There are so, so, so many things I absolutely adore about Copenhagen, Denmark, and Europe - so many that it'll take quite some time to write them all out. Conversely, there are times when I fall into a homesick funk, and I miss all the things in the States that I've taken for granted.
Denmark: I love the train. The trains here are so "hyggeligt", a word in Danish that means "cozy". It's their word - they use it for everything. Once you get to Denmark, it's one of the first things the Danes will teach you. It's true though, Denmark is a wonderfully cozy place. Anyway, the trains. It's not like any place in the States - you get on, and on occasion, they'll check to see if you're carrying your train pass. There are no obnoxious swipe things, no stupid things to walk through, just...a train station. The first month I was here, I only got checked twice. I like that they trust people here - Americans seem to have difficulty doing that.
In yet another perspective, the trains and busses are wonderful because they'll help prevent much of the drinking and driving that we get in the states. I guess that's more of what it's like in the big cities like New York and Boston, but not what I'm used to in Grand Isle, South Burlington, and Canton.
Really though, after a long day (or night, even) it's a relief to see the A-train (Reading "Hundige" - our direction home...the other direction reads "Farum") pull into Nørreport station. It's an even bigger relief to see the velvety, bright blue seats inside the train, many of which I've taken a quick cat-nap in on the 17-minute ride back to my station, Friheden, and my town, Hvidovre.
By the way, all of the things I've written in Danish - none of them sound remotely close to how they're spelled. I still (apparently) can't pronounce my train station, or even my town.
America: I really miss driving. I miss the little Honda Civic that I've gotten so attached to. I'm not sure I'll even remember how to drive when I come home - not that I was ever that wonderful of a driver anyway (Not a word from ANY of you who have driven with me). Though I really love wandering the city, sometimes public transportation isn't what I'm in the mood for.
Denmark: They're really wonderful about recycling, energy-saving, and water use here. It's really amazing to see how little electricy (or whatever) they use. I'm not always used to it, though...for example: In Tali and my family, they always unplug any appliance they're not using. Basically, they treat everything like a toaster. The only thing that I'm allowed to keep constantly plugged in in my room is my clock. The switches must always be off if there's nothing plugged into them, because that'll also save money for the electricity bill. It's still a difficult concept for me, and sometimes I forget to unplug everything. Anyway, it's cool.
America: It's cool until I want to take a really long, hot, wonderful shower. At home, Lene and Lars take showers that last literally 3 - 5 minutes - but they have short hair! Trust me, it's really hard for someone with hair down to her waist to take a 3 - 5 minute shower. The hot water only lasts for about 7 minutes, and then it turns to very, VERY lukewarm (at best) water. I finish showering as quickly as possible, but when I'm done, I come out shivering in my (more or less) heatless room.
And it's not like they're freezing me - I have a space heater, but honestly, I feel guilty using it. I know how much electricy they use, so I'd rather not run up their bill. I don't know. Basically the first thing I do when I come home to the states is jump into my big, huge bathtub shower and stay there for at like 30 minutes. Which, right now, sounds like the longest shower in the world.
Something else I miss dreadfully is a dryer. Our host family has one, but I've yet to use it. Actually, I think I've only done laundry (in their really small washer) three times in the last month (and a week or so), because I never want to use their water. I'm being slightly ridiculous, I know, because they're being paid to compensate for the extra stuff that we add up to in their bills, but still. I don't know. I don't want to seem wasteful. I think it's really cool that they air-dry their clothes, but when you live in a basement in the cold, sometimes it takes up to three days to dry. I also miss the fabric softener. Like, SO much. My clothes are always completely stiff when I take them off the line.
Needless to say, the second thing that I'm going to do when I come back to the states is do a load of laundry, and dry my clothes in the dryer. Please, I beg of you, take advantage of the fabric softener back home.
Denmark: I love wandering around in the city, it's absolutely wonderful. Yesterday I walked around for two hours (and ended up quite a ways away from Copenhagen), losing myself in the European scenery. It's never dull - gorgeous churches, there are statues everywhere (Blink!), gardens that, even in the winter, are lovely to look at and wander through, little fruit and flower stands scattered everywhere throughout the city - everything. I find myself wanting to wander for hours at a time, because I really never get bored.
America: I really miss Church Street and St. Lawrence campus. Both. Very much. I miss the people watching on church street, I miss the familiarity at St. Lawrence. In both Vermont and Canton, I miss that people are willing to smile at you - here, they don't seem to appreciate eye contact very much. In the States, I smile at everyone and anyone (well, mood depending), but here, people look down or fly by you on bicycles, practically running you over. Again, having been from a tiny town my entire life, I guess it's just something I'm not totally used to. Maybe it's the same in the big cities at home.
Denmark: The Danes that I've met here are wonderful. My host parents are wonderful people (despite the lack of electricity they use), and I love spending time with them and getting to know them better. I love the nights when Lars and I will sit down with a guitar and sing and play for hours on end, and I love learning all new things about Denmark with Lene.
I guess the only other Dane (aside from my professors) I've spent a lot of time with is Stefan. He's absolutely amazing. He's shown me this entirely different perspective on Danish culture, a much younger one. I love seeing everything with him in Copenhagen and learning so much from him. He's a wonderful boyfriend and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
America: You...all of you. I miss you all so much, too much. In a way it's really difficult for me to be here in Denmark and not share the entire experience with you. I miss talking to you and being with you and seeing you - just everything.
Jeg glaeder mig til at se jer igen! Jeg elsker dig. (:
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We miss you too. But think you're having such a great opportunity - eventually it will warm up so you don't freeze in your room.
ReplyDeleteA bit of trivia - I don't remember how to spell it anymore, but in Norwegian - I love you is
(sounds like yay elska day)! That's about the only Norwegian I remember