Mads & Kelli

Få sko? Got shoes?

2010-01-07T20:00:00.002+01:00

Venstre, venstre, venstre, højre, venstre....

Left, left, left, right, left.....

I dag lærte jeg, at tyvene i Skandinavia er "klogere end den almindelig tyv"!

Today I learned that the thieves in Scandinavia are "smarter than the average thief"!

Ved du hvilken sko at butikkerne udstiller til kunder at prøve? Venstre eller højre?

Jeg har syntes at alle sko butikkerne i verden udstiller den samme sko.... men de ikke!

Do you know which shoe that shops set out for their customers to try? Left or right?

I would have thought that all the shoe shops in the world would have set out the same one....but they don't!

I Danmark udstiller de den højre sko men i Sverige udstiller de den venstre sko som mange tyv har opdaget! De stjæler en venstre sko i Malmø Sverige, kører over Øresund Bro og stjæler den anden i København. I mindst end 30 minutter, har de et par!

In Denmark shops display the right shoe, but in Sweden they typically set out the left which lots of thieves have figured out! They are stealing left shoes in Malmø, Sweden, driving across the Øresund Bridge into Denmark and stealing the match in Copenhagen. In less than 3o minutes they have a pair!

Jeg undrer mig hvilken sko andre lande udstiller i sko butikker?

I wonder which shoe other countries set out in their shoe shops?

Mysterium billede.... Mystery Pic

2010-01-06T17:53:00.002+01:00

Samtalen så vi gik igennem skoven i søndags....

The conversation as we walked through the forest on Sunday....

Kelli: WAUW! Disse er de største kartofler som jeg nogensinde har set før!

Albert: Mor, jeg går forbi og undersøger!

(Vi snakker med hinanden imens Mads stå og griner af os....)

Kelli: WOW! Those are the biggest potatoes I have ever seen before!

Albert: Hey Mom, I will go over and investigate!

(Conversation between Albert and me occurs while Mads stands there and laughs at us...)

Mads stopper at grine så lang nok at han kan fortælle os hvad de er.... Og de er IKKE kartofler.

Og de er IKKE noget at jeg forventede at finde i kold Danmark....

Mads stops laughing at us long enough to tell us what they are... And they are NOT potatoes.

And they are not something I ever expected to find in cold Denmark....

Et gammelt digt.... An old poem

2010-01-04T17:31:00.005+01:00

Så jeg tog billeder af vores tur i skoven igår, tænkte jeg på et digt som vi skulle lære udenad i 7. klasse, og var overrasket at jeg kunne huske de fleste ord. Jeg tror at Robert Frost ville være enig med mig at mine billeder går godt sammen med hans ord....

As I took pictures of our walk in the forest yesterday, I thought about this poem that we had to memorize in junior high and was shocked at how much of it I still remembered. I believe that Robert Frost would agree with me that yesterday's pictures go really well with his words.....

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Onde...Evil

2010-01-02T13:25:00.002+01:00

Så jeg sidder her på den anden dag af 2010, er jeg trist. Det gør mig utrolig trist at tænke på onde i verden som jeg har set i de sidste ti dage.

As I sit here on the second day of 2010, I am sad. It makes me incredibly sad to think about the evil in the world I have seen in the last ten days.

På den 21. december brød nogen ind til Jess og Kayla's lejlighed (imens Kayla var på arbejde og Jess var i Colorado med mig). De stjal mange ting inklusiv deres bærebare. På nytårsaften, blev en 20 årlig pige i Herning voldtaget og myrdet, efter hun forlod en nytårsfest. Og i morges stå vi op og lærte om en Somalian mand i Århus (som har forbindelse til Al-Shabaabs i Somalia) brød ind til huset af manden som tegnede Muhammad tegning i 2005 og prøvede at myrde ham med en øske.

On December 21 someone broke into Jess and Kayla's apartment (while Kayla was at work and Jess was in Colorado with me). They stole many things from them including both of the girls' laptops. On New Year's Eve a 20 year old girl in Herning was raped and murdered after she left a New Year's eve part. And then this morning we woke up to find out that last night a Somalian man in Århus (with strong connections to Al-Shabaabs in Somalia) broke into the home of the man who drew the Mohammad cartoon in 2005 and tried to murder him with an axe.

Hvorfor gør mennesker noget ligesom disse? De gør andre mennesker fortræd fordi af grådighed, vredhed, religion, og da de er påvirkede af alkohol eller stoffer. Jeg kan ikke forstå.....2010 skulle være et år af håb og godhed.... Så jeg håber at de sidste 10 dage er en indikation af fortiden i stedet for fremtiden... Jeg vil 2010 at være fyld med tolerance, anerkendelse og forståelse og en fejrelse af vores forskelligheden. Det er den eneste måde at verden kan vende sig..... Og det begynder med mig og dig.

Why do people do things like this? They hurt other people because of greed, anger, in the name of religion, or when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I just cannot understand it..... 2010 should be a year of hope and goodness..... So I hope that the last 10 days are an indication of the past and not the future......I want 2010 to be filled with tolerance, acceptance, and understanding and a celebration of our differences. This is the only way that the world can turn itself around.....And it begins with you and me.

Emmitts mening...Emmitt's opinion

2010-01-01T17:12:00.003+01:00

Kære Danmark

Jeg har en klage.

Jeg er en rolig fyr. Jeg spørger ikke for meget og jeg er meget nemt at pleje.

Og jeg prøver at deltage i alle ting at min mor og far spørger af mig.

For eksempel: I aftes rullede jeg over og åbnede 1 øjne så jeg kunne se Dronning Marguerits nytårstale.

Dear Denmark,

I have a complaint.

I am an easy-going guy. I don't ask for much and I am pretty low maintenance.

And I try to participate in everything that my mom and dad ask me to.

For example: Last night, I rolled over and opened one eye so I could watch Queen Margaret's New Year's Eve speech.

Jeg lod som om at blive interessant om måneformørkelse i aftes fordi min far var så spændt...

I even pretended to be interested in the lunar eclipse last night because my dad was so excited.....

Og jeg var ok med alle da min far tændte sine fyrværkeri i haven fordi de var ikke så høje og var faktisk smukke....

And I was actually ok with everything when my dad lit his fireworks in the backyard because they were not too terribly loud and were actually kind of pretty....

Men til kl. 24 var min talmodighed opbrugt! Jeg bor i Danmark men jeg syntes at jeg var måske i Bosnia eller Afghanistan i aftes. Jeg kom fra USA, hvor du kan ikke tænde fyrværkeri i byen fordi det er ulovlig! Så er jeg ikke vant til så meget lyd.... Jeg blev meget stresset i aftes fra kl 24 til kl. 1... jeg har aldrig hørt så mange fyrværkeri før! De var overalt i byen! Jeg er glad for Danmark men jeg er en gammel kat (næsten 12 år) og mit hjerte kan ikke tage så meget lyd. Kan du venligst "skruger ned" en lille smule lyden næste år? Jeg værdsætter det meget!

Med venlig hilsen,

Emmitt

But last night at midnight, my patience was stretched to the limit! I live in Denmark, but I thought that perhaps I was in Bosnia or Afghanistan last night! I am from the US where you cannot light fireworks in the city limits because it is illegal. So I am not used to this kind of noise..... I became quite stressed last night from midnight until 1am... I have never heard so many fireworks before! They were everywhere in the city! I love Denmark, but I am an old cat (almost 12 years old) and my heart cannot take so much noise. Can you please tune it down a little bit next year? I would appreciate it lots!

Sincerely,

Emmitt

Studieretninger... Study Lines

2009-12-31T05:12:00.002+01:00

Jeg får mange spørgsmål om gymnasiet og hvordan det er forskellig fra USAs skoler.... Så jeg prøver at forklare forskellene i få blogs i kommenede uger. I dags emne: Studieretninger.

I get a lot of questions about the gymnasium and how it is different from the schools in the US..... So I will try to explain the differences in a few upcoming blogs. Today's subject: Study lines.

Først-- Gymnasiet er ikke ligesom en amerikansk højskole. I stedet for, er det ligesom en "junior college". Elever gå på universitet fra gymnasiet og gå direkte ind til deres universitet program (fx: jura, medicin, uddannelse). De har ikke "2 år basics" ligesom vores universiteter i USA. Deres "basics" kommer i gymnasiet.

First--The gymnasium is not like an American high school. Rather, it is much more like a junior college. Students go to the university from the gymnasium and go directly into their university programs (e.g.: law, medicine, education). They do not have "two years of basics" like our universities in the US. Their "basics" come at the gymnasium.

Eleverne vælger en studieretning på gymnasiet som de vil gerne studere. De tager klasser i deres studieretninger som vil hjælper dem at fortsætte på universitet. Vi har mange forskellige studieretninger hos Herning Gymnasium--som er i 4 forskellige hovedfag--1. Sproglige, 2. Samfundsvidenskab, 3. Naturvidenskab, 4. Kunstneriske.

Students choose a study line at the gymnasium in which they would like to study. They take classes in their study line which will help them as they continue at the university. We have lots of different study lines at Herning Gymnasium--which fall under four different main subjects--1. Languages, 2. Social Sciences, 3. Natural Sciences, 4. The Arts.

Alle elever tager den samme grundforløb klasser i deres første termin på gymnasiet imens de lærer mere om de forskellige studieretninger. De vælger deres studieretning i december som betyder at de flytter ind til deres studieretning klasser i januar og fortsætte 2.5 år.

All students take the same foundational courses in their first semester at the gymnasium while they are learning about the various study lines. They choose their study line in December which means that they move into those courses in January and continue in them for 2.5 years.

Den bedste del af de studieretninger er at eleverne har de samme lære alle 3 år så vi plejer dem som en hold imens vi lærer dem. Elever tager klasser som de har selv valgt med lærer som har muligheden at investere i dem i tre år.

The best part of the study lines is that the students have the same teachers all three years so we are able to take care of them as a team while we teach them. Students take classes that they have chosen for themselves with teachers who get to invest in them for three years.

Rejsetur... Trips and Travel

2009-12-30T04:53:00.002+01:00

Så jeg sidder og tænker på 2009, føler jeg så heldig, at jeg har set så mange ting og besøgte så mange steder. Faktisk siden jeg flyttede til Danmark, har jeg taget til flere steder end jeg forestillede muligt!

As I sit and think about 2009, I feel so fortunate that I have seen so many things and visited so many places. In fact, since I moved to Denmark, I have been to more places than I ever imagined possible!

18 måneder siden jeg flyttede til Herning og i 18 måneder har jeg taget til mange steder....

18 months ago I moved to Herning and in 18 months, I have been to so many places....

Amsterdam
Köln/Cologne (Tyskland/Germany)
Luxembourg
Göteborg (Sverige/Sweden)
Paris
London
Helgøya (Norge/Norway)
Glücksborg (Tyskland/Germany)
Edinburgh
Szczecin, Poland
Berlin
Oxford

plus 5 tur til USA / plus 5 trips to the US.

Jeg er så heldig, at jeg har en mand som elsker at rejse så meget som jeg gør! Verden har mange ting, at vise til os og vi er meget spændt, at se hvor 2010 tager os! Hvor håber du at 2010 tager dig?

I am so lucky that I have a husband who loves to travel as much as I do! The world has so many things to show us and we are already excited to see where 2010 will take us! Where do you hope 2010 takes you?

Ski Ferie... Ski Holiday

2009-12-24T19:56:00.009+01:00

Sne + familie + bjerge + mere sne + kakao + rød ræv + mere sne + familie spil =

Den perfekte jul i bjergene!

Snow + family + mountains + more snow + hot cocoa + red foxes + more snow + family games = The perfect Christmas in the mountains!

Glædelig Jul! Jeg håber at din familie har en juleferie så god som vi har haft!

Jul betyder familie.....

Merry Christmas! I hope your family has had a Christmas holiday as great as ours! Christmas means family....

Taknemmelig for livet.....Thankful for life

2009-12-23T18:13:00.001+01:00

Vi ankom til Colorado i fredags eftermiddag.... Og ankom til 7000 feet høj. Min søster og sin familie hentede os fra lufthavn og kørte os til deres hus.... Anden 2300 feet op bjerget så i fredags aften var vi på 9300 feet. Jeg fik en lille hovedpine efter vi var i Crested Butte et par timer men jeg syntes, at det var normal. En lang historie kort, kl 1 i lørdags morgen blev min hovedpine værrst og værrst og jeg begyndte at kaste op. Smerten var den værrste at jeg har nogensiden oplevet i mit lit og omkring kl 4, var det mere end jeg kunne tage. Jeg havde mange andre symptoms som kom hurtigt så min søster bestemmede at det var tid at ringe en ambulance. Så kl 6, var vi på vejen til hospitalet i anden by (og lavere elevation).

We arrived in Colorado Friday afternoon to an elevation of about 7000 feet. My sister and her family were at the airport to pick us up and drive us to their home in Crested Butte....about another 2300 feet up. So by Friday evening we were at 9300 feet. I had a small headache that evening, but I assumed that was normal at this elevation. However it got worse and worse until by 1am, I was throwing up as well. The pain became substantially worse until about 4am when it was the worse pain I had ever experienced, plus my symptoms were increasing as well. My sister decided it was time to call the ambulance so by six am we were on our way to the hospital in another town at a lower elevation.

Diagnosis: HACE....High Altitude Cerebral Edema.... Swelling of the brain.

Lægen sagde at High Altitude Pulmonary sygdom er meget normal på 9300 feet men han ser kun 1 person hvert år med sygdom i hjerne. Jeg gætter at jeg var hans "1" for 2009. Min hjerne blev større og større men mit hoved havde ikke mere rum for det... så smerten blev værrst og værrst......

The doctor said that High Altitude Pulmonary disease is very normal at 9300 feee, but he only sees about one person a year with the disease in the brain. I guess I was his "1" for 2009. My brain was swelling more and more, but my skull had not more room for it to expand...so the pain became worse and worse....

Jeg blev i skadestuen i mange timer ...til de var sikker på, at jeg var ok for at gå tilbage til 9300 feet. Lægen gav mig medicin for "anti-swelling" af hjerne så det var ok for mig at returnere til mit søsters hus....men det var nødvendig at jeg slappe af resten af dagen og gå LANGSOMT alle dage som jeg var i Crested Butte.

I stayed in the ER for many hours...until they were certain that I was ok to go back to 9300 feet. The doctor prescribed special meds for cerebral anti-swelling so that I would be safe to return to my sister's house, but I had strict instructions to rest the remainder of the day and go SLOW for all of the rest of the days that I was in Crested Butte.

Du kan sige at jeg har ikke forventede at blive i skadestuen på min første nat i Colorado... men i dag føler jeg næsten ligesom Kelli igen. Crested Butte er UTROLIG SMUK og jeg er meget glad at blive med min søster og min familie for jul... så jeg vælger at fokuse på hvor taknemmelig jeg er for livet i stedet for mit "eventyr" i fredags nat. God Jul til alle!

You can that I certainly did not expect to be in the ER on my first night in Colorado...but today I almost feel like Kelli again. Crested Butte is INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL and I am so glad that I am able to be here with my sister and my family for Christmas....so I will choose to focus on how thankful I am for life instead of my "adventure" on Friday night... Merry Christmas to all!

Citat af dagen... Quote of the day

2009-12-19T15:39:00.002+01:00

Citat af dagen.....Så vi kørte med Jess fra lufthavnen til mit mors hus.....

Quote of the day......As Jess drove us from the airport to my moms......

(og dette citat viser at "jeg har boet i Danmark for langt!" LOL)

(and this quote shows that "I have lived in Denmark too long!" LOL)

"Skat, kan du tro hvor mange butikker og huse ligger langs med vejen?! Dette er meget overvildet!!"

"Honey, can you believe how many shops and houses there are along the highways?! This is so overwhelming!!"

Jul på skolen...Christmas at the school

2009-12-17T15:10:00.004+01:00

Hver dage på skolen denne uge på skolen har vi haft "morgensamlinger" til alle elever og medarbejder som har lyst at komme. Julesang, juletræer og julehistorier er fortalt af rektor.... En hyggelig måde "at bringe ind julesæson" sammen med hinanden. Så jeg nød det, var jeg lidt ked af, at vi ikke kan holde den sammen i USA på skolerne...

Every day this week at school we have had "morning gatherings" for all students and staff who want to come. Christmas songs, Christmas trees, and Christmas stories told by the principal.... a really cosy way to usher in the Christmas season together. As I enjoyed these days, I was a little sad that we are not allowed to do something like this in the schools in the US......

Jule morgensamlinger var en dejlig måde at starte dagen på!

Christmas morning gatherings were a great way to start the school day!

Skønhed... Beauty

2009-12-12T06:45:00.001+01:00

Vi har det travlt. Vi skynder os fra plads til plads og tjekker ting fra vores list. Men sommetider skulle vi stoppe og ser ud vinduet. Jeg gjorde det på vejen fra Danmark til London i torsdags. Jeg var træt og jeg havde det travlt og jeg havde mange opgaver at rette.... men så jeg så ud vinduet, følte jeg fred og indset, at verden er faktisk utrolig smuk. Kan du stoppe og ser ud vinduet idag? Jeg undrer mig hvad skønhed, at du skal se.....

We are busy people. We rush from place to place and check things off our lists. But sometimes we need to stop and look out the window. I did that on my way from Denmark to London on Thursday. I was tired and I was busy and I had a stack of essays that needed to be edited. But as I looked out the window, I felt peace, and I realized that the world really is quite beautiful. Can you stop and look out the window today? I wonder what beauty you will see....

Jul i den gamle by.... Christmas in the old city

2009-12-11T07:41:00.000+01:00

Siden vi har ikke juletræ dette år, havde vi brug for en lille smule julestemning! Der er ikke et bedre sted for julestemning end Den Gamle By i Århus! Jeg anbefaler Den Gamle By til alle som er i Danmark under julesæsonen! Du kan gå igennem de gamle gader og se de gamle huse og butikkerne med deres julepynt. Det er meget hyggeligt (men vær klar til mange mennesker så tag din tålmodighed med!) De har spil til børn og mange ting til at "få dig i julehumør"!!

Since we do not have a Christmas tree this year, we needed a little Christmas pick-me-up to get us in the Christmas spirit! What better place than Den Gamle By ("The old city") in Århus. I recommend Den Gamle By to everyone that is in Denmark during the Christmas season! You can walk through the old streets and see the old houses and shops all decorated for Christmas. It is so cosy! (just be ready for lots of people, so go with a patient attitude!) They have games for the kids and lots of things to get you in the Christmas spirit!

De har musik.... They have music....

De har nisser...... They have nisser (Danish version of elves!)

De har mange gode ting at spise...

gammeldags polser, frikadellesandwich, pandekager, slik, og........

They have lots of good things to eat....

"old days" sausages, frikadeller sandwiches, pancakes, candy, and ......

og selvfølgelig har de Æbleskiver og glögg!

and of course they have Æbleskiver and Glögg!

og husene i den gamle by viser et meget typisk dansk julebord....

med and, brune kartofler og rødkål!

even the old houses in Den Gamle By representer the very typical Danish Christmas table... with duck, brown potatoes, and red cabbage!

Så hvis man er langt væk fra din familie under julen, tag til Den Gamle By. Du tager derfra der med en "hyggelig jule følelse" inden i!

So if you are a long way from your family during Christmas, go to Den Gamle By! You will leave from there with a really good feeling inside!

Rejser sydpå? Traveling south?

2009-12-10T06:30:00.002+01:00

Har du fri i juni 2010?! Ønsker du at tage en LILLE tur sydpå med Mads og mig? Kan du køre i den anden siden af vejen? Er du villig at flyve forbi ækvator? OG kan du lide fodbold?

Are you free in June 2010? Would you like to take a LITTLE trip south with Mads and me? Do you know how to drive on the "other" side of the road? And are you willing to actually fly over the equator? And do you like soccer?

Hvis du svarede "JA" til alle spørgsmål, synes jeg, at vi skal rejse til Syd Afrika sammen med hinanden for at se Danmark spiller om Verdens Mesterskabet i fodbold!

If you answer "YES" to all of the above questions, I think that you should come with us on a little trip to South Africa to watch Denmark play in the World Cup Championship!

Ok, jeg indrømmer, at vi har ikke planer for at tage til SydAfrika, men det lyder sjovt, ikke? Vi kunne se Danmark spiller imod Holland eller Cameroon eller Japan (eller andre hold efter Danmark går til semifinaler!).... og det koster kun 12000kroner per person for en flyvetur!

Ok, I admit, we are not really going to South Africa, but doesn't it sound fun? We could watch Denmark play against the Netherlands or Cameroon or Japan (or other teams after they make it to the semi finals!) And it only costs $2500 a person to fly there!

Måske hvis vi sover hos løverne og spiser gnu, kan vi have råd til det.... eller vi bliver hjem og ser kampene på fjernsynet... Mads spiller lotto på lørdag (og det er 11,000,000) så alt er muligt, ikke?!

Maybe if we sleep with the lions and eat wildebeest, we can afford it.... or else we just stay home and watch it on the television.....Mads is playing the lotto on Saturday (and it is 11,000,000dkk) so anything is possible, right?!

Juletræer... Christmas trees

2009-12-09T07:24:00.003+01:00

Ønsker du dette?!

Do you want this?!

Er du villig at gøre dette for at have et juletræ med lys?

Are you willing to do this to get a Christmas tree with lights?

Før jeg flyttede til Danmark (og havde kunstige juletrær), var jeg vant til tænder på mine lys på mit juletræ så snart som jeg kommer hjem og har dem på hele aften ....til jeg går i seng. Men hvis det var nødvendigt, at du cykler for at have energi til dine juletrælys, hvor mange timer tænder du på dem hver aften?!

Before I moved to Denmark (when I used to have artificial Christmas trees), I was used to coming home from work and turning on the lights on tree as soon as I walked in the door. And I would leave them on until bedtime. But if it was necessary that you had to ride a bike in order to produce the energy for your Christmas tree lights, I wonder how many hours we would have them on each evening?!

Betyder dette "en grøn jul"??

Is this what it means to have a "green Christmas"??

Jeg bør at holde mig til det danske juletrær med sterinlys....ingen cykler er nødvendig!

I think I better stick with the Danish Christmas trees with candles... no biking required!

Stress....

2009-12-08T06:39:00.001+01:00

Stress er overalt. I Amerika. I Danmark. I alle lande i verden. Men jeg har lært at lægene og firmaer i Danmark ser på stress i en forskellig måde end jeg er vant til. Og denne gang tror jeg at "forskelligheden bedre".

Stress is everywhere. In America. In Denmark. In every country in the world. But I have learned that the doctors and businesses in Denmark look at stress in quite a different way than I am used to. And this time I think that different is definitely better.

Jeg har hørt om mennesker i Danmark som er "sygemeldt pga stress" men jeg var ikke sikker på hvad det betød. Men for nylig har jeg haft en personlig oplevelse med det, så en god ven er sygmeldt pga stress så jeg har en bedre fortåelse om det nu. Hvis noget i dit personlige liv eller i arbejdslivet har påvirket dig negativt, kan du gå til din læge for at snakke om mulighederne om en sygemelding så du har chancen for at få det bedre og ikke blev mere og mere stresset og syg.

I have heard about people in Denmark who are on sick leave due to stress, but I was not sure exactly what that meant. However recently I have had a personal experience with a close friend who has gone on stress leave so I understand it a bit better now. If something your personal life or work life has begun to affect you negatively, you can visit the doctor and talk about the possibility of a time off from work so that you can deal with the issues rather than becoming more stressed and eventually physically sick.

Danmarks velfærdssystem har vedtaget, at du kan have op til 120 sygedage om året uden at arbejdsgiver kan opsige dig og du tjener fortsat din faste løn. Du har aftaler med lægen en gang om måneden imens du er sygemeldt så han kan hjælpe og give dig de rette værktøj så du kan komme igennem stress.

Denmark's welfare system has made allowances for this so that you can have up to 120 sick days a year without losing your job and with maintaining your normal salary. You meet with the doctor at least once a month while you are on sick leave so that he can help you and give you tools to work through the things that are causing the stress.

I Amerika kan du have "leave" fra arbejde pga stress men det er nødvendigt at du har nok sygedage sparret op for at "dække" din tid væk fra jobbet. Hvis du ikke har sygedage sparret op, kan du være sygemeldt men uden løn. Dette er ikke en måde for at mindske stress!

In American you can also have "leave" from work due to stress, but you must have enough sick days saved up to cover any time away from your job. If you do not have the days saved up, you can of course, go on leave , but it would be without your salary. Not exactly a way to decrease your stress!

Danmarks system er ikke perfect men angående stress i menneskers liv, er det MEGET PROAKTIV! Mennesker føler derved de har chancen for at passe dem selv og holder faste i deres job og komme tilbage på arbejde efter de bliver bedre. Og i mange tilfælde aftaler arbjedsgiver med personen at lave ændringer på arbejdspladsen så men ikke blive ramt af stress igen. For mine to gode venner som er sygemeldt pga stress nu, er jeg meget taknemmelig at Danmarkssystem passer dem....

Denmark's system is far from perfect, but regarding stress in people's lives, it is VERY PROACTIVE. People feel as if they have the chance to take care of themselves while keeping their jobs so that they can come back when they are better. And in many cases, the company's decision makers work with the employees to determine how the workplace and work environment can change so the employee (and others) do not experience this type of stress again. For my 2 friends who are on stress leave right now, I am so thankful that Denmark has a system that truly takes care of them.......

Angel of Freedom

2009-12-07T06:48:00.001+01:00

Vi gik forbi denne statue i Szczecin Polen og jeg fortalt alle, at det var meget vigtigt til Polen men jeg kunne ikke huske hvorfor. Vi tog billeder af det og fortsat på vores tur. Efter vi kom hjem, undersøgte jeg mere om det fordi jeg har set det før og ville at vide dens historie. Og jeg er glad at jeg gjort....

We walked past this statue in Szczecin, Poland and I told Patti, Mads, and Ole and that I knew it was important but could not remember why. So we took our pictures of it and continued on our walking tour. After we came back from our trip, I started to research the statue because I wanted to find out its story. And I am glad that I did....

Dette er "Engel af Frihed" statue som stå i Solidarity Park i Szczecin Polen. Det var afdækkede til polske mennesker i August 2005, som var 25 år siden Solidarity Movement begyndte. Jeg har hørt om Polens Solidarity Movement og Lech Walesa i højskole men jeg indrømmer at jeg ikke gav min opmærksomhed til....fordi det virkede så lang vej fra mig....til nu....

This is the "Angel of Freedom" statue which stands in Solidarity Park in Szczecin, Poland. It was unveiled to the Polish people in August 2005, 25 years after the birth of the Solidarity Movement. I have heard of the Polish Solidarity Movement and of Lech Walesa in high school, but I have to admit that I never really paid much attention to it because it seemed so far away..... until now....

Lech Walesa begyndte den Solidarity Movement der polske medarbejder samarbejdede for at flytte Sovjetunionene kontrol ud fra Polen. Han var en almindelig mand som havde en vision at sit land kunne blive fri fra kommunism....

Lech Walesa started the Solidarity Movement in which the working class of Poland came together in order to attempt to remove the Soviet Union's control from Poland. He was a regular man who had a vision that his country could be free from communism.....

Statuen blev rejst til minde for mennesker som blev dræbt i oprøret af december 1970 imod rusland. Vi så på statues skilt at mange af mennesker som blev dræbt var meget unge.... men de ville at kampe for deres lands frihed. De troede på Walesas drøm.

The statue was raised to honor the people who were killed in the riots of December 1970 against Russia. We saw on the statue's sign that so many of the people who were killed during these riots were very young, but they wanted to fight for their country's freedom. They believed in Walesa's dream.

Jeg er meget heldig at bo i Europa, fordi jeg har masser muligheder at se så tingene jeg lærte i skole og læste i bøger.... og på min blog, kan jeg dele dem med jer.

I am so lucky to live in Europe because I have lots of opportunities to see the things that I learned in school and that I have read in books.... and my blog allows me to share those things with all of you.

POLEN...POLAND

2009-12-06T03:53:00.002+01:00

Kelli Nørgaards "Top Ten List" af grunde at du skulle rejse til Szczecin Polen!

Kelli Nørgaard's Top Ten List of reasons you should go to Szczecin, Poland!

1. Szczecin Polen er kun 6 timer fra Herning Danmark. Byen ligger på Baltic Sø, lige over grænsen fra Tyskland.

1. Szczecin, Poland is only 6 hours from Herning, Denmark. The town sits on the Baltic Sea, just over the border from Germany.

2. Polen har mange gamle flotte bygninger med masser trappe hvor du kan motionere eller hvor din mand kan lade som om ROCKY!

2. Poland has lots of old and beautiful buildings which have lots of stairs where you can get some great calf workouts or where your husband can pretend he is ROCKY!

3. Vidste du at Szczecin Polen var "ejet af" Danmark i 1085 (men ikke i lang

tid!)? Szczecin tilhørte til Tyskland i tidliger 1700erne og var kaldt "Porten til Berlin". Du kan faktisk spise frokost hos Braham Cafe som stå i den gammel port! Og du får 10% rabat på froskost hvis du har en iPhone (men jeg ved ikke hvorfor!!).

3. Did you know that Szczecin, Poland was owned by Denmark in 1085 (but just for a short time!)? Szczecin belonged to Germany in the early 18th century and it was called the "Gate to Berlin". You can actually eat lunch at the Braham (Gate) Cafe which exists inside the old city gate! And you get a 10% discount on your meal if you have an iPhone! (don't ask me why!!)

4. Szczecin er hjem til "Kino Pionier", verdens ældst fungerende biograf (fra 1909)! Og de viser "Casablanca" hver lørdag eftermiddag!

4. Szczecin is home to "Kino Pionier", the world's oldest functioning movie theatre (from 1909)! And they show "Casablanca" every Saturday afternoon!

5. Szczecin har FULL SERVICE benzin station! Vi kørte op til benzin station og denne mand begyndte at tanke bilen med benzin før vi gik ud fra bilen!

5. Szczecin has FULL SERVICE gas stations! We drove up and this man was already there starting to fill up the car before we even stepped out!

6. Szczecin har mange flotte parker, som du kan gå igennem med vennerne som du tog til Polen med.

6. Szczecin has so many beautiful parks which you can walk through with the friends that you came to Poland with.

7. Szczecin har ÆGTE shopping malls med BILLIGE PRISER!! Ligesom i Amerika!!

7. Szczecin has REAL shopping malls with CHEAP PRICES!! Just like in America!!

8. Szczecin (og andre byer i Polen) har mange SPA HOTELS som er FLOTTE og BILLIGE! En 1 time massage kostede 150kroner!

8. Szczecin (as well as other cities in Poland) has many SPA HOTELS which are beautiful and CHEAP! A one hour massage only cost us 30 dollars!

9. Szczecin har ÆGTE pizza i dens restauranter!

9. Szczecin has REAL pizza in its restaurants! 10. Og har jeg fortalt dig, at Szczecin restauranter serverer ÆGTE pizza?! Ligesom du kan købe i Amerika! (ok, de er ikke "ægte" ligesom du har i italien men Patti og jeg var MEGET lykkelig!)

10. And did I mention that the restaurants in Szczecin serve REAL pizza?! Like the kind you get in America?! (ok, not like you can get in Italy, but Patti and I were QUITE happy!)
Vi købte ind hos polsk købmænd (til billige priser!) og fandt ud at Polen også har flotte bjerg til skiing! Så vi er sikker på, at det ikke var vores sidste tur til Polen!

We shopped at the Polish grocery stores (for mega cheap prices!) and found out that Poland also has great mountains for skiing, so I am quite sure that this was not our last trip there!

Kalendarlys...Calendar Candles

2009-12-05T12:04:00.003+01:00

Alle danske hjem har en kalenderlys op til jul. Du tænder lyset hver aften fra den 1. december til 24. december så du kan tælle dagene til jul.

All Danish homes have a calendar candle in the Christmas season. You light the candle every night from December 1 to December 24 so you can countdown to Christmas eve.

Måske lagde du mærke til at vores kalenderlys er på den forkert nummer... men vi bruger vores i anderledes måde dette år.

Maybe you noticed that our calendar candle is burned down to the wrong number.... but we are using ours in a different manner this year.

Vores kalenderlys er vores "countdown til DFW"... og viser hvor mange dage til vi ser Jess i DFW lufthavn og hvor mange dage til vi ser Dallas Mavericks spiller i American Airlines Center og hvor mange dage til vi sover hos mine forældre en nat før vi alle 5 flyver til Colorado for at holde jul hos min søster.

Our calendar candle is our "countdown to DFW" and shows how many days until we see Jess at the DFW airport, how many days till we watch the Mavs play at the AAC, and how many days until we are at my mom and dad's for one night before we all 5 fly to Colorado to spend Christmas with my sister.

Jeg er sikker på at min mor synes at kalenderlys viser hvor mange flere dage postbudet afleverer pakker til sit hus som jeg har købt online og sendt til sin adresse!

I am sure however that my mom thinks the calendar candle is showing how many possible days the postman will deliver packages to her house that I have ordered online and sent to her address!!

I dags nummer er 13.... 13 dage til DFW!

Today's number is 13.... 13 days til DFW!

Farvel November... Goodbye November

2009-12-02T07:52:00.001+01:00

Jeg er MEGET GLAD at sige FARVEL til november 2009!

I am VERY GLAD to say GOODBYE to November 2009!

Hvad får du hvis du har 26 plus 27?? Ikke 53.... Du har EN MØRK VÅD MÅNED, mange trist mennesker, en kat som bliver altid indendørs og en hund som vil ikke gå på en tur!

What do you get when you add 26 and 27?? Not 53..... Instead you get ONE DARK WET MONTH, lots of sad people, a cat who stuck indoors, and a dog who never wants to go on a walk!

November 2009s statistiker/statistics:

I Danmark havde vi kun 26 timers sollys i hele måned... ikke så god for min solbrændthed!

In Denmark we had only 26 hours of sunlight in the entire month....not so good for my tan!

Vi havde 27 døgn nedbør- Det er en ny rekord siden de landsdækkende målinger startede i 1874.

We had 27 days of rainfall (and when they say "døgn", they mean 24 hour periods!). This is a new record of rainfall since they started tracking it in 1874.

Så Albert, Mads, Emmitt og jeg siger VELKOMMEN til december... og vi krydser fingre og poter, at det er bedre end måneden før!

So Albert, Mads, Emmitt, and I say WELCOME to December... and we are crossing our fingers and paws that it is better than the month before!

24 timer i Berlin... 24 hours in Berlin

2009-12-01T18:00:00.001+01:00

I torsdags aften tog Patti, Ole, Mads og jeg til Berlin. Vi planlagde faktisk en tur til Polen men bestemmede, at køre til Berlin først (siden det kun var 100 km flere!). Jeg har ikke været i Berlin så vores 24 timer tur i byen var en god chance for at planlægger en fremtid tur til mine forældre!

On Thursday night Patti, Ole, Mads, and I went to Berlin. We were actually going on a trip to Poland, but decided at the last minute to drive to Berlin first (since it was only 100 km more!). I have not been to Berlin before so this quick 24 hours in the city was a great chance to scout everything out for a future trip with my parents!

Checkpoint Charlie--

Adværsel-- Du kommer ind på amerikanske jord!

Warning--You are entering the American sector!

En Soviet soldat velkommer dig på en side... en amerikansk på anden. Jeg vil meget gerne vide mere om soldaterne (deres navne og personlige information om dem) men jeg læste meget og kan finde ingenting! Jeg skal undersøge mere....

A Soviet soldier welcomes you on one side...an American on the other. I really want to find out more about these two soldiers (their names and personal information), but I read and read and found nothing! I will research more...

Vi besøgte også Brandenburger Tor som overlevede verden andenskrig. Det var så flot!

We also saw Brandenburg Gate which survived WW2. It was beautiful!

Selv om kom Berlinmur ned i 1989, står små stykker stadig.

Even though the Berlin wall came down in 1989, there are small sections still standing.

Vi var meget kolde og meget våde og blev meget glad at se den amerikanske ambassade! Især siden det står tværs gaden fra STARBUCKS! (Og især Starbucks i Berlin har de "holiday drinks"!)

We were really wet and cold while we were in Berlin and were so happy to see the American Embassy.... especially since it was standing across the street from STARBUCKS! (Especially since the Starbucks in Berlin has the special holiday drinks!)

Mads og jeg planlægger at bringe mine forældre til Berlin næste år fordi min far vil meget gerne se alle! Hvis du har ideer om ting at vi SKAL se, vil jeg meget gerne høre fra dig!

Mads and I are planning to bring my parents to Berlin next year because I am certain my dad would love to see all the history there. If you have ideas about things we MUST SEE, I would love to hear what they are!

Næste stop... Sczcecin Polen!

Next stop...Szczecin, Poland!

Nr....Numbers

2009-11-30T11:42:00.004+01:00

Numre er en vigtig del af et sprog..... Du bruger dem for at tælle kalorier i stykke af chokolade kage, for at fortælle nogen hvor "ung" du er og for at vise din mand hvor billigt et par sko er!

Numbers are an important part of a language.... You use them to count calories in a piece of chocolate cake, to tell someone how young you are, and to show your husband how cheap a pair shoes are!

Men i dag er numre er vigtige til mig på anden grund..... Især Nr. 4 og Nr. 7!
But today numbers are important to me for a different reason....Especially the numbers 4 & 7!

"Kære Kelli Nørgaard

Det glæder os for at fortælle dig om dine karakter på Prøve 3s læsning og skrivning dele. Du har bestået med en 4 på skrivning og 7 på læsning. Tillykke med det! Du har kun mundtlig tilbage som du tager på tirsdag den 9. december kl. 10. Vi ses!"

"Dear Kelli Nørgaard,

It gives us great pleasure to inform you of your grades on the reading and writing sections of Prøve 3. You have passed both sections with a 4 on the writing section and a 7 on the reading section! Congratulations! You only have the oral test remaining which you will take on Tuesday, December 9 at 10am. See you then!"

Juletræer... Christmas trees

2009-11-29T08:21:00.000+01:00

Spørgsmål- Kan du have jul uden et træ? Svar- Det håber jeg.... Vi rejser til USA meget tidligt på 18. december så vi bestemmede at de er bedre at vi dekorere huset med juleting for at nyde i stedet for køber et juletræ som vi nyder kun 17 dage.... Jeg har aldrig IKKE havde et juletræ før... men jeg håber at vi kan skabe "julesjæl" i huset uden et træ og når vi ankommer ved min søsters hus i Rocky Mountains, kan vi nyde sit juletræ!

Question- Can you have Christmas without a tree? Answer- I sure hope so.....

Since we are flying to the US quite early on December 18, we decided it is better that we just decorate the house with Christmas things that we can enjoy instead of buying a tree that we can only enjoy for about 17 days.... I have never NOT had a Christmas tree before..but I hope we can create some Christmas spirit in the house without a tree and then when we get to my sister's house in the Rocky Mountains, we can enjoy her tree!

Klima ...Climate

2009-11-28T07:57:00.000+01:00

COP15 kommer til København på 7. - 18. december! Men hvad er det?!

COP15 is coming to Copenhagen December 7-18! But what is it?!

Mange repræsenterer fra mange lande mødes sammen i København om 2 uger for at sidde på bordet og snakke om løsninger til vores verden klimaproblemer. Dog er det ikke kun en "samtale" men i stedet for er det en krav for HANDLING!

Many representatives from just as many countries are meeting together in Copenhagen in 2 weeks in order to sit at the same table and talk about solutions for the world's climate problems. However this is not just a mere conversation, but rather a demand for ACTION!

Målet af den danske regering er at COP15 bringer ud ambitiøs enigheder med alle lande af verden. Hvert land SKAL love at gøre noget EKSTREM så vi kan beskytte verden for voresbørn og børnebørn.

The goal of the Danish government is that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen results in an ambitious global agreement that includes all the countries of the world. Every country must commit to doing SOMETHING extreme if we have any hope of preserving our world for our children and grandchildren.

For eksempel- Danmark lover at stige vedvarende energi fra 17% nu til 20% i 2011 til 30% i 2020. Hvad kan andre lande gør??

For example- Denmark commits to increase its renewable energy use from 17% now to 20% in 2011 to 30% in 2020. What can other countries do?

Klik her for at læse hilsner fra omkring verden til mennesker som kommer til Klima Konference. Det er meget interessant at læse hvad nogen i Nigeria og Peru og USA siger om hvad de vil gerne se COP15 gør for verdens klima!

Click here to read the greetings from people around the world and what they want to say to those working at the Climate Conference. It is interesting to read the thoughts of those in Nigeria and Peru and the USA, plus many others about what they hope COP15 will do for our world!

I ordene af Samsøs projekt--Vi skulle "Tænk global, Gør lokal."

In the word's of Samsø's project-- We should "Think globally, but act locally."

Bryllupsdag gaver.... Anniversary Gifts

2009-11-27T07:17:00.000+01:00

Nogen siger at hvert bryllupsdage år skulle have "en bestemt slags gave"...for eksempel-- 1. år- papir, 2. år- bomuld, 3. år- leder, 4. år- blomster. Hvem besluttede dette?!?

Some say that each anniversary year should have a very definite type of gift. For example- Year 1- paper, year 2- cotton, year 3- leather, year 4- flowers. But my question is WHO decided this?!

Mads og jeg er ikke meget traditionelt.... (er du overrasket?! LOL) og vi følger ikke planen af hvad at købe hvornår! På vores 1. bryllupsdag købte vi "et sted" til hinanden fordi vi rejste på en weekendtur til Gøteborg Sverige. Vi købte ikke bomuld gave til hinanden for vores 2. bryllupsdag i mandags. Vi købte "nogen"!

Mads and I are not so traditional ....(shocking, I know! LOL) and we are not following this plan for what to buy when! On our first anniversary we bought a "location" for each other which was a long weekend in Gøteborg, Sweden. We did not buy cotton gifts for each other on our 2nd wedding anniversary this past Monday. Instead we bought "someone"!

Jeg købte Nickelback til Mads.... 2 billeter for at se dem i Hamburg på den 1. februar!

I bought Nickelback for Mads.....2 tickets to see them in Hamburg on February 1st!

Han købte Michael Buble til mig.... 2 billeter for at se ham i Hamburg på den 1. juni!

He bought Michael Buble for me.....2 tickets to see him in Hamburg on June 1st!

Vi ønskede bryllupsdage gaver som giver os tid sammen med hinanden i stedet for en "ting".....

We wanted anniversary gifts that give us time to spend together instead of a particular thing....

Hvad var din yndlingsgave som du fik for en bryllypsdag?

What was your favorite anniversary gift that you have received?