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!
3.27.2009
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!
3.03.2009
Danishes and Danish...?
Today's already been a great day, even though it's only 12:51.
It started off with an 8:30 class in Photojournalism, which usually is miserable, but our professor wasn't there today. Instead, we had danishes, coffee, and watched Flags of our Fathers. It was a good way to start off the day.
Since Tali had a class canceled next, I had promised her I would go with her to her photojournalism subject - a man who works renting bikes to people, and all the profits go to African Bicycle Ambulances. He ended up fitting me for a bike and told me to go for a ride to see how I liked it. Tali and I ended up taking a loop around a small part of the city, and it was wonderful. I'm now the proud renter of a little red bike, and am very happy about it. After we left (and she had gotten some good shots for class....note: I have yet to take any more pictures...), we took a little spin around a small park and enjoyed the lovely weather today. Having a bike makes me feel even more immersed in the culture - maybe I'm on my way to becoming Danish!
In about an hour, I'm going to meet Stefan at his Kollegium, and we're going over to his sister's place in Copenhagen so I can meet his mother, sister, sister's boyfriend, and her baby, Sylvestser. Nerve wracking - meeting parents and families is fun for me, but I've never tried it cross-culturally, or with a language barrier!
Ahhh.
Anyway, tomorrow Tali and I have plans to explore Denmark by bike - she's going to show me how to ride to Copenhagen, and then from there we're going to venture out to see the Little Mermaid statue...very exciting! Hopefully this gorgeous sunny weather will last!
It started off with an 8:30 class in Photojournalism, which usually is miserable, but our professor wasn't there today. Instead, we had danishes, coffee, and watched Flags of our Fathers. It was a good way to start off the day.
Since Tali had a class canceled next, I had promised her I would go with her to her photojournalism subject - a man who works renting bikes to people, and all the profits go to African Bicycle Ambulances. He ended up fitting me for a bike and told me to go for a ride to see how I liked it. Tali and I ended up taking a loop around a small part of the city, and it was wonderful. I'm now the proud renter of a little red bike, and am very happy about it. After we left (and she had gotten some good shots for class....note: I have yet to take any more pictures...), we took a little spin around a small park and enjoyed the lovely weather today. Having a bike makes me feel even more immersed in the culture - maybe I'm on my way to becoming Danish!
In about an hour, I'm going to meet Stefan at his Kollegium, and we're going over to his sister's place in Copenhagen so I can meet his mother, sister, sister's boyfriend, and her baby, Sylvestser. Nerve wracking - meeting parents and families is fun for me, but I've never tried it cross-culturally, or with a language barrier!
Ahhh.
Anyway, tomorrow Tali and I have plans to explore Denmark by bike - she's going to show me how to ride to Copenhagen, and then from there we're going to venture out to see the Little Mermaid statue...very exciting! Hopefully this gorgeous sunny weather will last!
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