Heartwarming Holiday Story

So lately, I've been playing with ideas to keep blogging about. I loved having a blog this past semester, and I want to continue it, but I want something inspiring to write about. I'm not sure what my focus will be, but I wanted to share this wonderful video.
http://feministing.com/2010/12/27/miracle-on-22nd-street/.

When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

I wanted to begin my last post (at least for a while) with a quote that I found while researching John Dewey for a presentation. It is: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” I thought that quote put a nice bow on my study abroad experience because this semester I learned more from navigating maps, asking for directions, and getting lost while traveling than I did in the classroom. I have confidence that I can go somewhere new, order food and find housing all on my own. My semester has been filled with life lessons, and I learned them because I experimented and tried new things.

Copenhagen has also taught me to revisit my ideas about what true happiness is. Denmark is considered “the happiest place in the world” but the scale of happiness is different. My experiences this semester have led me to think that happiness in Denmark is measured based on smaller moments like spending the night making Christmas decorations with candles lit and music playing while in the States, a person’s happiness depends on how good his or her job is. People here do not live to work; they work to live. Even though my host parents still work almost forty hours a week, they have a different attitude about work, and they always have time for their children. We eat dinner together every night, which is a tradition that is becoming extinct in the States. Being here has taught me to cherish the quieter, smaller moments.

Here are some of my future travel goals. Hopefully, putting it in writing will force me to make these plans happen!

1. Witness something once-in-a-lifetime, like Jokulsarlon, a lake next to a melting glacier in Iceland. (I just read about this on a blog!)

2. Go skydiving in New Zealand.

3. Next itinerary for Europe: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Interlaken, Venice, Barcelona, Lisbon, London, and Edinburgh.

I miss a lot about Copenhagen. I miss my host family. I miss hopping on a bus for twenty minutes and entering a mysterious, enchanting city. Farvel, Copenhagen! I’ll be back!

Galaxen

Galaxen is the name of the daycare center I helped at every Thursday. I worked with Danish children ages 0-5. I wanted to share some pictures and cool ideas that the school is implementing.

The outside of Galaxen with of course a bike in front.

Notice the heart decorations in the window. I learned to make them at a Christmas lunch. Decorating for the holidays is a huge part of Danish culture. 

The teachers document all the students activities. They have a book outside the classroom, so the parents can see what the kids are doing. Also, each child has their own portfolio of photos and artwork. They are given the books when they leave Galaxen and go to Kindergarten.

There were wonderful decorations and artwork on every wall. Galaxen's philosophies are loosely based on the Reggio Emilia technique, so they incorporate a lot of art in their curriculum.

I loved this idea one of the pedagogues developed. She asked the children to bring in an object, and then the kids would have to create a story about the object. They would sit around in a circle and write it together.

My Copenhagen MUST list

During my last few weeks in Copenhagen, I became a tourist. Most people wouldn't think that there's a lot to see in Copenhagen, but there is. Here's my list of things you should do and see:

1. The Royal Ballet: I saw the Royal Ballet perform Sleeping Beauty. My program was selling tickets for $10. The costumes were fantastic, and I got to see the Royal Theater.

2. Go to a Christmas lunch. This may not be possible if you visit in the summer or if you don't know any Danes, but I would recommend getting yourself invited to a Christmas lunch. They are dinner parties where Danes drink a crazy amount of alcohol, and therefore, chaos and fun ensues. 

3. The Little Mermaid. Yes, this is an incredibly small landmark, but if you're in Denmark, you need to see it. 

4. The Black Diamond. It's a beautiful library. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the inside, but it's a great place to relax, do some homework, or read a good book.

5. Go on a canal tour. There's is a 30 kroner canal tour (approximately $6) that's excellent.  Find this tour along the water. There's another one that's 60 kroner, but they're the same tour. Go for the cheaper one.

6. The Round Tower. I would recommend going to the top. You get a beautiful view of the city.

7. Walk down Copenhagen's winding streets, enjoy the architecture, and find a cafe. Sit outside and relax. Denmark is known as the home of the "happiest people in the world," so that might give you a good reason why. The Danes do not live to work, they work to live. I would recommend visiting Cafe Paluden. It's close to Norreport station.

8. Tivoli. It's an amusement park in the center of the city, and you should at least walk through it or peak inside.

9. Agnes Cupcakes. Of course, this list wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention "the first cupcake bakery" in Denmark. You must try one of these cupcakes if you visit.

10. Danish. You must try a wonderful Danish pastry if you're in Denmark. I would recommend St. Peter's Bakery. The prices are cheaper, and it's delicious. 

11. Christiana. It's a free town in Copenhagen where people can live and work. I would describe it as a kind of hippie place where people can relax and shop. There's a church that is very close to the entrance of Christiana. You can't miss the winding golden steps up to the top. I would recommend going to the top. You get a beautiful view of the whole city.

12. The Frederiksberg Gardens and Zoo. I loved walking through the gardens. You can also take a boat ride.

That's all for now. Wow! That took a long time, and I've already thought of a few places I missed like Rosenborg Castle, the home of the crown jewels, the Botanical Gardens, and Amalienborg Palace, where the queen and her son live. Better plan a long trip to Copenhagen!