Of course I found a website that gives you explicit instructions on how to use Copenhagen transport the day I’m leaving. But soooo glad I found it, made getting to the airport a lot easier.

Got the airport two hours early and good thing because I had to repack my bag as it was too heavy to count as one bag. Repacked into the DIS backpack and made it just in time for the flight.

Got into Amsterdam and my flight out was delayed. Spent 5 hours in limbo in Amsterdam, but at least they had a museum and plenty of shopping to do while I was there. Loved seeing some of the Dutch still-life masterpieces on display there.

Got the third degree by security at the gate. I guess because it looked like I had bought a one-way flight into the US which raises suspicion. I had to explain i was a student, then had to explain why I was an older student, then had to show the class syllabus, then had to show my DIS ID, and finally they let me though. I should mention, they did all of this, for every single passenger on the flight and still did it faster than the TSA does. Europe has got this security shit down. Take note TSA.

Totally scored and got an empty seat next to me, but thought I’d die of dehydration before we landed in Chicago. Back into limbo again. All I wanted was to be home. It was like culture shock coming back into the US. Not everything was neat, long lines, people who want to make idle conversation instead of sitting comfortably in silence. People who got angry and yelled at people who were just trying to help them. I completely feel like we’re just screwed as a country, or I’m just depressed being home from Denmark.

Excited to be going home and seeing Matt and my kitties and my family. Sad about leaving a place I could easily see myself living in.

But…super excited about the awesome Doc Marten’s I bought at the mall after returning our bikes. I spotted them the other day and they were too expensive, but on sale today they were just right. These I am proudly declaring my new concert boots!

So much to do, so much to pack before I leave in the morning.

Rushing to shop (saw the funniest lamps that were a man with a shade for a head, and his penis was the switch) and cook and then finally able to relax for the big dinner.

Drank too much and retreated to my room.

Good night

Walked through the cemetery again today, but filled up my entire flash card in my camera and had to go back to my room to empty it off. But, once I got back I became so engrossed at looking through them I didn’t want to go back out again.

Lots and lots of Hansen’s buried there. Likely, I’m related to most of them. My Great great grandfather came from Denmark to the US in the late 1800s. With some of the graves dating to that period, I realized these could be great great aunts or uncles of mine. I do know he eventually ended up becoming mormon and moving to mexico to avoid “persecution” Likely great great grandad was a polygamist and the family left that part out of the family histories. Innerestin’ huh?

I came across several people sleeping on benches in the cememtery, like full on snoring sleeping, one even had his baby in a buggy about 10 feet away in a shady spot. That’s one thing I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around: How trusting the Danes are, and also, how many men I’ve seen taking part in raising the kids. For the first time in my life, I could see myself having a kid, but only if I live in Denmark. You can be a parent and still have a life here because you’re both splitting the work or raising a baby equally, and the social expectations seem to be very different of mothers here.

There were lots of sunbathers in the cemetery as well, I loved how parts of it were forest-like and others were park-like. And there was lots of activity, laughing and smiling and of course a few mourners too, but overall a completely different feeling than our neatly lined-up cemeteries in the states.

Visited another school today and I loved their classrooms! If only we had classrooms like that at UCD. I would be at one of the back tables, watching everything on a screen and participating at a pace I found comfortable.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I know, I absolutely do not feel comfortable working in the labs on campus. Honestly, I just don’t like the idea of everyone being able to see me work. Not that they are, it just wierds me out a little bit. Same thing with my old cubicle at work, but it was a little bit easier for me to plug in headphones there and just ignore everything. In class I’m afraid I’ll miss something important if I tune out too much. I often find myself setting up my laptop on a table and working there, just so I’m facing away from everyone. Weird and pointless, I should get over it right? 

But seeing all the way the classrooms catered to different types of students made me realize, there are others like me out there! People who don’t want to miss out, but don’t want to be at the edges of the room facing away from everyone else.

I’ve also started to notice that creative people here are proud of being creative and designerly. In the U.S. it’s almost shameful to tell your successful business type friends you’re going to art school, or you want to be a designer or creative. They look at you confused and usually say: “Aren’t you afraid you won’t find a job?” Nope, not worried about that at all, because I know we’re in demand, at least the ones who can show up every day to work are.

I wonder if that’s part of us devaluing the arts in education? People just assume its frivolous and you can’t be serious and professional and make money with an art degree. Or that skill at creative work is something your innately born with. Nope, I worked my butt off to be able to manipulate photos and edit audio and write scripts like I do, I don’t appreciate my hard work being devalued that way. 

But here in Denmark, people are proud of it, and people don’t seem to devalue any job, they all seem to be important. I wonder if my views would be any different if I could read the local newspapers or watch local TV or listen to local Radio. Right now I’ve met all sorts of amazing designers and seen some fantastic things, surely what we’ve seen is not representative of the whole of Denmark. I’d be interested to see Denmark more as the Danes do.

Ok Red Loop: Where were all the girls? Seriously, Red Loop was the first place we’ve been with no women working there. 

Also, the open office plan with desks grouped together seems to be the more common layout in this region. I wonder how office politics play out differently here because of it?

Malmo seems to be more spread out that Copenhagen is, and the newer area with all the new developments felt empty, despite all of the new shiny attractive buildings. The only people we saw in the whole area were at the skate park and in the Netto there, it was sort of eerie.

I’ve enjoyed visiting the schools we have so far, and I’m extremely jealous of the fact that students are actually paid to go to college! Seeing how another country emphasizes education as so critical and important makes me feel like our country is FUCKED.

Also of interesting note: There is far less tagging in Malmo than in Copenhagen. Wonder why that is? 

I know it’s just a cultural difference, but when I hear public baths, I think of bath baths, like with soap and scrub brushes and shampoo and what not. I don’t think of swimming. But that’s what the public baths are for, swimming. Although no one was there today on account of it being cold, dreary and windy.

Really like the idea of having them on the canal with shallower pools built by submersing grated boxes into the water. Allows all ages to enjoy swimming time in the same place.

The new developments we went and saw were all modern and sleek and very attractive to me in their use of color and wood. The huge floor to cieling glass windows on one of the buidlings allowed us to catch a glimpse into Danish homes. I noticed how all of the apartments looked like they’d had a stylist design the interior, all modern and ikea and sleek. This struck me, because it seems very different from how my house and my friends houses are decorated: Big poofy comfy couches, huge TVs, cheap lamps from Target or Walmart. Most of our stuff is cheap, disposable, and looks it. Although I haven’t checked out any furniture prices while here, I wonder if the Danes focus more on quality and expected longevity of goods that we do when buying for their homes. 

I like the simplicity and cleanliness of the apartments I saw, I think I may redecorate when I get home. 

so freaking tired. I officially give up on the trains, seriously, I am not taking them on my own again. Went to Distortion last night, got tired way earlier than I would’ve liked to, since the show went until 5 AM. 

The show was in old warehouses that had been converted into skate parks. It was dirty, sweaty, loud and just like what I remember of old shows back in Denver just after high school. Loved it, but I wish I could’ve hung in longer. I needed more redbull, but at about $5 a pop, I decided I’d rather sleep. Peaced out at about 3:00 AM and walked to the train station across the street. Ashlee, me and the nice man who tried to help us, could not for the life of us figure out how to get back to Bispebjerg. So, we made our best guess and got onto the train.

The trains were like a giant party. drinking, some guy smoking a joint, lots of joviality! Fun, but so tired. So we got off at the station we thought we needed to transfer at to find out, Nope! the trains don’t run at that time! So it’s downpouring, we’re tired and now we’re stuck. We looked at a map, and it didn’t seem like it was that far to walk back to Bispebjerg, so we decided against a taxi and started walking. 2 1/2 hours later, at 5 AM we make it home. Soaked to the bone, freezing, grumpy and tired.

Slept for a few hours and then off to Louisiana. 

Beautiful, and again, not at all what I expected to see in Denmark. Beautiful grounds, gorgeous art, fantastic food and wonderful weather made it the perfect way to spend the afternoon recovering. I love that even though the museum was crowded, you never felt that way outside on the grounds. There was always a place to get away and just ponder or explore.

This place has convinced me I have to come back to Denmark. It’s no longer an option, but I also need to get out and see more of the world. If a place this awesome exists, surely there are other areas that even if not as nice would be well worth exploring.

Ugh…trains. The trains here are giving me fits. Running behind this morning, ran to the train stop to hopefully catch up with everyone else as they left for Index. Saw them all get on the train as I was just getting to the top of the stairs.

Ok, so now wait for Ashlee and chance being late together or catch the next train and likely make it on time? I decided to catch the next train.

The problem was the transfer. Got off at the right stop, but the train I needed to take next only runs during rush hour, and wasn’t running anymore! grrrr…ok, so now to try to figure out another train, but none of the signs are in english, so I’m not sure which train is going which direction. So, I finally figure it out and hop on the train. Train starts moving…and oh crap, it’s going the wrong direction. ugh. Try to get off at the next stop, but I missed the doors by not even half a second. Fantastic. Now the train skips the next few stops and I’m way out in the country…saw the ocean, it was beautiful. 

Discovered I was on the right train, but on the one going the wrong direction. So, I jump off, wait 12 minutes for the next one, hop on and finally end up being super late to Index.

I wish I had been there for more of the presentation. I really enjoyed her positive attitude that changes can happen, and it should be the biggest shoulders carrying the biggest loads (in reference to her taxes). But honestly, sometimes in spite of how inspiring this all is, I just want to get my degree so I can play (as I call working) on computers all day and get paid for it. I don’t necessarily want to change the world, I just want to be comfortable.

But thinking about this, I did leave my job recently and the last thing that pushed me out the door was being asked to work on a project I considered unethical and against my personal values and morals (project that involved spamming and creating fictional personas to post aforementioned spam). So, do I really just want to color and play? Or do I have a seed of wanting to change the world also?

Very thought provoking lecture with the woman from Gehl this morning. In the U.S. we’re used to thinking of sustainability in terms of “Green” as in, is it sustainable to the earth. In Denmark, green is good, but if people won’t use it, how is it sustainable? So, I’m starting to see sustainability as something we are sorely lacking in the U.S.

I think office parks may be the perfect example of this: cramped boxes full of more cramped boxes (cubicles) with minimal landscaping. Is there no more depressing landscape than this? People are there only as long as they need to be and not a moment longer, so on the weekends, they’re virtual ghost towns. No one wants to hang out there, it’s as if corporations do it on purpose, to discourage employees from taking breaks outside and thereby increase employee productivity. (Can you tell how much I hated working in a cubicle farm?) 

Anyway, my point is: In the U.S. we seem to do it as cheaply and quickly as possible, human sustainability be damned! 

I’d really wish I could visit some of the sites she spoke about to experience them for myself. It would be interesting to see if the areas are as inviting and sustainable as indicated by her.