Vor Frelsers Kirke

For the first half of class we finished our advocacy PowerPoint project on the Netherlands. My group had already finished our slides minus minor edits and feedback from Judith, our teacher. I spent that first half of class on the internet and checking my email for lack of something to do. For the second half of class we transitioned into a new unit focusing on global childhood issues. Our group is focusing on child labor in a global context. We spent the next two hour searching for online videos that could be used as an advocacy tool. My computer ran out of power shortly before we began looking at videos, so I was restricted to using the wireless internet on my phone. I was surprised with how difficult it was to find advocacy videos on child labor. Although there weren't many videos, I came across many shocking and powerful pictures that would be great for advocacy.

The video we decided to use with our presentation is a short clip encouraging the elimination of child labor in order to better educate our children. This video was a little long and slow at points, but it has a powerful message at the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2W-E61ylhE

After class we decided to go check out Freetown Christiania. Christiania is an autonomous neighborhood within the borough Christianshavn in Copenhagen. This neighborhood is special in that it is regulated using the Christiania Law of 1989, not to mention it is known as the Green Light District. This town has been a source of controversy for the past 30 years with conflict in legitimizing the legal status of the community and its' cannabis trade.

It was obvious that you were approaching the Green Light District because there was an increase in the amount of graffiti, trash, and construction, and I suppose the potent smell of pot was a fairly large indicator as well. The graffiti was a colorful work of art which took an incredible amount of time and precision. There were people sitting on the ground, sidewalk, and grass playing guitar, singing, sunbathing, reading, or just hanging out. This is a very unique little town where everyone is very laid back and seems to go with the flow, which could also be because their mental frequencies are on a different wavelength than the average person due to the large quantity of marijuana consumption. A more formal way of saying everyone was high as a kite. The Green Light District has a strict no photos policy, so I wasn't able to document my experience in terms of pictures, but I have a clear memory of the laid back atmosphere that overwhelmed my senses. 

Just outside the Green Light District is Vor Frelsers Kirke, or Church of Our Saviour. This dutch style, baroque church was consecrated and given its name in 1696 and designed by architect Lambert van Haven. Fifty years later, the tower was remodeled by Thurah who added the spiral tower.

On such a beautiful and sunny day, we decided to climb the tower. So up we went through the wooden lofts of the church and past enormous bells where we crossed our fingers hoping they wouldn't ring and frighten us. Approaching the upper deck and the base of the tower is one last wooden staircase that is almost vertical. With promise of blue skies at the top of the staircase, we kept climbing to find a spectacular view of Copenhagen and its neighboring cities. On this clear day every detail of the city was visible and I was in awe.

After taking enough pictures to use up a good portion of the memory on my camera, we decided to head home so I could work on a paper that was due tomorrow. Of course I left it until the last minute and still proceeded to do everything in my power to avoid writing it. I procrastinated by going for a walk, getting dinner, chatting with friends online, and staring at my ceiling hoping the paper would disappear or write itself. After neither of these happened I sat down at midnight and fell asleep writing a fieldwork reflection and analysis on my volunteer experience at Søernes Sejlklub.