"Everyone speaks English" - that's what I was told before coming to Denmark. And it's true; everyone does speak English, however all signs, announcements, and mail are in Danish. This usually isn't a big problem because most of the information isn't crucial to ensure survival.

However, there are times when it would be nice to know what is going on. For instance today I was on the metro when all of the sudden it stopped and started going in the opposite direction. The explanation was announced (in Danish of course) but I didn't understand what was happening. No one seemed too alarmed though so I just stayed where I was and within five minutes the metro stopped and started going in the original direction again so crisis adverted.

I have also been getting a lot of mail lately and this has posed a big problem for me. There was a lot of "official" things that I had to do in order to get set up when I arrived here in København such as getting my CPR number and opening a bank account. I receive all of the information regarding the status of these items in the mail, and in Danish. All I can say is thank God for my room mates. Without them I would probably be trying to figure out why my bank card wasn't letting me take money out. The Danish letter had told me to call and activate it. Luckily my room mate came to the rescue and called and activated my card for me and voilà I have money again.

That being said, I am really enjoying learning Danish. I feel like I have made leaps and bounds in my first three weeks here in Denmark. From not knowing how to say even the simplest of sentences, I can now order food, introduce myself, and talk about the weather. A very exciting thing happened yesterday: I was glancing through a newspaper and I understood an article! It made my day.

I am really hoping to continue with Danish throughout the semester because it is a really fun language to learn, and even though everyone here can speak English, it is still helpful to be able to know what is going on in case of emergency.