A true Danish dessert delight

Let me just tell you about one of the greatest inventions maybe of all time... flødeboller. Invented by the Danish in the 1800s it is the first chocolate covered marshmallow treat.  flødeboller translates to cream buns because they were originally made with cream filling, but now whipped egg whites/meringue makes up the filling. Similar to one of my favorite treats the Mallomar,  flødeboller an even BETTER gastronomic delight. And whats great is that Danes eat them often, They were handed out multiple times during my orientation with DIS, and by teachers on the first day of class, AND my host mom bought some just recently, because well Danes just want to introduce you to the heavenly bliss that is  flødeboller. Have I said  flødeboller enough, do you get the point? THEY ARE AWESOME!! and I will continue to eat them at any chance I get.(P.S. they don't all have that symbol of a girl on top, that one was just a specially made one from a specific store)

Church Sunday, and Vikings?

Rain coats zipped, hoods up, and cameras in tow, we set out for an afternoon at the viking ship museum in Roskilde as well as at the cathedral. 

At the museum, the discovered pieces of long ships were assembled on a metal skeleton. Not much of the ships were there but how much could actually be left after thousands of years?! There were some cargo ships and some battle ships that held many men.

 The viking long ships are so interesting because the craftsmanship was so advanced. These ships were constructed to be light weight but also sturdy, and they could sale in shallow rivers and onto shores. The ships that are on display, I was told, were most likely sunk b the vikings themselves in the places they were found, because the vikings would build ships, or use older ships, as defense mechanisms. They would sink the ships in strategic locations that only they knew of, so that invaders would not know the ships were under the water and would run into them. The ships were really interesting and my inner child was indulged with the opportunity to write out my name in runes and to dress up in viking attire.

After the museum we dragged ourselves through the rain to see Roskilde Domkirke- Cathedral. For more than 1000 years there have been churches that stand were this cathedral stands today. Roskilde Cathedral is one of the earliest examples of French-inspired Gothic brick architecture. Most of the Danish Royalty is buried within the church. Fun fact almost all of Denmark's kings have been named either Christian or Frederick, with the exceptions of Harald and a couple Sewyn's. The church was immensely beautiful and so many photos follow.

Dinner and a Stroll

Monday afternoon has rolled around and I am stressing out over finding this restaurant for a dinner with my Danish class. Due to my being located at Hvidovre Hospital at 5:30, I knew I wouldn't be able to meet up with the class a the metro at 6 to walk over together. So once again I must battle the bus AND find my way around Frederiksberg to this restaurant. Surprisingly I pulled off taking not 1 but 2 new buses and actually made it to the restaurant before the teacher and rest of the class.

The restaurant turned out to be a lot fancier than I expected when the teacher said we would be going to a "cafe". After a lovely meal (chicken and pasta for those interested in the finer details) and some lovely dinner conversations with some girls from my class and another section, we went on a little tour of the park in Frederiksberg, lead by our professor. On our way to the park we passed by and area that the teacher explained was transformed into an ice skating rink in the winter, delightful! Once in the park our main attraction was the castle, and it was ever so pretty, maybe not as medieval as one would expect from the word castle, but regal just the same.

From there we strolled through the park a bit more and ended up passing a very odd tree. Hung from this single tree was THOUSANDS of baby's pacifiers. It was created as a way to help parents wean their infants off their dependence on the pacifier, the family would take the child to this tree and tie the binki up with a little note from the child to the pacifier saying how he/she loves it and will miss it. What a sweet little tradition. Wouldn't my mother have liked a little help like that getting my pacifier away from me!

It was a lovely evening getting to know some of my classmates and seeing some great things from where my professor lives. I have high hopes for my Danish class, I think she will really make it interesting and fun, and I will learn a lot about the language and culture.

Vi ses! hej hej!

(see ya! bye!)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sharpen Your Pencils

and They're Off!!!classes have started and the real work begins, because technically I am here to STUDY abroad, and this means some studying will have to be done.So, what will I be studying?
My schedule is actually very light, 2 classes a day with every Wednesday off. I really can't complain (but we all know I will). 

with 1st day jitters coursing through me a walk around scavenging for my first classroom. And my nerves of getting lost are for nothing, I find my class quite easily. Danish is first and it is a small setting with a very pleasant teacher. Christina is a Dane who went to school for Spanish and French but married an American and so she has ended up speaking English quite a lot. She is beyond sweet and gives us all  flødeboller , a tasty danish treat that is similar to an American Mallomar. Christina took the time to warn us that Danes find it funny to make Americans say Rødgrød med fløde which is red berry pudding with cream, not an impressive dessert, but it has a title that is fantastically difficult to pronounce because of its unfamiliar ø vowel, and the soft d sound.
The next day my schedule is synced with Kylie's so we head into the city together. Once there we parted ways and I headed for my film class. The classroom ended up being this cool attic looking room, great for projecting movies in the dark. It was actually a larger class than I expected, but hey watching movies as a class, who could say no? we watched some short films that were the very first films to every be made, that was pretty cool. It was actually the Lumiere brothers who are credited with the first film to be viewed by and audience, though their films were more documentaries than narrative stories. My classes all seem really great, and they integrate some trips as well, from Berlin and Poznan, to western Denmark, to a few blocks over for dinner. It really is going to be a great semester!
I am taking 4 courses:
Heath and Human Disease: a Clinical Approach
Danish Language and Culture 1
Pregnancy, Birth and Infancy in Denmark
History of European Film 

After Danish I headed for Hvidovre Hospital (also really hard to pronounce- those pesky soft d's again!) for my Health and Human Disease class. The class is taught in the education center of the hospital by 2 doctors, the first day was really just introductions but next class we get to start right away with learning physical examination techniques!
Next, I went to my pregnancy class and wouldn't you know a walk in and my professor is actually pregnant herself! this has nothing to do with her teaching the course, but is a weird coincidence. Let's hope are final exam isn't to deliver her baby! She is actually a midwife and in Denmark 100% of women see a midwife, which is different from a doctor, and work entirely independent of doctors unless complications arise. 
I'm really excited about this class, because I think it will help me decide if midwifery is something I want to keep thinking about as an option or if I want to rule it out because it's not for me.

Exploring København

Today's task at orientation was to visit several famous sites in Copenhagen. The point was to help orient us with the city and to make sure we didn't miss out on some of these great sites. We met in a courtyard of the school and were put into small groups, I looked around at the other 4 girls in my proud group and saw the faces of the people I would be sharing some AMAZING views with.
Our first stop was close by  DIS, Vor Frue kirke/ Church of Our lady: a beautiful neoclassic Cathedral.

From there we made our way to Christiansborg- The Danish Parliament, the power center of the city. We decided to go up to the top of the building, and we could not have made a better choice. Once high above the ground we were faced with breath taking views of the entire Copenhagen skyline.

When we finally pulled our eyes away from the exceptional view we descended the tower and set sail towards the harbor. We took a harbor boat to reach Skuespilhuset/ The Playhouse, and one of the most iconic spots on the harbor. We were in awe when we stood in the middle of the picture that pops up when you google Copenhagen.

As we got lost in the scenery around of us we also lost track of time, and suddenly we were running late to get to our academic orientation! Unfortunately we had to skip out on the last stop of our scheduled tour.We didn't make it to Amalienborg- The Royal Palace, so the Queen will have to wait. After a long day of trekking across the city, I ended the day with memories of some unforgettable places and a few new friends.

 A great day in my book, and I'm looking forward to the start of classes tomorrow, so I can delve into my unique study experiences here at DIS and make some new friends who share the same academic interests as me. This semester I will be taking courses on the history of European film, Pregnancy and infancy in Denmark, Danish Language and Culture, and Human Health and Disease. The latter 2 are on the agenda tomorrow and most excitingly my human health and disease class is taught through a clinical approach, so look out Hvidovre Hospital, here I come!

Hayley and The Never Ending Bus Ride

Our story continues and I am still in the thick of orientation with my new surroundings. Monday started the three day marathon of lectures and sign-ups for the school, but Sunday had lulled me into a false sense of security. I sat around on a lazy Sunday like a regular Dane, relaxing and spending time with my family. The extended family this time! Kirsten's sister and her family stopped by for a lovely lunch and we chatted for a good part of the day. After such a stress free day, Monday was like a tornado. No sleeping in today, up by 6:45 and on the train by 7:40 as to not miss our welcome lecture at the music hall. After being squished in with all of the 1,200 some odd DIS students we were set free onto the streets of Copenhagen to arrive at our varying next locations.

Kylie and I happened upon some fellow Gettysburgians and joined them on a quest for coffee. After waiting in a very long line and fumbling with conversions of kroner to dollars in our heads, the coffee was acquired and we meandered towards our next stop: the Grand Theater, for a lecture on student affairs.

"what does students affairs really mean, what are they even going to be talking to us about?"

asked a friend. Little did I know that the answer was soon to be: how to pick up Danish women. The alumni they brought out to speak to us talked about his immersions experiences and proceeded to have not 1 but 2 of a maybe 10 slide power point dedicated to the dos and don’ts of flirting with Danish women at the bars. I found that amusing, though I found the rest of the information from the session a bit more helpful.

We filed out of the theater and sped out way to the textbook pick up to beat the lines we had foreseen. What I hadn't seen in my future was the number and bulk of textbooks I would be taking away with me. I was awarded a grand total of 11 books for my 4 courses this semester; including a hefty text book on midwifery and 5 for my history of European film class, alone.

Now with our academic luggage in tow, Kylie and I bid adieu to our Gettysburg compatriots and made our way to Copenhagen Central Station. Navigating the train was old hat, but we met our downfall at the bus stop.

As I boarded the bus Kylie struggled to find her bus pass, unbeknownst to me. So I rode away on the bus and watched as Kylie faded away in the distance still rifling through her backpack at the train station bus stop. I freaked out immediately because I was counting on Kylie to recognize our bus stop. And if the title hasn't given you a clue already, I ended up missing my stop and had to ride the bus allllll the way back around to the train station. When I had realized I missed my stop I called my host mom but she was at work and couldn't tell where I was saying I was near; so she suggested I ask another passenger for help. I turned to the girl next to me and looking not so sure of herself, she whipped out an app to tell me the best way to get where I was going. She told me to go all the way back to the train station then get on a different bus. She was giving the best help she could, but in reality she only made my travel longer. When I should have stayed on the bus I was on a bit longer, instead I followed her instructions and ended up on a bus which would, yes, get me to my destination but, according to the bus driver,  tool the long way around and it would be another 30 minutes on the bus for me. Finally after a long 1.5+ of sitting on a bus dazed and confused, I arrived home to find Kylie had beat me there. Though not without struggles of her own. She did find her pass and caught the next bus but she got off too early and had to walk 20 minutes to get home. Moral of the story don’t assume Kylie or especially I know what we're doing when it comes to buses.

My bus struggles made my day a lot longer for sure but I think it was actually an experience for good. I surprised myself in that I did not panic, or break out into tears. I did not feel lost and alone and confused (though I was), I felt calm because I knew I would find my way eventually, I wasn't in any danger, and I trusted myself to figure out how to get myself out of the mess I created. Now hours later sitting safe in my bed, I chalk it up to experience. I guess I have to get lost a couple times before I become a savvy Danish commuter.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

...A very good place to start.

As I look out at the gargantuan plane that I am about to board, I quickly snap a picture for instagram, and then turn to walk towards the beginning of what will hopefully be one of the best experiences of my life.

 The flight was pleasant, no problems at all, and a bit of sleep was found on my part. As I sat down on the plane I wondered whether my mom thought I was heartless for not joining her in tears as I said goodbye, but I knew that if I cried leaving her, then I'd be crying the whole flight. Luckily I have evaded the waterworks and on the contrary I am really enjoying my first days here.

Kirsten, my host mother, picked myself and my travel buddy, Kylie, up at the airport, at 8:30 in the morning, which felt like 1 am. Kirsten is wonderful and is taking such good care of us, she made it our first stop to pick up pastries for breakfast, and from there we headed to our new home. She lives in a beautiful home in a more rural suburb of Denmark in the town of Ballerup, about 40 minutes from the city of Copenhagen. We get the whole tour of the house, including the immaculate kitchen with floor to ceiling windows that give the room such vibrant lighting and also a great vantage point to be able to wave hello to all your neighbors from the kitchen table.

Kylie and I moved our things into our rooms, I took Camilla's (Kirsten's daughter) old room. It is small but perfectly comfortable. Kirsten then took us for a walk around the area so we would know how to get to the nearest grocery and to the bus stop which we will be taking to get to the train station every morning. After that we stopped by Kirsten's mother's house, and let me tell you she is the most adorable women. It was so sweet how she was embarrassed of her English, which she spoke perfectly well. We sat and talked with her for a time and then headed back home. Kylie didn't make it to dinner, she succumbed to a nap, where as I denied myself sleep and ate lunch with Kirsten and sat talking to her for a while about this and that, asking questions about her.
Everything she has made so far looks and tastes like a gourmet meal!

Eventually her son, Morten, came home from school and I met him. He is very nice and seems genuinely happy to have us which I was worried about, more sisters may have been the last thing he wanted haha. It was then about dinner time so we woke Kylie up and had our first meal together. among the dinner conversation, I was telling them about how my brother brews his own beer and they thought that was pretty cool and they proceeded to tell me there is a microbrewery within the forest that is right near out home, so I must go there for Tim's sake! I quickly went to bed after that because I couldn't keep my eyes open a moment longer.



The next morning we were expected at the Hilton hotel by the airport for a quick orientation of all of about 15 min. We also purchased our stone age-esque cell phones and plans for calling within Denmark. After that Kirsten dropped us in the center of Copenhagen and Kylie and I wandered around with our confused tourist faces on. We walked down a  lovely street which has many shops and is for pedestrians only. Never have I seen so much bike traffic in my life!

 We walked past the street where DIS buildings are and we also walked through a park - which later Kirsten told us we shouldn't go to at night but we were okay during the day. It was a lovely morning and we ended it at the train station where we fumbled with getting our tickets back to Ballerup. We eventually figured it out and got back home. But in the process we musn't have looked too out of sorts because a tourist family asked us to help them with buying their train tickets, as if we were regular Danes who knew what to do!

And now here I sit writing my first entry on the blog that I decided to take up. Hopefully I will keep up with the blog and not forget to make other entries if not for my few readers out there, but for my future self looking to reminisce about the past.