Checking In... Finally

The City

What a place. Arhus is everything I could have imagined in a Northern European city and more (including the bitter cold and biting winds, but it is what it is). As Zac and Colton have mentioned, Arhus is a small city with a downtown area that's slightly bigger than Shreveport. However, it still manages to have the second largest population in Denmark with more than 300,000 inhabitants. Despite its size it still manages to remind me of my hometown of Boston and another of my favorite US cities, San Antonio. Just like Boston, Arhus is an old city characterized by crooked cobblestone walking streets and beautiful old buildings. It's also a college town with a number of Universities, so everywhere you go you're bound to run into someone your age. The downtown area is very reminiscent of San Antonio because of its canal district. Slicing through the center of the town is a small canal lined with bars, restaurants and shops that acts as the social hub of the city much in the same way as San Antonio's River Walk. This area is also by far my favorite place in the city. It's a nice place to walk on the less frigid days and nights. Probably the biggest difference between Arhus and most American cities I've seen would be the means of transportation. Most Danes take bikes to work in rain, snow and hurricane force winds. It's pretty "hardcore" as an American friend I've made here once said. Colton and I have stuck to the bus system so far though. We live far from our campus at the top of a big hill, so that's been our excuse for not getting bikes. The buses run virtually everywhere and typically run on time, so although they're somewhat expensive they've been a decent means of transportation.

Coming Soon: Academics at the Arhus School of Business

Is Chicago this windy?

Colton here! Just kidding only Zac would write that intro. Also, Zac took the liberty of telling you all about the geography of where exactly we are. So I have been here much longer then Zac, and it already feels like forever ago since I was home. I miss America but most of all I miss ranch dressing. Yes, I know ridiculous right? But in all seriousness you can’t get ranch dressing here. I am having some sent though so all is well. I find that hanging out with international students is better then hanging out with the Danes. No offense to the Danes I’m sure they are awesome, they tend to keep to themselves until they start to really party.

Everything here is different. I knew that coming here but had no clue how different. The prices of goods are a lot more expensive then they are in America. Also, I choose not to get a bike. I have gone on a bike adventure but I do not plan on doing that again. Aarhus is very hilly and I am sadly no Lance Armstrong. I however went and got a monthly bus pass. It was expensive but allows me to get where ever I need to, whenever I need to.

I am glad I got here two weeks before classes so I could party and get all the fun stuff out of my system before we started the lameness of school. I was lucky enough to go to the studenthus (student house) and be able to watch the Super Bowl. The only sad thing that the Danes didn’t realize was that they were missing the Super Bowl Commercials. They also were all Steelers fans..... I told them they were picking the wrong team but they didn’t seem to believe me until the end. The picture was great and being an American and standing during the National Anthem was an awesome feeling. The only not awesome feeling was waking up for class the next day. The game didn't start till 12:30am here and lasted until like 4:30 in the morning. Well it was worth it though to say that I did it.

We also went to a handball match recently. The match was interesting. Imagine a mix of soccer and basketball. It’s best just honestly to youtube some video’s on it so you understand. It was a cool experience but was a lot different then going to an American sporting event. Also, recently was the world championship of hand ball. The Danes were playing the French. It led to the French winning and all of our professors the next day making fun of all the French kids in our classes.

We are lucky to be accompanied by two other guys from America who we meet the first day we got here. One’s name is Brandon and he is a life long friend of my pledge brother Zac Farrar. He is a legit guy and other then Jesse someone I hang out with and go out with the most. We recently started working out together to try to get stronger and more in shape. The other guy Rob is cool to but is hard to get in contact with. They both go to Alabama and are Delta’s there. It’s awesome to meet other people as well such as Michael, a Peruvian guy who we often cook with in our building.

The best thing about making friends in your building or complex is sharing cooking duties. Recently, the danish girls on our floor and irish girl asked us to enjoy dinner last tuesday night. It was heaven! They made so much food and we sat and drank and conversed. They tried to teach us Danish but this is a very tough language to learn. It created some good laughs however. The only way I could see to repay them would be to make them Gumbo. After much searching and improvising I have finally found Okra. I hope it goes as good as it did last time. If so they will be in for a real southern treat.

First Week!

Zac here!

I have just finished my first week in Denmark! What an adventure!

Where to begin? I live in Aarhus (Arhus), which is on the eastern coast of Denmark, along the Baltic Sea (an area of the ocean known as the Kattegat--between the Baltic and North Seas). It's cold and windy here, but no snow...yet. Very gray, though I'm told that when spring arrives it will be lovely!

From what little I've seen, Arhus is a very old, historic town. It was founded by the Vikings--there's several museums to them in town. There's an old cathedral from the Middle Ages, and in general the city has a strong sense of gravitas; it makes you realize just how young America is. Although there are plenty of cars, there are more bikes! There is a very high tax on cars and licenses here, so biking is common. Beside vehicle lanes there are separate bike lines, complete with their own stop lights, signs, etc. It's a bit intimidating, yet the bus is also costly, so eventually I hope to get a bike.

I had my first classes this week at Aarhus University (Colton and Jesse attend the related but not identical Aarhus School of Business). I'm taking primarily history courses--British, Irish and American History, Communism in Eastern Europe, and Globalization. The relationship between professor and student is much more relaxed here--you call them by their first names (weird!). The classes are in English--virtually everyone here speaks English. It makes everyday life much easier.

My dorm room is small, but cozy. I live on a hall with many other international students--Austria, Taiwan, Germany, Bulgaria, etc. My Danish mentor (assigned through AU) has been a wonderful help and has shown me around town. The university has many bars, and there are downtown clubs and cafes to visit. All of this makes for a constant and vibrant social scene--of which the Danes heartily take part.

I have every feeling that my stay here will be wonderful! Check back in soon!

-Zac (Aarhus, Denmark)