Meet Liv

Edit: The kitten's name was changed to "Eda" (but I'm more partial to Liv, but Eda is cute too)

Sunday evening Irene, Carsten, and Markus came home from visiting Irene's dad. I was sitting up stairs in my room attempting to do homework when Markus came knocking at the door. When he came in he had a small orange ball of fur in his hands; a baby kitten. I was surprised and confused. Markus handed over the little thing and I held it in my lap. It was so tiny! The poor kitten seemed very malnourished and unhealthy. While holding her, I could feel every little rib. She wasn't very lively, like a kitten should be, because she was weak. Irene told me that at her father's house one of the cats had kittens and this one wasn't able to get enough food or attention. The kitten is about thirteen weeks old, but is no bigger than that of an eight week old. Irene decided she couldn't leave the poor, weak kitten there and brought her home with them. I was overjoyed!

After debating with names, I think that Irene has decided on Liv (pronounced lee-ooh). It means "life" in Danish. Liv has been doing very well the past few days. She's been eating a lot and her little belly has swollen up a lot. She's got a lot of energy and is the sweetest kitten. I love having her lie in my lap and fall asleep. I've let her sleep in my bed a few nights as well. Nana, the dog, has been very accepting of the Liv too. I think I'm going to have a tough time saying goodbye to Liv in a few months though...

Sailing on the Hijlam

Before I came to Copenhagen, I signed up for a sailing trip. I had no idea what this would entail, I just did it because it sounded fun and was inexpensive. On Saturday (September 25) I woke up before the sun (which wasn't actually that early because the sun doesn't rise until around 6:30) and headed to København Central Station to meet up with the group. We then took an hour train ride to Holbæk, where we would depart on our voyage. It was rainy and cold when we arrived so I was a little hesitant to be getting on a boat.

There were about 18 DIS students, one adventure tour guide (an intern from DIS), two shipmates, and one captain. Looking at the boat I thought it was going to be very crowded, but it was somewhat comfortable. It was a little crammed at night, but it was manageable. The boat, the Hjlam (which is the name of an island), is a traditional sailboat built in 1901. The entire boat is made of wood and captures the essence of sailing through its large canvas sails and many ropes.

The sun eventually came out and we were able to shed some of our layers and rain gear. The sky was blue and we sailed along the Danish coastline of North Zealand. The area was called Isefjord. The crew lowered the anchor and took the dingy out so we could stop at one of the islands. We walked on the trails and in the mud. When we returned we ate lunch and then there wasn't much else to do. Most of use laid in the sun. I didn't realize how isolated and relaxing being on a sailboat is. I climbed up on the stern of the ship which was a little frightening, but it was a great view.

We docked in Frederiksberg for the night. Another girl and I made Drømmekage, which means "dream cake." It's a coconut cake with glazed icing. We didn't make it from scratch, but it was still very good. We also made some chocolate cake. The cakes took forever to make though because the oven was extremely slow (but you can't expect too much of an oven on a ship from 1901). Literally the cake took 2+ hours to bake. But it was worth it. We had a big meal for dinner with fish, beef, potatoes, soup, and veggies. I was surprised by how well the other students on the boat could cook. I was glad for it too because I know I'm not a culinary master.

After dinner we played cards, talked, listened to music, and just hung around. The two shipmates were young Danish guys in their 20's and they were very entertaining. They always had hand-rolled cigarettes in their mouths or hands and cussed like sailors. One of the shipmates told us a lot of crazy stories, some of which I find hard to believe.

As part of the "crew" we were required to do a night watch shift. The purpose of the night watch is to make sure nothing happens on or to the boat while everyone is sleeping (like burglars, fires, vikings). Of course it's extremely unlikely any of that will happen, it's more for the novelty feeling of being a sailor. My shift was from 6-7am. I wasn't happy about having to wake up at 6 and stumble through the cabin (which was crowded with hammocks and beds), but I was glad it wasn't in the middle of the night. We were in pairs of two, so during my shift another girl and I sat on the deck with our sleepingbags and were bundled in multiple layers. It was foggy out so I didn't get to see the sunrise, but by the end of my shift it was a bright morning.

The rest of the day was mellow as well. We sailed back to Holbæk, and this time we actually sailed because the wind was strong enough that the engines were able to be turned off. I helped rig some of the sails and we were pushed forward by the wind.

The trip wasn't a wild and crazy adventure. It was more relaxing than I had thought. But I had a good time talking with some new people and getting some fresh sea air.

Fristanden Christinania (Freetown Christiania)

For my Danish 101 class, we traveled to Fristaden Christiania (shorted to Christiania). Christiania is located in the Christianshavn kommune (kommunes are like states, they have their own buildings/communities as well as local governments. They are all throughout Denmark; I'm in the Greve kommune). Christiania though, is unlike any other place in Denmark. It's a town consisting of 850 residents with their own set of rules and laws (that are very different from the regular laws). From what I've learned Christiania was established in 1971 as a military area but since then has become a sort of neighborhood. Currently there's a lot of issues with the taxes. Taxes are extremely high in all of the Scandinavian countries. Yet in Christiania, apparently for a long period of time, it was an untaxed neighborhood. I'm not an expert on the subject and things are still very unclear about the town. But going there I really experienced a different side of Denmark.

Christiania is probably best known for its "legal" pot. Weed is not legal in Denmark (although a lot of people get Copenhagen and Amsterdam mixed up). But in Christiania it is sold on the street called "Pusher's street" (unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the street because it's not allowed). I don't quiet understand how it works, but while visiting the area we saw the stands of marijuana sitting out. They also had pot brownies and other goods. Apparently the canbis trading started when Christiania was a milita
ry area but the business has stuck around since then. It was very strange walking on Pusher's Street seeing all the different types of marijuana laying out in the open for sale. There are even large green pot plants growing in Christiania.

I wouldn't qualify Christiania as a slum area. It just seems that people live very differently. The town doesn't have cars (they aren't allowed) and its kind of dirty. A lot of the residents don't work (they live off of unemployment). Many of them are old "bikers" and some are from the Hell's Angels gang (there's been a problem in the past with biker gangs). When we visited I noticed a lot of people sitting around, drinking, and smoking. It didn't seem to be a very productive place. The buildings are mostly worn down and there's a lot of graffiti. But some parts were beautiful, like the coastline. Yet I can understand how Christiania can be a problem for the Danish citizens. It costs Denmark a bundle of money to maintain an area (especially since there are a lot of non-working people). There have been a lot of efforts to move people out of there and into regular society. I don't quiet understand it all (I've heard a lot about it from school, my host family and other Danes), but seeing it really proves that it's an entirely different world.

Christian's Common Law states: Christiania's målsætning er at opbygge et selvstyrende samfund, hvor hvert enklet individ frit kan udfolde sig under ansvar overfor fællesskabet (13/11/1971). This translates to: Christianias commitment is to create and sustain a self-goverening community, in which everyone is free to express their selves, as responsibly member of the community. The 9 laws in Christiania are no weapons, no hard drugs, no violence, no private cars, no bikers colors, no bulletproof clothing, no sale of firewords, no use of thunderflashes (bombs, I think), and no stolen goods.

As for me, I don't know what I think about the area. I haven't formed an opinion. I think the idea of a self-governing town is interesting, but I don't know how I would feel about it if I had to pay for it through taxes (while other people just received unemployment money). The oddest thing about the day was the tour guide. The older woman who led the tour moved to Christiania in the 70s and was one of the strangest people I have ever met. She was very loopy and wore her sweatshirt hood tightly around her head. She took us to the Christiania grocery store but I think the sole purpose of that was so she could buy an ice-cream. Even my Danish teacher commented on how odd she was. Some of the comments she made were very strange as well (she did a lot of talking about drugs and the government). My guess is she indulged in some of the weed before the tour.

Være en Reel Dansker; Being a Real Dane

On Wednesday I had two field studies. In the morning I went to the KVINFO library with my Gender and Sexuality in Scandinavia class. Then later in the day I went with my Cross-Cultural Psychology class to the Allotment Gardens. Allotment Gardens are completely unique to the Danish culture. The purpose used to be a place where people could come to grow fruits and vegetables for their family (since food can be so pricey). Now though the gardens are mostly flowers. The houses are more like cottages and are very small. Residents can live their the entire summer if they please. The allotments are extremely affordable and from what I gather, are still mainly for the working class. While we were there we walked around the gardens, saw the houses, and were given traditional pastries and cake. Most of the community is elderly but they were extremely enthusiastic to have us to the gardens.

Saturday my host family and I celebrated my host mom's (Irene) birthday. Everyone came over around three and we sat down to eat traditional Danish birthday treats. First we had tea and biscuits. The biscuits are like rolls and you put butter, different flavors of marmalade, and cheese on them. Then we had lagkage (pronounced low-- as in allow-- kay), which is a traditional Danish birthday cake. The cake has multiple layers consisting of a type of pound-cake bread and is filled in between each layer with sweet cream, crushed chocolate pieces, and some type of fruit, then a sugary icing on top. There were three different types at the party: banana, strawberry, and "symphony" (which is a mixed berry filling). The cake was delicious of course. I found it odd that we ate the cake first though.

I've found it's very typical for Danes to be quiet at first. It's as if it takes them awhile to warm up. Once they do though, they are wonderful conversationalists. I am continually surprised about how much knowledge they have of America and the world in general. Of course, I think America lacks in their world-knowledge compared to other countries (unless you listen to NPR). Around seven-thirty we had dinner. There was potato and pasta salad (Danish cold salads are very different than at home, but still good), frikadeller (a type of meatball made with pork and crispy outsides) and ham. The food was all very delicious and I definitely ate a lot. When we finished eating we continued talking and of course everyone began drinking. The Danes love to drink.

I then headed out with Jack, my host brother, and a friend from DIS to a bar/cafe near Greve (where we all live). It was smaller than the ones in Copenhagen but just as fun. I was glad to meet some of the local gymnasium (high school) and college students in Greve. Once the young Danes start drinking, they get wild and talkative.

Today I went to the FCK (Fodbold Club Københaven) versus Brøndby football (soccer) game. The game was a field study trip for all the students who take Danish 101 at DIS. It was such a great experience to go because the FCK (I know it's a very odd acronym) vs Brøndby game is the most rivaled game in Denmark. It's like the Ravens vs Steelers. It gets insane at the games, even more so than the American rivalries. Fights are not uncommon during the game (and when I say fights, I mean full on brawls between fans), therefore practically all the police are on duty during the game at the stadium. It's not a dangerous enviornment, fans (such as the DIS students) need to be a bit more cautious. The game was extremely fun. There's a lot of chanting and singing that goes on. The entire stadium is decked out in their teams colors (FCK is blue and white while Brøndby is blue and yellow). It's not a smart idea to wear the Brøndby colors on the FCK side or vice versa (that's how fights sometimes break out). During the game there were small fires on the Brøndby side (apparently this is normal) and fireworks that shot out to the field. It was quite an experience. Of course there was a lot of beer drinking and cheering. Danes, as well as many Europeans, take football very seriously. The game itself was intense. I was on the FCK side, wearing Irene's hot pink FCK jersey. FCK won 2-0 and I was glad because obviously I was rooting for them. There's not real covet for the team like a trophy, it's more of bragging rights type of thing. After the game is when the real trouble starts. The police patrol the train station, yet fights still break out. On the way from the stadium to the train, we saw a fight break out and the police immediately were there with dogs. I didn't feel threatened or unsafe at all. It was actually very exciting.

Jutland! Part 3

On the last and final day, Saturday, of the Jutland trip we traveled to Århus (pronounced ARE-hoos). Århus is the second largest city in Denmark. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see much of it because we were in a time crunch. We headed straight for our final academic program which was the KaosPiolts. KaosPiolts is an alternative professional school that trains students to think creatively. The school is almost equivalent to college level, although some of the students already attended college. It is more like a business school. The main goal is to create a business that not only effects the client and business person, but also benefits a third party. It was an interesting session and I really liked the vibe of the school. But I was exhausted from the busy weekend and only getting a few hours of sleep. We had our lunch at the Grappa Piccolo restaurant in Århus where I had the best tortellini of my life.

We arrived in Copenhagen around seven and Carsten, Irene, and Markus picked me up. I joined them for a birthday party at a friend’s house where we ate dinner and hung out for the night. I was glad to be back with them. I missed them while I was away. The study tour was fun and it was enjoyable to get to know some of my classmates. I don’t quite know what to make of it yet. I wanted to maybe make some connections with classmates, but it can be difficult because everything is so chaotic here. Living with a host family makes it hard to coordinate getting together with DIS students as well. Hopefully during the long study tour when we are together for a week, some connections will arise. I was definitely ready for some solitude (or at least time away from the Positive Psychology class) when the weekend was over. I do enjoy coming home to my host family, I always feel very welcomed and wanted. When I returned to the house it started to feel more like home to me. I think it’s because I missed it and the familiarity so much while I was away.

I slept extremely well that night because of the all the chaos and bus riding the past few days. It was nice to wake up at a leisurely time and have a relaxing day.

Jutland! Part 2

The next morning we woke up early again and shipped off to Havenbjerk Skole. This was an elementary school in which "Projekt Livsglæde" (Project Life) is being put in place. Bascially it is another positive psychology program that focuses on the well being of the children. I enjoyed this trip mostly because the Danish kids are adorable! Although they didn't speak any English and I obviously don't speak any Danish, it was fun to see how excited they were to meet us. Danish schools (for the most part) aren't that different from American schools looks-wise. But academically the schools differ greatly. In the Danish school system and with Projekt Livsglæde there is an emphasis on teaching the children how to learn based on their learning styles. It was like a flashback to my Jemicy days. The teachers are more involved with the students and aware of how each child learns. In all of Denmark teachers are addressed by their first name (another tie with Jemicy) and the idea of choice is a lot more prevalent (such as shoes being optional in the classroom). It seemed to me from my visit that the teachers at the Havenbjerk Skole are a lot more empathetic and understanding than American teachers. Yet it is not all of Denmark that has this success in the classroom. Still, the best part was all the little blonde Danes running around.

Finally we were given some time think non-academically. We visited the Danfoss Universe Park in Nordborg. The Universe Park is like a giant hands-on outdoor science museum. In it there are lots of activities that are supposed to be science related (such as a giant hamster wheel that determines the amount of energy you put out when you run inside it). The best was the seg-way off road track. We road seg-ways around outside as if it was an amusement ride! Considering that the Philadelphia University security guards ride around on these all the time, I thought it was pretty hilarious we waited in line to try one out. But it was actually very fun (and a little bit difficult). Also at the park I ate a cheeseburger, fries, and ice cream. It was nice to have a slightly American food.

Then we had another long bus ride to Haderslev which is on the southeast side of Jutland. There we had a delicious group dinner at Royals BarBQ where we ate steak (more like a hamburger sans bun), drank wine, and got to know our classmates. The best was the banana split dessert.

When we arrived at the Danhostel Haderslev hostel, which was slightly less fantastic than the first, we unpacked and unwound a little. There was a campfire set up outside on the lake at the hostel. We sat and at snobrød, a Danish campfire dish. Snobrød is bread dough that you wrap and twist around a stick and cook over the fire. You can put chocolate or marmalade on it afterwards. It’s the Danish equivalent of s’mores, but takes a lot longer to cook. I didn’t really enjoy the snobrød, but cooking was fun. That night we hung around the hostel because we were all too exhausted to travel into the city of Haderslev.

Jutland! Part 1

On Thursday the entire DIS student population set off for the short study tour trips. The short study tour trips are in the field learning trips that are set up through each core class. My core class is Positive Psychology. Some of the other core classes include architecture, childhood development, memory and identity, environmental sustainability, etc. With our core class we also do our week long excursion to different destinations in Europe. That happens at the beginning of October.

I really didn't know what to expect of the trip. I only knew that it was going to be packed with activities, some cultural and some relating to psychology. On Thursday morning we loaded up onto the buses and drove four hours to Esbjerg, Denmark. Esbjerg is located on southwest side of the large island Jutland. To get to Jutland we had to pass over the 17 km bridge that connects Fyn (the island in between Copenhagen and Jutland). The ride took what felt like forever. When we arrived we went to a business school in Esbjerg where a program called the "Skills Project" is being incorporated. The "Skills Project" is a program implementing positive psychology to help troubled teens get back on track. It has a very high rate of success. We met with the 20 students who are in the 8 week program. It was amazing to hear their stories and their struggles as well as how they have over come them in the short time of being in the program. It is only a small program and is like a hidden secret within the business school (regular students there don't even know about it).

We then headed back onto the bus to go to Ribe (pronounced REE-be), a small medieval town about an hour and a half south of Esbjerg. The perfect word to describe Ribe is cozy. The houses are like little cottages and the streets are all cobblestone. It's a nice tourist attraction. But there isn't much night-life, so when we got there, there wasn't much to do. A few people and I stopped at a pizza place to grab dinner and then headed to the night watchmen activity. Night Watchmen were a type of policemen in the 1800's and earlier that patrolled the city and maintained the streets. Some of their responsibilities were to sing a song telling the children to go to bed as well as watch out for fires and floods. Now it's just a tour around Ribe with a man dressed in a costume. But it was sort of fun.

That night we stayed at the Ribe Byferie hostel. It was the most elaborate hostel I have ever seen, with two story rooms, a complete kitchen, living room, and television. It was the creme de la creme of hostels. Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of Ribe because it was rainy and dark.

Strandan-- The Beach

Yesterday afternoon I got out of class early. I didn't have much to do in school so I headed back to Greve to get some homework done. Instead of getting work done, I decided to do a little exploring around the neighborhood. The weather has been beautiful the past few days and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to walk around in the sunshine. The weather here is the equivalent to home's late October weather. It's a bit confusing to me because it's only September. Soon the daylight hours will get shorter as well. But the Danes don't seem to mind the short and cold days. I walked to the beach, which is only about a 5 minute walk. No where in Denmark is more than 52 km away from the coastline (which is about 32 miles).

So, I bundled up, grabbed my i-Phone (for music), a book, my camera, and headed out to the beach. I was surprised I remember how to get there because I consider myself to be pretty directionally challenged. I'd only walked there once with my family and that was in the evening. I made it there without any mistakes. It was very windy, but it was nice to get some time to myself and be able to think, especially since I'm going to have a crazy few next days. On Thursday I depart with my core class, Positive Psychology, for our short study tour to Western and Southern Denmark. It's going to be a nonstop trip with little relaxation time. I'm sure I'll come back with a lot of pictures and some interesting stories.

Klampenbor og Køg

The next day was the annual DIS host family picnic. This is an event where all the host families and Danish roommates come to Staunings Plæne in Klampenborg. The picnic was by the beach and it was a beautiful sunny day out. From the beach you can see the many windturbines that are all over Denmark. You can also see Sweden across the Baltic Sea and Køge Bugt. It was a warm day out, around 65 F, and there were a few people swimming in the water. DIS brought kayaks and activities. I didn’t kayak because with my luck, I would flip the boat or be caught by a wave and end up in Sweden. So we stuck to the shore and watched the swimmers and girls riding horses through the water. While we were there we socialized with other families, ate sandwiches, and drank soda. While I was going to take a sip of the applesin soda (an orange soda drink… not apple, although it looks like it… that's a lot less sugary than American orange soda) that I got from the front table a bee crawled on top. I didn't realize it was there and proceeded to take a sip and immediately was stun on the inside of my upper lip. It was extremely painful and I spit out the soda all over the ground and the little bee flew out. At first I think my host family and others thought I was crazy, but then realized what had happened. It was funny, but very uncomfortable. Luckily I'm not allergic! My lip swelled up to an enormous size and I looked like a fish. But it's an interesting story. (My family thinks I'm a bit accident prone now because of this incident and the other day when I toppled over on my bike... but I guess I am a little bit of a klutz). Although my lip felt like it was the size of Denmark, I persevered and enjoyed the rest of the picnic.

After the picnic my family and I drove through Køpenhagen. Carsten pointed out all the important buildings in teh city, such as the Supreme Court, Black Diamond Library, and one of the jails. We went to Køge , a town north of Greve (where my host family lives). There we saw the harbor with all the boats and got ice cream (which helped the progressive swelling of my lip). We drove through Køge Afterwards we ventured home, ate dinner, and watched a really bad American movie (we all agreed that it was terrible).

Today, Mandag, I went to school and came home after class. Nana greeted me happily at the door and I went to do some homework. It's starting to feel like home away from home here, although I do miss everyone of course!

Fredag og Lørdag (Friday and Saturday)

It's been a busy week here! I recently moved housing (Wednesday), as I mentioned before. I literally moved down the street though, so it wasn't difficult. The family I live with now is Carsten and Irene who have two kids, Jack (17) and Markus (8) and Nana, the dog. It's been great living here, the family is so kind and welcoming. They set up a cute girly room for me (they actually revamped Markus's room for me-- and it's hard to believe it was once an eight year old boys room) and have been making sure I feel comfortable and at home. They speak English very well, but sometimes there's a little miss-communication, but that's to be expected and part of the fun. Markus hasn't learned English yet because in the Danish schools they don't start English lessons until they are 10. But Markus and I communicate through gestures. Sometimes I think he thinks I'm weird. But I'm getting acclimated with the family and home. Soon we'll be into a routine.

On Friday there was another DIS hosted party with pizza and beer. It was free so a lot of students showed up, of course. The get together was a social for the Danish Buddies and DIS students. Danish buddies are kind of like a rent-a-friend program here. Basically before you come to school you can sign up for a Danish Buddy who is a Dane usually in their late teens or early twenties. Your Danish Buddy will then show you around Copenhagen and take you under their wing. I signed up for a buddy but was never assigned one, so I mooched off my fellow DIS friend's buddy. When I got to the party it was packed! After the free-loaders left with their free pizza, it was great to meet the Danes. We danced and talked and drank Carlsberg (the Danish equivalent to Budweiser). The Danes are known for being a bit reserved, but once they start partying, they really open up. It was great to finally meet some Danes my age and hang out. I don't know if it's because I'm in Denmark and just happy to be here or because it's really true, but I like going to social events with Danes better than Americans. They're just more fun!

The funny thing about Danes is that they have an extremely hard shell. They are quiet and reserved. The trains are practically silent. At home when you sit next to someone on the bus or make eye contact while passing on the sidewalk, you smile and acknowledge them. This is not the way the Danish act. It's not that they are cold at all. They just aren't interested in "small talk" I've come to learn. But when you get connected to them, they are extremely kind and will go to the ends of the earth to help you out (for example my new host family). It's an interesting dynamic that the Danish live by, but it works!

On Saturday I ventured on a school hosted trip to IKEA. It was kind of silly because there's not really anything I need to buy there and it's not as if we don't have IKEA at home. But a few of my friends were going and we thought it would be fun. The real reason I went was for the free Swedish meatballs... which of course were awesome! After running around IKEA and picking out the furniture and decorations that would adorne my imaginary Danish house, I headed back home for a little R&R.

Later that night I headed out to Tivoli with some DIS friends. Tivoli is an amusement park and gardens in the heart of Copenhagen. It's the second oldest amusement park in the world (built in 1843) and supposedly the what inspired Walt Disney to create Disney World. There are often concerts, shows, ballets, and other events held at Tivoli. Being a college student in Copenhagen we are allowed into the park for free (which is great because otherwise it costs 95 DKK, about $20). But each ride costs as well, so the savings is a great benefit. On Saturday we didn't ride any of the attractions, but another day we're planning to go back and get an all day pass.

I wouldn't say that Tivoli is an average amusemant park. There aren't that many rides (it's nothing compared to Six Flags). It's more old-fashioned with gardens, fountains, and family rides. There are some that go upside-down that looks really intense and there's also a fast swing ride that you can see Sweden from the top. We got ice-cream and food, walked around the gardens and the park. We were under the impression that there would be fire-works at 11:30 so we anxiously (and coldly) waited at the park. Yet it wasn't until 11:15 that we found out the fire-works are only available during the "on" season. But it wans't a total loss at all, the night was still fun (despite the freezing toes).