Pretty Pictures

Just because I can't find nice things to say doesn't mean I don't have nice things to show you. :)

At the Glypotek in Copenhagen

From the Glyptotek

Kronberg Castle in Helsingor, Denmark

(Castle used as the setting for Shakespeare's "Hamlet")

Rose in Kongens Have (King's Garden) in Copenhagen

Sunset in Stockholm, Sweden

(Where I spent my 32nd Birthday)



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!

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.  

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.

Welcome to Denmark. I hope you enjoy your stay.

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!

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.

The Putin-meister

Yesterday, a buddy of mine forwards an email to me about a scheduled shut down of the main building & writes "Vladimir Putin will be here in case you didn't know". Vlad must've forgotten to call me b/c I had no idea. You know...me being the buddy buddy of Russian Prime Ministers. In reading the email, I was glad that I do not work in the main building...Or I may have been stuck there for hours & hours waiting for him to show up.

I didn't think much of the email until lunch time when Secret Service, KGB, or whatever they call themselves nowadays began to enter the building (I have lunch in the main building) & stood around the entrance talking into their sleeve. Hello Hollywood? Yea, apparently you got that one spot on. As I walked back to the "safety" of my building, approx 4-5 policemen walked up behind me & one decided to cock his sniper. I guess the trio I was with looked suspicious & we needed a warning? The snipers were waiting for the elevator (lazy bums! Even I use the stairs now!) when one of them dropped something. I thought it was the gun & I swear I must've jumped 30 feet in the air. The policeman was amused. Me? Not so much.

As I was leaving for the day, the Putin-ator hadn't arrived yet but tourists, camera crews, police, & the rest of his entourage were all at the entrance to the office. I left as the helicopter approached.



But this is not the end of the story...Apparently, Vladster was disappointed that we didn't run into each other, because later in the evening, his motorcade & helicopter escort wizzed past me as they headed to parts unknown (at least to me).

I guess the Vlady & I will just have to catch up next time.


PS - I did not take this video but thought you might appreciate a little glimpse of "my world".

The Snipers

The Camera Crews

The Motorcade

Creepy Churchbells & A Cannon

Every morning, I walk to work through a military fortress, the Kastellet. At 8 am every morning, the church bells start ringing to signify the start of a new day. For some reason, I find these church bells a little eery. It's spooky when the bells break the silence of the 400 year old fort as I am crossing through.

But as if a church bell isn't creepy enough, only seconds after the bells start, a cannon goes off. And every morning, I jump & duck for cover as if a war was on the verge of breaking out. One single cannon blast into the morning air. And I know it's coming...I even expect it...And yet, it never fails to give me a little jolt to which I usually follow up with "Whyyy" Why is it necessary in this day & age...in the year 2011 to set off a cannon?

I've asked around & most people don't know the reason. The only theory I have been supplied with is that Denmark wants to remind Sweden to stay away. Really Denmark?? Because let me tell you, if I was Sweden, I would say, "Oh yea?? Well let me show you what my satellite controlled missile, released from my remote controlled plane can do to your little measly cannon." Yep. That's exactly how I would handle that situation. In fact, I often find myself fantasizing of the day that someone puts that cannon out of its misery. The cannon is not my friend.

The Things We Do To Get a Taste of Home

Now everybody got the game figured out all wrong
I guess you never know what you got till it's gone
I guess this is why I'm here and I can't come back home
And guess when I heard that when I was back home


(I'm comin' home again)
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
'Cause I'm comin' home again, comin' home again

"Homecoming" Kanye West

I've never been a huge Kanye West fan. As much as I love music, I don't really enjoy big ticket concerts. The live music never sounds as good, it's crowded, & runs late. Exceptions to this rule can always be made for New Kids on the Block. Just sayin'.

But yesterday I went to Tivoli & did the strangest, oddest thing. I spent 515 DKK ($97) on a ticket to a Kanye West concert in August, here in Copenhagen. In my defense, I still don't quite do the math properly & exchange rates confuse me. Had I known I would be paying more than my floor seats to the NKOTB concert 3 years ago, I may have thought twice. But I was lured by the prospect of seeing a famous d-bag American Rapper & bouncing along to songs I knew in a city where I know nothing.

I don't understand the language, the people, the customs of this place...But I do know the words to Gold Digger & in that moment, that seemed enough for me.

So on August 11, I will head back to Tivoli to find out if Kanye was worth my money.

Don't Be A Jaded American

It's so easy to travel or live abroad & quickly start thinking about how the U.S. is better at ....well everything. Suddenly, you find yourself saying that food is the best in the U.S. or that the clothes is the best in the US & nothing can compare to what our great country has.


But there's no way that I can be happy here if I keep holding on to that. So the other day, I was telling someone (a fellow American) that I wanted to go to Tivoli.


Source: Wikipedia
Tivoli Gardens (or simply Tivoli) is a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and is the second oldest amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg.
Tivoli is currently the most visited theme park in Scandinavia and the 3rd most visited in Europe.


You had me at Amusement Park. I wanted to go on all the rides & scream like a little girl on roller coasters. But, the person I was speaking with said, "Don't bother. There are no rides like what you're used to back home. You're American. This stuff will be boring to you."


Undeterred, I made plans with another expat from South Africa & we headed off to Tivoli. At first, I saw this & thought "It's going to be a LONG day":

After all...What was that? So so strange.


A few steps later, I came across this & was ever so slightly disturbed:

Then, I went on my first ride. And I didn't understand why the Danish engineers that created these rides couldn't have been recruited by Disney imagineers who are visionaries in animatronics. You know I am getting old when I am on an amusement ride & those big words are what I am thinking about.


I was having quite a bit of fun despite being a jaded American who was going from one lame ride to another.


But then it happened. I went on a ride so intense, that no Universal Studios, Disney World, or Busch Gardens experience could ever replicate. And what was this ride you ask? It was just a little "propeller plane" that is swung in a circular motion, while the plane also moves in its own circular motion. I don't think I can properly explain the sheer terror I felt in being hurdled up & down while I went upside down, right side up, & back upside down. The city views come & go & you don't know what is up or down or if this is what is meant to be happening. This little plane gave new meaning to the word thrill ride...and just for a tiny second, I wondered if it was all too much. Suddenly, I am right side up & itching to get off the ride...But it's not over yet. Time for Round 2. Round & Round I go. Where I stop you'll never know. This time, the plane stopped at the very top, with us upside down. And that's how we stayed until the ride reached the bottom & the plane turned around just to let us out. Is it even good for our brain cells to be upside down that long?

And all I can say is...This little plane ride kicks the Incredible Hulk's (Islands of Adventure) ass!!

All in all....a great day indeed....And a newfound appreciation for what really constitutes a "Thrill Ride".

PS - Here's just a couple more shots from the day....

To Bike Or Not To Bike

...That is the question. Never ever did I ever ever think that I would even consider using a bicycle as a mode of transportation. Ever.


I knew that moving to Copenhagen, I would be living in a bicycle culture but I thought I had the ability to resist the trend. I was going to be a rebel. It has now been exactly 3 weeks that I live here & already I am thinking, "Well, maybe I will just look into getting a bike".


1 small little problem, I don't know how to ride one. I haven't been on a bike since I was in elementary school & that whole thing about how you never forget...Not true. You do. I needed the space in my memory bank for important things...Like what Gwyneth Paltrow was wearing when she won an Oscar & the words to "Hustler" by Rick Ross.


Buttttt....My feet hurt. Walking is slow & not very fun. And I think I would look so cute in a bicycle with a cute basket in the front of it. I'll even name it the way I name my cars. (Oh Billy Earl, I miss you sooooo much).


The biggest issue is the cost. A new bike will average between 2000-5000DKK ($375-$940). That's alot of mula for something I don't even know how to use.


But I would look so cute! And in the end, isn't that what matter most?

Undskyld

I spent months reading & learning about this country that I would be calling home. In everything I read, there was an underlying theme: Danes are hard to befriend. Over & over I was made aware that this is a people that while FRIENDLY, they keep to themselves. "Oh they are polite...But hard to connect with". There is a "respect" for your personal space which is why strangers don't initiate conversations with you & why there is no such thing as small talk while standing in queue somewhere (ie waiting in line) or at a park or store or basically anywhere.

All that is fine and dandy. I can understand that....if it were true. But when someone bumps into you or cuts in line in front of you without so much as an excuse me, it's pretty safe to assume that your personal space is not being respected. Aside from my favorite word, tak (see previous post), one of the first words I learned was Undskyld (prounounced: Oon-Skl...kinda) which means Excuse Me. However, that is apparently not a word used too frequently around here.

Having spent almost 3 years living in the South where being polite is almost an art form, I find that the lack of common courtesy is almost appalling. As I venture about more & more & start to explore my new surroundings, I am finding plenty of things I like...but a few things I don't. And this happens to be one of them. For example, when I found a plastic wrapping in my pizza today at a restaurant today, it would have been nice to hear someone apologize as opposed to telling me that "It happens sometimes". I won't be going back since I prefer my pizza sans plastic.

Luckily for me, I spent almost 28 years living in Miami where politeness is almost as rare as here in Copenhagen. So, a warning to all Danes...Keep it up...Just keep it up....My Southern Charm is quickly melting & the Miami is about to come out. I'll push my way through w/ the best of them & I happen to have a little more to push around than most Danes...Oh yes, I know how to get to the front of the line. Don't underestimate me. ;-)

Photos of The City I Want to Call Home

If nothing else, this is a beautiful city. Here are just a few pics...

The Little Mermaid. And yes, she is quite Little.

The Lake just behind my office.

Taking in some nature

At the National Museum

Also at the National Museum