I have done a really bad job of updating this blog since being abroad, but I intend to make up for that now with a post covering the ups and downs of my first few days in Copenhagen.
The flight to Copenhagen was very smooth. We left Boston around 9pm EST and arrived in Iceland around 6am Icelandic time, which is GMT, the same as the UK and 5 hours ahead of the East Coast. Icelandair is a great airline, not only because they let you check two bags for free, but because their pride in Islanic culture manifests itself in every aspect of the plane. The headrests on the each seat teach you a phrase in Islandic, such as love or thank you, and the computer screens displays rotate a series of fun facts about the country, like the fact that the prime minister is in the phone book.
View out of the window on the Iceland Air flight to Copenhagen
We arrived in Copenhagen around noon, and we greeted by people holding DIS signs (DIS is the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, the program that I am on) and shuttled by bus to our Kollegium. A Kollegium has been described to me as a cross between a dorm and an apartment. Mine has about 100 students, most of whom are international or Danish students who attend Roskilde University (RUC), a university that our building is located right on the campus of.
The first morning our orientation programming started promptly at 9am, and we were left to figure out on our own how to get into Copenhagen (Roskilde, the town where we live, is just outside of Copenhagen and about an hour commute in). I was shocked that it was pitch black walking to the train station in the morning at 7:45am. After accidentally waiting on the wrong platform, we figured out which train would take us into town just in time to hop on. The transportation system is simple once you get the hang of it, but challenging at first. All the announcements and signs are in Danish and especially coming home from the city only some of the regional trains stop our trekroner, our stop, because it is not a very large or popular stop.
DIS had planned a grand opening ceremony, complete with performances by DIS's own musical group, DIS Strings and plenty of jabs at the Sweeds. I am quickly learning that any opportunity to make fun of the Sweeds is a good one, as there is a ongoing rivalry dating back to 1658 when Sweeden defeated Denmark and forced them to cede the land that now makes up southern Sweden.
The first day we were also sent on a scavenger hunt and walked around for hours trying to locate the nearest pharmacy, police station, etc. It felt as if we were walking along the same 10 streets over and over again, and I'm pretty sure we were, yet at the end I had no better sense of how to walk around center city, where our school is located. We were given 50dkk for lunch and I went for the nearest hot dog stand. Hot dog stands are everywhere here, several near each train station, and they serve up delicious steaming hot dogs complete with mustard and ketchup, crunchy flakes, pickles, and loads of other goodness that I couldn't identity.
Only a picture will convey how good this Danish favorite is
In the Kollegium housing option we are provided with a kitchenette in our rooms and a shared kitchen on each floor and expected to cook all of our meals ourselves. I got a basic supply of groceries the first day and made sure to purchase a jar of another Danish favorite, Nutella. I know that we sell Nutella in the states, but it is not nearly the same as the Danes who sell it in their candy aisle, and in their jam aisle, and in a massive family sized jar in the sale aisle. If you have never had some of this delicious chocolate hazelnut spread you must. It is typically eaten on toast or in a crepe but it is delicious on almost anything. I often justify eating large quantities of it by telling myself that I am just trying to immerse myself and do as the danes do. Unfortunately one thing the Danes do not share our American love of it peanut butter. It is nearly impossible to find in most supermarkets! I eventually went to a specialty grocery store and pay around 30 kroner (about 5.5 dollars) to get some.
I am experiencing all sorts of adjustments, big and small, and trying to remember that each one is part of the experience of stepping outside of my comfort zone and living in another culture. From their love of Nutella to their animosity towards the Sweeds, I look forward to learning more and more about Danish culture as my time goes on.
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