MONDAY JANUARY 29th

Woke up around 6:30. Went down to breakfast. Ate breakfast of muesli, yogurt, tea, and a Clementine with Simon, Ida, Jens, and Karen joined us a bit later. They all talked in Danish but it was OK. Couldn’t really follow except for some words and when they were giving directions b/c I recognized street names.
Went for a run. Garbage men wear yellow and building/road public works people wear bright orange. Figured out what the sign Faesol po icen forbyt (skating on the ice is forbidden). There are lots of them up along the ponds where I run. Mallards were up on the grassy slope by the edge eating up all the grass.
Took a shower. Went into DIS.
Did some reading for class and had leftover tomato sauce and meatballs, an apple and bread for lunch. Ate with Elizabeth.
Went to my practicum class. We talked about personal boundaries and generally what to expect and how to behave at the practicum sites on Thurs. Interesting activity where we had to stand really close to each other and stare at each other to illustrate the point of boundaries. Talked in small groups about our expectations and hopes for the semester and about what special needs means. Sounds like they go outside a lot in the Danish schools, are allowed much more freedom to do dangerous things w/o supervision, and have much less structure. Early elementary edc. is considered very important and is paid for by the government.
Had an hour to kill so went looking in shops with Joy (a girl I’m friends with in the PCD program), three other girls from her home school and Elizabeth.
Went to my PCD theory class. Jan, the instructor is an older man. He has a sense of humor. He doesn’t speak terrific English, but its OK. He explained in general about what psychology is and what he defines special needs as. Talked about how there has been some research about eye movement to cure reading difficulties but that it doesn’t help. After he talked another guest lecturer talked about the Danish laws regarding SPED and how funding through the Danish welfare state works. There is no central definition of SPED and each municipality (sort of like our counties I think) determines who gets SPED and what sorts of services they need.
Took the bus back home.
Had burritos for dinner (beans, hamburger meat, guacamole, peppers, lettuce, cucumber) They put it all on the able and we assembled them. All the dinners are served family style not individual portions put on a plate in the kitchen. Everyone always has 2nds. Pitcher of water on the table to drink from.
We talked for a while. In English for most of it this time.
I watched the news in Danish. MUCH nicer than in English. Story about a bird that hasn’t been in Denmark for decades but is here now b/c of global warming. Story about some computer game called second life (sort of like The Sims). No stories about violent shootings or car crashes or any of that stuff.