Baby It's Cold Outside... It SNOWED

PS Scroll down if you didn't see all of the pictures of the city, I added a bunch to this post today.

Never have I ever.... been soooo incredibly cold. Ha

I slept in a little late today because I stayed up to watch the little baby snow flakes dance in the street lights. When I awoke it was bright outside and soon I discovered that the snow had began to stick while I was sleeping.

Boy, I was soo excited, I felt like a kid again. I woke up and showered and began putting on layer after layer. That, supposedly, is the key to keeping warm. I think it is pretty much just a hopeless situation. Getting dressed to go outside is more than a 10 second routine of throwing on a sundress and flops now. Instead I try the best I can to put on several layers. Usually I start with a long sleeve shirt and a close fitting sweater.

Next I will add a fleece...

And finally boots, a scarf, ear muffs, pea coat, and huge warm Uggs.

Dawning a pair of leather gloves I venture outside into the snow. It isn't deep but the wind is what gets you. Behind my flat we have a little bike chalet. My bike is kept in here to keep it out of the elements when I am not using it. 

I unlocked my bike and started on my first adventure via bike. Last night my roomie helped me lower the seat even more (as low as it goes) and raise the handle bars so that I could reach them better while sitting on the saddle. It is still a tiny bit big but at least now I don't have to jump onto it by standing on the peddle at every stoplight. Some streets in Copenhagen have bike lanes and some do not. The main streets that I live in are part of the latter. Here is a picture as I got started. You cannot see the snow very well, luckily the streets were dry!

I used my iPhone to navigate the streets the best that I could to find the Christinshavns Metro. This was there that I met up with a friend who I had met in the ESN program. (ESN- Erasmus Student Network is a program set up for students who are on their "Erasumus" in Europe. An Erasmus is basically a state-sponsored study abroad trip. Although I am not from Europe I am invited to participate in their activities as well) He just got back from his Erasmus in Italy (he is from Copenhagen) and wanted to continue evolvement with the group. He invited me on an adventure and one of my motos while I am here is to try as much as I can. We met at the metro and walked to a little commune called Christiania. On the way there we walked by this building. Niels told me that his family used to be in charge of decorating it for Christmas and for doing the iron casting in front. I cannot wait to climb up it; HOWEVER, I want it to be a bit warmer first, I fear the wind will be too much to handle now.

There is a long, long history behind Christiania and I don't feel as if I have a strong enough grasp on it to give it a thorough explanation on here so instead I will leave that to later and give you a quick run-down now. Christiania is a community where they create their own rules and live outside the norm. They are very artsy and extremely liberal. Some of the pictures will explain it a bit more. Additionally, this area is known for their liberal view on "soft" drugs. Similar Amsterdam you can find a main street with several stands selling substances, as if they were the coffee shops in Holland. Although this is present I did not spend any time interacting with these people as I was more interested in the history behind it being a kind of war bunker. There are walls surrounding the "commune" on all sides bordering the city, creating a type of fortress. These walls are covered with graffiti.

Along the walls there were little doorways that anyone is free to enter.

Inside there is also a large amount of graffiti as well. Here is a pic of me the Niels took, I love the vibrant colors.

The gate surrounds one side of the commune and a huge bunker-type mound of dirt surrounds the other. Niels is in this pic too.

On the far side of the bunker is a mote. 

Here is a view from the very top looking across the way.

We took a walk on the path that you can see below as well. Before that, however, we ran into this cute little house looking at the water. This house is very typical of Christiania. 

This is another picture looking out at the water. The pieces of extra wood and what I would consider "junk" are found everywhere. I think a hippie-type feeling would be an adequate description- or to you Washingtonians "Greener" type scene. 

And then, just as I thought I might freeze to death. (by this point I had already had to borrow another scarf to wear and had a chill to my bones) A beautiful, beautiful creature appeared.

This glowing scene en captures the magic that I felt filling the air at the sight of a ginormous swan. I guess I might have seen a swan in a zoo before, I am not sure, but there is no comparison. This amazing creature was just sitting here on the edge of the ice. It appeared to be rather content even though it did not seem as if it could really move much seeing as it was surrounded by ice. 

I am not sure if he had planned it or not but Niels brought some bread and we fed the very enthusiastic swan.

Sorry for all of the pictures but I just like the different shapes that the swan makes with his/her neck. By this point my fingers were frozen solid and I could barely break of anymore bread to feed the poor swan. You can see my frustration here.

We headed into a little pub/cafe and grabbed some tea before I decided to call it a night. I had gotten lost a bit on the bike ride out there and did not want to have to find my way home in the dark. It is dark by 4:30 here so I needed to get going soon. On the walk back to our bikes Niels took the picture perfect depicting both the beauty and frigidness of the day.

The bike ride home... well, hmm it was so cold. I had my scarf up over my mouth but had to keep one hand un-gloved so as to have the ability to use the touch-screen function of my phone. This was very problematic. My hand froze so that it was barely useable. I then tried to use my nose, which was already frozen, that did not work well. The temperature was only -3 but the wind was unbearable. Coming off of the water it went straight through all of my layers. When I finally made it home I curled up on the couch under another pea coat, put a huge hat on and got under a comforter and just shivered for about 45 minutes. Needless to day, I do not think that I am build for this weather. Oh yes and I took a shot of their "warming tonic," basically alcohol, to try and get warm, nope, I still froze. Rasmus just laughed when he got home and brought me more blankets. I will wear more and more layers next time I guess. But besides the snowman part I had a wonderful afternoon filled with beautiful scenery.

I had my first pizza last night and some wine later on to warm me up. Today I am headed to the gym and then Rasmus is making me pasta for dinner, yum! I also might be going out with my mentor or other friends for some drinks to celebrate their end of exams. I hope everyone is doing well in the states or wherever else you may be and I think of you all often. My mom sent me a package that I just received today and it brought a tear to my eye. I also received the "Save the Date" to Annelise and Johnny's wedding. :) that brought a smile to my face and, Lise, just so you know, the magnet is on our fridge! I do need to send out postcards but I have been weary of leaving my apartment because of the cold. I should try and venture out sometime this weekend. Please send me your addresses!! I will be writing more soon, until then, stay warm, cheerful and remember your freezing friend/family member in Denmark.

Carlsberg Brewery

Yesterday I received an email from a program that plans activities for international students. The first event that was on the list was a tour of the Carlsberg Brewery. I had missed the sign-up day but luckily was able to get in contact with the organizers and joined the group. I met my first (non-roommate) friends and I am excited to get to hangout with them more. The Carlsberg Brewery is a major attraction in Denmark. This beer and Tuborg are by far the most popular beers here as this is where they are made. I looked the factory up online and found out that it was within walking distance, yay! I plugged the address into my iPhone this morning and ventured out on my second solo trip.

On the way there I went under this beautiful gate, not until later did I find out what the other side looked like.

These elephants are really famous for some reason or another even though they are not native or anything. Once I figured out where we were meeting I was able to have a fun time talking to all of the other internationals. I met two girls in particular who really made me feel welcomed. Tabea from Germany and Bet from the Czech Republic. Tabea is a law student and Bet is studying sociology. It was nice that everyone just naturally spoke English because none of them knew Danish. I felt like it was the first time people were not being forced to speak English just because of me. This was really nice.

Once entering the visitor's center we went up a floor and were told that they hosted the world's largest collection of un-opened beer bottles. (different kinds of beer that is) It was huge. It was fun to walk around and look at all of the different labels from all over Europe and China and other near-by places.

One of my favorite parts was the horses. They were huge! Sooo big I do not think I have ever seen horses that big except for those ones that are known for being big...Clydesdale horses. But either way, these ones were rather entertaining.

 

We also were able to sneak a picture on the back of the wagon that they pull beer around in. This is Tabea and I. Rasmus just told me a cool story about the guys who usually ride on these carts. Apparently it is in their contract that they can have 6 beers a day while on the job working... sketchy huh? I guess the company tried to change it and there was a major strike. Good old Danes and their love of beer, I can't imagine any jobs in the US where this would ever be part of a contract.

This is a cool picture of their trucks. Old school style.

And finally, heading out... a far away view of the elephant gate. Tabea and Bet joined me at my house for some tea and bread which made for a nice end to an afternoon. Tonight Rasmus and I are cooking some kind of meal together, time to go shopping soon. I am getting hungry so I am pretty excited. Today was fun, tomorrow is another activity with the international group. They have organized a pub crawl around Vesterbro- the neighborhood that I live in. I am starting to see clearly now how almost everything in Danish culture orients around some kind of drinking... I swear it is not just me. I think it is the best way to keep warm.

My First Days Here

Wow, I am here! Luckily to my best friend Amber she was able to pack up my suitcases to their full capacity and get just about everything over to Denmark. My flights went by quickly because I was so exhausted I just fell asleep. Per suggestion of someone sitting next to me on my flight from LA to Seattle I got an open faced sandwich in Iceland. I also became very interested in going to the Blue Lagoon Spa. This is something I have heard about a lot in the past but never thought an opportunity would arise. It seems that there are a lot of accommodations that the airport has for extended day-long layovers where they take you out. Check out this pic and you will see why I am so interested.

Well I made it here at about noon Denmark time- 3AM LA time. Luckily Mathilde was there to greet me and help me with my huge bags. I won't be moving them for a long time, thank god. My arms are still slightly sore from hauling them around and then up the five flights of stairs to my apartment. But I made it! My apartment is so nice, warm and cozy. Even better; however, is my roomie. He is great and has really taken me under his wing to make sure that I feel at home. His friend is staying here as well and she is a doll. She is dating an American so she is very familiar with some of my first experiences from an outside view, even though she is from Denmark. 

That first day was quite a blur. My roomie took us out to dinner and I had my first Danish beer. It was a very wonderful evening. The next morning started bright and early.  My facebook status pretty much sums up the way my day went:

I woke up to church bells, got my CPR number (Danish Soc. Sec.), a bank account, a gym membership, a phone service, my iPhone unlocked (we hope), went to an internet cafe to call my parents finally, a personal training session, groceries, volunteered at a Sweet street-kids gym, rode a bike... illegally (more so on the back of a bike while running red lights) and gosh, listened to a lot of Danish... haha great day!

There is more, but it was quite a lot to take in in one day. Oddly enough I couldn't sleep that night even after all of those activities. 

My next day was not as adventurous but still quite fun. I slept in seeing as I didn't get to sleep until about 4:30 AM until 12:30 PM. What a bum I was. I then made myself some of the best scrambled eggs I have ever had. I don't know if it is just because I was starving but I think there is something special about the eggs out here. I put some ham and cheese in them and they were quite yummy. 

I then showered and got ready and headed on my first solo adventure. I was pretty nervous attempting to take the bus by myself for the first time. You have to push a button before your stop but I didn't know where my stop was going to be so that was the main dilemma. The bus driver, also, was not a huge fan of me asking for help. Either way, I made it! I showed up at Rasmus' work just in time to set up a game of beer pong. Yes, beer pong. Rasmus wanted me to teach him and his co-workers beer pong, it was great. I found some solo-sized light weight cups and we cracked open the last of the Christmas beers. I filled up the cups and explained the rules. It was so much fun. Rasmus won his first game and then he and I played together and we won! It was a really fun time. Next they taught me a Danish drinking game where you use dice. I came to learn that dice and drinking are very commonly found together here. 

After leaving Rasmus' work we headed out to dinner. We found a delicious steak house without a wait. It was way too cold to go anywhere that we would have to wait. I found out that my jacket, even though I thought a heavy pea coat was a good jacket, is not very warm at all. At least not warm like it needed to be spending such long amounts of time outside. Even with gloves on my teeth would not stop chattering. It is ok, next time I will be prepared with more and more layers. I wonder if they sell parkas here. HAHA JK But yea it was a very chilly evening. After a very filling dinner we went to our first bar- the Half-Way House. It makes its own specialty shots and we ordered several trays worth of these. One of the best things about this bar is that I was able to talk to some locals who invited me to play dice with them. This girl was very nice and explained the game to me and walked me through our first round. I eventually started to get the hang of things and had a fun time. I also met a couple of professors from my law school who were at the bar and quite inebriated. This was quite a sight to see.

Next we went to a different bar where they had foosball. I am not very big on the game but I learned that it is quite an event here. Rasmus is really good and I played a game with him and we won. After this I let him play with more ambitious teammates. It was fun to watch though. From there we rode bikes home. I don't have one yet so I rode on the handlebars. This is a site to see and I will most definitely try and get a picture of it sometime. It is very uncomfortable and hard to balance but it is so much faster than walking it is worth the pain. We stopped by a sausage wagon on the ride home and I had my first "indian in an open casket with a huge bouquet" haha They have secret code names here for orders as they do at In-N-Out at home. It was funny. Finally I got home and went to bed. 

Today was not very eventful, Rasmus and I were both pretty sleepy. We went walking around looking for a bike for me but everything was closed. Luckily I found this website online where a bunch of exchange students were posting about bikes they wanted to sell before they left. SCORE! Ha I hopefully will be able to meet up with someone and get a gently used bike for a great price! If not Rasmus found me a new one for only 1697 DKKs. I wanted to spend less than 1000 but if I can't find anything then this could work too.

Oh I forgot to mention, I was able to get my old iPhone unlocked, yay! I wish I could figure out how to get the 4, maybe soon. My mentor helped me out with that a ton, as well as all of the stuff I did on my first full day here. She is awesome. I cannot wait until she finishes finals in a week and we can hangout together!

Tonight I cooked my first meal for my roomie and I: a baked potato, zucchini, and caesar salad. I think we are cooking a real meal together tomorrow night. :-) Tonight he is headed to his girlfriend's place and has set up the projector and a movie for me to watch so I don't get bored. 

Things are great, I am trying to distance myself from friends at school because it is kinda hard hearing about everything I am missing. I need to focus on what I get to do here.

Oh another thing! I have my class schedule! I am in:

EU Intellectual Property

EU E-Commerce

Energy and the Environment 

and 

Intro to EU Law and Institutions

I will try and post links later so you can read about them if you are interested. It is pretty cool how the professors go very in-depth in their descriptions and goals, much better than anything I have seen in the US. Oh and I get to go on 1-2 field trips for the Energy class, soo exciting!!

Ha ok, enough for now. Have a good night, everyone!!