Transportation: Bikes, Part Two

Sorry for the lack of posts these 1^st few weeks. It was midterms time here and Denmark, and consequently we have all been busy with papers and exams. In the end, we all survived, and we now have our two-week travel break. We are all free to travel Europe for two weeks, before returning to Copenhagen for the last part of the semester. I will be going to Russia the first week with a DIS sponsored optional study tour, and then I will be going to Seville, Spain on my own to explore. I wont have my computer in Russia, or perhaps Spain, so the blog is going to be pretty inactive for the next few weeks. Needless to say, I will be posting about my experiences in Russia and Spain just as soon as I can.

For the time being, however, I wanted to post a couple of YouTube videos of Copenhagen. The first is a travel video from 1953, showing what Copenhagen looked like fifty years ago. Some of it still looks similar today, while other things have changed quite a bit. Just a note on the video, it was made in the 1950’s and consequently is not subject to the same cultural sensitivity we are accustomed to today. Also, the narrator says Copenhagen very strangely.

The second video is about bikes in modern Copenhagen. They really do deliver the mail via bicycle, its wonderful.

I will be back in Denmark on the 14^th of November, so check back then for a barrage of new blog-posts.

Transportation: S-Trains

The main ‘subway’ system in Copenhagen is called the S-Tog (or S-Train) system, and is basically like the metro/light-rail/subway you would find in any other city. Although most of the trains run exclusively above-ground, they are the primary public mode of transportation used by everyday Danes and commuters. There is also an underground train system called the metro, but I will reserve discussion on that for a later post. There are seven different lines, each with a number and color, which run from the north, west, and south of Copenhagen into the city center.

While all of this is pretty standard for a modern European city, what I find most interesting is the culture of the trains, and the public transportation system in general. One of the first things I heard about the trains is that people don’t talk on them. I assumed they would be pretty quite, but once I got here, I found out it is really true. In Denver, the trains are pretty quite when there is no one on them. But when they are full, they can be pretty loud. Here, during the daytime, especially during the peak commuting hours, the trains are practically dead silent, even when they are packed with people. I will admit that sometimes, especially when some of the teens are on their way home from a night of drinking, it can be pretty loud. But I would have to say, in general, they are not. It is actually somewhat unsettling. I usually put on my iPod so that it doesn’t bother me. Its hard to describe the feeling really, but if you ever actually experience it, I think you will understand what I mean.

Some other interesting details...You can take a bike, and a dog, but it costs a little extra. It is also tolerated for you to be drinking on the trains. It is actually somewhat sad to see old men having a beer at ten in the morning, but no one seems to mind.

Here are some photos I have taken of the S-Trains, so you know how nice they are.

The Romani and Paneriai

The program I chose to study at DIS is called Migration and Identity, and one of our main focuses is studying minority groups in modern European states. In Lithuania, one of those minority groups is the Roma (or Romani) People. Roma is the politically correct term used to refer to ‘gypsies’ in Europe. The word gypsy comes from the false belief that the Roma came from Egypt. The Roma people prefer the word roma to refer to themselves because it means ‘the people’ in their language (Romani), and because the word gypsy carries a lot of negative connotations. Just think of where the word ‘gyp’ (as in a cheat or a con) comes from. The Roma people originally come from Northwest India, and their language is related to those spoken in India today. Most scholars believe that the Roma began traveling around C.E. 500 and arrived in southern Europe around C.E. 1000. The Roma then spread to the rest of Europe, arrive in Lithuania sometime in the 15^th century. Their history in Lithuania is generally one of fowl treatment and discrimination. In modern Lithuania, the situation for Roma continues to be difficult. On the official state level, there is no discrimination allowed towards anyone, as a result of European Union treaties, but on the societal level, deep prejudices remain. We visited a Roma settlement on the outskirts on Vilnius to see what living conditions are like. Very few Roma are educated, and most only speak their mother tongue, and Russian (which was mandatory when Lithuania was under the Soviet Union). Therefore, it is impossible for them to get a job in modern Lithuania. They are living on a piece of land that technically doesn’t belong to them, and they have built their houses themselves on this land, which is technically illegal. They generally live in small houses built from whatever materials are available. One source on income the Roma have been forced to turn to is the drug trade. When I visited, I was horrified to find that there were needles and syringes in the streets where children were playing, and a steady flow of taxis bringing drug addicts into and out of the settlement. In the passenger seat of one of the taxis we actually saw a man who was shooting-up before he even had left the settlement.

Nevertheless, the situation isn’t entirely negative for the roma. For the last 10 years, there have been Non-Governmental Organizations as well as public institutions trying to improve the roma situation. They are attempting to educate the Roma, and to empower them to take control of their own situation. There is a community center in the settlement that provides support for the roma, as well as a pre-school that prepares Roma children to go to a Lithuanian -language primary school. From what I have learned, these programs have started to make a small difference in the lives of the Roma in Lithuania, although it is going to take many more years to fully solve all of the difficult problems facing this Lithuanian minority.

We also visited a memorial park commemorating the Paneriai massacre, which took place after Nazi Germany occupied Lithuania during the Second World War. It is the site of a mass murder of more than 70,000 Jews and other minorities by Nazi soldiers, and also by native Lithuanians who were oftentimes just as anti-Semitic as the German government was. Below are some pictures of what I saw.

The Main Monument, with text in Yiddish/Hebrew

The back of the main monument, with translations into Lithuanian, English, and Russian

A Monument to the Catholic Poles killed during the Holocaust and War

A Monument erected by the Soviets, reading "To the Victims of Fascist Terror"

Trakai

Trakai is a small Lithuanian town about 15 miles from Vilnius. It is the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was one of the largest countries in medieval Europe. It is the site of an old castle, as well as some interesting minority populations in Lithuania. When Grand Duke Vytautas expanded the country to the Black sea, he brought back with him warriors native to the Crimean region. These were Muslim Tartars, as well as Jewish Karaim. Both of these populations still live in Lithuania, and preserve their religions, languages, and some of their customs. We ate at an authentic Karaim restaurant, as well as saw a Karaim Museum, and Synagogue. Then we visited the castle, which is on an island in the middle of a lake. Finally, we visited an authentic Lithuanian sauna. We sat in a very hot room, which was heated by rocks and water, and then we jumped into an ice-cold lake. We were also supposed to beat each other with birch-tree branches, to exfoliate the skin. Then we sampled some traditional Lithuanian food (I skipped over the pig-ears), and made our way back to Vilnius. It was an interesting cultural experience. I like the lake more than the sauna, because it was so hot. Something well over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Here are some photos of the castle.

The Republic of Užupis

The city of Vilnius is located at the confluence of two rivers; the Neris River, and the Vilnia River (from which the city gets its name). On the eastern bank of the river Vilnia sits a neighborhood called Užupis, which essentially translates as ‘on the other side of the river.’ In 1997, a group of young artists and intellectuals decided that they would declare their neighborhood to be an independent nation, much like Christiania in Copenhagen. Like Christiania they print their own currency, have their own flag, and have a constitution. However, it is not taken nearly as seriously as in Christiania. It is really more of a running joke that the neighborhood has. They celebrate their independence on the 1^st of April, April Fools Day. Their constitution too is somewhat comical, establishing rules such as “People have the right to live by the River Vilnelė, while the River Vilnelė has the right to flow past people" and "A dog has the right to be a dog" Even the government official we talked to called it a big joke. It has nothing on Christiania, though it is a pretty cool idea. Nevertheless, it is an interesting neighborhood to walk through, and has some good art and souvenirs. I would recommend a visit to anyone visiting Vilnius, and if you have a chance to come on Independence Day, I am told that they will stamp your passport when you enter the republic. Here are some photos so you can see what it is like.

The Main Entrance

The River Vilnia

The Angel of Užupis

The Insignia of Užupis

One of the more colorful building along the river

First Blog from Lithuania

I am now sitting at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, about to fly back to Copenhagen, and this is the first time I have had Internet access all week. I wrote several blog posts while I was in Lithuania this past week. Here is the blog I wrote on my second night in Vilnius.

After spending about a day and a half in Vilnius, the Capital city of Lithuania, I would have to say that my overall impressions of the city are very positive. It has such and interesting history and character, which I very much enjoy having the opportunity to experience. But to be honest, one of the best things about this city is that it is so much cheaper than Copenhagen. This may sound strange, but it almost feels like going home – not having to spend and arm and a leg for food. Just a comparison; a cup of hot chocolate might cost 35 kroner in Denmark, about $7. In Sweden it might cost about 35 Swedish kronor, which is more like $5. Here in Lithuania we found a great restaurant that serves “kakava” for only 6 litas, or about $2.50, which is an amazing deal. Last night, my friends and I ate at a restaurant that cost $15 for the four of us, including bottle waters! It is such a relief to not feel so guilty about spending all of our money on food and drinks.

Anyway, yesterday we went on a walking tour of the city. Vilnius is often called the city of churches, and for good reason. We saw some many amazing churches. This country is made up predominantly of Roman Catholics, who of course love gregarious baroque houses of prayer. However, there are also a large number of Russian Orthodox churches, some Lutheran and other Protestant churches, as well as one synagogue. After walking to city and grabbing a quick – and cheap – dinner, we got dressed-up and went to the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra, which performed a work by the national composer, which was sung in Lithuanian, Polish, Latin, and Yiddish. The piece was definitely not what we were expecting, and was a little strange. Nevertheless it was a good cultural experience.

On the morning of our second day we went to a meeting at the Lithuanian Presidential Palace. We met with Virginija Budiene, a cultural chief advisor to newly elected president Dalia Grybauskaitė, the first female president of Lithuania. We discussed with here a number of different topics, including migration in Lithuania, as well as the different cultural minorities. Overall, it was an interesting and informative meeting. I must admit though, that the words “nuclear power plant” sound so much more sinister when pronounced in a Lithuanian (read: uncannily Russian) accent. I couldn’t help but think of old movies about Soviet Russia during the cold war. Nevertheless, Ms. Budiene was a wonderful host who got us thinking about what Lithuania is all about.

That afternoon, we were on our own to wonder the city. We did some souvenir shopping, at wonderful Lithuanian prices, and then visited Užupis. I am going to save a discussion of Užupis for my next blog, and will end with some photos I have taken of ‘The City of Churches.’

'The Gates of Dawn' - also the Church of Our Mother of Mercy

A Russian Orthodox Church

A view of the northern part of the city

A chapel inside the Church of St. Francis

A courtyard at the Presidential Palace

Street Art

2016 Olympics

While I was flipping through the channels yesterday at my host family’s house, all of the Danish News services were reporting one story, the 2016 Summer Olympics. As it turns out, the International Olympic Committee is making its final decision as to which city will host the games from right here in Copenhagen. They will make their announcement sometime tomorrow evening. In the meantime, the city is hosting official delegations from all the biding cities, as well as a series of other public sporting events, concerts, etc. There are four cities who are finalists and who have sent delegations to Copenhagen. They are Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Madrid (Spain), and Chicago (USA). The last of these has caused quite a stir here in Denmark, because the delegation includes some pretty well known Americans. Talk show host Opera Winfrey is already here, as is Michelle Obama. President Obama arrives tomorrow, but will only be here for a grand for a total of 5 hours. The President of Brazil as also here, as are the King of Queen of Spain, and members of the Royal Family of Japan. Nevertheless, there are also many famous athletes from all of the biding countries.

Here are some photos of festivities at Rådhuspladsen, the City Hall-Square, near DIS in Copenhagen.

The perception among many Danes is that if Obama is coming all the way here, then Chicago is likely to win the opportunity to host the games. Obama, and his family, are widely popular here in Denmark, and really throughout most of Western Europe. It seems to me however that many Europeans believe Obama to be capable of fixing all of America’s problems, from healthcare and education, to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also think he will change many of the States other outdated policies, such as the Trade Embargo with Cuba, and the subjection of Puerto Rico and other US territories which are not granted statehood. I must say, I applaud their optimism and estimation of his abilities, nevertheless, I would be happy if he were to only manage to deal with a few of these issues in his first term. I think it is going to take a little longer to convince Americans to change their thinking about many of these other issues, especially the Embargo with Cuba. My host father has visited Cuba three times, and nothing would make me happier that to one day be able to travel there myself. From what I have heard, it is a beautiful country, albeit not without its problems.

I am curious to know what the American media is saying about the Obama’s trip to Denmark. Denmark is a country that receives very little media attention in the world, so I would love to know how it is being portrayed there. If you like, feel free to send me an e-mail about what you have heard, if anything, about his trip. I will try to respond soon, but I will be visiting Lithuania next week, and may be away from the computer for a while. I hope to have lots of good stories to tell you when I return.