Home

My last day in Europe/Copenhagen was last Sunday. My bags were all packed and the only thing left to do was walk around the entire city with my friend and say goodbye to Denmark. After a long journey home, I arrived in my beloved West Coast, Matt picked me up, and I got that burrito I've been talking about since July. First day back in Santa Cruz, and I'm amazed by the sun and of seeing my friends for real. It's good to be home.

Godt Jul

Danes are obsessed with Christmas. The streets were decorated in November, Christmas foods were in the stores in November. There's even a special Christmas beer (Jule Brygg) and a special day when it comes out (October 30... that was a fantastic night). Other Christmas specialties include the new love of my life, æbleskiver, which are like round cupcakes except more amazing, and gløgg, or mulled wine.
The fact that I don't celebrate Christmas made my life easier this year, meaning, there's nowhere I had to be, so I was able to travel again and spend these last few days packing up and cleaning. I of course found some friends to have Christmas meals with, because I like celebrating hygge (Danish for coziness) including pizza handmade by attractive Italian men :-)
Sadly, Christmas means most of my friends have left Copenhagen. And when wandering, the city streets feel so empty after the excitement of the conference, and with everyone in their homes for the holiday.
For those who celebrate, I hope it was hyggelit.

Barcelona

After spending way too long agonizing over what to do with my life, I finished my paper, ran around CPH on Thursday saying goodbye to important people, and hopped on a plane to Barcelona Friday morning, to visit my friend Pau, an exchange student at Santa Cruz last year. I stayed with him and his parents in a little town outside Barcelona, and it was wonderful to relax and be somewhere copmletely different before my life begins again.

Barcelona is the complete opposite of Copenhagen. There was sun, people are more open, the attitude is relaxed, the food was amazing (Pau's mother cooked for me!, and I discovered a new love of patatas bravas). I spent my days wandering the city, enchanted by the narrow paths and the tall buildings, the roman ruins. Those who ask me about the Jewish history there, well, there wasn't. I looked for it, and only found some plaques throughout the Medieval quarter stating "this is where the synagogue was" or "this is where the main square was". Pau showed me a monastery hidding in the city center that was very awesome (I'm enchanted by Medieval churches, monateries, cloisters) and Barcelona Cathedral was almost as beautiful as Notre Dame (things in Paris set the standard for everything I've seen since. Hence, if something is almost as awesome as Paris, believe me it was pretty cool). As always, got lost looking for places, but getting lost in strange European cities is my "thing" along with going to outdoor markets and eating streetfoods.

We visited Montserrat, a monastery in the moutains, and while the monastery itself wasn't what I was expecting (it Renaissance, not medeival) taking the train through the mountains covered in snow was enchanting, even more so that I wasn't afraid (something which I always am).

The last day I visited Park de Guell, designed by Gaudi. The feeling I had while visiting it reminded me of Versailles, because it was so enchanting and peaceful and beautiful and awesome. Even in the pouring rain. From there I visited La Sagrada de la Familia, a cathedral designed by Gaudi which has been being built for the past 100 years and is not complete. Going inside it, despite the construction, was amazing, and so I will return so that I can view the completed building.

I don't know else to explain how enchanting and lovely this trip was. I was relaxed, not stressed out, had a chance to explore another part of Europe that was completely different and which I had not seen, meanwhile immensely enjoying visting my good friend and spending time with his family. A perfect ending to an epic European adventure.

COP 15 pt 2

Amidst the insanity that is my personality, this big deal climate conference is happening in my backyard. This is what I'm thinking....

Monday night after our verbal Danish exam, I wandered around the city with friends from my class. This city has turned into a walking exhibit on climate change. In Radhusplasden, this campaign set up by the city called Hopenhagen has set up a giant globe, and is sponsoring concerts every night (heard a cool Danish band Nephew with Vesela). In one of the plazas in the city center WWF set up an exhibit on climate change in the Arctic, complete with a tent for speakers, and a polar bear made of ice that once it melts is just a skeleton. Kongens Nytorv has the photo exhibit of 100 places to remember (places that are effected by climate change), and a display on Climate Change from Space, where someone (forget who) is going to release a satellite that will measure climate change effects. Near the Central Train Station in a conference center is KlimaForum, which is a conference for the people, by the people, complete with lectures, discussions, concerts, films so that everyone who came for COP15 has something to distract ourselves with while we wait for a verdict next Friday.

Saturday there was a big demonstration, starting at Christiansbourg slot, where my friends and I hung out for a couple hours listening to speakers and seeing everyone who showed up to pressure their leaders to make stringent policy for climate change. We bailed because we were cold, but everyone else marched all the way to Bella Center on the island of Amagar where COP15 is actually taking place.

Once again, it is very weird to have lived in Copenhagen for the past few months, consider it my home, having a life and wandering around the city or chilling in bars with my friends like normal, and then seeing all these travelers and officials here just for the conference. I haven't seen the city this crowded since Christmas Beer Day. This is one of the most bizarrest moments of my living in Europe.

COP15!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is the first day of the 15th annual climate conference in Copenhagen and the city is going insane! Where am I? In my room sick writing a paper of course. BUT if I stop wasting time and work on that paper, I can spend all day tomorrow running around the city checking everything out!

What exactly is COP15 and what are the stakes? Grist as usual makes my life and has an article that explains what is going on in a fairly humorous way: How to Explain Copenhagen to a Comedian.

Until my next procrastination break...

Fear

I am scared of everything right now.

I'm scared of the darkness that is living in Northern Europe in winter. I'm scared of saying good bye to my friends. I'm scared of making new friends and thus having MORE people to say goodbye to. I'm scared of finishing that paper for Nordic mythology (well, not really. I'm super into this research actually). I'm scared of making a decision about where I want to travel next. I'm scared of getting on the plane that's going to get me there. (this might be where I mention that in all of the traveling I have done in the past few years, I've never been scared of traveling by myself or of the place I'm going. It's the DAMN PLANE that always freaks me out. alwaysalwaysalwaysalways) I could go to Oslo, but taking a ship across the sea is scary. i could go to Helsinki, but it's going to be darker than cph and i'm afraid of flying in Northern Europe in Winter. I could take the train to Stockholm, but Sweden will be boring. I could fly to Southern Europe where it's sunny, but that's a longer plane ride right before I take the epic air ship that will take me home to my beloved Pacific. I need to stop letting fear get in the way of things, but I made it this far, right? It's ok that I've gotten this far... I mean, I got on that plane to Tel Aviv, I got on that plane to Paris, and to Russia, and to everywhere else I've been. Why am I freaking out now especially?!

I'm scared of going home. I'm scared of all the changes that will be there when I'm home. I'm scared of what if I never come back to Europe? I'm scared of being by myself my last week here. I'm scared of finding a job when I graduate. I'm scared of what on earth is going to happen to me in my life? I'm scared of what if there's a terrorist attack while I'm in Copenhagen during Cop15? (I hate you U.S. government for sending me that "precautionary" email that while hilarious holds a grain of neurotic truth...)

so...... any advice?

Last Day of Class

Yesterday was my last class in Denmark (I dropped out of the biological pest control class). I listened to one more lecture on Nordic Mythology, and took my written test for Danish language.

So, what do I do with myself for a month? THAT is a fantastic question. I would love to leave Denmark again and travel more while I still can. On the other hand, I am trapped in old libraries for the next 3 weeks writing an intensive paper on the role of women in Nordic Mythology and Viking Culture (research is REALLY HARD when the libraries are in Danish! Even with English books to read!) And in case you haven't heard, there's this big deal climate conference happening in my backyard for the next two weeks, that the entire world has been talking about. I also have a slew of friends I need to spend time with before I fly across the pond. And of course, I have gotten sick yet again. As much as I want to free myself more (there is something wonderfully refreshing about seeing new places and opening yourself up to new things) looks like I'm going to kick back and enjoy my life here. Don't know why I was thinking of leaving again. With the whole world watching, it seems that right now, Copenhagen is the place to be.

Check this out! The Angry Mermaid

Giving Thanks

This past Thursday was my first Thanksgiving outside of America and my first without my parents, and I had a lovely time. I'd met a couple girls in my Nordic Mythology class, and so found myself as the "token American" at American Thanksgiving with four Canadians, a French girl, and a Hungarian.. I don't enjoy celebrating how we screwed over the Native Americans, but I enjoy spending 4 hours in a kitchen with other young women, everyone preparing something yummy and vegetarian, and having a hyggelit (cozy) meal, celebrating yummy food and good company.

On Saturday, the Education Abroad Program at the University of California arranged for the students Copenhagen to visit the students in Lund (southern Sweden) for a Thanksgiving meal. Aside from learning never to have a catered Thanksgiving meal in Sweden because they FAIL at serving Thanksgiving foods, we all had a lovely day touring the very small town and hanging out with the other students. It had been way too long since I was in a group of other Californians, and immediately my pattern of speech changed, the conversations changed, and it felt refreshing. Lund, on the other hand, felt like Brugges in Belgium, Maastricht in the Netherlands, and Odense in Denmark. Basically, small town Europe. Except Swedish. Maybe I really am too jaded.

As the end of my program nears:

I am thankful that I had this opportunity to go to Europe. I am thankful my family supported me. I am thankful I was able to visit so many countries and travel to so many places. I am thankful for the adventures I have had. I am thankful for the wonderful people I have met. I am thankful that my friends at home continue to support me emotionally. I am VERY thankful that my life here finally worked itself out. I am thankful I was able to grow individually and learn so much about myself.

And of course, I am thankful I have a life and home to return to.

Goodbyes

I leave Europe one month from Saturday. In typical Lizzy fashion, I am freaking out. When I first got here in August, I wanted to go home. I missed Santa Cruz, I missed my friends, and I wasn't happy. But now? I don't want to leave. I've built a life for myself. I've made good friends. I've become part of the Kehillah. I've loved my traveling. My classes have been interesting. See, I just really hate saying good bye. I hate saying good bye to a place that I have lived, to cafes and bars I spend time at, to communities that I'm part of. I hate that I thought it was a good idea to leave Denmark so late in December, not realizing all the friends I made would go home earlier than I so they would be with their families for Christmas, and then returning just after I'm gone. I hate that I'm going to be by myself my last week here, because I can't afford to travel anywhere else and I'm afraid of missing my flight home.

Leaving Santa Cruz in June was difficult, but I knew I was coming back. My friends here keep asking me to stay in Europe, but I can't. And I may not see them again. Ever. That's the scary thing. Friends you meet while traveling are one thing, because you rarely put much effort to stay in contact with them beyond facebook, unless they're particularly special. But even if I did stay, my life next semester wouldn't be the same, because some of my friends are leaving, and then new people would come for me to get attached to, and the goodbye process would begin again.

I'm not ready to say good bye.

getting ready...

The Cop15 Climate Conference approaches... the city is getting ready, my environmental websites are getting ready. In Kongens Nytorv in the city center, there is a photo exhibit of '100 places to remember'. At the metro stops, there are painted globes (some of you may remember NYC and Chicago having painted cows all over the city? Angels all over Los Angeles? Fish all over New Orleans? Well, Copenhagen has globes). At the airport picking up Rachel, there are advertisements trying to show off how 'green' Copenhagen is. This city is about to explode.

Besides the Cop15 conference, another one will also be taking place, the KlimaForum, which I suppose is an international version of PowerShift and other conferences I've attended, which I'm very excited to volunteer at (the official one only wants Danish volunteers.....very jealous of my Danish friends).

And of course, Grist.org is amazing as usual with Top 25 Reasons to Give a Damn about Climate Change.

The world is about to change, and I'm at the front lines.

Language Barrier 2

Most of my friends here are not native English speakers. They come from different parts of Europe, or Japan, or Turkey. Most of them have to speak English, because that is the most common world language. Many of them went abroad so that they would improve their English.

This is not an issue for me. I went abroad to meet different people. However, funny things happen. Many of my friends ask me to correct their grammar so their English will improve, which I do, but this breaks up the flow in conversation. Or, because people imitate others, esp with language, I find myself speaking in fragments or pausing as I think of words, as they do. Or just speaking slowly in general because otherwise they won't understand me. I also find myself forgetting English words, or explaining things in a different English than I would use at home. And you would never hear me say the most Californian of phrases (like, my computer is "HELLA jank").

And don't get me started on other English dialects. When I first started hanging out with Aussies, I always needed a slang translation, sometimes I can't understand what my Brit is saying, and Scots might as well be speaking another language.

But the funny thing about language is, even if my friends English isn't perfect (though to me it's perfect enough), or they say something using words that one wouldn't use ("make" a photo instead of "take" a photo), I still understand what they convey, and the message comes across, the conversation flows.

RETHINK

This past week, I participated in a two day conference with international and Danish students called "Rethink Our Energy Future", sponsored by the University of Copenhagen and Energy Crossroads. For two days, we listened to lectures (more self important people telling me things about climate change I already knew and why it's important to stop it), and participated in a workshop called "Changing the Game."

For this, we were divided into large groups representing Europe(mine was orange), and within the groups divided into 4 regions (Western Europe). Each table had Lego towers (yes, Legos are Danish) that represented how much coal, natural gas, oil, biofuels, electricity, and renewable energies were used for housing, transportation, and industry. After setting goals for reducing energy usage, we were given stacks of "money" and change cards to figure out which programs and strategies could be used to acheive our goals. Change cards were anything from installing solar panels, using electrical cars, replacing oil with biofuels, etc. With each card, we discussed the social and environmental real life implications. On the second day, each region chose their favorite change cards and a negiotator, and after the regions presented their changes, the selected representatives were given the task of negotiating down to 8 change cards to apply to all of Europe. Afterwards, in different groups we were each given a change card and the task to develop ways to implement this goal into public policy (this part felt like National Environmental Policy all over again).

It sounds complicated, but this workshop was brilliant. By giving me visuals and role play, I was able to further understand the enormous task politicians are given in combatting climate change and developing energy policy, while still fulfilling the needs of its constitutents. Many people commented that we were not given enough factors to make a serious decision (population growth, other enivornmental impacts) but the point of this game was NOT to make real decisiosns. The point was to provoke dialoge, to think about things differently, and to really understand the daunting task of implementing these policies (in developing policies, you need to consider ALL the stakeholders, how they'll retaliate, how to make everyone happy, and where the money comes from).

My region of 4 got along really well. We had equally strong personalities, but were level headed enough that after making an argument and making sure we were heard, backing off if the rest of the group felt differently. We also came from different environmental backgrounds, giving different perspectives in our discussions.

Basically, it was amazing to have serious environmental discussions in my life once again.

I could end this blog on how climate change is real and happening and we all need to do something to reduce our CO2 emissions and make the world a better place, but if you read my blog, I'm sure you believe this anyway, or know that I do, so I will end it with something silly.

Rachel is coming to visit!..... tomorrow

My friend Rachel is studying in Israel for the year and decided to spend her week off visiting me in Copenhagen! Alas, I was convinced she was coming on Thursday, as that's the day her itinerary said she was leaving, so I went to the airport, waited for an hour, freaked out because I didn't have her number, she didn't have mine, and what if she was lost in Copenhagen? I called my mother at 430 am CA time, who had to check my facebook in case she had tried to contact me that way, and then I called her parents at 5 am asking where she was, only for her dad to go online and tell me she was coming on Friday. Hello Life.

Meanwhile, it's been nice seeing Copenhagen and international student life through her eyes, because to be honest, at this point I'm jaded and/or over it. I swear I'm happy, and I think the city is beautiful and I like the people I hang out with, but going to a party where people are from 8 different countries is no longer a new thing for me.

On another note, the new block for the Faculty of Life started. Thanks to annoying bureaucracy and me taking too many credits in college, I don't need this next course, but I am a dork and go crazy when I'm bored. Hence, I'm taking a class on Biological Pest Control for fun. Why? Because I get to 1) learn more 2) have something to do with my time and 3) meet more interesting people (Faculty of Life students are way cooler and more interesting)

Here's to a week of adventuring!

Birthday Trip

OK, prepare yourself for a long post:

My birthday in Copenhagen was lovely. Not epic and crazy, but nice to go out for drinks in places I like hanging out in, and with people who I like being around and who actually care. On my actual birthday I flew to Prague, flying an activity that everyone knows I incredibly dislike. My camera managed to break on the way to Prague, so any pictures I have were taken on my phone (if you know how to transfer phone photos to the computer, PLEASE call me when I return!)

I was only in Prague for two full days, but here were my impressions/favorite things:

-Prague reminded me a lot of Russia. The metro system was very deep and designed like in St. Petersberg, the language sounded like Russian, and when I wasn't surrounded by tourists and travelers, the people seemed to have a similar attitude. It was like a Western version of Russia.

-Visited Prague Castle, where I saw THE very window of the defenestration of Prague, an act that started the Thirty Years War. Can't tell you the exact history, except that "defenestration" is one of my favorite words. Not kidding, after seeing this window my life is MADE.

-Wandered more wings of Prague castle, and found a winding staircase that led to a hall of armour and shields, with one end having a chance to shoot a crossbow like at the Renaissance Faire (something I clearly needed to do in the walls of a castle in the Czech Republic), the other end viewing a room of Medieval torture devices (very very terrifying).

-Prague has a lot of Jewish history, something I forgot about until I arrived. I was very excited to see: the shul where the mythical Golem is supposed to be hidden in the attic, waiting to come to life to protect the Jews of Prague and the Old Jewish cemetary, where the Maharal, a famous rabbi of the 16th century who brought the Golem to life is buried. Also, the beautiful temples, one of which had the names of all the Jews of Czecheslovakia who died in the Holocaust written on the walls.

-A note on visiting Jewish places: I am very used to living in Denmark, where people have their own space, you don't talk to people, people are quiet and in their own world. I am also used to visiting Cathedrals where people are quiet, reverant and reflective. I was NOT prepared to be surrounded by Jews again, where we're loud and in your face and there is no chance of prayer in the old synagogues. *sigh*

-Most meaningful to me, I had an absolutely magical day by myself wandering the city, seeing the aforementioned places, where I realized I was ok with being by myself and doing things on my own.

-And yes, Charles Bridge is beautiful.

As for Berlin, I really had no idea what I wanted to see. Devina flew in from Italy and I had a lovely visit with her, and I also knew someone through a friend currently living there who was more than happy to show us around the city. So, this was mostly a social trip. As for Berlin itself, it felt like San Francisco. Except German. And with a Communist history. It felt like a city to live in, not a city to ogle at its buildings and masterpieces (though if I were there for longer, I most certainly would have visitied all of its museums). And so, live is what I did.

-Matthias took me to his favorite vegetarian restaraunts, and I had a vegan version of curryworst (a Berlin speciality which is basically a hot dog covered in ketchup and curry powder)

-Through Matthias, I met a lot of English speaking expats living in Berlin, as this is apparently the city to go to when you want to leave where you currently live (and it was SO refreshing to hang out with people who were neither travelers or students).

-Berlin has the coolest and most clever memorials. I've seen my share of Holocaust memorials, but the one in Berlin is incredible. In the middle of the city is a square filled with many stones of different heights. (Nothing screams 'Make Jewish babies NOW' like a memorial to dead ones.)

-Seeing the wall. Part of it was still up and left with all of its graffitti. Another section was turned into the East Side Gallery, with paintings by modern artists. (Similar to the Merill moat at Santa Cruz. Except on a very famous wall.)

Being on this particular trip made me appreciate Copenhagen again. Maybe I'm retreating too much into a comfort zone again, but it's nice to see new places, and then have a European city you can call home, whose language you recognize, whose streets you sort of know, and which has a life you can go back to.

22nd Year

Tomorrow, I turn 21. If I were in Santa Cruz tonight, my friends would follow me around Pacific Avenue, as we go from bar to bar so I can get my free drinks and celebrate the fact that America has the oldest drinking age in the world. This would have followed an epic Halloween weekend, that I know my friends just had.

Alas, I am in Copenhagen. Halloween is not a big deal, though I went to a couple student parties last week. And turning 21 is... turning 21. I did have a lovely weekend, of casual drinking with friends,swanky and cozy bars, and another epic night of traipsing across Copenhagen drunk at 3 am trying to return to my dorm which is an inconvenient distance from anything important. I guess what I'm trying to say is I miss my friends a lot this weekend.

On the other hand, I will go out with some friends tonight, buy my "first" legal drink at midnight, then fly to Prague the next day, and spend the week exploring two more European cities (including seeing Devina in Berlin, where we will celebrate our birthdays again).

As for turning another year older.... well, most of my friends are older than me anyway, and are usually surprised to hear how young I am, so I don't consider myself as being "older"... just as catching up. And American students are younger than others in general... (I'm going to be 21 with a bachelor's degree.)

Maybe turning 21 means I'm one step closer to becoming an adult..... scary thought

While procrastinating my studying.....

This week I take my final exam in my Food Industry class, a class which has been challenging, enlightening, and is the reason I stare at my computer for 3 days straight taking notes from the powerpoints. So, while I take a break, some thoughts on comparing European and American school systems.

In ecological terms, American students are generalists. We take two years worth of general education classes, in the most random subjects, on the most random topics, with the intention that we will be well rounded students. We also spend about 4 years getting our Bachelors, take a year off, and maybe go to grad school, often going straight to college from high school (if you grew up in the community I did, this is not an option, but a requirement. Otherwise, you are perceived as not doing anything with your life).

Europeans, however, are specialists. Most Danes take a few years break after gymnasium (an intense version of high school), waiting until they absolutely know what they want to study at university. Once in, studies are very specialized, and most stay five years, for the three year bachelors-two year master's degree. Also, the Danish government pays for students to go to school. My friends get stipends from the government just to study. I don't even get a scholarship.

My brain is a generalist. My major is a generalist. The Environmental Studies dept at UCSC has taught me the most random things, in topics not quite related to each other, so studying in the Faculty of Life at Kobenhavn University is challenging, because I don't have detailed knowledge and background. I signed up for a class on Biological Control of Pests for the next block because I'd taken a class on Integrated Pest Management and thought I would be prepared. But looking at the syllabus, I'm terrified. I don't know details about insects and chemicals. I know basic concepts of agroecology, and effects of pesticides in the environment. And I am not going to be a specialist in my field, at least not yet. Even my extracurriculars at Santa Cruz have no direct relation to each other or my studies (ocean advocacy internship and grant allocating while taking classes that involve food and agriculture. And hopefully teaching a class on Ecology and Religion through ESLP).

My major has taught me that everything is connected. For example, in my Environmental Policy class, I applied knowledge learned in Biogeochemistry and Agroecology to think about policies that would control nitrogenous fertilizer. And in Copenhagen, it is most refreshing to learn about the food industry from mainstream scholars and business men so I can learn what it is actually like, as opposed to the idealist Banana slugs who want to "F***ing change the system, man!!" (me included of course).

And so ends my persapitation, persapitating being a wonderful word Heather taught me that means doing something you have to do to avoid something you REALLY have to do. And I had to write this entry, right? ;-)

Some Thoughts

It is 521 pm. I am standing at a computer in a cafe in the Humanitites building, after having just finished a 2 hour lecture on Thor, and with 1 1/2 hours until my Danish class. These are the thoughts in my head.

-That stupid project on Nordic Sugar is FINISHED. Cool, now I have a vague idea on how companies are structured... but what's its environmental impact? And must I really listen to my classmates present their companies for 4 hours tomorrow?

-The friends that I've made here are extremely casual and I've run out of things to talk to them about. Nor do people actually follow through when I initiate hanging out. The other option, however, is meeting more new people, and having the same conversation of 'What's your name? Where are you from? How long are you here for? What do you study?' And maybe insert another conversation you've had a million times before of how distances in Europe are completely different than they are in the states, a litany of all the places you've traveled while in Europe and where you want to go, how Copenhagen is different from [insert your city here], or maybe the ever favorite discussion on drinking ages and culture in different countries. (Please, DO NOT ask me about drinking ages in different countries when I return. It's got to be the most shallow conversation ever).

-meeting Danish students is intimidating. They sit in groups or pairs around the campus and in the Kantines. And I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but there are multiple campuses throughout the city, so there is no central location. And all the flyers posted in the hallways are in Danish, so I have NO idea what events are going on. That is, events or activities that aren't drinking.

Ironically, when I left my dorm this afternoon to take the train to Amagar for my Nordic Mythology class, I was really excited about being back in Copenhagen. Russia was such a culture shock, it was almost comforting to be back in City Center surrounded by familiarity: takig the metro at Nørreport Station, the smell of the pølser wagons, listening to people speak Danish and understanding only 3 words. And I was even feeling excited about my life, about how cliche it is but true that living abroad opens up your world (though I wouldn't exactly call running around Europe and living in a country that has less crime than my neighborhood in the nineties the world). Yes, I´ve been dragged far far away from my comfort zone, but I'm not sure if I was up for the challenge.

Rusland

Russia is different. You need a visa to enter, and a visa to leave. The alphabet is different (cyricllic). The language is different. People are different. Buildings are different. Clothing is different. Food is different. Yes, you can say the same for nearly any country, but honestly, most of Western Europe is the same, and as is most of Canada, America, and Aus. Russia was the biggest culture shock I've ever experienced. St. Petersberg is built to look like a European city, but is still undeniably different. Moscow, on the other hand, was chaotic, with buildings from nearly every century, no organization, giant Soviet looking buildings, and more people.

The guided trip itself was a disappointment, because I was expecting more organization and more guidance, and so did not prepare myself with more knowledge of sights I wanted to see, and since we were in a large group, spontaneous excursions took way more time than they needed (I never want to travel in such a large group AGAIN). I got very frustrated that I wasn't able to see as much were I traveling by myself, and more frustrating that I didn't have my glasses because they were being prepared and that the alphabet was different.

BUT people on the trip were really nice and I made friends easily. Not so many warm fuzzy affectionate bonding that I experience in Jewish and Environmental trips, but interesting to travel with people of different nationalities.

I also have Russian heritage, making this trip slightly more meaningful. Despite my family coming from Minsk and Odessa, it's still a big deal to visit the Motherland. And Russia is COLD.

Some more anecdotes of my trip:
-I love black heeled shoes. This is a country of women wearing black high heeled boots. I was ecstatic.

-I grew up eating "Jewish" foods like kasha (buckweat) and blintzes (crepes stuffed with curded cheese). Then I come to Russia and am frequently served kasha and eat blini (Russian pancakes) nearly every day. Not to mention how much I love beets and how much Russians eat them.... Needless to say, eating familiar foods in a very unfamiliar country is a bizarre experience.

-competed with my friends to see how many times you could get yelled at by old Russian women, in a manner similar to Natalya when she's angry (as Zac said, this is a country of Natalya's <3 )

-Russian Orthodox churches are BEAUTIFUL. I always gasped whenever I saw the colorful onion shaped domes of Church of the Spilled Blood in St. Petersberg and St. Basil's cathedral in Moscow.

-I also thought that after visiting Notre Dame and Versailles I'd never see a more beautiful building. Until I entered the Winter Palace of the Hermitage in St Petersberg.

-After the Hermitage, which is a grand collection of fine art, I followed some Danes to an abandoned barracks with a collection of Non-Conformist art. While wandering the "galleries" I encountered a small room with couches and funky art on the walls, with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter on the coffee table. I decided I needed to smoke one in that room, but while doing so the guy whom they belonged to walked in. So then we had an awkward conversation in his halted English.

-As I walked with a group of my friends on the outer edge of the Red Square in Moscow, viewing the beautiful domed church ahead, all in somber silence as we noted the graves of Russian presidents on either side of us, about to view the entombed body of Lenin in his masoleum guarded by uniformed Russian policemen, my friend turns to me and says, "So you've never been skiing?"

Did you know Lizzy's going to Russia?

For the next ten days, I will be visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg on an organized tour with other students. I am SO excited for this. My dad went in 1979, now I get to go in 2009.

Not much else has been going on. I missed a trip to some cliffs last week because I was convinced the bus left at 10, only to discover it left at 830 (needless to say, I was BEYOND pissed off). I spend a lot of time hanging out with Danish Jews, and working on an epic project. Things are.... going ok.

New Address

Someone turns 21 in a month, and has a new address after moving:

Ny Emdrupborg Kollegium
Emdrupvej 54 A, Room 1
2400 Kobenhavn NV
DANMARK

Olympics

On Friday Copenhagen hosted the International Olympics Committee's decision for who to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Tokyo, Chicago, Madrid, and Rio de Janeiro were in the running. Obama even came to CPH for five hours (I am ecstatic to have even be in the same city as him). The city hosted a festival at the Radhusplasden, which is a plaza in front of City Hall. I hung out with sweet Japanese girls I knew in the crowd of Tokyo delegates, and even saw Aqua perform for the second time in my life for free (the first time was in August). I have to say, it was very exciting to be in the square as they officially announced Rio de Janeiro as the host for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Climate Lecture

In class today, a girl turned around and asked if anyone wanted to go to a Climate Lecture this afternoon. Considering how big a headache my hw has been giving me, I figured, why not? The University of Copenhagen has been hosting a series of lectures on climate change by prestigious individuals in preparation for COP15. Professor Diana Liverman, Director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, had a lot to say on how local governments have an impact on combatting climate change. In lieu of rehashing the lecture, I'll try to summarize important points.

First of all, she divided the U.S. into regions, where each grouping of states produced as much emissions as some countries (for example, New England emits as much CO2 has Canada). Already, that puts you in perspective of exactly HOW MUCH of an impact the States have.

She talked A LOT about California, how we did many things right in making strict measures and policies to reduce our GHG emissions, making me enormously proud to be an exchange student listening to a climate lecture in Copenhagen :-) An important point that California represents, however, is how much control does a state have vs national? Some may remember last year when CA wanted to make their car regulations more strict, and the US EPA vetoed it because it would effect American car sales because Japanese cars were so much more efficient. Obviously, that means that American car companies should build better cars, right? Fortunately, the veto was overturned and CA had its way. Dr. Liverman also pointed out that because CA is so powerful, it has a ripple effect. As in, if CA regulates the energy efficiency of certain products that it buys from other states, like Nevada, these states have to follow these more stringent policies for themselves in order to remain in business with CA. It's all fine and dandy if CA and the West Coast are making an effort, but what about the other states that don't care? That's where the Federal government comes in. They need to enforce stringent CO2 emissions policies on the other states.

Now what about cities? If you're from wonderful smoggy Southern California, which can pretty much be its own city considering how much development there is, you understand that cities are a major emittor of GHGs. However, cities don't have much control. Can you imagine our mayor trying to regulate LAX by saying that only planes that emit a certain ghg level are allowed to land? Apparently, cities can play a part by forming partnerships, or by investing in city development, but I think it's a bit too late to redevelop the City of Angels into a City of Sustainability. And many people would love to contribute more to sustainability, but their city does not make that a viable option. Everyone knows how much I'm dying for a car, because otherwise, getting around LA is impossible. Public transit isn't efficient, and biking is a death wish.

Non-Governmental Organizations. My dream employer. Do they have an impact on climate emissions? The sad truth, not really. They all have different agendas and are all focused on different things. Oftentimes, they usually can't agree on anything. (her rant about a group of NGOs in a meeting not making a decision reminded me sadly of activists in Santa Cruz). Mayhap certain ones that focus on pressuring governments into stringent programs have an impact.

I suppose I should conclude with "what is the best way to combat climate change?" I have always been a firm believer in citizen action, and still am. I have also always believed in the system (the most dreaded word in a Santa Cruz activists vocabulary). The system means governmental regulations on companies, on cities, EVERYBODY. Because we can't fight this battle alone.

Excursioning Part 2

A quick update on some places I've been recently.

-a week and a half ago I visited Frederksborg slot, which is a Renaissance palace that contains lots of portraits of Danish royalty, and has beautiful baroque gardens.

-My Food Industry class took us on two more field trips! The first was at the old Stock Exchange in town, where we listened to a lecture about Danish Chamber of Commerce. (www.danskerhverv.dk) A boring lecture is a boring lecture, but at least it was in a beautiful building and included free coffee. Also, you know you live in Copenhagen when you think nothing of biking across town amidst the old stone buildings in the rain.

-The next field trip we went on was to a company that sells enzymes, cultures, etc. This was actually fairly interesting, as the company was an important part of the food industry, but sold its products to other companies that needed their products for retail (ie, yogurts, other chemical things for other products). (www.chr-hansen.com)

-Yesterday was epic. My Nordic Mythology class took us on an excursion to Skane, which is the Southern part of Sweden that is next to Denmark. We first went to Alenas Stenar, which is a Vikibg burial site, where a large group of stones are arranged in the shape of a ship on a field overlooking the sea. The next stop was to a Viking graveyard, where there were multiple stones in a meadow in multiple formations. The last stop (in between a lunch break and massive amounts of driving in the middle of beautiful nowhere) was a Runic stone monument. In the middle of farmland there is a knoll with stones cirlcing a tree. Two of them had runic engravings, another had a picture engraved.

As for me, I'm doing ok. Went out a bit more this week, had pleasant conversations, and am always entertained when having a conversation and I realize each of us are from a different continent. I also just moved this morning to a kollegium (dorm) in the city outskirts. My roommate Semra is from Turkey and she's REALLY nice and makes yummy bread rolls. I think the next three months will be fantastic.

Halfway there!

Today marks my official halfway point in my epic trip to Europe. I have been out of California for 2 1/2 months. I have 2 1/2 more months to go. Things are getting better. My Food Industry class is amazing, Danish class isn't awful. Today I start a class on Nordic mythology. Busy Lizzy=Happy Lizzy.

I'm also moving on Sunday to a Kollegium (building with dorm style apartments) because my landlord sold the apartment I was living in. I am so relieved to be living in a building with other students, because as nice as my apartment and roommates were, it was not a healthy living situation for my mentality.

On a random note, my dad reads my blog, and he just corrected me on a couple of facts: My grandfather (his father) did not combat in WWII. He was in the Engineer Corps, stationed in Korea, not the Philippines, and his unit was almost sent to Japan, but wasn't because the atomic bombs were dropped.

5770

Rosh Hashanah is a time for t'shuvah, for return, and so, every year I return to think about where I was the year before. Freshman year I was new and lost. Sophomore year I was a Rescuer. Last year I was a Leader. This year I am... what? a traveler? a stranger? the exchange student who hangs around Chabad every week and is now fairly close with the Rebbetzin?

In answer to people's questions of what Rosh Hashanah is like in Denmark, this is what I did: Spent every chag meal at Chabad, as I tend to do, including helping the Rabbi chop frozen chickens the night before (yuck). The first day I went to the Progressive shul, and while it was nice to be in a Progressive Jewish space again, there was too much missing from the service. The second day I went to the Great Synagogue, which I hadn´t been in since I was there with the Sunshines. It was nice to sit with the girls I knew in the women's balcony, and quite the wake up call to hear the shofar blown inside such a beautiful building. However, the Hazan reads every word, delighting me that I had only shown up for Musaf. After lunch, everyone at Chabad walked to a nearby park for Tashlich. This part was the weirdest, because even though I bike around Copenhagen in shul clothes, I'm not visibly Jewish. Ever. So now, I'm walking with a group of frum Jews in the streets of Copenhagen to stand next to a body of water to throw bread in it. Beautiful to participate in a community, but I think I'll do tashlich by myself in the lakes, which are the canals that intersect the city.

Instead of wishing the generic good wishes for the new year, I'll share a story I enjoy:

A person was walking in the forest, and was very lost. Soon, they approached a stranger and called out, 'Friend! Can you help me find the way out of this forest? I am lost and cannot find my way out!' The stranger replied, 'Brother, I am lost as well and can only tell you this: Do not go the way I have gone, because that is not the way. But maybe we can find our way out together.'

In the year 5770, may we all find friends to help find our way through life. L'shana tova.

Kopenhagen Fur

I never thought I would have so much fun at a fur factory. My class took us on a field trip to Kopenhagen Fur, a cooperative that deals in furs. So like Danish Crown, KF is collectively owned by farmers. The building that we visited houses the skinned animals and auctions off the skins to various countries, mostly China, who then process the fur into clothing etc, or sell the furs to other companies.

Once inside the warehouse, we are greeted by rows and rows of dead mink. We also saw rows of fox, chinchilla, lynx, rabbit, seal, and sable fur. Chinchilla fur feels AMAZINGLY soft. For the others... it was creepy seeing dead fox skins. And seriously, after feeling chinchilla, I don't know why anyone would want to wear anything else. They also brought us to a room where we could try on fur coats and wraps. A picture of me in a tye dye shirt and fur coat should be available soon ;-)

The mink are farmed, mostly in Denmark, and die in gas chambers. After being skinned, the bodies are processed into bioenergy, and the cleaned and stretched skins are ready for sale. The foxes are both farmed and hunted. Don't quite remember how the other skins are aquired, but obviously, the seals are hunted.

So, why am I of all people writing an enthusiastic report about FUR? Not gonna lie, the fur coats were cozy and warm. And I am not especially opposed to farming mink for the purpose of fur. What does bother me, however, is hunting animals. For example, most seal species are endangered, or at least very close to being so. Seals belong in the ocean, not in my closet. The foxes.... for me, wearing a fox would be like eating a cat. They're too personable, too furry and cute. I think wearing one is creepy. But chinchilla and mink... I feel as long as they're farmed, it's kind of ok. Not to say I'm going to go out and buy a fancy fur coat.

Environmentally? Well, the mink is raised in Denmark. It lives off of offals from meat production. The furs are shipped to China, where they're processed into clothing etc for cheap, and are then transported to other parts of the world for wear. Do you really need something that's traveled all of the world like this? On the other hand, fake furs have become a popular replacement. But the fake fur is made from synthetic, petroleum materials. OIL. Oil which people are fighting wars over. Oil which can be used to fly a plane to take me home. Oil which the earth is running out of and which humanity doesn't know how to live without.

Websites!
http://www.kopenhagenfur.com/corporate/about+kopenhagen+fur
(general information on Kopenhagen Fur)

http://www.kopenhagenfur.com/corporate/about+kopenhagen+fur/fur+farming
(information on fur farming)

http://www.furisdead.com/
(I couldn't resist including a PETA link. I generally agree with their goals, but their stances are so radical and ridiculous. To my enviros: I'm sorry if being in CPH has made me more Conservative in not being totally against fur, but I feel most things can be acceptable through moderation.)

Excursioning

I'm in the thick of the semester, meaning I actually have homework to do. I also managed to not pass my August Danish course, so decided to retake it (a decision I'm very much enjoying, because not only do I actually sound smart in class, but the people in this new class are way cooler).

I have had time for a couple excursions, though. So:

-A friend I'd made at a hostel in July came to visit during their travels, so we went to southern Zealand (the island that Copenhagen is on) to see the ruins of a Viking fortress. Nothing like standing in the middle of nowhere with the wind in your hair and ancient fortresses surrounding you....

-Saturday my friend Kati and I visited Odense, a city on the island of Funen. There was a model Danish village there, and we took pics of silly poses with the model "peasants" in the houses.

-Odense is known for being the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. I have officially stood in his house.

-in the HC Andersen museum is a library that contains books and stories of all the languages his stories have been translated in. ("Thumbelina" in Hebrew is "Etzbaonit")

A hallmark of living in a country whose food I hate? I am actually very upset when the British foods store sells out of Kraft Mac & Cheese.

Language Barrier

Even though most people here speak perfect English, the fact that I do not speak Danish interrupts my life in the following ways:

-Amnesty Int'l won't let be volunteer because they work in Danish
-I cannot buy packaged foods because I have no idea how to prepare them
-Have no idea what's going on in with student life because most of the fliers are in Danish
-menus are... challenging
-when helping with children's activities at Chabad, being attacked by a swarm of small children asking me things in Danish.

Things I enjoy doing in Copenhagen

-biking around the city, crossing the canals and looking at the old buildings
-wandering the cobblestone streets of the City Center
-going to Int'l night at the Studenhouse and meeting people
-hanging out at Chabad all day Saturdays
-sitting on the balcony atop my apt overlooking a beautiful skyline
-going on museum excursions
-guiltily eating polser (street hot dogs topped with ketchup, mustard, sweet mustard, remoulade, fried onions, fresh onions, and pickles)
-eating at the vegan restaraunt in Christiana to make up for the polser
-talking to my friends at home

Danish Crown

My first official class started on Tuesday, entitled "The Food Industry". Those who know me know I'm beyond obsessed with eating food and thinking about food and wondering about the environmental impact of my food. Thus, this class was made for me. On Thursday, we drove all the way to Jutland (the part of Denmark attached to Germany, 3 1/2 hours to the other side of the country from Copenhagen) to visit a pig slaughterhouse run by the company Danish Crown.

I apologize for the following gruesomeness, but I assure you it is worse in real life. The pigs come from all over Denmark, and are killed by first being knocked unconscious in CO2 chambers. Then a worker jabs their neck with a knife and blood runs down into a tube, so the pigs die of bloodloss. After being cleaned, robots suck away what is inside their intestines, and other robots cut away their organs and intestines (called pluck). Another machine cuts off their heads. Yes I saw all of this in full detail from a window. The rest of the process is not so disturbing, because the pigs then are frozen before being cut up for shipping, and once frozen, they look unreal. The entire pig is used, as different cuts are sent to different countries, pluck is turned into cat food (can I make my cat vegetarian?), and leftover pig fat is turned into biomass to run the factory.

Ok, so why have I spoiled your dinner? Because we need to know where our food comes from and what is its impact on the environment. I am not a semi vegetarian because I believe animals shouldn't die, though I think way more die than need be (a pointed glare at people who eat meat at least once a day). I want to know about what happens before the pigs enter the slaughterhouse. Is their effluence contaminating the drinking water? Where does their feedstuff come from? What is the impact of growing and processing the feedstuff? And why must everything be transported everywhere? Some farmers ship their pigs to Germany to feed only to return to Denmark, only to be shipped somewhere else in the world, as 90% of the pigs that are slaughtered are exported.

Aside from the usual bs of "data and knowledge are lacking" and putting focus on other parts of the food chain, the website admits to some important things:
-"Greenhouse gas emissions are generally lower for the production of 1 kg of vegetables in comparison with 1 kg of meat." (any environmentalist worth their weight in kale knows this)
-a majority of ghg (greenhouse gas) emissions come from feedstuffs production and manure, NOT transportation and electricity
-the amount of ghg emissions from producing one pork chop equals drinking 4 cups of coffee
-many other tidbits defending Danish Crown's production of meat

However energy efficient Danish Crown claims to be, what if we just didn't eat meat? What if the energy and resources invested into producing animal feed went into feeding humans? What if slaughterhouses just didn't exist? What if meat was raised locally and fed from food scraps and compost, converting unusable biomass into biomass we could eat, and thereby not wasting biomass we can eat? One may argue that then there wouldn't be any jobs, and, I kid you not, our tour guide said, "The U.S. doesn't need robots. They have Mexicans." But in Denmark, most of the jobs are done by robots, and the jobs that are done by humans, technology is researching how to replace them anyway. So, jobs wouldn't exactly be lost.

As much as I would love those reading this to severely reduce their consumption of meat (I can't ask you to completely abandon it), at the very least, I encourage you to peruse the Danish Crown website.
For climate change "policy": http://www.danishcrown.com/page21810.aspx
To visit the "virtual slaughterhouse": http://www.danishcrown.com/page22686.aspx
And of course, the Danish Crown main webpage: www.danishcrown.com

Dachau

I know this may sound silly, but I did not realize how much WWII history there would be in Europe. Every city I've been to has a memorial. Every tour I've been on points out a site where something significant happened, or where a building was damaged. In America, we hear and learn about the war consistently. My grandfather fought in the Philippines. I have known survivors. But the aftermath is not so continuously in our face.
On the walking tour in Amsterdam, I made a friend, and for lack of other things to do, decided to follow him to Munich. It was exciting, taking a night train on Saturday, arriving at 7 am and checking into the hostel. But then I saw the fliers for the tour. I felt like I wasn't prepared for it, and I was worried about its effect on me, and if it would still be appropriate to have fun after visiting it. So at first I declined, and went on the walking tour with Dan. Halfway through, I realized Munich was just another pretty European city, and that somehow fate brought me to an opportunity, so I joined the next tour.
I still don't know how to describe how I felt. If anything it was surreal, that after a week of partying, here I was at a horrific place with people I didn't know. But the camp itself is hauntingly beautiful. Yes, we hear the stories and we know the atrocities. But being at the place itself, it's hard to apply the pictures to what you see. All the original barracks were destroyed, and the ones that remain are models. But it's too sanitized. How can I possibly imagine what went on if all I see is grass and sky? Only in the crematorium did I actually freak out, envisioning the bodies hanging in front of the ovens, staring at the place that would burn them once they died.
I didn't freak out in Anne Frank's house, because there it focused on her life, honoring her in the most beautiful way possible. And every time I learn a lesson about the tragedies of the Jewish people, it merely causes me to think of the future, and that the point of learning these is that am yisrael chai, the Jewish people live. That my people are free enough that I can go drinking at a biergarten in Munich with an Australian without fear of my life, knowing that when I'm older I will continue these traditions with a family of my own.
However optimistic I may be, I can say this with certainty: I NEVER want to go back to a death camp.

AmsterAWESOME

Needless to say, I was, shall we say, inebriated for most of this weekend, but sober or otherwise, I was able to appreciate this beautiful city, though at the same time felt frustrated that its feeling like the Las Vegas of Europe cheapened an otherwise important culture capital. Serious highlights precede silly anecdotes.

-contemplating the colors and strokes in a VERY impressionist painting of a glass of water in the Van Gogh museum
-seeing Vermeer paintings at the Rijkstmuseum
-visiting Anne Frank's hiding place and seeing her real diary at the end
-beautiful beautiful canals

-sharing a bed with Natalya 5 nights in a row
-popping Natalya's hostel cherry
-space cakes
-taking shots of jenevir (similar to rum) with an Australian and a South African
-once again managing to spend my Friday night at the hostel drinking with other Jews

Maastricht

Natalya had orientation this week, so I had two days to entertain myself in this town in the south of the Netherlands. This town is a beautiful Medieval town, reminding me of Brugge. I also went to nearby Valkenbourg where there was a ruined castle.

Here are some highlights:

-dancing barefoot in her hallway to "Gay Boyfriend". With Natalya.

-making alphabets ;-) With Natalya

-"actively participating" in a coffeeshop on a boat. With Natalya.

-going to Holland. And actually meeting people from Holland.

-ordering strange things on the menu and winding up with sausage smothered in mayonaise. (something I would NEVER eat in California)

-managing to make more friends in Natalya's program in 2 days than my own in 2 weeks.

This morning, we head to Amsterdam!

Heather's Wedding

Yesterday my close friend Heather married her beloved Joseph. Because I know she reads this blog, and because I was not present for the wedding, I must wish her a HUGE MAZEL TOV here.

For the past two weeks, I've been meaning to go to Helsingor yet have gotten sick or injured. But yesterday I FINALLY went with my friend Yakov. Helsingor (or Elsinore) has Kronburg Castle, where Shakespeare located his play Hamlet. Hence, how appropriate that the day of Heather's wedding, I visit Hamlet's castle.

After a 14 hour train ride, am now in the Netherlands, visiting Natalya in Maastricht!

New attitude?

I don't fit in. I never have. I've always been the odd one out in big groups. In Santa Cruz, I am able to pretend that I am normal, because everyone else is weird and awkward and I have multiple groups where I have a defined niche. But here? It's feelings and emotions I never wanted to feel again. A reminder that just because I'm in a different country doesn't mean I haven't changed.
Today I realized I need to change tactics. I am a traveler, and I will do things by myself and stop trying to depend on people because whenever I put myself out there or attempt to make plans, people continuously disappoint me. So this afternoon, I took myself to Christiana, which is a hippi commune that was created in the 1970's when some people began squatting in abandoned military barracks. It is technically its own governing body, and does not belong to the E.U. While walking around, this girl in dreads on a bike asks me if I would like to join her in a meal. I ended up having a lovely afternoon with her and now have a place to stay the next time I decide I need to go to Helsinki. Since I am clearly not making friends with the international students, I need to keep meeting people in random places. I need to continously put myself out there, do my own thing, and stop trying too hard to be friends with people I'm not connecting with.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when I sit with a group of people that I kind of know and hear about the amazing time they had together.

Updates

Random occurrences undeserving of their own posts.

-I had to ask someone in the supermarket to help me pick out laundry detergent.

-visited the grave of Hans Christian Andersen in a cemetery near my apt. It's very beautiful, and people go there for picnics, which is weird.

-had a conference call with Natalya on skype in the Netherlands and Zac on speakerphone in Los Angeles. It was epic.

-went to an outdoor concert in support of Iraqis who were seeking refuge in a church to avoid being deported but who were still kicked out by the police. Amnesty Int'l had a booth, and if you remember, I was involved with them in high school. I asked if I could volunteer with them, and they said no because I don't speak Danish. Greenpeace has also neglected to return my emails. If I'm not volunteering, what am I supposed to do with myself?

Today was also my last day of Danish class. Hurrah! Unfortunately, this means a written test tomorrow morning, and then an oral test on Monday.

Jeg kan ikke tale dansk

Danish is a difficult language. Many of you probably have no idea what it sounds like. It's kind of like German, but more related to the other Scandinavian languages. Pre 17th century, Denmark was a larger power than it is today, and actually controlled parts of England, so Danish influenced English, not vice versa. Sentence structure is somewhat similar, as are a few of the words. I think the most difficult part of this language however are the sounds. There are vowels that are added to the end of the alphabet: æ, ø, å. Try pronouncing them ;-) When a word is written, you don't pronounce half the word. This makes listening to the cd and writing down the dialogue EXTREMELY difficult.
In class we learned some basics: Jeg hedder Lizzy. Jeg kommer fra Californien. Jeg kan tale engelsk og a lidt hebraisk. Jeg elsker mælk chokolade. (My name is Lizzy. I come from California. I can speak English and a little Hebrew. I love chocolate milk). But really, how useful are these sentences? I figured out how to say 'tak' (thanks) and 'undskyld' (excuse me) immediately, words I think people should know in every country they visit. I can tell people to speak to me in 'engelsk' when they mistakenly start speaking Danish. Of course, most people here speak English, and they don't mind speaking English to the confused American student. But it is very frustrating to be in the supermarket and to be unable to read packages, and irritating when I get a letter in the mail, all in Danish. And when I tried to tell the policeman my street name the first night I got lost, I mangled the sounds so badly he couldn't help me.
But like most things, the more I'm around them, the more familiar they will be, and maybe by the time I come home, I can say a few more things.
Hejhej!

ouch

As luck would have it, I fell down the stairs this afternoon and severely hurt my foot. The program administrator sent me to the hospital (once you've registered with the Danish authorities as living here, they give you a CPR number and all medical care is free). I waited for 3 hours before they had a chance to check on me. Baruch Hashem, my foot wasn't broken, but it's swelled and ligaments are torn. So, she gave me crutches and I need to take it easy this weekend (keep in mind I live on the fourth floor and get very restless when I'm not active). I will try my hardest not to go insane this weekend, but I know I need to take it easy so that my foot will heal and I can visit Natalya in a week.

Mrggg

OK, why is being here so difficult for me? Well, I have to completely rebuild my life. I have to find new activities, make new friends, form a new routine. I realize that not doing what you normally do is part of traveling, but I'm no longer traveling. I live here. I think back to when I started college as a freshman and how difficult it was for me to find my place, but that by the time I started by Junior year I was somebody, I had a niche and a role. But I don't have two years. I have one shot, one semester. I've met some people at Chabad; they're really nice and I love being there. I joined the British Expatriate meet up group online (the international one doesn't do anything), and they're pretty awesome; the events they organize let me know what's going on in the city. I've met people in class, and I'm beginning to pinpoint friendly people. But why is the transition between awkward acquaintance and friend so difficult? I am SO jealous of my roommates who have each other. But me? I'm still completely on my own. I can always try harder, and I always am, but after a certain while, it gets exhausting. After putting in a certain amount of effort, you want to see results, right? I know what I'm like, but many times I wish I was different, so things would be easier. The coolest people I've met are random guys in their twenties I meet while traveling or at Chabad. I don't get along with large groups of people my age. No wonder Santa Cruz was perfect for me... we're all a bunch of misfits. I need to remember why I'm here: to pull myself out of my shell, to have new experiences, to see what the world is like, to travel. But how do you see what the world is like when the only people you meet are American 20 year olds who just want to get wasted?

Food

The food here is horrible. I go into the cheap markets, and their selection is beyond limited: lots of cheeses, lots of meat, lots of sodas. Some milk and yogurts. Some packaged fish. Lots of condiments (selections vary). Cans of tomatoes, and tomato sauces, and pastas, but not many other vegetables, no cans of beans, and very limited other dry goods. Fresh produce exists, but isn't good quality, as it mainly comes from Italy and Spain. The Arab markets have a somewhat better selection, like canned hummus, and bags of dried beans. Still no burrito in sight :-(

AQUA!

Yes, it's true, the people who brought you "Barbie Girl" performed at Tivoli Gardens on Friday night. I got to dance to the songs I've been listening to since 6th grade while they sang them, and it was epic.

ILP

Just to update you as to what I'm actually doing. For the next three weeks, I am taking Danish. For three hours a day. It's a difficult language. Now that the program has started, I have a few anecdotes to share:

-I get lost about three times a day, because I think I know where I'm going but really don't. Also, my apt is on the other side of the city as my school is. This accounts for it. I have also gotten lost everytime I try to go home. One night I got so lost the policemen couldn't help me and I needed a taxi.

-In class we said what languages we speak. Jeg kan tale engelsk og a lidt hebraisk. (I can speak English and a little Hebrew). My teacher says, "Hebrew! Why?" Ummm....

-On the street, a man asks me something in Danish. I proudly respond "Jeg hedder engelsk". He looks at me for a moment, then speaks to me in English. Later at night, I realize I had told him "My name is English"

O, and a word about bike culture: bikes are EVERYWHERE. I bought a hot pink one named Barbie Girl in honor of Aqua (who are Danish). Bikes have a separate lane. But people don't wear helmets. And there can be lots of bike traffic.

On the other hand, I can't find water fountains. And at a cafe, they wouldn't serve me a glass of water. So whenever, I'm thirsty, I have to spend $4 on a little plastic bottle. And then I can't find a recyling bin. How again is this city sustainable?

First Day

The scariest thing I've ever done was go to orientation this morning for my first Danish class. I only know my roommates, and a couple other people from UCSC, but they're not to be counted on. Everyone else seems to know each other (because it seems everyone lives in student housing next to the university which btw is a 30 min bike ride from my apt. Something I am extremely unhappy about.) I decide to talk to someone who is also standing awkward and lonely. An Aussie of course (who else have I been hanging out with since I've gotten to Europe?). We are split up into small groups for Danish class. There seems to be a few cool people in my group. Maybe I will actually make a friend. Two hours go by, can't say I particularly enjoy the teacher. Danish is difficult, and I would've appreciated starting with pronnunciations not actually speaking it. Well, it's been awhile since I've begun studying a completely new language. I have an hour and a half to bike to the next orientation, and conviently run into Ben and have lunch with him. This second orientation is beyond overwhelming with so much new information. I receive so much new stimuli I need to go back to somewhere familiar to process. However, by the time I get back to my apt (a process which usually involves getting horribly lost) I'm exhausted and don't want to go anywhere. Unfortunately, everyone lives on the other side of town as I said. I cannot tell you how jealous I am of those who live in the dorm and have an easier time making friends. I have a hard enough time in general, why make it more difficult for me?

The Norrebro

I live in an Arab neighborhood. On the fourth floor of a cute apartment with a couple other students on the edge of the city. For anyone else, this is not an issue, because it means cheap falafel and markets that sell food besides meat and cheese. The Danes I met have told me horror stories about this neighborhood, how there are gangs and shootings. As long as I don't get caught up in a gang, I think I will be fine. And honestly, this neighborhood is safer than the one I grew up in (rewind to the days I could bike on one street next to my house but not the other one).
But when I go into a market with Palestinian flags and Arabic, I can't help feeling afraid. What if they find out I'm Jewish? What if they hate me? What if they want me to die? One of my main fears about coming to Europe was Anti-Semitism. I've never experienced it. In LA public school, I was judged for being white. In Santa Cruz, I'm judged for believing in God and organized religion. Yet here, part of me tingles when I walk into a bike shop with an Arab owner, or pass by Muslim women on the street. I don't want to be prejudiced, but in the States we have been taught to fear. On the upside, walking into an Arab market feels more familiar to me than a Danish one, because it's similar to Israeli food, though frustrating that I can't speak Hebrew. I think as long as I am not obvious and that I'm respectful, I will be ok. Going abraod is about new experiences, right?

Second Shabbat

I returned from my travels Thursday night, completely exhausted and recovering from a sickness that decided to strike while in Paris. Seeing as I had no friends yet and desperately trying to cling to familiarity, I went to Chabad.
At any given moment, people were speaking Danish, Hebrew, English, or a mixture. I met Jews who grew up in Denmark and had moved to Israel, Jews who had stayed, and traveling Jews stopping by for the weekend. I talked to people about what it was like to be Jewish in Denmark (mind you, the people I was with are Orthodox).
Basically, this is a very tiny community and is mostly centered in Copenhagen, but as all communities should be, it was warm and welcoming, so the next time I crave something vaguely familiar I can come back and sort of feel at home.
Balconies still drive me crazy, and I swear if I wasn't raised in egalitarian communities I would have acted as Yentl and become a man.
I didn't observe Shabbat in Paris, because I went to the Louvre instead, but found it amusing that I spent Friday night at the hostel bar with an Israeli and an Australian Jew.

Danish Address

Lizzy Cantor
Frejasgade 2, 4 TH
2200 Kobenhavn N
DANMARK

Belgian Highlights

-wandering around the Medeival city of Brugges
-visiting with an old childhood friend
-visiting the frietes museum
-realizing that the 'traditional' fries and mayonaise is.... fries and mayonaise
-delicious beer
-delicious chocolate
-Magritte museum in Brussells
-musical instrument museum, where they give you headphones and you can listen to all of the instruments displayed (THAT was a trip)

In Belgium

I must admit i've been feeling very emo the past few days. Don't get me wrong, Paris was amazing and I'm glad to be traveling. But i'm bound to get pissy eventually.
I've been exhausted since I left Manhattan, and that train ride/first day of Paris where I walked for 10+ hours exhausted me. Then I got sick. I was still able to push myself and go sightseeing, but it meant I would be worn out by evening and wouldn't go anywhere. Fortunately, my hostel was social and I had friends to hang out with, but it meant I couldn't go out at night and epicly act my age. I realize I was in Paris to see Paris, hence daytime energy was my priority, but I would have loved at least a couple nights out.
Now I'm in Belgium, at a tiny hostel where it is hard to make friends, and I'm reminded of how alone I feel. I did plan my stay to meet up with a childhood friend, and we had an absolutely lovely day, but now I'm on my own again. I have been feeling better (I knew I was better when I had energy to hate the world) but now I have to decide if I make that extra effort to meet people, (everyone travels in pairs) or if I stay in my own thoughts.

Sorry for the emo rant. Knowing me, the loneliness was bound to come eventually.

Bon Jour!

Like every American, I have fallen in love with Paris. Here are some personal highlights:

-staying in a hostel and hanging out with only Australian guys
-Notre Dame
-seeing Orthodox and Muslim women mingle in the park
-visiting the museum of Middle Ages and viewing the very famous tapestry series The Lady and the Unicorn
-visiting the Louvre and recognizing a portrait of Edward VI, the son of Henry VIII and Elizabeth's half brother
-VERSAILLES is amazing! the gardens! the palace! the gardens! Marie Antoinette's own village

Adieu!

how NOT to travel from Copenhagen to Paris

This actually happened last Sunday, but it was so epic, I need to share.

1. 6 hours from Copenhagen to Hamburg (this was actually nice; we took a ferry to Germany and it was cool seeing different kinds of windmills in Denmark and Germany)

2. 6 hours from Hambeug to Koln

3. realize halfway through that I'm about to be at a German train station at 330 am and freak out for 2 hours wondering what to do

4. stay on the train for 3 more hours so I arrive in Frankfurt at a reasonable time (7 am ish)

5. get on ANOTHER train to ANOTHER German city for an hour

6. FINALLY get on a train going directly to Paris. Accidently find myself in first class, pay the extra fee, and get fed real food.

7. Arrive in Paris around 1 pm

8. Go to hostel and pass out.

Shabbat

The inevitable post... my rant on Jewish life in Copenhagen so far.
Family friends from Los Angeles are here this weekend, and I've been spending all my time with them. My neighborhood happens to be partly Arab, which is fine, until I'm accompanied by one friend wearing a kippah. This made me feel incredibly vulnerable and uncomfortable, as I felt we stuck out. I'm not used to being noticably Jewish, and was not so interested in experiencing Anti-Semitism.

As today is Shabbat, I went to the Great Synogague. Stevie and I were intensely interrogated by security guards before we were even allowed inside. The sanctuary was beautiful, and it was comforting to hear Hebrew in a foreign country, though my siddur was in Danish as well as Hebrew. On the other hand, it is an Orthodox minyan, so I as a woman am relegated to the balcony. I have been in an Orthodox minyan with a mechitza (separation). I don't like it, but I will tolerate it now and then. I HATED the balcony. I was an observer, instead of on the floor participating with the men. The community was welcoming, though the service long. However, I too distracted by the fact that I was far away up high to actually pray.

Sunday, I am off to Paris!

A Sustainable Amusement Park

My good friend Nathan and his family are in Copenhagen this weekend, and this afternoon we went to Tivoli Gardens, Denmark' s main tourist attraction. Aside from the usual ride and activity information, the brochure also had blurbs about how windmills power the rides and a refundable cup system where you have to buy your drinking cup from the restaurant and you can redeem your money buy returning the cup. This is also the cleanest amusement park I've ever seen. If Disneyland is based on Tivoli, then perhaps they should pick up a few more tips.

Arrival

So after a ridiculous amount of time spent on planes and in airports, I arrived in Copenhagen, the place I've been talking about and thinking about for the past 6 + months. My amazing roommates met me at the airport, showed me how to get to the apartment, and helped me lug my bags up a fourth floor walk up (haha, just like Joanna's apt in Manhattan).

The apt is adorable. The first level is a large living room and a kitchen. Narrow stairs bring you to a second floor, where I find among other things my bedroom that looks like a nook and has a skylight that opens in the roof. Our second floor even has a little balcony that you can look out to other tall charming buildings.

I know I've barely left the flat since I've arrived, but even my walk for an overpriced hummus sandwhich owned by Muslims instead of Israelis which was even weirder because I realized I was wearing my star when I ordered and I was very annoyed I couldn't order in Hebrew and at least redeem myself for not knowing Danish has told me that this city is like nowhere I've ever been. Most of the buildings are brick and actually pretty. People bike. Neighbors look like they actually know each other. And even more so, I feel like this is where I was meant to be.

NYC

Since I've already done the typical New York tourist attractions, the main focus was visiting my cousins. Here are some highlights:

-dragging my heavy suitcases up a 4th floor walk-up
-going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the fourth time
-having lovely visits with my cousins Joanna and Esther in Manhattan
-taking the train to Long Island to meet future cousins-in-law

I might also add that last night was the last night drinking is illegal for me. And that I already miss California produce. Watsonville strawberries taste better in *omg* Watsonville...

Tonight I fly to Europe, the route that was my father's first flight: New York to Paris!

First Departure

Tomorrow I leave Los Angeles for New York. I have to say goodbye to California (I place I hate leaving) say goodbye to my parents, and say goodbye to my community. Most things are packed. Logistics have been settled. I am terrified.