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)!
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)!