Andy Warhol after Munch:Louisana Art Museum

Today was another early morning. I was so excited to see one of my most favorite artists, Andy Warhol. Well...not see him, but rather pieces from his life time of work. It was amazing being in the presence of his famous Marilyn paintings, his Four Foot Flowers, and possibly one of my favorites, his silk screened diamond dust painting. The museum was H U G E and even I got tired of walking around and soaking it all in, so I can only imagine how Em, Tayler, and Mark felt. We all pushed through together.

Right now Emily, Mark, and I are busy planning our travels for after we leave and I can't believe that we've been here for 3 weeks already. It's pretty crazy how fast this is flying by. The rest of the day is devoted to travel planning, so I will update you later this week on how my clinical rotation goes and how riding a bike in this crazy bike city is!

:)

Eric Prydz Concert, ballet, and Hard Rock Cafe

The Eric Prydz concert was a fail. However, it gave me a lot of time to sit for awhile and people watch, which is always fun. I have learned one thing about the culture here that differs from the US and that is, here in Copenhagen, men dance with men. At least at the Eric Prydz concert this is true. It seems like in the Danish culture, sexuality is just an open concept. Like I said in a previous bog, I was shocked how many children there were at the "I Love You" AROS museum during my study tour. I think that I have a really open relationship with both of my parents, but with that being said, I also think that the concept of sex, passion, and love is right out in the open. Every day I am amazed at how much public affection is displayed. I literally see at least 3 couples making out on every outing. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing in my opinion.

Our nursing class had an interesting lecturer come in that is a primary health nurse. She discussed a lot with us both the statistical information and cultural opinions of sexuality in all senses of the word. The class took a quiz that asked what we thought the average age of sexual debut (first time participating in intercourse) is in DK. I wasn't surprised when the answer was 16 and to be honest, I believe that it could be younger in the United States. When asked to answer what indicates most young people as the cause of their sexual debut, the answer was "I wanted to do it." I would have figured that the answer would have been my friends had done it or I was "in love." An interesting question in the quiz asked what do young people want to learn more about in sexual education classes? The correct answer was that young people want to find "other ways of having sex." The answer shocked me actually. Often when I think I have to put myself back into the mind set of when I was 15 or 16 and I have to say that when I was in my sex ed classes, I never thought about this. I also would be bold enough to say that I do not think the majority of US kids think about sex similarly to American teenagers. A major problem with the mindset of younger and younger kids in DK might contribute to the high exposure to pornography. When asked in the quiz, at what age do young people averagely watch pornography for the first time, the answer was 12-14 years old. This seems really young to me. 99% of boys aged 14-18 years watch pornography and 86 % of females aged 14-18 do. When our class discussed why we think this is, it amazed me to hear one of the Danish girls say that pornography is so easily accessible in Denmark. it can be found on public television and in stores. Also, it is common for girls to talk to their parents about oral contraception, where in the US I think this topic is more hush hush and often leads girls to use resources such as plan parenthood and other free clinics. The four Hong Kong students in our nursing class gave their perspective and said that sex is not talked about at all in HK. The government has tight control over controlling the population with the "one child" law. This makes getting pregnant a huge deal and therefore it can be seen as a disgrace to get pregnant. If a girl goes to the hospital that is under age (I believe it is 16 in HK) and it is found out that she is pregnant, the government will track down the male and arrest him. Our discussion almost led me to believe that Denmark is the most open minded in regards to sexuality, then the US, followed by Hong Kong.

This got me thinking about how these differences could affect sexuality and possibly pregnancy in both Denmark and the US. I think that there are definite positives in having a more open culture about sexuality in DK. For example, I think that it is much more safe for a young girl to feel comfortable going to her parents and asking if she can start taking birth control rather than in the US where the topic of sex is so sensitive and girls might unsafely participate in sex or start taking a medication that can be harmful, without a parent knowing. Also, I think that with a more open culture as in DK, the "debut" age for sexual intercourse is higher than in countries like Hong Kong and the US. Often times, I think that when kids are curious about something and they don't get answers, they'll tend to explore on their own, as in the US.

On the other hand, I do think that the open policy on sexuality in Denmark is harmful to younger children especially. The accessibility to pornography is really putting an interesting spin on sexual education and nursing in DK. For example, kids have access to porn and are curious, so they watch it. As the lecturer that came explained to all of us, this makes it hard for a parent or an educator to teach a child that pornography is not what sex is and that safe sex, if ready to participate, is really what should be the concern. Our lecturer explained that pregnancy rate is increasing in young girls, because in her opinion, kids want to experiment with what they see and have not received the proper education on sexuality. This is also extremely difficult for DK because abortion is legal and also easily accessible, "free" of charge.

More and more I see the benefits to socialized medicince, but I am 100% convinced that there will never be one system that works the best because it's all about balance. When one thing is granted, something must also be pulled from some where else. After being here for 3 weeks, I can also say that I see very big issues with social structure in Denmark that I will touch on at another time.

On Saturday morning I went to the Ballet with Emily and Tayler. We woke up early to enjoy the sun and walk to get coffee before heading to the harbor for our ferry ride. The ballet was located in the new opera house, which was stunning. The panoramic view of the water was completely breath taking. The performers did such a great job and I was completely numb just sitting and watching the flow of the dancers bodies. I would have to say that the second act was my favorite. The music was more upbeat and the choreography strayed from traditional ballet. If I remember correctly, the choreographer was trying to depict spiders, which I thought was pretty neat. My thought that Danish people love taking breaks was reconfirmed when between every single act, there was at least a 5-10 minute coffee/bathroom break. I think that break idea is something the US definitely needs to adapt:) After the ballet, we walked around a little flea market that was in the square on our way back and Emily and Tayler bought a little thing each. I was so happy that I got myself out of bed to enjoy the sunshine in the morning, even though the night before was a late one and unsuccessful.

Later that night, a few of the nursing students from our class met up to eat at the most American Restaurant, The Hard Rock Cafe. The food was so so and the service was really slow, but I realized that in the Danish culture, people don't just eat, pay, and go. It is much more of a social gathering. While I do think that food is seen as a social get together in the US, I also see Americans eating their food like it's going to run away and then sitting for an hour or so and talking. In the Danish culture, as the Danish students have taught us, it is much more customary to cut a piece or two of food, take a bite, and then rest the fork/knife on the table to drink and talk with your company. This often leads to a long discussion followed by small bikes and slower eating. I have to say, I really enjoy my food and taste it so much more this way. While over all I think that I paid way too much for an okay meal, I enjoyed sitting and talking with some of my new friends. It's all in the environment and the experience here in Denmark!

Hej:)

Distortion

Yesterday was beautiful. The sky was a piercing blue and the sun felt like a kiss on my skin. It has been such a long winter in Cleveland and such cold, rainy weather here that "his" rays almost, for a split second felt unfamiliar. Luckily, all I had to do for the day was to conduct a nurse interview, which ended up being more of listening and taking notes. It was great because for the first time since I have been here (minus our hospital visits in Western Denmark), I was able to see what one area of nursing is really like in Denmark. It's completely different here. Period. I visited two Primary Care nurses with my group, which was so great because next week, Primary care is the clinical rotation that I signed up for. Partly because of the care focus and partly because I want to ride my bike to people's homes:)

My group took the Metro to Vanlose where the headquarters for the region is located. It is at the headquarters that the nurses meet each morning to discuss their patient load for the day and to gather all supplies for traveling. This aspect is key, as the nurses do not return to the headquarters until the end of the day.

In this role the nurse is very independent and having a lot of experience is really key because you must be able to trust yourself. I really can appreciate this aspect of Primary Care nursing in Denmark because the more an more experience I have gained, the more confidence I have and the more I know that I really can do this. If one day I decide to travel and live in Denmark, I think that I would want to be a primary care nurse. There are cons, such as the idea of biking 10 kilometers a day in blizzard weather and literally having to walk you bike and having a very limited amount of time with each individual patient, but the pros are being able to go into a persons private home where they feel most comfortable and giving them something they cannot give themselves.

After the interview it was so beautiful outside (a little breezy, but sunny) that I decided to take time for myself and lay out on a blanket (in shorts and a t-shirt because, like I said..it was breezy:) and read my most favorite book. It was so nice to be surrounded by Danes and them not even know that I wasn't "one of them." Actually, it's funny because so often here people think that I am Danish and Swedish. The only thing that gives it away is my teeth, because dental care here is not a priority like it is to have braces in the States. It cracks me up every time someone keeps talking to me in Danish and then I smile and they go, "oh sorry, I thought you were Danish." All of my kitchen mates who are Danish swear that my Dad is Danish and my mom is Swedish or something. Oh, us Americans and our beautiful teeth:)

A cool event called Distortion which lasts for 5 days is a huge Copenhagen event where the night life moves outdoors. This means that literally 10,000 people fill the streets each day and night for a week and dance and drink and barbecue and listen to music. Yesterday Jess, Em, Mark, Tayler and I went to check it out. It was so nice because we just sat on the bridge wall and drank apple cider (thanks again Jess:) and watch the people walk by. I love to people watch. If I could get paid for it...ugh, that would be so great. I just think that people are so interesting.

We walked around through the streets listening to music and just soaking everything is. We went to this one part where a HUGE pillow fight had just ended and me being so excited just runs into it not realizing that I was running into a fountain. Needless to say, my shoes were soaked and I had tons of feathers stuck to me. The pictures of my faces are priceless. The energy on the streets is just so vibrant and it's hard to not feel like you're a part of the community. I get so engrossed with this city and its people (see pictures above).

Ok, enough talking. It's time for a nap. Tonight is the Eric Pyrdz concert at Vega, so I need to be rested. I can't sleep in tomorrow because Em, Tayler and I are going to see the ballet at the new Opera House. Before I go, I would also like to add that the peanut butter in the US has nothing on Denmark's peanut butter. I have gladly been sitting here eating a few spoonfuls of it right now:)

Hej Hej!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today (well 43 minutes ago in Denmark), but right now in the US is my dad's birthday and I just wanted to say that I love you and miss you and hope that you had a wonderful weekend full of food, fun, family, and great weather!

Give mom a hug and kiss for me and say hi to the bro:) Give the pups a squeeze for me too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you!

Study Tour (Western Denmark)

This whole weekend was dedicated to our (the nursing classes) study tour to Western Denmark. We visited the cities of Arhus and Silkeborg. On our first day, Lenard, our bus driver for the trip, took us to lunch at this cute little place called Aros cafe which was conveniently inside the AROS museum. Our group was visiting the exhibit specifically focused on desire, romance, power, sex, pain, passion, and hate. Ironically, or not so ironic, the exhibit was called I Love You. 39 international artists art work were featured in this museum and the multi-facets of love were examined and interpreted by each.

Each piece of art was interesting because "love" can be portrayed by so many people as so many different things, so some works of art were cliche, while others discussed the materialistic side, the political side, the sacrafice and burden that comes with love, love vs. hate, and death and love. This was probably my favorite part of the "academic" visits on the entire trip.

After the AROS museum, our group went to the Danhostel in Arhus and a group dinner at Restaurant Stedet followed where we were fed traditional Danish food once again.

Bed early for another early start at 7:30 am. Breakfast was great (fresh yogurt and fruit) and coffee, plus the freshest breads and jams. After our departure, the group headed to Ward Y at Skejby Hospital in Arhus where we visited the gynecology-obstetrics department. Here we were able to talk with current nursing students to learn the differences in our curriculum's and also in the way we care for our patients. For example, the nursing students in Denmark have a section of class only for 2-5months and then clinical practice for 1-5months only. This is different to the US, where the nursing students have an integration of both didactic and clinical at once.

After lunch in Skejby hospital's cantina (cafeteria), we departed for Hammel neurocenter, which is a highly specialized neuro-rehabilitation hospital who focuses on brain damaged patients from across Western Denmark. This hospital treats about 700 patients annually. Their philosophy on incorporating nature and focusing on the strengths of the patient were common values that I came to notice throughout health care in Western Denmark.

Once our day visits were done we traveled to Silkeborg, where our second hostel was located. After getting to our rooms, we went canoeing on the Silkeborg Lakes. This was a funny experience. I was with Emily, who is not a "canoer" and for the first 20 minutes or so we literally were just going back and forth from one shore to the other, where I would then have to turn us around haha. It was probably a funny sight. Once I explained more about how to do and, we were pros! We had fun, and it was semi relaxing. I love being on the water. The two of us were serenaded by our Hong Kong friend, Nathan. He said "Total Eclipse of the Heart" as his boat went canoeing past us on the river.

Dinner back at the hostel and a bonfire with banana boats and dough sticks were an awesome way to cap off the night. It also helped that some of us played volleyball and needless to say, the girls team won. Easy :)

While falling asleep, 6 of us in our little private room had the best talk about some personal life experiences. It was so great to be able to know that you have shared sad, but also great life experiences with people from both across the US and across the globe. Thanks for a great night Jess, Em, Molly, and Christine.

Breakfast the next morning was again, so good. I think that breakfast has become my favorite meal of the day even more, if possible, since being here. We departed the hostel for the Risskov Psychiatric Hospital back in Arhus city. We split up and visited different wards that focused on specialties. My group visited the psychosis ward, which has patients that suffer mainly form schizophrenia. After our individual tour we regrouped and we able to ask all of the nurses from each ward questions. The building was located on beautiful grounds right near the cost. The wards were painted with bright colors and had natural lighting with fresh air coming in from all of the windows. The patients who were awarded outside privileges could use the courtyard and see the water. There were multiple "community" areas on each ward that contained books, exercise equipment, television, etc. Each patient also had an individual room. The nurses expressed values such as support, strength, nature, and art that are all important to each of them in the care they give to their patients. An art museum filled with patient's art work is on the grounds and the public as well as the patients can go visit the museum. This was such a different interpretation of psych patients than in the US. It was a nice and better interpretation as well, in my opinion.

For lunch, a few of us girls went to the Risskov cafe, which is a little place located on the hospital grounds where psych patient's work to make money for themselves while taking part in treatment. This, I think, is a novel idea:) Clearly maintaining autonomy is a key part of getting well and staying healthy both physically, mentally, and spiritually.

After lunch the group visited the Dansk Sygeplejehistorisk Museet (Danish Nursing Museum) in Kolding. This museum was an old tuberculosis hospital almost 100 years ago.

The entire 3-day trip ended with Danish ice cream and guf.

While pictures were taken from this trip (non by me) I will have to wait until I have access to put them up. In the mean time, enjoy pictures of the Case group from Cleveland at a bakery enjoying the Wednesday snail special (iced Cinnamon rolls for only 12 kroner)! and from my Saturday window shopping adventure with hot chocolate from Beresso (where we met Kelsey, another American student in DIS:) and also from ice cream on the canal.

Hej Hej

A danish dinner party (Friday)

I am writing this extremely late. It seems that I am unable to keep up with my blogging activities as I would like. On Friday night (today is Tuesday) our entire nursing class went over to Clara's house for a Danish dinner party. Her mom's apartment was beautiful. Just the cozy Danish environment that I was expecting and the decor was extremely inviting. The food was absolutely incredible. We had traditional Danish meatballs, called Frickadeller, which are made with pork and egg. I found out very quickly that pork is the national meat here in Denmark:) The meatballs came with a red cabbage sauce that was the perfect topping. We also had crusted baked fish that was amazing and which I unfortunately cannot remember the name of now. There was Danish liver pate which was great spread on the warm rye bread. Many other dishes and toppings were also available and I tried a little of everything. And in keeping with Danish culture, there was plenty of wine.

There was a plethora of music and talking in small groups. It was so nice to look around and hear all of the laughing and see every one's smiling faces. Knowing that I have made 20 new friends from around the world is just the most hygge feeling (Danish coziness). All of us played a "body game" where two words are placed on a notecard and you and your team members must use those body parts to hold the cards between you without falling. For example, the notecard would read knee and hip and I would put my knee on my teammates hip while holding the card between those two body parts and without falling or letting go. It was a funny sight, I'm sure.

For dessert the Danish nursing students made us a traditional Christmas dish of rice (almond) pudding with a blood red cherry sauce. I took the biggest bowl. It was SO good and I hope that I can get the recipe to bring back to the States for us to enjoy always. A game also goes along with this Christmas dish where one almond is kept whole. Throughout eating the big bowl, one person will get the almond and they must keep it a secret from everyone until the end of the night when it's time to reveal the winner. This person gets a prize/present. Funny thing was, we did not finish the big bowl and no one had the almond. At the end of the night I was helping Clara (our hostest) do the dishes and I took just one more spoonful of the rice pudding before washing. To my surprise, I was the lucky one who found the prized almond. In fitting with Danish royalty and the monarchy, I won a crown:)

See above for the group picture at dinner (I managed to fit us all in on a self timer and run in just in time). Also note the crown, the dancing, and the cold blistery winter like weather we have to catch the bus in.

We ended the night with going to a local bar, where I enjoyed dancing late into the morning with all of my friends.

Hej Hej

TIIRREEDD

too tired right now...I'll fill you in on the flip side