Although my first day in Copenhagen seems like ages ago, I also feel like my time here is flying by….and the real excitement of traveling hasn’t even begun. I have decided to keep a blog so that when this is all over, I can look back and remember everything that I have done, and also so that anyone who is interested in what I am doing can stay easily updated.
Day 1 – Arrival
Because of the time difference, I arrived at 7:30 AM (which was 1:30 AM on my body) on Sunday August 22nd. I was taken by bus to Hoffmans Minde Kollegium, which is kind of like apartments for people who are still in school. About 100 people live there, and 26 of them are students from my program. I unpacked my belongings in my very “minimal” room, which I share with my roommate Sarina, whom I met soon after. We each have a desk, a bed, 4 shelves, and a “closet”, which is made of fabric and is on wheels! The two of us also share a bathroom and kitchen. Sarina goes to NYU and is from NJ as well, but her father is Danish so she has a lot of family nearby. After we both got settled, we were told to meet downstairs for dinner, to get a basic overview of how to get to classes, and a tour of our Kollegium. Sarina and I then went for a walk around the main street of the neighborhood and went to bed early in an attempt to get on schedule.Day 2 – Opening Ceremony
In the morning, we went grocery shopping for our kitchen and I was completely overwhelmed. It took me about 5 minutes just to figure out which package was chicken! All of the Danes speak English, so they are very helpful, but I had already asked so many questions that I thought it would be best to figure it out on my own. I found it interesting that they do not provide paper/plastic bags for groceries (Denmark is a very environmentally conscious country) so we brought our own bags to carry our food in for the walk back.
In the morning, we went grocery shopping for our kitchen and I was completely overwhelmed. It took me about 5 minutes just to figure out which package was chicken! All of the Danes speak English, so they are very helpful, but I had already asked so many questions that I thought it would be best to figure it out on my own. I found it interesting that they do not provide paper/plastic bags for groceries (Denmark is a very environmentally conscious country) so we brought our own bags to carry our food in for the walk back.
We then went to the Opening Ceremony, which was held in city hall, and afterwards they served us what they call “pancakes”, but was more like a crepe with some type of custard in it. I then went to a store called Fotex which kind of reminds me of Target, and got completely drenched on the walk back when it started POURING out.
Lesson of the day: While in Copenhagen, always carry an umbrella with you, even when the forecast says it will be sunny.
Days 3 and 4 – Orientation
Our first day of orientation taught us about some basic things to know when living in Copenhagen and with Danish people. We learned that Danes are extremely punctual and have a dark sense of humor. There is no such thing as being politically correct, and they will say it how it is…so we shouldn’t think that they are being rude. Later in the day I got my books for class, joined a gym down the street and had my first cooking adventure! I made chicken for dinner, which actually turned out alright.
Our first day of orientation taught us about some basic things to know when living in Copenhagen and with Danish people. We learned that Danes are extremely punctual and have a dark sense of humor. There is no such thing as being politically correct, and they will say it how it is…so we shouldn’t think that they are being rude. Later in the day I got my books for class, joined a gym down the street and had my first cooking adventure! I made chicken for dinner, which actually turned out alright.
The second day of orientation we went on a scavenger hunt around Copenhagen. At each stop we would meet a guide who would tell us a little bit about the area we were in, and we had to answer a list of questions based on the information we learned. It was nice to finally get a chance to walk around the city and see the main areas.
Day 5 – Classes Begin
Having classes at 8:30 is brutal, especially when I need to leave by 7:45 in order to get there on time. I don’t know how I woke up so early in highschool! My first class was my Core Course, European History and Culture: Memory and Identity. I will be traveling with this class and my teacher. In two weeks we are going to another part of Denmark for 4 days, and later in the semester we will be traveling around France for a week. I then had my Danish Language and Culture class which I love! We learned how to introduce ourselves in Danish and say our names, where we are from, and where we are living while in Denmark. I was completely embarrassed when I couldn’t pronounce the name of my town, Brønshøj!
I then went out to lunch with my roommate Sarina, her mom, her sister, her aunt, and her baby cousin, and tried herring for the first time! Afterwards I walked around Stroget which is kind of like the 5th Avenue/Rodeo Drive of Copenhagen. There are really nice stores, little cafes, ice cream, crepe, and dried fruit stands along the street, and no cars are allowed on it. I also went for a beautiful run around a lake that is a block away from where I am living.
I then went out to lunch with my roommate Sarina, her mom, her sister, her aunt, and her baby cousin, and tried herring for the first time! Afterwards I walked around Stroget which is kind of like the 5th Avenue/Rodeo Drive of Copenhagen. There are really nice stores, little cafes, ice cream, crepe, and dried fruit stands along the street, and no cars are allowed on it. I also went for a beautiful run around a lake that is a block away from where I am living. My first class of the day was Muslims in the West, and we learned about the perception of Muslims in both the US and Europe. Recently immigration of Muslims to Scandinavia has greatly increased (from less than 15 Muslims in 1930 to now over 150,000 Muslims in Denmark alone), so it is interesting to be learning about a very current issue. My next class was History of European Ballet, and throughout the semester we will be going to four different Danish ballets! My third class of the day was Leadership Across Cultures and we will be learning the differing ways that people view leadership throughout the world. At night my program hosted a welcome party for us at a "Discotek" in Copenhagen which was a ton of fun.
Day 7 and 8 - Weekend
The weekend was my first opportunity to relax and get some errands done that I had needed to do. Saturday night I met some Danes and got to practice my Danish with them! I definitely don't have the Danish accent down too well, but they pretended like I was doing a good job.
Day 9
After classes I went on a walk near the lake while it was still nice out. Later, I met up with my Danish Language class for dinner at a cafe on the water. It was nice to talk to new people and have a yummy meal. The sun was setting as we left, and I thought this picture looks kind of cool. We got Ferraro Rocher flavored gelato afterwards, which was amazing!Day 10
Today was classes again as usual, and I finally had time to go over everything for this blog. My future posts will be more insightful, but I will leave you with some interesting things I have noticed/learned while I have been here
1. Even if a Danish word seems fairly easy to pronounce, you definitely still saying it incorrectly. It is almost impossible to not butcher every single word. And don't even get me started on the town/street names! The street I am on is Frederikssundsvej...
2. It seems as though there are more Seven Elevens here than there are in the US.
3. There are sidewalks, bike lanes, and the street…and they can not be interchanged. Stay in your designated area when walking because those bikers will plow you down if you don't!
4. J-walking is a big no-no (I really need to improve on this one because I have a tendency to completely forget I am not in New York and end up getting stared at by the Danes)
5. Do not call a pastry with filling in the center a "danish" - it is called Wienerbrød which, in Danish, translates to Vienna Bread
6. Children are raised to be very independent, and it is not uncommon to see extremely young kids traveling alone on public transportation, or babies sleeping in their strollers alone outside a cafe or shop that their parents are in.
7. Small talk with people next to you on buses or in line at the supermarket is considered strange.
8. Danes have an odd obsession with the sun and having tanned skin, and there are even tanning beds in the locker room at my gym!
8. Danes have an odd obsession with the sun and having tanned skin, and there are even tanning beds in the locker room at my gym!
9. When looking for my shampoo, Garnier Fructis was only available for “Nordic Hair”. Based on Danish women I assume that would be fine, blonde, and straight…none of which I have. Let’s just say that I chose a different brand!
10. Danish students are paid a little over 5,000 DKK per month (equivalent to about 1,000 US dollars) to go to college, and the amount increases as they progress. We are getting ripped off in the US!!!
10. Danish students are paid a little over 5,000 DKK per month (equivalent to about 1,000 US dollars) to go to college, and the amount increases as they progress. We are getting ripped off in the US!!!
