Vikings!

  The Danes are descendants of the Vikings, and they like to think they are in fact also vikings. They will all quickly share their loving admiration of the vikings at the mention of the word.  The Vikings were really intense, and their conquests and travels are actually phenomenal. Their skills in shipbuilding are perhaps unmatched. But the funny part is, Danes pronounce V as a W so they call them Wikings, and its really hard to take their adoration seriously when they keep saying wiking. Its hilarous.  They also have seven elevens everywhere, but they say sewen elewen, and its just great to listen to.
   On wednesday I didn't have any classes, so I woke up and went on a 45 min. exploratory run, to sort of survey the area, and although it was really windy, it was sunny and cool and perfect for running. After that I got some breakfast did some work. When Tine got home from school around 1:00, Laila, Tine, and I went into Roskilde and walked along the waterfront. We stopped into a glassblowing studio and art gallery, and then we walked over to the Viking Museum. We could see all the workshops where men were fixing up and renovating all the ships that had been found at the bottom of the fjord right there, and the carpenters have to use the same tools the vikings used to fix up the ships again. It was really really cool, and I also loved the smell of fresh wood. The renovated boats are displayed and also available to go out in, so you can hop in a boat with 25 other people, and it looked a lot like rafting, with a guide at the front telling them when to row. it was great to watch because at first the groups were always a mess. The Museum shop was great too, but I usually love those. The weather was pretty cold and rainy, so eventually we went into a cafe and got cappucinos. Before going home, they took me to the library so I could get lots of travel books and the latest Harry Potter book, since the movie is coming out in November!   When we got home, I made some banana bread and then I cooked dinner. I made this fabulous Goat cheese and tomato pie, where you make the crust big enough to kind of fold up over the top. Laila didn't think they had goat cheese though, we used cheddar and mozzarella, and it was still great. The recipe is one of Carolyn's specialties, so thank you! I also made broccoli,  and chicken with lemon and pepper. Laila made the rest of my cookie dough into delicious cookies for dessert. 
   Thursday wasn't too exciting because I had a test to study for, and I went home with my friend Anja to have dinner and study for a while, and I got home late and pretty much went to bed. Friday was similar, and I studied a lot and felt very prepared for the test, and then I found myself looking at the first question with a blank stare. Our teacher isn't great, and we were totally underprepared for the test, but Anja and I had done a lot to teach ourselves. But the questions were extremely obscure and some of them were based on passing comments she had made. they answers weren't in my notes, the chapter we read, or her slides from class. So I had to make up a few answers. Most of it was fine though. One of the questions asked for the name of the disease where you had blue skin (which no one in the class recalls ever learning), and I put smurf syndrome. Figured it was worth a shot, and I had no clue at all.  After the 1.5 hours of notetaking that followed the test, Lizzy and I walked out into the rain to a bakery where we ate a croissant and recovered for a few minutes. Then we met up with my other friend Anya, and my host brother Jon and his friend Mike. Together we went and grabbed a quick dinner and headed into the fairytale world of Christiania. Christiania is a small independent town in the heart of Copenhagen, and it has a town center, a lake, and a lot of ramshackle colorful houses. It feels like you are walking into children's overnight camp or something.  The difference is that the people of Christiania are real hippies. and they have weed to buy and sell everywhere, even though its illegal in Denmark, and there are a lot of very grungy or bizarrely dressed people. It was so strange and unlike anything I had ever seen. I saw a group of 8-12 year olds smoking together in a group outside of the kindergarten, and that was also the strangest thing ever. It was all so surreal. Then I ran into the teaching assistant from my medical class, and Lizzy and I talked to her for a few minutes, but it was a slightly awkward place to run into the 25 year old (who will be grading my test) in a place like that.
   Eventually Anya, Lizzy, and I got cold so we went back to Copenhagen to a cafe/bookshop and got peach ciders and a slice of chocolate cake. It was great and a great way to relax from the week. Also, I will be going to Switzerland with Anya in November.