Adventures Abroad

So I am sitting here in the airport of Copenhagen with a nice lull of the hustle and bustle of internationals. There’s clinking of coffee cups, a Danish family playing a heated game of cards, and a glorious smorgasbord of languages surrounding me in the fantastically clad airport that is Copenhagen. I am about to catch a flight in two hours to Washington D.C. and then onwards to San Francisco. Back to the States. I’d never thought I’d say it. Yes it is trite – but I did think it would last forever. Europe has a way of charming you in surprising ways that you would never imagine.

This blog post won’t be littered with funny stories, it’s more of a reflection. Here goes: it’s really strange to say I’ve closed the chapter in my life that is studying abroad during junior year. I’d thought about it ever since I was in grade school and overly planned it during the past two years of college. Now it is done. I can officially say “I’ve studied abroad.” Check and check.

Was it all I expected? Yes, it most definitely was. It was so much more and to tell you the truth, I cannot even remember what I expected from the beginning. I can now identify with the study abroad student coming back and finding it hard to tell the stories that matter. I’ll say it now and I’ll say it fast: there are so many stories and fantastically crazy, bloody brilliant, beyond extraordinary, best times of my life experiences that have happened these past five months.

However, I do not want to be that person who declares “Oh yeah man, let me tell you about the time I was backpacking through Europe and sat in the back of a milk truck!” or “Whoa man, I was in the city and ran into celebrities, it was wicked awesome!” So in an avoidance of being that cliché student ragging on an on, I shall refrain from divulging all of my abroad secrets.

What can I say; I am at a loss for what to say. Gosh – I’m becoming one of those unfortunate writers that I despise because of their use of all the fallback phrases. But it’s only because I could talk about so many things…I think what I want to share most about is my love for Danish people, lifestyle, and European culture in general.

At least for me, I can say I always grew up as an individual who was dissatisfied with the ways things are done in America. I had many fortunate opportunities in my youth to explore museums, historical sites, and travel to many places. So I guess you could say I’d gained an exaggerated interest and sway of opinion towards a different way of thinking at an early age. Don’t get me wrong, I have beyond undying pride for the United States, but at the same time, some characteristics of American lifestyle are just not for me.

These traits that I have found abroad that are expressed by many and that I find extremely agreeable are the following: environmentalism, family life, slowing down, actually taking work vacation, closeness, languages, extensive knowledge of current affairs, being chic while having less materialistic things, social welfare (health care and paid education through university), simplicity, healthy/exercise oriented lifestyle, old world architecture, funky techno beats, dinner/lunch/snack/dessert that consists of epic conversation and lasts for-ev-er, and large expanses of land that don’t have inhabitants in them. I could go on and on, but I shall refrain.

Being abroad, my perspectives have not been drastically changed, but they have improved. By this I mean: no longer can I look at trends and see things from one side more than the other. I have found it easier to regard something, anything really, and question it further than I previously would have. Criticism seems to be learned trait and one that becomes more prolific over time. More prolific and I guess you could say, more substantiated, especially as a result of being exposed to different areas of life.

Although I’d always been extremely skeptical of city life, now I must say I absolutely love it. Any angst over the epic amounts of cars and being forced to walk within the lines of skinny sidewalks subsides as the charm and excitement of the city take over. It’s so interesting –really all the time, you find yourself running into new things and people that seem to be a little bit less likely in the countryside or in the random sidetracks. Metropolises thrive with internationalism in all the nooks and crannies. It’s a constant rollercoaster of happenings when you least expect it.

I had inklings about Europeans being a lot slower in their way of life. My previous experiences in France had referenced this briefly when the waitress pretty much refused to give us our check under the hour time mark of dinner. However, it makes so much sense to spend an hour at the dinner table or to only be allowed to drink your coffee in the shop. It’s not inconvenience; it just makes for a less-rushed, more enjoyed way of life. Competition is also this same way in Europe. My favorite quote from the Danish company, Carlsberg Brewery, is within their widely professed business scheme. They produce “probably the best beer in town” – quite different from saying the best. It is all in this same rhetoric of being ok with where you stand and staying a bit more slappe af, relaxed.

When I now hear that Danes are the happiest people in the world, I really have a hard time doubting it. There are so many reasons why they live so well and are gleeful beyond the usual population. So many things make sense in Denmark (and in Europe), really. But this is not without saying many problems also exist. Immigration and racism issues are extreme in Denmark, as well as many other European countries. Not to mention the economies of Spain, Portugal, and Greece being so highly depressed. So although many things are well, there is still much progress to be made.

And so I say with definite assurance, this will not be the last time I am abroad for a significant amount of time. Already, I miss Denmark and all the fantastic people I met from my program DIS, my host family, and on my travels. I would encourage anyone considering studying or traveling abroad to DEFINITELY go. Don’t think too much about it, don’t overanalyze the details, and don’t choose something that is safe – go out of your way to experience a new location, language, living situation, and travel itinerary. No matter where you end up – the opportunity to learn and experience awesome things will always present itself.

If you don’t recognize the name Tivoli already, just think of a mini version of Disneyland, but five times better. It is Disneyland with authenticity, without commercialism, and with a cuteness factor driven up to the skyline! My host family is so cool that they acquire stocks in places like Tivoli. As a result of their awesome investment choice, I was able to get in a day before it officially opened to the public and at a significantly reduced price. Below is a photo from Tivoli, looking towards city hall.

As you walk in, you are greeted by park workers dressed in the most exciting outfits I’ve seen in a while. It is this sassy black outfit with gold trimmed pants and a train conductor hat. You are welcomed into the park that hosts streetlight-lined stone gravel pathways, lined with bushes, trees, hanging lanterns, and fresh flowers. There are fountains bubbling to your right and the smell of fresh waffles wafting from the left. A quaint pond with little rowboats and a fantastically well-kept garden greet you as you stroll through the twisting pathways.

The park doesn’t have too many rides actually; instead it is more full of restaurants that are both high quality and expensive. People pay to enter the park just to attend some of the restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star rating. My host family and I ate at this authentically Danish restaurant where most of the celebrities go to on the opening day. My meal was delicious curried rice and frikadeller aka Danish meatballs.

We proceeded to go on a few rides, including H.C. Anderson’s story book ride (almost a spitting image of “It’s a Small World”), the rollercoaster (fondly called “the rollercoaster” in Danish), and this small Ferris wheel. My favorite would have to be the Ferris wheel as it was just beginning to be dark outside and I was able to see the entire city with all the lights turned on.

The next best thing was this row of games, hosting different activities that we tried our hands at! The most exciting one was where you paid $2 to choose a number on the circle. Going around and around the circle is a little wooden guy riding a bike with chocolate in his basket. If he stops at your number when the buzzer goes off, you get the chocolate! Basically a kid version of roulette. Much to my chocolate-obsessed dismay, I didn’t win.  There was another fantastic game where you can purchase 5 plates and throw them at a wall. I didn’t play, but  apparently it is fun and releases a lot of energy…or anger management problems possibly!? Who knows.

We ended the night by a nice final walk through the park. I can say I most definitely prefer Tivoli to Disneyland. A park that is not too big and bombastic always does the trick. If you ever get a chance to Copenhagen, this is a definite experience to be had.

I just have to chat about this Icelandic volcano that is all over the news right now. First of all, who knew that Iceland even had volcanoes? It seems quite apropos to the terrain of ice and snow. Second, the volcano has a fantastically epic name like !ldpvnw$ll#nmw!&*. However, it is literally causing mass havoc in Europe, at least for those who want to go and come in Europe. The picture below is a photo of the Copenhagen airport, usually full of passengers in the hustle and bustle. Most recently, it has been absolutely barren.

Many of us in my program are saying thank goodness our spring break travels have just ended because otherwise all of us would have been stuck in cities across Europe. This is actually happening to people I know – stuck in Rome and different locations in Spain, unable to come home via flight. People are turning airport terminals into campsites!

Never have alternative forms of transportation been used so much – train, car, boat, camel, you name it! I’ve encountered a British student on my train that I take, granted it is in the boondocks of outer Copenhagen. The poor thing was in pursuit of Bologna, Italy.  All I wanted to say was: “that’s more than a bit South, m’dear!” My host sister has been stuck in Dublin for 4 days now. She has just taken a ferry to Wales, a ferry to Belgium, and will eventually be on a 14 hour bus ride back to Copenhagen. Phew.

In fact, I also just heard a story today of an individual who took a taxi from Germany all the way to Spain – it was apparently like 4000 Euro or something absurd like that. Translate that to about 6000 or so dollars.

Airlines don’t know what to do either; most companies are losing 2 billion dollars per day. It’s absolutely awful and really, what does it mean for passengers and their companies?  Will passengers be refunded, did they sign without reading between the fine lines not knowing that natural phenomena isn’t covered in the cancellation policy? No one can be sure what the outcome will be.

However, in the bleakness of it all, it is absolutely hilarious for my friends and I to imagine the volcano continuing to spew black dust into the air long enough for us to stay over the summer in Copenhagen. Common running questions have become “can you imagine if this happened when we were to leave?” or “what if it erupts forever?!” Of course there are never hints of foreboding doom in these discussions, they are always gleeful, indeed.

In the mean time, we wait to hear more so that we can make travel plans without the fear of cancellation. It’s quite a riot to find out that the last time the Icelandic volcano erupted; it continued to do so for years. Yeah, I could do that; become a citizen of Denmark due to volcanic displacement.

Pip pip, cheerio! With my program, my class of about 25 of us went on an academic study tour that integrates business visits and sightseeing. I chose London as my destination and I am absolutely gleeful that I did!

London is pretty much the most amazing place ever. Yes, everyone knows London is that metropolitan city reknowned for its double-decker buses and Harry Potter references; however, it really is all that it’s stacked up to be.

First off, getting off the plane on a sprightly Sunday morning with my classmates, I started to notice things in the airport. Keep left! Mind your rubbish! Way out! British terms were hitting us in the face left and right. It was glorious, we all had to stop ourselves from breaking out British accents. Then we met our guide who was literally the epitome of Britishness.

She was a tall woman clad in a long green coat, pointy boots, small hat, and oversized bag. Essentially think of Mary Poppins and you have it. We shuttled off in a large bus towards the city from Stanstead as our guide, Corinna, professed her undying love for London. Seriously she became one of the coolest people ever over the course of our 2 hour ride together.

Little did we know she starred as an extra in no less than 2 Harry Potter films, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Wimbledon to name a few. Also, on a variety of medical shows as a dead person. She exclaimed “I’ll do anything for money!” because London is so “bloody expensive, yet brilliant!”  After this splendiferous ride, we finally reached the hotel located in Russell Square. It was a pretty funny hotel, it seemed to be servicing just about every international high school student – it was bursting at the seams with young-ins out to experience London.

Ok now I’m just going to highlight some of the best things that we did over the 5 days…

Sunday: we were all exhausted from the day’s worth of hustle and bustle, but we went out and about anyways. Navigating the Tube to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. We also went to Trafalgar Square, which is the center plaza with the huge lions and fountains. Out of nowhere came this freak rainstorm, but we thought it was coming from the fountain, so we all ran behind a lion and then realized it was coming from above. Yep, that happened.

Monday: there was absolutely lovely weather this day. The sun was shining and we were digging the Vitamin D intake since Copenhagen rarely sees it. Then, we went to the All-England Lawn Tennis Club aka Wimbledon. It is just how we imagined it would be, beautifully kept-up area with pristinely cut grass and hallways where the pros have walked. One of the most interesting professions is there; you get to measure each square meter of grass to make sure it is even across the board.

Wednesday: we hit all of the major spots in London including the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. One of my friends and I busted some rhymes of London Bridge Is Falling Down and Fergie Ferg’s remix, it was a bit un-PC though considering we weren’t at the actual London Bridge. Helen Gerety, a fellow Puget Sound student, and I took a jumping photo in front of the Tower Bridge (posted below). In other news, the real London Bridge did fall, a whole 3 times actually! Then we went to Abbey Road in transit singing a whole smorgasbord of Beatles. Surprisingly it is a really busy thoroughfare, so there was a lot of car honking for all the tourists to go faster across the crosswalk. Of course, we got photos of ourselves walking across; no one was barefoot though.

Thursday: we visited a company called Lloyd’s, which is an international insurance market. Located centrally in London, it is the comprisal of thousands of people into one epic building, who are trading and making insurance deals. The company is renowned for insuring some of the strangest items, which include: America Ferrera’s smile, a water skiing elephant for a major motion picture (it was also pink, mind you), and Fred Astaire’s legs. The building of Lloyd’s was revolutionary too; it had 3 glass elevators on the outside of the building that were highly reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Slugworth was not in sight, but the dimming city of London was. The day was then finished by a visit to the infamous Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station. I had to ask a train assistant, “where are the trains?” He responded, “which trains?!” (little did I know there were about 20 or so around). Then I regrettably admitted I was searching for the Hogwarts Express Platform, which I soon found out was not between 9 and 10.

Friday: we went to the British Museum which was kind of fantastic considering it was completely free and contains some really old artifacts. One of the most interesting things I ran into was mummified animals – apparently they did more than just the human variety!

London is such a lovely city and my entire class was in love with it by the end. We did not want to leave its cheery atmosphere and charm after our stay.

This past weekend I went on a study tour with my business class to 3 different cities in Western Denmark for 3 days – Ringkobing, Ribe, and Vejle. All small, little towns with precious thatched houses, canals, and snow on the ground. Whilst we were jaunting across the Western half of Denmark, I happened upon some fantastic Danish cultural differences.

Thus, showing my love to the Northwest, repping the 90s movie that took place in “Seattle” even though we all know it was Tacoma, here’s some super funk things that I have witnessed. Hey Denmark, here’s 10 Things I Love About You…

1) Danes and many people in Scandinavia are SO tall. So there we were, sitting in a company boardroom, we had just listened to the PR speaker and through the door walks our second speaker who is absolutely giant. Literally, he must have been 6’ 7’’ – many of us had to keep our mouths from dropping.  The average height of males in around 6′!

2) Almost everything is good to eat here! Everything that is hum-drum back home reaches the level of organic here. Pasta sauce in a jar, yum, plain yogurt, yum….and the list goes on. The key is: they don’t use preservatives and high fructose corn syrup here.

3) The Vikings actually didn’t exactly wear hats with huge horns on them. Good job history faux-pas.

4) The movies here are super funk. On the bus, we were introduced to some popular Danish films. One was this Jimmy Neutron-esque cartoon, but it was completely crass. On the surface it looked like it was for children, but then these cartoons started busting out swear words, fighting with each other, and stealing things. I will have to try my hand at other Danish cinema…

5) The Danes slow it down. Expect to get in and get out? Nope! If you go out to dinner, you don’t have to feel bad about hanging out an hour after you are finito with your food.

6) Copenhagen is a small city and easy to get to know! Only after 2 ½ weeks, I already helped a foreigner find their way in the city. I am no longer just a tourist. It’s actually quite easy to become acquainted in a city, it just takes some exploring and getting lost.

7) Pigs galore! Denmark has over 5 times the amount of pigs than people! Isn’t that crazy? They sure enjoy their meat here. Granted, the population of Denmark is really small with only 5.5 million overall.

8 ) Europeans stay up really late! I can’t believe it, people who aren’t even of young age can stay up until 4am in the morning. I continue to be thoroughly impressed.

9) Bikes, EVERYWHERE. Danes bike in the rain, snow, blizzard, golf-ball-sized-hail…nothing stops them! Biking is clearly an art form here. The other day I saw this girl major hydroplane on ice.

10) The buildings are fantastically old and crooked. You think you are feeling a bit woozy on the staircase because for some reason the stairs aren’t straight and neither are the walls, but then you remember it’s not you, it’s just the way it is.

My trip to Copenhagen has been a success! It was really an exciting occasion to go out of San Francisco airport and already begin noticing people who were going to Copenhagen. As I arrived to the Washington D.C. airport and found Helen Gerety, a fellow UPSer who is in the same program, along with lots of other program students.

Foreign airlines foster really exciting experiences. The combination of glorious lost in translation moments between the stewardesses, the reports of everything in 3+ different languages, and the funky things you are bound to overhear at some point during the flight make for an unforgettable journey…

That being said, the report of pre-departure flight information proceeded as usual telling everyone to fasten the seatbelts; however, what was about to come next is still delighting us. The video said “it is suggested that you do not sleep on the floor or in the aisles”…suggested, not prohibited, mind you. Apparently sleeping on the floor is a big enough trend to report about it on their internationally syndicated flights.

More than 8 hours later, we arrived and went through customs, waited for our luggage and then in some long lines for registration. After that, we were whisked away to a technical college to receive our orientation. After paperwork and good old things like that, we took off in separate buses to our respective housing. My housing is a dormitory at Skindergade 40. The second “d” is pronounced as an “l” – say that word 5 times fast!

Since Copenhagen streets are so skinny, the bus we were on couldn’t go down the road of my dormitory. Thus we got out a few blocks away and started to drag the oodles and oodles of luggage towards our new home. Here we were, about 35 American students traipsing across Copenhagen’s heavily cobble-stoned streets with unnecessary amounts of luggage. It was like a band of horses clip-clopping through the streets as the rolling suitcases bumped along. Needless to say, we all made it.

My dormitory is located right in the middle of the city and what you would expect out of a European-esque styled building. It has that whole stucco yellow feel with the peeling paint that reveals some white toned bricks underneath. Of course there is a courtyard and vines growing on the walls to complete the experience. Overall, my dorm has 4 floors. My flat consists of 9 other students with 1 kitchen and 2 bathrooms. It’s a pretty sweet set-up because it’s modeled like an apartment. (Posted: a picture of the area right where I’m living and studying in)

My first impressions of Copenhagen: it’s cold, old, and bold! It’s usually 15-30 degrees outside with snow on the ground. The city is fantastically old; most of the buildings have been around for hundreds of years and there are an extreme amount of historical buildings within reach. Danes are so bold because they live minimally and maintain environmentally friendly practices throughout all living activities.

Greetings and thanks to all of you that are reading this blog. Let me just preface and say that I am going to keep this blog sprightly and exciting! I’ll be updating as often as possible with stories and photos. That being said…

My study abroad adventures officially commence the 16th day of January 2010 as I board my United Airlines flight to Washington, D.C. and then my connecting flight on Scandinavian Airlines to Copenhagen, Denmark, which will arrive in the early morning on the 17th.

I’ll be studying with American students at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (affiliated with the larger University of Copenhagen) and living in a dormitory in the central city. I’m within the International Business and Economics program and my travels will continue past Danish borders, all across Europe! (A photo of Copenhagen city center posted below).

http://uwsp.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/copenhagen_06.jpg

When it comes to Denmark, a lot of questions have come up. Here’s a few that gave me a bit of a chuckle and you might be thinking of yourself…

1) Do people actually go there?
Yes, in fact! I was a bit surprised myself. There’re over 500 students in my program alone and tourists do travel to Denmark en masse.

2) Is that where the Vikings are from?
Yes! Apparently it’s pretty much the only bit of history relayed to American students in grade school.

3) What language do they speak there?
Danish. Not Dutch contrary to popular belief.

4) What?!
I know right, I mean Denmark is hard to find written up about and no one really knows anything about it. But, hey! Copenhagen is actually supposed to be an amazing city, often called the “Paris of the North.”