Sailboats by the Harbor

Thursday and Friday were busy days for me. Thursday marked the official start of my fall semester, and I had four classes on that day. Lucky for me, my classes are all in the same courtyard, so I didn't have the opportunity to get lost.

It was a long day. I was in class from 10 in the morning till 6 at night. All my courses seem like they are going to be interesting. They will be taught in a similar way to many of political science and economic courses are at home (complete a reading assignment at

home and discuss it in class). The professors are informal here; they asked us to call them by their first names. Many are not solely professors, but work primarily in their field of study. My EU professor is full time faculty member at DIS and has taught for a number of years at different institutions in the past. He also was a member of the Danish parliament, so he does have a good deal of first hand knowledge in that area.

My favorite class thus far is Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism. The professor seems like he will have an unique take on the subject, and it will be a very discussion driven class. In the class there is probably an equal ratio of females to males, but the professor said that in the past the males tended to speak a great deal more than the females. The guy sitting next to me, who I met at the airport, told me that I shouldn't be afraid to speak up if I had something to say. I assured him that wouldn't be a problem. (See, people do think I'm quiet upon first meeting me! I'm sure later on he will regret encouraging me.)

On Friday night, last night, DIS organized a canal ride around the Har

bor of Copenhagen. There were clouds off in the distant, but they held off so we had good weather. The tour guide was very informative and today when I was walking around I was surprised at how much I remembered.

After the tour, I went with a couple of girls living in my kollegium to the DIS social event at a club. It was very different not to have to worry about showing an ID to get in. The event was fun, and afterwards we went to a cafe.

I had a great day today. The weather is a bit cooler, which I prefer, yet still partly sunny. I took the metro into the city and sat downtown at the Royal Opera house. I sat reading a good book and people watching down by the water. For all those who don't know, I love sailboats. Although been on one, I think I would enjoy it. Sailboats make me so happy, and because today there is a slight wind, there were many sailboats out on the water today!

After that I walked around for a bit, bought bread, a a bowl and a binder. I'm going to hang out in the kollegium tonight and rest up for what is sure to be a busy week.

Scavenger Hunt

Our activity today was a scavenger hunt around the city. We had six stops, and starting at 9:30 we were to trek around the entire city finding different guides. It was a bit like the Amazing Race, but it's a good thing that we were not on the show because we certainly would not have won.

My group had five people, and, surprisingly, I wasn't the last to arrive to the starting location. The first stop on the tour was the Parliament building. After receiving a brief history of the place we took a ride on the boat to our next location. We continued at a slow pace, and by 12:15, fifteen minutes after the stop time we only made it to 4 of the 6 locations. We had, however, made it to all the distance ones. The highlights for me was seeing the Royal Theatre and Opera house, as well as the Royal Palace. It's very different being in a country that has a monarchy. Denmark's royal family has been ruling for over a thousand years, and is the longest running succession in the world.

Today was a perfect day to walk around the city. The weather has been unusually sunny and warm, and we are being lulled into a false sense of serenity. I am expecting to wake up one morning to complete darkness and freezing temperatures. But please don't think I'm complaining. I would be thrilled if it stayed this way all year, but realistically...

Right now I am doing a massive amount of reading for my classes tomorrow, first day. I should stop prolonging the inevitable and get back to work.

(Gail- the food is alright so far. I have been cooking the basics, and I did find a great gelato stand that's in between my metro stop and the school)

Round Trip Metro

Today I was a little less overwhelmed. My major accomplishment today was successfully navigating my way to through the metro to downtown Copenhagen. While I traveled with a group some of the time, I actually knew the name of the stop in the square, it's Nørreport Station. (Below is a picture of my metro stop)

While I may will be able to get to school and back, saying the names of the places I

travel to is much more difficult. Today we had our second crash course in Danish speaking and culture. It seems as if I have a type of short-term memory loss that is specific to languages. My pronunciation of everything I learned yesterday was, to put it lightly, lacking. But the Danish language is quite interesting. For example there is no way to say "excuse me" in Danish. If you are in a Danes way they will push you aside. According to ou

r Danish instructor, this is because Danes do not see the need to apologize if they have not yet done som

ething to wrong. If they do push you, they will only apologize if they cause you extreme bodily harm. The word for I am sorry is "Undskld", just in case you are ever in Denmark and happen to push someone into traffic or give someone a bloody nose.

In another session today we learned about Danish customs. A DIS staffer who is from Denmark explained to us that there

is no such thing as political correctness in Denmark. He said that they customarily make fun of minorities and get great joy in mocking religious groups. He said that for

Danes this is not a type of exclusion, rather it is a sign that they groups are well

integrated/included in Danish society. He said Danes find genocide 'funny', which us students found appalling, despite he explanation t

hat I still don't fully understand. It was helpful to know that Danes don't engage in small talk. They either have a conversation or they don't. When you say hi to a dane (hej--but it sounds like hi) they would be throughly confused if you didn't stay in talk. They are also blunt.

These facts were extremely useful to learn, especially live on a hall with 20 danish and international students. I no longer feel offend when I am routinely bumped into on the street--in their defense I'm sure I am completely blocking everything. When I was cooking dinner, a Dane came into the kitchen, completely silent with no greeting. I said hello and engage in 15 minute conversation about schooling and traveling. It's good to know that the Danes I'm living with do want to have a conversation, but will not be the first one to start the ball rolling.

My other big news for the day is that during the hour

between class and the immersion fair I won

dered around the city. Within twenty minutes I found a large square surrounded by shops. You see I have a gift, a sixth sense if you will, that I am able to find a place to shop everywhere I go. This plaza that I found was beautiful, and completely full of stores I know, love, and need to stay away from. It was akin to the shopping by the Spanish Steps in Ro

me, apparently further down there were more designers. I went in to sever

al, and (shocker) did not buy a single thing.

I also went to the immersion fair hosted by my school and signed up to learn more information about volunteering in Danish school, helping prepare Thanksgiving dinner for a group of Copenhagen citizens, and a cooking class.

Below are a couple of picture of my room and of the view from my room. I need to get going because I am being attacked by a giant moth, oy.

Crash course in Danish language and life

Traveling to Denmark went smoothly, minus a minor hiccup at the Portland Airport. You see, on the ticket information it never specifically said that international travelers are allowed to check two bags, in addition to a carry-on. I assumed it was the same, and well you know what they say happens when you assume... you make a spectacle out of yourself in the airport. So I found out this convenient fact after my suitcase weighed in at 83 pounds, 33 pounds over the weight limit. In order to avoid a massive fee, my father went scrambling to the nearest store to buy another suitcase. He arrived back in time, problem solved, and I was on my way.

I traveled from Portland, to Chicago, to Stockholm, to Copenhagen. No major delays and my luggage arrived here in tact, which is a miracle in an of itself. I managed to get some sleep on the planes, but I was still completely wiped when I arrived in Denmark. The mandetory orientaiton session prevented me from crashing right off the bat. After getting keys, metro money, 2/3rd of my food stipend and a million other forms I was allowed to go to my dorm. I don't think I've ever slept so well. (Pictures of my room to come!)

This morning we had opening ceremonies for DIS (Danish Insitute for Study Abroad, my program) at the Black Diamond, The Royal Danish Library. It is a stunning building. ( See photo below from Wikipedia)

Next I recieved my course books, and if weight is any indicutation of future knowledge, it looks like I will be learning a ton this semester. There are 10 heavy books for my 5 classes. That may not seem like a lot, but those books are thick and my arms are not.

This afternoon I had a three hour crash course in Danish. It is not easy. The language neither looks how it sounds, or sounds what it looks like. We did basic questions and greeting, then went to the grocery store. After class, on the way back to the metro, I tried my hand at grocery shopping. This time, however, I had no teacher and was carrying my books.

It is important to note that Danish grocery stores are not like American grocery stores. According to one Dane, Denmark has the worst food in Europe. Having been warned, I was bracing myself for the worst. It is not as bad as I thought, but it's not ideal. The vegetables and fruit are lacking quality and quantity. You can tell they are genetically engineered, which is odd for a country who prides itself on being 'green'. There was no butcher at either the stores I visited. With that being said, grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do so I had fun roaming around the store picking up the essentials. Milk is more expensive than alcohol and juice. Yogurt was my favorite buy, it comes in milk cartons. I picked up only one American vice, heinz ketchup. If I didn't find it I would have begged my sister to send it over to me.

After spending over 300 krones, $60 dollars of my stipend, I had three heavy bags and was a bit lost. I was able to find the metro station, and two nice vendors walked me over the right entrance with proper directions. I think they helped me because I looked like I was going to topple over or cry or both. On the way home I met a Scottish girl living in my kollegium and successfully found my way back to my room

Well it is almost nine here and I have to get going. I'm outside and it's getting dark. Good Night.

Landing

Good Afternoon,

I arrived in Denmark around 3 hours ago. I have arrived in Denmark safe, sound, and completely exhausted. I will update you all (because there are sooo many reading this) once I get a proper night of sleep.

-Lauren

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” - Charles Dudley Warner

I would like to start out by stating that I tend to tell long, rambling, stories of mundane daily occurrences, which only I find amusing. While I will try to censor out monotonous details, I make no guarantees.

I intend to use this blog to document my study abroad experience for the 2009-2010 academic year. I have chosen to spend my entire junior year abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. As a double major, this experience will allow me to complete the majority of my political science degree focusing on international relations. Beyond the high quality of the program in Denmark, I chose this country because it offers a unique culture. Danes are said to be among the happiest people in the world, yet pay extremely high taxes (70%). Also the city of Copenhagen is rich in culture, commonly referred to as the "Paris of the North," and over 800 years old. Finally, my advisor told me that studying abroad "makes you a better person." That alone is quite an incentive to make the journey.

In less than a day I will head to the airport to begin the fall semester of my year abroad. I feel fortunate that I am to study abroad and am very grateful to my parents for allowing me to go. Although my mother is worrying herself half to death, the anxiety hasn't hit me yet. Give it a few hours, a few hundred miles, and I'm sure it will kick in.

For the past week I have been packing for the trip. After several rounds of errands, and an exhausting packing session with a patient friend, I have managed to pack one suitcase and a carry-on. By no stretch of the imagination would I be categorized as a 'light packer'. I hoard, shop, and layer. Thus packing for the cool,damp climate of Denmark, and three seasons of clothes was interesting. Now it is quite possible that I will not be able to lift the suitcase but everything is there.

I have already been emailed reading assignments by three of my five professors. My summer is officially over, and my year abroad is beginning.

Godnat! (Good night)