December 18-- Advent at ADAFT 2015!

As if jet lag on its own weren't enough, our tiny C is suffering from "nothing is familiar and I don't know how things work" syndrome.  We know it well from our first days in Denmark.  Of course we speak English at home, and she's been to the US before, but she was too small to remember it.  And anyway, it's the little things that get you.

I recently asked another American-in-Denmark friend of mine what she most looked forward to about her upcoming trip home for Christmas.  She said, "Grocery shopping.  Just buying the things I know, and eating food I like...."  That's really something, since Denmark is assuredly a first-world country, with plenty of well-stocked supermarkets.  There's no shortage of good food.  But I can understand the desire to wander in and buy a granola bar or maybe some Grape-Nuts or even just a can of root beer.

For C, everything is wondrous and new and mystifying.  Why does the kale look different?  Why do the toilets all have handles, instead of buttons, for flushing?  Why are the light switches so small?  What happened to the electric sockets?  What is a drinking fountain?  What's a stop sign?  What are mountains?  Why are the plants so prickly?  Why isn't anybody speaking Danish?

I couldn't help but think of this last night as we wandered through Tohono Chul park, enjoying the Christmas light displays.  For B and me, it's lovely and familiar and delightful in every way.  For C, it's fascinating yet foreign.  And no wonder, when comparing what we saw last night to what she's used to seeing at Christmastime.