Hej! Today I had my first Wednesday field study of the semester! Well, technically I had two field studies. The first was for my CMC class, and we went to the Imam Ali Mosque. It was my first time visiting a mosque, and it was a really cool experience. We went on a short tour to look at some of the most important rooms in the building, as well as just learning a lot of more general things about Islam. Then we sat and got a chance to talk with our tour guide, who was actually a Danish Muslim convert. There's a lot I could say about this visit, so I'll just stick with the three things that stuck with me the most: 1. The Architecture and Design The building was honestly extremely beautiful. It wasn't beautiful in an extravagant way, with jewels and sculptures and extra fancy furniture. It was actually quite simple in a lot of ways. I liked that their reasoning for simplicity was so that the focus could be on God and not on material things. Still, the Arabic script, the carpets, it was all just really nice to look at and appreciate. 2. The Inclusivity This mosque is a Muslim place of worship, but that doesn't mean that only Muslims are allowed inside. The mosque doesn't serve just one specific group of Muslims either, such as Iraqi or Turkish only. Instead, it does it's best to serve people from all sorts of backgrounds. The messages are often given in Persian, Arabic, and Danish so that whatever people in the community speak, they will be able to understand. Quran quotes are written both in Arabic and in Danish, so that all Danes can feel welcome in this place. The mosque also allows people, Muslim and non-Muslims alike, to use the buildings for other events . They want it to feel like a space for all people. It was really good to see this example of inclusivity, because people often have the idea that religion and especially Islam are meant to be exclusive, but I believe that true faith invites everyone to participate, no matter who you are or what you believe. 3. Being a Danish Muslim Convert Denmark is a very secular country, despite being labeled a Christian country. Danes also seem to have a struggling relationship with the growing Muslim population in Denmark. Some people have misconceptions about what it means to be a Muslim woman, and when my tour guide, we'll call her Mina, decided to take the veil, people couldn't understand why she would do such a thing. So many people began to treat her differently. Mina told us stories about the years of harassment she faced, and how nobody ever stood up for her. I learned a lot of different things from visiting this mosque, but the most important thing I took away is that it is not okay to be silent when someone else is being mistreated. I'm not Muslim. I don't have to be to see that Muslims deserve to be treated with respect and kindness just as everyone else does. I don't need to be in order to appreciate a mosque and what it being here does for the community. Being Muslim in Denmark may not be easy, but it is definitely beautiful. Of course, this was only the morning. I unfortunately had to leave a little bit early to book it to the destination for my second field study, this one for my Developmental Disorders class. This visit was to the Snoezelhuset, a really interesting place that helps people from a variety of ages with a variety of issues, especially sensory issues. It has four different rooms meant to stimulate senses in different ways, or sometimes to help shut off certain senses for a person who might be overstimulated. We got to go into each of the four rooms and explore a little bit. My explanations probably will not do these rooms justice, but I'll try anyway. Also note that these rooms are arbitrarily numbered, one can go into any of the rooms at any time. Room#1 The first room I went into was playing loud music and was filled with all of these bright colors. There were these tall skinny fish tanks (fake fish) with bubbles that changed color. There was a bed that you could feel the music vibrating through when you laid on it. There were toys and everything. It definitely seemed like a room meant to energize you, but our guide showed us how quickly it could be turned into a relaxing environment by putting on more relaxing music, turning out the lights, and draping these weight blankets on us. It was so relaxing and really cool. Room#2 The next room was the opposite in terms of color. Everything inside the room was black and grey with a little white. We laid on different bean bag type chairs or pillows or cushions, and the lights were turned all the way off. The only light came this small, rainbow colored curtain glowing in the dark. With more blankets draped over us (this one felt like it was filled with little plastic balls), it was so easy to just lay down and relax (and maybe take a quick power nap). This would definitely be a good room to focus on turning off all of the other senses and simply focus on your kinesthetic sense, feeling where you are in space. Definitely a nice and relaxing space. Room#3 This room was a giant ball pit. Need I really say more? Room#4 I forgot to take a picture in this room, but room number four looked like a fancy room at a hotel except better. A giant water bed filled the room, and it was heated, which actually felt really nice. There was also a hammock, which you could be swung in. The room was all white and felt very peaceful. I think that someone with anxiety or stress could really benefit from an hour here, because it's very relaxing in unexpected ways. I'm definitely interested in learning more about these methods. So, that's the Snoezelhuset. It was a very fun experience for me and my classmates, but it was also cool to hear stories about the different ways that just an hour at this place benefited people with brain damage, autism, or different sensory issues in amazing ways. Sometimes it's the simple things we don't think about that could make a big difference. Well, those were my two field studies. I hope reading about them could at least be a tiny fraction as interesting as experiencing them was. I really like the field study aspect of DIS so far, because you get to see really cool places and engage with what you're studying in a new way. I can't wait to tell you about more of my adventures here! Vi ses!
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AuthorOn ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. Part of my heart I'm leaving behind in the United States. Join me as I take the rest on an amazing adventure to Copenhagen, Denmark! ArchivesCategories
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