Please Step to the Back of the Class

After several weeks of absence, I went to my Danish class today.  My mind has not been on Danish!  There are times when I go several days and never use a word of Danish.  It is something that has to be listened to and spoken every day in order to progress.

Our teacher Mette is amazing, and I wonder how I would be with this language right now if I had been attending a class with her 3 times weekly since we first landed in Copenhagen.  She has us reading aloud, translating from English to Danish, and Danish to English, writing down what she reads to us, and conversing in Danish.

When we first arrive, we sit down together and eat a simple lunch, while we talk about subjects of Mette's choosing.  Conversation is somewhat less than complex, yet we are all trying (with a focus as intense as we can summon) to understand and communicate.  After lunch, Mette puts us through the paces.

She asked us which conference talks we enjoyed most.  I know which ones I enjoyed most, and I remember the gist of what was said, but it was quite a struggle to express that in Danish!  The other two managed to share better than I did.

Today, we ended with a story.  Mette began the story and we each in turn added a sentence (from our own imagination) which furthered the tale.  The other two ladies did a great job carrying on the simple story line....but each time it was my turn, I sat there umming and uhhhhing and generally feeling like a dunce.  Oh well.  Tomorrow is another day.  I can live with being the dumbest in the class.  It is the least of my inadequacies!

After class, SK and I did some shopping for tomorrow.  One of the young women brought about 10 cans of tuna for dinner several months ago, and I keep thinking it is time to use them.  I have always liked tuna fish casserole, and SK thinks it is OK and will eat it, but he always wondered if I was upset with him when I fixed it!!!!  He thought it must have surely been retribution for some perceived wrong.   ---And so of course, I am wondering if people will come tomorrow night and say, Oh no!  Not that!

I will use my own white sauce with a little bit of onion, a little bit of parmesan and topped with crushed potato chips.  What do you think?

After our great and wonderful shopping trip, we walked to our favorite park....about a mile from here.  We haven't been there in months and we were curious how much of Spring has touched it.  It is getting there.  We figure 2 weeks and it will be in full-swing.  That is just about right for a special guest who will be here then.

Do you think I might convince the rotter to lay low?

Breathtaking right?

Do you see the small buds on the tree branch right in front?  

We passed a little shop with this little lemon tree bravely putting forth a crop of fruit that seems to overwhelm it.  SK is channeling Vanna White.