Today we're headed on the Copenhagen - Oslo cruise, returning Sunday....wish us luck? (: Have a good weekend!
5.22.2009
5.16.2009
Feels like Home
Well, as you all predicted, I did finish packing in the end. After the second entry in one day, I realized that I just had to throw everything into a bag and then I wouldn't have to think about it for another month or two. It only took an hour or so more to finish, to vacuum, and to un-make my bed.
Finally feeling accomplished, I went into Copenhagen to meet Alex so we could walk to the concluding ceremony & champagne reception for DIS. I realized I couldn't have been more happy to be done with DIS - after the terrible academics, and miserable professors, I was ready to walk away from the institution forever. I didn't think DIS had contributed to my life really in the least, but after listening to all of the speeches and seeing all of the photos, I guess my opinion has changed some. While looking around at the people around me, I realized I HAD made friends. It was never something I cared to do. At the beginning of the semester, I just wanted to be immersed into Danish culture - I only wanted to meet Danish friends, hang out with my host family, and learn Danish. I blocked out the Americans (maybe that's why I didn't have any close friends in my core course) as best I could, because I didn't see the point - why should I meet Americans while I'm in Denmark? Americans that all live far away from me, ones that I'll never see again. I mean, eventually I realized I couldn't go through DIS without making ANY friends, but even so, I had two or three close ones and Tali, and that was all I needed. Eventually though, life became a lot more stable here in this cozy little corner of the world, and I was content with the level of immersion I had achieved. I began to relax in classes, talk to more people, and trade travel experiences for insight. I began to make good friends, and even summer plans to visit different places in the States - future plans to visit different colleges, and plans to keep in touch with each other. I realized that I was starting to make memories - ice cream and walks to Vestebro with Tori and Sarah, bartending with Emily at Studenterhuset, shopping with Shea, trips around the city with Lauren. The thing that I never intended on doing happened - I made friends with many of the American students at DIS, and now I half regret it for two reasons: I've made even more people to miss, and I didn't do it sooner.
I guess I do try to think about it in an optimistic light as well - I really took advantage of my time abroad in Denmark. I didn't miss out on a single thing while I was here - I did everything I promised myself I would, from wearing bright socks outside of black leggings with black converse in public (I looked ridiculously stupid), to singing outloud in front of my host family (was so much fun!), to traveling the world by myself (was amazed), to finding the most wonderful boyfriend (was shocked), to becoming friends with my host family (was so happy). Aside from the friends that I didn't meet sooner, I don't regret a single thing about my time in this wonderful little country. I will be so disappointed to return to St. Lawrence next year - it will seem so far from my second home in such a beautiful and busy little city. The thought of going to Canton, New York makes me feel a little sick - I will miss the cobblestone, the long walks in the city, seeing new sights every day, the parks - just everything.
Now I'm here in anonther room that I've learned to call my second home in Denmark - 5 Rebaek Sopark. It is now, for least a little while, what I'll have to call my first home. It didn't take long to move in all of my stuff, and it'll be a cosy place to live temporarily. I'm happy here, and I know I'll miss it so much when I return to SLU. I'm already plotting different ways to find my way back to Denmark after I graduate from St. Lawrence.
...
We're running late for dinner with Stefan's parents & sister, so I guess I'll have to finish this later....maybe. I'll have a lot of time to kill, now that I'm not really doing anything with my life...except studying Danish with my private Danish tutor.
Vi ses for nu! (:
Finally feeling accomplished, I went into Copenhagen to meet Alex so we could walk to the concluding ceremony & champagne reception for DIS. I realized I couldn't have been more happy to be done with DIS - after the terrible academics, and miserable professors, I was ready to walk away from the institution forever. I didn't think DIS had contributed to my life really in the least, but after listening to all of the speeches and seeing all of the photos, I guess my opinion has changed some. While looking around at the people around me, I realized I HAD made friends. It was never something I cared to do. At the beginning of the semester, I just wanted to be immersed into Danish culture - I only wanted to meet Danish friends, hang out with my host family, and learn Danish. I blocked out the Americans (maybe that's why I didn't have any close friends in my core course) as best I could, because I didn't see the point - why should I meet Americans while I'm in Denmark? Americans that all live far away from me, ones that I'll never see again. I mean, eventually I realized I couldn't go through DIS without making ANY friends, but even so, I had two or three close ones and Tali, and that was all I needed. Eventually though, life became a lot more stable here in this cozy little corner of the world, and I was content with the level of immersion I had achieved. I began to relax in classes, talk to more people, and trade travel experiences for insight. I began to make good friends, and even summer plans to visit different places in the States - future plans to visit different colleges, and plans to keep in touch with each other. I realized that I was starting to make memories - ice cream and walks to Vestebro with Tori and Sarah, bartending with Emily at Studenterhuset, shopping with Shea, trips around the city with Lauren. The thing that I never intended on doing happened - I made friends with many of the American students at DIS, and now I half regret it for two reasons: I've made even more people to miss, and I didn't do it sooner.
I guess I do try to think about it in an optimistic light as well - I really took advantage of my time abroad in Denmark. I didn't miss out on a single thing while I was here - I did everything I promised myself I would, from wearing bright socks outside of black leggings with black converse in public (I looked ridiculously stupid), to singing outloud in front of my host family (was so much fun!), to traveling the world by myself (was amazed), to finding the most wonderful boyfriend (was shocked), to becoming friends with my host family (was so happy). Aside from the friends that I didn't meet sooner, I don't regret a single thing about my time in this wonderful little country. I will be so disappointed to return to St. Lawrence next year - it will seem so far from my second home in such a beautiful and busy little city. The thought of going to Canton, New York makes me feel a little sick - I will miss the cobblestone, the long walks in the city, seeing new sights every day, the parks - just everything.
Now I'm here in anonther room that I've learned to call my second home in Denmark - 5 Rebaek Sopark. It is now, for least a little while, what I'll have to call my first home. It didn't take long to move in all of my stuff, and it'll be a cosy place to live temporarily. I'm happy here, and I know I'll miss it so much when I return to SLU. I'm already plotting different ways to find my way back to Denmark after I graduate from St. Lawrence.
...
We're running late for dinner with Stefan's parents & sister, so I guess I'll have to finish this later....maybe. I'll have a lot of time to kill, now that I'm not really doing anything with my life...except studying Danish with my private Danish tutor.
Vi ses for nu! (:
5.14.2009
...
I told you I'd be updating a lot more now that I have to pack. This is the second time in one day - that's right. That's how much I HATE packing. I'd rather be sitting here telling you all about NOTHING than throwing stuff into organized piles.
On the brightside, I've at least accomplished something. My clothes are now arranged into two piles - things that Stefan has to take back to the States, and things that I have to fit into two suitcases. Though now I'm wondering - will it really be that hard? I'm not sure. It seems easy enough, so I guess I'll just work on it. It doesn't seem like I have hardly anything - I guess it helps that I'll have used six bottles of Shampoo/Conditioner by the time I leave this country...and I guess other things have gone as well.
And, even better, cleaning has benefitted! I have found:
-The train map that I've been looking for since January
-100 Kroner!!! Woohoo!!!!!!!
-$47!! It was really, REALLY nice to see American currency again - it's so funny though, I've forgotten what it looks like in the past four months. It looks foreign to me now, and that's just weird. It's strange that it's all the same size, the same color, and that there are no holes in the coins - so I guess I'll even miss Danish currency when I'm back in the States.
-All my city maps!
-Some Nyquil..................excellent
Also - In Denmark, it's 11:11, but I can't figure out if I'm allowed to make a wish on that, because in military time, it's 23:11. I'm wondering if that means in the morning I can make wishes on 11:11, and then at night, I have to make wishes at 22:22.
Any insight?
Anyway, I'm off to bed finally. Tomorrow is the DIS concluding ceremony - I can't wait to be done with it for good. I turned in my books today, but accidentally forgot one of Janis' that I didn't use all semester - damn. DIS is dragging out it's time with me - not cool. But tomorrow, I will be 100% DONE, no more DIS classes (namely: Photojournalism and News Media in Transition), no more silly e-mails from DIS about "Hygge Movie Nights", and thank GOD, no more field studies! Hooray!
I'll probably update again tomorrow, to procrastinate some more from studying...but then again, maybe not. It'll be a busy week with DIS ending, me moving, and tons of goodbye parties that I'm invited to, but not actually saying goodbye. It's sad to see the friends from the States I've met go home, but it makes me happy to stay in Denmark for just a little longer when I see how sad they are to go.
On the other hand though, it makes me really, REALLY homesick when they talk about how excited they are to be leaving to see their home states again. I'm caught somewhere in the middle - grateful to stay, but counting down the days until home - so I guess I'm happy, and am looking forward to something. Good place to be in for now!
Rambling will stop now - sorry. Have a good night!
On the brightside, I've at least accomplished something. My clothes are now arranged into two piles - things that Stefan has to take back to the States, and things that I have to fit into two suitcases. Though now I'm wondering - will it really be that hard? I'm not sure. It seems easy enough, so I guess I'll just work on it. It doesn't seem like I have hardly anything - I guess it helps that I'll have used six bottles of Shampoo/Conditioner by the time I leave this country...and I guess other things have gone as well.
And, even better, cleaning has benefitted! I have found:
-The train map that I've been looking for since January
-100 Kroner!!! Woohoo!!!!!!!
-$47!! It was really, REALLY nice to see American currency again - it's so funny though, I've forgotten what it looks like in the past four months. It looks foreign to me now, and that's just weird. It's strange that it's all the same size, the same color, and that there are no holes in the coins - so I guess I'll even miss Danish currency when I'm back in the States.
-All my city maps!
-Some Nyquil..................excellent
Also - In Denmark, it's 11:11, but I can't figure out if I'm allowed to make a wish on that, because in military time, it's 23:11. I'm wondering if that means in the morning I can make wishes on 11:11, and then at night, I have to make wishes at 22:22.
Any insight?
Anyway, I'm off to bed finally. Tomorrow is the DIS concluding ceremony - I can't wait to be done with it for good. I turned in my books today, but accidentally forgot one of Janis' that I didn't use all semester - damn. DIS is dragging out it's time with me - not cool. But tomorrow, I will be 100% DONE, no more DIS classes (namely: Photojournalism and News Media in Transition), no more silly e-mails from DIS about "Hygge Movie Nights", and thank GOD, no more field studies! Hooray!
I'll probably update again tomorrow, to procrastinate some more from studying...but then again, maybe not. It'll be a busy week with DIS ending, me moving, and tons of goodbye parties that I'm invited to, but not actually saying goodbye. It's sad to see the friends from the States I've met go home, but it makes me happy to stay in Denmark for just a little longer when I see how sad they are to go.
On the other hand though, it makes me really, REALLY homesick when they talk about how excited they are to be leaving to see their home states again. I'm caught somewhere in the middle - grateful to stay, but counting down the days until home - so I guess I'm happy, and am looking forward to something. Good place to be in for now!
Rambling will stop now - sorry. Have a good night!
I don't want to pack.
But that's no surprise.
I can't motivate myself to do anything, really. I just finished up for the year, and I guess that makes me a senior. Two other girls who were in my last exam and I went out for a drink at the end - mild celebration for finishing DIS and junior year. I can't really believe that time has gone so fast...but not just DIS, my entire college career is now 3/4 over. Weird to think about.
(For real, I just DON'T want to pack....)
Now all I have to do is move all of my stuff across town - but it seems like a lot of stuff has accumulated in this little room of mine on Tavlekaersvej (yeah, try to pronounce my street name - it took me almost three months to get it right). It's become my little hole in Denmark - when I want to disappear I can always come here. I will also, of course, miss my host family. They've been so wonderful in the last few months, and I can't believe I've lived with them for so long.
The culture shock of Denmark has finally gone away for me - everything seems so normal now. I think it'll be really interesting to see how Alexis takes it, just being here for one week. It's normal for me to see gorgeous people everywhere, I'm no longer phased by the bikes all over the streets, and public transportation is my daily route. It should be fun to show her around the city that I've fallen so much in love with, and to show her all the best places to go. I haven't had that experience yet, but it'll be good practice for when Stefan comes to Vermont.
(I really, REALLY don't want to pack.)
I'm in the process of doing laundry, but it sucks so much here. It takes forever to dry, and I need to have everything clean in order to pack really well. I think I'm just kind of screwed. And none of you are around to motivate me to do it!!
Crap. Alright. I think I really have to go do this. Damn. I'll probably talk to half of you online before I actually start to pack.
Blah.
I can't motivate myself to do anything, really. I just finished up for the year, and I guess that makes me a senior. Two other girls who were in my last exam and I went out for a drink at the end - mild celebration for finishing DIS and junior year. I can't really believe that time has gone so fast...but not just DIS, my entire college career is now 3/4 over. Weird to think about.
(For real, I just DON'T want to pack....)
Now all I have to do is move all of my stuff across town - but it seems like a lot of stuff has accumulated in this little room of mine on Tavlekaersvej (yeah, try to pronounce my street name - it took me almost three months to get it right). It's become my little hole in Denmark - when I want to disappear I can always come here. I will also, of course, miss my host family. They've been so wonderful in the last few months, and I can't believe I've lived with them for so long.
The culture shock of Denmark has finally gone away for me - everything seems so normal now. I think it'll be really interesting to see how Alexis takes it, just being here for one week. It's normal for me to see gorgeous people everywhere, I'm no longer phased by the bikes all over the streets, and public transportation is my daily route. It should be fun to show her around the city that I've fallen so much in love with, and to show her all the best places to go. I haven't had that experience yet, but it'll be good practice for when Stefan comes to Vermont.
(I really, REALLY don't want to pack.)
I'm in the process of doing laundry, but it sucks so much here. It takes forever to dry, and I need to have everything clean in order to pack really well. I think I'm just kind of screwed. And none of you are around to motivate me to do it!!
Crap. Alright. I think I really have to go do this. Damn. I'll probably talk to half of you online before I actually start to pack.
Blah.
5.12.2009
Hm.
So apparently I'll never update in full on South Jutland and Hamburg. I can update now, though - I just don't have the energy to remember everything from that far back. They were both great, and meeting all of Stefan's family was wonderful. They're really cool to hang out with, and we even made a new friend in Copenhagen named Roland, who is 25 and the little brother of Stefan's older sister's friends who are twins (hm.). The city of Hamburg was a nice one, really modern. I don't think we caught many pictures of it, because we only went into the city twice. Bitten and Lothar (Stefan's sister and brother-in-law) let us stay with them for a few days, and it was a really wonderful change after the big city. They lived in this wonderful little countryside house, about a 40 minute train ride from the Hamburg. We hung out with them and their four friends - twins, their little brother, and one of the twin's fiances. It was interesting, but mostly in Danish. Fun to see how the younger generation of Danes act, I guess.
On Easter Sunday, we headed over to Brøns, Stefan's town growing up, at around 6:00a.m. It was a long drive, but luckily we didn't have to pay for transport, because Bitten and Lothar drove. We saw the sunrise over Germany, so that made up for it in the end. Brøns a really small town, smaller than my town in the ISLANDS (hm.) - just about 600 people. For me though, it was really nice to be reminded of Vermont and the Islands, since I haven't seen them in almost four months. We spent lots of time wandering around the town, even to the edge of some of the coastline. We spent a lot of time walking the Nielsen's husky dog, Sekina.
In Brøns with Sekina on Easter Sunday:
Stefan later drove me out to one of the Danish islands, one called Rømø, which is near impossible to pronounce. It was SO beautiful there - it looks like I went for a visit to some southern European country, but really, it's all in Southern Denmark. The water was really, REALLY cold, but it was fun to step into the ocean. This beach was huge - there was clean, white sand everywhere, and water as far out as you can see. Seriously, something I never thought I would see in this cloudy little country.
Anyway, Easter dinner was fun, I was able to speak a little better with the family, and it was really nice to be able to get to know them and see Stefan's hometown. It's so strange how similar we are, even though we come from so far apart in such different cultures. His family made me feel really welcomed into their home, and I hope I'll get a chance to go back to Brøns and Rømø before I leave Denmark.
Lately things have been hectic to say the least - Final two weeks of classes and exam week always seem to be. Crunch time really hit last week, when I had three papers due on Thursday, one due Monday, and an oral exam on Monday, too. I still have two more exams, each on noon on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm really looking forward to them being completely finished - I have extreme senioritis (hm.) at this point in the semester.
Last weekend, Stefan and I cleaned the entire place (dusted, vacuumed, everything...), and moved everything around to make room for me for the upcoming couple of months. We made it into a cosy little den, and I think now we can make due for a month or two. It shouldn't be so bad. After some grocery shopping and making finishing touches on the new room set-up, we went over to Valby, where Stefan's other sister, Nanna lives. It was Stefan's sister Nanna, her husband Andreas, then Andreas's brother, and his American wife, Mia, who is from the West Coast somewhere, Stefan and myself. We had a really good time chatting, and I think I was a lot more comfortable because there were two of us who could talk about home. Interesting dynamics, but a fun night. Afterwards, I went to Studenterhuset to bartend, which was fun as usual. I got back home around 1am, and then we went down to the Kollegium basement to hang out with everyone for their usual Saturday Bar-Night, where the dorm finances alcohol to be served.
Now, things have calmed down a lot, and I think we're just waiting around for all of our friends to leave. All the DIS kids are packing up and going off back to the States. At times, it's really hard to hear everyone tell me how excited they are to go back - but I feel happy when they start talking about how much they're going to miss Denmark. I know that I would feel incomplete if I didn't stay longer, so I don't really regret it at all. Sunday is my last day here in Hvidore, and on Sunday, I'll start in a new home in Rødovre (these translate out to whiteover and redover). Lars and Lene are having a dinner, and have invited some of Tali's family who'll be up visiting, and Stefan. It should be a fun night. I will definitely miss them, as they were a big part of Denmark for me. It's amazing that the semester's almost over - I can't believe I'm having ''wrap-up'' thoughts. It's strange, because in a way, it feels like I've been here for so long, but at the same time, feels like it was just yesterday I was scowling at the ''Wonderful Copenhagen'' signs in the airport.
But some things to look forward to before returning to the State:
-Cruise to Oslo on the 22nd - 24th of May!
-First Danish lesson on the 25th of May!
-Alexis to visit on the 27th of May!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, I have my second to last final tomorrow, so I should probably get some rest...
I'm sure you'll hear from me a little bit more in the next couple days - I have to move, and you know what that means - PACKING! I'm sure Blogger will be a bit of a procrastination method - who knows, maybe I'll tell you more about Hamburg and South Jutland! (:
Sweet dreams,
Kristin
On Easter Sunday, we headed over to Brøns, Stefan's town growing up, at around 6:00a.m. It was a long drive, but luckily we didn't have to pay for transport, because Bitten and Lothar drove. We saw the sunrise over Germany, so that made up for it in the end. Brøns a really small town, smaller than my town in the ISLANDS (hm.) - just about 600 people. For me though, it was really nice to be reminded of Vermont and the Islands, since I haven't seen them in almost four months. We spent lots of time wandering around the town, even to the edge of some of the coastline. We spent a lot of time walking the Nielsen's husky dog, Sekina.
In Brøns with Sekina on Easter Sunday:
Stefan later drove me out to one of the Danish islands, one called Rømø, which is near impossible to pronounce. It was SO beautiful there - it looks like I went for a visit to some southern European country, but really, it's all in Southern Denmark. The water was really, REALLY cold, but it was fun to step into the ocean. This beach was huge - there was clean, white sand everywhere, and water as far out as you can see. Seriously, something I never thought I would see in this cloudy little country.
Anyway, Easter dinner was fun, I was able to speak a little better with the family, and it was really nice to be able to get to know them and see Stefan's hometown. It's so strange how similar we are, even though we come from so far apart in such different cultures. His family made me feel really welcomed into their home, and I hope I'll get a chance to go back to Brøns and Rømø before I leave Denmark.
Lately things have been hectic to say the least - Final two weeks of classes and exam week always seem to be. Crunch time really hit last week, when I had three papers due on Thursday, one due Monday, and an oral exam on Monday, too. I still have two more exams, each on noon on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm really looking forward to them being completely finished - I have extreme senioritis (hm.) at this point in the semester.
Last weekend, Stefan and I cleaned the entire place (dusted, vacuumed, everything...), and moved everything around to make room for me for the upcoming couple of months. We made it into a cosy little den, and I think now we can make due for a month or two. It shouldn't be so bad. After some grocery shopping and making finishing touches on the new room set-up, we went over to Valby, where Stefan's other sister, Nanna lives. It was Stefan's sister Nanna, her husband Andreas, then Andreas's brother, and his American wife, Mia, who is from the West Coast somewhere, Stefan and myself. We had a really good time chatting, and I think I was a lot more comfortable because there were two of us who could talk about home. Interesting dynamics, but a fun night. Afterwards, I went to Studenterhuset to bartend, which was fun as usual. I got back home around 1am, and then we went down to the Kollegium basement to hang out with everyone for their usual Saturday Bar-Night, where the dorm finances alcohol to be served.
Now, things have calmed down a lot, and I think we're just waiting around for all of our friends to leave. All the DIS kids are packing up and going off back to the States. At times, it's really hard to hear everyone tell me how excited they are to go back - but I feel happy when they start talking about how much they're going to miss Denmark. I know that I would feel incomplete if I didn't stay longer, so I don't really regret it at all. Sunday is my last day here in Hvidore, and on Sunday, I'll start in a new home in Rødovre (these translate out to whiteover and redover). Lars and Lene are having a dinner, and have invited some of Tali's family who'll be up visiting, and Stefan. It should be a fun night. I will definitely miss them, as they were a big part of Denmark for me. It's amazing that the semester's almost over - I can't believe I'm having ''wrap-up'' thoughts. It's strange, because in a way, it feels like I've been here for so long, but at the same time, feels like it was just yesterday I was scowling at the ''Wonderful Copenhagen'' signs in the airport.
But some things to look forward to before returning to the State:
-Cruise to Oslo on the 22nd - 24th of May!
-First Danish lesson on the 25th of May!
-Alexis to visit on the 27th of May!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, I have my second to last final tomorrow, so I should probably get some rest...
I'm sure you'll hear from me a little bit more in the next couple days - I have to move, and you know what that means - PACKING! I'm sure Blogger will be a bit of a procrastination method - who knows, maybe I'll tell you more about Hamburg and South Jutland! (:
Sweet dreams,
Kristin
4.22.2009
Quickie Update...
Just a really fast update because I'm EXHAUSTED, and so ready for sleep!
1. I swear I'll update on Hamburg and South Jutland soon....
2. Tali and I laid out in the sun for four hours on Saturday, and it was absolutely lovely. I've really enjoyed being back in our little house in Hvidovre.
3. I didn't fail that Photojournalism test! I got a C...I honestly can't believe it. That professor is still a total jerk, though. He sent everyone an email that started with ''You failed..'' or ''You will fail if...'' ....no joke. Everyone got one. And people laughed at me when I said he sent mean e-mails....
4. Yesterday Stefan and I saw his father and baby Sylvester again...we walked around the park and Kaj bought us ice-cream....I swear, I'm going to gain weight by being around them. Had a wonderful time, though.
5. Stefan and I found our new favorite bar - a place I walk by every day. It's called Bar 7, and it's run by a guy from London and one from New Zealand...but really, it's amazing, check it out!
6. I am so far ahead of my work in some classes - example: I wrote a paper on Monday that wasn't due for a week. Gross. But wonderful! I felt so accomplished.
7. Lene and Lars are home! We had a really happy reunion.
8. Their daughter, Mille, is awesome. I love hanging out with her and talking to her. We always have a really great time. Picture this: Lars and Lene put their 19-year-old daughter in charge of a 20-year-old and a 21-year-old. Pretty hilarious. She did a good job taking care of us, though.... yeah. She's definitely the host sister I dreamed of having.
9. Return to Copenhagen has been lovely. Weather has been WONDERFUL. Almost skirt weather. I don't think the Danes wear flip flops. Gladiators are in - this makes me SO unhappy. I guess I'm working on getting used to them. Seriously, though? Ugh.
10. I think I've passed into just rambling. I'm really tired, and have taken some sleeping pills to get rid of a sniffle - so on that note, I'm headed off to bed. Just thought I'd let you know I'm still alive!
Lots of love,
K
1. I swear I'll update on Hamburg and South Jutland soon....
2. Tali and I laid out in the sun for four hours on Saturday, and it was absolutely lovely. I've really enjoyed being back in our little house in Hvidovre.
3. I didn't fail that Photojournalism test! I got a C...I honestly can't believe it. That professor is still a total jerk, though. He sent everyone an email that started with ''You failed..'' or ''You will fail if...'' ....no joke. Everyone got one. And people laughed at me when I said he sent mean e-mails....
4. Yesterday Stefan and I saw his father and baby Sylvester again...we walked around the park and Kaj bought us ice-cream....I swear, I'm going to gain weight by being around them. Had a wonderful time, though.
5. Stefan and I found our new favorite bar - a place I walk by every day. It's called Bar 7, and it's run by a guy from London and one from New Zealand...but really, it's amazing, check it out!
6. I am so far ahead of my work in some classes - example: I wrote a paper on Monday that wasn't due for a week. Gross. But wonderful! I felt so accomplished.
7. Lene and Lars are home! We had a really happy reunion.
8. Their daughter, Mille, is awesome. I love hanging out with her and talking to her. We always have a really great time. Picture this: Lars and Lene put their 19-year-old daughter in charge of a 20-year-old and a 21-year-old. Pretty hilarious. She did a good job taking care of us, though.... yeah. She's definitely the host sister I dreamed of having.
9. Return to Copenhagen has been lovely. Weather has been WONDERFUL. Almost skirt weather. I don't think the Danes wear flip flops. Gladiators are in - this makes me SO unhappy. I guess I'm working on getting used to them. Seriously, though? Ugh.
10. I think I've passed into just rambling. I'm really tired, and have taken some sleeping pills to get rid of a sniffle - so on that note, I'm headed off to bed. Just thought I'd let you know I'm still alive!
Lots of love,
K
4.19.2009
Amsterdam
The next morning I got to Schiphol Airport in search of Stefan. After stressing around trying to find a payphone that took cash or card (because they ONLY take a specific phone card made for payphones...lame), I finally caved and bought a card for five Euro. As I was trying to figure out how to make the phone work, Stefan walked out of baggage claim and found me instead.
For me, it was a really happy reunion - two weeks seems like a pretty long time, though I realize it's not so terrible. Still, it was good to see the person who reminds me the absolute most of Denmark - the place I'd been missing so much.
We happily made our way out of the Schiphol (which sounds like...Sk(roll tongue)eeee-pole...Dutch is REALLY complicated) Airport, and onto the subway to get to central station. When we walked up out into the city center of Amsterdam, chaos seemed to ensue. A man fell up the escalator, slurring wildly while a friend attempted to help him stand. On the second set of escalators, he fell again, creating a scene and flailing crazily. Slightly overwhelmed, we stepped out into the fresh air. Suddenly, right in front of us, two bikes collided head-on...Yikes. We swerved around them, as they got up from the ground, saying things aggressively in Dutch to each other. Ah. We walked on, laughing shakily, but not long after, we were pushed to the sidewalk, as two bike-cops zoomed by us, dinging their bike-bells urgently. Welcome to Amsterdam, right? Almost as warm a welcome as Wonderful Copenhagen. Anyway, despite the intensity of our first few minutes, the city was absolutely gorgeous. Filled with beautiful architecture, canals, and interesting people everywhere:
From Central Station, we made our way to our hostel, which we had all good reviews for, despite the fact that it was far, far from the middle of town. We took a train for something like 11 stops (and all the while, wondering how the train systems in Holland work), then got off at a station called Holendrecht that was way out in the middle of nowhere. That ride took around 25 minutes. Then we waited for the shuttle that would take us to our hostel, Lucky Lake. It comes every hour, so we didn't have very long to wait. This shuttle is a 17 minute ride from the place, so it DID take a while to get into town. I think it was worth it, because it was an absolutely beautiful little place. While it was frustrating, I really appreciated it, because I was so sick of city noise. At night it was nice and quiet, just the way I'm used to. The hostel was comprised of little cabins and caravans (a nice word for teeny little mobile homes), but luckily we got a cabin - a bright pink one:
Behind is the lounge where we hung out with a couple from Spain for a few nights. The hammocks were really cozy when the weather was nice - the entire hostel was really wonderful.
It was just a short (and nice) wander down to the water, and the scenery was absolutely lovely. The waterfront was a little park, but there were docks where people lived canal-side (I guess?) all over the place. It was so picturesque - someday I'll remember to thank Stefan for taking so many a pictures - really, you should too, because this will be a much more photo-packed entry than I'm sure you're used to from me. The weather was alright for some of our stay, like the days where we decided it would be fun to explore the surrounding area:
Out on a little teeny fence in the middle of the water being an idiot:
We found a friendly kitty on our walk! Hooray! My face is absolutely ridiculous here.
Some of the cute little canals with houses directly on them - so adorable.
I think this is right around sunset - such a romantically cozy little place for our hostel to be!
Anyway, that's basically our hostel. The next couple days, we explored the city center, checked out the Red Light District (awkward...especially because we kept getting lost there), walked across the city (so around 4 miles? away from Central Station?), and went to the Heineken Experience - biggest waste of money on the trip. I guess entertaining, though, but only because we had someone to make fun of it with. Like Guinness in Ireland, people say that Heineken is better in Amsterdam - not so true. I think it's disgusting everywhere. So I'm really glad that we got three ''free'' glasses of it on our tour. Really lame - and ridiculous that we had to pay 20 Euro for it. Oh well.
In Amsterdam, Stefan and I had the bad habit of getting lost in the same areas over and over again. We really did end up in the Red Light District pretty often, but this is another place that we kept passing:
Read on the top of the building - for the longest time, we were convinced that it was trying to say "God robs you...Jesus Loves you." We finally asked the owner of a little shop, and she told us that it it actually says, "God helps you. Jesus loves you." We weren't quite sure why it was half in Dutch and half in English, and we never found out. Interesting building though, and a very Amsterdam-y look. This isn't necessarily the beautiful architecture that I'm talking about, but it's a different style than in the States. This type of building reminds me of a lot of European buildings, actually. On second thought, though, I say that it doesn't really remind me of the states, but really, it might remind me a little of something you'd see in Burlington. Either way, I like the style.
One of the more memorable trips we took was to Keukenhof - the world's largest flower gardens. It's not really in Amsterdam, so we spent a day there, but unfortunately, this was one of the days with terrible weather - as you'll see in some of the pictures, we may look a little wet:
Really, it was an absolutely gorgeous place - it was really too bad it was raining. It made out of our pictures come out kind of bad, so these are the best ones I have. The gardens were really pretty, and at this time of year, everything is starting to bloom. Fun place to wander around, and it really shows a different side of Holland - Amsterdam is a place where the atmosphere will change on you so fast - one minute you'll be in a really cool and relaxed environment, and all of the sudden, things will shift into some high techno beats with upbeat energy that you can't help but want to dance around. Just one second later you'll be in a nice Italian restaurant where you feel like Venice is right outside, and then again, you're standing in the center of a world of people in a red-eyed haze. Pretty cool to see the changes so fast, but then, out in the country, you see the real Holland - beautiful flowers, peaceful people, with the gorgeous nature every place you look. Personally, I loved Amsterdam - the city was comfortable and clean, much like Denmark. It may not be a place to LIVE, but to visit, it's definitely a lot of fun. Next time, I might want to stay in a hostel a little closer to city center, but I would say this trip was definitely a success. Good company, and lots of fun adventures. In fact, we loved Amsterdam so much, that we booked our hostel there for another night and ended up staying for four nights total. We were trying to catch up with some good weather, but unfortunately, it was only there for the first two days. On our last day, we caught an expensive train to Hamburg at 5pm, and started our slow path back north towards Denmark.
For me, it was a really happy reunion - two weeks seems like a pretty long time, though I realize it's not so terrible. Still, it was good to see the person who reminds me the absolute most of Denmark - the place I'd been missing so much.
We happily made our way out of the Schiphol (which sounds like...Sk(roll tongue)eeee-pole...Dutch is REALLY complicated) Airport, and onto the subway to get to central station. When we walked up out into the city center of Amsterdam, chaos seemed to ensue. A man fell up the escalator, slurring wildly while a friend attempted to help him stand. On the second set of escalators, he fell again, creating a scene and flailing crazily. Slightly overwhelmed, we stepped out into the fresh air. Suddenly, right in front of us, two bikes collided head-on...Yikes. We swerved around them, as they got up from the ground, saying things aggressively in Dutch to each other. Ah. We walked on, laughing shakily, but not long after, we were pushed to the sidewalk, as two bike-cops zoomed by us, dinging their bike-bells urgently. Welcome to Amsterdam, right? Almost as warm a welcome as Wonderful Copenhagen. Anyway, despite the intensity of our first few minutes, the city was absolutely gorgeous. Filled with beautiful architecture, canals, and interesting people everywhere:
From Central Station, we made our way to our hostel, which we had all good reviews for, despite the fact that it was far, far from the middle of town. We took a train for something like 11 stops (and all the while, wondering how the train systems in Holland work), then got off at a station called Holendrecht that was way out in the middle of nowhere. That ride took around 25 minutes. Then we waited for the shuttle that would take us to our hostel, Lucky Lake. It comes every hour, so we didn't have very long to wait. This shuttle is a 17 minute ride from the place, so it DID take a while to get into town. I think it was worth it, because it was an absolutely beautiful little place. While it was frustrating, I really appreciated it, because I was so sick of city noise. At night it was nice and quiet, just the way I'm used to. The hostel was comprised of little cabins and caravans (a nice word for teeny little mobile homes), but luckily we got a cabin - a bright pink one:
Behind is the lounge where we hung out with a couple from Spain for a few nights. The hammocks were really cozy when the weather was nice - the entire hostel was really wonderful.
It was just a short (and nice) wander down to the water, and the scenery was absolutely lovely. The waterfront was a little park, but there were docks where people lived canal-side (I guess?) all over the place. It was so picturesque - someday I'll remember to thank Stefan for taking so many a pictures - really, you should too, because this will be a much more photo-packed entry than I'm sure you're used to from me. The weather was alright for some of our stay, like the days where we decided it would be fun to explore the surrounding area:
Out on a little teeny fence in the middle of the water being an idiot:
We found a friendly kitty on our walk! Hooray! My face is absolutely ridiculous here.
Some of the cute little canals with houses directly on them - so adorable.
I think this is right around sunset - such a romantically cozy little place for our hostel to be!
Anyway, that's basically our hostel. The next couple days, we explored the city center, checked out the Red Light District (awkward...especially because we kept getting lost there), walked across the city (so around 4 miles? away from Central Station?), and went to the Heineken Experience - biggest waste of money on the trip. I guess entertaining, though, but only because we had someone to make fun of it with. Like Guinness in Ireland, people say that Heineken is better in Amsterdam - not so true. I think it's disgusting everywhere. So I'm really glad that we got three ''free'' glasses of it on our tour. Really lame - and ridiculous that we had to pay 20 Euro for it. Oh well.In Amsterdam, Stefan and I had the bad habit of getting lost in the same areas over and over again. We really did end up in the Red Light District pretty often, but this is another place that we kept passing:
Read on the top of the building - for the longest time, we were convinced that it was trying to say "God robs you...Jesus Loves you." We finally asked the owner of a little shop, and she told us that it it actually says, "God helps you. Jesus loves you." We weren't quite sure why it was half in Dutch and half in English, and we never found out. Interesting building though, and a very Amsterdam-y look. This isn't necessarily the beautiful architecture that I'm talking about, but it's a different style than in the States. This type of building reminds me of a lot of European buildings, actually. On second thought, though, I say that it doesn't really remind me of the states, but really, it might remind me a little of something you'd see in Burlington. Either way, I like the style. One of the more memorable trips we took was to Keukenhof - the world's largest flower gardens. It's not really in Amsterdam, so we spent a day there, but unfortunately, this was one of the days with terrible weather - as you'll see in some of the pictures, we may look a little wet:
Really, it was an absolutely gorgeous place - it was really too bad it was raining. It made out of our pictures come out kind of bad, so these are the best ones I have. The gardens were really pretty, and at this time of year, everything is starting to bloom. Fun place to wander around, and it really shows a different side of Holland - Amsterdam is a place where the atmosphere will change on you so fast - one minute you'll be in a really cool and relaxed environment, and all of the sudden, things will shift into some high techno beats with upbeat energy that you can't help but want to dance around. Just one second later you'll be in a nice Italian restaurant where you feel like Venice is right outside, and then again, you're standing in the center of a world of people in a red-eyed haze. Pretty cool to see the changes so fast, but then, out in the country, you see the real Holland - beautiful flowers, peaceful people, with the gorgeous nature every place you look. Personally, I loved Amsterdam - the city was comfortable and clean, much like Denmark. It may not be a place to LIVE, but to visit, it's definitely a lot of fun. Next time, I might want to stay in a hostel a little closer to city center, but I would say this trip was definitely a success. Good company, and lots of fun adventures. In fact, we loved Amsterdam so much, that we booked our hostel there for another night and ended up staying for four nights total. We were trying to catch up with some good weather, but unfortunately, it was only there for the first two days. On our last day, we caught an expensive train to Hamburg at 5pm, and started our slow path back north towards Denmark.4.15.2009
Mon retour à Paris: Making Mme. Sorrell Proud
My flight out of Dublin to Paris was small, but nice. Though I really enjoyed Ireland, it was really exciting to be headed back to France - and to see places I'd seen five years ago. I met some really nice people who were taking the same flight - two older ladies that hung out with me at the gate, and then the young man sitting next to me, Gregoire, on the plane. He was so obviously French that I wanted to talk to him - but was intimidated. I ended up starting up a conversation by offering him some medicine, because he sounded sick. By first impression, he had a seemingly unbreakable serious air to him, but as soon as I started talking, his face lit up, and we had a wonderful (albeit short) time. At the gate, he waited for me to get my luggage (which took about 20 minutes longer than his), and made sure I had directions to get from Charles De Gaulle to the center of Paris - very sweet. I never learned his last name, nor did we exchange contacts - so he's yet another person that I'll never see again. I regret that - and at the same time, think it's really cool. I think I'll always remember him, whether or not he'll remember me - weird that he'll never know how much he helped me get ready for Paris.
When I say that, I simply mean that the French are slightly intimidating. We all know their stereotypes, and some of them are true. They're unwilling to speak much to you in English, which is why the entire time I was there, I tried my hand at French. I actually succeeded - cheers to all my French teachers! It really did come back easily, and it was really wonderful to be able to speak a different language conversationally - because for me, Danish is frustrating because I can usually only get out half a sentence or so. I was complimented fairly often on my accent and knowledge of the language, so that was really nice. When I say that Gregoire helped me, I mean that he managed to erase many of my fears just by being friendly.
As soon as I got my luggage, we split so he could find his family (he had been in Ireland for the past five months, studying and practicing English), and I met a girl named Kelly, who was as jetlagged as I had been on my first day in Denmark, and looking for a way out to the city as well. I helped her figure out some of the public transport, and never saw her again either - but I do have her contacts. She was an interesting character and told me I acted older than I really am - but I hardly believe it.
I met up with Deni, who was the most wonderful tour guide. We hung out in Luxembourg Gardens for a little while, which was BEAUTIFUL - the weather the entire time I was in Paris was great. She showed me my hostel, and I got settled, then we went out for dinner and dessert, which was fun. The next day, we met up and took a trip to Mon Martre, which was interesting because I'd already been there. It was the one place I REALLY wanted to go back to - things like the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre, and L'Arc de Triomphe held little or no interest for me, but beautiful Sacre Coeur and Mon Martre, certainly. We walked around for some time, while I refamiliared myself with the French culture. It was so beautiful - the views from the top were gorgeous.
After that, I went back to Luxembourg Gardens (because it's right by where Deni lives), and hung out there and read/people watched for an hour or two - then we went back to her host parents' house to cook dinner for ourselves. I got really lucky, because Deni's host parents, instead of making me find a hostel for the night, let me stay with them, and their adorable little dog, Samba:
The next morning I was up bright and early (so I could leave when Deni left at like 7:45), and so I hopped on a train, took a walk on the Seine, and got some breakfast. Musée D'Orsay opened at 9:30, which is another place that I wanted to go. Unfortunately, museums just make me realize how much I DON'T get art. I went up to take a look at all of the impressionist artists, and I find that even walking alongside Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cezanne, I just don't get it. Sad, I know. I left after about an hour to meet up with Alex Klikunas - we had a great time wandering around the city, getting lunch with his girlfriend, and finding this absolutely gorgeous park that Deni had recommended to us - Parc des Buttes Chaumont:
Alex also took me to a place where I could grab some French-food souvenirs for Stefan's family, where I encountered the most giant toblerone bar EVER, as well as buckets and buckets of Nutella. As you may have realized, I'm not one for taking lots of pictures, but this was necessary:
When we finally split around five, I met up with Deni again, and we made dinner, then headed out to Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge where all the Parisians hang out, to talk, chill, and drink some wine - the most lovely and picturesque way to end my trip to France.
Meeting up with Deni and Alex was so wonderful - I had SO much fun in France. I got to see their lives while abroad, which was really cool. Deni is currently in Copenhagen, so hopefully I'll be able to see her and her boyfriend while she's still around. Having tourguides from Vermont was really special to me - it's cool to meet up with childhood/high school friends in Europe - a totally different experience. I also got to see two really close friends that I hadn't seen in a long time, so it was nice, and of course, fun.
The next morning, I checked out of Oops! Hostel, and attempted to catch a train to Brussels, but unfortunately it was 86Euro - a little bit too ridiculous for an hour and a half train ride. Not only was it that expensive, it was to Bruxelles Midi - not even Bruxelles Central. I heard English behind me, takling about how terrible Bruxelles Midi was, and turned around to ask. I ended up meeting this awesome couple - Lauren and Michelle from LA. They were touring around Europe for a couple weeks, and were headed to Amsterdam. They suggested I hop that train with them, because it was only 110Euro, which, compared to the ridiculous cost of Brussels, sounded good to me. We ended up getting assigned seats near each other, and found it surprisingly easy to pass the time chatting with them for our four hour train ride through the northern tip of France, an entire country (and they weren't lying, our train stopped at Bruxelles Midi, and it looked really sucky - like NOTHING to do there), and the southern part of the Netherlands. Beautiful place to see - and as soon as I stepped off the train into Amsterdam, I realized I was in some completely different place and atmosphere. I ended up exchanging numbers with Lauren and Michelle, and then found my nice hotel for the night, and went to bed early, so I could find Stefan at the airport the next morning bright and early.
I'm currently safe in Copenhagen again, overjoyed to be back home, and to be with my computer again. I'm going to have a happy reunion with my bike & Tali now, so I'll update on Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Easter soon. Lots of love from COPENHAGEN (Hooray!!)!
When I say that, I simply mean that the French are slightly intimidating. We all know their stereotypes, and some of them are true. They're unwilling to speak much to you in English, which is why the entire time I was there, I tried my hand at French. I actually succeeded - cheers to all my French teachers! It really did come back easily, and it was really wonderful to be able to speak a different language conversationally - because for me, Danish is frustrating because I can usually only get out half a sentence or so. I was complimented fairly often on my accent and knowledge of the language, so that was really nice. When I say that Gregoire helped me, I mean that he managed to erase many of my fears just by being friendly.
As soon as I got my luggage, we split so he could find his family (he had been in Ireland for the past five months, studying and practicing English), and I met a girl named Kelly, who was as jetlagged as I had been on my first day in Denmark, and looking for a way out to the city as well. I helped her figure out some of the public transport, and never saw her again either - but I do have her contacts. She was an interesting character and told me I acted older than I really am - but I hardly believe it.
I met up with Deni, who was the most wonderful tour guide. We hung out in Luxembourg Gardens for a little while, which was BEAUTIFUL - the weather the entire time I was in Paris was great. She showed me my hostel, and I got settled, then we went out for dinner and dessert, which was fun. The next day, we met up and took a trip to Mon Martre, which was interesting because I'd already been there. It was the one place I REALLY wanted to go back to - things like the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre, and L'Arc de Triomphe held little or no interest for me, but beautiful Sacre Coeur and Mon Martre, certainly. We walked around for some time, while I refamiliared myself with the French culture. It was so beautiful - the views from the top were gorgeous.
After that, I went back to Luxembourg Gardens (because it's right by where Deni lives), and hung out there and read/people watched for an hour or two - then we went back to her host parents' house to cook dinner for ourselves. I got really lucky, because Deni's host parents, instead of making me find a hostel for the night, let me stay with them, and their adorable little dog, Samba:
The next morning I was up bright and early (so I could leave when Deni left at like 7:45), and so I hopped on a train, took a walk on the Seine, and got some breakfast. Musée D'Orsay opened at 9:30, which is another place that I wanted to go. Unfortunately, museums just make me realize how much I DON'T get art. I went up to take a look at all of the impressionist artists, and I find that even walking alongside Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cezanne, I just don't get it. Sad, I know. I left after about an hour to meet up with Alex Klikunas - we had a great time wandering around the city, getting lunch with his girlfriend, and finding this absolutely gorgeous park that Deni had recommended to us - Parc des Buttes Chaumont:
Alex also took me to a place where I could grab some French-food souvenirs for Stefan's family, where I encountered the most giant toblerone bar EVER, as well as buckets and buckets of Nutella. As you may have realized, I'm not one for taking lots of pictures, but this was necessary:
When we finally split around five, I met up with Deni again, and we made dinner, then headed out to Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge where all the Parisians hang out, to talk, chill, and drink some wine - the most lovely and picturesque way to end my trip to France.
Meeting up with Deni and Alex was so wonderful - I had SO much fun in France. I got to see their lives while abroad, which was really cool. Deni is currently in Copenhagen, so hopefully I'll be able to see her and her boyfriend while she's still around. Having tourguides from Vermont was really special to me - it's cool to meet up with childhood/high school friends in Europe - a totally different experience. I also got to see two really close friends that I hadn't seen in a long time, so it was nice, and of course, fun.
The next morning, I checked out of Oops! Hostel, and attempted to catch a train to Brussels, but unfortunately it was 86Euro - a little bit too ridiculous for an hour and a half train ride. Not only was it that expensive, it was to Bruxelles Midi - not even Bruxelles Central. I heard English behind me, takling about how terrible Bruxelles Midi was, and turned around to ask. I ended up meeting this awesome couple - Lauren and Michelle from LA. They were touring around Europe for a couple weeks, and were headed to Amsterdam. They suggested I hop that train with them, because it was only 110Euro, which, compared to the ridiculous cost of Brussels, sounded good to me. We ended up getting assigned seats near each other, and found it surprisingly easy to pass the time chatting with them for our four hour train ride through the northern tip of France, an entire country (and they weren't lying, our train stopped at Bruxelles Midi, and it looked really sucky - like NOTHING to do there), and the southern part of the Netherlands. Beautiful place to see - and as soon as I stepped off the train into Amsterdam, I realized I was in some completely different place and atmosphere. I ended up exchanging numbers with Lauren and Michelle, and then found my nice hotel for the night, and went to bed early, so I could find Stefan at the airport the next morning bright and early.
I'm currently safe in Copenhagen again, overjoyed to be back home, and to be with my computer again. I'm going to have a happy reunion with my bike & Tali now, so I'll update on Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Easter soon. Lots of love from COPENHAGEN (Hooray!!)!
4.01.2009
Ireland Part II
So this computer just deleted my whole post...and I'd gotten like three days into my journey in Ireland, included with links. Maybe this will have to be a three part entry to finish - dammit.
Alright, starting over then.
On the bus to Galway (Gaillimh in Irlandais), I met a girl named Maria who was from Spain and studying in Dublin to practice her English. She was spending a weekend to see the Cliffs of Moher, and meeting some friends there. She told me about her hostel, and that it would lead me straight to a tour to the cliffs, and that I should check it out.
After the 3.5 hour busride, tired out as usual, I followed her to her hostel, just a two minute walk from Eyre Square (the city center in Galway) which turned out to be a wonderful place - The Kinlay House was voted for the Hostel of the Year in 2007, so I decided that I should make sure to book all three nights in Galway there. I guess I really lucked out, because the first night I stayed, I got the last room. It turned out that my roommates were three guys from Iowa - luckily they were really cool. Tyler, Phil, and Chris are engineer students studying abroad in Cork, Ireland, traveling with two girls, Christina and Liz. They invited me out to dinner with them, and we had a nice evening with great food. It was really nice to have some company, because as I realized, traveling alone can get pretty lonely.
I went back early that night to get some more rest (seriously, bus trips exhaust me), and the next morning, got up to go on a tour of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. The tour (check out that link) I went on was absolutely wonderful, and I totally fell completely in love with the western coast of Ireland. It is, without a doubt, the most breathtaking place I have ever seen in my life. I don't regret any of the 20€ for that tour - mainly because that's not that expensive (from 10 - 5:30), and because seriously, it was gorgeous. I had a so much fun, and despite the rain and fog, still thought it was the most beautiful place. I met a girl named Liz on this tour, and when we got back to Galway, we decided to hang out the next day as well, exploring the city.
The city turned out to be lots of fun, and we spent the day wandering around, getting lost - or as lost as you can get in a teeny city - having a wonderful lunch, and shopping. I am now the happy owner of a Claddaugh ring - something I'd never had justification to buy, but now, having been to Ireland, I feel that it's somewhat validated, and a wonderful souvenir. That night Liz and I went out to the bar to meet the locals, other travelers, and have a Guinness - and yeah, it really IS better in Ireland.
It was a lot of fun, and again, nice to have some companionship. The next morning, I checked out of the Kinlay House and headed the 3.5 hours back to Dublin. I went straight to Temple Bar , what I call the Church Street of Dublin (I guess). I actually saw Maria (the girl from my bus TO Galway) in a smal cafe there - tiny world! She doesn't actually even live near Temple Bar. Anyway, it's a great little place, and I found this GREAT hotel for just 50€ a night - Fitzsimmons. Wonderful place, cheap, and they had wake up calls, so I could be on time for my flight to Paris the next morning.
I'll update on Paris in one big entry - because now it's past 1am, and I'm exhausted. I've had a WONDERFUL time in Paris so far, but should have a fairly busy day tomorrow.
Some quick revelations:
In retrospect, traveling by myself to Ireland was a wonderful thing to do. I didn't necessarily enjoy myself the entire time that I was alone, but I learned so much. There were times when it was lonely, times when it was exhausting, times when it was frustrating, times when it was scary, but never a time when it wasn't exciting. So, some final things I've learned:
-To eat alone in a restaurant
-To deal with airports - bookings, tickets, baggage, security, etc., etc., etc.
-To use public transportation with confidence
-To ask directions if lost
-To always carry a book (Currently: The Deptford Trilogy)
-To observe the world quietly, BUT
-To be outgoing
-To make new friends
-That the world is mine - I can travel, I can explore, and I can take my time. No rush.
And with those few, simple thoughts, I'm headed to bed at Oops! Hostel.
Sweet dreams & lots of love from PARIS! (:
Alright, starting over then.
On the bus to Galway (Gaillimh in Irlandais), I met a girl named Maria who was from Spain and studying in Dublin to practice her English. She was spending a weekend to see the Cliffs of Moher, and meeting some friends there. She told me about her hostel, and that it would lead me straight to a tour to the cliffs, and that I should check it out.
After the 3.5 hour busride, tired out as usual, I followed her to her hostel, just a two minute walk from Eyre Square (the city center in Galway) which turned out to be a wonderful place - The Kinlay House was voted for the Hostel of the Year in 2007, so I decided that I should make sure to book all three nights in Galway there. I guess I really lucked out, because the first night I stayed, I got the last room. It turned out that my roommates were three guys from Iowa - luckily they were really cool. Tyler, Phil, and Chris are engineer students studying abroad in Cork, Ireland, traveling with two girls, Christina and Liz. They invited me out to dinner with them, and we had a nice evening with great food. It was really nice to have some company, because as I realized, traveling alone can get pretty lonely.
I went back early that night to get some more rest (seriously, bus trips exhaust me), and the next morning, got up to go on a tour of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. The tour (check out that link) I went on was absolutely wonderful, and I totally fell completely in love with the western coast of Ireland. It is, without a doubt, the most breathtaking place I have ever seen in my life. I don't regret any of the 20€ for that tour - mainly because that's not that expensive (from 10 - 5:30), and because seriously, it was gorgeous. I had a so much fun, and despite the rain and fog, still thought it was the most beautiful place. I met a girl named Liz on this tour, and when we got back to Galway, we decided to hang out the next day as well, exploring the city.
The city turned out to be lots of fun, and we spent the day wandering around, getting lost - or as lost as you can get in a teeny city - having a wonderful lunch, and shopping. I am now the happy owner of a Claddaugh ring - something I'd never had justification to buy, but now, having been to Ireland, I feel that it's somewhat validated, and a wonderful souvenir. That night Liz and I went out to the bar to meet the locals, other travelers, and have a Guinness - and yeah, it really IS better in Ireland.
It was a lot of fun, and again, nice to have some companionship. The next morning, I checked out of the Kinlay House and headed the 3.5 hours back to Dublin. I went straight to Temple Bar , what I call the Church Street of Dublin (I guess). I actually saw Maria (the girl from my bus TO Galway) in a smal cafe there - tiny world! She doesn't actually even live near Temple Bar. Anyway, it's a great little place, and I found this GREAT hotel for just 50€ a night - Fitzsimmons. Wonderful place, cheap, and they had wake up calls, so I could be on time for my flight to Paris the next morning.
I'll update on Paris in one big entry - because now it's past 1am, and I'm exhausted. I've had a WONDERFUL time in Paris so far, but should have a fairly busy day tomorrow.
Some quick revelations:
In retrospect, traveling by myself to Ireland was a wonderful thing to do. I didn't necessarily enjoy myself the entire time that I was alone, but I learned so much. There were times when it was lonely, times when it was exhausting, times when it was frustrating, times when it was scary, but never a time when it wasn't exciting. So, some final things I've learned:
-To eat alone in a restaurant
-To deal with airports - bookings, tickets, baggage, security, etc., etc., etc.
-To use public transportation with confidence
-To ask directions if lost
-To always carry a book (Currently: The Deptford Trilogy)
-To observe the world quietly, BUT
-To be outgoing
-To make new friends
-That the world is mine - I can travel, I can explore, and I can take my time. No rush.
And with those few, simple thoughts, I'm headed to bed at Oops! Hostel.
Sweet dreams & lots of love from PARIS! (:
Freaky-Deaky Chicken Fetish
After a long, LONG wait in the Heathrow Airport, I finally got to my gate...and only got lost once. Luckily someone found me wandering around, because if they hadn't, I would've ended up in South Africa...sweet. Anyway, while I was sitting in the gate, this engaged couple next to me started to argue:
Man: What?? We can't have chicken for the appetizer AND the main course...
Woman: You said we could!
Man: What? Of course I didn't. I also had no idea I was about to marry some girl with a freaky-deaky chicken fetish.
And the fight went on - perhaps for the entire flight, because at baggage, I caught the man muttering something about chicken. Reason for this story? I had written that part of the conversation down in my notebook, because ''freaky-deaky chicken fetish'' is certainly a phrase I never thought I'd encounter.
Anyway, the flight to Ireland was nice. I talked to a very nice man at the gates for a little while, and he suggested that I go West towards Galway while I was visiting, and that Dublin would get old fast...Definitely a true statement. I was completely exhausted after my flight (I don't know why traveling tires me out so much), and wanted to sleep in the first hostel or B&B I came to. After getting turned down from a few places, I was completely relieved to finally find one. At this point, I don't even remember the name - possibly because I'm trying to block out the memory forever.
I asked for a private room (because I wanted to be really well-rested for my first full day of travel by myself), and he said that it would be 60€ - CASH ONLY. I gave him a 50€ and a 20€, but he didn't have change. On my handwritten receipt, he wrote ''IOU 10€ - Peter.'' Great. Frustrated and so tired that I had given up caring, I stormed up to a room where the walls read ''THIS PLACE IS A CRACK DEN'' and ''SARAH + HENRY = LOVE''... I walked into the bathroom not expecting much - but when I saw it, I realized I had been expecting something SLIGHTLY more. The tiles were coming up off the floor, and underneath was dirt - gross. After a very long night of listening to fighting, sex (and lots of it from not one, but TWO sides of my room), and drunken girls crying, I was ready to leave Dublin on the first train out. When I went to check out of the hostel, I showed the man at the front desk that ''Peter'' owed me 10€ still. ''Sorry miss, but we don't have any change yet.'' After a lot of me grumbling, he told me he would mail it to me. I'm not really expecting to see that 10€ ever again.
After that, I wandered around for a little while and finally got to a train station, where I sat down and started talking to a nice Irish woman whose name I never found out. She, like the man on the plane, told me to go to Galway, and sent me off to the bus station where the tickets would be much cheaper. For 15€, I traveled all the way across Ireland to the most wonderful little city - just three and a half hours. I feel in love with Galway really quickly - it's a beautiful little town all the way west of Dublin. The feel of it is cozy and open...much less stuffy than Dublin...
But let's make this a to be continued entry, because I'm typing on a French keyboard and it's really frustrating - the keys are all funny. This alone has taken me 50 minutes, which is WAY too long, and I officially give up. You'll hear from me again really soon though...it'll probably bother me that this entry is only half done.
Day 10, still alive, and missing you all!
Man: What?? We can't have chicken for the appetizer AND the main course...
Woman: You said we could!
Man: What? Of course I didn't. I also had no idea I was about to marry some girl with a freaky-deaky chicken fetish.
And the fight went on - perhaps for the entire flight, because at baggage, I caught the man muttering something about chicken. Reason for this story? I had written that part of the conversation down in my notebook, because ''freaky-deaky chicken fetish'' is certainly a phrase I never thought I'd encounter.
Anyway, the flight to Ireland was nice. I talked to a very nice man at the gates for a little while, and he suggested that I go West towards Galway while I was visiting, and that Dublin would get old fast...Definitely a true statement. I was completely exhausted after my flight (I don't know why traveling tires me out so much), and wanted to sleep in the first hostel or B&B I came to. After getting turned down from a few places, I was completely relieved to finally find one. At this point, I don't even remember the name - possibly because I'm trying to block out the memory forever.
I asked for a private room (because I wanted to be really well-rested for my first full day of travel by myself), and he said that it would be 60€ - CASH ONLY. I gave him a 50€ and a 20€, but he didn't have change. On my handwritten receipt, he wrote ''IOU 10€ - Peter.'' Great. Frustrated and so tired that I had given up caring, I stormed up to a room where the walls read ''THIS PLACE IS A CRACK DEN'' and ''SARAH + HENRY = LOVE''... I walked into the bathroom not expecting much - but when I saw it, I realized I had been expecting something SLIGHTLY more. The tiles were coming up off the floor, and underneath was dirt - gross. After a very long night of listening to fighting, sex (and lots of it from not one, but TWO sides of my room), and drunken girls crying, I was ready to leave Dublin on the first train out. When I went to check out of the hostel, I showed the man at the front desk that ''Peter'' owed me 10€ still. ''Sorry miss, but we don't have any change yet.'' After a lot of me grumbling, he told me he would mail it to me. I'm not really expecting to see that 10€ ever again.
After that, I wandered around for a little while and finally got to a train station, where I sat down and started talking to a nice Irish woman whose name I never found out. She, like the man on the plane, told me to go to Galway, and sent me off to the bus station where the tickets would be much cheaper. For 15€, I traveled all the way across Ireland to the most wonderful little city - just three and a half hours. I feel in love with Galway really quickly - it's a beautiful little town all the way west of Dublin. The feel of it is cozy and open...much less stuffy than Dublin...
But let's make this a to be continued entry, because I'm typing on a French keyboard and it's really frustrating - the keys are all funny. This alone has taken me 50 minutes, which is WAY too long, and I officially give up. You'll hear from me again really soon though...it'll probably bother me that this entry is only half done.
Day 10, still alive, and missing you all!
3.27.2009
London & Oxford
It's around 2:15 in the afternoon, and I've been hanging around Heathrow Airport (Terminal 1) since 1:30. I guess I didn't need to hop on the earliest train back from Oxford, because I can't even check my luggage in until 5:20...Long time, huh? Luckily the tickets were great - four DIS kids were at the train station in Oxford, and the guy at the ticket counter told us with four people we could get a 50% discount on our tickets, so they were only £9.95 - excellent deal. Then from Paddington station, I took the Heathrow Express to get here, and I think those were a little more expensive, something like £16? I'm not sure. Anyway, here I am, and I've stalked down a computer: £3 later, I have another hour to kill online. Unfortunately it won't let me access much, so blogging is about all I can do - lame, Heathrow. On the computer next to me, I've got a really loud, angry British couple, with two super obnoxious children running around. I'm £2.83 away from smacking them. Whatever. Aside from that, it's already really refreshing to be on my own - I've been so sick of DIS, having a constant itinerary and everything. This trip to London and Oxford also reinforced my immense dislike for my core course - Though there are certain people that I enjoy spending time with, I generally hate my class. It's like sixth grade again, where there are six exclusive cliques - and all are just as immature as 12-year-olds, so really, I'm thrilled to get away.
On the flipside, my appreciation for the professors has grown. Unfortunately, I caught the flu in London, and spent a lot of time in bed. I didn't miss any of our educational visits in England, but didn't get to go to any museums or anything. My head was completely in a bubble the entire time I was there, so it was really frustrating. I had a really sore throat, and aches in my eyes (weird, right?), and a terrible cough, which is still kind of here. My core course professor and Virtual Worlds professor, Inger-Marie, was absolutely wonderful while I was sick - cured my flu with some ridiculous British medicine called Nurse, and made sure I was as healthy and as comfortable as I could possibly be. I have enjoyed getting to know her better. Interestingly, Mike has proven to me that he's human - I am able to take him slightly more seriously now that he knows my name.
So I'm sitting here wondering what I thought about London. Not really my cup of tea, I think. Certainly an absolutely lovely city, beautiful architecture, and filled with things to do, but it seems that this small town girl from Vermont will always prefer much smaller cities. The hustle and bustle of the huge city was always loud - so many people always around the tube. I was most definitely overwhelmed by the craziness of the city. Fashionable women in heels and businessmen in pinstriped suits rushing to work made me feel stressed and rushed as well. Good for a few days, but no place for me.
I'm starting to have some faith in my navigational skills - though perhaps the Tube and Denmark transportation are two easy ones. I was able to figure out the tube without a hitch - well, that is, until they closed half the stations. The first day, they closed five or more of the big stations because of so much congestion - and our entire group got split up on the first ride because it was so crowded. Luckily, we were able to find the way to our destination - a visit to the Telegraph. That educational one was interesting...actually, they all were. We went to the Telegraph, the Guardian, Edelman, and were lectured by Inger-Marie at London School of Economics. DIS paid for lunch and dinner (one meal a day, plus complimentary breakfasts), a tour of London by bus, a ride on the London Eye, and to see the performance of Chicago. It was a really well planned out trip. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling much better until the last night in London, so I spent the week going to bed at 6pm or earlier, with the exception of Wednesday, when we went to Chicago. It was a mediocre version, and I think the movie has ruined all play performances for me because it was so good. The next night when my head had finally (mostly) cleared up, my friend Meg and I went to dinner for a cocktail and meal in the city.
Ah, but I'm forgetting something -
Before dinner, we went to somewhere you'll ALL appreciate....a trip to Diagon Alley! Well, okay, the street where it was filmed in the movie. Awesome. It was a really cool little street, and I'd say the film makers of Harry Potter definitely chose the right place...I'll post pictures eventually, but I didn't bring a cable with me. It's essentially the only picture I took in London, because I was either too sick or had forgotten my camera for the other parts. Sad, but I'm okay with it, as London certainly wasn't my favorite place.
Anyway, on Thursday morning we headed over to Oxford, a place that I enjoy much, much more. It's an absolutely adorable little university town with a cozy feel, and the buildings there are just beautiful. Though neither place in England really reminded me of Denmark, Oxford was much closer. We went to a nice lunch (thanks DIS), and listened to a lecture in one of the buildings at one of the Oxford universities, which was really cool. We also got to see the debate hall ...I'm not sure the significance, but I guess it was a kind of cool place.
You can tell that it's getting to be springtime here in Europe - the flowers are finally starting to come up, and the weather is warming just so slightly. I can travel comfortably with a fleece, which is good because aside from that, I only brought a rainjacket.
I was also able to hop onto a computer in Oxford at a nice little internet cafe, where I began to deal with course registration and all of that stressful stuff - inconvenient timing, since I have NO idea what the internet availability will be like over the next couple weeks.
I'm impatiently waiting for my flight to Dublin - I'm really, really excited. I hope I'll be able to find somewhere to stay. I think I'll hop on a bus tomorrow morning to the countryside, and maybe try to find a little bed and breakfast to stay overnight, then head back into the city to see that part of Ireland.
I have literally nothing else to say, as I've been blogging for more than a half hour, so I think I'll head off to read for another trillion years while I wait for this flight. Thankfully, the obnoxious couple and children have left, and I'm able to think again.
Have a good couple days, and I'll be in contact as soon as possible!
Lots of love from London!
On the flipside, my appreciation for the professors has grown. Unfortunately, I caught the flu in London, and spent a lot of time in bed. I didn't miss any of our educational visits in England, but didn't get to go to any museums or anything. My head was completely in a bubble the entire time I was there, so it was really frustrating. I had a really sore throat, and aches in my eyes (weird, right?), and a terrible cough, which is still kind of here. My core course professor and Virtual Worlds professor, Inger-Marie, was absolutely wonderful while I was sick - cured my flu with some ridiculous British medicine called Nurse, and made sure I was as healthy and as comfortable as I could possibly be. I have enjoyed getting to know her better. Interestingly, Mike has proven to me that he's human - I am able to take him slightly more seriously now that he knows my name.
So I'm sitting here wondering what I thought about London. Not really my cup of tea, I think. Certainly an absolutely lovely city, beautiful architecture, and filled with things to do, but it seems that this small town girl from Vermont will always prefer much smaller cities. The hustle and bustle of the huge city was always loud - so many people always around the tube. I was most definitely overwhelmed by the craziness of the city. Fashionable women in heels and businessmen in pinstriped suits rushing to work made me feel stressed and rushed as well. Good for a few days, but no place for me.
I'm starting to have some faith in my navigational skills - though perhaps the Tube and Denmark transportation are two easy ones. I was able to figure out the tube without a hitch - well, that is, until they closed half the stations. The first day, they closed five or more of the big stations because of so much congestion - and our entire group got split up on the first ride because it was so crowded. Luckily, we were able to find the way to our destination - a visit to the Telegraph. That educational one was interesting...actually, they all were. We went to the Telegraph, the Guardian, Edelman, and were lectured by Inger-Marie at London School of Economics. DIS paid for lunch and dinner (one meal a day, plus complimentary breakfasts), a tour of London by bus, a ride on the London Eye, and to see the performance of Chicago. It was a really well planned out trip. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling much better until the last night in London, so I spent the week going to bed at 6pm or earlier, with the exception of Wednesday, when we went to Chicago. It was a mediocre version, and I think the movie has ruined all play performances for me because it was so good. The next night when my head had finally (mostly) cleared up, my friend Meg and I went to dinner for a cocktail and meal in the city.
Ah, but I'm forgetting something -
Before dinner, we went to somewhere you'll ALL appreciate....a trip to Diagon Alley! Well, okay, the street where it was filmed in the movie. Awesome. It was a really cool little street, and I'd say the film makers of Harry Potter definitely chose the right place...I'll post pictures eventually, but I didn't bring a cable with me. It's essentially the only picture I took in London, because I was either too sick or had forgotten my camera for the other parts. Sad, but I'm okay with it, as London certainly wasn't my favorite place.
Anyway, on Thursday morning we headed over to Oxford, a place that I enjoy much, much more. It's an absolutely adorable little university town with a cozy feel, and the buildings there are just beautiful. Though neither place in England really reminded me of Denmark, Oxford was much closer. We went to a nice lunch (thanks DIS), and listened to a lecture in one of the buildings at one of the Oxford universities, which was really cool. We also got to see the debate hall ...I'm not sure the significance, but I guess it was a kind of cool place.
You can tell that it's getting to be springtime here in Europe - the flowers are finally starting to come up, and the weather is warming just so slightly. I can travel comfortably with a fleece, which is good because aside from that, I only brought a rainjacket.
I was also able to hop onto a computer in Oxford at a nice little internet cafe, where I began to deal with course registration and all of that stressful stuff - inconvenient timing, since I have NO idea what the internet availability will be like over the next couple weeks.
I'm impatiently waiting for my flight to Dublin - I'm really, really excited. I hope I'll be able to find somewhere to stay. I think I'll hop on a bus tomorrow morning to the countryside, and maybe try to find a little bed and breakfast to stay overnight, then head back into the city to see that part of Ireland.
I have literally nothing else to say, as I've been blogging for more than a half hour, so I think I'll head off to read for another trillion years while I wait for this flight. Thankfully, the obnoxious couple and children have left, and I'm able to think again.
Have a good couple days, and I'll be in contact as soon as possible!
Lots of love from London!
3.20.2009
Free!
No more classes at DIS for three weeks! We'll have a couple in London, but that's it until our spring break. We're leaving on Sunday, and need to be to the airport by 1pm - and I'm finally starting to get nervous. I think that by starting with DIS, hopefully I'll just ease my way into the travel deal - and by the end of the week in London and Oxford, I'll be ready to go by myself.
So in one week, I'll be flying by myself (actually, in like one week and five or six hours) to Dublin. After four days, I'll be meeting Deni in Paris, which should be a lot of fun, and I'm excited to have someone there to show me around and get me re-acquainted with Paris. I'm not sure how long I'll end up staying, but from Paris I'll just catch a train to Brussels (which is only like an hour or two), and stay there for a day or so. Depending on how long I stay where, I'll (hopefully) be meeting Stefan in Amsterdam, where we can explore the city together.
We've officially been invited home for Easter, and I've been promised a trip to LegoLand as well...so this break sounds like it should be fun. I'm excited to see a more rural part of Denmark, since I've only experienced the biggest cities.
I won't have a computer on me, as you all know, so 1) no talking, and 2) I'll probably not remember any of my trip. Just kidding. I'll bring a journal with me so I can write when I'm sitting by myself in Dublin doing laundry (....) or eating at a cafe alone. Interesting.
If you're lucky, you'll get another update before I leave - and you all know me and my inabilities to pack (and this is for THREE WEEKS in a "Weekend Trip" backpack - frick), so most likely, I'll blog a little to procrastinate. If not....wish me luck. I think I'll need it this time.
xx
So in one week, I'll be flying by myself (actually, in like one week and five or six hours) to Dublin. After four days, I'll be meeting Deni in Paris, which should be a lot of fun, and I'm excited to have someone there to show me around and get me re-acquainted with Paris. I'm not sure how long I'll end up staying, but from Paris I'll just catch a train to Brussels (which is only like an hour or two), and stay there for a day or so. Depending on how long I stay where, I'll (hopefully) be meeting Stefan in Amsterdam, where we can explore the city together.
We've officially been invited home for Easter, and I've been promised a trip to LegoLand as well...so this break sounds like it should be fun. I'm excited to see a more rural part of Denmark, since I've only experienced the biggest cities.
I won't have a computer on me, as you all know, so 1) no talking, and 2) I'll probably not remember any of my trip. Just kidding. I'll bring a journal with me so I can write when I'm sitting by myself in Dublin doing laundry (....) or eating at a cafe alone. Interesting.
If you're lucky, you'll get another update before I leave - and you all know me and my inabilities to pack (and this is for THREE WEEKS in a "Weekend Trip" backpack - frick), so most likely, I'll blog a little to procrastinate. If not....wish me luck. I think I'll need it this time.
xx
3.18.2009
Isbjørne, æbler, og Dyreværnet
I'm realizing that one of my biggest failures is keeping up with this blog. When I'm out in Copenhagen, something wonderfully epic will happen, and I'll take a mental note to write it - unfortunately, my mental notes don't seem to have much stick, because here I am, sitting around wondering what's happened in the last week of my life.
Last Friday Stefan and I accompanied his mother and baby Sylvester to the Zoo, where a giraffe licked my hand - it felt like a cow. We went to the other side where Tali and I hadn't gone, so it was completely new and totally worth it. We also saw sea lions being fed, hippopotamuses (which are much uglier than I thought), and Tasmanian devils - much more, but I can hardly remember. We did end up going back to see some of the other stuff that Tali and I had seen, too:
Golden Compass Monkey!
Being childish...as usual
Polar bears!...or "isbjørn" - one of my favorite Danish words
LION BABIES!!!!!!
Speaking Parseltongue (:
Anyway, then we went back to the apartment and hung out for a little longer - Alice had made this amazing apple cake, so at least while we struggled through communicating, we were able to eat something good? I don't know. I'm REALLY working hard on Danish so I can speak a lot more the next time I see her - unfortunately I'll be out traveling Europe, so learning Danish might be difficult. Maybe I'll buy a dictionary and just read it.
We went home for a bit to do some homework before our weekend started, and then we went out to this thing called "Rock the Night" - something that Thomas, my photojournalism subject invited me to. It was three floors of different kinds of music, bars, and him tattooing. I got some pretty cool shots of him, and definitely had fun. There was actually this guy there who has his own TV show - it's basically some reality TV show, and all the cameras were there following him around. Definitely weird - I didn't really know what to think. When we left, he was hitting on some trashy-looking girl outside the club - hilarious. Sidney Lee...LEGIT TOOL. Check it out. Seriously. It'll be worth your time. Then you'll understand why he has to talk to trashy girls. It just fits. But then you can also hear what Danish sounds like!
Thomas' work!!
The next morning we went to the Botanical gardens - originally to have a picnic, but it was rather cold, so we didn't. We wandered around for a little while, and I finally got my perfect swan picture:
Instead of our picnic, we went to the grocery store and got a craving for chicken - I guess it wasn't necessary to buy an ENTIRE chicken like we did, but whatever....Leftovers? We had said we would go out to dinner with some friends, but after elapsing into a food coma, all we could do was lie around and watch Family Guy. Later that night, we went to The Dubliner (an Irish pub) with them, and ended up hanging out, drinking a Somersby, and listening to some Irish men play some twangy country and oldies - weird night. Resulted in lots of photo-taking and laughing.
Nothing else of much excitement happened. Sunday was a lazy day (I think...I really can't remember?), and Tali and I hung around the house and tried to get some work done. I had invited Emily over for dinner, and we cooked quesadillas for our host parents - they turned out wonderfully and were a big hit - I think that's because Emily was there cooking for us, though. I think she really loved Lars and Lene - but I guess you can't help but love them. It's amazing how DIS has matched everyone with their host families - it seems like no one has any complaints. I couldn't have asked for better host parents, and there's nothing that they could be doing to make us any happier. Amazing luck, or just the Danish people? I can't decide.
I realized then that it would be a ridiculous week for me - three group projects, a HUGE test in photojournalism, and an 8 - 10 page paper for Janis. I brainstormed for a long time on the paper, and eventually got two pages done, but that was about it. I went to bed at midnight, but set my alarm for 2am, so I could start to study for Photojournalism. I got up around 2:30, and read straight through until 6:30, when I would have to start getting ready for classes. Stefan had a huge report due as well, so we were chatting on Skype (kinda) throughout the entire night - needless to say, we were dead for Monday. After an exhausting day (and six hours of classes) I went to Baresso (The Starbucks of Denmark) to meet Stefan, and we went back to the Kollegium to make dinner. I was supposed to study with my friend Lucy, but she ended up being too tired, and just went to bed. I continued to power through my Photojournalism studying, but sadly, the next morning, I failed the test. I think. Well, I'm pretty sure. Upsetting, as I spent about 10 hours total with the material for six stupid, stupid questions. Damn.
On the bright side, when I met with Anders on Friday, he said that he'd given me As on everything we'd turned in so far. I guess until now. Can't wait to get that test back. Blah.
On the BRIGHTER side, we got our Danish exams back - I got two points off on the oral part, and two points off on the cultural essays - resulting in two A-s. I think Morten's a tough grader, too, so that makes me feel happy. I know my Danish is improving, as I'm beginning to be tossed into situations where only Danish is spoken. I'm getting more confident in speaking Danish to Danes, and believe it or not, I think they're starting to laugh less. For example:
I usually buy 4DKK apples from this little store right next to DIS. I usually say, "Jeg vil gerne hav en æble, tak!" and that's the end of our exchange. Because I got really sick, I had to get some cough drops, and obviously had no idea how to ask for them. I desparately said, "Cough drops??" and the lady at the counter looked at me, seeming somewhat surprised. "You're a DIS student? Didn't you know you get a discount?" Now my apples are 3DKK! (:
Not to say that I'm wonderful at Danish - those words are easy to say, but it's definitely a confidence booster to realize that people actually understand what you're saying, and realize that you're making an effort.
We also found out a little bit more about our study tour in London - we'll be doing some moderately cool things, I'm really excited for it. We're going to see Chicago in the theater, see the London Eye, get a tour of London and Oxford, and all that tourist-y stuff. We'll have options to go see tons of stuff while we're there...all the different museums and everything. I hope I'm feeling much better by the time Sunday 1pm rolls around! Last night was absolutely miserable - totally dead to the world. I guess I lucked out, because Stefan tucked me into bed with tissues and mint drops (they clear your sinuses because it's such a strong scent), kept me hydrated, fed me pizza, and went on a search for some Danish advil - I'm feeling much, much better today. I would assume that it was the late night studying that's made me so sick - it started out with a sore throat that's finally gone away, and then a migraine last night, but now I think it's just a lot of congestion.
Today I went to volunteer training with my friend Shea at Dyreværnet - an animal shelter with cats, dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, rats, blah, blah, blah, you name it! It was really awesome - I'm so excited to start. It's really relaxed...you can go to walk dogs, hang out with cats, snuggle up with a dog in the "relaxing room", just so both the dog and you can get some peace and quiet from the rest of the kennel...so cool. It's a really huge facility, and I can't wait to go back. I hung out with a big, fat, black cat named Rambo today. They also have this thing where you can 'foster' an animal over night as many times as you want if you're a volunteer - meaning you get to take the animal (cats, dogs, or bunnies) home with you to hang out and socialize it! So much fun. In about a month, there will be tons of kittens brought to the shelter, and they encourage volunteers to bring them home for a few nights - EE!!!! (: (: I'm so happy! Lene says no, but Stefan says yes, so I'm determined to have a temporary kitten.
We actually saw some teeny tiny kittens today - they were just two weeks old, and smaller than the palm of my hand. They were SO cute, and so little...ahh. I honestly can't wait until kittens start pouring into the shelter so I can hang out with them all the time...I just hope they can all find homes!
And now I've procrastinated for another hour or so writing this blog entry, so I guess I owe Janis another six pages on that paper - sounds like I've got a fun couple of nights ahead? But luckily, I've finished all of the group projects, so those are out of the way.
It's definitely been a really busy week - I just can't wait until it's over, because that means LONDON!
Last Friday Stefan and I accompanied his mother and baby Sylvester to the Zoo, where a giraffe licked my hand - it felt like a cow. We went to the other side where Tali and I hadn't gone, so it was completely new and totally worth it. We also saw sea lions being fed, hippopotamuses (which are much uglier than I thought), and Tasmanian devils - much more, but I can hardly remember. We did end up going back to see some of the other stuff that Tali and I had seen, too:
Golden Compass Monkey!
Being childish...as usual
Polar bears!...or "isbjørn" - one of my favorite Danish words
LION BABIES!!!!!!
Speaking Parseltongue (:
Anyway, then we went back to the apartment and hung out for a little longer - Alice had made this amazing apple cake, so at least while we struggled through communicating, we were able to eat something good? I don't know. I'm REALLY working hard on Danish so I can speak a lot more the next time I see her - unfortunately I'll be out traveling Europe, so learning Danish might be difficult. Maybe I'll buy a dictionary and just read it.
We went home for a bit to do some homework before our weekend started, and then we went out to this thing called "Rock the Night" - something that Thomas, my photojournalism subject invited me to. It was three floors of different kinds of music, bars, and him tattooing. I got some pretty cool shots of him, and definitely had fun. There was actually this guy there who has his own TV show - it's basically some reality TV show, and all the cameras were there following him around. Definitely weird - I didn't really know what to think. When we left, he was hitting on some trashy-looking girl outside the club - hilarious. Sidney Lee...LEGIT TOOL. Check it out. Seriously. It'll be worth your time. Then you'll understand why he has to talk to trashy girls. It just fits. But then you can also hear what Danish sounds like!
Thomas' work!!
The next morning we went to the Botanical gardens - originally to have a picnic, but it was rather cold, so we didn't. We wandered around for a little while, and I finally got my perfect swan picture:
Instead of our picnic, we went to the grocery store and got a craving for chicken - I guess it wasn't necessary to buy an ENTIRE chicken like we did, but whatever....Leftovers? We had said we would go out to dinner with some friends, but after elapsing into a food coma, all we could do was lie around and watch Family Guy. Later that night, we went to The Dubliner (an Irish pub) with them, and ended up hanging out, drinking a Somersby, and listening to some Irish men play some twangy country and oldies - weird night. Resulted in lots of photo-taking and laughing.
Nothing else of much excitement happened. Sunday was a lazy day (I think...I really can't remember?), and Tali and I hung around the house and tried to get some work done. I had invited Emily over for dinner, and we cooked quesadillas for our host parents - they turned out wonderfully and were a big hit - I think that's because Emily was there cooking for us, though. I think she really loved Lars and Lene - but I guess you can't help but love them. It's amazing how DIS has matched everyone with their host families - it seems like no one has any complaints. I couldn't have asked for better host parents, and there's nothing that they could be doing to make us any happier. Amazing luck, or just the Danish people? I can't decide.
I realized then that it would be a ridiculous week for me - three group projects, a HUGE test in photojournalism, and an 8 - 10 page paper for Janis. I brainstormed for a long time on the paper, and eventually got two pages done, but that was about it. I went to bed at midnight, but set my alarm for 2am, so I could start to study for Photojournalism. I got up around 2:30, and read straight through until 6:30, when I would have to start getting ready for classes. Stefan had a huge report due as well, so we were chatting on Skype (kinda) throughout the entire night - needless to say, we were dead for Monday. After an exhausting day (and six hours of classes) I went to Baresso (The Starbucks of Denmark) to meet Stefan, and we went back to the Kollegium to make dinner. I was supposed to study with my friend Lucy, but she ended up being too tired, and just went to bed. I continued to power through my Photojournalism studying, but sadly, the next morning, I failed the test. I think. Well, I'm pretty sure. Upsetting, as I spent about 10 hours total with the material for six stupid, stupid questions. Damn.
On the bright side, when I met with Anders on Friday, he said that he'd given me As on everything we'd turned in so far. I guess until now. Can't wait to get that test back. Blah.
On the BRIGHTER side, we got our Danish exams back - I got two points off on the oral part, and two points off on the cultural essays - resulting in two A-s. I think Morten's a tough grader, too, so that makes me feel happy. I know my Danish is improving, as I'm beginning to be tossed into situations where only Danish is spoken. I'm getting more confident in speaking Danish to Danes, and believe it or not, I think they're starting to laugh less. For example:
I usually buy 4DKK apples from this little store right next to DIS. I usually say, "Jeg vil gerne hav en æble, tak!" and that's the end of our exchange. Because I got really sick, I had to get some cough drops, and obviously had no idea how to ask for them. I desparately said, "Cough drops??" and the lady at the counter looked at me, seeming somewhat surprised. "You're a DIS student? Didn't you know you get a discount?" Now my apples are 3DKK! (:
Not to say that I'm wonderful at Danish - those words are easy to say, but it's definitely a confidence booster to realize that people actually understand what you're saying, and realize that you're making an effort.
We also found out a little bit more about our study tour in London - we'll be doing some moderately cool things, I'm really excited for it. We're going to see Chicago in the theater, see the London Eye, get a tour of London and Oxford, and all that tourist-y stuff. We'll have options to go see tons of stuff while we're there...all the different museums and everything. I hope I'm feeling much better by the time Sunday 1pm rolls around! Last night was absolutely miserable - totally dead to the world. I guess I lucked out, because Stefan tucked me into bed with tissues and mint drops (they clear your sinuses because it's such a strong scent), kept me hydrated, fed me pizza, and went on a search for some Danish advil - I'm feeling much, much better today. I would assume that it was the late night studying that's made me so sick - it started out with a sore throat that's finally gone away, and then a migraine last night, but now I think it's just a lot of congestion.
Today I went to volunteer training with my friend Shea at Dyreværnet - an animal shelter with cats, dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, rats, blah, blah, blah, you name it! It was really awesome - I'm so excited to start. It's really relaxed...you can go to walk dogs, hang out with cats, snuggle up with a dog in the "relaxing room", just so both the dog and you can get some peace and quiet from the rest of the kennel...so cool. It's a really huge facility, and I can't wait to go back. I hung out with a big, fat, black cat named Rambo today. They also have this thing where you can 'foster' an animal over night as many times as you want if you're a volunteer - meaning you get to take the animal (cats, dogs, or bunnies) home with you to hang out and socialize it! So much fun. In about a month, there will be tons of kittens brought to the shelter, and they encourage volunteers to bring them home for a few nights - EE!!!! (: (: I'm so happy! Lene says no, but Stefan says yes, so I'm determined to have a temporary kitten.
We actually saw some teeny tiny kittens today - they were just two weeks old, and smaller than the palm of my hand. They were SO cute, and so little...ahh. I honestly can't wait until kittens start pouring into the shelter so I can hang out with them all the time...I just hope they can all find homes!
And now I've procrastinated for another hour or so writing this blog entry, so I guess I owe Janis another six pages on that paper - sounds like I've got a fun couple of nights ahead? But luckily, I've finished all of the group projects, so those are out of the way.
It's definitely been a really busy week - I just can't wait until it's over, because that means LONDON!
3.11.2009
Photo Entry
I guess a week without blogging is a long time, but really, nothing interesting has happened in my life. Things are still going wonderfully with everything, but it's been that way for a long time now. I'll try to add in some fun pictures, how about that?
So my bike-bruise has finally faded a little, but this picture makes it look a lot better than it really was. The light over-exposed it, and it was a lot darker. Much better now, but this is what my leg looked like for a whole week!
Today for our Danish field study, we went to "Assistens Kirkegård", which is a historic cemetery where many famous Danes have been buried. It's located in Nørrebro, which is where all the shootings have been - today we heard a carburetor backfire, which was slightly scary, as a lot of the shootings have happened during the day. Needless to say, our group was a little skiddish after hearing that. Anyway, here are some of the famous graves:
Natasja Saad - a famous Danish singer who combines rap and reggae - one of her famous songs was "Gi Mig Danmark Tilbage" - Give me Denmark Back. It's a song that basically says she misses the old Denmark, filled with openmindedness, and that the youth are getting more wild - strange though, as she's very popular in Christiania, a place where pot is "legal" - or at least openly sold on streets.
Shea and I had to do a short presentation (well, everyone had to do one) on one of the famous people buried in Assistens Kirkegård, and ours was a man named Peter Von Scholten. He was the governor-general of the US Virgin Islands before they were ours - when they were still in the Danes' possession. He actually liberated all of the slaves in 1848, after trying to loosen their burdens with the people of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. He had a wife back in Denmark named Anna, and one in the Virgin Islands (at that time, called the Danish West Indies) called Anne. Classy, Peter! Anyway, this is his tomb - or house.
And of course, Hans Christian Andersen is also buried here. His gravestone is modestly small - something I wasn't expecting. Having read many of his biographies, I think he would have prefered one much more like Peter Von Scholten's. (:
Before our study tour, Shea and I met up in Copenhagen to hang out and explore the city some more. We ended up in a church (one that I pass at least bi-weekly) in session. We only stayed for a little while, but it was fun to hear the Danish music, and some of the Danish language used inside the church - despite the fact that we couldn't understand a single word. It was almost empty, and we sat way in the back so we could take a picture or two of the service:
This is one of the streets around Copenhagen - it's pretty standard of a street around the city. Most of them look like this - cobblestone, colorful buildings, "hyggeligt"-looking cafes sprinkled around, and tons, and tons of bikes littering the sides of the road.
Tonight after I got home, Tali and I went around Hvidovre for a short bike ride before dinner. We biked along the sea for a little while, and then through some of the more residential areas in the town. Dinner was salmon, rice, and a quiche that Lene makes - spinach, cheese, and egg - no crust. So I guess it's not really quiche, but it's good.
That's been my day in a nutshell - definitely good, and the sun even came out to Nørrebro for a little while!
xx
So my bike-bruise has finally faded a little, but this picture makes it look a lot better than it really was. The light over-exposed it, and it was a lot darker. Much better now, but this is what my leg looked like for a whole week!
Today for our Danish field study, we went to "Assistens Kirkegård", which is a historic cemetery where many famous Danes have been buried. It's located in Nørrebro, which is where all the shootings have been - today we heard a carburetor backfire, which was slightly scary, as a lot of the shootings have happened during the day. Needless to say, our group was a little skiddish after hearing that. Anyway, here are some of the famous graves:
Natasja Saad - a famous Danish singer who combines rap and reggae - one of her famous songs was "Gi Mig Danmark Tilbage" - Give me Denmark Back. It's a song that basically says she misses the old Denmark, filled with openmindedness, and that the youth are getting more wild - strange though, as she's very popular in Christiania, a place where pot is "legal" - or at least openly sold on streets.
Shea and I had to do a short presentation (well, everyone had to do one) on one of the famous people buried in Assistens Kirkegård, and ours was a man named Peter Von Scholten. He was the governor-general of the US Virgin Islands before they were ours - when they were still in the Danes' possession. He actually liberated all of the slaves in 1848, after trying to loosen their burdens with the people of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. He had a wife back in Denmark named Anna, and one in the Virgin Islands (at that time, called the Danish West Indies) called Anne. Classy, Peter! Anyway, this is his tomb - or house.
And of course, Hans Christian Andersen is also buried here. His gravestone is modestly small - something I wasn't expecting. Having read many of his biographies, I think he would have prefered one much more like Peter Von Scholten's. (: 
Before our study tour, Shea and I met up in Copenhagen to hang out and explore the city some more. We ended up in a church (one that I pass at least bi-weekly) in session. We only stayed for a little while, but it was fun to hear the Danish music, and some of the Danish language used inside the church - despite the fact that we couldn't understand a single word. It was almost empty, and we sat way in the back so we could take a picture or two of the service:
This is one of the streets around Copenhagen - it's pretty standard of a street around the city. Most of them look like this - cobblestone, colorful buildings, "hyggeligt"-looking cafes sprinkled around, and tons, and tons of bikes littering the sides of the road.
Tonight after I got home, Tali and I went around Hvidovre for a short bike ride before dinner. We biked along the sea for a little while, and then through some of the more residential areas in the town. Dinner was salmon, rice, and a quiche that Lene makes - spinach, cheese, and egg - no crust. So I guess it's not really quiche, but it's good.
That's been my day in a nutshell - definitely good, and the sun even came out to Nørrebro for a little while!
xx
3.04.2009
Mermaids and Danes
Today was definitely fun; Tali and I went to see the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. She is my default picture, but I'm sure all of you already knew that.
We were up fairly early, and after enjoying a leisurely breakfast, Tali and I headed out via bike to Copenhagen - it's a really flat ride, so fairly easy. The weather was lovely when we started out but after around 30 minutes, the wind started to go against us, and was determined to slow us down. Biking in the city is somewhat frightening for me, as I've never really been much of a cyclist...okay, I've NEVER been a cyclist. The hustle and bustle of the busy city makes it difficult to navigate - around cars, other cyclists, and people wandering around. We ended up at the statue around noon, and hung out there for a little while. We managed to get there before a big group of tourists, so we were able to take some pictures of the famous mermaid.
Afterwards (bagefter - I'm studying Danish right now for my exam tomorrow), we went to grab something warm, because the sun had hidden itself (and has yet to reappear), and we had started to freeze. After a hot chocolate (varm chokolade), we went shopping for a little while, but ended up so tired, that we headed home - on the train.
Lene and Lars came home and we had dinner together, something that I don't do that often anymore because I'm usually with Stefan around that time. Tonight Lene made this amazing dinner - mashed potatoes (something-kartofler), rice (ris), and then this gravy-ish soup with peas, carrots (gulerødder), beef (kalvekød), hot dogs (hot dogs), meatballs (frikadeller), as well as a few other vegetables. Definitely satisfying after such a long day.
Ah, but yesterday. Yesterday was a lot of fun - meeting the family was great, but definitely nerve-wracking at first. I was petrified as we walked in the door (me wearing my purple cords, black and white converse, and a black short-sleeve v-neck teeshirt with the white scarf...this outfit took much time and consideration), but shortly after, my nerves eased into serenity, as I realized that Stefan's mother is just as wonderful as he is. She bought us a layer cake (lagkage, I think), and made coffee. As we sat around the table, we realized something - she spoke as much English as I do Danish. The language barrier was slightly difficult, and I'm sure, at times, frustrating for Stefan to have to translate, but it was fun. It definitely allowed me to use my Danish a lot more, even though I was really scared to do it. I started out self conscious, but I realized that Alice (his mother) didn't care how poorly my accent was coming across - she cared that I was trying.
She's so friendly, and I know that if we spoke the same language, we'd get along really well. Luckily, we can use it as kind of a bonding tool and a learning tool at the same time - while I attempt to teach her some English, she can attempt to teach me some more Danish.
Stefan's sister Nanna is also really cool - and her husband Andreas. Their apartment is totally Danish - soooo stylish. I can only pray that my future home will look just an eighth as cool as theirs does - topped with some baby pictures (pop-art style), amazing furniture, and modern kitchen appliances, I'm totally jealous. Nanna is, of course, yet another beautiful Dane - how can I even be surprised? And Andreas and Nanna's baby, Sylvester, is absolutely adorable. He's a very happy baby, and he even held my finger for a little while! I adore him...actually, all of them already. When I left, Alice gave me a big hug and held my hand for a bit before I left - making me feel all of the sudden right at home. They've also invited Stefan and I out to the zoo next Friday, so that should be fun. I'm already comfortable with them, despite this cross-cultural barrier.
They actually seem to be really used to this foreigner thing - Stefan's other sister, Bitten, married a German man, and Andreas's brother married an American girl. It gives me the slightest bit of hope that Alice didn't speak a word of German before she met Bitten's husband - and now she's doing much better. Hopefully her English and my Danish will be quick to improve.
Finally (til sidst), here's a picture of Stefan and I, for those of you who have yet to see my handsome boyfriend (who has been helping me with my Danish studying all night). It's not the best picture in the world, but rarely are we photogenic at the same time, so it'll have to do until you can all meet him in person!
But it's almost 1, and I have to be somewhat well rested for that Danish test tomorrow - and to take some photojournalism shots! Luckily H.C. Andersen class is canceled, so I have a little bit more time to try to make Anders (photojournalism professor) happy - which is apparently very difficult to do. I'll be very unhappy if the class I took for FUN turns out to be the hardest - ridiculous.
But also, because I need to sleep now, remind me to tell you about my amazing luck and skipping classes in the next entry!
(:
Lots of love! Farvel for nu!
We were up fairly early, and after enjoying a leisurely breakfast, Tali and I headed out via bike to Copenhagen - it's a really flat ride, so fairly easy. The weather was lovely when we started out but after around 30 minutes, the wind started to go against us, and was determined to slow us down. Biking in the city is somewhat frightening for me, as I've never really been much of a cyclist...okay, I've NEVER been a cyclist. The hustle and bustle of the busy city makes it difficult to navigate - around cars, other cyclists, and people wandering around. We ended up at the statue around noon, and hung out there for a little while. We managed to get there before a big group of tourists, so we were able to take some pictures of the famous mermaid.
Afterwards (bagefter - I'm studying Danish right now for my exam tomorrow), we went to grab something warm, because the sun had hidden itself (and has yet to reappear), and we had started to freeze. After a hot chocolate (varm chokolade), we went shopping for a little while, but ended up so tired, that we headed home - on the train.
Lene and Lars came home and we had dinner together, something that I don't do that often anymore because I'm usually with Stefan around that time. Tonight Lene made this amazing dinner - mashed potatoes (something-kartofler), rice (ris), and then this gravy-ish soup with peas, carrots (gulerødder), beef (kalvekød), hot dogs (hot dogs), meatballs (frikadeller), as well as a few other vegetables. Definitely satisfying after such a long day.
Ah, but yesterday. Yesterday was a lot of fun - meeting the family was great, but definitely nerve-wracking at first. I was petrified as we walked in the door (me wearing my purple cords, black and white converse, and a black short-sleeve v-neck teeshirt with the white scarf...this outfit took much time and consideration), but shortly after, my nerves eased into serenity, as I realized that Stefan's mother is just as wonderful as he is. She bought us a layer cake (lagkage, I think), and made coffee. As we sat around the table, we realized something - she spoke as much English as I do Danish. The language barrier was slightly difficult, and I'm sure, at times, frustrating for Stefan to have to translate, but it was fun. It definitely allowed me to use my Danish a lot more, even though I was really scared to do it. I started out self conscious, but I realized that Alice (his mother) didn't care how poorly my accent was coming across - she cared that I was trying.
She's so friendly, and I know that if we spoke the same language, we'd get along really well. Luckily, we can use it as kind of a bonding tool and a learning tool at the same time - while I attempt to teach her some English, she can attempt to teach me some more Danish.
Stefan's sister Nanna is also really cool - and her husband Andreas. Their apartment is totally Danish - soooo stylish. I can only pray that my future home will look just an eighth as cool as theirs does - topped with some baby pictures (pop-art style), amazing furniture, and modern kitchen appliances, I'm totally jealous. Nanna is, of course, yet another beautiful Dane - how can I even be surprised? And Andreas and Nanna's baby, Sylvester, is absolutely adorable. He's a very happy baby, and he even held my finger for a little while! I adore him...actually, all of them already. When I left, Alice gave me a big hug and held my hand for a bit before I left - making me feel all of the sudden right at home. They've also invited Stefan and I out to the zoo next Friday, so that should be fun. I'm already comfortable with them, despite this cross-cultural barrier.
They actually seem to be really used to this foreigner thing - Stefan's other sister, Bitten, married a German man, and Andreas's brother married an American girl. It gives me the slightest bit of hope that Alice didn't speak a word of German before she met Bitten's husband - and now she's doing much better. Hopefully her English and my Danish will be quick to improve.
Finally (til sidst), here's a picture of Stefan and I, for those of you who have yet to see my handsome boyfriend (who has been helping me with my Danish studying all night). It's not the best picture in the world, but rarely are we photogenic at the same time, so it'll have to do until you can all meet him in person!
But it's almost 1, and I have to be somewhat well rested for that Danish test tomorrow - and to take some photojournalism shots! Luckily H.C. Andersen class is canceled, so I have a little bit more time to try to make Anders (photojournalism professor) happy - which is apparently very difficult to do. I'll be very unhappy if the class I took for FUN turns out to be the hardest - ridiculous.
But also, because I need to sleep now, remind me to tell you about my amazing luck and skipping classes in the next entry!
(:
Lots of love! Farvel for nu!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
