Final Impressions and Looking Back

It is now Sunday 02/22/15. I still cannot believe that the week passed by so quickly. I still remember the  moment our group landed in the airport and was greeted by two Danish students, Cecilia and Ditlev. The first thing everyone from Baldwin did was to ask them to translate a financial newspaper that we picked up in the airport.

The Baldwin girls at the airport in Denmark.

The two days we spent alone in Denmark were filled with funny card games, delicious buffets, and mysteriously lost items. On the first day, everyone was tired from the lack of sleep. However, to prevent people from sleeping, my roommates tried many methods. One, was playing card games. Two, was flicking cold water into other's faces. Three, was the motivational speech of "If you can last until 6pm, then you can last until 8pm."

My week with my Danish student, Cecilia, flew by. Before I knew it, it was already Friday, and I was already packing to leave the next day. Despite the fast week, there were many memories made, a lot of selflies taken, and a lot of pastries eaten.

Cecilia and I rocking sunglasses in a Danish shop.

Some pastries in a pastry shop.

A delicious cake that is related to Cecilia's family's history!

In Denmark, I've eaten delicious traditional Danish meals made by my host's grandmother, and tried tasty Danish pastries. The whole exchange group traveled to Christiania where we say a very different and laid back part of Denmark. We all saw an interesting ballet that combined classical with modern dance styles. We also visited many historical sites, went to a fun and "sciency" museum place called Experimental City, and walked to other amazing places.

There was an all girl's party on Wednesday night where we found some amazing dancers, and where we realized that some of us sound like dying cats when we try to sing. We all enjoyed 12 PIZZAS and one amazing cake made by Emilie.

Six of the twelve delicious pizzas.

Friday was the farewell dinner and a farewell party that many of us wanted to last forever. Saturday morning was filled with warm hugs, and held back tears.

However, we all know that this is not the end, we will see each other in the future, and some people have already made plans to travel to Denmark during summer vacation. I hope this program continues because it is really worthwhile, and I am glad that I did it.

Charlottenlund Fort / Beach (2/20)

 

On Thursday, we had a seminar on the danish fairy tale writer H.C. Anderson and after that we visited Charlottenlund Fort, which was a military fort used for battle. The Fort is bordered by a beach and the ocean. In this picture, we are on the boardwalk taking a candid! (People in the photo : April, Willing, Jack, Evie, Jack, Annie, Courtney) Going to the fort was an amazing experience! And we would go back again if we could! 

Waffle on a Stick

There are a few things that I am going to try and bring back from Copenhagen.  First off, and most importantly, is a waffle on a stick.  I have no idea why we don't have these in Philadelphia, but we need them.  Second is the idea of having an hour of homework, and getting a full 8 hours of sleep a night.  It's really just two things that I think we need, and we will be much better off.  Here are some more photos ---

Thursday's Seminars

Creating movie trailers for some of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales

My Thoughts on Copenhagen

So far, I really am enjoying Copenhagen for a few reasons. One reason is just the look of it. I've never been to Denmark or Europe at all, but I imagined it looked this way with the small streets, walking only streets, and just the architecture in general. It looks nothing like Philadelphia at all. There are no skyscrapers like there are in Philadelphia and I really like that. I think a skyscraper in Copenhagen would spoil the skyline. There seems to be no large cars here. Instead, the cars are fairly small and compact. It also seems cleaner compared to Philadelphia. Obviously, there is still trash scattered around, but it seems there is more trash on the streets in Philadelphia. The buses and trains in Copenhagen are much nicer than in Philadelphia also. Copenhagen also doesn't seem as busy as Philadelphia, but maybe that is because there doesn't seem to be many traffic jams. Lastly, I think it is very interesting to look at signs in a different language. Everything is in English in Philadelphia, so it is nice to see something different. Anyways, I am really enjoying Copenhagen and this trip in general.

Denmark So Far

     It has been a while since we landed and so far it has been a great trip with a lot of learning, sightseeing, and immersion. I have always wanted to go to Scandinavia so I was really excited to go to Copenhagen. So far, Copenhagen exceeds my expectations. First, the public transport is amazing and can get you anywhere in the city really fast. Another great part of the trip has been sightseeing Copenhagen is a really accessible city and many things are at a walking distance from each other.
     The other day, we went to Freetown Christiania which was unlike any place I'd ever seen before. We've also seen multiple museums and we've seen the Danish Parliament. One of my favorite things I have done so far has been walking around the city and taking in the culture. I can't wait for the rest of the trip!

Wednesday's Global Seminars

Today's topic - Comparative Politics, democracy in Denmark and the United States