Last Day in Denmark

Well, really tomorrow is the last day, but I'll be flying out by 14.00, with a bus out of Aarhus at 6.45 in the morning, so tomorrow hardly feels like a day here. Today is largely focused on packing, cleaning, last minute errands. It wasn't easy to get up this morning knowing that it would be a bittersweet day. Tomorrow will be far more bitter than sweet, as I won't be home for 36 hours after I begin my first plane trip, not to mention the 6 hours spent on the bus, the ferry, the bus again and then in the airport before the four-flight marathon begins. I am happy to be coming home, but not as excited about the travel. I've been lucky enough to borrow some movies and books to make the time more relaxing, and I have power converters for time spent in Copenhagen and London airports, so I can plug in my computer and just sit.

Even though it will be here so soon, I can hardly imagine being home again. I have no idea if I'm different, and if so, how. I have no idea what I will want once I'm stateside again. People are always asking, "What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back?" I have no idea. I don't know if I'll want a turkey sandwhich or a diet Dr. Pepper or if I'll just want to sleep. I have no idea. It's so hard to look ahead when I'm still sitting here.

My Danish room is a skeleton now. Desk, table, naked bed. Some people say they're amazed at how much of their life fits back into that suitcase. I don't wonder at all. There are six trash bags full, sitting next to the door. I was able to take everything I wanted home, but there's a lot to leave here.

No, I haven't even looked through my Berlin photos yet. Yes, I will. The more I save to do on the airplane the better. Berlin was fabulous. We didn't end up seeing the concentration camp, but I suppose that leaves more for me to see on my next trip through Europe.

But for now I need to get back to cleaning up my room.

Ich bin in Berlin!

Yes, I am in Berlin for the week. The Internet is not available in our apartment, but we are visiting net cafes and such to stay connected. I'm here with four others who are doing their final projects here this week, acting as a trasnlator and mother, making dinners and finding what trains and busses to take. I also order the food and ask how much it costs to use the internet or where the closest ATM is. I knew six years of German would pay off someday.

We drove yesterday and mostly relaxed once we got here. The seven hour trip wasn't bad at all. We made sandwhiches and cookies and only needed a few bathroom breaks. We found a pizza place across the street from the apartment where a pizza big enough for two is five Euros. The conversion is 1 Euro to 1.2 Dollars, so most things are very reasonably priced. Berlin is much much cheaper than Denmark! It's not any warmer though. It's forecasted to rain until Thurday, but then it will be sunny and warm for the last few days.

The apartment we are renting is beautiful. We are in an area called Wedding, and we found this apartment through a Dane who owns it. He rents it out to tourists all year. There are five of us splitting the 4400 Dkr rental for the week. (That comes to about 120 US a person.) All together, with gas, the trip was only 200 a person. We all have beds and the bathroom is huge. The kitchen is completely furnished with anything we might need for cooking. Traveling like this is so much cheaper because we were able to cook breakfast and plan to cook other meals ourselves.

The stories coming out of berlin this week will cover Neo-Nazis, Prasites, Holocaust Memorials and Turkish refugees. I will only be filming and writing for fun, but I aim to possibly put together a small sidebar to my documentary aboutstreet art here in Berin, because the culture is huge here. During my feedback on the documentary at school, one advisor gave me the names of several galleries and streets to go look for art and artists. I think this will e the perfect end to my time here.

But today looks like Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and possibly the Zoo. Tomorrow I may be headed to a concentration camp with some of the other students. The longest standing piece of the Berlin Wall is near the street art museum, so perhaps that will be for Thursday. Pictures are soon to follow.

Proud

Today, I am proud of myself. The main street art web site in Aarhus asked if they could post my documentary on the news portion of their web site. Because they are non for profit, I said yes. The woman who runs the site told me that it was the best documentary she's seen on street art. I am proud of myself.

You can see it linked on their site here: http://www.gadentaler.dk/street-news.html

I checked the video on my Vimeo site and I have about 300 hits in five days. If you want, you can watch it here.

The final two weeks

So I'm not down to two weeks yet, but for intent and purpose I am. I am looking at the last few things I still need to do here in Århus, and trying to get everything in order for my departure. Today was the final exam for my class. Tomorrow we just have viewing of stories and feedback, after which I will make some changes to my documentary and re-post it on Vimeo.

This weekend I will be in Grenå with Mikkel's family at a cabin. I'm not sure what all we'll be doing, but I'm sure there will be lots of football and sitting in the sun. It won't be warmer than probably 15 (60 degrees) but the sun will be out I hope. Also, we are bringing a Wii, so that will provide some entertainment. I'm baking some "American" chocolate chip cookies on Thursday to bring along. I have yet to find chocolate chips in this country, so I suppose I'll be mashing up a chocolate bar? I realize this will not be the same, but close enough.

We'll return to Århus Sunday night and leave promptly at 6 am the next morning for Berlin. Five in the car for seven and a half hours should be a good time! Oh well, it's much cheaper than flying and I don't have to worry about bringing liquids on my person. Downside: no free baby cans of Cola Light. But we'll have an entire week in Berlin so if anyone has recomendations they would be strongly appreciated. After the street art documentary, I am excited to see the work in Berlin because I found through research that it is a very large city for street art. I will be sure to take pictures.

After I get back I will only have a few days left in Århus. I will need to pack up my room and make sure my bags aren't too heavy. I've already made calls in STL to get my serving job back for the summer, so besides the jet lag, everything will be taken care of before I leave.

But I'm not saying goodbyes yet. There is still work to do and lots of time to enjoy.

Oh, Deer!

There's a park just outside of town where deer, fox, ducks and other animals live. People are allowed to walk through and pet and feed the animals if they can get them to approach them. It's a lot like a free-range petting zoo. The animals just kind of walk around in a very large enclosed area. Today Mikkel and I walked there and met some very friendly animals.

There's a beach in Århus?

Yep.

The water is so cold!

Lots of people were out boating.

We had some tunes.

We played some games.

The beach here is really nice. From the brief time I've seen the East Coast of the United States, that's what it reminds me of. It gets warm enough in the day to lay out on blankets, and there are places to grill in the evening. Because of how far north we are, the sun sets about 10:30, so it's light for a very long time. We can go to the beach at 4:00 PM and it's still enough time to get a tan.

A Danish delight

So I've lamented the liver paste, pickled beets and mackerel with mayonnaise, but there is one Danish specialty that I am crazy about: Vaffel. Vaffel is a special kind of ice cream cone. Start with an extra large waffle cone. Add two scoops of any flavor ice cream. Top with soft serve ice cream, then add a scoop of strawberry whipped cream. To top it off, add a Floedbolle (A marshmallow on top of a cookie covered in chocolate and coconut.) The Vaffel is a huge ice cream treat, and costs about $4.50. Not only could this be an entire meal, but it will more that satisfy even the largest sweet tooth. Last night after dinner I had a Vaffel that I will never forget.

A post for my brother

Nick! Congratulations on graduating from high school! I got the announcement in the mail today and I was so proud. I remember when I was sending those out for myself, and in a year I'll do it again. I wish I could have been at your graduation. I remember it being so much crazier than I thought it would be. I bet there were a ton of people at yours too. The next few weeks will be really crazy. There will be parties every day and a lot of awkward "goodbye." It's weird to think that some of those people you probably won't see for five years at least, or maybe ever again.

But as soon as I come home we can make a trip to MU! I can give you the tours that really matter: Where's the best place for pizza and where are the free places to park. But even though you'll spend time in different buildings at MU than I did, most of the things I did as a Freshman you'll do too. Remember, get bedding with extra long fitting. You WILL want shoes for the shower. Bring an extra alarm clock to set on exam days. But we'll go over all this when I'm state-side again.

All cliches and sappy sentiments aside, I am proud of you and I'm very excited to have you with me in Columbia next year. MIZ!

(You say "ZOU!")

A big 'Tillykke' is in order!

Tillykke is the Danish phrase for congratulations. A big hand and pat on the back is due to my old friend and fellow journalistic schollar Will Lounsbury for his acceptance to the photo program at the Danish School of Media and Journalism! Will is one of eight students who have the opportunity to study here in the Fall of 2010. Though I wish he could have been here at the same time as I am, I certainly am excited for him to enjoy this school and all it has to offer. I am a bit jealous that he will be here for nicer weather than I will, but at least I'm not missing football season.

So a big congratulations to you Will, I know you'll learn a lot here. You deserve it and the best of luck!

It might not be warm, but it certainly looks nice

The city is beginning to look so much friendlier. The sun is breaking through the clouds more days than not, and despite highs of 9 and 10 C (50 F) the sun makes everything look better. The trees are finally in bloom and it looks like there is life in Aarhus. Street parties and long days mark the beginning of a warmer season, though the forecast doesn't agree. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever see 20 C. (70 F) The Danes laugh at me for complaining so much about the cold, but at the same time I know they wish it were warmer too. I've got a "camping" trip planned with the Linneman Johannson family at the end of May and I know they are all hoping for highs above 20. I put camping in quotations because they are renting a cabin with electricity and running water, so it's really more of a weekend away than anything else. I'm hoping it will be warm enough to spend the days outside. But regardless of how the forecast turns for the next few weeks, my family has reminded me that I only have 4 and a half weeks left of my stay. They have been counting the days, though my mother has always advised against that practice. I suppose sometimes it's forgivable.

It's warm enough for ice cream. I love this little shop on Mejlgade in Aarhus.

But not to forget that I still have a lot to get done in the following weeks. The documentary is in full force, and I have had some amazing filming opportunities. On Thursday an artist named Nicoli took me around the city and showed me hundreds of examples of street art, graffiti, paste up and tagging. He told me about the history of the different factions of the street art community and what the laws dictate as far as each type goes. He pointed me in the direction of the best people to talk to, and even some artists who now produce gallery shows. Hopefully this insight will be enough to produce a good story. Despite how unorthodox it is, I can tell the filming and editing experience I'll gain is invaluable. Doing a story in an environment that makes me uncomfortable is only training me for the million more times this will happen in my career.

Example of commissioned street art 

Speaking of uncomfortable, I was lucky enough to be invited along with some paste-up artists as they went out one night to mount their work. I know paste-up is illegal, but it's about as punishable as littering. A fine, a slap on the wrist and a "please go home," is the worst you can expect from getting caught. But even so, heading out in the middle of the night with people who are breaking the law can be scary. Having this experience though is the best training there is for a journalist. Knowing how to take precautions and when to leave are skills best taught through experience. Nothing at all happened when we went out on Thursday night, and the artists were very kind in speaking English for me the entire time. That's the thing about Denmark, everyone is really nice when it counts.

This week I'll be trying to get appointments with city council members, gallery artists, companies who clean graffiti and a few more interviews with the street artists. In the end, I aim to tell a story of a subculture that is greatly misunderstood and largely passed off as low life degenerates. It's laughable that I met these 20 somethings in an apartment, as they were drinking coffee and agreeing that they wanted to be done not long after midnight because they had class in the morning. Most paste-up artists are actually university students with jobs and life ambitions. I'm not aiming to defend them; they are breaking the law and vandalizing, but I still find their story interesting and worthy of being told.

Anyway, that's about all for now. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

A weekend in Nordjylland

This weekend Mikkel and I went to visit his family in the northern part of Denmark. The family had a party for two of Mikkel's cousins, Emil and Sofus, who are twins. Emil was confirmed and Sofus was "non-firmed" as they called it. Either way, the whole family got together to sing them songs and give them gifts. Their home is on a beautiful farm, and I even got to see some chickens and horses.

There was food for hours, and guests wrote songs about the twins and passed around the lyrics for everyone to sing along. This is apparently a really common tradition for most big celebrations like milestone birthdays, and confirmations. Luckily, I don't read Danish so I was able to just hum along. 

Earlier in the weekend, Mikkel and I took his niece and nephew to the Zoo for an afternoon. Jannik and Alberte were really excited to see the polar bears, so that was our first stop. After that we wandered through all the animal exhibits and even got to pet a pregnant goat. Near the children's zoo, there was a tree with pacifiers hanging from it. When I asked why, I was told it's some kind of tradition for children to tie their "sutter" (binkies) to the tree when they're ready to give them up. Alberte was not.

But we also got to see the harbor near Aalborg. We saw boats and ate ice cream. Though it's May, it's still surprisingly cold (in the low 50s) and very windy. Nevertheless ice cream is always a good idea.

All in all, a weekend full of people speaking Danish, eating Danish food and watching Danish television can be difficult for a foreigner to get used to. Sometimes it's hard to ask for someone to pass the salt or find the correct button on the remote control. But part of the cultural exchange is getting used to being uncomfortable. It's an empowering feeling to know you can get along without the comfort of understanding everything around you. It's a comfort you probably don't even know you enjoy. But all in all, there are some languages everyone speaks: laughing, eating, and enjoying each other's company.

My Usual Lunchtime Rant

I understand there's a great importance to allowing yourself to open up to the culture where you live. I tried the liver pate, I've slept with the wierd flat pillows and even forgotten how to drive a car. But one thing I just can't live with is the sandwiches. What would I have to do to get a turkey sandwich in this country? Apparently, kill someone. Danes hate turkey. It's so dry they say. This coming from people who slice cold meatballs and use that instead of lunch meet. I understand its not fancy to just have a few slices of deli meat with a slice of cheese and some mustard, but can we skip the strange beet sauer kraut or sliced eggs with tiny shrimp? This country loves a piece of rye bread with sliced hard boiled eggs topped with baby shrimps and mayo. You know, it's not bad... I just miss a turkey club. There is also rarely a place to buy deli sliced turkey in the supermarket. Even if you find it, it's 6 slices for 5 dollars. Danes never put more than one slice of meat on a sandwich. They also love mayonaise. There is mayo on most sandwiches and always offered with pizza. I'm not sure why.

Other strange food facts...
- Light beer here is light in alcohol.
- Cola, Doritos and other snack foods are sometimes categorized as 'Original American Flavor.'
- No ice in drinks.
- 7-11s have no fountain soda machines.
- 'Toast' is not just bread, but a pressed ham and cheese sandwich on white bread.
- Danes have never heard of bread bowls.

Anyway, now that I've been dreaming of an American lunch all day, I'll get back to my Danish day.

Documentary: It's on

So I'm coming nearer to the end of my time in Denmark, and the final project is all that's left to do. I've decided to center my project around a street art school called Frontløberne. It's an art school where students are free to try all different kinds of projects. My overall story will be on street art and grafitti. I want to look at this subculture and the artistic aspect of it. Moreoever, I want to see what these art students have to learn and if they get a degree, what does one do with a degree in street art?

This weekend Frontløberne had a street art party and painted a lot of walls around the school. I got to watch and talk to people and even got some footage. It was a nice enough day out, but it just won't warm up, so everyone is still wearing coats and scarves. I'll be making a documentary that is hopefully between 15 and 20 minutes long. I'm working alone and for most of the time I will be using a small handheld camera. I anticipate there being some difficulties along the way; trying to work with people who are vandalizing isn't exactly the best for video. But I'm sure we'll work something out.

As the project moves along, I'll be getting coaching from my teachers and feedback from friends. I'll need a lot of support and focus, because making such a long piece could prove to be challenging. Luckily, we have more than five weeks to finish the project. For now, more research and more filming.

Here goes nothing...

Stories finished this week

Here are the two stories I had to work on this week. First is a portrait of a Greenpeace recruitment worker and the second is a one-minute preview to the documentary topic I've chosen for the final project. I'm not as proud of the Greenpeace story as I have been of other projects, but you can't win them all. The only critique of the preview is that there are a lot of shakey shots, but the point was to be artful and tell a story without words. Unfortunately, Blogger is not letting me post videos right now, so until I figure out why, here are the links on Vimeo.

Greenpeace

Art

The life abroad

So people keep asking what I miss about home, what I like best about Denmark and what I'll want to do when I get back. First, there are things I miss, but I learned from my Mom that its never smart to count down days, because you miss so many good things on the days between. Yes, I will be so happy to see everyone back home again, and I can not wait to drive a car again or have a 44 oz. Diet Dr. Pepper from a Quick Trip. I can't wait to watch TV shows at their normal time with no subtitles. I will probably be overwhelmed by being able to understand the conversations of those around me, as I now just tune out all the Danish as ambient background noise to my Danish experience.

Friends. There are so many friends I miss. Not to mention family members. So people, there are people I miss. It'll be great to sit down with them all again and play cards or watch shows together. Glee is back tonight and I am green with envy at those who get to see it. No spoilers please! But at the same time there are some people here it's going to be so hard to leave. It's difficult to think of not seeing my classmates or dormmates every day. It's so amazing how close you get to these people, even with only a few words a day.

I remember the first time I really cleaned my room here. I had stuff to put in drawers and trash to take out and a bathroom to clean. It was such an exciting and strange feeling to have really moved in here. Now I look around and wonder how I'll ever fit this life into a suitcase weighing less than 50 lbs.

But it's not all about what I have to leave and what I can take. Building a bridge with so many people from across Europe means there will always be a part of me over here. I know it's early to be thinking about it, but sometimes when you think about home its hard not to begin to think about the day I'll have to say goodbye.

But for now, I have two good months of playing time. I have a documentary ahead of me and the best weather of the year so far. There will be trips to the beach and lunches by the canal. Movie nights are already planned and hopefully one more trip to Copenhagen once the weather is really nice. There's so much more to look forward to, and I can't wait.

Sometimes it's sunny

The weather is getting better all the time here. It's been very sunny all week and the sky has been very blue. Mikkel, his sister Kim, her boyfriend Thijs and I went to the ARoS Art museum last week to see some exhibits. One was from a Danish photographer who hitchhiked around the USA and documented his time. He became fascinated by the racism he saw during his stays in the 60s and continuing through his most recent trip in 2009. His name is Jakob Holt, and he now gives seminars on racism and acts as a mediator throughout the states. He's traveled all over the world, sometimes accompanied by famous poets, authors and musicians. You can see his work here on his Web site.

The most famous attraction at the museum is the giant boy statue. It's creepy and cool and interesting all at the same time.

We also saw an exhibit called "I love you." It was a series of different works, from paintings, to movies to installations, all talking about what love meant. A certain piece was especially sad. It was called Portrait of Ross in L.A. It was a pile of candy that viewers were allowed to eat. As the pile got smaller, it mimicked how the subject withered away during his battle with AIDS. 

But on a less sad note, the flowers are in bloom and everyone is getting to be in great spirits. I even snapped this shot on the way home the other day.

Danish Drinking Culture

In Denmark, it's pretty common to drink beer at lunch. We sell it in our school cafeteria, and most schools and some businesses have Friday Bars, a bar open only Friday, for staff members or students to come together and drink. Ours opens at 14.15 or 2:15.  Most school events have also been celebrated with free beers, and Schnapps at celebratory meals is common. The drinking age is vertually non-existant, though I think one must be 16 or 18 before buying hard alcohol in stores. Most people I met here were drunk for the first time when they were 11 or 13.

At the Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen, the management stepped in to limit the amount of drinking at work. Now there are no beer vending machines and the only time and place employees can buy beer is at lunch in the cafeteria. Workers went on strike. You can read the article here if you want further information.

The Danish perspective is that they drink more and more often than pretty much any other country. On numerous occasions I've had teachers, classmates and even people I've interviewed ask "so we drink a lot here, don't we? I mean, it must be pretty different." And not that I'm proud to do so, but I think back to tailgates and downtown Columbia bars, and say "No, it's really no different from college life back home at all."

Perspectives on Paris

So it's been a while since I've been at a computer long enough to post, so here are a few snapshots from Paris.

First view of Arc de Triumph

Snails the first night in Paris

The Eifel Tower

Birds

Louis Vutton

Lighting candles at Notre Dame

Woman in the rain

The Louvre

Partner in Crime

Moulin Rouge

The next few weeks: an overview

This past week and the few to come will be packed with things to do, both fun and not-so-fun. Rather than painfully rambling, I'll make a timeline for reading ease.

Last Tuesday: Day One of assignment 3. Ewa and I decide, same-sex adoption it is.

Last Wednesday: St. Patrick's Day. (I'll post pictures later) Suprisingly, only really celebrated by the English, the Irish and the Americans. The Danes just came along for the ride. No one wore green to school, pinching those without was not allowed.

Last Friday: Panic. No real sources hammered out for interviews, but first real meeting produces a few promising leades.

Last Saturday: The Journalists Union throws a party at our school. Everyone attends, networks. 

Yesterday: Mikkel's 23 birthday! Dinner with Mikkel and Kim, then to the movies to see Brothers. It was a remake of a Danish film by the same name, so it was interesting to hear what Kim and Mikkel thought.

Today: Three of our four appointments for our story. So far, everything is going well. Tonight, to Heidi's Bier Bar for Mikkel's birthday with classmates.

Tomorrow: Final interview, edit all day.

Thursday: Turn in Assignment 3! Thank goodness! Dinner with Mikkel's family for his birthday. So much Danish.

Saturday: Leave for Paris!

Sunday: Arrive in Paris! Dinner with Jackie and Danny.

Friday: Goodbye Paris, hello Aalborg. Easter weekend with Mikkel's parents.

Easter Sunday night: Back to Århus. Sleeping soundly.

Photo slideshows to come.

Name Day

In other countries such as Poland and Estonia, they have a tradition called Name's Day. Every name corresponds to a day of the year, supposedly when that name was created. People celebrate them sometimes instead of birthdays. "Especially when they get old," Ewa said. She's from Poland and her name day is Christmas Eve, because her name is derived from Eve, of Adam and Eve. Gerly from Estonia had her name day yesterday.

So I must admit, I was jealous. I wanted a name day. So I searched the ever-wise Internet, and found a Web site that had all the name days. Names deriving from Michael are on September 29. Those from Margaret are July 16. Turns out, my name day is September 6. I'll expect a party this year...

Assignment three; underway

For the next assignment, we're to make a 5-6 minute piece on a current affair. We've chosen to look at gay couples who adopt children in Denmark. A year ago, it was made legal, and since there are still lots of obstacles. Recently, a conservative movement within the government has resurfaced the debate over the ability of gay couples to be married in city hall. This movement surely threatens to overturn the right of couples to adopt children. We're looking to find a couple who has or wants to adopt to interview for the next assignment. So far, we don't have one, but we have some leads and will hopefully find a great subject. We have a meeting with Jørgen today to talk about where we should go from here. More to follow on that.

Pictures from Samsoe

So the project is completed. 31 journalism students put together this website about the island of Samsoe...in one day. Enjoy it. My group did the portion on transportation.

This was the giant chess board at our hostel.

This was in a town at the north of Samsoe

Breakfast at the hostel.

Straw fight at the straw heating plant. Each bail of hay is equivalent to one barrel of oil in the energy it produces.

Samsoe: Much more than a deserted island in the middle of nowhere

Which is more than we thought when we got here. After spending a day at the Energy Academy, we saw that there is a lot going on in the minds of those who stay here all winter. Clearly, this island was made for the summer time. There are tons of beautiful beach houses and many docks, all now deserted with sad cold boats bobbing next to them. It's not warm here, or even sunny, but you can tell that this place comes alive in the summer time.

But its always sunny at the Energy Academy, where planners, artists, scientists and citizens work together to think of ways to improve the energy consumption of the island. They cultivated their fame by becoming carbon neutral, but they have much more to work on. Farming and transportation are areas of weakness that people like Malene Lunden want to work on. Her transportation project is in the early stages, but she aims to find ways to get this small island to work together and share. She envisions a future where perhaps a neighborhood buys a car together, and rent time with it, or pay a driver to take them where they need to go. Perhaps they build houses with solar panels and can plug electric cars directly into them. Maybe they will build a bank of cars that people can rent for one day at a time. On such a small island, most places are easier to walk than drive. And in an urban setting, some of the same rules apply. If people in the same apartment building shared a car, it would cost less than having one car sitting idle on the street while the tenants simply walked to the grocery store or pub that is right around the corner. The problem lies in the mentality that a car equals independence. Lunden said if we can change the minds of people that a car doesn't have to lend status or independence, we can move on a more cooperative society. She reminded us that we already share oil, and we are drastically running out.

The solution, she said, lies in giving people options and letting them take ownership. If we sold shares in a car that worked like a taxi, everyone would make money. That's the way they made the wind power work on the island. Several people own shares in the windmills, so the profits stay on the island. District heating works the same way. All 200 houses connected to the plant are also co-owners. Their heat costs the same price, but that money goes to pay off the plant, and in the long run they pay off their own energy bills. Ownership is the key to involvement; that is the only way Samsoe can function the way it does.

Pictures from the Zoo: all taken by Mikkel

Video to follow later today, but here are some of the pictures Mikkel took when we went to the Zoo in Copenhagen this past weekend.

Bear

Hungry elephant

Me watching a butterfly eat a pineapple

Lazy crocodiles

Little frog

Staring contest with a frog

Laughing camel

Angry lion

Lion family

I'm borrowing these pictures from friends with more talent than I have

Classmates at the Harbor

Girls, dancing at Friday bar

At school, open house.

Danny and I at Kurt's Mor, first Thursday of school.

Second assignment: finished...finally.

It's finished, thank goodness. Gerly and I ran into about a billion problems with this piece. People canceling on us, needing to change topics, general uncooperation by the people we were filming. All in all, I'm happy with what we produced; we found a creative way to tell news, and a more artistic approach to something I have done a million times before at KOMU and in classes at MU. Enjoy!



And I would be lying if I said you couldn't find it here on Vimeo.

New day, new project

So the CO2303 story didn't exactly pan out, so we switched focus to organic foods in Aarhus. Ecological foods are everywhere here, in every store, every restaurant serves at least one ecological item, and they're all publicized like crazy. Sometimes they're more expensive by a few dollars, other times, not at all. So we're asking why. We have a few interviews lined up, so hopefully this turns into something we're really proud of.

In other news, journalism is in a sad place when even fictional journalists are losing their jobs due to lack of interest in newspapers. Yes, that's right, in the issue hitting shelves this week, The Amazing Spiderman's Peter Parker will be losing his photography position, due to downsizing at the Daily Bugle. You can read more about it here on CNN.com.

In the final random point of the day, I've got some Danes glued to Glee. It comes on Sunday nights at 20.00 (8 pm) on TV2, but because I've been missing it due to Salsa dancing lessons with Mikkel, we're finding it online. Last night, we watched episodes four and five. Hopefully we'll be caught up by the time new episodes begin airing in April.

Carbon Neutrality: idealism or realistic goal?

My next story for the Journalisthøjskolen is on the goal of Århus to become carbon neutral by 2030. Carbon neutrality means reducing a city's net carbon footprint to zero. The island we'll be visiting in two weeks, Samsø, is completely carbon neutral. They're the largest city in the world to become carbon neutral, though they only have 4,200 citizens.

We'll be focusing on why this goal is difficult to achieve. In the presentation we listened to a few weeks back, the presenter said the main obstacle was not government funding, which has increased exponentially in the last few years, but citizen involvement. We are prepared to hit the streets, asking citizens about how they plan to help achieve this goal, or why they don't care to participate.

We won't be able to take a trip to Copenhagen for this trip, but I found an interesting article and video about a carbon neutral building at the University of Copenhagen. Check it out.

Århus is not the only municipality in Denmark to set goals for carbon neutrality. The Sønderborg municipality also has a plan to become carbon neutral by 2029. Their plan is called ProjectZero. We'll have to see if they are finding similar problems to Århus.

More to follow...

It's so cold here, they're running out of salt for the roads

Seriously, they haven't seen this much snow in 14 years. Copenhagen is saying they'll run out of salt this week if it snows as much as is forecasted. At least it was sunny today.

Tonight I'm supposed to go have some real chili at a restaurant with some Danes. I can only imagine what this will taste like, but a bowl of it and a beer are on special for about $8.50, so hey, that's as cheap as it gets around these parts. Food is so expensive out at restaurants. Columbia, you've spoiled me with dollar burger madness and penny pitchers.

We begin our second assignment tomorrow. I don't know what the topic is or who my partner will be, but the suspense is killing me. It'll be nice to get back to work again. Also, plans to see Shutter Island tomorrow night. No spoilers please!

Speaking of movies, the school is paying for us to go see The Cove at a special engagement in a tiny indy-theater in the city. I'm excited to see a documentary making such an impact. Go Journalism! We'll be watching it with the Europe in the World class on March 3rd. A brief review is sure to follow.

For now, vi ses!

Video Blog: Making dinner with Mikkel

Mikkel and I made dinner on Friday night, and because we are journalists, we documented the process. Enjoy!

As always, it's here on Vimeo.

First Assignment: Completed

Hana and I turned in our first assignment today. I'll upload it tomorrow from the school's server, but today it was running really slowly because of all the students frantically editing before the noon deadline. It turned out just alright, not great. The subject was fine and his interview was good, but the lighting in the bar was worse than expected and the sound was a slight problem as well. Hana, for it being her first time filming and not just being the journalist, did a great job trying to think of creative shots and interesting editing styles. I felt bad that as an experienced photog and editor I took over sometimes, but she insisted she had something to learn from me. I hope that's true. I hope I was a better teacher than a bully.

For all you Broadcast J students at MU, this will amuse you. I thought of Greeley the whole time I was editing. We had shakey shots and more than one jump cut. Writing to video was difficult because the subject's girlfriend wouldn't be on camera, and she plays a rather important role. Customers in the bar yelled at us to get the camera out of the pub. "Ya make me look like a bloody alcoholic will ya?"

Greeley would have just looked at me, and said "So?" There's no excuse. I should have found a way to make the story better. I could have, thinking back. There were plenty of opportunities I missed. I can't blame it on not knowing the area, not knowing the language, having an inexperienced partner. I can only look at myself and the mistakes I made. I can only move forward and make fewer mistakes next time.

People here joke that the life of an international student is hard work, all the parties and bars. It's true, we do have so many opportunities to go crazy, and everyone is quick to point to the fact that we only have so long in this new city. It's easy to make friends and go out every night with them, because we get pass/fail grades. As long as we're not failing, we're fine. But it's so much more than that. If I miss the opportunities to make great TV, especially while I only have one responsibility, no work, no other classes, then I may as well have gone to any school. But I am going to resolve to remember that I am here to do great work, and try to make my other projects professional quality.

Video Blog: A weekend to remember

This weekend was Chinese New Year and Festelavn, the Danish Halloween. In the spirit of cultural exchange, we celebrated both. Many thanks to those who I borrowed pictures from, and all those who hosted events that made this weekend one to remember.

Or, as always, you can see it here on Vimeo.

A very cultural weekend ahead

This weekend contains several holidays or celebrations which are completely new to me. We will be celebrating them all as a class, and I'm really excited about it.

Sunday is Chinese New Year. We'll be welcoming the year of the Tiger on Saturday night with a meal prepared by our classmate, Ada, from Hong Kong. Also, she'll be teaching us to make sushi rolls, so I'm really excited to learn how to make one of my favorite all time foods. I know sushi is traditionaly Japanese, but we're having it anyway because it's delicious.

Sunday is not only Valentine's Day, which is not really celebrated by most Danes, but also Danish Halloween. Saturday night I'll be attending a costume party where we'll be breaking open a wooden barrel of candy. Back in the ''old days'' (I don't know how long ago) it was tradition to put a cat in a barrel and beat it to death, but today they just pant a cat on the outside and fill it with candy. Danish candy is for the most part the same as American candy, but black licorice is really popular.

Today is not a holiday, but just Friday, and still we are celebrating. Every Friday at 2:15 a bar in the basement of the school opens and all the students go to drink and socialize. I'm glad to see college is pretty much the same all across the world.

First Assignment

Today we began our first of five long-term story assignments. I'm paired with Hana, from the Czech Republic, and we are assigned to do a 2:30-3:00 minute long portrait of a person. Today we hit the streets of Aarhus for inspiration. The kebab stand owners were our first choice, but they didn't speak English. So we walked around a bit more, and thought of our tour guide from the City Hall tour. She was hysterical, so we thought she'd be an interesting person to film, because at least she'd be animated. She wasn't at the building today, so we walked down a street to an English pub called The Golden Lion. It turns out, all the bartenders there are foreigners, and they all speak English. Saturdays they watch a lot of football, and draw a crowd, so I suppose we'll be there Saturday too.

It's surprising the difficulties you'll find in attempting to do a story in a city where you know no one, nothing about current affairs, and don't speak the native language. Granted, most people do speak English, and quite well, but giving an interview in another language is sometimes difficult. Also, this cold will not let up. It's no fun walking around Aarhus while freezing despite heavy coats and the rest. Hana and I decided that we'll have the best knowledge of the city by Spring time, just in time for us to really enjoy.

My parents sent me an amazing care package yesterday that was awesome to see. They got me a watch with two faces, one for St. Louis time and one for Aarhus time. I got a lot of compliments on it already. But getting a package from home also reminded me of things I miss. Yesterday I stopped by a 7-11 to get change for bus faire, and I realized I miss fountain sodas. They just don't really exist here. And what soda is around is outrageously expensive. I drink a lot more coffee now.

But anyway, I'm excited to stop sitting in class all day and get out to do interviews and make packages again. It'll be nice to be back in my element in that respect, because Jørgen is a great teacher, but lectures are driving me crazy.

You say tomato, I say tomato...

The best part of exchange is meeting new people from different places who are so different, yet so much the same. For instance, even the students who are from Nordic countries still have trouble with their Danish phones or how to get around. We all have the same worries and it's so comforting when we can all talk about it.

One thing a lot of us have in common is blogs. Mostly photo students keep blogs, and they're all full of really amazing photographs. I'll link to a few of them, because they're all worth taking a look at for pictures of the sights and nights of Aarhus.

Jenny Aago's photoblog

Eve Edelheit's photoblog

Emy Fa's photoblog

Tonight is the Super Bowl, and a lot of exchange students are excited to watch it, which surprised me. The shared area at our dorm is hosting a watch party, so some students are getting together to see it. Other bars and restaurants downtown are also having "American style buffets" and the game on big screen TVs. It starts at midnight our time, so it'll be a long day tomorrow...

Video Blog: A day in the city

For more information on Denmark's plan to become carbon neutral by 2030, click here.

Video not working? Check it out on Vimeo here.

Denmark v America: Media

Yesterday we got a lecture on Danish Media. We looked at trends in print, TV and radio. The obvious decline of newspapers was of concern to the Danes too, but our lecturer pointed out that niche papers are actually doing better than others. He advocated for segmented media, ie, papers only focused on the economy, or religious issues. One such paper is Borsen, which has seen an increase in readership steadily over the past 7 years. Interesting side note, economic news in Denmark is always printed on pink paper.

But many of the similarities between Danish and American Media end there. In Denmark, there are a few major papers who are actually politically active. One such paper, Politiken, actually organized fund raisers to give money to families the Danish government is forcing to leave the country. The current administration is aiming to decrease the number of refugees in Denmark, so families from places like Iran are being asked to leave the country. Politiken launched a campaign against the government, raising money to give to those families so they could continue to live in Denmark. These kinds of involvement in public policy are argued to be "involving readers," but others say Politiken is becoming its own political party.

In TV, as previously mentioned in my post about DR, the state public service stations are actually the most popular stations in Denmark. Though Denmark has made the digital switch, and many channels are offered, those sponsored by DR or TV2 are the most popular stations overwhelmingly. Also, because commercial news is more expensive to produce than syndicated programming, there is very little competition in Denmark.

The Danish constitution provides the following statement in protecting media: "Any person shall be at liberty to publish his ideas in print, in writing and in speech, subject to his being held in responsible court of law." Similar to the first amendment, although there were some problems when TV and radio became popular news forums because the statement says "in print" and although "in speech" is included, there was still debate. Resolved, Danish TV is a lot more liberal than American TV. Both gossip tabloids and television programming are free to show naked people. Ads for prostitutes are also in some tabloids. Stories about pornography and prostitution are acceptable in normal news casts.

Mostly, journalism is facing the same issues across the world. The change to web-based citizen produced journalism is climbing rapidly everywhere. Out lecturer advocated for an approach of embracing the citizen produced content, and having the educated journalists begin to produce a more segmented, investigative, or analytical type of media, and let the uneducated produce the who, what, when, where, why stories. Either way, journalism is changing across the world.

Day One

Today was the first day at the school of journalism. All the international programs are together for the first few days of the week, getting an introduction to Danish life and culture. The majority of that today was a lesson in basic Danish....a three-hour long lesson in basic Danish. After which, everyone was so tired and angry at the teacher that some of us never want to speak Danish again. It's quite a confusing language. The teacher began the lesson by telling us that Danish is really two languages, the written and the spoken. For example: the phrase "Hvad hedder du?" (which means "What is your name?") is pronounced like "Va hetha do?" When the letter G is between two vowels, you don't prounce it. When you come across "nd" the D is silent, and "de" is pronounced like the american "the." It was a tiring three hours.

The school itself is completely concrete. It's beautiful in a way though, because it has a lot of interesting features.

There are a lot of sky lights and plants. Also, on the stairs there are ramps for people to take their bikes through the building. The walls are lined with photo projects and publications. The main area is mostly open, with branches of rooms spreading to either side. There's a big library and a cafeteria. There's also a bar in the basement, called the Friday Bar. It's open every Friday at 2:15 and there's a giant sign in the cafeteria reminding everyone of it.

My teacher, Jørgen, pronounced "Yorn" (well, almost) introduced our small group of 12 to our classroom today by lighting candles and telling us about what a cozy group we'll become. Anyone from MU knows what a stark difference this is from Greeley's B2 class.

I'm really excited to go back tomorrow for our lessons on Danish politics and current events. Being at school makes me feel like I have some purpose again. Despite the fact that I am there all day long, it's so thrilling to be part of something.