May 2017 – Page 3 – W&L Corporate Social Responsibility

Oh, the places you’ll go

The last time I was in Copenhagen, I stayed in the main touristy areas surrounding Tivoli and Strøget. While the old town is a beautiful area, there is so much more to the city that I missed. Armed with more time and a bike, I was determined not to make the mistake.

Running a Saturday morning 5k with parkun at Amager Fælled, clearing my head at Østedsparken and an impromptu stop at the Botanical Gardens before visiting the Geology Museum have taken me to a few of the different parks and green spaces. Although each park is somewhat different, they usually share similar characteristics. Most parks will have lots of green space, a lake, lots of ducks/birds/geese/swans and trails for running or walking. The parks are not usually very big in size – nothing on the scale of Central Park in New York City. However, they are dispersed throughout the city, meaning that everyone can find a park within biking, if not walking, distance.

One of my favorite places is the Amager Strandpark. It is slightly further out, about a 20 to 25-minute bike ride from DanHostel, but absolutely worth it! The area is a park, but it is also a beach. There’s a trail along the beach for those who want to roller blade, bike or walk. On a sunny day, the water is clear and probably a good place for a swim (when it is warm). The geographic location of Amager Strandpark provides for interesting sights: you can see planes taking off and land at the airport, wind turbines, Malmö and the Øresund Bridge connecting Sweden and Copenhagen.

Aside from the parks, which I have used as a place to relax and people watch, there are other interesting areas in Copenhagen. The most famous is Christiania, which is know for its green-light district and the fact that it is a proclaimed autonomous neighborhood in the middle of downtown Copenhagen. Another unique area is called Nokken. It is near the park Amager Fælled and is an area of miniature houses. The area is protected and therefore cannot be used in city planning. The place stands out among the new, modern buildings in the area not only because of the difference architecture, but also due to the lack of maintenance. Years ago, Nokken was probably a charming place with little houses and garden. Now, the charm is diluted by some houses that look like they need repairs and the gardens that are overgrown. However, I did enjoy walking around Nokken. It is an area of Copenhagen that I had never been to before and certainly a very unique place.

One of the most famous parks that I have yet to been is Fælledparken, which is on my ‘to see’ list. With just over a week remaining in Copenhagen, I am excited to see what other places I discover.

And I will walk 500 miles

Exercise trends seem come and go every few years. From Jazzercise, to at home fitness workouts, these programs tend to stick around for a little bit before they slowly fade away- but recently, one trend has seemed to stick: walking.

Now this may seem silly- isn’t walking always “in”? And yes people have always used walking as exercise, but what I mean more specifically by this is the trend of counting your steps. Just look around the next time your outside and try to count the number of Fitbits or IWatchs people use while they try to reach that magical number of 10,000 steps a day.

At Washington and Lee, I found it a little difficult to reach 10,000 steps a day. My average walk to campus was under 10 minutes and once there, I spent the majority of my day sitting in class or in the library. According to the fitness app on my phone, my average step count per day was around 6-7,000 (keep in mind I spent 2-3 hours every day in the pool).

Step count from May 8, 2017- note how flat the city is though that I only climbed 9 flights of stairs all day

While preparing for Copenhagen, I knew I would be walking more, but I completely underestimated how much more. On any given day here, I walk anywhere from 10-30,000 steps- an average of 5-13 miles a day!! Just yesterday I reached a new record person record of 31,311 steps, or 13.7 miles, after wandering the city all day as we showed the first-years around.

I think what surprises me the most about this huge uptake in distance walked per day, is that it doesn’t feel any different from days where I only walked 1 or 2 miles. I would have guessed that walking a half marathon in one day would leave me tired with very sore feet. Instead, I feel no different- if anything I love walking more. I look forward to my 15 minute walk to DIS or the 25 minute walk to Paper Island for food. Just last night, Kathryn and I left the hostel at 9 p.m. to walk 15 minutes out of our way to get waffles and ice cream.

While I expect to take many things away from this trip such as a new cultural experience and a more independent nature, I really hope I also keep up this love of walking! I know it is going to be difficult to find this much time to walk around and explore Lexington when I have class everyday but I think that even finding the time to walk around for 20 minutes will be a positive addition to my daily routine.

Finding Food

I have always been a ridiculously picky eater. I don’t think I ate anything except grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese pizza, and plain spaghetti noodles until I was five. Although I eat more foods now than I did when I was five, I still am very particular about what I eat.

As a result of my pickiness, I truly despise eating with groups. My order is always along the lines of “Can I have the cheeseburger except with no lettuce, onions, tomato?”

Their response? “So you want a bun, burger, and cheese.”

Yes! Now can we please move on and let me pay? I do not want to deal with my minimalist order any longer!

However, while I have been in Denmark, it has been really hard to avoid eating in groups. From the moment we got here, we were eating class dinners and eating meals together. At first, I would simply plan all of my friend’s meals because I enjoy researching on Trip Advisor, as well as studying the menu so I can make sure I will eat at least one thing on the menu.

It has proven to be pretty difficult. I hate sandwiches, wraps, most salads, all seafood, eggs, pretty much all breakfast food, and many other commonly eaten foods.

That was when I discovered a beautiful thing: markets!

I went to the Glass Market (Torvehallerne) my first week in Copenhagen. My first visit was such a success, that I have proceeded to eat there just about every single day since I have been here.

One of the things I like best about markets is the fact that no one in your group has to eat the same thing, or even order from the same booth. Markets are 20 restaurants built into one. For breakfast, I can get porridge and a smoothie, and for lunch I could get a pizza. Even I could eat every meal at the Glass Market and find something I enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I sometimes do.

A few days later in my second week in Denmark, I discovered Paper Island (Papirøen), also known as Copenhagen Street Food. It is not too far from one of my favorite Copenhagen landmarks: the sidewalk trampolines!

My first visit, Maggie encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try the duck fat fries. I was a little appalled at first, but I quickly was reassured after eating a few. Additionally, the barbecue was significantly better than I expected, especially outside of the south. Us Virginians take great pride in our barbecue.

I have visited Paper Island multiple times since my first visit and attempted to try new foods and booths each time I go. I am not successful every time, but hey, I am trying to step out of my comfort zone.

Over the summer, I tried tacos for the first time in my life. I was a 19-year old who had never eaten a taco. Today, during my second visit of the day to the Glass Market, I decided to try another one (I honestly had not eaten another one since).

Guess what? It was delicious.

I guess going abroad has not only brought me out of my comfort zone physically. I have lived in Virginia my entire life and have never spent a significant amount of time away from the Old Dominion State. I think going abroad has also forced me to try new food and (most of the time) enjoy them.

Feeling Like a Tour Guide

Friday and Saturday, the first years from W&L got here for their Business 180 class. Having already been here for two and a half weeks, I felt ready to show the group around Copenhagen.

Today, we were unfortunately unable to take our tour around Copenhagen. As a person who loves maps and exploring, I took this as a chance to explore around Copenhagen. Cassidy and I were heading to Nyhavn when we ran into a group of first years, who looked hopelessly lost. Cassidy and I took them under our wing and headed over to Nyhavn to let them take tourist-y photos. They were so excited to finally find where they had been looking for.

After that, we headed over to one of my favorite parts of the city: the sidewalk trampolines! Everyone took photos and videos of them jumping around. They tried to see who could jump between the trampolines.

Next, we hit another one of Copenhagen’s highlights: Paper Island! I loved being able to show them the incredible food of Paper Island. I introduced them to duck fat fries, Danish barbecue (surprisingly delicious), and monster mojitos. It is so weird for all of us to be legal to drink in Copenhagen, as none of us are legal to drink in the United States. I think that has been one of the strangest and most difficult things to get used to in Denmark; I can order a glass of wine with dinner and I will not be ID’ed.

We continued to walk around Copenhagen and explore all the city has to offer. One of the first years even said “I have already fallen in love with the city.” It was so rewarding to be able to combine my love of exploring, maps, and showing people around.

Growing up, my father had an incredible sense of direction, while my mom’s was to say it simply, terrible. I, luckily, inherited my father’s sense of direction. I grew up directing my mother around a city I have lived in for much shorter than she. With a map in hand when I was ten, (yes, a real paper map!) I could get my mother anywhere in Richmond. By middle school, I could navigate my way to just about any city in Virginia. I now am fairly confident getting anywhere on the East Coast.

Coming to Copenhagen, I was excited to navigate a new city. I picked it up fairly quickly; I can get anywhere in the city after one walk in the daylight.

I was more than thrilled to share my knowledge of the city today. I hope they can pick up on Copenhagen’s roads as quickly as I did!

The Markets

One of the two buildings at the Glass Market.

Two of my favorite places to visit are the Glass Market and Paper Island. These unique markets have ample food options and are perfect for indecisive groups. My group frequently works near the Glass Market so we have been there plenty of times since we have arrived in Copenhagen. The only place back home that is even comparable to these two Markets are malls in my area. However, the food options at both markets are much higher quality foods than in the malls, as most food options that malls offer are fast foods.

The coolest thing about these Markets is their uniqueness. Paper Island is quite literally its own island full of food and drink options. I originally thought this would be an odd place due to people’s description of the cow hanging from the ceiling but it is far from it. The lively atmosphere and food ranging from duck burgers to greek food attracts a large crowd. It’s hard not to want to just hang out there to listen to the music and watch the boats go by. One of my favorite things to buy here is the duck sandwich. Since Dean Straughan recommended it, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try this and I was not disappointed. Although a tad greasy, duck is very tender and I am glad I tried it.

The Glass Market is two big glass buildings full of food as well. There they offer things such as sushi, sandwiches, French cuisine, smoothies, ice cream, duck sandwiches, pizza, fruit, vegetables, and chocolate. The Glass Market also has several butcher shops in one of the buildings for locals who would like to buy fish or meat. One of my favorite places to eat at the Glass Market is Un Mercato, a two-story restaurant located in the market that sells sandwiches, pasta, ricotta balls, etc. Although expensive, Un Mercato has sandwich specials such as a meatball or steak sandwich that are delicious. There is also a great lunch shop in the market that offers a drink and a sandwich for 77 Danish Kroner that I frequent as well.

In the next two weeks, I will continue to frequent these markets to try the different food options. It is impossible to try them all, but I am excited to take advantage of these unique places in the days to come.

Fredagsrock: Friday Family Fun

Each weekuring the summer, Tivoli hosts Fredagsrock (literally translates to Friday’s rock). Having heard good things about the event, I decided that I needed to experience it yesterday night. While I did not know any of the artists that would be performing the during our time here, I picked a day where two different Danish artists were performing. Why not experience the music culture of our host country? The night was advertised as a “dance party under an open sky,” which I thought could be fun. The two artists were Kongsted, a DJ, and Infernal, a dance/pop group (according to Wikipedia).

Although many claimed that Fredagsrock part of the Copenhagen experience and life, I was not sure what to expect. Hence, I was surprised that this was an event for everyone. I felt that every demographic was represented! There were families there with young children, couples out on a date, groups of friends looking for a fun night out and people of all ages. Looking around, there were the people dancing enthusiastically near the stage, a slightly older group bobbing to the music further in the back and people drinking beer at restaurants nearby.

Given that Fredagsrock is free with Tivoli entrance, I can easily see how the concerts become an important part of the nightlife in Copenhagen. For DKK 330, which is just under USD 50, you can have unlimited access to Tivoli and all the Fredagsrock concerts. If I was in Copenhagen for a longer period of time, I would definitely consider the annual pass. After all, Fredagsrock is not just Danish artists. For 2017, which is also the 20^th anniversary of Fredagsrock, the organizing group is bringing in international artists such as Lil Wayne, 5 Seconds of Summer and Brian Wilson. There is also a diversity in the type of music

One thing that I enjoyed about Fredagsrock was how relaxed the atmosphere was. Of course, people were excited to be there, but there was a lack of group mentality. If you wanted to dance like a crazy person, you could dance like a crazy person. On the other hand, you could also just to listen to music while having a drink and catching up with friends. And even though it was crowded, I never felt overwhelmed by the crowd and was thankful for the respect of personal space that can often be disregarded at concerts.

A Fredagsrock experience is really what you make of it. However, if you find that Fredagsrock is not your thing, Tivoli offers beautiful gardens, amusement park rides and even a 10-minute light/water show each day. There really is something for everyone!

Nyhavn

Nyhavn, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Denmark, invites anyone who visits to admire its colorfully painted townhouses, shops, bars, and restaurants. Between spending some time in Copenhagen with my father after my senior year of high school, coming back to spend two weeks here last spring, and now, living here for a month, I have visited Nyhavn quite a few times.

I prefer to go early in the morning before it gets too busy with tourist traffic. I find it interesting to think of what it may have looked like in days long past. In the 1600s, Christian V forced imprisoned Swedish soldiers to build the dock as a trade route to connect the vast ocean waters to the inner city and the royal palace. At the time, the port was viewed as a necessity for luxuries and food to be brought into the city, but it was also infamous for hard knuckled sailers, drinking, and prostitution.

A few centuries later, Nyhavn still bustled with trade and it had become a place of community, wealth, and the arts. In 1754, the Charlottenborg Palace (as it is known today) was built to house the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art. Later, in 1845, the famed Hans Christian Andersen moved into Nyhavn 67 and stayed their until 1864. Hans Christian Andersen is today viewed as one of the greatest fairytale authors of all time. Some of his most esteemed and well-known works include Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, and The Ugly Duckling. Andersen lived in Nyhavn for approximately two decades. In 1864 he left Nyhavn for several years. He returned in 1871 and moved into Nyhavn 18. Even today, Nyhavn 18 is home to his memory, as it has been converted into a H.C. Andersen tourist shop.

When World War II swept across Europe in the 1940s, Nyhavn’s trade practices took a major shift. For the past few decades, sea traversing ships had grown to be far too large to fit into Nyhavn’s port. Smaller ships had worked with their larger counterparts to continue Nyhavn’s trade of goods, but during the war, trade routes that replaced the small port were forged over land. Nyhavn became largely deserted as its purpose had been transposed.

After two decades, the Nyhavnsforeningen or Nyhavn Society, was founded to transform the area and take it back to its former glory. Since its revitalization, Nyhavn has served as a major attraction and veteran ship and harbor museum.

Sources: http://justincremer.com/words/features2/nyhavn.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn, http://www.biography.com/people/hans-christian-andersen-9184146

Glyptoteket Tuesdays

Realizing I have not taken advantage of the wonders of Copenhagen and been the dutiful tourist I should have been, I decided I would attempt to visit a site for every day remaining during my stay. My first spot was easy enough, given that the Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket is only a stone’s throw away, and is free on Tuesdays. Not knowing even what the Glyptoteket encompassed, I decided that the ease and price made it a good way to start knocking things off of my list. Upon entering, I was more than pleasantly surprised and astonished by the works which comprised the extensive collection.

Initially, I was taken aback by the beautiful and steamy garden which was the center of the building. High ceilings and lush plants filled the balmy space, with an adjacent café and people quietly moving about. What was amazing to me was just how hot the space was, practically sweltering. I am unsure what the exact cause of it but the glass enclosure was likely amplifying it, making it feel more Amazonian then Copenhagenian. Beyond this space, I found myself face-to-face with stone-cold faces made of stone. There were endless statues, both of ancient Greek as well as Egyptian origins. While I generally enjoy sculpture on the whole, I do not particularly care for statues, as they are often lifeless and not very emotive. There were room after room of such statues and figures, and I quickly lost interest, not being able to connect or understand these pieces, because to me, there seemed to be little to understand. Discouraged, given my love of art museums, I escaped the endless rows of heads and headed towards what I hoped would be art which I could enjoy.

Stumbling through the beautiful museum, I found myself in an exhibit titled French Painting. Not expecting much given the museum so far and not being sure of the depth of their collection, I went in with low standards. What I would find was an incredible collection of French paintings spanning 150 years of some of the most influential French painters. Manet, Degas, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Gauguin all were showcased in significant quantities of each. Underestimation is an understatement of what I anticipated for this art collection but it turned out to be extensive and enthralling. I spent close to an hour and a half looking at realist, romanticist, naturalist, and impressionist pieces. This grand collection of foreign art really speaks to the immense wealth of Denmark and their cultural appreciation. Carlsberg has done so much for this city and its influence is quite powerful in the city. Although the full name is often replaced simply by the Glyptoteket, it’s just another place where the Carlsberg name pervades.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the scope of many of the Copenhagen must-sees, and I realize that I need to better appreciate what this city has to offer. This is by no means an underwhelming city and as I continue to explore, I will make sure to go in with gusto and excitement. I look forward to trying to visit all the spots I can in the second half of my stay.

Not playing dress up anymore

I grew up in a household with two working parents. Everyday I would watch my parents go off to work in their professional clothing, commute into the city, have business meetings all day, and be in my mind what I considered “true professionals”. Even from a young age, I watched them in admiration- I couldn’t wait for the day that I got to also be a real adult who earned a living and did fun adult things.

The older I got, there were increasingly more occasions where I got to actually wear real working clothes and act like an adult. But every time I put on a suit or a nice dress, I felt like I was simply dressing up; playing a role for a few hours before I changed back into normal clothes. I my mind, I was still a child, waiting for the day that I would get be real “working girl”.

And suddenly, here I am, in Copenhagen, taking the train home from work, tired from a long day of meetings, ready to kick up my feet and relax until more work tomorrow. The business clothes I’m wearing no longer feel like dress up clothing, but just my normal everyday attire. So I guess that means I’m an adult now, right?

Writing this blog almost makes me laugh- I can’t really be an adult, right? I’m only 20! In the US, I can’t even legally drink! But somehow here I am, working a real job, and although it is technically for a class and we are not getting paid, it is for a real company and it is international work experience.

I always imagined the transition between childhood and adulthood to be more gradual. Maybe it was and I just missed it. But I feel like just yesterday I was home with my parents, and today I’m at work in a foreign country.

I realize I still have a year left of college until I am thrown into the real world where I will truly be living on my own. Hopefully by then I will have a job and an apartment and will feel like I have a better grasp on what being an adult is like.

I think one of the main lessons I will take away from my time in Copenhagen is that being an adult really isn’t all that different from being a child. Even adults still feel lost and confused, they still ask others for help and wonder when they’ll get their lives together. Maybe these feelings will eventually go away, but until then, I’ve learned that if you act confidently, work hard and don’t stress over the little things, everything will work out in the end.

Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today

For the past two Tuesday nights, our class has been attending “host family” dinners with Danish families located around Copenhagen. These dinners gave us a chance to not only have an amazing home cooked meal, but also gain some insight on what the typical family culture is like here in Copenhagen.

Now, while there are many similarities between the family environment here and what I grew up with, one of the main differences I discovered was our views on marriage. In the US, it is the norm (though this of course changes depending on area) that two people will date, marry and then have children. During my first host dinner here though, I learned that in Copenhagen, many couples chose to not marry or marry after they have kids. While many US couples marry because they are in love and see marriage as a way to publicly display that, couples here may chose to marry simply because of tax reasons or for custody reasons.In my mind, this seemed like the exact opposite of the normal US custom to get married but wait a few years to have children.

At first, I thought that this was strange and almost illogical- if you have already have children and know that you’re going to be spending you life together, why don’t you just get married? My host family explained that here, marriage is seen more as a government document, not a declaration of your love for another person.

In the specific family I was with, they had two children around 20 and 25 but the parents only got married 10 years ago. The mother said that they finally chose to “get hitched” when her husband was going on a trip, but the daughter quickly commented that it was also because her mom found a cheap wedding dress on sale. Their ceremony took place in their house with only a few friends and their children. This sounded more like a small get together than the extravagant family weddings I had grown up with.

In the US, the average wedding has around 120 guests and costs weeding nearly $27,000. Now weddings are amazing events to attend and they allow the bride and groom a chance to celebrate their love and party the night away with their friends, but $27,000 for one night of fun is a ton of money! I’m not saying that I don’t expect to have a fun wedding in my future, but I do understand the appeal of a typical Danish wedding and saving my money for another purpose.

Now there are of course many other interesting differences between a Copenhagen family and an American one. I think I found the varying views on marriage particularly interesting because in the US, marriage seems to be such a fundamental part of family culture. Here though, the focus seems be more on growing as a family before attempting to involve the government in their relationships.