Six days of sunshine

Denmark, from what I've gathered, has quite a reputation for less-than-desirable weather.  Before coming to study here, many people warned me about the "freezing cold temperatures" and the cloak of darkness that falls on the country in the winter months.  Since I consider myself in part a New Englander, this clearly didn't discourage me from coming here; however, since I've arrived, its basically been jeans and scarf weather (which I have no complaints about, you know how I love my scarves) and it has misted/drizzled at least once a day.

...except this whole entire week.

I am in the best mood ever because the weather has legitimately been PERFECT.  Every morning I have woken up to perfect blue sky contrasting with the bright yellow house outside my window, and every day I have walked to class without even just a light jacket.  If my computer wasn't near death, I would be sitting outside right now.  So so so perfect.

Tuesday Amy and I decided to go browsing through some local thrift shops in lieu of doing homework because it was so nice out.  Although we didn't find any nice clothing, we decided to stop in the supermarket on the way home.  Again, this blog always seems to involve food.  We made the spontaneous decision to make eggplant parm for dinner, so we gathered some supplies and went back to my apartment and got to work.  Considering I had never done it before, it was kind of a shot in the dark, but it turned out WAY better than expected.  (And I still have leftovers.. which equals delicious dinners for the next few nights, yay!)

Mom, you should be so proud...

Yesterday morning my Danish class had a field study in Nørrebro at Assistens Cemetery where some of the most famous Danes are buried.  It's also started to serve as a park too, and lots of people walk or ride their bikes through.  We started off the morning with a picnic breakfast under the trees (ps: there were chocolate croissants, I was in heaven.. no pun intended) and then walked around the cemetery to visit Niels Bohr, Ben Webster, Hans Christian Andersen, and the singer of "Calabria 2007."  Back out on the main street, we walked past the site of the former youth house in Nørrebro, which has now been demolished.  Long story short, it caused quite a bit of controversy a few years ago- and by that, I mean the worst riots in recent Copenhagen history.  Now there is a huge mural there done by the same artist that designed Obama's campaign posters.

Totally legitimizes the quote on the bottom of my blog.

H.C. Andersen- "Life is the most wonderful fairytale!"

At the former youth house

After my field study, Amy and I stopped by the brand new indoor market right by Norreport station and I grabbed some fancy Kenyan coffee.  Then I went to meet Sarah at the square right by DIS to embark on our nice-weather-adventure!  Sarah hadn't been to The Little Mermaid yet, so we took the water taxi down to see her.  Although still anti-climactic, the second time was much better because it wasn't rainy and cold, AND I still got to witness some poor person wringing out their socks after falling into the water.

We took a walk back toward Nyhavn looking for a cafe to grab a snack.  Instead, we found the ice cream place that my visiting family recommended.  Definitely hit the spot, and it was just what we needed.  To continue in the spirit of "treating ourselves" we also stopped for a slice of pizza on the way back.  Such a great day, and it felt so nice to soak up the sun while we still can.

Continuing our adventure, Sarah and I went straight to the Royal Library, aka the Black Diamond, after class and spent the morning studying there.  By the way, the Black Diamond is supposedly the #1 place to flirt in Copenhagen.  Fortunately, today I was able to take a break from my sweet-talking smooth moves (HA, joke) and study for my Danish quiz tomorrow.  We got seats right by the window and had an amazing view of the harbor.  As we sat their pretending to be studious Danish university students, all of a sudden we heard bells and chimes that seemed to come out of no where and that went on for a good five minutes.  We were quite confused, especially because no one else seemed to think it was strange.

(Creepily pulled out my camera to get a recording of it... I tried to be stealth, which it why you get a great view of my laptop case, and also a pretty decent view outside the library!)

When I was there, I thought back to days (and many long nights) spent studying in the science center at Stonehill.  The Atrium was my favorite study place, and on sunny days there was an amazing view across the perfectly groomed green lawns at the front of campus.  Although the Black Diamond doesn't come with the advantage of Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, the view was more than sufficient.  :)  Also, sitting in the window, it was cool watching the canal tours go by, knowing that they were talking about the building and the students that study there.  It was so cool to actually be one of those students.

My view while studying :)

Ah, study abroad life...  I don't hate it.  :)  :)

While everyone else was at Oktoberfest..

Happy Monday!  Hanging out in “The Living Room” between classes with an iced latte, updating the blog after finishing my essay that's due tomorrow, and looking forward to cooking class tonight makes for a perfect afternoon.

Although I didn’t do any major traveling this weekend, I kept busy nonetheless. 

Saturday I went to see my visiting family at Dyrehaven, which is basically this huge park with a ton of deer that roam free, will run right across the paths, and seem to have almost no fear of people.  We were going at an interesting time- mating season, which was cool because the males had crazy full sets of antlers (which you never see on the deer around Pennsylvania) but also a little unnerving, as we were told the males would be more possessive over their females and more likely to attack.  Almost as soon as we got there, we saw a huge group right at the edge of the forest.  

Check out the antlers!

As we continued walking through the park, we casually stumbled upon a small castle used by the king as a place to rest back in the day when he would come to the park to go hunting.  The front of the castle offered a picturesque view of wide open green fields surrounded by the forest, and the back provided a perfect view of the sea.  Lucky king.  We stopped for a little bit to rest, enjoy the view, and play on some fallen logs..

Visiting "sister"  :)

The sea; no big deal

The whole family; minus Julia

After the castle, we continued our walk through the park and passed by the oldest amusement park in Denmark, and perhaps even the world.  Unfortunately it was closed for the season (which really disappointed my visiting sister who had been looking forward to "candyfloss," aka cotton candy) but we were still able to walk through.  It looked like it would have been so much fun had it been open, but when we were there it kind of felt like a scene from a movie of an abandoned ghost town- very strange!  

We continued walking (if you haven't gathered, we walked A LOT- we calculated after dinner and we walked close to 7 miles!) and we stopped at the restaurant where our visiting parents had their wedding reception to grab a coffee.  It's clearly a super special place to them, and they still go for dinner every year on their anniversary, so I was so grateful that I got to share it with them for the afternoon.  Plus, I think we were all grateful for the chance to sit down after a full day of walking and exploring, and I know my visiting sisters and I definitely enjoyed our "varm kakao" (hot chocolate).  The days I spend with them seriously put me in the best mood ever!

Yesterday was also a busy day- I channeled by inner-blonde-Danish-5 year old kid and went to Legoland!!  I had signed up for the trip through DIS back in the summer because I heard a trip to Legoland is basically a rite of passage for all Danish children, so of course I wanted to experience it too; however, I wasn't sure what to really expect.  As soon as we arrived, I realized that besides parents, we were the only ones over the age of 7.. and that they REALLY weren't kidding about the legos.  There were legos everywhere from the moment we entered the park.  There were a few really cool rides too, but "Mini-world," the area of the park with miniature lego replicas of landmarks from all around the world, stole the show.  

              

1.5 million legos to recreate Mt. Rushmore

My personal favorite: lego-proposal!

As you can tell.. the detail of everything was ridiculous.  We couldn't help but to envy the talent of the little lego architects, and also that their job is to basically play with legos.  We ended the day by visiting the lego shop.  Because I was never into legos as a child, and because I still have no creative skill whatsoever, I didn't plan on buying anything besides a postcard; however, at the last second, I found the perfect Legoland souvenir- lego-Ron Weasley!!  Yes, I spent the equivalent of $7 on a tiny little keychain, but it was so worth it.  Overall, I'd say the day was a major success as it allowed me to live the life of a small Danish child as well as addressing real childhood (and current) love for Harry Potter.

Like I said, a weekend spent right in Denmark kept me incredibly busy, and I'm pretty exhausted.  In the next few days, I'll be resting up because on Sunday I leave for KOSOVO with Justice & Human Rights for our long study tour.  Today in class, we checked the weather and its supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny!!!  Copenhagen has definitely not prepared me for that.....

Cupcakes, coffee, and curry.

As I sat down to write this, I realized that the majority of my most recent entries have involved food- coffee, rødgløde med fløde, and my cooking class.  Well.. this post won't be much different.

Last night, I was working on a group presentation for War Crimes & Human Rights that was due this morning at 8:30.  As my friend Sarah and I slaved away over the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, we promised ourselves that after we finished our presentation, we would reward ourselves with an afternoon of cupcakes and watching "Bridesmaids."  And we did just that.

After class, we set off for Agnes Cupcakes, which is located in this awesome indoor market about a five minute walk from school.  Highly recommended for any visits to Copenhagen!  The cupcakes were BEAUTIFUL, and they had everything from caramel to pistachio to red velvet to sea salt chocolate, even a flavor simply called "kids" which was coated in fun multicolored sprinkles.  There were so many choices that Sarah and I couldn't pick just one.. that was okay though, because if you bought four there was a (small) discount!  That was good enough for us.  I picked a caramel and dark chocolate, and Sarah went with the cheesecake cupcake and a dark chocolate as well.  Afterwards, we went back to my house and watched "Bridesmaids."  Such a relaxing afternoon and such a good reward after our group's hard work!

Yum <3

Continuing with the day's (or rather my entire abroad experience's) theme of food, I went out for coffee with a few of my classmates after our Scandinavian Crime Fiction class with our instructor.  In Denmark the whole system of having student influence in the classroom is really important, so a lot of teachers will elect "class reps" to meet with and kind of be the middleman between teacher/student.  For this class, our instructor really wanted to have the opportunity to meet with all of us at some point, and today was my day!  It's a really cool way to discuss what you like/dislike about what's going on in class, and also a great way to get to know your instructor!  (Plus I got to discuss crime, which I obviously enjoyed.  #criminologymajorproblems)

Annnnd still continuing with the food, almost as soon as I got home from coffee after class, my SRA Anna, housemates Jaime and Carrie, and I set to work cooking a delicious dinner of chicken and vegetables with curry sauce/coconut milk and rice.  No measuring cups were used (in accordance with the Danish way of "cooking by heart") and it turned out AMAZING.  Plus it was so much fun to cook with friends.  :)  After throwing in a few strategically placed candles and gathering around the coffee table in the living room, we had the perfect hyggelit dinner!

 

Anna and Carrie pre-meal, enjoying ginger tea!

Yum.  (And my purple candle.  And the pink dish I bought for it to sit on.  Casually accessorizing the Stonehill purple-hygge.)

Anna and Jaime with our delicious dinner.

Just moments ago, I finished off the night with my second cupcake from this morning.  Heavenly.  Can't say I'm not well fed...  

(Some days, at least.)

Cooking by heart

Tonight I had my first cooking class!!  I've been waiting for this night for many reasons, including but not limited to 1. the fact that I'm getting tired of eating the same thing (either tortellini mixed with some frozen veggies and pesto or brown rice with frozen veggies, maybe an egg thrown in there, and soy sauce.. even though I do love soy sauce) and 2. as soon as I realized DIS offered an optional five part cooking class, I signed up-- I love food, and I've been excited ever since.  The course is five parts, and tonight was vegetarian night.

After a brief tutorial from our instructor, we were set off to our cooking stations, armed with the supplies to make three delicious creations.  Our most important direction, however, was that no measuring cups would be used- we would cook by heart.

First, we worked on our portobello mushrooms filled with chili peppers, garlic, thyme, butter, white wine, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Totally a normal amount of butter..

As the mushrooms did their thing in the oven, we worked on the risotto with squash, zucchini, and eggplant.  During this part we got to use intense words like "reduction."  As the risotto simmered, we explored four different variations on how to cook cauliflower- sautéed in oil and butter, steamed in white wine, pureed after heated in a cream mixture, and blended/mixed with some olive oil and salt and pepper.

Everything only took about 45 minutes total to make.. which was a very good thing, because I was starving and my stomach was growling the entire time.  Our finished products did not disappoint.

The happiest :)

Next week, we tackle chicken!  In the meantime, I cannot wait to put my new culinary skills to work in St. Kannikestraede!  Get excited housemates!  :)

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Ever have those days when life is just an epic struggle?  Not in an incredibly tragic or devastating way, just in an almost humorous series of unfortunate events..

Well, that was my weekend.

1.  It all started Friday after Danish class.  We got out 15 minutes early, which is really unusual, so as a force of habit I walked from the classroom right next door to where my Gang Crime class meets.  I opened the door to find a full class of students, none of whom I recognized, and realized that I walked into a class that was still going on.  I was that awkward kid that opens the door to a full class, turns bright red, and runs out.

The rest of Friday went smoothly- two of my friends from Justice & Human Rights, Sarah and Charlotte, came to Copenhagen for the night, and we went out exploring with Amy and Sarah's friend from the Danish Buddy Network.  On our adventures, we met some students from the Copenhagen Business School who were so much fun, and who had some pretty sweet dance moves.

Friends-on-Friday!  :)

On Saturday, Amy and I had been planning to wander around Copenhagen and see some of the sites that we hadn't gotten to yet.  In preparation for a long day of exploring, I woke up with the intentions of cooking myself a nice big breakfast.  This brings us to snafu number 2...

All I wanted to do was make scrambled eggs and toast, but when I cracked into the first egg, the shell didn't break entirely.  I tried to shimmy it open and into the glass I was using to mix it, and it worked.  Except instead of landing in the glass, this egg literally bounced off the rim of the glass, and I watched in slow motion as it fell and splattered all over the floor.  By the way, egg is nearly impossible to clean up.  As it was, I was already running late, so I had to text Amy saying I had had a minor accident and would be a few minutes late.  Upon hearing the reason for my tardiness, she laughed at me, and I don't blame her.

3.  We decided to take the water taxi (which is really cool, by the way) to see "The Little Mermaid" statue.  "The Little Mermaid" is a Copenhagen must-see... why, I'm not sure.  I'm sure there is some historical significance that I'm missing out on, but overall, the Mermaid was underwhelming (kind of like Plymouth Rock).  While I wouldn't say that the statue alone is worth the trip to go see, especially in chilly rainy weather.. watching other tourists climb out onto the rocks to pose with it and subsequently falling into the water made it worthwhile.  The toasted almonds we bought afterwards were also quite tasty.

After a delicious dinner at RizRaz, the vegetarian buffet right next to my house (recommended by Rick Steves too!!), Amy and I decided to be proactive and continue planning out two week travel break.  And so began three hours of frustration, and unfortunate event #4.  Our trip is starting out in Galway, Ireland.  From there, we planned to fly to London to meet up with our friend Danielle.  We figured this would be easy, considering all other study-abroaders rave about cheap, easy flights courtesy of an airline that shall remain nameless, but who I'm sure will be easily identified by anyone who has experienced it.  Since this particular airline is based out of Dublin, you would think getting from Ireland to the UK would be simple.  Wrong.  After finding a cheap flight, Amy and I were pumped and went to book it; however, due to the fact that "the issue number can only contain digits" (an error message that I STILL don't know how to fix) and the fact that "Rhodes Island" is apparently the name of the lovely state that Amy hails from, we failed.  The only alternative would be to call this airline, who would charge us per-minute to talk to them.  Finally, after three hours, Amy's computer, my credit card and billing address, we had our tickets to London!  We celebrated with some rødgløde med fløde and ice cream.

This morning, we attempted to go to a flea market in Nørrobro that our Danish teacher recommended.  The fact that the flea market was no where to be found was problem #6, but before that came #5- second breakfast blunder of the weekend.  When I went to remove the old filter from the coffee maker, it conveniently decided to rip, spilling coffee grounds everywhere.  Of course I was running late again, so I had to once again apologize to Amy and explain my embarrassing bad luck.  But what's worse is that as I cleaned up the coffee mess, my Cheerios got soggy.  :(

Once I got back from our walk to Nørrobro, I tried to be really Danish and light a few candles all for the sake of hygge.  I ended up burning my thumb- hygge gone bad!  Oh well, after a series of 7 unfortunate (but all in all, not that unfortunate) events, I survived the weekend, still managing to have a lot of fun, make some travel plans, and relax with a cup of tea as all my housemates arrive back home after their weekend travels.

Can't wait to see what Monday morning has in store.....

Falling in love at a coffee shop

As you may or may not know, one of my goals of studying abroad was to become a "regular" at a cafe or coffee shop of my choosing.  I've been in Copenhagen almost a month now (whoa!) and the other day, one of my housemates asked me how I was doing with this endeavor.  Sadly, I had to say that it wasn't going well.  As I adjusted to life in the city, meeting new people, schoolwork, and traveling, I had neglected my goal, and subsequently one of my passions in life- coffee.

Sticker shock played a part it in- coffee is much more expensive here than it is at home.  Back at Dunkin Donuts, a 24oz iced coffee costs me $2.45.  Yes, I do know the exact price, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  Here, a tiny little cup of black coffee averages about 25 kroner.. that's about 5 US dollars.  Eeek.  Iced coffee is out of the question.  Any iced drinks are basically lattes, which I don't like that much in the first place, and which cost about 38 kroner (a little less than $8) for like 12oz..  maybe.  Frustrations.  Also, the fact that my homework routine at Stonehill involved going to the science center, buying coffee, and studying for hours means that I really struggle studying in the same place that I live.  As much as I love my house in Copenhagen.... I desperately needed a different venue to be at all productive.

It's been a process, but part of my adjustment to Copenhagen involved letting go of my propensity to buy mass amounts of coffee.  In the beginning, I thought I would give up purchasing coffee completely (don't misunderstand me though- I never had intentions to give it up completely, my apartment has a coffee maker!!)  This plan was going okay, and probably saving money, for a few weeks, but then I remembered- my goal.  Budgeting out a few extra dollars toward the achievement of my goal seemed to be well worth it.

Since then, I've been on the quest to find the perfect coffee shop.  So far, there have been a few prospects.  First, there was Baresso- basically Copenhagen's equivalent to Starbucks.  Like Starbucks, there is one on almost every corner, and its on the pricier side; however, there are two located within about a 2 minute walk of my house, and the atmosphere is nice.  One is located over a bookstore, and the other has a great view of the Round Tower.  Downside of Baresso- there are no outlets, meaning that any homework I take there requiring the use of my computer is rushed.

Then, there was a cafe down the street from Frue Plads, halfway in between DIS and my apartment.  I was told by Anna that it was a good place to go and study, so I was excited to check it out.  I went to work on a paper for my Scandinavian Detective Novel class on Monday afternoon.  Unfortunately, it was lunchtime, so it was packed.  I waited in line for quite some time because all drinks/meals were ordered at the bar.  Oh well, decent price, and the food looked good too.  After I got my coffee, I went to find a table.  Saw a few outlets, but the only table open didn't have any nearby.  Also, at some tables, studying was prohibited.  Not cool.  Oh well, I sat down and typed away rapidly, talked to some nice Americans who were in Copenhagen for a conference, and then went back home to plug in my computer.  Conclusion- this cafe is much better for socializing than homework.

Still in search of my next prospect, I went to Danish class this morning, and we translated a passage about "The Living Room," a cafe that I actually grabbed coffee at my very first day in Copenhagen but had since forgotten.  Inspired, I decided to go back and check it out.  As I sit here now, in a window seat with outlets galore sipping on a cappuccino that came complete with a heart drawn into the foam, I think I found my winner.  There is plenty of seating, and my favorite part is the cozy leather furniture downstairs!  In case I'm ever hungry, they have a small selection of sandwiches, and, if I'm so inclined, I could even grab a Carlsberg!  It seems to be a place with quite a bit of character- also downstairs, the walls are exposed brick.  I am obsessed with exposed brick walls.  (Also, there is free unlimited WiFi!!)

Although it's different than my familiar Dunkin Donuts medium french vanilla iced coffee with milk, this search for the perfect coffee shop has made me appreciate coffee, because I can't just swipe my Stonehill ID card and have it blindly deducted from my balance.  It takes a bit of budgeting, planning, and thought, but my quest for a coffee shop has not only satisfied my need for good coffee, but it's also given me a place other than my room to do schoolwork (which I'm sure my teachers will appreciate!)

Next step: get them to know my name!

(and a "frequent flyer" discount wouldn't be bad either...)

"Rødgrød med fløde"... what?

Tonight a reached a major milestone in my integration into Danish society- I ate (and even helped make) "rødgrød med fløde."  


Ever since I picked up my very first Scandinavian travel book, I've seen this phrase mentioned.  It especially stuck out because it looks nothing like I've ever seen in English, and because every travel book warns you that no matter how hard an English speaker tries to pronounce it, you'll probably fail.  The books suggest to ask the local Danes for help.


Being very gullible and perhaps feeling a little adventurous, I've made many attempts at pronouncing it.. and I've failed.  Each time.  At least I've provided some entertainment for the Danes I've encountered, who usually burst out laughing (all in good fun, though!)  Seriously though, copy and paste this phrase into Google and get a recording.  Then try to say it.  Good luck.


So anyway, what is this crazy creation, you might ask.  The best translation is "red berry porridge with cream."  Tonight, a few of my housemates and I gathered in the kitchen with Anna to learn how to make it.  Anna's grandmother had made it for her growing up, but even she had never tried it on her own, so it was a learning experience for all of us.  For something that is so impossible to pronounce, it was surprising easy to made.  We just simmered some raspberries on the stove, added sugar, and a thickening agent.  After stirring the mixture for a few minutes (my area of expertise!) we let it sit fit a bit in the fridge to cool.  Then we added some milk and some more sugar, and bam- you've got rødgrød med fløde. 

(Unfortunately my camera died today so I was forced to steal this picture ((thanks Google!!)) but you get the idea.)

Nom nom.

Left my heart in Aarhus..

Hi!  I'm back from spending three lovely days in Western Denmark with my War Crimes & Human Rights class.  DIS has two "study tours" built into the calendar when all 900+ students are sent out into the world with their core course to attend a few academic programs outside of Copenhagen (and also some really fun social activities too!)

My class left early Thursday morning for Aarhus and Ringkøbing.  On the way, we stopped at The Institute for Strategy and Military Operations and had a lecture on Denmark's role in Afghanistan.  From there, we continued on to Aarhus where we got to attend a lecture at the law school at the University of Aarhus.  (By the way, the campus was BEAUTIFUL.  It was so much different than Copenhagen University in that it actually had a quad and gorgeous green grass and a super fun student center.. Made me miss Stonehill a tiny bit!)  The lecture integrated international relations/international law, and half the class was dedicated to a group discussion where we got to mix with students from the university.  It was really cool that we got to actually participate in the class and share our views with other international students.  It did, however, kind of make me realize that I literally know nothing about the world and the events that are happening in other countries.  Politics/current events have never really interested me, but attending this class really made me want to get up to date on what's going on in the world, because there is seriously so much that's always changing.

After the lecture, we had the most delicious dinner with the students from class.  They were all so much fun- some where from Denmark, but we also met people from Germany, Australia, and Italy.  The interesting thing about universities in Denmark is that the ages of the students vary so much.  Some were my age, 20, while others were 26+ and already had Masters degrees in something else.  It's so much different than the US system of graduating high school and going straight on to college.  Talking to international students about the differences is so interesting because they find our system to be pretty weird.  After dinner, a few of us went out with the university students we had made friends with, and they showed us around Aarhus.  Even though it was a Thursday, we found a nice place to sit and hang out, and we actually ended up running into other DIS kids too!  I was really sad we only had one night in the city because it seemed like so much fun, and it's definitely on my list of places to go back to.

The next day, we went to the Headquarters of the Danish Fleet and talked to one of the commanders who deals a lot with piracy off the coast of Somalia.  Definitely a favorite lecture among the class- I found it so interesting, especially because it related a lot more to my specific criminology interests!!  Then we switched gears a little and went to check out ARoS art museum.

Let me just say- normally I really dislike art museums.. and most other museums for that matter, but I absolutely LOVED ARoS.  One of the more famous pieces they have there is a gigantic fiberglass boy, but that paled in comparison to their most recent addition- an exhibit by Olafur Eliasson featuring basically a ton of rainbow themed works.  First, we went into "The Fog Room," which was a room filled with super thick fog and you literally couldn't see more than 3 inches in front of your face.  My friend Sarah and I actually ended up crashing into a wall because it was so dense.  As you walked, the fog changed color, and we went from red to green to blue to purple to yellow- the whole spectrum.  It was the coolest thing ever.

Sarah & me in the fog

We ended by going up to the roof of the museum, where they have what's called "The Rainbow Panorama."  You can walk around a huge circle made out of different colors of class, tinting the entire city of Aarhus in every color of the rainbow.  The idea is that you "become" part of the art (and also got to enjoy the most beautiful view ever!)

Rainbow Panorama

Me, Sarah, and Charlotte; teal version

In short, I'm obsessed with Aarhus and ARoS.  (Here begin a few choice insightful remarks, get ready...
I thought it was so great to get out of Copenhagen, as much as I love it, for a few days.  Now that it's been a few weeks, I've gotten into even more of a routine, and a lot of the things that were so exciting in the beginning were becoming commonplace.  Going to Aarhus was something new, and it had such a different feeling from Copenhagen- still a lot going on, but very "hyggelig."  All the people we met were so much fun, and we got a good taste of the Danish sense of humor.  Other people we met out and about in the city weren't afraid to tease us for 1. being from Copenhagen and 2. being Americans.  In another sense, interacting with the students there gives you a really different outlook on education, and life in general.  It's normal here to take some years off to travel or to just determine what it is that you really want to do.  In the US, that's kind of frowned upon I think, and many people are scared to do it.  In reality, I don't think it's practical in US culture, but it's also kind of a shame.  It makes me wonder what is really so wrong about wanting to go out and have adventures and explore the world...  what makes that experience less admirable than going straight to a job or higher education?  Oh well, enough of the insight.)

Sadly, we soon departed for our next stop- Ringkøbing.  We made a quick stop at a sandcastle festival, then went to our hostel where we went bowling and roasted bread.  Yes, bread.  Not marshmallows.  According to our professor, Danish people DO actually enjoy this activity..  The next day, we went on a walk along to beach to see the remainder of Hitler's Atlantic Wall and even got to crawl into an old bunker.

Sand!

Roasting our bread...

Quite a large, not so cozy concrete bunker..

After the beach, our last stop before heading back to Copenhagen was "The Monkey Trail"- basically a ropes course in the middle of nowhere.  Unfortunately, many of us were not adequately prepared for this activity and ended up zip-lining through the trees in ballet flats, jeans, and a cardigan (oops.)


Overall, Study Tour #1 was a success, and I had so much fun!!  The first week of October my class heads to Kosovo... bring it on!

Red & White

So I just watched Denmark beat Norway in soccer with a sea of Danes dressed in red and white down at The Happy Pig...  coolest/highest energy thing ever :)

The Killer Tour

This weekend was my “adventure trip” to Bornholm, an absolutely adorable little island southeast of Copenhagen.  And what an adventure it was…

On Friday night after a wonderful dinner in Christiania with friends, my roommate Carrie and our housemate Jaime left on an overnight ferry with about 100 other DIS-ers bound for Bornholm.  We arrived at around 6am and from there took a bus to the hostel in Gudjhem.  After breakfast, Carrie and I picked up our bikes and were ready to hit the road with two of our new friends/roommates for the weekend.  We planned out our route, choosing the “Cultural Tour,” which would take us to a Round Church, the biggest waterfall in Denmark, and ruins from the 1200s.  This tour in particular was especially appealing to me because it was the shortest, only 42km total (eek!) 

It started out perfectly normal; however, let me just say that it has been YEARS since I’ve ridden a bike.  As the old adage goes, you never forget how to ride a bike; however, you can easily forget how much WORK it is to ride a bike.  I soon realized that riding a bike clear across an island is one of those things that look easier than it actually is.  On the first hill we hit, I already felt the burn- not to mention that I of course picked the bike with the worlds most uncomfortable bike seat. 

At our first stop, we consulted our map and realized that we were heading south.  The Cultural Tour was supposed to go north.  Oops.  We were then faced with a decision- turn around, or continue on the path labeled the “Killer Tour.”  Since we were already halfway there, we decided to continue on the Killer, which would eventually take us to a beach where the world’s finest sand comes from.  And we’d get to play in the water!

We finally make it to the beach, which was pretty cool!  The sand really was so soft and felt so good on our tired feet from biking.  Down at the beach, we grabbed some lunch (most importantly ice cream!!!) and got back on our bikes to head home.

OUCH.  I was already ridiculously sore.  I had contemplated just catching a bus from the beach back to the hostel, but for the sake of my dignity, I decided to suck it up and gear up for another 30+ km.  I was assured that the way back was even shorter than the way to get there.

Wrong.

We got hopelessly lost.

As I sat on my bike peddling away in vain, quite a few thoughts went through my head:

1.     With every bump, the seat gets more and more uncomfortable.

2.     My legs are sore.

3.     We’re lost.

4.     We’re lost, and I’ve stopped sweating and am dehydrated and have no water.

5.     I want to slash my tire and have the courtesy shuttle from the hostel come save me.

6.     I wish I had caught a bus.

7.     Gudhjem is perpetually 12km away, no matter how far we peddle.

8.     I hate everything.

9.     I want to drive into oncoming traffic.

10. This is pretty, I wish I was in a car.

11. I’m going to die out here.

Among other things.

Fortunately, we found other lost souls, and after backtracking and getting directions from a farmer, we found our way back.  Back at the hostel, we commiserated with others who had been lost and were equally as delirious from exhaustion/dehydration.

On the bright side, the shower I took that night felt amazing, dinner was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, and after delirious conversations with my roommates, I passed out cold at 9pm.

Day 2, I elected to explore the island sans bike (just the thought of sitting down anywhere was painful) so I took the bus to the ruins with Matt, while Carrie and Mike were brave and took their bikes.  The trip was totally worth the few extra kroner- the ruins were awesome and it was such a beautiful day!  Literally perfect weather.  Once we got back to town, we got some ice cream, chocolate, and hung out until dinnertime.  Then it was back to Copenhagen!  (By the way, we took the coolest ferry ever.)

So, as I said, the trip was quite an adventure.  Although I learned that I won’t be completing the Tour d’France anytime soon, I still can’t believe I biked over 65km!!  Despite the pain, dehydration, and crankiness, it’s something I’m really proud to say that I accomplished, and something that surprised my parents after the Bar Harbor Bike Incident of ’99…  Yes, getting out of bed afterward (not to mention sitting down.. anywhere) was quite a challenge, but it was worth it.  Even though we all got back from that bike ride wanting to curl up and cry, by the end of the night we were hanging out, laughing, talking, and having a great time together.  In fact, those in the group who didn’t get lost were even jealous of the bond all of us lost-souls had with each other afterward! 

Here's a little snapshot of beautiful Bornholm  :)

...and I would find the cat.

Double rainbow all the way across the sky!

Happy no-class Wednesday!  Although I had the day off, I got quite the workout climbing more stairs than I can count.  First, Amy and I started the day with a nice climb to the top of the Round Tower.  It was just as enjoyable as the first time, and this time I didn't have to take awkward solo tourist pictures!

  Then, a few of my roommates and I went over to Church of Our Saviour.

See the staircase around the tower?  Yup, climbed that!  It was a pretty steep climb to the top even while we were still inside, but we persevered and made it to the first balcony... then just kept going!  The view was amazing, and as long as I didn't think about what I was actually doing, I made it without any panic attacks.  After the day of the real life Stairmaster, I celebrated the exercise by picking up a popsicle on the way home.

Anyway, I've been here for nine days now and finally feel like I'm settling in.  I'm getting into a routine, found a travel coffee mug, and FINALLY got a computer charger (even though my credit card is still dysfunctional.)  Feeling so unsettled and unprepared had been pretty frustrating, and it was at its worst last Thursday.  Fortunately, that very night things turned around, and I was the happiest girl in the world.

After a whole Thursday of frustration, I met with my "visiting mom" from the Visiting Family program.  Basically it gives you the opportunity to get to know a Danish family without living with a host family 24/7.  One of my housemates, Julia, and I went and met our "mom" for the first time and grabbed coffee down at the harbor.  It was so relaxing, and after a bad day it put me in such a good mood.  Not only did we discover that we all have a lot in common, but Theresa was so welcoming and genuinely wanted to make sure Julia and I were settling into life in Denmark.  It was great to know that we now have someone to look out for us and who will be able to help us out if we need anything.

This past Sunday, Julia and I went and had dinner with the family.  Theresa and Christopher have two daughters who are 10 and 14, and I was so excited to meet them.  After taking the train for the first time by ourselves (and getting mildly confused) we got to their house in the afternoon.  We were treated to absolutely delicious food, most of which was authentically Danish, had tea, and then took a walk around the town.  We got to see where the girls go to school and even passed through an open sheep pasture where you could literally walk in and pet the sheep.  It was the coolest thing ever!  While we were on our walk, there was a short rain shower which, as the title of this post alludes to, resulted in the most perfect rainbow I have ever seen!  It was even a DOUBLE RAINBOW!  All the way across the sky!  (Check this out if you don't get my reference... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI )

We then went home and a traditional Danish dinner and had great discussions about American versus Danish culture by candlelight- very hyggelit!  The whole time I was sitting there, I couldn't stop smiling.  I'm so glad I have this opportunity to get to know the family.  The girls are also the cutest.  All day they were trying to teach us Danish words while also working on their English.  After dinner we talked about music and watched Youtube videos.  By the way Peer Mentors-- I showed them the Move Ya Body dance.. I think they found it mildly amusing.  So you're all basically celebs in Denmark now!  

When I thought about studying abroad, I never really considered the possibility of interacting with a family, I just envisioned living in the city center and fending for myself.  This way, I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds.  Just from the few times we've gotten together, I can tell that they will have such a huge impact on my experience abroad, and I can't wait!!  I was so touched by how eager they were to get to know us and to assure us that if we ever needed anything, we could just give them a call, and having a touch of family life will be so comforting.  Sitting with them around the table, we were talking about how family life plays such a huge role in Danish life, and if given the choice between a higher salary or 5 weeks extra vacation time, most Danes would chose more vacation and thus more time to spend with their family.  This aspect of culture is something that I really want to remember and to carry with me.  It makes me remember to slow down, to take in the city and every experience I have here, and treasure the simple moments I have with everyone in my life.  As much as I might miss everyone from home, I'm so incredibly lucky that I have an amazing family to look out for me.

:)

This weekend coming up, my roommate Carrie and I are going on a biking trip to Bornholm with DIS.  I've been excited about this trip for weeks, so hopefully I'll have lots of outdoor adventures to write about soon!