Scenes from around Skjoldhøj Kollegiet, Aarhus, Denmark

When you first arrive at  Skjoldhøj Kollegiet, if you're very very lucky, it will look like this: 

I wasn't. It was cold, wet, rainy and every blessed thing looked grey when I arrived. Exhausted from the long plane journey from Malaysia, wrestling with baggage, Danish and Danish trains that you have to climb stairs to get into (with said baggage), the idea of staying in this concrete bunker nearly made me cry.

But that remains just about the only bad memory I have of this wonderful place full of party-loving students from around the world. My housemates became family, and as you wander around good 'ol  Skjoldhøj, you'll find its hidden beauty spots:

Glaedelig Jul!

Trapped in the wilderness of Denmark, Emily Tan observes the strange tribal rituals of these Viking descendents as they celebrate…. Christmas.

CHRISTMAS in Denmark begins (like most things) with beer. More specifically, the special (I’m warning you, Danish is unpronounceable) Julebryg (yool-eh-bouugh) or Christmas Brew. Red-tinged, and sweeter than normal brew, Julebryg is launched annually by all major breweries in Denmark on the first Friday of November at 9pm.

Heralded by wild parties, silly hats, and Christmas carols in every known European language (and several unknown ones once the brew hits), Julebryg is the first sweet taste of Christmas in Denmark – meaning that when this article’s published, the Danes have been singing Christmas carols and whooping up the yuletide spirit for almost two months.