Change is for the Better...Right?

Some things have changed since my last post. Nothing terribly monumental, but significant all the same. For one, I can now say that I've had a real Danish. Correction, I've had two Danishes. The first one was so good, I may have blacked out and came to with the second one already in my mouth.

An important thing to note: Danishes are just called pastries here. (Actually, more accurately, they're called "weinerbrød"  in Denmark, meaning "bread from Vienna".)  I overheard the following conversation in the student lounge. 

Girl #1: "Oh my God. Did you have one of those Danishes at the Studenterthingy after the Amazing Race?"

Girl #2: "Oh my God, YES. They were so good!! But I thought those were just pastries though? I want to try an actual Danish."

facepalm. Danishes are pastries, guys. F'real. I think this is residual bitterness from not getting any Danishes that day. But no more! Today, I took my first bite and was anointed into the enlightened Danish-eating kingdom.

I'll blog more about pastries another day, after I check out the bakery around the corner from DIS or finally try some smørrebrød (an open-faced rye bread sandwich that is the epitome of Danish cuisine.) Expect some serious food porn then.

But on to more serious topics. After sitting in on Neuroscience of Fear last Friday, I realized that the class wasn't what I had been expecting. A lot of the material I had already covered at my home institute, and I didn't really get a sense of the new perspective on the field that I was looking for in a study abroad program. To be honest, I initially chose the class because my academic advisor wanted me to scope out the developing Neuroscience program at DIS for future semester students from my school. However, now that I'm actually in Denmark, I realized that I wanted to take the opportunity to take classes that I am genuinely interested in, and more importantly, to gain experiences that I couldn't otherwise find in the States. 

Changing courses was easy. A few of my DIS friends at the International People's College (IPC) had done it already and recommended that I either go to the website or take care of it at the office in person. I switched into Danish Language and Culture and exchanged my books the next day.

Now comes the part I'm a bit ashamed about...

I went to Danish Language and Culture for the first time today. It may have been because I was a day behind all the other students, but I was so lost in today's class. I struggled over the pronunciation and was so flustered at being cold-called. About ten minutes into class, I resolved to do a cowardly thing -- I would drop the class. In my defense, for the rest of that class period (one hour and ten minutes), I weighed the pros and cons of my decision.

PROS:

1.) According to my schedule, I would then have Tuesdays and Fridays off....in addition to the Wednesdays that DIS keeps free for field studies.

2.) I found out that I have to work 6-8 hours a week to meet work study requirements. Having Tuesdays and Fridays off would help me work this into my schedule, as well as the 3-4 hours of volunteer work that I do for the Service Learning Seminar.

3.) I have to be home by 7 PM for meals at the IPC. Dropping the class would allow me to make it back in time.

4.) I still have the Danish Language and Culture materials in a binder. I can now learn Danish at my own pace. The podcasts online can help me pick up the pronunciation. (Note: Danish is almost never pronounced as it is spelled. Most disconcerting.)

CONS:

1.) I miss out on the awesome immersion opportunities that the Danish class offers such as a visit to the Museum of Danish Resistance, the Royal Danish Theater, and the Royal Danish Defense College

2.) No one will keep me accountable. I have to be incredibly self-motivated to continue learning the language.

3.) I might miss out on learning Danish culture from an actual Dane's perspective

The consequences of my decision definitely settled in this evening when I was on the train home to Helsingør. The pleasant "ding-dong" notification preceded the conductor making a short announcement in Danish. This is not an uncommon event. Sometimes the trains get backed up and we have to wait for one to clear out before we can pull into the station. I thought the conductor was saying the same old thing, "Sit tight, thanks for your patience." Then the train started moving backwards.  Panic. First thought: AM I GOING TO MISS DINNER???

The train pulls into Nivå station. More announcements in Danish. A few Danes start getting off the train, but still others remain in their seats, unperturbed. I catch a few words I recognize, like Helsingør (where I want to go) and Østerport (where I came from). After about 15 minutes of sitting in the stationary train, the conductor makes another longer announcement. Everyone starts to file off the train. I finally cave and ask a Dane several rows in front of me what was said. Apparently, the train had broken down and we were asked to move over a few platforms to catch, not the next train, but the train after that. Whew. Some life lessons stand to be extricated from this experience.

Lesson #1: When in doubt, don't hesitate to ask. This also holds true to public transport. Don't just get into random trains because the city names seem familiar or because you "always get on on this side". "Hmm, yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going to the place that starts with an H." Hillerød and Helsingør are a good thirty minutes apart. Oops.

Lesson #2: Knowing Danish in Denmark can suuuuure come in pretty handy. Further motivation for me to crack open that binder and get to work!

Anyways, now you know the truth. I'm a lazy bum, sittin' pretty on 12 credits this semester. Still, I promise to make the most of every opportunity! I took advantage of the free time I had this afternoon to take a quick expedition around Copenhagen. Just a few pictures to illustrate the beauty this city has to offer:

The Lute Players, located just around the corner
 from DIS on Vestergade.

Københavns Rådhus (Copenhagen City Hall) 

Tivoli: second oldest amusement park in the world.
Doesn't open until April though. ): 

The Dragon Fountain located in City Hall Square

Hans Christian Andersen Statue, located across the
street from Tivoli Amusement Park and adjacent to City
Hall Square.

The other downside of all this free time is that my friends still have class. ): It's not as fun exploring by myself, but I think we will definitely conquer Helsingør this weekend, weather permitting. Walking around in 19-21°F weather is not the business. Never before have I been so cold. I lost sensation in my face and consequently, the ability to speak because I couldn't tell what shapes my mouth was making. I really need to invest in one of these.

Until next time! Keep warm!