Danish class today kept us on our toes. Our teacher Heidi moves right along and is very fond of calling someone's name and then addressing him/her in Danish. If she draws a blank stare, she elaborates in Danish. All of it can be intimidating, but it is also kind of exciting. She is pushing us and we are barely managing to stay up with her.
We took the bus to the center this evening for our monthly meeting with the institute director, mission president, stake president, stake high councilor and the three officers in the YSAs. It is always interesting to watch the interaction and respect each shows everyone else.
We had hoped for news about the pending move, but were disappointed to find out that we have no word yet on where or when we will be moving. For awhile there, we thought we would be moving next door to the Queen! But someone else got there first and it has already been rented. So we are back to square one with the powers that be ...they will be out looking for sites tomorrow morning.
The word now is that the place we currently occupy will rent to us month to month until they find a new renter. The earliest that we can actually be in a new place is May. So it is very possible that we will be meeting in a church in the area for a few months. I am sure that means no CRUD...which would be a great disappointment to the YSAs....not to mention SK.
The missionary spirit is very strong in the center, and by month's end they plan to go on splits with the missionaries to visit less active YSAs. I am positive that it will net great results.
The meeting tonight was entirely in Danish and everyone spoke rapidly. I understood so little. This is such a rare occurrence that it always stuns me. I am so accustomed to speaking English to everyone, or having an interpreter nearby. I sat there for an hour and a half listening intently, catching words and phrases and running them through my addled brain. By the time I had made sense of one sentence they had moved on to another topic! I know this is good for me. In the long run, it should help my Danish.
It is amazing that one can live in Denmark indefinitely without learning Danish because almost everyone speaks English well. In fact, one of the members of our Danish class is a man by the name of Tony from America. He has lived here for 8 years and has never been back to the States. He gets along fine just speaking English wherever he goes. But like us, he wants to learn to communicate in the language of the country.
Another item from our meeting tonight is that we will be cooking a meal for maybe 50 or 60 on Friday night, as well as Thursday night. Boy....I hadn't decided what to have for Thursday yet! This will take some major planning and effort on my part. Normally I need Friday to recover from Thursday!
We will have a YSA temple night and we have invited the YSAs from Northerm Denmark and Sweden, so we may have a lovely crowd that night.
I guess this calls for chocolate.......then I'll decide what to have for Thursday and Friday.
That does sound like quite an undertaking to be fixing big meals 2 nights in a row! Have you been keeping a "dinner journal?" I bet it would help to look through that to find some of the easiest meals so far and hopefully there will be some crossover as to ingredients!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will pull it off like a champ!
Love you! Erin
I have been keeping a dinner journal and have tried to put down what I used for ingredients and how it was received...what was most popular.
DeleteThat is a great idea about easier meals and crossover ingredients. I am not sure that we have made a meal yet that would qualify as easy...except for the night the stake paid for take-out pizza. It would probably all be easy for Ethan or Melissa or you or any number of people. Love you!
Wow! - Up in the air as far as quarters for your center - fast paced language class- and meeting - and two big meals to prepare one day after another. Do you get any help -other than Stan- in the meal preparation??? Chocolate will fix anything :)
ReplyDeleteHave you ever done chicken caciatori (or however it is spelled)? (chicken in spaghetti sauce instead of gr. beef) Or have you done chicken enchilada casserole? (Instead of putting all the stuff in a rolled up tortilla - you cut the tortillas in half or quarters and layer them with the chicken sauce.) Both of these are fast and can be stretched a long way. Even rice with the chicken sauce over it is good.
Or - you could just serve chocolate! Chocolate will help you learn the language too - I am sure. L&P L&P L&P
Judy....you and I think alike! I need to tuck some chocolate in my little Danish book bag. That will help me through for sure.
DeleteNo, Stan is my only help. I think when we have figured out where the new center will be, we will have a committee which will be in charge of helping with meal preparation and cleanup. We will see on that one.
I have jotted down your ideas for meals and will probably be serving one or more of them in the next month.
Thanks so much!
Wow!! I'm sure your Danish will be coming along nicely with all those classes and meetings. Good luck with both meals!!
ReplyDeleteThank you My Dear! I certainly hope so.
ReplyDelete