fredag den 31. august 2012
¨
torsdag den 30. august 2012
Reblog from "Copenhannah": How to look like a Dane
Just stumbled upon this very funny blog post from an American girl who did an exchange in Denmark, just as a bunch of you students are. I thought it was very clever and entertaining. We'd love to see some guides to how to look like the people where you are from! Here is her blog: http://copenhannah.tumblr.com/
And here's the reblog:
Step 6: Now that you know the color scheme and the no sweat pants rule, what do you actually wear? Girls first. The goal is to make your legs look as long and skinny as possible. On the top wear a bulky sweater or a structured jacket and on the bottom wear tight black skinny jeans. Your legs will look like little matchsticks.
Step 7: SCARF. For boys and girls both, do not dare leave your house without a large and in charge scarf. Start wearing your scarf mid-August. Stop wearing your scarf mid-June. Go to scarf withdrawal therapy in July.
Step 10: This is it guys, the last step to looking like a true Dane. Wipe that smile off your face and put on an ice cold stare. If you are a Dane, you need to look unapproachable and intimidating. Avoid eye contact at all times, whether in the train or on the street. And NEVER say hi or nod at anybody that walks by, as we do in Minnesota.
In addition to this, one of the students from my own group asked me yesterday why the Danish DTU students seems to be really into wearing "Star Wars" themed clothes and if it was because it's done with irony. I can only speak for myself, but I think that mostly it doesn't have anything to do with irony. It's pure, nostalgic love!
DTU students are into nostalgia in other ways than with their clothes. As I also told him, DTU works like a time machine (you must have noticed all the 90's music at the party last night and tuesday in Kælderbaren). Vengaboys, Aqua, Ace of Base, the macarena, you name it. Again; Welcome to DTU and welcome back to the 90's! :)
Best,
Nanna
And here's the reblog:
"So you want to look like a Dane? I don’t blame you. Danes are hot, so I’m going to tell you how to look just like them. I’ve taken The Meaning of Style for the last four months taught by a stylish Dane who I quote “feels uncomfortable” if he wears the same pair of shoes more than once in a month. Thus, I am qualified. Listen, learn, look Danish.
Step 1: Take your head and dip it in a bucket of peroxide. Go ahead, throw caution to the wind. If you accidentally dye your eyebrows, it’s a plus! You can’t look like a Dane unless your scalp burns from too much bleach. All Danes are blonde, by birth or by bottle, it doesn’t matter.
This guy’s got it!
Step 2: If you are a girl, you must only wear your newly dyed hair in one of two ways. Lazy or lazier.
Lazy- Put your hair on the top of your head in the highest bun possible. You want people to stop on the street and ask, “Is it even gravitationally possible for her bun to be that high?” The key to this bun is to never look in the mirror after doing it. If there is bumps or chunks falling out, no sweat. You want to look like you spent all your time dying your hair and none of your time doing your hair.
I Googled “danish bun” and this wasn’t quite what I was looking for, but correct and delicious nonetheless.
The perfect height, the perfect messiness and even in black and white, the perfect bottle blonde. Bun Master!
Lazier- Do absolutely nothing with your hair. Wake up and go. At the most, part it down the middle. Your hair will look the right amount of messy and the right amount of awesome. Danes have truly magic hair.
This Dane woke up three minutes ago.
What I look like in the morning. Rough. Or should I say, meow. LOLZ ;) :D :) (remember if you are dressing like a Dane, you must also use emoticons like a Dane)
Now, hair for the men. If you want to look like a Danish man, you need to ignore everything I just said about the girls. You must make your hair look as if you spend a minimum of five hours doing it. Hair product is your best friend. Your hairstyle MUST convince onlookers that you skipped school in order to properly gel. The more unnatural swoops, swirls and spikes, the better.
Nick Carter circa 1995 is a good starting point. You can’t go all out Dane the first day. You probably don’t even have that much gel in stock.
Oh yes. That height ain’t natural.
Now that you have your hair all big and rock hard to the touch, you can do one of two things: leave it the way it is or buzz the sides. The gelled hair MUST be gelled back in a very gentlemen like swoop, a very large swoop. Then you must take an electric razor and buzz short everything else on your head that is not considered part of the swoop. I searched and searched the internet and no pictures could do this ‘I can tell what country you come from even if I was only allowed to see you from the eyes up” hairstyle any justice. This Danish man is half-assing the hairstyle. Imagine more hair on top and much less hair on the sides.
And you call yourself a Dane?
Step 3: Put down the bag of chips that is currently in your hands as you are reading my blog in bed. Danes have Viking blood, for gosh sakes, and thus are naturally tall and ripped. You’ll need all the help you can get to fit into Danish skinny jeans.
But, if you ever do come to Denmark, disregard this rule and eat these chips. Imagine the best qualities of all your favorite chips combined in to one chip.
Step 4: Go to your closet, put everything that is not black into a bag and burn it. If you truly want to look like a Dane, you can never wear color again. Ever. When people look in your closet, you want them to be confused. Are you really a (insert profession here) or are you really, in fact, a ninja?
Is that a ninja? Nah, it’s just a Dane.
Step 5: This is definitely the hardest rule of all. You can never look like you are coming or going from the gym again. In layman’s terms: stop looking like a slob. There is not even a word for slob in Danish because it would never be used. No more ratty grey sweatpants. No more oversized gym clothes with stains in the armpits. And worst of all, no more UGG boots. (I didn’t just look at my outfit now and describe it or anything…) If you want to look like a Dane AND you want to go to the gym to get that hot Danish bod, your gym clothes better look nicer than a non-Dane’s every day clothes. Top of the line matching Nike or Hummel only, please.
Just a Dane (who did not follow step number one ) rocking out in head to toe Hummel.
Step 6: Now that you know the color scheme and the no sweat pants rule, what do you actually wear? Girls first. The goal is to make your legs look as long and skinny as possible. On the top wear a bulky sweater or a structured jacket and on the bottom wear tight black skinny jeans. Your legs will look like little matchsticks.
Boys next. Your goal is to look like Waldo from Where’s Waldo but instead of red, everything needs to be black. You need tight pants (your girlfriend’s skinny jeans will work), a striped shirt, hipster thick rimmed-glasses (whether you need a prescription or not) and a beanie for when you run of out gel.
I have to admit that I heard this Waldo thing from someone else, but it was such a perfect description that I couldn’t pass it up. Waldo is just missing a little five-o’clock shadow on his face and his trusty bike.
Step 7: SCARF. For boys and girls both, do not dare leave your house without a large and in charge scarf. Start wearing your scarf mid-August. Stop wearing your scarf mid-June. Go to scarf withdrawal therapy in July.
A little on the small side and not black, but overall pretty Danish.
Step 8: Shoe time. As a Dane, you have three options of footwear. Three and only three.
Black Converse or Black Nike Frees or Black Wedge Booties (If you are male and want to wear the wedges, Denmark is about as liberal as it gets…so go for it)
Step 9: I’m bending the rules a bit. You are allowed to wear one colored item and that item must be your backpack. Your Fjällräven backpack, to be exact. Go into a store and ask if they have Fjällräven. You’ll pronounce some word that is nowhere near correct and three Danes behind the counter will laugh for five minutes while they keep asking you to repeat the word just so they can hear it pronounced incorrectly over and over again. Not that it has ever happened to me, but just to be safe, maybe you should just order it online?
The more obnoxious the color the better because this is the only color you may see all day in Copenhagen.
Step 10: This is it guys, the last step to looking like a true Dane. Wipe that smile off your face and put on an ice cold stare. If you are a Dane, you need to look unapproachable and intimidating. Avoid eye contact at all times, whether in the train or on the street. And NEVER say hi or nod at anybody that walks by, as we do in Minnesota.
The look
Step 10 b: Once you have mastered the “Ice Queen” look, prepare to completely wipe it off your face once someone starts talking to you. Danes may not look approachable, but if you get the nerve to ask for directions or to just start a conversation, they are the freaking best. Danes are the nicest, funniest and happiest people I have ever met. (For real. Denmark is ranked the Happiest country in the world right now. The US is 26th.) So wear that death stare, but you better be all love underneath you if want to truly look (and act) like a Dane.
Hej Hej,
Hannah"
In addition to this, one of the students from my own group asked me yesterday why the Danish DTU students seems to be really into wearing "Star Wars" themed clothes and if it was because it's done with irony. I can only speak for myself, but I think that mostly it doesn't have anything to do with irony. It's pure, nostalgic love!
DTU students are into nostalgia in other ways than with their clothes. As I also told him, DTU works like a time machine (you must have noticed all the 90's music at the party last night and tuesday in Kælderbaren). Vengaboys, Aqua, Ace of Base, the macarena, you name it. Again; Welcome to DTU and welcome back to the 90's! :)
Best,
Nanna
Free breakfast with DSE + cheap course books
The student organization DSE will give out free breakfast next thursday morning (the 6th) at 7:30 in front of the following buildings on Campus: 101 (entrance A), 116, 306 og 421! So nice of them!
Most of you should know by now which books you need for your courses, and although you get a 10% discount in the bookshop on Campus, it can still be expensive, so here are some tips for you that can help you use less money on books:
To buy or not to buy?
If the lecturer notes that you don't have to buy the book, it's not just to be nice. It's because in that case, you should only buy it if you're really into whatever the course is about. If the lecturer tells you it's a good idea to buy the book, it really is - and then you should buy it.
PDF books and DTU's Digital Library!
Try and google around. Unfortunateley, I only know one place where you can find some of the coursebooks in PDF file format, and that's DTU's Digital Library: http://portalen.dtu.dk/DTU_Generelt/DTU_Bibliotek/Viden.aspx
I recommend that you gather a group of people (maybe even your introduction week group) and arrange an introduction course (approx. 1½ hour in the library in Building 101):
http://www.dtic.dtu.dk/English/vejledning/kurser/intro.aspx
More links to where you can find PDF books will be awarded with lots of facebookhearts (<3).
Used books
In Denmark it's all about re-using and recycling stuff for the sake of the climate. One bonus is that it's also good for your bank accounts, because the DTU students will happily sell you their used books cheaper than in the bookstore! Look around the boards in the buildings on Campus for notes where people list books for sale. Network. Or use Usedbooks, DTU's own webpage for selling and buying used books. I've used it myself with great succes!
http://dtu.usedbooks.dk/?lang=en
I hope this information is useful. :)
Best,
Nanna
Most of you should know by now which books you need for your courses, and although you get a 10% discount in the bookshop on Campus, it can still be expensive, so here are some tips for you that can help you use less money on books:
To buy or not to buy?
If the lecturer notes that you don't have to buy the book, it's not just to be nice. It's because in that case, you should only buy it if you're really into whatever the course is about. If the lecturer tells you it's a good idea to buy the book, it really is - and then you should buy it.
PDF books and DTU's Digital Library!
Try and google around. Unfortunateley, I only know one place where you can find some of the coursebooks in PDF file format, and that's DTU's Digital Library: http://portalen.dtu.dk/DTU_Generelt/DTU_Bibliotek/Viden.aspx
I recommend that you gather a group of people (maybe even your introduction week group) and arrange an introduction course (approx. 1½ hour in the library in Building 101):
http://www.dtic.dtu.dk/English/vejledning/kurser/intro.aspx
More links to where you can find PDF books will be awarded with lots of facebookhearts (<3).
Used books
In Denmark it's all about re-using and recycling stuff for the sake of the climate. One bonus is that it's also good for your bank accounts, because the DTU students will happily sell you their used books cheaper than in the bookstore! Look around the boards in the buildings on Campus for notes where people list books for sale. Network. Or use Usedbooks, DTU's own webpage for selling and buying used books. I've used it myself with great succes!
http://dtu.usedbooks.dk/?lang=en
I hope this information is useful. :)
Best,
Nanna
The Copenhagen tours yesterday
I hope you all had some fun tours around Copenhagen. I'd really like if you shared with all of us what you saw and if it was cool, since almost all groups did different tours.
Best,
Nanna
Best,
Nanna
onsdag den 29. august 2012
Strøget's 50th birthday on saturday+sunday
You can be a part of the many events which will stretch from Nytorv and Gammeltorv to Amagertorv (refer to your citymaps, the ones with the queen on them!). There will be a performance by the Danish comedian Brian Mørk, Tivoli Pantomime and Copenhagen Pride, and the music will be played by the top Danish DJ's Rosa Lux and Betty Bronx. There will be a "food performance" together with Copenhagen Cooking and some royal opera singers.
Also there will be a 1,1 km long Danish pastry saturday from 10:00-11:30. Selected shops will give out coffee, Danish pastry and individual surprises ( = free stuff!!).
Sunday, you can see The Royal Guards on parade together with the Firemen Parade, Tivoli Parade, CPH Karneval, Hamleys Parade, Gay Parade and Art Parade!
There will be a 4 meter long LEGO-model in Nyhavn and free boat tours sunday between 14 and 16 (for those of you who missed the boat tour today!).
Translated from AOK, article by journalist Therese Rekling.
Best,
Nanna
Nanna
Open for suggestions
You are all very welcome to suggest posts we do, or even write them yourself (if you want your beautiful photo on the "About the Authors"-page)!
Suggestions for posts so far:
One day trips
Weekend trips
Danish music
Danish food: How to cook it or where to find it
The DTU bars
...
Looking forward to hear what you think!
Best,
Nanna
Suggestions for posts so far:
One day trips
Weekend trips
Danish music
Danish food: How to cook it or where to find it
The DTU bars
...
Looking forward to hear what you think!
Best,
Nanna
Awesome DTU dance moves
Ok, so the ones of you who were at the party last night might have experienced something unique.
As part of the introduction week for the Danish students, there are usually a lot of different dance moves involved as part of the social activities.
Therefore we thought that you should also be introduced to this "tradition", and we showed you the very basic moves of "Tunak tunak tun". Or just "Tunak". In this post, we'll also introduce you to some other dances and songs, that the DTU students like. Or hate. Or a little bit of both.
Learn the "Tunak" dance:
The song "Tunak Tunak Tun" is a bhangra/pop lovesong by Daler Mehndi
Watch the video here. The moves to remember from the video are the "pulling spaghetti in the air" and the "wave your arms in the air". My personal favorite is the "thumbs up, thumbs down move".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg-4c4uQmdo&feature=fvwrel
In between the "dudududuslduududlduldu da da da"-part, these are the moves to use. It's a Swedish guy, Leroy, who did an easy tutorial on how to "stampa".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrctMvIWpG0
The three Leroy moves are: "Lilla bollan" ("small ball"), "Mjölka kossan" ("milking the cow") and the hardcore one "Tjernobyl barnat" (the Chernobyl child!).
Bonus beer for the first one to translate the punjabi "Tunak" lyrics in a comment...
Learn the "Gangnam Style" dance:
The new summer hit from South Korea, "Gangnam Style" by PSY is the dance on many of the Danes' introduction weeks. If you want to move like them on the dancefloor when they get back home, this is how you do it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
Here are some of the moves:
Classy!
My favorite part:
This is how we should all look when we know the dance:
Again, creative as we are, just adopt the moves from the video. They are mostly very easy, but the one where he's walking sideways... none of us can do it! Can you?
Bonus-beer for the first one to translate the lyrics in a comment...
Aaaand the "Puma" song:
"Puma" is a song by DTU's all time favorite band, Roben og Knud. They are singing some very weird songs in Danish. This particular song is about a guy who would really like to own a stork, but it's beak should be short. He thinks a stork is ugly with a long beak. Then he continues describing the stork he wants - it should have a short neck, short, yellowish fur (yes, fur...) etc. The chorus is him summing up how much the new stork would actually look like a puma!!Yeah, it sounds just as weird as it is, but we kind of think that these guys are serious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZMUHvUz9xE
The dance moves are really difficult to explain, but they are super easy, so now you know, that when you hear this song, something amazing's going to happen on the dance floor!
Bonus-beer for the best "stork/puma" drawing posted in the comments...
Best,
Nanna
As part of the introduction week for the Danish students, there are usually a lot of different dance moves involved as part of the social activities.
Therefore we thought that you should also be introduced to this "tradition", and we showed you the very basic moves of "Tunak tunak tun". Or just "Tunak". In this post, we'll also introduce you to some other dances and songs, that the DTU students like. Or hate. Or a little bit of both.
Learn the "Tunak" dance:
The song "Tunak Tunak Tun" is a bhangra/pop lovesong by Daler Mehndi
Watch the video here. The moves to remember from the video are the "pulling spaghetti in the air" and the "wave your arms in the air". My personal favorite is the "thumbs up, thumbs down move".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg-4c4uQmdo&feature=fvwrel
In between the "dudududuslduududlduldu da da da"-part, these are the moves to use. It's a Swedish guy, Leroy, who did an easy tutorial on how to "stampa".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrctMvIWpG0
Bonus beer for the first one to translate the punjabi "Tunak" lyrics in a comment...
Learn the "Gangnam Style" dance:
The new summer hit from South Korea, "Gangnam Style" by PSY is the dance on many of the Danes' introduction weeks. If you want to move like them on the dancefloor when they get back home, this is how you do it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
Here are some of the moves:
My favorite part:
This is how we should all look when we know the dance:
Again, creative as we are, just adopt the moves from the video. They are mostly very easy, but the one where he's walking sideways... none of us can do it! Can you?
Bonus-beer for the first one to translate the lyrics in a comment...
Aaaand the "Puma" song:
"Puma" is a song by DTU's all time favorite band, Roben og Knud. They are singing some very weird songs in Danish. This particular song is about a guy who would really like to own a stork, but it's beak should be short. He thinks a stork is ugly with a long beak. Then he continues describing the stork he wants - it should have a short neck, short, yellowish fur (yes, fur...) etc. The chorus is him summing up how much the new stork would actually look like a puma!!Yeah, it sounds just as weird as it is, but we kind of think that these guys are serious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZMUHvUz9xE
The dance moves are really difficult to explain, but they are super easy, so now you know, that when you hear this song, something amazing's going to happen on the dance floor!
Bonus-beer for the best "stork/puma" drawing posted in the comments...
Best,
Nanna
Awesome Apps
So, for starters, here are some awesome apps which will help you out and about in Copenhagen (and the rest of Denmark).
Fetch your phone or save the webpages as favorites as they will help you. Plus they are free! :)
Public transportation:
Byenspuls - "Pulse of the City". An app that shows how the S-trains run. All delays on every train is shown and updated live. Available for both Android and iPhone. Also available as website: http://byenspuls.dsb.dk/byens_puls/ByensPuls.html
Rejseplanen - "Itinerary". An app that makes it super easy for you to plan your trip from anywhere to whereever you like. Available in English and German as well. Tracks times for both buses, S-trains, InterCity trains, LynTrains and Øresundstrains and Metro. Also comes as website: http://www.rejseplanen.dk/
1415 App. This app is instead of the ticket machines in buses, metro and trains. You can buy tickets with it for travel with public transportation. Available for iPhone (not sure about Android yet, but maybe it's up and running by the time you read this). 1415 is also the phone number you use, if you buy your ticket as SMS ticket.
Stores:
Hvad har åbent nu - "What's open now?". This app shows open stores nearby (works for about 3000 stores). Really usefull for when you are not on Campus, where DøgnNetto will save you since it's almost always open. Available for both Android and iPhone.
Miscellaneous:
AOK Guide - "Everything About Copenhagen Guide". Not sure if this app is avaliable in English, but it's graphic and simple to understand, so I don't think it will be a big problem if it doesn't. Shows all bars/clubs/restaurents/theatres/scenes/whatever where you are. Available for both iPhone and Android. Also a website: http://www.aok.dk/ (which is in English also)
Visit Copenhagen - The Official City Guide. This app is in English and shows everything you need to know before and during your stay in Copenhagen. Available for both iPhone and Android.
The list will be updated during the semester, so watch out - and feel free to recommend any apps or websites that can make life in Copenhagen and Lyngby more awesome for you all. :)
Best,
Nanna
Fetch your phone or save the webpages as favorites as they will help you. Plus they are free! :)
Public transportation:
Byenspuls - "Pulse of the City". An app that shows how the S-trains run. All delays on every train is shown and updated live. Available for both Android and iPhone. Also available as website: http://byenspuls.dsb.dk/byens_puls/ByensPuls.html
Rejseplanen - "Itinerary". An app that makes it super easy for you to plan your trip from anywhere to whereever you like. Available in English and German as well. Tracks times for both buses, S-trains, InterCity trains, LynTrains and Øresundstrains and Metro. Also comes as website: http://www.rejseplanen.dk/
1415 App. This app is instead of the ticket machines in buses, metro and trains. You can buy tickets with it for travel with public transportation. Available for iPhone (not sure about Android yet, but maybe it's up and running by the time you read this). 1415 is also the phone number you use, if you buy your ticket as SMS ticket.
Stores:
Hvad har åbent nu - "What's open now?". This app shows open stores nearby (works for about 3000 stores). Really usefull for when you are not on Campus, where DøgnNetto will save you since it's almost always open. Available for both Android and iPhone.
Miscellaneous:
AOK Guide - "Everything About Copenhagen Guide". Not sure if this app is avaliable in English, but it's graphic and simple to understand, so I don't think it will be a big problem if it doesn't. Shows all bars/clubs/restaurents/theatres/scenes/whatever where you are. Available for both iPhone and Android. Also a website: http://www.aok.dk/ (which is in English also)
Visit Copenhagen - The Official City Guide. This app is in English and shows everything you need to know before and during your stay in Copenhagen. Available for both iPhone and Android.
The list will be updated during the semester, so watch out - and feel free to recommend any apps or websites that can make life in Copenhagen and Lyngby more awesome for you all. :)
Best,
Nanna
Abonner på:
Opslag (Atom)