First few days in Denmark

So let the story begin..... So my flight was from Ottawa to Frankfurt, Germany, then to Copenhagen, then to here. Let me just tell you, if you ever want to see a nicer looking airport, check out the Copenhagen one, it totally reflects Danish culture in every way. The Danes are really big on design and architecture, and are very relaxed and chill people, so it was like the perfect combo of both modern and classic, add some high end stores like Gucci, and next level technology, u got some crazy ass beautiful airport. I didn't take any pictures because I was too afraid it might be some threat to security or something, plus I didn't want to be the one person taking pictures at an airport all by myself, but I will when I get back.

K by the time I get to my last flight to Aarhus, I was like dead tired. But the flight wass so short (a half hour) that by the time I got a chance to fall asleep, the plane has already landed. The Aarhus airport is like some hole in the wall, totally random, old and small. It was 6 o'clock at night when I arrived so everything was pretty much closed and everyone had gone home. (Most places closes around 7pm on weekdays, 3 or 5 pm on Saturday, and everything is closed except the small mom & pop shops on Sundays, so that they can get a competetive advantage, remember this is a very socialist country. I was in fact invited to attend the country's socialist party's party tonight, but that's a later story) . So anyways, I get to Aarhus and its already dark, and there was no customs people to check me in or something, cuz they left for the night. So there really wasn't much security.

I then have to take a bus from the airport to the train station that's in the central part of the city. The bust cost 90 kronner, which divided by 4, means roughly 22.5 CAD dollars. (It is hella expensive here, the only thing that is cheap here is beer, which I have pretty much been drinking, the whole time i was here, beer = 5 kronner, which is like 1 something CAD). Anyways I meet up with my greeter/tour guide, Mikkel, but it's too late and too dark 7pm by now), and he has to pick up another girl from Latvia, that all he has time to do is show me my dorm/apartment type thing (I'll upload the pictures soon I swear). So i'm the first one to arrive, my roomate Andrew is supposed to be in the next morning. But thank God I brought sheets, because the students in my place before me left some sketchy ass duvets, pillows and blankets. So all I had time for and had the energy to do was make my bed quickly as possible, so I could crash. But that wasn't before I had to steal a lamp from Andrew's room because the hanging light in my room was non-existent.

Well anyways, next morning I wake up shivering because there is no central heating but a radiator in each room (which I had no idea how to work) and meet up with my friend Alex, a fellow Canadian from the T-DOT attending Ryerson) who lives down the lane in 8B (I'm in 5B). While chilling with Alex, Mikkel brings over Andrew, another Canadian (from Vancouver studying at Concordia) and decides that we should get are social security number at City hall right away, but first we have to pick up the girl from Latvia, Monta, and bring her to some place to get her a special Euro thing or whatever. Once we all get downtown in Mikkel's Avis rental, me and Andrew apply for our social security number (CPR number in Denmark) at the city hall, where we have to pick out a doctor/GP out of a book, because once we get our number, we are automatically coverd by the Danish health care system, which is pretty sick (sorry Canada, but I like my health care free and extensive). After Monta's errands, we get to go downtown and shop and eat, we got to some really cool bokstore/cafe (way coller than Chapters/starbucks) and get maps of the city and get some java.

After being all Euro in the cafe for like an hour, Mikkel brings us back to the train station, because it also acts like a mall as well, and we all needed to go grocery shopping too. So the mall had a grocery store called Kvickly, and that is when we all pretty much found out how expensive shit in Denmark is, I don't remeber the prices because I have mentally blocked them from my mind, but it was gross. So all I end up buying is bread, milk, tomatoes, apples, mayo, and cereal, cuz I had no idea what to get and was told there was a cheaper place to buy groceries anyways. But the worst part was when me and Andrew paid for our things, and got to the end of the conveyor belt thing to bag our stuff and couldn't find any bags. Which I cleary ended up looking like a big ignorant tool, cuz I was like :"Where the fuck are the bags?". In Denmark you have to buy the plastic bags first at the front of the cash, so me and Andrew had to go back in line and buy some plastic bags.

It makes sense in the whole trying to reduce plastic bags kinda thing, cuz they are bad for the environment, but still, it just seems so obvious for us that the bags are at the end of the conveyor and are generally free, where here in Denmark it is the complete opposite. But whatevs, cutural mistakes are obviously bound to happen and I will post more when they do. but i'm gonna call it a day, or morning I mean, cuz I'm still on Ottawa time and really should readjust my internal clock, till next time.

-Soph

Greeting from Århus

Hola eveybody, or shall I say Goddag. Today is the Friday, and I just woke up, it's like 3pm right now. I'm still a bit jet lagged, and from the party last night, I pretty much have had no time to sleep or readjust to my new time zone. If you were wondering, I'm six hours ahead of everybody back home in the Eastern time zone. Ok before I lay into my past couple days of adventure I would first like to say congratulations on the end of the bust strike, I know the buses have not gotten back on the roads yet, but still happy news for my Ottawa homies. (Deep down I was kinda wishing it would last a lot longer, so long that people went crazy and started riots just like those in Paris, but I don't condone violence and I know that would never happen in Canada.)

Anyways, I was mostly just hoping that I would be able to brag because there is no transit strike here, and by the way, the buses here are huge, like voyager buses and shit. Even though the streets are small, the buses are huge. Denmark definitly knows how to upgrade! OK since I can no longer brag about the transit strike, I will now brag about the weather.....there is NO MUTHAFUCKIN" SNOW HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The weather is hovering around 1 degree/0 degree celcius here. So it's pretty sick.

Well I'll post more stuff and some pics too soon, but I got to get rid of this damn jet lag/ mini-hang over.

PS, I live in Århus, in English it's spelled Aarhus, but it is pronounced Oar-hoos. Just FYI.

I Hate Packing, I Really Hate Packing

I'm an overpacker, a serious overpacker, that I'm afraid I might go over the weight limit for luggages. And the worst part is I know I'll forget something when I leave. Oh well.

The Day of New Beginnings

In commemoration of this historic day, Barack Obama's inauguration, I decided to finally set up the blog for my semester exchange to the Danish School of Journalism, in which I leave next week. In no way is my blog comparable to the tremendous and meaningful inauguration, but President Obama has inspired me to seize the moment and move me to action. My hopes for the new President are great, and although I worry for all this newfound pressure, not just from the States but around the Globe, I hope he doesn't crack from all these great expectations.

There's a famous expression out there: "Black don't crack." But you know what? If President Obama does crack from all this pressure, I'm OK with it. The position of US President is immense, and I'm OK because he is just a man. We forget and have gotten all caught up in all this Obama fever that he is just one man trying to do his best at the job he was given. The road will be tough for President Obama, the shit hole that Bush left is huge, and President Obama will probably and most likely hit some bumps along the way.

There will be so many people out there waiting to pounce and tear apart every single move and decision he makes. But it is important that the American people, and people around the world, to not fall off the Obama bandwagon so easily. J.F.K. said famously in his own inauguration speech "Ask not what your country can do for you - but what you can do for your country." J.F.K. also addressed us non-Americans too: "Ask not what America can do for you - but what together we can do for the freedom of man." I think it is so easy for people to sit back and criticize other people, and let other people make the decisions for you. But we are the ones who can control our own destinies, and shape our futures. Yes President Obama is an inspiration and an icon to me, not just cause I'm also a person of colour, but because I am human who also hopes for change to come to the trouble-stricken world. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him. He has already achieved so much, even before starting his time in Office, and I appreciate what he has done and achieved so far. But like him, I'm not gonna sit back, I'm gonna take my life into my hands, and start a new beginning of my own.

By me going to Denmark, it will probably mark the biggest milestone in my history. Before this, I pretty much just coasted and went with the flow. Although I am a very laid-back person and like to go with the flow; I easily could of stayed at Carleton and graduated on time, stayed at home with my loving family in Ottawa, stayed at my job and be somewhat financially secure, and stayed with my great friends. But life is not meant to be easy, at some point you have to make a decision, and that decision will hopefully lead to a new beginning, and this is mine, my new beginning.

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