Hodgepodge for 500, Alex

It's been a bit of a quiet month as far as posts go.  Oddly enough, this is more because there's been too much going on than that I've had nothing to write about.  So here is a brief rundown of this months news:

I'm about a week and a half into module 3.2 now.  It's been a bit of a strange experience, as we had a whole bunch of new students join the class.  So many, in fact, that there are now more new students than people I know.  Stranger still, most of the new students were put into the class directly from module 2.  It seems their teacher thought that they were all so good that they should skip 3.1 completely.  It's entirely possibly that the really are that good, but it does mean that the our teachers in 3.2 are having to repeat a lot of the stuff we learned over the past 6 weeks, and that does slow class down quite a bit.

In other news, I've had my first experience with Denmark's national healthcare system this month, and I have to say... so far, it's a huge improvement from my experience in the US.  I decided it was time to meet my doctor and ask a few medical questions that I've had on my mind for a while, so I called to make an appointment.  They assign a doctor to you when you get your CPR number, and that doctor's name and number are then printed on your "yellow card" (your CPR card).  I was a little worried at first, as the first time I called I got a message saying there were too many people waiting on the line and that I should try back later.  Next time, though, I got through no problem and made my appointment.  Once I got to the office that day, all I had to do was swipe my yellow card in their little machine, and my appointment time popped up on the screen, and I was officially checked in.  The doctor was very nice, and everything seems to have gone just fine.  Even better still, I didn't have to worry about if or when I would get a bill in the mail.  So far, so good.

And finally, my folks have been in town for the last week.  They fly out this morning, but we've spent the past week walking all around the city, seeing the sights.  When learning a new language, it helps to put things in perspective by being visited be people who don't know the language.  I was reassured by how often they would ask what sometime meant and I was able to give them an answer.

Then again, my mother was picking the words up quickly enough that we're fairly certain she'll know Danish before I do.

The Dudette Resides

About a week ago, I wrote this post after submitting my application for Danish residency.

If you recall, they told me it would take one to six months to hear back.

Turns out, they miscalculated.  I received my Danish residency letter yesterday.

That letter (which was written in Danish, so I had to type the whole thing into Google Translate to know what it said) says that I am now a legal resident for the next five years, with the option to apply for permanent residence some time before that five years is up.

That letter also allowed me to walk into the Kommune office to get my CPR number.  And now that I have that number, all kinds of doors are open to me.  I was given a doctor on the spot, so I now have medical coverage.  I was able to go into a bank and open an account.  And I was also able to get myself a phone with a local plan.

Most importantly, though, I can now register for Danish classes and hopefully start full-time this fall.

Looking forward to bidding a less-than-fond farewell to my regional illiteracy. 

A Smørrebrød-ebration

Apparently, I have now officially applied for residence in Denmark.

What I thought I was doing was registering as a resident, but apparently they still have to approve me. 

Since I've moved to Denmark as the wife of a non-Danish EU citizen, it's unlikely that they won't approve me, but the process can apparently take some time. 

I was told that I'll get a letter.  Some time between 1 month... and 6 months from now.  

How specific.

The bad news?  This means it could be up to 6 months before I have my CPR number and can do things like enroll in Danish classes and get a phone plan.

But there's also good news: I got a fun little stamp in my passport saying that I get to stay in Denmark, as I have applied for residence, which means I'm actually allowed to live here now, and I'm not just a tourist!

We celebrated with some smørrebrød at a restaurant on Baggesensgade called Mijo.

I totally recommend it.  It was goooood.  

Two Weeks and Counting

We leave for Denmark two weeks from today.

We've decided on our shipping company, and have been slowly selling off the furniture and other household items that we won't be able to keep.  Electronics, especially, what with the plug/voltage difference.  We have decided to keep out printer/scanner/copier, though.  Mostly because the display is in Danish and we don't know how to change it.  Not much of a market for that here.

I've decided that, as soon as I have my CPR number (like our Social Security number), I will enroll in "full-time" Danish classes.  From what I understand, this means I'd be taking class 4 days a week, for maybe 3-4 hours per day.  My husband predicts that I should surpass him with my Danish within 6 months.  And considering he's fairly conversational in Danish, and has a job in Denmark, that sounds just fine by me.

This will also get me out of the house and meeting people pretty quickly.  However, I believe the Summer vacation is going to stall the start of my classes for a few months.  I'll have to find some other way to get out of the house during the day, as our furniture and whatnot won't arrive for about 6 weeks.

Not much fun sitting around an apartment with almost nothing in it.