"Hey Franni?"
"Yeah?"
"Isn't this your study-abroad blog?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, aren't you home now?"
"Yeah..."
"So, isn't this this obsolete now?"
"Yeah... I mean, no... I mean..."
This blog was never intended to be interesting to anyone other than my mom and myself. If you enjoyed it, thank you! Positive feedback, while incredibly flattering, has never been my m.o., but it still does wonders for the ego.
Reflecting on the "a broad" blog, I noticed that my favorite posts were more introspective (like this one or this one ), and keeping my internet journal helped gauge my growth during my time in DK.
But I didn't stop growing when I left Denmark. And, as is the case with any good learning experience, I left with more questions than when I began. Last semester was such a blur that I had little time to give pause and look at those questions critically. With only one year left of undergrad (say WHAT????), I came to a frightening, yet not uncommon conclusion:
I have no blessed idea what I want to do with my life.
Now, I'm not panicking (yet?). Rather, I'm using this state of bewilderment to do some hard-core soul-searching. Self-discovery bootcamp, if you will. Henceforth, "My Summer of Self-Improvement and Discovery" begins. This blog will now chronicle my thoughts over the next few weeks in which I will be physically domestic and emotional/intellectually... I dunno. Wherevs.
[Caveat: The next paragraph makes me look like a total a pretentious shit. Read at your own peril.]
I spent several afternoons of senior week grappling with M-JR's new book, Strange Wonder: The Closure of Metaphysics and the Opening of Awe. In the first chapter, she discusses a dialogue between Socrates and young Theaetetus in which Socrates purges Theaetetus of his "wind-eggs" of thought by deflating his logic and conceptions of reality. Instead of resenting Socrates for destroying his brilliant ideas, Theaetetus is left with a feeling of thaumazein - Platonic wonder - and is able to philosophize with fresh eyes. Prof. Rubenstein warns that thaumazein is "not merely uncomfortable, but downright dangerous," as it "can lead either to tireless critical inquiry or to unquestioning discipleship." True. But I'm hoping that this summer I sustain an Aristotelian state of thaumazein: "in a sense end[ing] in something which is the opposite of our initial inquiries." I thought my wonder as expressed via blogging was over when I arrived back in Eastern Standard Time, but let's see where we go from here. Hopefully it'll be interesting. If not, please excuse my "wind-eggs." Although they may not be truth, they are necessary for finding... something.
Here we go...
Showing posts with label beginnings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beginnings. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
So this is the New Year (5759)
Happy Jew Year, everyone! Sorry I didn't update over the last couple of days, I tried to avoid using the computer on chag.
Needless to say, spending the High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) with a continent's distance from my family and without any Jewish friends resulted in major homesickness on my part. The worst moment was when I realized that I have not given or received a hug in 6 weeks - and all of you should know how much I love hugs.
Walking up to "The Great Synagogue" on Krystalgade for Monday ma'ariv (evening services), I noticed that the entire building is surrounded by a high metal fence. There are no lamps or signs in front of the shul, but there are 2 security guards. I was shocked when they started interrogating me ("what is your business here?" "uh... to pray?"), and became fairly confused and disoriented. My thoughts consisted mostly of "What the crap am I doing in Denmark instead of Lexington, MA?" and "Oh my G-d Oh my G-d Oh my G-d," the latter of which, in retrospect is pretty ironic and hilarious. I think I looked like I was about to cry, because the guard eventually smiled at me and told me I wasn't the only DIS student there.
10 minutes later and relieved to be done with the Danish Inquisition, I walked into the sanctuary and quickly realized that it was Orthodox. I looked down, saw my bare elbows, and worried about being perceived as some Jezebel, but it was too late. I was already inside and couldn't keep my fleece on all evening.
The Great Synagogue is exactly what I'd imagined an old, European temple would look like. The sanctuary is HUGE - men sit on the main floor in front of the biggest aron kodesh (fancy closet that holds the Torah scrolls) I have ever seen. Women sit in a balcony on the sides and in the back of the room, per Orthodox tradition.
Though the building looked just like I expected, the sound of the room was odd. The cantor was positively incoherent and sang far too quickly; basically, he chanted the Hebrew like Danes speak Danish. It was impossible for me to keep up, not that it would have mattered, because no one in the shul was singing along. Most of the women and girls were chit-chatting at obnoxious volumes (Mom, I'm sorry for all of the times I got mad when you would talk at Emunah. These ladies make you seem like a freakin' churchmouse [shul-mouse?]). As for the men, they were also quiet, leaving the praying to the cantor and a small choir of 7 men.
Dinner was at the Rabbi's flat inside a wing of the synagogue. I found a couple of Prozdor girls among the crowd, but our conversations were brief and stilted. Turns out, I was the only DIS student who came without a posse of at least 3 friends. Fabulous. The moments leading up to dinner were painful reminders of why I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to USY events back in the day.
As I resigned myself to an evening of delicious food yet sour company, the girl sitting in front of me at services asked if she and her friend could sit at our table. I might have pulled over a chair with a little too much enthusiasm, but they didn't seem to mind. They were students from Tel Aviv, learning about the fairy tale tradition in Denmark and Norway for 3 months. The Israeli girls and I talked the whole evening, debating politics, religion, food and culture (after playing a quick round of "Jewish Geography" - one has a cousin who goes to Wellesley College! The other was a counselor at YJ!) No real revelations of note: they worry about Obama's "being good for Israel," doubt Livni's potential for success in forming a government, and think I am compromising the integrity of Rosh Hashanah by taking the Metro on chag. Needless to say, we mostly disagreed on the aforementioned subjects, but I really enjoyed talking to them. They invited me to Chabad for lunch after services the next day, and I accepted.
Now, David Baranger, I can feel your eyes rolling all the way from Paris. Yes, I did go to Chabad and yes, I did have a nice time and no, I am not currently wearing a sheitel and planning on having 7 sons named "Yossi." (For those of you who don't know, Chabad is an ultra-Orthdox brand of Judaism who kind of proselytize to less observant Jews) The Rabbi and Rebetzin were young, warm, funny and very kind. I am planning to stay with them for Yom Kippur so I don't have to deal with the commute to and from the city.
Lunch was essentially a refugee camp for wandering Jews. We had a Holocaust survivor-cum-cab driver-cum-businessman from Latvia (now Miami). We had a French Jew who is studying economics/partying in Århus. We had a former merchant marine from Denmark who has sailed around the world. I met people from Uruguay, Morocco, England, Israel and the US. We talked about travels and politics and education... everything! Its like that song we learned in Hebrew School; "wherever you go, there's always someone Jewish..."
Lunch lasted for 3 hours. I forgot about the different courses, so I loaded up on salads (7 or 8 different kinds! Plus hummus and olives and other yummy, Israeli tapas things) and challah before we got to the main course, goulash and rice and kugel and "modern tzimmes" (carrots and sweet potatoes in puff pastry - delicious!).
Funny story: on the way to taslich, we passed a man walking his chocolate lab. The dog affectionately hopped up on my legs, and I gave him a good ear tousel. Gil, with whom I had been walking, ran away. When I finally caught up with him, he looked at me with this glare of disdain that only the French can give and declared, "I 'ate dogs." It was such a French stereotype, I almost fell down laughing. I don't think Gil got the joke...
The next day I came back for more of the same. The food and international company were wonderful - I got invited to join a Jewish women's group! I heard more differing perspectives on the election (apparently, Obama is a self-proclaimed Muslim with connections to the mafia who should get deported. That one was from an American)! I got invited to join a Jewish women's group! Good times.
Anyway, shanah tovah tikateivu - may you be inscribed in the book of life! And have a good and sweet year.
Ahava,
Needless to say, spending the High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) with a continent's distance from my family and without any Jewish friends resulted in major homesickness on my part. The worst moment was when I realized that I have not given or received a hug in 6 weeks - and all of you should know how much I love hugs.
Walking up to "The Great Synagogue" on Krystalgade for Monday ma'ariv (evening services), I noticed that the entire building is surrounded by a high metal fence. There are no lamps or signs in front of the shul, but there are 2 security guards. I was shocked when they started interrogating me ("what is your business here?" "uh... to pray?"), and became fairly confused and disoriented. My thoughts consisted mostly of "What the crap am I doing in Denmark instead of Lexington, MA?" and "Oh my G-d Oh my G-d Oh my G-d," the latter of which, in retrospect is pretty ironic and hilarious. I think I looked like I was about to cry, because the guard eventually smiled at me and told me I wasn't the only DIS student there.
10 minutes later and relieved to be done with the Danish Inquisition, I walked into the sanctuary and quickly realized that it was Orthodox. I looked down, saw my bare elbows, and worried about being perceived as some Jezebel, but it was too late. I was already inside and couldn't keep my fleece on all evening.
The Great Synagogue is exactly what I'd imagined an old, European temple would look like. The sanctuary is HUGE - men sit on the main floor in front of the biggest aron kodesh (fancy closet that holds the Torah scrolls) I have ever seen. Women sit in a balcony on the sides and in the back of the room, per Orthodox tradition.
Though the building looked just like I expected, the sound of the room was odd. The cantor was positively incoherent and sang far too quickly; basically, he chanted the Hebrew like Danes speak Danish. It was impossible for me to keep up, not that it would have mattered, because no one in the shul was singing along. Most of the women and girls were chit-chatting at obnoxious volumes (Mom, I'm sorry for all of the times I got mad when you would talk at Emunah. These ladies make you seem like a freakin' churchmouse [shul-mouse?]). As for the men, they were also quiet, leaving the praying to the cantor and a small choir of 7 men.
Dinner was at the Rabbi's flat inside a wing of the synagogue. I found a couple of Prozdor girls among the crowd, but our conversations were brief and stilted. Turns out, I was the only DIS student who came without a posse of at least 3 friends. Fabulous. The moments leading up to dinner were painful reminders of why I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to USY events back in the day.
As I resigned myself to an evening of delicious food yet sour company, the girl sitting in front of me at services asked if she and her friend could sit at our table. I might have pulled over a chair with a little too much enthusiasm, but they didn't seem to mind. They were students from Tel Aviv, learning about the fairy tale tradition in Denmark and Norway for 3 months. The Israeli girls and I talked the whole evening, debating politics, religion, food and culture (after playing a quick round of "Jewish Geography" - one has a cousin who goes to Wellesley College! The other was a counselor at YJ!) No real revelations of note: they worry about Obama's "being good for Israel," doubt Livni's potential for success in forming a government, and think I am compromising the integrity of Rosh Hashanah by taking the Metro on chag. Needless to say, we mostly disagreed on the aforementioned subjects, but I really enjoyed talking to them. They invited me to Chabad for lunch after services the next day, and I accepted.
Now, David Baranger, I can feel your eyes rolling all the way from Paris. Yes, I did go to Chabad and yes, I did have a nice time and no, I am not currently wearing a sheitel and planning on having 7 sons named "Yossi." (For those of you who don't know, Chabad is an ultra-Orthdox brand of Judaism who kind of proselytize to less observant Jews) The Rabbi and Rebetzin were young, warm, funny and very kind. I am planning to stay with them for Yom Kippur so I don't have to deal with the commute to and from the city.
Lunch was essentially a refugee camp for wandering Jews. We had a Holocaust survivor-cum-cab driver-cum-businessman from Latvia (now Miami). We had a French Jew who is studying economics/partying in Århus. We had a former merchant marine from Denmark who has sailed around the world. I met people from Uruguay, Morocco, England, Israel and the US. We talked about travels and politics and education... everything! Its like that song we learned in Hebrew School; "wherever you go, there's always someone Jewish..."
Lunch lasted for 3 hours. I forgot about the different courses, so I loaded up on salads (7 or 8 different kinds! Plus hummus and olives and other yummy, Israeli tapas things) and challah before we got to the main course, goulash and rice and kugel and "modern tzimmes" (carrots and sweet potatoes in puff pastry - delicious!).
Funny story: on the way to taslich, we passed a man walking his chocolate lab. The dog affectionately hopped up on my legs, and I gave him a good ear tousel. Gil, with whom I had been walking, ran away. When I finally caught up with him, he looked at me with this glare of disdain that only the French can give and declared, "I 'ate dogs." It was such a French stereotype, I almost fell down laughing. I don't think Gil got the joke...
The next day I came back for more of the same. The food and international company were wonderful - I got invited to join a Jewish women's group! I heard more differing perspectives on the election (apparently, Obama is a self-proclaimed Muslim with connections to the mafia who should get deported. That one was from an American)! I got invited to join a Jewish women's group! Good times.
Anyway, shanah tovah tikateivu - may you be inscribed in the book of life! And have a good and sweet year.
Ahava,
Sunday, August 31, 2008
It's been one week since you looked at me
It's official: I have been in Denmark one week. Jetlag is gone, I'm getting lost with less desperation, I have some friends and hearing Danish everywhere no longer overwhelms me.
All in all, I think I'm adjusting rather well.
We went to Tivoli today and it is every bit as magical as I'd hoped. Tivoli Gardens is "a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and, except for Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, it is the oldest amusement park which has survived intact to the present day." (thanks, wikipedia!) It's mostly a tourist attraction, but who doesn't want to go to an amusement park in the middle of a city?
Well, you have not seen Copenhagen until you have seen it from Himmelakibet (which I did... twice, per Jonathan's request). It's a huge spinning swing ride that gives you a great view of the entire city. You have to remove your glasses, jewelry and shoes before riding, which freaked me the hell out, but it was a thrilling ride. Jonathan and I had a blast.
In addition to the rides, gardens, games, and cafes, Tivoli is also a cultural hub, featuring free performances from artists as varied as Mary J. Blige to the Danish ballet. Queen Margarethe even designed the costumes and sets for a show currently running! There is also a combination symphony hall/aquarium, which is pretty darn cool.
I took zillions of pictures today, all of which will be posted on facebook (mom, I'll e-mail them to you). It was a great day, lots of fun family bonding, and I'm positively zonked, but I'll leave you with this snaphot that perfectly captures my feeling of today and the rest of my first week in Denmark:
All in all, I think I'm adjusting rather well.
We went to Tivoli today and it is every bit as magical as I'd hoped. Tivoli Gardens is "a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and, except for Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, it is the oldest amusement park which has survived intact to the present day." (thanks, wikipedia!) It's mostly a tourist attraction, but who doesn't want to go to an amusement park in the middle of a city?
Well, you have not seen Copenhagen until you have seen it from Himmelakibet (which I did... twice, per Jonathan's request). It's a huge spinning swing ride that gives you a great view of the entire city. You have to remove your glasses, jewelry and shoes before riding, which freaked me the hell out, but it was a thrilling ride. Jonathan and I had a blast.
In addition to the rides, gardens, games, and cafes, Tivoli is also a cultural hub, featuring free performances from artists as varied as Mary J. Blige to the Danish ballet. Queen Margarethe even designed the costumes and sets for a show currently running! There is also a combination symphony hall/aquarium, which is pretty darn cool.
I took zillions of pictures today, all of which will be posted on facebook (mom, I'll e-mail them to you). It was a great day, lots of fun family bonding, and I'm positively zonked, but I'll leave you with this snaphot that perfectly captures my feeling of today and the rest of my first week in Denmark:
Friday, August 22, 2008
Start Me Up
Beginnings are awkward.
I've been staring at the blank interface for a few minutes now, trying to think of a way to start my study abroad blog without appearing cheesy or hackneyed. Unfortunately, I've probably done both by now. Oops. So now that that's out of the way, we can get down to business...
Welcome to my blog!
As you should already know, I'm spending the fall semester of my junior year in Copenhagen, Denmark. I decided to keep a blog for several reasons. First, I can keep my mom constantly informed of my adventures (hi, mommy!). Second, I can reflect on said adventures and remember this chapter of my life when I am old and senile and puttering around my condo in Boca, making chicken soup for my 9 grandchildren and 17 cats (this is inevitable). Third, I won't have to repeat the same stories a jillion times or clog your inbox with impersonal group e-mails.
That doesn't mean I don't want to hear from you, of course! I hope this blog becomes as much of a dialogue as possible. Leave me comments! Tell me what was boring, what amused you, what you want to hear more of. And tell me about your life! Please! I'm going to miss being a direct part of it! (and since I sent you the link to this blog, that is the absolute gospel truth.)
Every day since I was accepted to DIS (Denmark's International School), I've been fielding the same questions every day. So here are the FAQs:
Person: Oh, you're going to Denmark! That's so... different! Why did you choose that?
Me: Honestly, more process of elimination than anything else. I wanted to go to a non English-speaking country and also fulfill my major requirements. Denmark was the only place outside of England and Australia that had quality film and psych classes so... here I am!
Person (clearly bored and unimpressed): Cool. So, do you, uh, speak any... uh... any... what language do they speak there?
Me: No.
Person: So you're going to learn... Denmarkian/Dutch/Swiss/German?
Me: Danish. Yeah. I'm taking an intro class, everyone in the program does.
Person (relieved): Do you have any friends going?
Me: Shockingly enough, I managed to wrench myself from Kait's side for more than 5 minutes and am going alone. I decided that, at 20 years old, I am finally able to travel sans chaperone.
Person (missing the sarcasm): Wow! that's so brave of you!
Me: Yep. Gotta cut the cord sometime.
Person: Where are you staying?
Me: With a host family (mother, father, and 2 little boys) in a small town called Dragor on the island of Amager - about 15 km from downtown Copenhagen.
Person: Wonderful! You're going to have such a wonderful adventure! So, uh, what is Denmark known for?
Me: I have been compiling a mental list all summer. It includes...
- Danish pastries
- Great Danes
- Hamlet
- Beowulf
- The Little Mermaid (pre-Disneyification)
- saving the Jews during the Nazi occupation in WWII
- herring
- notable artists and thinkers such as Hans Christen Andersen, Soren Kierkegaard, Jesper Knudsen, Carl Dreier, Lars von Trier, Niels Bohr
- slightly less notable artist Brigitte Nielsen (that big blonde lady who used to be with Flava Flav)
- '90s pop sensation Aqua ("Barbie Girl" - holla!)
- Tivoli Gardens
- Lego Land
- fjords
- castles
- socialism
- high taxes
- blonde-ness
Person: Bitchin'. Have fun!
Me: Oh, I will...
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