Classes, Folk Dancing, and Miscellany
I had my first classes on Tuesday. Although I was initially registered for an entrepreneurship class and an economics class, I decided to switch out of entrepreneurship and into strategic management as it will transfer as a required class back at NYU. This is a fantastic development since I will now only be taking one elective course, and not two, which I didn’t have room for. It didn’t hurt that the entrepreneurship professor is an abrasive, hardball, V.C. type who specifically said that not everyone has what it takes to be an entrepreneur, yet expected us all–through the coursework–to act as though we were entrepreneurs. This is not to say that I expected a different course–I had, afterall, seen the syllabus already–but I found him to be slightly hypocritical. But what do I know? I suppose one gets the privilege of being a rude hypocrite toward his students after having two successful startups.
The courses I am taking are alright. The professors, a French woman for economics and an Australian gentleman for management, are both nice and affable. However, the class slots are three hours each, back to back, Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it gets a bit difficult to pay attention; the 10 minute breaks every 50 minutes of class time are quite welcome.
On Wednesday evening, there was a surprisingly fun Danish Folk Dancing activity as part of the social program. It was held in a large gymnasium that was part of a nearby commune, and led by some Danes in the traditional garb. They first performed each dance, after which the ISUP (International Summer University Program) students, who numbered well over 100, got up to perform it in a much too crowded space. It was a comedy of errors, the hilarity of which alone made the event worth attending.
I missed the International Dinner last night, which wasn’t too much of a shame since I would have been late had I gone, and would have missed all the best foods. I heard that three countries tied for the best food, one of which was some sort of Israeli flatbread with hummus; I’d guess this means laffa, but I couldn’t confirm it. Following the return of my dormmates from the dinner, we relaxed in the backyard until going to the Kuler Bar club downtown, where they give free beer from 11pm to 1am. I’m no fan of beer to start with, but it was decidely bad beer.
In other news, there are some bikes in the backyard that until recently were locked up, with corresponding signs posted around the dormatory letting the summer residents know that we can email someone to arrange for the keys. I had emailed this person early on, and he responded by saying we should make an offer for the location of the keys he had hidden. I then replied that we do not know the going rates, and he should please give an asking price. He said that he’d tell us where the keys are for 1500 DKK, which is about US$320. I responded that that was an insane amount for a 6 week (pointing out that it was actually 5 weeks at that point) rental for the 8 people who would use the bikes. I also asked whether the bikes were even his to rent out. He replied that he could go no less than 1000 DKK, and that the bikes were his “becouse [he has] been fixing them for a hole year.” Now, the fellow isn’t from an English-speaking country, so I don’t quote his words to poke fun of his grammar, just his logic. I decided to search for the keys, found some in the basement, and tried them out; one key worked for all the locks. Following that discovery, I emailed the guy back, saying that we’d look elsewhere.
Some other things I like or find interesting about Copenhagen:
1. The Metro is quick and efficient, and although it’s not particularly expansive, it does connect with another train system meant for the surrounding area, akin to a light rail system. The Metro is also completely automated (there is no conductor onboard at all) which I find fine, although some of my friends have indicated slight unease at this.
2. It is legal to drink in public in Copenhagen, and while people do carouse, it doesn’t seem as though anyone feels unsafe.
Tonight is a jazz festival, which should be enjoyable. That’s all for now.
Leave a Reply