Christmas Culture and Everyday Life!

For those of you (you know who you are!) who think I don't even go to school, etc, etc, here are some pictures of Aarhus Christmas culture as well as places I frequent in my everyday life!

This is my gym - Fitness World. It is actually the largest in Denmark, and really nice! I was very impressed and am happy with it!

Storcenter Nord is like the closest thing there is to a mall. It is pretty small inside, but works. I bought most of my Christmas presents here.

Group project time! Working on our Research Methods project.

Group project...oh, Rachel and her camera!

Exciting!

Exit signs, and sign to the M building, where we have a lot of classes.

Rachel took this pic of the nameplate outside the Career Centre.

Where I work!

Main entrance of our school

Rachel by the main entrance

Outside entrance (in/out) to the school club/bar, Klubben.

Main walkway through school.

The main sign for our school

Looking at the bus schedule to catch the bus! A bus ride is 20 kroner for 2 hours, which is $4. Kind of expensive, so the bus is a luxury for us. Biking is normally how we get to and from.

Inside Storcenter Nord

The lights down the main pedestrian street

Remember the mention of strollers left everywhere? Yes, the mother is in the store, and YES, there IS a baby in the stroller. We looked! PS - you can kind of check out their mannequins. They freak me out because they are really lifelike.

People selling nuts and stuff during the holiday season on the street.

Santa!

The theater in Aarhus

The main church in the city center

Unique apartments on a main street: Norrebrogade

A local grocery store that saves us on Sundays because it is actually open!

Blankets are found on the chairs of sidewalk cafes when it is chilly outside.

Where you can hang your laundry on the lines in our backyard

How you sign up for laundry

Our laundry room. I miss my full-size front loaders IN my apartment (in Dallas).

Holiday lights in the city

Notice the red and white hearts - those are very typical Danish for the holidays

ASB Soccer Julefrokost

I had my ASB Soccer Team Julefrokost on Satuday, which was my last one! It was a good time, as usual. I like these girls a lot, because soccer girls are the same around the world - just very sporty and down to earth. Playing on the soccer field with them is fine - even though I can't understand specifically what they are saying, I understand the game of soccer, so everything works out. I have found that on this team though, there aren't too many that are super comfortable speaking English too me (of course, my girl Line Madsen does, and I made some headway with a few others that night). Hopefully that will change one day!

This party was in kind of like a town hall place. It was a 30 minute bus ride out of the city. I felt like I was in Exeter, Nebraska or something! Very little around...but it was cute!

Being crazy during a game (left to right: Chanett, Line, Heidi and Bettina)

Christina, Britt, Laura

Mathias and me!

Line, Heidi, Bettina and Britt

Chanett and Line (I tease Chanett that she is a soccer mom - but she totally is and takes care of everything for us). Love how she plays too - she never gives up!

Danes are SO proud of their flag!!!!

Me, my girl Line Madsen and Chanett. These two make me feel the most comfortable!

Karina, Christina and Anne

Kenny, Kanne and Mathias - all the trainers/coaches!

These were some random videos taken that night. The one on the left shows us playing musical chairs - don't know why, but it was fun. The other one was two girls dancing, and they were awesome!

An Amazing Dr. Pepper

Random - but I just drank a Dr. Pepper today and am sooo excited! You have no idea! My AMAZING buddy Nanna gave one to me today and it tasted fantastic. Her sister had just gotten a case from Germany, and she let her take one to give to me.

Oh, the little things. First night in the US....Dr. Pepper and Taco Bell, here I come!

School Update

My last actual class was last Thursday. It is awesome to be done with class, but now I am preparing for everything that lies ahead of me the next month.

Rachel and I, along with our two other group members (Victor and Dana - from Romania) are working on our resesearch project and paper for our Research Methods class. Everyone is going home for the holidays over different times, so we are going to have to do a lot of this over the computer. The project will be turned in Jan 3 while I am home, and I will have an oral exam to defend the paper the first week I am back 'home' - in Denmark.

We have a 3 hour open book (essay) exam on Tuesday for our Economics of Strategy class. I am not too worried about this. I have already taken an exam with this professor earlier in the semester and did well.

While I am home in the US, I have to sign online and take an oral exam via Skype on Jan 10th for my Economic Psychology test. I get an essay question, and have 2 hours to prepare for it. Then I am online with my professors, defend my essay, and then verbally answer 10 multiple choice questions. Keeping in mind the time difference, this will all be taking place around 4am...yikes!

I will also bring my books from Danish class home with me so I can continue to study and learn the language. This is totally extra-curricular, but something that I really want to learn. Danes are a bit closed-off by nature, but I have managed to break down that wall with a handful of them. I can honestly say (aside from Rachel) my closest friends here are all Danish, not international students. But there is a certain level of intimacy that will never be achieved until I can communicate with them in their language.

Stinks that I have schoolwork to do while I am home, but at the same time, all I really want to do is hang out at home with friends and family - so there should be plenty of down time.

Here is my schedule again - flights are booked, so let me know if you want to hang out! Email is probably best to get in contact, as I will have my international cell phone with me.

Dec 28 - Jan 3...StL, baby! I can't WAIT to see Kelly and her kids, who are like my nieces and nephews (I will adopt them, since I don't have any!); I get to meet Naz's baby Daniel for the first time (3 month old, little "D" - who is my little nephew as well); I am sure there will be good times with the Neiman's people (you know who you are!), Jess, Tammy, Tim, Colleen, soccer people, etc. I get my haircut, teeth cleaned, and get to talk to my girl Jenn Gafford! And Anny is coming in town to see me, too! And of course, food! Pueblo Solis! Mr. Goodcents! Bread Co! I am so excited!

Jan 3 - Jan 8...Omaha, Lincoln! My mom, my bro Kevin (sorry, hope you don't have your new assignment yet so you are still there!) my Granny, my aunts, uncles, cousins (my cousins brand new, what will be 3 week old baby when I meet him, Elliot!)...my Grandma, Lisa T, etc. And sorry, not at all to downplay any of you :) But MOST importantly....my baby girl Lincoln!!! I miss her so much, and can't wait to hold her and have her lick me. I hope she remembers me! I plan on hanging out Saturday night for dinner or drinks with the Omaha and Lincoln family, so hopefully that will all work out! There will be some food stops for Runza and Vals along the way, as well! Something tells me there will be one night at Grandmothers for margaritas and nachos as well...just for you mom!

Jan 8 - 12...Phoenix! My dad and I always have a good time together, just relaxing, cooking (well, really, I tell him what I want to eat and he makes it for me...ha!) and drinking wine. I always end up eating random things like gouda, fresh mozzarella, proscuitto, etc...I totally raid his refrigerator when I am there. Sadly, I have to take an exam one of the days I am with him, but it will be okay. It will probably be the warmest temperatures that I will have while in the US.

Jan 12 - 15...Dallas! Of course, Tim and Jessica, Lisa, Ashley, Brittany Baker. There are a few people still connected with Neiman's that I would like to see as well. Again, the food - MEXICAN here we come! Mi Cocina, maybe Joe T Garcia's, Gloria's...Fireside Pies, Potbelly! I know I sound like a little fat kid, but food is sooo different in Europe and in Denmark. I need to get my fix while I am home.

Jan 15 - 18...StL. Back in the Lou. Will see Kelly and Naz again mainly, just winding the US trip back down and gearing up to head back to Denmark. The big variable is Lincoln - I need to doublecheck with the airline these days to see if she can fly back to Denmark with me. If so, I will either need to fly quickly to Nebraska, rent a car and drive back, or maybe meet someone in Kansas City to get her. I know a lot of you think I am crazy for wanting to bring her back with me, but I miss her so much and it breaks my heart to think she won't even know who I am when this is all said and done. Plus I have many good friends who have offered to babysit her in Denmark!

At any rate, the countdown is on. I will be home, in Kelly's car on the way to Belle-Vegas, making her stop off at a Taco Bell drive thru for a nacho bell grande and a Dr. Pepper...in 15 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See you all soon....love and miss you. Hard to believe it will have been between 4 and 5 months since I have seen you and spoken with most of you. Damn, time flies.

Ski Trip to France!

I just paid the rest of my deposit yesterday for my first REAL ski trip (Hidden Valley does not count...and I haven't even skied in Colorado!), and it will be in...........FRANCE!

Rachel and I have decided to go with about 70 students from ASB. The ski trip was arranged by Studenterlauget, the student union at ASB. We will be taking a bus to France (god knows how long that will take), and our destination is Northern France - Avoriaz!

We leave on January 30th and come back on February 8th. I am SOO excited. My one and only experience with skiing was when I was about ten, at Hidden Valley in St. Louis, with the Boy Scouts (of course, I had to tag along to everything!). Lets just say, that ski trip ended with my leg being all busted up. I was skiing with my dad, lost control, couldn't stop, slid down the hill on my stomach. One ski flew off and banged the ENTIRE length of my shin. I ended face down with my head under an orange plastic construction fence. My dad skiied up to me and was laughing. I felt like my leg had been ripped open and was pouring out blood. I didn't cry until we got to the Lodge and I saw my mom and started bawling. She pulled up my pant leg, and it was IMMEDIATELY green, purple, yellow and blue...you name it. It was an AWESOME bruise, and I had it for many weeks :) I am sure Tim, Kev, Mom and Dad will remember that!

Hopefully, in my older, wiser years, I won't run into those problems on REAL mountains. I am athletic, so I am hoping I can pick up this sport easily.

Avoriaz is ranked among the top 5 destinations in Europe for skiing. We got a REALLY cheap deal (think $600) that is essentially all-inclusive: lift tickets, transportation, lodging, etc etc. Couldn't pass up that opportunity :)

Check out this website if you want to see the resort!

http://www.avoriaz.com/ski-holidays/ski-resort/virtual-visit.php

A Day Full of Christmas!

So, last Sunday, Susanne (from work - love her!) went Christmas shopping with me. She had offered to help me a few days before, and I took her up on it. I totally knew what I wanted, but it is so much harder to figure out where to get the stuff I needed when the store names, street names, etc, etc are all in another language. She was so helpful!

We went to Storcenter Nord (kind of like a mall...kind of) and were there for a few hours. I actually got a big chunk done, but still have to hit the city center to finish up before I come home. Anyway, we met early, around 10am. We went shopping for a few hours, then sat in a Bistro and had lunch. She had asked me a few days earlier to join her and her boyfriend at her parents house in Odder (pronounced Other) for gløgg and æbleskiver. Gløgg is a variation of wine (typically red) mixed with some spices and is servied warm. AMAZING! æbleskiver is a sort of doughnut/funnel cake thing. Aeble means apple, and skiver means slice...but the way the dessert is served these days, it has nothing to do with apple slices. You dip them in jam and powdered sugar. They are a Christmas tradition for the Danes, and one that I love!

At any rate, Kasper, Susanne's boyfriend, picked us up from shopping and we headed the 30-40km to Odder (probably 25 minutes away). It is definitely a smaller town, and very Danish looking. The houses are so cute and quaint. I was kind of nervous to be going to Susanne's parents house...I considered it almost an honor to have been invited (Danes are friendly people, especially when you get to know them; but they don't typically open up their homes to many people). It was only Susanne and Kasper, her parents, and her nanny from childhood (Susanne also) and her husband Finn. So it was definitely a small group!

We got there, had a glass of champagne and sat in the living room and talked. Then the gløgg and æbleskiver was ready. We had white wine gløgg, which was a first for all of us. Not sure which I liked the best, but they are both tasty. We sat around the dining room table. Susanne's parents are so cute and nice. Her dad was a journalist, and very smart and inquisitive. He kept asking me questions about Missouri, about what the name meant, etc. He had looked at an almanac before I came so he knew where I lived! His English was pretty strong. Her mom's was not as strong, but she tried so hard and was a definite sweetheart. Susanne is amazing, and always remembers to translate for me or explain things to me...basically to just include me.

After gløgg and æbleskiver, Susanne had asked me earlier if I wanted to go for a walk around Odder. It is a small town, but there were some cute things she wanted to show me. EVERYONE ended up going with us...it was like out of a movie...a 'family' walking around the small town, enjoying the Christmas decorations, the cold air, and looking in shop windows. Sooo cute! I loved it. I told her that was definitely not something we did in America in big groups too often. Odder is a really cute town with a stream that runs through it, old Danish buildings, a museum, a stroget (pedestrian street), etc. Just like a movie. Susanne's dad would be ahead of me and would wait for me to catch up to him, and would point at something and explain what it meant in English. He is very proud, and likes to share his knowledge and his passion.

After the walk, we went back to the house and had homemade soup that was delicious! It was full of vegetables (they are all vegetarians, I believe), but I loved it! It was a perfect topper to the walk.

We then went and hung out in the living room. Susanne had bought this crafty thing when we were shopping. We basically made these traditional Danish heart/Christmas ornaments out of paper. It was fun actually, even though I am not so crafty. Everyone ended up participating and laughing! They of course served tea and coffee, along with nuts and cookies. They turned on some Christmas music, and just laughed and enjoyed each others company. They all tried to consciously speak English so I could be a part of the conversation and understand what was going on.

We ended up leaving around 7pm. In the car, Susanne asked if I wanted to go to her and Kasper's house to watch handball. I love sports obviously, and knew handball was a big deal in Denmark, and had never seen a game and didn't know anything about it. So I thought it would be fun to watch the game with them and learn.

Their house is on the way back to Aarhus, but still like 20 minutes outside...kind of in a rural area. It is new, very modern and very cool. And (kind of a joke, but something Susanne and I had talked about before)....they had a refrigerator that made ICE!!! This is a big deal - it is so hard to get really cold drinks here. I miss ice.

It was a great night. All three of us were laid out on the couch, with a hygge atmosphere (no lights, all candles). They explained the game to me, which was interesting. I looked through a photo book they had made from their trip last summer to the West Coast in the US (they have been to MANY places I have never even seen before!). They drove me home after the game was over.

We joked on the way home that we had spent 12 hours together. It was a lllooonnngg day, but a great one. I learn so much when I am with her, not only about the Danes and the Danish culture, but about how to be a better person. She is a trained life coach, and is just always positive and upbeat....someone who exudes that aire about them. You just want to be around her! And the portion of the day spent with her family was amazing. It felt like I was with my own family back home, preparing for and celebrating the holidays. I am so lucky that they all invited me into their home for the day :)

Enough mushy stuff, right??!!?! But that is how it is here sometimes....I have come to realize that I am such a strong, independent person and I don't like to ask for help or like to depend on others. But I have to here. I couldn't survive without a Danes help. It has been hard, but I do ask for help when necessary...and I am very lucky that Susanne (and the job!) has come into my life. I knew the first day I met her when she was counseling me (on the issues international students have getting a job in the Danish job market) that we connected. She is a very special, and amazing woman. She will definitely be a friend in my life forever, no matter where in the world I decide to live.

Thanksgiving at the Cafe and Julefrokost with Career Centre

Just posted some random pics from two nights (they all get out of order though when I post them!). One night was at Cafe Arhus, our favorite Cafe. It was Thanksgiving night - and of course Danes don't celebrate the holiday. Rachel and I had a busy day - I started at school around 9, went to class until 2, then went to work for 2 hours, then straight to Danish class for 2.5 hours.

After Danish class, we had planned to go find a bar that would show American football because the games were being aired live here since it was Thanksgiving (which is like finding a needle in a haystack). We went to the 'pub street' right off the main pedestrian street (the stroget). The first place we stopped would have been perfect - its called Sharks. It was sort of like a pool hall and they served American type bar food...but it was closed for a private THANKSGIVING party! We were absolutely sure they were Americans in there, but who really knows. Next, we went to a pub...can't remember the name...but they were having bingo that night, so that is what was on their tv screens. We went to Sherlock Holmes and the guy was VERY helpful and kept trying to put the game on, but something was messed up with his cable box, so that wouldn't work.

We finally found the game playing at another English pub off the river and sat there for awhile with Maggie, our Canadian friend. Thyra, Rachel's friend from Minnesota, ended up joining up with us, too. We honestly didn't really care about the game, but the fact that we were together, on Thanksgiving, watching a game that we would have been watching back home was what was nice.

We decided to head to the Cafe - I had been texting Birgitte, and she said she would let us turn on the tv and watch the game there. So off we went, for what was yet another hilarious and amazing night at the cafe watching football. It turned into girls night out...and we all went dancing.

The next night are pictures from my Julefrokost (Christmas Lunch) with the communications department at my school (ASB). Hanging out with my coworkers in a social environment was AMAZING. I really, really enjoy their company. I think we are all starting to understand each other more...they are great people and a great time! The food at this Christmas Lunch was easier for me to eat than the food at my classmates place - it was still Danish, but not as traditional.

I have another Julefrokost on Saturday with my soccer team, and am nervous about that one because that menu is almost identical to the first. Not so sure my stomach can handle it again!


Birgitte had closed down the cafe for the night, and we were getting ready to go out dancing. She put on some music for the girls to dance. Our new favorite song is Beyonce's Single ladies, which is what we were dancing to here.

Just Birgitte, Thai, Rachel, me and Thyra in the cafe, dancing it up!

Dancing behind the bar!

Just being crazy girls together. B pulled me on a table to dance - man I am a good dancer...NOT! :)

Watching the football game on tv! This really made us happy, and was remniscent of home.

So excited we found a tv with the game on...showing off the tv!

Me, Thyra, Rachel...watching the game at the Cafe.

This man is the SWEETEST man ever. You just want to squeeze him. I am not sure what his name is (I can't understand it), but we see him at the Cafe often. He is in love with Rachel! Note the baseball hat...we turned it around backwards for him!

Random picture - this is our neighbor's (2 floors below us) cat. We didn't realize that the first time we saw him roaming the stairs of our building. We felt bad for him and let him in our apartment. Rachel made the mistake of giving him milk, and now he is our friend for life. We sometimes open up our door and he is sitting right there, waiting for us.

He is checking out our schoolbooks!

Okay - Julefrokost with people from work. The dinner was held in Plug Inn, which is supposed to be an American style diner where students can get food and sit in booths and study. The girl on the left's name is Saji, I believe. She works in the alumni office, so I don't know her so well. Then you have Susanne, Line, Me and Ann Cathrine.

Me and Corey. Funny story. He is an American from Mississippi. He fell in love with a Dane, married, two kids now and has lived in Denmark for years. He works in the Alumni office (again, a new concept for ASB), and is trying to show them the way...trying to create a department for Alumni and events that is similar to what we have in the US. It is so fun to talk to him though, because he understands everything I am going through. We have this picture of our arms crossed for a reason. More than one of my good Danish friends has pointed out to me that I cross my arms a lot, which they take as a sign of defense. I have explained that it isn't, it is a relaxed position for me (even though I fully realize it is a bad habit). I noticed Corey talking to the people in the Career Centre one day, and he did the same thing! So it has turned into a big joke now....

My Career Centre staff singing Danish Christmas songs for everyone!