“You’re the world’s ugly.”

This is the type of thing my little host brother Lennart tells me, sticks his tongue out, and scrunches his nose as if there is no way I will ever retaliate equally. Luckily, I have the knowledge that the universe tops the world, which makes him the universe’s ugly.  I knew I was meant to be a big sister. 

On Saturday I thought he was going to a birthday party so when he asked me to watch YouTube videos with him as he often does, I sat there waiting for his mom to be like, "ok time to go!" but I guess he had already been to a birthday party, I just misunderstood. So, three hours of watching videos of the story behind his favorite video game later... (these videos are all the things you press “skip” for when you’re playing… it was a blast.) But speaking of YouTube videos.. this is Lennart's hip hop dancing debut. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pR8Z6eY7Sw

My host parents had asked me if I'd be able to sit him earlier in the week, so I got to spend Saturday night with him! Partyyyy!! I enjoyed it more than going out. He is so funny. And simultaneously such a sweetheart. We played wii for a while, "Naruto," his favorite game. From watching three hours of their background story earlier that day, I felt like old pals with the characters. And then we watched Lizzie McGuire and a show in Danish about a girl who really wanted a dog, all the while Lennart is rearranging my arm and such to get cozy and snuggle with me. I am in heaven. When time came for bed, he seemed fine and I knocked on his door one last time to say goodnight. He opened the door, clad only in his tiny little boxer briefs and his comforter wrapped around him, his face contorted in tears, saying, "Maa.." So I layed in bed with him and rubbed his back as these heartbreaking and adorable tears streamed down his face. Then I asked he read to me, which sufficiently distracted him and then he went to bed. 

Every once in a while you do get these reminders that he is indeed a little kid, only nine, even though he acts so much more mature than that usually. On Monday evening I got the opportunity to meet the most ADORABLE two year old I have ever seen, Lennart's cousin, who, like all the other young children here, has no need for sippy cups or a baby knife and fork. He was eating with all the normal utensils, had a regular glass cup like the rest of us, and was wiping his own mouth. 

I feel like this attitude toward baby utensils reflects a lot of the Danish outlook on mistakes and failure.  My host parents were telling me that they teach the child once or twice how to use things correctly, and after that they have to take what they've learned and try it for themselves. So, maybe the child will spill his milk, but he will learn from this mistake and learn how to do it correctly or learn when to ask for help. 

This is one of the major differences I've noticed between the American mentality and the Danish one. Whereas in America we might say that mistakes are the way to learn, I don't feel that we truly embrace this idea as the Danes do. 

"A man's errors are his portals of discovery."

-- Just to throw a little Irish love into this blog. James Joyce take it away.