Disjointed Entry

People watching is the great pastime ever.  I don't remember having this much fun in America doing it. maybe it's the fact I'm in a train station waiting for my train home. People are crazy-- sociology makes so much sense now!
I'm just getting back from a class social in the byen (city). I can't believe it's winding down.


This week we are making Thanksgiving. A friend is having her husband come up from Germany and bring American food we can't find here. Hopefully, some Danes will partake in the festivities :-)  We are making a huge feast (yay leftovers!). I think we are also going to take a trip to visit Ariel in Nyhavn. The little Mermaid arrived back to KBH last Saturday and I need to get a picture of it for Dr. Furey! I promise I haven't forgotten about Wooster. I mean, I do miss Woo, but I can't leave my friends here too! People should just visit me here! I mean everyone one should get out of the country so why not bring Wooster to me!
 I kinda realize I'm asking too much but...
I didn't realize how much I'd miss DK until I got back from my two week break. I feel more at home in Hillerød than I do in Wooster which is pretty sad when you look at the amount of time here... Oh well...here's the train. 


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Hej,
Sorry I haven't updated! I'm in Germany now and leaving to Holland tomorrow! I'll tell you all about it!
I'm currently traveling up the Rhine. I'm on my way to Düsseldorf and Köln. This is practice for the train ride to Amsterdam. For the past few days I've seen Frankfurt, Koblenz and Mainz. I'm actually visiting a childhood friend that I haven't seen in ten years. It's not too awkward. Its working out pretty well. She lives in Mainz very close to Roman   (Römer) ruins and the city center. I can't imagine what Paris is like because this area of the Rhine is very romantic. I would certainty come here for a honeymoon :-) or to get married in the Köln Cathedral. Gothic architecture at it's best! Seeing this church is the whole reason for this trip. Düsseldorf is just a bonus and maybe I'll meet a dwarf (reference to Regina Spektor).

Of course I miss Denmark and Grundtvigs. these past few weeks since my last entry have been phenomenal!!! Not only has school picked up but I'm much closer with some of the students at the højskole. I wish I said the whole year or at least until January! Christmas in Denmark looks so enticing. Maybe if I learn Danish, I can study special education and inclusion in Kobenhavn or Aalborg.

Thats a pretty big dream.

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Hours later...
Düsseldorf was awful and they have awful postcards.

Köln rocks. I want to come back here. I've never just sat in a church but theres something about this cathedral that made me. I feel so small right now and I couldn't feel happier to be here alone. I like this feeling.

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I decided to walk around Köln and found this Tibetian shop. The owner was so nice and of course I told him about my dearest old roommate. I bought a crappy sticker- I needed to buy something from him. Köln is phenomenal! Must see!!
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Next stop Amsterdam and maybe Belgium...Waffles!!!!!!
 

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From the road

I've realized that I'm not crazy about large dirty tourist cities that are very westernized. It's not what I expected which I disappointing because I've heard so much about the heart of Europe.
I have had a great time here. It's a very unique place where you can see the fusion of the communist, baroque and gothic eras. It's a huge step from KBH. It's much dirtier here and it seems larger. It's not really larger, but there's something about this place that sets it drastically apart from KBH. It's really bad if I can't see myself living here or visiting again. I desperately want to like Prague. I did enjoy the Gothic aspects of the city as well as the art nouveau of Mucha. 

Old Town Hall

Prague's Gothic Cathedral within the Palace

Right now we are on our way to Lidice (a location of nazi revenge) and then to česky Krumlov (a sleepy town on the southern part of CR).


Did I tell you, we stopped in Dresden, Germany! It was beautiful. I wish we could have spent more time there.  

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Back from Lidicie, where I modeled for a Czech newspaper. The only day I look like a bum :)
The memorial site was very fitting for the story. Like all Nazi crimes, this was prized by the reich after the death of hitler's second in command by Czech parachuters from GB. The memorial is the town as the Nazis left it there are still old farm walls abd foundations of a baroque church. 

There's an awing statue of the children deported from the town. 

There's a mass grave marked by  a gaint wooden cross and barbed wire in a circle.

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Now were going to Krumlov to learn more about the German wild transports (post WWII) and the Munich Betrayal which gave Hitler the Sudetenland. 


We're only in Krumlov for a day and then we go back to Kobenhavn. 

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Krumlov is amazing!!! Beautiful. This is what I wanted when I thought of Prague. It really reminds me of Dubrovnik. I can't help but take a ton of pictures here. It's so much better than Prague! 

Krumlov Castle at Night

Medieval Frescoes Uncovered

Medieval Sun Dial- only an hour off

Overlooking the town

The Rosenbergs kept bears at the castle to connect themselves with the ancient Roman family Ursa . 

The Royal Gardens

I always knew I was a Princess

More Photos from Prague

Sorry!

Well, The last two weeks have been quite eventful.

Last week I spent in Prague and Cesky Krumlov.

Krumlov

The week before that I was pretty sick. (But, the Friday I was released, I got to see Swan Lake!)


Sorry for the gap of posts!

My Danish Class Rocks

My Danish Teacher, Mette, is easily my favorite language teacher ever! She spends time on the culture of Danmark and doesn't fret about us writing an essay in Danish. Last week, she talked to use about Christiania. Started in an abandoned military barracks in the center of Copenhagen, Christiania is an autonomous community. Currently, the government (since 2004) is trying to normalize this freetown. This is the only place in the world were you can walk down the street and by hash from a vendor, and up until the 2000s, hard drugs (such as heroin) were rarely found on the the citizens of the town. Its a very hippie experience. I recently visited and found the area oddly beautiful. They have there own lake and the walls and houses are pieces of art alone.Also, this is probably one of few places that embraces multiculturalism. Everyone is so different there which is a change in DK. I really hope the government does not succeed in destroying the town; there is so much more to this town than just 'Pusher Street' (the hash vending street).

A Danish Singer named Nashaja Saad (mostly know in the States for Calabria 2007:) expressed her views on this new and warped Danmark in this Danish Regage song called Gi' mig Danmark tilbage(Give me back Denmark).

I'll post the translated lyrics later. Its easier to appreciate the song if you know what shes talking about...Some of the images used in this video relates to the traditional Danmark (Blue Skies and field). She is trying to show Denmark can still be Denmark with other cultures (counter to the Danish People's Party's Position - Anti immigration)

Overview and FCK v. Brøndby

Since I'm sick this weekend, I thought I should finally update. I've had so many entries planned but the longer I waited, the less relevant they seem.
So, this week, the Danes at Grundtvigs were in Prague. They're coming back tonight.

This week flew by
On Saturday, my house mate and I went to Malmo, Sweden and celebrated the weekend with the Danes. Malmo is only an 1 1/2 from where I live, so it was an nice relaxing day trip. I think I need one more trip over there before I can compare and contrast...What else to say

On Sunday 19-09-10, DIS danish classes took a massive field trip to the FCK (Football Club Copenhagen)v. Brøndby.
THE BIGGEST GAME YOU CAN SEE IN COPENHAGEN.
 This is the time where Danes go crazy and start riots and get arrested. It was amazing :) To set up this craziness- 19 people were arrested hours before the game started. I didn't know Copenhagen had police let alone a swat team train to take care of unruly soccer fanatics.
Just wait, it gets better! The Brøndby side starts the game off with flares and yellow smoke while FCK uses a collaged sign simply stating their greatness over the Bs. Brøndby litters the field with there pyrotechnics and the game starts...

Away Team's Fans

The Stadium was very smoky after the fire show

FCK side :)

Towards the end of the first and the beginning of the second half things are being constantly trown on to the field- halting the game at some points (not that I really paid attention to the field- the fans were almost more entertaining) Current score 1:0 FCK Leading.
On to the Second Half: Brøndby starts setting chairs on fire and yada, yada,yada. (Of course, the police are there). For a short time its calm, but then more cops arrive and havoc breaks loose! Fire, Cops, People running - this is when my friend and I decided to leave before it got worse.
Those who stayed told me, outside the stadium, there were riot dogs on the trains and in the streets...apparently, the cops were antagonistic... yada yada...

Overall, FCK won 2:0, 43 people were arrested, at least 600,000 kr worth of damage to the away section of the stadium and 58 people injured.

Wow Danmark, you remind me of the US everyday :)


(Maybe my next post will be about my adventure at Hillerød hospital)

Archaeology Class in the National Museum

The morning after a party