So its been 3 months since I left my home in the States. These 3 months have flown by. It has been 3 weeks since I last wrote a blog because we had a week break and I knew I wouldn't have anything important to say.
It was weird to have a break so early. In the states we usually have ours in November because of Thanksgiving. But since they don't celebrate it, obviously they will have it much sooner. I literally did nothing on me break. It felt so great to be able to just relax and I was able to talk to friends and family back home. I started to knit a scarf (which I still have not finished) and I bought the book Fifty Shades of Grey (which I still haven't read...)
I will say that I can feel the homesickness starting to set in. Though not as badly as I thought it would. I try not to dwell on the negative because I only have a limited time here. And its not that I miss "home" I just miss the USA. People had said that I would end up missing the sun, and to an extent I do but not enough to truly count.
It has gotten easier to adapt to the culture and my host family. At first they were shoving the culture down my throat and giving me no time to adjust and they don't really understand just how much we exchange students' have to go through.
As far as language....its getting there. I can understand when someone speaks directly to me but I can't respond full sentences yet. The grammar is absolutely insane! So at the moment I'm not looking to speak because there are grammar rules that we don't have in English and I can't put words into sentences if I can even get them into the right forms.
I was also able to see more of my second host family and I absolutely LOVE them!!! I can;t wait to switch in 2-3 weeks!
Though the greatest thing happened; I GOT NETFLIX!!!! It was probably the greatest feeling to be able to watch my favorite movies and catch up on my shows. All while I was on break :)
I'm not too crazy about school though...Its just a boring day for me. And one of my teachers tried to get me to do work!!! Yeah, no... That is not happening. Teachers forget that the books and work are in Danish...I can't fully read Danish so it is almost impossible fro me to do the work. Yes I can Google translate and then try to figure it out but that is such a hassle! AND I already took the classes that i'm in, I hated them the first time and I hate them even more in another language for a second time.
The Rotary students here in the Faroes (there are 3 of us) and the AFS kids got together to go for a walk/hike thing? There were AFS students who had already been on exchange (like Rotex) and there were about 4 of them. We walked along the river and to the "beach" where we then had some crappy hot cocoa and bread with butter (I still don't understand how people here eat SO much bread!!!) and then we went to the "fish aquarium/museum" I didn't even know it was there... and coming from FL, I have been to my fair share of aquariums and this wasn't really an aquarium but if the Faroese want to call it that then so be it. We ended up coloring for about 45 minutes....Then we finally went to one of the previous exchange students' house to eat dinner.
When you eat at someone's house in the Faroes, don't be surprised if people just randomly pop up... Everything here is so casual. Like is someone says they will pick you up at 18:00, they really mean they will pick you up at 18:45... That is one thing I can't stand! Everyone is always late or picking you up 45 minutes after they originally said they would! But I guess I will just have to get used to it or deal with but damn it sucks when you end up waiting 45 minutes in the rain fro said person to come get you...
I'm going to have to write another blog on more differences because I have come across even more since I wrote my last blog!
But that is all for now :)
Monday, October 29, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
9 Weeks In The Faroe Islands
October 5, 2012
Everyday I learn something new about this mysterious country. Like yesterday I learned that going to the doctor in the Faroe Islands is actually pretty useless. How so? Going to the doctor might help if you have a cold but that is about it. If you have a physical injury....your screwed.
There are so many differences here compared to back home.
The topic of food is something I get asked a lot. Overall the food in the Faroes is not very good. Most food here is bland and very simple. I can't believe how much bread is eaten here... I mean really, all they eat is bread and potatoes! They will put anything (and I mean anything) on bread, however it is typically something with fish in it.
Breakfast: Bread with something on it.
Lunch: 2 pieces of bread with something on them and a big carrot or a cucumber.
Dinner: Some kind of meat (usually sheep) with potatoes and sauce
As you can see, there isn't a whole lot eaten. Exchange students lose weight in the Faroes and it's not hard to see why. I literally lived off of bread,potatoes and milk.
Yes I have tried whale. No, it isn't good and I have tried it dried, baked, boiled, and cooked like a steak but the worst by far was dried. Faroese people have the strongest stomachs I swear.
Traditional Faroese food typically includes:
Whale (cooked different ways)
Dried sheep
Parts of sheep
Sheep head
Dried fish
And whale blubber
Food is not something the Faroe Islands are the best at. But the Faroese people are typically very nice. Though they are shy. As an American, we are described as loud, straight forward, and "in your face". I can see where that would be true with living in such a modest country. However with people being so shy and not wanting to speak English, I almost HAVE to be like that but no on such a blunt scale. Getting the people in my class to open up has been difficult that is for sure!
Once you do get people to open up, they may surprise you. Faroese people are social butterflies! Always going to parties or something of that nature. Now when I say they go to parties I mean they go to parties that last until the early hours of the morning! It is not uncommon for a get-together to last until 2 or 3 in the morning and even adults go these affairs that last so long. In America a party or a get-together will last (at the latest) 10-11pm on a weekend! Here, it doesn't matter if its the weekend or a weekday. Teenagers are usually always with friends all day and night. It scares my host family that I am not with people 24/7. Drinking is also a major part of the society. A majority of parents here don't care if teens drink here or if they are out all hours of the night.
Being in the Faroes has made me realize how strict America is, especially coming from the South.
Everyday I learn something new about this mysterious country. Like yesterday I learned that going to the doctor in the Faroe Islands is actually pretty useless. How so? Going to the doctor might help if you have a cold but that is about it. If you have a physical injury....your screwed.
There are so many differences here compared to back home.
- People don't smile or acknowledge someone walking down the street for one. This would be considered rude back home. I always smile at someone or at least acknowledge them but here they will look at you like you have 3 heads. This is one habit I will not pick up or take back with me.
- When at the dinner table you don't ask for someone to pass you something if it is out of reach. Oh no, you simply reach across for it, even if you are reaching in front of someone. I just imagine my grandmother slapping my hand or getting onto me about it.
- You don't greet someone with a hug or a handshake, a simple "hey" is sufficient.
- People here really are not big on touching, unless they are friends and even then it is very little.
- No one calls anyone by "Mr. or Mrs." and I mean anyone.
- Most people have 2 last names. The child will typically take the mothers maiden name as a middle name. This might be why no one says "Mr. or Mrs."
- People here are typically shy and very quiet.
- No one talks on the bus, unless those people are friends but even then it has only happened a few times since I've been here.
- Table manners don't really exist. Seriously. I can't stand it!
- 15 minutes late is on time. I'm a punctual person so this is hard for me to get used to.
- Dates are not set in stone because the weather can get nasty.
- Staring is socially accepted. Faroese people stare a lot. And I mean a lot.
- I would say 99% of the whole country is related to everyone by blood, no matter how small.
- Many people who are married are cousins...
- Everyone know who everyone is. If not by face then by name.
- I'm pretty sure everyone in my city knows who the exchange students are.
- Girls here wear leggings all the time as pants.
- Almost everyone has blue eyes and if you don't then one of your ancestors were raped by Pirates. This is seriously what they say.
- There are sheep EVERYWHERE!
- It is acceptable to curse like a grown man anywhere, including in school. Even little children curse like sailors. I'm still not used to this. At all.
- Teens don't have a curfew.
- You never wear your shoes in the house at any point.
- People drive like freaking maniacs!
- Quite a lot of people smoke here.
- There is WiFi in my school.
The topic of food is something I get asked a lot. Overall the food in the Faroes is not very good. Most food here is bland and very simple. I can't believe how much bread is eaten here... I mean really, all they eat is bread and potatoes! They will put anything (and I mean anything) on bread, however it is typically something with fish in it.
Breakfast: Bread with something on it.
Lunch: 2 pieces of bread with something on them and a big carrot or a cucumber.
Dinner: Some kind of meat (usually sheep) with potatoes and sauce
As you can see, there isn't a whole lot eaten. Exchange students lose weight in the Faroes and it's not hard to see why. I literally lived off of bread,potatoes and milk.
Yes I have tried whale. No, it isn't good and I have tried it dried, baked, boiled, and cooked like a steak but the worst by far was dried. Faroese people have the strongest stomachs I swear.
Traditional Faroese food typically includes:
Whale (cooked different ways)
Dried sheep
Parts of sheep
Sheep head
Dried fish
And whale blubber
Food is not something the Faroe Islands are the best at. But the Faroese people are typically very nice. Though they are shy. As an American, we are described as loud, straight forward, and "in your face". I can see where that would be true with living in such a modest country. However with people being so shy and not wanting to speak English, I almost HAVE to be like that but no on such a blunt scale. Getting the people in my class to open up has been difficult that is for sure!
Once you do get people to open up, they may surprise you. Faroese people are social butterflies! Always going to parties or something of that nature. Now when I say they go to parties I mean they go to parties that last until the early hours of the morning! It is not uncommon for a get-together to last until 2 or 3 in the morning and even adults go these affairs that last so long. In America a party or a get-together will last (at the latest) 10-11pm on a weekend! Here, it doesn't matter if its the weekend or a weekday. Teenagers are usually always with friends all day and night. It scares my host family that I am not with people 24/7. Drinking is also a major part of the society. A majority of parents here don't care if teens drink here or if they are out all hours of the night.
Being in the Faroes has made me realize how strict America is, especially coming from the South.
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