Sorry for the hiatus...

Mini-post to show that I'm still here!


This was taken at the only coffee house in all of Esbjerg. I'd forgotten that the food culture in Denmark is dramatically different than food culture in the States, especially compared with foodie-heaven Portland. Danish food consists of potatoes, fish (all kinds of fish prepared in all kinds of ways), rye bread, and lots of cheese. Delicious, but not very conducive to variation. We've (the other students and I) have learned to cobble together a mix of Danish food and re-created dishes from our respective countries.

I've been here in Esbjerg for a little over a week now, except it feels like a month. In comparison to my general outlook on life the night I arrived, things have improved considerably. Not in small part to the fact that everyone here has been so friendly, helpful, and approachable (my first day here, the morning after the pub, a third-year whom I'd never met named Amanda breezed into my house, lit a cigarette, and asked me if I was ready to go. "Go...?" I said. "Yes, go. We're going to get you ladies some phones and some bedsheets.") But also because I've tried to relaxed a little, skyped with my parents, unpacked some of my stuff, and toured the campus a little bit. In essence, I've settled in, something I should have allowed myself to do before falling to pieces in the first five minutes.

Job number one was going to get my residence card, which is the kind of visa for which I was approved. I had a hard time explaining to the second- and third-years my feeling of urgency, but they didn't know that I did not receive a stamp on my passport upon entry into Denmark. That used to be the norm, but now foreign nationals (who have been approved for a residence permit, like I have) must go to the civil service ("borgerservice" in Danish) and register in person. I went armed with my letter of approval and my passport, and the woman assisting me even found my information from the last time I was in Denmark! I have a CPR-number (which is like a social security number) and am covered by the Danish social security system! Having my yellow card (or temporary piece of paper, anyway) is a huge relief.

Yesterday the second-years took us first-years around Esbjerg, and then on a ferry to the island of Fanø. We spent the afternoon walking the island and seeing the beach there. Post to come with pics! In closing: a Danish outlet is a happy outlet: