Trains, Rains and Visas

Last time I left you when I had just arrived in Denmark, all wide eyed and wet behind my ears (literally).

I spent much of the Sunday relaxing and recuperating after my journey. I also experienced a Danish phenomenon; kebab pizza! it’s donna kebab meat with limp lettuce on a pizza, covered in mayonnaise dressing... Umm I don’t really know how to describe it, except it tastes exactly as it sounds.

On Monday morning I awoke early to go to the University to try and enrol on the pre-course course that started that day at 9:30 sharp. Apparently I was meant to have registered before 2nd August, but the university hadn’t sent me the form explaining that. So I didn’t hear about it until Friday evening, via a slightly confusing email, just as the University offices were closing. At about a quarter past 5 I had left several rushed messages and emails asking for information about it, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get a reply from them before the course started. My only hope was to turn up and find someone who had heard my plight and had taken pity on this dishevelled, lost and confused English alien.

I arrived in good spirits after a prompt bus and two late trains.



The walk from Trokener station to the University is nice, you walk over a little bridge crossing a motorway and there’s lake made of flood water. I made my way to the International Student’s office and was greeted (no greeted is the wrong word, what’s the opposite of greeted?) by a lady who looked at me with a “what are you doing here” sort of look. I tried to explain myself and she replied with a “what do you expect me to do about it?” sort of look. Eventually (with a queue forming behind me) I agreed to leave in exchange for a leaflet about how to get a visa and a map of Roskilde town centre.

Roskilde is about 30km (or 20 miles) West (or left) of Copenhagen. It’s by the sea and has a world famous Viking ship museum. The population in January 2010 was 46,701 (thank you Wikipedia) so it’s a bit smaller than Tunbridge Wells!

I spent the rest of the morning wandering around Roskilde. On my travels I saw 3 large vases, a charming glass walkway and a tag by Roskilde’s Banksy.







On the train back I saw some evidence as to why Danish people all seem so happy. As far as I can tell they don’t stop fooling around as they get older. Here’s a photo of the instructions on a walker (I’m not sure if that’s the right word, it was like a zimmer frame with wheels).



I apologise for the poor quality of the photo, I was trying to take it subtly without the stern looking owner noticing. I pretended I was just looking through my photos then acted all surprised when it made a photo taking sound. I also saw this disturbing sign... I didn’t realise there was a place for decapitated dogs on Danish trains.



On Tuesday it rained all day.



Not a lot happened. Everything was wet and cold. Apparently Danish cats don’t like the rain.



On Wednesday I went to Roskilde to sort out my visa. I tried to call the various government offices detailed in the leaflet that I got, but all of the numbers weren’t active so I spent a grumpy hour wandering around the city with a vein hope that I would stumble across the right building. One thing I did find on my travels was the tourist information bureaux (Hallelujah). The man there was lovely really helpful. In two minutes he furnished me with all the directions and advice I could need with regard to obtaining visas.

I then managed to track down the appropriately camouflaged government building (please excuse my reflection in this picture).



I climbed the grotty stairs to the unmarked office.



There I filled out my visa form. To complete my form I had to get some passport photos taken Danish style. I was directed to a camera shop, that had a white walled alcove sandwiched between glass cabinets filled with lenses, filters and tripods. I was directed into the alcove and told to stand still. Then the shop worker unlocked one of the cabinets, pulled out a camera and took a single photo of me. He then put the camera’s memory card into his computer and photoshoped my picture to quadrify it and reduce my massive head to a standard passport sized oval. I got chatting to the man, as he airbrushed out my blemishes and added some pout to my lips, and he explained that in Denmark all you need to be an official passport photo taker was a special cutter that cuts out the image at the end to the right size. He told me there’s no requirement for a certain type or quality of camera, just they need this cutter that costs £600! Still I can see how they make their money, my photos cost nearly £10! It makes the machines in Boots look cheap.

I celebrated by eating a traditional Danish snack. It’s a bit like a horrible hot dog (called a French dog). basically its a scooped out, under-cooked baguette with a frankfurter rammed inside. So far I haven’t experience Noma style cuisine... but I’ll keep looking!



So now my visa application is in. Hopefully in 3 weeks I should get a CPR number (as in resuscitation) and be assigned a Doctor!

One down, now all I have to do is find a place to live, get a bank account, learn Danish and get a degree... it all seems too easy!

Thank you to anyone who's read this far, I know it's been a bit of a slog today, I promise next post will be shorter!