Day 2 In the Books!

What an experience this has been for me so far! From meeting new people to trying new foods, to exploring the country, Denmark is truly an amazing place and I am so happy and fortunate to partake in this adventure with such wonderful people.

After the relaxation of sleep and downtime on Day 1, our Danish host families took us to explore Bakken Amusement Park. Located in the city of Klampenborg, the park opened in 1583 and is the world's oldest operating amusement park.

Day 2

Located behind me is the most famous and popular attraction, the wooden roller coaster. This terrifying yet thrilling ride consist of sharp turns, steep downhill drops, and a dark sidewinding tunnel at the end. 

Afterwards, we decided to take a break from the coasters and walk for a bit around the park.

With extra change in our pockets, we decided to try our luck at a "Spin the Wheel" game. Here, our objective was to pick a number from 1-100. Once our numbers were selected (and payed for), the wheel was spun and a winner was chosen. Can you guess who won???

Thanks to David, he had picked the lucky number #68 and scored himself a 2kg box of "Toblerone", a european candy that consists of chocolate, honey, and almond nougat. 

Here is Matthew, Alex and I before conquering the "Coal Mine". 

I thought it would be a good idea to go on the log flume. I was wrong. 

Before entering the ride, I thought to myself, "this ride doesn't look too bad".

 Little did we know...

I am so looking forward to uploading Day 3 (Life at Odrup) and sharing my experiences with the Haverford and Baldwin community. As I write this (8/31), we will be traveling to the city of Copenhagen tomorrow and do some sightseeing around the city!

-PJ

First day of school and bowling

It was a great first day of school at the Ordrup Gymnasium starting with a wonderful introduction from the principal. After the principal was done talking we began to do some icebreakers to get to know the whole class and not just the kids that were hosting us. After getting to know everyone in the class all of the American students spent an hour with a teacher learning Danish. After we learned some helpful Danish words and phrases each student joined their host in their language class. I joined the German class. The class was interesting and fun as we spent a lot of time talking about fairy tales and learning German words. After school was finished a bunch of us went bowling. It was the Americans versus the Danish and after two games the Americans had a total score of just over 900 points and the Danish with just under 900. It was a very fun day and I cant wait to see Copenhagen tomorrow.

cool ice-breaking activities this morning!

Monday at Ordrup

Danish 101

Copenhagen

Today I had my first chance to explore Copenhagen and get out of the suburbs. After a lot of fun at Bakken, I took the train into the city with my host. 

fc københavn stadium 

Christiansborg

Some old palace

so much better after adjusting to the time difference!

The Turlish-Green family had fun yesterday at a very crowded Tivoli Gardens -- watching Danish men and women do the paso doble in a ballroom dancing competition was the highlight -- but overall we were pretty jetlagged. One of the best parts of the day was seeing over 30 gigantic slugs (sorry, the picture won't download) and three on-the-move snails while on a walk to get a yummy coffee. It was great to get e-mails and texts from the Haverford boys that proved that their teenaged selves were much more able to adjust to the time difference! Today was much better for the young/old travel leader family: a gorgeous run in the neighborhood park, a visit to the Oliver-tastic Experimentarium City...

...and delicious dinner in the Copenhagen Street Food complex. We are so happy to be here and I am so excited to see the HS boys and BS girls tomorrow at school!

Fun Day At Bakken Amusement Park

PJ, Gaspard, Jack and I up at the front of the rollercoaster.

David using his curvature and soccer skills to knock the cans down. #brokenarmisnotstoppinghim 

After using a lot of money and not winning anything (Gaspard), David finally won Toblerone chocolate that he gladly shared with all of us. It was some of the best chocolate that I have had. 

-MT

Traveling and Day One: A Burst of Danish Culture

After a grueling night of traveling and little (if any) sleep, we arrived in Copenhagen and met our host families at the train station in Hellerup. Each one of us spent the day with our host families, engaging in various activities around the Copenhagen region.  After savoring a lovely weekend breakfast and a refreshing cold shower, Nils and I met Mbogo and Tobias to take a s-train ride to Copenhagen. There, we first journeyed to the King's garden and then to the picturesque Nyhavn harbor, where the weather was stunning and the ambiance tranquil. Around the corner, we spotted the renowned Opera House, the Parliament, City Hall, and the old stock exchange.

Next, we visited the autonomous neighborhood, Christianshavn, and experienced a raw and enlightening insight into another side of the city. 

On the way back to Klampenborg, we rode the metro rail, a railroad system underground beneath even the s-train train system, and enjoyed the remaining bright hours left playing a mash of Danish and American games, including beach volleyball, taps, and ultimate frisbee, and taking a dip into the Øresund, the body of water that separates Sweden from Denmark. Many other students experienced similarly inspiring and thrilling trips with their respective hosts, and it was an amazing, action-packed first day to both connect with some of the Ordup students and explore the city of Copenhagen. And the best news is... this is only Day 1!

JFK Bound

Passing NYC

On their way!

The Haverford boys posing for a picture before the departure to the airport!

HEY WILL!
We are your two hosts and we're really excited to meet you. Can't wait to have fun and show you around in our society. We will do activities together all week, all three of us.
Safe travels
Kris and Nikolaj!

Hi :)

Hello everybody!
We are all looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. The picture below is of our great cafeteria. You can look forward to meeting the staff, they are so fun and really nice.
See you soon ;)

Tomorrow

I'm looking very much forward to meeting everyone tomorrow, and to having a great week with a lot of experiences. 

I've never exchanged before, so it'll be a very nice experience for me.

I'm looking forward to hosting Hannah and to introducing her to the Danish culture :) 

See you tomorrow everybody

Welcome to Ordrup High School

We are sincerely looking forward to your visit, and we wish you have a pleasant flight. The weather forecasts are lovely, so you´re sure to have an enjoyable time here in Copenhagen. We have various activities planned for the week, that we are excited to do with you. We look forward to showing you the Danish culture, and getting to know you. 

The kindest regards 

Nils, Sylvester and Tobias :)

Us boys are excited to see you :-)!!

See You Soon!!

Hey Everybody,
We are excited to show you all of you around Copenhagen and to be spending time with you. We have already prepared a lot of fun things for all of you to do including a trip to Tivoli. We are looking forward to introducing you to the danish culture and food. Right now we are at school preparing for your arrival.

We are really looking forward to meeting all of you in just one day.

Have a safe flight!
Greetings from,
Rebecca and Caroline

This is inside Tivoli

Welcome Americans!

Welcome to Denmark!

As you arrive tomorrow, we will be ready to welcome you here in Denmark, at Hellerup Station. We are very exited to meet you, and spend a week or so with you. Be ready to watch out for bicycles in Copenhagen, or they might run you down... :)

And you should also prepare to eat some liquorice and rye bread. 

Really good liquorice :)

We are looking forward to showing you our school, neighbourhood, homes and showing you around in Copenhagen. 

And once again, welcome to the happiest country in the World. 

Nyhavn

Greeting from Anna Sofie and Clara. 

Delighted for Denmark: Be Ready for Be Hoogali

And that clinches my packing for our trip to Copenhagen tomorrow afternoon. I am very eager to arrive there and meet Nils, my Danish counterpart, and his family. Not only is the permeating fragrance of Danish pastries persuading my imminent departure, but also the engrossing conversations with Nils I look forward to about Danish politics - about which he is very knowledgeable and passionate. See you all tomorrow, bright, but not early (- thank goodness!).

I am just about to finish packing! I can't wait for the journey that lies ahead. I am most excited about meeting my host family and being able to make a connection with people from a different country. I look forward to exploring the many mysteries and adventures that Denmark has to offer. Eating new foods, meeting new people, and creating a memorable experience is truly what I want to do on this trip.

Packed and Ready to Go!

I have just finished packing for Denmark and I can wait to arrive tomorrow. I look forward to meeting my host family and making new friends as well as touring the beautiful city and taking lots of pictures.

Denmark & Travel

I am packed and ready for the flight to Denmark tommorow! I can't wait to arrive and see my family as well as the city. Hopefully everything goes well with traveling and tomorrow will be the first of nine or so great days. 

Be Hoogali Zeal Zone!!

Packed and ready to go, I am extremely excited to climb into the airplane tomorrow. The stoke is through the roof, and I am sure the rest of the group is just as psyched as I am to go meet great people and do amazing things. I am positive this will be epically fun, can't wait for tomorrow!

Gaspard

T-minus 14....!

While we don't arrive in Copenhagen until Saturday morning, our journey is nearly 24 hours long. To avoid a connection/layover means a bus to JFK. Worth it, or not? Time will tell (and this is only from a selfish perspective: as we are bringing a 3 year old. What is the best recipe for travel success?). For now, trust that the T-G family is pumped to co-lead this trip for 10 wonderful Haverford boys and 5 awesome Baldwin girls. See you on the other side!

☑ Hostess Gifts:
    - Philadelphia Union Jacket
    - Salt Water Taffies 

DENMARK 2015

I just started packing using the helpful list that Mr. Poolman emailed to us. I realized that I need a few more things to complete my bag and I plan on getting these items in the next few days. I can't wait for Denmark :) :) :) I am excited to meet lots of new people and learn many interesting aspects about Denmark that I would never get to experience. This will be one of the most memorable trips of my life!!!

Learn Danish on Duolingo

Learn Danish on Duolingo

Flight Information

Outbound

Friday, August 28

Delta #218 departure JFK 4:40pm

Arrival Copenhagen 8/29 6:50am

Inbound

Saturday, September 5

Delta #219 departure Copenhagen 8:15am

Arrival JFK 11:05am