(Title to be read in the voice of Columbo)
Hi friends.
It's been a while.
More than a while. It's been a year and two months.
I felt like there was one more issue that I needed to discuss. An issue that affects more expats than we like to admit, because we all think we're going to be the ones to stay on the "right" side of statistics.
And that, dear readers, is the issue of divorce.
Living in a new country, in a place where the language is different and the rules for everything are different... Well, it will make a person question nearly everything. Being newly married also does the same, but being newly married and in a new country is far more intense a crucible than some relationships can handle. If you're not careful, or if both parties aren't completely honest beforehand about what they want (for themselves, for the other person, and for the relationship as a whole), the issues magnify quickly.
As difficult as it is, I think this can be a good thing.
As much as divorce can be truly awful, it's just as awful to stay in a relationship that should not continue. I firmly believe that if a relationship is going to go wrong, it's best that it happen after only a couple of years, instead of waiting for all of the issues to slowly bubble to the surface.
So that both parties can move on to happier things.
I won't go into the process of how the whole thing works, as ours may have been unique, since I live in the US now. Suffice it to say, it's a long, emotional process.
But I have been lucky. When I moved back to the US, I decided to try living somewhere new, and it is a decision that I have not regretted for a second. I've been happier here in Seattle than I can ever remember being, and I have found scores of amazing friends who have been incredibly supportive and just downright amazing.
Is it possible to feel blessed if you're not even remotely religious? Maybe not, but I do feel grateful.
Divorce is hard. Neither party usually comes out of it looking particularly good. But it definitely forces you to take a hard look at yourself and the kind of person you want to be going forward, and the kinds of people you want to surround yourself with. And as someone who has always been an advocate of self-honesty, I think that's a wonderful thing.
I say all of this mostly to give you hope. Those of you who are struggling with a relationship that is struggling to handle the crucible.
My advice is this - Do what you can to make it work, but also recognize when you've done all you can. And then find somewhere that makes you truly happy, and people who make you feel grateful to be alive every day, and hold onto those things. Change is scary, but being stuck in a bad situation is even scarier.
I flew to Denmark one last time this past weekend, and my divorce became official yesterday.
And I'm okay. I'm more than okay.
You will be also be okay.
And you will be a wiser, more confident person than you ever thought you could be.
And those are invaluable things.
Good luck to you, reader. I hope you find the things that make you happiest and that you get to enjoy those things for the rest of your life.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Thursday, August 14, 2014
To Endings and Beginnings
Every good adventure story has a beginning, a middle and an end. It's only right that this adventure follow that same path.
In just under a week, my time in Denmark comes to a close.
I will be leaving the land of Scandinavians in skinny jeans on bicycles and landing in the land of Americans in skinny jeans on bicycles. I'll be trading in the rainy, flat landscape of Denmark for the rainy, mountainous landscape of Seattle, Washington.
While I'll miss eating excessive amounts of cake, I'll make up for it by eating copious amounts of pie.
Whether or not I'll be able to use my newly acquired fluency in Danish remains to be seen, but it'll certainly be a cool trick to pull out at parties.
So, if you happen to have a glass of something nearby, let me give it an imaginary clink, and a heartfelt "skål."
To endings and beginnings.
Farvel, Danmark, og mange tak. Jeg håber, vi ses igen snart.
In just under a week, my time in Denmark comes to a close.
I will be leaving the land of Scandinavians in skinny jeans on bicycles and landing in the land of Americans in skinny jeans on bicycles. I'll be trading in the rainy, flat landscape of Denmark for the rainy, mountainous landscape of Seattle, Washington.
While I'll miss eating excessive amounts of cake, I'll make up for it by eating copious amounts of pie.
Whether or not I'll be able to use my newly acquired fluency in Danish remains to be seen, but it'll certainly be a cool trick to pull out at parties.
So, if you happen to have a glass of something nearby, let me give it an imaginary clink, and a heartfelt "skål."
To endings and beginnings.
Farvel, Danmark, og mange tak. Jeg håber, vi ses igen snart.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Studieskolen - Studieprøven, Mundtlig Kommunikation
I'm taking a break from preparing for the looming final leg of the Studieprøve (which, for me, is tomorrow morning), as I realized that I haven't done a breakdown of this part of the exam.
So, it breaks down like this:
After we took the listening portion of the exam, we were handed a paper with a list of three umbrella topics, under each of which were a variety of possible directions to go in when talking about each topic. This time around, the umbrella topics are "sport's role in society," "the welfare state," and "public health in Denmark."
Unlike for the PD3, where we only needed to prepare a 2-minute presentation on a topic, for this exam we are expected to prepare three presentations, one for each umbrella topic. Each one needs to be 5 minutes long.
The day goes as follows: First, we come in and give a 1-minute presentation about ourselves (who we are, why we're taking module 6 Danish, what we're doing with our lives, etc.). We then choose, at random, one of 3 cards. That card will correspond to one of the umbrella topics we have prepared, and it's that presentation that we give. After that, we then take the remaining 20 minutes or so to have a discussion of the topic presented with the censor.
It's a lot more work that any of us expected. Because not only are we preparing 3 topics to present, we're also expected to know enough about each topic to discuss it for another 20 minutes after the presentation.
So, the exam sure does go out with a bang.
Luckily for me, I leave on Friday for a much needed trip back to the US to visit my family and friends. Even if I manage to forget every word of Danish that I've ever learned while I'm away, it's okay as long as I pass tomorrow, because I'll never have to take another Danish class EVER AGAIN.
So, it breaks down like this:
After we took the listening portion of the exam, we were handed a paper with a list of three umbrella topics, under each of which were a variety of possible directions to go in when talking about each topic. This time around, the umbrella topics are "sport's role in society," "the welfare state," and "public health in Denmark."
Unlike for the PD3, where we only needed to prepare a 2-minute presentation on a topic, for this exam we are expected to prepare three presentations, one for each umbrella topic. Each one needs to be 5 minutes long.
The day goes as follows: First, we come in and give a 1-minute presentation about ourselves (who we are, why we're taking module 6 Danish, what we're doing with our lives, etc.). We then choose, at random, one of 3 cards. That card will correspond to one of the umbrella topics we have prepared, and it's that presentation that we give. After that, we then take the remaining 20 minutes or so to have a discussion of the topic presented with the censor.
It's a lot more work that any of us expected. Because not only are we preparing 3 topics to present, we're also expected to know enough about each topic to discuss it for another 20 minutes after the presentation.
So, the exam sure does go out with a bang.
Luckily for me, I leave on Friday for a much needed trip back to the US to visit my family and friends. Even if I manage to forget every word of Danish that I've ever learned while I'm away, it's okay as long as I pass tomorrow, because I'll never have to take another Danish class EVER AGAIN.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Studieskolen - Studieprøven, Lytteforståelse Prep
The listening portion for the Studieprøve is tomorrow, and it's sort of a difficult thing to prepare for. Here's how this portion works:
Part I - In the first part of the exam, a teacher reads out an article, usually about something interesting that happened in Denmark's history. The text is read aloud twice, and our task is to answer 10 questions about the text. We can take as many notes as we like, and after the text is read twice, we are given 30 minutes to answer the questions. The good news - we're allowed to use Danish/Danish dictionaries. The bad news - the texts are usually written at a fairly high level, and will definitely include words that we've never heard before. For this portion, grammar and spelling aren't as important, as long as the answer is understandable and correct.
Part II - I don't know why, but I kind of like this part. Maybe it's because I'm one of those weirdos who kind of likes filling out forms. So, we're given a text with 30 words or phrases missing. The teacher then reads the article, and our task is to fill in the missing words that we hear during the reading. The text is read 3 times: once straight through, once with pauses after each missing word or phrase, and then a 3rd time all the way through without breaks. We're then given 20 minutes to make sure we have everything spelled correctly and with correct grammar. For this portion, the word or phrase has to be 100% correct, otherwise it's marked wrong.
As far as preparation for this part of the exam, I have only a few recommendations. First, do this to your dictionary:
For the second section, this will be extremely helpful. It's recommended that you look up every word in every phrase you've filled in, even if you are certain it's correct, just to be sure. And not having to sift through the dictionary trying to find the right section will save precious time.
It's also a good idea to listen to as much Danish as possible, and preferably Danish at a more advanced level than everyday conversations. Listening to Danish radio helps (which you can stream online here), but I also recommend a Danish podcast called Third Ear. If you like American public radio shows like This American Life or Radiolab, and you're pretty far along in your Danish learning, I highly recommend it. Really interesting storytelling, usually about Danish history (both recent and not-so-recent).
And as an update to my previous post, the issue with my stolen residence card has been sorted out. The administrators at Studieskolen sent me an email to print out and bring with me to the exam, which will act as dispensation. So, thank goodness for that.
So, anyway, that's enough for today. Good luck to everyone heading into the exam tomorrow.
Part I - In the first part of the exam, a teacher reads out an article, usually about something interesting that happened in Denmark's history. The text is read aloud twice, and our task is to answer 10 questions about the text. We can take as many notes as we like, and after the text is read twice, we are given 30 minutes to answer the questions. The good news - we're allowed to use Danish/Danish dictionaries. The bad news - the texts are usually written at a fairly high level, and will definitely include words that we've never heard before. For this portion, grammar and spelling aren't as important, as long as the answer is understandable and correct.
Part II - I don't know why, but I kind of like this part. Maybe it's because I'm one of those weirdos who kind of likes filling out forms. So, we're given a text with 30 words or phrases missing. The teacher then reads the article, and our task is to fill in the missing words that we hear during the reading. The text is read 3 times: once straight through, once with pauses after each missing word or phrase, and then a 3rd time all the way through without breaks. We're then given 20 minutes to make sure we have everything spelled correctly and with correct grammar. For this portion, the word or phrase has to be 100% correct, otherwise it's marked wrong.
As far as preparation for this part of the exam, I have only a few recommendations. First, do this to your dictionary:
It's also a good idea to listen to as much Danish as possible, and preferably Danish at a more advanced level than everyday conversations. Listening to Danish radio helps (which you can stream online here), but I also recommend a Danish podcast called Third Ear. If you like American public radio shows like This American Life or Radiolab, and you're pretty far along in your Danish learning, I highly recommend it. Really interesting storytelling, usually about Danish history (both recent and not-so-recent).
And as an update to my previous post, the issue with my stolen residence card has been sorted out. The administrators at Studieskolen sent me an email to print out and bring with me to the exam, which will act as dispensation. So, thank goodness for that.
So, anyway, that's enough for today. Good luck to everyone heading into the exam tomorrow.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Tempest in a Håndtaske
Having a wallet stolen is always disconcerting, and almost always comes with a host of inconveniences.
Such has been the case for me since I had my wallet stolen while walking around Magasin du Nord near Kongens Nytorv about a month ago.
I did all of the standard things as soon as I realized it was gone: cancelled my bank cards and ordered new ones, called the police to report the theft, etc. What I wasn't expecting was that I would later have issues when I showed up for the Studieprøve...
As is also the case with the Prove i Dansk 3, you're told to show up to the exam with photo identification, so that you can prove that you are the person that they have listed as signed up for the exam. What they don't quite make clear is that you're also supposed to be proving that you are a legal resident.
This is all well and good if you're an EU citizen, as you're allowed to live in Denmark just by virtue of living in the EU. But for those of us who are not from an EU country, our status as legal resident isn't proven just by showing a passport.
I showed up to the exam with my passport, completely unconcerned. There were two censors in our testing room, and the one who checked my legitimation insisted that I needed to prove my residency. Luckily, the other censor was actually my teacher from modules 3 and 4, so she vouched for me, but I was told that I needed to be sure to bring proof of residency to the next two parts of the exam.
Okay, fine, fair enough.
Off I went yesterday, to see what I could do about getting myself a new residency card before June 4th. The people I spoke to at the State Administration were very nice, and I filled out my form and ordered my new card without any issue.
Well... almost without any issue.
The thing is... according to the woman I spoke to, the cards are made by a different company, and so the State Administration can't really predict how soon my new card will come.
She said it will take anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months.
So... As you might expect, I had to go to the office at Studieskolen to explain the issue, and see what I can bring with me to prove that I'm allowed to be here. It seems that this isn't an issue that comes up very often, as the chances of having a residence card stolen right around the same time as an exam are pretty damn slim.
As of right now, I still don't have an answer. The women in the office at Studieskolen are looking into the issue, contacting an "expert," trying to figure out the solution.
So, that's today's little bit of advice - If you're not an EU citizen, bring your residence card.
Better safe than sorry.
Such has been the case for me since I had my wallet stolen while walking around Magasin du Nord near Kongens Nytorv about a month ago.
I did all of the standard things as soon as I realized it was gone: cancelled my bank cards and ordered new ones, called the police to report the theft, etc. What I wasn't expecting was that I would later have issues when I showed up for the Studieprøve...
As is also the case with the Prove i Dansk 3, you're told to show up to the exam with photo identification, so that you can prove that you are the person that they have listed as signed up for the exam. What they don't quite make clear is that you're also supposed to be proving that you are a legal resident.
This is all well and good if you're an EU citizen, as you're allowed to live in Denmark just by virtue of living in the EU. But for those of us who are not from an EU country, our status as legal resident isn't proven just by showing a passport.
I showed up to the exam with my passport, completely unconcerned. There were two censors in our testing room, and the one who checked my legitimation insisted that I needed to prove my residency. Luckily, the other censor was actually my teacher from modules 3 and 4, so she vouched for me, but I was told that I needed to be sure to bring proof of residency to the next two parts of the exam.
Okay, fine, fair enough.
Off I went yesterday, to see what I could do about getting myself a new residency card before June 4th. The people I spoke to at the State Administration were very nice, and I filled out my form and ordered my new card without any issue.
Well... almost without any issue.
The thing is... according to the woman I spoke to, the cards are made by a different company, and so the State Administration can't really predict how soon my new card will come.
She said it will take anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months.
So... As you might expect, I had to go to the office at Studieskolen to explain the issue, and see what I can bring with me to prove that I'm allowed to be here. It seems that this isn't an issue that comes up very often, as the chances of having a residence card stolen right around the same time as an exam are pretty damn slim.
As of right now, I still don't have an answer. The women in the office at Studieskolen are looking into the issue, contacting an "expert," trying to figure out the solution.
So, that's today's little bit of advice - If you're not an EU citizen, bring your residence card.
Better safe than sorry.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Studieprøven - How to Prepare
Under two weeks until the first part of the Studieprøve exam, and I'm feeling surprisingly calm.
My grades on the practice exams have been steadily improving, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I still have the most issues with the listening and dictation portion of the exam, but that part isn't until next month, so I've got a bit more time.
Today, I had a comment on a previous post from someone who is studying for the exam on her own, asking for suggestions for books or other resources to buy online. We didn't actually use any books this module, so here are my two suggestion for anyone looking for ways to help study for the Studieprøve:
1. Read the newspaper. We spend a lot of time in class reading through recent news articles about topics from Danish and European politics, to climate change, to Greenland, and more. Not only does this help with building vocabulary, but it also gives a lot of context that can be included in both the written and oral portions of the exam.
2. Practice, practice, practice. Nearly every day in class, we practice for the exam with one or more portions from previous exams. It's really helpful to get a feel for the layout and timing of the exam. For example, similar to the PD3 exam, there is a reading portion in which we're given a pamphlet and asked to scan through it and find short answers. Easy enough, but we're only given 25 minutes for this portion of the Studieprøve, so it's important to practice scanning and knowing how much time to take for each question. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you'll find examples of the various sections of the exam from previous years. SOOOOOO important to take advantage of these and keep yourself strictly to the time allowed for each section.
Hopefully those tips are helpful to those of you heading into the exams soon. I'd love you hear how it went for all of you when you're done.
My grades on the practice exams have been steadily improving, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I still have the most issues with the listening and dictation portion of the exam, but that part isn't until next month, so I've got a bit more time.
Today, I had a comment on a previous post from someone who is studying for the exam on her own, asking for suggestions for books or other resources to buy online. We didn't actually use any books this module, so here are my two suggestion for anyone looking for ways to help study for the Studieprøve:
1. Read the newspaper. We spend a lot of time in class reading through recent news articles about topics from Danish and European politics, to climate change, to Greenland, and more. Not only does this help with building vocabulary, but it also gives a lot of context that can be included in both the written and oral portions of the exam.
2. Practice, practice, practice. Nearly every day in class, we practice for the exam with one or more portions from previous exams. It's really helpful to get a feel for the layout and timing of the exam. For example, similar to the PD3 exam, there is a reading portion in which we're given a pamphlet and asked to scan through it and find short answers. Easy enough, but we're only given 25 minutes for this portion of the Studieprøve, so it's important to practice scanning and knowing how much time to take for each question. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you'll find examples of the various sections of the exam from previous years. SOOOOOO important to take advantage of these and keep yourself strictly to the time allowed for each section.
Hopefully those tips are helpful to those of you heading into the exams soon. I'd love you hear how it went for all of you when you're done.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Jobsamtalen
You're not crazy, there has, in fact, been a marked decrease in post frequency.
So, here's the latest:
I sent out a job application last weekend on a whim, expecting that, like generally happens, I would either not hear back, or would get an email saying that hundreds of people had applied for the position, and that I was not one of the ones chosen for an interview.
To my extreme surprise, I got an email back the following work day asking to set up a time for a phone interview. The phone interview went fantastically well. I'm not generally a cocky person, but when the call ended, I was 99% sure that I'd be asked to come in for an in-person interview.
And I was.
The interview took place two days ago, and I'm not quite as optimistic as I was after the phone interview. I wish I could say that I nailed it, but I was nervous. I think I'm better at sounding confident on the phone than in person. Must be all those years in radio, never seeing the faces of the people I was talking to. It's so difficult to know for sure with these things, and they did mention that they would be continuing to do interviews with other candidates throughout the rest of the week, before calling a few people in for a final interview.
At the moment, school is the backup plan. If I'm not offered this job, I'll go ahead and sign up for that supplementary Spanish course that I'd need to take to bump my foreign language from B-level to A-level, and hope that that helps me to land a spot in one of the 3 programs that I'm still waiting to hear back from.
And finally, yesterday was my birthday. The Big 3-3, if that's a thing. As is traditional here in Denmark, I brought cake to class with me. Then last night, my husband and I went out for a nice meal at Madklubben, followed by cocktails at a new-ish place called Strøm, which quickly became my favorite local bar. It's a cocktail bar with a pub feel. It's unpretentious, laid back, plays good music. It's 100% my kind of place.
So, that's the latest. The Studieprøve is coming up quickly, so look out for updates.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
A Wanna-Be Broadway Star in Retrospect
The Studieprøve exam is just a couple of months away, and almost every day in class is spent either doing practice tests, or going over some of the more complicated grammar rules, or trying to learn a few more new words.
Maybe it's because I've spent so much of the last year and a half looking forward towards this exam or that exam, that I have become a little bit nostalgic lately.
I've been expressing this nostalgia by uploading some of my old videos from back in the days when I wanted to be a Broadway star. Think Rachel Berry from Glee, but without the acting chops.
So, for those of you who love high school musical theater, or for those of you who want to see what a horrible actress I was back in the late 90s, here are a couple of samples.
We'll start with a scene from our 1998 production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (I'm the girl in red):
And the end of Act I from the same show:
And finally, my one scene from our 1999 production of The Wiz, in which I donned a puffy pink dress and tested out being a blonde for the first time:
I've posted the full productions of both shows on my YouTube channel, as well as the video from the 2001 musical showcase from my graduating class at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, if you want to check them out. I'm hoping eventually to upload a few more, but it takes some time to scrounge up the old VHS tapes and transfer them to DVD in order to upload.
So, that's that for today.
Maybe it's because I've spent so much of the last year and a half looking forward towards this exam or that exam, that I have become a little bit nostalgic lately.
I've been expressing this nostalgia by uploading some of my old videos from back in the days when I wanted to be a Broadway star. Think Rachel Berry from Glee, but without the acting chops.
So, for those of you who love high school musical theater, or for those of you who want to see what a horrible actress I was back in the late 90s, here are a couple of samples.
We'll start with a scene from our 1998 production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (I'm the girl in red):
And the end of Act I from the same show:
And finally, my one scene from our 1999 production of The Wiz, in which I donned a puffy pink dress and tested out being a blonde for the first time:
I've posted the full productions of both shows on my YouTube channel, as well as the video from the 2001 musical showcase from my graduating class at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, if you want to check them out. I'm hoping eventually to upload a few more, but it takes some time to scrounge up the old VHS tapes and transfer them to DVD in order to upload.
So, that's that for today.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
The Ansøgning Shuffle
The last few weeks have been stuffed to the gills with university application stresses.
The process of getting to the point where I can apply for university programs in both English and Danish has been a long one, culminating with this last module of Danish classes and a rush of trying to get paperwork together over the last month or so.
The application process here in Denmark is, on its surface, simpler than it is in America. But its open-ended nature makes it infinitely more stressful. Let me explain:
In the US, you get an application form to fill out, you write an essay about yourself, and you send the school your grades and your application fee. At least 10-15 years ago when I was last applying for colleges, that was how it went. All fairly low-tech, but what was expected of you was very clear.
Here in Denmark, the applications for almost all of the universities are done online through one central website, which then sends your information to your chosen schools. You fill out your personal information, choose up to 8 programs to apply to, upload your transcripts, proof of relevant experience, and (for most programs) what is called a "motiveret ansøgning," or motivation letter. It sounds pretty straight forward, but they leave it up to you to decide what documentation to upload, and aren't especially clear as to what constitutes proof of experience.
So, here's what I've managed to upload so far: My high school diploma and transcripts, the certificate and transcripts for the theater conservatory I went to back when I thought I wanted to be a Broadway star, and the transcript for the one semester at Emerson college that I managed before switching to said conservatory. I'm still impatiently waiting for transcripts from the university where I studied broadcasting, but they seem to be stuck in the 20th century, claiming that they need a signed request form mailed to them with a check, and claiming that they "don't have the capability" to scan and email the transcripts. This makes things infinitely more complicated and time-consuming when trying to accomplish it from overseas.
Not to mention, said university sent my first request form and check back, claiming that there was a hold on my account. After a lot of confusion/anger/stress, we finally determined that the hold was because of a $30 parking ticked that I apparently got 8 years ago. So, now that the bill is finally paid, we had to figure out a fast way to send the request and check back to them, and request that they send the transcript to my parents (who are, it would seem, far more technologically up to date than the university...), so that they can scan and email them to me.
There has to be a simpler way.
Actuallt, tthere is a simpler way. Emerson College has an online request form, through which you can request to have a secure PDF of your transcripts sent to you. I ordered mine last night, and had it uploaded to my application within an hour. How hard was that? Not hard, that's how hard.
But anyway, back to the applications...
So, as I mentioned, the whole thing is fairly open-ended. Especially when it comes to these motivation letters. I should also mention that 3 out of 4 of the programs I'm applying to require them, and 2 of those 3 need to be written in perfect Danish (the 3rd is for a course taught in English). So, I've written the two Danish letters and have forwarded them to my current Danish teacher, as well as my previous module's teacher, so that they can correct what I can only imagine are horrifying mistakes. But more troublesome than that, I have no idea if what I've said in the letters will be what the schools are looking for. Have I shown my knowledge of the programs well enough? Have I explained why my experience is relevant well enough?
Last things last, I've had a Danish friend helping me to translate my resume (or CV as they call it here in Europe), so that I can upload one in each language.
Will it all be enough? I honestly have no idea. I'm sure that I have more relevant experience than any kid straight out of high school, but have I documented it well enough?
All I can do is wait...
Who's stressed? Not me...
Nope...
Not stressed at all.
The process of getting to the point where I can apply for university programs in both English and Danish has been a long one, culminating with this last module of Danish classes and a rush of trying to get paperwork together over the last month or so.
The application process here in Denmark is, on its surface, simpler than it is in America. But its open-ended nature makes it infinitely more stressful. Let me explain:
In the US, you get an application form to fill out, you write an essay about yourself, and you send the school your grades and your application fee. At least 10-15 years ago when I was last applying for colleges, that was how it went. All fairly low-tech, but what was expected of you was very clear.
Here in Denmark, the applications for almost all of the universities are done online through one central website, which then sends your information to your chosen schools. You fill out your personal information, choose up to 8 programs to apply to, upload your transcripts, proof of relevant experience, and (for most programs) what is called a "motiveret ansøgning," or motivation letter. It sounds pretty straight forward, but they leave it up to you to decide what documentation to upload, and aren't especially clear as to what constitutes proof of experience.
So, here's what I've managed to upload so far: My high school diploma and transcripts, the certificate and transcripts for the theater conservatory I went to back when I thought I wanted to be a Broadway star, and the transcript for the one semester at Emerson college that I managed before switching to said conservatory. I'm still impatiently waiting for transcripts from the university where I studied broadcasting, but they seem to be stuck in the 20th century, claiming that they need a signed request form mailed to them with a check, and claiming that they "don't have the capability" to scan and email the transcripts. This makes things infinitely more complicated and time-consuming when trying to accomplish it from overseas.
Not to mention, said university sent my first request form and check back, claiming that there was a hold on my account. After a lot of confusion/anger/stress, we finally determined that the hold was because of a $30 parking ticked that I apparently got 8 years ago. So, now that the bill is finally paid, we had to figure out a fast way to send the request and check back to them, and request that they send the transcript to my parents (who are, it would seem, far more technologically up to date than the university...), so that they can scan and email them to me.
There has to be a simpler way.
Actuallt, tthere is a simpler way. Emerson College has an online request form, through which you can request to have a secure PDF of your transcripts sent to you. I ordered mine last night, and had it uploaded to my application within an hour. How hard was that? Not hard, that's how hard.
But anyway, back to the applications...
So, as I mentioned, the whole thing is fairly open-ended. Especially when it comes to these motivation letters. I should also mention that 3 out of 4 of the programs I'm applying to require them, and 2 of those 3 need to be written in perfect Danish (the 3rd is for a course taught in English). So, I've written the two Danish letters and have forwarded them to my current Danish teacher, as well as my previous module's teacher, so that they can correct what I can only imagine are horrifying mistakes. But more troublesome than that, I have no idea if what I've said in the letters will be what the schools are looking for. Have I shown my knowledge of the programs well enough? Have I explained why my experience is relevant well enough?
Last things last, I've had a Danish friend helping me to translate my resume (or CV as they call it here in Europe), so that I can upload one in each language.
Will it all be enough? I honestly have no idea. I'm sure that I have more relevant experience than any kid straight out of high school, but have I documented it well enough?
All I can do is wait...
Who's stressed? Not me...
Nope...
Not stressed at all.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Studieskolen - Module 6 is Melting My Brain
Oh, hi there!
Remember me? I'm that terrible blogger who hasn't written anything in nearly a month in a half. Yeah, that one!
The truth is, module 6 has us writing so much that I just haven't been able to bring myself to write more. Strangely, we took the entire class today to do a practice of the writing portion of the studieprøve exam, which is 3 hours of writing.
And yet, here I am. Go figure.
So, let's catch up a bit.
Firstly, module 6 is hard. On the very first day of class, we were already doing practice portions of the exam, which isn't until May/June. And everyone in the class got high scores on their PD3 exam, which means everyone is really damn good at Danish.
That being said, I at least would have passed the portion that we practiced that first day, which is reassuring. And the majority of university programs that require the studieprøve exam only require that you pass it with a score of 2 or higher.
As I mentioned, we're doing tons of writing, and often on topics that I struggle to stay interested in. For example, we spent a couple of weeks discussing the EU parliament and the Danes who sit on it. I wish I could care about EU politics, but as of yet, I haven't been able to.
Our teacher is tough, but nice. She knows a lot and expects a lot, but is also perfectly willing to go off topic on occasion.
And she reminds me of my sister. She actually looks a bit like her, and drinks huge amounts of coffee out of pint glasses, just like my sister does.
We'll be continuing to practice all of the many different bits of the exam for the next few months. Not only does this exam include the reading, writing, and speaking portions like the PD3 exam, but it also includes a listening portion, which includes some dictation. Dictation in which every word has to be spelled exactly correctly, otherwise the answer is considered completely wrong.
I'd like to go ahead and recommend a Danish dictionary. It's just Danish, not Danish-English, but I've found it really useful. It's actually just the updated version of one of the dictionaries that they have in every classroom at Studieskolen. Here it is:
Remember me? I'm that terrible blogger who hasn't written anything in nearly a month in a half. Yeah, that one!
The truth is, module 6 has us writing so much that I just haven't been able to bring myself to write more. Strangely, we took the entire class today to do a practice of the writing portion of the studieprøve exam, which is 3 hours of writing.
And yet, here I am. Go figure.
So, let's catch up a bit.
Firstly, module 6 is hard. On the very first day of class, we were already doing practice portions of the exam, which isn't until May/June. And everyone in the class got high scores on their PD3 exam, which means everyone is really damn good at Danish.
That being said, I at least would have passed the portion that we practiced that first day, which is reassuring. And the majority of university programs that require the studieprøve exam only require that you pass it with a score of 2 or higher.
As I mentioned, we're doing tons of writing, and often on topics that I struggle to stay interested in. For example, we spent a couple of weeks discussing the EU parliament and the Danes who sit on it. I wish I could care about EU politics, but as of yet, I haven't been able to.
Our teacher is tough, but nice. She knows a lot and expects a lot, but is also perfectly willing to go off topic on occasion.
And she reminds me of my sister. She actually looks a bit like her, and drinks huge amounts of coffee out of pint glasses, just like my sister does.
We'll be continuing to practice all of the many different bits of the exam for the next few months. Not only does this exam include the reading, writing, and speaking portions like the PD3 exam, but it also includes a listening portion, which includes some dictation. Dictation in which every word has to be spelled exactly correctly, otherwise the answer is considered completely wrong.
I'd like to go ahead and recommend a Danish dictionary. It's just Danish, not Danish-English, but I've found it really useful. It's actually just the updated version of one of the dictionaries that they have in every classroom at Studieskolen. Here it is:
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
2014 Preview
A friend of mine once told me that odd numbered years tend to be the toughest. Not all odd numbered years, but when a year is tough, it always seems to be odd numbered.
Now, I don't really believe in that kind of thing, but I will admit that 2013 has been a tough one, with almost everyone I know going through very difficult times. And I'll also admit that the last year that I had that came anywhere near to being as tough was 2009.
The good news is that 2014 is just hours away, and while much of how the year will go is up in the air, I'm doing my best to think of it as a year of possibilities.
So, what can you expect to read about? A few things:
- On the 6th of January, I'll make my way back to the halls of Studieskolen to begin module 6. That's right, they actually let me in. My oral exam didn't shake out as I'd hoped, as I was unexpectedly and excessively nervous. Having walked out of my little presentation with only a 7, I had to call the student counselor to see if they would still allow me to proceed. Luckily, the writing portion of the PD3 is the most important for module 6, and I'd gotten a 10 on that, so they signed me up without any issue. So that means even more Studieskolen updates.
- In February, the university application website opens, and I'll be able to start applying for programs at several of the schools in the Copenhagen area. Once all of that's done, I'll try to give updates on that process and the process of applying for SU (the student stipend that Danish and other EU citizens receive when they attend university). I've heard horror stories about how much bureaucracy and misinformation there is when it comes to my particular SU loophole, so… that should be interesting.
- We may have a chance to make a trip back to America this year. It's strange that it's been a year and a half since we've been there. The time here has really flown.
- Hopefully, if everything goes as I hope it will, I'll be heading back to school in the Fall. Which program? I don't know yet. Which school? Also a mystery. But I'm sure I'll post as soon as decisions are made.
So, I hope you all have a lovely New Years, and I hope your 2014 is full of just as many possibilities.
Now, I don't really believe in that kind of thing, but I will admit that 2013 has been a tough one, with almost everyone I know going through very difficult times. And I'll also admit that the last year that I had that came anywhere near to being as tough was 2009.
The good news is that 2014 is just hours away, and while much of how the year will go is up in the air, I'm doing my best to think of it as a year of possibilities.
So, what can you expect to read about? A few things:
- On the 6th of January, I'll make my way back to the halls of Studieskolen to begin module 6. That's right, they actually let me in. My oral exam didn't shake out as I'd hoped, as I was unexpectedly and excessively nervous. Having walked out of my little presentation with only a 7, I had to call the student counselor to see if they would still allow me to proceed. Luckily, the writing portion of the PD3 is the most important for module 6, and I'd gotten a 10 on that, so they signed me up without any issue. So that means even more Studieskolen updates.
- In February, the university application website opens, and I'll be able to start applying for programs at several of the schools in the Copenhagen area. Once all of that's done, I'll try to give updates on that process and the process of applying for SU (the student stipend that Danish and other EU citizens receive when they attend university). I've heard horror stories about how much bureaucracy and misinformation there is when it comes to my particular SU loophole, so… that should be interesting.
- We may have a chance to make a trip back to America this year. It's strange that it's been a year and a half since we've been there. The time here has really flown.
- Hopefully, if everything goes as I hope it will, I'll be heading back to school in the Fall. Which program? I don't know yet. Which school? Also a mystery. But I'm sure I'll post as soon as decisions are made.
So, I hope you all have a lovely New Years, and I hope your 2014 is full of just as many possibilities.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
PD3 Part I - THE RESULTS ARE IN!
The reading and writing portions of the PD3 exam were just under two weeks ago, and despite all of the preparation, I still felt nervous and unfocused. I just barely finished each section within the allotted time, mostly because I spent huge portions of time just staring down at my paper.
A few days before our scores were due to arrive, our teacher gave us a look at the answers to the reading portion. This was great and all, but with a crap memory like mine, it only helped to confirm the few answers that I could remember. Since our own answers were off being graded, we only had our own memories to go by as we checked the answers. What I was able to confirm was that the one question I was almost sure I got wrong was, in fact, wrong.
We celebrated finishing the most time-consuming bit of the exam with a party at our place the Friday after the exam. Everyone brought a dish from whatever country they came from, and the evening was full of fun conversation and TONS of food. It was the very definition of Danish hygge.
On Friday morning, as I walked to class, I checked my email hoping I would have the email containing my grades. I had, indeed, received an email from the school, but it looked at first like it only contained the time and place for my oral exam on the 16th. As I scrolled further down, though, I got a shock that almost had me shouting out loud right there on the sidewalk:
Resultatet af dine skriftlige prøver fra denne termin:
Læseforståelse: 10
Skriftlig fremstilling: 10
Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles… I actually managed to get the 10s I will need to continue on to module 6 after New Years!
I also received the subject for which I'm supposed to prepare a 2-minute monologue for the oral exam: Illegal dog breeds in Denmark.
We all know I love to talk about dogs, plus the topic was given well before we were expecting, giving us even more time than we thought we'd have to prepare.
Merry Christmas to me!
A few days before our scores were due to arrive, our teacher gave us a look at the answers to the reading portion. This was great and all, but with a crap memory like mine, it only helped to confirm the few answers that I could remember. Since our own answers were off being graded, we only had our own memories to go by as we checked the answers. What I was able to confirm was that the one question I was almost sure I got wrong was, in fact, wrong.
We celebrated finishing the most time-consuming bit of the exam with a party at our place the Friday after the exam. Everyone brought a dish from whatever country they came from, and the evening was full of fun conversation and TONS of food. It was the very definition of Danish hygge.
On Friday morning, as I walked to class, I checked my email hoping I would have the email containing my grades. I had, indeed, received an email from the school, but it looked at first like it only contained the time and place for my oral exam on the 16th. As I scrolled further down, though, I got a shock that almost had me shouting out loud right there on the sidewalk:
Resultatet af dine skriftlige prøver fra denne termin:
Læseforståelse: 10
Skriftlig fremstilling: 10
Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles… I actually managed to get the 10s I will need to continue on to module 6 after New Years!
I also received the subject for which I'm supposed to prepare a 2-minute monologue for the oral exam: Illegal dog breeds in Denmark.
We all know I love to talk about dogs, plus the topic was given well before we were expecting, giving us even more time than we thought we'd have to prepare.
Merry Christmas to me!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Studieskolen - HERE COMES THE PD3
What a terrible blogger I've been!
With the looming PD3 exam, I've been utterly distracted. So distracted, in fact, that the damn thing snuck right up on me.
In fact, it's tomorrow. Or rather, the first part of it is tomorrow.
Since we've spent the last month or so doing practice exams with actual previous PD3s, I am able to give a pretty good breakdown of how the thing works. So, here goes:
The first day of the exam lasts about 5 hours. It starts with the "reading and understanding" portion, which is broken up into 2 sections. First, we're given some kind of information booklet (so far we've seen booklets about Danish taxes, university programs, nature hikes and short trips within Denmark, among others), from which we answer maybe a dozen questions. We're given 25 minutes for this bit, so it's all about reading the Table of Contents and scanning through information. Next, we're given a packet with 2-3 articles and we're given 65 minutes to read them and answer questions. The tricky bit here is that they're looking for very specific answers, so if you haven't fully understood the text, you're likely to give either too much or too little information for your response, leading to them counting your answer wrong, even if it's mostly right. An important thing to note for this part of the exam is that, despite being allowed to use dictionaries for this part during all of the previous module exams, dictionaries of any kind are not allowed during this part of the PD3.
We'll then be given a 30 minute break, followed by the writing portion. Good news, folks - dictionaries of all kinds are allowed for this part! Here, we're expected to write two essays. One is a response to a letter or email, in which they're looking for more casual language. And for the second, we have a choice between two topics: One is based on statistics about Danes or Denmark in which we're supposed to show that we know how to analyze and discuss said statistics, and the second gives a topic for which there are several points of view and asks that we discuss the merits of some of them.
As I mentioned, we've been doing practice exams for the last month or so, and our teacher has been grading them as though they were real PD3 exams. Being used to an American grading system in which we're either graded from A to F, or we're graded on a percentage scale up to 100%, the Danish grading system is baffling to me. The possible grades are as follows: -3 and 00 are the grades below the failure line, a 2 is a passing grade, next is a 4 (which is the score needed to attain citizenship), followed by 7 (the American equivalent to getting a B), and finally 10 and 12. You need a 10 on all sections of the PD3 in order to proceed directly on the module 6.
How have I been doing to far? In the beginning, I was getting 7's on absolutely everything. Even the ones that I thought I'd done really well on, always a 7. Lately, though, I've been doing better. Mostly 10s, and even a 12 last week on a "reading and understanding" portion.
Here's hoping tomorrow's exam goes as well. A lot is riding on it.
No pressure or anything...
With the looming PD3 exam, I've been utterly distracted. So distracted, in fact, that the damn thing snuck right up on me.
In fact, it's tomorrow. Or rather, the first part of it is tomorrow.
Since we've spent the last month or so doing practice exams with actual previous PD3s, I am able to give a pretty good breakdown of how the thing works. So, here goes:
The first day of the exam lasts about 5 hours. It starts with the "reading and understanding" portion, which is broken up into 2 sections. First, we're given some kind of information booklet (so far we've seen booklets about Danish taxes, university programs, nature hikes and short trips within Denmark, among others), from which we answer maybe a dozen questions. We're given 25 minutes for this bit, so it's all about reading the Table of Contents and scanning through information. Next, we're given a packet with 2-3 articles and we're given 65 minutes to read them and answer questions. The tricky bit here is that they're looking for very specific answers, so if you haven't fully understood the text, you're likely to give either too much or too little information for your response, leading to them counting your answer wrong, even if it's mostly right. An important thing to note for this part of the exam is that, despite being allowed to use dictionaries for this part during all of the previous module exams, dictionaries of any kind are not allowed during this part of the PD3.
We'll then be given a 30 minute break, followed by the writing portion. Good news, folks - dictionaries of all kinds are allowed for this part! Here, we're expected to write two essays. One is a response to a letter or email, in which they're looking for more casual language. And for the second, we have a choice between two topics: One is based on statistics about Danes or Denmark in which we're supposed to show that we know how to analyze and discuss said statistics, and the second gives a topic for which there are several points of view and asks that we discuss the merits of some of them.
As I mentioned, we've been doing practice exams for the last month or so, and our teacher has been grading them as though they were real PD3 exams. Being used to an American grading system in which we're either graded from A to F, or we're graded on a percentage scale up to 100%, the Danish grading system is baffling to me. The possible grades are as follows: -3 and 00 are the grades below the failure line, a 2 is a passing grade, next is a 4 (which is the score needed to attain citizenship), followed by 7 (the American equivalent to getting a B), and finally 10 and 12. You need a 10 on all sections of the PD3 in order to proceed directly on the module 6.
How have I been doing to far? In the beginning, I was getting 7's on absolutely everything. Even the ones that I thought I'd done really well on, always a 7. Lately, though, I've been doing better. Mostly 10s, and even a 12 last week on a "reading and understanding" portion.
Here's hoping tomorrow's exam goes as well. A lot is riding on it.
No pressure or anything...
Thursday, October 17, 2013
How Rude...?
Before moving to Copenhagen, I read a lot of accounts from foreigners living here who complained that the Danes were rude. I argue that "rudeness" is highly relative. How rude the Danes seem depends a lot on how friendly your home town is.
My home town? Not especially friendly. Let me describe it a little bit...
I grew up in a suburb north of New York City. It's close enough that folks who work in NYC can buy homes and commute to work. It's got its pockets of less well-off areas, but overall the whole county has a good bit of money. And one thing that I've learned from having lived in both poor and wealthy cities is that folks with lots of money don't always feel the need to be friendly. Conversely, when I lived in Buffalo, NY, which is known for being almost as poor as Detroit, I found that almost everyone I met was open and friendly.
So now, let me compare waitstaff and retail workers in my hometown to the same here in Copenhagen. Back home, most of them are teenagers and 20-somethings. It's tough to make enough money making minimum wage or collecting tips to afford a place to live there, so a lot of them are still living with parents. Think back to yourself as an awkward teenager or disgruntled 20-something, and imagine trying to put a smile on your face and be friendly to a bunch of folks your parents' age who make more money than you. So, you'd tend to get service that was lackluster, to say the least. Here in Copenhagen, people live a fairly private life, even when in public. Interacting with strangers on a daily basis doesn't come easily to a lot of Danes. That being said, even the folks working in restaurants or in retail shops make a living wage here, so they tend to be less irritated about having to be at work.
Sure, the waiters don't work for tips here, which means they don't feel the need to put in the extra effort to be nice. But what that also means is that when they are nice, it's much more genuine. And let's be honest, the tip money doesn't help the kids back home working at the local diner to be especially friendly.
I can certainly see how coming from a town where everyone's fairly nice to everyone else can make the Danes seem cold to the point of rudeness, but I've found that folks here are usually as nice to us as we are to them. They don't take terribly kindly to being talked down to, as they have a culture that says that everyone should be on the same level, but my experience has been that when I'm smiling and kind to waitstaff and shop workers, they're pretty much always as smiling and kind right back.
My home town? Not especially friendly. Let me describe it a little bit...
I grew up in a suburb north of New York City. It's close enough that folks who work in NYC can buy homes and commute to work. It's got its pockets of less well-off areas, but overall the whole county has a good bit of money. And one thing that I've learned from having lived in both poor and wealthy cities is that folks with lots of money don't always feel the need to be friendly. Conversely, when I lived in Buffalo, NY, which is known for being almost as poor as Detroit, I found that almost everyone I met was open and friendly.
So now, let me compare waitstaff and retail workers in my hometown to the same here in Copenhagen. Back home, most of them are teenagers and 20-somethings. It's tough to make enough money making minimum wage or collecting tips to afford a place to live there, so a lot of them are still living with parents. Think back to yourself as an awkward teenager or disgruntled 20-something, and imagine trying to put a smile on your face and be friendly to a bunch of folks your parents' age who make more money than you. So, you'd tend to get service that was lackluster, to say the least. Here in Copenhagen, people live a fairly private life, even when in public. Interacting with strangers on a daily basis doesn't come easily to a lot of Danes. That being said, even the folks working in restaurants or in retail shops make a living wage here, so they tend to be less irritated about having to be at work.
Sure, the waiters don't work for tips here, which means they don't feel the need to put in the extra effort to be nice. But what that also means is that when they are nice, it's much more genuine. And let's be honest, the tip money doesn't help the kids back home working at the local diner to be especially friendly.
I can certainly see how coming from a town where everyone's fairly nice to everyone else can make the Danes seem cold to the point of rudeness, but I've found that folks here are usually as nice to us as we are to them. They don't take terribly kindly to being talked down to, as they have a culture that says that everyone should be on the same level, but my experience has been that when I'm smiling and kind to waitstaff and shop workers, they're pretty much always as smiling and kind right back.
Monday, September 23, 2013
That Time I Woke Up Danish
Just an absurd little anecdote for your first day of Fall:
Last Thursday, I had a very minor operation in what I hope to be the undramatic dramatic conclusion of my adventures getting an up close and personal look at Danish healthcare.
I've been conducting all of these meetings and examinations at the hospital in English, partially because I'm much worse at Danish when I'm nervous, but also because I don't want to mistranslate something that's said to me and have it lead to major confusion. That was the case on Thursday, of course. I chatted with all of the nurses in English, chatted with the surgeon in English, chatted with the student doctor who was watching the whole thing in English as well.
And then, they put me to sleep.
In my half-awake, drug-induced daze, I don't remember what questions they asked me when they woke me up from the anesthesia, nor do I remember if they asked them in English of Danish.
I do remember realizing almost immediately that I was responding to them in Danish.
In fact, the one thing that I very clearly remember saying as they rolled me back into the recovery room was, "Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor jeg taler Dansk."
Or, "I don't know why I'm speaking Danish..."
Last Thursday, I had a very minor operation in what I hope to be the undramatic dramatic conclusion of my adventures getting an up close and personal look at Danish healthcare.
I've been conducting all of these meetings and examinations at the hospital in English, partially because I'm much worse at Danish when I'm nervous, but also because I don't want to mistranslate something that's said to me and have it lead to major confusion. That was the case on Thursday, of course. I chatted with all of the nurses in English, chatted with the surgeon in English, chatted with the student doctor who was watching the whole thing in English as well.
And then, they put me to sleep.
In my half-awake, drug-induced daze, I don't remember what questions they asked me when they woke me up from the anesthesia, nor do I remember if they asked them in English of Danish.
I do remember realizing almost immediately that I was responding to them in Danish.
In fact, the one thing that I very clearly remember saying as they rolled me back into the recovery room was, "Jeg ved ikke, hvorfor jeg taler Dansk."
Or, "I don't know why I'm speaking Danish..."
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Wait, what?
I've talked a lot about how difficult it can be to pronounce Danish words to a degree that the Danes will understand.
Today, let me talk a little bit about how hard it is to understand the Danes.
First, a clip from a Danish film that we watched in class yesterday, called "Bænken" or "The Bench, " in case you're not sure what Danish sounds like:
Our teacher has taken to showing us Danish films on Fridays that are in some way related to the material we've been learning. The current chapter we're working on is about Danish drinking culture (the Danes drink a lot), and this film has a lot to do with excessive drinking. So, not only are they speaking Danish (which is mumbly on its best days), but the characters are also drunk off their asses most of the time.
That being said, we always watch Danish films with Danish subtitles, just so that we can follow what they're saying. Not such a shock for a foreigner to have an easier time if the subtitles are there, sure.
The thing is, the Danes use the subtitles too. I was just chatting with a Danish friend earlier today who said that she often turns on subtitles when watching Danish movies.
Now, sure, a lot of countries have a variety of accents which people from other parts of the country have trouble understanding. England is a great example, as they have countless different accents, and people from the south of England often have trouble understanding accents from the north. The opposite can be said of the US, in fact.
The thing is... Denmark is a very small country. There are only 6 million people living here.
It strikes me that 6 million people shouldn't have such a tough time understanding each other.
But the one phrase that you'll hear the Danes say to each other more than almost anything else is, "Hvad siger du?" which translates to, "What did you say?"
Today, let me talk a little bit about how hard it is to understand the Danes.
First, a clip from a Danish film that we watched in class yesterday, called "Bænken" or "The Bench, " in case you're not sure what Danish sounds like:
Our teacher has taken to showing us Danish films on Fridays that are in some way related to the material we've been learning. The current chapter we're working on is about Danish drinking culture (the Danes drink a lot), and this film has a lot to do with excessive drinking. So, not only are they speaking Danish (which is mumbly on its best days), but the characters are also drunk off their asses most of the time.
That being said, we always watch Danish films with Danish subtitles, just so that we can follow what they're saying. Not such a shock for a foreigner to have an easier time if the subtitles are there, sure.
The thing is, the Danes use the subtitles too. I was just chatting with a Danish friend earlier today who said that she often turns on subtitles when watching Danish movies.
Now, sure, a lot of countries have a variety of accents which people from other parts of the country have trouble understanding. England is a great example, as they have countless different accents, and people from the south of England often have trouble understanding accents from the north. The opposite can be said of the US, in fact.
The thing is... Denmark is a very small country. There are only 6 million people living here.
It strikes me that 6 million people shouldn't have such a tough time understanding each other.
But the one phrase that you'll hear the Danes say to each other more than almost anything else is, "Hvad siger du?" which translates to, "What did you say?"
Friday, August 30, 2013
Pludselig Kan Jeg Forstå Dig!
So... all of a sudden, I can speak Danish.
I'm not sure when the shift happened from me feeling like I just didn't understand enough Danish to converse to suddenly feeling fairly comfortable with it. The change seemed to just appear from thin air.
It's a nice change.
Last week, I was hunting for a used digital piano on what is basically the Danish equivalent to Craigslist. I wasn't feeling terribly optimistic, because I'd never had a response from anyone I'd ever contacted from the site about anything. This time, however, I felt at least confident enough to write my inquiries in Danish, so I responded to two ads. And within an hour, I had responses from both. I arranged to take a look at one of the pianos, and when I was biking there, I decided I would try to get through as much of the conversation as possible in Danish.
We ended up doing the entire deal in Danish, and he actually seemed surprised to find out that I wasn't Danish. Point for me!
And just now, while out walking the dog, I struck up a conversation with a woman who's daughter I normally see walking their dog. She asked me where I was from, and when I told her, she said (in Danish, of course), "Oh, yes, I thought I heard a bit of an accent." She was then surprised to learn that I'd only been here a little over a year.
Granted, I've gotten pretty used to responding to the kinds of questions other dog owners ask, so it wasn't anything too complicated, but I'm feeling a little bit proud of my Danish skills lately.
It's refreshing to suddenly understand most of the conversations going on around me. There are still countless words that I don't know, but I'm feeling more and more confident that I might be able to do fairly well on my PD3 exam in November.
I'm not sure when the shift happened from me feeling like I just didn't understand enough Danish to converse to suddenly feeling fairly comfortable with it. The change seemed to just appear from thin air.
It's a nice change.
Last week, I was hunting for a used digital piano on what is basically the Danish equivalent to Craigslist. I wasn't feeling terribly optimistic, because I'd never had a response from anyone I'd ever contacted from the site about anything. This time, however, I felt at least confident enough to write my inquiries in Danish, so I responded to two ads. And within an hour, I had responses from both. I arranged to take a look at one of the pianos, and when I was biking there, I decided I would try to get through as much of the conversation as possible in Danish.
We ended up doing the entire deal in Danish, and he actually seemed surprised to find out that I wasn't Danish. Point for me!
And just now, while out walking the dog, I struck up a conversation with a woman who's daughter I normally see walking their dog. She asked me where I was from, and when I told her, she said (in Danish, of course), "Oh, yes, I thought I heard a bit of an accent." She was then surprised to learn that I'd only been here a little over a year.
Granted, I've gotten pretty used to responding to the kinds of questions other dog owners ask, so it wasn't anything too complicated, but I'm feeling a little bit proud of my Danish skills lately.
It's refreshing to suddenly understand most of the conversations going on around me. There are still countless words that I don't know, but I'm feeling more and more confident that I might be able to do fairly well on my PD3 exam in November.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Studieskolen - Module 5.1, The Remix
Oh, hi there! Thought I forgot about you, eh?
Nope, it's just been a busy Summer, with doctor visits galore, classes, traveling to see a sick relative, and having family in town. Not to mention a puppy who's managed to end up with giardia, which has been... smelly and time-consuming.
But, as planned, I have returned for another go-around with module 5.1, rejoining my class from before the Summer "break." And boy am I glad to be back. It's nice to see familiar faces and to hear familiar Danish. Plus, I really do like the way our teacher teaches.
In other news, last week I embarked on what I'm calling Project Let's-Find-Out-if-Ruby-is-a Piano-Prodigy.
In preparation for auditions to try to get into a music program at a university here in Copenhagen, I've started to take piano lessons. I've never taken lessons on an instrument, and have only really learned to read music as a singer, so... I'm leaning towards me not being a prodigy.
That being said, I do have the advantage of already knowing quite a bit about music, so the teacher has been able to skip a lot of the basic music theory stuff and jump right into trying to train my hands to listen to my brain.
I'm convinced my left hand is controlled by someone other than me.
Nope, it's just been a busy Summer, with doctor visits galore, classes, traveling to see a sick relative, and having family in town. Not to mention a puppy who's managed to end up with giardia, which has been... smelly and time-consuming.
But, as planned, I have returned for another go-around with module 5.1, rejoining my class from before the Summer "break." And boy am I glad to be back. It's nice to see familiar faces and to hear familiar Danish. Plus, I really do like the way our teacher teaches.
In other news, last week I embarked on what I'm calling Project Let's-Find-Out-if-Ruby-is-a Piano-Prodigy.
In preparation for auditions to try to get into a music program at a university here in Copenhagen, I've started to take piano lessons. I've never taken lessons on an instrument, and have only really learned to read music as a singer, so... I'm leaning towards me not being a prodigy.
That being said, I do have the advantage of already knowing quite a bit about music, so the teacher has been able to skip a lot of the basic music theory stuff and jump right into trying to train my hands to listen to my brain.
I'm convinced my left hand is controlled by someone other than me.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Cozying up to Socialized Medicine
Over the last couple of weeks, I've managed to get a first-hand look at some of the pros and cons of the Danish healthcare system.
Up until two weeks ago, I'd only needed to see my regular doctor a couple of times for minor things. But sometimes life decides to toss a whole lot at you at once, and this appears to be one of those times.
Having visited my local hospital 3 times in the last week and a half, and with more visits impending, I now have a much clearer understanding of the way the system works. And, in some cases, doesn't work.
I'll start with my first trip to the hospital, which was about a week and a half ago. We probably should have asked the taxi to take us to the ER, but we just asked to go to the hospital. So, he dropped us off at the main door, and we went to the information desk to ask where to go. Instead of sending us to the ER, he sent us directly up to the department that would deal with my particular issue. The nurses there were lovely. I filled out some forms, and waited around for a while. They were right in the midst of a shift change, so it ended up being a couple of hours of waiting, but otherwise they were all perfectly nice. When I finally saw a doctor, she was absolutely lovely. When it was all done, I was sent on my way, relived at the idea that I wouldn't be getting a huge bill in the mail from the ordeal.
Visit number two happened a few days later, and didn't start out quite as smoothly. We went, once again, to the information desk, who sent us to the same department we'd been in a few days prior. When we got there, we couldn't find anyone. We finally came across a doctor and explained why we were there. She looked at us baffled, and told us, "You can't just come up here. You have to have a doctor call us and tell us you're coming." I explained that it was Saturday, which is why we couldn't have gone to my doctor, and she told me that an emergency doctor had to call her department. When we asked where we could find an emergency doctor in the hospital where she works, she responded with, "I don't know. Can't you just Google it?" At that point, we went back to the information desk and were directed to the emergency room. From that point on, everyone was much nicer and more helpful.
At the end of visit number two, I was told that (if necessary) I could come back within the next seven days without having to go through the ER first. This turned out to be necessary. I decided to call first to let them know I was coming, so I looked the number for the department up on the hospital website. The woman on the phone was lovely, but told me to call another number. I called that number, and was rudely told to call another number. Luckily, the third number was the charm, and off I went. This third visit also went fairly smoothly, though there was some confusion when my doctor changed in the middle due to another shift change.
One thing that I've observed over the last year of living here and my occasional trips to see the doctor, is that they seem to like to do as few tests and examinations as possible. In fact, I have never once actually been examined by my doctor. Every time I visit him, I sit in a chair and we chat. Sometimes he'll refer me somewhere for blood tests or other various things, but he has never once even touched me other than to shake my hand. It makes sense that, with socialized medicine, they don't want to spend any more time or money than necessary, but I do worry that they might miss something crucial.
That being said, the hospital is planning to have me back for even more tests for an issue that my American doctors never seemed to question.
The best thing about all of this is knowing that, not only will I not be getting a bill in the mail, I also won't have to spend days on the phone arguing with an insurance company to get them to cover it.
The bad news? My impending hospital visits involve needles. Lots and lots of big, scary needles.
Have I mentioned my needle phobia?
Up until two weeks ago, I'd only needed to see my regular doctor a couple of times for minor things. But sometimes life decides to toss a whole lot at you at once, and this appears to be one of those times.
Having visited my local hospital 3 times in the last week and a half, and with more visits impending, I now have a much clearer understanding of the way the system works. And, in some cases, doesn't work.
I'll start with my first trip to the hospital, which was about a week and a half ago. We probably should have asked the taxi to take us to the ER, but we just asked to go to the hospital. So, he dropped us off at the main door, and we went to the information desk to ask where to go. Instead of sending us to the ER, he sent us directly up to the department that would deal with my particular issue. The nurses there were lovely. I filled out some forms, and waited around for a while. They were right in the midst of a shift change, so it ended up being a couple of hours of waiting, but otherwise they were all perfectly nice. When I finally saw a doctor, she was absolutely lovely. When it was all done, I was sent on my way, relived at the idea that I wouldn't be getting a huge bill in the mail from the ordeal.
Visit number two happened a few days later, and didn't start out quite as smoothly. We went, once again, to the information desk, who sent us to the same department we'd been in a few days prior. When we got there, we couldn't find anyone. We finally came across a doctor and explained why we were there. She looked at us baffled, and told us, "You can't just come up here. You have to have a doctor call us and tell us you're coming." I explained that it was Saturday, which is why we couldn't have gone to my doctor, and she told me that an emergency doctor had to call her department. When we asked where we could find an emergency doctor in the hospital where she works, she responded with, "I don't know. Can't you just Google it?" At that point, we went back to the information desk and were directed to the emergency room. From that point on, everyone was much nicer and more helpful.
At the end of visit number two, I was told that (if necessary) I could come back within the next seven days without having to go through the ER first. This turned out to be necessary. I decided to call first to let them know I was coming, so I looked the number for the department up on the hospital website. The woman on the phone was lovely, but told me to call another number. I called that number, and was rudely told to call another number. Luckily, the third number was the charm, and off I went. This third visit also went fairly smoothly, though there was some confusion when my doctor changed in the middle due to another shift change.
One thing that I've observed over the last year of living here and my occasional trips to see the doctor, is that they seem to like to do as few tests and examinations as possible. In fact, I have never once actually been examined by my doctor. Every time I visit him, I sit in a chair and we chat. Sometimes he'll refer me somewhere for blood tests or other various things, but he has never once even touched me other than to shake my hand. It makes sense that, with socialized medicine, they don't want to spend any more time or money than necessary, but I do worry that they might miss something crucial.
That being said, the hospital is planning to have me back for even more tests for an issue that my American doctors never seemed to question.
The best thing about all of this is knowing that, not only will I not be getting a bill in the mail, I also won't have to spend days on the phone arguing with an insurance company to get them to cover it.
The bad news? My impending hospital visits involve needles. Lots and lots of big, scary needles.
Have I mentioned my needle phobia?
Monday, July 8, 2013
Studieskolen - Module 5.1, The Overachievers
Who goes to Summer classes at Studieskolen?
The overachievers, that's who.
At least, it seems that way.
While the class is supposedly supposed to have 11 people in it, it seems that there are actually only 5-7 students. This is the smallest Danish class I've been in at Studieskolen, and it's nice to be able to have more individual attention.
Like I said, though, the other students in the class are all damn good at Danish. One girl said on the first day that she only reads books in Danish, so her vocabulary is freakin' enormous. One guy (the only guy in our class, other than the teacher) said that he learned Danish at age 16, though I'm still not quite sure why (he's Turkish, and Danish seems like a pretty obscure language to learn in high school). Still another girl has already done module 5.1 once before, so she's got all of the answers in her book already. Not to mention, when I arrived in class this morning I saw her reading the dictionary!
So, I'm feeling a bit behind at the moment.
The good news is, the class is as relaxed as a Summer class should be.
The bad news is that it turns out that our class will be cut short by 2 weeks, as the teacher who was supposed to teach at the end is in the hospital (she's fine, but won't be able to teach, from what I understand).
So, more than ever, I'm glad that I decided in advance to repeat module 5.1 in the Fall, so that I'm sure not to miss anything important.
I'm still annoyed that my own memory for words sucks so much. Anyone have any memory-improving tips?
The overachievers, that's who.
At least, it seems that way.
While the class is supposedly supposed to have 11 people in it, it seems that there are actually only 5-7 students. This is the smallest Danish class I've been in at Studieskolen, and it's nice to be able to have more individual attention.
Like I said, though, the other students in the class are all damn good at Danish. One girl said on the first day that she only reads books in Danish, so her vocabulary is freakin' enormous. One guy (the only guy in our class, other than the teacher) said that he learned Danish at age 16, though I'm still not quite sure why (he's Turkish, and Danish seems like a pretty obscure language to learn in high school). Still another girl has already done module 5.1 once before, so she's got all of the answers in her book already. Not to mention, when I arrived in class this morning I saw her reading the dictionary!
So, I'm feeling a bit behind at the moment.
The good news is, the class is as relaxed as a Summer class should be.
The bad news is that it turns out that our class will be cut short by 2 weeks, as the teacher who was supposed to teach at the end is in the hospital (she's fine, but won't be able to teach, from what I understand).
So, more than ever, I'm glad that I decided in advance to repeat module 5.1 in the Fall, so that I'm sure not to miss anything important.
I'm still annoyed that my own memory for words sucks so much. Anyone have any memory-improving tips?
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