Week Three.

Cultural Experiences

 9th-16th February

Roskilde Cathedr

At the end of my third week in Copenhagen I realise how lucky I have been to have the opportunity to get out and explore a lot of the city and the surrounding towns.  This has also provided me with the opportunity to meet Danish people and begin to see similarities and differences between here and at home. 

For the last two weeks we have been following a short module called “Visual Culture” in which we have been given guided tours around various places of cultural importance in the city.  This has served as an introduction not only to the university, but to the city as well. We have had the opportunity to visit Copenhagen National Museum, and see an exhibition called “Europe meets the world.” This was to encourage us each to consider our own countries place in the European Union, something which I at first found difficult but as time has passed and we have been thinking and learning more about this topic, I have deepened and developed my knowledge and understanding of this.  We were also able to go to Roskilde and visit the cathedral there, and the museum for contemporary art.  Although it is cold walking around these areas, it has been really interesting and I feel I have learnt a lot about the Danish culture and the country’s history, I have also this week had the opportunity to walk on a frozen lake and visit H. C. Andersen's grave!  Through this class we have been designing and creating a story that reflects our views of the European problems that occur today.  We have been doing this in our teaching practice groups, and I have found it very interesting and beneficial to hear about other people’s opinions, it has definitely made me realise how little I know about the problems in other places, and has encouraged me to do more research into this and become more aware.  Overall I have found this module challenging and interesting as it has provided me not only with a cultural awareness of the country in which I am now living, but a base for cultural awareness for other countries. 

Creating and designing our story in Visual Culture

I have noticed that there are many similarities between the culture here and at home, and I think this is one of the reasons I have been able to settle into life here so easily.  I have found that any-one you talk to here will be willing to help and assist you with directions, public transport or language difficulties.  At first it amazed me that whoever you ask for help will speak English and be happy to walk you right to where you need to go, or at least give very detailed instructions, but I am starting to get used to it! It is something which I have found to be different from home because most people would not go so out of their way to help you and it is definitely something I will always remember, and that I will hope to be able to do when I return to Northern Ireland.

Overall this has been a great week, where I have had a great opportunity to learn and discover more about where I will be living for the next few months, and it excites me to know there is still so much to discover! Something we haven’t had much opportunity to try yet is Danish food, but we are going to a Danish food course in uni on Monday in which we will have not only the opportunity to try the food, but to make it also!  

Waling on the frozen lake!

H.C. Andersen's grave