How Time Passes, Truly It Chalks Me!

My plane ride to France for my "proto-exchange" with Maxime, my family's exchange student. (2015)

My plane ride to Denmark. (2017. Can you tell which Callum is more excited?)

My first ever official shave, when I finally deemed my scraggle long enough to peel off. (2014ish)

My first ever OFFICIAL shave in Denmark! I already miss my beard, he'll grow back stronger apparently, though I'm still not entirely convinced, Mom! (Today.)

And with that I bid you hello, cherished readers.

A quartet of photos which highlight at the very least, the physical changes I've gone through as my journey has progressed. 

So it's Christmas! Or very nearly Christmas, which is good enough to be Christmas in Denmark. What a month this December has been! I've been to Tivoli, the Eksperimentarium, I've visited Frederiksborg Castle (for the second time), we visited a Julemarked (Christmas Market), and I've baked more than I have in my whole LIFE!!! I baked Nanaimo Bars, and helped out with some Marzipan/Chocolate Balls of goodness. And no, I haven't baked very much at all, it's true.

There's also been practically all of November and some of October that I neglected to blog about but fear not, I'll try to highlight some of what happened then as well. 

Let us begin. And I'm going to try a new strategy, of breaking this up into specific posts about specific things, and see if that fits better. To start with, I went for a trip with Lani's (my first host mom) friend Linea and her son Toke to Møns Klint (Møn's Cliff) which needless to say, was pretty amazing. This trip took place way back on October 15th! There may not be a ton of elevation in Denmark, but where there is... Well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, with some colour commentary by me of course.

My first view of the cliff. Eye-poppingly huge in the land of fields & gently rolling hills.

A fuller view of the cliff from the south. We visited on a foggy day, which gave the cliff a totally special atmosphere.

The cliff consists of mostly chalk, and a few other minerals, but there's also a surprising amount of life clinging to the nooks and crannies at the base of the rock formation.

As stated above, while most of the cliff is chalk, there is a menagerie of little curiosities to explore. I hope I get the chance to visit again because there is a plethora of things to do and see at Møns Klint.

Somewhat infamously, a devastating form of erosion occurs at Møns Klint due to the nature of chalk's reaction to large amounts of moisture. Every so often, truly vast and hulking shelves of chalk will abruptly slough off into the sea. Like a glacier. There have been tragedies before due to unforeseen shelf collapses, so experts monitor the cliff regularly to track when it's most dangerous to be walking at the base of the cliff. The above photo was taken from within a large crevasse which I'm fairly certain was made by one such shelf collapse.

Candid selfie with Toke. I'd like to thank him and his mom Linea once again here on my blog for their generosity, kindness, and willingness to put up with a goof (especially shaggy as you can see here!) like me. They're both wonderful people!

A waterfall grotto flowing from a little stream down Møns Klint, whose significance is great. The moisture seeps into the chalk and BEGINS THE PROCESS OF EROOOOOOSION!!!

This is literally just a cool tree. :) Roots exposed and all.

Alright, that was the changes I've gone through since before my exchange started and now, and also my trip to Møns Klint. See you in the next post!

-Callum

2nd House Tour (W/ Host Brother Cameo)

You ask, I deliver! I know a lot of people have been wanting to know what my new host family is like so I got out a brief video looking in on my living situation. Hope you like it!

-Callum

Kronborg Slot (August 24th 2017)

It's November 11th.

A day of remembrance in Canada.

So I'm going to recall all the things you blog readers have missed out on while I've been busy. For starters, I visited not one, but two castles!

As might be evident from my expression above, I was quite delighted that my host mom Lani graciously offered to take me to visit a CASTLE!

This is Kronborg Castle, most famously known as the residence of Hamlet (Yes, that Hamlet.) It was really quite something, especially since I got the opportunity to be a part of an interactive showing of the Shakespearean oeuvre itself! I traded verbal repartees with the King, and also got to have front row seats to the death of all the characters. I can't bring myself to tag that with spoilers, considering the play was written over a hundred years ago.

This video shows the approach and subsequent entrance of the castle. It gives you a sense of how this was a castle first, and an estate second. There are many layers of defence, and while I get the feeling that some of these were rolled back upon the castle being renovated for the modern era, I feel quite confident that the murder holes and arrow slits that would reasonably be expected to be found inside the gatehouses were probably filled in for one reason or another.

This video highlights the view of the coast of Sweden, as well as demonstrating how thick the walls were in properly fortified castles. It also demonstrates what a giddy goofball I become when it comes to medieval exploration. It should also be noted that any castle worth its machicolations will have multiple layers of defence. You might not be able to spot it in the video, but in the above pictures, specifically the one giving a view of the central building, you can see that it is sheltered on a hill behind thick walls. Those walls, are further hidden behind two moats and the wall you see me run through a tunnel under to find shelter from "those damned Swedes" who could theoretically make landfall on the exposed coastline. There truly is a wealth of history and education to be found when visiting any of these beautiful and majestic locales, and I hope to visit at least a few more castles before my exchange is finished.

These two videos give you an idea of what to expect should you opt to visit Kronborg Slot on any given day. The castle hosts interactive plays, including Hamlet, and one can if one is punctual in fact view the full (abridged) performance. It involves running from location to location in the castle's exterior and interior, as different locations provide the staging for each new scene. And I must say, that even if it is not exactly how Shakespeare intended the play to be performed and watched, it was certainly a unique experience, and a blast to explore the castle alongside the colourful characters whose story is inspired by real-world history that took place in the very castle itself.

These are just a few of the moments I captured on film. The actors were quite talented. They deftly showcased the humour, tragedy, drama, and suspense of the play. It was yet another grand example of why plays cannot truly be understood through merely reading them. They MUST be performed, and thus captured, in memory living and vivid. Of course, that's the dramaturge in me, but there you have it. And of course it wouldn't be a collection of moments from Hamlet without his iconic monologue. I am afraid I might have missed out on the oft-quoted bit, but then again, you know how it goes. Because of the uniquely interactive nature of the play, I also got to take some selfies with the actors before or after their scenes. 

I also had quite the cool improvised sequence with the King while I was busy taking pictures of the Scribes' area. Of course, because of that I wasn't able to record the exchange. It went something like this;

King; What are you doing?

Me; I'm err, copying these records, my lord.

King (turns to Ophelia's Father); Is he a spy?

Me; Oh, I'm not a spy my lord. I'm a humble apprentice scribe, who has travelled here to learn from the best, the Danish, my lord. Yours is the finest castle in the land!

King; Hmm, you're quite the obsequious one, aren't you?

Me; To be obsequious, my lord, is to serve you as best as one such as I can.

END SCENE

Weeeeeeell, that's how I'd do it if I'd had another go. My actual interaction was a bit choppier on my part, but can you blame me? No, you can't! And it was freaking hilarious! I would absolutely love to see one of these types of performances again. They're awesome.

Overall, I highly recommend visiting Kronborg Slot, especially if you're a medieval/drama nerd like me. It's really impressive, and well worth your time.

-Callum

Catching Up

Hey Blog Readers,

I first have a confession to make.

...

I may be a writer, but I am not a blogger. It might not be an indictment that I do not leap at the chance to wax eloquent about myself for many, many long paragraphs of text, as it's quite possible nobody would read that either, however I ought to be able to keep you posted on an at-least monthly basis. I stand by my affirmation that I can and always will need a secretary, and strangely enough, nobody's jumped at the employment opportunity.

Of course the more expedient method would be to become my own secretary, but who has time for that? Right then, debts incurred, payments due. If you've remained utterly out of communiqué with me save through this blog, you've missed out on the events of my exchange during all of September, and most of October. So without further a-due...

An outline.

I can already hear your boos and shrieks, your hisses and moans! At ease, voracious blog-devouring folks! I would like to give you summaries that will satisfy, cover extensive amounts of my activities, and give you some idea of why I've been busy enough to think about my blog, but not write more on it. (Sure, that's an excellent excuse...)

Outline;

1st post; September, Danish Parties, Rotary District Conference, Copenhagen Fiasco, Meeting My Second Host Family, Cooking, Rotary Meetings, and Language School.

2nd post; October, Middelaldercentret, Holbæk, and Mønsklint, as well as 3rd month status report and ambitions/goals from here forward.

***

Very loose, and just some of the points I hope to cover. Having made literally zero posts in September means it may very well be the longest post I ever write, and I really ought to realize now that many small bite-sized posts would work better and be easier for my non-blogger brain to work with.

So stick with me Blog Readers, I'm trying to get good at a lot of different things here, and blogwriting kind of got slapped on the backburner. But I have plenty of new experiences to share with you! I'm hesitant to set a deadline for these next two posts, but keep an eye out for them.

-Callum, who will finish these two posts before November comes around.

(Crap, I think I set a deadline...)

The First Two Weeks (And A Half?)

"This Saturday or Sunday, you can expect an entry summarizing the week's events." -August 9th 2017, Callum Arnold

Hej!

So... Yeah. I underestimated things a good deal. Denmark is keeping me busy! It's the middle of the third week of August, and things are still accelerating! My schedule is by no means empty and there will be a plethora of things for me to wax eloquent on during the months to come! I'm sure you're all starving for more information, and so I will now feed you a abbreviated account of the past two weeks, more or less.

Week 1

I arrive in Copenhagen, get picked up by my new host parents and become acquainted with my new quarters.

                                                   Sayonara Amsterdam!

                                                   First view of Denmark!

                                                   Across the Øresund, Sweden!

                                                   Happy, tired Callum finally arrives!

It's quite a nice room, and you can refer to the video I posted over a few days after I got here if you don't believe me, but of course, I'm a creature of habit. Thus, any space I inhabit must as an inherent law pertaining to the Callum-Force, become cluttered and as disorganized as the contents of my eclectic brain.

                                         Behold the mighty Callum-Clutter!!!

My host family took me to the beach, to swim in the Kattegat bay? Fjord? Body of water? It was salty anyway, and full of waves! I haven't got any pictures of the beach yet, but my host mom Lani has said that we can visit the beach on a windy day with lots of waves, so I'll be sure to bring my camera and post when we do.

It did not take me long to realize that school would be beginning a lot sooner than I'm accustomed to, and yes, that's correct. I'm in school, RIGHT NOW. That being said, I don't actually have to be concerned with school during June, when I'll be on the EUROTOUR!!! (HYPE!) Which means that effectively, school begins in the middle of August, and for yours truly, ends in May. I may as well discuss that as I seem to have brought it up. I've already been here two weeks, and it feels as though I've only been here two days. I'll be back in Canada by the 17th of June. Even in ELSS, the time seemed to fly as the year went on, and I can't imagine how much quicker it will go here in Denmark.

Because I'm a giant nerd, this idea reminds me of Dr. Manhattan;

                Experts say that Dr. Manhattan may be the founding member of the Blue Man Group!

He's a comic book character who, among other things, experiences time non-linearly. Essentially he witnesses events in the past, present, and future simultaneously. For us regular mortals, the same can actually be said as being true-ish. Insofar as that our experiences of the present are so fluid that we perceive the illusion of stillness, while in reality we're really swimming through time. Only, time is in something akin to a fourth dimension, and I'm tangentially wandering towards Einstein, physics, and supremely inexpert approximations of science, so...

TL;DR: My exchange is really flying by, and it's catching me off-guard.

Like I already mentioned, I'm in school. This school specifically;

                                         About as big, if not bigger than good ol' ELSS!

And I'm making friends!

                           From left to right; Your dashing narrator, Tobias, Katarina, and Julia!

The rest of the first week of my exchange after going to the beach, trying Rugbrød, playing Scrabble in Danish, as well as Ludo, was spent in introduction days at my school. Friday night, I had an evening dinner at the school after which I came back to my house to participate in a farewell party for my host brother Scott, who is currently on exchange in Bolivia. I should add that Scott is a year younger than me, but also cooler than me, more fashionable than me, and a really stand-up guy. Shout-out to my bro Scott Bavnhøj! :D

                                  See? WAY COOLER! THIS PICTURE IS SO FLATTERING! :D
Week 2

This week is fresher in my mind, obviously. It began with me going to school, in earnest. I'll take this opportunity to expand on the subjects I'm taking in school, at least for the first three months (I'll explain in a sec).

If you thought I was going to have a time of things learning Danish on my exchange you'd be correct. Thus my participation in a Danish class (alongside a language school outside of the Gymnasium) would be a given. You might also, if you're Danishly literate, be aware that many Danes speak English quite fluently. So you'd be right in guessing that I also happen to be taking English which is definitely not a burden for this smith of speech, this reciter of rhetoric, this proselytizer of prose. What probably none of you could guess is that I'm actually taking Spanish and Latin too. Oh yes. It's awesome. I didn't realize that in going on exchange, my goal of becoming a polyglot (speaker of 5+ languages) would be closer than I thought. Assuming I gain a measure of competence in every class, I'll be able to converse in English, French, Danish, Spanish, and Latin! GLORIOUS LANGUAGES! I AM A GIANT NERD!

                                                 Sure Grumpy Cat, I believe you 100%.
Oh yeah, and Spanish and Latin are being taught in Danish. Has your jaw hit the floor yet? XD

The rest of my curriculum is decidedly mundane, by comparison. I have two science classes, Geography and Chemistry. I have a math, music, and physical education class. And I have sociology.

At least until November. You see in the first year of Gymnasium, students are given three months of general tutelage before they are given the choice of which path they desire to pursue. Science, math, business, language, etc. Can you guess which path this self-avowed language nerd has already decided to take? So I'll definitely have a blog post (honest!) talking about that in November.

Anyway as to the actual events of the week, I was party to Scott's departure, spent some time with Lani's mother Malfrid, Scott's grandmother. She has so many old books in Danish, and she generously loaned me two on the subject of Viking history. It was also from Malfrid that I learned that my host family's bloodline stretches all the way back to the first settlers of Iceland! My host mother and her mother are descended from Ingólfur Arnarson, a Viking settler who was the first man to live in Iceland! They have a book of genealogy that goes back to the year 900! I'm staying with members of a 1117-year-old Viking family. If nothing else indicated it to you, this fact more than any other qualifies my exchange as a success, and a decision I am INCAPABLE of regretting.

                                 Ingólfur Arnarson, in a BADASS statue located in Reykjavik

So to sum up the rest of the events of these past two weeks, I visited my town's library, attended my first Rotary meeting (forgot to mention it, that was during the first week), purchased a book in Danish to practice reading, visited the Fælleskabet (market street in Frederiksværk), visited a havn (port) and had some seafood, and a ton of stuff I'm forgetting right now.

Today

And so today, I had my first real meeting with my fellow inbound exchange students. I connected with many of them, and am eager to continue to do so during my intro camp which will be taking up the entirety of the next week. My only other thoughts on the camp; Crap, I need to pack! And do laundry! And finish writing this blog post!

                         You might be able to spot me, but only the top of my head WAY in the back!

We explored Christiania, the anarchist, alternative, bohemian neighbourhood which sprung up out of an abandoned military industrial area shortly after World War II. And there's this infamous street we weren't allowed to take pictures of. Let's just say that you wouldn't be out of place wearing a rasta cap and blasting reggae, if you catch my drift? The busiest time of day on this particular street is 4:20? Okay, so basically they smoke the Devil's Lettuce.

                                         Down this road are many, many stoned dudes. XD

But that particular street aside, Christiania is beautiful, idyllic, and placed near the heart of Copenhagen. They've developed a really interesting society, which while I have my doubts about its success on a larger scale, seems to be working for them. There's tons of history in such a relatively small area of square kilometres. And yes, essentially the reason why we're required to be accompanied by a Rotarian or our host family is entirely because of the street where people #420Blazeit. But our guide through our little tour of the neighbourhood explained that the police often raid the street due to the illegality of selling marijuana, and while he essentially made it clear that Christiania didn't condone their presence, he also explained that everybody was allowed to come into Christiania as long as they obeyed the rules of the neighbourhood which were agreed upon by all of the residents as a community. Thus they can't exactly kick out the marijuana sellers, because that would compromise their principles of supporting a free society for everybody to cohabit in. So all in all, it was a mightily intriguing and eye-opening stroll through what would otherwise be just another regular neighbourhood in Denmark's capital city. I highly recommend that you visit if you get the chance, and I will probably visit again myself before my exchange is over. Especially considering they have these people called the Kvindesmedien, or in English, the Woman Blacksmiths of Christiania. Now I won't go into a nerdy rant about why I need to go back into their shop and ask if I can poke around, but according to our guide these women provide smelting services to the entire neighbourhood. If you ask me, that's pretty badass.

                     They exude coolness, and if you can pardon a bad pun, they're SUPER METAL!

The actual intro meeting we had after the tour of Christiania was pretty standard, and we just went over the rules and had some of our questions answered. I did learn that I have a district conference and talent show coming up though, so again, more things to look forward to!

Conclusion

So in closing, I hope I've made it clear how much has happened in a fraction of the time that I've been on my exchange. It really seems like I to be choosy about what I blog about, and really captures the milestone moments in my exchange. So don't expect me to blog about the mundanities of classes in school, or the day-to-day grind. I'll try to play to my strengths and make it memorable for you the readers, and for me as well. After all, I'm going to probably read through these entries and remember much of my exchange year through the lens of these written words. I truly can't say how much I'll be writing down, or whether I should try and meet a quota of words. I can actually say with more confidence when I won't be able to write for the blog, like next week for example.

Still, I hope I'll be able to capture enough stories on here to preserve the essence of what this exchange is like for me, in the moment. I've already got plenty of material to go off of, and more coming, even as soon as tomorrow in the form of a visit to Kronborg Castle, to see a live performance of Hamlet! Heavily abridged no doubt, but no less significant for that fact!

                                         CASTLES! I FREAKING LOVE CASTLES!

I wish you all the best, my readers, whoever you happen to be. Myself, of course, and most likely several others near and dear to me, though those in particular can expect personalized correspondence, which is yet another thing on my to-do list. I leave you with all the promise of more stories to come, and the extended offer of a look at some new writing I've begun while on exchange to keep my pen-nib sharpened, so-to-speak. I won't put it up on the blog but if you're curious, you can contact me on Facebook or by e-mail and I'll send you a private link.

This is Callum, reporting in from Frederiksværk, Halsnæs Kommune, Denmark! Signing off for now...

Venlig hilsen og godnat min venner!

I am still alive!

Hej!

Allowing for a few days to get settled in and get my bearings will make it easier to write, once I've put a little distance between myself and the plethora of new experiences I've had. For quality's sake, I'm sifting through all of the notable things I've already seen and learned and identifying the kernels of gold that I will actually be interested in reading and that hopefully you will be interested in reading as well!

So until this weekend, when I'll probably be posting most often, (weekends, I mean), blog readers can enjoy this short look into what my digs are like! This Saturday or Sunday, you can expect an entry summarizing the week's events. Until then,

Venlig hilsen!

-Callum

Departure; First Leg (Sudbury - Toronto)

Hej!

So I've finally set out for my grand adventure! I must say, it certainly snuck up on me. Even while we went through all the preparations and tasks we needed to do, somewhere in the back of my mind, it all felt fake. As though we'd get to the airport and somebody dressed in ahistorical viking regalia would hop out from behind a pillar waving the Dannebrog and exclaiming "This was all a prank! You couldn't possibly have believed this would actually happen!"

And yet, it did. And is happening right now. I was especially unprepared to deal with saying goodbye. My reflexive hugs and kisses, and my words of farewell all came easy, but when I had to turn my back to my loved ones, those present and absent, and actually leave... Well, it was difficult.

I have had the undeserved good fortune and luck, of having truly wonderful parents and sister, and they have provided me with a plethora of mementos and practical tools to help me on my way. This first flight out of Sudbury went off with almost no hitch, save perhaps the fact that I reluctantly handed over my backpack to one of the cargo dudes, fervently hoping that the next plane will have more spacious overhead storage space. And it most certainly will, given that overseas flights are much more bulky in general. Once I get on board the flight to Copenhagen, hopefully there will still be enough space. That being said I will probably consider moving several of the more precious items from my backpack to my laptop bag.

Anyway, I've gone over the sweet things my family has left with me for the trip, the flight itself, and my overall sense of disorientation, having actually taken the first step on my exchange. Hvad kan jeg sige? (What can I say?) It's going to be awesome and scary and exciting and as a certain dubiously indecorous politician might invoke in reference to his now defunct dreams of daring division; IT'S GOING TO BE HUUUUUGE!

:D

Venlig hilsen (warmest regards),

-Callum Arnold

Undskyld På Pause! (Sorry for the break!)

Hej!

So my blog readers, I have a confession to make. I have nothing interesting to blog about yet. Time has passed, Rotary meetings have been attended to, I have read my books on Denmark, and I have sort-of, kind of, maybe been working on learning Danish.

I have after all read The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. That book was full of insights into how Denmark might be seen from a foreigner's perspective. I've also read Courage and Defiance, a book about the German occupation of Denmark in WWII. This coupled with my following of a handful of Danish YouTubers has led to a very basic understanding on what Denmark is like, but if I were to be honest with you blog readers, I would say that I am much more anxious to write from personal experience.

This blog may be especially important during the first three months that I am on my exchange, seeing as it is during the end of that period that I am told, that most exchange students experience the worst bouts of homesickness. Despite the warnings however, I fail to see why a mere quarter of the way through my exchange, I would be feeling homesick. After all, a quarter is halfway to halfway, and only three quarters away from coming home.

Now that school is done, I feel a sort of expectance from myself to really sink my teeth into preparing for exchange, and perhaps I will do just that. After all it was only today that I managed to wrap up my writer's craft elearning course, thus officially ending my school year. That being said, I have a meeting to arrange, at least one meeting, with a nice lady who lives in town and speaks Danish, and that would definitely be worth writing another post.

All told, I suppose there isn't anything wrong per se. Mostly, I am just busy. And also not busy. I can only do as much as I can do, and if I am doing less I must strive to do more. There it is.

As for my Danish, I'd have to rather amusingly put in that I had a dream wherein I was dreaming in Danish. If only, in Danish place names, but the point still stands. It's a good sign. The emails I've received, from Denmark, have been brief and to the point. They seem terribly strict when it comes to the language, however I welcome this particular challenge. Seeing as I could probably carry on a halfway comprehensible conversation in broken Danish before having even left Canada, I am most curious to see what kind of language camp they have planned. To give you an idea of where I'm at, here's a few sentences.

"Hej, mit navn er Callum Arnold. Jeg behover til spiser en rød æble og tager bilet til Halsnæs. Vil du tager mig med de til ser byningerne?"

Which translates roughly, by my understanding to...

"Hi, my name is Callum Arnold. I need to eat a red apple and take the car to Halsnæs. Will you take me with you to see the buildings?"

And according to Google Translate;

Hello, my name is Callum Arnold. I need to eat a red apple and take the car to Halsnæs. Will you take me with them to see the towns?

Whoops. I mean, I guess it's not as embarrassing as mistakenly asking your host mom for her underwear (That happened to somebody!) or accidentally expressing your admiration for  a reproductive organ to a room full of people (That also happened apparently!). But yes, obviously I still need lots of practice, and it's really quite imperative that I get some hands-on experience with the language.

And actually, having done a bit of experimentation, it would seem that I wasn't so far off, and Google Translate really is just broken.

Byer = Cities OR towns

Bygninger = Buildings

Bygningerne - Buildings TOO

Lots of people have been remarking on how Danish is a really hard language to learn.

I'm undecided as to the verdict on this particular issue, but I am ready to learn!

-Callum Arnold

Min tale er færdig! (My speech is finished!)

Hej!

So with my Rotary exchange meeting coming up this weekend (expect a blog post covering that too), I thought I should spread the good news! My speech is done! Or at least, it's mostly done. I still need to polish a few details, and I am very much in doubt that I will be using good pronunciation in any capacity. Still, I'll soldier through and do my best! I still need to add some information about the club which I have to add in before I can memorize it in full. It's supposed to be five minutes, and I'm beginning to wonder if I went a little overkill...

Oh well! Wish me luck, as ever I will probably have need of it. What follows will be a complete transcript of the speech in Dansk, as I will have to say it this weekend, and immediately after that will be an English translation, which I only wish I could memorize and say instead. Still, if nothing else this will be an excellent new challenge to cut my tænder (teeth) on!

Complete Speech in Dansk;

Hej, mit navn er Callum Arnold. Jeg er sytten år gammel, et stolt Canadian, og et heldig medlem af dette års vagtplan af Rotary udveksling studerende. Jeg har to forældre og et vidunderlig søster, såvel et få søskende fra udveksling program. Min favorit skole emner er sproget, fortid, og drama. Jeg er planlægning på tager et eksamensbevis i fortid og statsvidenskab og indstigning lov skole efter jeg graduere fra højskole.

Jeg er fra byen af Elliot Lake, i feltet af nordlig Ontario, i Canada. Elliot Lake er et smukke plads fyldt af natur, venlig mennesker, og activiteter for den unge og den gammel. Min favorit plads til besøg i min hjemland er den skibakken i løbet af vinteren, eller strande i løbet af sommeren, eller den stier i forår og efterår. Året rundt, Elliot Lake er et smukke plads til besøg, og jeg kan sige med fortrøstning det Elliot Lake har noget for alle. Jeg er meget heldig til være født der, idet det er et vidunderlig by for barn til opvokse i.

Jeg har mange interesser, men mine største interesser er alle forbundet til at se på det store billede. Jeg kan lide sprog, fordi de viser mig, hvordan mennesker kommunikerer med hinanden. Jeg kan lide politik, fordi de viser, hvordan mennesker samarbejde med hinanden. Og jeg kan lide fortid, fordi det viser, hvordan mennesker har været siden starten af ​​vores eksistens. Mine tidsfordriv afspejler mine interesser, og jeg læse, se film, og har samtaler med folk, så jeg kan udforske mine interesser med dem. Det er ikke meget dansk at prale, så jeg vil blot sige, at jeg har udgivet en bog, klarede sig godt i sport, og tjente min provinsens parlament, men at jeg stadig har meget at lære.

Jeg ønskede at gå på udveksling, fordi jeg er i et sted i mit liv, hvor jeg har brug for vækst og forandring. Jeg ønsker at se verden, de mennesker, der bor i det, og hvordan de lever. Jeg ønsker at lære af dem, og tage deres visdom til at gælde for mig selv. Jeg har altid betragtet mig selv nogen, der tænker stort, men jeg tror, ​​at udvekslingen vil udvide min horisont på måder, jeg kan ikke forestille sig. Mit liv har brug for en stor forandring, og et år i udlandet fordybe mig i en ny kultur og folk ser ud som den perfekte måde at starte denne ændring. Jeg er meget heldig at have levet det liv, jeg har. Jeg ønsker at gå på udveksling, så jeg kan sætte mit lykke til god brug, og gøre verden til et bedre sted ved at dygtiggørelsen mig selv.

Jeg valgte Danmark for min udveksling, fordi det er en virkelig fascinerende land. Uanset

om det er vikingerne, titlen på verdens lykkeligste land, eller endda de smukke kyststrækninger, er der ingen ende på den awesome liste over unik dansk oplevelser. HC Andersens eventyr, Søren Kierkegaards filosofiske afhandlinger, Lars Von Triers filmografi, eller Dronning Margrethe II familie historie. Jeg er overbevist om, at der er en guldgrube af ting at opdage om noget land, du besøger, og Danmark er et af mange. Jeg formoder, at der er to faktorer, som påvirkede mit valg af Danmark. For det første var på liste over lande at vælge imellem. For det andet, Jante lov er en meget interessant fænomen at udforske. Den danske vej, at støtte fællesskabet ved at være ydmyg og samarbejdsvillig, i stedet for arrogant og egoistisk, er noget, som jeg tror Canada selv har en lille smule af, som drog mig til Danmark.

Complete Speech in English:

Hello, my name is Callum Arnold. I am 17 years old, a proud Canadian, and a fortunate member of this year’s roster of Rotary exchange students. I have two parents and a wonderful sister, as well as a couple exchange siblings. My favourite subjects in school are languages, history, and drama. I am planning on taking an undergraduate degree in history / political science and entering law school after I graduate from high school.

I am from the town of Elliot Lake, in the province of Ontario, in Canada. Elliot Lake is a beautiful place full of nature, friendly people, and activities for the young and the old. My favourite place to visit in my hometown is either the ski hill during the winter, or the beach during the summer, or the trails in spring and autumn. The seasons in Elliot Lake make it a beautiful place to visit year-round, and I can say that there is something for everyone with confidence. I am incredibly fortunate to have been born there, as it is a wonderful town for a child to grow up in.

I have many interests, but my greatest interests are all connected to looking at the big picture. I like languages, because they show me how people communicate to each other. I like politics, because they show how people cooperate with each other. And I like history, because it shows how people have been since the start of our existence. My pastimes reflect my interests, and I read, watch movies, and have conversations with people so that I can explore my interests with them. It isn’t very Danish to brag, so I will simply say that I have published a book, performed well in sports, and served my province’s parliament, but that I still have much to learn.

I wanted to go on exchange because I am in a place in my life where I need growth and change. I want to see the world, the people who live in it, and how they live. I want to learn from them, and take their wisdom to apply to myself. I have always considered myself somebody who thinks big, but I think that the exchange will broaden my horizons in ways I cannot imagine. My life needs a big change, and a year abroad immersing myself in a new culture and people seems like the perfect way to start that change. I am very fortunate to have lived the life that I have. I want to go on exchange so that I can put that fortune to good use, and make the world a better place by bettering myself.

I chose Danmark for my exchange because it is a truly fascinating country. Whether it’s the Vikings, the title of World’s Happiest Country, or even the beautiful coastlines, there is no end to the awesome list of uniquely Danish experience. Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, Søren Kierkegaard’s philosophical treatises, Lars Von Trier’s filmography, or Queen Margrethe II’s family history. I firmly believe that there is a treasure trove of things to discover about any country you visit, and Denmark is one of many. I suppose there are two factors which influenced my choosing of Denmark. First, it was on the roster of countries to choose from. Second, Jante’s Law is a very interesting phenomena to explore. The Danish Way, of supporting the community by being humble and cooperative, instead of arrogant and selfish, is something which I think Canada itself has a little bit of, which drew me to Denmark.

So yeah, all in all this is a pretty solid speech with the exception of some extra information about the club that I should sneak in somewhere. Hopefully over the course of my exchange, as I give the speech more it should come more naturally, and I may even streamline and polish bits to make it flow even better. I think if I remember this all the way near when my exchange ends, which seems like a lifetime away right now, I'll post a second transcript, and compare the two side by side to see how my understanding of the language has grown!

So until Monday, this is me signing off, grumbling faintly about having to memorize a five-minute speech in a foreign language!

-Callum

P.S. "Mange Hilsner!" I have learned, is the way that the few Danes I've been in contact with so far sign off their correspondence, and it translates to many regards! But again, I'll be making a post just to talk about the emails I've received, and my Skype call with my Rotary Councillor in Denmark, after the weekend excursion is done. Until then, Mange Hilsner! 

Før Marts Pause (Before March Break)

Hej! (Hi!)

Så, jeg vil gerne lærer mere Dansk for min tale. (So, I would like to learn more Danish for my speech.) But until then, I have to keep working at it. My comprehension is for sure getting better, but vocabulary and casual usage remain tantalizingly out of reach. I have begun in earnest to read The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell, and even though I may have some gripes with certain mannerisms in her writing, the book is an overall helpful and insightful look into Danish life.

I'm going to be spending the time with my mother's family over March Break, or Marts Pause, as the case may be, and it should be relaxing. That said, I have plenty of work to sink my teeth into while we're there, Danish and otherwise. Thus far, I have next-to-no-readers on my blog, which I suppose defaults to it being for my own personal use. So in the interest of being productive, and keeping a record for future reference, my speech should cover the following (in flawless Dansk);

-Who I am (basic info)
-Where I'm from (Hometown, country)
-My interests and pastimes, and achievements
-Why I wanted to go on exchange
-Why I wanted to go to Danmark

If I can make each of these strands last a minute, I already have a five minute speech, so I guess I'll have to keep brushing up on Dansk, and see if I can't strike up some conversations with the Danish speakers I've been put into contact with, who for consistency I will list below;

-Birgit, who lives here in Elliot Lake
-An exchange student from Denmark, currently in Italy, whose name eludes me
-Another exchange student from Canada who went to Denmark last year
-Yet one more exchange student who also went to Denmark some years ago

I have at least four people to hold samtaler (conversations) with, so I don't have an excuse!

I'm off to Dansk it up,

-Callum