knock knock knocking on sanon's door

The last 48 hours have been a little crazed, for lack of a better expression.
At a tapas party for the novias de espana I agreed to go to a concert. However, as I was very drunk when I made this agreement I was unable to remember it the following day.
The following day was spent in bed watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Moni. There was a brief pause for a hamburger break, then we resumed Buffy watching. Then there was a knock on the door--my little sister from Iraq. She was tired, so she curled up in my bed with Moni and I.
Then there was another knock. It was my little sister from italy. she needed help correcting the theory section of her paper. So, I went to her room and the two sleepy heads followed and fell asleep in Laura's bed.
Then there was yet another knock. It was the person I agreed to go to the show with. OOOPS! totally forgot. I scrambled to buy my ticket and get dressed and go.
We went to see less than jake and guttermouth. Two bands that I listened to a lot in the formative years of middle and high school. It was a fun crazy show. The only thing that set me off was the fact that the bands were completely playing up the ugly, macho american and i remembered why i stopped going to punk rock shows. i don't like the way the men in these bands rag on women. it totally harshed my mellow. However, all-in-all, it was a good time. (side note, someone got stabbed outside of the club we were in. denmark is not what people think.)
the next morning the plan was to go on a long bike ride from roskilde to frederikssund. Ricardo knocked on my door in the morning to tell me that we would leave in 30 minutes. 10minutes later, knock knock.
Ricardo: bad news. we will not go by bike anymore. the weather is terrible and some spanish will go to helsingor.
me: ok
R: fuck sorry, shannon. do you want to go
m: only if there is room.
R: there is no room.
m: ok. then, no.
R: fuck, shannon. sorry.
Then 10 minutes later. knock knock. there is room. we are going now.
So, I grabbed my purse and off I went. The day was spent with me and 10 Spanish wandering around and looking at castles. It was fun and tiring. the evening ended with me drinking until 7 and briefly abducting a person that i only know because he sells me my 7zoner clip card at the super brugsen.
I will upload photos soon. Right now I am out the door to see a "jam session" at christiania.
ciao ciao

The State I'm In...Cont'd

An update from my last post. In light of all the trauma and drama of my project group. I decided to drop out of the project work. I didn't need the credits and I certainly did not need the stress, anxiety, and hopelessness that it produced.
Now I can enjoy the rest of my days in Denmark and catch my blog up in regard to my travels. Maybe I'll even swing by England to visit my favorite Seattle ex-pats.
So, that is the update for now. I'll be back soon.

The State I'm In...

My time here at Ruc is winding down, but the work load is ramping up. So, I want to take a quick moment to reflect before I return my nose to the grind stone.
I came to Denmark full of optimism that I would love every second, learn Danish, create friendships with Danes, travel around Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, and go to school at a school different than what I am accustomed to, and I would return happy for the experience.
I quickly learned that Danish is an impossible language and I don't really like Denmark that much. I might have like it more if I were here during the summer. However, I am not likely to return to find out.
Also, Danes really are hard to get to know and the men are dripping with this disgusting ooze of machismo. The other day there was a sign posted by some Danes in response to a heavy make out session in their kitchen that read: "don't fuck here or I will rape you." With an equally pleasant sub-sentence that read: "Or fuck me and I will still rape you." Also, as we Americans congregated to watch the election footage with baited breath two Danish dudes came in and only talked about how stupid Americans are. Then asked us why we don't feel oppressed because we can't call black people the "n" word. Basically, they are rude, denigrating, and hostile. Then, they hide behind this clever ruse called Danish humor.
Travel has been limited because our teachers created this fieldwork course where we had to go to organizations and be very careful not to embarrass our supervisors by asking questions. Then write a couple pages for the purposes of being told that we aren't taking these assignments seriously and this is how our analysis sucks. Now we are in the throws of project work which at this point means 12-hour days of work for the next two weeks. I was able to visit a couple places in Denmark: Mons and Odense. And I did get to see Milano, Napoli, Roma, and Madrid. So, I cannot complain too much.
With all of this said, I have experience a new school system and I have hated almost every second of it. This is the most adversarial system I have ever been a part of. These group projects are hard enough to pull off, but the fact that our specific program abbreviates them by a week or two makes them even more defeating. I feel this program has set me up to fail from the beginning.
So, I will return home lacking a sense of accomplishment. Which is probably one of the main reasons that I am having a hard time swallowing returning to the states. Because I will be returning with my tail between my legs. I need an international experience that I can be proud of and relish in. This is why my next goal is to work hard and go to Spain for a while to learn Spanish and Spanish culture. This is something I can do. It is a self-directed program without a trap around every corner. So, if you would like to contribute moral and financial support, I am not too proud to receive it.
One last thing before I go. It has begun snowing here and I am not sure whether I think this is a good or bad thing. I do know I need to by some warm boots.
Ok. that is all i've got for you.
Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

madrid

i love it

JYESSSS!

Eso es me amigo...

RICARDO

Allow me to tell you a little bit about this most interesting of people.

First of all, he is from a part of Spain called Andalucía. He lives just outside of Tarifa and goes to school in Málaga.

Here at RUC, he studies Communications, a department that provides him with free coffee and Foosball matches (which i generally win).

I remember quite well the day we met. My group had been shuffled round RUC and Roskilde all day with our luggage. By the end of the ordeal, we were all a little broken in spirit. Luckilly, it was Cookie's birthday. So, it was a time for drink. We wandered into the kitchen closest to his room and there I found my new best friend! He was eating dinner with three other people whom you have no doubt seen ad naseum in my photos. However, they will go nameless because this post is for Ricardo.

I will describe him from the bottom up as he gets more interesting going this direction. He has a brown pair of slippers that you will often find him in while wandering around Korallen. It gives him a very, dude like feel. I find comfort in seeing him in his slippers takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. He has an array of slightly EuroTrash shirts among my favorites are his VHS shirt, his purple and blue striped shirt, and his black and blue hooded sweatshirt. There is just something about these shirts. Moving along, it should be noted that he's a hairy man. Quite possibly the hairiest in all of Los Angeles County, which would place him high in the runnin' for hairiest worldwide. Much hair on his arms and legs. Hair everywhere! His facial hair often resembles a wild unkempt forrest. He has also gone on strike in regard to cutting his hair. He told me he once found a cricket in his hair. I am surprised he found it at all! However, in this mess of hair are two stunning eyes and a warm and charming smile. These features of his make living without the sun possible.

Ricardo is a very sweet and warm person and he gives some of the best hugs you will ever receive in your life and he is indiscriminate in his giving of them. He always seems to have a smile on his face, which may be because of the air*, but I think it is his kind spirit. He often loves a party with drinking and smoking even if he protests to it at 1st. He often says that he will not leave his room on a particular evening, because he does not wish to party and then be one of the last people to go to bed. He is a very fun and free-spirited person who makes everything lively. Though, I must confess my favorite moments with him are spent sitting on my bed, eating American tortillas, and watching Destinos.

His tragic downfall is that he is confused in the matters concerning love. He loves all women so much that he cannot be in love with just one. This is a theme for him, he is affraid of what he might miss. This portion of his character causes many dramatic problems for him. I think without these problems, though, he would be terribly bored.

My favorite Ricardo-isms:
Sannon, don't be sorry. jyou are good pare-son and i am a bad pare-son. do not feel sorry to me.
and the way he says "JYESSSSS" instead of "yes."

Ricardo is my number 1 and when I leave Denmark, I will miss him like the deserts miss the rain.

Besitos (sin negro) a mi mejor amigo en Dinamarca!

*ricardo knows

i forgot...

to go to the store before it closed at 5pm. It won't be open again until monday morning. If you have food you want to share, please share it with me. otherwise, it looks like i'll be drinking a few meals between now and then..

what do people here think of me?

Well, let me tell you. My most treasured friend in all of Europe dedicated a blog post to me and my friend, Christy. and here it is:

It is entitled Shannon y Christy

Shannon y Christy son un buen contrapunto a Carlos y Kepa. También les gusta mucho la fiesta – de hecho, Christy lleva implícita una copa de vino en la mano -, pero son muy tranquilas, cariñosas y delicadas. Son de la Universidad de Seattle, EEUU, estudian encuentros culturales, y fueron mis primeras amigas en Korallen.

A Shannon (a la derecha) la recordaréis porque me acogió en su habitación la temporada que fui un sintecho. Shannon siempre está dispuesta a ayudar a los necesitados: hace sopa para los que caen enfermos, deja su habitación a quien necesita cobijo, presta sus herramientas para la bici, el candado e incluso la bici a quien lo necesita, corrige las redacciones en inglés..., y no sólo eso: nos envía postales a todo Korallen cuando se va de viaje, hace tarta de manzana de vez en cuando, y organiza fiestas de cumpleaños. Su afición principal es hacer punto, y el año que viene quiere ir a España a estudiar. En su puerta ha puesto un cartel, “¡Kepa! ¡Tu puta madre!”, pues en Korallen está aprendiendo, gracias a la delegación española, lo más básico de nuestro idioma.
(Nota: Shannon y yo nos llevamos excepcionalmente bien pero pensamos de manera muy distinta, motivo por el que a veces nos peleamos con consecuencias apocalípticas).
Christy (a la izquierda en la foto) también está aprendiendo español. Estuvo en Barcelona y Málaga hace unas semanas, y a la vuelta puso en su puerta una postal con dos muñequitos que conversan: “¿cómo te lo has pasado en España?”, “¡muy bien!, me encanta España!”. Ella vive en mi pasillo. A veces, al pasar por su puerta abierta, la veo cocinando, y no puedo evitar quitarle de la sartén un trozo de carne o verdura. Christy es muy hogareña. Tiene la habitación bien decorada, y para cenar se pone en su mesita con la vajilla buena, la servilleta doblada, la botella de vino en medio, musiquita suave en el ordenador, y un par de velas para dar ambiente... “Es mi restaurante”, dice. Joler, qué envidia (que no endivia).
Christy siempre está sonriendo. Por la mañana en pijama, por la noche disfrazada de bruja en las fiestas temáticas, o cuando está cantando en el karaoke en Roskilde: siempre sonríe con un toque pícaro muy gracioso. Quizás el vino permanente tenga algo que ver, mas no me malinterpretéis: sencillamente, es una persona alegre.
Ahora las dos están muy excitadas porque queda poco para las elecciones en EEUU. Van a hacer una elections party en Korallen el día en cuestión. Y, como último dato, las dos fueron hace una semana a una manifestación a las afueras de Copenhague para reclamar que se cierre una especie de gueto para los inmigrantes, donde vive mucha gente en muy malas condiciones, cercados por una verja; y las dos acabaron gaseadas por la policía. Qué manera más truculenta de acabar el post, macho.

For those who do not read Spanish, it basically says that Christy and I are a good counterpart to Carlos and Kepa because we also really enjoy a party. we are very crazy, but also very nice and wonderful. He notes, that he and i get along very well, but when we do not the results are apocalyptic...i'm sure you could agree.

Anyway, Ricardo is one of the things that makes this place worth anything. I promise to write a description to match his very soon.