University of Wisconsin–Madison

Denmark: Kathlyn Nguyen (The Five Senses in Copenhagen)

The Five Senses in Copenhagen

A cobblestone street has brightly colored houses with shallow roofs on both sides.
Street corner in Copenhagen

Sight

From the moment I stepped into the heart of Copenhagen and every morning on my walk to class, I am amazed by the colorful buildings that fill the street. I find it to be especially beautiful as the sun sets the colors of the sky and the buildings work in ways that words cannot describe. One of my favorite activities after a long day of class is to grab a treat and sit outside and appreciate my surroundings despite the unforgiving weather!

Lines of people wearing tall, fuzzy black hats play instruments down a street.
Royal Guard parade outside of my dorm

Sound

Every morning I decide to sleep in, I am awoken by the sound of the changing of the guards. Along with the sounds from their instruments, my ears perk up to their unison stomping patterns. On this particular day, I got to witness the Royal Guard parade outside of my dorm.

A long hot dog sits inside a much smaller bun and is covered in mustard and four pickle slices.
Hotdog from Den Økologiske Pølsemand

Taste

Although I haven’t fully tried all the different Danish dishes, one of my favorites thus far is these Danish hotdogs from different stands around the city. I tend to grab these during my short lunch breaks with my roommates or whenever I am craving one. All the different flavors of the different toppings are well balanced by the pickles which surprised me as they don’t use relish here! I would recommend trying one if you ever visit Copenhagen!

Several large bouquets of all different kinds of flowers sit on the floor.
A mixture of flowers from a local stand

Smell

Every day there is a flower stand at almost every corner of Copenhagen. On this particular day, I stopped by the flower stand to appreciate and smell all the different types of flowers. These flower stands remind me of my roots as my family loves planting plants and flowers. In a sense, the smell of flowers connects my native culture with the Danish culture that I am learning about.

A room with elegant murals on all four walls, a fancy chandelier, and a dainty couch lined with gold.
Exhibit from Rosenborg Castle

Feel

When I think about the sense of touch or feel, I couldn’t get the image of the Rosenborg Castle out of my mind. This picture was taken inside the castle, and it includes many textiles that I have never felt before in the US. These textures remind me of the deep history of Denmark, and it makes me appreciate the fact that I can experience the Danish culture.

 

 

 

Kathlyn stands in a crowd of people holding up a small Progress Pride Flag

Kathlyn Nguyen

Major: Biology; Cert. Global Health

Hometown: Bloomington, Minnesota

Program: Denmark, Copenhagen / DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia

I chose this program in Copenhagen because this program offers a multitude of opportunities for my educational and future career. I am excited to learn about the rich history of Denmark through its historic and colorful buildings as well as learning about the culture through daily interactions with people from the area. Most importantly, I am excited to learn more life skills and more about myself while in a new environment!