Greetings everyone! Thught it was about time for an update, as I know you all are on the edges of your seats as to what I have been up to.
This week has been really pleasant, the weather not permitting for the most part, however. The weather actually predicted 100% chance of rain last night--being a weather forecaster here can't be too hard...just predict a chance of rain, overcast, wiht strong winds and you're gauranteed a raise.
Monday started week number 4 here:
It's crazy unbelievable how fast the time is going. In copenhagen's defense and after my horrible weather rant, I have to say the weather Monday was quite lovely. Thanks to my roommates class at the crack of dawn (literally, thanks!!), I unwillingly rose to the roaring of a blowdryer at 7 am, two hours before my alarm clock was scheduled to ring. (Lucky us, we have no plugs in the bathroom because it floods everytime we shower, so when one of us is getting ready in the morning, the other one should give up trying to sleep). I must have woke up on the right side of the bed, because it ended up being a really great day :)
I had 3 hours to kill before class, so I decided to make a cup of coffee and peruse the NYtimes online, something I have been trying to keep up with. My first few weeks here I felt really cut off from the world news, as we have no tv and no english print newspapers. My laziness at checking the online versions was indeed a factor as well. So I had a cup of coffee (instant, mmmmm) brushed up on the Obama/Clinton fight, and even felt ambitious enough to write a nice long email! The sun was shining (oh my gosh!), and I still had plenty of time before class at 10, so I thought I would go run off the pounds of chocolate and cookies I have been devouring since I arrived in Denmark. (Honestly, I have no idea where these eating habits came from, by I have had these constant, insatiable urges for sweets ever since I got here!) The run was amazing, we have this chain of small lakes right near my house that are just beautiful to run around when the sun is shining and the swans are swimming around. It made me happy :).
While I was running, I was reminded again of the unbelivable fact that I am actually living in Denmark right now. When I really stop and think about this opportunity I have, it amazes me. I was just running around Copenhagen--around the beautiful lakes with the sun shining and the danes pushing their little carriages around and all these people just speaking danish--I'm living in another country. The fact that I'm across the world from my life I've known for 21 years hits me at random times and its mind-boggling to really digest the idea of what I'm actually doing! This city is so charming, and I'm thankful I'm in a place I can call home for 4 months. The journalist in me is struggling for words right now to express the epiphany I had, but I'll just say it took my breath away.
I had class from only 10-12, so the beautiful afternoon was waiting and at my disposal. After a quick lunch, Clair, Megan and I decided to stroll Stroget--the large, famous touristy shopping street downtown--and see if we could hunt down any deals or find any new chocolate shoppes (we did both!! successful afternoon!!). I even attempted blending in with the locals with the jeans tucked into my boots fashion statement. Literally, every danish woman owns a wardrobe comprised of skinny jeans, ridiculously gorgeous boots, and fabulous coats. I just can't quite seem to keep up with these Europeans (it doesn't help that things are deliriously expensive in copenhagen--shopping is a luxury to me while i'm here), but I'm trying!
Monday night we had a pasta dinner with some friends, I can honestly say I have never consumed that much pasta in one sitting--it was impressive, I have to admit haha.
Tuesday:
Raining (Monday apparently was the sunshine for the week). I mostly just camped out in my room cleaning and doing homework among other things. It was a typical lazy, rainy afternoon. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons our campus bar, A-vej, supplies free coffee, tea and cookies and a fun place to socialize in the afternoon/evening for students (YAY! FREE COFFEE!!!!) I of course take full advantage of the bottomless, free coffee and drink myself into a caffiene oblivion.
Wednesday:
Don't remember if it rained, but I would put money on yes. I had class from 8-4 (yes, I do actually go to class once in awhile), so I didn't pay attention much to the weather. I was having a grumpy hump day and couldn't wait to get home and nap. Wednesday night, however, was a blast!!! We had pizza and cheap wine (mixed with coke..its called "calimocho". That's how the spaniards drink their cheap wine in spain, and I have to say they are on to something!) at a friends house for dinner before heading to studenterhuset (student house/bar) for international night. I have had more group dinners in the last month than in my entire college career thus far--I love it! Dinner time is an activity here, people are always getting together to cook and eat and its a big social activity rather than something we just do quick by ourselves before going out. At home, we always associate social or group dinners with going out to restaurants, but cooking group dinners really eleviates the need to go out and spend money, but still makes it feel like a celebration :)
Thursday:
Class from 1-3, A-vej for coffee and BINGO (the danes call it BANKO), then a delicious stuffed pepper dinner cooked by Megan!! In my apartment building we have absolutely no ovens which really puts a damper on my cooking, so Megan offered to cook Clair and I a lovely dinner for 3. We were all exhausted, so we called it an early night and got some much needed catch up sleep!!!
Friday:
Trip to MALMO, SWEDEN!!! (see next blog post). Friday night was the birthday party for A-vej (yes, it was a birthday party for my campus bar hehe)!! The people on my campus realllllly love their student bar, it was so fun!! It was a packed house, and I actually met a lot of Danes instead of just surrounding myself with only other international students--I know, I'm so brave! It was a festive event, complete with the release of the danish seasonal "easter beer", dice rolling for cheap beer prices, music and dancing!!
GREAT WEEK!!! SORRY FOR THE NOVEL!!!
SKAL!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
A WEEKEND OF FIRSTS :)
Greetings! Two posts in a matter of days, I'm really on top of this blog now :)
So, I know its Thursday, but I thought an update of all the new things that happened last weekend would be appropriate! First of all, Oz ventured to Copenhagen for a visit and spent the weekend with me. My first visitor since I've been here! Lucky for us, the weather was really beautiful. We were able to have our first picnic in a Copenhagen park together, it was 50 and sunny on Monday! We also had our first real danish from a Danish bakery across the street from my apartment, which was delicious...but I could tell it wasn't a light breakfast! I will have to make sure I watch how many of those I am treating myself to :)
To add to the healthiness of the Danish for breakfast, I also had my first Danish hotdog haha. Although they don't differ all that much from what we have in America, they are sold in stands on every corner! I read somewhere that the Danes are called The Kings of the Hot Dog. The stands sell all different varieties, some with buns like corn dogs, some with special sauce and toppings. I have to say it was pretty tasty :)
As I am not quite a local yet and can still appreciate the touristy side of Copenhagen, Oz and I spent Saturday playing tourists around Copenhagen. I visited my first museums of my trip, The National Museum and The NY Carlsberg Glyptotek. The Glyptotek houses ancient art from the Mediterranean and Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries, while The National Museum held an expansive, almost overwhelming collection featuring the cultural history of Denmark among many other exhibits. The Glyptotek was much easier to just browse through and enjoy the sculptures and artwork. We of course also ventured on a grand tour around the city hitting all the major spots of Copenhagen: the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace (home of the Danish Royal Family, Nyhavn (a popular harbor downtown), Stroget (the main touristy pedestrian shopping area), the town hall and much more of the downtown area.
Thus far, my dining experiences here have consisted of little more than a grab and go lunch, but this weekend I enjoyed my first real sit down restaurant with Oz since I've been to Copenhagen! The restaurant was named Riz Raz, and it was actually a Mediterannean Buffet, so it still wasn't exactly being waited on :) It was, however, delicious! The restaurant was extremely busy so the food was always fresh. Another plus: it was one of the cheapest dinner prices I have seen so far (still not a steal at 79 DKK...about 16 US dollars).
My last first for the weekend: I went to Sweden! Oz and I traveled all the way to Lund, Sweden (only a 40 minute train ride from Copenhagen) to enjoy a delicious Swedish feast with a family he knew. The meal was unbelievable and the family was so hospitable. I felt a little homesick for the first time in a while! It was so nice having a homecooked meal and meeting a Swedish family, and they seemed so sincere when they invited me to come back anytime!
Overall the weekend was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better time, and I experienced so many new things in the mix! Copenhagen is becoming a cozy and comfy city for me, and I can tell it will become a whole new playground once spring rolls around!
So, I know its Thursday, but I thought an update of all the new things that happened last weekend would be appropriate! First of all, Oz ventured to Copenhagen for a visit and spent the weekend with me. My first visitor since I've been here! Lucky for us, the weather was really beautiful. We were able to have our first picnic in a Copenhagen park together, it was 50 and sunny on Monday! We also had our first real danish from a Danish bakery across the street from my apartment, which was delicious...but I could tell it wasn't a light breakfast! I will have to make sure I watch how many of those I am treating myself to :)
To add to the healthiness of the Danish for breakfast, I also had my first Danish hotdog haha. Although they don't differ all that much from what we have in America, they are sold in stands on every corner! I read somewhere that the Danes are called The Kings of the Hot Dog. The stands sell all different varieties, some with buns like corn dogs, some with special sauce and toppings. I have to say it was pretty tasty :)
As I am not quite a local yet and can still appreciate the touristy side of Copenhagen, Oz and I spent Saturday playing tourists around Copenhagen. I visited my first museums of my trip, The National Museum and The NY Carlsberg Glyptotek. The Glyptotek houses ancient art from the Mediterranean and Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries, while The National Museum held an expansive, almost overwhelming collection featuring the cultural history of Denmark among many other exhibits. The Glyptotek was much easier to just browse through and enjoy the sculptures and artwork. We of course also ventured on a grand tour around the city hitting all the major spots of Copenhagen: the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace (home of the Danish Royal Family, Nyhavn (a popular harbor downtown), Stroget (the main touristy pedestrian shopping area), the town hall and much more of the downtown area.
Thus far, my dining experiences here have consisted of little more than a grab and go lunch, but this weekend I enjoyed my first real sit down restaurant with Oz since I've been to Copenhagen! The restaurant was named Riz Raz, and it was actually a Mediterannean Buffet, so it still wasn't exactly being waited on :) It was, however, delicious! The restaurant was extremely busy so the food was always fresh. Another plus: it was one of the cheapest dinner prices I have seen so far (still not a steal at 79 DKK...about 16 US dollars).
My last first for the weekend: I went to Sweden! Oz and I traveled all the way to Lund, Sweden (only a 40 minute train ride from Copenhagen) to enjoy a delicious Swedish feast with a family he knew. The meal was unbelievable and the family was so hospitable. I felt a little homesick for the first time in a while! It was so nice having a homecooked meal and meeting a Swedish family, and they seemed so sincere when they invited me to come back anytime!
Overall the weekend was amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better time, and I experienced so many new things in the mix! Copenhagen is becoming a cozy and comfy city for me, and I can tell it will become a whole new playground once spring rolls around!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
It's been awhile--little update!
Phew! The weeks have been flying by, sorry about my lack of postage on the sight :)
It's Wednesday night...in a few hours I will be getting ready to go to what is called the "Studenterhuset", or student house. Every Wednesday night, the student house bar hosts international night where all the international students, and really anyone else, can come and dance and hang out for relatively cheap (in comparison to the 10 dollar beers the rest of the city offers!). It's a great night, and seeing as I don't have class on until 1pm on thursday, it fits into my schedule perfectly :)
The people I have met are intriguing. Everything about studying abroad is a crazy, exhilarating experience and I know its cliche, but every day is full of surprises. The transition was a little tough the first few days, but we had an amazing weekend trip to a camp in the Danish countryside with all the international students in our program the first weekend that helped break the mold for some really cool friendships!
Out of 171 students in my program, only 8 are from the US, and the rest are from 31 other countries. I am meeting people from all over the world! I am so glad it worked out that way, because it is so much more interesting meshing with people from other cultures and countries and learning about their lives. I have to say, the Spanish are the craziest!!
I now have a bike and am learning my way around the city pretty well...I'm starting to feel like a local! (I think I will always be a tourist at heart, I just love it haha). I am currently planning my trips around Europe, with some pretty sweet destinations in mind. I will keep you updated on my adventures as they come.
Good bye for now!
As the Danish say, skal! (Cheers!)
It's Wednesday night...in a few hours I will be getting ready to go to what is called the "Studenterhuset", or student house. Every Wednesday night, the student house bar hosts international night where all the international students, and really anyone else, can come and dance and hang out for relatively cheap (in comparison to the 10 dollar beers the rest of the city offers!). It's a great night, and seeing as I don't have class on until 1pm on thursday, it fits into my schedule perfectly :)
The people I have met are intriguing. Everything about studying abroad is a crazy, exhilarating experience and I know its cliche, but every day is full of surprises. The transition was a little tough the first few days, but we had an amazing weekend trip to a camp in the Danish countryside with all the international students in our program the first weekend that helped break the mold for some really cool friendships!
Out of 171 students in my program, only 8 are from the US, and the rest are from 31 other countries. I am meeting people from all over the world! I am so glad it worked out that way, because it is so much more interesting meshing with people from other cultures and countries and learning about their lives. I have to say, the Spanish are the craziest!!
I now have a bike and am learning my way around the city pretty well...I'm starting to feel like a local! (I think I will always be a tourist at heart, I just love it haha). I am currently planning my trips around Europe, with some pretty sweet destinations in mind. I will keep you updated on my adventures as they come.
Good bye for now!
As the Danish say, skal! (Cheers!)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Hello friends. I have survived my first 24 hours in copenhagen! So I'll give you a quick recap of my trip so far.
First off, the airline lost my luggage--fantastic way to start my trip. I have one bag, the one with all my tanktops, shorts, and t-shirts, but my bag with all my sweaters, pants and toiletries is still MIA.
I found my apartment with the help of my danish buddy assigned to us by the study abroad office. Her name is Cathrine. She is so nice and helpful and it was great to have someone waiting for me at the airport to help me find my place. My apartment is basically just a room with a small kitchen, two beds, and a bathroom. Our bathroom is so wierd. The drain for the shower is underneath the sink, so when you take a shower the whole bathroom floods until it drains so you can't go to the bathroom after showering without getting all wet. Its strange, I'll put up a picture of it soon.
My roommate's name is Clair and she is awesome. Last night we hung out in our room for a while and then walked around the building to explore and search for other students. We found a bunch of people hanging out on a different floor who had been here for two weeks already. They took us out down town last night and showed us around, so I got to experience the night life in Copenhagen right away!
I live in an area of Copenhagen called Osterbro. The city is divided up into different sections, each one having its own name and different appeal. Our area is quieter with more families and less night life or college students. The area we went last night is more trendy and vibrant, and my campus/classes are in a whole different area called Frediksberg, which is a bit more wealthy with nice homes and a quaint feel to it. It takes a while to get around by bus and train, so I plan on purchasing a bike soon! All the Copenhageners do it :)
Everything is soooooo expensive- I will be poor by the time I leave. I went to buy some mascara and hairspray today and forked out 140 kroner--about 27 US dollars!! Its unbelievable. I pay more for this small room than I pay for an entire apartment with kitchen and living room in Madison.
Its been a little tough to get used to a new place, as I was expecting it would be for the first few days. I'm anxious to meet some people in my classes and have orientation--its kind of lonely being in a new, big city not knowing anyone! I just keep telling myself its all part of the experience.
That's all for now (I know it was really long). I start class tomorrow at 8, so I have to get figuring out how to get there before I go watch the super bowl for a while tonight!
Cheers. Miss you.
Cassie
First off, the airline lost my luggage--fantastic way to start my trip. I have one bag, the one with all my tanktops, shorts, and t-shirts, but my bag with all my sweaters, pants and toiletries is still MIA.
I found my apartment with the help of my danish buddy assigned to us by the study abroad office. Her name is Cathrine. She is so nice and helpful and it was great to have someone waiting for me at the airport to help me find my place. My apartment is basically just a room with a small kitchen, two beds, and a bathroom. Our bathroom is so wierd. The drain for the shower is underneath the sink, so when you take a shower the whole bathroom floods until it drains so you can't go to the bathroom after showering without getting all wet. Its strange, I'll put up a picture of it soon.
My roommate's name is Clair and she is awesome. Last night we hung out in our room for a while and then walked around the building to explore and search for other students. We found a bunch of people hanging out on a different floor who had been here for two weeks already. They took us out down town last night and showed us around, so I got to experience the night life in Copenhagen right away!
I live in an area of Copenhagen called Osterbro. The city is divided up into different sections, each one having its own name and different appeal. Our area is quieter with more families and less night life or college students. The area we went last night is more trendy and vibrant, and my campus/classes are in a whole different area called Frediksberg, which is a bit more wealthy with nice homes and a quaint feel to it. It takes a while to get around by bus and train, so I plan on purchasing a bike soon! All the Copenhageners do it :)
Everything is soooooo expensive- I will be poor by the time I leave. I went to buy some mascara and hairspray today and forked out 140 kroner--about 27 US dollars!! Its unbelievable. I pay more for this small room than I pay for an entire apartment with kitchen and living room in Madison.
Its been a little tough to get used to a new place, as I was expecting it would be for the first few days. I'm anxious to meet some people in my classes and have orientation--its kind of lonely being in a new, big city not knowing anyone! I just keep telling myself its all part of the experience.
That's all for now (I know it was really long). I start class tomorrow at 8, so I have to get figuring out how to get there before I go watch the super bowl for a while tonight!
Cheers. Miss you.
Cassie
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