at, the one I’ve sighed audibly at … it’s such a humbling experience to be the person who doesn’t automatically know how things work, who can’t read even the most basic instructions, the one who struggles with the simplest of transactions.

I miss my bed.

I really miss my bed. I knew I would.

At home, we have a great bed. A really, really great bed. (House-sitters, if you’re reading this and you disagree DON’T DISILLUSION ME!!). It’s a king size ensemble, latex mattress … perfect for blissful slumber. I even have a great pillow.

The beds here are different. They tend to be made of two single bases bolted together with a thinnish mattress pad on top. The pillows are just small square things. Not bad exactly, just different.

There are a lot of things that are just a little bit different, like the milk - it’s pasturised, but not homogenised, so if you don’t shake it, you get chunky fatty bits (eww). Even the diet coke (my bad habit) taste a bit … funny. Different. Some differences are GOOD. Cornflakes are a lot paler here. Hugo loves them, they ‘taste’ so much better than Australian cornflakes, apparently. (I personally think it’s his preference for white foods, anything white, or close to it, passes the Fussy Eater test).

Still, it’s getting easier. I went to the supermarket and found plastic wrap!! And I didn’t even need to ask for help.

We had a huge expedition out to Ikea on Friday. We bought Sophie a cot, which I set up on my own (YAY ME!), we bought a whole lot of little bits and pieces we needed, we’re starting to get settled in here. I already want to go back to Ikea for all the “wants” as opposed to “needs”.