And it begins!

THE FELLOWSHIP IS STARTING!!!! I am going to the airport to pick up the American fellows in just about half an hour. They're arriving in waves so I'm going to be there for a while. The HIA leadership definitely wasn't going to have anyone pick them up because they are adults after all... but there's a bit of a Danish-American disconnect there I think. A lot of the people coming haven't traveled internationally much at all so it would definitely be overwhelming for them to get in alone. Anyway - gave me an excuse to make one of those little signs that fancy people have at the airport to greet them. Mine is home made which might take away from the fanciness... but still. I'll be getting an iPhone soon and then I'll be able to post photos, much to my parents' joy. But for now here's a photo that my friend took at "Distortion" last night:

This was past 10pm but it gets dark so late here in the summer... I mentioned to one of my friends that I literally can't fathom what it will be like here in the winter. He didn't even try to say otherwise - he just went, "ahhh come here" and gave my a big hug. Distortion is a five day street party in Copenhagen. it's held in a different neighborhood last night. My mom and I stumbled upon it without realizing what it was last year. This time I was fully prepared and with some Danish friends so it was quite fun! (Not that you aren't fun mom! We were just so disoriented). Lots of electronica, live music, etc. More later... I need to get organized for the fellows now! Alice

Hello Again - I have not quite figured out how to do paragraph breaks on this thing... they show up in the draft but not when I post it - so my apologies for now! These last few days I have been having quite the cycling experience!

Copenhagen is an insanely good place to bike. It's SO so flat, there bike lanes absolutely everywhere, and it's just how most people get around. Still... Thomas was quite nervous about me being on a bike. He went over the hand signing and traffic rules with incredible urgency. As much as I can obviously ride a bike, Copenhagen biking is NOT for the faint of heart. On the one hand cars respect bikes… but bikes don’t always respect each other. As the program director of HIA put it to me this afternoon, "Bikers in Copenhagen don't necessarily tolerate - well, they don't tolerate it if you don't know the rules". Danes are big on "tolerance" so that's saying something. The art of turning left in Copenhagen is my next hurdle. You have to cross the street and pull over and then turn with the other lane... all very interesting to read about, I'm sure. Seriously though, learning to bike in Copenhagen is, in my opinion, the absolute best way to see the place and get attuned to the 'beat' of it. I already feel much more centered and comfortable after just a couple days of exploring. I notice myself fading in between tourist and worker. When I have somewhere to be by a certain time I feel much more in synch with the flow of traffic and the city generally.

Because let's face it, Copenhageners don't head to the palace and little mermaid every day. Then when I don't have anything specifically to do - like the later afternoon today - I find myself meandering, checking the map more often. That's also nice. I toodled around the Marble Church, Amalienborg Castle courtyard, and the King's Garden. Still, I'm looking forward to getting more and more into the rhythm of living here. Anyhow! I've been having some meetings with the HIA staff and also had a chance to meet with the senior fellows network. I think I might run to be on the Senior Fellows Board next year! Great way to keep in touch with people, integrate into the senior fellows network, and of course practice my Danish.

Major Danish successes today = buying a transit card for logistics over the next couple of days all in Danish and carrying on enough of a conversation with an old man today in a church courtyard that he didn't realize I don't speak Danish. But who knows how deaf he is so I'm not giving myself a standing ovation on that one. Thomas and Sarah continue to be SO so kind to me. They want me to have “real Danish rye bread” so started making it on Monday – it’s a process.... SO GOOD. Really hard on the outside and moist/amazing on the inside. I will definitely be trying to recreate it with their guidance. 

Looking very much forward to the summer program... the final schedule is all printed and ready to go! It's a bit of a strange, amorphous role I play - I'm on staff but also the go between between participants and staff. A challenge to balance but it's going to be just great. Kærlighed til jer alle, Alice

Back in DK

HELLO ALL! I decided to make a blog - mostly, actually, because one of my professors suggested I do so as we were saying farewell on graduation day. If you know me than you certainly know that I went to Denmark for a fellowship last summer and had a shockingly good time. It was a human rights fellowship with Humanity in Action (HIA - http://www.humanityinaction.org/) focused on immigration, integration, and minority rights in Denmark. I went ahead and tried to learn Danish and wrote my politics senior thesis about anti-immigration politics in Denmark. I'm sure I'll talk about it more later...

My first 24 hours back in Denmark have been fabulous. I'm being hosted by my good friend Thomas from the program last year and his girlfriend Sarah. They really couldn't be kinder. Thomas prepared homemade bread and a hummus and all sorts of other things for me right upon my arrival. They then tucked me in for a nap... during which I apparently laughed for a really long time, really loudly. They were slightly concerned about me and checked in but I was dead asleep. When I woke up a couple hours later we headed to Christiania (if you don't know about it.... http://www.christianiaooo.dk/) to meet up with half a dozen other HIA friends for a concert by Thomas' favorite Danish band, I Got You On Tape (IGYOT).

Much more to say but first - my plans in the near future: I am here now as an assistant on the same fellowship I did last summer. The program focus will be very different so I'll be challenged not just with new responsibilities but with new material as well. Last summer we looked at the post 9/11 political landscape and this summer will be all about the interface between Danish civil society and the state. I'll be leading discussions, coordinating with speakers, and generally helping to make the program run. The fellowship ends with a conference in Sarajevo after which I'm traveling in the Balkans for a bit with some friends. THEN (and here's where it gets confusing) I'm going home for the rest of the summer to meet my brother's newborn baby (!!!), earn a little money, and be with my family. THEN I'm back in Denmark for graduate school in September.

I'll be studying at Aalborg Universitet, Copenhagen Campus in the International Relations and Development Studies program, under the Global Refugee Studies masters program. I'm so excited! The masters program was recommended to me by one of the Directors of HIA. Finally, the name of the blog: My mom's absolute favorite Danish sentence that I've tried out on her is, "Jeg kan ikke snakke dansk". "I cannot speak Danish". I WILL speak Danish by the end of my time here, that's a goal I will commit to publicly - so hold me to it, please! Vi ses! Alice