I have been back in the US for a week now. It has been wonderful to see friends and family. I am so grateful for the time I got to spend in Denmark, but it’s good to be back with the people I care about the most. Thank you so much to all of you who read my blog and were interested in what I was doing in Denmark. I appreciated the opportunity to share my experiences while I was gone and it was nice to know that so many people in my life were reading!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Danish Summer Eats
I haven't written that much about Danish food. I guess that's because I'm still not entirely sure how to define Danish food. Yes, there are traditional dishes like meatballs, pickled herring, and open-faced sandwiches on rye bread, but other than the sandwiches, I'm not sure how often people actually eat these things. Even if you go to a "Danish" restaurant, the food is tends to be oriented more towards ingredients and seasonality than traditional Danish foods.
When people ask me if I eat or cook Danish food, I say sort of. I've really enjoyed being a member of KBHFF and eating Danish produce. To a certain extent, I feel like I've been eating Danish food through my weekly bags because the produce we've gotten (for example, a kilo of potatoes almost every week, a huge bunch of dill this week) fits with what Danes like to eat.
Right now there are a few foods in season which are everywhere and clearly important to Danish culture: strawberries, shelling peas, and new potatoes. I've gotten these in my KBHFF bag, they are available at farm stands set up around the city, and in grocery stores. It is always made clear that these are Danish products too. The sign will say "Danish Strawberries" or "Danish Peas." One thing that has really amazed me is that even in the grocery store, they sell the new potatoes with dirt still on them. I can't imagine that ever happening in the US. Still, there's good reason because the skin is so delicate that they need to be cleaned by hand right before you eat them. The strawberries are also sold really ripe. There are times when I'm biking by a place selling strawberries outside and I can smell them.
Another Danish summer food is koldskål. It's a simple but somewhat unusual dessert that has really grown on me. You take a special kind of cookie, it kind of like a really crunchy Nilla Wafer, put them in a bowl, and then pour this thin custard overtop. The custard is usually lightly sweetened buttermilk with some egg and often has a vanilla or lemon flavor. Then you eat the cookies and the custard together.
When people ask me if I eat or cook Danish food, I say sort of. I've really enjoyed being a member of KBHFF and eating Danish produce. To a certain extent, I feel like I've been eating Danish food through my weekly bags because the produce we've gotten (for example, a kilo of potatoes almost every week, a huge bunch of dill this week) fits with what Danes like to eat.
Right now there are a few foods in season which are everywhere and clearly important to Danish culture: strawberries, shelling peas, and new potatoes. I've gotten these in my KBHFF bag, they are available at farm stands set up around the city, and in grocery stores. It is always made clear that these are Danish products too. The sign will say "Danish Strawberries" or "Danish Peas." One thing that has really amazed me is that even in the grocery store, they sell the new potatoes with dirt still on them. I can't imagine that ever happening in the US. Still, there's good reason because the skin is so delicate that they need to be cleaned by hand right before you eat them. The strawberries are also sold really ripe. There are times when I'm biking by a place selling strawberries outside and I can smell them.
Another Danish summer food is koldskål. It's a simple but somewhat unusual dessert that has really grown on me. You take a special kind of cookie, it kind of like a really crunchy Nilla Wafer, put them in a bowl, and then pour this thin custard overtop. The custard is usually lightly sweetened buttermilk with some egg and often has a vanilla or lemon flavor. Then you eat the cookies and the custard together.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Danish High School Graduation
This afternoon I witnessed how Danish high school students celebrate graduation. I was out running some errands and I didn't have my camera or iPad with me to take pictures, so I'll just have to describe what I saw.
Today was the last day of school in Denmark, which is an especially big celebration for those finishing high school. When Danish students pass their last high school exam, they get a special hat to wear. I've been seeing young people wearing this for the past week or so.
Today was the last day of school in Denmark, which is an especially big celebration for those finishing high school. When Danish students pass their last high school exam, they get a special hat to wear. I've been seeing young people wearing this for the past week or so.
[source]
This afternoon, groups of students were riding around Copenhagen in trucks with open backs (think army truck, not pickup truck), wearing their hats, honking their horns, cheering and waving (you can see a short video of this here). I then ended up riding behind a group of female students having a bike parade. Two of them had cargo bikes which they had decorated with plants and Danish flags. The group was riding along ringing their bells and honking horns. They passed a café where a lot of people were sitting outside and the students waved and shouted at the people sitting in the café. To my surprise, almost everyone waved back and some even shouted congratulations. That is not very Danish behavior, but from talking with Danish friends, it seems that high school graduation is a big deal and that people are reminded of being young and celebrating their own graduation.
Apparently the parties will continue all weekend, so I will probably see some more trucks of students driving around...
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Hygge
Although understanding other cultures is often a nuanced business, cultures often have features which although difficult to define have a name and its members have a reflexive awareness of them.
In Danish culture, the idea of "hygge" is like this. Every Dane would be able to tell you that hygge is a central and distinctive part of Danish culture.
I've been wanting to write about hygge for a while because it's something that I really appreciate, but recently I saw some good examples that illustrate it well.
Danish usually translate hygge as coziness. However, it can be used as any part of speech, so you can say, "I had a hyggelig time with my family at Christmas" or "I'm going to hygger with my friends tonight." Hygge basically means being comfortable and cozy, usually with people you care about. It entails having a comfortable home, being relaxed, lighting candles, and drinking coffee, among other things.
When I was in Århus, at the old town, many of the signs in the buildings explained how the furnishings or decorations made the house hygge. You can see in the English translation, "The light curtains, the embroidered cushions, the footstools of the stove screen create the cosiness of the room." In the Danish, it is written that these create hygge.
Another example comes from an email I got last week from KBHFF, the food co-op I belong to. At some of the units in Copenhagen, they have a place where people can sit and have coffee when they come to pick up their bag. At my pick-up location, people tend to be in and out and they want to create a more hygge atmosphere. Here's part of the e-mail I got with my rough translation:
"Efter medlemsmødet, hvor det blev diskuteret hvordan det kunne være muligt at skabe lidt mere hygge omkring afhentning af poser. . . . Forhåbentlig bliver det super hyggeligt, og der serveres selvfølgelig te og kaffe."
In Danish culture, the idea of "hygge" is like this. Every Dane would be able to tell you that hygge is a central and distinctive part of Danish culture.
I've been wanting to write about hygge for a while because it's something that I really appreciate, but recently I saw some good examples that illustrate it well.
Danish usually translate hygge as coziness. However, it can be used as any part of speech, so you can say, "I had a hyggelig time with my family at Christmas" or "I'm going to hygger with my friends tonight." Hygge basically means being comfortable and cozy, usually with people you care about. It entails having a comfortable home, being relaxed, lighting candles, and drinking coffee, among other things.
When I was in Århus, at the old town, many of the signs in the buildings explained how the furnishings or decorations made the house hygge. You can see in the English translation, "The light curtains, the embroidered cushions, the footstools of the stove screen create the cosiness of the room." In the Danish, it is written that these create hygge.
Another example comes from an email I got last week from KBHFF, the food co-op I belong to. At some of the units in Copenhagen, they have a place where people can sit and have coffee when they come to pick up their bag. At my pick-up location, people tend to be in and out and they want to create a more hygge atmosphere. Here's part of the e-mail I got with my rough translation:
"Efter medlemsmødet, hvor det blev diskuteret hvordan det kunne være muligt at skabe lidt mere hygge omkring afhentning af poser. . . . Forhåbentlig bliver det super hyggeligt, og der serveres selvfølgelig te og kaffe."
"After the members' meeting where we discussed how it may be possible to create a little more coziness around picking up bags. . . . Hopefully it will be super cozy and of course tea and coffee will be served."
Again, this shows how Danes want to incorporate hygge into everyday life. Whether it is lighting candles at work or stopping to have coffee when you pick up your vegetables for the week, this is a central aspect of Danish culture.
There's a nice NPR blog post on hygge here. I really liked how they looked at Twitter to see how people used #hygge. I've looked at Twitter several times over the past few months to see how people have used hygge as a hashtag and it is usually to describe spending time with friends or family, being in nature, celebrating a holiday, or having a nice time at home.
I love the idea of hygge and it's something that I hope to bring back to the US with me.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Sankt Hans (Midsummer)
Sunday was Midsummer's Day in Denmark. In Sweden, it's a national holiday and a really big deal. It's always on a Friday so that people can celebrate all weekend long.
In Denmark, Midsummer's is important, but not so big as in Sweden. It is always celebrated on June 23 and is called Sankt Hans (or Saint John's). The day is celebrated by lighting bonfires and singing special songs. Historically, effigies of witches were burned on the bonfires, and some of them (including one I saw on Sunday) still burn fake witches today.
In Copenhagen, most of the fires take place in parks and on the beach. In the days leading up to midsummer, I saw a lot of piles of brush set up in parks ready to burn, like this one in Fredericksberg Garden.
On Sunday night, I went to the lakes in the center of the city to see several fires. Some had already been lit when I got there and I waited around for another one to be lit. There were lots of people watching and they cheered and sang when the wood was set on fire. (Should I mention that this second picture was taken after 10 pm?)
As a bonus, there had been a little bit of rain earlier in the day and it paid off with this beautiful rainbow.
Being at the Sankt Hans celebrations made me realize how much I'll miss being in Copenhagen. I'm not a city girl, but Copenhagen is just enough city for me. It's great to be able to go out and join a crowd of people sitting outside and enjoying the evening. Biking with the sun setting and a rainbow in the sky seemed to symbolize to me how magical this city is and how much I have enjoyed my time here.
In Denmark, Midsummer's is important, but not so big as in Sweden. It is always celebrated on June 23 and is called Sankt Hans (or Saint John's). The day is celebrated by lighting bonfires and singing special songs. Historically, effigies of witches were burned on the bonfires, and some of them (including one I saw on Sunday) still burn fake witches today.
In Copenhagen, most of the fires take place in parks and on the beach. In the days leading up to midsummer, I saw a lot of piles of brush set up in parks ready to burn, like this one in Fredericksberg Garden.
On Sunday night, I went to the lakes in the center of the city to see several fires. Some had already been lit when I got there and I waited around for another one to be lit. There were lots of people watching and they cheered and sang when the wood was set on fire. (Should I mention that this second picture was taken after 10 pm?)
As a bonus, there had been a little bit of rain earlier in the day and it paid off with this beautiful rainbow.
Being at the Sankt Hans celebrations made me realize how much I'll miss being in Copenhagen. I'm not a city girl, but Copenhagen is just enough city for me. It's great to be able to go out and join a crowd of people sitting outside and enjoying the evening. Biking with the sun setting and a rainbow in the sky seemed to symbolize to me how magical this city is and how much I have enjoyed my time here.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Basic Copenhagen Style Bike Lanes
I realized that I haven't explained some of the basics of biking in Copenhagen. Here's a street near my office that shows the main elements of Copenhagen style lanes.
On the far right is the sidewalk. Next to the sidewalk, but separated by a curb is the bike track. The bike track is then somehow separate from the cars. Often this is just a curb, but sometimes there are also parked cars between the bikes and traffic and as this picture shows, there is an island with a bus stop on it.
On streets with slower traffic, bikes are not so separated, but most streets in Copenhagen look something like the one above with plenty of space for bikers to be separate and safe from faster moving cars.
On the far right is the sidewalk. Next to the sidewalk, but separated by a curb is the bike track. The bike track is then somehow separate from the cars. Often this is just a curb, but sometimes there are also parked cars between the bikes and traffic and as this picture shows, there is an island with a bus stop on it.
On streets with slower traffic, bikes are not so separated, but most streets in Copenhagen look something like the one above with plenty of space for bikers to be separate and safe from faster moving cars.
Hiking Seven Lakes (Bulgaria Highlight)
On Wednesday, I got back from a trip to Bulgaria to visit my dear sister Juliana. It was a great trip. I enjoyed seeing Juliana's life in Bulgaria, getting to meet some of her friends, and seeing a beautiful country I probably wouldn't have visited otherwise.
One of the highlights was a hike we took on my second day there. We went to a national park outside of Sofia where there is a cluster of seven scenic lakes that you can hike around. Juliana had heard it was beautiful and wanted to go, so I was up for it.
Getting there was a bit of an adventure. We took one bus from Sofia to a medium-sized town in the country. From there we took another bus which we barely caught which dropped us off at a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. We found a cab there which took us part way up the mountain.
There is a ski lift that runs in winter and later in the summer, but it wasn't running this early in the season. There were guys with jeeps giving people rides up to where the seven lakes trails start, but we hiked about two hours up to get to the starting point.
At the top, there's a "hut," which is really more of a lodge. We enjoyed a picnic lunch there, then began hiking around the seven lakes.
Because there was snow on some of the trails still, we couldn't get to all seven lakes, but we saw four and it was a beautiful hike. We had some rain at the end as we came down, but overall it was a nice day to be out. We saw a number of other hikers too.
I enjoyed getting to see the beautiful nature Bulgaria has to offer and had a great time with my sister!
Even though we were hiking, we still observed some cultural differences. I don't think an American national park would have this prohibition:
One of the highlights was a hike we took on my second day there. We went to a national park outside of Sofia where there is a cluster of seven scenic lakes that you can hike around. Juliana had heard it was beautiful and wanted to go, so I was up for it.
Getting there was a bit of an adventure. We took one bus from Sofia to a medium-sized town in the country. From there we took another bus which we barely caught which dropped us off at a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. We found a cab there which took us part way up the mountain.
There is a ski lift that runs in winter and later in the summer, but it wasn't running this early in the season. There were guys with jeeps giving people rides up to where the seven lakes trails start, but we hiked about two hours up to get to the starting point.
At the top, there's a "hut," which is really more of a lodge. We enjoyed a picnic lunch there, then began hiking around the seven lakes.
Because there was snow on some of the trails still, we couldn't get to all seven lakes, but we saw four and it was a beautiful hike. We had some rain at the end as we came down, but overall it was a nice day to be out. We saw a number of other hikers too.
I enjoyed getting to see the beautiful nature Bulgaria has to offer and had a great time with my sister!
Even though we were hiking, we still observed some cultural differences. I don't think an American national park would have this prohibition:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)