Wonderful Copenhagen

Hello all,

I arrived in Copenhagen early on Sunday, January 20th. I thought it was going to be below zero, dark, wet, and gloomy but it was pretty nice out. The sun came up around 8 and stayed around for awhile but the temperature never went below 30 degrees. The Danes say that this 30 degree weather is their mild winter. It seems a lot like the weather on the east coast, except more wind and fresh air. I'm living in an older part of the city called Østerbro, located in the northeastern section of the city. I'm in what is called 'shared housing' for American students. There are 65 other students from my program living on the same floor as me in singles and doubles. We all have our own little kitchenette and bathroom with shower. The shower is part of the bathroom and the bathroom is part of the shower. There is a shower curtain that separates the shower head from the toilet and sink...but other than that and a drain, we do not have a shower-shower. We also have a large common room type area with a TV and full kitchen. It takes about 45 minutes to get to school from my apartment and for the past three days (orientation) there has been a heard of students on the trains and buses at the same time. We stick out like sore thumbs. Østerbro is a very residential neighborhood with many grocery stores, 'take-away' restaurants, beautiful apartments, and a large park with the national football stadium. The apartments (or flats) all have some sort of balcony, open-air or closed off with full length windows. Everyone bikes everywhere. They have a very efficient public transportation system complete with three different options for commuting. They have the S train which runs mostly above ground, the Metro which is underground, and the bus. Despite the two times I stayed on the bus too long and the fact that I don't know Danish yet, the city itself is relatively easy to navigate. The Danes are huge on obeying the 'honor system.' The passes we use to ride the train require no swiping or punching, a conductor will check passes every couple of weeks. You never know when the passes will be checked and the fee is very high if you do not have a pass or the right amount on it...so everyone buys a pass, but you could probably get away with riding for free. Also, if you walk across the street in a cross walk when the light says don't walk, the Danes waiting on either side will give you a look to let you know you're being rude. Also, there is no word for 'Please' or 'Excuse Me' in Danish, so everyone just pushes to get where they are going. Apparently Americans are seen as being too polite because we sandwich our conversations: a nice polite greeting or small talk, a direct/honest comment, and a polite good-bye. The Danes believe in being very direct and do not see the purpose of having small talk. And you have to always look out for the bikers and their parked bikes because they are everywhere. Typically people leave their bikes outside of a store (unlocked) while they go inside. But at night, everyone locks their bike because bike theft is a very big problem here. Otherwise, the Danes seem to trust others and respect their city a lot. Danish Mothers even leave their baby carriage (with their baby inside of it) outside of cafes while socializing with friends or even while having a meal. The baby carriages are very old fashioned and have many layers of fleece and winter gear in them. The mothers say they are not neglecting their children because they put a baby monitor in the carriage and tend to the baby if necessary. The Danes are very reserved people who speak mostly Danish but will speak English to the Americans.

In the last four days I have seen so much of the center city (København H). All of the sidewalks are cobble stone and the buildings are red brick or stone. There seems to be a 'sale' going on in every store, yet the prices are so high. I saw the Queen's guards marching down a central street to her castle, which they do everyday at noon when she is at home. I have seen the four different castles of the winter residency for the royal family. The little mermaid statue is very small and has gone through a lot over the years...so anyone who sees her from now on will see a replacement because she was decapitated, painted red, and eventually blown over the last few decades. For those of you who do not know why there is a statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen...Hans Christian Andersen wrote the story and was from Copenhagen. The buildings and squares of the city are so colorful and have so much character to them. There are stories about most of the buildings and towers that relate back to former Kings. Most girls wear boots and really high heels, even while they ride their bikes to work. Since daycare and education are both provided for free, usually both parents work. The restaurants are very cozy and normally do not have bright lights or lamps because they use candles. Denmark is very Eco-conscious. They use windmill power and most people abide by suggested energy saving practices. Also, you can recycle bottles right in your local grocery store and receive credit to purchase more of what ever you recycled. The general consensus among citizens is that people are content with their lives and are happy with their government. Though, Denmark still has a lot of debates going on about important issues that need to be faced, i.e. immigration, cultural integration, changing their welfare system, and certain restrictions they have for being in the EU. But there is lot to be learned from a country that can call for an election 3 weeks prior to the date of it and actually get more than 70% of citizens to vote.

This city is wonderful and I think anyone who wants to go to Europe should visit. It's just too cute to skip.

Hej, hej! (Bye, Bye!)...for now.
Em