FIRST OFF!!! I have almost certainly gotten some work!!!! I am thrilled. If all goes well I will be cleaning 6 hours a week - two hours each for three different families in Fredricksberg and Nordvest - which is near to where I live as well! Actually between where I live and my school. When I mentioned to one of my classmates that I am looking for work she said she could put me in touch with these families because she just stopped working for them and they're looking for someone new. I'm just hoping all goes to plan and she gets in contact with them in time so that I'll be able to secure it! The levels of my enthusiasm for this work were perhaps somewhat startling to her... I'd like to work more than 6 hours a week of course, but it's a start. Getting work here is extremely difficult. There are SO many students in Denmark and most of them are in Copenhagen. So part time jobs go luke hot cakes. And let's face it, most Danish students have the edge of Danish fluency. Still, I'm lucky in that I have plenty of friends here to keep their ears out. I'm hoping to line up some English tutoring eventually because that sounds quite fun and I love kids. Wish me luck!
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International Student Orientation Day (I SOD as no one called it) was surprisingly fun. Often those types of things can hedge on fake or artificial with everyone trying to be impressive and/or being too nervous to really engage in any meaningful conversation. But I seem to have made at least one good friend out of the deal!
After an extremely chummy opening talk about how important we are as international students to fulfilling the vision of Aalborg University as a globally relevant University, we heard a bunch of official information and a bunch of more casual information about what it's like to live in Copenhagen as a non-Dane. And of course there was some meet and greet time. But frankly, not NEARLY as forced as this type of thing usually is in the US. They just had us turn our chairs and talk to people then rotate every few minutes for about half an hour. That was the only structured thing. This is the first time they've done an international student day - because the Copenhagen campus is still pretty young - only been around for 9 years and this is the first year at this location. I feel extremely fortunate - This location isn't right in the city or anything but it's next to Vesterbro, a very cool neighborhood, and quite close to everything else - especially compared to where the campus used to be. In all there are 140 new international students from 42 different countries. There is about 2 or 3 times that number of international students in the whole school together and roughly 2,500 students in all.
One of the people in my masters program, Lotta, and I really hit it off - I just felt immediately comfortable being a goof or serious with her. After the orientation day we went off to wander in Vesterbro together and grabbed a bite to eat. She is originally from Finland, the Swedish part of it. I have learned all about Finnish culture and history from her already - it's just 7 percent of Finland that are native Swedish speakers and it's quite a distinctive identity. Lotta says that Swedish speaking Finns have a major affinity for Sweden while Finnish speaking Finns look to Estonia fondly, but still she feel s 100 percent Finnish and proud of it.
Here we are in my room this afternoon after classes. We attempted to go to the phone store but got pretty tired along the way when we decided to buy monthly travel cards.... so we detoured on home to my place instead for dinner. It really is a wonderful feeling to be able to cook for people. It makes me feel so much more settled and secure.
We went pretty wild for the Danish digestive biscuits when we got home.... huuunnnngrrry.
Im just sayin.... CREEEEPY.
My roommate says it's a new shop... and BARF doesn't mean anything in Danish.... and apparently the picture has to do with some sort of dog weight loss experiment for fat dogs. What.
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International Student Orientation Day (I SOD as no one called it) was surprisingly fun. Often those types of things can hedge on fake or artificial with everyone trying to be impressive and/or being too nervous to really engage in any meaningful conversation. But I seem to have made at least one good friend out of the deal!
After an extremely chummy opening talk about how important we are as international students to fulfilling the vision of Aalborg University as a globally relevant University, we heard a bunch of official information and a bunch of more casual information about what it's like to live in Copenhagen as a non-Dane. And of course there was some meet and greet time. But frankly, not NEARLY as forced as this type of thing usually is in the US. They just had us turn our chairs and talk to people then rotate every few minutes for about half an hour. That was the only structured thing. This is the first time they've done an international student day - because the Copenhagen campus is still pretty young - only been around for 9 years and this is the first year at this location. I feel extremely fortunate - This location isn't right in the city or anything but it's next to Vesterbro, a very cool neighborhood, and quite close to everything else - especially compared to where the campus used to be. In all there are 140 new international students from 42 different countries. There is about 2 or 3 times that number of international students in the whole school together and roughly 2,500 students in all.
One of the people in my masters program, Lotta, and I really hit it off - I just felt immediately comfortable being a goof or serious with her. After the orientation day we went off to wander in Vesterbro together and grabbed a bite to eat. She is originally from Finland, the Swedish part of it. I have learned all about Finnish culture and history from her already - it's just 7 percent of Finland that are native Swedish speakers and it's quite a distinctive identity. Lotta says that Swedish speaking Finns have a major affinity for Sweden while Finnish speaking Finns look to Estonia fondly, but still she feel s 100 percent Finnish and proud of it.
Here we are in my room this afternoon after classes. We attempted to go to the phone store but got pretty tired along the way when we decided to buy monthly travel cards.... so we detoured on home to my place instead for dinner. It really is a wonderful feeling to be able to cook for people. It makes me feel so much more settled and secure.
We went pretty wild for the Danish digestive biscuits when we got home.... huuunnnngrrry.
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Alright that's it... what is UP with the shop on the corner of my building???? SERIOUSLY. Look at these photos:
Im just sayin.... CREEEEPY.
My roommate says it's a new shop... and BARF doesn't mean anything in Danish.... and apparently the picture has to do with some sort of dog weight loss experiment for fat dogs. What.
Poor doggy!
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