Hugs.

I don't know if i've talked about hugging yet. Or more specifically to hug or not to hug. It comes up frequently when first meeting your host family, other host families you haven't lived with yet, and their families. It's awkward. Horribly uncomfortable. I think everyone has experienced it at one point or another.
Going in for the handshake...The spasm of hands, arms, and upper body flailing and flinching awkwardly and bobbing side to side trying to read the other persons body language. Realizing they intended to hug you and resulting with an horrible half hug/pat on the back.

Or what more frequently happens to me, which is even worse. Going in for the hug. I am a hugger. I like hugs. I think they're a friendly way to greet someone without overstepping the other persons personal boundaries. But Danes are weirdos. I go in for the hug, they stick out their hands, either i end up feeling like i'm smothering them with my overstepped display of personal affection or i quickly withdraw myself, placing my palm against theirs.

I have developed a hugging system, one that i feel is socially acceptable here. When you are first meeting someone, for example you're host moms' sister...you shake there hand. When saying goodbye you hug. And from then on the hugging barrier has been broken and you can feel free to squeeze away.

Sometimes it just takes a little determination. Sometimes all these Danes need is a little push. I think to myself No, we've met about 34617864826 times. We've had conversations. You hug all the other family members in the room. I am not going to be the awkward foreign child who gets the handshake. We are hugging. And you'd think that after initiating the hug over and over again it would begin to become a natural thing. But no, every time i am offered the hand.

To all those thinking of hosting an exchange student. HUG THEM. Hug them when you first meet them. You handshake with strangers, this kid is going to be a part of home. They are family the second they step into your house. That may seem strange, because yes they are technically a stranger...but i swear to you they will appreciate it.

Or maybe not. This is definitely a cultural thing. It's just how they are here. You go to Brazil and the give you kisses. And as much as i dread the awkward confrontation if they don't feel comfortable hugging me than i respect that.

There's this thing we do in my host family now too. When we greet the Grandparents. I've gotten okay at it but it's a little complicated. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It's a variation of one arm on a their side, the other on their shoulder...? i think, i'm not actually sure of the correct placement. Then you press each others cheeks together. Sometimes you make a kissing sound...sometimes it's an actual kiss but very rarely. I've always wondered if there was a correct side to lean it. Is it a universal thing that when this greeting takes place there is a specific side we must lean to? I think it's left. I'm not really sure. Which of course leads to me bobbing from side to side indecisively every time. I like it though. It's definitely not typically Danish.

That's all i have to say on the matter of hugging at this time.

My ears are ringing and my stomach hurts.

For all those who were curious i ate 5 pieces of brunsviger today. Five. Two with my class, and then i went over to my friends house and ate three more. If that's not enough we also made risengrød. I don't know if i've talked about risengrød yet...but it's basically delicious vanilla rice pudding covered in kanel and sugar with a hole in the center where you place a chunk of butter that eventually melts and trickles over onto the rest of the pudding. It's quite labor intensive in that it takes an hour to make. Now my stomach is aching.

The concert was super duper. My first concert ever. I've decided that i'm a fan of tasteless danish pop music. It's catchy and makes me feel eccentric and foreign. Sooo....♥NIK OG JAY♥

Nik og Jay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daoRMfRjZig

Here's a link to the concert i'm going to later tonight. I'm going with my host sisters. These two are a pretty big deal over here. My first host sister described them to me like this: Before Nik og Jay Denmark was a relatively conservative country when it came to showing off wealth. But Nik og Jay came along and made it "cool" to be flashy.

I'm excited to go. Not necessarily because i enjoy the music. Danish music overall tends to be a little awful. The majority of the music they listen to is from USA. But Nik and But i like it because it's in Danish. And it's fun listening to music in Danish.

Also now everyone can hear what Danish sounds like!

So, that's what i'm doing with my Friday evening.

Brunsviger.

This. This is the most disgustingly delicious thing i have ever tasted. It's a little horrifying. Most of the time it is topped with more candy and frosting decoration. Whoever came up with the is sick. It's basically sugary bread lathered in a brown sugar/butter mixture. Those dark puddles you see on top..those are puddles of melted butter and brown sugar. Most Danes eat for as one of their birthday cakes. Or just all the time. For example i'm eating it today in class, because today is Cake Day. Every friday is cake day.

http://www.dk-kogebogen.dk/opskrift2/visopskrift.php?id=16773

If any of you curious souls out there dare to try it....the link to the recipe is above. It's also in danish, so some google translate and unit conversions will be needed.

But it's seriously delicious.

Orange you glad?

Last night i made Sukiyaki for my host family. I still am not used to handling raw meat. I'll have my far off future husband know that if i am to be cooking the meals there will be a noticeable lack of all things that were once living. If he wants that steak he's making it himself.
But anyways i was pretty proud. It was a weekend of many culinary adventures.
I tried home making pasta again on Saturday! With my host mom and Elisa. Is was the second time.

I forgot to tell you the first time. It was a delicious disaster. I made it with Elisa, Alandra, Carlos, and Otavio a couple weeks ago. I think ravioli was setting our sites a little too high as far as what we were culinary capably of. But after many many hours i would consider it a culinary success. Our Italian Family Dinner.

But this time is was slightly less disastrous. Highly delicious. The pasta dough was much easier to work with. So progress in the noodle department is being made.

Oh! And a funny thing. I don't know if it's actually funny or if it's just me who thinks it's hilarious. But the other day me and my friend from school were reading my english magazine..and one of the captions said something like "orange you glad" She didn't get it. So i explained it to her. Then i told her the knock knock joke. The one i'm pretty positive 100% of you know what i'm talking about. Because it's pretty much the most basic overused joke of all time.
But on the off chance that you don't...
Knock knock..
who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad i didn't say banana?

ba-dum-TSHhh.

Good. Okay, now that we are all on the same page. I told her expecting her to find it overwhelming not funny. But she thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. She laughed for such a long time. And now she keeps asking me to tell it to other people.
These Danes i'm tellin' ya....