Valentine's day, Chinese New Years, & Fastelavn

Two weeks of school and two weeks of non-stop partying. There is ALWAYS something to do. In the first week was the Insomnia Tour - a week long event organized by a student group where there's a party every night at a different venue. This week was Copenhagen Fashion Week and the city was invaded by beautiful people and an array of different events. Life is exciting.

I've opted for a quiet Sunday of recovering and doing readings for my classes - which is ironic because today should really be the day for celebrating since:
a. It's Valentine's Day.
b. It's Chinese New Years.
c. It's Fastalavn (the traditional danish version of the Carnival holiday)

Three holidays in one!! ...Not to mention that it's also the start of Reading Week (a week long holiday) in my university back home.

I wish Copenhagen would warm up already. Every morning, I look out the window in the hopes that the canals wouldn't be frozen anymore. However, I did take this opportunity to walk across a frozen one:

Now that I'm pretty familiar with the downtown central part of Copenhagen, I've taken it upon myself to explore the other neighborhoods. Nørrebro and Vesterbro are the more multicultural alternative parts of town. I loved the vintage shops, turkish markets, trendy cafes and unique finds.

 There were so many little treasures that I wanted to buy, but I didn't give into the temptations. Firstly, an exchange student's budget is really tight and secondly, I wouldn't have room in my luggage to carry things back to Canada anyway.

HOWEVER, we did decide to get warmed up and treat ourselves to some amazingly delicious cafe delights. I had a chai tea latte with a chocolate muffin and Stef had a hot chocolate with whipped cream.

 By the way, this is pretty much the coolest little cafe of life. It's called the Laundromat Cafe. Why? Because while you do your laundry, you can sit back and enjoy some good coffee.

Anyway... I really have to get ready to leave... since I'm still in my PJs. I'm going to a Fastalavns party to make traditional danish pastries and celebrate the holiday with some friends.

Første Uge i Klassen

Picture this: Mondays and Wednesdays, 2 lectures each day, and less than 10 hours of class a week. I suppose I have more than enough time to read the some 200 pages of articles assigned each week and write 2 essays.

Not that I'm complaining, but I have so much free time that I don't even know what to do sometimes! My weekend starts on Wednesday! Sweet flippin' deal.

In Block 3, I am taking Medical Anthropology and Social Inequalities in Health.
In block 4, I am taking Health in Emergencies and Refugee Health.

So far, I'm loving my courses. I was super intimidated at first because these are all Master level courses, and I am a mere bachelor student. Both my classes are fairly small - about 40 students, and full of Danes (and a few exchange students). The classes are discussion based. I enjoy participating... but I always get really flustered and worry about saying something stupid and turning red. But so far, I've managed to raise a few good points while making just enough sense for people to understand.

I'm falling so in love with this city. It may be a bit silly, but whenever I'm roaming these old cobblestone streets... I like to listen to dreamy music and pretend that I'm starring in my own alternative artsy fartsy foreign movie complete with strange languages, cool accents and poorly translated subtitles................................

Possible scenes from my movie:

And the Winner is......

When I was in Canada last semester, I entered the Health Council Of Canada Innovation Award contest along with 3 other people (Davey, Sam, and Erica). Our innovative strategy is to reduce wait times by introducing the Quality Pays Initiative and a Patient Transfer Policy.

Anyway, we came in FIRST PLACE for the group category. You can check it out here:

http://healthcouncilcanada.ca/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=229&Itemid=22

http://communications.uwo.ca/com/western_news/stories/western_students_win_national_health_innovation_award_20100126445640/

Our submission is being featured on the website and an e-newsletter. It just so happens that the girl who won the individual category is ALSO from my home university.

It's really too bad that I'm in Copenhagen because I would love to go to the awards reception in Ottawa on the 22nd of February.

I designed the cover for our entry : )

Berlin, Ich Liebe Diche

Berlin was as cold as København (probably even colder), but it didn't stop us from having an amazing four day adventure spent exploring Germany's biggest city.  

I left for Berlin with my warmest clothes, my trusty camera, four good friends, and an open mind.
I came back with a backpack of dirty travel clothes, 146 pictures, and the BEST memories.

The city is so alive, even in the middle of winter. Just by looking at Berlin, you really get the sense that it's been through so much. It's in the state of constant reconstruction and change. The old buildings that have survived the wars are juxtaposed by the new modern architecture.

On the first day that we TRIED to explore the city, but everything was blocked off by policemen because it just so happened that the President of Israel also decided to visit Berlin that day. Checkout the security... it was like a movie or something:

 Anyway...
They've tried really hard to erase all traces of Hitler and the third Reich. We walked by the place where Hitler's chancellery use to stand. Today, a regular looking apartment complex is there instead.

But certain things stayed:

This was the Reich's Ministry of Transport. You can see the bullet holes on the left. 

The East Berlin Wall. There is actually 2 walls that are parallel. The space in between the walls is known as the Death Strip. That's pretty self explanatory. There was a shoot to kill policy for anyone who attempted to escape.

The Holocaust Memorial

The Berlin Wall East Side Gallery: 106 paintings on the wall by artists around the world in celebration of freedom.

We also visited the Reichstag. This is the Berlin parliament. It is an old building, but a giant glass dome was constructed on the top as a monument. It is open to the public. 

The glass represents the transparency of the government. The fact that it sits on TOP of the parliament symbolizes the fact that the government serves the people and not the opposite way around. It serves as a reminder to those in power to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. 

I tried to do a panorama thing... but the pieces didn't line up.

History is such a heavy subject. We visited all the important monuments and the touristy locations. Then we dedicated ourselves to exploring the culture. I absolutely positively ADORED the street art and the graffiti found EVERYWHERE. Some people think it dirties up the place, but I think it's good eye candy.

 

 

It adds color and life to an otherwise gray city. We also visited a huge abandoned building that is now occupied by artists and squatters. I wouldn't say no to such a life style: to live freely, to dream and to make art.

I loved traveling with friends and staying in hostels. It's an awesome way to meet cool people from all around the world... sharing a drink, having a laugh, telling stories, going on adventures, getting lost, doing crazy things together. This is how memories and friends are made.

We also saw a show. It was called Soap and it literally rained on stage. Yeah, the audience definitely got wet.

This has been a long post.

Four days for Berlin was definitely NOT enough. There was so much more that I wanted to do!

However, I'm so glad to be home. Copenhagen is home now... at least for the next five months.

Sommetider Cykler Jeg, Sommetider Tager Jeg Metroen...

The streets are more familiar now. I recognize many places and my feet can take me down the right path while my mind day dreams away. I know the fastest way to get to places and I have found the shortcuts through the narrow cobblestone streets. I feel that I have the walking part pretty down pat.

Thus, I have moved on to riding a bike in this city! This is what I've learned. You must wear at least TWO layers of pants, socks and gloves in order to keep yourself from being wind burned or frozen to death. You should always use hand signals to turn. You MUST have bike lights for riding at night (or else you get a 600Kr fine). There are really good bike lanes everywhere and you should watch for the special bike signal lights. It's really pretty easy... but I have already fallen down once at an intersection.

 This is my bike. It's pink and fabulous and I love it.

On Saturday, we had a pretend "Canadian dinner" at my apartment, but really... it was a surprise birthday party for Angela. We decorated the living room, wrote a huge card, baked several delicious cakes, and brought her a princess crown to wear for the night. It was a lovely time. Everyone comes from a different part of the world and the mix of people is just so interesting. I don't think we can ever run out of things to say. We talk about the things we know and the things we don't know. We compare our countries, culture and traditions. We talk about the many difficulties and  the wonderful experiences of starting a new life in this strange and beautiful city of Copenhagen. We listen to music, we talk, we laugh, we eat, we drink, and we party.

Today, we had our oral exam for our Danish language course. I am pleased to announce that I have passed and the teacher said that I was very good! In the afternoon, we went to Signalhuset (a kollegium in Amager... kollegium means student residence) for a mini celebration . Of course, I rode my pink bike to get there... it took me 30 minutes, and my legs almost fell off from being so cold. We made crepes with all the best toppings: berries, banana, nutella, whipped cream, jam, & coconut spread. It tasted like a bit of heaven:

Tomorrow I am going to see the famous Little Mermaid statue by the harbor in the afternoon and then catching a plane to Berlin at night. I am SO excited.

Dollhouses & Hyggelig

Last Friday, we went on a tour of the Danish National Museum. Our tour guide was pretty good, but I never had the patience for listening to history - so I wandered ahead of the group. We came upon this magical room with the most beautiful dollhouses. I fell in love! It's probably the little girl in me, but I could probably spend hours playing with them. Look at the detail! This family is having a turkey dinner with broccoli, bacon and ham.

I also had the most amazing dinner on Sunday night. My roommate Julia and my classmate Claudia hosted a traditional German/ Austrian dinner at my apartment. Cooking for 16 people is not an easy task at all! Julia and Claudia started cooking at around 3:30 and we didn't finish until around 7:00. However, it was definitely worth it.

A major Danish cultural phenomenon is "hyggelig". When I asked a Dane to explain what this means, they told me that it stood for coziness, comfort, snug, feeling at home. It's a mentality. Perhaps hyggelig is like staying in on a cold snowy winter night with good friends, drinking hot chocolate or wine, with candles and good music. But I'm not sure exactly how to use the word yet...

Anyway, my point is that I think our dinner was very hygge. We didn't really have enough proper seating, tables, forks or knives... but somehow we made it work. It was also very economical. Dining out in Copenhagen is pretty expensive, so this is a good way to go. We all split the cost of the groceries. It was 25 kr per person. This works out to be about 5 Canadian dollars.

I've been quite sick these past couple of days, so I've been staying in bed. However, I think I'm starting to feel better now. Tomorrow, I am buying a bicycle from an exchange student who is leaving Denmark soon. I am excited to finally have a bike! It will make it much easier to get around Copenhagen. It is dark green and it has a basket in the front. On Friday, I have the written portion of my danish language exam. Next Monday is the oral exam. Then I'm off to Berlinnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!

Adjusting to Daily Life

Dear friends, thanks for reading this and leaving those lovely comments on my last entry. It really makes my day when I hear from people back home. I know I haven't been gone for too long yet, but I miss home a lot and I love that I can share my mini adventures with you all : )

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I find that one of the hardest tasks associated with not being able to fluently read or understand Danish is grocery shopping. At first, it was hard to tell which milk to buy (Do I get sødmælk, letmælk, minimælk, or skummetmælk???!), or what the mystery meat in the package is (kylling, skinke, kalkun??), or where the deals are... since I didn't know how to read the danish signs. Luckily, I seemed to have bought all the right things that I wanted, unlike a few of my classmates who bought sour milk and really stinky cheese by accident. Thus, our danish language teacher has taken it upon herself to help us out. This was the first meal I cooked in Copenhagen:

The mushrooms reminded me of Beth, my room mate back in Canada :P

The Danes are super friendly people. I have had to ask for directions many a times - though I haven't always gotten the right ones. Last Saturday, the three Polish theoretical physicists invited our whole class to their kollegium for a traditional Polish meal. It was a 15 minute bus ride from my apartment and a 5 minute walk. However, I got soooo lost on the way there. I wandered in the dark and windy night for about an hour before I found the place. By that time, I was freaking out (and crying, just a little). Anyway, all's well that ends well. We had a DELICIOUS meal with GREAT company. I believe that we will be having a traditional AUSTRIAN meal this Saturday prepared by miss Claudia. The Canadians are waiting until the Vancouver Olympics come on, before we host our meal.

Things have gone smoothly (for the most part) so far. I have a network of people that I can ask for help, if need be. The International Office is in the City Campus, which is less than 10 minutes from my apartment. It is in a older part of the city and the building is beautiful:

the International office shares a building with this gorgeous library

Unfortunately, I have been feeling a little under the weather. So I've been spending more time at home these days. This is a sign from a protest from the Copenhagen climate conference that some one has left in our living room. It would have been cool to be here for the excitement:

13 Things I Find Interesting about Life in Copenhagen

1.The traffic lights turn from Green to yellow then red. This is the same as in Canada. HOWEVER, they also turn from red to YELLOW, then green. I find this very strange.

2. The bathroom floors are heated. It makes waking up in the winter mornings a little more easier.

3. Danes swallow their letters and often do not pronounce words as they are written. For example, Amager is pronounced Ama. ... and ogsa is pronounced like aus. This makes learning Danish TOTALLY confusing. Plus they have 3 extra letters!

4. Hello is Hej. Goodbye is Hej Hej.

5. In Denmark, the legal drinking age is 18. However, they don't seem to be strict about this and never really check for ID. They sell wine and hard liquor in ALL the grocery stores. It's pretty much AWESOME.

6. There is cobblestone everywhere. Yes- it looks beautiful, but snow make for a very slippery walk. And if you don t slip and fall and die from the cobblestone, you may get run over by a bicycle or hit by a car. Either way, you will die.

8. There are bicycles EVERYWHERE. It's the most popular mode of transportation. Danish people make riding bicycles look good.

7. Danes are tall, blonde, and beautiful. Both guys and girls have amazing style.

9. It is always cloudy and gray. Today is the first time I have seen the sun in Copenhagen.

10. The church bell rings every 15 minutes. First, I found this very beautiful. Then, I found it super annoying. Now, I am used to it. It is actually quite useful!

11. I am always doing simple math. The Danes operate on the 24 hour clock, so I am constantly subtracting by 12. Also, Toronto is 6 hours behind. Also, the exchange rate is about 5 dollars. So, 100 Kroner is about 20 Canadian dollars.

12. Danish coins have holes in the middle.

13. Everyone speaks English very well.  However, Im pleased to say that I have carried out a conversation with a Dane in Danish. My language classes are paying off!

Update

These couple of days have been just CRAZY. Copenhagen is absolutely beautiful. I'm in love with the city and the way of life (that I've experienced thus far). I'm currently staying at a hostel that's very close to the city center and my new flat. I move into my flat tomorrow.There are so many stories that I want to write about, but I have to pay to use the internet here... and I might run out of time. So I'll save those for later : )

Anyway, I'm going to post some pictures of my adventures thus far:

Frankfurt airport

This is my home for the next six months

This is the view outside my flat.

Sara and I

bicycles everywhere!!!!