Katja's Adventures in Denmark

Today was the first day of going to school with my host student, and for the first time I feel like I've really got a sense of the life of a teenager in Denmark. For Caroline and I, the day begins by leaving the house at 7:20 to catch the bus for school. Here, they haven't got yellow school busses or strictly student bus routes, but rather public transit buses with paths to schools from nearby towns. From the town of Nibe where I'm staying, it's about a 35 minute bus ride to get to Støvring Gymnasium.

All of the Canadian students and their hosts met in a classroom where we spent a few minutes introducing the teachers. Something I noticed immediately, and had quite a difficult time getting used to, is that the teachers are referred to by their first names. A student wouldn't even address their principal by his or her surname. I suppose this isn't the most major cultural difference I've seen so far, but it was particularly striking. I think that even a difference as subtle as the way of referring to a superior is a reflection of what type of relationship the students here have with the adults at their school. 

Next, we took turns giving prepared presentations about life in our respective home countries, and then were given a tour of the school. Having been built in the 70s, the building wasn't exactly the pinnacle of Scandinavian design, but it was really interesting to pick up on the differences between Strøving and Western. For example, all of the desks are built with hooks underneath so chairs can be hung without their feet touching the ground. This obviously isn't any sort of mind-blowing cultural anomaly, but it was yet another little difference that feels unexpected to a Canadian and entirely normal to a Dane.

Another notable difference was the structure of the class timetable. The students have all of their classes with their homeroom, just as is normal for an elementary or junior high school in Canada. What was extremely unusual, however, was the length of each day period. Classes begin at 8:30, and at 10:10 first period ends and is immediately followed by a 20 minute break. Then, there is another 90 minute period, one more 20 minute break, and then a third, final period to finish the school day by 14:10. For some reason, this was really jarring to the Canadian students. Really, we only have one more period than they do, and our 40 minute lunch hour means the amount of break is roughly the same, it was really difficult to adjust to what feels like a much more laid back timetable. 

While our timetable has only 4 periods a day, the semester system at Western means that we have 8 different courses each year. Here, they also have 8 courses, but there is no consistency to how often they happen or during which period they fall. Rather than a set schedule that is maintained throughout the semester, the school comes up with a new timetable each week, and students have to check every morning to see which classes they have. "Heavy" courses such as sciences, math, and humanities (what we call "core subjects", essentially) will generally occur 3-4 times a week, and subjects such as PE or Music may only happen 0-2 times.   Additionally, if a teacher is sick or has an appointment, class is simply cancelled. Substitute teachers are an entirely foreign concept in Denmark.

The last activity of the school day was to introduce to our major project groups and topics. Over the duration of our time at Støvring, we will be collaborating with Danish students to put together a presentation comparing an aspect of Danish and Canadian society. My group's topic is education, and it will be interesting learning more about an issue that is particularly relatable to us as teenagers. 

The students here didn't have school on Easter Monday, so the Canadian and Danish students took a day trip together to the northernmost area of Denmark. After meeting at the school, it was a two hour bus ride to the town of Skagen. During a brief walk through the townsite, one of the Danish teachers pointed out a particular shade of yellow that all the houses were painted. It's not uncommon for houses to be brightly coloured in Denmark, but in this town, their specific yellow colour has come to be known as "Skagen yellow". You can walk into any paint shop in the country and ask for that shade, and they'll know exactly what you're talking about. 

Perhaps appropriately, Skagen is home to many of Denmark's greatest artists. Unfortunately, the art museum was closed for renovations while we were there, but we were able to stop at the house of Michael and Anna Anger. Anna was a painter who was able to study art in Copenhagen and then continue to after getting married, which was very unusual for a woman at the time. 

After eating a packed lunch in the house's garden, we all got back into the bus and drove out of town a few kilometres to the very northernmost tip of Denmark. The location was absolutely breathtaking; it is where Kattegat (the waters between Denmark and Sweden) and the Skagerrak Straight (part of the North Sea) meet. In fact, it's one of the few places in the world where you can stand with your left foot in one sea and your right foot in another.

Next, we drove a little ways inland to visit Denmark's famous "wandering sand dunes". Millennia of strong coastal winds have built up these incredible dunes, and they continue to crawl over 15 meters each year. In fact, in 100 years time, the very highway we travelled on will be entirely engulfed by the dune. In some areas beside the highway, historical churches and buildings have been entirely swallowed by the moving sand masses; the barely visible tip of a church tower acting as a cruel reminder of the passage of time.

In contrast to the more densely populated urban areas we had seen so far, our time in Skagen provided a look at the natural side of Denmark. For hundreds of years, the people living in this northern tip have made efforts to slow the moving of the sand dunes with natural grasses. During German occupation of Denmark in WWII, this passage of sea was a critical point of entrance to North Europe. Today, many active efforts are in place to maintain the high water quality and biodiversity in the area, despite its location as a critical passageway to many major European ports.  

While visiting this extraordinary area, many of the values reflected in discussions with my host family were reaffirmed. Quite simply, the Danish are passionate about ensuring health and prosperity in all aspects of their country. They're so proud of it, too. In a conversation over tea and dessert last night, my host's father was speaking of how in Canada, when taxes are raised, everyone is very insistent on making sure the money they're paying is coming directly back to help them. Here, however, they say it's understood that your money is likely going to help someone else – to pay a student who is in post-secondary education, for example. Regardless of whether you're in school, working, or unemployed, you're never in a situation where you're not financially supported. My host student, Caroline, told me it just feels natural to put money towards that – it is simply second nature to support a system that benefits the country as a whole.

When you arrive in Copenhagen, there is a sign that says "Welcome to the world's happiest nation" – and it's true. In a country of 5.6 million people, there are less than ten murders on average each year. The rate of poverty is effectively zero. Last year's World Happiness Report from the United Nations ranked Denmark as number one.

 It sounds like some dream-like result of a tightly socialist system, but I can't help but feel like the country's economic/structural aspects go hand in hand with the nation's values. This deep appreciation for collective wellbeing is something that I personally find deeply admirable. Of course, it's not a system without its flaws, but with each day I am gaining more and more of an appreciation for the way of the life here. A society that cares as much for individual happiness as collective wellbeing, and understands the profound connection between the two - that's a place I would like to live, wouldn't you? 

After three days of sightseeing in Copenhagen, today we flew to the other side of Denmark to meet our homestay families. The family that I'm staying with lives in Nibe, which is a coastal town of about 5,000 people and is 30 minutes away from Støvring, the school we'll be attending.

After we arrived at the airport in Aalborg, everybody collected their luggage and then we all went into a huge huddle to prepare one last time before separating to meet or host families. We were all so nervous (Would they recognise us? How good would their English be? How were we supposed greet them? With a hug?) and yet so excited to finally meet the families that had already shown so much kindness by offering to take us in for a week. Through our adventures in Copenhagen, we've all made some new friends and grown closer to the other students that have come on the excursion. Sure, some of us only met a few weeks ago, but it was daunting to leave our "Canadians in Denmark" sort of family structure behind. 

However, upon meeting my host family, I was welcomed warmly and greeted with so much kindness. There was definitely still a bit of nervousness on my behalf and pressure to make a good first impression, but at no point did I feel as though I was being judged or made to feel uncomfortable. 

Once we arrived in Nibe, I was given a quick tour of the house and served smørrebrød for lunch. Shortly afterwards, we went on a long walk through the town to the coast, where the bright blue sky was striking against the red beach houses and Danish flags. The atmosphere here is quite different from Copenhagen – it lacks the buzz of a major city. Instead, it has a more serene and humble small-town feel, but it's been a very welcome change. Some of the other students had rather activity-filled afternoons, but I was pleased to do something a bit more low-key.

Once we returned to the house, I sat at the kitchen table, had coffee, and spent a few hours talking with my host family. Learning about differences in the schooling systems, weather, and politics between Canada and Denmark, I feel as though my appreciation and understanding of both countries has already deepened. 

Overall, it's been a mostly restful, transition day, but we've got some exciting plans for a day trip tomorrow. I can't wait to hear more about my friends' host families and how everyone is all settling in. 

I'm sitting in the Copenhagen airport as I write this post (a day late), and I have to admit I have mixed emotions about leaving already. I loved our time exploring the capital city, but at the same time, I am looking forward to what our time in Northern Jutland will bring. Today will mostly be a travel day, so I doubt there will be much new to detail, but yesterday was pretty packed.

It began with a trip to the Viking Museum, then the cathedral where all of the Danish royal family is laid to rest, and finally a short tour of Rosenborg Castle.

Over the past few days, I've really gotten a strong sense of the Danish people's close ties to their monarchy. Living in Canada, the Queen seems to be not much more than a distant figurehead, and it's easy to feel that monarchy is a system that doesn't have much prevalence left in the modern world. In Denmark, however, the people seem to have incredibly close ties between their national identity and their royal family. All of their history is characterised by which figure held the throne at the time, and it goes back incredibly far. In fact, Denmark has the oldest monarchy in the world; over 1000 years of a traceable royal bloodline. Today, the country is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the Queen has no political power other than providing the final signature on all bills - not unlike the mostly symbolic role of our own Governor General. However, the reigning monarch is the head of the state church; the Church of Denmark.

After a few days becoming more familiar with Danish society, we were given a bit more liberty and free time yesterday. Being able to walk the streets of Copenhagen with just a small group of friends was a much different experience than travelling in a 30+ person group. In this setting, we picked up on many more astute cultural differences, including:

- When going to a restaurant, the service is friendly but very efficient. Because they are not working towards a tip, servers are unlikely to make special accommodations such as dividing up a bill

- The Danes' attitude towards water seems to be rather different than our own. In a restaurant, plain water costs as much as soft drinks, and seems to be valued a lot more. Our tour guide mentioned that all beaches in the country are public, and this is because of the belief that all people should have access to the sea

- The streets are lively, but not chaotic. Even in shopping areas, where the streets are pretty full, there doesn't seem to be the same brash busyness that I've noticed in cities such as Toronto or New York. There are still many street performers, street food carts, and bikes. However, there are separate bike lanes that are located in between the sidewalk and the road. As soon as we learned not to stand in the way of these, our time walking became considerably smoother. 

Today, I will meet my homestay family and spend my first night at their house. I imagine the tone of the trip will become quite different at this point, but after several fast-paced days it will be a welcome change. I cannot wait to spend some time living more like a local than as a tourist and deepening my understanding of Danish culture.

After a much needed night of sleep, the day today began by piling into a bright purple coach bus. After stopping briefly at The Little Mermaid sculpture, we headed to Frederiksborg Castle, Fredensborg Castle, Kronborg Castle, and the Maritime Museum.

It's incredible to me how common castles are here. The second castle we stopped at, the Fronborg castle, is the Queen's spring and autumn residence. We drove past one that was the King's hunting house, one that was a princess's summer home, and another one that is also a residence of the queen while not under restoration. Those were only a fraction of the castles in the area. In fact, while they were all exquisite and lavish and incredibly effective at making me feel like a peasant, by the end of the day, the four castles we've seen so far just began to blend together in my head.

While we spent a large portion of the day learning about the history of Danish monarchy, we were also able to see considerable amount of modern Scandinavian innovation and design. In fact, I have been blown away with how ceaselessly the rich, historical side of this country blends with a hyper-modern, cutting-edge design aesthetic. One moment you're walking the corridors of an eight hundred year-old castle, conjuring images of Renaissance-age artists at magnificent parties; and the next, you're in a gift shop with crisp edges, suspended shelves, and 5000pt letters stencilled on the wall, wondering if somehow you've stepped 20 years into the future. Perhaps the contrast between these two styles is part of what makes them each so impressive.

Unfortunately, I didn't take many photos on my phone of what was definitely my favourite  part of the day - the Louisiana Art Museum. Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary art or large museums, but I easily could have spent a whole day at this place. Again, there was a quaint historical house where the museum started out (contrasted with a very modern entranceway and gift shop inside), but neither the art nor the museum was constrained to a single building. Instead, it too became a piece of art; made to be enjoyable as more than a two-dimensional rectangle on a wall. The entrance building led to a garden with statues, mobiles, lush lawns and a gorgeous cafe, all with the backdrop of the bright blue sky and ocean. There were so many people on the deck of the cafe and sprawled across the lawns. If we hadn't had to spend so little time there, I would've loved to have also laid on the grass and gazed at Sweden across the water. This scene was surrounded by various other buildings that incorporated windows, wood panelling, and empty space to create a feeling that not only was the garden meant to compliment the art museum, but vice versa.

After a full day, we spent the evening with a bit of free time at Tivoli Gardens - the world's oldest amusement park. It was a bit too dark for any great photos, but it was equal parts restaurants and rides. I had a lovely sit-down meal with Katie, Hui Wen and Amanda, whose birthday happened to be today. 

The holiday we know as "Good Friday" in Canada is called "Long Friday" here, which seems strangely ironic as today felt so short after our 30-hour marathon yesterday. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful day.

Tomorrow we will be spending more time within Copenhagen itself, and after a day that was mostly on the road, I can't wait to continue exploring by foot. 

After 6 months of anticipation, 2 flights and 11 hours of travel time, I think it's safe to say the entire group had pretty high expectations for our arrival in Denmark. From the moment we stepped off of the plane and into the Copenhagen airport, however, we were nearly rendered speechless. We were immediately greeted with a gorgeous hanging art installation, hardwood floors, and high ceilings. As far as first impressions go, it was a stunner.

Our first order of business was to find a place for lunch, and we broke into our smaller groups to explore the area around our hotel. I found a smørrebrød shop and Hui Wen and Katie and I started off the trip with a traditionally Danish lunch – open-faced sandwiches.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a walking tour and canal tour. We were all in a bit of a daze after having gone up to 30 hours without sleep, but that didn't stop us from getting the most out of our first day.

Some interesting facts we learnt from our tour guide include

- 48% of Danes live in flats

- There have been 4 major fires in Copenhagen in which almost the entire city burned down

- Canada's wind turbines are imported from Denmark

- 87% average voter turnout 

- 180% tax rate when buying a car

210 years ago today, Hans Christian Andersen was born. A prolific author whose fairytales paved the way for contemporary children's literature, he is considered one of Denmark's greatest national icons. It was quite incredible to get to explore the place where he lived on the anniversary of his birth, which is now a national holiday. 

Overall, it was a very groggy and jet-lagged first day, but the sights and experiences made for a breathtaking start to the trip. I am in awe of the fact that there are still nine days left, and I can only hope they will be equally special. 

• How is life in Denmark different than it is in Canada?
  
• What are Danish people most proud of about their culture?
  
• How has Danish history shaped their lives and collective identity?
  
• What is life like for youth in Denmark?
  
• What things are normal in Denmark but unheard of to Canadians?
  
• What makes Danish culture unique?