Hej Rotarians,
Well in comparison to all the others so far, this month has definitely been the slowest. So to speak. Still packed full of events and activities - just few and further apart. It was however my saddest month so far, as this was the dreaded 'Farewell Month'.
First on the to do list was the Haderslev Farewell Weekend from the 5th to the 7th June. This was held in Haderslev city for the District 1460 students to give us newbies (the students who arrived at the beginning of this year) all a chance to say goodbye to our oldies (the students that leave Denmark mid year). The supervising Rotarians gave us a weekend of 'our choice' activities, basically saying that we could do what we wanted to do as long as we were together and taking advantage of the opportunity to say goodbye. This freedom ultimately meant extreme Twister tournaments, heated card games, hardcore Australia vs. Brasil basketball showdowns and some downright messy waterskiing challenges (yes, Denmark has now warmed up enough for waterskiing). During the day on our second day however we were taken into the city for the towns annual Renaissance Festival. Here we got to joust, practise archery and watch a big, costume parade. We also took advantage of the warm weather and hired paddle boats for the day as well. This however proved to be a flawed plan when we decided it was safe to let the Brazillions (who we had beaten in basketball that morning) steer the boat. Their revenge? Taking us straight under the fountain in the middle of the lake. Repeatedly. Taught us a thing or two about gloating after beating them at anything. It was a great way to farewell those who were leaving, but two days definitely wasn't long enough. Our last day was spend signing flags and diaries, taking photos and saying our goodbyes.
The next few days were spent travelling around the city to say goodbye to the oldies whom we wouldn't get to see off at the airport. On the 14th June I played in a parents vs. kids football game for my younger host sisters team. We got absolutely creamed by the 10 year olds but had fun all the same.
From the 15th to the 17th of June there was a three night Farewell Party Marathon in my city which was great fun. Students came in from all over Denmark at one point or another for a night over the three day period and that meant a chance to say goodbye to students who weren't in my district and therefore were not at the Haderslev camp. On the 18th it was my younger host sisters birthday so myself and my family went for dinner and a movie together. The movie was entirely Danish and i'm pleased to report I understood almost all of what was going on. On the 19th one of my best friends from class had her 19th birthday so myself and 8 other girls went to a dinner for her to celebrate.
On the 20th my best friend from Australia, Mitchell, arrived in Denmark to visit me. It was a welcome relief to connect with a piece of home again, but also made me realise just how much exchange does impact (positively) on relationships and friendships. We spent the week eating out, seeing movies, relaxing in Kings Park (a well known picturesque park in the middle of Odense city that is the subject of many paintings and sketches) and meeting with other exchange students before he left to head back home.
On the 23rd, Denmark celebrated Sct Hans. That meant that all over the city, dozens of bonfires were burning in symbolism of the witch burnings that took place many years ago. Myself and a group of twenty or so other exchange students attended a bonfire in a neighbouring city called Middelfart and afterwards spent the evening around a smaller bonfire, where the Australians taught everyone how to make damper.
On the 24th I attended my host sisters graduation ceremony at our school. It is done very differently from Australia. Where we make speeches and accept our certificates alphabetically, the Danes sing many songs and accept their certificates in class groups presented by their teachers. Afterwards, each graduating class spends the evening on a 'Party Bus'. These are huge buses that are hired and decorated to suit each class, and spend the evening driving around the city and visiting each class members house for food and drinks in celebration of the graduation. The buses were decorated with signs saying things like "Honk once - boys drink. Honk twice - girls drink. Honk three times - we all flash" and "Exams? I don't remember taking any of them"! Every single graduating class from every single school in the city does this on the same night, therefore turning Odense into one epic horn-honking, beer-guzzling, student-screaming, balloon-popping party. The following day my host sister and her friends came to our house to have a more formal and sombre (due to their 'part bus hangover') graduation party.
On the 26th one of my exchange friends, Prue from Australia, came to my city for a visit and stayed with me for four days. In this time we attended another two farewell picnics as well as a farewell dinner. We also spent some time shopping for farewell presents and writing goodbye letters to give to our close friends. See? The 'Farewell Month' is very appropriately named. On the 30th I went to a Rotary meeting to give a presentation on my Eurotour. I met my final host family there as well as the Rotarian who had organised the tour, and got presented with an official banner for giving the presentation. The night was also special as they (much like the West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook club) were introducing their new President that evening, who happened to be the first female President ever of my club. After the meeting, I went to my final farewell dinner. This one was particularly hard as it was for my personal oldies, two American boys named Marshall and Scott who had picked me up from the airport on my first day in Denmark and been there for me every day since. Another emotional evening had for all that night.
So today, the 1st July, has been spent at the airport. Myself and six other students arrived at Billund Airport at 2.00am this morning to bid farewell to the first of three departures that day, Scott. After watching his plane take off we had roughly four hours to sleep and have breakfast in the terminal before the last two, Marshall and another American, Ryan, had to board their flight. Today has definitely been the hardest day of my year by far. Goodbyes aren't my strong point so having to do three of them withing a six hour period definitely wasn't a pretty site. The bright side however was the 'Passing of the Bowling Pin'. A tradition was started four years ago, when an exchange student won a bowling pin at a school raffle and decided to give it to his favourite newbie upon leaving Denmark. It's official criteria is that it has to be passed on to the newbie whom that person thinks will make the best oldie for the next generation of exchangees, and whom has had the biggest positive impact on their six months spent with them. I'm proud to say that today Marshall passed the Bowling Pin onto me.
So after a draining month of saying goodbye to alot of wonderful people and great friends, i'm looking forward to a relaxing summer holidays away with my family when they come to visit me next week. Sorry to say, next months report's going to be a doozy - i'm heading off around Europe again!
Hope all's well at home.
Kærlig Hilsen,
Caity
Drenched after being steered under the fountain
Half of the group in our jousting costumes
Sct Hans bonfire