Gay Bar Excursion

Having the opportunity to go on field studies with my classes has provided me with experiences I never thought I would have. Case in point, my most recent field study. My fourth field study was for my Gender and Sexuality class. For the field study, we had to go somewhere I never pictured myself going...a gay bar. Before the class headed to the variety of gay bars located in Copenhagen, we met at the center desk of the school to split into small groups and to learn about our assignment. My group consisted of 4 other girls and one guy. Part of the field study was for the group to ask someone in the bar questions about homosexuality in Denmark. Once our groups were assigned and we had our assignment sheets, we were off to our assigned destination. My group was assigned the bar Centralhjørnet, the oldest gay bar in Copenhagen. When we walked in our group definitely got the look of "what is this group doing here." In the beginning, there were only 3 older men and the bartender. We went to sit at a table in the back corner of the bar to figure out the best way to approach asking someone in the bar questions. First, we went to get a round of drinks since DIS was paying for one free drink. As we were ordering our drinks, the bartender started joking with us. Because of this, we decided he would be the best person in the bar to interview. We had to ask him questions about what it means to be a homosexual in Denmark, is there a gay identity in Denmark, does he participate in the homosexual political movement, and what is dating life like. Through our interview we found out he doesn't really participate in the political movement, the way people view homosexuals is up to them and will vary from person to person, there is not a gay identity that homosexuals live up to in Denmark, and that when gays want to hit on someone they don't buy drinks they just go straight up to the person and say "you want to fu**." After we finished asking him the interview questions we just talked to him to get to know him better. We found out that he has been working in drag for 30 years (since we have 15!). Because of this he has lived in German quite a few times. One thing he found weird about his drag job was that he would find out 2 years in advance where he was going to be living. He also told us why Danes don't partake in small talk. He said that when Danes have a conversation with someone, they want the conversation to mean something and have depth. For them, small talk seems fake. Although that doesn't mean they won't talk to someone new, others just have to initiate the conversation.Interviewing the bartender was a lot of fun for my group and I.

At 9:15pm we had to head back to school so we could discuss our bar experiences. Overall the night was different and interesting, but still fun.

Second Visit with the Visting Family

On February 27th, I finally I got to see my visiting family again. Since they were on ski vacation for a week and had busy schedules, I haven't had the chance to see them in a few weeks so it was nice to meet up with them again. For our visit, they took me out to brunch and showed me around town. When my family picked me up, the mom told me they wanted to take me to a nice cafe near me, but it was too crowded. Instead, they were going to take me to a place the boys like to go. The restaurant the boys love is called O's American Breakfast and Barbecue. When we arrived at the restaurant I had to laugh a little. Of all the cafes and restaurants to go, we went to a place that served American food...a little ironic. I told the mom I have been wanting to try the food here since I pass the restaurant every day on my way to school. In a way I was a little curious about the food. Was it really going to be similar to American food? Were the pancakes they offered going to be the large and fluffy like the ones in the US? As I ordered my food, I was excited to try the pancakes, sausage, and hash browns. To my pleasant surprise the food was very similar and delicious...exactly what I have been craving. After our delicious brunch, the family drove me to the harbor where the son of Jørn Utzon designed a cool looking building. We also drove around the area where the American Ambassador lives and other million dollar homes. The million dollar homes in Copenhagen are different from the US in regards to size and grandeur. In general, homes are smaller and less flashy, which is a result of Danish culture's desire to not flash wealth. Either way the houses are extremely nice and near the water. Afterward, they dropped me off since the father had soccer practice.

One of the Lucky Few

On February 23rd, I had my third field study, which was for my Copenhagen history class. Now, this field study wasn't to just anywhere it was to Amalienborg Palace. That's right the home of the Royal family!!!

Our field study started out with us walking around the area of Frederickstown. We saw several sights, such as Nyboder (the old naval houses) and Citadel (a bastion still in place). After we walked around for an hour, the most interesting part of the field study began.

When we go to Amalienborg Palace, our professor told us we were very lucky because tours of Amalienborg aren't open to the public. In order to get a tour, you have to apply and be approved ahead of time. When we began our tour we had to put all our coats and bags in a coat room. We had to wear blue plastic booties, like the ones doctors have to wear, over our shoes and we weren't allowed to bring our cameras with us. These precautions were taken in order to preserve the palace since many pieces of the palace are still intact from the 1700s and 1800s. Our tour guide showed us around and told us about the palace for a little over an hour. Also during this time, we were followed around by the palace security.

Amalienborg Palace was MAGNIFICENT. Originally the palace was built for four noble families, but when Christiansborg Palace burnt down in 1794, the Royal family bought the palaces. Many of the rooms, such as the China room, had tapestries on the walls that have been there since the day they were hung. An interesting fact we learned about the tapestries in the China room was the artist who designed the pictures never went to China. Another interesting fact, artists were involved in tapestry making since they were the ones who designed the sketch of the scene and the sewers were the ones who created the tapestry from the sketch. We saw several other rooms, such as the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall was GORGEOUS! The rocaille was made of wood and gold. Our tour guide told us that carving out of wood required some of the best skill, which made  the wood carving very expensive. Having gold along with the wood made the rocaille extra expensive. Another room we went into had an interesting story about the tapestry on the wall. When the fabric was chosen for the room, the family believed there was enough fabric to adorn the walls and furniture. As the family was close to finishing the wall, the fabric ran out. In order to hide the mistake, a painting from painting archives was hung. Amalienborg has to be one of my favorite palaces I have seen. Unlike many palaces, the interior wasn't cluttered with paintings and furniture. The interior was simple, but still displayed wealth and magnificence with the fabrics, paintings, flooring, gold, and tapestries.

Oh, did I mention I was in the same room as Margerthe II, THE QUEEN OF DENMARK?!?! Well, kind of. Although the house we were in is not regularly used by the Royal family, the Queen periodically goes to the building or uses it for special occasions, such as the Grand Hall for New Year's celebrations. As we were in the China room, someone opened the door. Our tour guide and the man started speaking in Danish. Then the door was shut again. Later, our tour guide told us that the man who opened the door was with the Queen. SO AWESOME!!! I can say I was near the Queen!!

Chelsea Soccer vs FCK (Copenhagen)

No!!! Come On!!! What are you doing?!?  Why are you going that way?!? Go Go Go!!!

Only some of the words being yelled around the common room right now as the Chelsea vs FC Copenhagen soccer (excuse me football) is underway in the first half. Sitting at the edge of our seats and shouting, my fellow floor mates and I cheer for our respective team. As the first half is underway Copenhagen is down with a score of 0-1. Chelsea has been having a lot of possession of the ball. Oh no Chelsea is getting close to the goal. ”Where are his teammates?!?”  has just been shouted.  Sadly, the game isn’t looking too good right now for Copenhagen. 

The second half is underway. Chelsea is up 0-2. Wow these refs don’t know how to make any calls. A player from Copenhagen just got fouled, but of course there was no call. Twenty minutes left in the game, the intensity in the game and in the common room has just been heightened. Come on Copenhagen get your act together there is less than 20 minutes left in the game. All they need to do is score at least 1 so they don’t lose by 2 points. What a sad game. Copenhagen gets procession of the ball, but is unable to make it into the net. Come on Copenhagen!! “You are ruining our evening” was just shouted…clearly a frustrating game for us in the common room. Last seconds of the game “SHOOT”!!!!!! Well, that’s the end of the game…Copenhagen lost by 2. Many sad/frustrated people in the common room right now.

Random shouts

“Chelsea is not the children of God. Sons of the Devil”

“You are ugly”

Adventures in Berlin

This weekend I traveled to the awesome city of Berlin with some friends (Ari, Alex, Claire, and Eli) from my floor. My friend Liz, who is currently studying abroad in Budapest, met us at the airport on Friday. It was so surreal to see Liz in Berlin rather than in Bloomington. For the most part, everything went smoothly…well besides the fact that I thought like I was missing something or lost something, such as my Danish transportation pass, almost every minute. Of course there was the feeling of burning through cash. The way I look at this trip is it's a learning experience for my trips to come. Either way, Berlin was wonderful.

Friday evening we left to catch our flight. We arrived in Berlin around 10:30pm and made our way to the Wombat Hostel. We were given instructions on how to get there so we thought “oh hey these instructions should be helpful.” When we got to the train area, we quickly found out they were not clear. Trying to get to the hostel was definitely an adventure. First, we stood in line to get tickets for the train for about 40 some minutes since the people ahead of us kept having problems. Although I can’t complain because the couple ahead of us bought 3 extra tickets and handed them to Ari, Liz and I for free. (each ticket was about 3 Euro). Nice way to start the trip. As we headed toward the train platforms, we couldn’t find the one we needed so we decided to ask the German security guards. They didn't speak English well so it wasn’t as helpful. So we decided to wing it. Finally at 1:30am we made it to the hostel, only after being in Berlin since 11pm. 

Saturday morning we went on the free New Berlin walking tour of the city. We saw all the major sites, such as the Branenburg Gate, the most expensive hotel in Berlin (the one Michael Jackson dangled his child Blanket over the balcony), The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, The Berlin Wall, The Former SS Headquarters,  Checkpoint  Charlie and Museum Island.  After the tour we went to the Pergamon Museum and the Neues Museum, which consisted mainly of ancient Roman and Egyptian items. The museums were okay, but the most interesting item there was Queen Nerfertiti's Bust, which is 3300 years old, and the Pergamon Altar, built by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. Although one of the best things that happened was us getting into both museums for free because Eli sweet-talked the ticket people into believing we were a school group. After the museums we went to this amazing restaurant, Weinhenstephan, to eat traditional German food. The food I ordered was DELICIOUS!!! It was pork, with the restaurant’s homemade beer sauce, potato dumplings, and cracklin’ fresh. After our dinner we went back to the hostel to rest before going out for the night. 

On Saturday, Liz, Ari and I went on a tour of the concentration camp, Sachsenhausen. On our way to the camp we made the same walk the prisoners had to make to Sachsenhausen. The camp was surrounded by homes. When the prisoners were taken to the camp, the neighborhood was told the prisoners were going to the camp because they needed sport and work to fix them. The camp was used by the Nazi's from 1936 to 1945 and then by the Soviets until 1950, which made it one of the camps used the longest. During its use, about 200,000 people passed through the camp. Originally the camp was used for political prisoners, but other groups (criminals, homosexuals, gypsies and Jews) came later. The Nazi's used Sachsenhausen as their model concentration camp, ran medical experiments, and also used it as center to counterfeit American dollars and the British pound. It is estimated that 35,000 and 69,000 people were murdered there. During our tour we saw bunkers, the lookout tower, several mass graves, and the shooting range. Sunday evening our group went to the last night of the Berlin International Film Festival, which was located in Potsdamer Platz. We saw a screening of the award winning Spanish film Even the Rain. The movie was about a director filming a movie during the 2000 water crisis in Bolivia. The movie was excellent! After the movie we saw 5 short films. 

Monday - Our last day in Berlin. Since Liz had an earlier flight, she left us after our relaxing breakfast. The rest of us made our way to the East Berlin wall. After that we went to the Topography of Terror Nazi history museum. It is located in Niederkirchnerstrasse, formerly Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, on the site of buildings which during the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 were the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS, the principal instruments of repression during the Nazi era. The museum showed the Holocaust from the perspective of the Nazis. The museum was all photos and documents. After the museum, Ari and I went to the chocolate store, Fassbender & Rausch. The store was amazing!! Inside were chocolate sculptures of Reichstag, Branenburg Gate, and a chocolate volcano. Along with the sculptures there was a 55ft long buffet of chocolates! I couldn’t resist all the chocolate so of course I had to buy some! Ari and I walked around a little before we had to go back to the hostel to begin our trip home. The adventure how was interesting. As my friends and I were walking from the trains to the airport, I had my head turned talking to my friends instead of looking straight. Because of this, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. As I was walking, I was abruptly stopped. Apparently I was going to get in a woman's way so instead of walking an inch to the side she stopped put her arm out and shoved me in my shoulder. My friends and I laughed and couldn't believe she just couldn't walk an inch over. Our time at airport security was so funny. Our friend Eli carries around his mascot for his school, which is a geoduck. When he was going through security, the guards confiscated the geoduck. As we were watching the guards they were smelling the geoduck, swinging it around like it could be used as a weapon, and one was putting lotion on his hands so he could inspect it. The guards even put the geoduck through the scanner. Eventually they let Eli have it back once he explained it was his school mascot.

This trip was my second time visiting Berlin (first time in 2007). Going back for the second time was a different experience. The first time we spent a lot of time on a bus seeing the sites. This time around it was nice to see some of the same sites from a different perspective and have more time in the city. I really enjoyed going back to Berlin. 

By the end of the trip I realized how much I love Copenhagen. I was even missing the city..clearly a sign how Copenhagen has made itself my home.

Random Observations:

• Musicians love to sing/play on the train. One time late at night there was a man playing a guitar and another playing the saxophone. Another time a girl and a guy got on the metro and sung a song about drinking vodka.
• Teenagers love to hangout in the metro/train station at night
• Many people bring their dogs on the train or into stores
• Germans love the rocker style

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.

Excursion Around the City...Part 2

In order to complete my Copenhagen History homework, I spent another two days exploring my new home. With my camera and autoguide in hand I ventured off to more of Copenhagen’s well known sites. 

 

One of my visits was to Trinitatis Kirke/Trinity Church and Rundetårn/ Round tower. 

The Round Tower is an unique building in European architecture. There is a 660 foot winding arched access ramp that takes you up to the very top. During my adventure to Rundetårn, I went to the top to observe the city. Of course, I went on an extremely windy day, but the view was amazing. I loved being able to see the whole city. I plan on trying to go back up when Spring comes.

Another stop on my adventure was Gråbrødre Torv/Greyfiar's Square. This square is considered one of Copenhagen's most beautiful squares. Many restaurants and bars surround the area. Once the weather gets nicer, I plan to revisit the square. 

Helligåndskirken/Church of the Holy Spirit was another site I was assigned to visit. The church once housed the first hospital in Copenhagen, which was founded in 1295. In 1474 King Christian I expanded the hospital into a four-winged monastery.

The picture to the left is of Amagertor and Højbro Plads/Amager Market and High Bridge Square. During the medieval ages, Amagertor was the site for the market where people would sell vegetables. Højbro Plads is a relatively new square. After the great fire of 1795, the site was left open as a fire protection strip. 

 

This site is known as Kongens Nytorv/King's Square. The statute in the square is of King Christian V, which was the first equestrian statute in Copenhagen. Around the square are several prominent buildings, such as Charlottenborg (one of the very first castles in Copenhagen), Thott Mansion, Harsdoff House, and the Royal Theater. 

As my friend and I were walking around this area, architects were uncovering parts of the medieval wall that once was the fortress protecting the city. 

Another stop on my assignment was Christiansborg Slotplads/Christiansborg Palace Square. This location is known as the very beginning of Copenhagen. Christiansborg Palace has burnt down twice. The current palace was built in 1928. 

Also during the assignment I had to look at the buildings surround the area, such as Bourse and the Naval Church.

 

Another stop assciated with Christianborg Palace was the Library Garden. The garden was very nice and I can't wait to go back in Spring.

Combined with Christiansbog Palace is Ridebanen/Riding Grounds. In the past, the wings were used as stables. Today, only a few of the wings are used as stables.

One of my favorite stops for the assignment was to Rosenborg Slot/Castle and Kongens Have/Royal Garden. The Royal Garden here is the oldest Royal Garden in Denmark. Rosenborg became Christian IV's favorite home. 

I wasn't able to go in the castle at the time, but visiting at later date is a must. The castle houses the Danish royal jewels, artifacts from various reigns and a magnificent hall.

One of the most well known, if not the most, sites is Nyhavn/New Harbor. Nyhavn was built in 1669. Since the harbor has never suffered a fire, Nyhavn preserves many of the houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. At one point in time, Hans Christian Anderson lived at Nyhavn 67. Once the weather is nicer, I place on making many stops to Nyhavn to sit at the edge of the harbor and admire the nice weather.