Up with People Cast A 2012 On Tour

Brooke Christensen, USA
Cast A 2012

I have always taken pride in my Danish roots. I love the Bing and Grondahl statues on our cabinets and the coffee cake my dad makes for Christmas. I cannot describe the feeling I had when I found out that my cast was going to Denmark. For someone from a country of immigrants it is a magical thing to visit the home of your ancestors. It is almost as if you are seeing your life in an alternate universe and experiencing what your life could have been like.

My family at home has upheld certain Danish Christmas traditions over the years such as risalamande; a rice and milk dish designed to help fill up the children in times when food was scarce. To add a sense of adventure to the meal, mom would hide an almond in one of the bowls. If you had the almond you needed to hide it in your mouth until everyone was finished. If you were able to keep the almond a secret then you won a prize! My dad also makes a coffee cake using a recipe that has been passed down through the men in my family for generations. The week before Christmas he fills the house with smells of cinnamon and baking bread. He makes six pretzel shaped cakes a day to send out as gifts and no one is allowed to touch them until Christmas morning.

For anyone who has traveled in Up with People, you know, host family living is a big part of how you see the city you live in.  I instantly felt like part of my family during our stay in Denmark.  My 10-year-old host sister, Emilie, came to pick us up after our first operational day and she was so excited that she ran and tackled us with hugs. I could not figure out how she knew that she liked us so quickly! We had only seen her for a few hours the night before and we did not speak the same language.

As a Christian, it was really exciting to get to celebrate Easter in the fædreland. After I told my host parents, Allan and Charlotte, about my dad’s coffee cake tradition they took it upon themselves to make sure I had a kringle (as they are called in Denmark) for breakfast. I attended my first Danish church service, saw a baptism, sang hymns in Danish, and had communion. Such a cool experience! To make the day even better we had a get together with a couple other host families for a traditional Easter meal that lasted four hours! The evening ended with a sunset run around the block with the whole family.

It was too hard to say goodbye to such wonderful new friends so instead, through the tears in our eyes, we parted with a sincere “See you later alligator” and “After while crocodile.”

Zhao Wanyu, China
Cast A 2012

It has been three months since we first met in Denver, Colorado.  It seems like a short amount of time to get to know about each of the people in our cast, since we have one hundred and six. It’s hard to say in the beginning how much I was into this experience and how much I learned from the other 105 people that I see almost every day during the three months, but today, the last day in Oslo, I will never forget it because I finally realized, for me, how important each of you are.

That day was not an extra special day in Up with People. We prepared for the show in Mexico and we had an education workshop. We were told that the workshop was to write feedback to other cast members. We had some instructions about how to write feed back and then we were split up into our “home teams”, which are small groups of 15 people.  We were asked to write feedback for each of the member in our own home team. This was a kind of workshop that I had never done before and I thought it was a big challenge for me. It really was. I had all the names of my home team members and I started to write. For everyone that I was familiar with I started to think of the conversation that we have had and what I knew about him or her.  But I could not even start to write. Most of the people that I knew in the cast are so nice that I don’t know what I should tell them to improve. We say “hi” to each other every day, we do workshop together, we go to different communities to do service, we talk about global issues, and we practice and perform the show.  We had so many happy memories together, but for me, they seem like both familiar and strange. I was a little upset. I was afraid that I kind of realized I don’t know most of the people in our cast, not from the inner side. How come that I could not even give them feedback? But finally I did write a note to each of them. I tried my best to tell everyone my impression of them, both positive and constructive.  I was so happy that I got this special chance to talk to people. And of course, I got lots of feedback myself.  Most of the people encouraged me to participate more in the cast, show myself and to be more confident. Actually that was what I felt myself was like before. These were the weak personalities of mine which I always wanted to change. I always know it but sometimes I really need people around me to help me point out and also remind me to change.

Today I thought a lot about this workshop and I also thought a lot about the past three month. To tell the truth, I was not engaged in what we were doing in UWP during the first month because I suffered culture shock and I spent a long time to be used to it.  I began to change when I had a conversation with a friend. She was a very positive person, and she told me that life is what you want it to be, it’s your attitude that you choose to face the people around you, and UWP is an awesome experience which I should totally enjoy. I was thinking about what she said for several days and it reminded me about what I was like before I came here. It was the experience that I had been looking forward for half a year.  Why not enjoy it? I got all the feedback reminded me again that what I should do now is to fully participate, be more confident and show myself to all the cast.  I’m so excited to do that.

Last but not the least, today I was also kind of sad when I thought that there was only two month left.  When I realized that there still were people in the cast that I didn’t know well, I begin to feel grateful for that workshop, because it helped me to treasure all the people around me and the only two month that we are going to spend together. I felt so happy that I realize now and I hope it’s not too late.

Breton Shepherd, USA
Up with People HQ

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Never too old for good Mac & Cheese!

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups 2% milk
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
8 oz. process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese.

Preparation:

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

2. Reduce heat; stir in the sour cream, process cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth and cheese is melted.

3. Drain macaroni; toss with cheddar cheese. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in cream sauce.

4. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Name: Frederikke Vagn-Hansen
Age: 19
Country:Denmark

What were you doing before Up with People?
I graduated from high school in June and for the past 6 months before UWP I worked as a waitress at an Italian restaurant and as a receptionist at a private center for people with chronic pain

Favorite food tried in Up with People:
Indian Tacos from the Native American reservations! They are AMAZING!

Memorable host-family experience?
In Ruidoso, my host family took me ziplining! It was my first time and it was late in the evening, so it was very dark! Nevertheless it was SO much fun! Afterwards we made a bonfire and grilled s’mores! So yummy! I had a great night and is definetely one of my great memories already!

Career goal:
I have not found out yet what I want to study when I come back home, but Up with People really opened my eyes to how much interest I have in the communication between cultures, so maybe anthropology could be an opportunity?

Everything Else:
I went in to Up with People knowing that I would develop, but I had no idea that I would be able to notice it already! After 3 months I see a HUGE development and it feels great to be able to see and feel everything I have experienced already!

Favorite Quote:
Leave the world better than you found it.

Episode 3 of the …In the World series takes us to the White Sands Dunefield in New Mexico where we show you how Cast A 2012 spent their regional learning day exploring and playing on the dunes. Regional Learning days take place in each city on tour and involve the entire cast visiting a highlighted attraction in or around that city.