This (sadly) is one of my last blog posts from Denmark. Perhaps one more before my European backpacking adventure, which will commence in exactly 2 weeks (zoinks). It's been a fairly low key couple of weeks since my return from London, chipping away at term papers, basking in the sun (yes, you heard me right.. the sun does occasionally shine here), cruising through 5 seasons of How I Met Your Mother (
LEGEN.. wait for it..... DARY), touring the coast by car, foot, and bike, and spending loads of quality time with my favorite second family. NOTE: regarding this blog title... it not only applies to certain standout events in this blog, but also to the FUNNIEST Daily Show clip. You absolutely MUST watch. As a preface, you should know that Danes do not use the letter "v," but instead, a "w." For example, we eat
wegggie burgers, not veggie burgers. apply for
wisas, not visas.
wacuum the floor, not vacuum. go on
wacation, not vacation. You get the picture, I'm sure, but tell me it's not at least a little bit entertaining. Anyway, watch the clips.. there are 2 parts, but if you don't actually care, at least watch the second one. There's also the risk that it's only funny because I've been living here for 4 months, but regardless:
Part 1:
The Daily Show: What's the Matter With Denmark
Part 2:
What's the Matter With Denmark <----- WATCH THIS ONE, SERIOUSLY
The morning I returned from London (Wednesday, April 17), I walked in the front door, dropped my bags, and walked straight out the back door. I then proceeded to fall asleep in the sun... for 4 hours. Well deserved, I should think. I had promised everyone I would make falafel that night, so after my nap, I got to cooking (btw, thanks Aunt Maryanne and fam for the cookbook... we use it constantly!). That night only reinforced why I love my life here so much; I am so lucky to have such a wonderful host family, I can't even begin to explain it. All the boys came and we ate dinner, watched youtube videos, played a music trivia game (in Danish, so I always do really well), and laughed until we cried. Such a perfect night.
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| falafel |
The next day, Susanne took the day off so we (as in Sebastian, Susanne and I) could do something "cultivated" (in reference to one of my first posts: cultivated and cultured share the same Danish word, creating some initial confusion. it has now turned into an ongoing joke between us. oh, sweet nostalgia). This might also be a good time to mention the school lockout going on across Denmark right now: it actually FINALLY ended today, but for the last month, kids all over Denmark have been on an extended spring break, as the teachers have been locked out of the schools after not being able to come to an agreement with the government on wages, time, etc.
Read more here. Anyway, on this very sunny (and VERY windy) day, we took our bikes and a lunch pack and hit the road. Rode our bikes through
Dyrehave (Deer Park) to
Eremitage Palace and then ate lunch with a few new "friends" (see pictures below) on a pond outside of
Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the country.
I spent almost the whole of Friday doing work (actually finished my criminology research paper: 1 down 2 to go) and then went to
Hillerod for dinner with Susanne and Michael, walking through Frederiksborg park/castle as the sun set. When we got home, we watched Silver Linings Playbook (HIGHLY recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it yet/has an undying love for Bradley Cooper and/or Jennifer Lawrence, as I do). The next morning, we ran a 6K through the woods and down to the harbor, where Michael, viking extraordinaire, jumped into the frigid sea. Considering my disbelief (and my "there-is-no-way-in-hell-i'm-going-in-there" attitude), you'll be surprised by what's to come. My attempt at not-so-subtle foreshadowing. After our run, we rewarded ourselves with a backyard breakfast in the sun, after which I took the train into the city and spent the afternoon on the lake in Christiania with Andrew and Thierry. When I got back home, Susanne, Michael and I had another dinner/movie night and went to bed early. I could say that I didn't go out with my friends because they were all still travelling, but let's face it... there was nothing I would have rather been doing than spending my days lounging in the sun and my nights on the couch with some candles and Mom&Dad #2. And Sunday was more of the same, without Michael though. It was girls night, so Susanne and I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower... another highly recommended movie, though I would imagine the book is immensely more coherent and enjoyable, but very sweet, nonetheless.
The week didn't bring much, did some work, enjoyed the weather (it has been uncharacteristically beautiful here), etc. Pascal's birthday was on Wednesday, so we all went to Martine's house to celebrate and eat our weight on Lagkage (remember from my birthday... Danish layer cake aka a foodgasm on a fork). On Thursday, I met up with Julia and her mom and we walked around the city a little bit, and on Friday, Julia came over after she dropped her mom off at the airport and spent the weekend with us.
We spent most of the day working on our ballet term papers (also finished: 2 down, 1 to go) and then made 1 of 3 dinners that weekend for Susanne, Michael, and Sebastian; baked brie with homemade jam, tomato basil soup, and a roasted vegetable and mozarella pie, followed by fruit salad with homemade banana/peanutbutter icecream (literally just frozen bananas and a scoop of peanut butter blended to the consistency of icecream... thanks pinterest). We have actually become a dynamic duo in the kitchen over the course of the semester. Which leads me to more (random) good news! WE GOT AN APARTMENT NEXT YEAR! Quick interlude: Julia and I along with our friend Casey and a couple other girls had been trying to get a suite, which technically should be NO problem for seniors. Problem. We ended up in block housing on the first floor of Dean Eaton. Let me make the situation a little clearer: first floor Dean means pizzas smeared on the walls of the hallways, feces decorating the toilet seats in the COED BATHROOMS and vomit everywhere that vomit should not be. I emailed res life and basically told them I would live on the roof of the student center before I lived on the first floor of Dean and they said they would get back to us. Well, they did, and Julia, Casey and I were offered a senior apartment on main street! What's better, we found out that we're in the same building as some of our closest friends! Needless to say, there will be lotssss of cooking next year:) Okay, anyway. Dinner was great and the next day, Susanne brought us on a tour of North Zealand; Hillerod, Fredensborg, and Hornbaek. We saw both Fredensborg and Frederiksborg castles, had a picnic in the Frederiksborg park (again, with some uninvited guests), ate icecream on the beach in Hornbaek (thanks to Sebastian), and drank lattes on a rooftop overlooking the sea (thanks to Susanne). One of my favorite days:) When we got home, we made burritos (until this point unknown to the sheltered Danes), and watched Life of Pi. Again, watch it! It will be the first book I read when I return to the motherland. Sunday morning, Julia, Susanne and I went for a run on our 6K route, during which all 3 of us fearlessly jumped into the icy depths of the sea. Yes, I... the girl who quit the swim team because she didn't like cold pools and spent vacations running away from Dad as he fought resiliently to throw her into the ocean... jumped unprovoked into the 45 degree water. What can I say, I'm embracing the viking spirit. After our run, we ate brunch/napped in the sun all afternoon (quickly becoming a favorite Sunday tradition), and then did some work and made dinner. Quesadillas this time, another foreign "delicacy." Sebastian was a fan, so we must have done something right.
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| this crazy guy! |
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| layer cake |
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| LUCY |
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| before... |
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| and after |
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| napping in the sun |
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| Fredensborg |
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| Frederiksborg |
Monday night, Julia's host parents invited us to a jazz funk concert in Copenhagen;
Fred Wesley and the New JB's. Cool place, very hipster, funky music, good night. Here's a little
Funk For Your Ass (that's the name of the song, obviously).
Tuesday night marked the night of our fourth and final ballet at the Royal Theatre. Sad. However, sat about 30 feet away from the Queen herself. No big deal. Except that it TOTALLY was. The dancers even bowed to her after each routine/at the end of the performance. She is just the sweetest little old thing! Anyway, we saw the first act of "La Ventana" and the whole performance of "The Kermesse in Bruges," both choreographed by August Bournonville (who I have just finished a 15 page paper about... boom). I didn't realize it until that night, but seriously, how exciting that we got to go to the Royal Danish Theatre once a month this semester! And what's more, I can now spot the difference between a Bournonville and a Fokine, a Petipa and a Balanchine. So cultured. At any rate, I am now done with my ballet class and with sweet little Heino. I'll snap a stealth pic of him on Tuesday so you can share my love for this most precious old man.
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| her majesty |
Wednesday: MAY DAY! May 1st is Labour Day in Denmark, and a big exciting day of protests in the Faelledparken (Copenhagen Common). And by protests I of course mean excessive amounts of drinking and loud music. Oh, Danes. I had a field study for my Danish class at the State Department where we met with my professors brother and discussed the
Arctic Council. Forgive my ignorance, but had someone mentioned it to me prior to this lecture, I would have thought it to be a meeting of the noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros (Game of Thrones nerds, feel me?). It's actually quite interesting though.. check out the link if you haven't already. And hey, turns out we're a part of it.. imagine that! (Thanks Alaska). Went on a bike ride along the coast down to the next town's harbor. This weather, I tell ya. Anyway, I am now barricaded in my room warding off the virus that Michael got Friday night and passed to Susanne on Monday night, who then passed it to Sebastian today. Odds are looking good for me! Fingers crossed.
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| rivers (well, the sea)... |
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| ...and roads (for you, Sven) |
By the way, here's a little outline of the next couple weeks/my backpacking adventure because people have been asking.
This weekend (May 3) = last weekend here
Monday 5/6 - Danish final presentation
Tuesday 5/7 - last day of classes
Thursday 5/9 - leave for
Møn with the fam
Saturday 5/11 - return in the evening
Monday 5/13 - human health and disease final exam
Tuesday 5/14 - psychology of human sexuality final exam and then officially DONE! aka, officially a senior.. freaky.
Thursday 5/16 - Berlin with the fam
Tuesday 5/21 - meet Melody in Prague!
Tuesday-Friday in
Prague
Friday-Sunday in
Zurich
Sunday-Thursday in
Paris
Friday in
Brussels
Saturday-Tuesday in
Amsterdam
Tuesday night - back to Copenhagen
Thursday - Mel leaves
Sunday, June 9 - HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
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