Aarhus, Denmark..The place where we, Rushid and Kristina, from Skopje, Macedonia, started our 12-month EVS experience at the beginning of June this year. It’s been only more than a month since we are livingin Aarhus and we have tons of experiences & impressions to share.

Thus, let’s start from the beginning. As we arrived in Aarhus the very first day, we were immediately amazed by the green surroundings everywhere around the city. It felt like we didn’t come to the second-largest city in Denmark, but somewhere in the countryside. Parks, trees, green fields could be spotted all around the city.. even the air felt different, cool & fresh. And given the fact that Aarhus is also the youngest city in DK with thousands of students coming from abroad to work and study, we could immediately feel the dynamic vibe this place has to offer. Since the day we arrived was actually a quite sunny day, almost all cafes, bars and outdoor spots were full of young people enjoying their leisure time with a book, drink or food. An inviting atmosphere waiting for us to join.. and we sure did. Coffee and sandwiches in the park was the very first experience for us in the green Aarhus.

Furthermore, as we walked around the city we could easily notice that the biking culture it’s a huge thing in Aarhus, and Denmark in general. In fact, we bought our own second-hand bicycles during the first week we arrived, and very soon realized that there are biking lines connecting almost every spot in the city. Therefore, riding a bikekindamakes you feel more privileged than driving a car or taking a bus/train.. plus is much more fun too!!Hence, as we started exploring the city in the following few weeks, we discovered amazing sandy beaches during the day and vibrant nightlife at night. In Aarhus, there are bars, pubs and clubs to suit every taste, and in the most of them you are also able to play table-tennis, table-football, darts, beer pong,while partying. Can’t get better than that, right?!

Apart from enjoying the lovely city of Aarhus, we were also super excited to start our volunteering experience at Aarhus Global Media (AAGM). As our project involves working as community journalists and event organizers using different forms of media, such as TV and radio, our first work-related experience was related to volunteering at the NorthSide Festival. It’s actually a 3-day event, one of the biggest and most famous festivals in Denmark. It was quite an interesting opportunity during which we were able to learn how volunteers can play a big role in the organization of the whole festival.

Next, learning how to film with a professional video camera, conduct an interview in a TV studio, as well as, in a radio station, edit a media piece for broadcasting, were just some of the challenges we couldn’t imagine facing. Consequently, as part of our training process, we had a chance to cover Aarhus Volume Festival and Somali Culture Festival. Given that, during these events we were able to practice our newly gained video camera shooting skills, as well as to experience interviewing guests, speakers and organizers of the events.. and all that for the very first time in our lives. A truly awesome and unique experience, giving us the motivation to dive in for more. Finally, since Aarhus is the European Capital of Culture for 2017, a lot of cultural, artistic and educational events are happening around the city this year, so we can’t wait to experience, participate and cover many of them. Until then, we will be enjoying the summer in Denmark. Cheers! 😉

Kristina Dimitrova , Rushid Mahmud