Going Home for Christmas- Part 1

 I’m writing this entry whilst I’m traveling to Copenhagen to catch my flight home for Christmas. I’m sitting on the bus but we just came off the Jutland to Zealand ferry. Not too far to go now. As we drive through the Danish countryside on this grey, misty December day I’m thinking about my experience living in Denmark so far and how I feel about going home for Christmas and coming back again in three weeks.

Well I’d be lying if I said that my time so far hasn’t been turbulent. There have been some real, euphoric highs but also some pretty crushing lows. Looking back I’ve realized that there were so many things which I never expected to be challenging. I’m not saying that I’ve breezed through life up to this point, of course I haven’t, but I have always prided myself on being able to get along with people. One of my real joys in life is meeting new people and sharing good times. 

I’ve had some experience living abroad before but never for this long. Forcing yourself to settle in because you know you have to stay for a long time is a difficult thing to do. In my first couple of weeks, maybe the first few months, I pushed myself so hard. I’d already pushed myself out of my comfort zone by coming here, but I had to do it again and again as I made new friends and negotiated cultural differences. Things that I’ve taken for granted my whole life suddenly became somewhat irrelevant or challenged. Now, I’m finally beginning to see the benefits. I have had an incredible time getting to know my coursemates, I am so lucky to have the opportunity to study and make friends with people from 48 nationalities. I have learnt so much from them all and it has been great fun! I think that I put too much pressure on myself though and took things a bit too personally. 

So what have I learned so far?

About myself

I have learned to trust myself far more than I ever did. I have a higher stress threshold than I thought. Yes, there have been times, especially during my week-long exams, when I have seriously doubted myself and panicked. This usually ends up with teary or stressed skype sessions. However, I have now completed 3 week-long assignments! My first, was an essay about how globalization has affected war reporting. My second exam was split into two essays, one asked whether there is such a thing as a global journalist and the other explored the idea of citizen journalism. Finally, I have just finished a paper about world order and how it is likely to change in the coming decades. All three assignments covered topics that I had no real knowledge of 3 and a half months ago. But to have written all three and not just survived but actually produced work I am proud of, is one of my biggest achievements and gives me faith in my ability. 

I have also learnt that I am Strong (yes, with a capital ‘S’!)  I haven’t always been strong but certainly in the past 2-3 years and that strength is growing as I become more and more self-assured. I have learnt to deal with multiple things going wrong in one day, not always remaining calm, mind you, but getting through it. Also, there is strength in asking for help. In my first few weeks I felt very alone, especially as I kept getting horrifically lost everywhere, but, in the times since then I have begun to reach out to people and share things that I am finding difficult. I have, so far, overcome a lot of different problems and that gives me strength.

About bikes

What have I learnt about my bike? Well, I’ve found that it doesn’t really like me, but then that’s ok because the feeling is mutual. In Aarhus I am really reliant on my bike to get around. Buses generally stop running quite early, so if I want to go out in the evening I need to cycle. Also I don’t live with a big group of course-mates so I have to sort myself out, when it comes to traveling home from nights out. Most of my problems have been caused by my bike lock breaking or my chain falling off but I have now overcome both. A janitor sawed off my bike lock when the key snapped in it and I can now put my chain back on in less than two minutes. I have also learnt to cycle up hill in 4^th gear. Not in an attractive way, but who cares if it gets you up the hill. My bike likes to play games with me by refusing to change gear until I get over the top of the hill. It then changes to 1^st gear and my legs end up spinning around.

I’ve also learnt that people cycle very fast in Denmark, especially if they are late for lectures, but I can keep up! I’ve also witnessed my very first bike jam, every Tuesday on my way to running group I get stuck in a queue of cyclists on their way home. There’s even been a bit of bike rage!

Going Home for Christmas- Part 2

About Denmark

This is an interesting one. I now have some really good Danish friends (you know who you are, so if you’re reading this it’s not about you). I’ve learned that shopping in Denmark is very different from shopping in the UK. Expect Danes to travel from A to B, through a crowd with serious commitment. This means that you should expect to be bulldozed by buggies or pushed out of the way. Just know that it is not personal, they treat everyone the same. In shops don’t expect people to point out the free checkouts, they will make their way to them in the said committed way. Also don’t really expect to queue, at least not in the British way, you have to keep your eye out for free checkouts, if you snooze, you lose. Also, if you’re in the way, expect to be pushed or picked up and moved (yes, this happened to me!). I’ve also learned that British politeness doesn’t really get you anywhere here. I can stand and hold the door open for many people but very few will acknowledge my existence let alone thank me for it. It’s not rude it’s just a different culture. 

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen

Also thanks to my News editor role at Jutland Station I have now learned a huge amount about both Danish politics and the Danish media. It’s been a truly worthwhile experience I have been able to chat with my flatmates and other Danish friends about what is happening in the Danish news, be it a footballer nearly winning the Danish ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ or a political scandal involving the Justice Minister and Head of the Danish Intelligence Service. There’s a bit of a joke that I know more about Denmark than some Danes.  

About friendships

I have learned that I really value loyalty, in friendships especially. When you strike out on your own and have to go back to basics to make new friends you learn exactly what you value in friends. Sometimes I am not too good at this, especially in some recent cases of saying that I’ll go to things and then changing my mind. All I can say is that I am working on it. 

Julefrokost- Christmas lunch

The spaghetti and polo game

I have also learned that you need to put yourself out there and get to know people in different contexts. That’s why my running group has been so good. We had a ‘Julefrokost’ or Christmas lunch the other weekend and it was a great opportunity to get to know some of my running mates. The group put a huge amount of effort into organizing fun and games for the night and it was really fantastic. We ate traditional Danish food, learned traditional Danish dancing and played team games. One game involved dried spaghetti and polos! Each person had a piece of dry spaghetti and they had to put it in their mouth and pass a polo around the whole team, needless to say the results were truly hilarious! I also got to try the infamous Danish schnaps, which tasted better than I thought it would but still wouldn’t be my drink of choice.

About Friends and Family

I’ve also learned a lot about my long-standing friendships, it’s been great catching up with good friends via Skype or Google Hang-out and knowing that although I’m living in Denmark I can keep up to date with their lives. Sunday nights become dedicated to family and friends with lots of Skype-dates scheduled back to back. I look forward to it and have found that I can keep up with them all more than I probably did when I was in the UK. 

Blue Book party

I’ve even had two of my good friends Jo and Bronwen come over to visit me. We had a really lovely time exploring the city, making food together and drinking cocktails. I took them to a party that I’d organized to celebrate the launch of the Blue Book on the Friday. Then on Saturday we visited Aros the art museum and had dinner followed by cocktails. On Sunday I introduced them to the wonderful ‘Sostrene Grene’ or Sisters Grene, a cheap and cheerful shop full of fantastic little pieces that make great gifts. We also visited the deer park and the cake buffet at ‘Globen Flakket’. It was so nice to catch up properly over a couple of days. 

At the Deer Park

My mum and dad also came over to see me in Copenhagen so I had two great weekends back to back. We met at the hotel on the Friday night and spent the weekend walking, talking and shopping. We visited Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid or ‘Lille Havfrue’ and the magical Tivoli gardens which were decorated for Christmas. I also got to introduce mum and dad to Gløgg, or Scandinavian mulled wine, at a Christmas market and teach them the very little Danish I’d learned so far. It was a really lovely weekend, made all the better by the fact that I returned to Aarhus and was greeted by two weeks of exams. 

 

My time in Denmark so far has really heightened my appreciation of my friends and family because I am reminded all the time, by the many photos bluetacked to my walls, my skype dates and parcels from my friends and family that I have a fantastic support network. I am so grateful that so many people support me and I hope that I show them just how much I appreciate them. 

Mum and I at the Christmas market

About my relationship

Normally I’m not one to share personal details but spending time apart from my boyfriend has obviously taught me a lot about relationships too. I have learned to be strong and look after myself but also to talk about any problems that I do have over skype. I am so lucky that James has really been my rock since I have been here. Every time I’ve doubted my decision he has sought to remind me why I decided to come here in the first place and send me the occasional motivational video or funny story. If I’ve come back late and needed to talk he’s been there. This means that I am extremely excited to see him this Christmas, it’s the first time that we will be able to celebrate Christmas together because he was in Austria last year. The next three weeks are going to fly by but it’s going to be so special to be home and to tell my stories from the past three and a half months.

I’ve learned a huge amount since I first moved to Denmark. I’m sure there is much more to learn when I return in January. But for the meantime I’m going to relax and enjoy the company of my family and friends.

Getting my mojo back!

This week saw my lust for life and living in Denmark come back. We're talking about my 'mojo' as in my magic charm or spell that allows me to be successful and happy. As I said in my last blog post I've had a bit of a rough time lately and not in the sense of terrible things happening but things just not working out and small things getting me down, but as my friend Bronwen said yesterday 'life would be boring without stories to tell.' After a couple of weeks of slogging it through the rain with my temperamental bike, the good times I've had recently have felt so much better.

A couple of things have changed since I last wrote, firstly I now contribute and edit for an online magazine called 'Jutland Station.' If you're friends with me on Facebook then you've probably noticed that I've started sharing some of my pieces. I'm co-editing the 'In The Danish Press' section with a Danish Journalism Masters student called Morten. We are currently producing a round-up article every Friday which looks at three big stories from the Danish newspapers that week. It's been great for getting to know Denmark and its press.

When I first moved here I would see faces on front pages of the newspapers or on the news in the morning but because of my lack of Danish I wouldn't understand why they were in the news. I still have a profound lack of Danish because I still haven't managed to sign up for Danish classes, but with the help of my flatmates, Morten and Danish subtitles on Netflix, I'm starting to decipher Danish news. You can check out our section here.

The biggest event happening in Aarhus and that I've had a hand in reporting, is the local elections that are taking place this Tuesday. My classmate Sam, the Society Editor for Jutland Station has been working really hard to report on the elections because there is very limited coverage in English. This has proved to be really helpful seeing as I can vote, as an EU citizen :). This week I worked on a piece about gender equality in the local elections, which was truly fascinating. I knew that gender equality in Danish politics was impressive before I moved here as I was an avid watcher of all three series of 'The Killing' or 'Forbrydelsen' and 'The Bridge' which feature strong female characters in important jobs. I didn't manage to watch 'Borgen' but I will get round to it at some point.

When I started researching for the piece I was surprised to find that whilst the representation of women is moving towards 50/50 at the Parliamentary level and Denmark has its first female Prime Minister, at the local level only around 1/3 of candidates are women. So I decided to find out more. The process of researching, interviewing a representative from the Women's Council in Denmark and a young female politician and writing the article, reminded me of why I chose this course in the first place. This is what I want to do! I want to look beneath the surface and find out more about how things work. I really hope that I will get a job that allows me to do this and pays me for it.

Being a part of the 'Jutland Station' team has meant a huge amount to me over the past few weeks. It has allowed me to learn more about Denmark and Danish culture and to write about it. Also I have been invited to meetings and met some great people. On Friday we had a lovely evening and I met some girls from the year above me who are now studying in Hamburg, which is where I'm going next year. I also met a Mundus Journalism graduate who is now completing his PhD at Sheffield. It was fascinating to meet people who have followed the Mundus path and to hear how things are going for them. It makes me very optimistic for the future.

Two weeks ago I hit a low point when I was pretty fed up of spending so much time by myself and facing bike and or weather problems if I decided to go out. I'm glad that I wrote about it because I want to be able to reflect on my time abroad in a way that looks at both the ups and downs.

I was lucky because my boyfriend came to visit me and really cheered me up. I had a lot of work to do when he was here, two essays and a presentation, and he also had to come to a couple of lectures with me, but he took it in his stride and even helped me with my work. Sometimes I just need reminding that I have consistent, steady and strong support so his visit really helped.

We had a lovely time, we worked on my assignments but we also explored Aarhus and met up with my friends. We went for a walk down to the sea, explored the city centre and visited both the Occupation Museum and Aros, the art gallery. Obviously I didn't want him to go but he left me feeling much happier and optimistic :).

Another big thing that happened this week was that I went to join a running group with my friend Katherine. I was a bit apprehensive because I haven't run much in the past 4 years but I had an absolutely brilliant time. They run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and the whole group is training for a half marathon event in June. There's something very special about exercise groups because everyone is friendly and supportive. It was the happiest group of Danes I have met since I've been here, all those endorphins! I couldn't keep the grin off my face. If there's a sure way to get your mojo back, it's by doing things that you enjoy and are good at.

I may not have run properly for 4 years but running on Thursday made me realise just how much I've missed it. It's interesting because I might not have been where I am today if I hadn't quit athletics training when I was 18. I chose to focus on my A levels which meant that I chose University and became involved with student journalism. I even tried to join Southampton's athletics club in my first few weeks but kept missing the group. I have no regrets because I am pursuing something else which I'm good at, but finally, after 3 very busy years at Southampton I am able to do both.

I think that I have learned a huge amount since I moved here, but perhaps the most important thing is that I should make the most of it, surround myself with people I care about and do the things that make me feel alive like running and reporting. 

Rain, more rain and the occasional rainbow

The last time I posted was on the 20th October, I am sorry that I skipped a week. I've been having a difficult couple of weeks, having some real euphoric ups and crashing lows, not in terms of really awful things happening just that sometimes I'm in love with my life in Denmark and sometimes I'm not. 

I think that when it comes down to it, most of my problems tend to be linked to either the rainy, windy weather we've been having lately, or my bike, or both. I've been a bit down so haven't wanted to write in case I came across more angry than I meant to. However, I think that I should be as truthful as possible in this blog because it'll be interesting for you and also for me when it comes to reflecting on my year in Denmark.

First off, I haven't been unhappy, just not happy, as I am most of the time, so I've had a couple of weeks in that interesting middle ground when things are ok but could be better. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this :) I've had a lot of free time on my hands because my timetable has changed so I only have lectures on Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon. This is not a bad thing, at all, but as I've always been a ridiculously busy person it has been a bit strange. I said in my last blog post that there is a lack of common space, organised activity and student-led societies here so I've really been feeling it. I guess what it comes down to, is spending a lot of time by myself.

I was always envious of people who packed up and went to live in another country for a substantial period of time, a semester or a year. But I think I only ever saw their lovely pictures of nights out with friends or sun-drenched activities during the day. I never really thought that there would be a difficult adjustment period that came with moving abroad. In my case this has meant adjusting to a country which has very similar weather to the UK but has substantial cultural differences. So there's been a distinct lack of sun-drenched activities- well at least the kind that warm you up. Don't get my wrong there have been some really beautiful days with bright autumnal sunshine but there has also been a LOT of rain.

It's the little things!

I have been adjusting to the fact that I can't smile at strangers in public and the fact that unlike the familiarity of British politeness, many Danes come across a lot more blunt. This is no bad thing either, I think actually I could learn a lot from being a bit more to-the-point. The Danish just seem to have a very different approach to life and way of doing things, which makes me feel quite out-of-sync, like I'm always one step behind. There have been some exceptions of course, like my wonderful housemates who are friendly and inclusive. But when it comes to administrative things, like signing up for Danish language classes I am met by brick walls. It always seems difficult and I am the one who is doing things wrong.

In order to counter the loneliness I have been meeting up with friends and organising things myself. I've been saying 'yes' more and have taken initiative to go and explore the city myself. For example, the other week I went to a dance performance with a girl from my course, which was fantastic. I haven't been to many dance shows, but this one, entitled Kvinde Kend Dit Skab or 'Woman Know Your Box/Cupboard' was highly inventive and skilful. The dancers used four large cupboards which they moved around during the performance, perching themselves on top and moving with the cupboards in a domino-effect. They also used a range of props from ukuleles to plastic party horns which gave the dance a sense of fun, but it dealt with issues such as gender and race in an ambivalent way. I thought it was genuinely fascinating. We stayed after the performance for the after-party which was another eye-opener. The professional dancers definitely knew how to take control of the dance-floor :)

I also visited the Women's Museum in Aarhus, which was the first of its kind and one of only a handful of women's museums in the world. It's well-worth a visit and is a real reminder of how neglected women's history has been and continues to be. This museum focuses on Danish women's history but its themes are universal.

I have also been meeting up and going out with friends which has been a great way to get out of the house and enjoy their company. We tend to go out on Friday or Saturday nights and meet up during the week for more low-key things- like film nights.

I just had one particularly bad day this week when everything seemed to be against me. I fell off my bike on the way to my lecture which meant that yet again I had to run to the lecture. Then when I went to get my bike, after the lecture, the bike lock key snapped in the lock. I was with Hannah, and she persuaded me to ask for help from the mechanics, we managed to persuade someone to take the broken piece of key out with a pair of plyers. Then when we were cycling off, my chain fell off! I managed to fix it, but it did take a while. I got home and had planned to go into the city to meet Hannah for a documentary event she had helped organise. I cycled into town, then tried to get some money out and for some reason the Danish cash-points didn't like my English bank card. So with no money, and standing in the pouring rain I decided to cycle home. I got all the way back to my halls only to find that I'd lost my keys. I then cycled back to try and find them. By this point I was in tears just wondering how everything could possibly have gone wrong! I managed to find my keys though so I got back home, got in my pyjamas and skyped my boyfriend.

Yes, I had a terrible day, but as Hannah pointed out, these days are designed to make us stronger, and we managed to fix my bike twice. So, although some days I am really tested and it feels very rainy and dark, I am still here and battling through it.

I think these past few weeks have been difficult because I've thought that it was me, that I was somehow doing things wrong and that things are against me. But I am changing my mentality by organising events myself and telling myself that I'm in a different culture and that I need to approach things differently.

It's been difficult working out who I am, away from home and without my family, friends and boyfriend but I don't need to think about that either because I'm just me! I'll always automatically smile at people and I'll always be the one pulling crazy shapes on the dance floor. I'll probably have problems with my bike for as long as I own one and I don't think I'll ever give myself a sensible amount of time to get somewhere but always leave with just enough time or late. I'll always enjoy learning and writing and I'll always be curious about the world and different cultures. I have a lot of other characteristics but if you know me, then you know what these are :)

I saw a rainbow earlier, it reminded me that things can be beautiful even when it's dark and rainy. I've been having difficulties, but with a really busy schedule and a visit from my boyfriend this week things will begin to look happy and bright. Thanks as ever, for all the support, I promise to write soon.

Home from Home

I made a trip back home to London last weekend and began to think about the idea of home. What makes somewhere feel like home? My room in Aarhus is beginning to feel more like home but I don't feel settled just yet. 

Flying back into London in the pouring rain and traveling on the underground made me feel like I'd come home. For some reason I can appreciate British rain more than I can Danish rain because it feels more familiar. Danish rain makes getting to lectures on my bike much more difficult, though the Danes seem to have fully equipped themselves for such weather and just get on with it. This week saw me attempt to get to lectures in the pouring rain and in record time, due to the fact that I left too late, only for the chain to come off my bike leaving me with no choice but to run the rest of the way. I turned up completely soaking wet with oil all over my hands and sweating profusely, not the best impression to give to your lecturer when the only seats left are those in the front row.

When I got into London on Friday it was pouring with rain but I felt almost comforted by the normality of it. It only became a problem when I was on the way to the theatre with my boyfriend and I realised that I'd got the address wrong. We were on the wrong side of the river with limited time to get to the show. We had to rush to the West End and it was too windy to use my umbrella meaning that we turned up at the theatre soaking wet. Well what did I expect? It seems that it doesn't matter where I am, I nearly always get lost, get the address wrong or become hindered on my way somewhere. Needless to say my boyfriend thought it was hilarious that I'd got it wrong yet again and we had to rush, but it was a trip to see 'War Horse' for his birthday so he let it go eventually.

Traveling through London to Twickenham also felt like home because of the sheer politeness of everyone on the tube. It reminded me of the twitter account '@VeryBritishProblems'. I witnessed the perfect embodiment of this when I was waiting in the queue to use the toilet at Waterloo station. There was a woman trying to come out and there was another woman blocking her way. The poor woman proceeded to say 'excuse me', 'excuse me please' in the quietest voice she could, whilst getting more and more frustrated. Eventually the woman who was obstructing her path noticed this woman's existence and annoyance and apologised. I don't think this situation would happen in any other country. It's these little things which I miss. Although we seem to make life difficult for ourselves in the UK, I feel lost in Denmark without the 'pleases', 'thank yous', polite smiles, opening doors for others and having doors held open for me.

On Friday I had a record day as I managed to meet up with one of my best friends in her lunch break, meet my family for lunch and meet my boyfriend for the evening. It was so nice to catch up with so many people in one day. It was also really nice because I realised that in the time I've been away I've actually managed to keep up to date with most of my loved ones and perhaps more so than when I was living in Southampton. Home is definitely where the heart is. It's only when you're at home, in the company of those you love that you can completely relax.

I feel very lucky that I was able to go home last week and feel a whole new appreciation for the fact that I'm not that far from home, because many of my coursemates have told me that they will not be going home until 2015, when we finish. I think for them the process of making Aarhus their home is a lot more important. That's not to say that I haven't begun to do that too.

Risskov forest

In the past week I've thought about how long it took for me to feel at home in Southampton. It's not quite the same because I spent three years there and in hindsight I tend to only think of the good times but I think I settled in quicker than I have here. One thing that really helped was the Students' Union building, the real hub of student community and activity. They just don't have that here at Aarhus University. We don't have a central space with cafes and facilities for students here. There's the University park, the Studenterhus (Students' House) and cafes at the State Library and International Centre but there is not a concourse or variety of societies and facilities. The Danish equivalent is perhaps their faculty Friday bars which are based in their faculty buildings and have their own character. I am really missing mingling with people from different subjects and taking part in student led activities. The Students' Union at Southampton felt like home to me.

Here in Aarhus I have begun to make close friendships and we have been organising our own activities like baking or making dinner together and we have even participated in Swing dance nights around the city. I think many of us like to keep busy so in the absence of activities organised by the University we have been making Aarhus homely in other ways.

Chocolate yoghurt cake :)

In a bid to keep myself active and to relieve stress I am running more. I went for a run in Risskov forest today, which is up the road from my halls. I used to run a lot so when I go out and run it feels like an extension of me and whilst I run I can make sense of both my surroundings and my feelings. Also this is the first time in three years that I've had so much free time, enough to actually be able to go running and focus on myself a bit more. I should probably make the most of it. 

I know that living abroad has both ups and downs, it can feel very lonely at times but equally I am surrounded by so many coursemates with whom I have a lot in common. I have a lot of work to do and it sometimes feels very difficult but equally I have a lot of time and so should do the things that make me happy like baking and running (not at the same time).

Coffee and Cake with friends

Living in a new place, making new friendships and working hard is difficult because it means that I have to reassess my values and my identity to some extent. This course is full of the people who were just like me at their universities- the ones who took opportunities and worked hard. I have to figure out where I fit in. It's been one huge learning curve so far and I'm sure that it will continue to test me. There are times that I really miss home but I have to remind myself that I am doing this because it's different and is supposed to be a challenge.

Observations from my first month in Denmark

Hi,
It's been so long since I last blogged, my apologies. I had to write my first Masters exam last week so I hope that you can appreciate that my brain was aching from too many new words, new theories and the pressure of having to write a 2500 word assignment in one week, to blog. That does not mean that I haven't had some fun in the meantime. I am still a fresher at heart, though definitely not in my ability to party several nights in a row leading up to an essay deadline. I'm making my first trip home tomorrow so I want to talk about my reflections on the course so far, some of the things I've been doing to avoid work, the work I have done and finally warn you all that I might have changed substantially by the next time you see me... in terms of manners :)

It's now five weeks since I left the UK to embark on this Masters course and I have to say first of all that I am actually really proud of myself. I managed to get here and get stuck in to the course and my new life in Denmark without any serious damage to myself or my mental state. The assignment last week definitely tested my resilience though. After almost four weeks of committed studying, 18 hours of lectures a week and a lot of time spent with coursemates and friends, last week I faced the prospect of taking on this essay which meant spending a lot of time by myself. However, I was lucky enough to have the support of some classmates with whom I had a long study day with on Tuesday and another meeting on Thursday. I also called on my poor mum and dad to help with proof-reading so no, I wasn't completely alone.

It was only on Wednesday night at some hour past midnight that I felt completely lost, the essay question was refusing any and every attempt I made to try and understand it and I realised that I'd rather go home than finish the stupid thing. I ended up working myself up into a right state which was probably due to late nights and stress than homesickness, but you know when everything suddenly looks terrible in the middle of the night, mid-essay, well that was me. I was relieved to find out that a lot of other people felt similar last week. An exam after four intense weeks of this course shook everyone up a bit. I just can't imagine what it was like for those who had to write their essay in Englis as their second or third language! Anyway, I did it! I completed it, and not only that, I wrote the essay that I wanted to write, so my perseverance and help from others really paid off.

I mean it when I say that so far this course has been everything I hoped it would be. I'm learning about globalisation and how it is affecting journalism and the media. Last month we studied topics like War, Development and Terrorism and how to report on them. It has been a real eye-opener, as we have been encouraged to study our home media and share with the group. This means that my Mundus colleagues from China, Africa and Latin America have been able to provide an alternative perspective to that provided by the Western media. It has been a thoroughly engaging and interesting experience. 

The essay last week though showed me that this course is difficult. I know that it is going to continue to test me and it will sometimes seem overwhelming. We went through the plans for the next modules and next semester today and looking at it all in one go was pretty daunting. I just have to think of it like training for a marathon or series of races and take it each day and each week at a time. I couldn't write the end exam of my current module now so I have to work up to it. I couldn't write my thesis now but that's the final test and so I will be able to do it by the time I get to it.

Hannah, on our trip to the harbour

When I'm not working I have been exploring the surrounding area around my halls. I took a few long walks last week to clear my head and also went exploring around the harbour with my friend Hannah. I can see the sea from my room so last week I decided to go on a run to try and find it. I didn't find it on that occasion but later in the week I did. I had to walk down through the forest. It was beautiful, there are some old Danish houses which appear through the trees. Once by the sea there is a small community of painted houses. I had a fantastic time just walking around and exploring.

The Harbour is a short cycle from my halls and is also worth a visit. It is an interesting place which looks like it only exists for industrial purposes but there is the odd tourist-friendly sculpture or site to explore. We saw a huge pair of pink sunglasses, entitled 'Sea Pink' and an attraction called 'The Dome of Visions'.

'Sea Pink'

Dome of Visions

Another way I successfully avoided work was by taking part in a big flat party on Saturday night. It was called the Tour de Chambres which involved a tour of the rooms on my floor. In each room the host had to have a theme which included both a drink and a game for the group. There was a Eurovision room where we had to sing in groups for the 'Eurovision trophy', a 'Dexter's Laboratory' room in which we had to compete to make the tallest tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti, a French room which involved a piggy back race whilst feeding the person on the back with a croissant, a circus room, a kid's party room complete with face-painting, a carnival room, a grandma room and a pirate room. We had a brilliant time and the themes were extremely creative. One thing I did realise though is that my flatmates have the most beautiful rooms! Their rooms are beautifully furnished with lovely furniture, furry rugs, paintings on the walls etc.

In the French-themed room

Finally I just wanted to warn you all that my move to Denmark is changing me slightly in terms of manners. I never really appreciated how seriously we take manners in the UK. That is until I opened the door for someone here and they didn't even acknowledge my existence. I brushed it off as something that doesn't happen very often, only for it to happen again and again! I kept moving out of the way for people to walk or cycle past me, only for them to completely ignore me. Also, if I went to go through a door the person on the other side wouldn't wait for me but decide to go through at the same time as me. I have also been waiting in a queue and someone has pushed me out of the way. I have never appreciated the British manners as much as I do now. However, in an attempt to 'get even' I have started doing the same, ignoring people who hold doors open and walking through doors when I feel like it. It feels so wrong!

Also, people here don't tend to smile at each other in public. This is something I have begun to notice and it upsets me. I'm walking around as my normal happy face and smile at someone but instead of being greeted with an equally happy face I get a glare, a stare, a look of sheer confusion, or a look of embarrassment. I was talking to my Danish housemate about this and apparently if you smile at someone in the street in Denmark that person either thinks there's something wrong with you or there's something wrong with them. So I guess that means I've got to stop smiling at strangers too. All I'm trying to do is brighten your day Denmark. No, I really do have to stop because the one time I got a smile back was from a man who then proceeded to come over to my table and ask my friends and I if we wanted drugs. Smiling is getting me into all kinds of trouble here, please just don't be offended if I bring this restraint back to the UK with me.

Keep smiling though and Mange Tak! :)

Aarhus is a Beautiful Place

I'm coming to the end of my fourth week in Aarhus! Sorry about the sporadic posts it seems I'm not too good at setting a day and sitting down to write my blog, it seems that I always have something to read, somewhere to go or failing that I just want to watch Mad Men. Yes, I recently got into Mad Men and in two weeks I've made my way to Season 3. It's a little bit too addictive. Besides all that I have three things I want to talk about this week, firstly my experiences of the beauty of Aarhus, second my Birthday which was last Friday and finally my hilarious attempts at trying to cycle like a Dane.

Aarhus is a beautiful place

Last Tuesday I booked myself onto a Cultural Tour of Aarhus which also involved a trip to the Viking Museum. Yet again I got horribly lost trying to find the group. I was cycling and hadn't given myself enough time to get there. I'm sure everyone's been there when you've left yourself just enough time to get somewhere but not factored in any time for getting lost. So I got lost and had to ask some ladies who were walking around Aarhus for directions. They were extremely helpful though and I managed to find the right place in the end, I even bumped into my classmate who'd also got lost. The tour took us around the city on foot. Once I'd joined the tour we went to look at an old courtyard which dated to the fifteenth century. The houses looked very much like Tudor houses in the UK but they were a lovely orange colour.

We then moved on to an old street with brightly coloured houses. These houses are extremely expensive to buy in Aarhus now and are protected. It would be a truly beautiful place to live. In the photo you can see my classmates walking up the cobbled street. The houses on both sides are cottage-like in size and each one was a different colour.

  

Apparently the main river of Aarhus, which now flows through the city centre, was completely taken out at one time and filled in with concrete.  It's hard to believe that today because the canals in the city centre are lined with cafes and restaurants and are a tourist attraction in themselves. The funny thing is hearing any Dane say the word 'canal.' Instead of saying 'caNAL' as we might say they place the emphasis on the 'CANal' so it sounds more like 'Kennel'. It took me a while to work out what they were talking about. 

The tour took us along the river side and into the main square of the city then into the Viking museum because it started raining. The best thing about the museum is that it was built on the level on which they found Viking artefacts. That means that to enter the museum you have to go underground and as you walk down the stairs you can see the different layers for the different time periods right up to the 1970s. The museum itself is built on the site of two longhouses and you can see the different artefacts they found around each of the different buildings. There is also a 3D model of what Aarhus might have looked like in Viking times. The original name of Aarhus is Aros which means 'river mouth' and so when you look at the the town plan you can see how the original settlement was built around the river mouth.

We emerged from the museum in bright sunshine. The Cathedral and Theatre looked stunning in the bright Autumn sun. 

The Theatre

The Cathedral

We finished up our tour with a walk into the Dockyard area of Aarhus and learned of the new developments happening there. Then we went to the Latin Quarter which used to be an unloved part of the City but was renovated to resemble the Latin Quarter in Paris. 

The tour was fantastic and I saw a lot more of Aarhus but the weather has been so nice recently that I often find myself on my bike or walking home looking at the beautiful buildings and feeling very lucky that I have a whole year to explore and appreciate this beautiful city. 

My mentor invited myself and her other mentees over for dinner on Sunday and I cycled to her place which is close to the harbour. She has a lovely flat and she made us a Danish variation of pizza which includes a layer of potato on the pizza dough with tomatoes and pesto. It's occasions like this that I love, getting to know Denmark, Danish culture and my Danish friends. 

It's been quite hard settling in because I know that there are many people on my course living with or very close to others from our course. There are only two of us from the course in my halls. But it has meant that I've got to know my housemates and they are a wonderful group of people. I just got in from another common dinner and we always have a real laugh and a nice catch up with each other. 

So I am truly experiencing the beauty of Aarhus and getting settled in, I live in a beautiful place. 

My Birthday

It was my birthday on Friday, 20th. I had been really worried that I would not have many if any people to celebrate with as I've only been here 3 weeks. However, I was wrong, I had a wonderful day. 

I woke up really early. I tend to do this on my birthday even though I'm 22 now. In the past I have shared a special moment in the kitchen with my dad at around 6am in the morning of my birthday. He told me that I was born at around 6.30am and he remembers watching the sun come up with me so in the years since he shared this story with me I often wake up and watch the sun rise. I sent my dad this photo of the sunrise.

The Sunrise from my window, 7.30 Danish time, 6.30 English time

I had a whole day of classes so from 10am-4pm but it was a great day. I'd invited my classmates to join me for a celebration in the evening so many of them came up to me during the day and gave me hugs for my birthday. It was also wonderful this year to receive birthday greetings in so many different languages.

In the evening, I skyped my grandparents, my parents and my boyfriend and opened my cards which was really nice. Then I'd organised a pizza party at my flat before going into town. My flatmate Bianca bought some balloons and candles and made the whole party special for which I was so grateful. I celebrated my birthday with my lovely flatmates and my coursemate Hannah, we had a fantastic time dancing around the kitchen, chatting and eating pizza. Then just before we left, the girls sang Happy Birthday and I had to blow some candles out on a pudding that Bianca had made.

My lovely flatmates

Then we cycled merrily into Aarhus to a ping pong bar called Shen Mao. It was a really cool place which had one large table tennis table and a dancefloor. Many of my coursemates were already there and I was overwhelmed by how many came out to join us. It was probably the biggest party I've had to date! I rented a table tennis paddle and joined in the game which was effectively a large game of everyone taking one turn to hit the ball back and the whole group moving around the table until everyone is out except two. Needless to say trying to hit the ball when you've had a fair bit to drink brings a whole new hilarity to the game!

They played some great music all night and I had a fantastic time pulling all kinds of shapes on the dancefloor and drinking cocktails. I had an incredible birthday and I was so thankful to everyone for helping me celebrate in style, it's so nice to know that although we've only been here for a few weeks we're forging strong friendships and having a great time together.

Cycling 

Finally I just wanted to share some of my first experiences of trying to ride like a Dane. Everyone in Aarhus cycles, and it's not surprising since they've really built their roads to accommodate for cyclists. The cycle lanes run parallel to the main roads and here you have to cycle the same way as the traffic. This I found tricky to start off with because I'm used to cars travelling on the opposite side of the road. I got seriously confused, especially at crossroads.

However, once I got the hang of that I then had to work out how to get on my bike and peddle across the road whilst the light was green. It seems they don't give you enough time to make mistakes. I'm not used to having a bike which has peddles which act as a brake when pushed backwards. This means that when I'm waiting for the traffic light I have to get my pedals in the right position so I just get on and go, but I can't just push the pedals around so it takes me longer. The first few times I cycled anywhere everytime I stopped at traffic lights it took me ages to sort the pedals out and the lights changed at least three times!

Having said that, the worst thing I've done on a bike since I've been here is crash just as I left my halls. I was cycling down the path and at the end there are posts on both sides. For some reason I because fixated on one of the posts rather than thinking about where I was going. I braked but I crashed straight into it. It hurt so much! The bike went up backwards and the handlebars went straight into my stomach. I'm not a bad cyclist, I've cycled since I was about 6 years old but every now and again I make a complete idiot of myself! There were so many people watching too!

The weirdest thing about cycling here is that they seem to have trouble with people cycling and texting. I just cannot comprehend how someone can cycle and text as they cross the road! I also don't understand how they can talk on their phones whist cycling! There have been so many times when I've been overtaken by someone either talking on their phone or texting. I'm an accident waiting to happen without the added factor of a phone so I think I'm going to leave that to the Danes.

In the meantime, thanks for reading! As you can see I'm settling in and starting to really enjoy my time here, as always thank you for your continued support :)