I got back on friday from my exciting week in an efterskole! As I've written before, an efterskole (after school) is a way more relaxed version of a boarding school. Kids in the 9th and/or 10th grade can choose to go to an efterskole. They are for both boys and girls and there are no uniforms. In fact, in my efterskole called Faaborgegnens Efterskolen (FAAE), you don't have to go outside to go to class - so essentially you can go to class in pjs and socks! My kind of school.. I was always a big fan of PJ day. 
the view from the girls' floor..
Our room.
Signe, me and Ditte.. my room mates!
an average class room.
We had about 5 classes, 3 classes a day. Each day there were different assigned times and people to clean the classrooms and hallways. Thursday everyone empties their dorms and cleans. There are 2 girls to a room and I bunked with 2 girls named Ditte and Signe. We had a lot of fun together! In FAAE there are different lines for things that interest you. Signe and Ditte were in Nature. So on Tuesday the Nature line rode bikes to Faaborg and caught the bus to Odense to go climbing in a climbing hall. However, I can remember my last very frightening climbing experiences and therefore made the wise decision to stay on the ground! 
Thilde
Mette
Climbing in Odense! Anna hanging from the wall..
me and Anna with vampire lollies..
Mia and me
Signe and me
Signe, me, Thilde and Brigitte.On Friday, my last day, Daiki and I were asked to get up in front of the school so the kids could ask questions about what it's like to be an exchange student.. and we were able to do the whole thing in Danish which makes me very proud! I think just in general everyone was really excited to have an exchange student and wanted to talk to me and ask questions.. which as an exchange student is the best thing! When I was in Næstved Gymnasium on ministay, the class ignored me completely and they didn't care at all that I was there. And that's tough when you're starting out somewhere new.. BUT I had a great experience in efterskole! I'm really happy I was able to try it out! I made so many new friends!
7 comments:
That sounds AWESOME! I wish Norway had that type of thing. It's the same here (that it seems like no one cares that there is an exchange student there). But I find if I make an effort to say things to them and participate, they are all really nice, just have their own lives. I guess it's just not like when we get exchangies coming to the USA, where everyone is REALLY excited to see you. :) Kelsey
I would say that people in the US are definitely more outgoing to people they dont know, yes, but GOD it is sooooo confusing for an exchange student who isn't used to the superficiality of many people here.. (by superficiality I mean showing a lot more interest than you actually feel)
But I mean, I do agree that it is nice with people showing interest!
And congratulations on your ability to do the entire presentation in Danish!!!! I know how it feels - and it is w-o-n-derful. I love it when I feel like the words flow out of my mouth.
I am really impressed with you though, because I had already studied English for quite many years when I came.
haha.. I can understand what you mean about superficial people. But I'm constintly shocked here when people show NO interest whatsoever.. look right through me or pretend they didn't see me. Even people who I've met and talked to before. And THAT hurts.. because you thought you had made a friend! and I don't think people here realize they are doing it either..
Yeah! I mean.. my danish is by no means perfect! But i feel more and more confident with it every day. And the fact I can have full conversations without switching to English or that me and my exchangie pals speak danish together now just WOWS me! I never thought I would be able to do that!
Yeah.. Danish people are like that. It annoys me too. (I'm part French. I was born in France and raised there untill I was 9, and then we moved to Denmark)
Danish is really hard to learn, because mostly the grammar rules don't even apply xD So you should be proud!
The thing I'm working on is my accent. People I don't know are always surprised when I tell them I am an exchange student - "because I have no accent", but my friends will occasionally make fun of the way I pronounce certain words.
haha .. yeah I get that too a lot. That I have an accent when I speak Danish.. but I'm thinking it's pretty normal! It would be weird if I didn't have an accent!
huh...you know im going to pretend that im not crying because if i do remember correctly i do leave comments on your blog but you know whatever, it only hurts a little. is this the school, you told me you could walk around naked if you wanted to? because it looks really cold
But "efterskoler" is a sheltered environment without connection to reality. A lot of the students struggle to survive afterwards when they return home from the very intense environment they live in for a year. In my hometown the authorities has a program for the homecomers because they are like former cult-members who is been cut of from their "family". They are alone and some choose life off. Maybe those places just need to be shut down because young people can not see how much they are damaged in the long run.
Post a Comment