My dear Copenhagen...

Okay, it is second year people!!! Second and final year of my Erasmus program. Well, I am still in Europe (and within European Union territory), LUCKILY ;) but in a new country, in a new city and in a new place: in Copenhagen. 

And like my mom says, time flies in a wink of eye, it's already a month since I am here. I decided not to go home for my vacations (I was broke in fact and couldn't afford flying back) so was kind of stuck here and I decided to get to know Copenhagen. 

I will keep on adding stuffs to my list but for now, here I go with the first few things I have seen and learnt this month:

1. Danes do not cross street when the signal is RED!! (P.S. even if there are no vehicles coming)

      I come from a country where no one give a s**t about traffic rules. Coming to UK and following the rules was a new thing for me. Back in Nepal, I cared for my life and used to search for Zebra crossings to cross streets but in UK, I learnt about pressing the button and looking for vehicles in streets and then crossing the street but it is slightly different here in Copenhagen. 

I am there in an empty street, waiting for the street light to turn greeeeeen 'coz if I try crossing that empty street I will be crazy among Danes. I didn't know that everyone abides by rules and regulations so seriously. On my first day, when I thought it would be same as Sheffield and tried crossing the empty street, I was given a surprise look by few people. I was so ashamed. (Remember this if you come to Denmark.)

2. Danes are kind

     Someone told me people from Denmark are rude but I find them kind and caring. On my second day, a stranger paid for my bus ticket. It's not that I didn't have any money to pay for my ticket; it's just that I didn't have any change. And I was carrying a big suitcase (almost my size and weight) and was standing with 200 DKK early in the morning in the entrance of bus where the lady driver refused to take my big money and the gentleman paid for me. That was so nice of him. And not to forget, he helped me with my luggage and helped me with the directions for my next stop as well. This is just an example and I have few more of them.

      This doesn't mean that people in Sheffield weren't kind. I loved it when English people used to gesture with love and darling.

3. They have free tours

    While no one can deny Copenhagen is among the expensive cities in the world, the brighter part is they offer some awesome free tours as well. The great Copenhagen walking tour for 3 hours, the Classic Copenhagen tour for 90 minutes and the tour to Christinia for 90 minutes are all free. The cheerful guides work voluntarily and load you with lots of information about the places (which I couldn't retain of course). (Don't miss this out while you are here).

4. The vikings' biking

    I love it how everyone bike here or say 'cycle' here. No matter if you see a kiddo with his scooter running for school or girls in skirt or grandpas or grandmas or officers dressed up---- everyone cycles here. I also have heard that there are high chances you may get hit by a bicycle here than by a car (I am not sure). I am planning to get one for myself as well. That may increase my stamina but I am scared of the chilly winters!!! 

5. Thank God! they speak English

   3 weeks in Rennes, France was a pain to roam around but you can survive with English in Denmark.People speak English fluently and thankfully the signposts in streets are written in English so there is no chance that you will be lost. 

6. I can never learn Danish

    You may say I am being a pessimist here but I don't think I can ever learn Danish. Though I am giving a try to learn some basics of Danish but it is so much different from English that I doubt my own abilities. Hopefully, I will manage to learn few sentences and be able to talk to my Danish house-owner and surprise her. Ha-ha.

7. Safe Copenhagen
    I am quite not sure how safe other countries are but coming from Nepal where I would be scared to roam around city in mid-night, I find Copenhagen is so safe relatively. I walk fearless in the streets on my own during mid-nights and we have 24*7 buses and trains available. How cool is that! Safe and Privileged-both in one hand.

8. Danes smoke a LOT
   Okay, one day I spent almost 2 hours of my life in a store (a local store unlike Netto or Fakta or Sainsbury's but a normal small store at the corner of every street) and in 2 hours, to my surprise there were almost 100 people buying pack of cigarette. No wonder smoking is the highest cause of disease among the Danes!!! They are on fire...