The Dice Game

Every culture has at least 1 game that they like to play as a way to pass the time while drinking. Danes are no exception. Apparently, one of these games involves dice & a leather cup. I'm still not quite sure I understand the concept of this game but I am really good at it b/c I kept winning.

The game is like part poker & part bullshit. Each player shakes their cup & turns it down. You look to see what you have rolled & you have to guess what others have rolled. The first player says, "I think that there will be two 2's". The next player then has to up that ("I think that there will be three 5's") or call the hand. If the hand is called on your turn & your guess is wrong, you continue playing w/ 4 dice while all the other players get to lose one die. This goes on until someone has no dice left & that person is the winner. At least, that's how I think the game goes. I wasn't paying much attention & kept asking after each hand "Does that mean I won?" "Yes, you won again" "Great!!! Now...how did I do that?"

This is a funny little culture. With funny little games. I think next time, it should be my turn to show them one of our games. Which one should it be? Hmmmm......

Did You Drink Enough?

I was out & about last night & ended up in a small bar w/ a few buddies. As I walked in, I noticed something that seemed incredibly out of place in a country where drinking should be listed as the National Hobby: A breath analyzer machine.

This machine will check your alcohol levels & tell you if it is safe for you to drive. Drive what? No one flippin' drives in this place!! Are they concerned about drinking & biking?? How many accidents are caused each year by 2 drunk cyclists running into each other on their bicycle? I want actual stats on this.

Now...I think that this machine is a great idea....for the US. All the bars in the US should have this contraption & folks should know whether they can drive at the end of the night or not. But, in Copenhagen, it just seems...out of place. In fact, one of the guys (a Dane) we were with said, "Oh yes...We use that machine from time to time. If it shows that our alcohol level is a 1.5, well, then it just means we haven't had enough & have to work on getting ourselves to a 2.5!" Ah yes, I am sure that this is exactly what the intention is.

The Sleeping Channel

Tons of expats go without television around here. They manage to find ways to stream shows or just read the news online, etc. I, however, could not go cold turkey without television so I signed up for the "full" cable package. This package has very limited english programming but hey, it's better than nothing.

But who needs english when you're just watching people sleep??? That's right. You heard me correctly. There is a children's programming channel that does not have any regular programming after 8pm b/c that's when kids go to sleep. So instead of shutting off or doing some kind of interim programming, they show people sleeping. Just sleeping...

Can you imagine the casting call for that? Wanted: actors w/ the talent of sleeping. Must know how to snore, drool, & lay motionless.

Think I am kidding? Watch...It starts up about 17 seconds into the clip. Enjoy!

New List: Places I Want to Visit While Here

I just came back from a super fantastic weekend in which I went to Switzerland, Germany, & France in 1 day. Yes...3 countries in 1 day. It was a busy weekend but I saw some amazing sites & it was well worth it. However, now I have been bitten by the bug. The travel bug. So many places I want to see... Think I am going to make a list & see how close I come to meeting these goals in the time that I am here.

1. Reykjavik, Iceland - To see the Aurora Borealis.
2. Oslo, Norway
3. Stockholm, Sweden
4. Berlin, Germany
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Vaduz, Liechtenstein - Just to say that I went to Liechtenstein!
7. Vienna, Austria - and I want to go to a classical music concert there
8. London, England - and Stonehenge
9. Dublin, Ireland
10. Glasgow, Scotland
11. Andorra La Vella, Andorra
12. Luxembourg
13. Prague, Czech Republic
14. All over Denmark
15. Rome, Italy
16. Athens & Santorini Greece
17. Malta
18. Barcelona, Spain
19. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
20. Budapest, Hungary

Think I can do it???

The Winds of Change Are A Blowin'

I've spent a few weeks now pondering if I could really be here for a year. Was this really the right decision? Will I get the hang of all this bike riding, walking, listening to strange languages that make no sense, etc? Every time I turned around, I was hitting another wall (still waiting for my things, the phone not working properly, again the bike riding, etc).

But is it possible that I am just being too hard on myself? I've only been here 6 weeks...and let's recap all the things that HAVE happened:
I moved to a different country, found an apartment that I really like, been to Sweden, bought a bike (again w/ the dang bike), been to the zoo, National Museum, Fredricksburg & King's Garden, Tivoli, IKEA (oh that was a glorious day indeed) & more. I've started to make friends, been to dinners/movies w/ persons of the opposite sex (I've heard those are sometimes called dates but that's just crazy talk), started a new job, & heading off to Switzerland tomorrow for the weekend.

More than 1 person has recently pointed out to me that I have 'hit the ground running' & it can be hard to keep up. Ha! That's funny to me.

Even today, I was chatting w/ someone & telling them how after my dinner last night, I went for a stroll through the Fredricksburg Gardens ... just because. She laughed & said that was a complete 180 from just a few weeks ago when I wondered why people are always walking. And where are they going? Seems like they walk w/ no purpose...AND WHO DOES THAT?? Guess what. Apparently, I did that. And I think I liked it. *Gasp*

I still have a lot of those questions in my head (will I like it here...can I be here an entire year....etc etc etc) but one things for sure....Whatever the answer is, I think I will come out of it w/ a totally different outlook on a lot of things. And guess what, for today at least, I don't think that's a bad thing.

Photographic evidence that I am attempting to learn how to ride "Dev" (or as some people call her, "The Green Goddess")

Enjoying my walk

Finding the beauty around me

Missing: Confidence ... Reward If Found

I've always considered myself to be a fairly confident person. I usually confront challenges head on. I am not meek or quiet. I am secure about who I am and comfortable with the way I look, feel about myself, & where I am in life. I love roller coasters & want to skydive one day. And I moved all by myself to a foreign country.

How is it that now I am a complete chicken shit about everything???

I've noticed that over the years my driving has slowed down but I always attributed my old lady driving to fear of getting a speeding ticket since I got one & can be fined double if ticketed again. But it seems that the problem has extended beyond my driving.

Remember the story about Tivoli & the ride that scared me? Well, that ride REALLY scared me.

Remember the story of the segway? Well, I was fine on the segway as long as it was on baby stroller speed but once it got kicked up to electric wheelchair speed...well it was all down hill after that.

And today, I tried to ride a bike. Emphasis on the tried. And there was success so long as I stayed in baby ninja turtle speed. If I pedaled 1 pedal too many, I suddenly had a paralyzing fear of...speed?

It reminded me of a few months ago when I tried to ski down a green slope (beginner slope) & suddenly I was paralyzed w/ fear & well...we'll leave it at 2 words: ski patrol.

In that incident, along w/ the segway & the bicycle, each person instructing me would say the same thing: "You're doing better than you think. You just need more confidence in yourself".

Then, the other day, I was having an interesting conversation w/ someone where the topic was fave/least fave qualities about the other...and I was told that I needed to have more confidence.

There's that word again.

But where did my confidence go? Has it always been missing & I just never realized it? Is it hiding in that secret place w/ the all the socks that never make it out of the washing machine? I don't know the answers but I want my confidence back. I don't like being told that I don't have it. I don't enjoy always being the person who 'just can't' do things. I'm afraid of snakes. That's it. That's the only thing I've ever been afraid of so where does this fear come from & how does one shake it off? Don't tell me to confront it b/c then I will just have to tell you my "I touched a snake & am even more afraid of snakes now" story.

If anyone knows where to find my confidence, please let me know. I'd like to have it back. And this time, when I find it, I'm putting that baby under lock & key.

The Verdict Is....TO BIKE

After much internal debating, I am realizing that resistance is futile. I live in Copenhagen. Therefore, I must bike. So today, I finally bit the bullet & purchased a bicycle. But not just any bicycle. Oh no....For the price I paid, this better be the Rolls Royce of all bicycles.  It's a Jaguar Toulouse, whatever that means. I have decided that in the tradition of my cars, the bicycle will get a name. She is now Mia Edeva.

Mia: Danish for Uncertain (or Spanish/Italian for Mine)

Edeva: English for expensive present

We can shorten it to Dev.

Now will someone please explain to me how to use this thing????

Meet Dev

Hygge

From a Visit Denmark website:

The Danes have a word that's hard to translate, and no foreigner can hope to pronounce, but it's as Danish as pork roast and cold beer. It's hygge, and it goes far in illuminating the Danish soul.
The closest we can come phonetically is "hooga," if we try forming our mouths for "ee" while saying "oo." It doesn’t translate directly into any other language but we can illustrate it in action.

Gather the family and invite over a couple of good friends. Push the sofas and chairs up close to the coffee table. Douse the electricity and light some candles. Better yet, light a fire in the hearth. Serve plenty of food and drink. Raise a toast or two, or three, and feel the warmth flow around the table. Look at each other until you see the candlelight shimmering in each other’s eyes. You've got hygge!

======

Without knowing too much about this word or how it works, I am subconsciously finding myself wanting to place candles throughout my new apartment. Me, who really has never liked flowers, is suddenly buying flowers to add life to the place. I rarely turn on lights when it's dark out anymore. It's like "hygge" comes from within without you even realizing it.

I've always enjoyed having small dinner parties & having friends over. Now that I am in the process of making friends, I am starting to invite them over & in the process, voila...there's hygge. I sometimes stop to think about what effect Denmark will have on me & I think that I can safely say that no matter where I live next, Hygge is a concept that I hope to take with me.

Once the rest of my things arrive, I think it's time to kick this hygge thing into high gear...Can anyone else sense a game night coming on?

Segway Adventures

After weeks of speculation as to what our team building event would be...We came to find out only the day before that we were being taken out on a segway tour of Copenhagen.
A-MAZ-ING!

However...Segways are not meant for people like me. A segway requires confidence & good control over your body. I am neither graceful nor coordinated enough to manage to use that thing properly. After several "Holy Shittttttt....How do you stop this thingggggggg????????????" , the instructor politely asked that I not continue on the tour. This is not quite the impression I wanted to make with my new team. Right as I accepted defeat, the guide offered to tow me for the rest of the tour. And so, Shamus the Shameless, aka Best Tour Guide Ever, towed me on my segway as we sped along through the streets of Copenhagen. We saw the always beautiful city & toured some of the nicest areas as well as some of the more "gritty" areas, all while on the comfort of a segway. No walking...I loved it so much. Maybe next time, I can actually drive my own segway but I have to admit, getting towed isn't 1/2 bad. After all, I didn't have to be afraid, I didn't have to actually drive the thing, & I was able to look around & take in all the sites without a care in the world.

I'm a lucky lucky girl.

Some days it's still very hard to be away from everyone & to be so completely out of my element but it's days like this that I am reminded of how grateful I should be to have this opportunity in my life.

And that's all she wrote...

What I Miss / What I Enjoy

Before I left, I created a Top 10 List of things I will miss & things I look forward to (see previous posts).  Now that I have been here for a month, I will update both lists (but keep it to Top 5).

What I miss:

1. Dopey, Family, & Friends: You are my rock. No part of the world is ever as great as the one where you are surrounded by the ones you love.

2. My car. Technology is a good thing & we have made so many advances in transportation since the days of the horse & cart...People in Copenhagen should get up to speed with it. The problem is that cars are taxed at up to 200% of their value. Yes, 200%. Complain about your taxes in the US now! Go ahead. I dare you. 

3. Understanding. I wish I understood street signs & menus. I wish I knew how to prounounce the words I am reading. I'm not so arrogant as to demand that it all be in English (though that really would be ideal) but I'd at least like to understand it. It should make some sense. That isn't asking too much is it? 

4. My stuff. My container is still not on a vessel. It's somewhere in the US & I have no idea where it is or when it's actually coming. But I want my cooking spices, my CLOTHES, & all the little things I bought for this move. I didn't pack enough thinking that my items would be arriving next weekend. Instead, I am being told that I may not get my things until the end of May.

5. My job. I miss my old job. My former coworkers were amazing & we all had a great rapport. Nothing against anyone I work with now...But I miss the work I did before & the people that I did that work with.



What I Enjoy:

1. I'm still hoping to travel! Looking to see if I can book something soon.

2. Meeting new people. I've met some cool people so far from all parts of the world. I'm learning about different cultures & customs. And no matter where we are from, we all think we came from the best part of the globe. ;-)

3. Exploring the City. I am trying to sightsee as much as I can & it's great to live in a city w/ so many sights to offer.

4. My apartment. It's nice! It's not as small as I thought it would be & decorated very nicely. It's in a great neighborhood. I used to live in a 350 sq ft efficiency w/ my dog & had to go to the laundromat & I had no car at the time. I haven't forgotten where I came from so as I sit in my fully furnished & fully paid for apartment in Copenhagen, Denmark, I can't help to be grateful for all of God's blessings in my life.

5. Learning about myself. If nothing else, I am in a period of self discovery. I am learning what I am capable of & discovering things about myself that maybe I didn't recognize or realize until now that I am in a situation so far out of the boundaries of my comfort zone.

I wonder what the next list will contain...That's me. Already thinking ahead....

Reflections of a Month Gone By

It's been exactly 1 month since I stepped on a plane to begin my year long stay in one of Europe's most interesting capital cities. Looking back, this has been a very interesting month & surely a sign of things to come. I don't regret the decision to move here but I would be lying if I didn't admit to having more than 1 "What the hell have I done?" moment. Thankfully, I am quickly surrounding myself with good people who snap me right out of that whenever it happens.

This is a beautiful city & it's full of interesting people. Everyone is a walking contradiction. Polite but not friendly. Fashionable but not mainstream. Welcoming but yet exclusive. Hardworking but so not hardworking at the same time. Healthy but obsessed w/ smoking & pastries. Who can understand this??? The people are just like the language...What you see is not what you get.

On a personal level, I've made some progress. Some. I now have a mobile phone, an apartment, a bus pass, a CPR #, a Danish bank account, & starting to make friends.

I'm missing the understanding of online banking, groceries (I heart Publix more than ever now), my registration for the Danish lessons, travel opportunities, & a better understanding of the job & the reason I was brought here.

Maybe I can include those things in the Month 2 recap.