But I quickly learned that the event is so much more than having the most enjoyable time with your friends under the sun. For decades, workers, students and dedicated socialists have gathered in Fælledparken to listen to the speeches, wave red flags and earnestly discuss the state of worker's rights. It was basically just a message to end capitalism, not let it run our lives. That is something I can get behind. Since I wanted to have the full experience the Danish way I tagged along with my Danish friend and we went to the Anti-Fascist Action march. Besides the interesting and awesome punk youth activists that were in the march, there was an overall vibe of revolution that I never in a million years thought I was going to find in Denmark. We hear about a happy country where everyone prances around windmills and smiles into the perfect sunsets at the end of the day. Pretty much I had joined a march that was very controversial and politically charged, things are not as perfect as they seem, even here there are people fighting for important issues. But at the same time everything was rather peaceful so it was cute that they categorized themselves as extreme. The main issues was not only Anti-Fascism and Worker's Rights, the activists goal was to show up to the Prime Minister's speech with whistles and interrupt her speech. Over the last couple years, these activist have felt that some of the measures that have been passed by the Prime Minister have been leaving behind workers rights and welcoming corporate support. In this way the activist felt cheated that the minister they had elected is perhaps doing measures that contradict her position as a Social Democrat. The slogan they would scream would be 'Social Democracy, class betrayal' as they marched down the streets of Copenhagen. For me, it was interesting to see how youth activism can become important in the discourse of politics in Denmark. I don't know much of the political climate in Denmark but being a part of the whistling and the march gave me insights into their political parties and ideologies. While the minister was speaking and all the activists were whistling you truly could hear nothing. There were a lot of tensions, some fights almost break out, smoke bombs were lit, but not thrown, a lot of banners, many people screaming, there was a lot of media coverage of the event, and there was a lot of emotions being charged. All while the Prime Minister spoke. What an experience, and I was in the middle of it all!
It's May, it's day and it's wonderful. Pretty much everywhere else in the world except in the U.S May 1st is a huge global celebration for Labor and Worker Rights. As the International Worker's Day, this day in Denmark is apparently a big deal. Politicallty, on May 1st the anarchists, communists, and marxists come out to play on the celebrations so that the extremist parts of the political spectrum can have a platform to have their voices heard. But in reality, May Day is just another excuse Danes have to enjoy a day without work and party/drink in the city’s largest public park. Like the Danes need more time to do that (shockers!). Everyone kept saying that on May Day we HAD to go to the park with drinks and some good vibes. It was the thing to do. How was it different than any other day in the history of Denmark I still didn't understand. But boy oh boy Copenhagen showed me how... May 1st is traditionally a day when the crowds gather in Fælledparken, pretty close to my school through a short bike ride. The political parties give speeches, the labor unions are represented and everyone gets stone drunk in the afternoon. Basically, my dream. The only thing better than daydrinking, is daydrinking for a political vision. Sure the stump speeches by mainstream as well as fringe political parties are allowed throughout the afternoon, but when the politics get old, live music, beer vendors, and hot dog wagons came to take over. But I quickly learned that the event is so much more than having the most enjoyable time with your friends under the sun. For decades, workers, students and dedicated socialists have gathered in Fælledparken to listen to the speeches, wave red flags and earnestly discuss the state of worker's rights. It was basically just a message to end capitalism, not let it run our lives. That is something I can get behind. Since I wanted to have the full experience the Danish way I tagged along with my Danish friend and we went to the Anti-Fascist Action march. Besides the interesting and awesome punk youth activists that were in the march, there was an overall vibe of revolution that I never in a million years thought I was going to find in Denmark. We hear about a happy country where everyone prances around windmills and smiles into the perfect sunsets at the end of the day. Pretty much I had joined a march that was very controversial and politically charged, things are not as perfect as they seem, even here there are people fighting for important issues. But at the same time everything was rather peaceful so it was cute that they categorized themselves as extreme. The main issues was not only Anti-Fascism and Worker's Rights, the activists goal was to show up to the Prime Minister's speech with whistles and interrupt her speech. Over the last couple years, these activist have felt that some of the measures that have been passed by the Prime Minister have been leaving behind workers rights and welcoming corporate support. In this way the activist felt cheated that the minister they had elected is perhaps doing measures that contradict her position as a Social Democrat. The slogan they would scream would be 'Social Democracy, class betrayal' as they marched down the streets of Copenhagen. For me, it was interesting to see how youth activism can become important in the discourse of politics in Denmark. I don't know much of the political climate in Denmark but being a part of the whistling and the march gave me insights into their political parties and ideologies. While the minister was speaking and all the activists were whistling you truly could hear nothing. There were a lot of tensions, some fights almost break out, smoke bombs were lit, but not thrown, a lot of banners, many people screaming, there was a lot of media coverage of the event, and there was a lot of emotions being charged. All while the Prime Minister spoke. What an experience, and I was in the middle of it all! As soon as the speech ended the rest of the day was quite literally the exact opposite of that. I found it funny that as quickly as the Danes could get politically active and passionate they also waste no time in claiming a spot of open grass and get down with their friends for an enjoyable day under the sun. I think perhaps all of Copenhagen was at this park on May 1st, there were people everywhere and anywhere. You have work, class, or any other adult responsibilities that require you to not be at this park on May 1st? Throw them to the wind and get your butt to the park, no shame no fun. That was the mantra. I found my group of friends from the cafe I work at and we gathered for quirky shenanigans under the sun, story telling, and laughter. From 10AM to 5PM I experienced everything that Copenhagen melts my heart for. The great company was definitely worth it, with the vibes of the people around us as a contagious inspiration to have a good time. Everyone had brought their blankets to the park. Other people had even brought bbqs, which made it all smell fantastic. Others had boom boxes and speakers. There was wine and crackers for the fancy souls, and there was also beers and hot dogs for the fun at heart. Everyone was here, everyone was excited, everyone was enjoying it. Check us being hip and happening: At some point some guys we knew had come and brought their instruments. They played funky vintage jazz beats that got me all excited. We were all drinking Cider which I can't understand why isn't it massproduced and sold in America already. It's so delicious and makes you feel so fun. Out of nowhere an wild orange donkey appear, just like a pokemon. Music, sun, a colorful donkey, warm weather and friends. Suddenly I realized just why I don't wanna leave Denmark!
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Last week in the city was 48 -TIMER, a two-day cultural festival in Nørrebro synonymous to hip, cool, and Copenhagen. For me it was more like a guide to what's cool about Copenhagen's Nørrebro neighborhood, good vibes, and music more than it was a festival. The festival consisted of almost 50 outdoor concerts and other events, including workshops, city walks and much more. So when I biked through the neighborhood on Friday afternoon everything seemed extra lively: a mini concert on this plaza, a boom box on this street corner, a band playing here, another playing elsewhere. It was neat. Usually when you walk toward Nørrebro there is a bridge that connects the old city center past the lakes where all sorts of handsome hipster people hang out on the street under the sun. Even at night I've biked over this bridge pretty extensively and there is always a group of hippies banging drums and making contagious beats. Nørrebro has even been my preferred place to party because everything is chill: cheap beers, lay back bars, artsy scenes, and the atmosphere hip. Since I've been here I've met the most interesting characters in Nørrebro, danced to great vibes, and enjoyed delicious cheap shwarma. It's a highly diverse neighborhood in the middle of homogeneous-everyone-is-blonde-and-white Denmark that pretty much screams 'Rene, here you belong.' Me and a Danish friend I made went to some concerts around the area with extra extra cheap beer and it was nice to see that Copenhagen has the alternative down. On Saturday there was an 'underwater concert' event at the local pool. Needless to say, me and my friends were extremely intrigued as to how, why and what this meant. I had gone to the beach the week before and the idea of a pool party sounded so appealing and so right.
We packed our swimming suits, got real excited, and headed to the pool. The minute we got there we were hooked. All lights were off and the only glimmering rays of fun were big floating light bulbs and the underside light of the pool. There was a DJ playing great beats and underwater speakers that made everything feel existential when plunging into the depths of the pool. It was wet, it was wild, it was cool. I felt a nice mix of being a fun kid and being a hip adult. The sauna was opened too where we experienced perhaps the most hilarious/interesting/relaxing sauna session ever. Overall, that night (and rest of the weekend) was a good time! Easter in Copenhagen is a big deal! While the city can seem pretty quiet over the long holiday weekend, I cracked the secret as to where everyone went: many city dwellers take off to summerhouses in the country to enjoy their vacation with extended family members and plenty of food and drink. And that is exactly what I did! On Sunday My Host Dad scooped me and his son along and we made our way to my Host Grandparents house for my very own taste of Easter in Copenhagen.
Denmark holds a lengthy Easter holiday, with almost all stores as well as many restaurants closed most of the week through to Easter Monday. And, at the same time, Easter lunch, or ‘Påskefrokost’, is almost as big a deal to Danes as Christmas dinner and is celebrated as a large family gathering, with a traditional spread of warm dishes as well as cold cuts and open sandwiches. Its just the right type of craziness. This one time the Danes really showed me how to do brunch, I had to take notes. First me and my host family embarked on a 2 hour trip into the Danish countryside. We took a train and a bus to get to the most lovely sights in all of Denmark. Vast patches of green space and spring flowers welcomed Easter in fun and lovely colors. We passed lakes, charming town stations and the clouds drifting by in the sky. When we got to my host grandparents house I just remember sighting in relief as to just how cute their house was. It was decorated to the utmost perfection; a collection of items you wish every grandma would sit down and tell you stories about and charming interior design arrangements you can just tell and quirky cute old person put together. The place was open, sunny, full of narratives and good vibes. My host grandparents speak as much English as I speak Danish, which means nothing. Most of the time interacting with them involved honest smiles, hand gestures (my favorite was when she put both her hands on her heart to signify she liked something while I just nodded) and patience. They had a huge garden with all sorts of bird feeders and flowers. It was the most charming thing in the world. Despite the obvious language, racial, and age gap, my Host Grandparents made sure I felt as welcomed as the sunshine into their home. I sat there while my Host Dad caught up with his parents flipping through family albums and admiring the nice china that my host grandma seemed to have collected. As the sun started to shine harder so did our appetite. Suddenly we were all gathered around the table of plate after plate of food. There were meatballs, ham, a chicken spread, salad, pork, fish.... there was everything I have ever heard about Danish cuisine. Weeks before I had joked to my Host Dad that I had fallen in love with some meatballs that had been on the freezer that I ate in a moment of desperation. I came to find out that my Host Grandma had made them and sent them. Since that day I had bothered my Host Dad to take me to his parents house asap. So he did and I loved it. What is a Danish Brunch, you ask? It's everything that the American Brunch offers except more. And since I had been bragging my Host Grandparents went above the extra mile (or kilometer I guess) to show me what it was all about. Fist there was a sort of cupcake with a ham mix that was just so creamy and delicious. Then came the cold cut ham, a salad with every imaginable seed on it, and herring fish over bread. Then pork and meatballs and cheese and bread and then multiply by two. And of course, we had beers on the side because duh, this is Denmark. We ate, we laughed, and we enjoyed the food. After we sat around, drank coffee, and peaked into the garden where birds flew by. At the end of the lunch I told my grandparents that it was my birthday coming up and they got so excited. When we were leaving my host grandma grabbed me by the cheeks and said 'Happy Birthday!' in Danish. I said 'Tak' and got into the car on my way home with a smile on my face the size of all of Europe. Happy Easter Indeed! Coming home after Berlin and Amsterdam has pretty much inspired me to make my experience in Copenhagen the best of it. That's why the week before heading off traveling again I decided to get more in touch with the town I live in. It's called Målov. It's a tiny little suburb made up by single-family houses and a housing project, most of which comprise of native Danes. Måløv is considered to be founded in 1193 and has the cutest little church in the world, a bakery, and an oddly large number of hair salons... It was a nice day and it was the weekend so I texted my friend if she wanted to go on a bike ride. She suggested something even better: given that she lives on the other side of the train line she said she could meet me up in my town and then we can go to hers. It was so nice. Copenhagen is planned on what is called "The Finger Plan," where urban development has sprout from the inner city in different fingers of suburban town, a direct response to the U.S model of urbanization that leaves cities looking like one big urban pancake of suburb after suburb. This means that there are 'wedges' of green space in between developed 'fingers' of open space that goes right into the core of the city. It's a smart way to think about the growth of cities and the over all planning for sustainability. Since my friend lives in one finger and I live in the other it was nice to bike across into the vast nature areas. Here are some snaps of Måløv church mostly, where we met and headed to her town. It was charming because there had been a wedding that had just happened when I got there. Like literally there was a bride coming out of the door and I saw the rice being thrown. She looked real pretty and the church looked even better. It's nice because all the weddings and masses are open for anyone to go, when I walk from the station to my house I can read the bulletin board of the church and they advertise it and give a brief description of the event. There is even a cute little pond by it where they took their bridal pictures and now that the spring is coming it looks beautiful. We then biked across into the neighborhood sand nature reserves, and even made pit stops to check out cool architecture and a chocolate bunny factory. It was fantastic.
Coming back to Copenhagen from a week long travel break was actually relieving at the end. When the train landed in the central station I felt comfortable. It truly felt like I was coming home. I felt like I belonged. Copenhagen is so understated. It says nothing yet it says so much. I felt kind of inspired to fall in love with the city again so on Monday I decided to go big Copenhagen style: I grabbed my bike, my friends, the sun and we headed to go see the Little Mermaid!
My school is so close to her that its kind of silly that I hadn't gone before. I have just been so busy doing so many other things lately!! Now, if you have been reading you would know that the Danes love going outside on nice days. We bought a couple of beers and headed to the mermaid, which is actually in an old fortress area full with green space and beautiful views of the water and the city. Inside is calm. It's very beautiful. You can go up the mound, which in itself is a huge commodity given that Denmark is so flat, and snake your path around the water. The mermaid is only a small feature on this complex. But what a feature it is. It's not small, but in a world used to huge commemorative statues, skyscrapers, and big processional arches, she comes off and tiny. She is pretty much my size. She is actually right in the water, you have to get off the way to touch her and hop a couple of rocks to see her. She is the cutest. It was a nice day and it's nice to be back in Copenhagen! My black outfit, the sneakers, a funky sweater and headphones on the S-train and I thought I was on my merry way to assimilating well to the Danes. Just when I think I am doing fine at navigating the Nordic Region, things like this happen to me. At this point in my study abroad experience I can pretty much recite to you ever single stop on the train in a very very bad Danish impersonation (my favorites to say are Jyllingevej and Malmparken. Tip: start saying them and then give up mid word, that's what Danish sounds like). Anyways, today I was taking my regular H train route home when all of the sudden I looked up from my reading and there was absolutely no one else on the train. Jack pot! I had managed to stay on the train past its last stop. Usually the train says something like "This is the last stop please leave the train" but I completely missed the memo. Since I took the train at around rush hour, some routes only go half way their route to make it faster for everyone involved. So when I happen to hop on this express train I take it to Ballerup and then wait there for the next train that goes the whole way. Easy peasy.... or so I thought! I was the only person who missed the last station and went all the way to the end of the track. I tried to get out but there was no hope for me. The train was in the middle of the tracks, all doors were shut close, and the train looked like it was going to be headed into a one-way ride to Ghost Town. I panicked only for a brief second when I used the train's Wifi to send signals of help to my friends on FB Chat while looking straight down into the long and lonesome aisle of my current hot mess express. How did I manage to cope with finding no one (no conductor, no guard, do they not check if someone is left on the train?!?) to ask where I was or how I was gonna get out of it? by taking selfies, duh! Above are the pics of the the time I was starting to declare the train my new home.
Some students in the program complain about the train. Specially the ones who live around the middle of the city, or those in dorms who live 5 steps away from my school's facilities simply gasp that I have a 30-35 minute commute by train into the city every day. But the commute is really not bad at all. I almost really appreciate it. I sit on the train every morning doing the readings I have to do for class, drinking coffee, and catching a little glimpse of what the daily routine for some Danes is. Some Danes sit there to read and share the news paper, others take their bicycles into the train, young people use it to pre-game during the weekend, old women fill crossword puzzles, and the small boys wait patiently for the stop toward their school, a few of them like to talk, and a select others will ask you questions. I figured that if I would have been living in some apartment-style dorm 10 seconds away from school with other American students then I may as well should've just stayed back in the U.S. The train ride home is calming and rather efficiently so: when I've had a long day of assignments and field studies I use the train ride as a time to go over my notes and gather my thoughts; when I have drank a little too much at the party I use the train ride to sober up and not get a hangover! the train helps me see parts of the city I wouldn't had been able to see otherwise. Suburbs have shy architectural gems. And in terms of locating and discovering the city, the train has been good to me. 10 minutes later and the train started moving again, back to the station I missed where I made sure to get off and grab the next train toward home. I've never thought I'd owe a lot to good and reliable public transportation (Miami take note please)! What did cats ever do to the Danes? Today was Fastelvn and I got first-row experience of a national tradition that involves “cat”-beating, dress-up and family fun. As I came to learn, Fastelavn originated in the Catholic Denmark. To prepare for the 40-day fasting the Danes decided that they needed a big day to let it all out, feast on all the soon-to-be-banned tempting food, dress up in funny costumes, drink beer (of course, as if they need a special occasion for that!) and have all the fun in the world. Who can blame them, many nations have something similar where everyone acts like fools for something that doesn't matter at all. In the U.S we call it the SuperBowl. It was a sunny day in a small and quiet neighborhood by where I live, scores of parents and children gathered in what seemed to be an afternoon of harmless, family-friendly fun with kids running around playing games under the beautiful blue of the sky. Then suddenly kids start waiting in line to grab a baseball bat and bash it onto a wooden barrel until the wood is completely destroyed! I kept asking the locals and my Host Dad what this tradition was about, and as is the case in most countries with most people and most weird holiday traditions – they didn't have a clue. Yeah I get it, you beat a wooden barrel full of candy and a cat while in full costume, that is quite hard to not remember. I wanted to know where it came from, what it was all about! Some told me about the origin of the tradition; something about the middle ages and pagan rituals trying to get rid of bad spirits (aka the black cat who by the way did nothing to deserve that). Others said that it's just fun. None of the whole innocent child pulling a string and bursting open the candy from the piñata here. An definitely nothing like the memories I have in El Salvador where there was a soft cardboard piñata and kids would line up to beat it with a stick during birthday parties. This was no birthday party and it was no soft cardboard. The amount of force needed to brake a wooden-barrel is so much more savage! Luckily the modern interpretation is left to kids, and cats are no longer involved. After witnessing the kids in my building complex I went over to a lunch that our DIS Homestay network had organized. Good thing the Danes like food because there was a lot of it. After that my friend invited me over her house for a little to experience the birthday party of one of her Host Brothers. Just when I thought I had enough of Danes being completely random, the birthday party featured a "Viking" medieval Elves theme with kids in swords, point ears , armors, and shields. 5 minutes in and we were being attacked by a flock of an overexcited and tiny Danish army. I came to Copenhagen to conquer so it didn't take me too long to spot an open sword and join the ruthless battle. Here is me trying to win, holding my ground, clearly out numbered: Getting to know other culture's traditions is fun. And embracing them is even funner. I didn't totally win that last battle but I will win the war. Danes 1 - Rene 1
Living in a Homestay has definitely been an experience. I come home every night to a hot dinner like the one in the pic. It's never anything overly fancy or worked up, which makes it feel even homier. I come home to someone who cares at least a little about where I've been and what I've learned. We sit over the table almost every night and talk about all sorts of things, leaving the small talk of the city behind and welcoming the big topic items that make conversations memorable and charming. Last week, after having heard of the Danish X-Factor and other funy stories of danish reality tv shows (which btw is apparently addicting in these lands too, not to my surprise), I told my host dad that I would love to watch a Danish TV show some day. He listened. He made meaty pizza and borrowed the complete series of "Monopoly," which translates to "Matador" in danish. It's a very very cute show set in vintage Denmark in the post-WWI era of the 20s and 30s. It featured a set of very dapper suits and fedoras, gentlemen speaking like gentlemen, a 20s flapper nostalgia of beaded dresses and jazz music, small town settings, and the post war time relief of funny characters. It was very nice to corroborate that the history of Denmark is relevant. In between comments of the effects of war in German-Danish relations, and reminiscing different eras, me and my host dad got into a conversation about the cultural differences between The US and Denmark. We compared things like culture, food, immigration, the train, and even the way substitute teachers are treated like by mischievous students! Living with a host means these conversations are embraced, and I really liked it. 3 wine glasses each, 2 hours discussing things over the couch, and 2 episodes of Monopoly later and we were ready to call it a night. We both went to each other's room feeling satisfied. Here is the main difference that I think there is between the U.S and Danish cultures that we discussed based on the ideas and experiences I've recognized by being foreign in both the U.S and Denmark :
I haven't cracked the coconut yet, but I'm getting there (hopefully!)
This week in the city was Copenhagen Fashion Week. Which ultimately for a student like myself meant the undeniable surprise about people having events on negative degree weather while biking on striking outfits. And, if you add to the story the fact that I am poor at the Danish Kroner standard, then it means seeking the free pop up shops, small store events, and looking at the pop-up salon in the middle of the plaza only from a distance. On Thursday, during my late-afternoon break, I ventured on my own to Strøget, the striking pedestrian street at the heart of Copenhagen. But, here is the unrelated tip of the day: don't fall into the tourist trap. Wander into side streets, seek hidden alleys, and don't be afraid to come into places that are past the tip of your nose. I found a couple of stores showcasing collections. It was charming. Unfortunately for me, I had no way to document this for my camera had run out of battery. However, lucky for you, I followed fashion week online thereafter and I can give you a sense of what I thought it was all about. Nordic fashion tends to be summarized to its most undeniable symbol: the black outfit. While this is true, I have to say that what I saw from CPH Fashion Week was more than just models in black ensembles. Don't think black in terms of overly simple, dark, or a lack of effort. It is quite the opposite, the black outfit comes to signify the Nordic principles of a fashion aesthetic that is comfortable; layered pieces that add both rich detail and depth to a look; an exploration of textures; and the overall sense of a type of fashion that is by people for all types of people. In fact, don't come into CPH Fashion Week expecting the frenzied drama and over the top hype relevant to New York Fashion Week. My experience here was laid-back and relaxed. "Democratic" and "accessible" were the buzzwords constantly uttered by the designers, the models and seasoned Copenhagenites here to describe it (me). If I had to describe it I would say it is down-to-earth streetwear. Here are my favorite looks from different designers: There you go, you can definitely see more, and should. Unlike Miami, where I am from, the fashion seems functional and efficient. A definite emphasis in comfort. There is no skin tight mini-skirts, or heels that are too tall. No tropical patterns, or sheer fabric dramatically blowing from the breeze. Danish fashion is a little more serious and seems to suggest structure. Not that one is good or the other bad, I am not a fashion critic. I'm just calling it as I see it.
On Friday I went out with some friends to a fashion show/party, too. It was called the Unfair Fashion Show, where they were showcasing underground designers with a more alternative voice. It was neat to see a more experimental art scene too, parallel to the main names that were part of the program. It was in the meat-packing district aka the cool and "hip" side of the city. As a collective of artists and designers, the show put up quite a number of looks that gave a clear idea as to what does fashion from the group up look like. The place was hip, a sort of warehouse with angled and round walls, and a 'runway'made entirely from repurposed wood pallets. The crowd hovered somewhere in between the eccentric art student girl with their rugged male friends and the intriguing fashionistas what are probably cool to talk to you. Afterwards, at the rhythm of the flickering candle light and projections, a DJ played funky electronic tunes that got me all dancing. Here are some snaps of that: |