Jeg skal til Tivoli og Futbol!

Yes, for those of you who don't know this from the title, I went to Tivoli and a soccer game recently. They were both very exciting. Here is a little inside peak!

Keeley and I after the game. They were throwing those hats into the stands...WOO FREE STUFF

Streamers and confetti was tossed about every 10 minutes in the stadium. Very festive!

Kid in front of us raised his flag high as the FCK (Futbol Club Kobenhavn) song was sung.


This dude was just walking down the street and I thought it was crazy...

Me
Gotta have a dog at the game!

Keeley and I told Martin and Rasmus of the horror stories in our Danish Culture book. We took it to the kitchen one night to share with them. Clearly, Martin does not agree with it at all!

Rikke and I in the kitchen!

Got my guns up!

Inside Tivoli is a lake, gardens, restaurants, and rides. There are several themed areas.

This guy brings the party with him everywhere!

This is actually a restaurant inside Tivoli.

The entrance to Tivoli.

This is the hotel in Tivoli. There are only 13 rooms in the hotel. Can you tell it is high class?

Well that is all for now. I will have pictures of Legoland posted soon. So be sure and check back!

Answers: Yes, it is getting cold. It feels like it should be November already, but it isn't unbearable....yet. Yes, I am having a blast! ha ha and the birds seem to know that I have threatened them, because they have stayed far away ever since I made the pigeon kicking comment. I haven't been back to the square however, so we shall see on Wednessday if I can indeed kick a pigeon.

If any of you have any questions or topics, please email me at mollymurdock@msn.com. perhaps you would like to know more about the culture or language. Or would you rather know about my personal plans, stories, and classes of course. Thank you for your feedback; I love it!

More From Denmark!

I was walking to class and, for the first time, could see my breath in the frigid morning air. The dampness of the fog was sticking to me in all the worst ways and I was wishing I had gloves. I buried my hands into the pockets of my coat trying to find some warmth. My fingers found a coin deep between the fabrics. I opened my fist to find a Texas quarter resting in my palm; I smiled the rest of the day. It seems no matter where I go, a little bit of home is always with me. When people ask me who I am, I say "Molly Jean from Panhandle, Texas." They giggle at my accent and try to imitate it, which I think sounds silly. I already have several friends who want to come and visit me in Texas and see where I live. I tell them it will be VERY different from what they are used to, and the food is much spicier. People will strike up conversation and know your life story in one meal, much unlike Denmark. People here say Denmark is "flat"....ha ha ha. They ain't seen nothin' yet!

Jeg kan godt lide Danmark!

I was walking across Kongs Nytorv (kings square) and I realized that a pigeon was walking beside me. I could have kicked that pigeon to high heavens, but it didn't seem too threatened. "It could be a flying football," Keeley, my roommate, said after I had expressed my desire to kick a pigeon. Chuck, some boy in my program, bet me that I couldn't do it on my first try. You may think you can see where this story is going, but no, I did not kick a pigeon. I did not try, but I will.

That was a random story, but it is something I have noticed about Denmark; they have brave birds. I have also noticed that the people are very brave. Not only do fully grown men wear tights and mini shorts A LOT, but they aren't afraid to hop out onto the street in front of the stampede of bicycles during the morning rush. Speaking of bravery, bicycling is a dangerous commute in which much courage is necessary. The bicycle lane is filled with Danes in a hurry. It is very easy to get pushed out into the street in the bustle of the morning. It is very uncommon to be in the street at the wrong time. Danes DO NOT cross the street until the light switches to walk.

Danes DO NOT serve. It is very difficult to get any kind of service in a restaurant, store, or any other establishment. They have got it to wear they set a small pitcher of your beverage on the table so you can refill your own drink as needed. I quote from our handbook, "The second and best option for getting your check is to fake a dramatic seizure." This may be a bit exaggerated, but it holds true to every institution I have been in.

So while you are enjoying your service, jaywalking, and safety from bikes, I will be chasing pigeons.

Short Study Tour

Hej!

As some of you may know, I recently went on a short study tour to Jutland, the main land in Denmark. We visited two companies: Jyske bank and Vestas Wind Turbines. We also had a couple of cultural visits. I had a blast! Let me share with you.

This is Stephanie, a girl in the IBE program with me.

The cabin was by the lake and fit 6 people into it.

The theter showed a musical. "Beach Boys in the Wild West" was the strangest thing I had ever seen. It was more like zombies with furry chaps singing about the beach and flying with cables.

This is the Internationl Business and Economics group B, my group.

Crazy guyes jumping into the frigid North Sea.

Some of the Wind turbine we saw in production.

Stephanie, Anamaria, and I after dinner.


This crazy guy was just chilling by our dining hotel.

This was the safety gear we wore for the tour of Vestas. From right: Anamaria, Dagmara, Ilona, and me. (the middle two are polish...how tall they are!)

The North Sea was cool to see. That concrete building on the left is a leftover bunker from WWII.

This was off the balcony of the cafe at Jyske.

This was the harbor in Ringkobing where we ate dinner and stayed in a hostel nearby.

Anamaria and I won chocolate for beating everyone in the Denmark trivia bus game.

This is what they were given. It was awful! It seriously tasted like salty licorice, which you couldn't chew.

This is the inside of Jyske. I am looking down from a window in a walkway above them.

This was written on the wall in the bank. I found it to be a very different phrase for a bank. This bank is certainly different from others. It was unpretentious and fun!

This was a piece in the art museum we visited on the first day.

Hans Christian Andersen was christened in this church.

The altar in the church was gorgeous, as were the chandeliers hanging overhead.

The dog sat back and relaxed in his cart as his owner towed him around.

If you look closely, you can see the bike in the water.

A metal statue was in the river of a paper sailboat, ironic? or maybe it was aluminum...

This garden is across from the church. It is situated next to a park and offers a view of the river.

Crazy flowers adorned the garden, but this one caught my eye the most. What kinda flower is that mommy?

A play in the back of a semi...now there's something you don't see in every town square.

Seriously, the CEO of Jyske bank is pictured on the wall like this. Jyske likes to spin a little humor into banking. Told you it was a bit different....
A meeting room from the days of old is pictured here.

Another business concept of Jyske is to put their "products" into tangible form and put them on a shelf. Ask centers allow you to scan the product and here all about it. The bank also has seating areas with free coffee and fruit. Magazines and books are nearby, so anyone can sit and relax.

This is the cafe in Jyske.


Yes, this is also inside the bank. Actually it is in one of the consulting rooms.

Jyske has their own TV production studio. It is fully equipped so they are ready to go on air at any time.

Another piece of art from the museum.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. Any questions or comments, please email me. Thanks for reading!

Jeg kommer fra Texas!

As you may can tell by the title, I am slowly learning Danish. I have also learned a few of their customs. A dinner at my Marketing professor's house helped me to realize some of the differences between our culture and theirs. Most noticeable, of course, was the food. Frikadellar, meatballs of pork and veal, were served with potato salad and vegetable salad. The potato salad is completely different than what you would think. It is all white, and I can't exactly explain the taste. I want to say really dull ranch. Keeley and I went to a buffet that had Danish food. We noticed that all of the vegetables are served cold, their bread is very heavy, and there are far more carbs than protein. It seems like there isn't a main dish but more of a culmination of different vegetables, breads, and meat. Anyways...The food is very different. For dessert she made "apple cake," but I think it was more of an apple pudding with crumble and whip cream. Sounds pretty gross, but it was surprisingly delightful.

I don't know if you took note of where this dinner was: at my professor's house. They are very informal here. There is no professor or doctor, just a first name is used. I think this is because it is an egalitarian society. Their belief in equality and uniformity is shown in a multitude of ways. One way that I have noticed is their need to sit down to have a talk. When I struck up a conversation in the community kitchen one day, I was invited to sit down and chat. I read that this is because they believe you should be equal and neither one should look up or down at the other when conversing. (most of all height is in the legs instead of the torso)

Danes are also independent from an early age. It isn't uncommon to see a 7 year-old riding the metro to school alone. I also noticed that my professor's children (14 and 17) both left to find their own way to a friends house via train and walking (18 is the driving age here, but still noone drives). My danish teacher told me today that from the first day of kindergarten they elect class representatives. The little representatives voice the opinions of the class to the teacher and help in the decision making of the teachers on different activities for the class.

On to something more fun...Fashion! You can't go wrong with skinny jeans or tights (Good thing all these Danes ARE skinny). Long shirts are worn as dresses and paired with tights. Converse shoes are very in, as are scarves. You can pair ANYTHING with a scarf and make it European! Flats are always a good choice and so are cold-weather boots. You don't, however, need to wear make-up or fix your hair (I like that). I tried one morning to fix my hair, and I discovered why it appears that they don't fix their hair. It is sticky here, and they ALL commute in the outdoors. I walked to class, and, by the time I got there, I was a mess.

Along the route to class, I see so many bakeries and ice cream shops. You can spot the bakeries (bageri) by looking for an upside down pretzel symbol with a crown. There is such a wide selection of breads and cakes. My personal favorite is the chocolate croissant, but my favorite place that I have seen so far is Falafel. They make waffles and sell ice cream, sometimes together. Seems like a brilliant idea, but really it is just historical (where do you think they got the idea for a WAFFLE cone). Besides spotting bakeries and ice cream shops, an out door cafe is always in site. They even give the guests blankets on cold days. There is often tables, chairs, and umbrellas set up and just one tiny building for cooking and servicing the guests.

I will soon have pictures up of some of the things I have seen around Copenhagen. Let me restate that I LOVE COMMENTS AND EMAILS! I get discouraged if I don't think people are reading my blog. So please do send an email to mollymurdock@msn.com. I WILL RESPOND!

PS The title means "I come from Texas." It is pronouced...ya kommeh fra Texas

DIS

As most of you know I am studying at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad. What most of you don't know is that it is a very prestigious program. 80% of my school is composed of students from either a private college or highly selective schools. It seems like Cambridge is among the most popular among the Business students, but it ranges from Yale to...well, Texas Tech University! The professors are not full time teachers, but rather professionals in their field who take time out of their busy schedule to teach us. I don't think I will ever be taught by such a qualified staff again. Although these professors are experts, they are still extremely informal. We call every one of them by their first name. My professor for International Marketing and Branding even invited us to his home this Friday night for dinner and drinks. It isn't uncommon for professors to have a round of drinks with their students on study tours and other adventure trips. It all seems like a very big change, but some things do remain the same. I have my favorite classes and then...finance. I am still working hard to maintain grades, and they will still be on a A, B, C basis. Actually it will be on an A basis for me.

The school is in the heart of the city. I had to get used to the metro and TONS of walking. In between classes, I like to explore the surrounding area. There are several streets and neighborhoods that are strictly for pedestrians. Countless shops and bakeries line the sidewalks. I feel like there is a surplus of ice cream shops. There is ALWAYS one in sight. Sandwich cafes and coffee shops are also very popular.

Well...I thought I would give you my address

Molly Murdock
DIS, Vestergade 7,
1456 Copenhagen K,
Denmark

I also wanted to tell you all...if you want to leave a comment, you can do it anonymously, just make sure to leave your name within the comment. You could also email me at mollymurdock@msn.com. I love questions and comments so please please please send one on!