The Danes, and their ways

Just had another delicious dinner with the rest of the students here at me Folkehøjskole; baked fish, a broccoli/tomato type of salad, steamed muscles, and couscous with some stew type sauce.  It was the first night we have had seafood, so it was quite an event. Today was my longest day of the week, I have class until 4:10, after the commute that means I'm home at about 5:45. I managed to sleep more than usual on the train ride home today, it was fantastic.
The trains are spotless, and the seats are higher quality than any airline I have been on.  The seats face each other, with a good sized table in the middle to work on.  It is for these reasons that I really don't mind the 50 minute ride between Helsingør and Copenhagen. There are two types of seating sections on the trains, a silent zone with no talking or cell phones allowed, and a normal section.  This is a great example of what the Danes are like; very reserved people, almost shy, they do not speak to each other or make small talk, they just don't see a need to.  However, they are not unfriendly when approached, and they all speak perfect English and are quick to offer help or directions when you ask. There exists no 'excuse me' equivalent in Danish, and they are very quick on their feet, so it can be easy to at first seem very hustled when walking among them. There are unspoken rules, such as the two lines on escalators, one is for standing and the other for trotting. Everything is timed to the minute and on time by the minute, I know exactly when my train will pull up and exactly when I will get to my destination. I have actually come to almost enjoy this aspect, though, once youre in the zone you just go with it!

While speaking of the Danes, I can't help but addressing the obvious.  They are (fitting the cliché) an extremely attractive population of people, tall, chisled faces, and all sharply dressed. I am usually unable to tell if a woman is 18 or 35, as they don't seem to age, and they will scarcely even look at you (I sometimes worry I stare).  Also, I feel very average height around here, and im 6'3. 

All in all I have been very surprised in the general social tendencies of the Danes.  You always hear that Americans are an individualistic society, and that we are perhaps raised thinking about our own self as seperate from a collective identity. Yet, here I feel that the idea of the individual is highly valued, more so than in the states. The people do not hang out in large groups, and they rarely interact with people in their surroundings.  They identify themselves by what they do outside of work or school, and religiously follow the 5 o'clock bells. Despite this, they have a socialist system that works incredibly well, regardless of thier individualistic tendencies they are ultimately all supporting each other.  What a place!

A Sunday at Kronborg Castle

This past weekend my fellow study abroaders and I were able to creep out of our cozy quarters, and begin to explore our own town of Helsingør.  After spending the week around Copenhagen and adjusting to new time zones and classes, the only time we had at home was spent eating or sleeping.  Luckily, the first of many weekend excursions hosted by DIS was to Kronborg Castle, in Helsingør (where we're are located, an hour outside Copenhagen).  So after a great brunch, a few of us wandered into town and made our way to Kronborg, the Danish fortress made famous by Shakespeare, as this castle served as the inspiration and setting of some piece called 'Hamlet', who knew? Within 100m of the water and defended by a mote and drawbridge, the beautiful castle sits as a sturdy testament to the archaic history of northern Europe. Satelite view of Kronborg. I took many pictures as I meandered through the museum inside the castle walls, and then trotted along the rocky shoreline. Helsingbørg sits just across the sound on the Swedish shore. It's incredible to think that people have been living and dying on the ground beneath my feet for over 1000 years, living out daily dramas just as real and challenging as any of ours. Life really must be too short.

 The wind never ceased and the damp cold was eventually felt by us all, so we figured it would be vital to stop at a local bakery and coffee shop before heading home. Some afternoon it was!

Arrivals

I have been in the land of the Danes a full week, after arriving last Monday morning.  The arrival was somewhat eventful, a delayed flight and missed connection called for an overnight stay in Houston. So I arrived a day late, and caught a cab into downtown to check in with my DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad) program. Orientation lasted through Wednesday, consisting of multiple city-wide scavenger hunts and cultural immersions. I eventually dragged my belongings through Copenhagen's incredibly organized public train system, and made my way to the town of Helsingør.  About 44 km North of Copenhagen, Helsingør is a relatively small town perched on the northen most tip of the island. The train station is right on the shore, and I can see Sweden just across the Øresund sound quite easily. With a one way commute of one hour, we often joke about how much closer we are to Sweden than Copenhagen.

 My residence is at a Folkehøjskole called the International People's College (IPC).  Folkehøjskoles are Danish traditions, a type of school were youths live together taking small classes and share communal living, http://www.dis.dk/study-abroad/accommodation/folkehojskole/ <---explains it better than I.  There are 70 students living at studying at IPC from around the world (only two are American and two are Danes), all of whom are outside my study abroad program and simply share living with us.  There are 15 of us DIS abroad students living here, I have gotten to know them very well already.  It's so neat to be sitting in the common room and chatting with 3 or 4 other kids all from not just other countries, but complete different regions of the globe. We all share dinner together each night, there are few things better than coming home from town at 5 pm, dark and cold outside, to sit down to a homecooked meal with all these people.  I feel that I have lucked out with my situation.