do svidaniya

Well this has been one of the few weeks I've felt the stress from classes but so glad it's over. The following pictures have nothing to do with the text!

My roommate and our shared visiting
family mom! 

Wednesday was jam-packed but amazing. I woke up at 6:45 to go to an open prison. I don't even know how to describe it, it was a bizarre experience. It looks more like a dorm than a prison. There is a communal kitchen on every hall where inmates make their own food with massive knives available for use, no uniforms and only in a small section are people paired with roommates. We got to go into one of the rooms and I found myself saying "I would kill for this much space to myself"...then realized someone may have done just that. It's a sad day when you're jealous of prisoners and their singles. The Danish concept of prison is completely different, it's not about retribution but rehabilitation.

One of my roommates has been
procrastinating by making amazing
breads...I'm not complaining.

After our return to the city, I had another field study for my History of CPH class. We toured military fortifications for 2 hours...in the rain. But what made it all worth it was a private tour of one of the Amalienborg palace mansions. The tour guide was awesome and really into it which makes it even better (plus the British accent definitely helps too). By now it is 4:30 and I walk home, eat a quick dinner, and went back to DIS where for three hours I had a Russia orientation/crash course.

Picture from the Fun. concert I went to!
They sounded great live!

Crazy week with events and classes and tests (did I mention I had a Russian test and a Danish test on the same day...yeah, for the girl who sucks at languages and took Latin. How did I let this happen). But it's over! I picked up my passport and got my visa! And got some Russian currency today! Now all I have to do is pack and get ready to be at the airport at 6:30am.


Do svidaniya Copenhagen! I'll see you in a week!

Oh! And here's what my name looks like in Russian: МОЛЛИ ЭЛИЗАБЕТ РЕКА  (cool!)

That thing called classes

I've gone about a month without talking about this thing called school. Considering this is one of the few weeks I've actually been stressed about the amount of work I have, it might be time to give a quick update!

Well, first of all, I dropped a class called Scandinavian Moods in Cinema (mostly because I realized that watching two very depressing movies a week would probably pay a toll. Especially as the sun starts setting at 3 in the afternoon).

My core class has finally started talking about Turkey which is exciting! We've been spending a lot a lot a lot of time on diversity in Denmark. Which...doesn't provide a whole lot once you've covered the basics. So I'm looking forward to a change of pace (right after I finish a paper about diversity in Denmark).

Then is the Criminology class. Funny you should ask about that because that's where I should be right now as I type this. No I didn't skip. It's been cancelled the past four classes. First she was sick and then she had a conference. I was a bit disappointed when I saw the email this morning because I want to talk about prisons! But tomorrow we're visiting an open prison which I've been reading about and it sounds kind of crazy.

If you're interested, here's a 15 minute video about the Danish prison system. So weird! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=750962580192066201

My favorite class is definitely my history of Copenhagen course. I'm such a history nerd. Just leave me with my architectural encyclopedia, a list of dead monarchs and a map of the city and I'm a happy camper.

Oh! And how could I forget Russia! This class only meets once a week which means we've had about three classes...which is kind of crazy because we're going to Russia in a few days. But my professor is awesome, he has been the Russian translator for the royal family and is so enthusiastic and excited. A lot of people signed up for the class after finding out he was teaching it because he's that cool.

So those are my classes. Nothing too exciting to report. I'm a fan of all of my professors which is good and now back to the fun stuff:

This sunday the Green House and Culinary House took a one hour bus ride to Svanholm! It's this old estate that was bought by a bunch of hippies in the 70s and turned into a farming commune. Basically it started the organic food movement in Denmark and it's still up and running today. In fact, some of the food from our co-op comes from here.

We took a tour of a greenhouse full of tomato varieties (we all agreed it was like our version of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory) and we got to pet some cows. It was beautiful and a perfect Sunday activity. Oh! And they gave up homemade ice-cream. Tomato flavor anyone?

Happy Monthiversary Copenhagen.

My dear father was kind enough to remind me that I have been slacking in my duties as a travel abroad blogger. It is true and I apologize. I've officially been here for a month and I feel obligated to reflect...probably why I've been procrastinating. Copenhagen and I have been together for more than 30 days and I feel like I should be, at this point, somehow more worldly or independent or cultured. Instead, I just feel like Molly...who happens to be living in Europe. Maybe that's part of the process. I can't believe it's already been a month and I definitely went through a bit of a one month study abroad crisis. There's just so much I want to do! But enough, study abroad blogs have a tendency to be overly sentimental and cliche and I promised I wouldn't do that.

Doesn't everyone see this on their way to the library?

Yesterday I finished class before noon, walked to the Black Diamond, the Royal Library, where I attempted to do homework. I sat outside the library and soaked in the wonderful UV rays and when a large ominous cloud came, I made my way into the library. I eventually mustered up the courage to walk into one of the reading rooms. I was in a room where Lenin studied during his time here (I also happened to be reading a book about Russian history). How freaking cool is that? It's moments like these that have been my highlight - exploring the city on my own and realizing that I'm in an incredible and history city. So happy one month anniversary Copenhagen! Now let us now raise our glasses to Copenhagen and skål (cheers!) 

p.s. I just bought tickets to the Russian Ballet...which I will be seeing in Russia...in a week! (Whatttt?)
p.p.s. I just bought an absurd old Danish man alcoholic beverage that literally says: "Good for morning, hunting, fishing, and birthdays" #win (I had my Danish RA translate...he laughed at me when he saw what I brought back from the grocery store. It's not my fault I'll buy pretty much anything with a Danish flag on the label!)

Language is a barrier...who knew?

One of the reasons I picked Denmark was because there was no language prerequisite to the program and because most people can speak english. And while it is certainly true that most speak english (it's incredibly impressive how quick people can transition between fluent languages), the language does definitely present its own challenges. Two sundays ago we played Runbold with some Danes. The second floor RA brought a bunch of her friends together to challenge us to a game that mildly resembled a baseball/mat-ball combo. The first half was an American/Danish face-off which involved a lot of laughter on the side of the Danes. We clearly had no idea what was going on but at least they enjoyed our confusion. (Meanwhile, I was busy shaking off gym class flashbacks...I'm not one for organized sport as we all know).

Sidenote: During our "break" nearly every American whipped out a snack they had brought and one of the Danes asked if we were diabetic. Nope. Just weak.

Last night my roommate and I explored Norrboro a bit, which is a neighborhood just outside the inner medieval city. We came across a cute bar that was having an open-mic night. What's a better way to immerse than some beer and entertainment? That was until we realized this open-mic comedy night was all in Danish. We were three people in a sea of laughing Danes and had absolutely no idea what was going on. We couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it. So we sipped our organic beers and laughed along with the best of them.

My Danish classes have been focusing more on the "culture" aspect than the "language" which is totally fine by me! But I don't think a day goes by where I haven't wished I could understand even a single sentence people spoke to me in a cafe. I was bonding with a Polish exchange student over how hard the language was and we were wondering whether the Danes did it intentionally so no one else would be able to learn it. A nearby Dane laughed and confirmed the suspicion. He then went on to say that it's even harder if you're dyslexic so be grateful for something.

Here are some pictures from my weekend!

 Saturday morning I dragged one of my roommates on a walk and didn't tell her the destination I had in mind (which is always fun when you're the only one with a sense of direction!) Hello little mermaid! About time I made your acquaintance. 

 Finally went to Tivoli, an amusement park/garden, in central Copenhagen. So beautiful! There are concerts every Friday and it opens again for Halloween and Christmas! (That's me justifying the season pass I bought). 

 On Sunday two of my roommates and I biked to a small village called Dragør. It was about an hour bikes ride away. Basically we googled "Copenhagen day trips" and went on our merry way. We rode past industrial parks and car dealerships and under an airport runway before finally making it to this beautiful idyllic village. We picnicked on the dock to the right (picnic on the Baltic Sea? Check!). Every sunny day in Copenhagen is bitter sweet because you know it won't last long. This was definitely one of those days but we definitely made the most of those UV rays.

Rainy days and good food

I have a confession to make. I'm not proud of it but it was inevitable. I finally combined peanut butter and pickles. I know, I can imagine your face now. Don't judge. Desperate times call for extreme food combinations. It wasn't really that bad, but definitely don't see it becoming a habit. I tell you this not to gross you out, but to better prepare you for the next bit of information...I was in charge of cooking for my house this week. Clearly I have no standards when cooking for myself so cooking for others is an entirely new and frightening ball park. Every week we get food from the co-op and cook with what we get in our bags. This was my week. Thankfully, I had some great helpers who basically took the reigns. I'm actually very impressed with what we managed to accomplish. With the 2 pumpkins, we made a roasted pumpkin and beet thing, with the ridiculous amount of parsley and celery we made a parsley and celery salad with raisins and white balsamic vinegar. With the pointy cabbage, we made a really delicious cabbage, coconut milk, potato and carrot blend. With the white beans we made a dip and then with the swiss chard we prepared them like kale chips. Oh, and it was a potluck with some Danes so we made some "ants on a log" (of course, no meal is complete without peanut butter). Overall, I'd say it was a success.

Thursday night was even better because I met my Danish visiting family for the first time! My roommate and I are sharing our couple so we took the bus to the outskirts of Copenhagen and Lotte (our Danish mom) met us at the bus stop and walked us to her house where we talked for hours around the dinner table. It was so great to be in a real house and with delicious food and with such nice people and lots of candles (part of the whole Danish "hygge" thing.) It was wonderful. Both our Danish mom and dad work in the city and are both full of information. It was fun to talk about the Denmark and what we had noticed and hear their opinions on all of the things we had learned about. Opinions about the tax system, the lack of day-light, the candles, and you know, some other Danish conversation topics. It was a really great night and by the time we got home I had to read and study (eww, that thing called homework again).

Just some more pretty pictures of my new favorite city

Dinamarca!

We all missed each other so much in the two days we were gone (dawww) that we made a family dinner Sunday night. (I'm only being slightly sarcastic). So, since vegan Danish food is a bit tough, we went for good ol' Mexican (one of my roommates is vegan). Some yummy veggies, beans, Guac and chips made for a delicious Sunday meal. I participated in the grocery shopping...and took pictures as the rest of the gang cooked. My only responsibility was setting the table - the only non-food related job. It was delicious. We lit candles and the evening was full of "hygge"- a basic aspect of Danish culture essentially synonymous with cozy (I love this!)

                                                      Awww look at them cook!                        See! I can help!


Today was beautiful. It's been a bit chilly lately - already started wearing boots and sweaters in August (it's gonna be a rough winter). But today was in the 70's, the Copenhagen version of hot. (Made even hotter because I accidentally checked the forecast for Sweden instead of Copenhagen and dressed accordingly...whoops). This evening was the perfect temperature and I dragged Hannah to climb the Round Tower with me. We see it every day but I had yet to climb it. One more thing off the list. It was beautiful and it was so cool to be able to point to all of the landmarks we recognized and knew. By this point, I have a pretty good mental map of the city but seeing it from this vantage point was really cool.

Hannah and I at the top of the tower! To the left is the
view from the top and the arrow is where I live!

Because neither of us wanted to start our homework (oh yeah...that thing called school...) we decided to walk around a bit. I'm in love with Rosenburg Castle and pretty much take every opportunity to walk past it. Then my buddy Hans Christian Anderson read me a short story...probably something shockingly dark and gruesome, he seems to be good at that. 

Oh hey Sweden

This past week was "Core Course Week" which means that instead of regular classes, we spent the entire time with our Core Course (in my case, Sociology). The first few days were spent in Copenhagen talking about diversity, immigration and the conflicts of a homogenous society. We got a tour of Muslim ghettos in the area and interviewed locals for a project. On Thursday, we headed to Sweden! The goal was to gain an understanding of both areas and contrast the two Scandinavian countries. We had some educational visits, we went to a Mosque and a museum of Global Culture in Gothenburg but it was really just fun to get away. We stayed in hostels, had dinner together (all 57 of us) and had plenty of free time which was great.

Pretty Malmo!

General impressions of Sweden? Fewer blondes, more jaywalking and more "welcomes" as you come into shops. We went on a boat tour of Gothenburg which was lovely. Our tour guide was hilarious and joked about the water level being so high, we'd have to get on the ground and duck to get under one of the bridges...except then we discovered he wasn't kidding. Oh Sweden.

Ducking under the bridge, definitely a highlight of the Swedish adventure.

Dinner that night was delicious. 2 courses of fish-filled fun along with two heaping glasses of wine (on DIS). After dinner, all 57 of us headed over to a bar across the street and someone treated our professor to a tequila shot (not kidding). We headed back pretty early because we had to kayak in the morning! It was a beautiful drive and I was so content just watching the rolling hills of the Swedish country side (I've missed car trips!) Kayaking was fun but a little scary once the wind started picking up. Two people fell in! After our last pre-paid DIS meal of the weekend which, of course, included Swedish meatballs, we began the four hour trek back to Copenhagen.

By the end, I was definitely ready to come home. Even after three weeks, I've come to think of this place as home. It's good to be back...and even better to not be on a bus with 56 other people. 

Home sweet home.

The crunch of home

I've been holding out on you guys. There is one very important aspect of my life in Denmark that I've been keeping from you. It is a magical substance. It makes the user incredibly happy and comforted. This thing, you may be wondering? Peanut butter. It is almost comical how incredibly obsessed we are with peanut butter. For the Danes, peanut butter isn't a thing. For us, it's the only thing. Peanut butter all day, every day. Our Danish RA made fun of me as I cam back with another jar to add to the collection and mentioned how he had only tried it once in his life - once! Every girl on our floor has her own jar! It is not uncommon to "cheers" with our jars and spoons.

 In one of my classes, one girl whips out her jar every single day. It is pretty much a guaranteed conversation starter with other DIS students - we've discussed the struggles to find it in the grocery, a friend described her host family's curiosity as they spread it on toast, and another student bragged about the Costco size jar he brought from home out of fear they wouldn't have it here.

Look at how ridiculously American this jar of peanut butter is. 

White house, football player, empire state building, statue of liberty, they've got it all. 

p.s. Oh, by the way, I'm going to Sweden tomorrow! (One of my roommates just asked if I thought she should bring the peanut butter with her...)

I need more naps

This viking lives under Kromberg castle. He's supposed to
wake up if Denmark is ever in trouble. 

I'm not cut out for this whole exciting European city nonsense. Even with my two cups of coffee (at least) a day, I just don't have the energy for this. This weekend was particularly exhausting. After four classes in a row starting at 8:30 on Friday, I had dinner with my Danish class (free meal!) and then somehow rallied to go out that night (unhappily I might add). Saturday morning, up and at 'em for a trip to Elsinore Castle (where Hamlet takes place). It was a really beautiful drive along the coast and so nice to get out of the city! Christine and Renee both go to Wooster and we had planned this before we left. After several hours there, DIS drove us home and I immediately took a two hour nap.

It was the Stroget's 50th anniversary and we could hear music and fireworks from our house...but couldn't muster up the energy to leave our comfy living room! (I know, worst city-dwellers ever). When we finally left we saw the party had ended and instead of doing something exciting like you might expect a group of 20 year olds to do, we stopped by Netto for baking supplies. Peanut butter bars to the rescue!

Meghan admiring our beautiful concoction.

Sunday morning, up again nice and early because the entire Green House began our big bike ride at 9:30 sharp. (They're killing me). We rode to "Better Place" an innovative electric car company. We were given a presentation and we even got to drive the cars! (It was completely silent, you couldn't even tell if the engine was on). Then another 6km (yes...I said "another") along the coast to a Deer Park. We had a lovely picnic in the woods, walked through Brakken, the oldest amusement park in the world and made our way back. I could tell you about how beautiful the sailboats are and how the sea air rejuvenated my spirit...but really I was just thinking about how much I would kill for a seat cushion (so. much. pain. I won't elaborate more than that.) We came back, got in our own beds and watched Netflix.

 Clearly this life is just too exciting for me. Something drastic is going to have to happen if I am to survive the next few months (maybe I can look into a caffeine IV or something). In the meantime, goodnight, I need to rest up before another busy week!