The next two days following our return from Turkey was another chance to relax and recuperate from a busy and tiring week. I didn't manage to get any thing done in terms of laundry, cleaning, or school work, but sometimes it is nice to sit around and do nothing.
I slept until at least noon on Saturday and then woke up to make eggs and bacon with Lindsay. A hardy breakfast was just what I needed to find motivation to start the day. Even with this motivation, I still didn't seem to get much done and the rest of the day was a blur. I managed to make it into town to do some shopping with Lindsay, Hannah, and Cami, but that didn't last long and we soon ended up at the Living Room to relax and do some blogging and journaling. Throughout my time in Copenhagen, the Living Room has been my go-to place in terms of reading, getting work done, enjoying a cup of coffee, or simply needing a place to relax. On several occasions I've considered finding a new place to do work, but why change something if it isn't broken. I never get tired of the Living Room because there is always a new place to sit. You can never get tired of the couches because each chair and sitting place is different, same goes for the lighting and general atmosphere. I'm sure I might eventually get tired of the food, but most of the time I'm there to enjoy the environment.
Getting back from downtown, we stopped at the store on our way. I bought essential items for the evening including bananas, ice cream, and wine. The three ingredients to start a perfect night. Cami and I managed to finish the bottle of wine before going to a bar called The Happy Pig. I thought the silly Americans were just making up names for places again, but it turns out the bar was actually called The Happy Pig just in Danish, Den Glade Gris. It seems like a silly name for a bar, but it was surprisingly fun. The music wasn't the best, but when you've had enough drinks it doesn't matter how good or bad the music is.
The effects of the wine were beginning to wear off, so Cami and I split a tray of shots. We trusted the bartender who suggested we try a peach flavored liquor. We shouldn't have trusted her because the shots tasted like peach cough drop syrup. I think they would have tasted fine if we were already drunk, but that certainly wasn't the case. It was a rough start to the night, but we seemed to have a lot of fun afterwards. At one point, the song Grease Lightning came on, and you bet Cami and I whipped out our John Travolta moves as we pretended like we were standing on a car in the movie Grease. I'm surprised we didn't punch anyone in the face as we were dancing along to the music. We walked home as the sun was coming up, another reminder that we were back in Copenhagen.
On Sunday, Cami, Hannah, and I visited Christiania again to walk around and explore. The majority of the people in Christiania were so high or strung out that it was a great place to go if you wanted to escape the chaos and stress of everyday life, even without participating in the activities. Hannah was hungry, so we went into this little restaurant with all organic food. On the counter there was several different dishes with pasta, vegetables, soups, and several types of salads. Instead of ordering from a menu, you would load up your plate and pay based on weight. Cami and I had lunch before we came, so we weren't particularly hungry, but watching Hannah eat was making me drool. It was a cute little shop with boxes and crates of fruits and vegetables covering the walls.
I didn't realize how large Christiania was until Cami took us to the lake. From the main picnic table area you can follow a path to the top of a hill, and once you reach the top of the hill, there is an expansive view of the lake. I was told that people lived in the town, but I didn't occur to me how big it truly is.
We decided to go sit by the lake, but first Cami wanted to show us a surprise. She contemplated telling Hannah and I where we were going, but we decided it was better to keep it a surprise. Walking along the lake to the mystery spot, we passed houses, gardens, playgrounds, and swings over the lake. Soon we were at a door that leads into a room that must have been 3 by 3 feet big. The walls were made of cement and there was graffiti on every surface. The last time Cami came to Christiania was with a Danish person who lives in her building, and according to him, this used to be a World War II bunker. We looked inside and didn't see a passageway leading anywhere, but this could have easily been covered up over the years. Who knows if this was really a bunker, but it was still a great surprise to be there and consider its history.
Before getting to the bunker, we passed a kindergarden. My initial reaction was to feel sorry for these children having to grow up in these conditions surrounded by drugs, alcohol, and the many visitors of the town. I immediately realized that this was not a culturally competent way of viewing their lifestyle, and I was ashamed of my reaction. I knew nothing about these children or how happy they were, so who am I to judge how they live their lives? These children could be perfectly happy with their lifestyle and never be exposed to the drugs on the other side of the hill. Everyone's experiences are different, and walking through the kindergarden with this reaction and then reflecting on my experience later was helpful in understanding these differences. I wouldn't necessarily choose this life for my future children, but that doesn't mean because it is inherently wrong or bad. It is just a different town, country, and way a life.
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