Stella Luo

Who am I?

Hello! My name is Stella and I live in Sydney, Australia. I’m currently 15 years old and am about one month into my exchange in Aalborg, Denmark. I like to perform - sing, dance, act - and this is why I love being in and watching musicals! Apart from that I like to write, travel, paint (very badly!) and in general try new experiences, whether it be food or a totally new school system.

When did you decide to go on an exchange and why?

I guess that could be from my love of trying new things. That and the fact that I love to explore, challenge myself, go one adventures - the thought of losing myself in a country on the other side of the world was all too exciting to resist! I also like to establish a sort of independency. It feels good to know that I can pursue what I want as long as my mind is set on it, because honestly, I did not think that I would end up here. Even after I was accepted I didn’t really think that I would actually be in Denmark in half a year! But here I am, and I’m totally loving it!

You went to Denmark. What made you chose Denmark?

I really like Scandinavian culture. It is so hyggelig (which roughly translates into ‘cosy’) and, many Danes think I am crazy for thinking this, I love the weather here! It’s so much of a change from Australia, where right now my friends are always complaining on Facebook about the hot Summer heat! Many people then ask me why I didn’t choose Sweden, but I don’t know - Denmark just sort of ‘clicked’ with me.. It’s a little hard to justify, but I know that quite a lot of exchangers also feel this way.

What was your biggest fear before leaving?

My biggest fear was getting lost at the airport or getting on the wrong plane! But obviously that’s not the answer you’re looking for, so I would say my next fear was not having any friends, as it is widely known that Danish people tend to be closed and it would not be realistic to expect that people would just bound up to you and crowd you with questions and invites, as I have heard happens in some places in South America, for example. However, I was placed into an International class at my Danish school (a decision with which I was extremely against on my first day here!) and my classmates there, even the Danes, totally surrounded me on the first day, and I felt instantly like I was accepted. The tough part is that since I am so set in being an exchange student, I asked to change to a normal Danish class, which will probably take place sometime next week. I’m now not 100% sure if that’s what I want anymore - I have made lots of friends in my class and I don’t want to leave them!

Sorry, I’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent there!

Has it been hard to change language?

Not for me, since in Denmark most people can speak English as a second language. I try to speak as much Danish as I can, but very early in the conversation I get stuck and it goes back to English! This isn’t good for my Danish skills, so I’ve asked my host family (who are amazing, by the way!) to talk to me only in Danish after 2 months.

How was the school in Denmark different to the one in Australia?

Ohhh, so different! School in Denmark is so free and relaxed. Every day I finish school at 1:35pm, and on Friday I finish school at 11:35am! One major difference is that students are allowed to smoke and drink at school - the schools even sell alcohol during events! In Australia, if you even bring alcohol to a school event, you will most definitely be turned away. Not even that, your parents will be called and you will probably be suspended for a while! Another difference here is that when people swear loudly in class, chat, throw things across the room, the teachers don’t even blink an eye. The relationship between students and teachers in Denmark are often a lot closer than in Australia. This also partly comes from the fact that teachers are called by their first names, not their last.