Pick Your Party

As the first election posters for the major parties started showing up in mid-October, I was amused both by the universality of political campaigns and my sorry attempts at guessing what the parties were promising.  Copenhagen and the trains were the only places with posters that really focused on issues, while the suburbs were just plagued by a face and a name/party name on every light pole down the main streets.

But all of that was nothing compared to this past week, as parties geared up for the kommune (municipal) elections on Tuesday.  I knew Denmark had a multi-party system, but this was just insane.  Not only did the Venstre ("left") party hand out croissants Monday morning as people entered the train stations, but the streets of Copenhagen suffered from a poster explosion of more designs and party names than I could count.  In my opinion, some of them were the type that had no business in politics--existing only for the sake of one agenda (the most vocal of which was a party hoping to save Christiania).  Granted, I'm not exactly happy with the American stuck-with-two-parties system either, where many voters have to sacrifice some of their opinions in order to prioritize others, or choose solely on social issues (this includes myself), because it's what divides our country the most.  However, I need to learn more about both systems before I can decide which I prefer.

And surprisingly, only the poster with the picture of the blowup doll was fake, while the Liberal Alliance's promise for free parking and the satirical recommendations of the Nihilistic People's Party were completely legitimate.  Though, to be fair, I don't believe the NPP was even trying to win, but instead pointing out the failures of politics.  According to their website, they want to get rid of church bells, save baby seals, and make the metro more lively with psychedelic colors.

The Red-Green Alliance/Unity List--the far left party;  not sure what it says on it, though.












"Stop churchbells!  Fuck your salvation--we have a hangover."

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.

When in Rome, do as the Copenhagen cyclists do

In the past week, I've seen more of Copenhagen than I have in the entire month I've been here.  I may have had one or two appointments in parts of the city I didn't know existed, but I owe most of my coverage of new ground to a very important machine:  the bicycle.  I don't think I quite made it clear before that Danes bike everywhere--even in the cold, the rain, and in their business suits and heels (not usually with that particular combination).  Granted, the weather's never humid, and the entire country has the infrastructure to support this healthy habit.  Outside of the city, paved trails connect the various towns, schools, and train stations.  IN the city, there's a vast network of bike lanes (including their own traffic lights!) and confusing blue lanes that guide cyclists across the busiest intersections.  In many places, the pathways are stratified, so the road is 6 cm below the bike line, which is 6 cm below the sidewalks.  It's hardly noticeable, but it does a lot to help keep every commuter in their place. 

Anyone who knows me can guess that I was super excited about trying my hand at city biking, but when I jumped into it on my first day here . . . well, let's just say it was going to be a while before I was comfortable giving it another shot.  I had no idea how intimidating the flow of traffic would be until I was behind the wheels of a purple city bike.

On Saturday, the perfect opportunity arose to get some pedal-sense when some DIS interns were leading a small group of students up the scenic coast through the well-to-do neighborhood of Østerbro.  The route may have been simple, but I was sold to city-biking!  I saw so many new buildings, murals, and parks, all on the backdrop of a chilly fall day made perfect by a social outing.  Plus, we got ice cream from Lydolph Isbar--a shop famous for their giant ice cream cones.  My four scoops were just about too much for me to handle in the end (but thankfully I didn't have a salt-licorice flavor in the mix!).  Maybe it was the whipped cream and jam that Danes traditionally top their is with.

At any rate, I was inspired to spend my Wednesday free-day with a friend of mine, sitting in the saddle and exploring the western neighborhoods: into Nørrebro, and then south through Fredricksburg, Valby, and Vesterbro until returning to the City Centre.  It's amazing what you can find when you're at street level and have the abilities to both move quickly and stop whenever you want:  retro junk shops, creepily awesome cemeteries with famous dead guys (H.C. Andersen, Kierkegaard, and more), the zoo, and even an actual hill or two (no, seriously--you don't know how rare those are)!  Although I do admit, it was a bit tougher without a guide leading us down a specific route, and sometimes you just had to make up rules about how to get around congested intersections and sidewalks plagued with construction.  Besides, that's what everyone else does, and it's safest just to go with the flow.  The cyclists of Copenhagen may be a little insane sometimes, but they know what they're doing--even with the mob mentality they put themselves in.  And after watching their graceful management of these situations, I can't think of a group of people I'd trust more in any traffic situation.

These experiences in the past few days have taught me not only about Copenhagen and how to work my way through its maze, but it also helped me build a stronger connection to the Danish mentality.  The weather may be getting colder, but exploring by bike is definitely something I'll have to do a few more times before I leave this city.  Biking just may be the only way to really live Copenhagen.