Okay so it's now June 19th? It's been about a month since I've been home from Denmark and it already feels like my study abroad experience was months ago, as if I went last fall rather than this past semester.
Looking on the bright side of things, I am working at a sleepaway camp for the summer. While I will not disclose the name of the site, since I'm writing this on a public blog, I'll just say that the camp serves kids from 6-16 with life-threatening/chronic illnesses. So far I'm into my fourth day of training and it has been great so far. I'll be working with girls ages 9-12 but I won't be sleeping in the cabin. Instead I will be sleeping in the program staff building, which is essentially like old hotel rooms with 2 queen-size beds and private bathrooms in each room. Although I haven't had a roommate since freshman year, I'm digging the queen-size bed and the privacy. It will be nice to have my own place to go to at night and not get woken up at 2am by a camper. So far in training we have gone over the various illness of the population we serve: blood disorders such as hemophilia, sickle cell, and HIV; neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida; cancer, and some others. It was a lot of information to take in at once and I left feeling a bit overwhelmed and nervous about forgetting how to take care of a camper. However, everyone here is extremely helpful and friendly, and all the returning counselors were helpful in reassuring us that not only will we learn over time, but there will always be other counselors around to work with us. Some of the things are easy to remember, such as hydrating the kids (especially for sickle cell) and sunscreen (especially for cancer), which are things we should be doing for all the kids anyway since it is summer. Although the pictures of the various types of catheters, which are tubes that go into a child's body be it in the chest, side, or stomach, were a little disturbing and made me feel a bit queasy. I think that will take some time getting used to. Today we went over how to lift children safely out of wheelchairs so as not to hurt ourselves or the child, which was not only extremely important information, but helpful.
I've already cried about three times this week, so I'm sure it will be an emotional summer. Everyone here talks about how magical this place is, and I cannot wait to experience this for myself. This camp allows children to be a normal kid for one week and to have fun. For one week in their entire life they get to be out of the hospital, run around, and do fun summer activities that the rest of us take for granted. For some children, this will be there first time getting into a swimming pool, or their first time on a horse or the high ropes course. These children who are told "no, you can't do this" their whole life, get to prove everybody wrong. So I can't wait to experience that. Listening to some of the staff's stories, there are counselors here who were former campers. They all have such moving stories. Two individuals who were former cancer patients, talked about how they don't regret having cancer, and how they are happy they had cancer, because then they never would have come to this camp as a camper and found this place. Isn't that so amazing? As human beings, we tend to focus on the negative things in our lives, especially on the negative aspects of illness; yet it takes a really strong person to look at something so difficult as cancer, and find the goodness in it. So I'm already feeling inspired to do good things and to stay optimistic and I've only been here for 4 days!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
the beginning of the end
So I literally have 1 week left until a leave the place I have called home for the last 4 months. It's unreal, and I had to keep myself from crying when I thought about it today in the car ride home. Copenhagen has truly become my home. 4 months may not sound like a long time, but I did so much more than study here, I really did live here, which made my 4 months seem so much longer. I feel like I have kind of settled here. And now its time to pack up everything and leave.
How do you say goodbye to someone you know you will never see again? It's a strange feeling, really. This past Thursday was my last day at my practicum, and it was really hard to find the right words to say goodbye, because I knew, and they knew, that I would never see them again. I was saying goodbye to Lila, and she actually said to me "so, I'm never going to see you again". It's hurtful in a way that makes you want to apologize for leaving. One little girl, my favorite girl Mathilde, cried when she realized I was leaving. That was really touching. I am going to miss her so much. She is the cutest girl I have ever seen, the epitome of Danish: blond hair, big beautiful blue eyes, and so cute and small (she's about 2 1/2). Every Thursday her face would light up and she would grin as I walked into the classroom. She would immediately put out her small hand for me to take and would say "come. come here!" I wish I could take her with me.
My host family has by far been my greatest experience here in Denmark. Without them, I would have been much more homesick, and I don't think I would've liked it here as much. The Danes are really reserved, so having a close-knit family to come home to at the end of the day instead of going back to a quiet 5 x 9 dorm room, was wonderful. I've learned so much about Danish culture through them, and I really really feel like I am part of their family. Without getting sappy, words really can't explain how much they mean to me, and I know that they will forever be in my heart.
Some things that I am going to miss about Denmark:
1. My host family DUHHHH! :-D
2. Mathilde and Assia at my practicum site. Cutest girls ever!
3. Danish pastries and cakes, aka the bane of my existence and the explanation for my food baby
4. Fløbeller. As Michael says, "what they eat in heaven".
5. Helle, my CMC instructor and one of the most amazing people I have ever met
6. The refugee school in Holland: such an inspiration
7. St. Peter's Bakery and their 12kr special aka the only thing in CPH that I could afford
8.Things being made from scratch: homemade sushi and thai food? That'll never happen again :(
9. The generosity of Danes: they always helped me when I got lost. Some would even come with me to show me the way! In NYC, it would take you 10 mins before you could even stop someone to ask for directions
10. The parks
11. hygge
12. My host parent's cooking esp. their thai dishes! DELICIOUS!
13. The trampoline in our backyard
14. Tea. Though my host parents gave me a teapot and tea for my bday so I'm bringin that back to the States!
15. The colorful buildings
16. The city's european feel, how old it is
17. Cobblestone streets. Though I may not miss this since walking on cobblestone starts to become painful after 2 mins
18. The narrow streets
19. The bike culture, and looking out for bikes instead of cars when crossing the street
20. How proper Danes look while riding a bike (think the 101 Dalmatians)
21. Nyhavn
22. The jam and butter. Though it's clear this is a good thing we don't have this at home, since bread, butter, jam, and cheese are also the cause of my food baby.
23. Room service
24. The misuse of "fun" and "funny" and using a "w" sound when it should be a "v"
25. Being in Europe
26. The long walk from my house to the train station. Okay, sometimes this was a pleasant walk.
27. the Roskilde fjord
28. Istanbul Pizza. Yes, I know I'm from NYC, but this stuff is delicious!!
I could go on but I'll stop here for now.
How do you say goodbye to someone you know you will never see again? It's a strange feeling, really. This past Thursday was my last day at my practicum, and it was really hard to find the right words to say goodbye, because I knew, and they knew, that I would never see them again. I was saying goodbye to Lila, and she actually said to me "so, I'm never going to see you again". It's hurtful in a way that makes you want to apologize for leaving. One little girl, my favorite girl Mathilde, cried when she realized I was leaving. That was really touching. I am going to miss her so much. She is the cutest girl I have ever seen, the epitome of Danish: blond hair, big beautiful blue eyes, and so cute and small (she's about 2 1/2). Every Thursday her face would light up and she would grin as I walked into the classroom. She would immediately put out her small hand for me to take and would say "come. come here!" I wish I could take her with me.
My host family has by far been my greatest experience here in Denmark. Without them, I would have been much more homesick, and I don't think I would've liked it here as much. The Danes are really reserved, so having a close-knit family to come home to at the end of the day instead of going back to a quiet 5 x 9 dorm room, was wonderful. I've learned so much about Danish culture through them, and I really really feel like I am part of their family. Without getting sappy, words really can't explain how much they mean to me, and I know that they will forever be in my heart.
Some things that I am going to miss about Denmark:
1. My host family DUHHHH! :-D
2. Mathilde and Assia at my practicum site. Cutest girls ever!
3. Danish pastries and cakes, aka the bane of my existence and the explanation for my food baby
4. Fløbeller. As Michael says, "what they eat in heaven".
5. Helle, my CMC instructor and one of the most amazing people I have ever met
6. The refugee school in Holland: such an inspiration
7. St. Peter's Bakery and their 12kr special aka the only thing in CPH that I could afford
8.Things being made from scratch: homemade sushi and thai food? That'll never happen again :(
9. The generosity of Danes: they always helped me when I got lost. Some would even come with me to show me the way! In NYC, it would take you 10 mins before you could even stop someone to ask for directions
10. The parks
11. hygge
12. My host parent's cooking esp. their thai dishes! DELICIOUS!
13. The trampoline in our backyard
14. Tea. Though my host parents gave me a teapot and tea for my bday so I'm bringin that back to the States!
15. The colorful buildings
16. The city's european feel, how old it is
17. Cobblestone streets. Though I may not miss this since walking on cobblestone starts to become painful after 2 mins
18. The narrow streets
19. The bike culture, and looking out for bikes instead of cars when crossing the street
20. How proper Danes look while riding a bike (think the 101 Dalmatians)
21. Nyhavn
22. The jam and butter. Though it's clear this is a good thing we don't have this at home, since bread, butter, jam, and cheese are also the cause of my food baby.
23. Room service
24. The misuse of "fun" and "funny" and using a "w" sound when it should be a "v"
25. Being in Europe
26. The long walk from my house to the train station. Okay, sometimes this was a pleasant walk.
27. the Roskilde fjord
28. Istanbul Pizza. Yes, I know I'm from NYC, but this stuff is delicious!!
I could go on but I'll stop here for now.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Prague and Mom's Visit
Okay so it's been about a good month since my mom came but I have yet to post about her visit and my third week of travel break. I know, I'm a bit behind.
So my mom came my second week of break end of March) which was super exciting for everyone: me, my mom, and my host family (my host parents couldn't wait to meet her). Thanks to the generosity of my host fam, she was able to stay with us at our house, which was great. She of course, she brought the wonderful kitchen aid mixer with her. I have told so many people here this story that when I got back from break all my friends asked if she brought it with her. The kitchen aid story: before I got here, I had been emailing my host fam back and forth. In one email, Michael had asked if I could purchase and bring him a kitchen aid mixer (he would pay me back) with me to Denmark, since everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in Denmark is ridiculously expensive. I saw one the other day for 4799DKK, which is about $850, while in the U.S. they run for $200-$300 dollars. Yet, asking me on a whim, Michael did not realize how ridiculously heavy those machines are. So I told him that while yes I could buy one for him, I wouldn't be able to bring it with me when I came to Denmark, but my mom would be able to when she comes in March. Thus the reason why my mom schlepped the gigantic machine with her on the plane from the States! :-D
Anyway, my mom arrived on Sunday, in which Michael and I picked her up from the airport. Michael took all her luggage to the house so that my mom and I could explore CPH for the day. I took her to the city museum, St. Peter's Baker, which is the perfect example of my life here in Denmark, Nyhavn and the Queen's palace, and just walked around a bit. In the afternoon I took her to the fjord in Roskilde which is around the corner from my house.
Tuesday we left for Prague! My mom booked us an apartment in the Mala Strana area of Prague, because she didn't want to stay in a modern hotel, and what a cute little place it was. Mala Strana is an area of Prague that's preserved and people are not allowed to build new buildings there, so everything is very European. Plus we were on the same street as the American Embassy and next door to a police station, so we were in a very safe neighborhood.
We saw the Prague Castle: Gothic-style architecture, HUGE, and very beautiful. Oh, and there were 297 steps to get to it. It is also where Barack gave his speech when he went to Prague, which coincidentally was only 2 days after we were there! We left on Friday and he was there on Sunday! Ahh, I was soo close to achieving my dream of meeting him! :-). Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world. They have guards outside that change on the hour. the guards of course are not allowed to move, so it was really funny to see everyone taking awkward pictures with them, including myself. The German troops also marched through the castle gates in 1938 during their invasion of Czechoslovakia, so the place has a lot of history. The cathedral on the grounds, St. Vitus Cathedral was absolutely magnificent and had lots of crypts where of the kindgs of Czech are buried.
On Wednesday we went to the Jewish quarter of Prague where there were the remains of the former Jewish ghetto from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There were 5 synagogues, the Prague Jewish museum, which housed a memorial for the holocaust, and an old Jewish century that had some famous rabbis buried there. My favorite was the Spanish synagogue which was so ornate with all the gold details. Little did we know that we could have taken a tour to the concentration camp of Terezin, about an hour outside of Prague. In the Pinkas synagogue, which is Prague's second-oldest Jewish house of worship from the 1500s, the walls were painted with the names of 77,297s Czech Jews who died in the concentration camps.
That evening we walked over the famous Charles bridge, and got a wonderful view of the Castle at night, which was all light up. Absolutely beautiful.
Thursday, our last day, was more of relaxing and less sightseeing. We went to the mall downtown and did some shopping . We also saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was an experience just trying to get the tickets. The idiotic woman, not woman, stupid teenager I should call her, refused to sell us the tickets because it was an "Indian movie" and because we were speaking to her in English, she decided that we wouldn't be able to understand the movie because it was in Indian. She actually, would not give us the tickets. Seriously. She called over her co-worker, and proceeded to talk about us to him in Czech, explaining that it was in Indian and we wouldn't be able to understand it. I almost punched her in the freakin face. After explaining to the man that most of the movie was in English and that I knew some of it would be in "Indian" (WHICH ISN'T EVEN A LANGUAGE you stupid Czech lady) and yes, I knew that the subtitles would be in Czech, they FINALLY gave us our tickets! Needless to say I was pretty pissed off. WTF?!
A couple of funny things about Prague. 1) The city was filled with high school Italian tour groups. I think all of Italy must have had spring break because every where we went we saw and heard Italian tour groups! I don't think I heard much of the Czech language while I was there because there were so many Italians! 2) There were no supermarkets where we stayed so we had to eat every meal out, which was fine, except that I don't know when the Czechs eat dinner because every night when we went out to dinner, which would be around 8pm (starting time for Europeans) we were the ONLY ONES in the restaurants! Strange. 3) PRAGUE HAS STARBUCKS! the only one in Copenhagen is in the airport and its 8 dollars for the small size. So I was very happy :-)
Prague was very beautiful and it was so nice to be there with my mom. It was her first time in Europe, which was very exciting! We left to go back to CPH on Friday, and spent the afternoon exploring CPH some more. Friday night was August's birthday, so the grandparents were over for dinner. Christina made my favorite thai dish for my mom and the fastelavn cookies for her as well, and it was just really fun and hyggelit (Danish word for cozy). Saturday, my host family and me and my mom went to Christiana, (a mini-Amsterdam), saw the new Opera house and the Little Mermaid. Another hyggelit dinner, and my host parents left bright and early the next day for their skiing holiday. Sunday was my last full day with my mom and we stayed at home, drinking wine and watching t.v. On Monday my mom was off to the airport, and I was off on my European journey to Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest. I couldn't believe how fast the week went by! I only wish she could've stayed longer!
So my mom came my second week of break end of March) which was super exciting for everyone: me, my mom, and my host family (my host parents couldn't wait to meet her). Thanks to the generosity of my host fam, she was able to stay with us at our house, which was great. She of course, she brought the wonderful kitchen aid mixer with her. I have told so many people here this story that when I got back from break all my friends asked if she brought it with her. The kitchen aid story: before I got here, I had been emailing my host fam back and forth. In one email, Michael had asked if I could purchase and bring him a kitchen aid mixer (he would pay me back) with me to Denmark, since everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in Denmark is ridiculously expensive. I saw one the other day for 4799DKK, which is about $850, while in the U.S. they run for $200-$300 dollars. Yet, asking me on a whim, Michael did not realize how ridiculously heavy those machines are. So I told him that while yes I could buy one for him, I wouldn't be able to bring it with me when I came to Denmark, but my mom would be able to when she comes in March. Thus the reason why my mom schlepped the gigantic machine with her on the plane from the States! :-D
Anyway, my mom arrived on Sunday, in which Michael and I picked her up from the airport. Michael took all her luggage to the house so that my mom and I could explore CPH for the day. I took her to the city museum, St. Peter's Baker, which is the perfect example of my life here in Denmark, Nyhavn and the Queen's palace, and just walked around a bit. In the afternoon I took her to the fjord in Roskilde which is around the corner from my house.
Tuesday we left for Prague! My mom booked us an apartment in the Mala Strana area of Prague, because she didn't want to stay in a modern hotel, and what a cute little place it was. Mala Strana is an area of Prague that's preserved and people are not allowed to build new buildings there, so everything is very European. Plus we were on the same street as the American Embassy and next door to a police station, so we were in a very safe neighborhood.
We saw the Prague Castle: Gothic-style architecture, HUGE, and very beautiful. Oh, and there were 297 steps to get to it. It is also where Barack gave his speech when he went to Prague, which coincidentally was only 2 days after we were there! We left on Friday and he was there on Sunday! Ahh, I was soo close to achieving my dream of meeting him! :-). Prague Castle is the largest castle complex in the world. They have guards outside that change on the hour. the guards of course are not allowed to move, so it was really funny to see everyone taking awkward pictures with them, including myself. The German troops also marched through the castle gates in 1938 during their invasion of Czechoslovakia, so the place has a lot of history. The cathedral on the grounds, St. Vitus Cathedral was absolutely magnificent and had lots of crypts where of the kindgs of Czech are buried.
On Wednesday we went to the Jewish quarter of Prague where there were the remains of the former Jewish ghetto from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There were 5 synagogues, the Prague Jewish museum, which housed a memorial for the holocaust, and an old Jewish century that had some famous rabbis buried there. My favorite was the Spanish synagogue which was so ornate with all the gold details. Little did we know that we could have taken a tour to the concentration camp of Terezin, about an hour outside of Prague. In the Pinkas synagogue, which is Prague's second-oldest Jewish house of worship from the 1500s, the walls were painted with the names of 77,297s Czech Jews who died in the concentration camps.
That evening we walked over the famous Charles bridge, and got a wonderful view of the Castle at night, which was all light up. Absolutely beautiful.
Thursday, our last day, was more of relaxing and less sightseeing. We went to the mall downtown and did some shopping . We also saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was an experience just trying to get the tickets. The idiotic woman, not woman, stupid teenager I should call her, refused to sell us the tickets because it was an "Indian movie" and because we were speaking to her in English, she decided that we wouldn't be able to understand the movie because it was in Indian. She actually, would not give us the tickets. Seriously. She called over her co-worker, and proceeded to talk about us to him in Czech, explaining that it was in Indian and we wouldn't be able to understand it. I almost punched her in the freakin face. After explaining to the man that most of the movie was in English and that I knew some of it would be in "Indian" (WHICH ISN'T EVEN A LANGUAGE you stupid Czech lady) and yes, I knew that the subtitles would be in Czech, they FINALLY gave us our tickets! Needless to say I was pretty pissed off. WTF?!
A couple of funny things about Prague. 1) The city was filled with high school Italian tour groups. I think all of Italy must have had spring break because every where we went we saw and heard Italian tour groups! I don't think I heard much of the Czech language while I was there because there were so many Italians! 2) There were no supermarkets where we stayed so we had to eat every meal out, which was fine, except that I don't know when the Czechs eat dinner because every night when we went out to dinner, which would be around 8pm (starting time for Europeans) we were the ONLY ONES in the restaurants! Strange. 3) PRAGUE HAS STARBUCKS! the only one in Copenhagen is in the airport and its 8 dollars for the small size. So I was very happy :-)
Prague was very beautiful and it was so nice to be there with my mom. It was her first time in Europe, which was very exciting! We left to go back to CPH on Friday, and spent the afternoon exploring CPH some more. Friday night was August's birthday, so the grandparents were over for dinner. Christina made my favorite thai dish for my mom and the fastelavn cookies for her as well, and it was just really fun and hyggelit (Danish word for cozy). Saturday, my host family and me and my mom went to Christiana, (a mini-Amsterdam), saw the new Opera house and the Little Mermaid. Another hyggelit dinner, and my host parents left bright and early the next day for their skiing holiday. Sunday was my last full day with my mom and we stayed at home, drinking wine and watching t.v. On Monday my mom was off to the airport, and I was off on my European journey to Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest. I couldn't believe how fast the week went by! I only wish she could've stayed longer!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sweden Adventure Trip!
Okay, so I know it's been about a month since my last post, sorry! I had an amazing rest of travel break, and now as the semester winds down I am swamped with work. I had a 2 1/2 hour nap last night as I stayed up to 4am to finish my portfolio for my CMC Practicum class. And I have two more papers due next week which will mean that next Sunday will be a repeat all- nighter, yaayy!!! FML :-D
Anyway, this weekend I went rock climbing and canoeing in Sweden! It was absolutely amazing and a wonderful trip. We went to Kullenborg, a tiny town kind of in the middle of nowhere in Sweden but it was absolutely gorgeous. On our bus ride to go climbing, we passed this little town on the water with all these cute Swedish summer houses. I was really nervous to go rock climbing, seeing as though the last time I did the activity was for my best friend's birthday in elementary school...and that was on an indoor wall. So yeah..I wasn't too enthusiastic. But they had added rock climbing about a week before our trip, and since my biking skills are not up to par, and you can also bike anywhere, my classmate convinced me to try climbing. And I'm so glad I did! We went climbing on this magnificent cliff overlooking the ocean, in the distance you could see Copenhagen. The cliff was covered with green pasture and COWS! giant, hairy cows. I felt like I was in Ireland (though I've never been there, it looked like what I imagined the country to look like). So it was peaceful and beautiful. I was a little terrified at first going up the rocks, but everyone cheered each other on which created such a positive environment and really gave me the strength to keep going up! Although the next morning, and even today, I am still sore. My triceps and thighs were killing me the next day, since you literally have to pull yourself up onto the next rock ledge. But it was worth it! And I'm really glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new.
The next day I went canoeing down this river that went through the town of Angelhorm in Sweden. Such a cute town, with really pretty houses lining the river. It was more of a lazy river, but at times when the wind kicked in, we were canoeing in the opposite direction of the current, which made it a little difficult. We did 4 hours of canoeing, so I was excited to be done with it by the time we got to the end, but it was also beautiful, relaxing, and a lot of fun!
Next weekend I will be going sailing around the islands of Denmark, which should be fun. I only hope the weather was as picturesque as it was this past weekend!
Anyway, this weekend I went rock climbing and canoeing in Sweden! It was absolutely amazing and a wonderful trip. We went to Kullenborg, a tiny town kind of in the middle of nowhere in Sweden but it was absolutely gorgeous. On our bus ride to go climbing, we passed this little town on the water with all these cute Swedish summer houses. I was really nervous to go rock climbing, seeing as though the last time I did the activity was for my best friend's birthday in elementary school...and that was on an indoor wall. So yeah..I wasn't too enthusiastic. But they had added rock climbing about a week before our trip, and since my biking skills are not up to par, and you can also bike anywhere, my classmate convinced me to try climbing. And I'm so glad I did! We went climbing on this magnificent cliff overlooking the ocean, in the distance you could see Copenhagen. The cliff was covered with green pasture and COWS! giant, hairy cows. I felt like I was in Ireland (though I've never been there, it looked like what I imagined the country to look like). So it was peaceful and beautiful. I was a little terrified at first going up the rocks, but everyone cheered each other on which created such a positive environment and really gave me the strength to keep going up! Although the next morning, and even today, I am still sore. My triceps and thighs were killing me the next day, since you literally have to pull yourself up onto the next rock ledge. But it was worth it! And I'm really glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new.
The next day I went canoeing down this river that went through the town of Angelhorm in Sweden. Such a cute town, with really pretty houses lining the river. It was more of a lazy river, but at times when the wind kicked in, we were canoeing in the opposite direction of the current, which made it a little difficult. We did 4 hours of canoeing, so I was excited to be done with it by the time we got to the end, but it was also beautiful, relaxing, and a lot of fun!
Next weekend I will be going sailing around the islands of Denmark, which should be fun. I only hope the weather was as picturesque as it was this past weekend!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Holland!
Hello all! I just got back from Holland with my CMC class and what an amazing trip it was! We left last Sunday at 8am, which meant I had to leave my house by 6:30 to catch the 6:45 train into CPH (joy), and had a wonderful 8 hour bus ride to look forward to! We went to Groningen and Amsterdam, and it was a great trip.
Sunday night around 7pm we arrived at our hotel in Groningen after a grueling day of traveling, and our hotel was beautiful. We had a group dinner at an Indonesian restaurant which was very spicy but also delicious, and then the rest of the night on our own. I was too exhausted to go out so I went back to the hotel with most of the group. We had to walk both ways, which we found out the next day was about 4 miles!!
Saturday we had a group visit at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences. This trip to Holland was my long study tour with DIS, which meant that it combined both academic and cultural visits. We walked around Groningen and then climbed the Martini Tower (named after Saint Martin, no idea who that is). This reminded me of the tower I climbed in Spain ( I don't remember if it was Sevilla or Cordoba), but at least that was just a long winding ramp, this was a narrow spiraling staircase to the top of the tower, so I tried very hard not to feel claustrophobic. After almost passing out, we made it to the top of the tower which gave us a magnificent view of the city of Groningen. After that, we had time on our own, which we used for walking around/shopping, and we found a nice little mexican restaurant for dinner. Most of us have been deprived of cultural food in CPH because the restaurants are soo expensive and not always delicious, so we were all excited to have mexican food for dinner. We each ordered nachos, a gigantic portion, and it was fantastic!
Tuesday we left Groningen and headed for Nijeveen where we had a visit at a refugee school, actually it is called a receiving school: Eerste Opvang van de Woldstroom, the first receiving school for refugee children ages 4-14. This was by far the highlight of the trip. Our core class is Children in a Multicultural Context (CMC), so visiting a refugee school fit perfectly with our studies. We had a presentation about the school: the children at the school are from the ages of 4 to 14 and they are there to learn Dutch. After the age of 14 they are put into the public school system in the surrounding areas. The children that attend the school come from asylum centers (refugee children), but also adopted children who therefore do not speak Dutch. Of the refugee children who attend the school, they often come and go, because they are moved around a lot from one asylum to another, so the teachers don't know how long each child will be there for, which can be upsetting and difficult to deal with. Yet the teachers are much more than teachers to these kids, they are like a mother to many of them. Their work extends beyond the classroom. One teacher explained how the young girls often want to talk to her in private about topics such as sex and their periods, so she must teach them about their menstrual cycle, as well as safe sex. She is worried that two girls in her class might be prostitutes. because on Mondays they often come in wearing brand new clothes. I really enjoyed my visit with these children. They were so friendly, and eager to talk to us. Many of them spoke English because they came from African nations (one girl from Somalia said that back home you can't go to school if you don't speak English). In one class, they all introduced themselves by telling us their name, where they live in Holland (which meant nothing to us), and their home country. Many of the kids in that class were from Burundi. We had the opportunity to play with them at recess, which was just so much fun. The kids really wanted us to play with them, which is the complete opposite experience that I have with the Danish toddlers at my practicum site, but that could be because three-year olds are often quite independent and are often exploring in their own imaginary world. Some of us played football (soccer) with the older boys, they seemed like they were all having a blast; some of us played with the younger kids (4-6) on the jungle gym and helped them do flips on the monkey bars; I played some games with the older kids. One of the games was with a rope and whoever jumped out of the circle last had to do something silly. The "silly action" rotated from telling someone in the circle they were beautiful, to giving someone a kiss, to having to sing and dance in the middle. The girls all told me I was beautiful and they gave me kisses, which was soo sweet and really made me feel included in their game! When I lost and it was my turn to do something silly, I sang a Backstreet Boys song. :-) After recess the young children performed a song and dance for us, which we joined in on, and then showed them some American song and dances for young kids, such as the hokey pokey. Then the older kids came in and we were all singing and dancing together in Dutch, it was so much fun! It was then time to say goodbye to the kids (it was 3pm). The teachers make a point to wave goodbye to the buses each day (the kids are bussed in from the asylum centers and camps) because they never know who is going to come back the next day. So we got the chance to do the same. I really connected with some of the kids (the older girls said I was chill and nice to hang out with), so needless to say it was extremely difficult for me to say goodbye to them. One girl asked me if we were coming back the next day and I said, "no, we're only here for today". That's when I realized that I was never going to see these wonderful children again, which broke my heart. What made it worse was that the kids asked for our email addresses, and we weren't allowed to give them out because then the kids would try and contact us and ask us for help. This also broke my heart, and I couldn't bring myself to give them a fake email address. When it came time to say goodbye and watch them board the bus, and as I was hugging one little girl ( the one who had gave me kisses and told me I was beautiful during the circle game), I lost it and started crying. It was heart wrenching to know that I was never going to see them again, and I really felt like I had bonded with them in such a short amount of time. As I was standing there crying, the little girl came back over and gave me the biggest hug ever to cheer me up, which only made me cry more because she was being so sweet. Later, I was saying goodbye to the other girls, and I lost it again, started crying, and they wiped away my tears and were giving me hugs, which again just made me cry harder. By this point I was bawling. But the teacher told me that those girls are there everyday, which made me feel better that they would be there tomorrow. We had a wrap-up with the teachers who told us that only a small percentage of children don't return, which made me feel slightly better. We said goodbyes and thank yous to the teachers and then departed for Amsterdam. What an amazing but emotionally draining day!
As if that wasn't enough, that night when we went to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. I thought I was going to cry but I didn't. It was absolutely amazing and unbelievably eerie to walk past the bookcase and up the narrow stairs to the annex where Anne Frank hid for a year and a half. I could almost feel her presence in the house, and it was so surreal to stand in her bedroom. Unbelievable.
The next day we went to an International school in which the majority of the kids who attend the school are Dutch, British, and American. This visit wasn't nearly as exciting as our visit to the refugee school; we didn't get to go inside classrooms are talk to the students directly, but there was definitely a lot of diversity present.
That evening we had the lovely opportunity to go to a Wervel Performance, which consisted of a woman spinning in a circle for an hour. No joke. Did I mention that the students who went to London on their tour got to see Wicked? Yeah, that's fair. I don't even know wtf a Wervel performance is, and of course they did not explain it to us at the beginning of the show. All I know is that there's some sort of religious aspect to it, I think the idea is that your spinning up to G-d? I don't know... I cannot even begin to explain how f---ing strange it was to sit and watch a woman spin and spin and spin and spin and spin for an hour. Though she did change it up a bit with her arms and the speed of her spinning.
On Thursday we went to Keukenhof, a tulip/flower garden an hour outside of Amsterdam. It's called The Garden of Europe, has the largest sculpture garden in the Netherlands, and claims to be the most photographed spot in the world. Although it was raining while we were there (and rained the majority of the time we were in Amsterdam) it was still absolutely beautiful to see all the flowers in bloom, and so many beautiful tulips! The theme was New York, which makes sense because the first settlers of NYC were the Dutch! So instead of I heart NY, there was a giant I Tulip (with a red tulip bulb) NY.
Friday we went to the Van Gogh museum, which was having a special exhibition of Starry Night: all of his paintings that he did at night. So of course there was the original Starry Night, which I have seen before at the MOMA, which actually owns it, because the one at the museum was from MOMA. But my new favorite Van Gogh painting is Starry Night on the Rhone. It was beautiful and looked like an actual photograph from afar with the way he created the reflection on the water. After the museum we had a nice Indian lunch and then departed for our way back to CPH on a wonderful 12 hour bus!
Of course there are some things I left out, such as the coffeeshops and the red light district. I won't get into how much of Amsterdam's vices I tried out, but in case you were wondering, no, I did not buy a prostitute. :-) I thought Amsterdam was going to be extremely seedy, with lots of pickpocketing and gypsies around, but it wasn't at all. There was no seedy feeling at all, except for maybe the red light district. In fact, with all the canals, Amsterdam was absolutely beautiful. Especially at night with all the canal bridges lit up with lights and the swans in the water, it was gorgeous.
The red light district was extremely interesting. The girls all looked liked barbie dolls, and I found it fascinating to watch the men. At one point, a group of guys were standing around one window and the lady came out to talk to them trying to convince them to come in... the policeman standing on the corner shouted to the guys, "come on now, don't be shy!" Haha, I guess that's Amsterdam for you... ;-)
Sunday night around 7pm we arrived at our hotel in Groningen after a grueling day of traveling, and our hotel was beautiful. We had a group dinner at an Indonesian restaurant which was very spicy but also delicious, and then the rest of the night on our own. I was too exhausted to go out so I went back to the hotel with most of the group. We had to walk both ways, which we found out the next day was about 4 miles!!
Saturday we had a group visit at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences. This trip to Holland was my long study tour with DIS, which meant that it combined both academic and cultural visits. We walked around Groningen and then climbed the Martini Tower (named after Saint Martin, no idea who that is). This reminded me of the tower I climbed in Spain ( I don't remember if it was Sevilla or Cordoba), but at least that was just a long winding ramp, this was a narrow spiraling staircase to the top of the tower, so I tried very hard not to feel claustrophobic. After almost passing out, we made it to the top of the tower which gave us a magnificent view of the city of Groningen. After that, we had time on our own, which we used for walking around/shopping, and we found a nice little mexican restaurant for dinner. Most of us have been deprived of cultural food in CPH because the restaurants are soo expensive and not always delicious, so we were all excited to have mexican food for dinner. We each ordered nachos, a gigantic portion, and it was fantastic!
Tuesday we left Groningen and headed for Nijeveen where we had a visit at a refugee school, actually it is called a receiving school: Eerste Opvang van de Woldstroom, the first receiving school for refugee children ages 4-14. This was by far the highlight of the trip. Our core class is Children in a Multicultural Context (CMC), so visiting a refugee school fit perfectly with our studies. We had a presentation about the school: the children at the school are from the ages of 4 to 14 and they are there to learn Dutch. After the age of 14 they are put into the public school system in the surrounding areas. The children that attend the school come from asylum centers (refugee children), but also adopted children who therefore do not speak Dutch. Of the refugee children who attend the school, they often come and go, because they are moved around a lot from one asylum to another, so the teachers don't know how long each child will be there for, which can be upsetting and difficult to deal with. Yet the teachers are much more than teachers to these kids, they are like a mother to many of them. Their work extends beyond the classroom. One teacher explained how the young girls often want to talk to her in private about topics such as sex and their periods, so she must teach them about their menstrual cycle, as well as safe sex. She is worried that two girls in her class might be prostitutes. because on Mondays they often come in wearing brand new clothes. I really enjoyed my visit with these children. They were so friendly, and eager to talk to us. Many of them spoke English because they came from African nations (one girl from Somalia said that back home you can't go to school if you don't speak English). In one class, they all introduced themselves by telling us their name, where they live in Holland (which meant nothing to us), and their home country. Many of the kids in that class were from Burundi. We had the opportunity to play with them at recess, which was just so much fun. The kids really wanted us to play with them, which is the complete opposite experience that I have with the Danish toddlers at my practicum site, but that could be because three-year olds are often quite independent and are often exploring in their own imaginary world. Some of us played football (soccer) with the older boys, they seemed like they were all having a blast; some of us played with the younger kids (4-6) on the jungle gym and helped them do flips on the monkey bars; I played some games with the older kids. One of the games was with a rope and whoever jumped out of the circle last had to do something silly. The "silly action" rotated from telling someone in the circle they were beautiful, to giving someone a kiss, to having to sing and dance in the middle. The girls all told me I was beautiful and they gave me kisses, which was soo sweet and really made me feel included in their game! When I lost and it was my turn to do something silly, I sang a Backstreet Boys song. :-) After recess the young children performed a song and dance for us, which we joined in on, and then showed them some American song and dances for young kids, such as the hokey pokey. Then the older kids came in and we were all singing and dancing together in Dutch, it was so much fun! It was then time to say goodbye to the kids (it was 3pm). The teachers make a point to wave goodbye to the buses each day (the kids are bussed in from the asylum centers and camps) because they never know who is going to come back the next day. So we got the chance to do the same. I really connected with some of the kids (the older girls said I was chill and nice to hang out with), so needless to say it was extremely difficult for me to say goodbye to them. One girl asked me if we were coming back the next day and I said, "no, we're only here for today". That's when I realized that I was never going to see these wonderful children again, which broke my heart. What made it worse was that the kids asked for our email addresses, and we weren't allowed to give them out because then the kids would try and contact us and ask us for help. This also broke my heart, and I couldn't bring myself to give them a fake email address. When it came time to say goodbye and watch them board the bus, and as I was hugging one little girl ( the one who had gave me kisses and told me I was beautiful during the circle game), I lost it and started crying. It was heart wrenching to know that I was never going to see them again, and I really felt like I had bonded with them in such a short amount of time. As I was standing there crying, the little girl came back over and gave me the biggest hug ever to cheer me up, which only made me cry more because she was being so sweet. Later, I was saying goodbye to the other girls, and I lost it again, started crying, and they wiped away my tears and were giving me hugs, which again just made me cry harder. By this point I was bawling. But the teacher told me that those girls are there everyday, which made me feel better that they would be there tomorrow. We had a wrap-up with the teachers who told us that only a small percentage of children don't return, which made me feel slightly better. We said goodbyes and thank yous to the teachers and then departed for Amsterdam. What an amazing but emotionally draining day!
As if that wasn't enough, that night when we went to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. I thought I was going to cry but I didn't. It was absolutely amazing and unbelievably eerie to walk past the bookcase and up the narrow stairs to the annex where Anne Frank hid for a year and a half. I could almost feel her presence in the house, and it was so surreal to stand in her bedroom. Unbelievable.
The next day we went to an International school in which the majority of the kids who attend the school are Dutch, British, and American. This visit wasn't nearly as exciting as our visit to the refugee school; we didn't get to go inside classrooms are talk to the students directly, but there was definitely a lot of diversity present.
That evening we had the lovely opportunity to go to a Wervel Performance, which consisted of a woman spinning in a circle for an hour. No joke. Did I mention that the students who went to London on their tour got to see Wicked? Yeah, that's fair. I don't even know wtf a Wervel performance is, and of course they did not explain it to us at the beginning of the show. All I know is that there's some sort of religious aspect to it, I think the idea is that your spinning up to G-d? I don't know... I cannot even begin to explain how f---ing strange it was to sit and watch a woman spin and spin and spin and spin and spin for an hour. Though she did change it up a bit with her arms and the speed of her spinning.
On Thursday we went to Keukenhof, a tulip/flower garden an hour outside of Amsterdam. It's called The Garden of Europe, has the largest sculpture garden in the Netherlands, and claims to be the most photographed spot in the world. Although it was raining while we were there (and rained the majority of the time we were in Amsterdam) it was still absolutely beautiful to see all the flowers in bloom, and so many beautiful tulips! The theme was New York, which makes sense because the first settlers of NYC were the Dutch! So instead of I heart NY, there was a giant I Tulip (with a red tulip bulb) NY.
Friday we went to the Van Gogh museum, which was having a special exhibition of Starry Night: all of his paintings that he did at night. So of course there was the original Starry Night, which I have seen before at the MOMA, which actually owns it, because the one at the museum was from MOMA. But my new favorite Van Gogh painting is Starry Night on the Rhone. It was beautiful and looked like an actual photograph from afar with the way he created the reflection on the water. After the museum we had a nice Indian lunch and then departed for our way back to CPH on a wonderful 12 hour bus!
Of course there are some things I left out, such as the coffeeshops and the red light district. I won't get into how much of Amsterdam's vices I tried out, but in case you were wondering, no, I did not buy a prostitute. :-) I thought Amsterdam was going to be extremely seedy, with lots of pickpocketing and gypsies around, but it wasn't at all. There was no seedy feeling at all, except for maybe the red light district. In fact, with all the canals, Amsterdam was absolutely beautiful. Especially at night with all the canal bridges lit up with lights and the swans in the water, it was gorgeous.
The red light district was extremely interesting. The girls all looked liked barbie dolls, and I found it fascinating to watch the men. At one point, a group of guys were standing around one window and the lady came out to talk to them trying to convince them to come in... the policeman standing on the corner shouted to the guys, "come on now, don't be shy!" Haha, I guess that's Amsterdam for you... ;-)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Immersion
It's been a while since I last updated this blog! Let's see, what's been going on...
Last Thursday I went to Christina's school to meet with Merete's students. Merete is a 9th grade English teacher who has been teaching her students about the U.S. and NYC, so when she heard that Christina was having an American host student (no less a New Yorker) she jumped at the opportunity to invite me to her classroom. I actually met with her about a month ago and we talked for about an hour about New York and America and she had many questions for me. What was extremely funny though, was when we met up before going to her classroom, she asked me if I knew the Pledge of Allegiance and if I could recite it for the class. I stared at her blankly, I couldn't remember the Pledge of Allegiance! After a few moments it came back to me, but Merete was quite surprised that I didn't know it off the top of my head. I had to explain to her that I hadn't recited the Pledge of Allegiance in school since pre-K and I only did it then because I went to a Catholic school. She thought everyone recited the Pledge in school, and that's when I had to explain to her the separation of Church and State and that we don't recite it in Public Schools. She was surprised and said, "well, that goes my stereotype of American students".
I spoke to Merete's students in two groups. The first group was quite shy at first but they quickly opened up and had a bunch of questions for me. The most popular question among teens is what I think about the drinking age of 16 in Denmark. That's when I explain to them about the college drinking scene and how most young Americans start drinking at 18 even though they cannot legally until 21. They also asked me about getting my license, about the biggest difference between Denmark and the U.S., in which I talked about how NY is really the city that never sleeps with diners and stores open 24/7 and our shops and supermarkets are opened past 6pm (for stores, 8pm for supermarkets here) and the fact that our transportation runs 24/7! They also asked me about drugs and sex in the U.S., Prom (they were disappointed when I told them that Prom is overrated, though I made them feel better when I explained that at the time it's a big deal when you're in high school, but looking back on it I couldn't care less), as well as 9/11. All in all, it was quite fun.
This weekend I felt like a real Dane because I got to go to Lalandia with my host family. I arrived on Saturday afternoon with Michael and Christina. My host grandparents had rented out one of the cottages for the weekend, ours was closest to the water and steps from the mini-theme park. So it was the whole family: grandparents, Michael, Christina, August, Katherine, and Michael's sister, husband, and daughter. It was a lot of fun. Lalandia has a mini-waterpark with 4 slides, one brand new one which was relatively big that we went on a thousand times and raced each other down (we all have bruises from bumping and pushing each other!), an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, Turkish bath and sauna, as well as a mini-indoor wavepool, regular pool, and some more slides. August told me that this waterpark was the biggest in Denmark, but it is very small compared to American waterparks. The resort also had minigolf, a trampoline/bungee jump thing which I did with Katherine, bowling, ice skating, an arcade, playgrounds, and restaurants. We mainly hung out in the waterpark for the weekend, though I sat on the sidelines while they went ice skating for an hour on Sunday (I realized last time when we went ice skating in Copenhagen that I absolutely hate it). The most awkward part of the weekend was showering naked in front of my host family and random Danish women. In Denmark, you must shower before entering a pool, and by shower I do mean get completely naked in an open area with other women and shower side-by-side. Except that I completely forgot about that rule, and was quite taken aback when I walked into the shower room with Christina and was greeted by lots of naked Danish women! Yes, I know we all have the same bits and pieces up above and down below, but it was still awkward and slightly uncomfortable, especially seeing the women of my host family naked. Overall though, I had a wonderful time at Lalandia and it was a nice change from Copenhagen.
Other things...
Today we had a guest lecturer for my core class, Children in a Multicultural Context. His name was Subhi, and he is originally from Iraq but has been living in Denmark for 16 years, so he came before the strict immigration laws were passed in 2001. Subhi talked to us about culture and cross-cultural comparisons, which was extremely interesting to apply to a Danish setting and think about how Danes view cross-cultural issues, and it was also good preparation for our study tour to Holland. In Holland we will be visiting a Refugee school in Groningen in which the children are bused to school each day from the refugee camp. I am extremely excited for this visit as well as the comparisons and contrasts we will be able to make between Holland's socialist policies and Denmark's Integration policies. While Denmark's Integration policies on the surface may suggest that they want to integrate minorities into Danish society, what their policies really practice is assimilation. One example can be seen in one of the requirements for immigration into Denmark, in which you must prove that your connections in Denmark (your social networks) are stronger than your connections to your home country. On the contrary, Holland employs a policy of socialization, which focuses on making sure that individuals function in their new environment; they does not focus on integration, they believe integration takes years and is thus not required of immigrants. I am looking forward to learning more about Holland's view on immigration and opportunity to make comparisons and contrasts to Denmark. It is interesting because in Denmark right now, there is a conservative party in power, whose subtle but present racist viewpoints on immigration and integration are very different from the viewpoints of many Danish citizens, specifically from citizens who reside in Zealand (Copenhagen and the surrounding area). Many individuals who I have talked to have said that they are embarrassed by the Danish government's harsh immigration laws. At a dinner party I attended last week, the host of the party talked about how an Arab colleague had emailed him about coming to Denmark to find work. The host of the party said that he had not written him back yet because he felt guilty, embarrassed, and saddened that he would have tell this man that there was no way he would be able to come to Denmark. It's interesting, because I don't think I would feel "embarrassed" about the U.S.'s tough immigration policies, but Denmark is much more of a collectivist society than the U.S. is, so Danes really feel that the government is a repsentative of them as individuals. In another anecdote, Michael works for a computer software company. He was explaining to me how they would like to hire qualified individuals from India or China who possess the skills for the job (Denmark doesn't do much outsourcing), but it is nearly impossible to do so because such individuals would not be able to get into Denmark and gain residency. He also said that he was embarrassed of the government's policies. It has been extremely interesting to learn about Denmark's integration policies, which were passed in 2001 after the U.S. government made it much more difficult to get into America. It has also been interesting to look at how such integration policies reflect Denmark's view on their growing multicultural population, an issue that has only become relevant in the last 40 years or so. This is quite different to our history in America, in which our country's history and diversity are intertwined.
These have just been some of my thoughts from my what I havetaken away from my CMC class. I will try and write once more before I leave for Holland because on Wednesday I am visiting an open prison. Yes, Denmark has an open prison system. Ah, the liberal Danes!
Vi ses!
Last Thursday I went to Christina's school to meet with Merete's students. Merete is a 9th grade English teacher who has been teaching her students about the U.S. and NYC, so when she heard that Christina was having an American host student (no less a New Yorker) she jumped at the opportunity to invite me to her classroom. I actually met with her about a month ago and we talked for about an hour about New York and America and she had many questions for me. What was extremely funny though, was when we met up before going to her classroom, she asked me if I knew the Pledge of Allegiance and if I could recite it for the class. I stared at her blankly, I couldn't remember the Pledge of Allegiance! After a few moments it came back to me, but Merete was quite surprised that I didn't know it off the top of my head. I had to explain to her that I hadn't recited the Pledge of Allegiance in school since pre-K and I only did it then because I went to a Catholic school. She thought everyone recited the Pledge in school, and that's when I had to explain to her the separation of Church and State and that we don't recite it in Public Schools. She was surprised and said, "well, that goes my stereotype of American students".
I spoke to Merete's students in two groups. The first group was quite shy at first but they quickly opened up and had a bunch of questions for me. The most popular question among teens is what I think about the drinking age of 16 in Denmark. That's when I explain to them about the college drinking scene and how most young Americans start drinking at 18 even though they cannot legally until 21. They also asked me about getting my license, about the biggest difference between Denmark and the U.S., in which I talked about how NY is really the city that never sleeps with diners and stores open 24/7 and our shops and supermarkets are opened past 6pm (for stores, 8pm for supermarkets here) and the fact that our transportation runs 24/7! They also asked me about drugs and sex in the U.S., Prom (they were disappointed when I told them that Prom is overrated, though I made them feel better when I explained that at the time it's a big deal when you're in high school, but looking back on it I couldn't care less), as well as 9/11. All in all, it was quite fun.
This weekend I felt like a real Dane because I got to go to Lalandia with my host family. I arrived on Saturday afternoon with Michael and Christina. My host grandparents had rented out one of the cottages for the weekend, ours was closest to the water and steps from the mini-theme park. So it was the whole family: grandparents, Michael, Christina, August, Katherine, and Michael's sister, husband, and daughter. It was a lot of fun. Lalandia has a mini-waterpark with 4 slides, one brand new one which was relatively big that we went on a thousand times and raced each other down (we all have bruises from bumping and pushing each other!), an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, Turkish bath and sauna, as well as a mini-indoor wavepool, regular pool, and some more slides. August told me that this waterpark was the biggest in Denmark, but it is very small compared to American waterparks. The resort also had minigolf, a trampoline/bungee jump thing which I did with Katherine, bowling, ice skating, an arcade, playgrounds, and restaurants. We mainly hung out in the waterpark for the weekend, though I sat on the sidelines while they went ice skating for an hour on Sunday (I realized last time when we went ice skating in Copenhagen that I absolutely hate it). The most awkward part of the weekend was showering naked in front of my host family and random Danish women. In Denmark, you must shower before entering a pool, and by shower I do mean get completely naked in an open area with other women and shower side-by-side. Except that I completely forgot about that rule, and was quite taken aback when I walked into the shower room with Christina and was greeted by lots of naked Danish women! Yes, I know we all have the same bits and pieces up above and down below, but it was still awkward and slightly uncomfortable, especially seeing the women of my host family naked. Overall though, I had a wonderful time at Lalandia and it was a nice change from Copenhagen.
Other things...
Today we had a guest lecturer for my core class, Children in a Multicultural Context. His name was Subhi, and he is originally from Iraq but has been living in Denmark for 16 years, so he came before the strict immigration laws were passed in 2001. Subhi talked to us about culture and cross-cultural comparisons, which was extremely interesting to apply to a Danish setting and think about how Danes view cross-cultural issues, and it was also good preparation for our study tour to Holland. In Holland we will be visiting a Refugee school in Groningen in which the children are bused to school each day from the refugee camp. I am extremely excited for this visit as well as the comparisons and contrasts we will be able to make between Holland's socialist policies and Denmark's Integration policies. While Denmark's Integration policies on the surface may suggest that they want to integrate minorities into Danish society, what their policies really practice is assimilation. One example can be seen in one of the requirements for immigration into Denmark, in which you must prove that your connections in Denmark (your social networks) are stronger than your connections to your home country. On the contrary, Holland employs a policy of socialization, which focuses on making sure that individuals function in their new environment; they does not focus on integration, they believe integration takes years and is thus not required of immigrants. I am looking forward to learning more about Holland's view on immigration and opportunity to make comparisons and contrasts to Denmark. It is interesting because in Denmark right now, there is a conservative party in power, whose subtle but present racist viewpoints on immigration and integration are very different from the viewpoints of many Danish citizens, specifically from citizens who reside in Zealand (Copenhagen and the surrounding area). Many individuals who I have talked to have said that they are embarrassed by the Danish government's harsh immigration laws. At a dinner party I attended last week, the host of the party talked about how an Arab colleague had emailed him about coming to Denmark to find work. The host of the party said that he had not written him back yet because he felt guilty, embarrassed, and saddened that he would have tell this man that there was no way he would be able to come to Denmark. It's interesting, because I don't think I would feel "embarrassed" about the U.S.'s tough immigration policies, but Denmark is much more of a collectivist society than the U.S. is, so Danes really feel that the government is a repsentative of them as individuals. In another anecdote, Michael works for a computer software company. He was explaining to me how they would like to hire qualified individuals from India or China who possess the skills for the job (Denmark doesn't do much outsourcing), but it is nearly impossible to do so because such individuals would not be able to get into Denmark and gain residency. He also said that he was embarrassed of the government's policies. It has been extremely interesting to learn about Denmark's integration policies, which were passed in 2001 after the U.S. government made it much more difficult to get into America. It has also been interesting to look at how such integration policies reflect Denmark's view on their growing multicultural population, an issue that has only become relevant in the last 40 years or so. This is quite different to our history in America, in which our country's history and diversity are intertwined.
These have just been some of my thoughts from my what I havetaken away from my CMC class. I will try and write once more before I leave for Holland because on Wednesday I am visiting an open prison. Yes, Denmark has an open prison system. Ah, the liberal Danes!
Vi ses!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
So last night I went to see the ballet of Romeo and Juliet (Danish version) and guess who was there: The Queen of Denmark!! It was very exciting! When she entered to sit in the box seats, along with her sister and the former Queen of Greece, everyone stood up and then sat down after she sat down. The woman sitting next to me said that the Queen goes to such shows quite often. The Danes admire their Royal Family very much, everyone seems to look up to them, so it was pretty cool to finally see her in person! The ballet was in the Royal Theater which is also the old Opera House and it is gorgeous. The ballet itself was quite long, 3 hours!! but it was fun. Danielle and I bought the tickets through DIS at a subsidized price. Because they forgot to send us our tickets, we got bumped up to Orchestra seating, though Danielle and I were sitting in the last row of the Orchestra and of course my left field of vision was obstructed by a pole/ column holding up the theater. But I manged to be able to see! Through DIS we were able to buy tickets to three shows: the next one is in April and is the Phantom of the Opera. Though Danielle and I just realized that it might be in Danish, so we have to rent the original before going so that we have a basic understanding of the plot. Then the last show is a new Danish opera, I believe it is called The Royal Physician, about a Danish doctor who tried to overthrow the Royal family. It sounds interesting and it's at the new Opera house, which is primarily why we bought the tickets. The New Opera house cost millions of kroners to build, and the money was donated by one of the wealthiest guys in Denmark, or the wealthiest man. The exterior is all glass and it sits right on the water, so I'm excited to get to see the inside of it.
This weekend I am going to Lollandia with my host family. Lollandia is this resort place in Southern Zealand (the island that Copenhagen is on), in which there are rental cottages and all sorts of activities: bowling, ice skating, swimming, etc. It sounds like it is very similar to Lake George. My host grandparents take their grandchildren every year for a weekend, and this year I'm invited! The grandkids leave with the grandparents on Fri night and the adults join Sat afternoon. I will be arriving with the adults.
Next weekend my fabulous 3 week break begins!! I leave for Holland on Sunday with my core class, then I come home the following weekend which is my host brother's confirmation, then my mom comes for a week and we are going to Prague for a few days (soo excited to see her!!), then the week after that I am going to Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest with some friends by train and taking a 24hour train ride home from Budapest to CPH (I'm not sure if that's going to be really cool to see that part of Europe by train, or if that 24 hour ride is going to kill me and I'll be in the worst mood ever. I'm trying to stay positive though). Needless to say I am very very VERY EXCITED!! :-) While I am excited to be here in Denmark, I realized that I've gotten caught up in the routine of everyday life here, so a break is much needed!
Talk soon! Visces(Danish for "see you")
This weekend I am going to Lollandia with my host family. Lollandia is this resort place in Southern Zealand (the island that Copenhagen is on), in which there are rental cottages and all sorts of activities: bowling, ice skating, swimming, etc. It sounds like it is very similar to Lake George. My host grandparents take their grandchildren every year for a weekend, and this year I'm invited! The grandkids leave with the grandparents on Fri night and the adults join Sat afternoon. I will be arriving with the adults.
Next weekend my fabulous 3 week break begins!! I leave for Holland on Sunday with my core class, then I come home the following weekend which is my host brother's confirmation, then my mom comes for a week and we are going to Prague for a few days (soo excited to see her!!), then the week after that I am going to Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest with some friends by train and taking a 24hour train ride home from Budapest to CPH (I'm not sure if that's going to be really cool to see that part of Europe by train, or if that 24 hour ride is going to kill me and I'll be in the worst mood ever. I'm trying to stay positive though). Needless to say I am very very VERY EXCITED!! :-) While I am excited to be here in Denmark, I realized that I've gotten caught up in the routine of everyday life here, so a break is much needed!
Talk soon! Visces(Danish for "see you")
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Quick Update
I don't have that much time to write, but I did want to give you guys a quick update on what's going on. First off, I have the flu, which is just wonderful. I went to the doctor yesterday, and there isn't much you can do except get lots of rest and drink lots of liquids, which is exactly what I did yesterday. I'm feeling a little better today, and we are going to the supermarket soon to pick up some chicken noodle soup, saltines, and hopefully ginger ale or seltzer. Then we are off to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, one of the largest museums in Denmark, so that should be fun. Some quick updates: lasts week I met with Ken Foxmen who is originally from Chicago, came here on DIS in the late '80s, fell in love with his host sister, and moved here for her after he graduated college. They were together for 5 years, it didn't work out, he decided to stay here because he had one more year in his masters, and eventually met his current wife who he has a 5 year-old daughter with, Lea :-). So I met with him and his students, who are going to NYC in April. The students are 15 and 16 years old, and they get extra English 2 hours a week. They had all sorts of questions for me: one asked about what I thought about Obama and what his presidency meant to me, needless to say that stirred up a lot emotion in me. It's funny, because almost every Dane I have met has asked me that question! Another girl asked me about 9/11 and how that changed NYC. More "fun" questions were about my favorite restaurant in NY (since they will be going there for 8 days), my favorite places to hang out in NYC, and if I've seen any celebrities. My words of wisdom for them: they had to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to get a magnificent view of the Manhattan skyline, and they had to eat a meal in Chinatown. :-). Then this week I went to Christina's school to tutor Anders in English. Anders is the boy who lived in Singapore for 5 years because his dad is in the shipping industry, and moved back to Denmark about 2 years ago. He is now 10, so he lived in Singapore from the time he was 2/3 until he was 8, and while there he went to an international school, so his first language is English. His mother doesn't want him to loose his English skills (he absolutely fluent), so she pays me to converse in English with him. I picked out some stuff from timeoutkids.com (the Time magazine), so we read an article about Obama, answered some questions about it, and then did some worksheets and wordgames. Then I just conversed with him for a bit. In total, I spent about an hour with him, and it wasn't that bad. His mom said I did a great job and that I should be a teacher! :-) So she is paying me about 125DKK an hour (yeah their minimum wage here is the equivalent of 20 dollars), which is about 25 bucks, not bad since I can't have a real job while I am here! Anyway, that's about it for now, just wanted to give you a quick update. Having the flu sucks ass, but I slept a lot yesterday and I am feeling a bit better.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Oslo, Norway!!
This weekend my friends and I went on a mini-cruise to Oslo, Norway and it was fantastic! While we got on each other's nerves a bit (which was a little stressful, but a good wake-up call and preparation for spring break when I travel with the same people again), we really did have a wonderful time. It was also my first time on a cruise ship, so it was a trip of many firsts!
I went with three other friends: Daniel, Danielle, and Marie. We were looking for a fourth person for a while because all of our other friends couldn't make it for various reasons, but I asked Marie (who I knew from my survival Danish class) and she said yes! So it was a good group of people. The mini-cruise is nicknamed the "booze cruise" probably because there is a duty-free store on board and bars and restaurants. But it's not like they give out free alcohol. The boat left at 5:30 pm from some terminal in Copenhagen, so my friends and I decided to go food shopping after class on Friday because the restaurants on the boat are little expensive. We went to Netto, which is the cheapest food store in Copenhagen, and bought fruit, crackers, juice popcorn, nutella, rolls for breakfast, and of course, booze. We then got bagel sandwiches to have for dinner that evening, and chocolate croissants at Saint Peter's Bakery to have for breakfast the next day, yummm. We went back to DIS to drop off our school stuff and pick up our overnight bags, and then we went to the terminal to get on the ship: Crown of Scandinavia!
The funniest thing was when we got on the boat, super excited about the ship and our room, and when we got to our room it was the smallest, narrowest "room" we had ever seen! But, Danielle had splurged the extra 10 dollars per person(yes, we paid her back), to get a room with a view of the ocean, so we had a wonderful view! Thank goodness she did that, because otherwise we would have been in a room BELOW the car garage, under sea level, somewhere near the engine of the boat! Each room also had its own private shower (thank goodness!) which came provided with soap, towels, bedsheets, comforters, and pillows. It saved a lot of packing room! We threw our stuff down, went up to explore the boat (three or four restaurants, a bar, one nightclub, and one discotheque, a movie theater, a kids corner and play area, and a Baresso (one of the coffee chains in CPH), and then we outside to the top deck of the ship to watch the sunset over Copenhagen and watch our departure. Already our trip was off to a beautiful start!
Soon after the boat departed, we went down to our cabin (after making some quick purchases at the duty-free shop), because it was very windy and quite cold on the deck! We ate our delicious sandwiches for dinner, and then decided to take a nap. It was too early to get the party started, I was also a bit sick from having migraines all week including on Friday, and Danielle was a little loopy from her Dramamine pill.
After our naps we got the party started in our room with a little help from the duty-free booze we bought. We then went to explore the nightclub. Awkward. First was karaoke (the music was way too loud), followed by lots of techno music. It was fun for a bit, but not enough to stay there til 3 in the morning. We called it quits pretty early in the night, I guess around 1, since it was a little lame and we had to get up early for Oslo!
We woke up early the next day to experience Oslo from the boat: beautiful snow-covered mountains, with little houses on the hillsides. It was absolutely breathtaking and didn't look real! The water was beautifully iced too. Oh yeah, it was going to be a cold day. Our plan was to go Tobogganing (sledding!) at Frognerseteren (a sledding and ski area 30 minutes from the city center of Oslo), then to the Vigeland Sculpture Park (Norway's top attraction and outdoor sculpture park), then to the Evard Munch museum to see The Scream, and then shopping for souvenirs and a light lunch in town. We didn't have time to do everything because the sledding was SO MUCH FUN! Though it made me sick (I didn't have goggles or sunglasses, so if I was behind a person on a sled, all the snow from their sled went all over my face, so it was kind of like a shower PLUS sweating because the sun was beating down on you and you had to walk up hills to go back up), but it was well worth it! It was a huge toboggan run, that at full speed only takes about 10 minutes, but it goes pretty far, you have to take the tram back up to the top! Plus the location was absolutely gorgeous: at the top of a huge mountain overlooking the water and the city of Oslo! So we did the big run twice, and then did a little run, which was all bumps (got some bruises from that!) then returned our sleds and took the tram back into the city. We had to cut the sculpture park (not enough time) and quickly made our way over the the Munch museum. Only, The Scream wasn't there. Yep. I think it was still being restored from when someone stole it last year or a couple of years ago. But they had the The Scream in pastel, which was still wonderful, and we saw some of his other works of art which were equally beautiful. We then quickly went into the center of town and finally found a souvenir shop filled with all sorts of chachkis( sorry, can't spell Yiddush words correctly!), apparently Norway is big on trolls, so there were lots of troll chochkis, which were just creepy. The best were all the tacky Norweigan sweaters! I bought a shot glass, and a moose or reindeer keychain (I really wanted to go reindeer sledding, so I bought it to remind me of Norway lol). I also bought some Edvard Munch art postcards at the museum. A quick stop at Burger King (we were hungry!) and then back to the cruise ship!
We decided to eat dinner on the boat that night. The plan was to take a 4-hour nap (5-9) then have a late dinner at 9, pre-game and then go to the discotheque. We booked reservations at the cheapest restaurant on board, the 7 Seas Restaurant which was a buffet. It was pretty good (thought pricey for a buffet: $45 USD) with a variety of food: fish (crawfish, shrimp), pasta, roasted veggies, salad bar, swedish meatballs, breads, cheeses, fruit, and dessert of course (reallly good cookies)! It was pretty yummy!
The discotheque Sat night was much better than the night before, I think because we were more comfortable, and slightly more intoxicated... we also requested some American music to lighten up all the damn techno, so it was a lot more fun. It made me excited to go out more in Copenhagen.
After a much better second night, we went back to our cabins, went to sleep, and woke up in Copenhagen Sunday morning!! Overall the trip was an amazing success!!!
I will try and upload pictures soon. I still haven't figured our a fast and efficient way to post lots of pictures at once.
I went with three other friends: Daniel, Danielle, and Marie. We were looking for a fourth person for a while because all of our other friends couldn't make it for various reasons, but I asked Marie (who I knew from my survival Danish class) and she said yes! So it was a good group of people. The mini-cruise is nicknamed the "booze cruise" probably because there is a duty-free store on board and bars and restaurants. But it's not like they give out free alcohol. The boat left at 5:30 pm from some terminal in Copenhagen, so my friends and I decided to go food shopping after class on Friday because the restaurants on the boat are little expensive. We went to Netto, which is the cheapest food store in Copenhagen, and bought fruit, crackers, juice popcorn, nutella, rolls for breakfast, and of course, booze. We then got bagel sandwiches to have for dinner that evening, and chocolate croissants at Saint Peter's Bakery to have for breakfast the next day, yummm. We went back to DIS to drop off our school stuff and pick up our overnight bags, and then we went to the terminal to get on the ship: Crown of Scandinavia!
The funniest thing was when we got on the boat, super excited about the ship and our room, and when we got to our room it was the smallest, narrowest "room" we had ever seen! But, Danielle had splurged the extra 10 dollars per person(yes, we paid her back), to get a room with a view of the ocean, so we had a wonderful view! Thank goodness she did that, because otherwise we would have been in a room BELOW the car garage, under sea level, somewhere near the engine of the boat! Each room also had its own private shower (thank goodness!) which came provided with soap, towels, bedsheets, comforters, and pillows. It saved a lot of packing room! We threw our stuff down, went up to explore the boat (three or four restaurants, a bar, one nightclub, and one discotheque, a movie theater, a kids corner and play area, and a Baresso (one of the coffee chains in CPH), and then we outside to the top deck of the ship to watch the sunset over Copenhagen and watch our departure. Already our trip was off to a beautiful start!
Soon after the boat departed, we went down to our cabin (after making some quick purchases at the duty-free shop), because it was very windy and quite cold on the deck! We ate our delicious sandwiches for dinner, and then decided to take a nap. It was too early to get the party started, I was also a bit sick from having migraines all week including on Friday, and Danielle was a little loopy from her Dramamine pill.
After our naps we got the party started in our room with a little help from the duty-free booze we bought. We then went to explore the nightclub. Awkward. First was karaoke (the music was way too loud), followed by lots of techno music. It was fun for a bit, but not enough to stay there til 3 in the morning. We called it quits pretty early in the night, I guess around 1, since it was a little lame and we had to get up early for Oslo!
We woke up early the next day to experience Oslo from the boat: beautiful snow-covered mountains, with little houses on the hillsides. It was absolutely breathtaking and didn't look real! The water was beautifully iced too. Oh yeah, it was going to be a cold day. Our plan was to go Tobogganing (sledding!) at Frognerseteren (a sledding and ski area 30 minutes from the city center of Oslo), then to the Vigeland Sculpture Park (Norway's top attraction and outdoor sculpture park), then to the Evard Munch museum to see The Scream, and then shopping for souvenirs and a light lunch in town. We didn't have time to do everything because the sledding was SO MUCH FUN! Though it made me sick (I didn't have goggles or sunglasses, so if I was behind a person on a sled, all the snow from their sled went all over my face, so it was kind of like a shower PLUS sweating because the sun was beating down on you and you had to walk up hills to go back up), but it was well worth it! It was a huge toboggan run, that at full speed only takes about 10 minutes, but it goes pretty far, you have to take the tram back up to the top! Plus the location was absolutely gorgeous: at the top of a huge mountain overlooking the water and the city of Oslo! So we did the big run twice, and then did a little run, which was all bumps (got some bruises from that!) then returned our sleds and took the tram back into the city. We had to cut the sculpture park (not enough time) and quickly made our way over the the Munch museum. Only, The Scream wasn't there. Yep. I think it was still being restored from when someone stole it last year or a couple of years ago. But they had the The Scream in pastel, which was still wonderful, and we saw some of his other works of art which were equally beautiful. We then quickly went into the center of town and finally found a souvenir shop filled with all sorts of chachkis( sorry, can't spell Yiddush words correctly!), apparently Norway is big on trolls, so there were lots of troll chochkis, which were just creepy. The best were all the tacky Norweigan sweaters! I bought a shot glass, and a moose or reindeer keychain (I really wanted to go reindeer sledding, so I bought it to remind me of Norway lol). I also bought some Edvard Munch art postcards at the museum. A quick stop at Burger King (we were hungry!) and then back to the cruise ship!
We decided to eat dinner on the boat that night. The plan was to take a 4-hour nap (5-9) then have a late dinner at 9, pre-game and then go to the discotheque. We booked reservations at the cheapest restaurant on board, the 7 Seas Restaurant which was a buffet. It was pretty good (thought pricey for a buffet: $45 USD) with a variety of food: fish (crawfish, shrimp), pasta, roasted veggies, salad bar, swedish meatballs, breads, cheeses, fruit, and dessert of course (reallly good cookies)! It was pretty yummy!
The discotheque Sat night was much better than the night before, I think because we were more comfortable, and slightly more intoxicated... we also requested some American music to lighten up all the damn techno, so it was a lot more fun. It made me excited to go out more in Copenhagen.
After a much better second night, we went back to our cabins, went to sleep, and woke up in Copenhagen Sunday morning!! Overall the trip was an amazing success!!!
I will try and upload pictures soon. I still haven't figured our a fast and efficient way to post lots of pictures at once.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
So lesson learned: naming my last post Homesick sent a flood of emails from family members asking how I'm doing. Yes, I am fine. Yes, I did seem a little down in my last post, but honestly, everything is okay. I still love being here, though it is the little things that make it difficult some times. But when I walked into the kitchen yesterday, I did see a jar of tomato sauce that Christina bought :-), and the fridge had more greens and veggies :-)... so maybe the little food differences will go away :-)
Today, I don't have class and this afternoon I am going to my host siblings' school to meet with a teacher by the name of Ken. Ken is originally from Chicago, but I don't remember his reasons for moving here (probably for a Danish girl, as it seems almost every American that ends up in Denmark moved here for a Dane). Needless to say, when Ken found out that August and Kathrine had an American host student staying with them for four months he was eager to have me come to his class and talk to his students about America. Ken also does an afterschool program in which the kids get 2 extra hours of English lessons and then in the spring or early summertime they take a trip to NYC for 10 days. So of course I have to come and talk to them about NYC! So I'm very excited.
Today, I don't have class and this afternoon I am going to my host siblings' school to meet with a teacher by the name of Ken. Ken is originally from Chicago, but I don't remember his reasons for moving here (probably for a Danish girl, as it seems almost every American that ends up in Denmark moved here for a Dane). Needless to say, when Ken found out that August and Kathrine had an American host student staying with them for four months he was eager to have me come to his class and talk to his students about America. Ken also does an afterschool program in which the kids get 2 extra hours of English lessons and then in the spring or early summertime they take a trip to NYC for 10 days. So of course I have to come and talk to them about NYC! So I'm very excited.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Homesick?
So I think I've gotten over the I'm-studying-abroad high and am a little homesick. Which is fine. Greg is surprised I lasted this long, and my mom says its okay to feel sad. I've noticed that the little differences that at first where cute and cool ("oh that's funny, that's different here") are now quite annoying. Here are some examples:
1. My family doesn't believe in sauce. Nor do they know what it is. A couple of weeks ago we where having having frikadeller (Danish meatballs) with pasta, and there was no tomato sauce or meat sauce for the pasta. So I asked Michael if they had sauce. He looked at my like I had four heads. "Sauce? What's that?" me: "You know, what you put on pasta... vodka sauce, alfredo sauce...?" (they had to know what I was talking about because they make bolagnese(?) sauce, and they've made brown sauce too) Michael had no clue what I was talking about. So again, last night there was no sauce. The condiment options were the following: ketchup, roumelade, creme freiche (which the Danes put on EVERYTHING, the bottle says you can use it as dressing, a dip, and sauce, but thats a complete lie, it's kinda of like a sour cream), mango chutney salsa thing, and sweet chili sauce. Needless to say I had to eat my plasta plain. I wanted to scream. I should've gotten up and gotten some olive oil.
2. Bread. bread bread bread bread bread! I think that's all they eat here. I FINALLY had eggs this morning for breakfast and it felt soo goood to eat a non-carbohydrate.
3. They don't really snack here. Maybe my family doesn't keep snacks in the house because the kids will eat them in one setting. But still, it makes it difficult to find something to munch on when you're just a little hungry.
4. My family doesn't eat salad. Like, at all. I never thought I'd miss greens :(
5. Darkbread: take wheat bread, make it heavier and darker (kind of like pumpernickel), and you get darkbread, in abundance. It's everywhere, it's what they put their sandwhiches on for lunch, and after a while you get kind of sick of it.
1. My family doesn't believe in sauce. Nor do they know what it is. A couple of weeks ago we where having having frikadeller (Danish meatballs) with pasta, and there was no tomato sauce or meat sauce for the pasta. So I asked Michael if they had sauce. He looked at my like I had four heads. "Sauce? What's that?" me: "You know, what you put on pasta... vodka sauce, alfredo sauce...?" (they had to know what I was talking about because they make bolagnese(?) sauce, and they've made brown sauce too) Michael had no clue what I was talking about. So again, last night there was no sauce. The condiment options were the following: ketchup, roumelade, creme freiche (which the Danes put on EVERYTHING, the bottle says you can use it as dressing, a dip, and sauce, but thats a complete lie, it's kinda of like a sour cream), mango chutney salsa thing, and sweet chili sauce. Needless to say I had to eat my plasta plain. I wanted to scream. I should've gotten up and gotten some olive oil.
2. Bread. bread bread bread bread bread! I think that's all they eat here. I FINALLY had eggs this morning for breakfast and it felt soo goood to eat a non-carbohydrate.
3. They don't really snack here. Maybe my family doesn't keep snacks in the house because the kids will eat them in one setting. But still, it makes it difficult to find something to munch on when you're just a little hungry.
4. My family doesn't eat salad. Like, at all. I never thought I'd miss greens :(
5. Darkbread: take wheat bread, make it heavier and darker (kind of like pumpernickel), and you get darkbread, in abundance. It's everywhere, it's what they put their sandwhiches on for lunch, and after a while you get kind of sick of it.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Study Tour
Okay, so it's been a while since I last updated this blog, and it's been a really long time since we went on our short study tour to Western Denmark. That mini-vacation was from Feb. 5-7th and it was a lot of fun. DIS does short and long study tours that combine learning outside of the classroom and touristy/fun things to do. Since I'm in the PCD program, the "studying" for us consists of visits to schools, social work services, and children's museums or other sites related to kids. For students in the medical practice and policy program, they might visit hospitals and community clinics. So it's tailored to the program you are in at DIS. Our short study tour was to Western Denmark, so we explored Odense (the small island between Copenhagen, which is on Zealand, and Jutland, the largest island of Denmark), and Jutland, specifically Arhus, Kolding, and Skanderborg. The point of the short study tour was not only to get hands-on experiences of what we were learning in the classroom, but to get to know each other, because we are all in the same core course, Children in a Multicultural Context. And it worked; by the time we got back I really felt like I had bonded with some of the people in my class, and when we had class the following Monday, it felt good to know every one's faces and names instead of just two people. It really helped me to gain a good group of friends.
We had to get to the bus at 6:45 am on Thursday, which was a pain in the ass, because it meant that I had to wake up at 5 and leave my house by 5:45 the latest if I wanted to get there on time. Luckily, I took a shower the night before, which saved time, and Michael drove me to the train station (I was ready at 5:30, because Michael is a ridiculously slow driver, he likes to have wonderful conversations while driving, so a 5-minute ride to the train station, never takes just 5 minutes with him). So I show up at 6:45 like I'm supposed to, but of course our bus was a good hour late. Luckily, our tour directors (Helle, our CMC teacher, who my friends and I love and would secretly go gay for because she's gorgeous in that natural pretty way and is super nice, and Jen, a part-time intern who we also love) bought us Danish pastries! We got them from Saint Peter's Bakery, one of the oldest in CPH, and cheapest and most delicious pastries ever (they have a 12 kroner special everyday). Since we got to the bakery 5 minutes after it opened, we got warm delicious pastries, which definitely made up for having to wake up at 5am. Finally on the bus, we made our way to Odense, where we split up into two groups to go on our academic visits. I went to Bogelund Preschool in Verdenshuset ("the ghetto" because it's where refugees live, more on that later). It was a wonderful experience. Besides the children being absolutely adorable (it's a preschool so the kids are between the ages of 3 and 6, the 3 year olds were so small and soo cute I almost cried!), the pedagogue who talked to us was extremely insightful and informative. She talked to us about the issues the teachers face: 99% of the children are immigrants, many are of refugee status, from low-SES backgrounds, so the two major challenges that face them are language (they do not know Danish before coming to school), and social problems (the children come from challenging backgrounds, many of the kids fathers are torture survivors from Iraq and Iran, several are Palestinians affected by the war, and the children watch the violent images of their home country on T.V.). Because of the stereotypes of the children and of the neighborhood, no one from outside the area sends their children to that school. Due to the strict language requirements of the Danish government (their motto is: you're in Denmark now, learn Danish) the teachers have very strict language requirements they have to follow. Thus, all projects and school activities incorporate language in some way, including through meals. The school also has language pedagogues that come twice a week to provide extra support and services for the children, and they also have an Arabic interpreter. Thus the most difficult challenge for these teachers is the cultural issue: many of the parents do not work (either because they cannot due to resident status, or the mother is pregnant, or the women do not work because that is their cultural norm), so at home the children speak their native tongue. This means that they are not practicing and using the Danish language at home, which can make it difficult for them to learn Danish if they only use it is at school. So the school also relies heavily on parent-teacher conferences and they make sure that the parents are involved in their child's education. An example is that they teach the parents how to pack a lunch for their child. The teachers have action plans on every child that tracks their social, motor, language, and cognitive developments. Thus, the teachers work extremely hard because the children need a lot of support. Yet the Danish government cut the funding for bilingual resources.
The refugee visit was extremely helpful in understanding the multicultural issue in Denmark. It's interesting that the Danes call immigrants "bilingual" because in the U.S. that just means that you speak more than one language, it has nothing to do with your race. I really liked how the school implements egalitarianism and inclusivity (a prominent theme in Danish education) by using an inclusive pedagogue practice to make sure that everyone is included and everyone is seen and heard. I also liked how they incorporate language into every activity that they do, so that they are teaching in many different ways, since one method may not work for every child.
While that was our only academic visit for the day, the rest of the day was fun. We had lunch on our own and then met to go to the H.C. Anderson museum. We saw the house that he was born in, and we went to this children's theater, called The Tinderbox, which is part of the museum. The kids get to play dress-up, put on all kinds of costumes, get their faces painted, and then act out Anderson's fairy tales, in this magnificent room, that looks like a storybook that came alive. So much imaginative and creative play! Then we went to the other part of the museum that included Anderson's original works, including a copy of his fairy tales that were given to Russian children during the Siege of Leningrad, when there wasn't enough food to go around (people were eating wood shavings!). The Russian government thought it would be nice to give the children fairy tales to take their mind off of the nightmare of what was occurring, and many kids stuffed the books in their shoes to keep them warm, or ate them.
We stayed at a hostel in Kolding, which was pretty nice, and then the next day we split up into two groups again for our academic visits. I got stuck going to the Dept. of Social Work at the University of Arhus, which was a complete waste of time. We should have gone to the actual dept. of social work, or a community center, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Also, the woman that was supposed to talk to us about children and family services in Denmark, had the flu, so her colleague was there to talk to us. Except that this woman was the director of the International Social Work program, and knew nothing about children and family services in Denmark, so she proceeded to talk to us for an hour about the structure of the social work program at the University. This was of course no help to us since we are already in college in the U.S. and were not transferring to the Univ. of Arhus. Luckily, Helle realized our extreme boredom and ended the lecture early, took us to the cafeteria, and bought us coffee! We love Helle.
We then had lunch on our own in Arhus, and then went to the ARoS museum, a gallery of contemporary art. We only had an hour there, which was definitely not enough! The inside of the museum looked like the Guggenheim in NYC. Danielle and I ran around trying to see everything we could. We saw an original pop art of Marilyn Monroe done by Andy Warhol, needless to say I almost cried from excitement, it was a 2 x 8 of her! We walked quickly through some strange contemporary art, including jars of horse body parts (grossssssss!) There was an interesting piece called Fucked, which was of a couple who had barely escaped every type of disaster you could think of: "despite all the problems and accidents that the couple have had to go through--of which the latest is the notion of the impossible: to have a piano dropped on one's head--one place is still unscathed, namely their hands, which come together as a picture of a love that can never be killed. Matelli's work can also be seen as a modern version of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Paradise" (brochure). We also saw a light installation(9 different rooms of installations of light and sound) and a very large piece, called The Boy by Ron Muek (?) which is incredibly life-like. It looks like a giant person. Amazing.
Later we went bowling, and then went to our hostel in Skanderborg. Our hostel was gorgeous! It was on the lake and we got upgraded to the cottages! Little wooden cottages that had a full kitchen, and a loft, and a little living room with a suede couch and flatscreen tv! And it smelled like fresh wood, like they had just build the cottages, which reminded me of this dollhouse I had as a kid that our family friend Alva made for me. It was absolutely wonderful, and all of us wanted to come back for a weekend! Across the street from our hostel was the Museum of Occupation, which, according to Danielle's blog, "the town was used at the German Air Force base camp, and where we ate at our hostel used to be the Officer’s Mess Hall. The museum itself had barracks with artifacts inside" like uniforms of the Danish soldiers from WWII.
The next day we went to Den Gamle By, literally the Danish version of colonial Williamsburg, so it was really cute, and the buildings were super old! We had a fabulous free lunch at Prince Ferdinand Cafe, very fancy, and the headed home for CPH!
It was a wonderful study tour!
We had to get to the bus at 6:45 am on Thursday, which was a pain in the ass, because it meant that I had to wake up at 5 and leave my house by 5:45 the latest if I wanted to get there on time. Luckily, I took a shower the night before, which saved time, and Michael drove me to the train station (I was ready at 5:30, because Michael is a ridiculously slow driver, he likes to have wonderful conversations while driving, so a 5-minute ride to the train station, never takes just 5 minutes with him). So I show up at 6:45 like I'm supposed to, but of course our bus was a good hour late. Luckily, our tour directors (Helle, our CMC teacher, who my friends and I love and would secretly go gay for because she's gorgeous in that natural pretty way and is super nice, and Jen, a part-time intern who we also love) bought us Danish pastries! We got them from Saint Peter's Bakery, one of the oldest in CPH, and cheapest and most delicious pastries ever (they have a 12 kroner special everyday). Since we got to the bakery 5 minutes after it opened, we got warm delicious pastries, which definitely made up for having to wake up at 5am. Finally on the bus, we made our way to Odense, where we split up into two groups to go on our academic visits. I went to Bogelund Preschool in Verdenshuset ("the ghetto" because it's where refugees live, more on that later). It was a wonderful experience. Besides the children being absolutely adorable (it's a preschool so the kids are between the ages of 3 and 6, the 3 year olds were so small and soo cute I almost cried!), the pedagogue who talked to us was extremely insightful and informative. She talked to us about the issues the teachers face: 99% of the children are immigrants, many are of refugee status, from low-SES backgrounds, so the two major challenges that face them are language (they do not know Danish before coming to school), and social problems (the children come from challenging backgrounds, many of the kids fathers are torture survivors from Iraq and Iran, several are Palestinians affected by the war, and the children watch the violent images of their home country on T.V.). Because of the stereotypes of the children and of the neighborhood, no one from outside the area sends their children to that school. Due to the strict language requirements of the Danish government (their motto is: you're in Denmark now, learn Danish) the teachers have very strict language requirements they have to follow. Thus, all projects and school activities incorporate language in some way, including through meals. The school also has language pedagogues that come twice a week to provide extra support and services for the children, and they also have an Arabic interpreter. Thus the most difficult challenge for these teachers is the cultural issue: many of the parents do not work (either because they cannot due to resident status, or the mother is pregnant, or the women do not work because that is their cultural norm), so at home the children speak their native tongue. This means that they are not practicing and using the Danish language at home, which can make it difficult for them to learn Danish if they only use it is at school. So the school also relies heavily on parent-teacher conferences and they make sure that the parents are involved in their child's education. An example is that they teach the parents how to pack a lunch for their child. The teachers have action plans on every child that tracks their social, motor, language, and cognitive developments. Thus, the teachers work extremely hard because the children need a lot of support. Yet the Danish government cut the funding for bilingual resources.
The refugee visit was extremely helpful in understanding the multicultural issue in Denmark. It's interesting that the Danes call immigrants "bilingual" because in the U.S. that just means that you speak more than one language, it has nothing to do with your race. I really liked how the school implements egalitarianism and inclusivity (a prominent theme in Danish education) by using an inclusive pedagogue practice to make sure that everyone is included and everyone is seen and heard. I also liked how they incorporate language into every activity that they do, so that they are teaching in many different ways, since one method may not work for every child.
While that was our only academic visit for the day, the rest of the day was fun. We had lunch on our own and then met to go to the H.C. Anderson museum. We saw the house that he was born in, and we went to this children's theater, called The Tinderbox, which is part of the museum. The kids get to play dress-up, put on all kinds of costumes, get their faces painted, and then act out Anderson's fairy tales, in this magnificent room, that looks like a storybook that came alive. So much imaginative and creative play! Then we went to the other part of the museum that included Anderson's original works, including a copy of his fairy tales that were given to Russian children during the Siege of Leningrad, when there wasn't enough food to go around (people were eating wood shavings!). The Russian government thought it would be nice to give the children fairy tales to take their mind off of the nightmare of what was occurring, and many kids stuffed the books in their shoes to keep them warm, or ate them.
We stayed at a hostel in Kolding, which was pretty nice, and then the next day we split up into two groups again for our academic visits. I got stuck going to the Dept. of Social Work at the University of Arhus, which was a complete waste of time. We should have gone to the actual dept. of social work, or a community center, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Also, the woman that was supposed to talk to us about children and family services in Denmark, had the flu, so her colleague was there to talk to us. Except that this woman was the director of the International Social Work program, and knew nothing about children and family services in Denmark, so she proceeded to talk to us for an hour about the structure of the social work program at the University. This was of course no help to us since we are already in college in the U.S. and were not transferring to the Univ. of Arhus. Luckily, Helle realized our extreme boredom and ended the lecture early, took us to the cafeteria, and bought us coffee! We love Helle.
We then had lunch on our own in Arhus, and then went to the ARoS museum, a gallery of contemporary art. We only had an hour there, which was definitely not enough! The inside of the museum looked like the Guggenheim in NYC. Danielle and I ran around trying to see everything we could. We saw an original pop art of Marilyn Monroe done by Andy Warhol, needless to say I almost cried from excitement, it was a 2 x 8 of her! We walked quickly through some strange contemporary art, including jars of horse body parts (grossssssss!) There was an interesting piece called Fucked, which was of a couple who had barely escaped every type of disaster you could think of: "despite all the problems and accidents that the couple have had to go through--of which the latest is the notion of the impossible: to have a piano dropped on one's head--one place is still unscathed, namely their hands, which come together as a picture of a love that can never be killed. Matelli's work can also be seen as a modern version of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Paradise" (brochure). We also saw a light installation(9 different rooms of installations of light and sound) and a very large piece, called The Boy by Ron Muek (?) which is incredibly life-like. It looks like a giant person. Amazing.
Later we went bowling, and then went to our hostel in Skanderborg. Our hostel was gorgeous! It was on the lake and we got upgraded to the cottages! Little wooden cottages that had a full kitchen, and a loft, and a little living room with a suede couch and flatscreen tv! And it smelled like fresh wood, like they had just build the cottages, which reminded me of this dollhouse I had as a kid that our family friend Alva made for me. It was absolutely wonderful, and all of us wanted to come back for a weekend! Across the street from our hostel was the Museum of Occupation, which, according to Danielle's blog, "the town was used at the German Air Force base camp, and where we ate at our hostel used to be the Officer’s Mess Hall. The museum itself had barracks with artifacts inside" like uniforms of the Danish soldiers from WWII.
The next day we went to Den Gamle By, literally the Danish version of colonial Williamsburg, so it was really cute, and the buildings were super old! We had a fabulous free lunch at Prince Ferdinand Cafe, very fancy, and the headed home for CPH!
It was a wonderful study tour!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
I Wanna Live in Amer-ika
So I went to Christina's school yesterday to get another view of Danish schools (the program I'm enrolled at DIS is psychology and child development). Christina works as a preschool teacher, while my practicum site is a kindergarten (American version of day care), so it was nice to observe a basic school (American version of elementary school). While there, I had two meetings, one with a parent and one with a 9th grade English teacher (oh yeah, Christina is also my assistant/manager :-D). The parent I met with is actually also an English teacher. Her and her family had lived in Singapore (or Indonesia I don't remember) for 5 years (her husband is in the shipping industry), and they moved there when her son was 2, so he pretty much grew up there. While in Singapore, the child attended an International school (taught all in English, so that was pretty much his native language). In Denmark, they start learning English in 4th grade, so the child is way ahead of his peers, and his mom wants him to continue the language so that he will remain fluent in it. Thus my role: getting paid to speak English with her child through mini lesson plans!
Next meeting: with a 9th grade English teacher who has been teaching her class about New York City and the U.S. So she wants me to come in and talk to her class about America! We met and we talked about a lot of things: prom (two of the teachers at her school went to Minnesota and studied American high school students and then wrote a book about it for Danish students, and one of the topics discussed in-depth was prom), Obama, Muslims, New York City, cars/driving/getting your license, etc. So I'm excited about the interactions I'll be having with Danes, comparing and contrasting cultures. It's a strange feeling being asked to come in and talk to others about America, because I'm just a normal college student, it's not like I'm a professor in Sociology or something, who would have factual information. It's also interesting because many people here are fascinated with American culture, they know so much about us, but what do we, know about Denmark? Absolutely nothing. Almost everyone I spoke to before I left didn't even know where the hell Copenhagen was on a map. "Oh, is that in Holland?" Or even worse, "is that in Amsterdam?" Not only did people not know that Copenhagen is in Denmark, they also didn't know where Denmark was. When I told people that the Danes are rated the happiest people in the world, many individuals thought it was because of the weed. No, weed is not legal here. That's only Holland. So I think it's kind of sad that every country in the world knows something about America, but the same can't be said for the reverse. Americans can't even name or locate all 50 states on a map, so forget our world geography.
We need to be more worldly, why are we so ethnocentric?
Next meeting: with a 9th grade English teacher who has been teaching her class about New York City and the U.S. So she wants me to come in and talk to her class about America! We met and we talked about a lot of things: prom (two of the teachers at her school went to Minnesota and studied American high school students and then wrote a book about it for Danish students, and one of the topics discussed in-depth was prom), Obama, Muslims, New York City, cars/driving/getting your license, etc. So I'm excited about the interactions I'll be having with Danes, comparing and contrasting cultures. It's a strange feeling being asked to come in and talk to others about America, because I'm just a normal college student, it's not like I'm a professor in Sociology or something, who would have factual information. It's also interesting because many people here are fascinated with American culture, they know so much about us, but what do we, know about Denmark? Absolutely nothing. Almost everyone I spoke to before I left didn't even know where the hell Copenhagen was on a map. "Oh, is that in Holland?" Or even worse, "is that in Amsterdam?" Not only did people not know that Copenhagen is in Denmark, they also didn't know where Denmark was. When I told people that the Danes are rated the happiest people in the world, many individuals thought it was because of the weed. No, weed is not legal here. That's only Holland. So I think it's kind of sad that every country in the world knows something about America, but the same can't be said for the reverse. Americans can't even name or locate all 50 states on a map, so forget our world geography.
We need to be more worldly, why are we so ethnocentric?
Some more differences
1. Napkins. The Danes don't use napkins. My second day here I asked Michael about this and he replied: "why do we need napkins when we use a knife and a fork? There's no mess". So sometimes I feel like a savage.
2. The Danes say "it's okay" when you say thank you, but its in the tone that you would use when someone is apologizing to you. I haven't yet told my host family that you're supposed to say "your welcome" or "it's no big deal".
3. Danes open their windows for 5 minutes each day to let in the fresh air. Apparently this has to do with letting out "the toxins" from all the candles they burn in the house.
4. It takes a whole day to do your laundry. And the machines are smaller.
5. EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday. Everything.
6. Their transportation system (except for the metro in the city) is not like New York in that there is a train every 5 minutes. So if you miss your train you might be screwed. Rejseplanen is my new best friend. You can enter where you are leaving from and where you are going and the departure or arrival time that you need, and it tells you exactly how to get there. And the times at which the train/orbus leaves to get you there. It's amazing.
7. Some of their buses only run twice an hour. What the hell?!
8. They can get flustered easily when they screw up a word in English or don't know what the translation is, yet they all speak English really well. Many are fluent. They seriously doubt their ability.
9. My host brother told me that if you can only speak 2 languages, it's looked down on as a negative thing. Most people speak at least 3. My host brother learns English and French in school. Then there is Norwegian and Swedish which is slightly different than Danish, and all three countries understand each other's languages. So if you count that, then that's at least 5.
10. They call minorities or ethnic individuals "bilingual" which is the politically correct term.
11. Their bacon is ridiculously salty.
12. The people I have met have only talked about America in positive words. Whenever I offer a criticism or point out a flaw, many are quick to offer the opposite stance and point out something good about the U.S. They love us.
2. The Danes say "it's okay" when you say thank you, but its in the tone that you would use when someone is apologizing to you. I haven't yet told my host family that you're supposed to say "your welcome" or "it's no big deal".
3. Danes open their windows for 5 minutes each day to let in the fresh air. Apparently this has to do with letting out "the toxins" from all the candles they burn in the house.
4. It takes a whole day to do your laundry. And the machines are smaller.
5. EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday. Everything.
6. Their transportation system (except for the metro in the city) is not like New York in that there is a train every 5 minutes. So if you miss your train you might be screwed. Rejseplanen is my new best friend. You can enter where you are leaving from and where you are going and the departure or arrival time that you need, and it tells you exactly how to get there. And the times at which the train/orbus leaves to get you there. It's amazing.
7. Some of their buses only run twice an hour. What the hell?!
8. They can get flustered easily when they screw up a word in English or don't know what the translation is, yet they all speak English really well. Many are fluent. They seriously doubt their ability.
9. My host brother told me that if you can only speak 2 languages, it's looked down on as a negative thing. Most people speak at least 3. My host brother learns English and French in school. Then there is Norwegian and Swedish which is slightly different than Danish, and all three countries understand each other's languages. So if you count that, then that's at least 5.
10. They call minorities or ethnic individuals "bilingual" which is the politically correct term.
11. Their bacon is ridiculously salty.
12. The people I have met have only talked about America in positive words. Whenever I offer a criticism or point out a flaw, many are quick to offer the opposite stance and point out something good about the U.S. They love us.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Culture Clash
Some differences I've noticed between the Danes and Americans (note: some of these things may apply to my host family):
1. Danes don't believe in curtains. This is probably explains why it is so cold in their houses during the winter. When I tried to explain to Michael that curtains keep the cold out and the heat in, his response was, "but then we wouldn't be able to look out the window". Okay, but do you need to look out the window during the day when you're not even home? No. Of course I didn't say that to him, but it's what I was thinking. For a country that seems to be so environmentally friendly, they are wasting a lot of heat and energy by not using curtains. Thus, it can get very cold in my house. Thankfully, my room has curtains, which I keep shut almost all the time so that my room is nice and warm and cozy!
2. They're a pretty green country. Random factoid: 20% of Denmark's energy comes from windmills. They also have two buttons on their toilet so that when you go "#1" you press the button for less water and when you go "#2" you press the button for more water. They try to take 5 minute showers because water is so expensive here. When they asked me how long of a shower I take at home and I replied by saying anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes long, their mouths dropped. Though they were warned during their host family orientation that young Americans take long showers. So I've been trying to take 5 minute showers here but its stressful rather than relaxing (I have to worry about washing my hair (shampoo and conditioner!), my body, and shaving all in 5 minutes?! It's a little difficult). So when they're home I take 5 minute showers and when they're gone I take a little longer... okay, not that much longer just 10 minutes!
3.Being green is more apart of their everyday lives than it is in America. For example, all toilets (public ones and ones in private homes) have the two button flush. Public restrooms might have signs remind you to be conscious of how much toilet paper you use. Their washers and dryers are smaller than ours so they use less energy.
4.Everyone in Copenhagen and the surrounding suburbs bikes. Everywhere. There is a separate bike lane on the road and when crossing the street you have to look out for bikes too. You're probably more likely to get run over by a bike than a car. This probably explains why everyone here is so damn skinny. So their not fat and they're pretty green. Not only do the Danes bike everywhere, but they look so prim and proper while doing so. They sit up nice and tall on their bikes, and woman bike in all sorts of outfits: mink coats, stilettos, boots, dresses, you name it. Many Danes also don't wear helmets when they're biking. I've seen this a lot in the city, which is surprising, because with so many cars you think you would want to be safe. They also don't seem to sweat while riding their bikes. Then there's me, the American, who hasn't biked in 10 years, sweating and heaving by the time I get to the train station, while a young Danish woman casually gets off her bike without a glimpse of sweat on her face or a crinkle in her outfit.
5. They have a socialized welfare system. This means that going to the hospital and the doctor is free, child care/day care is free, after school programs and leisure activities (clubs) are free, assistance for the elderly and those with special needs are free.
6. However, to pay for all the wonderful free services, Danes pay anywhere from 50-70% in income tax. That's 50-70% of their income being given over to the government!
7. They believe in egalitarianism: equal opportunities and equal services for all no matter what background you have. Yet this seems to be more in terms of economic or social background, they need to work on equality for all regardless of ethnic background (will talk about this more later). This is especially seen in their education system where education is free (including day care!) and childcare starts at the age of 1. This occurs so that all families have the ability to send their child to school no matter their financial situation. In addition, families receive child support, 10,000 DKK (about $2,000) a year from the government for each child! If you have a child with special needs, the municipality (the local government of the region you live in) may give you additional help. For example, our teacher's nephew has special needs, so the parents received a car for transportation from the municipality, and diapers.
8. Danes don't jaywalk. Though I don't know how hard and fast this rule is because I've definitely seen some people do it! It's a little strang, actually its more just annoying and inpatient, waiting on the corner at a red light when there are absolutely no cars in sight. Usually I'll cross if there aren't other people around.
9. The fashion is pretty much the same, though they do more of the leggings and tights as pants or tights with a t-shirt dress. In the dead of winter. While riding a bike.
10. They're obviously the creator of the pastry, which means that bakeries sell about a dozen different types of pastries called wiennerbrod, and they're all delicious. It doesn't help that it's one of the cheapest things you can find to eat in Copenhagen.
11. Copenhagen is ridiculously expensive. Now, I come from NYC which is one of the most expensive cities in the world (yeah yeah yeah) but honestly, I think that mainly has to do with the cost of living. While its expensive to live in NYC, you can find cheap places to eat and shop. In Copenhagen, a coffee and a bagel is $ 6 USD and a coffee in a shop is about $4-6 USD. Now for some that may be normal because they buy Starbucks everyday, but even in the 7-11 (yes, they have 7-11's here and they're EVERYWHERE) a coffee is 4 bucks.
1. Danes don't believe in curtains. This is probably explains why it is so cold in their houses during the winter. When I tried to explain to Michael that curtains keep the cold out and the heat in, his response was, "but then we wouldn't be able to look out the window". Okay, but do you need to look out the window during the day when you're not even home? No. Of course I didn't say that to him, but it's what I was thinking. For a country that seems to be so environmentally friendly, they are wasting a lot of heat and energy by not using curtains. Thus, it can get very cold in my house. Thankfully, my room has curtains, which I keep shut almost all the time so that my room is nice and warm and cozy!
2. They're a pretty green country. Random factoid: 20% of Denmark's energy comes from windmills. They also have two buttons on their toilet so that when you go "#1" you press the button for less water and when you go "#2" you press the button for more water. They try to take 5 minute showers because water is so expensive here. When they asked me how long of a shower I take at home and I replied by saying anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes long, their mouths dropped. Though they were warned during their host family orientation that young Americans take long showers. So I've been trying to take 5 minute showers here but its stressful rather than relaxing (I have to worry about washing my hair (shampoo and conditioner!), my body, and shaving all in 5 minutes?! It's a little difficult). So when they're home I take 5 minute showers and when they're gone I take a little longer... okay, not that much longer just 10 minutes!
3.Being green is more apart of their everyday lives than it is in America. For example, all toilets (public ones and ones in private homes) have the two button flush. Public restrooms might have signs remind you to be conscious of how much toilet paper you use. Their washers and dryers are smaller than ours so they use less energy.
4.Everyone in Copenhagen and the surrounding suburbs bikes. Everywhere. There is a separate bike lane on the road and when crossing the street you have to look out for bikes too. You're probably more likely to get run over by a bike than a car. This probably explains why everyone here is so damn skinny. So their not fat and they're pretty green. Not only do the Danes bike everywhere, but they look so prim and proper while doing so. They sit up nice and tall on their bikes, and woman bike in all sorts of outfits: mink coats, stilettos, boots, dresses, you name it. Many Danes also don't wear helmets when they're biking. I've seen this a lot in the city, which is surprising, because with so many cars you think you would want to be safe. They also don't seem to sweat while riding their bikes. Then there's me, the American, who hasn't biked in 10 years, sweating and heaving by the time I get to the train station, while a young Danish woman casually gets off her bike without a glimpse of sweat on her face or a crinkle in her outfit.
5. They have a socialized welfare system. This means that going to the hospital and the doctor is free, child care/day care is free, after school programs and leisure activities (clubs) are free, assistance for the elderly and those with special needs are free.
6. However, to pay for all the wonderful free services, Danes pay anywhere from 50-70% in income tax. That's 50-70% of their income being given over to the government!
7. They believe in egalitarianism: equal opportunities and equal services for all no matter what background you have. Yet this seems to be more in terms of economic or social background, they need to work on equality for all regardless of ethnic background (will talk about this more later). This is especially seen in their education system where education is free (including day care!) and childcare starts at the age of 1. This occurs so that all families have the ability to send their child to school no matter their financial situation. In addition, families receive child support, 10,000 DKK (about $2,000) a year from the government for each child! If you have a child with special needs, the municipality (the local government of the region you live in) may give you additional help. For example, our teacher's nephew has special needs, so the parents received a car for transportation from the municipality, and diapers.
8. Danes don't jaywalk. Though I don't know how hard and fast this rule is because I've definitely seen some people do it! It's a little strang, actually its more just annoying and inpatient, waiting on the corner at a red light when there are absolutely no cars in sight. Usually I'll cross if there aren't other people around.
9. The fashion is pretty much the same, though they do more of the leggings and tights as pants or tights with a t-shirt dress. In the dead of winter. While riding a bike.
10. They're obviously the creator of the pastry, which means that bakeries sell about a dozen different types of pastries called wiennerbrod, and they're all delicious. It doesn't help that it's one of the cheapest things you can find to eat in Copenhagen.
11. Copenhagen is ridiculously expensive. Now, I come from NYC which is one of the most expensive cities in the world (yeah yeah yeah) but honestly, I think that mainly has to do with the cost of living. While its expensive to live in NYC, you can find cheap places to eat and shop. In Copenhagen, a coffee and a bagel is $ 6 USD and a coffee in a shop is about $4-6 USD. Now for some that may be normal because they buy Starbucks everyday, but even in the 7-11 (yes, they have 7-11's here and they're EVERYWHERE) a coffee is 4 bucks.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Michael
Michael is my host dad and he is absolutely amazing. My friends hear me talk about him the most because he speaks English fluently, so we engage in a lot of deep conversations. We talk about Obama (he absolutely loves Obama; he has two t-shirts of him, one with his face plastered on it, the other one that says "I heart Obama" just like the I heart NY t-shirts). We also engage in conversations about Danish culture (comparing and contrasting it to America, specifically on the topic of food and dining out. Being a New Yorker, I'd rather go to a good restaurant for dinner than cook it myself, but in Denmark its the other way around). We also talk about Danish politics. I really think I got put with the perfect family. We both love to eat ( I must've wrote that in my letter), and Michael and Christina make great meals. Last Saturday, their close friends came over for dinner, and Kathrine and I helped Michael make the meal. And what did we make? We made Thai food. From scratch. And it it was absolutely delicious!! I'm telling you, it tasted like what you would order in a Thai restaurant. And then on Sunday, Michael made me bagels from scratch since he knows I love them because they are a huge part of my Saturday morning routine when I'm in the city. Then later in the afternoon Christina made homemade cinnamon rolls! I'm seriously going to gain a good 30 pounds from all the food! But Christina says that that won't happen because I'll just bike everywhere. Oh, and right now, Michael is making HOMEMADE ICE CREAM! Clearly they know the way to my heart is through food.
I titled this post Michael, because I've really formed a close relationship with him. Don't get me wrong, I love my host mom and host siblings, but since Michael iis fluent in English, I end up talking to him the most. He's great. He took me to school my first two days during orientation so that I could learn the train system and wouldn't get lost, and when he's working from home or leaves to go to work after I do for school, he'll drive me to the train station. Today he was working from home, and since I had to leave really early to go to my practicum in Albertslund, he drove me to the station. He also said that since it's far (its 45 mins from our house, but is kind of a pain to get to because I either take a train and a bus and then walk, or take two trains and a bus) he might be able to drive me to my practicum in the future. So he is extremely nice and so sweet! I love the in-depth conversations that we have and I really value his opinion and perspective. He offers so much insight into Danish society--politics, culture, racism and immigration issues--that I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. At home it's just me and my mom, which I absolutely love and wouldn't change that for the world, but it's really nice to have a "dad" for the next 4 months of my life. I really cherish the relationship that we are building, and I know its one that I will carry with me for a lifetime.
I titled this post Michael, because I've really formed a close relationship with him. Don't get me wrong, I love my host mom and host siblings, but since Michael iis fluent in English, I end up talking to him the most. He's great. He took me to school my first two days during orientation so that I could learn the train system and wouldn't get lost, and when he's working from home or leaves to go to work after I do for school, he'll drive me to the train station. Today he was working from home, and since I had to leave really early to go to my practicum in Albertslund, he drove me to the station. He also said that since it's far (its 45 mins from our house, but is kind of a pain to get to because I either take a train and a bus and then walk, or take two trains and a bus) he might be able to drive me to my practicum in the future. So he is extremely nice and so sweet! I love the in-depth conversations that we have and I really value his opinion and perspective. He offers so much insight into Danish society--politics, culture, racism and immigration issues--that I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. At home it's just me and my mom, which I absolutely love and wouldn't change that for the world, but it's really nice to have a "dad" for the next 4 months of my life. I really cherish the relationship that we are building, and I know its one that I will carry with me for a lifetime.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Exploring Copenhagen
So on Wednesday DIS created a scavenger hunt, which was a great way for us to explore the city. We saw the royal palace area, the new opera house, the famous street Nyuhen (?) which is the one with all the different color buildings along a canal docked with tons of boats (it's the cover picture of the DIS catalog, and is in almost every picture of Copenhagen), various churches around the city, and we went on the harbor bus (like a ferry taxi). It was a great way to become familiar with the streets of Copenhagen. I took tons of pictures, but right now I can't figure out how to add them to this blog. One way only allows me to post one at a time, which is a pain in the ass. Thursday was our first official day of class, but because I'm in the psych program here, we had our orientation. In DIS, there are two tracks/main courses in the PCD program (Psychology and Child Development): multicultural and special needs (I'm in multicultural). One course is the theory course, while the other is the practicum, which is one day a week where we work in a danish school setting for about 5-6 hours (I did this last semester at Skidmore where I worked in the ECC with the 3 year olds, so I'm really excited to compare and contrast Danish and American children, as well as the educational systems). So I'm working with 3-6 year olds in an integrated bornheave ( which is like an integrated kindergarten and preschool. Preschool is 0-3 year olds in Denmark, and kindergarten is 3-6, so the school I'm working at has kids 0-6 yrs old). However, the site is a good 45 mins from my house, which sucks, especially because there are tons of schools in Roskilde where I'm living. But apparently they match you up with what you wrote on your questionnaire about the practicum, and I guess this I closest school to my preferences (though I dont really remember what I wrote in the questionnaire). In addition, I'm working with 3-6 yr olds, which I put as my first choice, which I'm not regretting a bit because they dont learn English until they're 8, so I wont be able to verbally communicate with the children. Great. I should've worked with teenagers. So the hardest part will be learning how to use other forms of communication (pointing and miming), I'm sure that's going to be sooo much fun.
Thursday night I went out with my new friend Kylie (she lives in a suburb of Roskilde, called Om, literally in the middle of no where) and Daniel. We wanted to check out this place underneath DIS called Australian Bar because on Tuesday and Thursdays they have a 10DKK (DKK-Danish Kroner, the currency here) bar special, which is 2 dollars per beer or shot (actually a little less than that because the exchange rate is going up, yay!) sooo cheap so we had to try it! It was like any other bar. Yet we got there before Danial did (Christina dropped me off at the train station to pick up Kylie's bag, because Kylie was sleeping over my house since the bus to her town stops running at 9:30pm), and we had heard stories that if you accept a beer from a Dane that means you plan on going home with him at night. So Kylie and I were a little nervous about talking to the Danish guys at the bar because we weren't sure what the signs were (like did talking to a guy mean that you were interested in him?). So we're at the bar, and these two guys start talking to us. One guy comments on my dimples, but he didn't know the English word for them so he said "I like the grand canyons in your cheeks" haha. Then when he realized how short I was he was like 'oh you're so cute, like a smurf". Yeah, no. His friend started talking to us about basketball (because obviously its popular in America) and he told us about his dreams to come to America and play in the NBA and he was so close to doing that, but then he got arrested and went to prison. Okay... So I jokingly asked if he had killed someone, and he responded with a straight face and a serious tone, "no, but I almost did." Needless to say, we walked away. Later we played pool with some other Danish guys, who said that I looked like I was related to Obama. Note to Danes: NOT ALL BROWN PEOPLE ARE RELATED NOR DO WE ALL LOOK ALIKE! :-).
Friday I had my counseling psychology class, which will be broken up into 3 sections, each section taught by a different teacher. We are going to be learning about different counseling theories and therapies and then practicing them on each other, which is what I've been waiting to do foreverrr so I'm very excited. The teachers seem great. Friday night DIS threw a welcoming party for us at Club Luux, very nice inside and Kyllie slept over again, which we've decided is what she will do when we go out, so she know has pjs and a toothbrush here for her so she doesnt have to bring tons of stuff everytime. The club was nice and the party was pretty good, though they played mostly American music, which was good for dancing, but its still a little weird. Danes don't really listen to "Danish music". Most Danish singers since in English, which is kind of bizarre and they also listen to a lot of American music. I mean a lot. The radio stations that my host brother listens to play american music, Michael has a collection of American music: Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Lenny Kravitz, Joni Mitchell, etc. So so far when I've gone out at night, the places have played a majority of American music. It's good for me because I can dance to music that I know, but it's still a little strange that I'm halfway across the world and at times it doesn't feel like I've really left America.
Thursday night I went out with my new friend Kylie (she lives in a suburb of Roskilde, called Om, literally in the middle of no where) and Daniel. We wanted to check out this place underneath DIS called Australian Bar because on Tuesday and Thursdays they have a 10DKK (DKK-Danish Kroner, the currency here) bar special, which is 2 dollars per beer or shot (actually a little less than that because the exchange rate is going up, yay!) sooo cheap so we had to try it! It was like any other bar. Yet we got there before Danial did (Christina dropped me off at the train station to pick up Kylie's bag, because Kylie was sleeping over my house since the bus to her town stops running at 9:30pm), and we had heard stories that if you accept a beer from a Dane that means you plan on going home with him at night. So Kylie and I were a little nervous about talking to the Danish guys at the bar because we weren't sure what the signs were (like did talking to a guy mean that you were interested in him?). So we're at the bar, and these two guys start talking to us. One guy comments on my dimples, but he didn't know the English word for them so he said "I like the grand canyons in your cheeks" haha. Then when he realized how short I was he was like 'oh you're so cute, like a smurf". Yeah, no. His friend started talking to us about basketball (because obviously its popular in America) and he told us about his dreams to come to America and play in the NBA and he was so close to doing that, but then he got arrested and went to prison. Okay... So I jokingly asked if he had killed someone, and he responded with a straight face and a serious tone, "no, but I almost did." Needless to say, we walked away. Later we played pool with some other Danish guys, who said that I looked like I was related to Obama. Note to Danes: NOT ALL BROWN PEOPLE ARE RELATED NOR DO WE ALL LOOK ALIKE! :-).
Friday I had my counseling psychology class, which will be broken up into 3 sections, each section taught by a different teacher. We are going to be learning about different counseling theories and therapies and then practicing them on each other, which is what I've been waiting to do foreverrr so I'm very excited. The teachers seem great. Friday night DIS threw a welcoming party for us at Club Luux, very nice inside and Kyllie slept over again, which we've decided is what she will do when we go out, so she know has pjs and a toothbrush here for her so she doesnt have to bring tons of stuff everytime. The club was nice and the party was pretty good, though they played mostly American music, which was good for dancing, but its still a little weird. Danes don't really listen to "Danish music". Most Danish singers since in English, which is kind of bizarre and they also listen to a lot of American music. I mean a lot. The radio stations that my host brother listens to play american music, Michael has a collection of American music: Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Lenny Kravitz, Joni Mitchell, etc. So so far when I've gone out at night, the places have played a majority of American music. It's good for me because I can dance to music that I know, but it's still a little strange that I'm halfway across the world and at times it doesn't feel like I've really left America.
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