Two Words: ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

Hey everybody,

Something that I have been looking forward to ever since I heard that I was coming to Denmark! Two words.  ROSKILDE FESTIVAL! 

Roskilde Festival is the largest festival in Northern Europe and the fourth largest in Europe.  Over 180 of the worlds biggest bands come and play in front of over 80,000 people.  So far this year less then 10 bands have been named to the public but we can expect a full list my mid April.  This years big band is a band that has been called "one of the best in the world today", which is Coldplay from the UK.  

One of the regulars that comes to Roskilde Festival is Neil Young.  Last year he said while preforming on the main stage, "Roskilde rocks! The best festival in the world!"  This will be one of the highlights of my exchange to say the least.  I can not wait.

When I attend Roskilde Festival this summer, I will be volunteering at a Thai food restaurant with a friend from USA.  There is a man from Rotary helping run the Thai food stand so that is the main reason I am allowed to go.  Many Rotary clubs don't allow their exchange students to go at all, even though Roskilde police say that Roskilde Festival is one of the safest festivals in Europe.  With a rotarian watching over us for the festival, my Rotary club feels that it is a good idea for me to go and experience an amazing festival

The agreement that I have when working is that I work for 6 hours a day for 4 days.  All the rest of the time is ours to party with 80,000 people from around the world, and see amazing bands!

One of my favourite hardcore bands from Canada (Cancer Bats) will be there and I am so excited to see them again.  I have seen them once at the Molson Amp in Toronto and at a small club in Copenhagen back in December.  It was funny because I asked the lead singer of Cancer Bats (Liam) when I talked to him after the show if he has heard of Roskilde Festival, and he said no but he will look into it, and now they are on the bill!

This is all very exciting and I can't wait until the festival begins.  It will be the craziest and intense 8 days of my life!

CANCER BATS

COLDPLAY

ORANGE STAGE AT ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

When more bands come up on the bill and I feel the need to share with you all, I will do so. I will probably do an update on the bands in attendance every month or so.

Love,

Dillon

dillonrahkola@hotmail.com  

PS. And how funny and so typical of Denmark, that Roskilde Festival's main sponsor is non other then... Tuborg Øl (Tuborg Beer)

Sweden Ski Vacation!

Hey everyone,

This past week I was with my host family on a week ski vacation Idre Fjall in Sweden.  

We left at 4 am Saturday morning to catch a ferry to Norway.  We stayed in Oslo for a night and it was a great chance to get to see the beautiful city of Oslo.  We went to a park where it had many beautiful interesting sculptures, and we also went on this huge hill to go "GT Racing" down a long winding path that goes on for many kilometers.  It was a great time because I haven't been GT Racing for the longest time.

We then headed off to Sweden where we had a nice apartment flat with a small kitchen, living room and kitchen table.  We had two rooms with bunk beds where all of us slept.  The best part about having the apartment is that we walk out the door, and maybe in 20 meters you are on the ski hill.  It was a great set up and made skiing a lot easier because you can come and go as you please.

Frederik (my host brother) and I both wanted to try something new so we decided to try snowboarding for the week while the rest of the family skied.  Frederik and I had snowboarding lessons everyday to build our skills.  We had a instructor to ourselves and that helped us out a lot.  He showed us different carving techniques, how to go through powder, and even how to get over jumps and grind rails!  It was an awesome experience.  I think I will be buying a snowboard on my return to Canada.

The week of snowboarding was a lovely break from school, and a good way to spend some time with my host family.  It was also great to visit two countries that I unfortunately don't have the chance to visit on Euro Tour.

OSLO, NORWAY

To see more pictures of Oslo, click HERE!

IDRE FJALL, SWEDEN

To see more pictures from Sweden, click HERE!

On the 18th of February I will be presenting my power point to Rotary all about Canada, and all in Danish.  I will let you know how that goes!

Vi ses,

Dillon

dillonrahkola@hotmail.com

I Love Canada Post

Hey,

After a few weeks *cough 5!!!* of waiting for the arrival of my Christmas package from mom and dad, it has finally arrived.  Thanks to Canada post, my Christmas package that was supposed to come a week before Christmas, arrived 5 weeks after Christmas day.  But enough complaining I am just happy I have my hands on it and I am so excited! It was like Christmas day all over again!

The photos below are just photos that i took of some of the gifts I got. It is the closest thing Mom and Dad will see of me opening up this years Christmas gifts. PS. The last one is to show what I treated myself on for Christmas. A new vinyl record of one of my favourite bands.

I have one more week of school starting on Monday, and then on Saturday at 4:00am we are getting in the car and heading off to Oslo, Norway to visit family friends.  From there we continue on to Sweden where we will be skiing for a week.  I will hopefully have many photos and fun stories to share with you all.

Love,

Dillon

dillonrahkola@hotmail.com

Happy Holidays From Denmark!

Hey everybody,

It has been a while!  I have been extremely busy around the holidays with Christmas parties and New Years as well so it has been a crazy last few weeks.  

Christmas was different for sure! It was an odd feeling not having family and friends with me but it is a big part of exchange.  Learning  about the culture and experiencing Christmas in a different country is a great thing!  I will never have another Danish Christmas like this so I made sure I appreciated every second of it.  

Some of the Danish Christmas traditions that interesting is that; We opened presents on Christmas Eve.  We decorate the tree only a few days before Christmas.  Before we open presents we hold hands around the tree and sing Danish Christmas carols.

Jule Frokost (Christmas Lunch) are very important.  You have them with your class from school and your family, both your host mom and dads.  They have the same food (Danish Christmas food) at every Jule Frokost and the drinks are the same as well.  Schnapps and beer.  So all in all a great time.

New years is was also a great night! People in the part of Denmark that I live in do certain things every new year.  They are known for going door to door, dropping in on anyone who has their lights on, or hosting a party.  It is a fun way to get to know people that you might not of known before in your neighborhood.  

Fireworks are only legal to light off with out a permit on New Years, so when New Years eve creeps up on the people of Denmark, they don't let the opportunity go to waste.  

I celebrated New Years in the streets of Copenhagen with thousands of Danes and some exchange students!  Fireworks were going off through out the night, been blasted off in the middle of the street, and out of peoples hands.  It was absolutely amazing!

Last minute surprise was thrown at me yesterday.  I got invited to go skiing in Sweden on Saturday!  Its a day trip and I can not wait!!!  It will be so great, and I will make sure I will take many photos.

Vi ses,

Dillon Rahkola

dillonrahkola@hotmail.com 

Also, I would like to say goodbye and safe travel home for all my oldies. I love you all and will always remember the good times we have shared together.