Study Tour #1: Day three: Adjö!... almost.

02 July 2012, Monday

(Adjö = goodbye.)

the skylights underneath the fountain above in Sergels Torg.

After having the first half of the day to ourselves in lovely Stockholm, it was time to resume the study tour once again with the rest of our class. So we meet in front of the Kulturhuset at Sergels Torg, where another case study presentation was given, followed by an hour to sketch the living hell out of the public square (Sergels Torg) and surrounding (urban) architecture. After about the second sketch, I give up and go to the Design Torget store to wander. I met a few others in that store, too. It's no secret that sketching isn't a hobby for many of us. Even if we are designers. And especially when it is forced upon us.

After our "sketching hour" we meet again in front of the Kulturhuset to have lunch on the rooftop (thankfully paid by DIS... well, not quite, since our tuition/fees packages everything up nicely). It was getting rather chilly- appropriate for such Scandinavian weather; at least I was able to enjoy the sun's warmth for a day and a half. Lunch was incredible: salad, salmon, pasta, potatoes, and bread. As simple as the food might seem anywhere in Scandinavia- it is some of the best food I have ever had. Probably its just the "grass is greener on the other side" concept to foreign things. On second thought, I'm 90% sure it is that. Wait, let's break that 90% down:
It is about 50% of the foreign food aspect
and about 40% because of my tight budget and the limited food items I buy with it while travelling.

And it really looks like food that Ikea would serve, just better.

Millesgarden, looking towards Stockholm.

After lunch, we make our way, via our tour bus, to the Millesgarden, a former property/residence of a Swedish sculpture artist. And guess what- we sketched some more. Beautiful property, beautiful view of Stockholm, beautiful late afternoon sun. We had a sketchbook review on site, so we all passed our books around the circle of students. But it was apparent that some (most) students didn't care because some students would accumulate up to 5 sketch books at a time because others would just, literally, flip the pages and pass them along. I understand the pain though. After just a few sketchbooks, you're tempted to take out a lighter underneath the tender pages of each sketchbook. I'm not joking.

We had just one  more site to visit. One more before boarding the ferry to Finland. I could taste the mist of the Baltic Sea. Last stop: the Stockholm Public Library (Stadsbiblioteket), as designed by the Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund. Our enthusiasm about Stockholm had already reached negative levels, and all of us were ready for that ferry bound for Finland. The case study was presented for the library, we all sketched- or bummed out- for an hour, a few took 'sketching' lessons from a fellow classmate (she had a very unique touch to sketching), and then we all boarded the bus headed off to the ports.

Stockholm Public Library 

We didn't know the amount food that was awaiting us on the ferry.
We didn't know- or rather, we didn't yet comprehend- the amount of architecture by Aalto that awaited us in Finland.

Adjö Sverige!... for now.

Study Tour #1: Day Three: Vasa, Saluhall, and a Hairband

02 July 2012, Monday

As relaxing as day three seemed on our schedule, it wasn't. I made more sandwiches "to go" during breakfast for a snack later on. Since I spent the last of my monies the day before on pizza and (non-alcoholic) beer, I decided to stick to my sandwiches.

The first half of the day's activities were completely optional- either we could go to the Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet) and/or the Museum of Spirits (no it isn't about ghosts, its about alcohol). As much talk as I was hearing about many students wanting to do their own thing away from Vasa and the Museum of Spirits, the majority of us ended up going to the Vasa Museum (first activity of the day). Rather than taking the metro to the Vasa, the bus drove us in- and I think that is why most of the students decided to go to the Vasa rather than try to navigate the metro.

The Vasa Museum houses- wait for it- the Vasa. It was a ship that took sail on the 10th of August of 1628, but sank after sailing a mere 1300 meters (for some of you, that means 1.3 kilometers or 0.8 miles). I think I maneuvered the museum somewhat backwards, because I had no idea that this ship sank on its maiden voyage. I just thought it was a well preserved ship that sank in battle like most ships of that age. I wish there was a way to board this ol' ship. But the closest I got on board were the interactive displays and mock-up 1:1 models of portions of the Vasa. Overall, it was still very impressive. I got a small coffee mug out of it from the gift shop, too- a quest that my dad had me on in every country I visited during my European journey.

A group of us met up during the end of the Vasa visit because about half of us wanted to opt out of the Spirits museum in lieu of going to the Saluhall- a market hall in central Stockholm. We all took a small walking trek to central Stockholm towards Saluhall- make that a pilgrimage for gourmet Swedish food. Although I wasn't planning on buying anything, my eyes wanted to taste the visual candy of colors and textures, and my nose wanted to sample the savoury and sweet smells of the foods of the market hall. Secretly I was hoping that this market hall would be a normal market with fruits and veggies on the dime, but alas it was not. It might have been that in it's beginnings, but now it has been converted into a market hall of gourmet and exotic coffees, cheeses, meats, chocolates, confections, and seafood. After taking endless photographs of food that my budget didn't allow for, I joined the rest of my class for lunch. While they lunched on salmon dishes, prosciutto sandwiches, meats and cheeses, macaroons, etc, I busted out my DIY sandwich from the hostel- all while discussing how our dogs were.

this is called food porn. located at the Saluhall.

If it was up to me, day three would have been reserved exclusively for Skansen. Talk about a cultural package in one location! But unfortunately Skansen was never an option.

But now we had to drag ourselves to our lunch location- despite the fact that many of us just had a bite to eat- to the Kulturhuset- in the middle of the shopping district and where the hustle and bustle of Stockholm really takes place. But along the way, we stopped by many places because (1) one girl was looking for flip flops to wear in the shower, (2) another girl found a department store that was founded by her best friend's grandfather (or something like that), and (3) I misplaced my hairband, and it was a windy day to be wearing bangs, so I was looking for one wherever I could. But upon arriving at the Sergels Torg (the plaza were the Kulturhuset is housed), I spotted a holy H&M across and quickly beat the crowd around the area to make it inside, focusing all of my attention to the accessories department.

I found one. And on sale. All for about 6 Kroner (~ $1!). Scrapped whatever change I found, thank God my bangs got under control after that.

Study Tour #1: Day Two: Stockholm Wanderlust

@ the Arkitekurmuseet portion of the Moderna Museet

01 July 2012, Sunday

After we all re-grouped after spending some time in Gamla Stan, we walked over to the Modern Museum/Arkitekurmuseet (Moderna Museet) to admire the artwork, but most importantly, to study the architectural conditions of the building's architecture: which meant that we had to sketch. Again. There were some interesting exhibitions, and there were some WTF exhibitions, like Yoko Ono's (orgasms and butt cheeks, etc...). I saw everything that the museum offered because last time I visited, I didn't pay admission, which meant I only went to the free exhibition (the Arkitekurmuseet) and the gift shop. I like to treat gift shops like museums because their posters and postcards are like miniature versions of the actual artwork the museum has on exhibition. Close enough, right?

Scandinavians LOVE to tan. 

Next stop: the new sustainable development of Stockholm: Hammarby Sjöstad. I couldn't believe that there was a lot more left to our 2nd day of the study tour. I felt extremely rushed in this portion of the tour because we had a little over one hour to discuss the area as a group, to sketch, and to have lunch in the area. It was a beautiful area- a good break from the medieval/baroque/classical architecture that surrounded us in the historical areas of the city. After a few of us picked up lunch from a Middle Eastern establishment, we took our food and found a lovely little place between apartment buildings that had foliage and little fountains where children were weaving themselves in and out of the water spouts and streams. We all intentionally left out sketching because food was more important than drawing, especially on such a tight schedule. Although our conversations were all about architecture, it was still better than sketching.

left: Resurrection Chapel by Sigurd Lewerentz
right: Woodland Cemetery grounds. 

Last stop of the study tour: the Woodland Cemetery. This cemetery is surprisingly part of UNESCO, and I could see why. Made up of a lot of chapels scattered across the park, we had three case study presentations (Resurrection Chapel, Woodland Chapel, and the Holy Cross Chapel). We also passed by Greta Garbo's burial site. I'll admit I didn't know who she was, and when I asked a fellow classmate who was awed by the shear presence of a gravestone with her name on it, she simply stated, "Its Greta Garbo!". Which didn't help in explaining who she was. It was a pain trying to sketch ferociously site to site with the little time we had outside the chapels and inside. The whole point of sketching is to capture the "essence", but I don't work that way, I have to capture the "essence" plus every other detail down to the last tree needle that has fallen onto the building's rooftop. That doesn't quite work for that type of sketcher.

The "academic" day was finally over and we had time to unwind a bit at the hostel. It also happened to be the day of the final game of the EuroCup, so everyone was making plans to watch it somewhere while having dinner and/or a drink. We ended up going somewhere nearby on the metro- all 30-some of us, and obviously not everyone agreed on a place to eat. Four of us decided to go to a pizza place because it was cheap. Remember, we are still in Scandinavia, which means high prices for anything and everything. The pizza was remarkably good, and I ate a whole small pizza, plus a slice more from 2 other classmates who decided to get another pizza but couldn't finish. Afterwards, we wanted to find a place to actually watch the game, so we met up with some other students who were getting food and drinks at an outdoor cafe/bar (there must be a name for this type of establishment). We got some drinks, and I got myself a non-alcoholic Bavaria 0,0% beer. I used the last of my Swedish Kroner that I had on me (I had saved a 20 Kroner bill back at the hostel). Trust me when I say that this was the best non-alcoholic beer I have ever had. A bit watered down, but so much better tasting than any other that I have tasted. I would have gotten a second if it wasn't for the lack of monies. (update: I looked up reviews on this Bavaria 0,0% lager, and it seems like for the beer enthusiast, it is a bad beer or choice. But for someone that doesn't drink and only chooses non-alcoholic choices when and if available, its one of the better ones... so far.)

I did not know who to root for since the Italians and the Spaniards have been a long time favorite for me. And they were playing each other now. But while observing the game, it was clear the Spain was the strongest player. Italy, too, but they weren't making a good game out of it. So Spain won and I was quite content with that. People flooded the streets coming out of the restaurants and bars, and it seemed that everything closed quite promptly after the game ended. I was also in Europe during the Eurocup in 2008, and Spain had won as well. Europe is definitely the place to be for football (soccer).

So it was back to the hostel for all of us, for another long, but flexible, day awaiting us the next day.

Study Tour #1: Day Two: Quaint Russian Affair in Gamla Stan

01 Junly 2012, Sunday

Breakfast at the hostel was nothing short of amazing. I would have never imagined such a meal at a hostel. But this was Scandinavia. They are experts at hospitality no matter where you are. I clearly took advantage of breakfast by making small sandwiches with whatever bread rolls, cold cuts, and veggies they had at the breakfast bar. Wrapped them in napkins and slipped them into my backpack. I would do this as a 21-year old while studying in Italy. We especially got in trouble for that when we were in Sorrento, but that never stopped us. And it still obviously hasn't. Saves money on snacks and sometimes a meal!

First stop was Gamla Stan ("Old Town"): it is an island that rests primarily on the Stadsholmen Island, but it includes other islets of Riddarholmen and Helgeandsholmen. The part of town dates back all the way to the 13th century and is made up of medieval alleyways, beautifully cobbled streets that make it just a little difficult to walk on, and North German architecture- which is pretty dominant around the city square- Stortoget.

And in Stortoget is where we began our long, busy, day. It was presented as a case study by a pair of students, then we were allotted about an hour to sketch the square and/or its surroundings. I sat myself down on a bench in the middle of the square near a fountain and decided to sketch the building tops instead of doing a sketch of "urban studies"- which was supposed to be the focus of our sketches. Being from an architectural background, I just can't help it.

that's all I sketched for my time in Gamla Stan.

While I was sketching, a Russian tour group, primary of students, were occupying the square, attentively listening to their guide. A group of girls broke away and came my way, watching me sketch for a minute before breaking the silence in broken English. They were very nice girls, trying to make friendly conversation in the best English they had, for practice I assume. They asked if I was an architect and why I was sketching. I asked who they were, and they were traveling Scandinavia with their class (9-10 year olds). They seemed more interested learning about me and where I was from, it was hard asking them a question and getting a reply back, but later all I got out of them was that they were from St. Petersburg. And they seemed very amazed at the fact that I was a Californian. As soon as they tried to initiate more conversation with me, their guide briskly came up to them, said something in Russian, turned to me, and said "Thank you very much!" as she shook my hand, then quickly hurried the girls away with the rest of their group.

i found the Cube (by Park Associati)!

I honestly prize those few moments I have with foreigners who make their best efforts to practice a language with another.

After the girls left, the square just seemed too dull, so I wandered off to see what else I can enjoy of Gamla Stan with the rest of the hour. I met up with two other classmates, and we continued to wander before we had to meet up again as a group. It was beautiful weather, and unusually warm. Copenhagen was beginning to seem like a miserable, depressing, place because of its weather, while the rest of Scandinavia, it seemed, was getting all the best weather. Although not a fan of the sun or hot weather, I was enjoying this part of the world's warmth under the same bright sun.

Study Tour #1: Day One : Hej Sverige!

It has definitely been a while since my last entry, and I should probably stop procrastinating so much on blogging about my whereabouts and travels. As much as I tell myself that I have no time, I definitely do judging by the amount of movies I watch at home, or the amount of time I spend on facebook. Oh the wonders of the modern world.... 

holding on while on the Stockholm metro.

30 June 2012, Saturday

It's time for Study Tour #1: Sweden and Finland!
When applying for DIS, we had a choice of going to either Sweden/Norway or Sweden/Finland for our first study tour. I was ever so glad I chose to go to Finland instead of Norway, because I discovered how expensive Norway was when I was there for just 3 days. Although our program "pays" for some meals and gives us credit for maybe a lunch or two (it eventually comes out of the tuition/fees we pay...), I would have rather spent it on a new country- in this case Finland. I had visited Sweden before (only Stockholm) a few years back in 2008 when I did a short Scandinavian visit between Stockholm and Denmark.

The great thing about these study tours- aside from the endless mandatory sketching- was that you go off the beaten path of the tourist (student or typical). These sites were actually part of the case studies done by various groups during the first week of the summer program. The best part: we present our case studies on site. How cool is that? As an architect, that is like making love to a building. Seriously. That explained why I had the Holy Cross Chapel in Finland. And trust me with all your heart when I say that the Scandinavians definitely know how to beautifully design chapels and funeral homes/crematoriums.

I'll make this more of a photo journal, since I don't want to be over-wordy with my entry this time. But I will say that upon arriving in Stockholm, my hostel roommates decided to take their sweet time unpacking a bit and freshening up, despite the fact that we were specifically told that we were to drop off our items and meet outside the hostel to walk as a group to where we were to have dinner. So we missed going with the group. I went with only one of my hostel roommates- no idea where the other was. So we go off with the best of my knowledge of Stockholm from 4 years past. We were mapless. All I knew is that dinner was somewhere in Gamla Stan, somewhere on the western portion of the island- it was merely from memory from the program booklet we had received at the beginning of the trip. So we found a metro- and the only way we found a metro is because I spotted it from the bus as we were approaching the hostel.
Long story short, we made it to the restaurant for dinner. We actually beat the large group, which resulted in the restaurant telling us that there was no school group dinner that night. Liars... or rather that one employee we spoke to was misinformed. But we made it in the end, eventually returning to that restaurant aboard a boat, pretty determined that it was there. Because it was. I guess that trip in 2008 was meant to be. It helped me navigate our way to food!

taking a ferry from Helsingør (Denmark) to Helsingborg Habor, Sweden)

a sculpture near the Helsingbord Havnefront

The beautiful St. Petri Kyrka by Sigurd Lewerentz

Lunch stop @ Gränna, Sweden- known for its stripped candy sticks. Very good candy sticks. I had to buy 3 . I brought lunch from home.

taking the metro in Stockholm. 

Lessons Learned #4: Scandinavian Design Stores

Here's a tip:
When traveling with a group, DO NOT point out awesome looking design-forward stores. Otherwise, half of you, or more, will be either:
(a) waiting outside for what seems to be an eternity (just hope it is summer, or not raining)
(b) wandering aimlessly inside the store
(c) pouting about how much you want to buy everything but can't afford it

But if you are in a small group, or all of you guys are BFFs or the equivalent, go right ahead and enjoy yourselves.

That's it.
Just remember that I warned you. I've made this mistake twice already. Not much of a "lesson learned", huh?

Periodekort: It's harder to pronounce than it looks.

29 June 2012

Starting out in Copenhagen, I was already familiar with the klippekort (a 10-trip pass), since I had used it last time I was visiting the city. I had done my research before arriving, and knew that I had to purchase the 2-zoner. Actually, the 2-zoner is the minimum amount of zones you need to purchase anyway for any travel on the DSB system (the public transportation system... by bus, metro, s-train...). I was lucky enough to be located on zone 2, so it stretched my kroner by traveling. If you don't have a klippekort, you can purchase a one-way ticket on the bus for 24 Kr., which is about $4 USD. A lot? Yes. So if you plan on staying in Copenhagen for two days or more, I recommend getting it. It costs 145 Kr., about $25 USD. At least it's convenient enough that you can buy transportation tickets at every 7-11 in Copenhagen.


But I was buying a 2-zoner klippekort every 5 days without a bike... that starts to add up.

The day before leaving for my Sweden-Finland study tour, I went out to the DSB office at the central station with a passport-type photo plus my passport to purchase a month pass (periodekort). It was going to save me a lot of money rather than spending 145 Kr. every 10 trips. I had already bought 4 klippekorts and knew that I had to save more kroner than buying a klippekort every 5 days or so. The best part about the periodekort is that you can choose the dates that it is valid for, with the minimum of 30 days of course. When it was my turn at the ticket window, it became really difficult to ask for what I wanted because (1) the women behind the glass barely spoke English and (2) the word periodekort isn't easy to pronounce as it looks.

Period-card
Period-kort
Periode-cart
Peh-riah-deh-koh-t
Peir-oh-deh-kehrt

I resorted to describing how it looks like and what it does, and finally, after some embarrassment and frustration, the lady behind the glass figured it out. "Month Pass!". Yes... thank you. 346 Kr. later (about $60 USD), I got my periodekort. It would come out to a little over 11 Kr. a ride/trip (~$1.90 USD), rather than the 14.50 Kr. (~$2.40 USD) I was paying with my 2-zoner klippekort. Oh the savings!

Obviously not my personal periodekort...

So I finally walked out of the central station with my periodkort pass in a nifty blue vinyl case valid from the time that I returned from my study tour until my departure date from Copenhagen. Perfect. Even with a bicycle on hand upon my return from my studytour, this pass would come very much in handy. No limits on public transportation within 2-zones! I no longer had to stress about my timestamp or how many klips I had left. Wonderful.

Note: for DIS students, if you are living with DIS housing, dorms or apartments, DIS provides you your periodekort for the duration of your studies in Copenhagen. If you opt out of DIS housing like I did, make sure you get one! You can easily go to http://www.dsb.dk/ and order yours online, or go to the central station and attempt to order one as well.

The Cityscape Coverup

29 June 2012

Packing for the study tour wasn't all too hard. I don't have too many things to begin with, so I just took items that I tend to wear the most. I packed it all into my travel backpack since I did not want to bring a suitcase. I am a great light packer. I have always been. It's not worth being modest about.

I couldn't sleep because of my childish excitement for the trip, so I decided to take some action on the daypack that I was going to bring. It was a daypack provided by DIS on the first day of school with a rather large embroidered "DIS" on the front pocket. I really did not want to stand out as an American study abroad student, so I decided to do something about it. Earlier, I had tried to look for an embroidered patch of the Italian and/or Spanish flag to tack over it (because of the Eurocup '12 games going on) but my search yeilded nothing of the sort. Just Danish flags.

I used to make postcards with these kinds of cityscapes
and had them on my my etsy, but long since took them
down. contact me if you have questions.

So instead, I took the oversized fabric tag of some pants that I had bought earlier last week and I drew a cityscape on it to cover up the "DIS" logo on the daypack.

update: I got a lot of compliments on the DIY coverup.

Meeting Lasma

29 June 2012

The girl that I had rented out the room from in the apartment had messaged me a few days ago letting me know that she was going to be in town to settle some things with the company that she was going her internship for. She is actually from Latvia, and decided to intern in Copenhagen. She wanted to know if I was going to be in town on Friday the 29th so that she could get into the apartment. So far, it had only been me in the apartment since the Italian and the Frenchie left shortly after I arrived in Copenhagen. I had the apartment all to myself for almost a week and a half. It was nice, I will admit that.

It was perfect timing, because on Saturday, I was to leave on a study tour with the school for Sweden and Finland early in the morning. Immediately after the Thursday lecture, I made it home. I felt a bit bad because Lasma had arrived early and was awaiting my return to the apartment. I was just hoping that she wouldn't get too wet. I learned later that she waited at a local cafe.

It was great meeting her- especially since it was her former room that I was renting for the summer. She is to stay in Copenhagen for a week, arranging the arrival of my two new flatmates (a young mid-twenty couple from Italy), who were friends with Lasma. Since they were basically immigrating from Italy to Denmark, the Italians needed a place to stay in the meantime while they looked for another place. The lease on the apartment is over on July 31th, so they have about a month. So did I, because school doesn't end until the 1st of August. I had some time to figure out where to go between the move-out date and my date of departure from city (August 8th).

Unfortunately I didn't really spend too much in her company because I had to run some errands before departing for the study tour (like getting snacks and preparing my lunch for the following day), and she was to go to a pub with her co-workers.

She at least let me know of some great news: she was going to leave me one of her two bikes! The other was to go to the Italians (the good bike). I got the bike with a faulty chain, but it was better than nothing. I was actually planning to rent a bike for a three week period for 300 Kr. or so, but this deal turned out a lot better. Free? Yes, but of course!

Royal Danish Academy Grad Show

27 June 2012

waiting for the waterbus

After spending the morning surveying the mess of The Palads Cinemas, we as a program with architecture and design took a small field trip to the Royal Danish Academy of the Fine Art's Graduate Show. We went studio by studio. BB, our instructor, decided to take us via waterbus. I was reluctant to use my klipperkort (my 10-trip transportation pass), but BB was only providing some passes for those that did not have one one them already.

So across the river we rode after waiting too long for a waterbus that would actually take a class of 14.

We made a short pit-stop at the academy library before heading off to the show. BB worked on the renovation of the library, which used to be part of the naval barracks of Copenhagen.

oh the colors!

The graduation show consisted of architecture, information design, fashion, and industrial design. The work produced was mind-blowing, and the models were all too impressive. We all had to remind ourselves that tuition is free for these students, so it's perhaps easier for them to blow money on prints and model-making.

the architecture portion of the show

I wanted to make my way back to the centre of the city because I did not want to use an additional "clip" on my transportation pass, since it is valid for 1.5 hours of travel from the timestamp. I felt like I was there for a while anyway, so I left with a classmate of mine to head off to the centre.

on the ferry

We basically rode on the ferry for an additional (and unnessesary) half hour because it went the opposite way we were supposed to head off of. There were other classmates on the ferry, too, 'enjoying' a mini cruise of the river before stepping off the correct stop.

Intro to the Studio Project: Palads

27 June 2012

Since our case studies were over, everybody in the architecture & design program were moved around to new professors and new classrooms. I was no longer in the poorly lit archaic timber constructed building with narrow winding stairs or low diagonal beams. My new studio was in the newly renovated building on the 5th floor a block southwest on the same street. It was exciting to see a shower in the studio spaces. I guess students really dedicate themselves. Or maybe the administration is trying to hint at something.

looking towards the north

The plus: the views were fantastic.

Interior Architecture was split into two studios- one in the old building with Johan, while the other studio was in the renovated building with BB. One studio morning, we were introduced to our project site and existing building: The Palads Cinema on Axeltorv. We were given existing plans, elevations, and sections of the cinema and were made to figure out what had been renovated since the original building was erected in 1917.

It wasn't easy. At all.

The renovations that had been made had made a giant mess of the space planning and program of the cinemas. Somehow 17 cinema rooms had been jam-packed into a old-fashioned cinema palace (hence the word palads) where it originally accommodated 2 cinema rooms that fit hundreds of people- if I am not mistaken it was probably an occupancy of 300. But now the smallest rooms had a screen that was no larger than a large-screen television. Talk about a movie-going experience. And all for 100 Kr. (~$18 USD). Really?

Renovations weren't just made to the rooms. The first story facade had been pushed out by about 3 meters or so and the terrace above is merely abandoned with no set purpose. It was also hard to figure out how to get there.

In conclusion: it's a mess. And the colors look like a rainbow vomit.

Palad's terrace. 

but wait! a beautiful lobby space!...

ruined by flashy movie stuff....

My Danish Breakfast

I am not quite a breakfast person. I still eat it, but I get more excited for lunch or dinner. For breakfast, I can have anything from oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal. Nothing exciting right?

But I discovered something grand while in Copenhagen. I got a little innovative. Simple, but I still consider it a bit innovative for me.

Because I fell in love with ryazhenka while in Moscow, I was determined to find it while in Copenhagen. But alas, to my dismay, it seems like it is strictly Russian, and pretty much there isn't an equivalent of it in Denmark. After researching for items that are similar to it, I came across a couple of products: A38, tykmaelk, and ymer. All of these are cultured milk products, similar to yogurts. Definitely not ryazhenka, though. It's closer to the consistency and taste of kefir, but not as sour.

All of these products are similar in price as well, between 8-12 kroner.... I think. It's been a while. Dairy is pretty cheap in Denmark. Thank goodness they love their cows (and they are proud of dairy industry). Really.

I bought tykmaelk for the most part, and only once ymer and A38. All of them are very similar, but I just always decided to stick with tykmaelk. At first I just tried drinking it with a side of rye bread with jam, but during a grocery visit, I found oatmeal and decided that it would be a great idea to mix both of them. A dash of sugar helped, too. This oatmeal was quite different, through, from any other rolled or quick oats that I have had. It's a light, thin, oat, that comes basically in crumbs. I still haven't found the equivalent of it in the states. If anyone can help me find it, please!

It's a wonderful combination. I think that I had that for breakfast almost everyday during my stay in Copenhagen without getting bored of it. I think for one of the few times of my life, I actually looked forward to such a (simple) breakfast.

Here is a blog post that has more info on A38, tykmaelk, and ymer. This is my research when I was looking for ryazhenka.

Coat Hunting

I didn't realize how cold it would be in Copenhagen during summer, or rainy for that matter. I thought that simply layering the few sweaters that I brought with me (all two of them) would suffice enough with a scarf and gloves. My cotton sweaters proved useless with the rain, soaking through sometimes touching my skin.

Shoes were another entirely different story. Tom's nor thin suede ankle boots do anything useful in the rain, obviously. None of them are waterproofed, and the rain just consumed the shoe material.
I didn't experience horrible weather in Russia nor in Riga- but I got a wonderful preview of the Scandinavian weather in Oslo during my 3 days there. I didn't think that Copenhagen would be more or less the same as Oslo. I didn't plan on bringing a coat from home. I only had a small luggage and my backpack coming into the eastern hemisphere. Bringing a coat simply would take up a lot of room. And I don't own any shoes for the rain. Sure it rains in southern California, but I don't think I have ever become desperate enough to actually get rain boots.

One day I gave up on being 'efficient' with what I brought with me, and I gave into looking for a coat- a lightweight coat for the rain, at least. I had already bought a couple of shirts and an extra pair of pants, so I thought I could do with one more item. I had to simply remind myself that because I got a new suitcase while in Riga, I did have extra room in the suitcase for purchased goodies from my time abroad.

It took me 3 days to search for a coat within my price range. The Danish currency is not friendly to an American wallet, or many wallets actually. But I managed to find a sale going on. It wasn't a coat meant for the rain, being a cotton shell with a polyester lining, but it would later fare very well in wet weather- and it kept me warm.

So $70 USD later and a hint of regret, this coat proved useful during the Danish summer rains and chilling gusty days. It slightly compensated for my wet feet, but it was a welcoming layer to cover me up when I needed it.

Midsummer Nights in CPH

These photos were taking between 11pm and midnight!

23 June 2012

2 days after the trip to Fridlandsmuseet, it was the celebration of Midsummer. It falls on the summer solstice  the longest day of the year. It got never got completely dark because Copenhagen lies just north enough to get some light from the sun, even at the dead of night. It is nothing compared to the light that I saw in St. Petersberg, since that lies even further up north, on about the same latitude as Helsinki.

my bedroom window with the pull down curtain.

But nonetheless, it was an experience, where ever I was in Russia or Scandinavia during the long summer nights. I never had trouble sleeping, as some people thought I would have. Then again I did have black out curtains in my bedroom, so that helped, especially during sunrise since it was around 4am!

Even Skyping with my family or the boyfriend was deceiving to them because I would be calling them around 9 or 10pm and there was enough sunlight to still illuminate my bedroom.
During Midsummer, on the 21st of June, the people of the city celebrate with bonfires. It originates back to the Pagan times of Scandinavia. Google that or something, I don't want to write on that.

So on the 23st, I was in studio and I knew of some of the students and my former teammates from the Holy Chapel case studies were going to go and and partake of some of the festivities along the beach or Nyhavn. I think I missed the memo, because I perhaps stayed in studio for too long and missed everyone. Too bad I didn't have anyone's number yet except for the teammates, but they were long gone at Amager strand Beach. So instead I went walking around 11pm through Nyhavn, following the scent of smoke coming from the harbor.

Indeed there were bonfires in the middle of the water on Nyhavn, so it was a sight to see. People drinking and eating on the harbor walls, and boat owners having a party of their own on deck. The dusk colored sky illuminated the city with a soft golden-blue hue, while the sun slowly began to tuck itself away from the earth.

Smørrebrød !

all done! i'm the one with the head down...

25 June 2012

On the day of our case study presentations, we were relieved that at least that portion of the program was finally over. It wasn't that bad really. Personally I love case studies. Probably because I don't have to frustrate myself over my own designs and being my own worst critic. But nonetheless, I was very, very, tired from finishing the project late the night before and coming in a bit early that morning to to some last minute printing and diagramming. But the results were great and our review went without a hitch. Well, almost without a hitch, we had to practice a few times to get the presentation just right between the 4 team members and known who said what.

And that was that. Part one of the summer study abroad program over.

After the presentations were done, a few of us from the program, including all of the team members from Holy Cross Chapel (us), headed over to get Smørrebrød- Denmark's imfamous open-faced sandwiches  I was rather excited, and this was actually my first time eating out in Copenhagen. So off we go to a nearby Smørrebrød shop near Strøget (pronounced something like "Struo"..... kind of like that. Danish is like the French of the Scandinavian languages. Probably worse than that).

Domhuset Smørresbrød storefront.

Anyway, the little sandwich shop that I found myself in was Domhuset's Smørresbrod shop (don't even try googling that place because no results will come up. Strange). For 13 kr. a piece (approx $2.25), it was a good price, considering that many other smørresbrød places will charge 15kr-18kr. a piece. These sandwiches are definitely worth a try. Just pick anything. Seriously- anything will be good.

Personally I don't even know what I chose. I just pointed at whatever I caught my eye. Pronouncing what it was was near impossible. Trying wasn't even worth it.

These little things come wrapped like a simple gift

I don't remember what this was, but it was interesting. Not bad at all.

This one was my favourite. I can still taste it! Creamed eggs on a split meatball!

Frilandsmuseet: I'm a time traveler now.

21 June 2012

Those three drawing sessions as mentioned here was to prepare us for a field trip to Fridlandsmuseet just outside of Copenhagen. I didn't know that they were going to require us to draw so much. I thought that it was going to stay within the sketching courses, not beyond that. But sketch we did, as much as I just wanted to lay on the grass and enjoy the Danish air of the more-or-less countryside outside of Copenhagen.

Don't get me wrong, I love to draw, but not when it is forced upon. At least I felt personally rewarded when I was done with a sketch.

Most of these traditional homes have been actually dismantles from their original site and have been reconstructed at this open-air museum. Some are from the 1400's. Some even as "modern" as the 1800's. All impressive nonetheless because of the greenroofing, thatching, programming, brick details, etc. There were even windmills! There was even a house with seagrass roofing! These Scandinavians had green roofs down before the whole "green" movement decided to make it big...

But as I mentioned before, I am quite meticulous with my drawings, and it resulted that at one point, the group left without me, and I had to walk around Fridlandsmuseet for about half an hour. I even tried communication with an older Danish woman asking if she saw a group of students. She at least picked out the word "student" and pointed me towards a general direction. Alas! I found my classmates! I thought I was going to have to camp out in one of those huts or something. It was too early in the program to get lost like that.

Sketch like your life depends on it...

@ Copenhagen's Cathedral. Focus: light.

The class schedule at DIS is not consistent. We had to constantly check Blackboard for our daily schedules. It wasn't based on a block schedule, but rather on a lecture schedule. So every lecture class had a different lecture on a different topic, and we had 3 sessions of sketching class during the entire session- all within one week. The only class that was consistent was studio. Otherwise, it was annoying having to check the schedule on a daily schedule.

@ Thorvaldsen's Museum

But this sketching class was something else. I thought we were going to learn how draw, or at least techniques in drawing. Rather, it was a very, very, short lecture on drawing methods for architects, and off we went to a museum to sketch. I felt bad for the students in Information Design because, well, they are clueless as to how to draw in an architectural manner. Then again, there are architecture students who can't draw to save their lives. Every one of the three drawing sessions had a different focus: color, light, and something else that I cannot remember. I tried my best to forcefully sketch something. The professors would ask for a few sketches, typically no less than 3 or 5. I would usually underachieve only because I am just so meticulous with drawing. It's good and bad at the same time.

inside Thorvalden's Museum.
The colors are exquisite... hence the focus: color.

An apartment all to myself

I found myself alone in my apartment on Wednesday of my first week in Copenhagen. The Frenchie moved out that day, and the Italian did as well. The Italian was supposed to move out at the end of the week, but he probably decided to do it earlier. He also carried a beef with the weather. Being from Italy, he probably hated it.
So I had the apartment all to myself for a week and a half. I had known prior to arriving that I was going to have the apartment to myself for a week, but now I found myself having 4 bonus days. I will have to say that it was actually quite nice having peace and quiet, and having "me" time outside of school. Call me an introvert if you want, but it felt great.

I actually made an elaborate meal on of those days. It was the only time during my course in Copenhagen that I bought meat (being on a budget means being an accidental vegetarian). I decided to try my hand at making Pelmeni- those Russian dumplings that I mentioned before while I was in Riga. I made everything out of scratch- from the dough to the filling. It was time consuming, but it was quite rewarding. Given, the pastry was coming apart a bit while I was boiling them, but all in all, I am proud of my work. It was a cheap recipe. It seems like a lot of typical Russian food is cheap to make. Thank you communism! I intend to try this again, and improve on it. Perhaps boyfriend's family can give me pointers.

you know you want some.

Another note on the Danish weather...

Mother Nature in Copenhagen has a knack of just raining out of nowhere.

And for some reason, karma, or luck, or what have you, every time I did not carry my umbrella, it would rain. When I carried it, it would not rain.

That being said, I forgot my umbrella a lot.

Figure that out on your own.

I also observed that the Danes, if they wake up to sunny weather, will wear their cool summer dresses, sheer tops, shorts, sandals, etc. But when it started to rain, they would whip out their parkas or jackets out of nowhere. They know how to be ready. I didn't. I swear that the ladies had a Hermione's bag that could store an infinite amount of stuff.

One moment you will see them in summer dress- only carrying their purse or bag, and the next moment in the rain you will see them with parkas and maybe a scarf.  

Copenhagen, for the most part, is wet and gloomy. Why people settled here in the first place definitely didn't do it for the weather.

And I think for the first time in my life, I missed the summer weather in California.

I obviously have a beef with the weather in Denmark.

Copenhagen Weather

Summer in Copenhagen is definitely not a summer at all. In terms of weather that is. When I arrived in Copenhagen, it was cloudy, and it began to drizzle when I was walking to my apartment. Later that day it rained like Niagra falls. It was a great welcoming from Mother Nature.

I think during my course in Copenhagen for 7 weeks, the sun was out probably only 3 days. When I mean "sun", I mean being out the whole day. Apparently the sun loves to play hide and seek behind the clouds, and usually doesn't come out that much.

As I am from California, the summer in CPH felt like a winter for me. Windy, cloudy, rainy, overcast, chilly,... it was perfect winter weather for me. And I really shouldn't complain (too) much only because I don't like Californian summers. I personally don't like the heat, so I actually did look forward to escaping to northern Europe for more "ideal" weather. But I didn't expect it to be cloudy most of the time. I had expected it to be cooler, with the sun still being out and about.

It was actually quite depressing. Now I know why Copenhagen has a high suicide rate during their wintertime. I might have been part of that demographic if I had stayed a whole year there.