So Who Else is in Denmark?
Thursday morning, I wake up bright and early to catch a train to Copenhagen—so early, in fact, that I speak with my parents on the phone after waking up; it’s only 10 pm in Wisconsin! After getting ready and gathering my bags, I walk to the bus station near my house and catch the first bus of the morning. In Aarhus, bus service ends around 1 am and starts up again at 5 am. If you’re hoping to catch a ride home during the off hours, you’ll need to do a whole lot of walking or take a taxi.
I beat Carissa to the train station and decide to get a coffee and frøsnapper (a popular Danish pastry which directly translates to “frog snapper” and is made with both poppy and sesame seeds) from the 7-Eleven. My new student card gets me an excellent discount, and I add another Danish interaction to my growing list!
During the train ride, I enjoy the view of Jylland (Jutland, the peninsula Aarhus is located on) and do some reading. A few seats over, a group of Danish men crack open cans of Tuborg Grøn (a very popular Danish beer). When we arrive in Copenhagen around 9:30, the men are three beers in and have moved on to drinking from flasks. Wisconsin has some competition when it comes to drinking culture!
Today in Copenhagen, the Danish Fulbright Commission is hosting an orientation for new students and scholars in Denmark. As a brief aside, a Fulbright “student” is one conducting research or studies at the master’s or PhD level, like me. A Fulbright “scholar” has already completed an advanced degree and holds a position as a professor at an American university.
When Carissa and I arrive at the Fulbright office, it’s packed! The morning starts with a coffee social where we meet the other Fulbrighters and office staff. I say hello to Dennis, who graduated from Columbia with me this past spring, and meet several other students pursuing biological research!
Denmark prioritizes Fulbright grants in the areas of life sciences, space, and sustainability, so most of my peers are pursuing research in these fields. As a group, we hear lectures from the Fulbright staff on tips for living in Denmark. After learning all about bank accounts, health insurance, travel, and visas, we break for lunch.
During the lunch period, we are sorted into groups for a Copenhagen scavenger hunt! My group consists of Sada, a professor from Arizona studying sports governing bodies; Hayden, a recent Vanderbilt grad conducting diabetes research; and Matthew, a graduate of the University of Tennessee studying chemical engineering. We go out in search of BLOX, which is actually the home of the Danish Architecture Center!
As part of the scavenger hunt, we have to take photos along the way and learn the history of the area surrounding BLOX. We speak to the staff at BLOX and learn that the famous Danish architecture building was designed by a Dutch architect! We also speak to a man outside the Danish Parliament building who then goes inside. Maybe he was famous?
In Denmark, political “celebrities” often walk around the cities without security! Every June in Copenhagen, the monarch holds a Royal Run, and this past June, the newly crowned King Frederik joined the race!
From Left to Right: Hayden, me, Matthew, and Sada
After lunch, we have more information sessions and wrap up the day with a dinner. We are joined by three members of the Fulbright board and have the chance to socialize with more of the grant awardees. I meet Michelle, who received a grant to conduct research for her upcoming book on Rachel Carson, and her husband, Gene, who writes scripts for television crime shows. They will be living in Odense this year, which is just under two hours away from me.
At the end of the night, Carissa and I walk back to our hotel, exhausted after a long day of traveling, learning, and socializing. The next morning, we have a complimentary breakfast at the hotel and decide to stop at the King’s Garden on our way back to the Fulbright office. There, Carissa pets some massive carp fish, and we see the Royal Life Guards Music Band perform outside the military academy.
Back at the Fulbright office, we meet officers from the U.S. embassy. They inform us of crime statistics in Denmark—medium on petty crime and terrorism, although these statistics are likely skewed due to Denmark’s crime reporting system being far superior to much of Europe. We also meet Morten from the embassy, who very bluntly states, “If you see my face again, it is because you are behind bars or in a hospital bed.” Nice guy!
We then have more information sessions on bike laws and academic culture in Denmark before leaving the office for a boat tour of the Copenhagen canals!
At the end of the day, we make informal dinner plans and head out on the town! We hit a street market and enjoy tacos and Mexican beers before heading to a bar in Copenhagen called Taphouse, famous for having over 60 varieties of beer! After that, Carissa, Alea, and I head to the train station.
Being in Copenhagen for a few days was lots of fun, and I loved meeting everyone and hearing about their exciting research! The Fulbright commission picked a very diverse group of students and scholars, and I can’t wait to see them again throughout the year at Fulbright-sponsored events and even just for lunches and dinners here and there.
Now, back in Aarhus—I’ve got a busy week ahead!
P.S. – I couldn’t include all of my Copenhagen photos in this post, so I added them to the Fotos/Photos page! Go check them out!
Image Descriptions:
1: Me outside Rosenborg Slot, the old home of the Danish Royal Family
2: A view of Jylland
3: Standing outside the Fulbright office!
4: Blox!
5: Outside Christiansborg, home to the Danish Parliament and Prime Minister
From Left to Right: Hayden, me, Matthew, and Sada
6: Carissa pets the fish!
7: The Royal Life Guards Music Band
8: Views from the canal tour!
3 responses to “In This Post I… Go to Copenhagen”
The problem with the photo page is that there are no descriptions. Over my years in the Middle East, I worked with many Fulbright alumni… and of course Peace Corp. Many of us expat types really don’t want to go back home. lol
Okay finally got the hang of responding to comments…
Photo captions are only working for some, so I’ve included descriptions at the end of each post. I haven’t yet figured out how to do the same for the Fotos/Photos page of the blog.
I can understand why they felt that way! It’s going to be tough saying goodbye in June.
And then just think how much harder it is for someone who have been abroad for most of 15 years. lol BTW… No problem reading the photo descriptions in the blog for me. Odd that you can’t add them to the Fotos page.