As I’m writing this blog post, I’m listening to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” playing outside my window coming from the bright yellow rock museum, RagnaRock, next to my dorm. Nothing is boring here. RagnaRock blasts Motown music of Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and The Supremes daily for most of my waking hours, which is not a bad thing. Sometimes I sing along when my roommate is not here.
This is not a diary entry of my week, so I’m not going to tell you everything I did. A lot of the time, I am wandering around in the city of København or in Roskilde. Here are the highlights.
On Wednesday, we had our academic orientations. In my orientation for my core course A Sense of Place in European Literature, we talked about out texts. One is about the geography of novels. The other is The Fall of the King by Johannes V. Jensen which I was told is a Danish classic that is taught to Danish students in Middle/High school. So we’re getting a taste of Danish literature and Danish mindsets. At the end of our reading, I’ll probably be able to answer why this book is so important to Danish people and what it says about Denmark’s place in the world.
At the end of the class, our teacher Mette gave us money and a list of places in København to discover on our own in groups. These places were the stomping grounds of the fictional character, Mikkel, in The Fall of the King. My classmate Emma and I walked towards these sites, retracing our steps when we went down the wrong cobblestone street. Mette told us the money was for a snack along the way and admission to an art exhibit in Nicolaj Kirke, so we stopped at a coffee shop with books on the walls before heading to the museum. Admission to Nicolaj Kirke was free on Wednesdays, so we had extra money to spend on sightseeing. The exhibit was created by Korean and Danish artists collaborating and incorporating their cultures into the pieces. Emma and I did not understand the “artistic genius” of the modern art on the first floor, but the video on the second floor was very beautiful and depressing, which in my book is good art.
So far, I’m liking my transportation from Roskilde to København. I’m also learning how out of shape I am when riding my bike to the station. City life is very different and fun; there are so many places to discover, and new events pop up each day. It’s also great for people watching. My mom always said that she used to enjoy living in NYC because she could be anonymous there. I’m discovering that’s the case with me too. I’ve been pretending to be a Dane on the train and in the city, somewhat unsuccessfully. The trick for the train is to relax all face muscles and maintain a dead look in my eyes. Maybe one day, to mix it up, I will smile at everyone I see.
It’s always nice to come back to Roskilde after classes and cool down. Yesterday I hit the “Introvert Wall.” My only worries about this housing was that I would be interacting with people for breakfast, during school, and at dinner. That is intimidating and draining for an introvert like me, but I always bounce back. Maybe I’ll see if I can plan one alone night a week. There are so many things to do in the city, but remember that you don’t have to be doing something at all times.
I still feel lucky for being able to live in a Folkehøjskole with the RoFH and DIS students. I’ll write a post about food later, but here are two notes: portions are a lot smaller than I’m used to in the U.S., and there’s an evening snack after dinner around 8 or 9, which satisfies my hunger.
Our contact person, Sofie, has a welcome party planned for us tonight. She said we will get an idea of Danish drinking culture. More on that later.
Hej Hej!
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A North Carolinian in Copenhagen 