PDJA Denmark (Part II of V)

Life at the academy is a little odd, a far removal from normal routine and responsibilities. Of course this had the habit of changing your mind, both bringing the groups close, and making your real life a little detached. The academy is a beautiful collection of classrooms around a central atrium, and then a L-shaped dormitory. Rooms were nice with a small bed, bathroom and desk. Comfortable, but not comfortable enough to keep you in your room. The idea was to get you out and interacting. Which is why they had so much to do; billiards, darts, ping pong, sports, karaoke, biking, movies, etc. My favorite place became the lounge, a square room with almost four complete glass walls. It was nestled up against some woods, making it a unique and beautiful setting. One end had a plasma TV, the other a fireplace. With chairs, tables, roaring fire and karaoke, this became the favorite hangout at night. Mornings began early, I’d get up at 6:30 (a wake time that became increasingly later as time went by and nights later), and we’d have breakfast in the dining hall. Food was excellent, a good mix of traditional European meals. Although some people weren’t real fans of it, I enjoyed it. (Of course I love Euro breakfasts) And the bread was fantastic!! And can I tell you about the cheese! Goat, blue, stilton, wine, Danish, French, camembert, aged cheddar, etc. With fresh baguettes or breads and fruits I was in ecstasy. I could write about that for several pages. Class began at 8am and we continued on until 5pm, with coffee breaks and lunch. When you are learning that hard, you get exhausted easy, and I’d find my mind full and energy empty by the time quitting time arrived.

Dinner was at 6:30, where we would sit a long tables, sometimes with candlelight, wine and good company. I get a smile on my face as I remember the great conversations we had at meals. Sometimes learning new words – like chainka, the Russian word for the tea fleck that floats to the top of the cup. Other times they were just good stories about home, funny adventures and good fun. We would begin to relax and let our hair down.
After dinner a variety of activities took place, some were structured, others more spontaneous. The academy arranged for us to go shooting, with .22 cal rifles at the company shooting range (I placed 4th – bested by two former Soviet block contestants and a Frenchman!). The first Friday night we even went bowling. Other nights we either just gathered for pool and darts, or we organized games. I helped teach people how to play ’31,’ spoons (both card games) and charades. Or it was karaoke, singing and dancing. My friend Daniela from Portugal was quite good, and loved teaching her how to swing dance and cha-cha. I tried the samba, but need some work. There was also a fantastic gym near us, and I did spend good time running, rowing and working out, as also with organized volleyball and football (soccer) games.