Discovering Denmark

Well, as usual its taken me quite a bit longer to get going on this than I would have liked! I've been in Denmark for almost two weeks. Better late than never, right? I'll try to be better from here on out.

My first couple weeks were been a whirlwind, but I've settled into a nice rhythm already. Our study abroad adviser from Seattle U said that the first week abroad is characterized by excitement and euphoria commonly referred to as the honeymoon stage. So far, that has been my exact experience. While I've had some initial stress, I'm adjusting quite nicely. This is in large part due to my fantastic host family. I live with Pia, Peter,  Carla, 11 and Sørine, 13 in a district of København or (Copenhagen in American) called Vanløse which is only about 6 km outside the city.Vanløse is a wonderful neighborhood. The houses are beautiful brick and the families in the area all seem to be good friends. People are in and out of our house all the time, especially Klara and Astrid, two girls who live down the street. My second day in Denmark, Lindsey (who was staying with me at the time) and I were invited to Klara's 14th birthday party. It was a wonderful introduction to the culture of the Danes. It consisted of the most amazing hot chocolate I've ever experienced, lots of time eating food and conversing with those around you, a boche ball tournament all over the yard (and the street!), three delicious layer cakes, and decorations that were exclusively Danish flags! This was all over the course of 8 hours! As it turns out, birthdays are usually quite a long affair. It really is a celebration for the whole family.

 Getting to know my hosts and their friends has been the best part of my time in Denmark so far. I firmly believe I could not have been matched with a more suitable family. I've spent some time getting to know both the girls, and they are lovely. Carla plays soccer and has already taught me to count to 10 in Danish. We bonded over babysitting the neighbor kids one day. If you can, imagine two young children launching themselves at you from their parent's bed while shrieking in a foreign language. The two kids live next store and are named Hannah and Tobias. They are so sweet, and very well mannered, I just happened to walk in during one of the games they like to play! Sørine joined after her handball practice (google Danish handball for a description) and was there to put the kids to bed. Afterward Carla, Sørine, and I had some cake and chatted while waiting for Tobias and Hannah's parents to return. I couldn't be more impressed with my host sisters' in every respect. Peter and Pia have also been wonderful hosts. Pia is an artist, and has invited me to come with her to an art class this Saturday that she and her friends go to twice a year. I think it will be quite fun, and the best part . . .  its in a castle! In the words of Lindsey, I'm excited to see what bursts out from my creative sphere. Its been repressed for quite awhile! Peter and I have had some great conversations ranging from football (aka soccer) to politics. Both he and Pia always have insightful things to say and I always appreciate them sharing their opinions.

As I mentioned, the neighborhood is a tight knit group. Every Monday our family has dinner with Peter, Melene, and their two girls Klara and Astrid. The girls are all good friends. Carla and Astrid play football together, and both Klara and Astrid are frequently around. The other day we played a game of circle ball, which is very similar to baseball. Carla, Astrid, and I took on Sørine and Klara. Its hard to say who won, because the focus was the ridiculous costumes each team used for their uniforms! The five of us spend a lot of time playing games outdoors when its nice, and cards inside when its not. I've adopted Peter and Melene's family as my second host family! Its also nice to feel like I have something to give back. My being here is helping everyone, but particularly the kids with their English. I know very little Danish, and what I can say I mostly can't pronounce. Thus, the default is English. The small language barrier has already began to crumble around me!

Classes started exactly one week ago. I'm taking five, which is a change from my usual three on a quarter system. Knowing that I want to be a doctor, I tried to focus my courses on medicine, while still fulfilling my core requirements for Seattle U. The result is a blend of  medicine and culture. My Human Health and Disease class is taught by two doctors at Frederiksberg Hospital. The hospital's strength is internal medicine, and is expertly staffed. Seeing as internal medicine is a field I'm strongly considering, I feel lucky to have such a placement! Besides learning about the Danish health care system, the class focuses on basic medical skills like how to write a medical report, take patient histories, do clinical examinations, and general diagnosis techniques. We will spend time with actual patiens, and even have the opportunity to practice giving each other IV's and possibly even learning how to give a lumbar puncture (but not on real people as far as I understand!). So far it looks like it will be an excellent and unique experience. In the states, most these things are saved for medical students so this really is the opportunity of a life time. To stick with my focus on medicine and my goals of graduating on time I'm taking a Biomedical Ethics class. Thanks to Abstract Algebra, I'm used to more abstract thinking, but ethics is another whole ball game. Philosophy has never been my strong point, but I'm actually really enjoying the class so far. Its focus on case studies should allow me to gain a better understanding of the ethical considerations behind clinical medicine, which I find both interesting and relevant. I also hope know more about ethical theory will help me formulate a stronger foundation for arguments and decisions I make in the future.

In terms of culture I have three classes; Religion and Politics in Europe, Art in the 19th Century, and Danish Language and Culture. Religion and Politics explores the dynamics between church in state across Europe. We've already had some interesting conversations and I think I'm set up for an exiting semester  (it feels funny to use that word). My art class is the first art class I've taken. Its basically an art survey class. The main perk is that we get to tour all the big museums in Copenhagen for free! Danish is very difficult. Its made even more challenging by the fact that there are three extra vowels (æ, ø, å) which are practically impossible for me to say. However, with the help of Carla, Sørine, Astrid, and Klara I'm making quite a bit of progress. They love to help. I suspect its because they really enjoy laughing at my terrible pronunciation. They say a word and I repeat it back. Most the time I'm thinking "Good, that sounded just like what they said". But then the peals of laughter start, from which I generally infer that something about my pronunciation wasn't quite right. However, I've taken my revenge with the word "rhinoceros" which is difficult for them because of the r's. Unfortunately, Carla managed to master it right away, but it still works for the other girls!

The social scene at DIS feels a lot like freshman year welcome week. Theres a lot of fast friendships that wear of quickly. Most schools sent larger groups of people together rather than individuals or a few people. For example, Dennison University has around 40 students here. It makes for a rather interesting social dynamic! Luckily, among the 800 I've met a few girls in my HHD class that I really enjoy. Together with them and Lindsey, I've discovered the joys of chocolate croissants, hot chocolate, and exploring a new place with new people.