Saturday, August 20, 2011

Staff Club fun: Copenhagen Zoo

So when I first arrived at the research center here in Denmark, I was offered to join the Staff Club. For 25 kr (~$5) a month, the Staff Club would offer to pay a portion or all of the cost for a trip or event.  On December 2010 I decided to go ahead and join the Staff Club and I am glad that I did.

On May 26th, members of the Staff Club (or at least the ones that signed up) went on a after work trip to the Copenhagen Zoo.  I thought at first the group of us were going to just walk around the zoo but once we got there I realized we get an after hours private tour!!


Bearded lizard
When every one arrived I noticed that the majority of the Staff Club members brought their children and that R and I were the only PhD students.  For the children to understand the tour it was decided to give the tour in Danish.  R and I were fine with that, I was just excited to be able to visit the zoo. 
An interesting insect, it really looked like a dead leaf.
 The first place we went to was the insect and reptile petting room. The children were excited to hold all kinds of insects and reptiles.  R was having fun holding things, while I on the other hand was steering clear of all the snakes. One of the staff member's daughter had this snake around her neck and arm, and she looked so calm. I was freaking out just looking at the snake. 
Spotted Newt
There were many other animals to see. Although since it at the end of the day, most of the animals were sleeping.  So not only was the zoo basically empty and really quiet.


Siberian tigers sleeping
Now as we walked further into the zoo, we started to hear a very loud noise. Once we got closer to where the California seals were we got to see where all the noise was coming from.  


Note: Even though the video says 0:00 for the time - the video DOES work. Just click on the play button.
Of course near the end of the tour it stated to rain. I really enjoyed to the tour and even though we did not get to see everything in the zoo I had a great time with co-workers.   After the zoo tour about 12 of us went to a nearby Indian restaurant and we had some great food. 
 

Saturday, August 13, 2011

My mini-adventure: Getting a doctor appointment

For a while now I have been fighting a sinus infection and cough.  During the first week I noticed a cold was coming because I started coughing and had a bit of sinus pressure. I know the best way to defeat a cold bet it when starts. So I stopped working late, I started drinking hot tea, and taking some over the counter medicine I brought with me from the US.  I would also sleep a lot during the weekend hoping that I would bet this cold.  With all that I still could not shake this cold, it was not getting any better and it was not getting any worse.

During the first two weeks of this cold the discharge from my sinuses was clear which indicates that I have a viral infection, so going to the doctor would be a waste of time since there is nothing he/she can do about a viral infection.  Suddenly this Monday (August 8th) the discharge changed to a green color which means that I now have a bacterial infection. Now I need to see a doctor and get some antibiotics. This is also when the adventure begins.

So when I entered Denmark I had to go to the community center to pick out a doctor and get my yellow card. A yellow card is basically like a national insurance card with your CPR number on it. (CPR number is the same as a S.S number.)   On my yellow card says the name and the phone number of my doctor, many of my co-workers have this same doctor and they say that she is nice but quite busy. I have also been told by some of my Danish co-workers that most doctors answer phone calls from 8am to 9am. Then the doctor's secretary will answer the phone from 9:30am to 11:30 and 12:30 to 2:30.  Also most doctor's have a website, where you can send questions to the doctor and make appointments online.

Once my sinus infection became bacterial I knew I need to see a doctor, so I checked her website first.  I was amazed to see she had no openings for the next three weeks.  I prefer to make the appointment online but in this case it looks like I have to call.  I am not thrilled about calling the doctor's office mainly because they only have one phone line and most of the time you will get the busy signal or the answering machine. But I still tried.

On Tuesday morning from 8 am to 9am I try calling but I get the busy signal all day. Then from 9:30 till 4pm I had a scientific writing and communication course so I do not get another chance to call again.

On Wednesday morning again I could not get through to the doctor in the morning. But later in the morning around 11am I got through!!  I ask if I can make an appoint for the doctor because I have been fighting a cold of three weeks. And the secretary answers, "Umm..the doctor is gone on holiday starting today she will be gone for the next three weeks."  I replied "Oh..ok," and hung up the phone. I had no idea what to say or what to ask the secretary.

I decided to ask my supervisor what should I do, do I need to go to the hospital instead since my doctor is on holiday?  My supervisor (who is Danish) says that the doctor must have some other doctor or doctors covering her patients you should call back and ask.  So at 11:25 I called the secretary again, and I was getting a vibe off her that she was not happy that I called again or maybe she just wanted to leave for her lunch break.  Anyways I asked her is any other doctor covering her patients, the secretary said yes and gave me a number.  I wrote down the number and said thank you.

After that my office mates and I went to lunch; after lunch I got busy and forgot to call the other doctor until 2pm. I called the other doctor's office at 2pm and got the answering machine, the message was in Danish and I tried to figure out what the message was but she was just speaking too fast.

Then on Thursday I could not call in the morning because my scientific writing and communication course started at 8:30am, meaning that I had to be on the 8am bus.  I had a break from the course around 2:15 so I tried to call again and I got the answer machine again.

At this point I am very frustrated but I thought of an idea. I walk over to B's office. Now B is basically the person that made sure that my apartment was all set up before I got here, she helped me set up my bank account and she helped me get my yellow card.  If any PhD student needs any help she will do what she can. So I tell B what is going on and ask her what I can do. She offers to call the doctors office and translate the message for me.  Yeah B!!  I give her the number and I go back to class.

After the course has finished for the day at 3pm I go to B's office again and she tells me that the message lists the hours that the secretary was there: 10am to Noon and 1pm to 2pm and that if I want to talk to the doctor directly to call between 8 and  9am.  I was thinking great the secretary hours are so short, am I going to get through at all.  I also decide that since most of the work I need to do on Friday can be done away form the office that I would stay at the apartment.

So Friday morning, I forgot to turn on my alarm to wake up at 8am, so I wake up at 11am instead. After a bit I call the doctor's office at 11:15am, and I get through on the first time!!!!  I talk to the secretary and she says "Can you come at half past 2 today?"  I said "yes," I was so happy I get to see the doctor and finally beat this cold.

Getting to the doctor's office is not that hard there is tall building about a block away from the train station and about 6 blocks from me. There are four floors to this building (including the basement) and each floor has two or more doctors. Some of this doctors are general health and others are specialist.
So I get there at 2:20, go the front desk, give the secretary my yellow card and sit in the small waiting room. 

The doctor comes out of his office and calls my name. At first I thought it was quite odd that he does not have a nurse. I walk into his office and it is actually an office and exam room in one. His office desk is on one side and then his exam table is on the other side of the room.  The atmosphere in the office is different to the exam rooms in the US.  He offered me a chair next to his office desk.  He did not take my weight, blood pressure, ask about my history or listen to my breathing. He just went straight to the point.   

He asks me about my cold and I tell him how it all started and how it had progressed.  I also mention that I get these types of sinus infections at least once or twice a year.  The doctor says he needs a blood sample and he pricks my finger and takes a small amount of blood. The doctor says he will be right back and walks out of the office to the lab, I assume.  About three minutes later he comes back and says that the white blood cell count is on the border, so it is a viral and bacterial infection.  I am guessing that he ran a quick CBC in the lab because he wanted to confirm what I told him that it started as a viral and now it has developed as bacterial. 
 
He then asks what the doctor back in the US do.  I replied that she would usually prescribe amoxacillin 200mg four times a day for 10 days, that way I get rid of the bacterial infection and make my immune system a bit stronger so that I can fight off the viral infection too. He says that amoxacillin is not very common in Denmark and that the pharmacy might not have it in stock and asks if penacillin would be ok.  I said "I think it will be fine".  He goes to your computer and said "I will send your meds to cyberspace and you can pick it up at either pharmacy."   I knew of only one pharmacy so I asked where the other one is, hoping it might be closer.  But no the other pharmacy is on the other side of town.  I tell the doctor thank you and start my walk to the pharmacy.
 
The pharmacy is only a 10 minute walk from the doctor's office, so it is not that bad. When you get to the pharmacy you take a number and what for your number to show on the screen. Once my number showed on the screen I walked up to the counter and told the lady that the doctor sent a prescription and gave her my yellow card. She scanned the card, when to the back and got the box of penacillin. She came back to the counter and said "Take one pill three times a day, and take until gone."   Total cost of meds: 60 kr (~$12).  I got my meds and then walked next door to the grocery store and clean the place out of my favorite yogurt and walked home.

That was my first adventure to the doctor's office.



Friday, August 12, 2011

Copenhagen canal tour

So while I was walking around Copenhagen on May 19th I found a canal tour boat. I decided since it was past 5:30 pm that taking the canal tour would be a good way to end my day trip.  I was lucky it was not that busy and the next boat had open seats.  Again this is another post with lots of pictures and not that much text I hope you like it.
Christianborg Castle - a nice view from the canal




The round tower



The best restaurant in Denmark is in this building. Before I leave Denmark I am eating at this restaurant.




This is a part of Copenhagen is called New Havn (Haven) and where the most 'privileged' people live.

Nice restaurant near the canal, another one I want to check out.


This is the new Opera House.

Apartments on the canal.

Royal residence, this is where the crowned prince and his family live. You can see the Danish flag flying above the house. That means he is home.  I sure hope he his because a couples months before this picture was taken his wife had twins.

On the left is the Queen's royal residence and on the right is the Marble Church. 

Marble church and fountain.




Pirate Museum


Spiral church.

Could you image having a apartment on the canal with a nice cafe on the ground floor?  I am sure those apartments are really expensive.



Entrance to Christianborg castle.

Entrance to Christianborg castle.
Way back when the King used to live in Christianborg castle the crowned prince used to live here. But now this building is the National museum.


A Danish artist lived in Rome of a long period of time and then come back to create Romain artwork for the Queen.













Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A stroll around Copenhagen

After most of the day in Christiansborg castle the other tourist attractions are closed.  Most places in Copenhagen close at 4 or 5pm, so I decided to just walk around Copenhagen.  So this blog will mostly be pictures because of of these buildings I do not know their name.  I hope you like the pictures.

I know that the building with the twisted spire is the Danish Stock Market.


A street in Copenhagen.





Christians Kirke


Spiral church, when the church is open you can go up 3000 stairs to the top and see a great view of Copenhagen. I have not done this yet but I plan to.





You can see the Danish Stock Market and Christianborg Castle from far away.



Christianborg Castle from a distance.

Danish Stock Market



It was a nice stroll around Copenhagen. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures.