Danske eventyr

A friend calls you after your last exam and say that they have a proposition for you. You are intrigued and listen intently as they reveal that the proposition involves you going to Denmark with them the following week to stay in the centre of Copenhagen- she has a spare plane ticket there. What do you say?

Well, what would anyone say!

I said, "Yes!" proceeded by a squeal of delight.

After sifting through my schedule and finding a (relatively) empty week, booking a flight back, having a minor M.I. when she decided (hilariously) to text saying that its all fallen through before emailing the (still booked) flight details, thorough  packing including the creation of no fewer than 4 lists, and a lift to the airport from my slightly sulking sister (whose birthday was the following day); I was on my way!

My friend and I did the usual things on the flight- critiquing magazines (Cosmo & Elle), making sure the seatbelt could be seen over our rolls of fat (in-joke) you know, that sort of thing. Finally we were landing and as neither of us are great fans of the sense of impending doom that falls before the wheels hit the ground I decided to ease the tension by helpfully remarking to her that the chance of the plane crashing in flames was quite slim.

Then, we were there- København! It is wonderful to go to a country with someone who speaks the language fluently and I had this advantage in travelling with my friend who happens to be half-Danish. It makes you feel more and less like a tourist at the same time. The advantage is that they can guide you around and get you what you need so you are not fumbling around like a fool asking for directions and then repeating the same question in exactly the same English words, only louder and more slowly- or doing my mother's favourite trick which is reverting to the only language outside of English that she has any kind of handle on (which is French), no matter which country we happen to be in. However, the disadvantage of being saved from such situations by having a Danske speaker on hand is when others hear them speaking Danish and assume that you can too which leads to moments of stuttered ignorance in which you blurt out any Danish you know- which for me is "tak" (thank you) which may or may not be appropriate for the situation. Admittedly, the two 'bits' of Danish I was taught this time, extending my vocabulary 5 times over are appropriate in even fewer situations; 'Jeg elsker dig' (I love you) and 'mange fisk' (many fish) are hardly the things you'd wish to blurt out in a panic situation to avoid further humiliation.

Despite my utter ignorance with the language (because, let's face it, six words just aren't going to cut it no matter how you rearrange them; particularly as I neither love fish nor would I be grateful for the gift of a fish) I do find myself growing ever more fond of the culture as I learn about it.

Denmark is an expensive country with high taxes and high prices and yet the system seems to work and people are very content. There's good recycling, public transport and a great sense of pride in the nation. One expression of this pride is that fact that the Danish flag flies everywhere. There's a lot to be proud of, it seems! I have heard friends who live in Denmark call it socialist and liberal in a very positive way. Honestly, it's a costly place to live but people do seem to benefit greatly. As a student I'm particularly jealous of the fact that the government pays people who do further education for up to 5 years. I'm coming out of University with maybe £40000 worth of debt, while the Danish come out better off academically and financially. It's nice to see that education is encouraged instead of education becoming a tremendous burden!

For me, a tourist, I love Copenhagen because it's pretty. Superficial, yes, but it needs to be appreciated. It's coastal (as is most of Denmark) and areas such as Nyhavn and the royal palace of Amalienborg are just delightful places to pass an hour. The Opera House is remarkable, Erichsen's Little Mermaid is a must-see, the Black Diamond library really dominates the area where it stands, and then there are lovely parks and if you are inclined you can visit Christiania an interesting 'commune' that is regulated by a special law. One of the highlights of my trip was going on a Canal Tour. You can see so much from the boat and it was so cheap at around 30DKK (about £3.50).

As I've visited Copenhagen once previously, it was nice that I did not feel so rushed this time. I could savour the things I saw and spend time sitting in the sun. However, the tan lines I've brought home are witness to the fact that the chill carried on the wind can be deceiving!

I was fortunate to spend time with wonderful people during my trip- including a friend who was nice enough to allow us to stay at her flat right in the middle of Copenhagen just off Strøget which is the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe. It was fun walking past Abercrombie and Fitch every day and peering in with inevitable comments following such as, "he's not as hot as the one yesterday!"
We went to a party and a BBQ with some lovely people we met through the friend we were staying with, also, and it was so nice of them to be so inviting and welcoming especially as they made a special effort to speak English in my presence, which was much appreciated!

On Sunday I gathered my courage (and research) and went off in search of church. I knew it started at 10am and I had various routes I could take to get there- some by bus, some by metro. I set off, a prayer in my heart, and went completely the right way all the way there- no stress at all. I felt truly blessed walking through the doors and seeing the Christus statue in the foyer and being invited to listen to the choir practice. I felt such peace. Church was just wonderful with the same spirit of love and family there. One sister about my age provided a translation service via headphones through sacrament and relief society which was wonderful. It was nice, too, to go to a Sunday school in english where I met a woman from Poole, in England. It also made me laugh to introduce myself in Sunday school to find that someone from Birmingham was there and had been looking at me thinking that he had found a doppelganger and he must take a picture to show my parents. Fortunately for all involved- there is only one me!

The temple was just around the corner from church and it was lovely to wander past it on my way home.

My adventure eventually came to an end with another trip to the airport- a very early flight! I was up at 6 to get ready and made it through in time to stop for a cultured and nutritional breakfast to keep my energy levels up.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to spend this week somewhere away in different surroundings. I don't get home-sick and I love the chance to get a change of scenery. Yet, there's never any sadness for me about coming home- there's no place like it!