Malmo!

 6/21/12

On Thursday evening, we crossed the Oresund Bridge and visited Malmo, Sweden. The trip lasted about thirty minutes, and many of us couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit another country while we were there. We arrived after six, so everything other than the restaurants were closed. Just like in Denmark, the day ends promptly. We had an incredible dinner, though not uniquely "Swedish." I did notice at the portions were much larger than in Denmark, and the prices were a little more reasonable. After we finished our meal, I asked our waitress what we should do. Five minutes later, we were in a cab headed for the beach.

Heading across the Oresund. Wind turbines in the distance.

Canal view

Medieval center of town

Globalization at its best/worst?

Wienerschnitzel, root vegetables, and morel mushroom gravy

German potatoes on the side

We split dessert: passion fruit cheesecake, mocha mousse, and vanilla ice cream.

Can you see the time? Just after 10 p.m. and still light out. It did not get dark until almost 11 (or, in other words, right when we were trying to find a cab back to the train station).

The Turning Torso. Tallest building in Scandinavia and one of the most controversial. Pretty cool that I got to see this, since I studied it in a workshop a couple of summers ago.

Heading back on the train. With Amanda, who looked more Swedish than almost anyone we saw in Malmo.

I know it's blurry--but check out the time. It's 0:01 in the morning (one minute after midnight).

Sorø Science Camp

6/21/12

This afternoon, we had the opportunity to visit an initiative by the Danish government to identify and foster talented students in the sciences. The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Moller Videncenter at Sorø pulls students aged 12 to 20 from across the nation. They stay at the school for a few schools, interact with other top students, learn from exceptional students, and utilize the latest scientific gadgetry. Here are the reasons why the government chose to start the camp:

1. To ensure Denmark's competitiveness in a globalized economy and knowledge-based society
2. Talent is contagious
3. Unreleased talents do not prosper (According to the camp, these students have the potential to become one of the best if their potential is stimulated)

It is refreshing to see an initiative aimed at top-level students. I often feel that every reform, every new program that comes our way in the American school system is designed for struggling students-- differentiation, literacy strategies, block scheduling, cooperative learning, and so on. While I recognize the very real need of these students, our schools also need to challenge the advanced students. I appreciate that the Danish government utilizes the talented teachers throughout the nation to lead the instruction, and I was also impressed by the technology available to the students. One piece of equipment at the facility was one of only three of its kind in the country--and it is available for twelve year olds to fiddle around with. Of course there are attempts like this in the United States (the North Carolina Governors School comes to mind), but they are few and far between. The emphasis on education as an investment in the future really impressed me.

Another delicious catered lunch. I would be a MUCH better teacher if I was offered a spread like this every day.

The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Moller Videncenter (Science Camp)

Checking out the 3-D lab with the center's director

Resting on Danish design--Was it a chair? Table? Both?

Secret Garden

We had a few minutes between lunch and our presentation this afternoon in the tiny town of Sørø. I took the time to wander into the gate of what looked like the church garden. Turned out to the cemetery instead. Each grave site was a tiny, well-manicured garden. They were bordered by small hedges, each one was uniquely landscaped, and most had little pavers that you could walk up to reach the headstone. I have visited many unique cemeteries (I don't seek them out, I'm not weird like that) both in the United States and abroad. I've seen the raised burial chambers in New Orleans and Charleston, the rural family plots scattered throughout the South, the seemingly ancient churchyards in Scotland and England, the immensely colorful and festive cemeteries along the Mexican border, and many others. But I believe that this cemetery was the most serene and beautiful that I have seen. I'm not sure whether this site was unique to the town or was representational of the country, but I do appreciate when I stumble upon these little cultural discoveries during my travels.

One Man's Trash = Another Man's Treasure

6-21-12

This morning's trip took us out of the city to Vestorbraending Recycling and Waste Treatment Plant. I was a little wary as to why I had traveled all the way to Denmark to visit an incinerator, but I was really impressed by the presentation on recycling and the consequences of consumption. The plant included an interactive educational facility for schools to bring students and educate them on waste. According to the plant, waste is a resource that can be recycled or turned into energy. Danish families sort their trash to go to three locations: the recycling center, the incinerator, and the landfill. Recycling is free, but customers are charged for hauling away the other two materials. Materials going to the landfill cost the family/business more than double what goes to the incinerator. By using this tiered payment system, the Danish government is creating incentives for its citizens to reduce their waste.

The presentation emphasized the "hidden flows of consumption" around the world, or in other words the waste and pollution that are a direct consequence of the production for our consumer products. For example, the aluminum for one soft drink can results in one kilogram (two pounds) of polluted red clay. The weight of a cell phone is 100 grams (less than one pound), but the hidden flow is 75 kilograms (165 pounds) of waste. In addition, a single cell phone contains several hard metals (including gold) that are dangerous to put into landfills.

We learned about landfill and urban mining. Several countries, including Belgium and Japan, are now digging through their landfills searching for electronics, metals, plastic, and minerals to reclaim. Urban mining searches for resources that are sitting unused in storage in people's homes. Recycling is not only about saving landfill space; it is also about reusing resources.

After the presentation, we donned safety vests and hard hats for our tour of the facility. We started with the trash, moved into the control room, saw the incinerator and turbines, and wrapped up at the "smokestack." I put that term in quotes, because 99.5% of what exits that stack is steam. I learned something new about myself on the tour: I can dry heave from only a smell. While the smell of the garbage was really getting to people, I thought it was manageable. But then we passed through a small corridor that was sealed by two sets of doors, where the air was warmer and more stagnant and the odors of that trash was left to pervade every cranny and fester, and it really hit me.

I was really struck by the effects of our consumption and waste. It makes me want to be much more conscientious about what I buy--making sure I purchase things that I need and that are high enough quality that I will not have to repurchase. I also want to be conscious of what I am throwing away. I do not want my trash to be leaching harmful materials into our soil and water.

Check out their website: http://www.wastelab.dk

This diagram shows how far all the materials that make up a knapsack travel before it is sold in Denmark. Total distance: 180,945 km (112,434 miles)

Hard hats and safety vest: ready for the tour

Trash drop-off

This diagram shows the workings of the plant. (1) Trash comes in on the lower left; (2) big claws lift it up and drop it into the incinerator; (3) the trash is burned, heating up large pools of water; (4) steam from the water turns a turbine on the roof, which produces energy that is sent by power lines into the town; (5) the hot water is sent by pipes into homes where it is used for radiant heating; (6) trucks take away sludge left over by the burning process, much of it is used to pave roads.

Checking out the incinerator

Looking up the stack. It was pretty tall!

Before and after: what recycled aluminum cans can be turned into

New idea for waste bins: built-in separation for cans, bottles, paper, and trash.

Down the Rabbit Hole

6-20-12

One of the biggest recommendations that I received from various people about what to do in Copenhagen involved visiting the area known as Christiania. This area was formed by squatters in the 1970s, who moved into abandoned army barracks. Formed as a Hippie commune, the neighborhood gained semi-autonomous status that gives it a unique identity and somewhat lax laws. One of the students at the Ingrid Jespersen school advised several members of our group to visit Christiania. When asked why he recommended it, the boy said, "It's very Danish." Several members of our group visited the community earlier in the week, and they found it a pretty interesting place.

On our way into Christiania

The three dots are a symbol for the neighborhood. They represent the three "i's" in Christiania.

I would describe my mood as excited about seeing the area, and I promised myself to be nonjudgmental and open-minded during my visit. But as soon as I entered the neighborhood, my mood immediately shifted to unease. I felt uncomfortable, anxious, and very quiet. I expected artsy, quirky, unique. Instead, it just seemed run down. Since Copenhagen is very urbanized, I expected Christiania to fit that mold. The neighborhood was much less organized, though. For example, you expect urban green spaces to be well planned-out, with parks and sidewalks, maybe fountains or public art. The "green spaces" in Christiania were overgrown, with dirt paths worn over the years, and random people doing random things. Many of the structures and yards reminded me of what I've seen in developing nations like Mexico and Jamaica. And the people seemed a little worn as well. I thought many of them looked haggard. We were there to engage the culture, to observe, to strike up conversations. I just didn't know how to react, and that's why I stayed quiet during most of our visit. Not silent, but I didn't take the lead at any point. I spent most of the day confidently leading myself and others through the city, but in Christiania I felt lost.

The main part of the community is "pusher street," named for the drug trade along this road. While this situation is in no way legal in Denmark, for the most part it is permitted. Photographs are strictly prohibited in this area. What one would see is tables and stands selling various types of pot and hash, and a wide variety of individuals milling about (some to buy, some to look). In this area of the city, it is as appropriate to walk around smoking pot as it would be to drink a beer on any other street. Maybe it was on purpose, or maybe it relates more to my own naivete, but I did not actually see any drugs being sold or consumed. I did, however, see a lot of people that looked like tourists. There were also more people who seemed like they had nothing to do during the middle of the day than anywhere else I had been in a long time.

We found out many interesting facts about Christiania. There are seven communities within the neighborhood, and each works as a direct democracy. When an issue is raised, everyone in that community comes together to address the problem. If the group is not unanimous, then no decision is reached and the issue is dropped. When one member dies, the community decides who will "inherit" the house. Many of the residents work outside of Christiania. One question that wasn't answered was in regards to taxation. Is the community paying the same taxes as everyone else? Do they have the same energy and water restrictions? How far does there autonomy go? The government tried to reign in the community a few years ago, but the effort was largely unsuccessful.

In the end, it was good that I visited Christiania. It showed me a very different side to Copenhagen and reminded me that one culture can have many unique facets. Throughout the week, I have struggled with what I am calling the "permissiveness" of the Danish culture. Nowhere was that theme more prominently displayed than in this neighborhood. Plus, sometimes the sketchier areas of a city are worth visiting just for the shock factor. It's like seeing the French Quarter in New Orleans.

We saw this poster at several places in Christiania. It says: "no weapons, no hard drugs, no violence, no private cars, no biker colours, no bulletproof clothing, no sale of fireworks, no use of thunderflashes, no stolen goods."

Adios, Christiania

I bought this book before I left Denmark. Hopefully, it will provide some more insight.

Top of the World, Ma

6-20-12

One of my favorite things to do when I visit a city is to climb up to a high point and get a panoramic view. I've seen London from St. Paul's Cathedral, Florence from the campanile at the Duomo, Chicago from the Sears Tower (or Willis Tower as it's now known), Seattle from the Space Needle, and so forth. Today, I had the chance to visit two high points in Copenhagen: Vor Frelser Kirke (Our Savior Church) and the Rundetarn (Round Tower). When we saw the unusual spiral tower of the church, we knew it was on our "must" list in the city. I fit through lots of tight spaces and up some ancient looking ladders before I emerged on the bronze exterior staircase to reach the top. The Round Tower was on my planned itinerary when I arrived. Unlike the climb in the church, the tower was mostly a winding ramp up to the top. Located in the Latin Quarter, it was once the university's observatory. While Vor Frelser was more invigorating, the Rundetarn provided much better views.

Vor Frelser Kirke (Our Savior's Church)

Close-up of the spiral

Exterior stairs

Me and the view

Rundetarn (Round Tower)

The interior ramp

City view

Can I buy a vowel? Oh wait, there are way too many.

6-20-12

While the Danes were easy to communicate with thanks to their excellent English skills, directions were not so easy to follow. I basically just ignored the street names and treated the map as a purely visual tool. Good luck figuring out how to remember these names, or trying to pronounce them to ask for directions.

Smørrebrød

6-20-12

Today's challenge: find a place for smørrebrød, the open-faced sandwiches that are quintessentially Danish lunch food. Using the advice of Lonely Planet and Rough guidebooks, we found Slotskaelderen Hos Gitte Kik. It definitely appeared that we were the only non-Danes in the dining room during the lunch rush, so I think we successfully found our authentic experience. And what an experience it was!

To order, you walk up to a table where all the choices are laid out. There were some things that I recognized (like shrimp, egg salad, smoked salmon) and some that I did not. One dish sort of looked like Italian carpaccio. I found out it was actually lamb, though it didn't look very cooked. The next plate looked sort of like cow's tongue--but I thought surely not since I wasn't standing in a Piggly Wiggly. Oh yes, tongue. Two strikes. Another member of our group asked what the most traditional sandwich was, and the waitress suggested the herring. It came in three varieties: curried, marinated, and fried. Here is where I wimped out a little. I don't like uncooked meat--I am not a big fan of sushi and I have never ordered anything "rare." To guarantee that it wasn't "pickled" herring, I went with the fried fish. I figured then I would definitely know that it's cooked. One person ordered the marinated herring, three picked the curried, another joined me in the fried, there was one roast beef, and another person opted not to get anything. The plate came with a piece of fish, some type of clear liquid that tasted sweet, red onions, capers, dill, and one slice of buttered bread on the side. It was extremely fishy, and I would say overall that it did not fit my flavor palette. I did finish it, though. I am thankful that I did not go with either of the other choices. I tried the curried herring, and I ate one bite of the fish in it. It tasted slimy, rubbery, not good. By the end of the meal, you could tell almost everyone was working to get the food down. The flavors basically "built-up" as we ate the meal, and they became too much. Bring on the after-lunch gum to chew! While I doubt I'll ever order that sandwich again, I did get to have the experience. 

An unassuming storefront. Gotta love a find like this.

The choices

My meal: fried herring with capers, onions, and dill

Energy & Water Workshop

6-20-12

We began the day at the Energy and Water workshop. It's a hands-on learning center for students aged 3 to 18 that engages them to discover the sources, concerns, and impact of their vital resources. The Danes have really taken the inquiry method to heart; I am especially impressed by the means that the center has used to address the needs of small children. The government has undertaken a major educational effort to teach children the values and necessity for energy and resource conservation.

 

Learning about the water cycle

Students made this three-sided mosaic to explain the water cycle. This side shows the precipitation/accumulation aspect (rain at the top, beach/shore on the bottom). The mosaics were made from reclaimed materials.

Table where children learn about the powerful force of water. One end fills with water while the students are charged with protecting their land.

Down the potty. In this display, students climb down into the sewer system to learn what happens to their water. I told my daughter on Skype that I climbed into a toilet today, and she was so confused.

Where the other end comes out.

Working our way through the sewer tunnels.

Part of a mural depicting water use. Couldn't help but notice that the wasteful water home is sporting an American flag. It shows a family washing their car, running the sprinkler, taking a bath, and jumping into a swimming pool.

Electric bicycles help make biking a long distance to work more feasible. One pedal and it just took off. Oh, and yes, I realize how utterly "Carolina" I look in this picture. Prior to this shot, I almost fell off the bike. I guess "it's like riding a bike" isn't a good axiom for me.