Well peoplers im off on my one week break to Berlin till Wed and then Prague till Friday! Ill hopefully be able to tell you all about the interesting things that happen and take lot of pictures. I wish you all a great week and safe ventures!
-Craig
Friday, July 24, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
To Tell a Lie to Myself, Urself, Everyone
Hey guys!
So i was talking to some of my classmates the other day and a thought came into my head. A thought which focused on lies. Now im not talking about the bad lies, where i tell someone i didn't steal the last cookie out of the cookie jar but did. No no..those lies are unacceptable lies in my eyes. They start small but grow bigger as the web branches out farther. The lie im talking about is the one we never tell ourselves but always manage to tell others. This "lie" is interesting because we tell it to others because we care and don't want them to worry. We lie to them even if we know we are 100% wrong. Yet we never lie to ourselves the same lie.
Ex) Im at work and someone has trouble breathing. I would naturally tell them "Everything is going to be okay"
This is an interesting lie because when you think about it everyone who is listening knows this is not a fact. All i am doing is tell them a lie to calm them. They accept it, and everyone else accepts it.
The other lie i say we don't tell is to ourselves.
Ex) I fall down and have trouble breathing. I don't lie to myself and say "Everything is going to be okay." I usually say, sh*t i better see a doctor or i might die.
I find it interesting that these are acceptable lies in society. I think they are much needed to provide hope and encouragement, but just odd that they exist. Cause often they downplay the seriousness of an impeding situation at hand.
Well random thought for July 20th. Gotta get back to studying danish...again. xp
So i was talking to some of my classmates the other day and a thought came into my head. A thought which focused on lies. Now im not talking about the bad lies, where i tell someone i didn't steal the last cookie out of the cookie jar but did. No no..those lies are unacceptable lies in my eyes. They start small but grow bigger as the web branches out farther. The lie im talking about is the one we never tell ourselves but always manage to tell others. This "lie" is interesting because we tell it to others because we care and don't want them to worry. We lie to them even if we know we are 100% wrong. Yet we never lie to ourselves the same lie.
Ex) Im at work and someone has trouble breathing. I would naturally tell them "Everything is going to be okay"
This is an interesting lie because when you think about it everyone who is listening knows this is not a fact. All i am doing is tell them a lie to calm them. They accept it, and everyone else accepts it.
The other lie i say we don't tell is to ourselves.
Ex) I fall down and have trouble breathing. I don't lie to myself and say "Everything is going to be okay." I usually say, sh*t i better see a doctor or i might die.
I find it interesting that these are acceptable lies in society. I think they are much needed to provide hope and encouragement, but just odd that they exist. Cause often they downplay the seriousness of an impeding situation at hand.
Well random thought for July 20th. Gotta get back to studying danish...again. xp
Thursday, July 16, 2009
So i right now am sitting in a room in Denmark. But rather i am thinking about something rather smaller that was brought to my attention but I have never really put much thought to because I have never been outside of my own country. So my teacher is Danish and often when we are speaking danish the subject of how many english words are entering the danish language is quite astonishing. Not only that but also danish youngsters think it is cool to speak danish and add english words into the sentences as a "cool factor". The discussion was, which was a short one, is the danish culture being destroyed or is it merely transforming. She believed it was being destroyed. I agree with her. Denmark receives about 80% of the new words and phrases it gets every year are from america, and they do not change them. Iceland on the other hand, just a few hours away, takes phrases from america and then changes them into their own language. I think this is a better way to handle the situation.But yet another thought came up from someone else. Iceland may make their own words, but forcing a new word for "computer" is much harder then just using the word "computer" that everyone else is using. So all this thought made me think of one thing america is secretly good at; a global recipe:
A) Create a culture based on materials, movies, and over exagerations
B) Make lots of television shows & movies about them.
C) Let stir in country for 30 years
D) Export to new countries view material items, commercials, ads, movies, and television shows
E) Wait 30 years (one generation) in new countries
F) You now have a generation that has only know american culutre. You don't need to go to war anymore to force ideas, you have exported your own ideas/beliefs via a new simpler channel. All you have to do is play the waiting game.
-Via this conclusion of how americanism spreads, i do not like it. I think we are slowly destroying other cultures. Americansim isn't bad, but i believe that once it starts to slowly dissipate other cultures, is when it has gone too far. Just the thought of the day!
A) Create a culture based on materials, movies, and over exagerations
B) Make lots of television shows & movies about them.
C) Let stir in country for 30 years
D) Export to new countries view material items, commercials, ads, movies, and television shows
E) Wait 30 years (one generation) in new countries
F) You now have a generation that has only know american culutre. You don't need to go to war anymore to force ideas, you have exported your own ideas/beliefs via a new simpler channel. All you have to do is play the waiting game.
-Via this conclusion of how americanism spreads, i do not like it. I think we are slowly destroying other cultures. Americansim isn't bad, but i believe that once it starts to slowly dissipate other cultures, is when it has gone too far. Just the thought of the day!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Why hello my friends!
So all is well here in DK. THe weather is a nice low 70's to high 80's sometimes. People here love to sun bath whenever possible cause they don't get more than a few hours of sunlight in the winter, so at all parks in the city on warm days there are half naked people lying around relzxing with their friends. So i think todays little post will be about some thoughts and things i have notice/learned here while during my stay in DK...
1) Danish people love three things: beer, ice cream, and their røde pølser. So first you always see ice cream. It could be raining and you see the little shops full, the signs in the windows, and the people walking aroung licking up their favorite flavors. I don't think i have every eaten this much ice cream in a three week period. haha. The danes love beer, and they drink it to socialize. They drink with a few friends by the water or at a pub not to really get drunk, but to just relax and spend some time together. Third they love their "røde pølser" or a danish hot do. Those carts that sell them are everywhere. I won't lie, not bad. Not bad at all. But the ketchup is too sweet and the mustard is a bit off for my taste.
2) Danish women have their babies young. Everytime you look around their are a lot of babies and mothers walking around everywhere. The idea i like to think is that when it gets cold there aint much to do here, haha. But seriously i think its just a part of their culture. Its just a little weird to see a women strolling a baby to a cafe and she looks maybe 25 in my eyes. Just used to the american thinking of "wait as long as possible" haha.
3) Peanut butter is non-existant here; Chocolate butter is the thing. So i haven't had peanut butter in almost a month and have tried at least 2 of the supposed 5 chocolate butters put on sandwhiches. not bad. But when i get back i want a p&j first thing off the plane. That or In&Out. Im not picky. lol
4) Last thing, i learned i think i did something wrong in mother natures eyes. Had to bike home from school, usually a 10 min bike ride home, even with the normal wind against me on the way home. But the other day, it rains on me. Then i get hit by a swear like 20 mph or more gusts. Gosh dang. It took quite a while and sucked the life out of me. I guess i shouldnt have joked about the odds of it ever raining here at school.
King Christian IV castle
So all is well here in DK. THe weather is a nice low 70's to high 80's sometimes. People here love to sun bath whenever possible cause they don't get more than a few hours of sunlight in the winter, so at all parks in the city on warm days there are half naked people lying around relzxing with their friends. So i think todays little post will be about some thoughts and things i have notice/learned here while during my stay in DK...
1) Danish people love three things: beer, ice cream, and their røde pølser. So first you always see ice cream. It could be raining and you see the little shops full, the signs in the windows, and the people walking aroung licking up their favorite flavors. I don't think i have every eaten this much ice cream in a three week period. haha. The danes love beer, and they drink it to socialize. They drink with a few friends by the water or at a pub not to really get drunk, but to just relax and spend some time together. Third they love their "røde pølser" or a danish hot do. Those carts that sell them are everywhere. I won't lie, not bad. Not bad at all. But the ketchup is too sweet and the mustard is a bit off for my taste.
2) Danish women have their babies young. Everytime you look around their are a lot of babies and mothers walking around everywhere. The idea i like to think is that when it gets cold there aint much to do here, haha. But seriously i think its just a part of their culture. Its just a little weird to see a women strolling a baby to a cafe and she looks maybe 25 in my eyes. Just used to the american thinking of "wait as long as possible" haha.
3) Peanut butter is non-existant here; Chocolate butter is the thing. So i haven't had peanut butter in almost a month and have tried at least 2 of the supposed 5 chocolate butters put on sandwhiches. not bad. But when i get back i want a p&j first thing off the plane. That or In&Out. Im not picky. lol
4) Last thing, i learned i think i did something wrong in mother natures eyes. Had to bike home from school, usually a 10 min bike ride home, even with the normal wind against me on the way home. But the other day, it rains on me. Then i get hit by a swear like 20 mph or more gusts. Gosh dang. It took quite a while and sucked the life out of me. I guess i shouldnt have joked about the odds of it ever raining here at school.
King Christian IV castle
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
So got the news back from the International Office and it looks like I probably wont be extending into the fall quarter. Most of you probably didn’t know I was attempting to, but I did. Basically ran out of time. Which brings me to my next point. While I was biking back to my apartment I started to think about something. So I won’t be staying in Denmark this fall. But it is not the end. By far this is the beginning. I could easily return to this country for grad school, or possibly apply for an internship some time in the future. I am young, and there is no reason I can’t still reach for the stars and possibly touch them.
Thinking about not getting the extension also made me think of something else, imagination. I became an engineer. I did not become an engineer cause I hope to make a lot of money. Nor hope to have a steady job. I could give less about that. I became an engineer because when I was a little kid I used to dream up the most creative things possible and would draw them. I would build them out of legos, tinker toys, and linking logs. I used to sit in the living room with my brother and we would create worlds of our own. Worlds with no rules, worlds with possibilities. I still do love engineering, but not getting this extension has made me realize one thing kinda. As you get older, people kill your imagination. Teachers kill your imagination. As I grew older I stopped designing the impossible and only started thinking of the probable. I started thinking of cost ratios, materials, and the reality of the consumer. Teachers would straight up tell us something like , “the combustible engine is a crude, dirty, and dangerous machine.” I frankly believe this. I believe it was the worst thing that could have happened to our planet. But as I try to imagine a world without it, I can’t. I can’t because frankly it’s a power source we study and we are told is essential. Well right about now I like to think about the improbable. I like to think about the idea that one day I will return to this/ or another country with opportunity. I also like to think that one day I will say to an engineer “ I think we should replace the combustible engine.” He will say “How?” and my response will be “I don’t know yet, but give me a week; my imagination needs some time to figure it out.”
Hey guys here are some photos from here you might like;
*Haha, thats at a train station in Malmo Sweden...only for smokers
* The world famous Nyhound. Its filled with cafes, a strip club, and a harbor where local Danes brag a 6 pack and relax at the harbor.
Thinking about not getting the extension also made me think of something else, imagination. I became an engineer. I did not become an engineer cause I hope to make a lot of money. Nor hope to have a steady job. I could give less about that. I became an engineer because when I was a little kid I used to dream up the most creative things possible and would draw them. I would build them out of legos, tinker toys, and linking logs. I used to sit in the living room with my brother and we would create worlds of our own. Worlds with no rules, worlds with possibilities. I still do love engineering, but not getting this extension has made me realize one thing kinda. As you get older, people kill your imagination. Teachers kill your imagination. As I grew older I stopped designing the impossible and only started thinking of the probable. I started thinking of cost ratios, materials, and the reality of the consumer. Teachers would straight up tell us something like , “the combustible engine is a crude, dirty, and dangerous machine.” I frankly believe this. I believe it was the worst thing that could have happened to our planet. But as I try to imagine a world without it, I can’t. I can’t because frankly it’s a power source we study and we are told is essential. Well right about now I like to think about the improbable. I like to think about the idea that one day I will return to this/ or another country with opportunity. I also like to think that one day I will say to an engineer “ I think we should replace the combustible engine.” He will say “How?” and my response will be “I don’t know yet, but give me a week; my imagination needs some time to figure it out.”
Hey guys here are some photos from here you might like;
*Haha, thats at a train station in Malmo Sweden...only for smokers
* The world famous Nyhound. Its filled with cafes, a strip club, and a harbor where local Danes brag a 6 pack and relax at the harbor.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July!
Hey friends!
Well im not goin to lie. The 4th of July just wasn't the same this year. Im used to the military jets, hot dogs, corn, and big bangin fireworks! But as i believe most people are aware, but maybe you arent and just need a reminder...Denmark does not celebrate the 4th of July. Ouch..i know. So instead a group of us went over to Sweden for a little day trip. It was a pretty good trip. Saw a castle, and one of of their nice parks. The only weird thing was that it was so freakin deserted! I thought it was goin to be like Copenhagen, which can sometimes be really crowded with people. But instead most the streets were deserted with little to no traffic on foot or in car. It was quite almost all the time. We stopped by some malls, which were okay but kinda overpriced for my budget. The best part was that right before we left we got invited for free "food and drinks" to a little italian bar/cafe. We all thought this was a little weird and shaddy, but we went...well cause 1) it as free..2) it wasn't in your usual shady alley, it was on the main street. The place had just opened that day and was really nice. Had comfortable seating, sweet soundsystem and good dance music. No boozes tho, and thats a good thing cause when they said "free drinks" we then saw like a 5 yr old drinking from one of the glass cups..and thats when i was like "no f*ing way..." haha. Other than that goin in on my third week of class starting tomorrow and i think this week there is a city wide jazz concert starting to go. TTy guys later!
p.s. ill start to post some pics next time!
-Craig
Well im not goin to lie. The 4th of July just wasn't the same this year. Im used to the military jets, hot dogs, corn, and big bangin fireworks! But as i believe most people are aware, but maybe you arent and just need a reminder...Denmark does not celebrate the 4th of July. Ouch..i know. So instead a group of us went over to Sweden for a little day trip. It was a pretty good trip. Saw a castle, and one of of their nice parks. The only weird thing was that it was so freakin deserted! I thought it was goin to be like Copenhagen, which can sometimes be really crowded with people. But instead most the streets were deserted with little to no traffic on foot or in car. It was quite almost all the time. We stopped by some malls, which were okay but kinda overpriced for my budget. The best part was that right before we left we got invited for free "food and drinks" to a little italian bar/cafe. We all thought this was a little weird and shaddy, but we went...well cause 1) it as free..2) it wasn't in your usual shady alley, it was on the main street. The place had just opened that day and was really nice. Had comfortable seating, sweet soundsystem and good dance music. No boozes tho, and thats a good thing cause when they said "free drinks" we then saw like a 5 yr old drinking from one of the glass cups..and thats when i was like "no f*ing way..." haha. Other than that goin in on my third week of class starting tomorrow and i think this week there is a city wide jazz concert starting to go. TTy guys later!
p.s. ill start to post some pics next time!
-Craig
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