Cross-Cultural Adventures

When I left for Denmark in August, there were only a few things I was fully expecting. One of these was that, this year, folks, there would be no Thanksgiving. I was more than ok with that. As a holiday, Thanksgiving is really just time set aside to spend with family before the Christmas rush, and since I knew I wouldn't be seeing family for 4 months anyway, it wasn't a big deal that I'd miss it. But after Kirsten approached me about joining forces with her to make Thanksgiving dinner if I was in Denmark over Thanksgiving break (which was also two extra free days I didn't expect to have), I realized that this was a wonderful opportunity to share some of my culture with those who I've been learning from the past three months.

And so it was set: I decided what dishes were most essential, asked my mother to send recipes from home, and then Kirsten and I went through the ingredients and worked out what we needed to buy and what could actually be found in Danish stores. We pretty much knew from the start that there wouldn't be any frozen turkeys in the grocery stores of Solrød Strand, but turkey breast was a fine substitute. Cranberries, sweet potatoes, and green beans were all fairly easy to pick up as well, while explaining and finding chicken broth was a bit of a challenge. The thing that gave me the most trouble, though, was my insistence on having pumpkin pie. Rumors of canned pumpkin in an imported American food aisle at a Super Best in Frederiksberg had been circling through the students at DIS, but attempts at finding this mythical place failed miserably. And there were some people who ended up buying pickled pumpkin in a jar without realizing that it's not what they wanted. So, while I come from a family that always buys pie from the store at home, I was now faced with making it from an actual pumpkin.

Of course, all the Danes had to work or go to school, so I gave myself the task of waking up early enough to get started. Kirsten had set out for me things I would need, but, nevertheless, if anyone had been watching me cook the whole time, I imagine they would have thought it quite comical. There was one scale for measuring things in grams, but I ended up using it only a few times. Mostly, I would just search for a container that looked like a cup, fill it to what I thought was the correct place, and ran with it. Luckily, they actually have proper tablespoons and teaspoons here, so I think those measurements turned out rather well. It ended up being me on the pumpkin pie (and seeds!), sweet potato casserole, and the stuffing, while Kirsten came in later to make the turkey, cranberry sauce, and green beans, and Nanna (my host-sister) baked some bread.

The result? Success! I wasn't sure how much of the Thanksgiving spirit was going to go into the meal, but the table was set with the nice plates, the extra pumpkin I bought served as a centerpiece, red wine was set out, and two family friends who had been at the house for the advent crafts came over to join us. It was definitely Thanksgiving--chatting away and eating more food than our stomachs could handle (though I think the Danes participated less in that factor, which isn't a bad thing). Though, a word to the wise if you plan to try this on your own: leave out the sweet potato casserole. While the marshmallows on top were a novelty, the Danes generally consider it too sweet for a side-dish. Stuffing, on the other hand, is a big hit (even with the people who don't like celery!).

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The rest of my break I spent relaxing, working very slowly towards my final psychology of happiness synthesis, and catching up on a few sights in Copenhagen. On Friday, I went to the Nationalmuseet, which is a completely free museum that includes a permanent collection on Danish history (pre-historic to present), as well as a portion of the oddities collections from former kings (Kongens Kunstkammer). To be honest, I was unimpressed with the museum as a whole. They had nice facilities, but the presentation was cluttered and confusing, and it was often so dark that my eyes were straining, so I couldn't absorb what I was reading. However, I am glad I went, as the museum helped me see history in the western world at a larger level than I am used to.  While artifacts from the viking age were something new for me to see, once I had progressed through the exhibits into the late 1800's, everything seemed rather familiar.  Granted, the recent political patterns in Denmark are much different than in the US, the Danes was affected much more by the world wars, and there was no western expansion in Denmark.  But the artifacts themselves--clothing styles, furniture, technology, propaganda from social movements--are very similar in each era across the continents of the western world.  One of the most bizarre things was to watch Danish people and music in propaganda-type films on farming from the 1930's, and then there was a display about how big Elvis and The Beatles were in the in the 50s and 60s.  Once I think back on it, these realizations should have been obvious beforehand:  I know what globalization is!  This just puts it into perspective; it's been a long time coming.

On the contrary, America is way behind on globalizing the goodness of Danish beer culture, as I learned from both a microbrewery tasting on Wednesday night and a visit to Carlsberg (which included tastes of some specialty brews) on Saturday.

J-dag og Fødselsdage

Before I commenced on my travels a few weeks ago, I had a few remaining responsibilities:  plan an itinerary for Spain, pack, and remember to enjoy Denmark.  I crossed two of these off Friday night (30 October), when Nina and I met for planning, drank a cranberry (holiday?) version of Somersby's (a very sweet cider that's popular here), and went out into Køge to celebrate J-dag:  the annual release night of Tuborg's Julebryg (Christmas brew).

When I started seeing ads for J-dag in early October, I was disgusted that the commercial beginning of the Christmas season was the day before Halloween.  But as the clouds became more regular, the sky darkened a little more each day, and I grew accustomed to the lack of Halloween spirit, the idea of celebrating Christmas didn't seem so heinous.  Either way, it's not like J-dag is really about Christmas, anyway; it's about selling some beer.  The marketing behind J-dag rivals the perpetuation of Valentine's Day in the United States.  True, the decorations aren't quite as extensive, nor is it celebrated in schools for children under the age of 16 (and yes, the schools DO host J-dag parties for the 16 and over crowd after school.  No joke).  However, it's still an excuse for a big, national party that includes a song (to the tune of "Jingle Bells") and free rides on the s-train to anyone who's headed to the bars.

Neither Nina or I felt that we were able to feel the true spirit of J-dag (there was somewhat of a cultural barrier in joining the crowd), but it was still an experience to observe the college-aged kids dressed up in blue trousers, dresses, and as a Christmas tree, distributing more Julebryg to the various pubs.  As for the beer?  We thought it was the worst Tuborg we've ever had, which is saying something, because I don't like regular Tuborg in the first place.  But if the celebration surrounding it sells, then keep brewing, Tuborg!

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a family birthday (fødselsdag) party for host-parent's nephew on the next day, as well as a surprise birthday breakfast the day after that.  This is the first time I've done any birthday celebrating in Denmark, but they're pretty much like any other get together, except this time with Danish flags as a key theme of decor.  Bringing food to someone's house and waking them up on their birthday morning isn't all that uncommon (as was done Sunday morning, which I have to admit was a little strange).  There's also a birthday song with too many words for me to remember (and 4 verses, apparently! though they usually sing two).  I've also learned from my host family that for the big birthday parties (and baptism, confrimation, anniversaries, and weddings), friends and family actually write humorous songs about the person to common tunes.  I think that would be a really nice tradition to have in the US, though I'm certainly not the type of person to start doing it on my own!

The birthday party on Halloween was definitely a lot of fun, though, as I had just gotten a Halloween package from my mom and we brought some of the candy over to share.  There were mixed reviews on the candy corn, but Rene seemed to like it, and thought they looked like teeth.  I'd never thought of them that way before, but when my host-mom's sister stuck them in her mouth like fangs, I could definitely see that interpretation.

P.S.  I learned today that there's a cemetery in Edinburgh near the cafe where JK Rowling first started writing Harry Potter.  Apparently, there are headstones for someone named McGonagall, and both a Tom Riddle Jr. and Tom Riddle Sr.  I now feel like a Harry Potter Fan Epic Fail for not finding it.

Tivoli Titillation

For the past two months, the main entrance to Tivoli Gardens taunted me as I passed by it on my morning walk from Vesterport station to DIS.  My childlike mind could only imagine and eagerly anticipate entering the gate and seeing what spectacular carnival lay behind the wrought-iron fence and stucco walls that surround an entire city block.  I wouldn't be surprised if the lit-up letters on the entry-arch were permanently imprinted on my retina, for how many times I longingly gazed up at them.  They just radiate an early 20th century charm that screams 'nostalgic glee' (although more so in the summer season, which I unfortunately was unable to experience)!  Cross that with the fact that it's currently decorated for Halloween (my favorite holiday), and you've got me practically bouncing to get in. 

Well, I finally had the opportunity last night, and I made my way down the main path of pumpkin lanterns into a crowded plaza, layered with shop stalls, mature trees, a lake, lighted eclectic buildings, and performance arenas. Amusement rides are packed in between all of that in ways and at angles that I had never thought possible.  Put this into a space of just over 3 square miles, and you'll find yourself a part of something so kitschy that it rivals Dollywood, Disneyland, and Holiday World combined.  It smells of churros as you walk down the tight alley of shops on the southern edge, and you can happily sip on Pumpkin Pale Ale or varm cacao med 'creamy beige' (that's Bailey's, for those of you not in the know).  You can munch on a mass of candy floss in the rain, as it dissolves and leaves tufts of pink fur on your fingers.  You can even speak English and occasionally insert Danish words (but if you do so, expect your friends to make fun of you for it the entire night).  Personally, I didn't know what to be more excited about--being surrounded by jack o'lanterns or the fact that I was in what I now know is the second-oldest amusement park in the world (est. 1843, although if it was still the summer season I'd only have to travel an hour north to visit Dyrehavsbakken, which opened in 1583).

It really is the historical tradition that makes Tivoli so appealing.  Originally built outside the city fortifications, the park is now totally engulfed by an urban environment, but it still manages to expand as an attraction without actually adding any area.  We're talking here about the park that inspired Walt Disney to make Disneyland--both of which operate on a principle of "never being finished." Rutsjebanen (The Roller Coaster) was built in 1914 and was the oldest operating wooden coaster in the world (until 1999 when a park in Pennsylvania renovated a ca. 1902 coaster).  It's so old it was designed to have a breakman riding the coaster to operate it, AND it's still the most popular ride in the park.  I didn't ride it myself, but I might have to if it's still open when I return for the Christmas season.

I decided to try some of the newer rides, like Dæmonen (The Demon, a steel coaster) and Himmelskibet (The Star Flyer), which, standing at 80 meters tall, is not only the tallest carousel in the world, but also just about the tallest thing in Copenhagen.  It was a new experience to be on a coaster in my winter coat, but the view from Himmelskibet just took the cake.  I could hardly breathe from the wind, and as the swings changed their speed and elevation, tilting the seat in different directions, I was torn between feeling a little like I was about to die and  total elation.

But after that was over, I just enjoyed a crisp, drizzly fall evening, as music played and kids screamed.  And when I got home, I curled up in bed and watched some comedy shows on BBC Entertainment.  I need to take more advantage of that channel while I still can.

Tivoli photos are a part of this FB album and start on page 7.
Disclaimer:  that note about Walt Disney?  It's from Wikipedia.  I hope it's trustworthy.