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!
0 Comments
Hej, This week in Copenhagen definitely hasn't been the easiest. I wouldn't necessarily call it a bad week, because I had plenty of really good moments too. It was definitely a realization that studying abroad isn't a fairy-tale break from reality. I'm still living real life, and sometimes that means there are going to be moments that suck. Sometimes it was just the build-up of small little things, like leaving my cellphone, which had my DIS card (that nice little card that lets me into the buildings) in it, at home or getting lost when it was really important for me to get to my destination on time. Sometimes it was an intense feeling of loneliness, or this idea running through my head that I'm not doing study abroad "right" because my experience isn't looking like someone else's. Self-doubt is something that I've really been struggling with this week, but I'll share with you guys a couple of the things that helped me pull through: 1. My mother I may be far away from home, but the great thing about living in 2016 is that I can call my mother with ease whenever I need her. Just because you're abroad and focusing on experiencing where you are doesn't mean that it's not important to keep in touch with those back home. There are people here who I know will listen if I say I want to talk, and DIS has good resources if students are stressed or need to talk. But nothing beats talking to my mom, and nobody can quite understand me like she can. Sometimes you just have to break down and cry or vent to your mom, and hopefully it helps you like it did me. My study abroad advice is to definitely keep close the people who are most important to you, even if they cannot be right there beside you. 2. My faith Having a relationship with God is so important for me, especially in these moments of self-doubt. I've been so lucky that I've found a church here that has really been a blessing, especially today. It was exactly what I needed, to take this hour long pause in the middle of all of my mess and to be reminded that God is still here with me, and will be no matter what I'm going through. If faith is a part of your life, it is not something you have to give up when going abroad. God doesn't just exist solely in America. Coming here and becoming part of a faith community has not only given me a moment of pause, but also a great new group of friends from all over the world, bonded by our shared faith. It's really amazing and so helpful during tough moments (it's also a great way to break the American bubble of being a DIS student). 3. The Good Moments Just because there are bad moments doesn't mean they aren't sitting there right beside really great ones. I called this week a roller coaster of emotions because there were high points, and holding onto those moments are what's going to help me look towards the light at the end of the tunnel. So, I'll just share a few of my favorite good moments this week:
So, that's been my week in Copenhagen. Maybe not the best week, but that's okay. I'm still having an awesome time, and I'm still looking forward to so many more adventures further on. Can't wait for the next week in Copenhagen! Vi ses! Hej!
This past month in Denmark has truly been amazing. A lot of the time it doesn't even register that I'm so far away from home. I'm so busy taking amazing classes, meeting new people, and exploring new things. I'm creating a new home here. Sometimes though, homesickness can hit you unexpectedly, and I'm now learning how to deal with that. Early on I had this assumption that homesickness wasn't something I'd experience or deal with. It's not like I haven't been away from home before, and I never experienced homesickness when I went away to college. Of course, silly me should have realized that going to university two and a half hours away from home is not the same as being an entire ocean away. I don't know if homesickness feels the same for everyone. For me, it's not like I spend the whole day moping or crying or anything like that. It's more of these small moments where the differences between here and home become really stark, and I miss things that are more familiar. The feeling really hit me a couple of nights ago when I went to make a small sandwich for a late dinner. I truly enjoy the food here, and I actually enjoy eating rugbrød, but I just really wanted a normal PB&J sandwich with Skippy peanut butter and Welch's Concord Grape Jelly on normal American sandwich bread, with a glass of milk. I was surprised at how strongly the wave of sadness hit at that moment, but the feeling also felt normal. Of course I'm going to get homesick every now and then. I'm thousands of miles away from home with a six hour time difference between me and my mom. It's not like Denmark is some weird other planet, but living here is not the same as living in the US. I don't think I realized how much being an American shaped my identity until I wasn't in America anymore. I love being in Denmark. Four months already feels way too short, and I know that leaving at the end of the semester will be difficult. At the same time, I do miss home, and that's normal. The good thing is that I definitely feel like I have a support system here in Copenhagen. I have people to lean on when those moments hit, and I have an awesome mom who, when I really need her, is never more than a phone call away I'm happy to say that I now have two homes. I can't wait to share more adventures from the one here in Denmark! Vi ses! Hej! So this week I actually spent a little bit of time outside of Copenhagen. One of my favorite things about DIS, and part of the reason why I chose the program, is that travel is built into the semester. There are four major travel breaks: Core Course Week, Travel Weeks 1 and 2, during one of which is your core course's Long Study Tour to another country, and then Thanksgiving break which you can use to travel or not. This past week was Core Course Week, so I'm going to share with you all of the things that made this past week really fun, an great learning opportunity, and an amazing bonding experience. It was an insanely busy week (and I'm still very tired from it), so I'll focus on a few key takeaways/favorite moments from the visits each day. Day 1 We got up bright and early to leave on the bus at 8:30 in the morning. We didn't actually leave at 8:30 however, as one of our classmates, Mark, was around forty minutes late. "Where's Mark?" was definitely a recurring theme of the trip (shoutout to Mark, aka the dad of CMC :P). Then we drove for three hours to get to our first site, Bakkeskolen, in Kolding. We got to talk to some fourth graders and help them practice their English, got a tour of the school from a few seventh graders, and then sat down with their class for a good ol' conversation about the American presidential election (because unfortunately there is no escaping it, even when you leave the country). Two main takeaways from that site: 1) Danish school's really value the child's environment as an important part of their education. Though the school was low SES, it was a very nice building with nice classrooms and relaxing lounge spaces for the students. It was interesting to see that priority 2) Though the school was labeled as an international school, neither the student body nor their curriculum met my expectations for what it means to be international or multicultural. It definitely sparked some interesting discussion in my class about what a multicultural space should be. After the school we visited Koldinghus, a royal castle from the 13th century. We got to learn a lot about its history and see some of the beautiful rooms inside it too! Day 2 Now we were in Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark. Our school for the day was Søndervangskolen, a school where 85% of students have an ethnic background other than Danish and many nationalities are represented. We got to talk to some of the students during a tour, and later during a session where we talked with them about being young in America vs being young in Denmark. My main takeaways: 1) In Denmark bilingual is often used as a synonym for not ethnically Danish. What does that mean in a country where everyone also speaks English and usually one other (Western) language? What does that mean when my fifteen year old tour guide, a Muslim boy who honestly looks more like me than an ethnic Dane would, speaks five different languages, something I wish I could do? What does it mean for these students to be minorities in Denmark? 2) In this school all students are given an iPad for use during their entire schooling. In the US, something like that might be seen in a private school where students pay a hefty tuition. Here, it was reasoned that these students should be given an iPad because they were from low SES backgrounds and were less likely to be able to afford this learning tool on their own. 3) School lunch in Denmark is significantly better than school lunch in America. While fourth grade me was eating mediocre pizza and some corn off of a plastic tray, these students were served rice and curried chicken on actual plates, and it smelled delicious! Next we went to ARoS, the art museum in Aarhus. We didn't get as much time in the museum as I would've liked (so I definitely need to plan a trip to go there again), but the exhibits I saw were amazing. It's also just such a beautifully designed museum. I'll share my favorite moments from here in picture format. For the night we stayed at a hostel, which was actually more of a really nice campsite. We ate dinner and then a few people went canoeing. Then we made a fire to make snobrød, which was literally us roasting bread on a stick. It was kind of hard to get the bread to be cooked all the way through without being burnt, but it was still a lot of fun. My cabin mates and I then spent the rest of the night watching Danish iCarly and some German soap opera about a guy we're pretty sure was an Amish pirate. Good way to end a great day. Day 3 Today was a very nature-filled day, and we started at a cool nature center that showed us a lot about how much kids can learn and benefit from being in nature. We then split into two groups to visit different schools, and I got to visit a Danish forest kindergarten. This one wasn't actually in the forest (although some actually are), but it was such as cool place. My top favorite moments from here: 1) Just watching children be free and playful. The moment we drove up we just saw a group of kids running around in nothing but their underwear, simply enjoying life. I could definitely learn a thing or two from them. 2) I got to practice my Danish with a couple of four year olds, and even though I couldn't engage in any longer conversation with any of them, I could introduce myself and learn their names. Honestly I was happy that they understood me and actually responded! After the forest kindergarten we hopped back on the bus to spend the last two days back in Copenhagen. Day 4 was just our normal practicum visits. I promise I'll do a post on that soon, but just a sneak preview to let you know how that's going: On Thursday I had to break up a fight between a couple of first graders. So...
The final day of Core Course Week was mostly a debrief, talking about all of the things that stuck with us during the tour. Some of it was the fun moments, the good food (we ate at really nice restaurants). Some of it was the problematic things we noticed in the schools, especially regarding multiculturalism. All of it was really interesting and helped me to even more shape my personal interests in child psychology. This was such an amazing week. I saw some really cool schools, saw some different places in Denmark, and I got to spend a lot more time with my classmates. I really love my CMC class, and I felt the bonds really forming during this trip. Hopefully these will be lifelong friends, even though we are all from all over the place. This was a really long post, but it was a really long week filled with lots of amazing moments. Hopefully it was interesting. I definitely can't wait for my Long Study Tour in London. For now I'll look forward to my may adventures in Copenhagen until then. Can't wait to share some more with you guys! <3 Vi ses! Hej! Let's talk a little bit about the Danish language. I'll start by saying that I absolutely love languages, and learning new ones is one of my favorite things to do. Like about 60% of the students at DIS, I'm taking a Danish language course. I'm not going to be fluent or anything by the end of it, but hopefully by the time my semester here finishes I'll be able to have a few simple conversations completely in Danish. Danish is definitely not the easiest language to learn. I'm used to studying romance languages like French and Spanish, so in that respect it's a lot different than the languages I'm used to learning. On the other hand, like English, Danish is a Germanic language and they actually have a lot in common. Grammar in Danish is so much simpler, and a lot of words are extremely similar to their English counterparts. Honestly, the hardest part of learning Danish is pronunciation. The Danes like to mangle their words, ignore endings, and just not pronounce entire chunks of words. Things are not pronounced the way they look on paper (because of course in English we pronounce everything like it's spelled, right?). Not to mention the three extra vowels in Danish, æ, ø and å. My host siblings are definitely not afraid to correct me, but I'll do whatever it takes to learn. My host mom actually told me that I'm really good at pronouncing Danish words, so hopefully I'll sound like a real Dane in no time! So far in my Danish class we've learned the basics of introducing ourselves and where we're from, to the basics of ordering food at a café or restaurant. Yesterday I actually went to a sandwich shop and ordered my lunch completely in Danish! It was a proud moment. While the Danish course has definitely been helpful, I think that I've actually learned the most from living with a host family. My siblings here are 3, 6, and 9, and while Asbjørn has started learning some English in school, they basically only speak Danish. I don't really have a choice but to pick it up if I want to communicate with them beyond simple gestures. It's really helpful and I've picked up plenty of words and phrases (especially the ones necessary to play princess with Ellinor). The kids love teaching me as well. I took a walk a few days ago with Asbjørn and he pointed at different items and named them in Danish. I responded by naming them in English. It's a fun way for the both of us to learn a little bit while having some bonding time. I came to Denmark with the intention of learning as much Danish as I could in four months. One thing I didn't expect, however, was that I'd also get the opportunity to practice my French as well. Basically all Danes speak English, but when I go to my practicum site on Thursdays, a Muslim school, not all of the staff are actually Danish. The receptionist and one of the teacher's I work with each time I go there both can understand little English and can't really speak it either. I obviously can't speak Danish fluently. I'm not sure how we stumbled across the fact that both they and I could speak French, but now that is the language I use when communicating with them. It's actually great, because I definitely needed the chance to practice and get better at it, and somehow that opportunity came about in Denmark of all places. It really makes me appreciate this multilingual, multicultural world that we live in. I think that anytime you get a chance to learn a new language, even if you don't end up amazing at it, you should always take it. Talk to you soon!
À bientôt! Nos vemos! Vi ses! |
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
All
Google Chrome users will need an extension for the RSS feed
|