Locating home

In previous posts I've mentioned the psychological effect of knowing that I'll be here for a long while - even though I've only been here about two and a half weeks it feels very much different from the two five week trips I've had here before. One way I can mark the difference is the impulse I feel to stay in touch with home differently. I haven't been able to skype with my family because I was having internet issues and the time zone means it's only possible on weekends. But I really, really feel the need to talk to them! Not because I haven't gone two weeks without contact before. And I also have been keeping in frequent touch with American news media - particularly my podcast obsessions. Gotta love that "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and "Democracy Now" and "Rachel Maddow". Home, sweet home.

Last night my friend had a lovely little dinner party. Nash, a friend on our program who is from the UK, was there and DJing. It was funny to realize that his music was comfortable and familiar to me though our lives have been anything but parallel. We actually ended up going to the Hard Rock cafe as well.... haahaha, doesn't exactly remind me of home, but fun anyway.

I'm really, really looking forward to starting English-Danish classes with my new friend, Hanan. I forget if I already talked about this.... she's going to teach me Danish - she is COMMITTED to making these little lesson plans, hot damn. And I am going to help her expand her vocabulary, speak more comfortably, work on her writing. I hope I'll be good enough! She's definitely already fully an English speaker... so it's kinda hard to work from that point. Easier to teach the basic lessons in many ways. But she's an EAGER student, so I'm sure we'll make good headway.