Saturday, February 27, 2010
Quick Update
Hey all, just a quick update...sorry I haven't posted this week, but my computer got a virus, unfortunately, so I have not really had much access to a computer lately. I am jetting out to London for my long study tour tomorrow and will be gone until next Friday, so I still won't have access to the internet. I will update about this past week ASAP...you especially need to hear about my visit to Christiania. I would recommend looking it up in the meantime...it's a very interesting place. Anyway, have a good week everyone!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A Walk Around Copenhagen
I realize I haven't put up even a single picture of Copenhagen itself so far, and I think since I've been here over a month it's high time I do. Enjoy!
Christiansborg Slot. You can see on the pillars where it was damaged during one of its three major fires.
Christiansborg Slot. The Queen makes speeches from that balcony.
The Old Stock Market Exchange
The famous spire of the Old Stock Market Exchange. It is three dragons with their tails entined and three crowns on top: one for Denmark, one for Norway, and one for Sweden, formally all part of the Danish Kingdom.
We weren't even sure if we were allowed back here.
The Black Diamond--part of the Royal Library
inside the Royal Library
The Opera House--Copenhageners looooove to hate it
Amalienborg Palace-where the Royal Family lives!
Royal Guard
Danishness outside Sankt Peder's Bageri
MMMMMM...FESTALAVNBOLLER!
Copenhagen Fashion week on Strøget
salesgirls dancing on displays in a store during Copenhagen Fashion week
street performer
LIVE underwear models in the window during Copenhagen Fashion week
Nyhavn
Sankt Peder's Kirke
Sankt Peder's Bageri <3 <3 <3
Christiansborg Slot. You can see on the pillars where it was damaged during one of its three major fires.
Christiansborg Slot. The Queen makes speeches from that balcony.
The Old Stock Market Exchange
The famous spire of the Old Stock Market Exchange. It is three dragons with their tails entined and three crowns on top: one for Denmark, one for Norway, and one for Sweden, formally all part of the Danish Kingdom.
We weren't even sure if we were allowed back here.
The Black Diamond--part of the Royal Library
inside the Royal Library
The Opera House--Copenhageners looooove to hate it
Amalienborg Palace-where the Royal Family lives!
Royal Guard
Danishness outside Sankt Peder's Bageri
MMMMMM...FESTALAVNBOLLER!
Copenhagen Fashion week on Strøget
salesgirls dancing on displays in a store during Copenhagen Fashion week
street performer
LIVE underwear models in the window during Copenhagen Fashion week
Nyhavn
Sankt Peder's Kirke
Sankt Peder's Bageri <3 <3 <3
Friday, February 19, 2010
Cultural Integration
Hello all! I don't have anything terribly exciting to update on since Wednesday, but I figure I should post anyway. Wednesday night I went to Mathias' school play. It was about a hotel called "The Happy Dolphin" where a murder takes place and they struggle with finanical problems; Mathias was a bell boy. Obviously the play was all in Danish, so I only got what my host dad told me about it, but it's ok; I really enjoyed it anyway. Milena and Daniel, Susan's father-in-law, sister and Canadian brother-in-law came, and I really love them. Milena ranted with me about my transportation situation and advised me not to pay the fine, just to keep fighting it until they gave up. Daniel suggested telling them I was American and would sue them, but I laughed that suggestion off.
Even though I couldn't understand a word of what was going on, it was a great opportunity to observe some cultural differences. For one thing, during the internmission, they sold food and drinks like any school in the US might. BUT they also sold BEER! AND, true to Danish tradition, they had candles all over the school. I shouldn't have to tell you all that this is something that would never happen in the US. Fire and beer at a school sanctioned event? No way. I also decided that the Danes have absolutely no reservations about mocking anything and everything that moves. This particular play happened to mock American culture. There was one scene where they made fun of "America's Got Talent" with really terrible and ridiculous talents. They also depicted the FBI/CIA as...well...jerks who just came in and took over the whole situation. Their entrance, strangely, was essentially a mock America's Best Dance Crew, complete with flips, glow glasses, and ghetto swagger.
Thursday I had class and a field study for my cancer class. We went to Rigshopitalet to look at prepared slides of cancerous tissue. I have never been soooo excited to see a microscope in my life, because I actually really miss lab, as excited as I was to have a semester off from it. After looking at slides we went up to the pathology department to see preserved cancerous organs. We had to guess what the diseases were, which was actually very difficult because sometimes it was actually very difficult to decide what organ we were even looking at because of the way they were cut. It was a very interesting field study, and I really enjoyed it. Afterwards I sprinted to DIS through the heavily falling snow and over the dangerously slippery cobblestones because I was late to my Nordic Mythology class representative meeting, but when I got there it was already over! So much for that!
Today I had two classes and afterwards I walked around Strøget looking at the shops and met up with Joey to hang out for an hour or so before she headed off to Amsterdam for the weekend. When I headed home I ran into a transportation nightmare. Something was seriously wrong with the trains, and long story short it took me well over an hour and 40 minutes to get home, which is easily double the time it normally takes. The train was delayed even more when we had to wait for the police to come and escort a drunk person off the train. But I finally made it home safe and sound and now it is time to relax! Godt aften!
Even though I couldn't understand a word of what was going on, it was a great opportunity to observe some cultural differences. For one thing, during the internmission, they sold food and drinks like any school in the US might. BUT they also sold BEER! AND, true to Danish tradition, they had candles all over the school. I shouldn't have to tell you all that this is something that would never happen in the US. Fire and beer at a school sanctioned event? No way. I also decided that the Danes have absolutely no reservations about mocking anything and everything that moves. This particular play happened to mock American culture. There was one scene where they made fun of "America's Got Talent" with really terrible and ridiculous talents. They also depicted the FBI/CIA as...well...jerks who just came in and took over the whole situation. Their entrance, strangely, was essentially a mock America's Best Dance Crew, complete with flips, glow glasses, and ghetto swagger.
Thursday I had class and a field study for my cancer class. We went to Rigshopitalet to look at prepared slides of cancerous tissue. I have never been soooo excited to see a microscope in my life, because I actually really miss lab, as excited as I was to have a semester off from it. After looking at slides we went up to the pathology department to see preserved cancerous organs. We had to guess what the diseases were, which was actually very difficult because sometimes it was actually very difficult to decide what organ we were even looking at because of the way they were cut. It was a very interesting field study, and I really enjoyed it. Afterwards I sprinted to DIS through the heavily falling snow and over the dangerously slippery cobblestones because I was late to my Nordic Mythology class representative meeting, but when I got there it was already over! So much for that!
Today I had two classes and afterwards I walked around Strøget looking at the shops and met up with Joey to hang out for an hour or so before she headed off to Amsterdam for the weekend. When I headed home I ran into a transportation nightmare. Something was seriously wrong with the trains, and long story short it took me well over an hour and 40 minutes to get home, which is easily double the time it normally takes. The train was delayed even more when we had to wait for the police to come and escort a drunk person off the train. But I finally made it home safe and sound and now it is time to relax! Godt aften!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Culture Shock: The Real Deal
Hello all! So I know I just finished posting about my short study tour, but I think it's time to dedicate another post to talking about Danish culture. We have obviously been talking about it a lot in my Danish Language and Culture class and I have had many a discussion with my host family about it.
Danish justice: Denmark has two different kinds of prisons: open and closed prison. Open prison is for people who committ minor crimes, according to my host dad. Essentially, I believe they are allowed to leave (but they don't). They refuse to call where the prisoners sleep "cells"; they are rooms. And they are essentially dorm rooms! They don't have to wear jumpsuits: they wear their own clothes. They have nice TV's in their rooms. I believe the only thing they don't allow is a cell phone. I am a little fuzzy on the closed prison system, other than knowing that they are not allowed to leave. The Danes don't believe in PUNISHMENT for crimes, but instead implement a REEDUCATION system. Basically, I think their punishment is loss of freedom and shame that they have failed the system that has always supported them. The highest sentence you can get in Denmark is 16 years. 16 years! Even for murder! Rape is a very short sentence (1-2 years). I know they kind of get around this for serious crimes by claiming the offenders insane and throwing them in a sanatarium kind of thing. For example, there was a guy who killed four or five police officers in a bank robbery gone bad over 40 years ago, and he will never get out. Yet he is not without benefits. Our Danish teacher said that he has a girlfriend and they had a child together, so he is entitled to vacation here. So for 3 weeks out of the year he goes to a summer home which is guarded by prison guards. Can you BELIEVE that? I think most of the students were infuriated, and asked the teacher if people were angry that they had to pay this kind of money for someone who is not benefiting the system and who has killed, but she said no! People here just believe he is entitled to it as a human being! Other students (well, I should include myself here) were furious at the short imprisonment times. One kid pointed out that if he had a daughter who was raped he would just kill the guy knowing he would only get 16 years in prison, and what the hell? He might even get TV and three weeks vacation every year. Yet somehow the system workds for them. They have a pretty low rate of readmittance among prisoners, and I think the repeats are either part of the Hell's Angels or have immigrated here.
Parenting: Danes fully believe in equality, and that applies to kids too. Parents do NOT baby-talk their kids. I have observed many a parent chatting with their 2 year olds in the exact same manner as they would another adult. They fully negotiate with their children, and their kids don't hide anything from them because of this. My Danish teacher explained that boyfriends/girlfriends might start sleeping over at each other's houses at 16/17. When her son did, they would walk by his room in the morning, and if there was an extra pair of shoes in the morning, they would make an extra breakfast, drive the girl home, etc. What?! She insisted that she was not a cool parent, that that is just the way it is here. We informed her that she would be a VERY cool parent in the US. Also, Danes don't believe in physical punishment. They don't smack their kids or spank them or anything like that. If a parent even takes their arm and shakes it in a public place, someone will say, "Why don't I hold them down so you can beat them with both hands?" in order to embarrass them. And they never tell them to mind their own business! My Danish teacher said that her son once was screaming and crying in a grocery store and the only thing she could do was take him by the foot and drag him along! So strange.
Danish mentality: The Danes are very modest. They never brag or speak of their achievements. A show-off has no place in Danish society. There is a set of rules called something like Jendalan or something like that which basically says "You are nothing, do not think you are better than us, do not think you are smarter than us" etc. which they use whenever someone is being cocky. I have to say, I really believe this is rubbing off on me because even more than before I cannot stand it when people in class make a point of showing just how smart they are. The Danes also seem to think they are better than all other Europeans. They think Swedes are cold and stupid, that people from southern Europe are unpredictable and tempramental (what my host father calls the "Latin mentality"), etc. The Danes basically have a tribe mentality. They stay in small social groups and they don't really believe in branching out beyond that. They also have this concept called "hygge". I can't even begin to describe it because, though they try to translate it to "cozy", there just isn't an English word for it. It is highly individualized, but it usually involves lots of time and candles (I've come to the conclusion that Danes are all pyromaniacs). For me, for example, hygge happens when you are having a nice dinner with your friends and family and you are eating by candlelight and you are laughing and talking and having a great time. But for someone else hygge might be when they are curled up on the couch with a down comforter, reading a book by candlelight (there just always have to be candles everywhere...there are candles at every table of every restaurant in Denmark, no joke). Essentially, I think hygge is everything that you love that makes you happy and comfortable without a whole lot of effort. You can't force hygge...it has to just happen.
A transportation rant: HERE is where I hate Denmark a little bit. At least for today. Last night I spent the night at Joey's house because my host family was busy and I needed to eat somewhere else for dinner. Joey's parents said it was fine for me to come over, but by the time I finished dinner I was exhausted and didn't want to make the journey home (well over an hour door to door), so I just stayed the night. So, Denmark is divided into zones. I have certain zones on my transportation pass, and two of those zones I have to travel through to get to Joey's house are not on it. No big deal. I had this thing called a klip card which you punch in the train station and gives you 2 zones of traveling. So it was really bent up and wouldn't work so I went up to the office and changed it in a for a new one. Still didn't work, even when Danes tried it for me. But I figured if they asked I could just show it to them and explain the situation and ask them to validate it on the train or just take the pass. Now, I wasn't super concerned, because I believe out of the nearly 5 weeks I have been here I might have been checked four times total. And I ride the train at least twice a day almost every day. HOWEVER, they checked this morning. The woman coming around was not sympathetic. Not even a little. I told her she could take my klip card, which would actually benefit the state because I only needed one clip and there were three left on that card, meaning I would have paid for four zones and not actually used it. She didn't care at all, and she wrote me up. Guess how much that fine is? 750 KRONER!!! That's $140 USD!!! I went to DIS and talked to them about it, and they said there was no reason for that kind of behavior and that I may be able to get it dropped if I complain. They said I shouldn't be held responsible if their equipment is not working properly, so I have to go and complain now, but I am so afraid I will have to pay it, because I definitely can't afford to pay that money. DIS said they are normally understanding, but that this woman apparently was having a bad day and was taking it out on me. Of course. That is just my luck. So I will have to let you know how my fight with Movia/DSB/whatever it is goes.
Anyway, I am totally exhausted and think I am going to take a nap. Godt aften!
Danish justice: Denmark has two different kinds of prisons: open and closed prison. Open prison is for people who committ minor crimes, according to my host dad. Essentially, I believe they are allowed to leave (but they don't). They refuse to call where the prisoners sleep "cells"; they are rooms. And they are essentially dorm rooms! They don't have to wear jumpsuits: they wear their own clothes. They have nice TV's in their rooms. I believe the only thing they don't allow is a cell phone. I am a little fuzzy on the closed prison system, other than knowing that they are not allowed to leave. The Danes don't believe in PUNISHMENT for crimes, but instead implement a REEDUCATION system. Basically, I think their punishment is loss of freedom and shame that they have failed the system that has always supported them. The highest sentence you can get in Denmark is 16 years. 16 years! Even for murder! Rape is a very short sentence (1-2 years). I know they kind of get around this for serious crimes by claiming the offenders insane and throwing them in a sanatarium kind of thing. For example, there was a guy who killed four or five police officers in a bank robbery gone bad over 40 years ago, and he will never get out. Yet he is not without benefits. Our Danish teacher said that he has a girlfriend and they had a child together, so he is entitled to vacation here. So for 3 weeks out of the year he goes to a summer home which is guarded by prison guards. Can you BELIEVE that? I think most of the students were infuriated, and asked the teacher if people were angry that they had to pay this kind of money for someone who is not benefiting the system and who has killed, but she said no! People here just believe he is entitled to it as a human being! Other students (well, I should include myself here) were furious at the short imprisonment times. One kid pointed out that if he had a daughter who was raped he would just kill the guy knowing he would only get 16 years in prison, and what the hell? He might even get TV and three weeks vacation every year. Yet somehow the system workds for them. They have a pretty low rate of readmittance among prisoners, and I think the repeats are either part of the Hell's Angels or have immigrated here.
Parenting: Danes fully believe in equality, and that applies to kids too. Parents do NOT baby-talk their kids. I have observed many a parent chatting with their 2 year olds in the exact same manner as they would another adult. They fully negotiate with their children, and their kids don't hide anything from them because of this. My Danish teacher explained that boyfriends/girlfriends might start sleeping over at each other's houses at 16/17. When her son did, they would walk by his room in the morning, and if there was an extra pair of shoes in the morning, they would make an extra breakfast, drive the girl home, etc. What?! She insisted that she was not a cool parent, that that is just the way it is here. We informed her that she would be a VERY cool parent in the US. Also, Danes don't believe in physical punishment. They don't smack their kids or spank them or anything like that. If a parent even takes their arm and shakes it in a public place, someone will say, "Why don't I hold them down so you can beat them with both hands?" in order to embarrass them. And they never tell them to mind their own business! My Danish teacher said that her son once was screaming and crying in a grocery store and the only thing she could do was take him by the foot and drag him along! So strange.
Danish mentality: The Danes are very modest. They never brag or speak of their achievements. A show-off has no place in Danish society. There is a set of rules called something like Jendalan or something like that which basically says "You are nothing, do not think you are better than us, do not think you are smarter than us" etc. which they use whenever someone is being cocky. I have to say, I really believe this is rubbing off on me because even more than before I cannot stand it when people in class make a point of showing just how smart they are. The Danes also seem to think they are better than all other Europeans. They think Swedes are cold and stupid, that people from southern Europe are unpredictable and tempramental (what my host father calls the "Latin mentality"), etc. The Danes basically have a tribe mentality. They stay in small social groups and they don't really believe in branching out beyond that. They also have this concept called "hygge". I can't even begin to describe it because, though they try to translate it to "cozy", there just isn't an English word for it. It is highly individualized, but it usually involves lots of time and candles (I've come to the conclusion that Danes are all pyromaniacs). For me, for example, hygge happens when you are having a nice dinner with your friends and family and you are eating by candlelight and you are laughing and talking and having a great time. But for someone else hygge might be when they are curled up on the couch with a down comforter, reading a book by candlelight (there just always have to be candles everywhere...there are candles at every table of every restaurant in Denmark, no joke). Essentially, I think hygge is everything that you love that makes you happy and comfortable without a whole lot of effort. You can't force hygge...it has to just happen.
A transportation rant: HERE is where I hate Denmark a little bit. At least for today. Last night I spent the night at Joey's house because my host family was busy and I needed to eat somewhere else for dinner. Joey's parents said it was fine for me to come over, but by the time I finished dinner I was exhausted and didn't want to make the journey home (well over an hour door to door), so I just stayed the night. So, Denmark is divided into zones. I have certain zones on my transportation pass, and two of those zones I have to travel through to get to Joey's house are not on it. No big deal. I had this thing called a klip card which you punch in the train station and gives you 2 zones of traveling. So it was really bent up and wouldn't work so I went up to the office and changed it in a for a new one. Still didn't work, even when Danes tried it for me. But I figured if they asked I could just show it to them and explain the situation and ask them to validate it on the train or just take the pass. Now, I wasn't super concerned, because I believe out of the nearly 5 weeks I have been here I might have been checked four times total. And I ride the train at least twice a day almost every day. HOWEVER, they checked this morning. The woman coming around was not sympathetic. Not even a little. I told her she could take my klip card, which would actually benefit the state because I only needed one clip and there were three left on that card, meaning I would have paid for four zones and not actually used it. She didn't care at all, and she wrote me up. Guess how much that fine is? 750 KRONER!!! That's $140 USD!!! I went to DIS and talked to them about it, and they said there was no reason for that kind of behavior and that I may be able to get it dropped if I complain. They said I shouldn't be held responsible if their equipment is not working properly, so I have to go and complain now, but I am so afraid I will have to pay it, because I definitely can't afford to pay that money. DIS said they are normally understanding, but that this woman apparently was having a bad day and was taking it out on me. Of course. That is just my luck. So I will have to let you know how my fight with Movia/DSB/whatever it is goes.
Anyway, I am totally exhausted and think I am going to take a nap. Godt aften!
"This is Hitler...do you know him?"
Short Study Tour: Day 3
Hej to all my faithful followers! Sorry I have not posted in such a long time, but it seems that every time I actually have free time I am either using it to explore or I am really exhausted, so this post is kinda late, but better late than never.
So on the morning of our third day of the study tour we discovered that our hostel was actually the headquarters of the German occupation in Denmark during WWII. The lodge was actually THE headquarters and right across from it still stands a bunker, which we completely missed when we arrived since it was dark. So the first thing we did was get a tour of the bunker, which housed a museum of the Danish resistance (however weak it was) and German occupation. This cute old Danish man gave us the tour and seemed to think we didn't know anything about WWII. At one point he showed us a picture of Hitler and asked if we "knew him". I know none of us are history majors or anything, but if we didn't know who Hitler was, I think we would have serious issues.
the bunker
After we were done at the bunker we packed it up and started our long journey back to Copenhagen. Thankfully DIS is really smart about traveling and they broke up the trip with a stop to Koldinghus, which was a castle in Kolding used when the kings of Denmark (especially Christian the Fourth, who it seems built practically everything nice in Denmark) visited the parts of Germany that they USED TO own, known as the dutchies. The castle was burnt down accidently when some Spaniards that were helping Denmark in some war (which I don't remember the details of) built up the fire too much and it got out of control. It has since been restored, and it was nice to stop and see it. We also had the opportunity to see some of the town as well.
Koldinghus
Kolding from the top of the tower
Koldinghus from the courtyard
After exploring the castle a little bit, we ventured out into the town, but not for long. It was so cold that our group all sought refuge in a Fotex (its like pharmacy, clothing, food, bakery all rolled into one) to keep warm for the remaining half hour.
I forget the exact year this was built, but it was sometime in the 1500's.
Tinkerbell...in Danish?
After our adventures in Kolding we went to this place for lunch. Here's something you need to know about DIS if you are considering going abroad. A) You will have a lot of really cool study tours and field trips which will bring you to places you would never get to go on your own. Amazing opportunities there. And B) DIS feeds you VERY well. Take a look:
the food
the restaurant
This dish is called "shooting star" in Danish and is a very traditional Danish open faced sandwich. This was our lunch, and I was so full and content afterwards. I am thoroughly impressed with the way that DIS takes care of its students. You get the perfect mix of academics and cultural visits on these study tours, and you are even fed well and put up in really nice hostels. I would not hestitate to recommend DIS to anyone!
Anyway, enough with the shameless plugs. After our delicious meal, we hit the road and drove straight on to Copenhagen. We watched Good Will Hunting on the ride back, so it actually went by really quickly. PLUS our great study tour leaders, Jackie and Staci, bought us flødeboller in Koldinghus to eat on the way back, which are those marshmellow filled things I told you about during the first week. They are so delicious, but I heard that they explode if you try to fly with them, so I am not so sure I will be able to bring any back, unfortunately. :(
So that was the end of our short study tour! We are going on our long study tour to London in a week and a half, and I am so excited!
Hej hej!
Hej to all my faithful followers! Sorry I have not posted in such a long time, but it seems that every time I actually have free time I am either using it to explore or I am really exhausted, so this post is kinda late, but better late than never.
So on the morning of our third day of the study tour we discovered that our hostel was actually the headquarters of the German occupation in Denmark during WWII. The lodge was actually THE headquarters and right across from it still stands a bunker, which we completely missed when we arrived since it was dark. So the first thing we did was get a tour of the bunker, which housed a museum of the Danish resistance (however weak it was) and German occupation. This cute old Danish man gave us the tour and seemed to think we didn't know anything about WWII. At one point he showed us a picture of Hitler and asked if we "knew him". I know none of us are history majors or anything, but if we didn't know who Hitler was, I think we would have serious issues.
the bunker
After we were done at the bunker we packed it up and started our long journey back to Copenhagen. Thankfully DIS is really smart about traveling and they broke up the trip with a stop to Koldinghus, which was a castle in Kolding used when the kings of Denmark (especially Christian the Fourth, who it seems built practically everything nice in Denmark) visited the parts of Germany that they USED TO own, known as the dutchies. The castle was burnt down accidently when some Spaniards that were helping Denmark in some war (which I don't remember the details of) built up the fire too much and it got out of control. It has since been restored, and it was nice to stop and see it. We also had the opportunity to see some of the town as well.
Koldinghus
Kolding from the top of the tower
Koldinghus from the courtyard
After exploring the castle a little bit, we ventured out into the town, but not for long. It was so cold that our group all sought refuge in a Fotex (its like pharmacy, clothing, food, bakery all rolled into one) to keep warm for the remaining half hour.
I forget the exact year this was built, but it was sometime in the 1500's.
Tinkerbell...in Danish?
After our adventures in Kolding we went to this place for lunch. Here's something you need to know about DIS if you are considering going abroad. A) You will have a lot of really cool study tours and field trips which will bring you to places you would never get to go on your own. Amazing opportunities there. And B) DIS feeds you VERY well. Take a look:
the food
the restaurant
This dish is called "shooting star" in Danish and is a very traditional Danish open faced sandwich. This was our lunch, and I was so full and content afterwards. I am thoroughly impressed with the way that DIS takes care of its students. You get the perfect mix of academics and cultural visits on these study tours, and you are even fed well and put up in really nice hostels. I would not hestitate to recommend DIS to anyone!
Anyway, enough with the shameless plugs. After our delicious meal, we hit the road and drove straight on to Copenhagen. We watched Good Will Hunting on the ride back, so it actually went by really quickly. PLUS our great study tour leaders, Jackie and Staci, bought us flødeboller in Koldinghus to eat on the way back, which are those marshmellow filled things I told you about during the first week. They are so delicious, but I heard that they explode if you try to fly with them, so I am not so sure I will be able to bring any back, unfortunately. :(
So that was the end of our short study tour! We are going on our long study tour to London in a week and a half, and I am so excited!
Hej hej!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Short Tour: Day Two
On the second day of our study tour we woke up at 7:00 am (yuck) and had breakfast at our hostel. It was pretty much the standard European breakfast: break with jam/cheese/butter and yogurt, and I had an epiphany: I REALLY miss American breakfasts. All I want are some eggs and pancakes! BUT that is really the only thing that I am sick of so far, which is good. Right after breakfast we packed up the van and headed to Aarhus. They put on a movie, but I just slept through it, so I don't even remember which one it was. Right when we got to Aarhus we had a lecture about the patenting procedure for biotech products as well as how biotech companies are funded from start-up at Østjydsk Innovation. Afterwards we ate lunch and headed to ARoS, the modern art museum, which was pretty cool.
ARoS
The most famous exhibit is this giant, lifelike sculpture of a little boy, aptly named "Boy".
"Boy"--from this angle, he kinda looks creepily angry...
...But from this angle he has a kind of Mona Lisa smile!
According to our tour guide, groups of students try to spit on "Boy"s back by leaning over the balconies above him, which is bad for the materials because of the "enz...enzy..." And here her English failed. I think most of our program was a little lost because we didn't quite understand all the "moods" and such each piece was supposed to enduce, but this was probably our most exciting moment of the tour. We all happily and enthusiastically shouted the word "enzyme" for her, and I think she was a little taken aback by our excitement, but then, we are science majors...who really understands us anyway?
Aarhus from inside ARoS
The very famous clock tower of the town hall of Aarhus
After the tour, we were able to wander around the museum, and there was a pretty good mix of the completely absurd and normal paintings and such.
Giant ball...thing.
While we were walking around I had a little panic attack because I thought I had lost my phone, I left the rest of the group to find it. Luckily it was in my coat pocket in my locker, but I decided to wander the city and check out this area where I saw a bunch of old buildings. I was pretty impressed that I found it without any problems. It turns out it was some sort of open air museum...kind of like the Strawberry Banke of Denmark (if any of your New Hampshirites know what I'm talking about). It took a little while to find the entrance, and I wasn't totally sure I was supposed to be there because there was construction going on at one end, but no one said anything, so I just wandered around and took pictures. It was soooo gorgeous, and I wish it was summer so I could have gone into the buildings, but for now I am content just to have seen it.
Windmill!
I have a LOT more pictures of this place (I'm pretty sure I took pictures of every building or street), but I won't put them all up here. You get the gist, and you probably don't all share my obsession with half-timber houses and super old buildings. So after my adventure at this open air museum, I headed back up to the town hall to meet my group to go out for coffee at a cafe. Right near the meeting place was this statue of a sow and her piglets. Now, to the out-of-towner, this might be confusing; but Denmark's biggest export are probably pigs. There are actually 5 times more pigs than people here, and I believe most of those farms are on Jutland (where Aarhus is...aka mainland Denmark). Now, I know the Danes love ham and pork and bacon, but I'm pretty sure this statue captures the essence of why Copenhageners call those from Jutland and Aarhus in particular stupid; while I'm sure the Copenhageners enjoy en ost og skinke sandwich (cheese and ham sandwich) just as much as the next Dane, they don't have statues of pigs. I have yet to run this by my Danish teacher, but I remain convinced that I have found the essence of the long-running Aarhus-Copenhagen "you're stupid" "no, you're stupid" rivalry.
Our whole program went to this cafe called "Ziggy". I got a hot chocolate...and here you find another difference between the US and Denmark. When you get your hot drinks, they are at drinking temp, so if you wait any longer, they will be cold enough to be a little unpleasant to drink. I can't decide whether I like this or not, because I like being able to drink it right away, but sometimes I also like to get it just to warm my hands up for a while, THEN drink it later to warm up my insides.
Some buildings in Aarhus across the canal from the cafe
After the cafe, we headed back to meet the van, which took us to our hostel in Skanerborg. And OH. MY. GOD. This place was BEAUTIFUL. This is somewhere I would go for a vacation. We stayed in these GREAT cabins which smelled like they are pretty new. They had a full kitchen, with stove and fridge and all. It reminded me so much of summer camp.
Our cabin!
The lodge/reception area
The lake
The inside of our cabin
Kitchen area
We even had a couch!
AND a porch...too bad it was winter and we couldn't use it.
My bed in the loft <3
We had dinner at the hostel...good ol' American burgers. Afterwards we had a short-lived bonfire where we made s'mores with a Danish twist. I got a splinter in my tongue from the toasting stick, then I called it quits. Our whole program decided the best thing to do in the middle of the woods was to start a dance party. It was pretty great, even if the other program was judging us a little. Bottom line was we had more fun.
So I still have one more day to talk about, but I will do that some other day. Hej hej!
ARoS
The most famous exhibit is this giant, lifelike sculpture of a little boy, aptly named "Boy".
"Boy"--from this angle, he kinda looks creepily angry...
...But from this angle he has a kind of Mona Lisa smile!
According to our tour guide, groups of students try to spit on "Boy"s back by leaning over the balconies above him, which is bad for the materials because of the "enz...enzy..." And here her English failed. I think most of our program was a little lost because we didn't quite understand all the "moods" and such each piece was supposed to enduce, but this was probably our most exciting moment of the tour. We all happily and enthusiastically shouted the word "enzyme" for her, and I think she was a little taken aback by our excitement, but then, we are science majors...who really understands us anyway?
Aarhus from inside ARoS
The very famous clock tower of the town hall of Aarhus
After the tour, we were able to wander around the museum, and there was a pretty good mix of the completely absurd and normal paintings and such.
Giant ball...thing.
While we were walking around I had a little panic attack because I thought I had lost my phone, I left the rest of the group to find it. Luckily it was in my coat pocket in my locker, but I decided to wander the city and check out this area where I saw a bunch of old buildings. I was pretty impressed that I found it without any problems. It turns out it was some sort of open air museum...kind of like the Strawberry Banke of Denmark (if any of your New Hampshirites know what I'm talking about). It took a little while to find the entrance, and I wasn't totally sure I was supposed to be there because there was construction going on at one end, but no one said anything, so I just wandered around and took pictures. It was soooo gorgeous, and I wish it was summer so I could have gone into the buildings, but for now I am content just to have seen it.
Windmill!
I have a LOT more pictures of this place (I'm pretty sure I took pictures of every building or street), but I won't put them all up here. You get the gist, and you probably don't all share my obsession with half-timber houses and super old buildings. So after my adventure at this open air museum, I headed back up to the town hall to meet my group to go out for coffee at a cafe. Right near the meeting place was this statue of a sow and her piglets. Now, to the out-of-towner, this might be confusing; but Denmark's biggest export are probably pigs. There are actually 5 times more pigs than people here, and I believe most of those farms are on Jutland (where Aarhus is...aka mainland Denmark). Now, I know the Danes love ham and pork and bacon, but I'm pretty sure this statue captures the essence of why Copenhageners call those from Jutland and Aarhus in particular stupid; while I'm sure the Copenhageners enjoy en ost og skinke sandwich (cheese and ham sandwich) just as much as the next Dane, they don't have statues of pigs. I have yet to run this by my Danish teacher, but I remain convinced that I have found the essence of the long-running Aarhus-Copenhagen "you're stupid" "no, you're stupid" rivalry.
Our whole program went to this cafe called "Ziggy". I got a hot chocolate...and here you find another difference between the US and Denmark. When you get your hot drinks, they are at drinking temp, so if you wait any longer, they will be cold enough to be a little unpleasant to drink. I can't decide whether I like this or not, because I like being able to drink it right away, but sometimes I also like to get it just to warm my hands up for a while, THEN drink it later to warm up my insides.
Some buildings in Aarhus across the canal from the cafe
After the cafe, we headed back to meet the van, which took us to our hostel in Skanerborg. And OH. MY. GOD. This place was BEAUTIFUL. This is somewhere I would go for a vacation. We stayed in these GREAT cabins which smelled like they are pretty new. They had a full kitchen, with stove and fridge and all. It reminded me so much of summer camp.
Our cabin!
The lodge/reception area
The lake
The inside of our cabin
Kitchen area
We even had a couch!
AND a porch...too bad it was winter and we couldn't use it.
My bed in the loft <3
We had dinner at the hostel...good ol' American burgers. Afterwards we had a short-lived bonfire where we made s'mores with a Danish twist. I got a splinter in my tongue from the toasting stick, then I called it quits. Our whole program decided the best thing to do in the middle of the woods was to start a dance party. It was pretty great, even if the other program was judging us a little. Bottom line was we had more fun.
So I still have one more day to talk about, but I will do that some other day. Hej hej!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)