Good afternoon, all. I hope that the day finds you well.
I've done a few interesting things since last I Blogged (man, that sounds awful. We need to think up a better verb). I also have to study for a European Storytelling test tonight, so I'll try to make this slightly shorter.
First, we had our Photojournalism exhibition on Friday, which was very cool. Right now, our prints are hung in the DIS common room (where everyone goes to eat their lunch). As stated earlier, I did my photographs of a professor at Copenhagen University. I feel as though I have developed a lot through this process, and I hope that I can come back to the Scarlet and Black with a bit more experience than before.
After the exhibition, I went to Tivoli with DIS! Woot! Now, to explain what Tivoli is... it is kind of like an amusement park, but it is also a major concert venue (on Friday nights, i.e. when we were there) and garden (there are thousands upon thousands of beautiful flowers there that are all in bloom right now). As the rest of the DIS people clumped up and headed on their own separate directions, I was left wandering aimlessly for a bit until I met another of my lone fellow DIS friends also wandering aimlessly. So, we made a conscious decision to walk around together and explore. However, things took a turn for the daring when someone who entered with a season pass gave me a multi-ride ticket... which means that I could go on as many rides in the place as I wanted. My newfound friend also wanted to try every ride she could, so things got interesting. She went on a huge fast roller-coaster with three loops called The Demon; my courage was not sufficient to join her. Then we went to a big swing that lifted us high above the buildings of Copenhagen. I never really noticed just how low all of the buildings are: Copenhagen does not have any skyscrapers in the downtown area. The view was spectacular... then the swings started to spin, and I was quickly spun into a position that I had no idea what direction I was facing and where I was going next. Then we went on a few more tame rides (including one wooden roller coaster), and then, against my better judgment, she convinced me to go on "The Demon". I must admit, it was heart-rattling, but it was very fun.
After making ourselves almost vomit, we did some shopping and got candyfloss (that's apparently the European term for cotton candy; what an awful name). Then we listened to the concert, a performance by Swedish pop singer Lisa Nilsson. Put simply, she was excellent; it was mostly relaxed music with the occasional hard rock, and both her vocals and the bass guitar solos were stellar. We finished the evening by getting some chai tea and then watched an awesome light show over a lake while on a bridge over said lake. Being right in the middle of the show was cool, especially when a lot of smoke whooshed out from under us.
Sunday was also a bit of an adventure; I went with my host parents to Kokkedal Castle. I was a little disappointed in that the "castle" was actually just a really big mansion; no parapets, no moat, no big stone walls. Apparently the castle was used as a summer house by royalty in the distant past, then it fell into disuse over the years. Here's the interesting part: a wealthy, private individual bought the castle, and then began a massive renovation project. However, the fellow ran out of money, so the castle renovations remained unfinished. Then, the castle was bought by the royalty again, then sold again to a private individual to undergo renovations to turn it into a conference center. (I might not have all the facts straight on when this place changed hands, but the point of the matter is that the building has had a bit of a rough existence since its original construction in 1746).
Now, since I am in the midst of doing my evaluations for my DIS professors, it seems like it would be a good time to give a thumbs up and thumbs down list for DIS.
Thumbs up: Study tours are freaking amazing. They are well-planned, relevant for the course material, informational, fun, and allow for at least some free time. Two of the study tours are also entirely paid for by DIS in advance, so those are even more amazing. Then again, I should say that my program (European Politics) is renowned for its cool study tours, I believe.
Thumbs up: Course offerings are incredible. You can take almost anything that you can think of here, including applied sciences though not including theoretical sciences. I am so glad that I was able to diversify a bit, taking a Politics class, a psych class, an English class, a photography class, and a language class.
Thumbs up: Compared to other study abroad programs, DIS academics are very strong. The professors are almost all professionals in their given field, so, for the most part, they know what they are talking about. I felt that I learned a ton this semester, though that may have been due to my course selection.
Thumbs down: Program might be simply too big. In general, the classes are quite large, as 4 out of 5 of mine had more than 30 people.
Thumbs down: DIS focuses on group projects, which, as much as I enjoy interacting with people, is incredibly inconvenient because none of us live anywhere near each other. If I could take the group projects at Grinnell and the individual projects at DIS, I would be much happier.
Thumbs down: A general expectation that students here love to party. Time to go out to a bar and drink is essentially included in the study tours, and the 4 days of classes every week facilitates people getting hammered on a regular basis. DIS faculty and staff also seem to drink just a little too much at times; I feel that it would be best if I not name names.
Anyway, here's a little more to chew on about my study abroad experience. Only 5 days until I arrive back in the states (AHH!) and only 7 days until I get back to Grinnell (AHH!)
Showing posts with label classes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classes. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A couple museums and some reflections
Good evening, all. I hope the day finds you well.
I do not have too much to write about this evening, but I feel that it is still incredibly important for me to keep a running update on how things are going. Here goes.
With my European Storytelling class, we went to the Frilandsmuseet, an open-air museum of old Danish and Swedish houses. The houses are apparently in almost the exact same condition as they have been for over a hundred (and some up to two hundred) years, the vast majority of them having been deconstructed from elsewhere around Denmark or Sweden, numbered, and then re-erected board by board and piece by piece at this museum. The buildings certainly looked authentic: the boards were of awful quality (apparently Denmark has very bad wood for construction purposes, so that's why most of the old houses' timbers are leaning to one side). We saw the village pond, the village tree, and all that, as well as the inside of a few homes. Because of the persistent cold every winter, very little of old Danish homes were heated, and the heat that was there was often the same heat source used for cooking. In most well-off homes, there used to be kind of a chimney room, where the blazing fire would heat stones that would be used for cooking, with an exit for the smoke at the top. The houses of the rich also often had an immense pile of manure in the center of the farmhouse in order to prevent other people from stealing your manure (mind-boggling, isn't it?) Danish egalitarianism was seen throughout the homes, as servants were allowed to eat with the family and often even sleep in the same bed as the master or children.
The storytelling element came into play when we talked about the "little folk" that helped do chores and protect the farmland. Previous Danes believed in the existence of tiny creatures that helped with housework; they would protect the family and farm from harm as long as the family left spilled food or drink for them to eat. There were also apparently some "little folk" rumored to live in the nearby forests, but those types were evil and malicious and abducted people to experiment on and terrify them. (One of my fellow classmates at this point made an astute observation that, while modern people don't often believe in little home elves running about the house, many still do believe in aliens that live in outer space that abduct and experiment on people). Apparently the little folk were supposed to be the angels that fell with Lucifer, not really evil beings but rather not-so-perfect beings.
Later that day (yesterday), I went on another museum trip, this time to the State Museum of Art. I was very pleased to find out that it was free; however, I must admit that it was not as much to see as other museums I have been to lately (maybe I spoiled myself by going to the Vatican Museums and the Hermitage?) The scope of art there was vast, ranging from 15th or 16th century to the present day. I must admit that, despite having gone to the Louisiana Museum and being exposed to the best modern art in Denmark, modern art still just doesn't do it for me, so I mostly spent time looking at the older stuff. There were an assortment of really gorgeous landscapes and still-lifes, as well as depictions of many mythological events such as the falling of the Titans. Of course, in almost all of the Christian artwork, Mary was the absolute focus; maybe I would have to be Catholic for that fascination to make sense. There was a photography exhibit on the top floor, though I was a little disappointed in that the vast majority of the photographs were heavily edited either through darkroom techniques or Photoshop, so it was kind of hard for me to get very excited about those. Then there was the modern art exhibit, some of which was kind of interesting: I liked the art from the era of intense Danish nationalism, most especially when the subject matter was something that I recognized from Copenhagen.
Besides these two museum trips, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my experience here at DIS. There's so much to say; studying abroad is so much more complex than just a blog post can describe. I have done so many things that I never would have imagined doing: seeing the Winter Palace, integrating with a Danish family, seeing the Sistine Chapel, talking about ancient European stories's influence on modern video games, stood in the meeting rooms of the European Union, navigating a foreign city by myself... Now, classes are almost over, and in 9 days I will be heading back to the US. I have been talking with my friends here a lot about the program; what we have liked and what we have disliked. Many of us feel that the academics here are incredibly easy, with the obvious exception of pre-med, child development, or architecture students. Most of us loved the study tours, I feel, one person even going so far as to say that they are the reason that they would recommend DIS to future students. Some people felt that they did not learn anything in any of their classes and that this all has been one long vacation.
My analysis (and there will be more in posts to come, never fear) is that, with a few exceptions, DIS gives you what you put into it. The courses are easier than Grinnell, pure and simple; however, many of the readings are just as informative. I have written about the same number of papers that I do at Grinnell, but they are shorter and graded significantly easier. Tests are more about memorizing information rather than synthesizing it; however, there is a lot of information to memorize, especially in the science classes. If you want to get drunk every other night and drink yourself stupid on all of the study tours, you can; if you want to visit museums, get heavily involved in Danish culture, and have a cultural experience in many different cultures, you can do that too. The program is so large and so flexible that all 660 of us have probably had very different experiences. Personally, I have absolutely loved being able to take applied classes, and I truly feel that I have gotten some insight into some of the practical skills that might be needed if I decide to go down a particular career path. I certainly am burning with desire to study a language again, likely due to my amazing Danish professor. A host family is a mixed blessing, as it is incredibly cultural and insightful but very lonely. The study tours were amazing, and I cannot recommend them highly enough if someone wants to come to DIS to see Europe, which is not as shallow of a goal as I had once thought. Denmark is certainly a safe, wealthy, quiet country, and I can certainly understand why Danes are so reluctant to stray far from their little fairy-tale-land.
More, hopefully more thought out reflections will come later.
I do not have too much to write about this evening, but I feel that it is still incredibly important for me to keep a running update on how things are going. Here goes.
With my European Storytelling class, we went to the Frilandsmuseet, an open-air museum of old Danish and Swedish houses. The houses are apparently in almost the exact same condition as they have been for over a hundred (and some up to two hundred) years, the vast majority of them having been deconstructed from elsewhere around Denmark or Sweden, numbered, and then re-erected board by board and piece by piece at this museum. The buildings certainly looked authentic: the boards were of awful quality (apparently Denmark has very bad wood for construction purposes, so that's why most of the old houses' timbers are leaning to one side). We saw the village pond, the village tree, and all that, as well as the inside of a few homes. Because of the persistent cold every winter, very little of old Danish homes were heated, and the heat that was there was often the same heat source used for cooking. In most well-off homes, there used to be kind of a chimney room, where the blazing fire would heat stones that would be used for cooking, with an exit for the smoke at the top. The houses of the rich also often had an immense pile of manure in the center of the farmhouse in order to prevent other people from stealing your manure (mind-boggling, isn't it?) Danish egalitarianism was seen throughout the homes, as servants were allowed to eat with the family and often even sleep in the same bed as the master or children.
The storytelling element came into play when we talked about the "little folk" that helped do chores and protect the farmland. Previous Danes believed in the existence of tiny creatures that helped with housework; they would protect the family and farm from harm as long as the family left spilled food or drink for them to eat. There were also apparently some "little folk" rumored to live in the nearby forests, but those types were evil and malicious and abducted people to experiment on and terrify them. (One of my fellow classmates at this point made an astute observation that, while modern people don't often believe in little home elves running about the house, many still do believe in aliens that live in outer space that abduct and experiment on people). Apparently the little folk were supposed to be the angels that fell with Lucifer, not really evil beings but rather not-so-perfect beings.
Later that day (yesterday), I went on another museum trip, this time to the State Museum of Art. I was very pleased to find out that it was free; however, I must admit that it was not as much to see as other museums I have been to lately (maybe I spoiled myself by going to the Vatican Museums and the Hermitage?) The scope of art there was vast, ranging from 15th or 16th century to the present day. I must admit that, despite having gone to the Louisiana Museum and being exposed to the best modern art in Denmark, modern art still just doesn't do it for me, so I mostly spent time looking at the older stuff. There were an assortment of really gorgeous landscapes and still-lifes, as well as depictions of many mythological events such as the falling of the Titans. Of course, in almost all of the Christian artwork, Mary was the absolute focus; maybe I would have to be Catholic for that fascination to make sense. There was a photography exhibit on the top floor, though I was a little disappointed in that the vast majority of the photographs were heavily edited either through darkroom techniques or Photoshop, so it was kind of hard for me to get very excited about those. Then there was the modern art exhibit, some of which was kind of interesting: I liked the art from the era of intense Danish nationalism, most especially when the subject matter was something that I recognized from Copenhagen.
Besides these two museum trips, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my experience here at DIS. There's so much to say; studying abroad is so much more complex than just a blog post can describe. I have done so many things that I never would have imagined doing: seeing the Winter Palace, integrating with a Danish family, seeing the Sistine Chapel, talking about ancient European stories's influence on modern video games, stood in the meeting rooms of the European Union, navigating a foreign city by myself... Now, classes are almost over, and in 9 days I will be heading back to the US. I have been talking with my friends here a lot about the program; what we have liked and what we have disliked. Many of us feel that the academics here are incredibly easy, with the obvious exception of pre-med, child development, or architecture students. Most of us loved the study tours, I feel, one person even going so far as to say that they are the reason that they would recommend DIS to future students. Some people felt that they did not learn anything in any of their classes and that this all has been one long vacation.
My analysis (and there will be more in posts to come, never fear) is that, with a few exceptions, DIS gives you what you put into it. The courses are easier than Grinnell, pure and simple; however, many of the readings are just as informative. I have written about the same number of papers that I do at Grinnell, but they are shorter and graded significantly easier. Tests are more about memorizing information rather than synthesizing it; however, there is a lot of information to memorize, especially in the science classes. If you want to get drunk every other night and drink yourself stupid on all of the study tours, you can; if you want to visit museums, get heavily involved in Danish culture, and have a cultural experience in many different cultures, you can do that too. The program is so large and so flexible that all 660 of us have probably had very different experiences. Personally, I have absolutely loved being able to take applied classes, and I truly feel that I have gotten some insight into some of the practical skills that might be needed if I decide to go down a particular career path. I certainly am burning with desire to study a language again, likely due to my amazing Danish professor. A host family is a mixed blessing, as it is incredibly cultural and insightful but very lonely. The study tours were amazing, and I cannot recommend them highly enough if someone wants to come to DIS to see Europe, which is not as shallow of a goal as I had once thought. Denmark is certainly a safe, wealthy, quiet country, and I can certainly understand why Danes are so reluctant to stray far from their little fairy-tale-land.
More, hopefully more thought out reflections will come later.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Orthodoxy, Kremlins, and the Sleeping Man
Good evening all.
Here comes the second installment of my Russia trip narrative. I will try to add a little more culture this time, and end with a list of highlights and amusing quotes about Russia. I apologize in advance if I get some names or progressions mixed up, though I guarantee that I am doing my best.
We started with the same breakfast as the past two days, then packed our things and headed for Novgorod. Novgorod was originally the northern capital of the Kiev state, the political body that would eventually become modern day Russia. The city eventually came into conflict with Moscow after the Tatar invasion, losing the conflict and Moscow being established as the capital. Today, Novgorod is a city of about 200,000 that is a popular historical tourist spot for Russians seeking insight into their history.
In Novgorod, we first visited the Novgorod Kremlin. Now, to disambiguate, almost every old Russian city has a kremlin, the word translating to “wall” and often being used as a garrison point for the local militia. The walls have been renovated multiple times, but sections of it date back to the 15th century. Inside, we saw the Monument of 1000 Years of Russia, constructed in 1862, and St. Sofia’s Cathedral dating all the way back to 1050. We then walked across a bridge over the Volkhof River and saw the old merchants’ quarter filled with churches built by the guilds. After this excursion, we went to a restaurant for lunch where we had the traditional cabbage, beets, and unidentified meat (though the ice cream for dessert was very good).
We then went to likely one of the more tense visits of the tour: St. George’s Monastery, tended by a Russian Orthodox monk named Dmitri. He gave both the history of the monastery and a pseudo-sermon through translation by our professor, and then showed us the inside of the monastery he tends. Afterwards, he answered questions, which gave us an opportunity to learn about the Orthodox faith directly from an active member in the tradition. He was certainly not harboring any pluralist tendencies, saying multiple times that those who have heard about the Russian Orthodox Church and failed to accept its teachings and traditions will be unable to pass God’s exam on Judgment Day. After his lecture, we took a quick look around the rest of the church grounds and then went into town to have dinner. A few of us went to a very nice restaurant where we had grilled salmon, tea, hash browns, and boiled vegetables.
After dinner, we all hopped on the train for Moscow. Now, this was my first overnight train experience, and I have to say that it was much better than I had expected/ been told by other people who have taken overnight trains. We slept four to a compartment, and chatted for a while until sleep overtook us one by one.
We awoke the next morning in Moscow, and transferred to our hotel right away to freshen up and/or catch up on sleep missed on the train ride. Almost immediately upon our arrival, I could tell a marked difference from St. Petersburg, Moscow filled with skyscrapers, decisively cleaner, and certainly not doing anything to hide the fact that it is one of the world’s largest cities. The city is laid out and run very functionally, with two road rings around the city that are in a constant state of traffic jam. We then started our bus sight-seeing tour, working our way to downtown Moscow to see Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Moscow Kremlin. We had a tour through Lenin’s Tomb, the most heavily guarded tourist attraction that I have ever seen, and then had lunch at a few fast food restaurants right off the Square. Amusingly enough, Lenin and Stalin impersonators dotted the square, as well as people dressed as cartoon characters. We then went to see an immense Marx statue, Moscow State University, and a picturesque platform overlooking the city skyline.
Upon our return to Red Square, we met up with some students who attend Moscow State University and broke into small groups to disperse ourselves around the city. Three Russian girls named Nina, Anastasia, and Marcia joined my group of four Americans, and we went to see some of the more obscure sights of the city including an immense square filled with grand architecture dedicated to the working people of the Soviet Union. The square seemed to have been, at one point, used as a form of consulate of the USSR’s component republics; now, it is an amusement park and hangout of teenagers and young adults. The place touched me in a way, forcing me to realize that the Soviet Union was indeed taking action to empower its people, and has left a strong impression on the minds of future political leaders and the people of Russia. We then took the monorail to a small shopping and dining center to have dinner at a restaurant called Moo-moo’s, where we had extremely cheap yet quality food. Afterwards, we went to one of Moscow’s walking streets where we bought some beers and talked in a small park.
The conversation with the students served a function that I am at a loss of words to describe. I met three typical Russian students, who attended a university and went about their daily lives in a city that was regarded as the source of all evil by the American government. They had lived through the fall of the Soviet Union, yet they seemed to harbor absolutely no hostility or even uneasiness towards the United States. In fact, many of them wanted to visit the US, though they said that they still want to call Moscow home for the rest of their lives. I shared a meal, a walk, some metro trips, my interests, my dreams, their interests, their dreams, lots of laughs, and even a talk about our love lives with people and not former citizens of the “evil empire.” Similar to my first encounters with my fellow students at Grinnell, I have again realized that our world is first and foremost composed of people and not Americans, Russians, Jews, Christians, etc.
I now have a human face to evoke whenever people talk about “the Russians,” an absolutely invaluable experience that, I feel at least in this moment, breaks away my stereotypes and mental images to open my consciousness to the experiences of other people.
The next day was certainly a climax of political, cultural, and historical importance, the day where we visited the Kremlin. After a thorough security check, we were allowed onto the grounds of the Kremlin, where we had a guided tour. We saw the office building of President Putin, as well as his administrative building, as well as the Czar Cannon and Czar Bell, two amazing metal masterpieces that were actually never fired or rung. We then saw the three churches that were crucial to the daily lives of the czars, including the church where the czars were baptized and married, the church where they were crowned, and the church where they were buried. All Russian czars are buried here up until the 17th century, when Peter the Great moved the burial location to St. Petersburg. As could be expected, the churches were absolutely beautiful, housing both golden decorations and artwork that are national treasures to the Russian people. We also were given some free time to walk around the gardens and viewing platforms of the Kremlin, though we were explicitly told not to step on the street on threat of being arrested immediately.
After leaving the Kremlin through the gate where Lenin entered to take power in 1918, we then split up to explore the city on our own. I then headed off back to Red Square to meet up with Annie Brothers, who is currently studying abroad in Moscow. After a hug-filled reunion, we took a tour to see a few more sights that my study tour has missed. We went to building that housed the former KGB headquarters, as well as the Soviet Polytechnic Museum. Afterwards, we visited two memorials that were set up in honor of the people who died from the terrorist bombings early Monday morning. We then said our farewells, and I took the metro back to the hotel to shop at a large souvenir mall near the hotel. I then hopped on a bus at the hotel to head back to downtown Moscow for our farewell dinner, where we had an excellent meal and plenty of good vodka. Our newfound Russian friends also attended the event, and we shared a few laughs and stories about ourselves in a slightly inebriated dialogue. With that, the official stops of the tour had ended, and we got back on the bus to crash at the hotel.
Once we arrived at the hotel, however, not everyone got off the bus. After a good meal and a few shots of vodka, I was incredibly tired and fell asleep in the back of the bus. Unbeknownst to him, the driver left the hotel with me still sleeping in the back seat. I then woke up to the driver yelling at me in Russian, and he was extremely confused as to why I was still on the bus. Apparently he was in the process of cleaning the bus, and he stumbled upon a “sleeping man” in the back. I was extremely embarrassed and more than a little worried about how to get back to the hotel. The driver then took me in his car to a nearby thoroughfare, where he hailed a taxi and gave directions to the driver to get me back to the hotel. The trip went without a hitch (the driver’s smoking was a bit annoying, but I couldn’t complain), and then I met my professor out in front of the hotel at about 2:00 AM. I apologized profusely, and he simply laughed and said that he was glad that I did not spend the evening in the bus barn and miss the plane the next morning.
Our group packed up after a rushed breakfast the next morning, and got to the Moscow airport without any major problems. The plane left on time, and even arrived a bit early to Copenhagen, with the “sleeping man” on board.
This trip to Russia was undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I believe that it will prove incredibly useful both in telling stories in the Grinnell Dining Hall in the future and in giving me a real notion of what is meant when one speaks the word “Russia.”
Well, that’s my Russia trip. I hope that you have enjoyed the read. Here are a few memorable quotes that will hopefully provide some merriment. Now, I need to pack for my trip to Rome!
Jon = Tour leader Anna = Russian tour assistant Dmitri = Russian Orthodox monk
Jon: “You don’t want to eat traditional Russian food. Traditional Russian food is salted fat on bread with salt on it.”
Jon: “This is a country that has won wars with its weather.”
Jon: “Moscow is very clean: of trash, of illegal immigrants, of dissent…”
Anna: “This is Russia: nothing’s weird” (in reference to the fact that you can get almost any medication at the pharmacy without a prescription)
Anna: “The US is too fair; it’s too hard to get arrested.”
Dmitri: “Until the age of 25, women are attracted to men with strong arms and teeth.”
Dmitri: “We see Protestants as little children who refuse to do their homework.”
Hairdryer sign: “Do not by wet hands touch hair dryer.”
Here comes the second installment of my Russia trip narrative. I will try to add a little more culture this time, and end with a list of highlights and amusing quotes about Russia. I apologize in advance if I get some names or progressions mixed up, though I guarantee that I am doing my best.
We started with the same breakfast as the past two days, then packed our things and headed for Novgorod. Novgorod was originally the northern capital of the Kiev state, the political body that would eventually become modern day Russia. The city eventually came into conflict with Moscow after the Tatar invasion, losing the conflict and Moscow being established as the capital. Today, Novgorod is a city of about 200,000 that is a popular historical tourist spot for Russians seeking insight into their history.
In Novgorod, we first visited the Novgorod Kremlin. Now, to disambiguate, almost every old Russian city has a kremlin, the word translating to “wall” and often being used as a garrison point for the local militia. The walls have been renovated multiple times, but sections of it date back to the 15th century. Inside, we saw the Monument of 1000 Years of Russia, constructed in 1862, and St. Sofia’s Cathedral dating all the way back to 1050. We then walked across a bridge over the Volkhof River and saw the old merchants’ quarter filled with churches built by the guilds. After this excursion, we went to a restaurant for lunch where we had the traditional cabbage, beets, and unidentified meat (though the ice cream for dessert was very good).
We then went to likely one of the more tense visits of the tour: St. George’s Monastery, tended by a Russian Orthodox monk named Dmitri. He gave both the history of the monastery and a pseudo-sermon through translation by our professor, and then showed us the inside of the monastery he tends. Afterwards, he answered questions, which gave us an opportunity to learn about the Orthodox faith directly from an active member in the tradition. He was certainly not harboring any pluralist tendencies, saying multiple times that those who have heard about the Russian Orthodox Church and failed to accept its teachings and traditions will be unable to pass God’s exam on Judgment Day. After his lecture, we took a quick look around the rest of the church grounds and then went into town to have dinner. A few of us went to a very nice restaurant where we had grilled salmon, tea, hash browns, and boiled vegetables.
After dinner, we all hopped on the train for Moscow. Now, this was my first overnight train experience, and I have to say that it was much better than I had expected/ been told by other people who have taken overnight trains. We slept four to a compartment, and chatted for a while until sleep overtook us one by one.
We awoke the next morning in Moscow, and transferred to our hotel right away to freshen up and/or catch up on sleep missed on the train ride. Almost immediately upon our arrival, I could tell a marked difference from St. Petersburg, Moscow filled with skyscrapers, decisively cleaner, and certainly not doing anything to hide the fact that it is one of the world’s largest cities. The city is laid out and run very functionally, with two road rings around the city that are in a constant state of traffic jam. We then started our bus sight-seeing tour, working our way to downtown Moscow to see Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Moscow Kremlin. We had a tour through Lenin’s Tomb, the most heavily guarded tourist attraction that I have ever seen, and then had lunch at a few fast food restaurants right off the Square. Amusingly enough, Lenin and Stalin impersonators dotted the square, as well as people dressed as cartoon characters. We then went to see an immense Marx statue, Moscow State University, and a picturesque platform overlooking the city skyline.
Upon our return to Red Square, we met up with some students who attend Moscow State University and broke into small groups to disperse ourselves around the city. Three Russian girls named Nina, Anastasia, and Marcia joined my group of four Americans, and we went to see some of the more obscure sights of the city including an immense square filled with grand architecture dedicated to the working people of the Soviet Union. The square seemed to have been, at one point, used as a form of consulate of the USSR’s component republics; now, it is an amusement park and hangout of teenagers and young adults. The place touched me in a way, forcing me to realize that the Soviet Union was indeed taking action to empower its people, and has left a strong impression on the minds of future political leaders and the people of Russia. We then took the monorail to a small shopping and dining center to have dinner at a restaurant called Moo-moo’s, where we had extremely cheap yet quality food. Afterwards, we went to one of Moscow’s walking streets where we bought some beers and talked in a small park.
The conversation with the students served a function that I am at a loss of words to describe. I met three typical Russian students, who attended a university and went about their daily lives in a city that was regarded as the source of all evil by the American government. They had lived through the fall of the Soviet Union, yet they seemed to harbor absolutely no hostility or even uneasiness towards the United States. In fact, many of them wanted to visit the US, though they said that they still want to call Moscow home for the rest of their lives. I shared a meal, a walk, some metro trips, my interests, my dreams, their interests, their dreams, lots of laughs, and even a talk about our love lives with people and not former citizens of the “evil empire.” Similar to my first encounters with my fellow students at Grinnell, I have again realized that our world is first and foremost composed of people and not Americans, Russians, Jews, Christians, etc.
I now have a human face to evoke whenever people talk about “the Russians,” an absolutely invaluable experience that, I feel at least in this moment, breaks away my stereotypes and mental images to open my consciousness to the experiences of other people.
The next day was certainly a climax of political, cultural, and historical importance, the day where we visited the Kremlin. After a thorough security check, we were allowed onto the grounds of the Kremlin, where we had a guided tour. We saw the office building of President Putin, as well as his administrative building, as well as the Czar Cannon and Czar Bell, two amazing metal masterpieces that were actually never fired or rung. We then saw the three churches that were crucial to the daily lives of the czars, including the church where the czars were baptized and married, the church where they were crowned, and the church where they were buried. All Russian czars are buried here up until the 17th century, when Peter the Great moved the burial location to St. Petersburg. As could be expected, the churches were absolutely beautiful, housing both golden decorations and artwork that are national treasures to the Russian people. We also were given some free time to walk around the gardens and viewing platforms of the Kremlin, though we were explicitly told not to step on the street on threat of being arrested immediately.
After leaving the Kremlin through the gate where Lenin entered to take power in 1918, we then split up to explore the city on our own. I then headed off back to Red Square to meet up with Annie Brothers, who is currently studying abroad in Moscow. After a hug-filled reunion, we took a tour to see a few more sights that my study tour has missed. We went to building that housed the former KGB headquarters, as well as the Soviet Polytechnic Museum. Afterwards, we visited two memorials that were set up in honor of the people who died from the terrorist bombings early Monday morning. We then said our farewells, and I took the metro back to the hotel to shop at a large souvenir mall near the hotel. I then hopped on a bus at the hotel to head back to downtown Moscow for our farewell dinner, where we had an excellent meal and plenty of good vodka. Our newfound Russian friends also attended the event, and we shared a few laughs and stories about ourselves in a slightly inebriated dialogue. With that, the official stops of the tour had ended, and we got back on the bus to crash at the hotel.
Once we arrived at the hotel, however, not everyone got off the bus. After a good meal and a few shots of vodka, I was incredibly tired and fell asleep in the back of the bus. Unbeknownst to him, the driver left the hotel with me still sleeping in the back seat. I then woke up to the driver yelling at me in Russian, and he was extremely confused as to why I was still on the bus. Apparently he was in the process of cleaning the bus, and he stumbled upon a “sleeping man” in the back. I was extremely embarrassed and more than a little worried about how to get back to the hotel. The driver then took me in his car to a nearby thoroughfare, where he hailed a taxi and gave directions to the driver to get me back to the hotel. The trip went without a hitch (the driver’s smoking was a bit annoying, but I couldn’t complain), and then I met my professor out in front of the hotel at about 2:00 AM. I apologized profusely, and he simply laughed and said that he was glad that I did not spend the evening in the bus barn and miss the plane the next morning.
Our group packed up after a rushed breakfast the next morning, and got to the Moscow airport without any major problems. The plane left on time, and even arrived a bit early to Copenhagen, with the “sleeping man” on board.
This trip to Russia was undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I believe that it will prove incredibly useful both in telling stories in the Grinnell Dining Hall in the future and in giving me a real notion of what is meant when one speaks the word “Russia.”
Well, that’s my Russia trip. I hope that you have enjoyed the read. Here are a few memorable quotes that will hopefully provide some merriment. Now, I need to pack for my trip to Rome!
Jon = Tour leader Anna = Russian tour assistant Dmitri = Russian Orthodox monk
Jon: “You don’t want to eat traditional Russian food. Traditional Russian food is salted fat on bread with salt on it.”
Jon: “This is a country that has won wars with its weather.”
Jon: “Moscow is very clean: of trash, of illegal immigrants, of dissent…”
Anna: “This is Russia: nothing’s weird” (in reference to the fact that you can get almost any medication at the pharmacy without a prescription)
Anna: “The US is too fair; it’s too hard to get arrested.”
Dmitri: “Until the age of 25, women are attracted to men with strong arms and teeth.”
Dmitri: “We see Protestants as little children who refuse to do their homework.”
Hairdryer sign: “Do not by wet hands touch hair dryer.”
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Academics: not Grinnell, but not for the faint of heart either
Good evening, all.
I might have to abbreviate this post a bit, as I should probably have gone to bed quite a bit earlier; however, my host family invited me to watch this Clint Eastwood movie called Mystic River, which was actually quite engrossing (and I also learned a little Danish along the way reading the Danish subtitles. Oh yeah, they don't dub their movies here, they just subtitle them, explaining again why Danes' English is so good).
Anyway, I feel that I should talk a bit about DIS academics. I will say right off the bat that it is not as much work as Grinnell. When I realized this the first time (after about the first few weeks), I was rather disappointed; now, I am a little less so, as I still feel that I am getting a lot out of my classes despite not driving myself into the ground. Maybe that says something about Grinnell. Hmm. Academically, I have been looking like this so far:
European Politics: Very easy, it seems as though he hasn't been giving anyone much less than an A on anything, which is annoying since I know that I spend more time on my work than other people. Grr. However, this is the course that our study tours have been based on, and I have learned a great deal of both cultural and political information on those.
European Storytelling: Moderately easy. We have reading assignments every class period, and we've had two quizzes that I got pretty good grades on; however, I get the feeling that grades were a bit more diverse than in my politics class. I really like most of the reading assignments though, as we've been reading about King Arthur and Greek gods and Cinderella and all that. The stories about the Holy Grail were cool also; oh, and I'm also getting to write my big research paper on a video game. Very happy.
Photojournalism: This class is a little peculiar. We have been given lots of assignments to go take pictures of a particular person (we had to have this person agree to be photographed for six sessions, I think that I wrote about that earlier). That's about all we've done, besides a few random reading assignments. I have no idea how well or badly I am doing in that class. While the work may be fairly light here, it is also fairly annoying in that it relies on us setting up a photography session with our subject every week, which can be hair-raising if your subject doesn't always check her emails very often. *hint*
Danish Language and Culture: So far, I think that I'm doing okay. I definitely am feeling more confident about the language as we go along, though I am often too intimidated to attempt to attempt a conversation in Danish with an actual Dane not because I don't think I can get my message across but because I have great difficulty understanding spoken Danish. This will all be tested next week, as we have our oral exam coming up. Eep. Again, though, the workload is only about as much as my high school language courses.
Applied Psychology: I am now a bit alarmed at this course because we had a very serious test on Monday that kind of came out of the blue. She gave us a study guide of a list of things that were likely to be on the test, and they were...all of them. I think that most of the class expected a vague, easy test, but I definitely didn't think that it was that easy. The essay question was ridiculously easy as it was basically just "what's your favorite type of therapy so far and why?" but being able to list the core assumptions, strengths, weaknesses, and techniques of five different types of therapy on the spot was a bit difficult. Again, the test was rather hard, but the class does not consume too much of my time every week.
Russia Past and Present: This course was a shocker: it's a 1 credit course compared to the rest being 3 credit, though I have had more reading for this class than for my other classes combined. We had about 110 pages of reading for this past Tuesday, which would be a lot even by Grinnell standards. Granted, we only have the course once a week, but holy crap. We also have a test on the Russian language next week, and the only exposure we've had to it was a one and a half hour crash course on letters. I spoke with a few year-long DIS students who had this course last semester who failed the exam; that's very much alarming. If my lowest grade in my college career is in a 1 credit class in Denmark, I am going to be very upset. Guess that means I need to study my Russian.
As a whole, these classes are still not as much work as Grinnell classes by a long-shot; however, I have heard that it is significantly more than most other study abroad programs. It also is largely dependent on what your core class is: some students here are absolutely worked to death, especially architecture students who have hours of studio work, sketching tours, and independent sketching appointments each week and pre-med students that apparently have labs or something here. There are also apparently a series of courses that have BIG research papers due within the next week, and I've talked to some people that are absolutely bogged down with work. I guess, if I spent much time doing anything social, I would probably be rather busy with my stuff as well: I have two essays to turn in and two tests next week, plus the standard reading assignments.
Anyway, I hope that this has given some insight into my current academic life. All six of my courses have definitely been thought-provoking, and I certainly do not regret having signed up for any of them as of yet.
That's the sorta semi-weekly blog. I'm Aaron Barker. Good night, and good luck.
I might have to abbreviate this post a bit, as I should probably have gone to bed quite a bit earlier; however, my host family invited me to watch this Clint Eastwood movie called Mystic River, which was actually quite engrossing (and I also learned a little Danish along the way reading the Danish subtitles. Oh yeah, they don't dub their movies here, they just subtitle them, explaining again why Danes' English is so good).
Anyway, I feel that I should talk a bit about DIS academics. I will say right off the bat that it is not as much work as Grinnell. When I realized this the first time (after about the first few weeks), I was rather disappointed; now, I am a little less so, as I still feel that I am getting a lot out of my classes despite not driving myself into the ground. Maybe that says something about Grinnell. Hmm. Academically, I have been looking like this so far:
European Politics: Very easy, it seems as though he hasn't been giving anyone much less than an A on anything, which is annoying since I know that I spend more time on my work than other people. Grr. However, this is the course that our study tours have been based on, and I have learned a great deal of both cultural and political information on those.
European Storytelling: Moderately easy. We have reading assignments every class period, and we've had two quizzes that I got pretty good grades on; however, I get the feeling that grades were a bit more diverse than in my politics class. I really like most of the reading assignments though, as we've been reading about King Arthur and Greek gods and Cinderella and all that. The stories about the Holy Grail were cool also; oh, and I'm also getting to write my big research paper on a video game. Very happy.
Photojournalism: This class is a little peculiar. We have been given lots of assignments to go take pictures of a particular person (we had to have this person agree to be photographed for six sessions, I think that I wrote about that earlier). That's about all we've done, besides a few random reading assignments. I have no idea how well or badly I am doing in that class. While the work may be fairly light here, it is also fairly annoying in that it relies on us setting up a photography session with our subject every week, which can be hair-raising if your subject doesn't always check her emails very often. *hint*
Danish Language and Culture: So far, I think that I'm doing okay. I definitely am feeling more confident about the language as we go along, though I am often too intimidated to attempt to attempt a conversation in Danish with an actual Dane not because I don't think I can get my message across but because I have great difficulty understanding spoken Danish. This will all be tested next week, as we have our oral exam coming up. Eep. Again, though, the workload is only about as much as my high school language courses.
Applied Psychology: I am now a bit alarmed at this course because we had a very serious test on Monday that kind of came out of the blue. She gave us a study guide of a list of things that were likely to be on the test, and they were...all of them. I think that most of the class expected a vague, easy test, but I definitely didn't think that it was that easy. The essay question was ridiculously easy as it was basically just "what's your favorite type of therapy so far and why?" but being able to list the core assumptions, strengths, weaknesses, and techniques of five different types of therapy on the spot was a bit difficult. Again, the test was rather hard, but the class does not consume too much of my time every week.
Russia Past and Present: This course was a shocker: it's a 1 credit course compared to the rest being 3 credit, though I have had more reading for this class than for my other classes combined. We had about 110 pages of reading for this past Tuesday, which would be a lot even by Grinnell standards. Granted, we only have the course once a week, but holy crap. We also have a test on the Russian language next week, and the only exposure we've had to it was a one and a half hour crash course on letters. I spoke with a few year-long DIS students who had this course last semester who failed the exam; that's very much alarming. If my lowest grade in my college career is in a 1 credit class in Denmark, I am going to be very upset. Guess that means I need to study my Russian.
As a whole, these classes are still not as much work as Grinnell classes by a long-shot; however, I have heard that it is significantly more than most other study abroad programs. It also is largely dependent on what your core class is: some students here are absolutely worked to death, especially architecture students who have hours of studio work, sketching tours, and independent sketching appointments each week and pre-med students that apparently have labs or something here. There are also apparently a series of courses that have BIG research papers due within the next week, and I've talked to some people that are absolutely bogged down with work. I guess, if I spent much time doing anything social, I would probably be rather busy with my stuff as well: I have two essays to turn in and two tests next week, plus the standard reading assignments.
Anyway, I hope that this has given some insight into my current academic life. All six of my courses have definitely been thought-provoking, and I certainly do not regret having signed up for any of them as of yet.
That's the sorta semi-weekly blog. I'm Aaron Barker. Good night, and good luck.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Quintessential study abroad: Brussels/The Hague Study Tour part 1
Long time no ... um, read?
At the crack of dawn yesterday morning, I returned from my long study tour. In as succinct and meaningful writing as possible, I will attempt to describe a few of the interesting, humorous, annoying, unique, and culturally-charged aspects of the trip. Here I go.
We started our tour on a bus at 8:00 on Sunday morning. Part of the trip was by ferry, just like the last trip, and I would say that my stomach managed significantly better than last time. After the ferry trip, we watched a handful of movies including the infamous Borat and Dr. Strangelove. We stopped at a few largely unremarkable rest stops, including one Burger King where the food was almost identical to its American counterparts (creepy!). We also got stuck in traffic for about two hours due to a road closure, for which DIS compensated by giving each of us a free beer. Upon arrival in Brussels, Belgium, we went directly to the Hotel Ibis at about midnight and subsequently crashed. The rooms were small but nice, though I only cared about the bed at the time.
The next morning, we started the day with a well-balanced, buffet breakfast, and then headed off to our first academic visit. Given that I was significantly sleep-deprived upon our arrival, Brussels in the daylight was beautiful. It was very modern and clean, a stereotypical bustling European metropolis. We went to the building that housed the Council of the European Union, and were given a brief lecture and question and answer session from a representative of the General Secretariat. While the lecture was rather unremarkable, it did give us some insight into the daily operations of the European Union (as a side note, all of the floors have a 0 after them, so the 8th floor is marked with 80. The speaker said that this was done to impress visitors with the immense quantity of floors in such a small building).
Our next stop was of a very different though more delectable nature. We stopped at Planet Chocolate, a private chocolateering company that makes all manner of world-famous Belgian chocolate. We had a lecture about the health benefits of eating chocolate (ahem), and then were given the opportunity to make our own pralines. As could be expected, the chocolate was wonderful, and the incredibly detailed process that goes into making each individual piece is absolutely mind-boggling. We were each given a few pieces to take home, of which I was very appreciative.
The next few hours consisted of free time, of which we were given the opportunity to participate in a three hour bike tour of Brussels. Despite my knee pain and lack of confidence in bike riding, I decided to give it a go.
And how I did not regret it. Imagine: biking down the bustling city streets of a European city, surrounded by immense, historic buildings, having a brief stop for some cherry juice, the wind in your face, and beautiful blue sky above. We saw the huge Palace of Justice, one of the world's largest buildings in the 18th (i think) century. We saw Manneken Pis, a statue of a small boy urinating that has become a symbol of Brussels. We visited a courtyard surrounded by statues representing each of the guilds of historic Brussels, constructed on top of an old burial ground. Despite getting cut off by a garbage truck and losing the rest of the tour group for about 15 minutes or so, this experience will certainly be something to remember for years to come. After the tour, we had a meal at the Drug Opera, which had great food finished with an authentic Belgian waffle with cream.
Afterwards, we went to Belgium's most famous bar, appropriately called Delirium. The bar is home to over 2,000 kinds of beer, many employees not actually aware how many different types of beer are on tap due to the ever increasing number. They have dark beer, light beer, heavy beer, cactus beer, cherry beer, beer in a glass boot, beer in a glass goblet the size of a water pitcher, you name it. I ordered the Chimay, which was a famous local beer. Sadly, it was rather unremarkable. The evening ended with me completely exhausted and crashing at the hotel at about 1:00 or so. Despite the relative disappointment at ending the day with a mediocre beer, the day was still spectacular on the whole.
On the whole, Tuesday was much less spectacular. For one, I woke up with a sore throat, likely the result of either being crowded on a bus with about 30 other people for two days or taking a sip from someone else's beer in a crammed, smoke-filled bar.
In any case, the day began with my group's political actor interview. Each group of three or four students were given the opportunity to interview someone who has had extensive experience with lobbying the EU, and it was our responsibility to get an understanding of how lobbying works for such a politically-odd organization as the EU. My group's subject was from the Dutch Product Board, and he told us how he got into the field and where he attempts to exert influence to product the interests of farmers in the Netherlands. The interview went fairly well but was also fairly brief; I hope that I have enough material to write a 2-4 page essay on the subject matter.
The rest of the day was rather humdrum. We went to the Musee Magritte, a museum dedicated to the famous modern artist Magritte... well, at least everyone else said he was famous. I don't know much about art, let alone modern art, though I will admit that he was very talented. We then went to the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU where we received a basic lecture as to the workings of the European Union, specifically focusing on how member states interact with the supranational organizations. We then walked to a bar where we were supposed to meet former DIS students and faculty, but they were nowhere to be seen. So, I trekked off with a few other people and had a nice French/Italian dinner and then crashed at the hotel.
That's the first three days. To be continued...
At the crack of dawn yesterday morning, I returned from my long study tour. In as succinct and meaningful writing as possible, I will attempt to describe a few of the interesting, humorous, annoying, unique, and culturally-charged aspects of the trip. Here I go.
We started our tour on a bus at 8:00 on Sunday morning. Part of the trip was by ferry, just like the last trip, and I would say that my stomach managed significantly better than last time. After the ferry trip, we watched a handful of movies including the infamous Borat and Dr. Strangelove. We stopped at a few largely unremarkable rest stops, including one Burger King where the food was almost identical to its American counterparts (creepy!). We also got stuck in traffic for about two hours due to a road closure, for which DIS compensated by giving each of us a free beer. Upon arrival in Brussels, Belgium, we went directly to the Hotel Ibis at about midnight and subsequently crashed. The rooms were small but nice, though I only cared about the bed at the time.
The next morning, we started the day with a well-balanced, buffet breakfast, and then headed off to our first academic visit. Given that I was significantly sleep-deprived upon our arrival, Brussels in the daylight was beautiful. It was very modern and clean, a stereotypical bustling European metropolis. We went to the building that housed the Council of the European Union, and were given a brief lecture and question and answer session from a representative of the General Secretariat. While the lecture was rather unremarkable, it did give us some insight into the daily operations of the European Union (as a side note, all of the floors have a 0 after them, so the 8th floor is marked with 80. The speaker said that this was done to impress visitors with the immense quantity of floors in such a small building).
Our next stop was of a very different though more delectable nature. We stopped at Planet Chocolate, a private chocolateering company that makes all manner of world-famous Belgian chocolate. We had a lecture about the health benefits of eating chocolate (ahem), and then were given the opportunity to make our own pralines. As could be expected, the chocolate was wonderful, and the incredibly detailed process that goes into making each individual piece is absolutely mind-boggling. We were each given a few pieces to take home, of which I was very appreciative.
The next few hours consisted of free time, of which we were given the opportunity to participate in a three hour bike tour of Brussels. Despite my knee pain and lack of confidence in bike riding, I decided to give it a go.
And how I did not regret it. Imagine: biking down the bustling city streets of a European city, surrounded by immense, historic buildings, having a brief stop for some cherry juice, the wind in your face, and beautiful blue sky above. We saw the huge Palace of Justice, one of the world's largest buildings in the 18th (i think) century. We saw Manneken Pis, a statue of a small boy urinating that has become a symbol of Brussels. We visited a courtyard surrounded by statues representing each of the guilds of historic Brussels, constructed on top of an old burial ground. Despite getting cut off by a garbage truck and losing the rest of the tour group for about 15 minutes or so, this experience will certainly be something to remember for years to come. After the tour, we had a meal at the Drug Opera, which had great food finished with an authentic Belgian waffle with cream.
Afterwards, we went to Belgium's most famous bar, appropriately called Delirium. The bar is home to over 2,000 kinds of beer, many employees not actually aware how many different types of beer are on tap due to the ever increasing number. They have dark beer, light beer, heavy beer, cactus beer, cherry beer, beer in a glass boot, beer in a glass goblet the size of a water pitcher, you name it. I ordered the Chimay, which was a famous local beer. Sadly, it was rather unremarkable. The evening ended with me completely exhausted and crashing at the hotel at about 1:00 or so. Despite the relative disappointment at ending the day with a mediocre beer, the day was still spectacular on the whole.
On the whole, Tuesday was much less spectacular. For one, I woke up with a sore throat, likely the result of either being crowded on a bus with about 30 other people for two days or taking a sip from someone else's beer in a crammed, smoke-filled bar.
In any case, the day began with my group's political actor interview. Each group of three or four students were given the opportunity to interview someone who has had extensive experience with lobbying the EU, and it was our responsibility to get an understanding of how lobbying works for such a politically-odd organization as the EU. My group's subject was from the Dutch Product Board, and he told us how he got into the field and where he attempts to exert influence to product the interests of farmers in the Netherlands. The interview went fairly well but was also fairly brief; I hope that I have enough material to write a 2-4 page essay on the subject matter.
The rest of the day was rather humdrum. We went to the Musee Magritte, a museum dedicated to the famous modern artist Magritte... well, at least everyone else said he was famous. I don't know much about art, let alone modern art, though I will admit that he was very talented. We then went to the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EU where we received a basic lecture as to the workings of the European Union, specifically focusing on how member states interact with the supranational organizations. We then walked to a bar where we were supposed to meet former DIS students and faculty, but they were nowhere to be seen. So, I trekked off with a few other people and had a nice French/Italian dinner and then crashed at the hotel.
That's the first three days. To be continued...
Saturday, February 27, 2010
On the eve of adventure...
Good evening all.
Another brief post, as I need to get to bed to get up at 5:30 in the morning. ugh.
Anyway, I'm going to Brussels tomorrow! As a part of my European Politics and Society core course, I am >required< to go on one long study tour to Brussels and Amsterdam. We will be focusing on the European Union institutions, including the European Parliament and I think the Council. We will also be visiting a Belgian chocolate factory and seeing the headquarters for NATO. I will be gone for a week, so expect an update on that whole endeavor next Saturday.
I had quite a cultural encounter this evening, that being that my parents and my host parents had a conversation via Skype. It was quite an experience, as I definitely felt that I was playing mediator. I hope that both parties involved enjoyed the experience.
A little interesting political/economic tidbit that came up lately was regarding debt. Put simply, Denmark is getting steadily deeper in debt. Despite the extreme taxation here, expenditures are still not being covered. As a response, the Danish prime minister has asked students to spend less time getting their degree (oh, yeah, i forgot to mention, the average age at which most students here complete their education is 29 or so, and they are paid by the government to continue education) and he wants to also raise the retirement age. This is all due to the country running a debt of about 11% of GDP, which is almost four times the cap on entrance to the EU.
...and then there's US. Well, we all know that we're bankrupt, but I didn't truly realize how utterly bankrupt we are until I realized that our debt is...
63% of GDP
That means that, proportionally, our debt is almost six times that of Denmark. As my EU professor said, "It's good that you all are America; if you were a developing country and your finances were that bad you would be taken over by the World Bank."
That's the blog. I'm Aaron Barker. Good night and may the good news be yours.
Another brief post, as I need to get to bed to get up at 5:30 in the morning. ugh.
Anyway, I'm going to Brussels tomorrow! As a part of my European Politics and Society core course, I am >required< to go on one long study tour to Brussels and Amsterdam. We will be focusing on the European Union institutions, including the European Parliament and I think the Council. We will also be visiting a Belgian chocolate factory and seeing the headquarters for NATO. I will be gone for a week, so expect an update on that whole endeavor next Saturday.
I had quite a cultural encounter this evening, that being that my parents and my host parents had a conversation via Skype. It was quite an experience, as I definitely felt that I was playing mediator. I hope that both parties involved enjoyed the experience.
A little interesting political/economic tidbit that came up lately was regarding debt. Put simply, Denmark is getting steadily deeper in debt. Despite the extreme taxation here, expenditures are still not being covered. As a response, the Danish prime minister has asked students to spend less time getting their degree (oh, yeah, i forgot to mention, the average age at which most students here complete their education is 29 or so, and they are paid by the government to continue education) and he wants to also raise the retirement age. This is all due to the country running a debt of about 11% of GDP, which is almost four times the cap on entrance to the EU.
...and then there's US. Well, we all know that we're bankrupt, but I didn't truly realize how utterly bankrupt we are until I realized that our debt is...
63% of GDP
That means that, proportionally, our debt is almost six times that of Denmark. As my EU professor said, "It's good that you all are America; if you were a developing country and your finances were that bad you would be taken over by the World Bank."
That's the blog. I'm Aaron Barker. Good night and may the good news be yours.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Newsrooms and the Folketing
Good evening all.
It's been a long time since I have posted anything, and there have been plenty of new events to write about, so it's time to get started.
For starters, yesterday was the first day that I had day-trip study tours, one for my photojournalism class and one for my European Politics class. For my photojournalism class, we toured the newsroom and photography hangout of one of the leading newspapers in Denmark, Politiken. We were all required to wear special stickers to get into the complex, as security has been incredibly tight since the issuance of the cartoon (If you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it). We passed plenty of paper-strewn desks and empty coffee cups before arriving at the location of our lecture. We were given the inside scoop as to what happens at a daily newspaper like Politiken, and were even given a series of recommendations for our own photography.
The most tragic story told to us there was of a photographer named Peter, who volunteered to go to Haiti to document the aftermath of the earthquake (as a side note, apparently all flights to Port-au-Prince were booked with journalists within 30 minutes of the news break for weeks). Peter took amazing photographs which will become a centerpiece of a few Politiken stories, but at a high price: he has developed an extreme paranoia of death and catastrophe, and is currently undergoing counseling in Copenhagen. The photo editor said that Peter got too involved in the work he was doing, especially when Peter offered to help a few people he was photographing; personally, I think that it would be absolutely cruel to deny help in the name of increasing journalistic integrity.
After a break only long enough for me to wolf down a sausage, lettuce, cheese, carrot, and mustard sandwich on rye bread, I started on a trip to my next study tour, this time in the Danish parliament called the Folketing. We were apparently allowed to take this tour due to some personal connections of our professor the famous Jacob Buksti, the former minister for transportation for the Social Democrats and a well known figure throughout politics and the media of Denmark. We listened to a lecture from the Vice President of the European Affairs Committee in Denmark, essentially the go-to man for everything EU related within the country. We learned a little about the history of constitutionalism in Denmark, including the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy and from a bicameral to unicameral legislative system. The most interesting visit was certainly the legislative hall itself, where parliamentarians and administrators were actively debating some details on upcoming legislation. Nothing like democracy in action.
The other visit of note was completely accidental, and requires some explanation. For my photojournalism class, we have been asked to photograph one individual over the course of six photography sessions during the next three months, and the person cannot be anyone associated with DIS or our host family. So, after scouring Copenhagen for someone who would be crazy enough to let an American photography student photograph them over the course of the next quarter of a year, I finally found Marlene Wind. Ms. Wind is a Political Science professor at Copenhagen University, and she is currently doing research on EU integration and all its component parts including the Euro, immigration, budget concerns, etc.
She also, however, is frequently asked to give expert opinions on national television shows. So, upon my arrival to take her picture doing mundane office tasks, we instead rushed out the door, hailed a taxi, and arrived at the broadcasting center for Denmark Radio (which is actually a television station). I followed her as she whisked up the escalators, had a rushed make-up job, and into the television studio where they were about to present Deadline 17:00 live on national TV. I watched as the broadcast began and ended, and afterwards was given the opportunity to shake hands with the news anchor of the show (if you're looking for something equivalent, I would say a Danish version of Katie Couric would suffice). I took a few pictures and video around the studio, then concluded the day by hopping on the Metro back to Nørreport. While this little trip was entirely unexpected, it certainly was something for me to remember about my Denmark experience for years to come.
It's been a long time since I have posted anything, and there have been plenty of new events to write about, so it's time to get started.
For starters, yesterday was the first day that I had day-trip study tours, one for my photojournalism class and one for my European Politics class. For my photojournalism class, we toured the newsroom and photography hangout of one of the leading newspapers in Denmark, Politiken. We were all required to wear special stickers to get into the complex, as security has been incredibly tight since the issuance of the cartoon (If you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it). We passed plenty of paper-strewn desks and empty coffee cups before arriving at the location of our lecture. We were given the inside scoop as to what happens at a daily newspaper like Politiken, and were even given a series of recommendations for our own photography.
The most tragic story told to us there was of a photographer named Peter, who volunteered to go to Haiti to document the aftermath of the earthquake (as a side note, apparently all flights to Port-au-Prince were booked with journalists within 30 minutes of the news break for weeks). Peter took amazing photographs which will become a centerpiece of a few Politiken stories, but at a high price: he has developed an extreme paranoia of death and catastrophe, and is currently undergoing counseling in Copenhagen. The photo editor said that Peter got too involved in the work he was doing, especially when Peter offered to help a few people he was photographing; personally, I think that it would be absolutely cruel to deny help in the name of increasing journalistic integrity.
After a break only long enough for me to wolf down a sausage, lettuce, cheese, carrot, and mustard sandwich on rye bread, I started on a trip to my next study tour, this time in the Danish parliament called the Folketing. We were apparently allowed to take this tour due to some personal connections of our professor the famous Jacob Buksti, the former minister for transportation for the Social Democrats and a well known figure throughout politics and the media of Denmark. We listened to a lecture from the Vice President of the European Affairs Committee in Denmark, essentially the go-to man for everything EU related within the country. We learned a little about the history of constitutionalism in Denmark, including the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy and from a bicameral to unicameral legislative system. The most interesting visit was certainly the legislative hall itself, where parliamentarians and administrators were actively debating some details on upcoming legislation. Nothing like democracy in action.
The other visit of note was completely accidental, and requires some explanation. For my photojournalism class, we have been asked to photograph one individual over the course of six photography sessions during the next three months, and the person cannot be anyone associated with DIS or our host family. So, after scouring Copenhagen for someone who would be crazy enough to let an American photography student photograph them over the course of the next quarter of a year, I finally found Marlene Wind. Ms. Wind is a Political Science professor at Copenhagen University, and she is currently doing research on EU integration and all its component parts including the Euro, immigration, budget concerns, etc.
She also, however, is frequently asked to give expert opinions on national television shows. So, upon my arrival to take her picture doing mundane office tasks, we instead rushed out the door, hailed a taxi, and arrived at the broadcasting center for Denmark Radio (which is actually a television station). I followed her as she whisked up the escalators, had a rushed make-up job, and into the television studio where they were about to present Deadline 17:00 live on national TV. I watched as the broadcast began and ended, and afterwards was given the opportunity to shake hands with the news anchor of the show (if you're looking for something equivalent, I would say a Danish version of Katie Couric would suffice). I took a few pictures and video around the studio, then concluded the day by hopping on the Metro back to Nørreport. While this little trip was entirely unexpected, it certainly was something for me to remember about my Denmark experience for years to come.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Abbey Ale and Sanitized Fairy Tales
Amusing Danish words of the day
fødselsdag = birthday - pronounced fooselsday
hundred = hundred - however, both ds are soft in Danish, so it sounds like hunthlrethl
Sunday was indeed a diverse day. I signed up to go on the Spears, Arrows, and Abbey Ale tour of Esrum Abbey that is a few dozen kilometers north of Rungsted. We took a brief tour of the Abbey, learning that it was originally ten times its current size and was constructed in 1151. It was home to many different monastic orders as they fell in and out of fashion; in 1560, the monks were thrown out and most of the Abbey was pulled apart for building materials to construct a nearby castle. Since then, the remaining building has served as a storehouse, barracks, and now tourist attraction.
After our brief history lesson, we divided into teams and played medieval fighting games. The games included jousting (wooden horse on a track), archery, trebuchet (we loaded it with a frozen cabbage to see how far it could fly), and stickfighting (basically like Dag, but I got beat to a pulp by a professional stickfighter). Our team's name was the Turtles and, appropriately enough, we broke the record for the lowest score. Afterwards we were each given a bottle of the ale brewed at the Abbey, a bit strong at 7.5% alcohol by volume. (As a side note, since we couldn't keep the actual bottles we were given due to emphasis on recycling, I offered to buy another bottle. The store clerk, however, said that she had just closed the cash register and that I should just take it. Her generosity was incredible, as the bottle was priced at 35 kroner. So, I gave her all the change I had [totaling only about 19 kroner i think] in hopes of recouping at least some of her losses. I still feel a sense of debt...)
Anyway, classes resumed on Monday, and it was back to work. One class that is sticking in my mind in particular at the moment is From Homer to Harry Potter: European Storytelling. The professor's name is Bettina, and she introduced herself as a professional geek (even going so far as to explain the geek hierarchy with fantasy novelists at the top and people with romantic fixations with Star Trek characters on the bottom). We are focusing on the oral storytelling tradition, starting with fairy tales. We operate on the premise that each retelling is equally valid, as each storyteller emphasizes different points for different audiences (i.e. Disney did not ruin the Grimm Brothers' stories). While most people consider the Grimm brothers' stories to be incredibly violent and sexual compared to Disney's versions, they were actually scrubbed and rewritten at the time from their older, yet more violent and sexual predecessors. For example, some yet older versions of Little Red Riding Hood include the girl stripping for the wolf, and Sleeping Beauty was not kissed but actually raped by the wandering prince. I think I've been scarred (enlightened?) for life...
Anyway, that's the every-other-or-maybe-every-other-other-daily blog. I'm Aaron Barker. Good night, and good luck.
fødselsdag = birthday - pronounced fooselsday
hundred = hundred - however, both ds are soft in Danish, so it sounds like hunthlrethl
Sunday was indeed a diverse day. I signed up to go on the Spears, Arrows, and Abbey Ale tour of Esrum Abbey that is a few dozen kilometers north of Rungsted. We took a brief tour of the Abbey, learning that it was originally ten times its current size and was constructed in 1151. It was home to many different monastic orders as they fell in and out of fashion; in 1560, the monks were thrown out and most of the Abbey was pulled apart for building materials to construct a nearby castle. Since then, the remaining building has served as a storehouse, barracks, and now tourist attraction.
After our brief history lesson, we divided into teams and played medieval fighting games. The games included jousting (wooden horse on a track), archery, trebuchet (we loaded it with a frozen cabbage to see how far it could fly), and stickfighting (basically like Dag, but I got beat to a pulp by a professional stickfighter). Our team's name was the Turtles and, appropriately enough, we broke the record for the lowest score. Afterwards we were each given a bottle of the ale brewed at the Abbey, a bit strong at 7.5% alcohol by volume. (As a side note, since we couldn't keep the actual bottles we were given due to emphasis on recycling, I offered to buy another bottle. The store clerk, however, said that she had just closed the cash register and that I should just take it. Her generosity was incredible, as the bottle was priced at 35 kroner. So, I gave her all the change I had [totaling only about 19 kroner i think] in hopes of recouping at least some of her losses. I still feel a sense of debt...)
Anyway, classes resumed on Monday, and it was back to work. One class that is sticking in my mind in particular at the moment is From Homer to Harry Potter: European Storytelling. The professor's name is Bettina, and she introduced herself as a professional geek (even going so far as to explain the geek hierarchy with fantasy novelists at the top and people with romantic fixations with Star Trek characters on the bottom). We are focusing on the oral storytelling tradition, starting with fairy tales. We operate on the premise that each retelling is equally valid, as each storyteller emphasizes different points for different audiences (i.e. Disney did not ruin the Grimm Brothers' stories). While most people consider the Grimm brothers' stories to be incredibly violent and sexual compared to Disney's versions, they were actually scrubbed and rewritten at the time from their older, yet more violent and sexual predecessors. For example, some yet older versions of Little Red Riding Hood include the girl stripping for the wolf, and Sleeping Beauty was not kissed but actually raped by the wandering prince. I think I've been scarred (enlightened?) for life...
Anyway, that's the every-other-or-maybe-every-other-other-daily blog. I'm Aaron Barker. Good night, and good luck.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Riding the Rails
Danish term of the day:
Rødgrød med Fløde = Red Pudding with Cream: an unremarkable dish made with red currants. It's only claim to fame is to be so difficult to pronounce that many native Danes ask foreigners to say just for a laugh.
So, today seems like a good day to go into a little detail about where I live and how I get to class. I live in Rungsted, a town about 20-25 miles north of downtown Copenhagen. It is a quaint town, essentially a bedroom community for the city, as far as I can tell. I was able to see a bit more of the town today as I went to the Kommune to file paperwork to get my Danish identification number that I will use to make use of the country's public services such as the library and the free healthcare system. At the station about a 10 minute walk from my host family's home, I kill time waiting for the 7:36 train, usually by marveling at the prices in the attached 7-11 (Do you realize that it's cheaper to buy a can of beer at the station than a bottle of water?).
Anyway, I hop on the train and attempt to find a seat somewhere in the regular cars. There are also Silent, Pet, Bike, Family, and 1st class cars, though I would wager that the names of those are self-explanatory. I am now growing accustomed to the Danes' apparent aloofness, as almost no one looks, let alone speaks, with each other. (From what I have learned of Danish culture, small talk is almost nonexistent in Denmark, one of the resident Danes working with DIS completely baffled as to why anyone would want to even initiate a conversation with someone you don't know). After a short ride, I disembark at the Nørreport Station and climb a few staircases to get to the ground level. From there, DIS is a mere 10 minutes walk south, passing a few independent stores, another 7-11, and the 531 year-old University of Copenhagen.
On the whole, I would say that my commute is a tad bit longer than my commute from Rathje to Bucksbaum. Though, I will admit that the scenery is much better.
That's all for today, folks.
Rødgrød med Fløde = Red Pudding with Cream: an unremarkable dish made with red currants. It's only claim to fame is to be so difficult to pronounce that many native Danes ask foreigners to say just for a laugh.
So, today seems like a good day to go into a little detail about where I live and how I get to class. I live in Rungsted, a town about 20-25 miles north of downtown Copenhagen. It is a quaint town, essentially a bedroom community for the city, as far as I can tell. I was able to see a bit more of the town today as I went to the Kommune to file paperwork to get my Danish identification number that I will use to make use of the country's public services such as the library and the free healthcare system. At the station about a 10 minute walk from my host family's home, I kill time waiting for the 7:36 train, usually by marveling at the prices in the attached 7-11 (Do you realize that it's cheaper to buy a can of beer at the station than a bottle of water?).
Anyway, I hop on the train and attempt to find a seat somewhere in the regular cars. There are also Silent, Pet, Bike, Family, and 1st class cars, though I would wager that the names of those are self-explanatory. I am now growing accustomed to the Danes' apparent aloofness, as almost no one looks, let alone speaks, with each other. (From what I have learned of Danish culture, small talk is almost nonexistent in Denmark, one of the resident Danes working with DIS completely baffled as to why anyone would want to even initiate a conversation with someone you don't know). After a short ride, I disembark at the Nørreport Station and climb a few staircases to get to the ground level. From there, DIS is a mere 10 minutes walk south, passing a few independent stores, another 7-11, and the 531 year-old University of Copenhagen.
On the whole, I would say that my commute is a tad bit longer than my commute from Rathje to Bucksbaum. Though, I will admit that the scenery is much better.
That's all for today, folks.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The evening before...
It begins. Within the next 48 hours, I will travel 4474 miles on three plane flights leaving a country of 304,059,724 people to become a temporary resident in a country with 5,497,525 people. I will take a leave of absence from the high-stress, high-productivity lifestyle to join the lifestyle of "the happiest place on earth." For the first time in my 21 years of existence, I will not be living in a state that has five times more pigs than people. The next four months will likely be life-changing, nerve-wracking, and wallet-breaking.
I'm going to Denmark. I leave from Des Moines at 1:23PM tomorrow (Saturday) and will arrive in Copenhagen at 11:10AM on Sunday. I will be staying with a host family about 25 kilometers out of Copenhagen, and will likely take a train to class. I will be taking five classes: European Politics and Society, Photojournalism, Applied Psychology, Danish Language and Culture, and European Storytelling.
My mental state...? Stressed. Very stressed. There's been lots of packing lately, much to the chagrin of my mother who insists that I should have started packing last week. I have been feverishly finishing the Truman and Beinecke scholarship applications, both of which have me at my wits' end. And tomorrow I will be tens of thousands of feet in the air over a 17 quadrillion gallon body of water where the only thing separating me from the big drink is the Bernoulli principle which I cannot begin to comprehend.
In any case, tomorrow will begin an adventure, an education, and a cultural experience that I will likely remember for the rest of my life. I hope that you all find some of my escapades, ramblings, and challenges of faith interesting.
I hereby proclaim this blog begun!
I'm going to Denmark. I leave from Des Moines at 1:23PM tomorrow (Saturday) and will arrive in Copenhagen at 11:10AM on Sunday. I will be staying with a host family about 25 kilometers out of Copenhagen, and will likely take a train to class. I will be taking five classes: European Politics and Society, Photojournalism, Applied Psychology, Danish Language and Culture, and European Storytelling.
My mental state...? Stressed. Very stressed. There's been lots of packing lately, much to the chagrin of my mother who insists that I should have started packing last week. I have been feverishly finishing the Truman and Beinecke scholarship applications, both of which have me at my wits' end. And tomorrow I will be tens of thousands of feet in the air over a 17 quadrillion gallon body of water where the only thing separating me from the big drink is the Bernoulli principle which I cannot begin to comprehend.
In any case, tomorrow will begin an adventure, an education, and a cultural experience that I will likely remember for the rest of my life. I hope that you all find some of my escapades, ramblings, and challenges of faith interesting.
I hereby proclaim this blog begun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)