The sun came out! This doesn't happen enough. Here's a picture of the plaza right next to DIS.

hello again!

i've been here for a little over a week now, and i finally feel settled. i had a lovely weekend with my host family. on friday night my host sister Louise invited me to a birthday party. i met a bunch of her friends, including some fellow horse-lovers and one minnesota enthusiast, and generally had a good time. birthday parties here are quite different. family and friends all party together and liquor is plentiful for the kids and adults. it seemed like a much more relaxed, natural gathering. anywho, on saturday i got to go riding with Louise! we took the horses out to a field area near the house. i spent a glorious hour riding through the danish countryside -- it was pretty much the best thing i've done here so far. i got to try out the icelandic horse's special gait -- the tolt. it is so smooth you can hold a glass of water in your hand without spilling any!

classes are going well so far. alex and i walked to Christiana this afternoon after class. Christiania is the "freetown" of copenhagen, across the canal from downtown copenhagen in christianshavn. it was started in 1971 when a group of squatters started living in abandoned buildings. the area became a collective community with its own rules and ideals and is often tied to the hippie movement.

i must say, it's an incredible place. everything is colorful and vibrant and has a totally different feel from the rest of copenhagen. i plan to go back so i can take more pictures. if you have time, you can read about Christiania on their website
www.christiana.org

so, i think i'm going to start posting a picture everyday, even if i don't have time to make a real entry. i don't know that i'll actually follow through.... but, i like pictures!

this is the entrance to Christiania. the weather is gray here a lot, as you can see.


hej hej!

caitlinincopenhagen

Hello from Copenhagen!

Hello! I love Copenhagen already. This city is so beautiful and I feel really lucky to be here. I am settling in somewhat, though still very tired.

A little bit about my new life here:

My host family is great! Anders, LiseLotte, Louise and Sebastian have all been very welcoming. It's their first time hosting a student, so we are learning together. I am learning all about Danish food, traditions, and experiencing a lot of "hygge", which means a cozy time spent together. They have two dogs, Tina and Hot Dog. I met the horses tonight for the first time! They have three horses, two Icelandics and one Shetland Pony. They have Danish names I can't pronounce or spell at this point. I might get to go riding this weekend!

I am taking four classes: Gender, Body and Sexuality in Scandinavia, Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings, Nordic Mythology, and Danish.

I take the train to Copenhagen every day from Olstykke. It takes about 45 minutes to get from my door to DIS.

Olstykke is an adorable little town! They have their own pub, shops, and restaurants. My street is filled with really cute little houses. Another DIS student lives down the road from me.

Danish pronunciation is really difficult. Words sound nothing like they look like they would. For example, "Jeg hedder" which means "I am called" actually sounds something like "Yai hilla" when you say it. I am slowly training myself to pronounce the soft "d"s and accented vowels.


That's about all I have to say for now! It's only 8:00 and I'm already tired...

CaitlininCopenhagen

i'm here! after a long journey, i've arrived in copenhagen and am safely in bed at my host family's home. i'm exhausted, so i'll continue this entry sometime soon.