Monday, June 25, 2012

Culture chok in your own country?

Today I've been in Denmark for two weeks.
It's weird, & I find it hard to describe it in another way.
It's weird thinking about I just spent what feels like a week or so but what really was 10 months in the US.
The people I met, the things I saw, tried & last but not least, ate.
I warn everyone who's reading this, as it is about to go from normal writing mode,
to ultra-nostalgia-cliché-let's-talk-about-our-feelings-I-can-so-relate-to-this mode. (with a bunch of random pictures from the last 10 months)
The first thing I thought when I arrived in the Airport, when I saw all these Danish people everywhere, speaking Danish & doing Danish things, was:" Holy Cow, I'm a stranger in my own country!"
I still get that feeling from time to time. Most things actually come in waves. Some days I'll be jumping around looking forward to this & that, while other days I might sit on my couch thinking about the past year and reminiscing like some old man.

I feel bad for my friends when it comes to talking about America so most times I just stop myself right there before I start blabbering.
And all the changes that ocurred while I was gone.
To see how old playgrounds have been redone and I remember passing an old park that had been cut in half for the benefit of some new subway system. I don't approve.
Most of my friends and cousins have also changed, some more than others. Either they've grown taller or broader or they've gotten deeper voices or they've become more aware and mature compared to what they were when I left.
All in all it's a minor culture chok. It was for me. I'm not saying every single exchange kid reacts this way, I've heard of people who went up in the plane, arrived in the airport, came home and just went about like nothing had changed. Others have experienced coming home to the loss of a family member or a dear friend. Every single experience is annoyingly unique but in a way the same.
I met a Norwegian guy in New York 10 months ago who had just lost his best friend in the Utøya massacre & couldn't attend the funeral because he had to leave.
I knew a Russian guy who had to go home for two weeks for a funeral and I lost a family member myself during the past year.

But I can't complain, I've come home to a sweet girl and some good friends & a loving family.
Of course I miss Judson & 'Merica and most things about it & I'd strongly consider it, if I was offered a scholarship to College (Only God knows what they would sponsor me for).


I don't know if this is the end of this blog. Maybe I'll change it into something else it really depends on what happens. Thanks for reading my posts and supporting me through this year including the competition a couple of months ago I couldn't have done it without you guys! (the king of clichés!!)
















ps. If you have any questions about returning to your home country or just interested in anything related to this blog don't be shy to contact me or comment I'll do my best to answer your questions.









And I leave you with a picture of mi familia.


- Niels Brandt Højlund Hansen

3 comments:

  1. Denmark must be great to keep you there so long.

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  2. Hej niels, jeg er en færing, der lige har fundet din blog, jeg skal selv i udlandet om 3 måneder, jeg skal til australien, og jag kunne godt tænke mig at vide hvordan du fik gang i din blog fordi jag kan simpelthen ikke komme igang.. :)

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  3. Hey færing,

    fortvivl ej, enten er det bare ikke for dig ellers så er du bare uinspireret - det er lidt ligesom at træne, det er først når du kommer ind i en rutine det bliver sjovt, men de første par gange kan være - ja, uengagerede

    ReplyDelete