Dog Show, HC Andersen, and Bartending

I'm incredibly far behind on my updates, so I'll put up some of the random things I've done recently and not-so recently.

-Short study tour to Odense: a few weeks ago, I went on my ECH (European Culture & History) Program tour to Funen and Jutland. Odense is the 3rd largest city in Denmark and is completely obsessed with HC Andersen, the children's writer. I had a great time meeting kids from my program, scoping out Odense, and singing karaoke on a pub crawl that I ended up on with the international students from the university in Odense. A definite highlight of that trip was also our visit to a folkhojskole, a cross between summer camp and school, but without grades. People from all over the world and Denmark go there for a semester or summer and the whole purpose is to learn for the sake of learning. The specific folkhojskole we went to was focused on the arts, like graphic design, acting, singing, etc.

-Odense Dog Show: Allan and Ida were in Odense the same time I was, so I bailed from my trip on the last day and went to the dog show there with them. If you have ever seen the movie "Best in Show", picture that but in Danish. I've never seen so many different kinds of bows for dogs in my life. I guess Baxter should watch out for me when I come home...

-Studenterhuset: My friend from UNC (Arnab) and I decided to become student volunteer bartenders at the local hangout known as the "Student House". I've worked there 3 times already, two of which were the late shift from 11 until 3am. I try to work International Night, which is rough because it's on Wednesdays, but I've met so many different people this way. I also worked an afternoon shift which I've found is a great way to improve my Danish speaking skills. Though we don't get paid for working, it's still worth it through all the different cultures I've come in contact with, the chill people I've met, and oh yeah, the free beer tickets aren't a bad addition either. My foosball skills are also steadily improving. :)

-Fjording: Though Jaegerspris is a small town, there are soooo many trails to explore. A friend came over yesterday and we walked forever around the peninsula and ended up literally on the water in another part of the bay. We also randomly found some DanishAllan told me we hardly scratched the surface of the forests surrounding where I live, so I guess I better keep my energy high to be able to bike all around the trails like he suggested.

-Jaegerspris Konditori: Best. Bakery. Ever.

-Nyhavn: The weather is warming up, so today I enjoyed being outdoors in Nyhavn with a friend after class. Nyhavn is the classic picture of Copenhagen, with the colorful buildings lined by sailboats along the canal. We sipped our hot chocolates, wrapped up in the complimentary cafe blankets, and felt so happy that Spring is on its way!

A Quick Read

I've accumulated some photos so far, but since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll put them up with a quick caption below and we can all pretend that I wrote a lengthy post. Here they are!

Roskilde Domkirke (Cathedral): Roskilde is a town about a 1/2 hour drive from my town, at the bottom of Roskilde fjord. After dropping Susanne off at the train station there, Allan was nice enough to show me around the area. Many monarchs are buried here, including about a bagillion Fredericks and Christians, and one Margrete. We also walked around the outskirts of the Viking Museum, but I definitely have to go back to see the actual museum.

Rådhus: This is the Town Hall of Copenhagen during an especially crazy time. The Danish Men's Handball team won gold during the Euro 2008 tournament a few weeks ago, so the thousands of people in the square during this picture (including me!) were there to welcome them back to the city. Fireworks, Danish flags, and the scent of Carlsberg greeted the champions...however, I can't forget to give props to the women's team as well, as this is only the first time the men have won "guld" and the women have been a powerhouse for years.

Awesome Sign: Found this on a bike route...this just cracks me up. It's like the Danish version of being a "baller", except that "mosevej" means something along the lines of "mossy way". 'Baller' translation yet to come...

Frederiksborg Slot (Castle): Located in Hillerød, the castle was build by Christian IV in the early 1600s. Most of it burned down during the 1800s, but was rebuilt and decorated with artifacts from other castles. There is also a beautiful church on the inside and baroque gardens on the outside (see below pictures!) This picture of the castle though does not do it justice as to how big and gorgeous it is.




All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not a castle grounds keeper.





Sunsets: This past weekend I went to Malmö and Lund, Sweden. The towns were both nice, but I especially enjoyed Lund because of its university and old-time feel. I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life en route during the train ride, and these pictures can only give you the slightest impression of how vivid and brilliant it was in person.

Finding the Fjords

I finally figured out why DIS put me so far away from my classes. In my original letter to the housing coordinator, I told them that I loved the outdoors, hiking, nature, etc. Wednesdays are reserved for field study trips, and I didn't have any to go to this week. So I took this free time as an opportunity to explore my home town of Jaegerspris instead of the city. I told Allan that I wanted to explore, so he got a map for me and created a 10 km scenic bike route around town.


After biking for only just a few minutes, I came upon Jaegerspris Castle, which was lived in by Frederick the 7th. FYI: All Danish kings are named either Christian or Frederick, so that makes things easier when remember monuments...all I have to get straight now is where they fell in line. The castle grounds were filled with hiking and biking trails, and the hardest part of biking there was definitely the huge cobblestone driveway I had to go through. Vast countryside surrounds the west of the castle, and as I biked towards a hill with a tomb or monument of some sort, I felt a brisk, salty breeze and realized I was getting closer to the fjord that I was looking for.

More bike paths led me directly to the fjord, but definitely not a sandy beach of any sort. The bike path continued through summer cottage neighborhoods and roads, and then eventually cut through the countryside alongside horse stables, extremely old homes, and modern windmills. I finally reached the Jaegerspris windmill (old-style; pic is from a few days before the bike ride) and headed back. Though soaking wet (as it started to rain in the middle of my trip), I felt lucky that I have the chance to get in the outdoors and away from the city, as this is definitely an off-the-beaten-path town that few students would venture to see.

Wasn't really expecting that....

When I came to Denmark, I of course was expecting to speak Danish and English, most of which I've been doing. Last night though I ended up speaking four different languages with all different people. Let me explain...

DIS (the study program I'm on) paid for our small groups (about 15 of us) to go out to a cafe for dinner and have our "hygge" dinner. Hygge is supposed to be a comfortable, friendly setting that we've been hearing so much about. I was speaking English with the other DIS kids, who are mostly American, but also consist of students from China and Russia. One of the Chinese students was in my group and was super cute and friendly, so I was speaking Chinese with her a bit. She couldn't believe an American had tried to learn her language! When the waitress came, I ordered my meal in Danish, probably making a funny face as I said it (at least that's what my host sister Ida says when I try to speak Danish). Later that night, I went to a bar downtown that student volunteers work at. As we approached the bar to get a drink, our bartender immediately started speaking to us in English. We were thrown aback a bit and asked, "Do we really look that American?" He laughed and said no, he actually didn't know Danish since he was from Mexico on exchange at KU (Københavns Universitet). So then I started speaking with him in Spanish.

To sum everything up, it was definitely a night filled with lots of languages that I wasn't expecting to use here! I guess it goes to show that wherever you go, there will always be some degree of diversity...you just have to find it.

Hej from Jægerspris!

Hello everyone! I'm alive and made it to Copenhagen via Chicago and Stockholm, sans my luggage. I've gone through orientation and will be starting classes tomorrow. However, I received my luggage yesterday after a few days...good thing they tell you to pack extra in your carry ons!

Anyways, I moved into with my host family and they are incredibly kind and sweet. Suzanne and Allan are my parents, and Ida (14) is my sister. Their home is cute and cozy, and I feel like this was definitely the best option for me in order to really get a taste of the Danish culture...literally, I can't really cook for myself so they cook for me. I've tried some Danish dishes like frikkadeller (a type of meatball), leverpostej (liver pate), and of course, "the" danish.

I'm loving Copenhagen, and the first full day we were here was actually sunny...a good sign in my mind. The city is filled with history along its winding roads, and I marvel at all the women who can walk along the streets in their high heels. The public transportation system is very clean and super easy to use. It definitely is a large part of my time here, as my commute to class is over an hour and I use all three modes to get there (bus, train, metro). That really is the biggest drawback, but I think the family stay benefits outweighs the transportation time.

We've gone around the city a bit, but I know I still have lots to see and am excited to try everything out. The past few days we've had our survival Danish language course, and as hard as it is, I'm looking forward to the real Danish class I'll be in. I've already used some Danish so far on the streets, etc.

I've got lots more to tell, but too much to tell here! For now, hej hej! (bye!)

Pre-Denmark Departure

I heard from my host family for the first time two days ago and feel lucky to say that I am so excited and relieved. Putting yourself in a new country for 5 months is not the easiest thing to do, and going into a stranger's home for that time period makes it even more nerve wracking. However, the e-mail laid all my fears to rest as my new family seems ready and willing to accept me into their home. My host mom, Susanne, sent me the nicest e-mail, complete with descriptions of all 5 family members and a few pictures. Her and my host dad Allan live with their daughter Ida (14) and Felix, a Kooikerhondje puppy (aka adorable). Susanne has two older children as well, Mikkel (22) and Camilla (25). Their family picture could probably not be any more perfect, and I have a feeling that I definitely made the right choice in choosing to live with a host family.