Lend Me Your Ears

Welcome to my first post!

With just one week left until I leave America, every day seems like another long list of errands to check off before my flight leaves from Newark next Saturday night.  My clothes and toiletries have taken over the dining room table and every time I pass the mountains of stuff, I get more and more anxious that I won't be able to pack every silky scarf, black top or sparkly nail polish (I have upwards of 30 of each).  So I'll leave the packing for the end of the week when I will stuff every last crevice with a bottle of nail polish wrapped in a tank top wrapped again in a scarf.  Perfect space saver.  

A couple days ago, I received my housing assignment and discovered I will be spending the next 4 months living in Hoffmans Minde Kollegium in the suburb Brønshøj, a 30 minute bus ride away from DIS in central Copenhagen.  I haven't commuted to school by bus since I was in kindergarden, so I am excited to rediscover this mode of transportation.  

Another thing I will be rediscovering: how to cook for myself.  I spent last summer in Rochester living in a house with other girls from my sorority (Kappa Delta) and an adopted cat named Mittens (Tits for short), taking a couple classes, and working at my school's career center.  Living on my own, I learned how to woo a cat with an attitude, pay electric and cable bills (from my parent's bank account of course), and make a meal out of frozen vegetables, frozen chicken, and 5 minute rice pilaf.  I got a glimpse of what "real life" is like but by the end of the summer I was very happy to escape to Israel on Birthright and eat hummus and falafel for 10 days.   

Deciding I could use a little practice before leaving the country, I cooked dinner for my parents tonight.  Under my mom's supervision, I made a bolognese pasta sauce, pasta, and steamed broccoli.  Hopefully we escaped food poisoning, but only time will tell.  Before I leave, I am going to fill a notebook with recipes so I can hopefully re-create some of my favorite dishes for when I tire of pasta bolognese.  I'm sure my cooking adventures will continue throughout the week so I can feel confident using my stove top, microwave, and mini fridge in my kollegium in order to feed myself for the semester.

One talent I am hesitant to rediscover: my ability to ride a bicycle. I learned how to ride a bike in the basement of our old apartment - it was really more like an alley with stray cats - and I associated that disgust with the act of bike riding.  Nevertheless, I rode around in circles with my training wheels on until I was confident enough to take them off.  An excursion in Central Park with my dad resulted in a collision with a park bench, an inability to breathe for a few minutes, and an ensuing hatred for the bicycle.  After that traumatic day, I approached the bicycle hesitantly when at friend's country houses and pretended to enjoy it for the short time I was forced to practice.  Over the years, I have slowly worked on my relationship with the bicycle, but I am light-years behind the relationship Copenhagen has with its bicycles.  Every day, 30% of Danes commute by bicycle.  It's their way of life.  If it's raining - you carry an umbrella in one hand and direct the bike in the other hand.  If it's snowing - you wear weather-proof boots and a hat.  If you're wearing a dress - you keep your knees together.  If you're wearing heels - it's the norm.  Below is a link to a blog that captures Danes in their element = on a bike.  The blog has prompted my admiration and respect for the Danes' natural relationship with an object I find so daunting. Check it out daily for new pictures: http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/.

If I can't master the bicycle, I can at least flaunt my talent with the maps.  I love reading maps and I can't wait to explore the city and be able to navigate like a true Dane (except by foot, not by bike).  

I'm not sure how my talents will translate into Danish, but I'll be sure to report my miscommunication mistakes, as they are bound to be funny at my expense.  I don't know any Danish yet, so I'm not sure how to sign this post with a one-liner so I'll just leave it at this!