Last Tuesday night, I went to dinner w/ some friends. On my way home, I hit a curb & fell of my bicycle. Nothing more than my pride was hurt that night. The next day, I laughed as I told everyone that I fell off my bike for the 1st time. Just as I was finally feeling good about my bike riding & I go & fall off the bike.
That night, I was leaving my apartment & as I went to cross the street, I realized that I wouldn't make it so I tried to brake. Realizing that I was still propelling forward, I tried to hop forward. Unfortunately, my shoes were slippery & slid forward. I landed on the bike frame & then fell over & the bike landed on top of me in the street.
As I got up, I realized that I had ALOT of pain on my left wrist, left knee, & my upper thigh. I decided to put the bike away & as I was locking up the bike, I put my hand on my leg & noticed that my hand was now covered in fresh blood. I apparently cut myself in the upper thigh area. After realizing the cut was kind of long & deep, I decided to go to the hospital. Thankfully, the friend I was meeting decided to go with me.
There is no 911 system here. There is a 112 system which apparently is run by the fire department & not linked to other emergency services. I also called a couple of 'hospitals' I found on google & all claimed not to have an emergency room. My friend decided to hail a cab & take me to the only hospital she knew of, which was less than 10 km away.
When I got to the hospital, I entered & approached a nurse who looked like she bought her uniform at the sexy nurse section of the porn shop (except she was about 70 years old so try THAT for a mental picture) who told me I needed to wait on the other side of the yellow line. The wait wasn't long & soon enough she called me over where I explained what happened.
One kinda cool thing: There is no need to go to registration or fill out paperwork. The nurse took my CPR # (which is like a social security #) & all my info & medical history (from Denmark) pulled up right away. I was immediately escorted into a room where a doctor came in to examine me in less than 5 minutes.
The dr said that because of the location of the cut, stitches were not ideal & that it should heal on its own in a week or 2. No bike riding for a couple of weeks (or I am thinking possibly never...I haven't made that decision yet) & have to keep a close eye to monitor for infection.
Since then, I have confined myself to self prescribed bed rest because I do feel that infection is a huge possibility. It hurts, I'm cranky, & I'm scared. This is prob the most time I have spent in my apartment since I have been here & I am bored, still cranky, in pain, & scared....and did I mention bored?? BUT, I do think it's healing better than if I were trying to be out & about so I will hopefully be back to my old schedule in no time.
The question now becomes...Will I ever get on the bike again???? That's not a question I am ready to answer yet.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Rome If You Want To
At this time last Saturday, I was baking in the heat of Rome, Italy. It was an amazing weekend full of good food, breathtaking sites, & SUN. After this poor excuse of a summer, the heat of Rome was a surprise that my skin was not expecting. Rome was exactly what I envisioned. Traffic was chaotic, Vespas zipping about to & fro, landmarks at every corner, & food that is as full of flavor & life as the people that live in this amazing city.
It took me a little while to realize why I was so happy but then it hit me. There was emotion everywhere! Until I was in Rome, I didn't realize exactly how much of a difference there is between the Scandinavians & Latins (Italian's, Spanish, etc). I was in a place where people stopped to chat w/ each other in the street, hugs & kisses are a normal greeting, drivers constantly yelled & flipped each other off (yes, even that was something that brought a smile to my face). Italians, or Romans as they prefer to be called, are passionate & I liked it!! Ok, maybe I didn't like the stereotypical gang of guidos sitting on a front porch hooting & hollering at every "bella" that walked past them but in every other sense, it was GREAT.
However, by the end of the weekend, I learned something about myself that surprised me...I could never live in Rome. For as exciting & interesting the people and the places were, as I boarded the plane for Copenhagen, I started to compare the 2 & realized that there are things that I value more than the great food & warm weather. I want to live in a city where there isn't a beggar, hustler, or gypsy on every corner. I want to live where my kids (in case that ever happens) will grow up feeling safe & enjoying a healthy lifestyle (I prob wasn't thinking so much about that as I engorged on pasta but whatevs). I found myself preferring the clean (albeit quiet) streets of Copenhagen.
Don't get me wrong...This still doesn't feel like home to me. But little by little, as I explore the world a little more, I learn about me & I learn about what is important to me & maybe...just maybe....some of those things are here, In Copenhagen.
And the best part of Copenhagen? Rome is only a 2 hour flight if I start to miss the food, sights, & passion again!
It took me a little while to realize why I was so happy but then it hit me. There was emotion everywhere! Until I was in Rome, I didn't realize exactly how much of a difference there is between the Scandinavians & Latins (Italian's, Spanish, etc). I was in a place where people stopped to chat w/ each other in the street, hugs & kisses are a normal greeting, drivers constantly yelled & flipped each other off (yes, even that was something that brought a smile to my face). Italians, or Romans as they prefer to be called, are passionate & I liked it!! Ok, maybe I didn't like the stereotypical gang of guidos sitting on a front porch hooting & hollering at every "bella" that walked past them but in every other sense, it was GREAT.
However, by the end of the weekend, I learned something about myself that surprised me...I could never live in Rome. For as exciting & interesting the people and the places were, as I boarded the plane for Copenhagen, I started to compare the 2 & realized that there are things that I value more than the great food & warm weather. I want to live in a city where there isn't a beggar, hustler, or gypsy on every corner. I want to live where my kids (in case that ever happens) will grow up feeling safe & enjoying a healthy lifestyle (I prob wasn't thinking so much about that as I engorged on pasta but whatevs). I found myself preferring the clean (albeit quiet) streets of Copenhagen.
Don't get me wrong...This still doesn't feel like home to me. But little by little, as I explore the world a little more, I learn about me & I learn about what is important to me & maybe...just maybe....some of those things are here, In Copenhagen.
And the best part of Copenhagen? Rome is only a 2 hour flight if I start to miss the food, sights, & passion again!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Going to the Movies
In my earlier post, I mentioned my expensive habit of going to the movies & realized that this is an experience worth sharing.
First, let's begin w/ the joys of trying to find a movie to watch in a country where you don't understand the language. I finally found that the easiest way to do this is to google "Movies in Copenhagen" & I get a list of movie times. Trying to use Fandango or MovieFone is a futile effort. I know there is a website that you can purchase tickets in advance but this is apparently for experts or people with levels of education beyond me b/c I can't figure it out.
The average cost of 2 movie tickets is just over $30 (yes, that is US Dollars) & when you buy your ticket, you are assigned a seat. You read that correctly...assigned seating. (there is a story about this....read on)
When you go to the concession stand, it's a full blown candy bar. You know, the kind where you walk around & fill a bag w/ every candy that you can imagine. You just walk along, scooping candy into your bag, oblivious that your entire month's salary is about to be given to this theatre. There's soda, which is self serve, along w/ wine & draft beers.
Now, last night, I made the mistake of not getting to the theatre on time. This is not really a problem because just like the US, there's a good 15 min of previews. However, don't forget the assigned seating factor. My friend & I chose seats in the back but no one told us that we'd have to cross over almost 10 people who were already in their seats so that we can get to our seats in a back corner.
Being the sweet, polite, considerate Americans that we are, we decided to just sit in the front & not disturb the people in the row we were so ridiculously assigned to. Ok, that's a bit of a lie. My friend decided to sit in the front & I followed. I felt like I was breaking some cardinal rule & that somehow the movie theatre gods were going to descend upon us...like somehow the film would stop & a voice from above would call us out for not following the rules.
This may have been ok, except that sure enough, the seats we sat in were assigned to someone else who came in less than 5 min after us. The people stood in front of us holding out their tickets because it was apparently imperative that THEY sit in THEIR assigned seats...Not the empty seats next to us, in front of us, or prob even behind us. Nope. The rules clearly state that they must sit in that seat. So, off we went in search of another set of empty seats. This time, I sat in the corner & said to my friend that if anyone came for those seats, they were not going to be coming to me first! I was already full of guilt & shame that I had broken a rule as sacred as the assigned seat rule.
The rest of the movie night went without incident but you can bet your bottom dollar that next time, my bag of million dollar candy & me will be sitting in the correct seat!
First, let's begin w/ the joys of trying to find a movie to watch in a country where you don't understand the language. I finally found that the easiest way to do this is to google "Movies in Copenhagen" & I get a list of movie times. Trying to use Fandango or MovieFone is a futile effort. I know there is a website that you can purchase tickets in advance but this is apparently for experts or people with levels of education beyond me b/c I can't figure it out.
The average cost of 2 movie tickets is just over $30 (yes, that is US Dollars) & when you buy your ticket, you are assigned a seat. You read that correctly...assigned seating. (there is a story about this....read on)
When you go to the concession stand, it's a full blown candy bar. You know, the kind where you walk around & fill a bag w/ every candy that you can imagine. You just walk along, scooping candy into your bag, oblivious that your entire month's salary is about to be given to this theatre. There's soda, which is self serve, along w/ wine & draft beers.
Now, last night, I made the mistake of not getting to the theatre on time. This is not really a problem because just like the US, there's a good 15 min of previews. However, don't forget the assigned seating factor. My friend & I chose seats in the back but no one told us that we'd have to cross over almost 10 people who were already in their seats so that we can get to our seats in a back corner.
Being the sweet, polite, considerate Americans that we are, we decided to just sit in the front & not disturb the people in the row we were so ridiculously assigned to. Ok, that's a bit of a lie. My friend decided to sit in the front & I followed. I felt like I was breaking some cardinal rule & that somehow the movie theatre gods were going to descend upon us...like somehow the film would stop & a voice from above would call us out for not following the rules.
This may have been ok, except that sure enough, the seats we sat in were assigned to someone else who came in less than 5 min after us. The people stood in front of us holding out their tickets because it was apparently imperative that THEY sit in THEIR assigned seats...Not the empty seats next to us, in front of us, or prob even behind us. Nope. The rules clearly state that they must sit in that seat. So, off we went in search of another set of empty seats. This time, I sat in the corner & said to my friend that if anyone came for those seats, they were not going to be coming to me first! I was already full of guilt & shame that I had broken a rule as sacred as the assigned seat rule.
The rest of the movie night went without incident but you can bet your bottom dollar that next time, my bag of million dollar candy & me will be sitting in the correct seat!
Oh My! 4 Months Have Gone By!
It's hard for me to believe that it's now been 4 months. Admittedly, this last month has been more fun & less of a struggle than the one before. I'm starting to find my stride (kinda sorta) and have enjoyed some really fun times in the past couple of weeks.
What I miss:
1. Fresh Produce
It's not easy to find fresh fruits & veggies here, which is odd considering the Danes love to eat fruits & veggies. And most people will react to this by saying "Don't shop at the Netto" but it doesn't really matter what store you shop in, the veggies don't look quite right. I'll eat them from the canteen at work or in a restaurant but I have a hard time buying it at the store when it doesn't have the shine & 'fresh' quality that you will find at American grocery stores.
2. Knowing what the weather will be
The news is in Danish and the English websites rarely have accurate reports. Search BBC, Weather.com & my Iphone & each will have a different forecast & they are all wrong.
3. Summer
Tank tops, shorts, flip flops (with nicely pedicured toes of course), bathing suits, suntan lotion, suntans....I miss it all. I don't need to have it year round. I really don't. But a couple of weeks of it won't hurt anyone. Just sayin'.
4. American Jokes
Nothing is worse than sitting in a room & everyone laughs at a joke & you're looking around the room wondering what's so funny. It's great to meet people of different nationalities & cultures...but the humor doesn't always translate.
5. People with attention spans
Trust me...It's not that easy to find around here.
What I Enjoy:
1. Weekends
There's always an adventure. Maybe it's watching my first Rugby match or enjoying some absynthe w/ friends or maybe it's a travel opportunity (this weekend baby!!) ...But I find ways to keep busy & that's always nice.
2. Friends
And I mean the TV show this time. It's nice to come home & watch something familiar...And it just so happens that I know every episode by heart so it's def like a piece of home when it's on.
3. Skype!
Loving the connection to home via technology
4. (Some of) The Food
Thai, Vietnamese, & Sushi are really good here. And I found a great pizza place (Mother) and loving me some burgers at Halifax.
5. Going to the movies
Admittedly this is an expensive habit but the movies are American, the concessions are way better than the US, & it's a great place to be on those rainy days where being outside doesn't seem like a good option.
What I miss:
1. Fresh Produce
It's not easy to find fresh fruits & veggies here, which is odd considering the Danes love to eat fruits & veggies. And most people will react to this by saying "Don't shop at the Netto" but it doesn't really matter what store you shop in, the veggies don't look quite right. I'll eat them from the canteen at work or in a restaurant but I have a hard time buying it at the store when it doesn't have the shine & 'fresh' quality that you will find at American grocery stores.
2. Knowing what the weather will be
The news is in Danish and the English websites rarely have accurate reports. Search BBC, Weather.com & my Iphone & each will have a different forecast & they are all wrong.
3. Summer
Tank tops, shorts, flip flops (with nicely pedicured toes of course), bathing suits, suntan lotion, suntans....I miss it all. I don't need to have it year round. I really don't. But a couple of weeks of it won't hurt anyone. Just sayin'.
4. American Jokes
Nothing is worse than sitting in a room & everyone laughs at a joke & you're looking around the room wondering what's so funny. It's great to meet people of different nationalities & cultures...but the humor doesn't always translate.
5. People with attention spans
Trust me...It's not that easy to find around here.
What I Enjoy:
1. Weekends
There's always an adventure. Maybe it's watching my first Rugby match or enjoying some absynthe w/ friends or maybe it's a travel opportunity (this weekend baby!!) ...But I find ways to keep busy & that's always nice.
2. Friends
And I mean the TV show this time. It's nice to come home & watch something familiar...And it just so happens that I know every episode by heart so it's def like a piece of home when it's on.
3. Skype!
Loving the connection to home via technology
4. (Some of) The Food
Thai, Vietnamese, & Sushi are really good here. And I found a great pizza place (Mother) and loving me some burgers at Halifax.
5. Going to the movies
Admittedly this is an expensive habit but the movies are American, the concessions are way better than the US, & it's a great place to be on those rainy days where being outside doesn't seem like a good option.
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