Someone Great

Alot has happened in the last week, so I will run through it really quick. At some point soon I will get back to enjoying blogging, but some recent occurences in my life make such things seem insubstantial, so bear with me.

Festelavn party-its the Danish version of halloween where the kids beat a pinata (actually a barrel that used to contain a live cat) for candy and adults party. Most guys like to dress as girls, the best girl costumes were Marylin Monroe and Princess Leia. Singsong (aka kareoke) is huge on this holiday, and I had the honor to listen to two fully grown men sing and revel in a beach boys song in Danish.

I built a 6 inch snow man. Not as much snow as new york.

I ate 4 falafel, and they were all delicious. What is the plurality of falafel? Falafels? Falafi?

I went to Malmo, the Copenhagen sister city in Sweden. It doesn't have much, although their kronor is much poorer than the Danish krown, so many go there to shop. After going to the aquarium there (awesome!), I went and watched the Liverpool vs. Manchester city football game in a pub and met a whole bunch of Irish guys (drunk) and an older man from London who fought with Americans in Columbia.

I lit some candles at the local cemetary. Everyone deserves to be remembered and honored.

I made two really good ommelets. Lets be honest, breakfast food is the best food.

I got an eyebrow piercing with my friend Sarah Brown, who got a bar through her lip. The guy who pierced us was really interesting, he had implanted horns in his forehead and had 75% of his body covered in tattoos. Needless to say we felt we were in safe hands.

More to come y'all. Wishing you all good health and happiness from Kobenhavn.

Rough Gem

In my time here in Copenhagen, I have started to appreciate the AWESOME music scene, and plan to delve into it fully. Perhaps after I saw Carpark North with my core class in Arhus (think U2 meets The Police meets Bjork), I was hooked on what the Danes could do, or at least host.  

Last week the Islands came to Copenhagen and played a great two hour set.  Coming into the show, this band set up some serious expectations.  Two members of the band stem from the indie rock band the Unicorns, who play catchy lo-fi music full of cheap keyboards, loud guitars and drum machines.  Also their debut album, Return to the Sea, featured guests from both prominent indie bands Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade.  Needless to say they have something going on.  Anyway the Islands create great pop numbers that are catchy and yet seem to have some substance (although not in the case of their most popular songs, you be the judge).  While the Danish crowd took a half hour or so to get into their set, the band was tight, well rehearsed and obviously they knew what they were doing .  Montreal continues to turn out great music, and this is just another example.  Still, among indie circles, these guys need something distinct to separate their shows from others.  They play and wear the part, but unless they come out with something brilliant or do something to really make a name they will go down as another catchy but doomed neo-psychadelic indie pop band.  Also, they could be nicer to fans.  In trying to pawn off their t shirts, they seemed really uninterested in talking to fans; maybe they just had a bad day.  Still, indie rock is based off of grassroots support and these guys seem itching for more than that.   Give them a listen and check out "Creeper," "The Arm," and "Rough Gem."

http://www.myspace.com/islands

Tonight I had the honor of rocking with Wesleyan alums Amazing Baby.  Straight after graduating these guys moved to Brooklyn to join the burgeoning music scene there, and their 70's phych pop rock has taken root.  These really handsome guys straight out of 1974 really know what they are doing (or at least come off that way), coming off epic and seemingly ready to play arena rock; or maybe they are too high to not think they are rocking out a full stadium.  Somehow they mix psychadelia, folk, prog rock, funk, pop and metal all into one coherent sound without being a terrible cocktail of contradictions.   Playing in the same space as The Islands, there was ample opportunity for comparison.  First off, these guys did not hold back at all from rocking the shit out of the crowd and room like the Islands did. From the first song heads were rocking and the crowd moving.  There was a strange aura surrounding the group as clouds of fog emminated from the stage and the lead singer was already swinging his mic in circles by the cord. By the end of the show the lead guitarist was writhing on the ground with his long hair all over his face reacting to the very chords he played.  The lead singer was also swinging his mic stand like a sword and beating the drummer's cymbal stand with his bare hands, creating as much rock as possible. These guys may seem a little cliche, but truly know how to put on a show and seemed to channel My Morning Jacket, The Clash, and Brian Eno all in one. Highly Recommended! You can download their EP on their website, or listen to "Head Dress," "Supreme Being," and "Pump yr Brakes" on myspace :

http://profile.myspace.com/theamazingbaby

And in the wake of awesome Wes bands (MGMT, Amazing Baby), i really feel like recent grads Boy Crisis rank right up there.  This cool disco-punk band really knows how to sell sex and isn't emarrassed to do so.  In fact, they have even been called a painful cliche of what popular music is today, but the way these guys channel studio 54 style disco-electronica with glamour and punk of the 70's it hurts, and one can't help but love the sex, drugs and dancing they are selling. 

Lyrics like "You can do me like Woodrow Wilson/Carry my Children/Exit the Building...You can do me like Bruce Springsteen/Ask the swim team/Pass the string beans" Are amazingly sexual and comical in only the way Boy Crisis can deliver.  And about their name, Newsweek ran a cover story about falling standards among young men in education a couple years back which was attributed to the way the male brain and the "biologically disrespectful education system" are hardwired.  Check out "Dressed to Digress," "L'homme," and "Seven Years War." And let them "love you like you are the shit, girl."  Album should come out this summer.

http://profile.myspace.com/boycrisis

Summertime Clothes

Some societal differences:

Newspapers are free!  Apparently they are paid for by advertising alone, and when I get off the bus in the morning at the main station people hand them out like hot cakes.  And even more interesting (or surprising) is that these are independent newspapers.  In a country where almost everything is paid for by the state (education, health care, cleaning ladies), I would assume the media would be funded by the government.  I think we are all clear that there would be some serious bias in the direction of reporting in such a scenario.  This is a great system to ensure readership and awareness amongst a population.  Perhaps if there was a larger readership in the United States the funding could be covered by advertising.  Unfortunately too many Americans enjoy soundbytes and USA Today (aka pictorial) papers.

Politics and elections are based on full or near full understanding of the candidates' positions.  In one of my classes we met a young, fit, blond haired 32 year old politician who was elected based on her liberal views from a young up and coming district. She said she went to more town hall style meetings than she can count, but i guess that is easier in a country of 5 million.  Also, she really utilized facebook and myspace, which is genious in the country with the most percentage of the population on these resources (60 percent!!!).  And as a side note, liberal here means free thinking, not pandering to traditionally leftist politics. This came as quite a surprise to me as some of the most conservative members of parliament consider themselves liber, or not pandering to party platforms.

Social code.  There is a specific law (Janteloven) that is followed by all Danes.  You shall not beleive that you are somebody, that you are wiser than others, that you are better than others, you shall not laugh at others, etc.  One is shamed for breaking this, and can even be fired for doing so.  Bragging is considered extremely rude and uncouth, which is direct opposition to the state of affairs in the US, where bragging and self promotion is a way of life.  I just had a conversation with a Dane about this, and it goes hand in hand with Danes not enjoying small talk.  Asking how are you here is pointless.  No one really cares-true in the US as well-but there is a welfare state that should take care of every person.  Therefore, you really are fine (for example, unemployment pay here lasts for years, not weeks) and this is a pointless venture.  In this way it is unfit to brag because everyone should be on an equal footing.  Perhaps bragging is so much more acceptable in the US because it is a (supposedly) self-made country, full of Horatio Alger stories.

Facial piercings are in!  Lip rings, eyebrow rings, chest/cleavage piercings, chin rings, industrials, dimple piercings (really cool!), they are all fair game on guys and girls.  And perhaps the coolest piercing which so may girls sport is the septum piercing.  This is the middle flap of flesh in between one's nostrils, and people look like hot, angry bulls with this.  In the US this would be considered disgusting and unprofessional, ut here it has little effect on people's professional lives.  Sarah Brown, one of the Wes kids here, is thinking about getting one, but really questioning it based on the perception in the US.  Well I'm all for her getting it and letting people judge here after knowing her, but maybe I'm too vocal.

Thats it for now on the commentary front, I'll have to keep on observing.  In any case, this week I hosted a successful dinner party (thanks Neelu for teaching me how to cook indian food!) in my loft, which I hope to repeat many times this semester.  I attended a beer tasting and tasted the best vit bier (wheat beer) of my life.  Apparently one of the ten best breweries of 2008 is a small microbrewery in downtown Copenhagen, so i hope to try all their brews.  And yes I realize that best is very objective, but this was conducted by some international beer panel.  And last night I went to a grunge-rock concert.  I have finally found an alternative music venue here in Copenhagen.  It is actually Studentehuset, the same pub where I bartended a few weeks ago.  Freudian Slip, the band, was clearly influenced by Nirvana, The Clash, and Weezer, and hopefully the venue will continue to have awesome shows.  The place feels/rocks like Eclectic, and everyone also sports the nerd glasses.  Whoo nerds!

Our House part 2

Soooooo Im awesomely tired in Arhus, starting the second day of this awesome weekend.

In the morning we went to The Women's Museum, where we listened to a woman talk about her role with an NGO being a mentor to newly emmigrated women. Truly a great program, it helps women negotiate the workplace and cultural aspects of being new to Denmark. The next part of the day was great though.

We loaded on the bus and went to a sort of ethnic bazaar, full of Turkish and Arabic bakeries, not to mention a couple of chatchky shops. After grabbing lunch (falafel still hasn't gotten old), i picked up two great items, a keychain and a watermelon. Not just any watermelon either, this bad boy was from Costa Rica. Well it was delicious, but my other keepsake was even more special just for the fact that it exists. I am now the not-so-proud owner of a 3D glass Yassir Arafat keychain. I completely support the palestinian cause for an end to Israeli occupation and the creation of a palestinian state, but I hardly consider this man a leader after he turned down negotiations with Israel at Camp David in July 2000. Essentially Arafat turned down the right for palestinians to have sovereignty in over 90 percent of the West Bank and the Gaza strip, along with declining the return of political prisoners. Anyway, I feel like I am an owner of Nazi propaganda or something similar.

That afternoon we were taken to a bilingual school in the suburbs of Arhus, where ethnic Danes and immigrant children came together to become "world citizens." After talking to the principal it was clear the school was painted in Danish integration perogatives (versus multiculturalist approaches), but still seemed to be doing some good work. Plus, we got a tour of the school, and got to enjoy gym class with some 6 year olds. And yes, two of them were better at basketball than me. Sad.

After a buffet dinner and endless bottles of wine (thanks Danish Institute for Study Abroad!) we were treated to a concert by our program director. Carpark North is an electro-rock band, and were definitely influenced by Depeche Mode, the Police, Kraftwerk, and the Beatles. And the Danes loved it. This band may have been playing to only a thousand people, but it felt like an arena rock show, with the Danes next to me throwing their arms around me in the middle of a chorus sing along (which were repetitive and in english-i fit right in). Then after a couple hours of sweating and dancing, the climactic encore. All of a sudden my teacher who is leading the trip bursts up next to me and we start jumping up and down to the music. This guy can rock way harder than me, and he's 39 and has two kids. This was certainly the highlight of the night, dragging oneself home after one more beer and a little bit of a danceparty couldn't compare to the face-melting rock show we just experienced.

The next morning we went to the Arhus ARoS museum, an art museum with lots of interactive modern art, along with alot of pieces relevant to national identity. The interactive exhibit was incredible. There was a typewriter that as you typed projected bugs onto the page with each letter-different letters produced different bugs via a projector hovering above the extending scroll paper. There was also a treadmill with a virtual running path, some psychadelic goggles, and a light bulb pulse reader that altered the lighting pattern in its vast room.

So the tour came to an end, just in time to go home, take a nap, and go out with DIS kids. we went to a bar where a great acoustic guitar player was playing US classic sing-alongs-hilarious and fun at the same time.

And Wesleyan bands are everywhere. Every time I turn on the radio I hear an MGMT song on, and no one beleives me when I tell Danes they went to my school. Also, I was walking down the street today looking for an alarm clock (my cell phone isn't doing a great job of making me on time for things), I saw a Mixel Pixel t shirt. This band is part electro-funk, part post-punk, and part psych-folk, which all blend beautifully (and often) at Wesleyan university. It isn't clear to me if this is a Wes band that moved to Brooklyn, or are original Brooklynites, but still it all rings too close to home. Oh and people like Santogold here too. Also, next week Wesleyan Alum band Amazing Baby is playing here, and looks like its going to be a good show. Yeah Wes!

Arhus part 1

Where we left off....

I was going Wednesday night to studentehuset to bartend. I get there, and the place is PACKED. International student night also includes regular students at University of Copenhagen, and they get cheap drinks, so the place is swarming. We are broken up into shifts, and I find out I get to bartend for two hours, and then I have to take the coat check for the closing hour.

Bartending itself is rediculously fun. Not only do you drink for free (at this place), but you meet all these people, and get to hurriedly run around, making jokes with the other people who are working. Its just a feel good job; for someone who loves beer, there is nothing like handing it over the counter to the thirsty masses.

In any case the two hours were gone in what seemed like a couple of minutes, with only a couple of mishaps (serving danes whiskey when they asked for Fisk, which is a licorice flavored liquor, but sounds the same over the din of the crowd; Danes don't like whiskey much, if I may generalize.

Coat check, on the other hand, is the worst job of all time. Everyone stands there waiting for you to run and get there coat, and occassionally the coat is not to be found on the hook. Then you are told all the details of the coat and its contents, not like that really helps in a room full of coats. Eventually people storm off cursing you, cold and without a jacket. Hey, I feel you. I lost one of my most precious possessions at a coat check. And yours wasn't made out of denim.

After that there was alot of sweeping, dancing, chair stacking, beer drinking, and pizza eating. While I didnt get out of there till the early morn, and was thoroughly exhausted, it was great to sing and dance with these people after a night of laboring. And the owner of the bar ordered some of the only good pizza I've had in town, including a falafel pizza with lettuce, fallafel crumbs, tomato, and tzatziki dressing. mmmmmmmmmm.

This weekend was spent in Arhus, the second largest town/city in Denmark, and located about 3-4 hours away in Jutland, the Western part of the country connected to Germany (for those of you who don't know, Copenhagen is on the Zealand land mass, and Denmark itself is an Archipelago with 406 islands. Also, Greenland belongs to Denmark). We had an interesting meeting with the Odense Integration council, who help match immigrants with resident permits with jobs, and a museum of Anti-Semitic caricatures. This museum really disappointed me, based on how it discussed the previous presence of anti-semetism in Denmark, and how it is gone today. However, there is no talk of how the role of scapegoat in Denmark (and western society as a whole?) has switched to the muslim and immigrant population. I know this is a controversial subject and that not all danes are racist or biased, but there is certainly a large anxiety present about this relatively new, different population. Anyway, I created my own parallels there, but I would have thought it would be more interesting if the museum covered it.

After settling into the hotel - the Cab Inn (I was actually surprised when the interior, bunks, and loo were exactly like a ship) - we went out for dinner as a group, and then met up at a local microbrewery where DIS was going to buy us our first beer of the evening.

So this place is THE master of pilseners and english bitters. I dont think I have ever had a better sweet and bitter english style beer than I have from this place, where it came in a delicious pint size plus mug. After about an hour there, a group of us decide to go to another bar. Now let me describe this group. There are 36 girls in the entire Migration and Identity program and 6 guys. Of those guys 3 are in relationships, and let me tell you news travels fast. So I was going to a bar with five young females, and if you know me, I was loving the attention.

Well that changed. I was having a good time for a while, but they all started fighting for my attention, albiet not in open airs. There were too many touches on my shoulder, back, or stomach for attention. I was always told in health class that sexual harassment was unwanted sexual attention; this for sure fit. When we were going to move to another bar too long of a period of time later, I bailed, saying I was tired.

So I enter the hotel and see two of my favorite people in the lobby, my friend Sarah Brown from Wes, and Ian, the DIS tour coordinator, who is a Dane who grew up in America in his early 30s. I end up sitting down for a minute, and we get into a deep conversation about American politics, immigration in denmark, the state of democracy and media, and alot more than i can remember. In any case, Ian continued to buy us Carlsbergs until 4 am, until we all gave up. Needless to say when I woke up for the day 4 hours later, I was tired, but still really happy about my decisions.

to be continued.

Barbie Girl

We have the quite talented band, Aqua, to thank for this number one hit from the mid nineties. Just recently I discovered they are from denmark. So thank you.

watch the music video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQxUQbF0fL4

The last 24 hours have been incredibly busy. Last night I had a workshop on website design for my media class, which was entertaining. However, before that our class walked to the parliament building and met with one of the newest members of congress. This tall, attractive 31 year old brought in a large youth vote, especially because she did alot of campaigning through her facebook and blog. As she talked to us about how she entered the political arena and then was elected to office three weeks later, I couldn't help but realize her last name seemed really familiar. I was right, upon asking my teacher why I recognized her, I was told her mother and uncle are both prominent politicians. So while she may be a hot, hip lady, I only give her so much credit.

Today for my Cross Culturalism in the European Perspective class we travelled to the Immigration and Integration offices of the Ministry. Denmark has been a homogenous society for centuries, and only recently has experienced migrants, mostly from Turkey and the near East (if you are a citizen of the EU, regulations dictate that free movement is allowed). We discussed the avenues for asylum seekers and what amenities and services they are offered, along with the law drafting process. It seems like these ministries are only civil servants to the wishes of the minister, so immigration policies change with administrations. Traditionally however, regulations have been tough.

We also met with the staff of New Times magazine. This magazine is from the perspective of immigrants and their integration into Danish society. Our class is going to cowrite and research the March edition. Should be exciting. We will be interviewing immigrants, researching into asylum centers, and comparing the asylum seeking process with other countries, most likely Canada and Sweden, since they have the most multiculturalist approach to integration and immigrants in general.

Tomorrow we leave for Arhus! We are staying downtown and it should be a great mix of interesting knowledge gathering and fun on the town. Stay tuned!

Gangalotron

I just finished talking to peter.

 Peter is a young, Lutheran pastor who was locked out of his house and decided to engage me in conversation in the cafe/bar I am using the internet in.  While he was a really nice guy, I wonder how often he sits down with someone and wants to have a religious or existential conversation with them.  It struck me as a litte odd, but I went with it.  Apparently only 2% of Danes attend church, in a state that is 85% Lutheran, and he said he was so happy to be here, because there is so much work to be done.  Given, he was telling me all this while on his third beer.  I found this comical.  He invited me to have dinner with him and his wife sometime, which I may take him up on, since he gave off such an interesting first impression.

What else.  Today I visited the Copenhagen Museum of Erotica.  Basically it involved some stories of prostitutes and their diary entries displayed from a few hundred years ago, along with alot of Playboy pinup posters and wayyyy too much velvet furnishing.  And in the last room, they were kind enough to set up a wall of videos showing hardcore porn.  Its the only and last time I think I will go; don't believe your guidebook when it tells you its one of the sites to see.

I am continually impressed with the environmental sustainability of Denmark.  I read today that half of the windmills created in the world are manufactured here. And water and electricity continue to be exhorbitantly expensive, so much so that my housemate asked me not to take showers longer than 7 minutes.  And forget using a dryer, hang that stuff and let it air dry.

For those of you keeping up with the story of the jean jacket, I am checking in with the police.  The club said they give all the lost items to the authorities.  I have my fingers crossed.

On friday I tried to buy Phish tickets online.  I got home 20 minutes before they went on sale, and went and tried to open the internet. Apparently my roomate who is moving out disabled the internet.  I frantically grabbed my computer and ran out the door, looking for an internet cafe. Unfortunately I did not know of the cafe I sit in today.  I bolted for Mcdonalds, and a group of 14 year old girls looked at me strangely as I whipped out my computer and intensely tried to get ahold of tickets, to no avail.  I couldn't even access the ticket websites, whether it was the site being busy from so many fans descending on it at once or the internet at Mcdonalds.  In either case, I had the honor of trudging home smelling like french fries.

Tonight is the superbowl.  Whoooo sports!?  It starts at midnight and will go to about 4 or 5 in the morning, so I am just going to try to make it to the halftime show.  More to come.....