i AMsterdam

on friday, anna, edy and i made our much-awaited travel to amsterdam, the land of canals and cannabis. after dropping our things off at our hostel, located near the van gogh museum, and unsuccessfully finding a place to eat, we were lucky enough to find a bar nearby packed with no one but university students. after a fantastic dinner of chips and guac and a couple of beers (plus a few), we learned that we had, in fact, walked into a dutch-version of a sorority and fraternity mixer, consisting of speeches, brandishing of wine, vodka and other wrapped gifts, and traditional dutch songs (one sung by the boys and another by the girls - at the same time).  

with perhaps our weekends' worth of current dutch culture, we set off the next morning looking for some classic dutch art starting with the van gogh museum. unfortunately, the museum is currently closed for renovation until april and is currently being held at the hermitage.

however, for the convenience of tourists, a thick red cable has been hung along the streets and rooftops from the van gogh museum to the hermitage. what has been turned into "the van gogh mile" was a quiet and gorgeous walk past the canals with swimming swans, exquisite dutch facades, and hundreds of equally beautiful bikes and vespas.

the van gogh exhibit was obviously gorgeous, and while some overcrowding was to be expected, the size of the exhibit itself was just right to allow for that to be only a minor issue. we spent the rest of the day exploring the city, frequently popping in and out of shops and cafes to warm up from the cold and wind and finding ourselves eating all the goodies displayed on every corner, including macarons, chocolates, cookies, and crepes, and fries.

i spy, with my little eye, a space invader! for those of you living under a graffiti-less rock, these little mosaic computer game characters have been made famous by the french urban artist, invader (born 1969!). he does this in cities around the world and then documents this as an "invasion", with books and maps of where to find each invader. he is repsonsible for perhaps the most recognizable street art stunt of the last decade and has spread the invasion to 32 french cities and 35 cities around the world. 

i had found on the internet the address to what was supposed to be a very hip restaurant in the city. word of advice: don't let looks fool you! we wined and dined at a place called "canvas op de 7e". a restaurant/bar/nightclub filled with cool, young people, great music, a delicious menu for reasonable prices, and hip artwork all around. the drab, cold, abandoned-looking lobby from which we had entered at the beginning of the night had been completely transformed into a welcoming club entrance with candles lighting the lobby, a hostess in front of a makeshift coat-check area and bouncers at the door. 

a view from the central public library

the following day we expected to wander the city a little more before our flight back to copenhagen. however, the weather proved a little too harsh for enjoyable walking, so we took one last impromptu tram tour that took us from one side of the city to the other (note: public transportation is an excellent way to see a city both during the day and night when the weather proves a bit too bitter to face head on) and then took shelter in the amsterdam central public library, located just 10 minutes from central station. 

another view from the library

this is a definite must-see on anyone's list to amsterdam. it is the largest public library in europe, containing an auditorium, an exhibition room, the library museum, and 2000 parking spaces for bicycles!

a submarine study nook!

challenge: find the one cd or dvd that the library does
not own (it's a trick question, i don't think it exists) 

after perusing the shelves and unwillingly letting the time trickle by, we made our way back to central station and in barely the blink of an eye, were back in copenhagen. 

amsterdam [is] stuck on my mind

off to amsterdam for the weekend!

the printable house

this past wednesday, the arts and culture house took a visit to the 1:1 arkitektur studio, where louise's cousin (louise is our student resident advisor) works. while the studio is known to work on various mainstream and oddball projects, we were most curious about their "printable house". the architects from the studio have begun a housing project in which they construct an entire house with only their computer and a special woodcutting machine. the house is basically a giant lego structure, seeing as it's built out of hundreds of wooden pieces that are easily assembled (it only takes 3 days to put together!). louise's cousin told us the advantage of this sustainable and innovative structure for places where new homes need to be built quickly (i.e. natural disaster areas or refugee camps). many argue that this building is the future of construction. watch a video of how these houses are designed and built here!

night at the royal theatre

last friday night, some of the girls and i from the arts and culture house went to the royal theatre to see a concert featuring an actress/singer alongside a ballet pianist from the royal danish ballet company. while the singing wasn't quite my style, the concert room was a treat in itself brimming with sparkling lights, gleaming gold details and rich velvet. 

tuesday night i was back at the royal theatre to see the royal danish ballet! my history of european ballet class went on its first field study to see dans2go, a group of dance pieces that showcase a medley of different dances, of different styles, from different eras. tickets for the performance were cheaper than seasonal tickets ($20 for students) in order to attract dance lovers of all sorts, but especially to students and those less familiar with the art of ballet and dance. 

a quick synopsis: the first piece, "chroma", was choreographed by wayne mcgregor and used music from jack white (of the white stripes) arranged by joby talbot. i found excerpts of this dance (that, since its premiere in 2006, has won many prestigious dance awards) last semester, and loved it. when i found out i would be seeing it live, i was ecstatic. it was executed beautifully, and the intricacy of movement blended with the minimalism of the costumes and set design was right up my alley.

the second piece was "the unsung," by choreographer josé limon. eight barefoot men, without musical accompaniment, performed this very modern dance piece. every rustle, breath, step, rippling muscle, and expression could be heard and seen by each dancer, giving the piece a unique intensity, vitality, beauty, and method of communication. however, due to the lack of music, every cough and movement of the audience could also became annoyingly audible. 

the final piece featured the royal ballet dancers in an excerpt from the russian ballet masterpiece, la bayadere. in white tutus, 24 dancers become an endless revelation of white dream figures that slowly filled the stage in beautiful formations. this was the only piece that was disappointing to see so up close (our seats were a mere 6 rows form the stage) because the patterns were a bit hard to distinguish, but i guess looking out into a sea of light pink ballerina legs wasn't all that bad, either.

wooden wonderland

last wednesday was another field study day with my danish design class. all our instructor had told us in class the day before was that we were to meet by the bus at 8:30 the next morning sharp. if we were late, we would be unable to get the destination with public transportation. so, without knowing where we were being led the next morning, we boarded the bus, promptly fell asleep, and arrived at our destination 40 minutes later, in the middle of a small and quiet town somewhere to the north of copenhagen.

in fact, we had arrived to the workshop of pp møbler, a family owned danish joinery workshop established in 1953 - one of the few cabinet making workshops in denmark.

hans j wegner,  pp501/pp503 'the chair' (1949)

we were led around by one of the apprentices at the workshop and followed the creation of a piece of furniture from a felled tree to a beautiful, handmade, high quality product.

hans j wegner, pp250
'the valet chair' (1953)

the workshop produces furniture pieces from famous danish designers including world renowned danish furniture designer, hans j wegner, who designed the famous "kennedy chair" among others. the workshop was begun by ejnar and lars peder pedersen and is still run by second and third generation pedersen family members.

hans j wegner, pp129 (1968)

hans j wegner, pp52/pp63
(1975)

it was really extraordinary to observe the work that goes into a single piece of furniture. the incredible handiwork makes it not only extremely functional, but also a work of art. these are objects to be integrated into one's daily life, for the rest of their lives. wegner's style is often described as organic functionality, a modernist school with emphasis on functionality. in his lifetime, he designed over 500 different chairs, many of which have become recognizable design icons. 

hans j wegner, pp19 'the teddy bear chair' (1951)
in preparation for cushioning and other upholstery details

his designs and pp møbler's work stands the test of time seeing how successful and coveted the many chairs and tables remain, and their frequent use to support heads of state around the world. 

obama in the kennedy chair

my wednesday night ended by watching "my playground," a documentary about the connection and relationships between buildings, space, people and movement. in this case, parkour is the conduit for conversation and reflection, with both athletes and architects offering their thoughts on how the sport and the urban environment provides a new opportunity for free expression.

foxygen

on saturday night, a couple of my housemates and i went to see and hear foxygen, a young band from california on tour promoting their new album "we are the 21st century ambassadors of peace and magic".

before going, they were described to me as a mix of bob dylan, velvet underground, lou reed, mgmt, and some white album era beatles. bonus - the concert was free. not only was it a great place to get a glimpse of 2013 copenhagen hipsterdom, but the band played a great live show. listen for yourself!

a little taste of western denmark

last week was core course week at dis. this is a week spent on immersion in your core course (mine, for example, is human health and disease) - furthering exploration of topics related to medical practice and policy.

the week consisted of a three day short study tour to århus and vejle, two days in copenhagen, and no elective classes. objectives for the week included: showcasing examples of clinical practice and health care systems in different sectors as well as broadening our view of the challenges that health care providers face; showing examples of research with clinical relevance; exploring and learning more about denmark through exposure to the culture, history and socioeconomic climate of the region; engaging in a personal learning process outside the classroom by actively participating and challenging current ideas and assumptions; getting to know some of the "hot issues" regarding health care in denmark; and geting to know fellow students and professors in an educational and social setting outside dis.

and no elective classes.

on monday, we left copenhagen and headed toward århus located in denmark's jutland. our first visit was a meeting with a general practitioner at skødstrup lægepraksis to gain a better understanding of the danish health care system. the consultation rooms in the clinic were probably the nicest consultation rooms i had ever seen. white walls, high ceilings, and tasteful sculpture and artwork including calder-inspired mobiles gave the room a light, airy, healthy, and welcoming feel. 

the danish health care system is deeply intertwined with the danish welfare state system, a cradle-to-grave social welfare system where all citizens are guaranteed certain fundamental rights based on national agreed standards largely financed by public funds through general taxation. dr. kallestrup, the general practitioner, for example, pays 76% in taxes. however, with this taxation system, all danish citizens gain a number of free services. 

the gp's are the gatekeepers of the danish health care system and, therefore, encounter 88% of all patients and for every 10 patients, the gp will only refer 1 onto a specialist. dr. kallestrup had one of the best dispositions i had ever seen in a doctor, and he noted how happy he and his colleagues are with their work. sounds kind of like a utopia, no?

on tuesday, we visited skejby hospital (also in århus)  and learned about various research being conducted there including experimental heart valve research, cardiovascular mri research and research on stem cells for interventional diagnostics and therapy. many of these experiments require work to be done on animals, and we got the experience of observing pigs undergoing open heart surgery and other tests, as if they were any normal human beings!

sofia, hannah and i in front of harald bluetooth's commemorating stone

the trip to the hospital was followed by a visit to jelling, the home of the jelling stones. these are massive carved runestones from the 10th century. the older of the two stones was raised by king gorm the old in memory of his wife, thyra. the larger of the two stones was raised by king gorm's son, harald bluetooth (yes, the bluetooth phone device is named after this king who united dissonant danish tribes into a single kingdom) in memory of his parents, celebrating his conquest of denmark and norway, and his conversion of the danes to christianity.

ancient burial mound

the older of the two stones. considered denmark's
baptismal certificate as it features one of the
earliest records of the name "danmark"

the trip was followed by a visit to an indoor go-karting track. while the adrenaline kicked in and a need for speed took over my body for 15 minutes worth of winding laps around the track, i don't think anyone should worry of this rush becoming an addiction anytime soon.

finally, on wednesday we visited the århus pet center and cfin (center of functionally integrative neuroscience) at the århus university hospital. again, we got a tour of some of the facilities, a peek into their research work, and this time saw an anesthetized pig receiving an mri scan. 

after a yummy lunch in the city center, we went on a guided tour of the ARoS museum of modern art. it's a fantastic building with some incredible works of art including "the 9 spaces," a so-called 'gallery in progress' of installation art, where 1 or 2 rooms are done each year. referring to dante's "the divine comedy", the whole museum in transformed as part of the travel from hell to heaven.

us "girls" sittin with ron mueck's "boy"

more "omgivelser"

in ólafur elíasson's installation, "omgivelser"

some good ol' gilbert and george

edvard munch - angst and anxiety was a fantastic exhibition also on display while we were there. it is an exhibition that aims to show how the concept of anxiety has been a driving force throughout the norweigan artist's art and life: anxiety over life, anxiety over love and anxiety over death.

an installation on the museum roof entitled "your rainbow panorama" by ólafur elíasson 

we bid adieu to western denmark, and four hours later found ourselves back in the hustle and bustle of copenhagen. the next day was dedicated to a workshop that had us reflect on the tour as well as a lecture on the medical history of copenhagen. 

friday might have proved the most eye opening part of the week. each student signed up for a different workshop, gaining insight into a different aspect of danish health - mine focused on disease prevention in copenhagen. while i learned little about disease prevention, i did get a glimpse of disease treatment in the city. after a long and dull powerpoint containing a number of useless graphs, charts, statistics, and all the bullshit they deliver, we took a 15 minute walk to nørrebro to visit a drug consumption building. near the meatpacking district, the red light district, amidst chic caffes, artsy theater houses, and ornate buildings, is a center for drug addicts. the building provides the people with a safe space for their drug use, giving them unlimited access to the building, sterile needles and other equipment, and meals - all free thanks to the danish citizens' taxes.

the mentality is that people who visit this house will develop a healthy relationship with the nurses and workers there, and in the process realize that they would like to turn away from this way of living. over time, they will come to the nurses to ask for help (no one who works there, however, is allowed to offer help or treatment) and eventually receive the care they need. however, when 200-300 individuals are making their way to this building every day, and approximately 10% of the people go on to receive further treatment, the need for prevention seems all the more necessary. it is my own opinion if this way of treating individuals with drug addictions is successful, and irrelevant to state here, but the real issue i have is with the preventative measures the danish health care system is providing, or not providing, its people.

when the government is giving its citizens a mountain of benefits, taking away half to three-quarters of their salary, and the people have little need to save their money or think about how their actions will impact their future, i believe that this plays into the mentality of living a certain lifestyle in the present without regard for the future.

when a small 10-year old compact car in denmark costs the equivalent of a ferrari in the states, and housing and groceries are anything but cheap, and an emphasis on having a social life is stressed with a city that provides hundreds of clubs, bars, and the danes are known for being some of the heaviest drinkers in europe, a certain type of frivolous lifestyle seems to be at play. a country that prides itself on being the happiest country in the world, yet has 200-300 people, in a city of 1.2 million, visting a consumption clinic for drugs and a meal with no worry of any immediate sanctions, doesn't quite align. yes, the people receive free healthcare, and maintain an honest and trusting relationship with their gp. but when only one in ten patients can be referred to a specialist, and specialists only make up 12% of the healthcare system, i wonder if people are getting the treatment they need and want and deserve.

apart from prevention i question the future of the health care system in general. the large immigrant population brings with it a whole new can of worms. the danes pride themselves (loudly) for their homogeneity, a keystone for why their system works, as well as a culture of trust. the immigrant population seems to threaten all of this.

with all this in mind, i'm not saying that in comparison, the health care system in the united states is perfect and without flaws. it most certainly has that and much more. however, having heard the "greatness" that is the health care and welfare system of danish society, and how much we have to learn from the danes, there are some aspects that, at least to me, do not seem too adaptive, progressive, or healthy.

we have been learning what great innovators and designers the danes are. in history, they have proved that when struggles and the need for innovation arises, they create, compromise, and conquer. in my view, their system cannot stay afloat for long in the massive globalization that is occurring. while it is certainly not failing, i see it struggling in the near future and am curious as to why more people do not seem to be concerned with this prospect. i suppose i trust the danes, but i am curious how they will deal with these issues as the world turns and they turn with it.