Århus:The lovely gård of Denmark

Almost five months had pass and I finally found time to write about my Denmark trip. Some friends of mine asked and suggested a kind of diary, but the truth is that I was so busy enjoying everything that I just forgot to write anything. Or... I simply preferred to live and experience than write about the experience at the same time of living all those feelings. Right now, here in Brazil, I feel more nostalgic about Denmark though I only spend few days there. Yah that's truth, my english is not so good as my experience, but I'm not concerned about this at this moment, I'm concerned on sharing this.

Well, it was the first time in my life that I came out of Brazil and I did this exactly with a travel to Denmark (Considered the happiest country on the Earth; I talked to some danish friends that I made and they have another perspective about this affirmative, some disagree). Anyway, initially I had a great and important  reason on visiting Denmark: firstly I was going to participate of a Summer School in Phenomenology and Philosophy of Mind at  the University of Copenhagen. Secondly, When I decided to trip the first person who crossed my mind was Janne, our dear Janne Bohn. Well, Janne is not danish but lives there in a city called Århus( The second biggest city in Denmark). Moreover, Janne lived with us here in Brazil, being part of family and sister of Lívia which makes her one of my sisters-in-law (and now you can be sure that Lívia is my girlfriend srsrsrsrs). So, I asked Janne about some climate and visa stuff and appeared the invitation: "ai que legal! seria legal se voce me visita!" - in the Janne words, which means "Ahh greattt!! It would be very nice if you come visit me".I said yes, of course, and I did what was possible to vist Janne and her family, at the end it was more than worthy.

You might think I should start from Copenhagen. Yes, Copenhagen is a beautiful city, I could say it's a perfect place to live if you are looking for organization, beauty and safety. For example, I got suprised with myself walking by the streets after the midnight and I wasn´t afraid of getting in trouble with bad guys. It was in Copenhagen where I had one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life: to visit the Søren Aabye Kierkegaard motherland (and take pictures with "him"...almost there).

There are so many things I could say about Copenhagen that I'd easily spend more time writing than you could spend reading. But I'd like to talk about the place in Denmark which I called "The Denmark's Yard". There are some reasons for this. First one: I spent all my childhood in the yard of our old first house. So I really like yards ( backyard to be more specifically). Second one: "gård" was one of the first (and few) danish words that I learned. "gård" means yard/garden in danish (quintal ou jardim em português). So it brings me to the question: Does the name Kierkegaard have some meaning familiarity with a garden/yard church ("Kirke" in danish)? Anyway... it's a interesting name Søren Church's Garden. Bullshit, never mind.

So, I was feeling like a completely homeless at the Copenhagen Central Station, standing up in front of a McDonald (the place where we arranged to meet) when suddenly Janne appeared from the middle of the moving crowd!!! Pheww!!! Jesus, I thought, and what if Janne forgot me? Well thanks God I was wrong and I tell you... there's nothing in this world so as conforting as when you feel lost and then you recognize a familiar face in the crowd! That was the Janne face (Yes I had to come to Denmark for realize that Janne is not Jane pronunciation)! We hugged and I thought: "Brasil is here" hahahha. It's funny because I don't know about Janne, but it was for me almost like a "There there boy...". Janne told me that I got too early at the central station which makes of me a "um brasileiro ao contrário" -with Jannes words (something like a "up side down brazillian, #Janne's expressions).  Then Århus, here we come!! And suprise!! Janne's portuguese was/is just perfect. It was a nice talk 'till we get in Århus.

Well, I would like to talk about some experiences that marked me with a special way in Århus.

1- The Silence

Jesus, the silence! When we got at the Bohns neighborhood it was sooo quiet. The point is: for a Brazillian like me who grew in a country called Brazil where everything is a reason for a noisy party (any time which is very good but sometimes you got tired of it); where we wake up with  marketing sound cars; where anywhere you are you'll can hear the sound of a music far or close; I just got the feeling like I'm not used with this, not at all. But I need to tell you I liked this soooo much hahahaha I needed it! Silence. At the first moment it was a kind of weird feeling, I felt strange(r), but I learned to enjoy the Århus silence and I really did it every single day I spent there. Like something you were looking for but you didn't know. Yeah there were times when I miss the Brasil noise, but I prefered to enjoy that quietness and serenity while I could. It was good for some readings and I could write too! Well, we were in the kitchen and Janne started to cook something for dinner and then started to play a music in the radio. I thought it sounds like.... and Janne said: "Sim, Coldplay". Well that song ("A sky full of stars") mixed with the silence created a beautiful and unique feeling which I can't describ totally but it was something like: "Eu estou realmente longe de casa..."(I am really far from home...").

2-  The Danish-German enviroment

Yeah I was in a danish city, but the family which welcomed and hosted me is a family german, the Janne's family. So my family and closer friends know that I wish to  learn the german language. So it was a great opportunity for listening german talks, though I didn't understand anything of course. It was very funny because sometimes I talked to Janne in portuguese or english and they talked in danish and german. Janne is a kind of polyglot then she helped me a lot! 

Some brazillians think that the germans are a very serious and 'cold' people - that's interesting because maybe the germans think brazilians are a very euphoric and 'hot' people, this is a point of perspective question - and, surprise I didn't see this. Ocke Bohn (the Janne's father), for example, is a very funny person. He explained for us the portuguese way of his name, that would be: "Ôh que Bom" (which means "uou, that's good"). hahahahaha I laughed like there wasn't tommorow! In another moment Ocke and Annette (Janne's mother) invited me to watch a german movie and Janne said something like: "...dãnn...but he (me) will not understand anything at all". So Ocke answered: "No problem, it has danish subtitles". See what I mean! Well there I was...searching for a single word I could recognize. So finally I hear one "Ich weiß nicht" and I almost lifted my hand like a kid in a classroom: "I know this one I know this one". Believe me or not, I got the movie's meaning, but that was because Annette is a very kind and helpful person for she translated almost everything with english comments. 

So that was the danish-german environment I enjoyed. Besides the german "hallo" is so as cute as the brazilian "oi"! Tak, Danke and Obrigado!

3 - Kalø Slotsruin and "The Backyard of Janne's house"

Janne took me for a ride and we went to a place called Kalø Slotsruin in a city called Rønde, if I'm not wrong. It's a place next from Århus. Kalø Slot has a ruined castle in the middle of an "almost-little-island". I don't know the reason why I've got this feeling of being in a familiar and nostalgic place. That was magical and divine! I felt free enjoying every single second and did make myself confortable...As I can't describe the whole thing and I won't even try, these pictures can help. 

That's the reason I said: "This is my favorite place in Denmark". My second favorite place in Denmark it's what a call of the "The Backyard of Janne's house" (no longer ;). So you can see that I really like yards hahahhaha. This is the place where I use to go after the dinner. Most of time the sun said good bye after late at night. That was crazy because in the north of Brazil the sunset happens on 06:00 p.m. So I could see some danish families paddling to the sea at 08:00 p.m. I felt the cold breeze (just remembering it was summer in Denmark) and had some little conversations with God about past and future while it was playing Sigur Rós.  

Well, I could spend more time talking about uncountable experiences in Denmark, but here is some of my favorite and special moments. The only thing that I missed in Denmark wasn't there, it was my Lívia. I have no doubt she would beautify this travel. I hope some day come back to Denmark, but this time I won't forget to bring Lívia with me.

The last scene I recorded from Denmak was the image of Janne and Annette outside of the train saying goodbye. And I can't forget what Janne told me: "Ter você aqui é como ter uma pedacinho do Brazil conosco..."(Having you here with us is like having a little piece of Brazil with us).