Monthly Archives: September 2008

Photo-list

Written by serene. Posted on September 29, 2008. Filed under Travel. Tagged . 4 Comments.

…because I’m feeling exceptionally lazy. I’m such a bad blogger. I blame it on the awesome Danish honey. I guess this makes me kind of like Winnie the Pooh. That makes me smile.

So, without further adieu, things I have been up to:

1. Riding trains

2. Walking around neighborhoods

3. Taking photos of friends

4. Nervously reading American political and economic news, never being quite sure if I could access my bank account (I was/am a Wamu customer)

5. Getting my first package and postcard. This helped get me through my first bout of homesickness.

6. Long Skype calls, which somehow are still never enough.

7. Recovering from my first living-in-dorm-environment cold.

That about covers it. Exciting, huh?

Missing home

Written by serene. Posted on September 12, 2008. Filed under I am a sap, Photography, Travel. Tagged , . No comments.

Life is settling a little more every day. I’ve settled into routine, which involves Skype, instant coffee, KEXP online, and looking out at the gray sky and being reminded of home. I was warned that when the initial charge of being abroad for a long while settles, a pretty wicked case of homesickness will take hold.

It has. I’m dealing with a daily craving of pho, a mind which wanders to those of you who keep me sane and centered and laughing, and a desire to watch a lot of American television online.

The one positive change with adjustment is that school is starting to get more intense, not only in course work, but also adapting to the Danish style of teaching (which will merit an entirely different entry). In addition, my group of UW students have had an interesting week, including going to Dyrehaven (a deer park in North Copenhagen) and a visit to Nationalmuseet  (National Museum of Denmark). My personal highlight was retreating behind my camera and capturing some hilarious moments.

Lakrids smile.

Lakrids smile.

Another interesting part of this week included seeing an international reaction to the seventh anniversary of 9/11. Many of us were asked how we were feeling and what the day means to us. For me, the sentiment was stronger here. I will never forget that day and how I felt, and my memories felt amplified by being in an unfamiliar place, trying to decipher newspaper articles using images burned into my memory in a language I can’t read. Those emotions are even trickier to reconcile when people are asking you questions about your feelings, which inevitably leads to a political discussion (yet another blog post).

Eating in Denmark

Written by serene. Posted on September 6, 2008. Filed under Uncategorized. 1 Comment.

I am happy to report back that it is true that the culture of eating out is virtually non-existent in Denmark. I think part of this is because of the high cost of eating in a restaurant (coffee and a pastry at a cafe costs about 50-60 kroner, which is about 10-12 dollars), which supports the high minimum wage in the country. To think that a food service worker can actually survive on minimum wage, which hovers around $20 an hour, may seem insane to most Americans, but I think it’s a matter of where you place your priorities – high living wages for all or profit-driven competition with a race to the bottom in overhead costs. I’ll take high restaurant wages any day, personally. Additionally, I think there is a general appreciation for cooking in the home and the hygge (coziness) that comes along with it.

My typical breakfast

My typical breakfast

ANYWAY, tangential thinking aside, I have found it relatively easy to eat on the cheap, espcially now that I am out of Copenhagen and in Roskilde. Eating at home is a breeze, with the normal staples of pasta, rice, and potatoes being pretty cheap. Dairy goods, especially cheese, are a huge part of the daily diet and are really affordable. I’ve even incorporated the super tart but tasty Danish yogurt into my breakfast.  All in all, it’s not as tough as I thought to keep my food costs low, though I’ll most likely tire of the staples soon.

I look forward to trying all the weird fish I see in the market, but can’t afford yet. And yes, this means I started eating meat here. I’d hate to miss out on any part of the Danish culture because of my moral and ethical beliefs. Plus, with the EU standards of animal harvesting being higher, I don’t have the same level of guilt about supporting the industry.

A dinner from a few days ago

A dinner from a few days ago

The sound of settling

Written by serene. Posted on September 2, 2008. Filed under Uncategorized. 2 Comments.

I’ve finally got all my books on a shelf and my clothes out of my suitcase and am starting to feel a little more sane. The dorm room is by far the nicest one I’ve ever encountered. It’s a fully functional apartment – it’s a single room with a full bathroom and a little kitchenette (or mini køkken if you are into learning Danish).

Sleeping area

Sleeping area

View from the door

View from the door

I’ll post a photo of the bathroom later. The ones I took do it no justice, but it is a sight to be seen. It’s my favorite area, if for nothing else the walls and the floors are all tiled, so I can take the detachable showerhead and have a private concert without concern of getting anything wet or getting out of hand.

This morning I took the train into the town of Roskilde (one train stop away) to register with the Danish government and get a doctor assigned. While Roskilde is a lovely town with cute shops and some interesting looking churches, I am finally seeing cracks to the pristine exterior of the Danish people. Here I’ve finally seen some sketchy looking characters, metal kids, and some genuine crazies. I’m grateful to see that not everyone is shitting rainbows and has the perfect complexion. Rumor has it that there is a Viking museum and a sandy beach on the fjords just on the edge of town, so I fully plan on checking both of those out once I’m feeling a little more adjusted.

At this point I’m recharging my batteries by reading and listening to good music and watching movies and writing sappy emails and getting rid of the living-out-of-suitcase funk. It’s good timing too, as the skies are starting to turn a more familiar shade of gray and I’m starting to feel like I’m living here, rather than just passing through.