My Host Family Is Outrageously Funny.... I Love Them!!!!!

So today, like other days, my host family and I joked around at the dinner table. Today it was about Nikoline being a lame and apparently being uninvited to a sequence of parties that were thrown at her school. It was very funny because Jens said he would take us to the famous ice cream shop Paradis just as he has on many nights after dinner before. As we washed the dishes and prepared to head out to Paradis, he said, "Oh, Nikoline your invited" and he walked out of the door only to return about two minutes later to say "just kidding your uninvited." I thought that was hilarious. I really admire the humor that the family excerise on a daily basis as they interact with one another, especially when the parents try to connect with the kids and I using it. It is amazing and I love it because I love to be funny and to crack jokes and often times my humor is widely misunderstood when I am not in my group. Here is a video of my host-father and brother singing "It's Raining Men." This was the highlight of out Sunday night after dinner. But just today when we were driving to Paradis we all joined together to sing "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton. Kodak moment I must say!!!!!!!!! : )However, I failed to capture it because I had left my camera, we were just going to get ice cream. I did not know I was going to be busting up like that at my host-dad trying to be cool and dance awkwardly to Toni Braxton. Is that is even dancing music???? And why did this come on the radio? Didn't that come out in like 1993?? lol

P.s please take note of my host-mother dancing as she puts up the dinnerware. lol

A Peaceful Place Just a Bike Ride Away!!!!!

Well as most Danes do, I have learned to ride my bike almost everywhere around town or simply walk. Something I would almost never do at home with the luxury of owning a personal car. Horrible, I know. I have been spoiled and inconsiderate of the environment, but I have learned a lot from the Danes already. With this knowledge, yesterday, Sunday afternoon, I hopped on my bike and just rode around and I vowed to get lost in the community of Gentofte where I stay, which is a middle-class neighborhood, upper-middle class actually. However, to my surprise, I was greeted by the Oresound that is the body of water that connects Denmark and Sweden!!!! Well I was very surprised and excited to spend at few hours here. I was at peace as the sounds of waves smashing against huge rocks and passing cars intensely competed for my attention. I sat on a bridge that overlooked the body of water and where my back was turned away from the road. It was a great place to be. As I sat there, I updated my travel journey, listened to my IPod, painted my toes and simply observed. Yes, I did all of this.!!!!!!!! I will be returning often for as long as the weather will permit. ; )

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. -Abraham Lincoln

Sharing a cup of noodles and taste in music with Nikoline

If I have noticed anything, I have noticed that the majority pop culture has a huge influence on the rest of the world and how many people from other countries view Americans. Nikoline and I are almost the complete opposites lol. We are interested in different types of music and icons which are essential in a young girl's life now-a-days. If I know anything, I know that music keeps me sane and plays a significant role in my life on a daily basis. For Nikoline, the same is true. So one day when she was blasting some music that interests her after a day at school and I had felt like doing the same, we had lunch. It was then that we decided to have lunch and eat a bowl of noodles. The two of us with our different interests were able to share a common meal (NOODLES) and converse about our taste in music. It wasn't long before I realized that I did not know any of the artists which Nikoline had grown accustom to regardless of the fact that they were nearly all AMERICAN!!!! I soon realized that Nikoline was disappointed with me because I did not listen to Brittany Spears, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and many of the other pop artists that many people associate with American culture. In fact, the same was true for her, she had not heard of anyone on my IPod list with the exception of Kate Voegele who I had become interested in after years of watching One Tree Hill.

I tried to explain to her how my interest may be different from the Americans that she has knowledge of because of where I had grown up and the fact that I listen to African American artists, and follow African American actors and the like, you know, people that I have something in common with and can relate to. Nikoline brought up a song by Madonna and Justin called "Four Minutes" and I had never heard of it, but I let her listen to the song "Four Minutes" that Avant made some years back. Much to my surprise, she enjoyed the song and said that it was a lot more intriguing than her section. It was then that I understood that I would have to inform her that I had not done most things that she thinks "all Americans" have done. For example, I have never read a Harry Potter book, watched or read Twilight and the like. Upon receiving this information said relied, "You have got to be kidding me, That's crazy." She just could not fathom the very idea that I had come from a different group of people. This reminded me of when I first become a student at a predominately white college. I felt misunderstood again. However, Nikoline and I are beginning to learn a great deal about one another. She has even convinced me to watch Desperate Housewives, something that I would NEVER watch at home. LOL

Tivoli Garden (At night)-Denmark's Amusement Park

Last night my host-sister and I planned a night out on the town and we decided to visit Tivoli Gardens, which was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen who is a Danish author of many of the fairy tales that we grew up on, you know the stories that end "happily ever after." It is an amazing site to see I must say. If I had to compare it to a place from home, I would say that it reminded me of Six Flags or Cedar Point, but, of course, WAY BETTER. We went at night and everything was lit up very beautifully!!!! My camera was horrible at capturing the sites that I was capable of seeing with my eyes, that really sucks for you lol. The place was miraculous and lively with people scurrying about riding rides, dining and tasting food, candy, beer, wine, and the like where venders were set up. I felt like a small child again (well actually for the first time because I did not have the opportunity to visit places like this one when I was younger). Put simply, I had a GREAT time and I did not want to leave. In fact, my host-sister who had seen this before nearly had to force me to leave because I wanted to stay and take in everything. : )

I knew about the place because I visited the Hans Christian Andersen museum in Odense on my study tour of Western Denmark, which was also amazing!!!! He was a brilliant and inspiring man of his days.

The Danish Welfare System-Appealing or not????

I know it has been a long time since I have written anything, but I have been working on a lot and doing some traveling and siteseeing. I Promise to update the the small amount of you all that actually follow this blog soon.

However, I have decided that this post is going to be about the unique and- in my opinion- appealing Danish welfare system. This is a serious topic for me being an American who has always seemed to receive the lower end of our welfare system and who also believes that it is the reason for many inequalities. I strongly believe that every child and person, for that matter, should be afforded equal rights to healthcare, education, and a decent way of living regardless of their occupation. This is my belief because America is supposed to be the "Land of the Free." How can one be considered free and capable of making the best out of the resources in an effort to succeed when their lives lacks the adequate necessities that another individual is given from birth? I do not know what you think about this, but I strongly believe that this is not fair and that this circumstance in America has become a hindrance for many individuals. It makes it more difficult to thrive when you are worrying about food, outrageous healthcare bills, and receiving an education that is incapable of preparing you to succeed in the future.

With all of this said. let me tell you about the Danish welfare system and please comment and tell me what you think! Unlike the U.S, Denmark has a welfare system that is highly developed, in fact, it is referred to as a "safety net" by many of its inhabitants. The states seeks to insure that all Danes have a reliable system to fall back on during times of need or to live comfortably. In Denmark, pupils receive free education (actually are paid around $1,000.00 USD a month to attend school, free child care and payments for each child, free access to libraries, hospitals, museums, etc. Now I know your wondering how this is all possible. Well let me tell you. Danes pay an extremely high amount of taxes. Have you ever wondered why everything costs sooooooo much? The government gets 25% of every store purchase and utilizes the tax money to keep this unique system efficient and afloat. There is taxes on any and everything that you could ever imagine. For example, if you want a car, you are looking at paying up to 2 times more than that particular car is worth!!!! Lights, water, gas, check- you will pay more for all of those necessities as well. In addition to this universal taxes, Danes could pay anywhere between 45-60% of their salary for taxes. The money is taken directly out of their salaries before they even see their checks. This amount depends on their overall salary and their occupations. Seems like a lot uh???

When I first realized how this unique system was being implemented, funded and supported, I was amazed at the extent to which Danes where willing to go to create a society where equality was driven so forcefully. So of course, I began to probe and ask questions of my teachers and my family and this is what I discovered. As stated before, many Danes believe that individuality and equality are the two things that most individuals strive for. As a result, people are willing to pay more taxes to see to it that everyone lives up to their potential and that they have the resources to make it possible. Consequently, everyone has the same basic needs fulfilled. Everyone participates in this movement and abides by the rules of the government, well actually the rules that the people have agreed to being that Denmark is a democracy. Even children of individuals who are well off attend public schools with children from families of a lower socioeconomic class. Children barely go to private schools where their family only has to pay a small portion of the tuition because the public schools offer basically the same education. Almost everything is FREE to the taxpayers regardless of their status. Can you picture that? Would this be widely accepted in American given the fact that there is a major uproar about equality? Is this appealing to you? Would you pay more taxes to ensure that your children receive the same treatment as children from more privileged families?

Lost In a Foreign Place!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG

I am reposting, kind of sorta stealing this poem from my friend J.P who is studying abroad for a whole year!!!!! He found it online and he did not reference the author. LOL however, I feel like it is a great addition to my blog and how I feel as I walk the streets of Copenhagen looking as if I am the lost tourist that I am>>>>>>

I dreamed a dream...
In it I lived in a foreign land, and saw and experienced so
much, all so new...
All of it confused me, and I pondered at it...
I met new friends, and I spoke a language foreign to
me...
It seemed to go on and on, as the turning of a wheel...
Days repeated, weeks repeated...
Then in a moment, I woke up from my dream. I was home,
In my own country. I knew my people, my language, my
customs...
But yet once more, as in my dream, I was confused...
But this time, by my own people, my own language, my
own customs...
And for a while, I longed to go back, back to the foreign

land that I didn`t understand...

Thursday I found myself lost and struggling to find my way to my next destination. It is very difficult to navigate a place where you cannot read any of the signs and where you are not familiar with the main means of transportation. Well yes, that was my Thursday and Friday and I was SOOOOO afraid. I stopped to ask people and they were not doing a very good job at helping me find my way. I did not know what to do. I was smack dab in the middle of the central train station as lost as I had ever been in my life. I was very confused and my mind began to race. I was frustrated and scared and upset with myself because I could not figure out what I was supposed to do or go. However, the people around me did make an effort to answer my questions. I noticed that it is the Danish way to help others out during their time of need. With this in mind, it seemed strange that the officials or individuals working the trains were less likely to be willing to help me find my way. They were not very nice to me given the fact that I obviously did not know what the heck was going on. As a result to my lack of knowledge on the train systems and the zone structure of the system, I managed to receive a ticket for 750dkk because I did not know what I was doing or how to get where I was going!!!! That is like $120. I did not have the appropriate zones that I needed to get to my destination the the train official DID NOT CARE that I was American and oblivious to these rules. I am very upset and confused with this whole ordeal. It is imperative for me to catch on to these types of things because I cannot afford these types of tickets!!!!!!

A Cultural Norm--- Drinking

Okay, so drinking liquor is a cultural norm in the Danish society. This took me by surprise and even shocked me upon my arrival although I had heard a little bit about this topic. With every meal, normally dinner, my family (the mother and father) partake in several glasses of wine. This is very common for many Danes, my friends who are also staying with host families have expressed that this occurs in their Danish household as well. I have never been in a house where there is liquor open, around and in the refrigerator or fridge even though there many people in my family that drink. For Danes, drinking or having an occasional drink is done as a form of relaxation. I often see people coming home after work on the train(tog) with a beer in their hand. This seems to be more accepted in European countries than back in the United States. Of course, it is not like it is not done in the U.S, I believe that it is more likely to be frowned upon. For example, my 16-year-old host-sister openly goes to parties and her parents knows that she is drinking, but they have a lot of respect for her and her decisions and wish that she does so in a responsible manner if she chooses to drink. I got this information from my host-father around the dinner table in which I was invited to join the mother in father in having a glass of wine. LOL, this is all very new to me and I still have many questions in which I wish to explore more deeply.

Danes are supposed to be the happiest people and I have found that they believe in Positive Psychology and that many of them (people whom I have spoken with) work and take time for themselves. They do not strive to be the richest individual, they strive for happiness and gratification with life. This is done by taking time for themselves and relaxing. It is not extremely competitive in the ways that I am used to back at home. There were times when I found myself always wanting to be at the next highest level and when I never stopped to appreciate life because I was moving too fast and preoccupied with striving to be the best. As a result of this, I have never really been able to say that I have had a lot of fun. When speaking with my host family, they expressed to me that have not experienced this feeling. This is definitely a different way to look at life.

For some, this different way of life consists of having a beer and relaxing on the weekends and taking time for themselves. This Friday, just yesterday, was the first day that I got on the train late at night and went out with my friends. There were "happy" people everywhere. The trains reeked of liquor and everyone was in their own world, which seemed carefree. What does this mean? How is this different from what we are used to at home?

Frederiksborg Castle Tour and Seeing the Queen of Denmark and the Royal Prince