Graduation week

Last week was graduation for final year secondary school kids here in Denmark.

One of the celebratory traditions is to hire a truck, all pile on and visit each students house where parents provide a drink. Bear in mind, this can involve a journey from one end of the island to the other in some instances. They look great in their sailor-style graduation hats. Then they head to the city and circle around in the truck, singing, drinking and generally having a wow of the time.

Who can blame them? I kept wanting to yell out to them and tell them to make the best of it because life’s pretty much a downward spiral after that! Still, they were all having such a good time I didn’t have the heart to ruin the party.

On and on, round and round and on and on and on they drove, even circling around all night here in Frederiksberg, yelling, woo-hooing and every twenty minutes circling past our windows. Talk about energy. Talk about drinking stamina! This went on all day Saturday as well. I was very impressed by their youthful constitutions but by Saturday night, they had exhausted me, if not themselves. I felt like Chevy Chase stuck on that roundabout.

And yesterday? Peace. And I dare say, lots of sore heads.