Life as an expat in DK

Boxes and boxes of stuff

2010-02-18T16:35:00.003+01:00

Our boxes of household goods finally arrived from Denmark. Once the boxes arrived, it was evident WHY it took 3 weeks....

While in Denmark we packed up all of our boxes. On the trip over we had 15 boxes, two of which were bike boxes. We accumulated a little stuff, packaged our suitcases a bit different, and had one less suitcase on the return trip, so we had 7 extra paperbox-size boxes for the return trip. The moving guy arrived, said we did a great job packing, so he didn't have to repack anything. He would just seal all the boxes and load them up. Perfect. The other option was to repack and relabel all the boxes while I stood in the entryway.

I meticulously labeled and packed each box. Packed so tightly, not even a fly could stowaway.

Imagine my surprise when the boxes arrived and all our boxes were replaced with Alfa moving boxes...moving boxes with NO labels. Nothing. Great. They unpacked and repacked all my stuff. Now I had 33 boxes with no clue what was in each box. 33 boxes that were 3/4 full. 3 boxes were even half full. I'm not making this up...I even took pictures of each.and.every.box! I guess that explains the 'overage' in our moving allowance. And to top things off, my stuff smelled like cigarette smoke.

Interesting how the moving company failed to mention that they repacked our stuff. Interesting how they failed to mention that was the reason for the 3 week delay. Interesting how they repacked the items to take up more space, thus padding their account just a bit.

I haven't unpacked every box...yet. I'm still going through the painstaking process of unpacking, finding the items on the master 5 page document and checking it off....then, of course, how bad does it smell, do I need to wash it, or toss it. Lovely. Thank you Alfa moving. I should probably send you a bill. My hourly rate is pretty high.

I'm getting a little tired of folks making additional work for me.

So, there's my latest Danish complaint. My next post will be about something great about Denmark....I do have a few things :-)

On to the next chapter

2010-02-15T06:37:00.001+01:00

I've started the last page in the chapter "Life as an Expat in Denmark."

Our outstationing in Denmark has ended. Our last few weeks in Denmark were busy...meeting up with our European and other expat friends, packing, and getting things ready for repatriotization back to the United States.

Our time in Europe has been full of adventures, excitement and new experiences (some of which, I'll quickly purge from my memory!). We've made some wonderful friends along the way and will miss them dearly....there's always an open invitation to visit Chicagoland...hint, hint.

We will treasure our time in Europe and will gladly accept another offer to work (not me) and travel (yeah baby) just about anywhere in the world.

We've been working on adjusting to our new life in the USA. It is definitely 'home.' Our social calendar has been full, meeting up with all of our friends and catching up.

We've also been doing our part to stimulate the economy....buying local whenever possible. I think the initial hemorrage has subsided and now we have a slow, but steady leak.

I have a long list of questions folks have asked about living in Denmark, so I'm planning to post all the answers and helpful information to living (and working) in Denmark.

The next adventure awaits...

Moving, moving, moving

2010-02-15T04:05:00.004+01:00

Dear Danish moving company...(yes, you) -

My patience is gone.
It was supposed to take 1 week.
You've had my stuff for 3 weeks.
What is a fair rate for holding my stuff hostage?
Free shipping is a good compromise.

Thank you.

New Year...new adventures...new country

2010-01-07T13:47:00.001+01:00

...stay tuned.

Glædelig Jul, God Jul, Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T19:09:00.008+01:00

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays from our little corner of the world to yours.

This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!

--D.M. Dellinger

Seriously? Come on, people.

2009-12-23T15:34:00.001+01:00

From the Copenhagen Post
Parents drag sledding kids behind cars
Monday, 21 December 2009 14:54 KR News

Perhaps to make up for the flatlands of Denmark, parents have been towing their kids on sleds behind cars

Police have issued a safety warning in Southern Jutland after receiving numerous reports of parents towing children on winter sleds behind their cars.

Reports have been coming in from residential areas in Vejen, Brørup, Bramming, Gram and Ribe of parents making up for the lack of snowy hills in the area.

‘Not only is it illegal, it’s also extremely dangerous,’ said police duty officer Bjørn Pedersen to JV.dk.

‘There’s absolutely no control on a sled when it is being pulled after a car. Those on the sled risk being dragged under the car or hitting a parked vehicle or kerb and being seriously injured.’

Snow, snow, snow

2009-12-17T09:35:00.013+01:00

Measurable snow in southern Denmark! Wow! In the past +/- 20 months, I think the most snow we had was about 2 centimeters (an inch). The storm that is blowing through right now, has put the 2 centimeters to shame!

Yesterday, I was supposed to visit my blogging friend Tara in Aarhus. After about 30 minutes of driving, the snow was coming down pretty heavy, we were traveling at 65-70kmph on highway 45 (speed limit 120kmph), and the cars were slip sliding away. Growing up in the midwest, I'm no stranger to driving through snowstorms; however I'm also accustomed to a certain level of road preparation (salt brine solution/beet juice) and snow removal.

After a quick stop at a gas station, I turned around and headed back home. I'll have to reschedule my visit and christmas cookie making with Tara.

Today, we woke up to a blanket of snow in southern Jutland. We have about 5 inches of snow and it is still coming down! I 'watched' the local news last night. I didn't really 'listen' to the news because the Danish was a bit too fast for me, but I did gather from the footage that the roads near Kolding were particularly bad.

A few pictures.

Goodies from around the world

2009-11-22T15:23:00.006+01:00

On each trip back to the US, I try to pack my suitcase full of goodies that are unique to Europe.

Chocolate from Switzerland
Well, chocolate from any country is better than Hershey's!
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Tuscany
Silk and pearls from Beijing
Cashmere from Scotland
Beer steins from Germany
Glass from Murano, Italy
Limoncello from Sorrento, Italy
Wooden toys for Lincoln
Haribo gummy candies (although, Walmart now carries the gummy bears)

Last year, I stumbled upon KinderEggs at a grocery store in Germany. KinderEggs are foil wrapped chocolate eggs with a milk chocolate outer layer, a white chocolate inner layer, and then a surprise toy in the middle. Wow, a great find right? Wouldn't all the kids I know in the States love to get some chocolate and a surprise toy?!?!?

Not so much. It is illegal to bring KinderEggs into the United States. Here's a link to an article from consumer reports. Essentially, there's a provision in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (1938), which prohibit encasing 'non-edible' or 'non-nutritive items' in an edible item...so, no toy in a chocolate shell. The non-edible toy poses a choking hazard to children under 3. The solution....ban them from the US.

Who would have known???

Sunkissed tomatoes

2009-11-19T08:39:00.000+01:00

It seems that my little expat blog is taking a detour and has become home to some new recipes.

Part of being an expat in Denmark is learning to cook in new ways and with new ingredients. Long gone are the days of convenience foods like boxed cake/brownie mixes, just add water mixes, hamburger helper, frozen tv dinners (not that these were staples of my cooking), soup in a can, etc.

It's not uncommon for me to walk up to the grocery store 3 or 4 times during the week to pick up ingredients for dinner. First, refrigerators are about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of a typical American refrigerator, so having the space to store food from the weekly grocery store run is virtually impossible. Second, fresh veggies are fantastic. Finally, there's not much else to do in my little town.

Here's a new favorite of mine.

Sunkissed tomatoes

cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any other small tomatoes

extra virgin olive oil

pepper

salt

sugar (optional)

italian seasoning (optional)

Slice the tomatoes in half (through the stem area). Place cut side up on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, sugar (optional), italian seasoning (optional). Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast in a 150 degree (US) oven for 2.5-3 hours. Check on the tomatoes periodically and shake a bit so the tomatoes don't stick. Turn the pan if your oven runs hot in one section.

Take out and cool. Eat as a snack, toss in pasta or salad.

If not eaten right away, store in a bit of oil in the refrigerator. Although, I must admit, they never make it to the refrigerator stage in our house!

Where did the sun go?

2009-11-18T13:45:00.013+01:00

It's been a pretty dreary month in Denmark. We had a few sunny moments, but today is one windy, blowing, rainy mess.

A few pictures of a how beautiful Denmark is....when the sun isn't hiding behind the clouds.

Crockpot Taco Soup

2009-11-14T16:34:00.005+01:00

It's a little difficult to make this soup in Denmark....because of the ingredients and the whole crockpot cooking. But, you can easily make it in the oven, too, letting it cook all day.

Taco Soup

1 onion diced
1 15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can corn drained or 2 cups frozen corn
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 12oz can beer
2 10oz cans diced green chilies
1 pkg taco seasoning
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

place first 8 ingredients in slow cooker/crockpot and stir, lay chicken on top of mixture. cook on low for 5 to 8 hours. Remove chicken, shred and put back in pot.

If you like a little zippiness, add a little taco sauce after cooking.

Serve with sour cream, chips, shredded cheese, scallions, or anything else.

Thanks for the recipe mom. I added a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, too...just because.

What's on our grocery list?

2009-11-09T09:14:00.000+01:00

As expats, what do we haul back from our trips to the USA?

Cake mixes, chocolate chips, cereal, cold medicine, ziplock baggies, naproxen sodium, crackers, candy....ah, the comforts of our American lives.

Here is my (in the 'borrowed' sense) Arne Jacobsen dining table filled with USA goodies. Would that be considered a sin?

Peanut Butter

2009-11-07T21:00:00.006+01:00

Skippy and Jif are pretty much impossible to find in Denmark, let alone anywhere in Europe. So, one of the (many) things I bring back from my trips to the US is some American peanut butter.

Some days a PB&J sandwich is a welcomed comfort food. Other days, it's all about the peanut butter cookie!

This is probably the best peanut butter cookie recipe.

Peanut butter cookies

Adapted from pickycook.com

1 c. softened margarine (or unsalted butter)

2 c. peanut butter
2 large eggs

1 c. sugar + more for rolling

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour

Optional stir-ins
1 cup chocolate chips semi/milk/dark (optional)

1 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

preheat oven to 350 (170 degrees). line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

Cream butter and sugar. Add peanut butter. Cream. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt. Mix in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped peanuts (optional). Or divide dough into 3 parts and make some with chocolate chips, some plain and some with nuts.

Roll into 1" balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on lined baking sheet. Use a fork to make a criss cross pattern on the ball.

Bake 7-8 minutes.

**Note: Once the 1" balls are slightly flattened, you can place in the freezer in a ziplock baggie for baking another day.

Oprah, you should fire your producer

2009-10-23T13:00:00.007+02:00

Not all of them, mind you, but the one that produced the 'typical danish home' segment.

In the USA on Wednesday, October 21, Oprah aired a special on the Happiest Place on Earth. Denmark received that 'award' in 2007 and 2008. The 2009 honor goes to Costa Rica. According to this survey, Denmark didn't make the top 5 in 2009. Here's another source.

Ok, first, talk about a stale and out of date topic. But, more importantly, Oprah's team decided to showcase a 'typical danish home'. Now, the whole world (or those of you watch the Oprah show) have a distorted view of Denmark and danish living.

I'm not quite sure who on Ms. O's staff does the research, but goodness, they were WAY off base. So, now thanks to that episode, people across the globe think that Danes live just as Stine Holscher and her family of 5.

Yes, it is common in Scandinavia to have a minimalist approach. Walls are not covered with tons of art work and likewise, you won't find shelves that have miscellaneous chotskies. However, it is definitely not to the extent of the home televised on the Oprah show.

You will however, find...

solid doors on the bathroom....seriously, glass doors and right next to the living room?
duvet and pillows on the master bed...not just a black sheet and most beds have two single sized duvets (one for each person, no no hogging the covers)
the master bedroom is a room, not just a mattress next to the kitchen sink
children have a bedroom...not a cubby hole left over from the lift.
small refrigerators, some with freezers, some without...and they are considerably smaller than American refrigerators
a lot of white, from walls to trim, cupboards and cabinets, and even furniture
hardwood floors in varying colors and types of wood
not many closets...but lots of Ikea furniture/closets and storage units
most homes (at least the ones I have been in) are not as sterile as Ms. Holscher's home...did you get a sense of any hygge (loosely translated...coziness) in her home???

Here is a short video of my kitchen, dining room, and living room in my 'temporary' danish home built in the early 1900s. We don't own the home, just 'borrowing' it during our 2 year stay in Denmark. It is larger than most danish homes I have been in, so I do realize that it does not represent 'typical,' and not everyone has an Arne Jacobsen table, but all Danes know who he is...this is another example of a danish home.

Disclaimer: the quality isn't the best as it was taken with my camera.

Updated: Apparently there are multiple Happiness studies (as was pointed out in the comments). The World Happiness Study was used as the base for the Happiest people study and that lists Costa Rica as #1 and Denmark as #2. There is also the HPI or Happy Planet Index which lists Costa Rica as #1 and Denmark does not fall in the top 5.

American popcorn? Really?

2009-10-21T14:06:00.003+02:00

We were recently at Egeskov slot on the island of Funen. The travel blog has all the deets and a few pictures.

Chuck and I love popcorn. My preference is microwave popcorn, but we don't have a microwave in our Denmark house, so I rely on good old fashion stove popped popcorn. Finding popcorn isn't the easiest task, but I did manage to find it at a grocery store in Germany.

I digress, back on topic. While we were at Egeskov, Chuck wanted a snack in the car museum, so he bought a 'French hotdog,' which is really just a hotdog on a toasted bun. He also bought a snack that will billed as "USA popcorn".

I think a better translation is....warm pork rinds. Definitely not popcorn.

10 kroner here, 10 kroner there

2009-10-11T15:16:00.000+02:00

Sometime you just have to wonder...why, oh why???

While at Bilka the other day, I bought two packages of tortillas for 34dkk (about $7USD). One package was 24dkk ($4.50USD), so by purchasing 2, I was saving 10dkk or $2USD. Oh, well, so I thought. After I finish checking out (with the self-check out), I noticed that I wasn't given the sale price. Hmmm, is it worth it? Going back in the store, waiting at the service desk, trying to explain that I was over charged a measly 10dkk. I'd get embarrassed because my Danish sucks and they would have to speak English; they'd get frustrated. No kumbayah moments. Is it worth it? Nope.

Then we stopped at Super Brugsen. Chuck needed a new velcro reflector pant leg holder for his bike. The sign says 29dkk (about $6USD). Holy smokes. 6 bucks for velcro, goodness. Ok. We get to the check out and it rings up at 39dkk (about $8USD). Great. Is it worth it? Now, she definitely doesn't speak English and she's the only one working and there's a huge line behind us and there's no service desk. It is worth it? Nope.

So, in one day, in a matter of 1 hour, I managed to lose 20dkk ($4USD). I could see a pattern developing, so I went home and stopped shopping.

TDC Commercial

2009-10-05T20:20:00.002+02:00

Dear fellow expats in Denmark-
You have probably seen the TDC commerical with the naked husband and wife as they go about their daily lives, picking weeds, washing the car, watering plants, exercising, grilling dinner, etc. My Danish is terrible, so I don't fully understand the commercial.

It definitely got my attention, but hmmmm, does anyone know what TDC (a communications company) is trying to sell with the crazy naked couple? I don't get it.

Thank you.

Draft posts

2009-10-04T20:10:00.002+02:00

I haven't been inspired to write anything on the expat blog. I haven't even been inspired enough to look at any draft posts. Maybe it has something to do with that darn expat cycle ("ooooh, awe, wow, cool," "get me the hell out of here," "it's not so bad," "We can do this"....repeat)?!?!?

So, tonight, when I finally decided to open up the blog, I found I had 8, count them 8 draft posts all ready to go. What an unexpected surprise! Although, they are now a bit dated and it completely defeats the purpose of a spontaneous blog.

Are you ready for some (American) Football???

2009-10-04T20:02:00.003+02:00

As I was flipping through the channels last week, I noticed that we now get American football on TV. Wow! I'm serious. Wow!

It seems as though the game is live and not taped; however there is one downfall.....

The sports announcers speak Danish. Shoot!

Oh well. We can still watch the game...whichever team happens to be on TV...and just push the mute button. I offered to be the sports announcer for the games. Maybe I learned a thing or two from my sports fanatic father!

Let there be light!

2009-10-01T22:25:00.000+02:00

Several weeks ago, our little kommune decided to shut off all the street lights in town. No flashing lights, no walk lights, no street lights. Nothing. It was pitch black out.

I was starting to wonder if I had to pull out the English-Danish dictionary and figure out how to translate "miner hat with light".

And then, on the first of the month, let there be light!!! Perhaps the kommune's little experiment to save money was finally over...or someone complained (no, I didn't)...or someone broke an ankle walking on the uneven sidewalks in the pitch black evenings.

I'm not sure why the lights are back on, but I'm thrilled that they finally decided to turn them back on. If they are trying to save money, I would suggest leaving every third light on and turning other two off. Actually, I would be more than happy to consult with the kommune and give them all kinds of way to be more efficient.

Off for an evening walk, now that I can see my feet (and dodge the poop piles).

US Embassy in Copenhagen

2009-08-09T12:27:00.000+02:00

My passport book is just about full. I think I have one full page (front only) remaining and my passport is still valid for another 5 years! I know, nobody out there is shedding a tear for my predicament.

While I was in the US in June, I was going to send it off to the Chicago office to get pages added. But....it was a 4-6 week turnaround. Hmmm, I needed my passport in 3 weeks so I could return to Denmark, so that wasn't going to work.

And, I don't sit still long enough to wait endless weeks for additional pages. Options, what exactly are my options. Enter, the US Embassy in Copenhagen. Now, here's something to be happy about...a 10 day turnaround. Really.

Hmmm, do I have 2 weeks of no travel. Of course, August is completely open and I do have a photocopy of my passport and visa page if we get stopped while in the car.

So, as soon as we returned back from our summer holiday, I put the application and passport in an envelope and mailed it (registered) to the US Embassy in Copenhagen.

I mailed it on Monday, August 3 and by Friday, August 8 I had my passport back in my hands. Seriously. Now, that's service!

It's not the prettiest of amendments and I have a sneaky suspicion that border controls around the globe will be taking a second look. Oh well, now it's time to plan more travel!

Self scanning checkouts

2009-08-08T15:57:00.004+02:00

Early this morning, we decided to go to Bilka to 'pick up a few things.' Since A-Z underwent it's multi-million kroner expansion and renaming, the parking lot has been jam-packed. So, at 8:05, we (and 4 other cars) were ready to enter.

I've only been to one Bilka, so perhaps the others are like this. It's kind of like a Super Wal-mart in the states...with fewer choices, higher prices, no pharmacy, and not open 24 hours. And, our Bilka also has the food items separate from the non-food items; complete with two separate checkouts...almost like having the alcohol section separate from the grocery store in some US states. It's a bit of a pain in the butt and a total waste of time to stand in line twice (once with food items and once with non-food items)!

One check out was open in the food section at 8:30 when we were ready to check out and she was almost finished with her customer. However, this nice young lady asked us to use the self-check out machines. No problem. I actually like the self-check out systems in the states, so why not? Ah, spoke too soon.

Each time you scan something and place it in the bag on the right you hear the clunk of the scale 'registering' the item. If it's too light, like tortillas or bread, the computer thinks you just stole something, and freezes...which means a friendly Bilka staffer has to come over, swipe their card, enter a password and then let you finish. With our 15 items, our friendly Bilka staffer came over 3 times.

First, she blamed the fact that I brought my own bag. Come on, in this lovely green country, how can you blame me for adapting and being green too with my own recyclable canvas shopping bags. Then, she blamed Chuck for taking an item out of the bag after it had 'registered' the weight (it was a loaf of bread...which, I already established is too light to be registered). I just smiled and kept on scanning.

The Super Wal-mart version allows you the choice to 'Skip Bagging' which alleviates a lot of problems. If Bilka ever asks my opinion about why their self-check out systems aren't popular...I'll pass along a tip....a little trust goes a long way...disable the clunk of the scale and allow for 'Skip bagging.' Of course, I'd also question the decision to have two sets of registers.

Katie Melua concert

2009-08-03T21:47:00.009+02:00

We returned to our Denmark home after 24 days on the road. We had about an hour to unpack the car, get organized, changed, and ready to meet our friends for the Katie Melua concert. Such fun!

Our friend Anne organized the outing for us and bought the tickets almost a year ago. At least it seems like it's been about a year. It was open seating at the ampitheater and we were lucky enough to be standing at the front rail, front and center. Unobstructed view. Priceless for a height-challenged girl :)

Some pix....

Anne and Stephen...yes, that truly is front and center!

Even the warm up band was great! Local band, but can't remember their name.

Close. Real close.

I'm baaaaaack

2009-08-03T21:45:00.003+02:00

I've decided to grace Denmark with my presense for the next few weeks. The month of August may just be the only month that I've stayed put without straying too far.

Seriously, we only have one weekend trip to Kiel, Germany planned in all of August.

I might just go stir crazy.

Throwing Punches

2009-07-08T01:09:00.002+02:00

A few days ago we were on the German/Denmark border heading back to Denmark when we see a motorcycle's backwheel sliding left and a puff of smoke.

Chuck says, 'Whoa, did you see that? He almost went down.' This was followed by, see that black mark...that's from the motorcycle. Just as he finishes his sentence we both look up and in unison, 'holy crap.'

The guy on the motor cycle is now next to the car/minivan type thing and flipping off the guy and shouting something in German. Then, he leans in the window a bit and the car driver pulls him in a little. Huh? I would not be messing with a buff dude, dressed in black, with leather shin shields, riding a motorcycle.

The car driver put his vehicle in reverse and starts backing up. The motorcycle dude is straddling the bike, which is leaned up on the driver's side of the car. He's pumping his fist and looks like he's winding up to deliver a punch. I'm putting on the emergency flashers and telling Chuck to prepare to either back up or move over. We are NOT going to get involved in this.

And then, it happens. The motorcycle falls to the ground. Luckily the rider got his leg out before he was pulled over. A little help from the other motorcycle riders and the bike is back up (all the while yelling and screaming at the driver of the car/minivan). Vroom, vroom...a few tries and the motorcycle is moving again.

We get the red/yellow combo, then the turn right arrow. We're off. What the heck??!?!!? Neither one of these yahoos pulls off. If I was involved the last thing I would do is drive next to a) the dude I almost hit with my car...and almost punched my lights out or b) the dude in the car who almost put a nail in my coffin.

Where do you ask, was my camera? On the kitchen table waiting to be packed for the summer holiday. Oh, this would have made for some really good pictures, too. :-(

Why is it so darn hot here?

2009-07-03T15:11:00.000+02:00

I thought Danish weather was mild. Goodness, this weather does not fit the definition of 'mild.'

Actually, it's beautiful here - sunny with few clouds, definitely a sunglasses kind of a day. But, it's hot...and humid...and no breeze...and no air conditioning. I think I'll pass on sauna-sunday.

It could be worse....as in December, where it is dark, gloomy, and rainy!

Getting caught up on Movies!

2009-07-02T14:50:00.005+02:00

Ok, so I'm not very adventurous sometimes. I know there is a little movie theater in our town, but I'm not sure if they show movies in English or Danish or if they are even new releases. Blockbuster costs a fortune, so I've been movie-deprived...unless, of course, it's on TV, which means a no-go on new releases.

Starting with the flight to Beijing in April, I have been slowly but surely getting caught up on movies. During the Beijing flight and US flight, I managed to knock off several. My not-so sophisticated review....

Revolutionary Road - loved it!
Curious Case of Benjamin Button - not so much
The Reader - pretty good
Marley and Me - cute, but a no brainer
My Sister's Keeper - great movie, but the book is better
Slumdog Millionaire - not sure how it won so many awards
Mall Cop - cute, but a no brainer
The Changeling - pretty good
Gran Torino - loved it!
He's just not that into you - not so much
The Independent - not so much
Last Chance Harvey - ok
Four Christmasses - not so much
Milk - loved it!
Confessions of a Shopaholic - cute, but a no brainer
Role Model - ok

Here I am!

2009-07-01T13:03:00.002+02:00

I'm back in the land of sunny people and sunshine. Did you detect the sarcasm?

I managed to make my way from a little town in the Midwest to a little town in southern jutland, Denmark. I left my sister's house at 4:30pm on Monday and arrived at my Danish home at 4:45pm on Tuesday (9:45am midwest time).

Luckily, SAS overbooked the ORD-CPH (Chicago-Copenhagen) flight, so I was upgraded to business class and I didn't even have to use any miles! I usually book economy and then use points to upgrade to economy extra, but hey a free upgrade to business was a welcomed surprise.

On the flight to Denmark, I ended up sitting next to another woman who was recently married. We started chatting about what her husband does and wouldn't you know, he too is in the local government business... and I recognized his name, but never actually met him. Small world.

So, now I am back in Denmark and have a huge list of things to do. First on the list....the dreaded yard work. The bushes are completely overgrown and the weeds are standing about 1' high in the driveway. For a non-homeowner, I sure have a lot of home upkeep responsibilities.

Hej hej

And the hits keep coming

2009-06-25T14:51:00.000+02:00

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

In the good old U S of A

2009-06-23T19:09:00.002+02:00

Ahhh, there's something so comforting and welcoming about landing in Chicago and having the border agents say...'Welcome Home.' Love it!

My US itinerary was a little toooooo full this time around and I'm stateside for 3 weeks! Goodness. I'm going to have to relax when I get back to Denmark. Poor Chuck is stuck in DK working to pay for my endless shopping spree. Did you notice that the economy was picking up...about the time that I entered the country?

The Weak Dollar

2009-06-05T09:47:00.003+02:00

It is interesting the things you start watching, monitoring, and paying attention to as an expat.

Usually when we travel, we like to see a really strong dollar, so trip expenses are a little more palatable. However, when you get paid in Danish kroner and need to wire money back to the US bank account, you wait, watch, check, and hope that at some point the dollar will be weak.

Then, you pounce.

...and pounce, we did.

Once the transfer is complete, then the dollar can bounce back. It's all about timing.

Another Love Note from the Danish Post

2009-06-03T20:39:00.002+02:00

Gosh, I love this country! Where else would a country have time to photocopy the front and back of a letter to the US, scan it in, paste it into a document, assign a casenumber, let me (the foreigner) know that once again, I didn't follow the post office rules, and then post it???

Ahhh, the endless resources of a country that taxes its residents 50%.

First, my envelope was 1/4 of an inch too long. Now it is too small. At least I remembered to add the 8dkk ($1.50USD) postage to the darn thing.

Who knows if Jesse will get his birthday card?!?!

Too funny.

More to come...I promise

2009-05-29T16:39:00.001+02:00

Busy, busy, busy.

Enjoying the lovely Danish weather. Sunny, light breeze, cotton candy clouds, and no rain. Pure bliss.

Just a cold

2009-05-13T13:53:00.003+02:00

I know that I have been MIA for awhile. Between travel and now a cold, I have been laying low. Based upon the symptoms, it's not the H1N1 influenza (swine flu). But, like always, I try very hard to not expose others to my germs, so I am being a hermit for the next week or so. Only Chuck will get the pleasure of seeing me coughing and sneezing. Even then, he gets to do it from a distance and we sleep in separate parts of the house, hoping to stop the germ spread.

I'm a bit irritated that I managed to get sick. When H1N1 broke we had been in the sealed tin can (airplane) to Beijing, then on 4 more flights with constant washing hands, not touching anything, and using our spray hand sanitizer. I was thrilled that I managed to get through all those flights without any problems. Ahhh, not so fast.

Father in law sits next to 'snot boy' on an airplane from the Midwest to the East Coast. FIL gets sick, gives it to niece, niece gets sick, niece flies to Paris, gives it to me.

Hopefully this runaway germ train will stop with me.

In the meantime, I'll hangout with my nyquil and dayquil supplies (from the US), piles of tissues, and endless supply of water. Cheers!

Danish Mail

2009-05-03T15:16:00.005+02:00

I was going to blog about my little nasty-gram from the Danish post office, but my fellow blogging friend Tara just posted a similar experience.

So, instead, I will post a picture of what your floor will look like if you are gone for 18 days....

Yes, that is our mail. I had to step over it and gather it up before bringing in the luggage. It measured 13" high all stacked up!

The crazy thing is that there were only 8 pieces of actual 'good' mail: two letters from SKAT (the tax man), an anniversary card, a thank you card, Dansk bank letting Chuck know what I purchased (a plane ticket to Beijing), and 3 issues of the Copenhagen Post.

A little late....but Happy 13th wedding anniversary to us!

2009-05-01T19:57:00.004+02:00

On April 13, Chuck and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. As Dina, our guide in Beijing told us, 4 and 13 are very unlucky numbers....so being married on the 13th day of the 4th month and it has been 13 years, I guess we are doomed! Ha! I think very fondly of the number 13 (and Kelli, you do too, right?)

We didn't celebrate our anniversary on the 13th, but rather spent some time together traveling for the past several weeks. What fun!

What have we done in the past 13 years...

Lived in 3 states (all in the midwest)
Moved to Denmark
Both finished our bachelors and masters degrees
Enjoyed road trips to Florida, Colorado and New York
Hopped on a plane for many last minute, spur of the moment trips (thus, testing my ability to plan less, and be more spontaneous)
Travelled, travelled, and travelled some more (20 countries and counting)
Became Auntie Holly and Uncle Chuck
Became Godparents (one or both) to Alex, Stephi, and Lincoln
Made some amazing friends, reconnected with old friends, stayed in touch with life-long friends and....cut the cord with some moochy friends
Bought a house, sold a house; bought a house, sold a house
Received honors, awards, and patents
Became bloggers and facebookers
Continue to live life the best way we know how!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

It's been awhile....

2009-04-27T18:44:00.001+02:00

If you haven't noticed, I've been MIA for about a month. Actually, we have been traveling, so there's not much to report on life in Denmark. However, I hear I am missing out on some sunny blue sky weather!

Hop on over to the Travel blog, if you are interested in our adventures.

Ciao!

One year expat-iversary

2009-03-25T13:23:00.000+01:00

It's been about a year since we moved to our little town in southern Jutland, Denmark. We've gone through the expat cycle ("ooooh, awe, wow, cool," "get me the hell out of here," "it's not so bad," "We can do this"). I should note that this cycle isn't a one-time thing...most expats get the pleasure of revisiting the stages every so often!

What I like...

walking to the grocery store with my canvas tote bags
being a full time tourist
traveling around Europe is so quick and easy
driver etiquette on the highways (left lane is for passing, otherwise stay in right lane)
the temperate weather and no snow (a dusting 3 times a year doesn't count as snow)
not having to work...I could get used to the stay-at-home-wife concept!
our new friends from soooo many different countries
catching up on the pile of books that were collecting dust (those 65-70 hour work weeks got in the way)
I love Chuck's new work-life balance and my life-life balance ;)
baking and cooking from scratch
green grass all year and that wonderful misting like you're walking through the produce section at the grocery store
softice ice cream, that lovely blend of dairy queen soft serve ice cream and frozen cool whip
our garden and green house, complete with an apple tree, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, raspberries

What I will probably never get used to...

the darn Danish vowels and their 'distinctive' sounds
gray skies and little sunshine
not tipping (well, not our usual generous tipping) - More than once, we've been chased down outside a restaurant in Europe and we get a grin from ear to ear and a 'thank you so much, have a great evening.' We look at each other and chuckle....hmmm, I guess they don't tip here.
those silly 6', 7', 8' high hedges around almost everyone's property - man alive, interaction and communication with others is actually a good thing (coming from a friendly girl from the midwest)
the high price of everything
being charged for a glass of tap water at a restaurant

What I can't wait to leave behind...

the endless episodes of Friends and that 70's show
Big Baby Blue; I.really.do.not.like.her. Not.one.bit.
most danish food (smørrebrød, rugbrød, and anything fishy) - yuck, but then again, I'm a very picky eater
all the exchange rates and the constant calculations in my head to US dollars - I feel like a human calculator....who ever said you wouldn't use math after high school, pshhh.
all the dog poop on the sidewalks - goodness people, it's disgusting
the constant effort to try and break through barriers
the piles and piles of junk mail and store advertisements that spew onto the floor 2-3 times a week

What comforts from the US that I miss...

pedicures, plain and simple
a quick shopping spree to Target, actually any shopping spree :)
yummy Mexican food and salsa
going out to dinner and not kringing when the bill arrives
having the option to whip up a quick meal or doctor a boxed meal....oh those wonderful US convenience items

My 'What I like' list is pretty long and much longer than the 'What I can't wait to leave behind' list. Not too shabby.

Year 2, here we come!

A kept woman...according to Dansk Bank

2009-03-24T08:44:00.005+01:00

My banking woes continue. Actually, this is just one of those shake your head, roll your eyes, and laugh moments.

First, the bank didn't want to give me a debit card, then a credit card. With the help of a Dane, that was fixed. Now....

Let me preface this with...we don't receive any bank statements or credit card statements. It's all through Dansk Bank, so we have everything electronic and charges are automatically deducted. It's a pretty nice system and it's great to eliminate all that paper!

However, anytime I use the credit card (my CVS security code is different from Chuck's so they can tell when I use the card versus him unlike our US cards where the code is the same), Chuck gets a letter from Dansk Bank informing him of my spending habits - date, store, description, amount. Seriously, the letter is addressed to him and only includes my transactions.

It's just too funny.

Taxes

2009-03-23T21:46:00.006+01:00

Ah, yes. That title probably makes everyone kringe, just a bit. But, someone has to pay for the $165 million retention bonus checks to the AIG execs.

Lesson learned: If you're moving to a foreign country you need to time the move so in a tax year you meet the bona fide residence requirement (living in the foreign country for 330 days in the calendar year). If you don't meet this requirement, then you get to pay a nice chunk of change to the US government....in addition to the taxes paid in the foreign country. Joy! Although, if you still have a house in the US / other deductions, Schedule A will help; but for DINKs (double income no kids) that sold everything, there's no hope :(

As you can assume from the sarcasm, we did not meet the bona fide residence requirement. So, I had to write out a nice fat check to the AIG execs, err, I mean US government. On the upside, I know more about form 1116 than I ever wanted to! We also had to fill out a foreign bank account form, which is a little too 'big brother' for me. I'll patiently wait for the other shoe to drop and the request for taxes on that, too. Hmph.

As an aside....the word for taxes in danish is SKAT, which is the same as honey/sweetheart. Too funny

The ever changing weather in Denmark

2009-03-12T09:13:00.001+01:00

About a month ago, a blanket of snow covered our little town. To my midwest friends, I use the term "blanket" as in a light dusting that melted within a few hours. Here are some shots of the "blanket" at its thickest point. Again, I know....the snow in Denmark is nothing like snow in the midwest...and particularly the snowfalls of 2008 and 2009.

A few days later, it's as if spring has arrived. I saw a UFO....the sun....it's been so long since the sun has graced me with its presense. It's so much fun to pull out the sunglasses when heading out for a walk. So, a week after the snowstorm, the sun is out and the flowers are in bloom.

Spring. Spring. Spring. Sun. Sun. Sun. Welcome!

Yummy mexican food

2009-03-09T15:09:00.006+01:00

I'm sure I've commented before about the high prices of just about everything in Denmark and the difficult time I have finding some cooking ingredients. I haven't been able to find refried beans in Denmark, but on occasion, Citti in Germany carries them. A small can of refried beans is 2.67 Euro or roughly $3.50 USD. That same can is under $1 in the US.

I always cringe a bit when I put them in the cart, but in the end, we love Mexican food and fajitas and burritos just aren't the same without refried beans. The last 3 visits to Citti yielded NO refried beans. They've been 'out' or perhaps no longer carry them because I was the only one buying them. So.....

...today I made homemade refried beans. They were extremely easy to make, but did require some planning. For the other expats out there that love refried beans, here's what I did...in narrative form.

Sort 1 bag of red beans or pinto beans, picking out the bad ones and any stones. Soak beans in a big bowl of water over night.

Over low/medium heat simmer beans in a pot on the stove for 1.5 hours. Add 1 tablespoon each of granulated garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper. Boil for another 1 hour or so. Boil until the beans are soft and fall apart. Check on the beans occasionally and add water as needed.

Once the beans are cooked, drain most of the water out of the pan and mash the beans. With the beans in the pan, I had about an inch of water in the bottom. You want just enough water so the beans don't dry out as you mash them. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and stir.

When you're ready to serve them, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and heat. Add the beans and 'refry' them. You can also stir in onion or jalapeno.

Spring forward....in a few weeks

2009-03-05T08:52:00.003+01:00

The US 'springs forward' and observes Daylight Savings Time this weekend (March 8). In Denmark, we don't 'spring forward' until March 29.

For the next few weeks, the time difference will be 6 hours. When it is noon in the midwest, it will be 6pm in Denmark.

Mummenschanz

2009-03-03T17:12:00.006+01:00

Last month at the Newcomers event, I won tickets to see Mummenschanz. For some reason, I kept thinking it was going to be a mime show. You know, the white face painted guys with exaggerated expressions that are struggling to get out of the glass box, 'running' against the wind, trying to pull a heavy object...mime show stuff. I think the only similarities between Mummenschanz and a mime show was that they were both silent. Here's a quick 30 second clip on youtube of Mummenschanz.

Mummenschanz is a Swiss pantomime troupe of 4 people (2 women, 2 men) that uses props and masks. They have been around since the 1970s and were even featured on the Muppet show! It was a very good show and I can see why they've been around for over 30 years....and the auditorium was full!

Here are some pictures from the show (borrowed from various 'stock' pictures online as I didn't bring my camera).

Feeling the Pinch

2009-02-28T19:24:00.003+01:00

The Thursday mail drop at 8:30am usually contains the Copenhagen Post, which is the Danish news in English. There are some good articles; many are funny; and several get the 'huh?' award. This week, the front page, above the fold, article was Prostitutes feeling economic pinch.

It is just so sad to read that many of the prostitutes now have to resort to a 'side job' and many of the clients aren't paying for luxury 'extras.' (sarcasm).

I don't know if I should be comforted that people are cutting back on paid sexual pleasures for, say, ummm food or if I should feel bad that these poor ladies now have to work two 'jobs' to keep up their lifestyle. hmmmm.

Just when I thought it was over

2009-02-18T21:37:00.003+01:00

After spending the better part of February with the ever-popular and dreaded seasonal cold...first Chuck, then me...now it looks like round 2 for Chuck. This also means, I get to look forward to round two; unless, of course, I send him to a hotel for the duration of his cold. I'm kidding.

I still have a pretty good supply of wonderful OTC cold meds on hand from the US, but I truly didn't expect to have to pull them out of the cupboard so soon. And, for the record Panodil (local version of Tylenol) does nothing for me. They might as well be sugar pills; actually those might be enjoyable if they were made of sugar.

All is quiet on the homefront

2009-02-07T12:03:00.004+01:00

I'm beginning to think that Scandinavians just sleep away December-March. It is sooooo quiet right now. Although, the darkness in the early evening hours, does make it difficult to do things outdoors (even with the street lights on). I wonder if kids here have the same rule of having to be home when the street lights come on, like many of my friends that lived in cities.

The Newcomers Club (and get togethers with friends) is keeping us busy. Last week the Newcomers Club played Bingo (Pot, as it is called in Denmark). Our table of Peter, Chuck, Maja, and me won all 5 games. Peter won the first two, I won the second two, and Maja won the last game. How funny and what a coincidence! My big prize was two tickets to a mime show in March. We had planned on going to the show anyway, so this was just a little bonus. Woohoo!

Hansen Brauerei

2009-02-06T16:41:00.001+01:00

I forgot the camera. What a shame, it would have been a great place for pictures.

A few weeks ago we went to this great little microbrewery in Flensburg, Germany called Hansen Brauerei to celebrate with our good friend Anne. Congrats on so many levels and for so many things. 2009 is truly your year!

I usually don't go to bars because of my heightened sensitivity to secondhand smoke, but imagine my surprise when I found out that Hansen Brauerei was smokefree. Too cool.

You can buy a meter of beer which arrives on a long boat oar with a hollowed out trough that holds about 12 or so glasses of beer. Although, it did look a bit silly to see this meter of beers down the middle of the table with only two guys drinking! It was probably a good thing I didn't have a camera to document it.

My little Danish Experiment

2009-01-27T13:03:00.004+01:00

It's not really an experiment, more like an observation...although, I could probably turn it into some sort of PhD thesis.

On my daily walk, I always say 'mojn' and smile to whomever I meet on the sidewalk. Usually, the passerby just looks straight down or straight ahead and doesn't acknowledge me. Then, I threw out my white tennis shoes that screamed foreigner and now have a cool pair of grey and light blue New Balance tennies...to help me 'blend in' just a bit. I'm sure that's not really the case, but again, another observation.

Each day, I keep tabs on the number of people I meet on the sidewalk and who returns a 'mojn.' I've had some really good days where 9/10 or 6/8 return the greeting and some really crummy days where 0/8 or 1/10 return the greeting.

So, no matter how many times I smile and say 'mojn' I don't think the folks in my little town will ever warm up to someone not born and raised in this little town. Oh well, I'll keep my little midwestern hospitality flowing and maybe a few will at least smile back.

BTW, there is one older lady with a walker that I see quite often and she always returns the greeting. Little does the lady know that her smile totally makes my day!

TV Lineup

2009-01-27T09:32:00.000+01:00

Here are some of the shows on TV in Denmark

Felicity (1998-2002)
M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
Home Improvement (1991-1999)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
House (we just saw the April 2007 episode 18)
Grey's Anatomy (we saw the May 2008 episode 16)
Friends (1994-2004)
Frasier (1993-2004)
Murder she wrote
Popular (1999-2001)
Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
Average Joe the reality series (the one with Adam)

I'm avoiding reading any spoilers on Grey's Anatamy, Private Practice or House....so don't go spoiling it for me!

Planet Earth

2009-01-24T15:29:00.001+01:00

If you haven't seen the Planet Earth series, you must. It's really spectacular. Here is one of my favorite clips.

Planet Earth: Birds of Paradise. @ Yahoo! Video

It's a Beautiful Day...

2009-01-20T13:25:00.003+01:00

Is the U2 song playing in your head right now?

It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day

I'm watching CNN right now as thousands and thousands of US citizens (they are expecting 2 million) fill the National Mall in Washington, DC. You can almost feel the energy and excitement through the TV. Several friends are in DC and I am so envious; I would *love* to be there right now. This is an amazing and impressive time to witness the transition of power in the White House, coupled with the historic moment of the first African American as our President of the United States.

As a US citizen and as a public servant, Its a beautiful day....

more snow pictures...

2009-01-08T15:10:00.003+01:00

Babs,

This one is for you. Here's a pic of Chuck's dad trying to dig out his airplane hanger!

A little snow

2009-01-06T08:29:00.014+01:00

On Sunday evening we received 1.5 centimeters (about a half inch) of snow in southern Jutland, Denmark. On Monday, the kids were out all bundled in their snowsuits pulling their sleds along in search of a 'big hill' to sled down. Chuck told me that the snow was a big topic of discussion at work and how this is the first time in about 3 years that the snow 'stuck' and because it's supposed to be chilly all week, it should stick around.

Back in our hometown, they have 1.5 meters (60 inches) of snow. Our parents and friends are tired of shoveling snow and just wish they could have a little break...it has snowed just about every day for the past few weeks! This would have been a good year to buy a snowblower!

So, to some they are cheering for 1.5 centimeters (would like a little more) and want it to stick around. To others, they'd love for the 1.5 meters to just melt and go away!

Southern Jutland, Denmark (January 2009)

A little dusting of snow won't slow this local down. BTW, he's driving his motorized scooter down the middle of the road.

The local watering hole for the birds had a thin layer of ice this morning. Even the fountain had icicle shards.

Midwest, USA (January 2009)

Check out those snowbanks! Photo credit: Chuck's parents.

The fresh snow 'coating' on the bench looks like more than our 1.5 centimeters! Photo credit: Chuck's parents

Mailing a package to the US

2009-01-02T23:06:00.003+01:00

I'm hoping to get some feedback from the other expats....

About 2 weeks ago, I sent my lovely hubby to the post office with a small box to ship to the US. I gave him a list of the contents and value and told him he'd probably have to fill out a customs form.

I was quite shocked when he said he handed the postal lady the box and 200dkk, said tak and away he went. No customs forms, itemized list with values, nothing. Is this the norm or did our postal lady send our box into a big black whole?

Needless to say, the package as yet to arrive in the US.

Thoughts or experiences to share?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T21:31:00.003+01:00

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I need to get out a little more, aside from my daily walks, because I don't have anything fun or exciting to write about.

We've been traveling and will continue to travel for the next few weeks, so you can check out our latest adventures on the travel blog.

Until next time...happy holidays!

It was just a matter of time.

2008-12-24T16:04:00.002+01:00

Several years ago I watched the movie The Prince and Me starring actress Julia Stiles. She plays a young woman at (what appears to be) UW-Madison and is smitten with a lad from Denmark (who turns out the be the prince). At the time, I didn't commit to memory that Edvard (Eddie) was from Denmark, just that he was a prince from some European country.

Fastforward 3 or 4 years and here we sit on Christmas Eve in Denmark watching of all things...The Prince and Me, complete with Danish subtitles. There are a few scene that were shot in Denmark, particularly in Copenhagen and at Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød, Denmark (both places I've visited).

Yes, the movie is filled with inaccuracies. So, don't go sending me anonymous comments that Denmark doesn't have a King, Danes aren't that shallow, the Ratskellar is not the real Ratskellar at UW-Madison, blah, blah, blah. It's a movie, i.e. a work of fiction.

I'm back - well, I've been back for a few weeks

2008-12-22T23:03:00.003+01:00

I returned from the US, despite some crummy flights, a few weeks ago. I always have a hard time adjusting to springing forward 7 hours. If anyone has any 'tricks' I'd love to hear them. I've tried staying up late while still in the US to get closer to DK time, sleeping on the flight to DK, not sleeping on the flight to DK, eating, not eating, alcohol, no alcohol, and so far no success. I thought I was on to something this trip and I slept well for the first 3 nights and now I'm on a 00:30 - 7:30 schedule. Maybe I only need 7 hours of sleep?!?!

We were fortunate to experience the Christmas markets this past weekend in Dresden, Germany and we stopped near Magdeburg to see the 'water bridge,' which has been dubbed an engineering marvel and made the email circuit a few months ago. I'm just finishing up the slideshow, so it should be posted on the travel blog by Tuesday and then Athens should be posted after the first of the year. Hopefully we can avoid the brick-throwing rioters while we are there!

It's nice to be back in DK. Rainy, windy days are ok and the occasional burst of sunshine is an added bonus. And, it is much better than the alternative....below zero wind chills and 12" of snow to shovel!

Sunrise...sunset...

2008-12-22T15:21:00.006+01:00

Nope. This picture was taken at high noon on Friday, December 19, 2008.

On the shortest day of the year (December 21) here were the stats:
Sunrise: 8:44am
Sunset: 3:55pm
Temp: 43 degrees

Saying I was 'thrilled' to see the SUN is an understatement. I quickly put on my tennis shoes and went for a walk with my sunglasses on...and my raincoat, just in case it was a short-lived sunshine.

Brief Hiatus

2008-11-26T04:44:00.001+01:00

....while I'm in the US visiting family. So, no posts for a few weeks, unless Chuck commandeers my site for awhile.

I do miss some things....

2008-11-16T21:16:00.007+01:00

...most of all SNL. It's a good thing that clips are available online. Now if only I could find whole episodes that play outside of the US.

**UPDATE: It seems my link to the SNL episode was removed from the internet. I'll have to find it somewhere else. Here's a slightly modified version from YouTube. I'm beginning to think that JT is upstaging Ms. B.

Shopping and Dinner in the 'Big City'

2008-11-12T23:01:00.004+01:00

Earlier this week we decided to head into the 'big city' to do a little souvenier shopping (I head to the US soon) and have dinner at a lovely little Thai restaurant. Chuck called and made reservations for 6:30, which I think is still a little early by European eating standards. Hey, we're getting better...we used to eat at 5pm in the midwest!

We shopped at a few stores on the pedestrian street. After picking up a few things, I went into one of the grocery stores to pick up some chocolates, while Chuck finished paying at the previous store. I was standing in line and the guy (30 ish, not real cute) standing in front of me kept winking and smiling at me. Then in one fell swoop, he winks and then reaches for a package of extra thin for her pleasure condoms. Smmmooooooth. I almost died of laughter. Even funnier was the look on the guy's face when Chuck walked up to me. Although, who knows maybe this guy's thing is to pick up condoms at the grocery store....and he has a whole drawer full at home.

Next stop A-Z. We're standing in line at the cashier and the couple in front of us purchased some dog toy thing that didn't have a price tag on it, so the cashier needed to do a price check. I always check for price tags, only because I get embarrassed for holding up the line...but we're never in a hurry, so I really don't care anymore. The guy behind me (who is standing way too close for my comfort) moves in a bit closer, just in case a fly might be able to pass in the 1" space between us. I give Chuck one of those "help me, I'm really uncomfortable here" looks. He looks at the guy and gives him a nod to signify, "dude, back away from my wife." Well, the dude suddenly starts humming a tune or two or three. Keep in mind, it's been 5 minutes of this as they are price checking the dog toy. As we walk out to the car, Chuck says, "Was he humming?" Uh, yep!

Final stop, the Thai Restaurant. We walked in a bit early and we were the only ones there. So, of course the first 5 minutes of chatting as we read our menus is how funny it would be if we had reservations and no one else was in the restaurant while we were there. By the time we left around 8ish, the restaurant was full. So our little comments about how funny a post would be...blah, blah, blah...really didn't matter. The food was tasty, the view of the harbor is amazing and the service is great.

Still tourists?

2008-11-11T18:29:00.001+01:00

Chuck and I have been struggling with the concept of "are we tourists or are we members of the community?" It's a tough concept that we've never had to deal with in our lives. Chuck has only ever lived in the US and my stints in Mexico were rather short in duration and between age 19-21, so that experience really isn't the same as what we're experiencing as 30-somethings.

At what point do we go from being tourists in Denmark to being productive members of our new community? Is it after we've mastered Danish? Once we know how to get to the grocery store, shoe store, doctor's office? Once we've met our neighbors? Once we have some Danish friends?

I can only imagine that these are the same questions that foreigners have when they enter the United States. For me, living abroad has opened my eyes and made me more aware of what it's like to be different; yeah, I know a little heavy and probably a bit too deep for this post!

We've been here 7+ months now. I definitely don't feel like a tourist. There are days when the US drama has me extremely grateful that I'm 5000 miles away...and those are the same days that I feel like I blend in, in Denmark (although I need to get my hands on some non-white tennis shoes)! We still haven't mastered Danish and I don't think our pronounciation will ever pass the test, but we're trying. I joke that I'll communicate with pen and paper!

As an aside, I recently noticed that only non-Danes wear white tennis shoes. Danes wear more earthy colors like browns, blues, grays. So, if my little town didn't already know I was a foreigner...my cute white New Balance tennis shoes have sealed the deal!

Disappearing letters

2008-11-08T15:42:00.003+01:00

There was a short article in the Copenhagen Post last week that said Danish linguists are worried that the letter 'R' is being lost in the Danish language. Of course, I had to chuckle a bit. I decided to test this on a few Danes we know (they were a little inebriated, so it was a tad unfair).

I was telling some Danes about the article and they were quick to say, no, that's not true. We say our R's. I changed the subject a bit and tell them we're going to Ribe for the weekend. As usual, I get an odd look because I don't pronounce anything correctly in Danish. Well, I think I pronounce words correctly, but for some reason, I always get corrected.

One of the Danes says oh, so you're going to Libe. Being sober (and 2am) I say, huh, I think you just dropped the r. He thinks and restates, I say that I'm going til libe (smooshing til Ribe together so the r falls out). He blushes. It was an 'awe shucks' moment.

Because we're learning Danish, I'd also like to point out that not only is the R lost, but so is the G, and the D.

The price of gas (diesel) update

2008-11-05T10:54:00.002+01:00

At a gas station outside of Ribe, Denmark this weekend we saw diesel for 7.71 a liter. So, about $5.03 USD per gallon.

In our little town we paid 8.09 per liter, so $5.27 USD per gallon.

Oh, how things have changed. When we arrive 7 months ago, the exchange rate was horrible and gas was high. We were paying about $8.50 USD per gallon.

Concert - Sabine Meyer

2008-11-04T21:24:00.002+01:00

On Sunday afternoon we met some friends for drinks and then walked over to a nearby concert hall to listen to Sabine Meyer with a trio of clarinets and a huge barrel organ (which was impressive in its own right). Sabine Meyer is a world renown clarinet soloist. The concert was very contemporary and had some moments of circus-type music, but it was quite enjoyable.

Ms. Meyer was very impressive. Throughout her career she has faced the horrid glass ceiling because of her gender. If anything gets me going it's gender inequities. Equal pay, equal opportunity, the same expectations as male counterparts, unwelcome sexual harrassment, inappropriate comments...I could go on.

Back on topic, it was quite enjoyable to listen to Ms. Meyer. I really enjoyed her solos and would love to hear her classical work in the future.

Reservations

2008-11-04T15:36:00.001+01:00

We've had this happen a few times, so I thought it was time to post it.

A few months ago, Chuck and a colleague from the US decided to go out to dinner in a nearby town. They arrived early (by European standards) around 5:30pm and walked into an empty restaurant. Chuck didn't make reservations because it was a weekday and it wasn't the dinner rush time. So, he asked if they had a table for 2. Of course, says the server, but you have to be done in 2 hours. Ok, no problem (but wondering why because no one was in the restaurant). They sit down, figure out what they are going to order and the server comes over to say they need to be done in 1 hour and that obviously isn't enough time to order, eat, and enjoy a meal. So, they get up and leave. Off to find someplace else to eat.

BTW, service standards in Denmark are not at the same level as the US. It takes a long time to get seated, even longer to place an order and longer yet to get drinks served. But, I think we're spoiled in the US by getting instantaneous service and constant attention / refills.

While in Ribe this past weekend we decided to go out for dinner. It was definitely the off season and while there were some people mulling around during the day, it's not as if Ribe was overrun with tourists. We walked down to the pub restaurant in our hotel and noticed 3 of the 30+ tables were taken and 2 other tables at 'reserved' signs on them. We asked if they had a table for 2. The server said, "uh, maybe in 20 minutes, come back then."

Lesson learned. In the US, we would just walk into a restaurant and ask for a table. Even if the place was packed, they would try to accomodate a paying customer. The only time we made reservations was 1) for a party of 6 or more 2) on a Friday or Saturday night 3) at a fancy restaurant 4) a new restaurant. In Denmark, ALWAYS make reservations. Is this a subtle way of saying no thanks to foreigners? Is this a tactic used to limit the amount of customers? Is this a way to decrease the amount of work?

Oh well. Lesson learned.

Mentor Program

2008-10-27T08:49:00.006+01:00

Through Chuck's employer, we are part of a mentor program. The program pairs the newdane couple/family with a Danish couple/family. We get together with our mentor family every few months and they are a great asset to have in Denmark. Twice a year all the newdanes and Danes get together for some organized events.

In August we were at a beautiful efterskole facility surrounded by water. We had a potluck type picnic and played a great 'star game' with trivia (my favorite!) and there was kayaking and canoeing available too.

In October they organized a Cooks run Amuk event at a private school that had several kitchen stations. We were divided into groups of about 4 and each group was given a different recipe, the ingredients, some instruction, and a glass of wine (or two).

Chuck, Christine, Steen and I were in charge of the Pumpkin and Leek soup, which, I must say was quite tasty. We were given a whole pumpkin and had to scoop out the seeds and toast them as a snack, and then dice the rest of the pumpkin for use in the soup.

Other items on our menu were asian shrimp and noodle appetizer, fresh bread, chicken cutlets, chicken with sundried tomatoes (very yummy!!), roasted veggies, broccoli salad, and apple pie.

It was a great event and could easily be adapted for a team building event in a corporation.

Topping out party

2008-10-25T16:23:00.002+02:00

We attended our very first topping out party since arriving in DK. Our friend and her husband are building a home in the area and it is a tradition to have a party.

It's actually a tradition "rejsegilde" that dates back to the 1550s. The new homeowner gives a party for the architect, masons, roofers, and other workers (and friends and family) once the home has walls, roof, and the windows are installed.

A wreath is placed on the roof of the house, there are a few speeches and then the house is 'christened.' Afterward friends and family get to tour the home in its 'roughed in phase', eat and drink, and have a nice time chatting.

We walked through the house, which was amazing. Architectually, it fits in perfect on the lot and the backyard abuts a forest preserve. The house is very 'green' with a solar panel roof and radiant heated floors (via geothermal heating). So cool. For our builder friends, we took some pictures that you might be interested in. I'll send you a private link.

We were told this is the traditional gift, a bottle of wine and the Danish flag. The new homeowners are supposed to take the flag and add it to the wreath on top of the house.

Talk about excitement for a Friday evening!

Foundation for a better life

2008-10-25T13:28:00.002+02:00

I'm not sure if these are broadcast in the USA, but we get them during our CNN broadcast. The first ones we saw were during our 3 week trip this summer, but we've since seen quite a few of the commercials.

The Foundation for a Better Life is a non profit. Funding is provided by a family that wishes to remain anonymous and they do not accept donations. Their mission is to encourage positive values and actions and to remind people that they are accountable for those actions. "An individual who takes responsibility for his or her actions will take care of his or her family, job, community, and country" [taken from here].

Here's a link to the website and here's my favorite clip....or two favorites.

Snakes at the Grocery store??

2008-10-25T13:22:00.003+02:00

WTH? We stopped at Citti grocery store, the 'big' grocery store that carries international food, and down the center aisle as you head into the grocery store are huge cages....filled with snakes. Big ones.

I hate snakes. Really. Why would they do this?

bump returned ballot

2008-10-22T20:29:00.002+02:00

So much for getting our ballots on their journey across the pond. Once again they were returned. So, back to the post office for the THIRD time.

Parking ticket gasp

2008-10-21T18:16:00.003+02:00

In Denmark, we have these little round disk clocks on the passenger side windshield of the car, that we're supposed to set, when parking in public areas or on the street. You're supposed to set the clock when you arrive and then you need to return 2 hours later or be greeted with a parking ticket.

Bad assumption #1: The clock thingy is only required for public lots and on street parking.
Bad assumption #2: The fine can't be that bad.
Bad assumption #3: We forgot and have the receipt from Fotex, so we should get some leniency, right?

To all you Danes and fellow expats, I can hear you laughing at me.

Yes. After 25 minutes of parking in the Fotex parking lot, which who knows...maybe it is also a public lot, we received a 500dkk ticket. YES $100 USD. That's one expensive trip to the 'big town' to pick up some groceries.

And, apparently Fotex is a common place for folks to get tickets. The government outsourced the enforcement of parking, so obviously there is an incentive for issuing many, many, many tickets. The government gets a portion for the fine and the private company gets their cut.

Ah, welcome to Denmark. I think I've officially passed the "I'm no longer a tourist" test and am doing my duty as a resident to contribute to the economy.

Voting ballot is (finally) in the mail

2008-10-20T09:09:00.003+02:00

Tuesday 8:45am - We received our absentee ballot for overseas voters.

Thursday 4:00pm - We unfolded the large ballot, drew in our black lines to connect the pieces of the arrow (signifying a vote), signed the ballot, had a witness sign as verification, stuffed the envelope and stopped at the post office for postage to mail it back to the US.

Friday 8:45am. We receive both of our ballots back in the mail. Hmmm. I look at the ballot and discover that postage was affixed on the wrong side of the envelope. Maybe it is just our municipality, but there is writing on both sides of the envelope and you actually place the stamps ON THE BACK of the envelope where you seal it.

Friday 3:30pm - Chuck walks up to the post office and politely tells the mail lady that she placed the stamps on the wrong side of the envelope, so we need to mail it again. We're prepared to pay another 17dkk (about $3 to mail the ballots back). She smiles and says it was her mistake, so she puts the postage on (again) and places them in the outgoing mail.

Saturday 8:40am - My ballot is returned again *sigh*.

Monday 8:45am - No returned ballots, so maybe they started their 5000 mile commute to the Midwest.

No Hablo Danish (I don't speak Danish)

2008-10-12T23:54:00.003+02:00

I've given up on the organized Danish classes. It's more of a social hour than an educational class. I'm sure the method used works for some people, but I left class frustrated.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hanne, our Danish tutor. She was fabulous and made us work hard. Her 'teaching method' was in line with how I learn a foreign language. So, I'm back to learning on my own. I'll have to find a Dane to agree to be my friend / tutor and help me with the speaking part of Danish.

Maybe I can bake goodies in exchange for a few cups of tea and good Danish / English conversation. Or, I'm pretty fluent in Spanish, so I could trade learning Spanish for learning Danish.....Any takers?

Back from the dead

2008-10-09T13:07:00.002+02:00

Ahhh, I'm finally back from the dead. I hate getting colds and with sinuses that never quit, I just want the whole thing to be over with...quick! I probably have my mom's side of the family to thank for hyperactive sinuses.

We're heading to Brussels for a long weekend getaway. It's on our official travel "To Do" list. For those that know me really well....stop laughing...I have lists for everything so this shouldn't surprise you!

The dreaded cold

2008-09-30T20:22:00.002+02:00

Thanks to my husband, I now have his crummy cold. I was doing so well without getting any germs...but sadly my little healthy bubble burst yesterday.

Sore throat, no voice, burning eyes - do I sounds like a commercial for Nyquil? Aside from the nasty flavor (and the artifical cherry flavor doesn't mask the icky memories of drunkeness by Jagermeister), this is by far my cold drug of choice.

It's a good thing I brought some cold medicine and a few other pharmacy necessities back with me from the US because our little Danish apotek is nothing like the cold/flu aisle at Wally World (Wal-mart) or Target (said with a French accent).

Have you registered to vote?

2008-09-29T12:55:00.004+02:00

To all my fellow American expats...

Please remember to register to vote with an absentee ballot
Go to http://www.fvap.gov/
It is relatively easy and painless.

To those of you living in the US that have yet to register to vote...

Find out what you need to do to register to vote.
Go to http://www.declareyourself.com/voting_faq/voting_faq.html
And hop to it! In most states, you need to register at least 30 days before Election Day, November 4, 2008

Dinner and a movie

2008-09-27T11:48:00.002+02:00

A few weeks ago Chuck asked if I wanted to go out to dinner and then see "the play, Metropolis" with some people he recently met. Sure, why not; that sounds like fun.

Imagine my surprise when I'm thinking play (as in Broadway show) and it turns out to be a black and white movie, oh a silent movie, from the 1920s. There was an orchestra, choir, and soloist (almost like an opera singer) that performed in conjunction with the film.

Chuck typically leaves out important details, so I've come to expect just about anything and go with the flow. The silent movie depicted the struggles between the employees/worker bees and the elite owners in capitalism. It was actually quite good. The soloist was very good as was the choir. The orchestra and arrangement was a little sloppy, but overall it was pretty good. There were a few times when the movie was out of sync with the music...kind of like when an actor's lips are moving but the words are delayed by a few seconds.

Just call me Marta

2008-09-24T09:36:00.000+02:00

...That's Marta as in the Martha Stewart of Denmark...

I still had quite a few tomatoes from the garden and a bunch of basil from the greenhouse, so I made some homemade spaghetti sauce for dinner last night. No pictures, but it sure was tasty.

Chuck loves homemade jam. A really good friend of ours makes some fantastic jam. Last year Chuck would return an empty jam container and flash his pearly whites for a refill. Too bad they don't live closer! So, this year, I'm making jam and jelly.

Grape freezer jelly with grapes from our greenhouse was first on the list. Up next blackberry and strawberry.

Learning to cross the street

2008-09-17T13:16:00.001+02:00

On my morning walk, I saw a bunch of little kids (her face is blurred out for a reason...she doesn't really look like that!), probably about 4-5 years old with these cute little colorful hats on that say something like "I'm learning to cross the street." They were learning how to look both ways before crossing the street and driveways. There were adults strategically placed along a stretch of sidewalk near street crossings and driveways. The little kid would approach, stop, look both ways, take a step, look again, and then cross.

One little boy on his long stretch between crossing the street and the next crossing (near an adult) decided to pick up rocks and put them in his pocket. Oh, mom will be so proud! Another little boy decided that walking was too easy, so he decided to march.

To set a good example, I looked both ways when crossing a driveway or minor side street. I wouldn't want to be a bad influence on these impressionable little tykes.

I'm not sure if Danish law gives the right of way to cars or pedestrians (I should probably find out); however in practice, I've found that pedestrians need to be extra vigilant to keep safe. Drivers may acknowledge (with direct eye contact) you are in the crosswalk or about to enter the crosswalk, but that does NOT mean you can walk. I think it is their way of saying, "I see you, now stay put until I leave."

Danish Business Culture

2008-09-14T15:44:00.002+02:00

I found this interesting. A link to the full text is below.

Business Customs and Appointments

Advance appointments are required
Punctuality is a must; it is considered rude to be late.
Danes work shorter hours than Americans. The standard work week is 37 hours.
Mandatory vacation is five weeks plus up to five more days per year plus local holidays.
At least three weeks are taken during the summer.
School summer vacation is from about June 20th to about August 8th, and generally, business is slow in that period as many executives are out of the office. Some companies are even completely closed.
It is not advisable to schedule business meetings or other business activities in Denmark from late June to early August, from December 20th – January 5th, or during the week of Easter.
Danes treasure their leisure time, most of which is spent with their families.
Businesspersons should not routinely expect to meet with their Danish counterparts after 4:00pm on weekdays.
On Fridays, many Danes leave early, generally around 3:00pm.
Do not plan meetings for Saturdays, Sundays, or on national holidays.
Danes shake hands both for greetings upon arrival and departure from a meeting.
Unlike in the United States, men do not stand when a woman enters or leaves a room.
Virtually all Danish businesspeople have a good working knowledge of English, and interpreters are rarely required.
Business gifts are not a normal custom in Denmark.
Handshakes (with men and women) are the accepted form of greeting.

...taken from http://www.buyusa.gov/denmark/en/danish_business_culture.html

Armadillos

2008-09-14T11:50:00.005+02:00

While I was in the US, I bought Chuck some new Armadillo bike tires. The bike path he takes to and from work tends to be littered with broken glass, so he went through his entire supply of tubes in just a few months. His tires were about 3 years old, with many many many miles, so it was time for some new ones. He wanted Armadillo bike tires because like an Armadillo's tough outer shell, these are supposed to be tougher and virtually puncture resistant.

Apparently, he was trying to explain his new bike tires to some Danes and it wasn't translating well. According to my translator, Armadillo, the animal, is bæltedyr in Danish. Don't ask me how to pronounce it. Dyr (due er) means animal and bælte is belt, zone, or track...not sure how it translates to a hardshelled animal. I can't imagine they have armadillos in Denmark, well, except of course, for Chuck's new tires.

The Highs and the Lows

2008-09-10T18:56:00.003+02:00

I just met another expat in DK. She is quite funny and it's amazing to hear that she went through some of the same challenges that we are currently going through; although, I must admit she's had more curve balls thrown at her!

There are definitely highs and lows associated with being in a foreign country. The first few months everything is new and exciting, there are places to go, and trips to plan. Then you get into a rut and little things bother you, then there's summer holiday and you're on the road busy traveling, then gosh darn it...no one will say mojn to you.

It's great to hear that most expats go through some sort of similar highs and lows, just as when someone makes a major change they go through the same thing. So, it's normal and you're not alone.

High, low, medium, high. Not bad.

Randomness

2008-09-10T18:44:00.000+02:00

I'm back from my whirlwind tour of the midwest. On my walk this afternoon I was thinking...

Apparently, I met Sarah Palin (Republican VP candidate) in 1988 while I was visiting relatives in Wasilla, Alaska. My aunt and uncle were good friends with her parents. My cousin played basketball with Sarah's younger sister. Small world. Even though my policies differ than McCain and Palin, if by some stroke of luck the Republicans win the Presidency, do you think I have a free pass to the White House? Ha!

Extroverts need human contact and communication, just like fish need water. Chuck, the introvert, can survive with just a few good books. He could go days without talking to anyone! Lucky guy. I'm the extrovert and I could talk to just about anyone; really, anyone. For me, the toughest part of being in Denmark is the lack of contact with people (and, Chuck doesn't count)!

We've been in Denmark almost 6 months. I think we've past the 'tourist' mark and are now something more. But what? We're not exactly residents nor members of the community and I think we have about as much contact with Danes as the Danes have with each other. Hmm.

Apple just released the new ipod Nano. They've gone back to the old style AND dropped the price. Hmph. Too bad I just bought an 8Gb Nano 2 weeks ago. So cute, but my impulse buy should have waited. I could have bought the new Nano for the same price and got 16Gb. Oh well. It's light, it's cute, and it's light blue.

Quick shopping trip to....the USA

2008-09-09T07:19:00.004+02:00

There's been a lack of postings lately, both on this blog and the travel blog. I still have to finish posting slideshows from our summer holiday, but my trip to the US consumed my life for a few weeks.

I spent just under 2 weeks in the US and it was wonderful. Here's the cliffnote version:

I saw friends and family...and there are some friends that I wasn't able to see!
New books: Shopping at Barnes and Noble and two great friends let me borrow some books. I'm reading Three Cups of Tea, which is a wonderful book.
One of my best friends had twin girls in May. They are sooooo adorable!
I had a much needed mani/pedi with a very good friend. The color: Parlez-vous OPI.
Shopping, shopping, so much shopping.
Some really good friends in Madison had me over for a BBQ, which was fabulous, as always. Some of our other good friends were also at the BBQ. Always a wonderful time and the two boys are just so much fun!
Mexican food: Oh, how I miss spicy Mexican food (as does Chuck).
A trip to Door County in Wisconsin.
Seeing Mamma Mia with my mamma and sister. I'd skip the movie, but it was quite funny to see my sister 'dancing' in her seat! I don't think my mom thought it was funny, though.
My sister's baby shower: Busy getting everything ready for the big day. I'll post pictures under a separate post.

My quick trip to the US was exactly what I needed to get back into the right mindset.

Not exactly a soup question

2008-09-09T07:00:00.002+02:00

Sometimes Danish TV surprises me. Last night, one of my favorite movies was on...Finding Forrester with Sean Connery and Rob Brown. Aside from the poor acting of Busta Rymes, which makes us "busta" out laughing, it's a sweet story about a young man living in the inner city who is a talented basketball player and writer. He befriends William Forrester, a famous writer, who is finds comfort in the confines of his apartment.

Two of my favorite lines:

"Not exactly a soup question, now is it?" There's an exchange at the beginning of the movie that sets the scene for the quote at the end of the movie.
When William Forrester (Sean Connery) says, "You're the man now, dog" to Jamal Wallace.

Aaahhhhh, midwestern hospitality

2008-08-31T02:16:00.002+02:00

I'm in the midst of a quick trip to the US. Within the first 24 hours of my arrival, I went on sensory overload by going to a very large grocery store. The cereal aisle had in excess of 100 different kinds of cereal...definitely a far cry from the 3 or 4 choices at Fakta.

I forgot how nice midwesterners are! At the grocery store (or any store, for that matter), you're greeted when you walk in, someone asks if you need any help, as you peruse the aisles the stockers smile and say good morning, when you check out there's a big smile and 'hi, how are you?'' I *love* when the check out person compliments my eco-friendly canvas bags.

Blackberry treats

2008-08-20T19:42:00.005+02:00

I made blackberry crumb bars (a slightly modified recipe from Martha Stewart), for a picnic this weekend. We are part of a mentor program that pairs Danes with 'new Danes' or honestly 'non-Danes.' The function was at a beautiful location, well organized, and we had wonderful weather.

With all the blackberries I'm harvesting, I also made blackberry muffins for Chuck to bring in to the office for his birthday. It sounds like they were a hit.

Blackberry bush 1 - Chuck 0

2008-08-20T19:33:00.005+02:00

I know, it's been awhile since I posted. I just downloaded pictures from my camera to my laptop and found this one that Chuck obviously took of himself.

We spent another weekend in the 'garden.' The blackberry bushes were out of control and vines were taking over the trees. The Blackberry bush won the battle. Although, we did benefit with MORE blackberries.

The price of gas (diesel)

2008-08-12T20:37:00.002+02:00

Hold on to your hat. We paid 9.07dkk for a liter of diesel tonight. The lowest we've paid so far!

Translation about $7.20USD a gallon! Wow! I'm sure it will be short-lived though. I just saw on CNN that BP closed down a pipeline in Georgia (the country) as a precautionary measure due to the fighting w/ Russia.

Waiting around...for the internet guy

2008-08-12T16:35:00.003+02:00

We lost internet last night and called this morning to get some assistance in re-establishing the connection.

Here's how the conversation went at 9am this morning...

Technician: The technician needs to get into your house. Will someone be home today?

Holly: Yes.

Technician: Will someone be home tomorrow?

Holly: Yes.

Technician: The technician will be at your house sometime today and if not, then by 10am tomorrow. Goodbye.

What? Hello? Are you kidding me? I need to be home all day today and tomorrow morning just waiting for the technician. Really, I have no choice. I need (yeah, that's right, need) the internet. So, I'm held hostage in my own home by the darn thought that maybe, just maybe the internet guy will show up. This is worse than in the US when the cable guys tell you to be home between 8am and noon and then shows up at 11:55!

So, by 3pm, I was getting a little cranky. I went upstairs and started unplugging and plugging cords back in and after 10 minutes of craziness...Viola...I was back online. No thanks to the internet folks.

Hmm, what should I do when and if they finally show up? Ask them to wait in the entryway for a few hours until I'm ready to show them the internet boxes?

Driving

2008-08-12T16:23:00.000+02:00

It's always an adventure in Denmark. Our latest saga involves driving in Denmark. Apparently, we now need to relinquish our US driver's license and get a Danish driver's license.

We thought the 'rules' applied to permanent residents of Denmark, not our temporary status. Well, apparently not and now we're supposed to take a written test and a behind the wheel test. Oh, the books and the test are in danish and we were supposed to do this within 14 days of arriving in Denmark and we need to get this taken care of within the next two months. There's supposed to be an english study guide floating around. Hopefully we can get our hands on it.

And...get this...the police department will 'hold on to' our US driver's license and when we go to the US on holiday we can 'exchange' our Danish driver's license for our US driver's license. We are not to be in possession of two driver's licenses at the same time. W.

Really. I can't make this stuff up!

I wonder if it's cheaper and less of a hassle to just rent a car when we go on long weekend trips. I can't imagine we'd spend $36,000 on rental cars in 3 years!

The garden

2008-08-10T19:54:00.003+02:00

Our yard or 'garden' as it is called in Denmark is a TON of work. Early in the season we spent just under 100 hours pruning and getting it ready for the summer. Then, we went on holiday for 18 days and came back to wildness. We spent Saturday trimming hedges (again), fixing some wild bushes, pruning the rose bushes, and raking up leaves. We're still not done and will be busy again next weekend and probably the following weekend and the weekend after that and the weekend after that...you get the point....it never ends.

Here are some pictures from the 'fun' part of our yard....the fruit bearing part! We have a pear tree, apple tree, blackberry bushes, blueberry bushes, strawberry plants, pepper plant, tomato plants, and grape vines.

From the Kitchen

2008-08-10T19:13:00.000+02:00

It was a little gloomy out today...definitely a precursor to the upcoming winter months. So, I decided to do a little baking.

We have two huge blackberry bushes and the blackberries are practically falling into my bucket. Here's the blackberry crumble. Next time around, I'll modify the recipe a bit to add a thickening agent.

WTH Wednesday

2008-08-06T13:43:00.003+02:00

What the Heck Wednesday (the toned down version for my mom) or the other 3 letter acronym I'd love to use right now. Seriously.

Some observations today:

Why can't people return a smile or mojn in this town? Really. Hello folks. Life isn't that bad...even when the skies are overcast and there's a slight mist out. Actually, I could write a whole book on the psychology behind it.
Why don't dog owners pick up after his/her dog? Really. At least pick up the poo on the sidewalk. And, don't get me started about the horse owners. Try dodging a big pile of that poo on the sidewalk!
Why do people insist on parking his/her car on the sidewalk? Really. Whether it's in the US or here, sidewalks are for pedestrians.

Great vacation

2008-07-30T19:11:00.002+02:00

We're back from our 18 day trip around Europe. We were busy, but it was pure joy to travel and do some of our 'once in a lifetime' adventures. We're living the best life we know how.

I still have lots of catch up posts on the Roamin' site; however I caught a nasty bug in Cologne. Luckily it was our last stop, and we did cut it short and left a day early. So, poor Chuck is waiting on me today as I try to sleep off my sore throat and sinus issues. Cologne was dirty, smoky and smoggy, and our hotel had bad air quality and was extremely dry.....so I'm blaming Cologne. One not so perfect day out of 18 - pretty good.

On the road

2008-07-18T16:24:00.005+02:00

We're traveling Europe for several weeks, so check out the Roamin' the world blog. Posts and slideshows are slowing being posted.

No trip to the US

2008-07-11T13:23:00.001+02:00

Bummer. I won't be in the US until November. As much as I need a trip to the US, it won't be for another 4 months....unless I can convince my darling husband that for my own mental health and sanity, he should spring for a plane ticket!

Looking into my crystal ball or shaking that Magic 8 ball...highly unlikely.

***UPDATE 7/31 - I just bought a plane ticket, so see you in August!

Argh.

2008-07-10T16:58:00.001+02:00

I'm so frustrated. Thank goodness we're going on a vacation.

Life as an expat in DK

Boxes and boxes of stuff

On to the next chapter

Moving, moving, moving

New Year...new adventures...new country

Glædelig Jul, God Jul, Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas

Seriously? Come on, people.

Snow, snow, snow

Goodies from around the world

Sunkissed tomatoes

Where did the sun go?

Crockpot Taco Soup

What's on our grocery list?

Peanut Butter

Oprah, you should fire your producer

American popcorn? Really?

10 kroner here, 10 kroner there

TDC Commercial

Draft posts

Are you ready for some (American) Football???

Let there be light!

US Embassy in Copenhagen

Self scanning checkouts

Katie Melua concert

I'm baaaaaack

Throwing Punches

Why is it so darn hot here?

Getting caught up on Movies!

Here I am!

And the hits keep coming

In the good old U S of A

The Weak Dollar

Another Love Note from the Danish Post

More to come...I promise

Just a cold

Danish Mail

A little late....but Happy 13th wedding anniversary to us!

It's been awhile....

One year expat-iversary

A kept woman...according to Dansk Bank

Taxes

The ever changing weather in Denmark

Yummy mexican food

Spring forward....in a few weeks

Mummenschanz

Feeling the Pinch

Just when I thought it was over

All is quiet on the homefront

Hansen Brauerei

My little Danish Experiment

TV Lineup

Planet Earth

It's a Beautiful Day...

more snow pictures...

A little snow

Mailing a package to the US

Merry Christmas

It was just a matter of time.

I'm back - well, I've been back for a few weeks

Sunrise...sunset...

Brief Hiatus

I do miss some things....

Shopping and Dinner in the 'Big City'

Still tourists?

Disappearing letters

The price of gas (diesel) update

Concert - Sabine Meyer

Reservations

Mentor Program

Topping out party

Foundation for a better life

Snakes at the Grocery store??

*bump* returned ballot

Parking ticket *gasp*

Voting ballot is (finally) in the mail

No Hablo Danish (I don't speak Danish)

Back from the dead

The dreaded cold

Have you registered to vote?

Dinner and a movie

bump returned ballot

Parking ticket gasp