The title says it all.. exciting news, I know. The warmer weather we’ve been having recently has inspired me to overcome my fears about biking in rush hour traffic. My friend and I got a special deal on renting bikes from a guy named Buster, who lives in our kollegium. We’re waiting for him to get them ready with baskets and lights, but I will keep you updated on our early biking adventures.
Another reason why I finally decided to get a bike is because I’m getting a little tired of being lost a majority of the time. I’ve accepted the fact that I have a horrible sense of direction, but after almost four weeks I really shouldn’t be getting lost between classes! I can’t wait to explore the city by bike; I plan on taking an afternoon and just riding around until I really get my bearings.
As much as I love it here, living in another country definitely has its challenges. It can be kind of tiring in some ways – worrying about getting lost, not understanding what’s being said on the bus, trying to understand cultural differences – and sometimes seemingly little things can be a big frustration. The other day, for example, I was trying to print something and my card didn’t work on the printer. Then I needed to pick up a package that had been waiting for me for over a week. I had to get to class, but it seems that people here don’t really understand the idea of urgency. My friends and I have talked about how sometimes little things can seem like a bigger deal than they actually are; I think a lot of us are used to working really hard and being super efficient all the time. I’m learning to accept the fact that I can’t control the buses (sometimes I’ll wait a minute and sometimes I’ll wait fifteen), so sometimes I’ll be late for class. If my bus is late, it’s not worth being grumpy the whole way there; if the line in the coffee shop is moving really slowly, it’s better to make conversation than anxiously tap my foot the whole time. Anyway, hopefully I’ll learn to be a more go with the flow kind of person during the next few months…
It was nice to have a full week of classes this week. I went on a field study Wednesday with my public health class to a healthcare center and then to a community center for homosexual men with HIV/AIDS and their partners. It was interesting to hear about the health issues in Denmark and their different approaches to tackling them.
Last night (Thursday), I went to a ballet at the Royal Danish Theater with my Danish Language & Culture class. We had a special intro before from one of the previous ballerinas – it was really nice to get everything explained in English! After the intro, we had an hour to explore the theater (and enjoy some complementary wine). The show included three short ballets, two of which were more classical and and one which was more modern. The last one, the modern one, involved audience members and had everyone out of their seats dancing and clapping. It wasn’t what I expected, but it was a great evening!
We may have been sitting up in peanut heaven, but we had a great view of the stage and the beautiful theater!
Today I went to my Conservation & Biodiversity Class, then to Studenterhuset to meet up with some friends and do some work before the weekend. We did a little grocery shopping before coming home, stopping at the fish market to pick up some fresh salmon fillets for dinner (I have to treat myself on Valentine’s Day, after all!). The girls are planning a nice romantic dinner in the common room later tonight 😉
Anyway, I best go get my laundry from downstairs since I took over three washers – my busy schedule here makes it a little difficult to stay on top of chores. Laundry couldn’t really wait any longer (I was starting to run out of clean warm socks…)
Dirt Roads to Denmark 