elisabethampthor

It has been nearly two weeks since I returned to the United States, and in that time it seems that everything has gone to hell. I'm thinking primarily of the indescribable catastrophe that is BP's oil "spill", but also of Israel's aggression against Gaza-bound aid convoys and Arizona's new legislation against immigrants and ethic studies. These things are all I can think about, and I'm wondering if I should have just stayed in Denmark, which of course is not a paradise either. In my time abroad I learned a lot about Denmark and Europe, but also about the United States and (trying not to sound too cliché) myself. I have a greater appreciation for things that I previously took for granted in the U.S. - like citizenship. If you are born in the U.S. you are ... read more

The Grand Bazaar was hands-down the most overwhelming experience I've had on this trip. There was too much for my eyes and ears to handle: jeans, sneakers, scarves, genie lamps, and aggressive/sexist salesmen. One or two is okay, but after a while I felt really dehumanized. I doubt the individual men mean anything by it, but the whole culture or mentality is overwhelming (if I can use that adjective yet again). I felt really dehumanized walking around the bazaar, but upon reflection, maybe I have been reading into it a little too much. It may not be that big a deal. Though I don't think you can excuse poor treatment for cultural reasons, maybe there isn't much more below the surface. Either way, Daphne and I decided that we would relax and unwind with a visit ... read more

I normally don't wear my new headphones when I'm walking by myself in the dark, but today I made an exception because it wasn't that late and I was only walking the 200m from the bus stop to my house. I saw two guys walking the other direction and I turned off the podcast that I was listening to because I wanted to be alert. They flag me down as we get nearer and ask me in Danish: -Excuse us - do you know where the 500S stops? -Yes, it's just ahead. -Thanks. Are you Danish? -No, I'm half-Danish. -Where do you come from? -I'm from the USA. -The USA?! No. Well, you look like an Afghan. -I do? -Yeah, you look like an Afghan! -I'm not. -No? OK. Well thanks, and bye. I was wandering ... read more

The long commute to and from town everyday has been made much more bearable, thanks to the arrival of a package from my father that included his old mp3 player. Now I am one of the multitude of people hustling to my destination, all while staying in my own little sound-induced bubble. It's rather strange, actually, how I notice that I notice so much less when I have my (new Sennheiser) headphones on. I feeling like I'm floating through the world, instead of participating in it. This doesn't stop me from listening to the music, of course; I've been deprived for too long. But I do think about turning it off. What I'm Listening To (But You Can't Hear It Because It's In My Headphones): Tilly and the Wall - Bad Education Santogold - You'll Find ... read more

It's the start of a new semester, and that means new faces, new places, and new routines, even in Denmark. There's a lot to get used to (again) and lots of new input. Sometimes is feels as if there is so much going on that it's a challenge to process and reflect and make sense of it all. Half of my classes are interesting, and the other half are, unfortunately and so far, dull. In fact right now I should be reading an article for my economics class, but I'm obviously using my time in other less-productive but more-interesting ways. It started snowing again. The sidewalks and streets are all covered in a slippery gray mush - it's a wonder I haven't yet fallen. However, the sun was out in full force last Thursday! A friend ... read more