She spoke about the different elements of patterns, how the eye sees patterns and how the brain reacts to different shapes, symmetryand design elements. It was really interesting but I would have loved it if it wasn’t so humid and if maybe a window were opened. After Joy’s lecture, Natalie, Emma, Brittany, Katie, Sarah and I went to an amazing little sandwich shop on the corner of my favorite street in Copenhagen (thus far). I have never been a huge fan of lox because I see it being eaten in a Jewish setting with cream cheese and bagels. Alas, it was the only option that I, little miss dietary restrictions child, could eat…and THANK GOD because it was an amazing sandwich. Lox, avocado, greens (something in the lettuce family) and a tomato on a delicious roll was what I ate for lunch. The six of us sat on the side of Magstræde (my favorite street) eating our sandwiches before heading back to class. Our second half of the day was with Gundhil, who teaches us drawing. She brought flowers that apparently were being thrown out, and we were to draw them. I ended up drawing them for about an hour until I decided to tear them up a bit and my sketches became more abstract. The second assignment was to trace one sketch we liked in different ways. So basically I traced and drew flowers for 2 hours! I was so glad when class was over and Katie and I walked around Copenhagen getting bus passes and going to the art supply store to get some last minute things. 
On the way back to Hvildorve, Katie and I stopped off at Netto (the simple grocery store) to get some food so that we can make lunches instead of going out every day. I came home and made a hummus, greens and red pesto sandwich on dense European bread (so delicious) for lunch the next day. I also went jogging for the first time since I left the US (I ran around 1.3 miles). After I showered I made my way over to the café in our kollegium that sells 10 Krone beer ($2). Most of the people from the DIS program were there and we sat around drinking cheap Carlsberg and talking about what we had already done and what we are looking forward to. The next day, Katie and I made it to class on time…9am sharp. Gundhil was there and our assignment was to keep tracing the shape we chose. First it was the outline, then it was the shape as a solid, then as if the shape had a shadow. I was honestly going a bit insane. Not only were we drawing the same thing over and over, but we were in a dark room so we wouldn’t overheat, with the windows open and the fans on so all our papers were flying all over the place! I think poor Brittany had it the worst. She sat right underneath the fan and her papers were flying everywhere. Finally lunch arrived and a few of us walked around together to the bakery where Natalie got her chocolate croissant because Katie is so in love with pastries (she went to culinary school and has a love for pastries…I live vicariously through her mouth!). We love the St. Peter Bakery because it is on St. Peter street, right across from St.Peter’s church (what a coincidence?) Anyways, on the way there a found a beautiful shop that sells Mexican things, including hand embroidered dresses. I fell in love and after the bakery, went directly to the story and bought a dress! It is amazing and it will be shown via pictures soon.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who loves the dress because Brittany saw it when I came back from lunch and said that she saw it a few days ago and was debating whether or not to get it for herself. In the end the whole class joked about how we should all get matching dresses since it would be appropriate for our program. After lunch, class began and guess what we did? MORE TRACING!!! I felt like I was going blind! My back hurt from being hunched over, my eyes were not focusing and my brain was hitting an ADD wall. We made compositions using the shapes we chose and then Gundhil stopped class early to give us maps and pamphlets of things going on in Copenhagen and we all got a chance to hear her give us useful information on where to go, what to eat, what areas are better, where the beaches are…etc. We also got to ask her questions about what we are specifically interested in. We all agree that we love Gundhil and want her to go out clubbing with us just because she gave us that information too! Nathalie Mahler (not to be confused with Natalie from the DIS program), my roommate Yonit’s best friend from Nativ (another version of Year Course) is from and lives in Copenhagen. She was in my neck of the woods so we met up. We walked around, showed me a little square with a great vibe and where to get contact solution (who knew you would need to go to the eye glasses store to get contact solution?) We caught up on life and made plans for dinner next week. At 6pm we were invited to the DIS welcome BBQ where we got one free Danish hot dog or veggie burger (which was amazing!) and a free alcoholic beverage. Of course everyone showed up and we ate and drank, met some new people and in the end Katie and I were invited out with so many people but we were just so exhausted and ended up coming back to Hvidorve and going to our café willed with 10 Krone beer.
Saturday, a day known amongst Jews for resting, but instead the students of the textile design students had class yet again at 9am. The streets were empty and nothing was open. It was a little weird but up to class we went. Joy was there and she taught us a lesson on repeating patterns (which was the most eye opening thing I have ever learned!) I was in awe! So for three hours we worked on our pattern repeats. Lunch came and Katie and I walked around hoping into craft stores and thrift shops (they are all over Copenhagen!). We walked to the little square that Nathalie showed us (we call it the secret square cause it feels hidden) sat there and ate our lunch as we watched the little kids play on the giant statue of a cigarette.
We walked back to class and spent three more hours working on our repeats. During the afternoon lesson, Brittany and I began learning new words in Danish. Joy helped us with our pronunciation and I was learning useful phrases and words such as thank you, your welcome, bread, water, I would like and excuse me. Joy even said that at one point I said your welcome (my favorite Danish word thus far) and that she thought a native speaker was in the room for a moment. I WAS ON CLOUD NINE WHEN SHE SAID THAT! What a feeling! Natalie, Katie and I made plans for dinner and so we went back home to change and then return to the inner city. At the bus stop I realized that my bus pass was stolen. I looked everywhere in my bag. The bus driver was so nice and let me on the bus for the ride but all my happiness from the day was drained out of me because of this stupid bus pass. I ended up buying a 10 ride ticket from the kiosk across the street from the kollegium because this could not be the only thing that would ruin my day. I changed and got back on the bus with Katie to meet up with Natalie and go out to dinner.
We went to a Turkish restaurant and I ordered grilled chicken breast served with potatoes, purple cabbage salad and green beans. Sounds healthy right? WRONG! It was all covered in a butter sauce. I was so hungry and we had waited so long that I couldn’t send it back, so I splurged on the cholesterol for one meal and OH MY GOD was it fantastic! I felt guilty with every bite I took. Of course we had to have baklavah for dessert. Afterwards, we met up with Ari and a few people from the furniture design program and went to a really amazingly swanky cocktail bar called “Mice”. I ordered a Mojito (which was wonderful) and we all sat around a long table and raised our drinks and toasted the fourth of July. Today (Sunday), the textiles people had to go to the Thorvaldsens Museum. Thorvaldsenes was a Danish sculptor who lived and worked in Rome and when he came back to Denmark, he was welcomed back by all the elite and famous (including Hans Christian Andersen). The museum is O.K. but what is amazing about the museum, are the ceilings and floors. All the floors are mosaics and the ceilings have amazing patterns which is why we were required to go there to sketch. Katie and I planned to meet at 9:30am in the main hallway of the kollegium but when I woke up, my phone showed me exactly 9:30am! I leaped out of bed and franticly got dressed and ran out the door. We made it to the museum at 10:30am and left around 1pm. Katie, Natalie, Sarah and I went to eat lunch and a place Nathalie Mahler recommended in the secret square. We were all starving and I hadn’t
even eaten breakfast. I had the most amazing meal of grilled chicken with pineapple and chutney with a bit of mustard sauce. We were all eating as if we hadn’t seen food in days! Afterwards, we walked along a street with lots of open shops. I say open shops because almost everything is closed on Sunday. Katie and I decided that Sundays would be our museum days since that’s practically the only thing that is open. So on this open shop street we went into a few places and then I found a store that made me so happy! A bathing suit and lingerie store for women who have big girls! I began to jump up and down like a giddy schoolgirl as I found a bikini that would actually fit be on top! I purchased it with the biggest smile on my face. Now I am ready for the beach! After my encounter with happiness, Natalie, Sarah and I sat in Frud Platz and listened to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and then I went home. Since then I have been cleaning my room, talking to Sid and my parents on skype and writing this blog entry.
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