Last time:
Drive there; walk inside; find someone who can pretty much understand what’s needed; and then pick a date off of my marked up calendar brought with specifically for that purpose. Duration: 20 minutes.
This time:
Try to get a hold of hubby to get license plate number (the car is with him somewhere on Zealand). Find fix-it place’s name using google maps since I can’t remember their name. Call them. Having no idea what number to choose for the service people, just start picking some. Finding no one able to understand my request, stop blindly trying numbers. Call friend with Danish husband. Yeah! He’s home (and nearby), and he’ll come on over to help. He comes, I explain the situation. He calls. He has a nice chat with the service guy, even some belly laughs. When he hangs up he says, just take it in whenever you want and they will look at it. Duration: 2.0 hours
In the U.S. this would take me all of 5 minutes because I’d know who to call, and we’d speak the same language. But, I’m not complaining about the language barrier – honestly - since I’m the one who gave up on learning Danish less than 3 months after moving here. And anyway, I don’t think this conversation with the mechanic was included in my language books.
Oh - to be back home and completely independent again.
The last of our visitors arrive tommorrow and we are planning on showing them the countryside - hence the need to get the car fixed. Soon after that, I think we'll be picking our return date to the U.S.
I NEED this date, and the moving men date. I don't funtion well in this sort of extended limbo.
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You said: "Soon after that, I think we'll be picking our return date to the U.S."
Are you leaving Denmark?
OMG! I know what you mean. And last night I had to fill out this questionnaire for my residency, basically, "are you still working towards becoming a nice little dandroid?" So my husband is going over the questions with me to translate and then I'm getting frustrated because I'm going to have to write the answers in English and have him help me translate it back into proper Danish when what would be MUCH easier would be if he'd read the question to me in English, I answer, he translates to Danish and writes it down for me. Total duration: 5 minutes, this impromptu Danish lesson at 11 at night? Taking too damn long. Finally got it through his head that I was NOT going to play this game. We finish, I sign, today I take it in to the integration center and they are happy. Yay!
I will not even attempt the car repair, since "Jeg skal køre i min bil!" seems to be all I know of car related words.
Yep Babs- we will be leaving. We were planning on being here two years (it was a two year work contract for my husband). However, for a couple different reasons, we are going home a bit early (August-ish).
That's the main reason I was a lackluster learner of Danish.
Goddess - I totally sympathize with not wanting Danish lessons right before bed. Just like when my husband tries to teach our 5 yr old how to read before bed. Dad - all he wants is a bedtime story, and some cuddling.
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