Week 16: Maya remembers her first weeks in Denmark

Danish with English gloss, line-aligned.

after badminton questions
Storyboard: Maya finishes a badminton match with Kasper and Sara. They sit on a bench, drink water, and her friends ask about her very first days in Denmark.
Kasper, Sara, Emil og jeg spillede badminton i næsten to timer.Kasper, Sara, Emil, and I played badminton for almost two hours.
Nu var kampen slut, og vi var dejligt trætte.Now the match was over, and we were pleasantly tired.
Vi gik over til en bænk.We walked over to a bench.
Vi satte os ned sammen.We sat down together.
Jeg åbnede min taske og fandt min vandflaske.I opened my bag and found my water bottle.
Vi drak bare koldt vand i lang tid.We just drank cold water for a long time.
"Det var en hård kamp," sagde Kasper."That was a tough match," Kasper said.
Sara smilede og kiggede på mig.Sara smiled and looked at me.
"Du kom til Danmark i januar, ikke?" spurgte hun."You came to Denmark in January, right?" she asked.
"Jo, jeg rejste fra Mexico i januar," svarede jeg."Yes, I traveled from Mexico in January," I answered.
Kasper lagde sin ketsjer på bænken.Kasper put his racket on the bench.
"Hvordan var dine første dage i landet?" spurgte han."How were your first days in the country?" he asked.
Jeg tænkte tilbage på min første uge.I thought back to my first week.
Alting var nyt og meget anderledes dengang.Everything was new and very different back then.
Jeg kendte slet ikke byen.I didn't know the city at all.
"Det var meget koldt," begyndte jeg."It was very cold," I began.
Kasper og Sara grinte højt.Kasper and Sara laughed loudly.
"Den danske vinter er altid kold," sagde Sara."The Danish winter is always cold," Sara said.
Kasper spurgte mig.Kasper asked me.
"Hvordan var din allerførste dag?""How was your very first day?"
january arrival memory
Storyboard: Maya tells them about her arrival in January. The winter sky was grey, the cold wind blew, and she took a taxi to her new address.
Jeg kiggede på Kasper og Sara og smilede.I looked at Kasper and Sara and smiled.
"Min første dag var et stort eventyr," sagde jeg."My first day was a big adventure," I said.
Jeg huskede den kolde luft i lufthavnen.I remembered the cold air at the airport.
Kasper spurgte:Kasper asked:
"Hvordan var vejret?""How was the weather?"
"Himlen var helt grå," svarede jeg."The sky was completely grey," I answered.
Jeg stod uden for lufthavnen med min store kuffert.I stood outside the airport with my large suitcase.
Vinden blæste, men jeg glædede mig til at være her.The wind blew, but I was excited to be here.
Sara drak lidt vand og nikkede.Sara drank a little water and nodded.
"Det lyder som en stor forandring fra Mexico," sagde hun."That sounds like a big change from Mexico," she said.
Jeg fandt en taxa foran bygningen.I found a taxi in front of the building.
Taxachaufføren var venlig og hjalp mig.The taxi driver was friendly and helped me.
Han spurgte om min nye adresse.He asked about my new address.
Jeg sagde min adresse højt.I said my address out loud.
"Jeg kender godt gaden," sagde chaufføren."I know the street well," the driver said.
Vi kørte ind mod byen.We drove towards the city.
Jeg kiggede ud ad vinduet på turen.I looked out of the window during the trip.
Alle mennesker havde varme frakker og halstørklæder på.All the people wore warm coats and scarves.
Sara spurgte:Sara asked:
"Var du nervøs?""Were you nervous?"
"Ja, lidt," svarede jeg."Yes, a little," I answered.
Men jeg glædede mig også til min nye lejlighed.But I also looked forward to my new apartment.
meeting nina memory
Storyboard: She remembers her very first afternoon. She stood outside the building with a heavy suitcase, and her neighbor Nina opened the front door.
Kasper ville høre om min allerførste eftermiddag.Kasper wanted to hear about my very first afternoon.
Det var en kold eftermiddag i januar.It was a cold afternoon in January.
Jeg kom op ad trappen til min nye lejlighed.I came up the stairs to my new apartment.
Jeg havde en meget tung kuffert.I had one very heavy suitcase.
Jeg var meget træt efter den lange rejse.I was very tired after the long journey.
Jeg bar selv min kuffert op og ind.I carried my suitcase up and inside on my own.
Lidt efter gik jeg ud i trappeopgangen.A little later I stepped out into the stairwell.
En dør ved siden af gik op.A door next to mine opened.
En ung kvinde kom ud og smilede til mig.A young woman came out and smiled at me.
"Hej, jeg hedder Nina," sagde hun."Hi, my name is Nina," she said.
"Jeg bor også her i bygningen.""I also live here in the building."
Jeg smilede tilbage og sagde mit navn.I smiled back and said my name.
Nina boede lige ved siden af mig.Nina lived right next to me.
Vi snakkede lidt sammen i opgangen.We talked together a little in the stairwell.
Det var rart at møde en nabo med det samme.It was nice to meet a neighbour right away.
"Velkommen til Danmark," sagde Nina."Welcome to Denmark," Nina said.
Det var min første dag her.It was my first day here.
Jeg var glad, fordi jeg allerede havde en ven.I was happy because I already had a friend.
first office day memory
Storyboard: She describes her first day at the software company. She was slightly nervous, but her colleague Peter smiled and showed her the new desk.
Kasper spurgte:Kasper asked:
"Og hvad med dit job?""And what about your job?"
Jeg tænkte et øjeblik.I thought for a moment.
Så spurgte Sara om min første dag i softwarevirksomheden.Then Sara asked about my first day at the software company.
Jeg var ret nervøs den morgen.I was quite nervous that morning.
Jeg tog bussen på arbejde.I took the bus to work.
Jeg kiggede ud ad vinduet og tænkte på mine nye kolleger.I looked out the window and thought about my new colleagues.
Jeg gik ind i den store bygning.I walked into the big building.
Jeg stod på det nye kontor og sagde hej.I stood in the new office and said hello.
En mand kom hurtigt hen til mig.A man quickly came over to me.
"Velkommen til Danmark, jeg hedder Peter," sagde han venligt."Welcome to Denmark, my name is Peter," he said kindly.
Peter smilede bredt og viste mig mit nye skrivebord.Peter smiled broadly and showed me my new desk.
Han var min nye kollega.He was my new colleague.
Vi drak en kop kaffe sammen.We drank a cup of coffee together.
Han spurgte om min lange rejse fra Mexico.He asked about my long journey from Mexico.
Det var meget hyggeligt, og jeg slappede af.It was very pleasant, and I relaxed.
Sara nikkede og kiggede på mig.Sara nodded and looked at me.
"Gode kolleger er utrolig vigtige," sagde hun."Good colleagues are incredibly important," she said.
Jeg var helt enig.I completely agreed.
weekend family call
Storyboard: Later in the week, Maya relaxes on her sofa and video-calls her family in Mexico. Her mother asks about the most difficult moments in the beginning.
Det er lørdag, og jeg slapper af på min sofa.It is Saturday, and I am relaxing on my sofa.
Jeg starter et videoopkald til min familie i Mexico.I start a video call to my family in Mexico.
Min mor svarer næsten med det samme.My mother answers almost immediately.
"Hej Maya, min skat," siger hun med et stort smil."Hello Maya, my darling," she says with a big smile.
Jeg kan se min søster Sofía, min bror Diego og vores hund Lola i baggrunden.I can see my sister Sofía, my brother Diego, and our dog Lola in the background.
"Hej mor.""Hello mom."
"Det går rigtig godt her," siger jeg glad."Things are going really well here," I say happily.
Vi taler lidt om deres uge hjemme i Mexico.We talk a bit about their week back home in Mexico.
Så spørger min mor, om noget var svært i starten.Then my mother asks if anything was difficult at the start.
Jeg tænker tilbage på min første tid i byen.I think back on my early days in the city.
Alting var nyt, og dagene var nogle gange svære.Everything was new, and the days were sometimes difficult.
"Begyndelsen var ikke altid nem," fortæller jeg hende."The beginning was not always easy," I tell her.
"Jeg ventede i en lang kø en hel formiddag.""I waited in a long queue a whole morning."
"Jeg sad i et tomt køkken og savnede jer.""I sat in an empty kitchen and missed you."
"En lørdag gik jeg forkert og for vild.""One Saturday I walked the wrong way and got lost."
"Og i starten havde jeg ikke en varm nok jakke," tilføjer jeg."And at first I did not have a warm enough jacket," I add.
Min mor lytter opmærksomt og nikker.My mother listens attentively and nods.
Hun vil meget gerne høre alle historierne fra min start i Danmark.She really wants to hear all the stories from my start in Denmark.
Jeg tager en tår af min te og fortæller videre.I take a sip of my tea and continue my story.
registration queue memory
Storyboard: She tells her mother about a long, boring morning at the citizen center. She waited in a slow queue and finally received her private registration number.
Jeg kigger på min mor på skærmen.I look at my mother on the screen.
Hun vil høre mere om den lange kø.She wants to hear more about the long queue.
Jeg fortæller hende om en lang formiddag.I tell her about a long morning.
"Det var en kold tirsdag i januar," siger jeg."It was a cold Tuesday in January," I say.
Jeg tog bussen ind til byens borgerservice.I took the bus into the city's citizen center.
Der var rigtig mange mennesker i det store rum.There were really many people in the large room.
Jeg trak et nummer i en lille maskine.I pulled a number from a small machine.
Mit nummer var nioghalvtreds.My number was fifty-nine.
Men skærmen på væggen viste kun enogtyve.But the screen on the wall only showed twenty-one.
Køen var utrolig langsom.The queue was incredibly slow.
Jeg sad på en hård stol og ventede i to timer.I sat on a hard chair and waited for two hours.
Jeg kiggede tit op på skærmen.I often looked up at the screen.
Endelig kaldte en venlig mand mit nummer.Finally, a friendly man called my number.
Jeg rejste mig og gik hen til hans skrivebord.I stood up and walked over to his desk.
Jeg gav ham mit pas og mine dokumenter fra softwarefirmaet.I gave him my passport and my documents from the software company.
Han læste papirerne og tastede på sin computer.He read the papers and typed on his computer.
Jeg fik endelig mit CPR-nummer.I finally got my CPR number.
Han bad mig om at passe rigtig godt på det vigtige nummer.He asked me to take really good care of the important number.
"Hvor var du tålmodig," smiler min mor."You were very patient," my mother smiles.
empty kitchen memory
Storyboard: Maya remembers moving into her own bare apartment. She sat on the floor in the empty kitchen, ate a simple dinner from a paper bag, and missed her family.
Min mor spørger, om jeg var okay den første aften.My mother asks if I was okay that first evening.
Lejligheden var møbleret, men stadig ny for mig.The apartment was furnished, but still new to me.
Jeg havde endnu ingen mad i køkkenet.I had no food in the kitchen yet.
Jeg købte en simpel aftensmad på vejen hjem.I bought a simple dinner on the way home.
Det var en sandwich fra en butik.It was a sandwich from a shop.
Jeg satte mig i den lille sofa.I sat down on the little sofa.
Lejligheden var meget stille.The apartment was very quiet.
Jeg spiste min aftensmad stille.I ate my dinner quietly.
Jeg kendte endnu kun min nabo Nina.I still only knew my neighbour Nina.
"Jeg savnede jer meget den aften," siger jeg til hende."I missed you all a lot that evening," I say to her.
Jeg tænkte på min søster Sofía og min bror Diego.I thought about my sister Sofía and my brother Diego.
Jeg savnede endda vores hund Lola.I even missed our dog Lola.
Men jeg glædede mig til mit nye liv.But I looked forward to my new life.
Min mor lægger en hånd på hjertet.My mother puts a hand to her heart.
"Begyndelsen er altid svær," svarer hun."The beginning is always difficult," she replies.
Jeg nikker og tænker tilbage på dagen.I nod and think back to the day.
Det var en svær aften, men den næste morgen var meget bedre.It was a difficult evening, but the next morning was much better.
getting lost memory
Storyboard: She laughs as she recounts a confusing Saturday walking to the harbour: she followed Nina's route, stopped for a street musician, forgot the way down a quiet side street, and a woman walking a little dog (like Lola) pointed her back to the square.
Nu griner jeg og fortæller om en forvirrende lørdag.Now I laugh and tell them about a confusing Saturday.
Det var en kold lørdag morgen den første vinter.It was a cold Saturday morning that first winter.
Jeg ville gå ned til havnen.I wanted to walk down to the harbour.
Nina gav mig ruten på forhånd.Nina gave me the route beforehand.
På vejen hørte jeg en gademusiker.On the way I heard a street musician.
Han spillede smukt på sin guitar.He played the guitar beautifully.
Jeg stoppede og lyttede længe.I stopped and listened for a long time.
Så glemte jeg helt Ninas rute.Then I completely forgot Nina's route.
Jeg gik ind i en smal sidegade.I walked into a narrow side street.
Der var kun små, stille huse.There were only small, quiet houses.
Pludselig fór jeg helt vild.Suddenly I got completely lost.
Foran mig gik en ung kvinde med en lille hund.Ahead of me walked a young woman with a little dog.
Hunden lignede fuldstændig vores Lola.The dog looked exactly like our Lola.
"Undskyld, jeg leder efter havnen," sagde jeg."Excuse me, I am looking for the harbour," I said.
Hun pegede venligt tilbage mod torvet.She kindly pointed me back towards the square.
Jeg takkede hende og fandt den rigtige vej.I thanked her and found the right way.
Til sidst nåede jeg ned til vandet.In the end I reached the water.
Min bror Diego griner højt på skærmen.My brother Diego laughs loudly on the screen.
Det var en fjollet fejl, men et godt minde.It was a silly mistake, but a good memory.
cold snap shopping memory
Storyboard: She talks about the sudden freezing weather. The cold bit her cheeks, so she quickly went into a store and bought a thick winter coat and warm boots.
Til sidst fortæller jeg min mor om vinteren.Finally I tell my mother about the winter.
Vejret skiftede pludselig.The weather changed suddenly.
Det blæste, og luften var iskold.It was windy, and the air was ice cold.
Kulden bed i mine kinder på vej til arbejde.The cold bit my cheeks on the way to work.
Jeg havde brug for noget varmt tøj.I needed some warm clothes.
Efter arbejde skyndte jeg mig ind i en stor butik.After work, I hurried into a large store.
Der var heldigvis dejligt varmt indenfor.Fortunately, it was wonderfully warm inside.
En venlig ekspedient arbejdede i butikken.A friendly shop assistant was working in the store.
Hun kom hen til mig og smilede.She came over to me and smiled.
Hun spurgte: "Leder du efter noget bestemt?"She asked, "Are you looking for something specific?"
Jeg svarede: "Ja tak, jeg vil gerne købe jeres varmeste vinterjakke."I answered, "Yes please, I would like to buy your warmest winter jacket."
Hun fandt en tyk, mørkeblå jakke til mig.She found a thick, dark blue jacket for me.
Jeg prøvede den straks.I tried it on immediately.
Den var dejlig varm, og den passede perfekt.It was wonderfully warm, and it fit perfectly.
Jeg tog også et blødt, blåt tørklæde.I also took a soft blue scarf.
Jeg tog tingene med op til kassen og betalte.I took the things up to the register and paid.
Tøjet kostede femten hundrede kroner.The clothes cost one thousand five hundred kroner.
Det var lidt dyrt, men det var helt nødvendigt.It was a bit expensive, but it was absolutely necessary.
Min mor klapper i hænderne.My mother claps her hands together.
Hun er glad for, at jeg endelig havde det varmt.She is glad that I was finally warm.
then and now
Storyboard: The video call ends, and Maya smiles. She thinks about the difficult days in January, looks around her cozy living room today, and feels completely at home.
Jeg lukker min computer.I close my computer.
Videoopkaldet med min familie er slut.The video call with my family is over.
Jeg smiler og kigger rundt i stuen.I smile and look around the living room.
Her er varmt og hyggeligt.It is warm and cozy here.
Mange ting er anderledes nu.Many things are different now.
Jeg tænker på mine første dage i Danmark.I think about my first days in Denmark.
Januar var en meget kold måned.January was a very cold month.
De første uger var en stor udfordring.The first weeks were a big challenge.
Jeg savnede min familie meget.I missed my family a lot.
Alt i byen var nyt for mig.Everything in the city was new to me.
Min nabo Nina bød mig velkommen.My neighbour Nina welcomed me.
Nu har jeg en blød sofa og et flot tæppe.Now I have a soft sofa and a nice rug.
Jeg tager bussen på arbejde hver morgen.I take the bus to work every morning.
Jeg taler med Peter og de andre kolleger.I talk with Peter and the other colleagues.
Vinteren var lang.The winter was long.
Men jeg lærte meget i de første måneder.But I learned a lot in the first months.
Jeg er ikke længere bare en gæst i byen.I am no longer just a guest in the city.
Jeg kigger ud af vinduet.I look out of the window.
Jeg drikker resten af min te, og jeg er glad.I drink the rest of my tea, and I am happy.
Jeg føler mig helt hjemme.I feel completely at home.

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