Two weeks into the adventure Aug 28, 2009

I wasn't sure how I felt about starting a blog but realized it would probably much easier than writing many different emails. Well, here I am two weeks in and it has been a blur. I am sure that since I waited so long to start this I will be forgetting some stuff but I will do my best.
I left Denver International Airport at 11:30am on Friday August 14. After stops in DC and Zurich, Switzerland I arrived in Copenhagen at 12:30pm on Saturday the 15th. I remember having many emotions when I arrived; relieved to be out of the cramped airplane, excitement of being in a new country, nervousness of being in a new country. I was assigned a buddy to pick me up from the airport, Henrik, who is a Danish student at Copenhagen Business School. Immediately after leaving the airport we went straight to a soccer game between Copenhagen and Aarhus (another city in Denmark). Henrik is from Aarhus so we were with that team's fans and let me tell you, soccer fans are extremely loyal to their teams and love to sing and chant for their team. Aarhus won 1 to 0. After the game the Aarhus fans had to remain in the stadium for 20 minutes to avoid any problems with the Copenhagen fans, and luckily there were none.
The first week in Copenhagen involved lots of getting situated and meeting new people, and trying to adjust the best that I could. It helped that there were many people in the same situation as me. The building I live in is in the heart of the city which is exactly what I was looking for. There is only one toilet and one shower per floor of about 10 people (male and female) so this could be a problem if people need to shower at the same time. The biggest issue with the building is that there are only two small washers and two dryers (neither one of which seem to work) for the whole building (40 people) and it costs the equivalent of $6 for each load. But on a more positive note, I am about 50 yards from a nice canal that is great to hang out at and watch boats go by. There is one other residence one street over but other than that all the other international students live closer to CBS (Copenhagen Business School). Even though I am further away, it is still only 3 subway stops away.
I have met many different people from all over the world and "groups" have already been forming. The guys I hang out with most are from San Diego, Switzerland, Belgium, North Carolina, Italy, and France. The other day we went to the beach and taught the Europeans how to play American football. It was strange having friends my age that didn't really know how to play football. Just shows how different cultures can be. They also have jellyfish here but interestingly they don't sting; you can hold them in your and they feel just like Jello. We have also been doing lots of exploring the city and going out at night. Bars and clubs don't close till the wee hours of the morning (5-6am) which is very different from states.
Another thing about Copenhagen that is very obvious once you get here is how expensive everything is. Most things are double the price (no exaggeration) of what I would pay in Fort Collins.
Everybody in Copenhagen seems to be thin and I attribute this to the fact that they bike and walk everywhere. When rush hour comes along there are masses of people on foot and bikes, not so much with cars. The public transportation is great so there is no need to have a car.
Because I am so far away from home and everything is so different here I do feel the effects of culture shock and minor home sickness when I am by myself in my room but when I am out doing stuff and hanging out with my new friends I have been having a great time. I have started an online picture album at http://picasaweb.google.com/cliggett86
The weather here has been absolutely perfect, 60's and 70's with sun everyday. Everybody says this is very unusual and once fall and winter come around it will get much more gloomy so we are trying to do as many outdoor activities as possible.
I start class on Wednesday but the way school works is so different from the US. It's really a terrible system. I have one class that is the whole semester and 3 classes that are only second quarter classes. The only thing consistent about my class that starts on Wednesday is that it is on Wednesday throughout the semester. Depending on the week the time and location of the class varies. My second quarter classes are the same way so it's very hard switch around classes because the times vary from week to week so it's easy for classes to overlap each other on some weeks. I am sure everything will work though.
It's lunch time so I must be heading out. If any of you have questions or want more information on one thing or another please do not hesitate to ask. I love getting emails from friends and family. I wish everybody a fun and safe weekend.
Cooper