Week 17

Personal Development

4 months later, my Erasmus journey is rapidly coming to an end. 17 weeks ago, I had no idea that I would have experienced so much in one semester in Denmark! From the coldest winter in 20 years to the amazing changes of spring and now the warm(er) summer weather, I have so many memories. Looking back at my previous blog entries, I do not know how I found time to squeeze everything in. I have shared many memories throughout the weeks, but one thing (that I’m sure you are all aware of) I never seem to forget to say is something along the lines of; ‘This week has gone so quickly.’ I am bored of writing it as much as you are bored of reading it, so just to put a spin on the quote - the whole trip has gone so quickly! I am now on day 119 of my journal and with only a few days left to go, I am sad to say, this is my last weekly blog from Copenhagen...

The past week has been quite surreal in a way. After watching my Erasmus friends leave at the end of April, and gradually others leaving throughout May, it is now my turn to pack away all my belongings from the past four months. I am very sad at having to leave Copenhagen as I have had such a great time here, and met some of the nicest people. This week, I am making time to see my friends as well as having some final visits to some of my favourite places in the city. Spending time beside the bustling canals like Nyhavn; the beautiful parks like

Rosenborg Palace Garden and Frederiksberg Park (my favourite!); and the charming cobbled side streets filled with unique shops has been great and made me realise how fortunate I am.
Now that I have been here four months, I do not describe myself as a tourist in Copenhagen - to be honest, I get a little annoyed when people think I am on holidays here - directing me where to go, and what to do. Finding somewhere in the city is no longer a challenge, and I am even starting to remember street names. That is not to say that I would be able to direct someone who was lost, but I am proud to say that I now know my way around quite well. Furthermore, I would even be inclined to say that my Danish has improved - a little. It is unfortunate that I will not have longer to practise my linguistic skills - I guess it means I will just have to come back and visit Denmark another time!

I have had a wonderful time in Denmark, but I am also very much looking forward to coming back to Northern Ireland. This is the longest length of time I have spent away from my family and friends, so I cannot wait for a good old cup of tea and a proper (McVitie’s) digestive biscuit.

Cultural Development

At the weekend, we were fortunate enough to experience the Copenhagen Carnival. It is an annual event, which started in 1982, and takes place in the city centre every Pentecost weekend. The carnival runs for three days and attracts many tourists as well as Danes. There is a special children’s carnival that runs along with the event, so many families get involved. On Saturday we went to see the parade on Strøget with lots of Brazilian dancers and Reggae, World and Electro music. The weather was beautiful on Saturday, so lots of people had come to see what was going on.

Julia, Christina, Claire and I then went to Fælledparken in Østerbro where there were nine different music stages, lots of activities and different stalls. The park is so large that even though there were many people, there was a really relaxed atmosphere and we were able to relax and lie in the sun without feeling cramped.

On our way home from the carnival, Claire and I decided to visit Den Lille Havfrue (the Little Mermaid) one last time. Of course the actual statue is visiting China until the end of October for the World Expo 2010. This year’s theme for World Expo 2010 is Better City, Better Life, so the Little Mermaid has gone to be part of the Danish experience in Shanghai. The harbour was such a different setting compared to the snow blizzard and unbearable cold we endured on our first visit. The sun was still shining at 6pm, and we were able to take our time getting pictures beside the live images of the statue in China.


I have certainly experienced a wealth of Danish culture and way of life. From Danish home life, traditions and of course food, to national holidays and major tourist attractions (and everything in between), I feel that I know more about Denmark than I do about Northern Ireland. I feel very culturally enlightened, so I am looking forward to going back to Northern Ireland and visiting some cultural treats!

Professional Development

Seeing I have completed all my work for Blaagaard/KDAS, it was nice to have a week off. I still have to return to the university to get my individual assignment and papers back from tutors, so it will be good to see some of them before I leave.

My time studying in Denmark has been really eye opening. I feel studying abroad has been very worthwhile for me, and has given me a lot of perspective on education. I feel like I have really achieved something by studying in a different country and it is hard to sum up all the knowledge and skills that I have been introduced to. I really enjoyed studying theory at the university. Being in a class with 30 other people from all over Europe has allowed me to gain insight into other education systems and ways of practise, as well as the significance of multi-cultural education. My highlight of studying in Denmark was teaching placement at a Danish school. Schooling is very different here in Denmark and I am glad I got the opportunity to see that. Not only did I gain teaching experience, I also gained a lot of new ideas that I may not have been introduced to if I had not come on Erasmus. I look forward to returning to my studies in Northern Ireland; and I hope to apply all that I have learnt from being on Erasmus for my education and teaching in Northern Ireland.