Two posts in one day!

I said before in the first update I made here that I've had a sort of spiritual reawakening, like some fresh energy has washed over me. I was just meditating when I felt the inspiration to write about water, maybe share some magic with some unsuspecting reader who will develop a newfound appreciation for how powerful water is.
My trip to Norway was, of course, structured around the breathtaking nature for which Norway is famous, which was formed because of water. Lots and lots of it. At one point, Norway was just a plateau, probably without anything remarkable, just vegetation and some small streams. Then mass amounts of water came flooding into the valley and drove into the rock, slowly but surely delving crevices into the once-solid structure until the fjords were formed and the rest of the water receded. Norway is constantly evolving because there are waterfalls and small streams of water falling off of the sides of the mountains which freeze at night and expand when they freeze by 3 (?) times. Think about that: every night the water freezes in the cracks of the rock, expands, and alters the shape of the rock EVERY NIGHT! The valley of Jostedals was made deeper in the 1800's when a finger of the Nigardsbreen glacier expanded into the valley across the valley's lake and then receded, leaving deeper crevices that you can actually see. The lake has a cerulean glow from the minerals that the glacier picked up upon expansion and left after recession! This was only 200 years ago!!
This semester I showed two friends this video, and I think they were really pleasantly surprised by it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE.
This video is about Dr. Masaru Emoto, who looked at the formation of water crystals after exposing water to meditation or positive vs. negative words (love vs. hate), things like that. The water crystals look dramatically different, depending on what type of "energy", or whatever you want to call it, the water was exposed to. The point of the study he did was to scientifically demonstrate the physical effects of prayer, meditation, energy, etc., but I think there were also implications for how sensitive our water-based bodies are to this energy. For that matter, our water-based world!
I've always had a fascination with water. I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was growing up (until the fateful 9th grade honors biology course of memorization HELL), my favorite movie was and always will be Jaws, and I've spent most of my life as a swimmer. My favorite analogy for the connection of living things is that we are like an ocean, separate drops of water all connected to each other in the big body of water that is the ocean. The Little Mermaid was my favorite Disney princess, of course! Water is such a definitive characteristic of Earth, probably the reason for existence of life (we won't get into the discussion of water on the moon or other planets). I can't help but be in total awe of water, its infinite beauty, how powerful it is and yet how sensitive it is.
When I finally went to the really nice pool in Aalborg, I was instantly re-addicted to swimming as both exercise and a form of meditation. I've been chanting Om Mani Padme Hum and saying personal mantras a lot since coming here, and I started doing that when I was swimming. It never occurred to me that I was possibly altering the water in which I was swimming by meditating.
Now I drink my water more slowly and sometimes meditate when drinking because I know it's going into my body. And the act reminds me a lot of Christians eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ, putting these prayed-on, blessed substances into their bodies. I think it's beautiful, if a bit morbid. And how about Holy Water?! Sometimes, Christianity surprises me.
Well, that's all I have to say about water for now. It's just food (or water) for thought, something that impresses me all the time.
Also, lest we forget the Atlanta floods this year....
Just for fun, I also have an inspirational song that I sing to myself when I start swimming and have to push through the first 20 laps. Cheesy, yes, but such a great song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aVUB0nIONo


Krog Street bridge

Glædelig jul!!

Merry Christmas to everyone, happy holidays to everyone else! Denmark has been snow covered for almost two weeks now, and the sun is currently brightly shining over the sparkling, melting terrain! Perfect weather for yesterday - my first white Christmas - and perfect weather for today - no more snow! It turns out that I'm not a snow person; it's just nice for the first two or three days. I even brought a bike to Denmark thinking that I could get tough and handle Danish winters, but I have humbled myself!
I got a facebook comment from someone last night asking if Santa came to the AIK yesterday or not, and I was suddenly reminded that people get gifts on Christmas! How can someone from such a capitalist society forget that?! I guess everyone has been talking about being with family or loved ones so much for Christmas - since most of the people I know here have to cross country borders or even oceans to be with their loved ones - that other parts of the holiday have paled in comparison to being with people. At some point about three or four Christmases ago, I dried up like an old prune and totally lost the "holiday spirit" and haven't been excited about Christmas dinners, setting up and decorating a tree, getting gifts, Christmas music (a double egghh to that), or anything like that. Especially this year, I had no one to spent it with, aside from the happy couple the room below me who probably wanted something special, and it didn't bother me at all. I had a great day! I went out in the snow, organized and uploaded over 300 pictures, downloaded about four days' worth of music, made delicious food, enjoyed the quiet of my own company... sometimes it freaks me out how much I love being reclusive.
It seems, though, that I make the perfect solo traveler - enjoys being alone but also adapts well to and thrives in new social situations. Unfortunately, I don't travel well with others - easily suffocates when in close company with others.
Well, the point is, how did this happen that I am so bereft of any spirit whatsoever? I feel like social anomaly, considering how other people get around the holidays. More importantly, it doesn't bother me that I have no holiday spirit. I'm not bitter, nor do I refuse to celebrate with others... it just doesn't mean much to me. Things will be different next year when I'm celebrating with my niece(s) and nephew. Children have the magical holiday touch on me.
Everyone is gone now, other than Alessandra downstairs and Emrah at the end of the hall. The AIK is discomfortingly quiet and lacking in drunk Danes and Daft Punk being played at lunchtime. Aalborg loses a bit of its charm when everyone who made me fall in love with this life is gone. I've found it exceedingly difficult to stay in the present because I'm in between two modes of life. My Aalborg life has sort of left me and is more or less over, and my Atlanta life is just beckoning me prematurely. I've been doing my best to enjoy this alone time while I have it, and in general I've done a lot of things that I needed to do and haven't minded the unoccupied time. At the same time, I stray into thoughts of what I want to do when I get home or how much I am missing this or that from the last semester. Here and now. That's all. Here and Now.
I have a lot of things I'd like to talk about, but I think I'll wait until the timing is right. My life is about to get very different, and I am so excited to grow with these changes!

As promised, the second update...

Written on the 9th of December, my second update written on facebook...
Hello loved ones,
This is my second installment of my adventures in Scandinavia. A lot has happened since the last note, mostly great things, some not so good.
I will quickly summarize the bad things: 1) trying to date someone in the US while I’m here ( = failure), 2) language barriers between my Korean project member and me creating some HUGE setbacks (potential plagiarism… yikes),3) weight gain, and 4) the never-ending bureaucratic disaster of both Aalborg University and GSU. However, I can counterbalance all of those points: 1) I’ve had the chance to get to know a side of myself that I love, and I’m over my commitment phobia. Also, things might work out when I get back, and I’ve made a really good friend. 2) If it weren’t for Sookjung (Soo), I wouldn’t have had the chance to do a study on culture from two opposing perspectives. 3) Gaining weight got me to start swimming again… have I ever told you how much I LOVE swimming?? 4) I actually cannot counterbalance this one. I am still holding up one middle finger to GSU and the other to AAU. Aside from that, the eternal optimist strikes again!
Lately, I’ve been budgeting my money really well, like I never have before. I am not sure if this is a permanent thing, but I hope this is one of those coming of age, you’ll-grow-into-it kinds of things. I come to Europe while the value of the dollar is plummeting, and I learn to budget my money. I guess that’s one way to do it.
My project was due last Thursday, and Soo and I finished all 49 pages right on time with little to no stress (other than having to fix some plagiarized writing). Results of our study: people in individualized cultures (societies that value independence, such as USA) have longer memories and describe their memories with more emotion than do collectivist cultures (who value interdependence, such as South Korea). This is attributed to the value independent societies put on talking about past events and the emotional experiences of events versus the value interdependent societies put on emotional suppression for social harmony. It was a really interesting paper, but I’m about done with talking about memory. When I took Psyc 1101, I remember thinking, “I will never do anything with memory. Why do we always learn about it in every basic course?” …. Eating my words right now. We have our oral exam in a week, and then I’m DONE with my project! I don’t really understand oral exams, so wish me luck! I also get my cognitive psychology exam tomorrow at noon, and I have a week to write 7-10 pages on some topic. I prefer this time of examination than the US style for sure.
I’m finished with everything here on the 17th, and then I’m going to Århus for a concert with Bastien and Séverin! On the 18th, I’m spending the weekend in Hopenhagen to see some friends and see the city during the Climate Conference. I feel so lucky to be in Denmark during the conference, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’ll be back in Copenhagen for New Years, and then I’m going to Turkey for 2 weeks! I’m so excited!! I’ll be staying with friends of friends in Izmir and Istanbul, seeing another world so separated from mine. My friend Yasin, who is from Istanbul, asked me to write or blog everyday that I am there, which I plan to do. In 5 weeks, I will be home sweet home! What a busy next 5 weeks.
Two nights ago, while Yasin was telling me about Turkey, we talked about how going abroad peeked a newfound curiosity in our home countries. Although I want to continue to travel the world, I realized that I have seen only a small part of my own country! Proportionally, I have seen more of Denmark than I have of the States.
On Sunday, I saw the highest point in continental Europe (considering that the rest of Scandinavia is considered to be an island off of the continent) Skågen and Grenen where the Baltic and North Seas collide into each other… go there if you have a chance in life. It’s so surreal to see two separate bodies of water push against each other! I have now been to both the very Northernmost and Easternmost tips of the L-shaped land of Denmark as well as the point where the horizontal and vertical lines meet (which is more or less where Billund/Legoland is). Even though I’m a bit homesick, I love Denmark. Maybe two months ago I didn’t think I would say that, but I have made a nice little home here and appreciate everything the country has to offer. I’m getting ready to say goodbye to a lot of people in the next two weeks when they go home for the holidays, and it’s strange to think that I won’t see a lot of these people ever again. Going from a permanent home to an international scene has forced me to mentally regard people differently. As opposed to creating an emotional attachment to these people being in my life for a countless amount of time, I know that we will part and hopefully see each other in some undetermined future. I will say goodbye to one family and hello again to another. I’ve never had a similar experience, but I love having international friends and people I want to see outside of my borders. It’s a great impetus to travel to new places to see familiar faces (yikes, what a cliché).
Ah, I almost forgot to write about Mom and Dad meeting me in Amsterdam, Thanksgiving dinner for 70 international students, and the Crossing Border festival in Den Haag! I could have done without the heart of tourist-ridden, marijuana-filled Amsterdam with its red lights and pick-pockets, but the city had gorgeous architecture, great food, and so many perfect little cafés with Illy espresso, some with views of the canals. Also, the surrounding “countryside” was so serene and beautiful. Den Haag, where the Dutch parliament is located, was almost a view into the past during WWII. I couchsurfed with some people who lived in a brick building that was crookedly built during the war, and the toilet in the bathroom was diagonally angled (?). On the Friday night I spent in Den Haag, I saw Yo La Tengo, the Low Anthem, St. Vincent, and Grizzly Bear at Crossing Border. All of the bands were fantastic, although Grizzly Bear was STUNNING. I mean, I was stunned. Speechless.
Mom and Dad came back with me to Aalborg before going to Hamburg five days later. Aside from the dark, windy, wet weather, I could definitely see them living here. They thought that the city center was precious. Our International Thanksgiving dinner attendance got out of hand, and we had literally 70 people eating. Somehow, my friend Vanessa, and I successfully coordinated the most organized dinner party for 70 that may have ever existed. Delicious food, lovely people, a night of dancing… these are a few of my favorite things. I can say that if Mom and Dad weren’t here for the dinner, this may not have been the case. And Mom, the table decorations are still on the tables and people love them!
Well, I’m going to force myself to wrap this up. A verbose life is a full/filling life. It’s been beautiful and charming here, and I wish you all happy holidays and many blessings!
Until next time…
p.s. I've put up pictures from Norway and Copenhagen if you're interested!

Beginnings, endings, a way to mark progress

This is the beginning of my wonderlust blog, also the end of the semester and paper writing. The beginning of my true, undeniable wanderlust, and the end of my first real journey alone into the world. What a great time in my life!
I was encouraged to start a blog when I left for Denmark from the States, so I realize that I'm a bit late. However, living in the present, this is decidedly the best time to start blogging. This is my first "adult" blog ever! I used Xanga back in the day, but it was uninspired, an attempt to keep up with the times. Also, to be fair, I have made two big updates on facebook about the journeys, which I will put below. I just want to say that this blog isn't just about traveling, trying new cuisine, discovering new music, meeting amazing people, although those things are a part of it. It's about how the world is always opening my eyes, no matter where I am or who I am with. I can't help but look on with wonder and curiosity about it all, and you might be able to relate to the feeling. I hope you do!
Anyway, here is my first update about Aalborg, Denmark:

10.27.09
Hej hej!
I’ve been in Denmark for about two months now, so I guess it’s time to update everyone. I thought this would be the best way; sorry it’s not as personal and intimate as a letter, but it’s a bit tedious to write the same story so many times.
First, of course, I miss and love everyone so much! I want to know what’s going on with everybody, so please message me/ write me a letter/ send me something delicious and somewhat non-perishable. If you write me a letter, I promise to write a response.
Second, I love it here! Everything I do is very different from my lifestyle at home. I live in the Aalborg Internationale Kollegium, AIK, which is 1km away from campus and 6km from downtown Aalborg (always looking for an excuse to ride my bike downtown), and I couldn’t have been put in a better kollegium, my home away from home! All of the rooms face a big common area and kitchen, but we also have our own small kitchen and bathroom in our private rooms. It’s the best of both worlds because I can be as social or studious as I choose. We have about 50 residents here, both Danish and international students, so the AIK is full of so many different good languages, cuisine, cultural norms, senses of humor, stories, as well as people who know where things are! The library is 100 meters down the bike path – it’s so close that I could accidentally sleep walk and wake up at the bibliotek. We have a lot of impromptu dinner parties, and we had a mafia party last Friday, the first AIK party of the semester, and there were 200 or so people here! The American students are cooking a giant Thanksgiving dinner and bringing food from another kollegium to be served at the AIK, and Mom and Dad are going to be here for the dinner too! The international students LOVE Thanksgiving dinner but still make fun of Americans all the time.
Miniature rant: It’s just starting to bother me how frequently people use “American” as an insult.
Of course I’ve met people here who will probably stay in my heart forevermore. Food, language, and humor are the easiest ways for me to connect with people, I’ve found. The people I spend the most time with here are my French counterparts Séverin and Bastien. We’re a bit like the three stooges together, and they make me laugh until I cry. We cook almost every single meal together, sometimes with more people joining us, and the meals keep getting better and better. I’ve fallen in love with cooking. Also, I teach them English, and they teach me French. The more French I speak, the more I realize that I’m TERRIBLE at it but absolutely eager to learn! If you ever go abroad, almost everyone you meet knows English in addition to their native language and maybe a few other languages – you can hardly justify only knowing one language. I also have coffee with my Danish neighbor Jesper almost every morning, and sometimes he teaches me a little Danish and taught me how to make bread from scratch!
To interrupt myself again, I have a quick public service announcement. 1. Vikings never wore the helmets with the horns – that was Hollywood lying to us. 2. Danishes, the pastries, actually translate to “Viennese bread” in Danish, so they’re actually Austrian. I haven’t had a single “danish” since coming to Denmark.
Anyways… I’m currently attending Aalborg Universitetet and taking only two courses here. However! The university system is so dramatically different here that I’m getting the transfer equivalent of 15 credits from only two courses when it would take 5 courses worth 3 credits each at Georgia State. My cognitive psychology course is one lecture a week for 2 months, a seminar every other week after the lecture, 1000 pages of reading, and a written exam that we have one week to complete and receive a month after lectures end. Besides that, I have an experimental psychology project, where my project member and I conduct an experiment and then write 40 pages and cite 2000 pages of previous research. The paper is due between the time cognitive psyc lectures end and the cog psyc exam is due. Our oral defense of our project is held sometime after our cognitive psyc exam. This layering business doesn’t make sense to me, but I don’t have to take a single exam that isn’t a paper, so I’m not complaining! I’m really happy at Aalborg Uni, even if the project is a bit stressful. My project member Soo is from South Korea, and we are doing a study on culture, which is so appropriate since we’re from such dichotomous cultures. She’s surveying her classmates in Korea and I’m surveying GSU students. I’ll write about the results of the study when we’re finished, but I’m really excited about it! In high school, I never thought that I would study abroad. In college, I never thought that I would do my own research. After being accepted to Aalborg U, I never thought that my work here would be internationally relevant. My life keeps blowing my mind!
Since arriving, I’ve been to Legoland, Copenhagen, and around Norway. I would show you pictures, but my camera was stolen 3 weeks after arriving. I’ve been a bit lazy about assembling a photo album from other people’s pictures too. It absolutely POURED the day we went to Legoland, but it was worth it to see the Lego cities!! So amazing! The attractions were okay, but it’s breathtaking what you can do with Legos. My friend Jules and I went to Copenhagen for two days before going to Norway for a week-long student trip. We walked around the city, saw the Danish Design Center, the World Press Photo exhibition, Roskilde cathedral where all the tombs of the kings and queens of Denmark are kept, and the commune Christiania. The city is gray and cold, like Denmark, but it was nice to be somewhere bigger than Aalborg. I like Copenhagen, but it wasn’t what I expected. Norway, though, was INCREDIBLE! We went to the gorgeous fjord city Bergen, Laerdal (population of 2200, best place for star gazing!), down the Sognefjord, to the biggest inland glacier in Europe, driving on top of the world, to Oslo, which is the most expensive city I’ve ever been to. Most of the museums in Oslo are free, though, and the city exemplifies the design-focus that you find everywhere in Scandinavia (see also, IKEA). I liked it a lot.
Also, for my Intermezzo friends, I swear to Thor… I heard a street musician playing that song that Andrew was obessed with – Guantanemera!! I’ll give someone $5 when I get back if you can find out how to spell the name of the song!
Also also, the night we spent in Bergen, we were sitting on benches that overlooked the city, gazing at the city shining and beautiful, light dancing on the fjord… and then Cookie Monster walked by us! He walked by, looked at us, said nothing, and then disappeared down the hill at nine o’clock at night. It was so surreal!
Aside from food, school, parties, and traveling, I’m really happy in general. For the first time in my life, I’m in a new environment that I have had to accept, for better or worse, and this new image of myself has emerged. I really like who I am, the type of resolve I have, how I deal with things, what matters most to me. I miss Atlanta everyday (especially since the sun is now down by 5pm here), but I feel very connected to Aalborg too. My only real complaint besides the exorbitant prices (/the worthless of the dollar) is that I don’t have a solid group of girls here like I do at home… though I don’t think that is something you can just stumble upon. I don’t read for fun as much as I told myself I would, but I guess the books will always be available, but these experiences won’t.
For those of you who are curious about the beer and music in Denmark, both lack variation. You’ve got the occasional jewel, but not too much else to report.
I could keep writing forever, but I’ll save any additional details to people who write me letters/ send pictures I hope to hear from you, how your life is going, what is new, something amazing has happened to you, you’ve found some really good music you want to share with me, whatever! Much love in Scandinavia!
Dani P
p.s. I wrote the original version of this note for my family. This can’t be a real Dani note without a little language. Fuck yeah, I'm in Denmark!