As a self-proclaimed introvert, it's a myth that introverts do *not* need friends. We get lonely too, and if I had to stay in Copenhagen for four months without anyone to confide in, I am pretty sure that I would be driven to a depression. This would be especially true during the tail-end of October, where the skies on most days would be covered in the signature Copenhagen gray.
If I had to do this experience all over again, I would definitely schedule my activities so that all the outdoor ones such as park visits and excursions outside of Copenhagen proper would be situated in August to September, where it wasn't impossible to work up a sweat in the afternoon. There was, however, a silver lining (or a golden lining, if you will) to all of this. Thankfully, with the coming of fall, it would be my first chance to experience the season itself--and boy it did not disappoint. I observed the tree outside of my house where I parked my bike grow from a vibrant green color to a melancholic orange in less than two weeks after the end of September. The lush sights and smells of Frederiksberg Garden took on an entirely different vibe and encouraged sentimentality and slowness. The days growing shorter only made the brilliant colors of twilight more noticeable in the evenings as I saw the dull sunlight peak through empty alleyways and the quiet streets where I lived. The grand promenade of Assistens Cemetery was wonderfully bathed in a new orange light; any photographer would be delighted to spend hours simply capturing the city during the golden hour. The sights were wonderful of course, but I think the cherry on top were the friends I made in the first two months of being here. I took enjoyment in the simple things, strolling and stopping by random points of interest as our small group commuted our way around the city whenever we weren't busy. We scouted and discovered locations like restaurants, venues, parks, and other landmarks, ate and cooked at each others places (an activity that is pretty much the pinnacle of hygge), and just enjoyed each others company and time. The weather seemed perfect for that, and now that we had gotten used to living here in Copenhagen, I think my group of friends spanning from South East Asia to South America could feel that too. I remember watching the World Cup at an Irish pub with three Brazilians, a Japanese person, and a guy from Wisconsin. As we cozied up eating fries and throwing out foreign curses that we just learned, I could hardly remember the gray weather. My Singaporean friend Hui ate at Ramen To Biiru, a restaurant that I would surprisingly rate as one of my favorites because of its authenticity and the overall atmosphere of the place which paid respect to all things Japanese from its vending machines, to its display figurines, to its Japanese inspired beer. I did things that I never would have imagined doing by myself, like watching a classical music concert or going to multiple art museums. One of my favorite places to hang out with my friends during the fall and winter time was the meatpacking district, a industrial looking section of the city that had ethnic restaurants and unique venues. One of those venues was a place called "Kaf & Console," a small apartment sized cafe/bar whose main selling point was the fact that they had all you can play game consoles from the Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Game Cube; hell they even had Guitar Hero 3 on the PS2, a favorite of mine from my childhood. But all in all, I think what I cherished the most from all of this weren't the places themselves. I'm pretty sure I would have been happy doing the same thing in some other part of the planet. Rather, I realized that what made this whole adventure worth it was just the company I was with. I realized this would be a lesson I would carry for the rest of my life, no matter where I was
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Matthew Calulot
Aloha! I am a fourth-year Marketing and International Business student currently studying at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. I have never been to Europe before, which is exactly why I wanted to study abroad as a student from Hawai'i. Archives
January 2023
Categories |