Enough about me

Although several family and friends who bother to read this will hopefully enjoy hearing about my daily routine and mishaps, I can imagine (although find it hard) that others will not be as interested.
To add more of a dynamic twist to this ever so exciting blog, I will endevour to evaluate the Danish fashion, something I fell in love with as soon as I was surrounded by danish citizens on the Ryan Air flight.

So at the moment, I notice a lot of wide sillouettes, stripes, skinny black jeans, rucksacks, buttoned up collars, caped jackets, A line dresses, high pony tales, long hair. Guys also wear buttoned up shirts, denim, checked, or block colour. Hair is swept to the side, a moustache is often included if they are going for the hipster look, if not clean cut and very pretty. Bikes are a fashion icon by themselves. Everyone of them is different, mostly vintage, mainly beautifal, always chic. I want one! Back to womanswear, something I no a little more of than bikes, I also notice how sophisticated the cuts are. Everything is minimal. Black, navy, grey, cream are the leading colours. Block colours are kept as blocks and used artistically to create dimension. Unlike London, where everything is placed together regardless of what pattern or shape, here in Denmark everything is meant to be placed - like a jigsaw.

A little breather, ha I wish

So, a week has gone by and no blog posts, why you might ask? Time flies too fast here and my week has been one long blur of 7AM starts, 3PM (or later) finishes and a mixture of coffee, rum and beer in between.
This week I have also been on kitchen duty, as I mentioned in the very first post. What a week that has been. I admit, I haven't taken the role very seriously, which to my housemates means I havent done anything at all. I have had a note on the fridge this week asking the 'kitchen monitor' to make sure that 'the bins are emptied morning AND night... it would be nice'. Meow. I have also been asked by head of cleaning meetings, some anal mature student, whether I swept the floor on wednesday, as it didn't look like I had. Perlease. To top if off, I was greeted mid week with another Kitchen Duty sign, this time one in colour, far more fancy than the hand made one I was greeted with at the start.

In search of a story

So while staying in Copenhagen we were given an assignment, wherby we had to chase a current news story and create an article on it. I decided to go with the recent decission that department store Magasin undertook to stop selling fur in the store. This involved me visiting Anima, an animal activist group - who were passionatly hibernating in an empty building and going to Illum, the other leading department store in Copenhagen - who sell fur, and who told me that British people were hypocrites (Debenhams own Magasin and were responsible for the decision). I was also told I was a hypocrite as I was wearing leather shoes - forcing me to reassure them that I was not a sole representative of the U.K, although my accent states otherwise. I was also told British people were strange by an old lady wearing a fur jacket who I pounced upon to interview - learnt that I should consider changing my voice for the sake of journalism.

Having spent the week working too much and drinking too much, I ended the stay with the last excessive on offer - spending too much. I went shopping in celebration of finishing my report, having finally tracked down enough passionate danes with opinions as big as their capital city - (which isn't actually that big but feels it when you get lost around it, which I experienced first hand). We went to a party in the evening, which was complete with an amazing selection of food. Normally i'd be lucky if a bag of crisps had been opened for guests, we really had hit the gourmet jackpot complete with homemade falafels, pesto, homous and olives. This consumption helped me deal with my cultural experience of snaps - the cheapest drink I could get my hands on in the only open supermarket. It turned out to be a festive drink that most people dread taking shots of at set occasions, the worst of the worst. And there it was, a whole bottles worth for me to endure. It tasted worse than it smelt, something I was warned against from the start. And there was me thinking I had found a bargain.

Copenhagen.

Copenhagen came and went like a flash. The hostel we were staying at was more like a basic hotel, in fact I can definitely say I have been to worse hotels. We were all exhausted from travelling there - 2 buses and a ferry if you please. However, we had an amazing thai dinner that worked its magic and sent everyone to bed by 12.

The next day was full of tourist fun. We went to the palace, which put Buckingham to shame. The guards are dedicated to their Queen and march daily. I got a photo with one, although I felt slightly threatened as not once did he put his gun down - I also had to stand 2 metres away from him. I had showered that morning so took it personally. We then went to see The Little Mermaid, who was very very tiny. While doing these activities, we were accompanied by increasingly heavy snow, that forced us to seek shelter at a coffee shop. We were welcomed by one of Copenhagen's finest residents who told us we looked like 'wet dogs'.

Don't drink red wine

So I had a quiet night in with Amy, deciding against going out, wanting to save my money for the nearby trip to Copenhagen (and god did I need money)! This involved a nice, cheap and cheerful bottle of wine in which my body decided to consume a little too literally. I went home, having been out to the brightly lit laundrette with red wine all around my mouth and teeth. I was wearing black and could have passed for Wednesday Adams, for sure.

Don't say gross

Today I learnt among other things that gross in Denmark is a really insulting word. Don't say it if you want to make friends.

2 hour cleaning meeting

I was supposed to be productive, having had no time to breathe in the last week I had alot to still sort out. Laundry took an hour to work out (it turns out you have to reserve machines here), and any dreams of an early night were dashed with a knock on my door telling me of a cleaning meeting. While cleaning meetings here are nothing too shocking, with most people casually talking about whose turn it is to clean up, my floor decided to take things several steps further and discuss such things for 2 hours. 2 hours of my life I will never get back. We had to vote how many times we should clean each device and appliance. Should we clean the toastie maker more than once a week? Should we all buy a smoothie maker? Shall we keep beer cans in the kitchen or just outside the kitchen? Oh wow, intense does not describe it. I left before it finished, reclining to my room to breathe dusty air. Oh and I forgot to mention the peg rule. If you leave dirty dishes, you must put a peg on them to show they are yours. And theres me thinking they were there for laundry...

Shopping

I must have still been drunk when I went shopping - I spent £200. On clothes, and another coat to replace my old school, way to uncool for school puffa and more boots - one pair is not enough wherever you are in the world (although it turns out one of the shoes is smaller than the other - that or my foot is bigger, either way they came with demons). My wardrobe was more alive than my bank account but it caused severe happiness, completed with beer and a gourmet meal at burger king. Beer was accompanied by an old mans historical tale of Denmark, the european union and England, casually giving me his number to show me the sights in Copenhagen.. hmm maybe a tour guide will do just as good a job. In the PM we went to an American birthday party. This involved getting on two buses with waits between each one, on what has to have been the coldest night so far. We then walked around the designated area for a long, long time, none of us knowing where to go. Finally finding the destination, we waited another ten minuites as the loud music resulted in our feeble knocking and yells being far too lame to be noticed. It didn't help that the appartment was on the second floor, or that we had limited phone numbers to try and contact. We finally made it after the brain wave of throwing snow at the window was thought up. Alcohol soon warmed us all up and we decided to go into town after the party had started to settle.We got back home at 4am. Rather than going out anywhere in town, we ended up in a fast food joint, accompanied by gourmet burgers and coffee - perfect end to a great night! 

Friday Bar

The danes don't hang around come friday - drinking starts at 3pm at the university bar in  the cellar. Perfect. Having been at the university since 3, I decided it was a good idea to go home and drop off my massive school bag and have a little bit of a rest. Typically, it started snowing while I was back home, causing me to arrive back at the bar cold and wet. This was emphasised by the fact I had no access back into the building (after a certain time the doors lock unless you have a card to get in). Waiting and waiting, still without most peoples number, I finally got in to discover everyone was moving onto another bar - typical! However, this bar was CHEAP. The equivalent of £1 per drink. Yes, cheap. From what I remember, it was a very fun night!

Cultural night

So one of the activities the university decided to endure upon us was a 'cultural night'. This involved free pizza and beer - something that bribed me into the latter of the event - the compulsary entertainment to be provided by yourself and those from the same country. Of course, out of all 60 something of us, I was the only English. Sounding posh and standing out like a sore thumb, I was left alone. While everyone else treated us with cultural delights from their home towns, such as songs, food samples and shots, I gave a lame talk about the olympics, spice girls and chavs, oh and a fun fact about chickens being more common than people - still to this day I ask myself, really?

Pointless and hanging

Feeling not so fresh from the night before, we didn't leave university until 6pm, having been there from 9am and surviving on coffee and 4 hours sleep. To top it off, the teacher was an hour late and we were bribed into staying with free coffee - something that I was foolish enough to accept.

Introduction to the student house

So there is an international night every tuesday in Aarhus, something I feel I will be going to a lot. The set up is a little like a large school disco, with a small dance floor and tables and chairs, but a very cheap bar. I was nearly conned by some clueless volunteer into recieving change from what they thought was a 50DKK note, when in fact I had given a 500DKK note. Just an extra casual zero sometimes does make a lot of difference, especially when your a student.

First day of school!

It was like going back to college, or even school. It still is. I am used to 8 hours a week of university at home - and thats if I bother going to all my lectures, something that almost never happens. However, coming to DMJX is a full 9-4 job, you can't do no slacking here. The canteen won my heart and stomach the very first time I drew eyes on it, a buffet of salads, far more gourmet than any kind of pre packaged sandwhich from the Bute canteen at home, and for half the price. Coffee is available at any time too, coffee breaks are also allocated regularly - it felt like home from the start.

Meeting humans

So after two days of not meeting anyone apart from a house mate keen on ice skating, I was finally reassured that I had made the right decission on coming here. I saw that a girl on my course was staying on a floor above my block, so decided to email her to see if she was as lost as me. Thank god for Amy. She showed me around town, lent me money to buy some boots (after the zip on my boots gave in that very icy morning), and introduced me to my other class mates. We went out and I got to see an actual pub in Aarhus - no skates in sight.

Day 2 - exploring the town

So after a very eventful day, I woke up in my new surroundings hoping with all the luck in the world (in my world this doesn't count for a lot) but never the less, hopeful that the day would be better than the previous. I met up with my dad who had been kindly staying for the weekend to help with my suitcase restrictions (although I to this day am wondering what the hell I packed - I have no clothes). We explored the town and I realised that there was more to Aarhus than ice skating and petrol stations - my halls are in the outskirts and seemed very isolated before the journey on the bus took place. Despite having a collection of no less than ten coats back in England, I decided to pack only one with me - the newest (so my current favourite), yet least warm. What I was thinking when I was packing, with full knowledge that I was going to Denmark - home to snow and coldness, is to this day beyond me. Buying a cheap '90s puffa jacket in desperation, I felt slightly warmer and could suddenly see past the coldness and the potential of the city grew upon me like wild fire - not as warm but near enough. Other essential purchases bought included coffee and bedsheets - although I was told I had a single bed, my single bed sheets were minature on my ever so massive 'single', practically double bed I descovered on arrival.

Back to the beginning - First day bang

So my first day in Aarhus was pretty crap to put it bluntly. Or lord as they say in Denmark. I very nearly didn't even make it here, which pains me to think about now - I would have missed out on so many fun memories and bad drunken photographs. The day started at 4am - I debated for most of the time I should have been sleeping whether I should even bother. So I got up feeling as fresh as one could at that hour and ready to go. Ten minuites into the journey to the airport my dad realises he has no phone and rushes back to get it. Down fifteen minuites on precious time, we were then struck by evil fait and stuck behind a police car, blocking off the whole road for what looked like a very minor accident. Great. Typical. With my dad very pessimistic about our chances of getting there, I prepared myself for the worst, already deciding what breakfast feast I would prepare myself at home in commiseration. By some slim chance, we managed to make it to the airport and on the flight in the nick of time, but not before enduring several more mini panic attacks at security - dad's bag set off the dreaded alarm.
Now on the plane I had an hour to calm and breathe, the Ryan air treatment suddenly on the same level as a five star spa - the aeroplane food I normally turn my nose up at tasting gourmet.

My first night out in Aarhus was just as tragic as the overall day. Tired and slightly delirious from the whole experience - I met my first room mate who asked me out to a 'ice disco'. In my mind, I pictured a Scandinavian bar, with ice caps on vodka bottles, swish and fancy. I was so down for it. I got ready - debating over heels, finally deciding they might be too over the top for a first night. Thank god I wore my boots. This 'disco' was actually an indoor ice skating rink - the kind of place you hang out when your in your early teens. Me and housemate (whose name to this day I still don't remember) were the oldest by a long shot. And no shots were in sight. Instead, I was immersed in a setting complete with a '90s style disco ball and tragic pop songs from before I was born. At one point I lost the housemate on the ice, panicking as I realised I had no phone, no number and no knowledge of where I even was in relation to my new home. My mind filled with panic along to the beats of Madonna. Luckily I found him before curfew - 11pm and went home just after, my first wild, wild night out.

And lets start at the very (near) beginning

I say near beginning as I have been in Denmark almost a month now, and have only now had the time and motivation to set up this soon to be blog. After take 5 of managing to convince blogger that the original utl name hannafillingham was acceptable enough, I have finally made it onto blogsphere. Where do I begin? Shall I start at the very beginning of this adventure or at present today? I think the latter before I start confusing us all. So before toady I had been away in Copenhagen for 8 days (more of that to come later) - the only thing I will say is that the trip involved very little in the way of sleep. As well as being a tourist seeing the sights and student seeing the bars, I was also a student doing a lot of work. This work was not complete this morning on the deadline and involved a 9 o clock trip to school to finish it. Of course, this wouldn't be done without any obstacles - something fairly common in my everyday existance. For a start, my work decided not to upload onto the computer in order to hand it in. It was later established that this was my own fault, rather than my old school brick of a laptop I tried to pin the blame on (everyone else here has Macs or small netbooks, I have a large Dell device). When the work was finally uploaded 3 hours later, I went home to rest - to find a large 'kitchen duty' sign on my door. Let me use this first post to briefly introduce my clean obsessed room mates. Rules are taken quite literally in this establishment and I have already experienced a 2 hour (no exaggeration intended) cleaning meeting in the 3 weeks I have been here. So when a kitchen duty SIGN is PINNED onto your door, especially on a stressful day when all you want to do is sleep, you no your day is not going to get any better. I was quite right. Supermarket shopping was next on the agenda (having come home last night to nothing but lettuce and cornflakes in my designated cupboards (all cupboards here have a number - you wouldn't dare to use a different one for fear of another threatening sign post). So at the supermarket, I come to pay to discover the only money I had left (plus another 50DKK) was needed. Do I dare look in my bank account??!