Elissa Goes Abroad

An Albany-based Designer/Photographer/Writer who sometimes finds herself in the midst of an adventure. With a never-satiated wanderlust, traveling is more than just the sights you see; it's the emotions we feel, the senses we engage, the friends we make, the laughs we have, the cultures we experience, the ways we change, and the stories we want to tell the world. Each adventure shapes the way I see the world, and inspires me to show the world how I see it in return.

Showing posts with label church. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014: A Summary

I've had an incomplete post sitting in my drafts for a couple months now, one that I just ctrl+A and deleted. It's not that I couldn't be bothered to finish it, it's that life got so busy and I forgot about it until now, when I was thinking about writing my summary of 2014 post. My thoughts from that entry will be included in this one, as they are all part of the big picture of 2014.

I returned from Denmark just under three months ago, and my aforementioned blog post talked about my transition back to life in the US, which was difficult for me. It took me just as long, if not longer, to re-adjust to my "normal" life as it was in the US than it did for me to get used to my life in Denmark. Life back in the States felt mundane and boring (and still does, to some extent). The analytical comparisons I was making while in Denmark turned into, well, comparative comparisons. I would think things like: "Well Denmark does_______better" not "Denmark is different because..." Three months later I still occasionally make those comparisons, but they've dwindled into the things that are more thought than said. That being said, I think it was last week I said as I was falling asleep at my desk: "Well I wish I had my standing desk from Denmark. I never once felt tired at 3 in the afternoon!" I've also changed, and not just my perspective. My friends would tell you I'm much different than I used to be. I'm far more open (blunt, perhaps?) and without a filter. I'm more confident, and perhaps more anxious. I have a wanderlust now, and I'm trying very hard to satisfy that need. But, in introspect, I also think these changes in me have pushed people away...but it is hard for me to pinpoint exactly when these rifts started forming, if they are there at all. For all I know, these so-called "rifts" could just be the illusions of getting older and forming different lives and taking different paths. Regardless...

I think 2014 was my best year so far, and the most challenging. So let's start at the beginning.

January 2014 began with the largest artistic undertaking of my life: My thesis project. It frustrated me sometimes; it made me want to yell, to cry, to stop and give up. But I prevailed, and wound up with an end product I am almost entirely satisfied with. In the coming year, I will try to continue adding to my book of churches, and even harder to make this tour something my city wants. It is applicable to life and tourism in my beautiful city, and although it may be arrogant of me to say, this is something my city needs.

The rest of my final semester brought about some great memories and people: I took a creative writing class in which I produced a short story, a story I consider to be one of my best written pieces (and one my professor thinks I could get published...but I've yet to attempt doing so. Perhaps that'll be a 2015 goal). I attended the Albany ADDY Awards with my team from Overit and proudly took a silver student award home for Point-of-Purchase design.

I took an Intro to Marketing class. My professor was enthusiastic, intelligent, experienced (to my delight, a former LEGO employee!), and just overall an amazing individual; he is one of the driving forces that encouraged me to go to Denmark. John, if you're reading this, thank you for all of your support (and cover letter proof-reading!). Although I only took one class with you, you inspired me into having the most life-changing experience. I don't think I could ever thank you enough.

In May, I finally graduated college. Five years, two schools, countless hours of work, drops of blood, towels of sweat, tissues of tears, and mountains of debt later, I finally did it. There are moments during the day when I surprise myself and think I'd rather be in class, but the moment is gone as it came, and I'm back to not missing academia much at all.

After May, much of my summer "events" and happenings occurred simultaneously:

In the absence of classes (because I simply do not know how not to learn), my friend and I took up learning languages. I am refreshing my Spanish, dabbling in Danish, plowing through German, and attempting the conlang (constructed language, aka it's not a "real" language) of my friend's invention. Learning these languages helps me not just learn how to speak them, but more about English, which is really great. Do you know what a pragmatic particle is?

In late spring, I became an active, open (read: out-of-the-closet) member of a fandom I had previously just been lurking in for the past ten years. I wound up drawing a lot as a result of being inspired, and became part of a group of artists like me. These people very quickly became my close friends, inspirations, heroes, and collaborators. I am proud to be one of you, and glad y'all welcomed me with open arms, and look forward to the day I get to meet you all. I enjoy talking with you every day, and it is nice to know that there is usually a friend online somewhere if I need one to be. To my friends (even the ones not in the art group), you help me understand cultures, new languages, and the lore of our unifying franchise. Big shout out to Corv, who deservingly won his dream job as a LEGO product designer and starts next week. You'll be awesome. Unity, duty, destiny!

Over the summer I became great friends with two amazing Danish girls who came and visited. In the US we had a lot of fun together (caving, hanging out, and getting really drunk (wait, that was just me, wasn't it?)). Although we were all NGE our exchanges were different, we shared the experiences of being in other's countries and out of each other's comfort zones. Well, at least I was out of my comfort zone by a leap, a bound, and a transatlantic flight. As mentioned in my previous blog entries, I loved getting to spend time with you in your cities and learning about your culture.

Also over the summer, I visited Iceland and Denmark. They were my first independent trips abroad (as in, not having anyone I knew with me). I'll just say another quick thank you to the people who made this possible and amazing. Mom & Dad, John, The Delmar Rotary Club, the Vejlefjord Rotary Club, The Pedersen Family, The Sigvert Family, Lars & the Uhrenholt team, Christina, Arense, and anyone else I could possibly be forgetting. I also got to meet my oldest internet friend, Giada, while abroad (from the fandom mentioned above too, how about that!?) Thank you all for making the experience what it was. It was incredible. I won't describe my trip, but go back and read the previous blog entries ;)

Upon my return from abroad (within a week!), I found out I was the recipient of two American Graphic Design & Advertising awards, and I was on a plane bound for Texas to see my cousin Emily as a beautiful bride, which really didn't help the jetlag. While my time in Texas was short, I really enjoyed getting to see the family I haven't seen in a very long time, and see a part of the country I'd never been before.

In the past month, I have gotten my first full-time job (and in my field!). I'm around cars, looking at cars, and talking about cars all day long, and that makes the gear-head in me happy. It can be repetitive, but I cannot really complain about the work. I'm hardly bored, and I'm kept busy. Except right now. I'm not busy right now. End-of-the-month lull. I'm writing this at work... shhhhh. But I do miss the view from my desk at Uhrenholt. Tacking a photo of the view through the window up on my cubicle wall is not the same. And it doesn't smell like the ocean either. Maybe it's a scratch and sniff... Nope. Well it was worth a shot.

This year was a mixed bag of emotions. It brought agonizing heartache, but it also brought exhilaration and days of happiness. I lost friends, but it gave me amazing new friends and brought me closer to some of the ones I already have. I made the right choice wearing silver and gold today.

The new year is bound to bring new and exciting things (hopefully). September will hopefully bring me to Iceland again, and then England with one of my best friends, where we will [hopefully] visit my friend Tom. But other than the new goal to publish my short story and travel abroad once more, I have no idea what the year has in store for me.

Well, I guess I better "get back to work." Those Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram banner ad templates aren't going to make themselves.

Godt nytår, mine venner.

Until next time,

E

Sunday, October 5, 2014

To Denmark, With Love: A Reflection

Dear Denmark,

I say this time and time again, if six months ago you had asked me if I thought I would be here, if I could do this, I would have instantly told you no. But now it feels like just yesterday I stepped off that plane, shaking and sick to my stomach. My two months flew by, and I have grown so much and understand so much more about myself: my flaws, my skills, my confidences, my abilities, are are much clearer now. I now know that I can be okay, that I can feel at home in a place that isn't my home. I want to do this again.

Denmark, you and I have shared a very important chapter of our lives together. Thanks to the Vejlefiord Rotary Club, I was blessed with the most incredible family, the thing I will miss the most. My family understood I was a introverted recluse from the beginning, and they understood it seems. I battled with this for eight weeks.

This is probably the biggest thing I would do differently. I, much like the rest of my generation, view my technologies and devices as extensions of myself, and I'm addicted to them. Most often, I did as Christina had done in our house (and also as my father had instructed), sitting in public places when on my laptop or phone like the living room. My friends and I sit on our laptops and phones and talk and show things to each other, so I never really considered how doing this would hinder accessibility, and in retrospect I definitely would change that. I feel bad about that, actually. I struggle with making conversation in general, and I know Sophie and Christian suffered from both my reclusive personality, the computer, my flawed ability to converse, and my uncertainty on what to say/do with kids their age. I'm truly sorry if I did not live up to your expectations, but you were two of the sweetest and most amazing kids I've met and you will grow up to be so smart, so funny, so talented, and wonderful people just like your parents.

I will miss you all terribly, the way you made me laugh, and made fun of me trying to say Danish words. I am ever grateful for the experience you have given me. You showed me so much of Denmark, from its family life, to the countryside, to the cuisine, to even a little bit of Deutschland! You told me, that at the rate I was finishing the manual, I'd be staying until Christmas. The fact that you made my last supper a Christmas dinner is a symbol I'll never forget. I look forward to the day we meet again.

I will miss Arense and Christina, my Danish sisters. It is tough knowing that our friendship happened so quickly, shared between experiences and two countries, and although this friendship is far from over, it is anything but over, it will require more effort to maintain. I loved the cities you showed me; you gave me the [real] interaction with college-age individuals I needed, and if I were to repeat this experience, I would have loved to live in Aarhus to experience that social aspect that I generally lacked in Middelfart. We shall see each other again soon, whether in Denmark or in the US.

I will miss my team at Uhrenholt. Truth be told, I was scared to be working in a corporate setting. But you all showed me that a thick style guide doesn't mean one can't have fun with rules. Løne, thank you for providing me with a 104-page project that encouraged me to think outside the box within the box. I am proud of my involvment in it, and I hope that everyone else likes it too.

To the marketing department, I did have a blast working with each and every one of you, even if we sometimes disagreed about English syntax, diction, and grammar. Lars, you in particular are one of the greatest superiors I could have asked for. I'll miss seeing your goofy, charming grin every day. You were/are a great friend with whom conversation is easy; talking about music with you was great. Actually, not just music, everything we talked about was amazing. You accepted my dorkiness for who I was, partially because you're a dork yourself (go buy that LEGO set, already! Who cares if you're 33?) I'll miss you, and blame the volcano on everything that goes wrong, just as we promised.

To Carsten Sigvert and Family, I had a wonderful time spending time with your crew of boys. Victor, Lasse, and Jon are quite the entertaining trio, especially when they/we started making low blows at each other, and I've never felt so equally amused and offended to be an American in their company...that's a good thing. You showed me the lovely vistas of the Vejle area, and the picturesque town of Skagen. I'll have to return someday in the sunlight to see the magical light that all those artists got to experience.

To everyone else who helped me experience the amazement here in Denmark. Carsten F., neighbor Carsten, Ella's parents, Henriette, Giada, Egon, and anyone else who I am forgetting off of the top of my head.

A shout out to the Art Squad, especially those in Europe (Tom, Corvin, Demi, Ruben). You guys provided me with the college-age interaction I needed when I wasn't with Christina, Arense, and the Sigvert clan. The talent in Art Squad is inspiring and extraordinary, and I'm proud to call myself part of the crew. I'll miss our nighttime Skype calls; they're going to be more difficult now. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. Andreas, I'm sad we didn't get acquainted sooner. Would have been great to hang with you in Aarhus during the days I was there. Yet another reason to visit Denmark again, my friend.

Moving on, Arense provided me with a series of questions that she ponders after a trip. After much thinking, these are the responses I came up with.

The best thing: My family, my friends, and my personal growth. The existential moment I experienced during The Little Mermaid ---That moment defined my time here in Denmark; I was surrounded by Danes, in Denmark, watching a famous Danish story told in Danish. It was surreal, and may have been my favorite moment, even if I looked foolish crying during "Part of Your World."

I would also like to cite my first time in Copenhagen as a defining moment. It was the first time that I truly stopped to think in a stressful situation like the one I had been in, and not panic. It proved that I could be okay.

The worst: The street party. It was a lovely setting with lots of nice people, but I didn't entirely get to experience that. It was the most isolating and the time I was most frustrated with not knowing how to speak Danish. It is hard to enter a conversation when you don't know what is being said.

The thing I would do again: I would return to Skagen in a heartbeat to experience that place in the sunlight. I want to see the difference in the waters in color, not just the difference in texture. I would also return again to Copenhagen and do some more of the touristy things as opposed to just wandering around.

What I wouldn't do again: It's not that I wouldn't live there again, because I loved Middelfart...The sights, the harbor, the quaint town, but I wouldn't live in Middelfart. Having no one my age is tough for two months. That contributed to the isolation, and certainly aided me in seeking out the company of the Art Squad a lot. I would try to live in Vejle, Aarhus or Odense. (I don't think I could do Copenhagen well, it's too big.)

The thing I am not going to miss: Huge spiders, not having ice in drinks, Danish Kroner (sorry, too many coins...I can't do it), bicycling everywhere (especially in the rain...I didn't dislike biking, I just love my car). I'll miss taking the train, but not the cost of taking it.

Things I am going to miss: My host family, my friends, my job and coworkers, the wind turbines everywhere, the architecture, the view overlooking Middelfart and Lillebælt on my way home from work, Bettanus the cat noisily climbing through the skylight in the wee hours of the morning when it's raining (and when it's not), sharing music and laughs with Lars, lunchtime walks by the marina with my team, and the salty smell of the ocean wafting through the windows by my desk.

I learned so much in Denmark, but I cannot list it all. I could write you a novel, Denmark, but instead you have 11 other blog entries you can read instead that tell you all of my thoughts, feelings, and analyses.

I think it is time I close this document, Denmark. I think it is safe to say I love you. I didn't fall head over heels for you, but our relationship slowly flourished into something that is definitely love. I'm ready to go home, but I'm not quite ready to leave you. My two months were gone in a flash. In reality, two months isn't really a long time, but as I know all too well, two months is just enough time to fall in love; it just is long enough time for me to put my life in New York on hold and start a new one elsewhere. I developed a new life here, a new routine; an everyday life with friends and family and even myself and growth. But now I must once again leave this life I created in a different land just to unpause the one I suspended in the States. It's sad, and even a little scary to resume the quiet one I led.

Denmark, you have taught me so much about myself, I am sad to see you go. This relationship, although short term, was amazing. Breaking up is always hard to do, but I think we'll both be okay.

All my love, tak for alt.

Until next time,

Elissa

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Denmark Diaries: A Busy Week, Indeed!

My week has been busy to say the least, and perhaps a little chaotic. Last Wednesday (the 3rd of September) , after sitting in a meeting that had me staying later at the office than intended, I returned to my desk to gather my things and a rather excited Lars approached me. Carsten S. (Rotary Club Carsten, not Christina's father Carsten) had called, and told me that I "needed to be in Vejle by 6:00pm." Upon arriving home, Ella knew nothing about what Carsten had told Lars, so we were sort of running around like chickens without heads trying to figure out what the plan was.

I feel very short, and
I'm 5'7"

Eventually it was sorted out, and I hopped a train to Vejle. Upon arrival, Carsten S's wife Kirsten picked me up at the train station and then took me back to their beautiful home. I hung around for a while, talking to their son Jon. Then their other son Lasse and their exchange student (staying with them from Mexico) Victor came in. They told me about where we would be going. We were going on a picnic at this place called Tørskind Grusgrav, a sculpture park with the work of Robert Jacobsen. Formerly a gravel park/pit thing, Jacobsen transformed the landscape with the help of his former student Jean Clareboudt, into a place of sculptures made of iron, wood, and concrete. Thematically, they are supposed to reflect the transition of the sun's path over the night sky. Unfortunately, I didn't really get a whole lot pictures of the sculptures. They were interesting, but better seen in person.

However, there was another reason we were there. There was a car show. Now, if you know anything about me at all, you'll know I love cars. Old cars, new cars, exotic cars, muscle cars...and there was no shortage of cars at this car show. What was great about this one was that it was European, so I got to see a couple American classics, yes, but I got to see a lot of cars I'd never seen before -- The European classics. Old Morgans, Triumphs, Fiats, MGs, Saabs, something called a NSU, and something that looked like it belonged in a Bond movie (or maybe it was in one). I had a blast taking pictures, and Lasse and Jon had some fun ~~trying to~~ photobomb. The evening ended with a photograph in front of/on one of the sculptures...a photo that makes me feel very short compared to the three handsome boys I'm standing with.

On Thursday the 4th I had a bit of an existential moment. I had been invited to go see Den Lille Havfrue, aka The Little Mermaid on stage. The show was professionally done, with Broadway-style stage tricks and vibrant, exciting costumes (some of which I'm positive you wouldn't see in a children's play in the States--Ursula's electric eels, I'm talking to you), and the cast was amazing. Ursula, man, what a set of pipes on her. During the rendition of "Part of Your World," that was when I had my moment. It was a surreal one, being surrounded by Danes, in Denmark, watching a play in Danish that was made famous by a Dane. I started to cry. It was all very real, but I also knew at that moment I had grown into a different person over the course of the past month. I was, er, am more confident I think, and I had/have come so far. It was a small moment, but an amazing one.

Århus City Hall,
built 1941

Following work on Friday the 5th, I went to Århus to visit my friend Arense. She came up behind me in the train station as I was replying to a text message and startled me, but once my surprise wore off I gave her a big hug. It had been only a few weeks since I'd seen her, and I've only known her a couple months, but I've been told that if you make friends with a Dane, you are friends for life. She gave me a quick tour of her city, a beautiful city full of college-age culture. The bit I found particularly interesting was the bit about the City Hall. It was built by Danish architects Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller. They didn't want to build a tower, because after all, why would you want a tower if all city halls have towers. They gave in to popular demand, however, and eventually constructed one. While I'm not sure if it is true since I like to fact check, but I was told that everything in the building was designed by the designers, down to the silverware.

After a lengthy dinner full of conversation, me, Arense, and her boyfriend Bjørn ventured out into the night to take a "light tour" of buildings illuminated in fancy ways. We saw the coolest stop first, an old brewery illuminated from the inside and timed to music, such as Massive Attack's "Teardrop" which was playing when we walked in. We stayed and watched for a while before moving on to other illuminated buildings throughout the city. Although, as previously mentioned, none were as impressive as the former. There was a mirror installation we had walked under before that had been lit up as well, and that was very cool to see. It was crowded when we got there during the night time, as it was offering shelter from the rain that had started coming down.

The next morning was much like dinner the night before, except Arense's voice had somehow disappeared. Breakfast was full of conversation, a fantastic meal, and good company. I was out by 11am, Arense and Bjørn had a food festival to go to and I had a weekend with Carsten S's family to attend. So I boarded a train once more in the direction of Vejle, trying not to fall asleep and miss my stop or wind up in a detached train car. But I made it to Vejle, and once again Kirsten picked me up. Instead of going right to herhouse, she took me about Vejle. We went to the pedestrian mall, into the churches St. Nicolai (13th cent.) and St. Norbert's (1924), out to another more modern church that I can't recall the name of built in 1959 (very reflective of Danish design), to their family church also built in the 50s, and up to the iconic Vejle windmill, built 1890, where I not only got to experience my first windmill, but also got a wonderful vantage point of the city, since it sat atop one of the steepest hills in either the area.

My day in Vejle ended with Carsten's family taking me up to the top of a hill, were we could see the fjord and where we would eat dinner. We sat and listened to the storm come in, with the rumbles of thunder getting closer and a few drops of rain, but then fading away much to our relief. It was a nice evening, filled with many laughs.

On Sunday the 6th, I was up bright and early at Carsten & Kirsten's home to take our day trip up to Skagen, the northernmost point of Denmark. It was a rainy drive, and the rain lasted almost all day so I didn't get to see the color difference of the two seas as I was hoping. For those who don't know, Skagen is where the North and Baltic Seas converge, but due to different water densities, they cannot mix so there is a split in the water. Despite the grey, I was able to identify where they met based on what was wavy and what was flat. That being said, we were fortunate enough that it stopped raining pretty much the exact amount of time we needed to walk the 2k or so out to the end, and the 2k back because the usual tractor transports had stopped running.

Besides walking out to the end of Denmark, I smashed my toe so hard I thought I had broken it, learned a little bit about Denmark's tactics in WW2 in trying to sabotage the Germans, but also discovered my love for the Danish artist Laurits Tuxen at the Skagen Art Museum. His works were beautifully rendered, detailed and full. However, I thought it was curious how sometimes he chose to make the faces relatively messy and seemingly incomplete compared to the rest of the painting. I theorized, after reading that he learned from his teacher to omit details that didn't add to the work, that he left out faces sometimes because they would neither add nor subtract from the complexity of the piece. I thought that was interesting, and wish I had the money and weight in my suitcase to buy his book. I also saw PS Krøyer paintings, even one that I had recognized from my studies, and the two Ancher artists, Anna and Michael.

That day we also saw the Skagen Kirke (yes, another church). This one was different than the other Danish churches I'd seen so far, but that was probably because it was built centuries after in 1910. It didn't have a "closed altar" (I don't know how else to describe it), and it had balconies. We also saw the Buried Church aka Saint Laurence Church. The earliest information on it dates back to 1387. According to the sign, "In 1785 Danish King Christian VII gave permission for the church to be closed, as it was no longer possible to protect it from drifting sand." The church tower, which dates from the 15th century, was left after the church was demolished to act as a sea mark and whitewashed in 1816. That landmark was actually underwhelming, but hey, I can say I've seen it. I had a rather enjoyable day with Carsten's family and Victor (the Mexican exchange student). Me and the two boys (Jon was not with us) goofed off and teased each other. The city itself was very quaint, composed mostly of old yellow houses with white trim and red roofs. It smelled at worst, like rotting crabs, and at most the mild odor of ocean fish. Despite the pungent fish odor, it was a very cute town indeed, even if nothing was open because tourist season was over. The whole day was another setup for a great joke: A Dane, an American, and a Mexican are walking through an empty tourist town...

I think that about sums up the touristy side of things...

Work related: On 9/10 I handed the first draft of my 106-page manual to the CEO. Now I just need to wait on his instructions, and fuss with the section dividers. Continuing to work on the internal communication campaign.

I'll try to get another post in this week. I went to Sophie and Christian's school music and I'm going whale watching on Sunday (the 14th)...but we'll see what happens and how much I procrastinate.

Other observations that I seem to neglect:

If you want ice, forget it. No ice for you (Made the ice bucket challenge difficult)
No window screens. While there are less smaller bugs, there are:
Lots of really big spiders, and I don't like that at all.
There are almost always dividers in doorways between rooms on the floor. I still haven't figured this out, and still trip over them constantly.
Liability seems to be different. If you don't lock something down, it's your fault and insurance won't pay for it. At least, that's what I've been told. I find that very interesting if that's a Danish thing. Like way back in the beginning, on my second day or so, I was told that if you don't lock your bike, insurance won't cover it. How would insurance know if you locked it or not?
Cars Part 1: Cars are so expensive here in Denmark. About 3-4 times what they would be in the US. A Mazda6 would cost $76,000
Cars Part 2: I like seeing all the American brands with cars that we don't have in the states, like the Ford Ka and the Ford Mondeo.
The flagpoles in every yard, and flags are used for well, everything. (Did I mention this already). I thought the US was a patriotic country...

I guess another thing, more self-reflective than anything, is how much I am struggling to deal with my introversion here. I am very self conscious about it, especially living with a family that is not used to my ways (or maybe they are by now). Being around people exhausts me. People of any kind drain my energy--friends, family, coworkers, the public, and I need to recharge and spend time alone. I try to find a balance of spending time with the family and, well, being a recluse. That is very much a challenge, and I'm trying to monitor it, I do often find myself worrying if the family thinks it's because I don't like them or something, which is absolutely not the case. I love the family. They are great to be around. They're friendly and tease me, they make me laugh every time we chat, they have provided for me and shown me the country and cultural ways and are patient with my ignorance and questions. I am learning so much under their guidance and in their home. I don't think I could have asked for a better family. But I still am self-conscious about my reclusive personality, and wonder if I will ever find the perfect balance or if it is simply just part of the struggle of being an introvert.

Well, I think that's enough rambling for now. I hope this post made sense, it's taken me a few days to write it...well, the writing was easy, it was editing all the HDR photos that took all the time.

Until next time!

Can't take a photo without either Lasse
or Jon sneaking in a face.

Like I said (Jon)... The sculpture Tycho Brahe
at Tørskind Grusgrav by Robert Jacobsen

A little bit of hilarious mixed with the classy

An old classic Morgan

My first Danish sunset

Århus mirror installation

St. Nikolai Church, 13th. cent.

St. Norbert's Catholic Church, 1924

A man playing 4 instruments at once.
"I'm just proving to the world men can multitask!"
he said to me.

I don't know what this one was called,
but it was cool. 1959, I think,

Carsten's family's church, also built
in the 50s. The altar painting represents
the tree of life.

Vejle Rådhus (City Hall)

Thank you Lasse

A World War 2 bunker(?). "Free rooms!"

Skagen Grey Light, 1858

Two seas converging. On the left, the North Sea (calm),
on the right you have the Baltic Sea (wavy)

Lasse, Kirsten, Carsten, Me, Victor

Standing at the back of where
the sanctuary would have been at
Sct. Laurentii Kirke aka The Buried Church

The Buried Church

Skagen Kirke, 1910

Laurits Tuxen's "The Drowned Boy
is Brought Ashore," 1913

Tuxen's "The North Sea in Stormy Weather.
After Sunset. Højen," 1909

PS Krøyer's "Sommeraften på
Skagen Sønderstand," 1892

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Denmark Diaries: Long Overdue

Hello everyone,

This is a post long overdue. My weeks have been busy. I've been working mostly, but also some exploring and traveling tossed into the mix. So let's start with the former:

Work has been really great. I've been designing a 80-something page employee handbook. Well, it was 80-something pages when I started, but now It's pushing 100 because of the documents people keep handing me. It's tedious, but for the most part pretty relaxing. Once I figured out the design, it is merely an act of putting it into place on every page. Now, certainly I spend most of my day fighting with InDesign, but in terms of the actual design, it's pretty routine and relaxing. I like that. There's lots of text to work with, but the biggest time-suck is actually the many many graphs, infographics, charts, and tables I have to redesign, work in, and format.

I've also been helping to update packaging files, sales packets, and a "Did You Know" internal campaign which has been fun so far. My first piece for that was actually sent off to print today, so I'll make sure to take one with me when I get one done.

I've had the opportunity to not only go on a photoshoot for the products at the studio (the guy had a Hasselblad--dreamy sigh), but I also go to take some pictures on another shoot too.

My coworkers are wonderful people, and they have made sure to include me in conversation and post-lunchtime walks. My boss/coworker Lars is really great. He's a pleasure to sit next to. He's a wonderful person and a fantastic designer, and is very easy to talk to. We talk about music a lot, sharing artists and songs often, and he has a great sense of humor to boot.

Middelfart Kirke is being
renovated, but unfortunately
for me I cannot see what is
under the scaffolding.

My family has also been amazing. The kids are slowly, but surely, improving their English, and my Danish slower still at improving, but happening all the same. It's definitely not an easy language to learn, that's for sure, but I just recently discovered a website that teaches you for free and that's been elevating my vocabulary level. We have ridden our bicycles to the beach. Christian and I went last week and we discovered a beautiful purple starfish. Sophie took me on another bike tour of the town, and showed me where she sings in the church choir. Middelfart Kirke (Lutheran, like most of the other Danish churches I have encountered), her church, is a beautiful brick church built sometime in the 1200s. There are ships hanging from the barrel vaults, a result of the name (or something of the like) of that particular part of the church being called a ship (or skivet). There were also some whale bones hanging on the back wall of the sanctuary, which had a sign that looked like it read that they were from a whale that was caught in the local fjord or something, but truthfully I forgot to look it up, and I'm too tired and/or too lazy to do it now.

I actually attended church with Sophie by myself last weekend (8/24) to hear her sing, which was an overall interesting experience. As an culturally Jewish American atheist with a Roman Catholic father, it was all sorts of different. Everything was in Danish, but there wasn't any Latin of any kind. At least I can sing along with Latin! Even the priest(?) was dressed differently from what I'd ever seen before. He was very "Shakespearean" I suppose, with the long black robe, buttoned up the front, white cuffs on the sleeves, and a collar that looked like it belonged to good old Billy himself, or on a dog. See my notes for a visual.

Something else I got to experience during that service that I had never done so before was a baptism. There were four baptisms that day. I wish I could have understood a little of what was being said, but it was nice all the same. I had a really nice time listening to Julie sing, listening to Danish, and just relaxing in a beautiful old building.

Koldinghus Palace (and evidently,
I need to clean my sensor)

The day before, on Saturday, the 23rd of August, Ella and Sophie took me out to Kolding and Koldinghus. While built in 1268 by the Danish King Erik Glipping to guard the border between Denmark and the Duchy of Schleswig, the oldest parts of the castle that are still preserved are from the 15th century. According to the pamphlet I'm stealing information from, the castle was rebuilt during the 1500s as a palace, with the tower added in 1600, and in the 1720s it was rebuilt again. In 1808, Spanish soldiers staying in the palace caused a fire that left the castle severely devastated. Reconstruction didn't begin until 1890, and today Koldhinghus is a museum for the castle's history, but also a stunning gallery and exhibition space that creates a dynamic juxtaposition between the ancient and the contemporary.

This past weekend I returned to Copenhagen for a couple hours. My friend Christina was returning from her internship in the USA (and living with my family for a couple of days in the beginning). Her parents invited me a long to welcome her home, but she didn't know I was going to be there. The surprise was wonderful and I got to spend the next day or so with her and her parents. Her parents, before her arrival, took me around Copenhagen to see the sights that I didn't really get to see on my last trip. They took me up to The Little Mermaid, which I only got to see from behind last time, and the Queen's Palace and the other residences of the Danish Royal Family. Christina's [step] father Carsten was a former member of the royal guard, so he knew all the tips and tricks and times that were important to the guard. It was funny for me, when he noticed that the flag was up and then there was not a very big change for the guard, he started asking why the flags were up if no one was home! (But then we saw the crown prince drive in...) He also teased a guard he had pegged as a new guy. The guy smiled at that.

Danish hot dogs, with all
the traditional fixins

After picking the very surprised Christina up, we went out to this hot dog stand behind the airport where you could watch the planes land and take off. I had made a statement earlier that day about how Danish hot dogs could not possibly be better than American hot dogs...but I was wrong. They were the best hot dogs I had ever tasted, and they were far superior to the Icelandic pyslur.

Regardless of our short trip to Copenhagen, it was great to see Christina again. Once back at her parent's house in Skivet (yep, there's the boat again), Carsten took me out to Jelling to see the home of Viking Harald Bluetooth. Here I saw where he and another Viking king, King Gorm, were buried under a giant mound of dirt with a Dannebrog mounted on top. Carsten told me that the the bluetooth [for your phone] was invented by the Danes, named after the aforementioned king, and that the symbol was taken from one of his runes.

The stone of the left is King Harald's
Rune Stone. The one on the right
belongs to King Gorm

Outside the Jelling Kirke (Church), built in 1100 (with an addition that seems to be built in 1813, although none of the literature I found actually mentioned this), there were two large stones that had runes made by King Bluetooth. I learned (did I learn or was it said by my boss Lars?) that they had an architecture contest to see who could build a nice display for the stones to keep them from being defaced, as they had been previously, and to keep them from being eroded by the weather. The solution was one that was definitely reminiscent of Danish design, but also functional. Surrounding this area were large white posts. These tastefully designed posts marked King Harald's palisade. In Viking times, they were three/four meter oak posts, standing side-by-side and totaling 1.4 km.

Following the brief trip to Jelling, Carsten took me to an other place I don't actually know the name of (was it Ravning Enge?). Here there was a partial reconstruction of a bridge the King Harald and the Vikings had built to cross the water that had covered the land when they ruled it. Because the Vikings were merchants (not just ruthless pillagers), this bridge was built for the purpose of trade. The bridge was showed in various stages of construction as it would have been built during the Viking times.

Hotel Haraldskær

After seeing the bridge, Carsten and I returned back to their house for a lovely evening of great food, friends, fondue, and fun. The next day, Christina, Christina's mother, and I went out for a walk to explore Skivet. Skivet appears to be one of Denmark's hillier regions, and it is quite lovely indeed. First they took me to the hotel where Christina's mother works. The historic building, called the Hotel Haraldskær, was built in 1763 (as indicated by the clock face on the front of the building). The basement area held that eerie 18th century demeanor and musty smell. There were additions added to the building around the year 1918, but they tried to maintain the integrity of the historic building. The historic parts of the building still had the 1700s decor and such in places. At the hotel, we stuffed our pockets with hazelnuts to crack at home. After the hotel, we continued on to the old church where Christina had been confirmed long ago. We didn't get to go inside, contrary to it being a Sunday afternoon and the rumor that all Danish churches are always open. But based on its exterior appearance, it was likely from the early centuries of the millennium, much like its other Danish counterparts.

My time this weekend with Christina ended with spontaneous duet of "Let Her Go" by Passenger. We recorded it on my phone without much practice, so it's full of ambient noise, flubs, and coughs, but you can listen to it here anyway!

Other observations about Denmark so far:

Wedding rings on right hand
Very few engagement rings
No colored walls. Only white walls, with color applied through paintings or other things attached to the wall
Calenders start on Mondays. After consulting some of my art friends in different countries, this is pretty much a European thing.
Everyone is named Lars or Carsten. Partially sarcastic comment here.