I think that this should actually work...Well, hello from Copenhagen! It is good to hear from you all. I arrived in Copenhagen about 2 1/2 weeks ago. It has been quite nice so far. I live in a small flat about 3 km outside of the central city. I bike to work every day, which let me tell you, is no easy task. I think that almost every day I have a near death experience on the bike lane and I'm actually surprised that I have incured no injuries thus far. I was talking to people in lab and apparently the street I live on is one of the bussiest in town and most try to avoid it if possisble. Oh well, it certainly wakes me up in the morning. Anyway, things got off to a quick start in lab and I am working independently on my project; however, as of last Thrusday all of my cells became infected with yeast and died. I had to throw everything away and start over. That was quite a bummer. I really enjoy the people I work with, but people rarely seem to talk to one another-and when there is conversation it is often in Danish-which is a crazy sounding language that I cannot understand. I've decided that the people I work with are very nice but they only say what absolutely needs to be said. I've been finding it a bit difficult to meet people and people in the lab don't seem to really socialize with one another. How is everyone else meeting people? Any tips?
Other than that I've been making side trips on the weekends. I think I've figured out public transportation after this weekend. I went up to Skagen, which is the northern most tip of Jutland. I had to take a total of 5 trains to get all the way up there, 4 trains back and when I returned I found my bike had a flat tire and so I took 3 separate busses to get home! Well, I guess that's enough of an update for now. . .
Erin
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Studies, travels, and adventures abroad
A note from Carol
The American Council on Education, in a 1995 report titled “Educating Americans for a World in Flux” aptly noted “….the breathtaking pace of political, economic, social and technological change in the world coupled with an increasingly competitive job market, underscores the need to prepare students broadly for a future that will require themt to think globally.” Undergraduate students participating in the Biomedical Research Abroad: Vistas Open (BRAVO!) Program are involved in activities in a variety of countries that will broaden their view of the world while simultaneously contributing to the fund of new scientific knowledge.
This blog is a place where BRAVO! students can share their experiences, impressions, and pictures. It is my hope that the blog not only will be used by BRAVO! students but that students interested in BRAVO!, or in science, or in global understanding, will also find it useful!
4 comments:
yeah, it is a bit tricky to socialize..especially at this time of year when school is ending and everyone is either leaving (hence don't care for new acquaintances) or have already form their social core for years (thus difficult for outside to join in). Also, you and they both know that you will only be here for a short while, therefore, making it even more difficult (for you) and less motivated (for them) to befriend you. But no worry, you can always communicate with people online or drink away the lonliness at pubs. By the way, is the dutch alocholism stereotype true?
let's see. . . you will have to talk to samon about the Dutch, but I can tell you that the Danes do drink a lot. Actually, the other day I was sitting around the lunch table with my PI and some others in the lab and we all took a shot of Gammel Dansk (some type of strong alcohol that tasted quite good) together. It was so funny, and I'm sure this would never happen in the U.S. seeing alcohol is not even alowed on campus! They also have beer at group meeting. =)
I'm also having troubles meeting people, which makes blogging an escape from boredom. Unlike students that have been here in the past, I'm living in a faculty guest house. It has few guests at the moment, none of which are students. The language barrier is also a problem. A PhD student said that many people around the lab can speak English but would prefer not to and are thus avoiding us. There are a few people though that have made an effort to show us good times around town. Those times just seem a bit too far apart. This seems like such a pessimistic comment. I'll have to write an update when I've found a better solution to this problem so as not to scare prospective students away.
Hi Amy, it is nice to know I'm not the only one. In terms of the language barrier, I am encountering the same problem. People can speak very good English but they perfer to talk in Danish to one another. There is one bachelor's student that is very nice-he invited me to hang out with his friends last week and we went to a student bar afterward. That was great but about the only contact I have had with people around my age.
I find that other foreigners or people that have spent an entended time in another country are much more understanding. I met a Danish woman today who moved to Hawaii when she was 19. She was telling me that after she moved back to Denmark about 10 years later she realized that people are not so open here and it is hard to find a network of people. Plus, like Yun said, I'm only here for another 2 months so it is not to motivating for people to make an effort to get to know me. Well, if I have any bright ideas I'll let you know.
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