Hi Everyone,
I know you are trying to keep in touch with Signe through her blog. I also know that she is not very faithful in updating it so I volunteered to share MY perspective on Signe's experience. She thinks this absolves her from having to write this month but I will keep reminding her to share her thoughts will all of you. :)
We have loved getting to know Signe. From the moment she stepped off the plane and surprised us with her excellent English (better than most American teenagers!), we've enjoyed her sense of humor, her straight-forward attitude, and her willingness to try everything (even food with cheese in it).
One of the most impressive things about Signe is her cheerleading talent. This girl has no fear! She fits right in with girls who've been taking dance and gymanastics since they were toddlers. She worked very hard on getting her walk-over and her next accomplishment will be her splits. She quickly learned the cheers (that the other girls learned during summer cheer camp) and the moves required for each cheer. It's pretty amazing! The coolest thing is that she's a 'flyer.' She's the girl who gets tossed in the air by the other girls - and stands on their hands and shoulders. A couple of weeks ago Signe participated in a cheer competition. It was fun to see her participate in the competition and to 'fly.' The girls on the team love her (are you surprised?!) and nobody wants her to leave...even though most of them truly don't know where she lives.
Has Signe shared the dismal news that American teens don't have a clue about European countries? It's a shameful fact that most of them can be easily convinced that Denmark is a province in Canada. I guess that explains why Signe is already at the top of the class of 300+ kids. Some of them here aren't very bright. :)
Okay - here's the real reason we love Signe. She's fun. We know that she'll forever be a part of our family, even when she's back in Denmark with all of you. If we could keep her here with us, we would...but we know that she would be greatly missed by her family and friends. We look forward to traveling to Denmark in the future to see many of the sights we have come to know thru Signe's stories and pictures.
The point of student exchange is to make the world a smaller place. While it's clear that there are more similarities in our culture than differences, the world feels too big when I think about Signe leaving us in June.
We enjoyed having Signe with us during Christmas. It's my favorite holiday, which means I celebrate Christmas for about a month. I decorated the house and the trees (yes, they are PLASTIC) with lots of lights because I like the mood the Christmas lights give in the house. It's very soothing - which is a contradiction to the somewhat hectic holiday season.
We celebrate the holiday on the 25th by opening presents on Christmas morning. Then we have dinner with family. It's usually a crazy time with lots of laughter and barking (from the dog). This year was a bit different but then traditions always need a little bit of changing so that one can appreciate the truly important things in life.
Signe is a bit mystified why we don't have fireworks on New Year's Eve. It's true.....we have fireworks in the summer when it's warm...not when there's snow on the ground. :) There are a few people who shoot guns in the air...but the police try to discourage them from doing it because from time to time, they accidentally shoot their neighbors. Not a great way to start the new year. We usually have a small party with friends at our home but I think this year we are going to travel north to my aunt's house.
Signe has not gained any weight while she's been here. I know that is always a possibility with exchange students....but she still eats pretty healthy although I can't be held responsible for the consumption of Danish chocolate sent in the care packages from home. :) Seriously, she's still the same size as when she arrived.
Have a very Happy New Year, everyone! You'll hear from Signe soon! (Right, Signe?)
Cheers,
Renee
