A semester in Kobenhavn

I thought it was only apt. to write a sign off post. Coming on exchange to Copenhagen was honestly the best decision I have ever made. The city and the university has so much to offer for students the only bad thing is having to leave!

Before going on exchange I was worried about the general things just settling in, what my apartment would be like, would i make friends and would i even like Copenhagen.  It was honestly way more than i thought it would be!

Preparing to leave Copenhagen was strange as i had so much work to do for my papers it didn’t really sink in that i was leaving until I was home!

Arriving in Copenhagen we were warned that we might experience ‘culture shock’, luckily i settled in straight away. Since I have come home, however the culture shock has well and truly hit hard!

Things i will miss about Copenhagen are: Onsdag Snegle, varm cholkolade, pretending we speak Danish when drunk, eating brie, cycling, picnics, seven eleven, the humanities cantine, the black diamond, nyhavn, the student house, pear cider, fisk, BRUNCH, Jazz cafe and oatmeal cookies. But most of all all the lovely people from Signal Huset, especially the lovely girls I made dinner with 99.9999% of the time while on exchange.

I am aware this is such a cheesy post, but let’s face it exchange in Copenhagen is frigging amazing!

Laura xooxox

P.s. DO IT!

Well it has been a busy few weeks! It seems like this is such a popular time to have a birthday! It was mine on March 31st and I had a wonderful time! Although I was excited for the day to come, as my boyfriend was coming to visit, as it was our Easter week off, I knew only a small group would be around to celebrate. I seriously underestimated how good it would be.

I awoke on my birthday morning to find my friends Jennifer and Lucinda at my door with pancakes and Asti. YUM! Pancakes, presents and 2 glasses of Asti before 11, a fabulous way to celebrate turning 21!

That night after a really nice meal in one of the central squares at norreport with my lovely boyfriend a few of us met up at Studenthouse and then onto L.A. bar. It was a fun night of dancing, followed up with a lovely slushy nightcap from Out Of Juice.

Needless to say, the next day I was not in any way up for my 8 hour bus ride to Berlin. One thing that I have noticed about Danish culinary culture is that they cannot get enough of Brunch! It is served everywhere, and turns out when you have a tømmermænd it is exactly what you need.

The bus to Berlin was actually lovely! It was a 2 hour bus journey through some really nice Danish countryside and then a ferry over to Germany and then the rest of the way on the coach to Berlin. Although there were some dodgy looking characters on the ferry and at one point I thought that Chris and I were in Taken, it was actually lots of fun.

As it was Easter weekend, finding accommodation in Berlin was difficult to say the least, and we ended up staying on a boat. I promise you it was not as fun as you might be imagining. In quite a rough side of town say our dingy for a hostel. Looking back on it now it is just funny. I loved learning German history in school and the walking tour we did in Berlin was more than I could have hoped it to be! The weather was gorgeous and our tour guide was so insightful, so do it for sure when you’re in that neck of the woods. Again as it was Easter there were loads of German food, craft and beer markets…AMAZING! I had a beer bigger than my face to get my into the spirit. Although if I’m honest I found Berlin to be for the most part aesthetically unappealing and maybe even a little dangerous. However once I remembered strudel was German and that Berlin has pink beer, amazing restaurants and cheap bars I was converted into a Berliner.

Returning to KPH in need of some rest and relaxation, I was disappointed. I was hosting a ‘bring your own dish dinner party’ at my flat for around 25 guests. The food was amazing and I even got a Birthday cake (thanks again Eliot). YUM!

After saying goodbye to my boyfriend and getting over jealousy that he is off to visit MY family in Australia I had a party to get excited for. Three of my really close friends here were all turning 21 within 2 days of each other. As they are all from Scotland, they had a Celidh. It was a formal affair, which I welcomed as it isn’t really customary to dress up much at night. It was a night of too much drinking and lots of fun!

After all my celebrations recently I now REALLY have to do some work! Doing papers here has terrified me all semester and now I finally have to start working…now all I need is someone to make me

I always love March, maybe it’s because it has St. Patrick’s day in it and celebrating being Irish is always fun, maybe because it is because it leads up to my birthday or maybe because it is the start of spring. I went home for a couple of days at the start of March to spend some time with my boyfriend. We went away for the weekend to the west coast of Ireland. Despite a slight hiccup on the way there, with a little snow storm, the weekend was amazing and full of sunshine! Coming back to Copenhagen I have to admit I was a little down about returning to snow. I was however surprised to greeted with sun and a change from the usual temperatures of -5.

Since coming back I’ve loved walking and cycling round the city and also done a little bit of travelling. It really I a gorgeous city in the Spring! There are flower markets everywhere and cafes are starting to put table outside, I love it! I discovered a few more hidden gems in the city. The Living room near the international office is great for relaxing with some tea and doing some reading. I have also branched out a little in the bars/clubs I’ve been going to. Leaving Student House aside, the Thursday bar at CBS is really worth going along to. If the 2 for 1 cocktails don’t tempt you I’m sure the number of beautiful people there will change your mind. Another place I had been hearing about for a while, which I recently tried is also worth going to. The restaurant Peder Ox in Norreport is usually quite expensive but on a Monday night they sell burgers for 35 kroner. One of the main things from home that I miss is going out for dinner, so I really would recommend this place! Now that it is nice outside and there are more people in the streets, the flea markets are starting. I have never been ot flea market, but I love vintage shopping and searching for hidden gems so I am so excited to be going to my first flea market on Sunday at Amagerbro.

Apart from exploring he city further I have also been exploring Europe further. A group of girls and I went to Budapest for the weekend. It was Beautiful!!!
I have wanted to go for a long time, but always envisaged going at a warmer time of he year to get the full experience of the outdoor spas. The first couple of days we did a walking tour of Buda and Pest, ate lots of Hungarian food and went to some clubs so but the last day we were in need of some relaxation and down time. To the baths we went. We went to the largest one in Pest near Heroes square. It was a beautiful old yellow building with pools of differing temperatures both inside and outside. We tried some of the ones inside but once we realised even granddads were in the spas outside we knew we had to brave the 3 degree temperatures. It was soo nice once you were in the water, with the steam and the cool breeze….it was not fun however running back into the building and trying to find your towel. I loved Budapest and I will defiantly be going back.

Last Wednesday it was St. Patrick’s day and being Irish it is tradition for me to celebrate it in…well…the drunkest way possible! As there are 3 Irish bars in Copenhagen there was definitely a festive cheer. I really underestimated how much the Danes love my national holiday…It kind of confused me to be honest. I had a great night in the Irish Rover…But I have to admit I was home by 12, the earliest I have ever been home from a night out here. Alhough this I probably because we started the celebrations at 4pm, instead of out usual 10pm.

Next week in the Easter break and I supposed to be the time to start to think about paper topics for the end of semester. I however will be celebrating my 21st birthday and going on a well overdue trip to Berlin. This will be my celebration before going into hibernation to complete the mammoth papers ahead  Hope everyone has a nice easter! xo

I’ve been here in Denmark for around 6 weeks and i’m starting to feel settled in. I’ve started classes at the humanities department and it is sooooo different from my home university! Although my university totally embraces a little tipple from now and again, I must say that Danes know how to do it! Friday Bar is a major event in the week to week life of a student here. Walking around campus there are mini ‘cafes’ where students can relax after a week of studying with some beer and wine. Some friends and I were introduced to them on our orientation meeting on Friday. The meeting began with an introduction and a quick tour, standard issue for an orientation meeting but then The brought us to one of the cafes where there were many crates of beer and soft drinks for us to have, as well as snacks. It was such a good way to interact with the other international students in the Humanities department

Now to catch up on what I’ve been doing since my last blog, I have had to look back on my photos. In a way to celebrate my Danish language class some of our class went to the Carlsberg factory. I do like beer, but i’m not usually a fan of Carlsberg but after this trip I am officially in favour of Carlsberg! The factory museum is a mix between a HUGE beer bottle collection and Carlsberg memorabilia and then a guide through the process of beer brewing. Included in the price of your ticket is two beers at the end of the tour. Before you get your beers you are recommended to complete the smell test to see what types of beer you would like. This was so much fun. Then you pick the beers that match up to your favourites. It was such a good experience! I promise that won’t be my last visit to Carlsberg as I know my boyfriend was very jealous of this excursion.

Before I moved here I was well aware of the costly reputation of Copenhagen so I presumed food would have to be a sacrifice and I would be cooking pasta and soup all the time to save money. HOW WRONG WAS I? My Danish language class just all seem to love to cook, as do I. We have had many dinner parties where everyone just brings something different to eat. They are such a success! We decided to throw one for our language teacher. It was so much fun and she really appreciated it!

I’ve also been to the Gliptoech, the private art collection of the owner of Carlsberg. My friend Samatha and I went on a Sunday and it was free entry. It was HUGE. The term ‘private’ would suggest a small collection but it is massive. Hundreds and hundreds of statues, paintings, mummies, heads. It begs the question- Where did he keep them all?

Apart form these excursions and getting settled into classes we have been FULLY embracing Copenhagen nightlife. This week I was the student Insomnia Tour, which is designed to introduce new students to as many clubs as possible. Sadly we didn’t make it out all 7 nights but we did have fun. We also had a part in our Kolligiem for all the residents…it was really fun but sooooo crowded. As I am starting to sound like an old woman complaining about too many people I will end my post here. Until next time  xo

It honestly feels like iv been in Copenhagen for like 2 months instead of 2 weeks, time is just flying by! I keep discovering new places in the city and i’m really starting to love it’s cultural side. The language course i signed up for organized some trips this week, I so went to the National museum and the Black Diamond (http://www.kb.dk/en/dia/index.html). The national museum was good but i didn’t really have enough time to look around. They did have this massive room full of dolls houses though was soooo cool! I much preferred the Black Diamond though!! It is the royal library of Copenhagen and it is crazy!! there are two parts to it, an old part that looks like hogwarts with reading rooms with green gas lamps. Then there is a really new part that is on the canal which is shaped like a black diamond. It is equally as pretty though. I will be going there when i need motivation to study! On our tour of the library we got to go into the book storage room it made me smile! Since you have to order any book you want from the library the books are mostly kept away from sight, weird fact for you.

Spurred on by our week of culture some of my friends from my Danish language class and I planned to go visit Hamlet’s castle, just outside Copenhagen, yesterday morning. Well that didn’t really happen. My friend Benni had a ‘dinner party’ and we ended up getting home quite late. Long story short since we would only have an hour in the castle, because of the short opening hours. We decided to go to Louisiana instead(http://www.louisiana.dk/dk). It is a modern art gallery about 40mins outside CPH. IT WAS BONKERS!! But in the best possible way I wanted to go because they have some Andy Warhol stuff, but instead i saw an exhibition about America and the KKK, a Planetarium style exhibition, but instead of lying back and looking at the stars we looked at naked people and really tripy art. THEN another exhibition in a freezer with a frozen BMW, despite how i might have just described it I really liked it!. The American exhibition was the photography of Jacob Holdts, a Dane who has documented American stories over the last 30 or 40 years. Looking at the photos you might just think they were weird but when you read his stories in the pamphlet they become harrowing, it really made me want to read his autobiography. How he never got shot or murdered, living with neo-nazis and members of the kkk is beyond me.

Ok away from that and onto a more cheery subject Ok if you are thinking about coming to Copenhagen for an exchange or just want to know the city…you need to be aware of how AMAZING the night life is! I came home the other night at what is early for this city. 1.45 am. Usually bars can open to like 5/6…happy times! Plus the metro runs all night so no expensive taxis I have also got plans to start looking into the Jazz scene here, it is supposed to be really good!

I’m really not looking forward to the week ahead. My danish language course is ending, which is a good thing, but the prospect of the exam is NOT! I really wasn’t prepared for the work load and how hard it would be. I need to do work and not get distracted by margarita parties, galleries or GORGEOUS danish pear cider. How will i ever pass this exam?

Well my first week in Copenhagen is over and it has been amazing!! My name is Laura McGarrity and I am from Belfast. I am studying media and English at the University of Stirling. I decided to come on exchange for fun and to meet new people. Although the week leading up to my departure I was too stressed to even be excited about it. Worrying about exchange is normal but once you get here and realize everyone is in the same boat and you start having soooo much fun!!

I enrolled in the Danish Language course to make friends and to learn a bit of Danish. I really underestimated how difficult it would be and how much work you are expected to do But i got an amazing class and we have made it fun so far. I would recommend doing it though because it is helping me adapt to the Danish culture…even though i only feel confident to speak to Danes when i have had a couple of drinks.

I am living in a Signalhuset, in Orestad. It is gorgeous!! Nothing compared to the halls of residence at my old university! It is soo nice and homely, as well as stylish! Talking of homeliness, the Danes have a concept ‘Hygge’ that has revolutionized my world, no joke! From what I have gathered it means to be really cosy. So saying in with friends with candles and blankets. In January when the weather is sooo cold, Hygge is perfect!

I have however been out in Copenhagen as well. We went to test out Studenehuset. A bunch of girls and I have also signed up to volunteer at the Studenehuset. It is the Danish version of a student union, so a club ran by students with cheap drink. It is a good way of meeting people and it has some nice pear cider that is really cheap!

I was warned by a lot of people before i came that Copenhagen is very expensive, and it is, but I’m staring to notice that the more you look around and know the city the easier it will be to manage your money. Saying that I’m soo happy there is Accessorize and Topshop here…two home comforts at least

I have done so much and met so many new people in a week. I would recommend going on exchange to Copenhagen because it is a beautiful city and I’m already starting to feel at home

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