Real Cycling Adventures!

Today, my friend Alex and I went off on a real cycling adventure (this is a shout-out to the title of this blog)! As I've mentioned before, I've been biking quite a bit here, but it's been entirely around Ebjy (my town). The idea of actually taking my bike into the city seemed terrifying. There are so many people and they are all such hard-core, experienced bikers that I have always been too intimidated. The bike lanes can be somewhat chaotic and I had a mental image of myself causing a massive collision. BUT in the spirit of trying new things/stepping outside my comfort zone/having an authentic cultural experience, I decided that it was time to face my fear. I proposed a Copenhagen biking adventure to Alex (who has been here for several months and has biked in the city quite a bit) and she enthusiastically agreed!

So this morning I left my house on my bike, took off for the station, and instead of locking my bike at one of the racks there, I pushed it up these ramps that are in all of the stairwells and arrived at the top of the platform. Lars had recently fixed the kickstand for me, so I parked it and waited for the train. So far so good!

Every S-train has 2 special cars for bikes--one at each end. You wait with your bike at a special part of the platform and when the train arrives, you just lift it up a half step and there you have it! The inside of the bike car has this strange bike rack attached to the wall. you just jam the wheel into it and it stays upright. The funny thing is that as the train turns and stops and starts, the handle bars on all of the bikes move back and forth in perfect synchrony, and thus avoid slamming into each other. It's a great system. The only problem is when a million other people have also taken their bikes on the train and so the car is full. That is what happened this morning...

I got my bike onto the train and it became immediately clear that there was not enough space. I wedged myself into a corner (and somehow managed to balance with one hand on my handlebar and one hand on the wall of the train), but then at the next stop one person needed to get off (and of course he was farthest away from the door). Many people grunted and looked severely annoyed. We sort of smushed together and twisted our bikes around, and by some miracle the man made it out of the car. But then 3 more people got on (2 with bikes, one with a giant stroller), adding a completely new twist to our puzzle. I felt like I was perpetually in the way and hadn't a clue what anyone was saying to me! My strategy was to just nod and look like I was busy. It worked well enough and eventually enough people left and I was able to wedge my bike into an actual space and moved to take a seat in another part of the car.

On the platform at Osterport, I met Alex! We wheeled our bikes off the platform and up the ramp on the stairs and set off in search of something (that we hadn't yet defined). Amazingly, we found exactly what we were looking for (which I guess is the best part about searching for nothing in particular... you almost always find it)!

We came across some statues and of course had to pose with them!

We ended up in another picture-perfect neighborhood. 

I am obsessed with the colors.  

Biking on the cobblestone streets!

We then came upon a giant church. I took a series of shots of Alex in front of it (like the one pictured below). Then, another older gentleman crossing the street asked if we would like him to take our photo. Well, he didn't really ask, he mostly just rolled his eyes, stretched out his hand, and took my camera, and then ushered me across the street to join Alex. 

Note Alex in the bottom right corner, waving as she bikes!

The photo taken by the old, kind Danish guy

The man spoke English (though you wouldn't have guessed that from our first interaction) and proceeded to tell us an incredibly long story of the history of the neighborhood and every building and problem the community has faced. "They are going to be turning these churches into schools or maybe a hall for dances. Do you like dances? It's a shame that they have to be changed." It was a strange, endearing, and quite hilarious conversation, and we eventually managed to break away. It was very uncharacteristically Danish, and was in fact quite refreshing! 

We continued on... to the Rosenborg Castle and gardens!

We walked out bikes through the park so that we wouldn't get muddy. Check out Alex and the cutie in the snowsuit!

View from the far end of the park

Me, posing with the statues and our bikes

We left the park and headed towards my school. This involved biking on some major roads. Luckily, in places where bikes are supposed to follow different traffic patterns than cars, CPH is equipped with mini bike-traffic lights!

So cute and practical!

Alex needed to look for boots, so we visited a couple of places:

A leather store! All of the stuff was beautiful... too bad the pair of boots Alex wanted was just under $350.

We visited the Red Cross thrift store since it was at the end of the street. We didn't find boots, but there were plenty of other great treasures (that we decided to leave for others to find)!

"I can't believe somebody made this!"

We ended the day with lunch at a bakery. We encountered a not-very-nice cashier, but the pastry at the end of the meal made it worth it (it was Alex's but she was willing to share!).

After dropping by the post office, we parted ways. I went to DIS to meet up with a friend from class to work on a project. I spend a good solid 4+ hours clacking away at this computer, but managed to crank out 6 pages of a 9 page report... not bad! 

When I got to DIS, I needed to park my bike. I LOVE that CPH has a specific symbol/sign for bike parking lots

The parking lot at DIS

 At about 5:15 I decided to head home. The streets were alive with plenty of bikers doing just the same thing.

The train ride back was actually more relaxing. I got on two stops before the main train station, so there was a spot for my bike in the bike car right away! Phew!

the back wheel of the bike is jammed into what looks like two pieces of old tire. No kickstand required!

This evening has been fun and relaxing. We had chicken for dinner (wa-hoo!!!), which I have been missing since we eat pork/beef pretty much every evening. I skyped with Mike for a while, which was awesome! And now, I am happily going to shower and sleep! 

Tomorrow is my last day of class before break #1 and Emily (one of my best friends from Dickinson, now in grad school in England) arrives Saturday!!! YAY! I am volunteering at Muhabet in the evening but I am hoping to be home in time for X-factor with my family at 8pm. 

It will be at least 1.5 weeks before I can meet up with Alex again (since I am traveling after Emily leaves), but I am SO excited to be spending time with her. We've vowed to go on many more cycling trips over the next few months and I will (of course) keep you posted. :)

A lot of good going around

It was SO sunny!!

Yesterday it felt like the first day of spring! The sun was shining all day long and it was the first day since I've been here that I didn't need to wear gloves when I was walking around outside. The weather was perfect, I just made my train into the city; things were going very smoothly, but then I hit a little bump in the road...

If you read my last post, you know that I showed up 30 minutes late to meet my Service Learning Seminar for our study tour. Oops! I had simply forgotten the correct time and when I arrived, my class had already left. Luckily, my teacher had given her phone number to the front desk so I was able to reach her and meet up with everyone for the second of 4 visits on our half-day excursion. Thank goodness for cell phones!

We spent the day going to several volunteer organizations in and around Copenhagen. As we walked from site to site we discussed the fact that all of the places we went served immigrants and/or refugees. It was such a strange concept, that the majority of volunteer organizations in Denmark serve people who aren't citizens, but it makes sense when you think about the fact that all Danish citizens have their needs taken care of by the Welfare System. In the US, we use foodbanks, homeless shelters, and free clinics to reach citizens whose basic needs aren't met. Here, that isn't really an issue.

Of the four places that we went, two served refugees and two served people displaced in other parts of the world. The first visit (that I missed) was to a house that helps people who have fled their home countries to get accustomed to life here. The house helps them to develop skills by providing them with jobs (being a tailor or a hairdresser) and offers a comfortable place to find other people in a similar situation.

We went to another center that helps people seeking citizenship by helping them fill out applications and respond to written inquiries from officials. The building was really nice and new, and was outfitted with several "study rooms," rooms in which lawyers will come and meet if requested, and a computer lab with ~15 computers (which were all being used while we were there). Amazingly, the staff explained that every day from 4 to 6pm the building remains open although there are no volunteers/employees there for those hours. The "day staff" leaves at 4 and the "evening staff" doesn't arrive until 6, so the Danes simply trust the population that they serve to be responsible. Pretty cool.

"Red Cross Store"

We found our way from there to a Red Cross Thrift Store that is at the end of our street. I had no idea it existed! This was perhaps my favorite place because not only did all the proceeds go to help refugees in Africa, but the bags that you get when you purchase something look like this:

In case you can't tell, it's 100% made of recycled goods!

And when you turn the bag to the other side, it looks like this:

How awesome is that? Prisoners make the bags as a vocational activity AND they use recycled newsprint. That means that residents get cheap clothes, prisoners are given work, paper (and clothes) are recycled, and refugees are provided with aid! So much good going around!

From the second floor of Cafe Retro. 

We ended the afternoon at the Retro Cafe, a really trendy (and ridiculously cozy) cafe that donates all of its proceeds to India and Sierra Leone. DIS treated us to drinks (which were SO good) while we talked about big issues like immigration, discrimination, segregation, adoption, and personal/national responsibility to struggling nations. Immigration is a big issue in Denmark, and people who are non-natives often have a really hard time fitting in (especially because it is such a homogenous society). It is interesting to consider that "hot topics" in the US are even hotter topics here (but in a very different way).

BEST hot chocolate I've ever had

Alright, I am now moving on to write about my adventure with Alex today! I should have it posted by the end of tonight, but for the moment I am putting things on hold to skype with my brother (yay!). More soon!

Oops...

Well, I am sitting in the main building of DIS waiting for a phone call from my Service Learning professor. We have a field study today... and it started an hour ago. Unfortunately I thought it started thirty minutes ago so I showed up half an hour late and my class had already left. Yikes! I calmly approached the front desk and we figured out a way for me to reach my professor. The class was already at the first site that we are supposed to visit, so I am now waiting for a call from her to say that I should leave to meet them at the train station to go to the second place.

The whole afternoon sounds really awesome... we are going to several students' service learning placements to learn about them and what type of volunteer work is done there. I'm pretty bummed that I missed the first one, but what can I do? It's not ideal, but thank goodness for cell phones! Now I will be able to meet up with them in about 30 minutes. I brought a camera so I will see about taking a few photos to give you a sense of volunteer work in Denmark.

While I wait I will give a brief update. The past few days have been quite packed with academic work. I had a giant paper due on the same day as I had an exam (Tuesday), and had a lot of other smaller assignments (Danish, Developmental disorders, etc).

To get some of it done, on Sunday I biked to the Glostrup library (which I didn't know existed until Lars said something about it). Their library system is amazing because the building is open on Sundays even though there are no staff people there. You swipe your social securty-type card and just walk in. You are allowed to be there until 10pm. It goes along with the Danish sense of trust among citizens. How cool!

Luckily it's now Wednesday, which means that I'm way more than half-way done with work due this week. However I am trying desperately to get some other major assignments done now since Saturday our first travel break begins and I will be moving non-stop until we go back to classes (so I won't have much time to get work done). I'm working on a diagnostic case study (WHICH IS SO MUCH FUN!) and outlining a paper for positive psych. I've been pouring over the DSM (the bible of psychiatric diagnostics), which makes me feel like a real professional! ;)

Okay, just got the call from Bianca (and she doesn't sound too angry). But I am going to book it to get to the station before they do! I'll probably update again tomorrow with some funny stories from Danish and Developmental (and maybe some pictures from our field study).

Vi ses!

Grød Festival!

Porridge Festival!
Saturday afternoon I ventured into Copenhagen to meet up with some friends from Positive Psychology. Evan had found a notice on facebook about a Porridge Festival (yes, that's right), and not just any porridge festival, Copenhagen's First Ever Porridge Festival! Apparently the organizers were trying to advertise porridge as a cheap, filling, easy-to-make, delicious, breakfast alternative and so they were putting on a free event to get people interested. We (Helen, Ilana, Felicia, Rosie, Kayleigh, Evan, and I) met up at DIS and walked several blocks to the venue.

It was freezing cold, and our fingers and toes were like ice by the time that we arrived. Outside you got to make your own breakfast porridge, and luckily for us, there was a fire going while we waited in line. They were also serving hot apple cider and Indian soup (which seems odd now that I think about it).

A view from above: in the middle was the line to make your own instant porridge;
on the right was where you could get cider or soup.

Helen is enthusiastically adding oats to her cup and getting ready to use the grinder to add more grains

Optional toppings at the other end of the table: nuts, dried fruits, seeds

Assembly line (cute child making porridge)

Felicia, Me, Evan enjoying porridge and cider

The Rules! (Through teamwork, we managed
to understand most of them)

Inside was where the real fun started! With our bellies warm and full we found our way up the stairs where the competition was going on (yes, a porridge-making competition). The contestants were chefs from some of the best known restaurants in CPH. Each contestant was given 250 DKK to purchase their ingredients and then in two rounds of four contestants, they were given 30 minutes (displayed on a giant count-down clock) to create their edible masterpieces!
You would not have believed how crowded it was. Young children, couples, families, students, were all crowded around the chefs as they cooked. The funniest part was the photographers and camera crews. I had almost as much fun photographing the photographers as I did photographing the actual cooking.

One of the chefs, looking calm and collected at the start of the 30 minutes

Another chef getting started 

The crowd watching them work (also note the video camera)

Things were heating up (haha)!

Finally, with a dramatic countdown (fem, fir, tres, to, en!) the time was up! The chefs put their porridge in a bowl/plate for the judges and then also had have prepared enough for the crowd to sample it too.

The chef's two young children help her to put out the samples

There was a mad push to get samples and each member of our group managed to get one, but no one was lucky enough to get two or three.

I took a bite of mine and it was delicious! And who knew that porridge could include so many different things? There was meat and different veggies. The textures were varied and the taste was much more savory than sweet.

The plate of porridge for the judges

My sample of the same porridge 

We didn't really understand anything that happened when the winners were announced, but we applauded and loudly agreed just how right the results were! ;)

On display at the judges' table 

People waited in line to take photos

all of the porridges ready to taste

Back downstairs we took some group photos and described the ingredients/taste of the porridge each of us had sampled.

The girls: Inside the building during the competition

Group picture #1

Our feet around the fire

Smiles!

Silliness ;)

Free samples!

Helen, Felicia and I left the venue a few minutes before the others (so we could get free take-home porridge kits!) and had a few minutes of idle time until the rest of the group joined us. I noticed these strange totem-pole like objects in the front yard of an adjacent building and so we went to explore. Of course (if you know me) you know that I suggested we have a photoshoot and imitate the statues.

Posing with the totem poles

Being our own totem pole

A striking resemblance, don't you think?

Felicia and Helen joined forces!

Once the others had come outside, we reconvened and began to head back towards the train station. On the way someone noticed that there was a massive advertisement for aqua biking, aqua zumba, and aqua yoga so of course we had to investigate. Inside the building we found a roller derby rink (which was packed for a women's derby event), ping-pong tables, several gyms, and the coolest swimming pool! It was a free-play area with tons of toys surrounded by a giant circular lap lane. I am considering adding a weekend adventure there to my CPH bucket-list.

When I got home that evening my host family was totally confused by the whole idea of a porridge festival (it was only during dinnertime conversation that I learned they thought I was going to a poor festival). I showed pictures and explained the event, but they weren't yet convinced. I have vowed to make porridge for family breakfast at least once to pay tribute to the organizers of the event. :)