Week 4

Personal Development

I have had another great week here in Denmark. We have been quite busy with university, but have made time for a lot of other adventures. I have been thinking over the past few days at how content I am here. Four weeks has been the longest time I have ever spent away from home, so to get this far is quite an achievement! Even though I am missing home comforts, I am in no way homesick and feel very comfortable here. The experience of living in a different country is certainly invaluable.

So, now I will get into some stories! On Saturday, Claire celebrated her 21st Birthday, so Nicole and I decided to bake a cake. When I say bake a cake, I mean adding water to a powdered mixture and placing it in a cake tin in the oven for 30 minutes. I realise Delia Smith may not approve, but the outcome was very tasty. Claire’s sister and brother-in-law were visiting for the weekend, so we went to The Hard Rock Café with them. After the meal, we went to the Copenhagen Ice Bar – what an experience! Everything was made of ice. I know this is perhaps a hard concept to comprehend - before I went I was unsure of how ‘icy’ the bar would be, but my imaginings did come true when everything was actually made from ice. The walls, tables, chairs, the bar, menus and even the glasses were made of ice! We had to wear quite unattractive looking coats whilst in the bar due to its minus 5 temperature, but definitely worth it.

This Tuesday was another exciting day: an adventure to IKEA. Being someone who personally loves everything about IKEA, from the mini pencils to the stylish showrooms and everything in between, I was very happy to visit one in a Scandinavian country. Once inside, I instantly felt at home, not just because everything in my room is from the store, but because the layout is exactly the same as the Belfast one. One of the highlights of the day was being able to locate the store, situated on the other side of the city, without any problems. We are finally getting the train system here which is helping me feel more like a resident than a tourist!

Cultural Development

On Saturday afternoon, Nicole and I went on a walking tour of the city. Apart from the freezing cold, the trip was great way to get our bearings. We visited the free town – Christiania, a few old and beautiful churches, the Parliament buildings and the National Library, known as the Black Diamond. The Black Diamond is one of my favourite places I have visited. The new part of the building is architecturally amazing, and the old part for the library is very beautiful. I hope to go back soon, as the place is very peaceful amongst the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the city.

We were fortunate enough to accompany our Erasmus group to a famous café in Copenhagen – Kanal Café on Thursday afternoon. The café sells Smørrebrød – a traditional Danish open sandwich which consists of a buttered piece of Rugbrød (rye bread) and a cold meat or salad topping. Even though the dish was quite expensive, it was nice to spend time with our classmates and chat outside of class. Looking back on my blogs, I realise I have talked a lot about food in my cultural experience, but I think this is interesting rather than worrying. A lot of cultural traditions will be based on a meal or special kind of food - whether it is how they prepare the food or what they eat - food brings people together for common values and fellowship.

Professional Development

Classes for our module ‘The Multicultural Classroom’ started on Monday, and it was a great start to the week. We had been given the task of bringing in five items that were meaningful to us so that we could place them in a bag and explain our items to various members of the class. The task had many advantages, as it got all of us talking and sharing stories. Even though we have been together for four weeks now, we learnt a lot about each other’s home life and hobbies and realised that we are not that different from each other. The objectives behind this class were to acknowledge cultural identities in society and ways in which we adapt because of them, especially in the classroom. We could easily recreate the activity in our own lessons at home, and I think the benefits would be great, especially in the Revised Curriculum. This module is very useful for my personal development as well as the benefits of being able to take something different back home with me to the classroom.

Another example of this would be the WIKI page and podcast that we had to produce this week for Visual Culture. Our task was to comment on differences and similarities between Blaagaard/KDAS and place our findings on the created webpage. I really enjoyed working with four other girls from different countries, and found out a lot about various education degrees. It made me more aware of the education I have been brought up with, and why we practise, rather than just how we practise. Completing the task was fun and certainly a project I could try in schools. The task could be altered for any topic as well as benefitting cross-curricular activities.

Week 3

Personal Development

Writing in my journal last night, I could not believe that I was noting 'Day 21' at the top of the page. Judging by the amount that I have written in my journal the past 21 days, I have been busy and obviously excited to explain all the new things that I have experienced.

We have only had two classes in university this week due to the Winter Break, and so I have had time to become more familiar with the local area and the city. Doing shopping, hanging out with friends and exlporing has been really fun. I feel that I am now settled in my new surroundings and the apprehension of living somewhere different is no longer on my mind.

I have enjoyed doing more things on my own this week. On Tuesday, I went for a walk in Copenhagen and took in a lot of new sites around the canals and harbour. It was very beautiful. I then took some time out to write a few postcards to my family. Sitting in the coffee shop on my own, surrounded by people talking a different language was no longer out of the ordinary and when I went to leave to go home, I got out the door and thought to myself...'I am in Copenhagen.' It was a strange feeling because that was a moment where the awareness of being here had completely left me, and reminding myself was a very strange feeling.

Wednesday evening was also spent in the city. I visited Rundetaarn (The Round Tower) which was built at the time of King Christian IV to serve as a student's church, library and observatory. Finished in 1642, it is one of the most famous structures in Denmark and stands around 34 metres above the street. The height of the tower may not be impressive, but the views of the city once you reach the top are amazing. Going at night, and seeing all the buildings lit up was really impressive. The other advantage of going at night was having a chance to visit the tower's observatory (the oldest functioning observatory in Europe).

A Science teacher's dream, the refracting telescope has a 80-450 magnification - amazing! I will definately be going back on a clear evening.

Cultural Development

This week celebrates Lent and the 6 weeks before Easter. In Denmark, they have a similar festival called Fastelavn - a carnival held the weekend before Ash Wednesday. The holiday does not seem to have much of a religious signifigance anymore, and is sometimes described as the Nordic Halloween, as children enjoy dressing up and gathering treats for the festival. On the Sunday afternoon, the children are involved in an event called 'slå katten af tønden' translated as 'beat the cat out of the barrel.' To me, this sounds very drastic, but Kirsten assures me that it is just the traditional name as a cat used to be placed in a barrel MANY years ago. Nowadays, the barrel is filled with sweets, and the children take it in turns to hit the barrel until all the sweets spill out. We went to such an event near Ballerup with Kirsten and her grandchildren. Seeing all the children dressed up was really fun. (My favourite costume being the child dressed as a whoopie cushion - if only that was available in my dressing up days.)

We attended a Danish food event this week with our Erasmus group. The event was held by a lecturer and Home Economics teacher. For a couple of hours we learnt about the Danish food culture. It made me realise how health conscious Denmark is. It is not uncommon for a Danish family to have to fill out forms and surveys about what they eat. I thought it was great that they also restrict a lot of food coming into the conutry if it has been too processed or contains too many additives. We then had a turn at cooking a traditional Danish meal. We were split into groups, and each group provided part of the meal. Starting with Franksbrød (French bread), we then had Frikadeller (meatballs) with red cabbage salad, white cabbage salad and potato salad. I was very proud of my input into the red cabbage salad, and a little disappointed it wasn't one of the favourite dishes. I quickly got over it when we were given Danish Apple cake (a type of crumble) and Danish Roulade for dessert - it was very tasty and I am still recovering after the amount I ate!

Professional Development

We started our Comparative Education classes at the end of last week. Our lecturer split us into groups so that we had to sit with people from our home university. This was the first time that we have been divided in such a way and was a little strange at the start. Each group had to design a poster with the title 'How to teach in such a way that every child learns.' After making the posters we all presented our ideas. It was really interesting getting a perspective of the differences and similarities within the countries and it really opened my eyes to various education systems. The similarities were a lot more signifigant than the differences - the main one being the issue of inclusion with mainstream schools. Every country was able to talk about how their education system is trying to deal with inclusion and their personal thoughts.

This week I have met with my Visual Culture Group. Our first task in Visual Culture is to compare Blaagaard/KDAS to our home instutuations and to find one thing that we would like to discuss. My group consists of a 'representative' from Spain, Belgium, Germany and Austria. Even though the task of getting everyone's experience together is challenging, I am very fortunate to be given the opportunity of hearing about other universities and educational courses. I realise that most universities our quite similar in their courses with education, but it is more the physical appearance of the institution that differs - from student rooms, to canteens and bars.

Week 2

Personal Development

The past week has gone very quickly. There has been lots to do and see, and many great times to remember already!

At the weekend we went on a residential trip to Ishøj - a town just South of Copenhagen. The trip was planned by our tutors for Erasmus students and part of our course. At first I was a little anxious about going as we only had a few classes together, but it was a great way to get to know everyone and find out about different countries and cultures. Having a large class of 37 pupils can feel intimidating at the beginning, but I really appreciated having the time to talk to people and relax with them. Even though it has not snowed in a week, it is still very cold and the snow is not disappearing! One thing I will definately remember from the weekend was seeing a frozen sea! The sand was covered in snow, and the sea looked beautiful.

Going to classes most days has made me feel more relaxed about being here. I am still trying to get into a daily and weekly routine, but going to a familiar place everyday has helped me cope with being away from home. Everytime I venture to the shop or get the train it becomes easier and easier and I am starting to get my sense of direction back - it has only taken 14 days! However, Copenhagen is a big place, and I keep finding a new street or shopping area - I think I will be able to spend four months here without getting bored!

Living with three other students is really helpful when it comes to financial situations - most importantly budgeting. We have found four supermarkets within Ballerup and have started to compare prices for everything - from washing up liquid to milk - I hope everyone is proud!

Cultural Development

We did not have class on Monday after the residential, so Greg and I accompanied Kirsten to 'BabyMusik.' Similar to a parent and toddler group at home, the programme aims to bring parents and children together for educational and social development before the child starts school. What was very different about this programme was the age group of the children - some were as young as 5 months, and no older than 12 months! Kirsten goes to help her neighbour (Monica) who has 5 month old twins - Frederick and Andreas. When we arrived, we were not quite sure what we had let ourselves in for, but Kirsten, the lady who runs the class was really welcoming. We had the job of taking pictures for the parents to take home. Observing the class was very interesting. It was focused around singing and promoting interaction between the mothers and their babies. I found it so interesting to see how even the youngest babies were able to concentrate and interact with the songs - I only heard one baby cry in the whole 90 minutes! Afterwards, Greg and I got to play with the babies, and chat over tea and coffee. We explained to the lady who takes the class that this kind of activity for babies so young is very uncommon at home, and she explained how it was becoming more and more popular in Denmark because of all the benefits - allowing parents to socialise and learn new skills as well as giving them a rest.

Last night we met up with some of the other Erasmus students in the city. We went to a very small bar just off the main shopping street in Copenhagen - Strøget. The bar had a very relaxing atmosphere, and was very cosy - we even got blankets to put over our knees! It was a great way to finish a busy day at university and chat over a drink. The table beside us were playing a traditional game you will find in Danish bars called Kranen. The game looks very odd, but despite the confusing rules, I think we will be trying it out sometime soon!

Professional Development


As I have already mentioned, this weekend we stayed in a youth hostel with our class. The residential, organised by two of our tutors, was the introduction to two modules we will be studying during our time here. The first module, 'Multicultural Education,' was introduced on the Saturday. The tutor was very keen to split us into groups where we didn't know anyone that well. We did a lot of activities surrounding who we are and where we come from. We presented eachother by drawing an outline of ourselves and putting information inside it. I really enjoyed thinking about my background and characteristics as it is not the kind of thing that comes up in converstaion at home! I also thought it would be a great activity to do in an Learning for Life and Work lesson. We then did some rolepaly on multicultural scenarios and it was really interesting to see how people interpret different situations.


The second part of the weekend focussed on another module - 'Compartive Education.' We were split into groups that we will be working in for teaching practise, and asked to explain the education system from our country. Again, this was very refreshing as it made me think reflectively about our education system in Northern Ireland. Sometimes it got frustrating, however, as explaining concepts is quite exhausting. As English is our mother tongue, and other students are still learning parts of it, I often found myself talking too fast and being misunderstood.





This week, in Globalisation and Professional change, we discussed 'Culture Shock.' Realising that I was not the only one going through ups and downs of living in a different country was so reassuring, and very interesting - especially at this stage when the excitement of leaving home is starting to fade, and the realisation that I am living here is setting in.


Danish is still causing a little bit of stress, but I no longer look blankly at a shop assisstant. Hopefully by next week I will have remembered a few more phrases so I can feel more independent here.

Week 1

Personal Experience


Leaving the house at 3.30am is never easy, especially having very little sleep the night before. The morning of the 28th January seemed like a blur and in a way I was glad to be up so early as leaving home for four months did not hit me until I arrived at Dublin City Airport. Waiting in departures seemed like forever! I had really no idea what living in Denmark was going to be like, and the thoughts about accommodation, shopping, transport, money and university started to swamp my mind. Fortunately I was travelling with five other Stranmillis students - three of which (Greg, Nicole and Claire) were going to be living and studying in the same place I was. Chatting to them put me at ease, and before I knew it we had landed in Copenhagen. Mie, a student at UCC (the university we are studying at) met us at the airport and took us to our accommodation in Ballerup - a town on the outskirts of the city. A plane journey, metro journey, train journey and 20 minute walk with very heavy suitcases later we arrived at our house for the next four months. Before I forget to mention, the snow here is crazy at the minute! Even the Danes are complaining of the cold temperatures and the amount of snow. Apparently this is the worst they have seen in nearly 20 years - great time to arrive I think as making a proper snowman is definately one of my highlights so far!


Kirsten, our landlady lives in the upper part of the house, and is renting out her basement to us. Complete with its own kitchen, bathroom and living room, the basement is very spacious. Greg and Claire have their own rooms, and as you can see below, Nicole and I share a double bed - which takes a bit of getting used to!


My first day in Copenhagen was quite surreal. I had lots to keep me busy like unpacking, exploring and shopping. Shopping here is quite expensive so Lidls has become our favourite place. Kirsten invited us upstairs to run through some details and she seems very nice and invited us to her church on Sunday. The accommodation is comfortable and I definately feel at home here already. My first impressions of Denmark have been very good. On Saturday we ventured into Copenhagen, and despite the cold we had a great time - there is lots to do and see and I am looking forward to what adventures we will be getting up to! Everything is very accessible where we live and I rarely feel isolated, however getting the trains and metros doea take a bit of getting used to - we spent around 5 hours at the train station over a period of just a few days due to the confusing zones and systems. Hopefully the time spent in such an exciting place will decrease as we get more acclimatised.

Cultural Development

I have already experienced a few Danish traditions and customs. The first being on our arrival at Kirsten's home. She showed us into her living room where we had Hygge. Hygge, translated to English, simply means cosy. It would be similar to afternoon tea at home, but with dimmed lights and candles on the table. For about an hour we shared stories and information over tea, bread and cheese and muffins - it was very much appreciated after being up so early!

Kirsten made us feel very welcome, and I think it is a reflection of the whole country - everyone seems very friendly and kind. At the same time however, Danes seem quite private people and the way in which Hygge is presented would emphasise this private and quiet personality. We also witnessed such characteristics when Greg and I visited Kirsten's church on Sunday morning. The country is mostly Protestant, and the service we witnessed would have been similar to that of an Anglican service. Even though it was in Danish, the priest was easy to follow and listening to the choir sing in Danish was really amazing and peaceful. Afterwards we were invited for tea and coffee with the congregation. After speaking to the priest, she informed us that Danish people are very private with their faith and that is why the church services are quite quiet compared to some denominations we would be used to at home. We also met the priest's secretary - Paula - who is from London and told us a lot about what happens in the two churches in the Parish.

That Sunday evening Kirsten invited us for dinner as our cooker made the electricity go off. You will be glad to hear we have since got a new cooker! She made Frikadeller (Danish meatballs) with potatoes and vegetables. The meal was really tasty and and it was lovely to hear about Kirsten's life and her children. Spending time with Kirsten made me very aware that even little things can be so different in another country - even the coffee pot looks strange!


We have also got time to visit the 97 year old Little Mermaid (Den lille havfrue in Danish) - a statue in Copenhagen to honor the children's author Hans Christian Andersen who created the fairytale 'The Little Mermaid' and made into a popular film by Disney. Despite being small in size, the statue is a major tourist attraction and a must see if visiting Denmark due to its history - including violent instances where it has been attacked with paint and even beheaded!

Professional Development

We attended our first class on Monday. The University - Blaagaard/KDAS UCC is the biggest teaching college in Denmark and is situated 20 minutes away from the city centre and is just newly built due to the amalgamation of two colleges. The building itself is very impressive and modern - equipped with a swimming pool and gym which I will definately be frequenting! There are 37 Erasmus students from all over Europe studying on the course and it is really interesting being in a classroom where French, Spanish, Flemish, German, Austrian and Swiss languages are all being spoken. One thing that frustrates me is the fact that we can only speak English. It makes me feel a little bad that I have no second language, as some of my classmates have learnt three or four languages!

We have had one Danish class which was only two hours long and very beneficial as my Danish is very poor! Even though everyone speaks English here, I feel quite ignorant when I cannot understand simple words and phrases!

One major difference from studying at Stranmillis is the length of time some of our classes are. We have already had one evening class (Globalisation and Professional Change) - which started at 4.30pm and ended at 9.30pm! Definately a shock to the system, but an interesting way of functioning as it gives those students who may have a job during the day or are mature students choosing a different profession the chance to study and earn a living. The aims of this class are to make us aware of cultural differences between countries and the affect this has on us as professionals in an ever changing world. It seems interesting and we have already been aware of our own personal backgrounds. This weekend we will be going on a retreat with the class so I hope that I will get to learn about education systems from various countries.

We have new classes starting weekly as our timetable changes each week - something else which is new to me, so I hope I don't get confused!