liza goes to denmark.: Christmas already???

I have been back in Denmark for a week now and it has been dark and cold. The sun sets at about 4:30 PM these days and it will only get darker earlier until December. It is weird to adjust to. Sometimes I wake up and it is still dark outside, and when I come home from school it is already dark. The one day that I slept in (until 10:30) I only had 6 hours of daylight! No worries though, the Danes compensate for the bleakness of the weather with their hygge-ness. I think I have had at least one hot chocolate (varme chocolade) every day since I have been back.

Although this week has been filled with actual school work (that's right I do go to school here...kind of), I have also had lots of fun! Thursday I worked at the preschool - it was so good to be back, I missed those kiddies. I learned a Danish song about a cockroach which I will have to sing for you when I am back!

Friday was J-Dag - the day Carlsberg released their Jule Bryge (Christmas brew). According to a touristy brochure called Copenhagen this week, there was supposed to be a huge event at the brewery with pixies, free beer, and lots of christmas cheer. This turned out to be a mistake though - and instead there was a staff party for the Carlsberg employees and....about 30 american students. So instead we ended up splitting off into smaller groups and going into the city. At every bar they would release the beer at a different time. So, in the end, we got our free beer and lots of christmas cheer (picture Danes dressed as pixies singing Jingle Bells on the streets which are covered in foam to look like snow). Quote from my host dad: "J Dag is more exciting to the Danes than the election is to Americans". I guess they have to find some joy in the dark winter months! Speaking of elections - it was amazing to see how much everyone in Denmark cared about this election, I was congratulated by many Danes for the outcome! Some even said they thought they should have been able to vote :)

I have also been spending a lot of time with my host family as always. Yesterday was my host farmor's birthday (grandmother - father's mother), and we had a very nice lunch and walk around the forest around their home. When they asked me what Danish I have learned in my preschool, I announced at the table "Jeg skal tysser" or - I need to pee, which got a lot of laughs. Although I am taking Danish class, I feel like I am learning a lot more Danish in the preschool - however it is 3 year old vocabulary.

I will try to write about my travels in the next week - but for now you can take a peak through my pictures!

Stockholm:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizadadiomov/Stockholm?authkey=piK24KUq9mU#

Tallinn:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizadadiomov/Tallinn?authkey=R9i6Y6C5MwE#

UK:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizadadiomov/BestOfTheUK?authkey=g6MRBNp1aaQ#

Czech Republic:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizadadiomov/CzechTrekAndPrague?authkey=i4Cjtd5CRzs#

Before I go to write my 9 page paper on Viking Art (ughh what is this "schoolwork" business all about!) I'll leave you with some pictures of my life..