Last night in London...I'm really sad to leave this city so early, there is so much that I could still see and do, and want to expierence...but PARIS tomorrow! Sometimes I can't even believe how lucky I am to see all these places and live in a way that most people only see in Mary Kate and Ashley movies. But seriously, when I have a chance to breathe, I am just amazed that I'm in the places I see on TV. Today, I went to the London Tower, a place where the British Royal family lived forever, the British Museum, a place that has the most incredible store of history I have ever seen, things that have meant an amazing amount to the world and to academia. I went to a War museum, a crazy huge cheap shopping store that is massively popular here. This post is really fragmented, and not at all clever or well-written, and for all of you that read my blog, I apologize.
Enough for now, I have an early train to Paris to catch.
Cheers!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wow!
Updating so my parents know I'm alive...
I'm currently in Riga, Latvia, where I just got back from a wonderful dinner with my Latvian family. They are wonderful, and I was so happy to meet them, and learn a little bit more about my mother's side of the family.
Lithuania was great as well,I'll write all about that later...but for now, I'll just say I learned quite a bit, and had a lot of fun!
I'm currently in Riga, Latvia, where I just got back from a wonderful dinner with my Latvian family. They are wonderful, and I was so happy to meet them, and learn a little bit more about my mother's side of the family.
Lithuania was great as well,I'll write all about that later...but for now, I'll just say I learned quite a bit, and had a lot of fun!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
L'shana tova!!
Happy new year to all!!! It has been a wonderful holiday, seeing friends and going to a very nice progressive congregation here in Copenhagen. The congregation is incredibly warm and welcoming, and felt a little bit like my congregation in St. Louis. It is located right by the American embassy, so I felt a little bit more at home in more than one way! It felt great to sing again, and to be within that community. It is something that I definitely miss about home.
That is it for now, I will update about my visit to Ribe and my upcoming visit to Germany this weekend!
SO many exciting travels! What a great way to start the new year.
That is it for now, I will update about my visit to Ribe and my upcoming visit to Germany this weekend!
SO many exciting travels! What a great way to start the new year.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
numbers
Remember when we used to count
Days and minutes, anticipating number zero
We knew how to multiply I love you times
stars in the sky, points in scrabble, kisses, One Hundred Thousand Eight.
Now I’m counting too
Number only 1, 487 tears, too many sleepless nights
I am my own single digit. No math needed when you are a lone.
Days and minutes, anticipating number zero
We knew how to multiply I love you times
stars in the sky, points in scrabble, kisses, One Hundred Thousand Eight.
Now I’m counting too
Number only 1, 487 tears, too many sleepless nights
I am my own single digit. No math needed when you are a lone.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Officially booked for my travel break...almost!
I have:
-A bus ticket from Lithuania to Latvia
-A hostel in Latvia
-A flight from Latvia to London
-A hostel in London
-A flight to Prague
-A place to stay in Prague
-A flight to Amsterdam
-A flight back to Copenhagen!
(Almost) a Chunnel ticket to Paris
(still need) A hostel in Paris (and recommendations?)
(Still need) A hostel in Amsterdam
Yay! I've contacted some family in Latvia, so I'm very excited to hear back from them, and maybe meet some distant relatives. If not, I think I'll have to hire a historian to take me around the Thal family homeland, but nonetheless I'm SO excited!!!
I have:
-A bus ticket from Lithuania to Latvia
-A hostel in Latvia
-A flight from Latvia to London
-A hostel in London
-A flight to Prague
-A place to stay in Prague
-A flight to Amsterdam
-A flight back to Copenhagen!
(Almost) a Chunnel ticket to Paris
(still need) A hostel in Paris (and recommendations?)
(Still need) A hostel in Amsterdam
Yay! I've contacted some family in Latvia, so I'm very excited to hear back from them, and maybe meet some distant relatives. If not, I think I'll have to hire a historian to take me around the Thal family homeland, but nonetheless I'm SO excited!!!
Monday, September 22, 2008
A post...finally.
Number 22. Don't think of words when you stop but to see picture better-Kerouac
This quote from Kerouac's 30 essentials is very much so on my mind these days. I've come to this site to write a blog several times, and found the words haven't really been coming to me. I've experienced quite a few different and wonderful things since my last post, and I'll do my best to express them into words, and maybe later add some pictures. I'll start from yesterday, and go from there. Yesterday was a wonderful day! I woke up early and headed out with a few friends to see Copenhagen from its famous harbors. Very tourist, yes, but I took some really great pictures, and it got me into the city early. After that we walked around the harbor a bit, sat on the edge, and watched the people pass as they walked or sailed by. After that we went into the Free City of Christiana, a fascinating place if you're interested in reading more. It was a military bunker that a group of hippies took over in the early 1970s, and still live in and assert their independence today. The entire place is made of art, houses, stores, walls, paths, everything. I'd love to show you pictures, but they are not allowed because of the fairly open drug trade that happens there. It has been cracked down on in the more recent years, but from what I saw, it is still thriving. After exploring the city a bit, including a market of beautiful handmade jewelry and scarves, we got some falafel and headed to our next destination.
After our atypical European afternoon in Christiana, we headed to a very typical European expeiernce, my first football match! The teams were two Danish teams, including FC Københaven, my new favorite team. Everyone was in their team colors, loud, spirited, and clearly having a blast. As much fun as I had with my friends, I wished I would have been sitting in the spirit section, where they were jumping up and down, arms around each other, singing, and waving huge flags. I hope to maybe go to another game before I leave Europe, maybe a national match!
This Friday I went to Tivoli gardens with Dean, Becca, and Zoya. It was an experience like I've never had before. It is a garden/amusement park/concert and arts venue. It isn't like going to Disneyworld though, it's small and the rides are there for pure innocent fun, not really to be the fastest or best rides in the world, but to just relax and smile, a very Danish mentality. After going on some great rides, and sharing some pretty quality waffles covered in ice cream, we saw a modern ballet interpretation of HC Anderson's The Little Match girl, fun, and sad. The best part of the night was the giant swings which take you up all the way over Copenhagen and you can see everything! If you looked really closely, you could actually see Sweden! AMAZING! Unfortunately, it was too windy to take pictures, or even bring a camera up, but the pictures in my mind will last forever!
Other things-I went to northern Germany and southern Denmark with my program to visit the border region (each has some German and some Danish minorities on either side) and talk about the issues that arise there. This is a very good basis for the study of minorities and migrants that we will be covering, and it was an interesting experience for me to visit Germany for the first time. It is a challenge, but an important thing to go through. I'll probably talk more about this later.
This quote from Kerouac's 30 essentials is very much so on my mind these days. I've come to this site to write a blog several times, and found the words haven't really been coming to me. I've experienced quite a few different and wonderful things since my last post, and I'll do my best to express them into words, and maybe later add some pictures. I'll start from yesterday, and go from there. Yesterday was a wonderful day! I woke up early and headed out with a few friends to see Copenhagen from its famous harbors. Very tourist, yes, but I took some really great pictures, and it got me into the city early. After that we walked around the harbor a bit, sat on the edge, and watched the people pass as they walked or sailed by. After that we went into the Free City of Christiana, a fascinating place if you're interested in reading more. It was a military bunker that a group of hippies took over in the early 1970s, and still live in and assert their independence today. The entire place is made of art, houses, stores, walls, paths, everything. I'd love to show you pictures, but they are not allowed because of the fairly open drug trade that happens there. It has been cracked down on in the more recent years, but from what I saw, it is still thriving. After exploring the city a bit, including a market of beautiful handmade jewelry and scarves, we got some falafel and headed to our next destination.
After our atypical European afternoon in Christiana, we headed to a very typical European expeiernce, my first football match! The teams were two Danish teams, including FC Københaven, my new favorite team. Everyone was in their team colors, loud, spirited, and clearly having a blast. As much fun as I had with my friends, I wished I would have been sitting in the spirit section, where they were jumping up and down, arms around each other, singing, and waving huge flags. I hope to maybe go to another game before I leave Europe, maybe a national match!
This Friday I went to Tivoli gardens with Dean, Becca, and Zoya. It was an experience like I've never had before. It is a garden/amusement park/concert and arts venue. It isn't like going to Disneyworld though, it's small and the rides are there for pure innocent fun, not really to be the fastest or best rides in the world, but to just relax and smile, a very Danish mentality. After going on some great rides, and sharing some pretty quality waffles covered in ice cream, we saw a modern ballet interpretation of HC Anderson's The Little Match girl, fun, and sad. The best part of the night was the giant swings which take you up all the way over Copenhagen and you can see everything! If you looked really closely, you could actually see Sweden! AMAZING! Unfortunately, it was too windy to take pictures, or even bring a camera up, but the pictures in my mind will last forever!
Other things-I went to northern Germany and southern Denmark with my program to visit the border region (each has some German and some Danish minorities on either side) and talk about the issues that arise there. This is a very good basis for the study of minorities and migrants that we will be covering, and it was an interesting experience for me to visit Germany for the first time. It is a challenge, but an important thing to go through. I'll probably talk more about this later.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
May I Suggest.
A song that is inspiring me quite a bit right now, thanks to a friend who introduced it to me this summer...
Epilogue: May I Suggest: Susan Werner
Epilogue: May I Suggest: Susan Werner
May I suggest
May I suggest to you
May I suggest this is the best part of your life
May I suggest
This time is blessed for you
This time is blessed and shining almost blinding bright
Just turn your head
And you'll begin to see
The thousand reasons that were just beyond your sight
The reasons why
Why I suggest to you
Why I suggest this is the best part of your life
There is a world
That's been addressed to you
Addressed to you, intended only for your eyes
A secret world
Like a treasure chest to you
Of private scenes and brilliant dreams that mesmerise
A lover's trusting smile
A tiny baby's hands
The million stars that fill the turning sky at night
Oh I suggest
Oh I suggest to you
Oh I suggest this is the best part of your life
There is a hope
That's been expressed in you
The hope of seven generations, maybe more
And this is the faith
That they invest in you
It's that you'll do one better than was done before
Inside you know
Inside you understand
Inside you know what's yours to finally set right
And I suggest
And I suggest to you
And I suggest this is the best part of your life
This is a song
Comes from the west to you
Comes from the west, comes from the slowly setting sun
With a request
With a request of you
To see how very short the endless days will run
And when they're gone
And when the dark descends
Oh we'd give anything for one more hour of light
And I suggest this is the best part of your life
First Week
I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark just a little over a week ago. Having chosen this somewhat atypical home for the semester, I was eager to prove to myself that I made the right choice. The verdict so far is yes. I am truly enjoying this city, small enough to navigate, but big enough to fill my time. It is a little bit expensive, and the language is somewhat reminiscent of someone gagging, but all and all, Copenhagen is fantastic. I am living in a quaint suburb outside of Copenhagen, Hillerød. It is a cute little city, with its own castle! It makes me feel very European to come home every evening to a castle view from my window.
In Hillerød, I live in Grundtvigs Højskole, a place for Danish students to live in after the graduate high school. They take classes here, but receive no grades for their work, they are simply here to explore and figure out what they might want to study when they decide to go to college. The Danes have just arrived, so I'm still working on getting to know them, but the ones I have talked with seem very friendly. Apparently, they throw very fun parties and have a great time, so I'm looking forward to the upcoming weeks.
This post is starting to become boring, so I'll write more later, and more about my adventures rather than the background information. :-D
In Hillerød, I live in Grundtvigs Højskole, a place for Danish students to live in after the graduate high school. They take classes here, but receive no grades for their work, they are simply here to explore and figure out what they might want to study when they decide to go to college. The Danes have just arrived, so I'm still working on getting to know them, but the ones I have talked with seem very friendly. Apparently, they throw very fun parties and have a great time, so I'm looking forward to the upcoming weeks.
This post is starting to become boring, so I'll write more later, and more about my adventures rather than the background information. :-D
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