I was determined to accomplish this monumental feat before the end of Summer & there you go...I ride my bike to work, to the store, to friends houses...I'm pretty good at it, I think. But Mother Nature is a bit of a royal bitch because the moment I decided that I was going to ride the bike to & fro'...Well that's when the trick decided that the weather needed to be one huge pain in my arse.
I'm constantly hearing that nothing beats a Danish summer. Summers are soooo perfect here that they totally make up for the harsh winters, cold Springs, & even colder Autumns. Summer is IT. What no one tells you is that the Danish summer lasts for about 2 days. Blink & well, you just might miss it. Oh...And just to make it even more fun, these 2 days are usually a Monday & Tuesday & you can only stare in amazement from your office window.
So now that I am opting to use the bicycle for transportation, the temps drop, the rain has started, the wind picks up. It's incredible. So friends...While you are all complaining from your airconditioned homes & cars about your 100 plus degree temps & planning your trips to the pool & the beach because your tan needs a touch up...well just think of me...Riding my bicycle, in the rain, in 50 degree temps, looking a little like Casper the friendly ghost. Think of me, shut your mouth, and spend an extra 10 minutes at the beach/pool just for me. ;-)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Danish Customer Service
It doesn't exist. But, this is not going to be a post about how terrible the service is but instead I hope to give you some interesting examples of how the Danes believe they are providing good service.
The first example took place a couple of weeks ago. I'd been invited to dinner & to watch an Interactive play (the play alone could take up a few blog posts) by a Danish colleague. It was a small group of 4 of us (Danish colleague, his female cousin, & my friend - also female- from South Africa). We agreed to meet in the uber trendy meat packing district of Copenhagen. The restaurant was completely empty when we arrived except for a few people having drinks outside. My colleague had arrived a few minutes before the rest of us & was told that there would be a table available for us.
When the group was together, we walked inside, & I heard alot of Danish & the colleague & cousin promptly walked out. I asked what happened & was told that earlier there was indeed a table available, however, now they did not have tables available because the restaurant was fully reserved.
Yes, the restaurant was still empty except for the few people drinking outside but were turned away because eventually, the restaurant would be full. Eventually.
This did not phase the Danes I was eating with. In fact, they were confused when I asked them why then was the restaurant empty. Apparently, I was speaking nonsense. We made our way to a different restaurant & dined on traditional Danish cuisine. Normally, that is followed by a gagging sound but this one wasn't too bad.
Last night, I was invited to go eat burgers w/ an American buddy of mine & his neighbor. Great burgers are not easy to find here so you can't imagine the relief it was to be introduced to this place almost 2 months ago now. Best American burgers in the area & it's a Canadian restaurant. Oh well. I'll take it.
Anyways, this burger place is conveniently located on top of a gym (which in my opinion is like having a Dunkin' Donuts next to Jenny Craig) & it has a nice indoor as well as outdoor eating area. Since it was a beautiful Autumn, errr...I mean Summer evening, we asked to sit outside. However, we were told that we cannot sit outside because earlier it LOOKED like it was going to rain and now that it doesn't, it wouldn't be fair to let us sit outside when the other people who were here before have to sit inside.
Instead, we were told we could share a booth with a couple & their toddler or sit on a long bench table, which we would eventually share w/ other patrons of the restaurant as they came along. We chose the long bench but stared longingly out the window, wishing we were outside.
So now you know...An empty restaurant doesn't mean you will get a table & if it LOOKS like it was going to rain earlier in the day, you won't get to sit outside when the day is actually nice & pleasant.
The first example took place a couple of weeks ago. I'd been invited to dinner & to watch an Interactive play (the play alone could take up a few blog posts) by a Danish colleague. It was a small group of 4 of us (Danish colleague, his female cousin, & my friend - also female- from South Africa). We agreed to meet in the uber trendy meat packing district of Copenhagen. The restaurant was completely empty when we arrived except for a few people having drinks outside. My colleague had arrived a few minutes before the rest of us & was told that there would be a table available for us.
When the group was together, we walked inside, & I heard alot of Danish & the colleague & cousin promptly walked out. I asked what happened & was told that earlier there was indeed a table available, however, now they did not have tables available because the restaurant was fully reserved.
Yes, the restaurant was still empty except for the few people drinking outside but were turned away because eventually, the restaurant would be full. Eventually.
This did not phase the Danes I was eating with. In fact, they were confused when I asked them why then was the restaurant empty. Apparently, I was speaking nonsense. We made our way to a different restaurant & dined on traditional Danish cuisine. Normally, that is followed by a gagging sound but this one wasn't too bad.
Last night, I was invited to go eat burgers w/ an American buddy of mine & his neighbor. Great burgers are not easy to find here so you can't imagine the relief it was to be introduced to this place almost 2 months ago now. Best American burgers in the area & it's a Canadian restaurant. Oh well. I'll take it.
Anyways, this burger place is conveniently located on top of a gym (which in my opinion is like having a Dunkin' Donuts next to Jenny Craig) & it has a nice indoor as well as outdoor eating area. Since it was a beautiful Autumn, errr...I mean Summer evening, we asked to sit outside. However, we were told that we cannot sit outside because earlier it LOOKED like it was going to rain and now that it doesn't, it wouldn't be fair to let us sit outside when the other people who were here before have to sit inside.
Instead, we were told we could share a booth with a couple & their toddler or sit on a long bench table, which we would eventually share w/ other patrons of the restaurant as they came along. We chose the long bench but stared longingly out the window, wishing we were outside.
So now you know...An empty restaurant doesn't mean you will get a table & if it LOOKS like it was going to rain earlier in the day, you won't get to sit outside when the day is actually nice & pleasant.
Welcome to Denmark. I hope you enjoy your stay.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Swept Away
Last Saturday, I was invited to a Summer BBQ Party. Danes love summer. I mean, they LOVE summer. In Denmark, summer is short & sweet, & about as hot as an Autumn afternoon. But it's amazing compared to how it is the rest of the year.
I was excited to go to this summer BBQ, however, I knew that the weather had been a little sketchy all morning long. As soon as I arrive to the party, I looked up & noticed the clouds rolling in. It didn't take long before the heavens opened up & the mother of all storms came crashing down.
I have been through many a hurricane but this...this was just something else. In less than 2 hours, there was over 6 inches of rain, hail, wind, thunder, lightning. It was reported that over 6,000 bolts of lightning struck in that short period of time. And where was I? Still sitting in the courtyard under a covered shed trying to stay dry.
Roofs were leaking, basements were flooded, traffic lights were out...It was like a mini tropical storm with no advanced warning.
I decided to leave the party to check on my basment storage that had a few items I was storing for other people. After getting lost & eventually finding my way again, I made it to the center of the city by metro where I just needed to take 1 bus home. But that would be too easy. I waited for almost 2 hours & the bus never came. The bus sign kept saying that the bus was coming but that was a lie. It was a dirty stinking lie.
Once I came to the realization that the bus would never come, I decided to take the metro to the next station where I could switch to the S-Train & I could just walk from there. However, once I reached that station, the metro's also stopped running, the S-Trains had already stopped running, & guess what...There was NO bus there either. And the cabs were nearly impossible to catch. Standing in front of the station, in the dark, with people just roaming or fighting for one of the few available cabs was truly surreal. The worst part of it was that I wasn't totally sure how to walk to my apartment from that station & google maps wasn't picking up my location on my phone.
Panic started to set in...I looked around & wondered if this is what being in a war zone felt like. A strange quiet falls over the city with only the sounds of the occasional argument breaking out. As much as I try, it's hard to explain what that night was like.
I finally realized which direction I needed to go in & began to walk. After walking for over an hour, I made it to the apartment...Tired, wet, & w/ achy feet...But I made it. Found out later that this was the worst storm that Copenhagen has had in over 30 years. Here's to hoping it's another 30 before that ever happens again.
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I was excited to go to this summer BBQ, however, I knew that the weather had been a little sketchy all morning long. As soon as I arrive to the party, I looked up & noticed the clouds rolling in. It didn't take long before the heavens opened up & the mother of all storms came crashing down.
I have been through many a hurricane but this...this was just something else. In less than 2 hours, there was over 6 inches of rain, hail, wind, thunder, lightning. It was reported that over 6,000 bolts of lightning struck in that short period of time. And where was I? Still sitting in the courtyard under a covered shed trying to stay dry.
Roofs were leaking, basements were flooded, traffic lights were out...It was like a mini tropical storm with no advanced warning.
I decided to leave the party to check on my basment storage that had a few items I was storing for other people. After getting lost & eventually finding my way again, I made it to the center of the city by metro where I just needed to take 1 bus home. But that would be too easy. I waited for almost 2 hours & the bus never came. The bus sign kept saying that the bus was coming but that was a lie. It was a dirty stinking lie.
Once I came to the realization that the bus would never come, I decided to take the metro to the next station where I could switch to the S-Train & I could just walk from there. However, once I reached that station, the metro's also stopped running, the S-Trains had already stopped running, & guess what...There was NO bus there either. And the cabs were nearly impossible to catch. Standing in front of the station, in the dark, with people just roaming or fighting for one of the few available cabs was truly surreal. The worst part of it was that I wasn't totally sure how to walk to my apartment from that station & google maps wasn't picking up my location on my phone.
Panic started to set in...I looked around & wondered if this is what being in a war zone felt like. A strange quiet falls over the city with only the sounds of the occasional argument breaking out. As much as I try, it's hard to explain what that night was like.
I finally realized which direction I needed to go in & began to walk. After walking for over an hour, I made it to the apartment...Tired, wet, & w/ achy feet...But I made it. Found out later that this was the worst storm that Copenhagen has had in over 30 years. Here's to hoping it's another 30 before that ever happens again.
The party goers under the 'protection' of a covered shed
Just some of the rain in the courtyard
And you wonder why the basement was flooded??
Celebrating the 4th Abroad
This past weekend was a great weekend to be in the good ole U.S. of A. People were grilling, going to the beach or pool, setting off fireworks, & general shenanigans in celebration of the birthday of freedom in the U.S. Needless to say, there isn't a whole lot of that in Denmark.
However, I did not let this holiday pass me by...Oh no. I did not. I was able to celebrate this great American holiday in the home of the American Embassador to Denmark. That's right. I got to be Ms Fancy Pants for the night. The Embassador hosted a private party for 1500 friends, family, dignitaries, diplomats, and me on Friday July 1st.
After passing through the receiving line where I got the Embassador herself, I entered her back yard to await the starting ceremony. The Marines presented their colors & admittedly, I was a little misty eyed as they marched along past me to the stage. The Danish & American anthems were played & a speach was given about the importance of freedom from sea to shining sea.
I did not know what to expect but I imagined this elegant catered event full of American goodies that were not readily available in the city of Copenhagen. But this was an AMERICAN party & what's an American party without showing our true love of capitalism. The party was sponsored by other businesses. Each business was able to put up a tent w/ their company logo & provided food & drinks accordingly. There were servers walking around w/ silver trays but take a guess what business they represented. If you happened to guess McDonald's, you would be right.
The McDonald's tent had coffee, soda, & chocolate muffins. The Domino's Pizza tent had..well..pizza. Ben & Jerry's and Budweiser also had tents & the Crowne Plaza donated the wine.
All in all, it was a very pleasant night & an experience that I will get to brag about for a long time to come.
And in case you are wondering what I did on the ACTUAL 4th of July??? Well...I met up w/ an American friend, spent an hour trying to find an American restaurant for dinner only to walk almost 2 miles to get there & find out the place is closed (the sign w/ the explanation was in Danish so no idea why). We ended up at a Thai restaurant around the corner enjoying a yummy yummy Thai dinner.
Ah, God Bless America.
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However, I did not let this holiday pass me by...Oh no. I did not. I was able to celebrate this great American holiday in the home of the American Embassador to Denmark. That's right. I got to be Ms Fancy Pants for the night. The Embassador hosted a private party for 1500 friends, family, dignitaries, diplomats, and me on Friday July 1st.
After passing through the receiving line where I got the Embassador herself, I entered her back yard to await the starting ceremony. The Marines presented their colors & admittedly, I was a little misty eyed as they marched along past me to the stage. The Danish & American anthems were played & a speach was given about the importance of freedom from sea to shining sea.
I did not know what to expect but I imagined this elegant catered event full of American goodies that were not readily available in the city of Copenhagen. But this was an AMERICAN party & what's an American party without showing our true love of capitalism. The party was sponsored by other businesses. Each business was able to put up a tent w/ their company logo & provided food & drinks accordingly. There were servers walking around w/ silver trays but take a guess what business they represented. If you happened to guess McDonald's, you would be right.
The McDonald's tent had coffee, soda, & chocolate muffins. The Domino's Pizza tent had..well..pizza. Ben & Jerry's and Budweiser also had tents & the Crowne Plaza donated the wine.
All in all, it was a very pleasant night & an experience that I will get to brag about for a long time to come.
And in case you are wondering what I did on the ACTUAL 4th of July??? Well...I met up w/ an American friend, spent an hour trying to find an American restaurant for dinner only to walk almost 2 miles to get there & find out the place is closed (the sign w/ the explanation was in Danish so no idea why). We ended up at a Thai restaurant around the corner enjoying a yummy yummy Thai dinner.
Ah, God Bless America.
The Embassador
The Marines plus 1 Danish Soldier
Who knows who could've been in that crowd?
Solstice
A couple of weeks ago, Denmark celebrated the summer solstice (yes, I am a little late w/ the story). As with pretty much everything in this country, this is really just an excuse to drink. However, there are some traditions associated w/ this celebration of the longest day of the year. People will gather w/ their families &/or friends, pets, and sometimes even strangers & have a picnic along w/ a bonfire where a witch is burned as everyone...oh that's right....They drink.
Originally, I had not planned to partake of these events. However, at the last minute I got an invite from a friend to just go 'look' & I thought to myself, "What if I am not here next year?" so off I went to observe this witch burning celebration.
I went off towards one of the harbors w/ my friend & watched as people stared at the bonfire (aka witch burning), had their picnics, listened to music, & ...yes...drank.
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Originally, I had not planned to partake of these events. However, at the last minute I got an invite from a friend to just go 'look' & I thought to myself, "What if I am not here next year?" so off I went to observe this witch burning celebration.
I went off towards one of the harbors w/ my friend & watched as people stared at the bonfire (aka witch burning), had their picnics, listened to music, & ...yes...drank.
This pic was taken at Sunset - which was just around 11pm. Yes, that's right - 11pm!
Friday, July 1, 2011
3 Months Have Gone By
The past month has been challenging. Probably a little too challenging to put into a blog...So many interesting things have happened. So many moments I wanted to share. But internet issues & personal issues prevented me from being able to share all of that with you.
However, here we are. It's now been 3 months since I boarded a plane for this new chapter of my life. Maybe this next month will lead to better compliance from me in sharing my experiences w/ you. But in the meantime, let's go through the update of what I like & what I miss. :)
What I miss:
1. Pedicures
That has shot straight to the top of the list. I can't even discuss with you what my feet look like. It's just THAT bad.
2. Air Conditioning
It doesn't exist here & I guess that's not a problem most of the time. But right now, it is. Open window, close window, open window again...Life would be easier w/ a little temperature control.
3. TV
My options are repeats of 2 1/2 Men, Friends (No complaints there), and How I Met Your Mother. Oh and the Simpsons. Seriously...Those are my options.
4. The Pool
It's summer & I should be chillin' poolside working on my tan.
5. Shopping Days
Nothing beat some girly shopping time w/ my close friends.
What I Enjoy:
1. Staring out at the sea.
My office has a view of the ocean & I just love to look out & see the sailboats & Cruise ships. Of course, I always wish I was on them but it's still nice to look.
2. Knowing that I am getting better w/ the bike!
3. Always being busy.
Not so much at work but still busy in other aspects.
4. Practicing the 2 or 3 words I know in Danish.
5. Pastries on Fridays for Breakfast!
However, here we are. It's now been 3 months since I boarded a plane for this new chapter of my life. Maybe this next month will lead to better compliance from me in sharing my experiences w/ you. But in the meantime, let's go through the update of what I like & what I miss. :)
What I miss:
1. Pedicures
That has shot straight to the top of the list. I can't even discuss with you what my feet look like. It's just THAT bad.
2. Air Conditioning
It doesn't exist here & I guess that's not a problem most of the time. But right now, it is. Open window, close window, open window again...Life would be easier w/ a little temperature control.
3. TV
My options are repeats of 2 1/2 Men, Friends (No complaints there), and How I Met Your Mother. Oh and the Simpsons. Seriously...Those are my options.
4. The Pool
It's summer & I should be chillin' poolside working on my tan.
5. Shopping Days
Nothing beat some girly shopping time w/ my close friends.
What I Enjoy:
1. Staring out at the sea.
My office has a view of the ocean & I just love to look out & see the sailboats & Cruise ships. Of course, I always wish I was on them but it's still nice to look.
2. Knowing that I am getting better w/ the bike!
3. Always being busy.
Not so much at work but still busy in other aspects.
4. Practicing the 2 or 3 words I know in Danish.
5. Pastries on Fridays for Breakfast!
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