Set in a Situation: Danish Humor

The most meaningful aspect of DIS is their emphasis on immersing students into the Danish culture. Our house meets “immersion meetings” with our Danish social residence advisor, Nicoline. She’s a Psychology student Kobenhaven University so we’ve bonded quite a bit. During these meetings we share our recent excursions imposing on the Danish lifestyle (jaywalking, traveling in American groups, etc.… how to piss of a Dane – see below), and this time she popped in a Danish film called Sorte Kugler [Black Balls].

This film reflects, dead on, why I enjoy hanging out with Danes – they prefer situational and sarcastic humor Better yet, this movie had a moral storyline which made left you pondering about how you live your own life. The director, Anders Matthesen, is apparently a very famous comedian and played the main role in the film. His character, Alex Klein, is a bitter and stressed middle aged real estate agent who seems too wrapped up in his professional setbacks to be grateful for his blessings. So of course, karma smacks him aside the head and he dies in a car accident. Alex ends up in a purgatory game show where he earns white balls for the good deeds he carried out in his life and black balls for sinful acts. Heavy representation of post-life judgment? Yes. However, frequent references to balls and witnessing awkward events in his life adds comedic relief. Certainly worth checking out because the ending hits you hard. Embrace your life and laugh all the way through J

Strolling iNaCuP

The simplest moments in life are the most fulfilling. This past Saturday, I strolled around a windy Copenhagen with my dear friend Sim. We stumbled upon a phenomenal glass market full of miniature cafés, free samples, families enjoying each other’s company, and a wide array of shopping options! Carts offered everything from Mediterranean cooking oils to meats and veggies to cookware. Yes, cookware. Danes sell cooktops and stainless steel ovens in a farmer’s market set in a glass box. High class? Indeed. Sushi bars, coffee shops, and hot sandwich options sent off mouth watering aromas up our noses. Quite delightful!

WonderiNaCuP

Opting to treat ourselves, Sim and I made our way to iNaCuP, a small frozen yogurt bar. I’ll admit, I didn’t realize how much I missed Red Mango until I tasted the mango covered in peanut bits and shredded chocolate! Delish. The girl behind the counter pulled the “let me pour this crap on top of your dessert acting like I don’t care yet transforming your food into a window display” move quite well. Stylish shop workers run this city with poise, I tell you!

My adorable friend, Sim!

Wandering home down Stroget – the oldest pedestrian street in Copenhagen - we came across a street show by the Bottle Boys. They perform popular tunes by blowing into homemade water filled beer bottle instruments and banging on trash cans. Sim and I jammed out to Michael Jackson and the Office Theme song - made our day! Check them out: The Bottle Boys

The Bottle Boys

Soak in the itty bitty details of your day and ruminate on how they make you feel. Gloomy weather may melt away with frozen yogurt and bonding with a good friend J

Passionate Pursuits

The latest craze among Generation Y: follow your passion and apply it to your career. I initially came to Denmark believing I would find a professional application for positive psychology (other than research) and, to be honest, my confidence has dwindled. It seems a MAPP (Masters in Applied Positive Psychology) works best with previous career experience or an MBA, or well, a game plan. It’s been a little rough on the obsessive compulsive planner. Nevertheless, better things have risen from uncertainty!

If there is one piece of advice I could give incoming college freshman I would encourage them to find a common interest with a professor. Network up the wazoo, kiddos, because research institutions hold countless connections with professionals in practically every field. Nurture partnerships with them and see how your future unfolds. The process is mindboggling!

Our Positive Psychology teacher, Mads, offered a dinner for students inquisitive about applications for the topic over dinner. Through a question and answer session he debunked my ridiculously optimistic view of where the field is headed. No matter, I am still an idealistic realist. Teetering on the edge of hope vs. despair, a few of my peers and I followed Mads to my favorite café thus far: Café Paludan.

You walk in and see hundreds of books lining the walls like a café version of the Beauty and the Beast library. Radiohead’s “Prove Yourself” plays overhead. Inhale scents of dark cocoa and crumbly cakes from the barista’s corner to your left as he sports a chic apron. People are studying and chatting at little tables with mismatched chairs. Then you make the connection between the deep red velvet curtains and the Gryffindor common room… sparking a conversation about Harry Potter that lasts over an hour…

Troll this site and see for yourself: Paludan Cafe

Potternerds united over dark hot chocolates with whipped cream. We raved about how J.K Rowling remains the epitome of resilient individuals pursuing a dream. She created a culture, a social movement, a generational change. Rowling fostered her imagination sitting in a café like we did last night, simply inspired by a thought she had on a train. So what did we do? We related positive psychology to Harry Potter and are sketching a plan with our newfound connections J Mads looked up The Elephant House in Edinburgh where we’re headed in a few weeks for our study tour. I’m retracing my idol’s footsteps. Who says childhood must end with graduation?!

PS – A teacher called me Hermione. Can life get any better?

PSS – The Danish Potter series kept the majority of the same names and spells. However, names with connotative meanings, such as Mad-Eye Moody, were translated to convey the same quirky character structure.

Abroad while Abroad

All DIS students attended short study tours with their core programs this past weekend in different locations. Our Positive Psychology [B] clan bussed out to Harridslevegaard Slot, a castle dating all the way back to the 1200s. It was once home to one of the “tallest and strongest Vikings of the time.” Judging by the tall, and the tiny doors in that castle, I’ll settle on assuming that dude was what we modern humanoids would consider average. It was once known as the “Castle of Robbers” housing pirates during the Middle Ages. Harridslevegaard Slot also set the stage for a royal affair which let to a couple of skulls in their cellar (old school scandal, eh?). Personally, I enjoyed frolicking with peacocks roaming around the snow covered courtyard!

After a meaty lunch at Café Edsberg we got a solid tour of Middlefart Sparekasse, the “happiest” savings bank in Denmark. Why so happy? Everything about this business is based on the employees needs to foster their productivity and well-being. Fascinating, really! Their business cards present six “commandments” stating the values of the company. All employees function off self-management, appealing to the intrinsically motivated. According to our tour guide, they believe it’s easier to earn forgiveness than permission and apply “learn by doing” approach. All new employees complete a profile analysis questionnaire which places them in the department which will utilize their core strengths and interests. If employees become bored of their position, they discuss it with human resources and move to a different department. Only one person has been fired since our guide could remember, and that was solely due to fraud. Honesty and trust have built the foundation of this company. Loyalty from both the employees and the customers have manifested since. They also offer both maternal and paternal leave in Denmark for close to a year. If there are traumatic issues in the family for one of the employees, he or she bring their spouse to a “summer house” to build themselves back up with a therapist. Deaths, cancers, depression, etc… this company encourages people to take the reigns and work out the issue so the stress doesn’t hinder work quality! In fact, Middlefart Sparekasse was given the offer to expand internationally but they declined because they would rather keep quality on the small scale network. As if THAT would ever happen in the United States! The building was beautiful and open with angular windows facing the water. Employees enjoy eating together family style on lunch breaks in their cozy café, meditating in the library on bean bags, and reboosting their energy with hula hoop competitions. The base lesson learned? When you have a business you create a culture, not just a place to earn money. Middelfart Sparekasse successfully uses business to foster well-being for the individuals in their small town. Looks like Pixar and Google have inspired little businesses on a global level. Generation Y, lets continue this trend!

Middelfart Sparekasse

We spent the evening in Odense, the city where Hans Christian Anderson was born. The town has little men with top hats and canes for the pedestrian green lights!

The following morning we trekked out to Arhus University for a talk about the Danish ANIN Group - Denmark. Nina, one of the founders of Women at Work Children at School [WAWCAS], frequently travels to Nepal to check up on the progress of their cooperative based on savings and loans. In a nutshell, this program loans money for very low-income women to start their own businesses as long as the children attend school. WAWCAS teaches the women how to go through this process over a 16 month period. The loans are always paid off, and the women thrive! Social issues are also tackled through the process, such as coping with domestic violence, the gap between social classes in the caste system, and HIV/AIDS education. They use form theatre, cartoons, and group discussions as main methods of education. WAWCA took the opposite approach compared to Middelfart Sparekasse by building businesses out of developing well-being.

Check it out it’s amazing:WAWCAS

After traipsing around Arhus for a cozy little café for lunch we went to KaosPilots to figure out what their education style was all about. Sara, a KaosPilot from Sweden, led our group through team exercises and informed us about the program. Better yet, she made time to set up a flower vase in the center of the room, healthy and sweet snacks, coffee and tea, and lit candles all over the room before we began. It made a huge difference! KaosPilots aim to form students’ creativity and channel it towards productive solutions in society. They offer four disciplines: Creative Business Design, Creative Leadership Design, Creative Process Design, and Creative Project Design. KaosPilots throw you into real world situations selling projects to clients all over the world. They teach adaptability, cultural diversity, dialogue, how to deal with disruptive entrepreneurs… things you don’t learn in your cookie cutter classroom. Our group “Checked In” sharing the reasons why we chose Denmark and our favorite experiences thus far. We “Checked Out” at the end with a hope experience where we envisioned our futures through meditation. Similar to Middelfart Sparekasse, Sara created a culture within a few hours time which induced more meaningful experiences for us throughout the exercises. I’ll admit it. I’m considering this program since I’m graduating from MIZZOU this May! For a deeper explanation check it: kaospilot

We stayed in cozy little cabins at Danhostel Skanerborg Vandrerjhem and made s’mores over a bon fire. Our cabin woke up early the next morning to see the sunrise but we were disappointed because of overcast skies. We made the best of it by walking on the frozen lake and playing in the snow!

Danhostel Skanerborg Vandrerjhem

Interactively non-interactive museum: ARoS Museum in Arhus. This modern museum opens with a massive spiral staircase in white and glass all the way up. Right near the door stood a human statue painted in white. It gave me the eebie jeebies. A famous exhibit called “The Boy” stood at least 20 ft high in a crouched position that reminded me of Golem from Lord of the Rings. He looked incredibly realistic in fiber glass! You could see veins through his skin and the spinal bumps in his back. Another exhibit held 9 rooms from Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, aka the 9 circles from hell. Ólafur Elíasson’s exhibits were definitely my favorite. “Your Rainbow Panorama” on the roof let you see Arhus in all sorts of colored window panes. “Your Color Atlas” was phenomenal! You walk through misty room and colored lights make it seem like you are actually walking through color. Trippy experience let me tell ya! I hope heaven is that enticing!

The Boy

Your Rainbow Panorama

The best part of this trip was bonding with my new, soon to be too close, friends! Something magical happens when you are out in the middle of nowhere in Denmark, looking out at endless snow, roasting sugar puffs on the ends of sticks and discussing positive psychology. I found “hygge” even away from my home, away from home. Home is who you’re with. Home is within you. 

Børn to Play

Børn = Danish for “children.”

I am truly blessed with the opportunity to work at Pakhuset, a “mega-integrated kindergarten and after school program” with Danish kids 3-10 years old for my Positive Psychology practicum. Typically these kiddos are divided by age into a viggestue (nursery), a børnehave (kindergarden), or an SFO (after school program), so luckily I’m immersed in the chaos of all 3! All Danish, all the time… a tad bit difficult considering I’m not even taking Danish language courses but this is honestly the most motivating way to learn!

Best way to describe the experience: fostering creativity through independent learning. Kids learn by doing. This means they climb trees on the playground, use scissors at age 3, and help cut and peel carrots for snack. What if they get hurt? The teachers soothe the boo-boo and encourage the kiddos to learn their lesson. If they are intelligent the kids don’t do it again. Seems a bit too self-explanatory for the American education… oh, hey there reality check. We shelter the crap out of our kids. Thank goodness I came here before hitting the parenting stage of life!

Walking in, a little blonde hair, icy blue eyed tot hopped up and down enthusiastically wanting me to join in on their play! The language barrier was quite difficult considering Danes are less expressive than Americans, but I made it through. Best part? They practice my personal childhood pastimes in the classroom! First I helped a girl craft a house out of an old shoe box for her Polly Pocket fairies, decked out in sequins and all. Then we crafted masks and decorations for their Fastelavn props. Fastelavn is a holiday mixed between the American version Mardi gras and Halloween. Kids go to school dressed in costume and go door-to-door for sweets. It occurs 7 weeks before Easter. My children at the Pakhuset will be smacking down a piñata cat… I haven’t quite worked out the cat factor in the holiday yet…

I witnessed numerous instances that simply would not fly in the American school system. I liked it. Bathrooms were actually co-ed. As in a little boy would be using the restroom while a girl waltzes in to wash a paint brush. Scandal or merely preventing the American taboo over sexuality? I prefer the latter. Granted, the kids over 9 would shut and lock the door for privacy. Children walked in and out of the classrooms as they pleased. Focus remained on their tasks, not the teachers. If they had a question, they asked and were accommodated. If they were doing something incorrectly, they would be given constructive criticism. The atmosphere was incredibly casual. If kids were building a house on a table and there wasn’t enough room, they sat on the table… problem solved. They climbed up furniture and if they fell they learned their lesson. Bullies were still scolded, but the victims were encouraged to constructively handle the situation without violence. Snacks were apples, bananas, and carrots not Hostess cakes and Coke. Lunch was eaten family style with the teachers. Equality across the board. Teachers constantly had conversations with the children about interests, hobbies, current events… similar to the relationships cultivated between mentors and pupils among college aged Americans… if we are lucky enough discover a mentor.

Oh, and I learned the Danish colors while helping a little girl paint a bird mask for her play (not affiliated with school). She giggled at my mispronunciations and it warmed my heart.

Student of life met the students of well-being. It was a great day J