Time flies...

Hey Everyone,

Well I haven't really lived up to my goal of regular updates, but here comes another quick one with some stuff that has been going on the past two weeks.

Christmas time is definitely here. Lights are up everywhere, there is an outdoor ice rink in one of the town's main squares, a christmas market by the harbor, and on the weekend people are shopping like crazy!

As far as the season in general it seems similar to that in the states, just with more parties. There are different types of christmas parties/gatherings but the traditional one "julefrokost" is the most common. I unfortunately have not been to one yet, and am not sure if I will get the chance to see a traditional one. My badminton group was planning one but now it has been moved to later because not many could come. There is also one for employees at the student house next weekend--looking forward to that one.

From what I have heard the event is essentially just drinking, drinking, some eating of traditional foods, and then lots more drinking (in the words of Denise: "the closer it gets to Christmas, the more the Danes drink). Due to finals and not being too huge a fan of Schnaps anyway it may be a good thing I don't have a huge amount of these to attend like many Danes do.

Last weekend I met with Ole and Grete, my great aunt and uncle who live in Copenhagen for dinner. It was great as they got to come see my apartment which they hadn't seen yet, then we went out to sushi, which was very good and the first time I had had it in Copenhagen. We then stopped at a cafe for some coffee and amusing ourselves by watching drunk coworkers taking part in--you guessed it- a julefrokost. We then went back to their apartment and I got to see the work which they, and handymen had done on their walls and floors. And the most exciting part for me was almost the whole evening was in Danish!

Needless to say I was very happy about that :) While I was with them I also mentioned I was planning to travel one last time. Ole showed me a nice website for booking cheap trips with flight and hotel, and they both recommended Berlin which they had a 2007 guidebook on. So, right after finals I will be heading for Berlin for 3 days.

Two nights ago I went to a Finnish independence day party thrown by my Finnish friend in my Danish courses and a group of her Finnish friends studying in Copenhagen. I got to see some Finnish dancing, hear lots of Finnish music (including the national anthem), and try some Finnish pastries (dough with a kind of rice porridge filling with butter on top).

Yesterday I finally made it to a party at a Kollegium, or dormitory. This one was very closeby my apartment and at one of the very new dorms, built just two years ago. I have to say it is definitely very odd coming from the strict rules in the states and often having to enforce them as an RA, to going to a party where they actually had a bar of sorts inside the dorm itself serving beer from taps! Definitely a change...

Other than that just studying--finals coming up on Tue. and Thur. Good luck to all at the U in the same situation...

Hope everyone is doing well,

Jeff