Ålborg Karneval!

I just got back from visiting Ove, Solvej's dad up north in Pandrup! I took the train to on Friday (4 hours on the train.. with no seat) where Ove picked me up and we drove to Pandrup where he lives. It was a really nice visit.. we drove out to Blokhus by the ocean too and it's just so beautiful there.. especially when the sun is going down! Saturday we went to the Ålborg Carnival! I have never seen anything like that in my whole life. Chaos. Like the party of a lifetime. I thought of Ingrid and her crazy robot costume.. there were SO MANY awesome all-out costumes! Ove and I stood in one spot for over an hour and saw SO many cool costumes and crazy people! It was so cool.. and I am amazingly happy I got to see the carnival! I'll upload some of my favorite pictures and you can see the rest at http://picasaweb.google.com/perkypiano/VisitingOve#

Thank you to Ove for a really nice trip! love francine

Last Day of School

Wednesday was my very last day of school. It's so unbelievable. Honestly.. I have been counting down the days for the past 2 months. School was an obligation, I was just so bored.. and I really dreaded going. I went because I love my class and my friends.. but the fact that I'm done now! No more long boring classes that I can't understand.. no more surfing the internet and checking my email a million times. But also, no more goofing off with my friends, and going outside or to the canteen during breaks. I will miss them so much.. and it's taken me a while to realize how much I will miss them. After school Wednesday we had a picnic by the lake (because it was my last day) and it was so so nice! About 15 kids came and we had snacks and just talked and I took lots of pictures! I bought a Danish flag last week and had all the kids in my class sign it! And it is just SO cool.. that everyone in my class wrote me a little message!

After the picnic, I took the train down to Svendborg and slept at Vero's house! I was SUPPOSED to make pumpkin pie.. cough cough.. but I didn't and YES I feel bad Vero! But I WILL make it for you guys! I SWEAR! (I promised to make Pumpkin Pie for Veronica and her host mom Sophia and host sister Viktoria) Anyway, Vero made a really delicious lemon kind of pie! We all watched "the Butterfly Effect" which was horrible- I really hated it! It's so confusing.. and then Tarzan.. and went to sleep at 3 am.. hah! Thursday my pal Evelyn (from Guatemala) and Isabel (from Venezuela) came down to Svendborg and we all went to the beach and relaxed and got ice cream and just had a really nice day together!

Thursday night my class had a barbecue party at a girl in my class, Sara's house. I was literally home for 20 minutes from Svendborg and then Bjarke drove me to Sara's.. and it was SUCH a great party! So much fun! And such great food and company... I am lucky to have such wonderful friends! Here are my favorite pictures...

love francine

6 weeks to go..

Only 6 weeks left in Denmark. I seriously can't sleep at night.. I have so many thoughts running around in my head. It takes me an hour to fall asleep! "need to find a work practice for a week.. Jyllands tur next week... visiting Solvej's dad, Ove on Friday... need to buy a Danish Flag.. need to visit everyone (!!) .. need to buy a ticket to Rock Under Broen music fest.. need to say goodbye to my class.. two more days of school" There's really so much to think about!

I'm a list kind of girl. When I can't sleep I make a list of all the things I need to do the next day. I have 5 lists now. We had a really nice breakfast on Saturday morning at home and then I took the train down to Svendborg on Saturday morning and spent the weekend with Vero! We spent HOURS on Saturday planning our last 6 weeks here in DK. We decided on three bike trips we are going to do.. but you will have to wait to hear about those! We are going to visit Kyla's host family (Vero's contact family) and make dinner with them in a couple weeks! Thursday we're going to have a "Svendborg Sightseeing Day" for all the Fyn exchangies because it's a holiday, so no school! Lots of things are happening..

On Saturday night.. like 9 pm.. Vero and I decided to bike out to a little island called Thurø to visit the church graveyard and see if we could find a "seamerchant" we read about on the internet. It is such a beautiful island.. especially at night before the sun goes down!

But the other day it hit me. I found out I leave DK the 29th at 12 pm. I know the date and time.. that makes it real. I also found out what time all my friends are going home. And I just broke down. I might never see my friends again.. we might never be together again. These are the kids of shared everything with all year. We have been through the same things, we have helped each other through it. They are my best friends. I have to say goodbye to Bjarke and Solvej. I don't even know HOW I will do that. They say they will have a party when I leave (hah!) but I will miss them so much.. they have done so much for me and really been there for me.

I have to say goodbye to my class on Wednesday.. two more days. That's unbelievable to me. I can say I will NOT miss school. But I will miss my class.. they have been a great class and welcomed me from my first day. And it has meant a lot to me.. knowing my class cares about me.

I think having a plan will help get me through these last weeks. Not sitting at home being sad. I need to get out and do and see as much as I can! and I have quite a few ideas...

thanks for reading! love francine

Picnic weather..

All last week was rainy and just cold and crappy outside. Evelyn and I were together from Thursday afternoon until Saturday night! haha.. I love her! We just have a blast "doing nothing" together.. and I can't even tell you how much I am going to miss her. And leaving her behind gives me this icky feeling in my stomach (hopefully because i'm sad.. not because i'm sick!)

Sunday Evelyn and I had planned an exchangie picnic up on a hill by the lake! Luckily after 7 days of rain, it was such a beautiful day. Blue sky. No wind. 10 of my best pals.. and chocolates. Ok and Isabel from Venezuela brought carrots. hah! Just a plain wonderful day. A day for the books.. Here are some of my favorite pictures. But you can see my pictures, and Pablo's pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/pablobuitrago77/Ringe?authkey=Gv1sRgCKPBhqfPn_GHeA# and http://picasaweb.google.dk/perkypiano/PicnicInRinge#

Thanks to all my pals for a fabulous day! I love you guys..