Classes and Travel

It’s been a busy last two weeks, as evidence by my lack of blog entries (I do enjoy doing them). I am also still quite busy as I will explain so I will hold off on anything more about the trip with Donnie and Dad until I have more time to type up the journals.

Classes started at the beginning of last week and I think I have finally chosen what I will be taking. I was planning to take 5 in total, but now am only taking 4, and the standard for many people is to only take 2!

Basically I have decided to concentrate on Danish while I am here. I went to my classes on sociology in the Middle East last Thursday, and it just wasn’t that great—way too much theory that I didn’t think was applied enough. I’m more interested in the learning about the culture and history of countries than learning a bunch of theories that can be applied to them in the end. I may end up going a few more weeks though because it is my only class with Danes in it, so it is a good chance to meet people and it may get better.

All my other 4 classes have to do with Danish! A bit crazy I know…

I am taking a Danish Culture Course in which all I have to do is attend a lecture which is essentially a history until modern times and then explanation about Danish art, film, etc. This is only once a week for two hours and there will be no assignments (I am taking it for the lesser amount of credits, therefore I get less work). This course is in English.

Then I am taking a course in Danish Phonetics, which is basically working on pronunciation; how different words/letters are formed in the mouth and basically the phenomena of spoken Danish. This class is only in Danish and I am the only American of about 15 people.

I am also taking a course in “Advanced Written Danish” which is so far is grammar, spelling, and a bit of (painstaking) translation. Should be interesting as, once again, I am the only American, there are about 25 people in the course, and again it is only in Danish.

Finally I will be taking just a general Danish course like I would be taking if I took a language class, but is outside the University. It is through the same school that my Aunt Maureen takes her obligatory Danish Classes. They have various tests that move you up levels and one should be able to pass if one is to work here, or study at the University in Danish for example. This will of course be taught in Danish, and should be interesting to see the dynamic as I’m sure there will be more older people, who have married Danes or are here to work.

Another interesting aspect of my classes is that I am the only one who is learning just their 2^nd language. For the majority of the people in the class this is their 3^rd or 4^th language, and others have more. Ah… the jealousy

So basically I will be on Danish overload—although I definitely don’t feel like it yet. I have been quite busy because my friend Maddie from UW came to visit on the way back from her early study tour to Russia. Stephanie, her friend from the program who also goes to the U came to Copenhagen too and my landlord was nice enough to let them both stay here.

So the past few days the apartment has been packed and I have been doing some schoolwork but mostly just hanging out with them, showing them the city, going out at night, and speaking lots of English…

Maddie and I had planned on traveling while she came to visit, and we have made plans to spend a 4 day weekend in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. We are leaving tonight at 7pm after my Danish Culture Course and staying until Monday morning. I am extremely excited to travel as always and looking forward to some cheaper food and a new culture. I asked my Czech friend from Prague that I met at the pre-semester language course what places are good to see, so I feel like I have a little insider view that should help.

I feel like the opportunity to be over is great so I am trying to use it as much as I can to travel a ton to places where it would take much more time and cost much more when doing from the United States. We have a break in early-mid October for the department and I really wanted to travel alone. So I will be exploring Morocco and Southern Spain on my week off. I feel like it’s a bit ambitious for my first time traveling alone buy I am very excited and am sure it will turn out great.

On a side note--Grandpa Bill you would be proud to know I visited the US embassy today in Copenhagen (Maddie lost her passport in Sweden to pickpocketers), it is definitely a good thing to know where it is. Unfortunately the service resembled that of many other US governmental institutions...

All travel aside I am having a good time—lets just hope I spend enough time in the country to speak some Danish : )

I would like to wish Grandma Helen a Happy Birthday. And a pre-emptive Happy Birthday to Brina. I wish I could be there for both.

Off to class; hope to hear back from you.

Jeff