Becoming a Dane

I can actually say that Saturday was the first day in which I began to start to live a little more like a Dane. I'll explain.

That morning, I decided it was time to buy a bike. I was tired of having to walk to the metro and clip my 10 ride ticket. Plus, I only have two clips left, meaning I'll have to buy a new one (I'll explain the clip cards in the next post)...and these clip cards aren't cheap. Since the day I arrived, I had been asking my mentor as well as the other international students about where they had purchased their bikes, but I hadn't had the time to go out and get one. On Friday night, an Austrian student in my Danish class told me where he got his bike and that he purchased his for a great price. I decided I needed to check the place out.

I walked to the shop, Babylon Cykler in Norrebro, and immediately the owner asked if I was studying at the University for 6 months. When I said yes, he took me to the back room with all the secondhand bikes...there were tons (I could barely walk around)! He told me the prices of each type, from mountain bikes to cruisers. When I saw a bike that I liked and was a decent price, he let me ride it around. It was easy to maneuver, not too big, in good shape (it has brand new chains!), and it looked pretty "boss" (dipped in sauce, Alex) too. So of course, I was sold. In addition to the bike, the shop owner gave me a great deal on a lock (the owner said the key hole may freeze during the winter time. Great...I'll just deal with that when the time comes), as well as reflectors and lights (which are necessary if you don't want to get pulled over by the po-po for not having a legal bike). Even better, I get half off on repairs, and when I leave in December, I can even sell the bike back to the shop! I walked out of the shop with a new ride and all of it's necessary accessories...all with less of a dent in my wallet than I thought would be possible in Copenhagen (see next post for further explanation). I paid a total of 1000 DKK, which is $200 flat. I rode the bike back to my place thinking, "now, I'm really starting to fit in here".

My ride for the next four months. Still trying to think of a name for it.

At 5pm, I rode my bike to the corner of the street I live on and met up with a girl from my Danish language class, Olivia from Germany, who is in the master's program at LIFE and we rode around the city. We went through Norrebro and to the city center. We sat across the street from Gammel Strand where the canal tours begin and end. We talked and waited for another girl to arrive, who is also a German. Then, we all rode across the bridge to Islands Brygge where Kulturhavn was taking place. A three-day event, Kulturhavn had a bunch of different areas where diverse activities were taking place. At the time we were there, we walked around and got a taste of the break-dancing competition, a muay thai demonstration, a belly dancing performance, live band (with a teenage Danish rock group that was really talented), and music (including a young women's choir and a drumming crew). That was only a fraction of the weekend's entire festivities.

 

For me, it was nice to be in the presence of other Danes, experiencing the things they regularly experience. It was the first time I began to feel truly immersed in the culture. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy to be there. People were picnicking on the grass, barbecuing, enjoying their Tuborgs (typical Copenhagen!), conversing with one another, and just simply enjoying the day.

After spending some time at Kulturhavn, we rode our bikes to Christiania, an autonomous community in Copenhagen. Basically, it's a hippie community in Copenhagen with a demographic and environment that completely contrasts the rest of the city. We parked our bikes outside of Christiania and walked in through a concrete fence area, it felt as if we were walking into a completely country. Ironically enough, when we were walking, we saw a sign that said "You are now entering the EU" that could be read when leaving Christiania. Although there are about 850 residents in Christiania, there were a lot of people walking in from outer Copenhagen. At first I didn't know why there were so many young people walking into the area, I didn't even really know where I and everyone else were going. Soon enough I realized why Christiania is so popular, there are lots of vendors selling food, clothes, and other substances that aren't legal in the US without a medical card. Definitely a hippie town. I was immediately reminded of Berkeley, it was as if I was transported there during the time I was in Christiania.

We walked around for a bit and then went into the Staden's Museum for Kunst, which is Christiania's "art museum". It was basically just graffiti all over the walls. Then, we went to the outdoor cabana bar where tables were set up, music was playing, and people were hanging out. The drinks were cheaper there than anywhere I've been in Copenhagen ($4 for a Tuborg is a pretty good price, I've decided). After getting our feel for Christiania, it starting pouring. We waited for the rain to subside and rode our bikes back to Frederiksberg. I got back to my place soaked and exhausted, but thrilled with how the day went.

Saturday was the first day in which I began to feel a little more immersed in the Danish culture, with my bike, going to local hotspots, and such. I'm looking forward to many more of these types of adventures during my stay here in Copenhagen...and of course, you'll get the rundown on them.