First Week

I have successfully survived the first week of being abroad (although I did not expect anything else given I was actually going to a more developed and stable country). I am living with the Braagaard family; Mathilde (13 year old girl), Mathais (15 year old boy) and Lotte and Carsten (mom and dad). Lotte and Carsten and nice beyond words and extremely helpful (which is good for me given that I tend to get lost in foreign countries and take the wrong bus home finding myself 10km from home, at night, in a blizzard, completely disoriented). Mathias is chatty and quite funny, whereas Mathilde is shy, but equally as funny when she opens up a bit.

The house is literally the epitome of an IKEA showroom (but... I mistakenly mentioned that which turns out is quite offensive to Danes who find IKEA cheap. They informed me most of the house was Danish designer's work, except my room which was IKEA).

I have to take the train to school everyday because I live twenty minutes north of Copenhagen. I take the bus to the station (about ten minutes away) or bike, and then take the train for twenty minutes into Copenhagen. I am in love with trains. Something I have noticed on the trains- Danish people don't do small talk. They just don't understand why you would sit there and have a meaningless conversation with someone you will never see again. Valid point. Danish people also don't apologize when they run into you, or knock you- there is no point in saying "sorry" or "excuse me" over and over again if those type things happen naturally in everyday life, no need to apologize. Another valid point.

I started some of my classes yesterday (the rest I don't start until February). My "Current Trends in News Media" class should be alright, mostly information I have already learned in other communication classes and a focus on news production which I am rather uninterested in. My "Biomedical Ethics" class looks awesome, and my "Political Rhetoric" class should be tough given I have to write five 10-page paper in five weeks time. Yeah, I know.

This turning into a short novel....

Something else I have learned- when people speak to me with accents I have this inexplicable tendency to make up an accent (example: my accent in Ghana). And I have done that yet again. I sound like I am a British woman with a speech impediment. That would be the best way I can describe it.

Finally...

I would like to thank my five followers. I now feel like less of a freak.

Miss you all!

XOXOX

Fun fact: There are no homeless in Denmark, the government gives all people housing and jobs if they want them. There are a select number who refuse government help and voluntarily choose to live on the street, they are the homeless of Denmark. These homeless people can be found drinking lattes (which cost about $7 here), wearing NorthFace (I can't even afford NorthFace), and wearing Tim's (which run about $100 here). Gotta love socialism.