Oh hi, I’m living in København, Denmark for the first half of this year. I’ve just begun studying Political Science at Københavns Universitet on an exchange program run by VIC OE.
This is such a fucking wicked city. There is no such a thing as a culture shock or language barrier here in København. They speak perfect English, and don’t quite act like the xenophobic racists they once were. They are polite and courteous. However I wouldn’t say that they’re an overly friendly bunch.
I mean they do tend to smile politely, but only if you’re doing the same thing as them, such as bike riding – they do like that a lot here. They are also incredibly frank people. If you find yourself in a bar (there are some ridiculously cool places to go) head for a table of Danes. They’re not too difficult to spot, or in particular to hear. They sound as though some poor animal with lung cancer died in their throat when they reached puberty. God it’s a horribly sounding language. Anyway, they’re very frank with each other. They will happily discuss anything with you. At the first table I sat down (mostly girls I might add), they were chatting about how they prefer to keep the “fisse” (look it up yourself). Day-to-day conversation here, apparently.
Now the first thing I learnt here is that the Danes LOVE beer! You can buy it at absolutely anytime and everywhere. It’s usually pretty cheap as well. They pride themselves on holding their drink, and constantly make fun about the Swedes, who struggle to hold theirs. I think part of the reason why the Danes are such happy people is because they have such short working days, accompanied by such cheap and accessible beer.
You may encounter some weird shit over here in Denmark. However it comes so in the form of a Chinese production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Words cannot describe how terrible, strange and unnerving that was. But, as they say, nothing shows human thought and emotion better than imperfection diction and a seemingly endless flock of life-like emus walking around the stage at the strangest of times during the show.
More weird shit. The other night as I stood huddled round a bonfire in Christiania, a stranger from Nigeria entered our tiny hub of warmth. Quite suddenly he began to chat away in very broken English. We all listened intently, his story was something like no other.
But what followed after was in fact just as intriguing. Because within less than a moment he had left our huddle, sprinted across the narrow street and planted himself against a dark wooden gate. There he stood in perfect silence staring into the back of our heads. I turned around only for a glimpse, but his eyes met mine quickly. His stare was incredibly intense. After a few long minutes, I could hardly bring myself to turn away from this unusual character. I could see him becoming agitated. He was flicking his Zippo back and forth, creating a brief flicker of fire with almost every second he stood there. Then he shot off in some other direction, leaving his plastic bag full of cans by the bon fire with us. What an unusual character he was! Christiania is really such a lovely place to visit and meet new people.
Unfortunately, it turns out the government has decided to crack down once and for all on the settlement of Christiania. Christiania, also known as ‘Freetown’, is a self proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of about 850 residents. It began in 1971, when inhabitants of the surrounding area broke down the fence of an abandoned military area, and by September that year it was considered a settlement of its own, run by cannabis and yoga enthusiasts. Just the other day I noticed the police passively standing outside the gates of Christiania. The entire settlement seemed a little paranoid and anxious at the time.
They better not tear down a bar called Loppen. I practically live there. Shit could get crazy if they go through with it. We’re talking street riots, ten times larger than those seen in 2006 when ‘Ungdomshuset’ (Youth House) was torn down. So much of the local and international community have a strong attachment to Christiania, whether they be pot-heads or not. It would be ridiculously unwise of the government to go through with their plans.
Har det godt! Vi ses!
Fuck Yeah I’m in… is a blog shared by three Victoria University students on exchange overseas. Molly is in France; Rupert, in Denmark; and Alan, who will make his debut next week, in Spain.