In Love

As the month of February comes to an end, the realization that I’ve been in Copenhagen for a month dawns on me. Many days I think about how quickly the time has gone by, which scares me because of how many things I want to see and do while being here. After being here for one month I can say one thing with the utmost confidence…I love Copenhagen. Yes, the weather is cold, but not as cold as Northwest Indiana. Yes, the sun is barely out, but the days are starting to get longer. While there are downsides of Copenhagen (every city has them), my love for Copenhagen won’t dwindle. I love how Copenhagen isn’t a touristy city. As you walk down the cobblestone streets you won’t be stuck in a swarm of people trying to find a building or find the streets lined with trash. Instead you walk around the surprising small city admiring the architectural features of well-preserved buildings and old world charm while taking in the heavenly smell of the many bakeries adorning almost every corner. The thought of leaving Copenhagen and going back to houses that all look the same, having to drive everywhere, and dirty streets saddens me. For the time being, I will live my life in the charming city of Copenhagen and continue accepting Copenhagen for its differences

Cell Phone: Text messages here are called SMS. QWERTY doesn’t exist on my cheap phone so it’s back to the days of T9. Europe cell phone plans aren’t the same. I am charged for every text and call I send. The price depends on the carrier and the location of the person I am calling and texting. The good thing is I do get free incoming calls and texts. 

Danish keyboard: The first time I used a Danish keyboard I encountered a few challenges. For the most part the keys are in similar spots expect the incorporation of 3 extra letters. The trickiest part was trying to figure out how to get the @ symbol to work. Since the keyboard has the Alt button, you would think to press Alt 2 to get the symbol. When I first did that I got a menu. But using the strange Alt Gr button in combination with the 2 button will get you the @ sign. It was funny the first few weeks seeing everyone ask how do you get the @ symbol to work.

Buttons to open the door: Now buttons to open the door may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a little strange to have a button to open the door from the inside. At our school if we want to leave the computer lab or the floor to go to the stairs we have to press a little white button and then use the door handle. At my housing, we also have to press a door button before the door will open. 

Night bus: At 1am the normal bus shift ends, which means instead of catching a bus home every 10 minutes, I have to wait 1 hour. Trying to time when you leave a bar to the schedule of the night bus can be a little tricky at times since the time depends on your location. 

Prices: 35 for a pastry?! Oh wait that’s in kroner so $7. At first, it took some time getting used to high numbers for small items. Now diving everything by 5 has become a normal occurrence. But, items are still expensive. 

Music: The Danes love our Top 40 Music! Many days I have walked into clothing stores on Strøget and heard Michael Jackson. For a while, the song “Black and Yellow” was everywhere. I remember when my visiting dad took me home, we listened to the song in the car. Every once in a while Backstreet Boys, N*Sync or Aqua will come on. Random Fact: the band Aqua originated from Copenhagen. 

Squeegee: By the end of the 4 months I will be a pro at squeegeeing floors. As a part of my daily routine I have to squeegee my bathroom floor since my entire bathroom floods due to the fact the shower is free standing. 

Yogurt: When you think about buying yogurt the thought of purchasing it in a milk carton wouldn’t cross your mind in the states, but if you are living the Danish way yogurt comes in milk cartons. Even the texture of the yogurt is different. I would compare it to being less thick then the yogurt I eat at home but thicker than a smoothie. Either way the yogurt is delicious and relatively cheap (about $2 for quart).

Dijon mustard: 2 words: abnormally spicy. The first time I made a sandwich, I wasn’t aware of this fact so I put a generous amount on both sides…not good.

Shawarma: Shawarma stands are all over the place. But I guess it’s a good thing for a college student on a budget since they are relatively cheap. Plus, they are delicious!

Hot dogs: Hot dog stands are everywhere! Hot dogs are so popular here that for the no food sign on the bus it’s a hot dog instead of the burger and fries we would see in America.

Tzatziki sauce: The Danes love their tzatziki sauce and they put it on almost everything. For a burrito, tzatziki sauce is put on it instead of the dressings we usually put on them.

Cucumbers: On everything! The other day my friends and I went to get lunch and there were cucumbers on our burgers. 

Gummy Candy: Beware gummy candies in Denmark are not as chewy as the ones in the states.