On Wednesday, I went to the Aarhus Street Food Market. This is a large indoor/outdoor food court where small stands serve a variety of cuisines. There’s a traditional Danish stand (admittedly not popular at all), Mexican, halal, Greek, Indian, American, etc. Really anything that you can think of, and all for a pretty reasonable price.
I met up there with my peer group from the Health faculty. I was assigned to this department, which is basically their medical school, when I applied to Aarhus University, even though my work here is more similar to a PhD student in the biology department. However, it means I get to interact with medical students and join in on their social activities, which is pretty cool!
We all got our own food, compliments of the Health faculty, and sat down in the outdoor space. We swapped stories about medical education and health professions in our own countries, which was really fascinating. Silvia, from Norway, said that getting a job as a doctor is all about “who you know.” The really interesting positions in big cities like Oslo are often only given to family members and close friends of existing employees! Anna, who is from Austria, said the patients back home are all really happy to interact with doctors and be at the hospital!
On Thursday, I took a big step and became a temporary Danish citizen! I registered with the citizen service and now I have my own CPR number, which is basically the Danish version of a social security number. This number allows me to get a bank account, Danish phone number, and access free healthcare!
Friday was another busy day! In the morning, I performed my first mouse craniectomy (skull removal). One of the PhD students in the lab taught me how to use the drill and make a special glass covering to replace the skull. This is a technique I’ll need to nail down before starting my experiment.
That evening, Carissa and I ventured nearly 2 hours North to watch the Aalborg Pirates hockey game. The atmosphere was electric and people were really… well, drunk! It was an exciting game with lots of penalties, a little bit of blood, and one Pirates victory! The main reason we ventured so far away from home to watch the game is because two Minnesotans play for the team, and they happen to be the grandchildren of my grandparents’ neighbors! Carissa and I met them after the game and chatted with them about life in Denmark. They have been here just a week longer than us and are still getting used to the Danish lifestyle. I imagine we’ll be back for more games in the future, especially since they offered us free tickets!
On Saturday, Carissa and I went to the Aarhus Festuge, where we met Michael, a Fulbright PhD student, and his family. His wife, Rebecca, and three daughters are visiting until late October but will then return to the US while he stays in Aarhus for the remainder of his grant period. We played dress-up with the girls, enjoyed some fair food, and did some shopping in the nearby neighborhood.
When Michael’s eldest daughter insisted on playing chess, we embarked on a futile journey of teaching a five-year-old to play the game. I’m not sure any of our lessons stuck, but the board was jumbo-size and she enjoyed moving around the pieces.
On Sunday, my street had a massive garage sale! Every house had things out for sale and many of the neighborhood children baked cookies and made lemonade. My roommates walked up and down the street, finally meeting some of our neighbors and getting some good deals! I purchased a raincoat and a wool sweater that will be perfect for the colder weather.
In the afternoon, we decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and head to the beach. We relaxed by the water and read, then decided to get into the sea! Although it was a bit cold, the hot weather made it feel refreshing. We biked to a pizza place after that, and later had some ice cream.
Image Descriptions:
1. The beach near my home, in Aarhus
2. A sunny street in Aarhus!
3. The mouse operating room
4. The Aalborg Pirates (in red) vs the Fredrikshavn White Hawks (in white)
5. Waiting patiently to play chess!
6. Ready to bike back home after ice cream!
2 responses to “In This Post I… Celebrate Aarhus Festuge”
Go Pirates!
It truly is a small world when you meet someone in Denmark that you have a connection with from back home!! Very cool stuff! Curious: does the same guy appear in the cover photo on this post & the waiting to play chess photo? Planned or coincidence? Loving all the photos & information!!