Adventures in Nørrebro

Sleep was much needed, but I still didn't feel completely rejuvenated when waking up. After yesterday's adventures, we decided it would be best to discover how to get from Tåsingegade to our classroom. After only one or two wrong turns, we did manage to make it to our destination in less than a half hour. We recognized the mistake immediately after we made a wrong turn, so I would say we were doing much better than the previous day. As we approached the city center, we were stopped by a parade of some sort, which we quickly learned was part of a Parkinson's walk. There was a dancer and a drummer in the front of the parade, and as we rode our bikes past the drummer came up and played a beat or two on the back of our tires. Even if for a note or two, we got to be part of the parade.

Getting lost seemed to be a common theme for the first few days of the trip, but we're improving. After parking our bikes in an easily recognizable square, we went window shopping and grabbed lunch. We ate at Cafe Bjørgs where I had a Thai beef salad that was mouthwateringly delicious. It had marinated beef, cashews, sliced almonds, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and a peanut-like dressing. It was absolutely amazing and I enjoyed every single bite.

After lunch, we met up with one of Natalie's friends and traveled to a new part of Copenhagen that we had not yet explored. We left our bikes downtown and rode the bus about 20 minutes to a couple of pedestrian streets that were recommended by the man at the bike shop. These streets in Nørrebro are where more of the locals go to hang out, so it had a cozier feel, which actually felt a lot like Burlington. There were antique and unique little stores that were the hidden gems of the streets. People were laid back, relaxed, and went with the flow, the epitome of Burlington. We did some shopping and I found a nice black dress to wear while out on the town. Most of the shops were closed by the time we got there, so we decided to come back another day to explore more and come back tonight to get a feel for the night life.

Between walking, the bus, and biking, we managed to make our way back to Tåsingegade to get ready to go out. Lindsay, Natalie, and I have turned into the three musketeers, and have been doing everything together. I'm so lucky to have made such great friends! We seem to go on the most outrageous adventures, and tonight was no exception.

We started our night by biking back to Nørrebro to have a look around. The main section that appeared to be getting the most foot traffic was near a few bars with picnic benches outside where people gathered outside to have a drink. All the tables were very crowded, and we continued walking around to see what else there was. The night appeared to be a bust until we walked by a loud group of people handing out free hotdogs to bikers. Free food, needless to say, we were intrigued. We stopped to talk to one of the women handing out hotdogs who told us about their initiative to see how functional a biking drive through would be. Bicycles and food, what could be better?

In a city like Copenhagen with a large number of bikers, it would be interesting to see how successful a bike drive thru would be or maybe the bicycle accident rate would just go up. After getting our midnight snack, we asked the woman where we might find a fun bar. Just down the block we found this awesome bar with hilarious drink descriptions. We started the night with a Passion Ballerina which was described as "Put on your dancing shoes and boogaloo. Passion sorbet, rum and sugar. Simple but tasty and effective. It's usually served in whatever glass the bartender feels like." The drinks were expensive, but we heard good things, so we decided to at least give it a try. The bartender "accidentally" blended too much of our drink and told us he would pour us the left overs once we were done. Two drinks for the price of one, this was already turning out to be a good night. Still with leftovers, the bartender poured us each two shots of the Passion Ballerina. Luckily it was a mixed drink, so there wasn't as much alcohol as it might seem. While we were still enjoying the scene, we ordered one more drink to finish our time at this bar. I got a Dark & Stormy. Content and slightly buzzed, we continued to explore the city by biking towards home.

I didn't order anymore drinks for the rest of the night, but Lindsay and Natalie powered through a few more beers and a jägerbomb at the next few bars. The last bar we ended up at was a local bar with a pool table. We hung out with a group of Danish guys that were celebrating their friend's 25th birthday. A few more beers later, we biked home as the sun was coming up. So much for an early night, we didn't get home until 5am. Luckily this time I didn't have to wake up in two hours to go to class. 

We Have Bikes!

Since we got back from class at 3:30pm, we had just enough time to walk to the bike store before it closed at 4pm. Luckily we were at the bike store yesterday, so finding our way there after class was relatively easy. Victory, we rented bikes! Inspired and ready to go, we got on our bikes before quickly realizing that we had no idea where to go. Long story short, we got lost, but it sure was fun! We biked circles and circles and ended up on the opposite side of the city. This was where we had started our DIS orientation just yesterday, and the train station was across the street. After hours of biking and realizing we were over 5 miles away, we decided to take the train back. But we had no idea what train to get on and where to get off. We had a map, but if you don't know where you are on the map or where you need to go, the map is virtually useless. There we were sitting in the middle of the sidewalk outside the train station looking at a map. After at least 15 minutes we found our street, but we still needed to figure out which stop to get off at and which stop we were currently at. What I would have given for google maps at that moment. I just feel so fortunate that I've found friends like Lindsay and Natalie that are relaxed, down to earth, and don't mind getting lost in a foreign city. How we managed to stay awake this long after getting only a few hours of sleep, I couldn't tell you, be we finally made it back to Tåsingegade. By the end of the day my butt was sore, my belly was grumbling, and I was ready to sleep for at least 12 hours. First things first, we stopped by the store downstairs to get groceries to make green beans, chicken, and potatoes for dinner. Still in my clothes and makeup, I lay down in bed and don't remember anything after my head hit the pillow.

Gadevang Asyl

The second half of our class period was spent on a field visit at Gadevang Asyl. Gadevang is a special community of children and parents that fosters the principles of en god barndom by providing a conducive environment that supports play and peace. The members of the staff at Gadevang are referred to as aunts or pedagogue and hardly ever as teachers. There is not much of an English translation for a Danish pedagogue. The members of the staff don't like to refer to themselves as teachers because they aren't teaching. They are aiding, supporting, and providing guidance when needed. Here you will find young children out on the playground, climbing trees, wrestling with each other, and napping whenever they feel like it, all with very little adult supervision. Adults are often in other rooms completing other tasks, but are always available to help. This allows children to find the confidence to ask for help when needed. Our group was watching these children play in awe. In the United States there are so many rules and regulations about what kids can and cannot do that often get in the way of children playing and being themselves. Because our daycare and after-school programs are so structured and monitored, it is difficult to fathom having so much freedom as a child.

If a kid decided they wanted to go home with a friend, all they had to do was write in a log book who would be picking them up and the friend's parent would verify it as well. This is providing children with the freedom to decide how their time will be spent. I could see how this would be frustrating for a parent to get to Gadevang to pick up their child only to have to drive to another location, but this is what the parent signed up for by participating in this program. This is part of utilizing community resources to raise children. I want to go back in time and go to this daycare! I remember one specific instance as a child when I really wanted to go to my best friend Roxy's house. During school we designed an elaborate story for Barbie and her friends to go on an adventure, and did everything possible to convince our parents that having a play date would be a worthwhile experience. We planned everything out perfectly only to have Roxy's mom say no at the very last minute. It was heartbreaking. I just wanted to play Barbie's with my friend. If only we had gone to a school like Gadevang where we called the shots, Barbie would have been able to go on the adventure of her life and I would have gone to sleep happy. Gadevang was an inspiring school and it would be interesting to implement some of their principles into American schools and measure the effectiveness.

Frederiksborg Castle

Needless to say, I woke up exhausted on Friday morning. I was a walking zombie going to class, but I was ready for another exciting day. It was the second day of class and we were already having our first field study. Before we immersed ourselves in the culture, we visited Frederiksborg Castle to take a tour and have lunch on our own. The Museum of National History has been in the castle since 1878, but the castle was built during the time of Christian IV (1588-1648) and restored after a fire in 1859. The Museum contains portraits, paintings, and various artwork that exemplifies Danish culture and history from the 1500's to present day.

During the time of Christian IV, the Rose Room, or Knight's Room, was used as a dining room for the lords and ladies of the court. It has beautiful ceilings with so much intricate detail. Thinking that this was one of the only rooms we would be looking at, Lindsay, Natalie, and I walked down the main hallway and into the sculpture room only to turn around and head right out of the building. We must have just missed the staircase leading to the remainder of the exhibit and had to awkwardly turn around and make our way upstairs. From there we went to the Chapel. I thought the Rose Room had a lot of detail, but it seemed like nothing compared to the Chapel. Every square inch of this room was detailed and must have taken hundreds of hours of painstaking work. The walls in the Chapel and along the staircase were covered with plaques of what looked like various family crests. Some were old and faded, and others looked crisp and brand new. Everywhere you turned there was something new and beautiful to look at.

One of my favorite rooms was the Great Hall. From the doorway you see just enough of the room to become intrigued and curious to see more, without the first glimpse giving away too much of all the beauty the room has to offer. Immediately inside the door are a couple of steps up to the main floor. At the top of the steps you become overwhelmed by the patterned tile work, enormous paintings, detailed ceilings, and brilliant chandelier. There is so much to see and take in that you could spend hours in this room alone.

After finishing the rest of the rest of the tour, we wandered the streets to find some lunch before walking through the gardens. Regardless of what direction you are looking, the castle is breathtaking!

Class by Day, Downtown by Night

The summer school schedule is broken up into two, three week long summer sessions. For the first session I am taking Stolen Childhoods: Migrant, Refugee, Asylum-Seeking and Exploited Children in Europe with instructor Judith Wagner. We started class by getting to know a little about each other and our backgrounds. For the remainder of class we discussed principles of "en god barndom" (the good childhood) and how Nordic countries use this principle as a central theme in child development. The six components of the en god barndom philosophy are: egalitarianism, democracy, freedom, emancipation, cooperation, and solidarity. People in the Nordic countries believe that children should have the same rights as adults, while recognizing that children require additional support and protection. Children in Denmark are very independent and can be seen completing tasks and doing activities that you would never see kids in the United States doing; for example, children as young as five years old ride the bus alone. I was intrigued by the class discussion and excited for the next three weeks.

While in the States I debated whether I should get a bike or just use the bus as my primary means of transportation, but after seeing how easy and efficient biking is, I'm going to rent one! After class, Natalie, Lindsay, and I went on an adventure through the crowded streets of Copenhagen to look for a bike shop. Even though we put the address in google maps and wrote down the directions, we still took a few wrong turns along the way. Hustling to get to the store by 5pm, we discovered it actually closed at 4pm. Figuratively and literally, the best way to find yourself is to get lost. We somehow managed to make it to the bike store, but finding our way back was a whole new adventure. Luckily we had no firm schedule and were able to wander the streets and window shop. I always manage to procrastinate when packing my suitcase, and of course I forgot a converter. We decided to stop by the Apple Store to see if they might have one, or at least get some directions. The store was practically empty and there were two cute Danish guys working. After quickly learning that there was no converter, they recommended we try a place down the street that is similar to Best Buy in the States. They tried to give us the name of the place, the street it was on, and stores to look for along the way so we'd know we were going in the right direction, but of course none of this made sense. The worst part about going to a foreign country is when people are talking about you right in front of you, but in a different language, so you have no idea what they are saying. This was clearly happening, but in this situation, I don't think the two guys were saying anything bad about us.

The other technology store didn't have a converter either, so we quickly gave up and searched for a place to have dinner. Everything was still new and different, so we decided to stick with something familiar and had burgers at Max. It wasn't that familiar and we didn't know how to read the menu so we pointed at pictures; luckily it's difficult to mess up a burger. The picture I was pointing at ended up coming with a plastic cup. Tom and Jerry is definitely something I recognize.

The city seemed to come alive at night and the streets were still full of people relaxing and visiting. After going downtown with a lot of people, Natalie, Lindsay, and I broke away from the group and went to grab a beer at a quiet pub. It was still early in the night, and apparently our burgers weren't filling enough, so we went across the street to a Lebanese restaurant, sat at the counter, and shared some shish kebabs. Like usual, we were chatty with the servers and cooks who gave us some free falafels. A little kindness goes a long way, or maybe I should say a little alcohol goes a long way.

From the Lebanese restaurant, we went to another bar with dancing. The dance floor is one of the most obvious indicators that you are no longer in the United States. In the States all you see is people bumping and grinding up on each other. Americans have a very sexual way of dancing that can be uncomfortable when you just want to dance by yourself and get out some energy. For the most part, guys and girls in Denmark dance by themselves or will hold hands and dance. I'm sure it is different everywhere you go, and there are a few exceptions where you will find two people a little too up close and personal with each other, but it was refreshing to be in a place where there was no pressure to dance with someone else. Of course we had to test the social norm, so we tried to get guys to dance with us "the American way." Many guys didn't like it and would either say something or revert back to dancing with more distance. The bar scene is always a fascinating place to people watch.

When trying to leave, it always takes a lot longer than anticipated. We made it to the door, but then started talking to the security guards. While Lindsay and Natalie were talking to them I met DJ Sam who was sitting on a doorstep eating a sandwich, and his sidekcik, Tip. After we started walking to the bus stop, there was a different group of guys that were walking with us. It took us at least 30 minutes to realize that these guys were under the impression that they were coming back to our place to hang out. Wrong. How we did not recognize their intentions sooner, I don't know, but we sure had a good laugh about it in the morning. Once one of us was ready to go, there was always another person lagging behind, and by the time that person was ready to go, it was the other person that was busy. It was a vicious cycle and by the time we started heading home, it was already 3am. We didn't get home until 4:30am and the sun was beginning to come up. Tomorrow, or more appropriately, in a few hours, we had class at 9am and had to get up at 7:30am (before the snooze button) to catch the bus at 8:15am. As for how long I got to sleep, you do the math.

The Amazing Race, Copenhagen

It was a sunny and beautiful day, great for getting lost in Copenhagen! Immediately following the DIS opening presentation, we were broken up into groups of six to complete the DIS version of the Amazing Race. We had four destinations, two and a half hours until we had to be at class, and no clue where we were going. Although we weren't exactly sure where to go, there was bound to be at least one person in all of DIS that had some sense of direction, so we just followed other groups. At each stop we would meet up with a DIS representative and learn a little about the location. After a rocky start, we didn't take this whole adventure very seriously. Within two minutes we were completely lost, turned around at least four times, and had added another member to our group, but we sure were having fun chatting and getting to know each other.

Our first location was Amalienborg, the royal palace. The four buildings are identical and house the Danish royal family. Unlike the White House, there is very little security other than a armed guard outside each building. Members of the royal family are often seen out on the streets running, shopping, having dinner, and carrying out daily responsibilities. These country leaders aren't idolized like they are in the United States. When Danes see a member of the royal family on the street, they may wave or simply ignore them. By idolizing our Presidents in the United States, we are creating a natural divide between governing bodies and the people they serve. The layout and landscape of the royal palace provides for a welcoming, approachable feel compared to the White House which is set back from the road, fenced in, and highly guarded.

Our second stop was Nyhaven or New Harbor, a popular, picturesque canal. After walking way too long and getting way too lost, we decided to spend a little extra time in New Harbor to take some pictures and grab some lunch. I was able to try a real Danish hot dog, and although the ingredients sound the same as the US, they taste completely different. Even the ketchup in Denmark tastes different! 

Our third stop was Christiansborg Slotsplads/Christiansborg Castle Square, the Danish parliament. To get to this location we had to take a boat from Nyhaven, which is included as part of our public transportation pass. Train, bus, metro, and now boat?! Copenhagen, 1: United States, 0. Christiansborg is a central location for government buildings and has been renovated several times because of the uncanny frequency in which it has burned to the ground. Our final destination was Rosenborg Slot, the palace of King Christian IV, located in Kongens Have/Royal Garden; however, it was in the opposite direction of our classrooms, we were running out of time, and it was more important that we got back to class on time rather than finish the race. The Royal Gardens will be saved for another day because I hear they shouldn't be missed!

DIS Official Opening

Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) plans an orientation for all of the international students each semester. This orientation included speeches from Anders Uhrskov, the Director of DIS, and Helle Rytkønen, Program Director of Communication, and tunes played by members of the Royal Danish Symphony Orchestra. Each speaker had a unique and different message to share with us, but also a similar theme of challenging and encouraging us to discover our personal reasons for studying abroad, especially in Denmark, and what we want to get out of this experience. I've always had a passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures different than my own, which is part of the reason I traveled from California to Vermont for college. I wanted to study abroad for an entire semester during my four years in Vermont, but after changing my major, committing myself to four jobs, and being a Grand Officer for Rainbow Girls, leaving for a semester became nearly impossible. Because I couldn't go away for a semester, the summer was the next best option. When first considering why I chose to study abroad, my initial response was to travel. After considering what Denmark had to offer my study abroad experience, I was inspired by how Danish people teach by viewing their students as equals who engage in the learning and critical thinking process together. It isn't about who is right and who is wrong. It isn't about who is better and who is worse. It is about recognizing differences and accepting them for what they are.

The University of Vermont has a diversity requirement and the Social Work program has a core value of cultural competence. Understanding diversity and cultural competency is discussed in every single social work class, which is strange to me because it is not something you can learn in a book. This understanding is an ongoing, never-ending process in which you must step out of your comfort zone to make significant progress. You don't have to like what you see, and sometimes you don't even have to understand it, but it is important to accept the realistic differences of the diverse world we live in. As for Denmark, I must say, I like what I see.