Molly turned 9 on December 29th. She celebrated with a sleepover party with 6 other friends from school. On Sunday the 28th, the friends arrived around 1 pm. Craig, Maya and mom escorted the 7 girls to our train stop and downtown to the DGI Byen Swim Center. This place is amazing with a play pool surrounded by a circular lap pool and a separate area for diving - with 6 different levels and springboards. Another room as 2 separate hot water pools. They didn't allow pictures inside, due to some rule they couldn't explain. Go figure. So we have a picture outside.
After a train ride home, the girls chowed on pizza, opened presents, then played team pictionary, treasure hunt and white elephant. After home made chocolate cake and ice cream they set up the living room for the sleeping portion. They watched Home Alone 3. Some girls fell asleep around 11 and others stayed up until 1 and later. Molly had a bad cough and threw up her dinner in her parent's bed at midnight. She spent the rest of the night in the guest bed with dad.
The next morning Molly was fine and the girls continued to play, watch Mamma Mia, eat waffles and pack up for a pick-up at 10 am. The rest of the day, her real birthday was spent hanging out around the house while mom cleaned and did laundry, preparing for the Switzerland trip and dad was at work.
Molly is a brilliant, generous and thoughtful young lady who loves to do handstands around the house, over and over, all day long. She likes to read Judy Moody and Amber Brown, plays Webkinz and Club Penguin on the computer, loves gymnastics, dance, soccer, softball and swimming. She loves being busy and would rather go out than stay in. Her favorite foods are pasta and pizza and any kind of fruit except bananas. She still lovs to cuddle and have books read to her. She always brightens up the room and we love her dearly.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
God Jul - Merry Christmas
It is after 10 pm on Christmas Eve as I write this. Just tucked the girls into bed, Craig is asleep on the couch and we are waiting for Santa to arrive. We had a nice day including a walk through Dyrrehaven Park and the girls and Craig played games while I made Hungarian Mushroom Soup. We went over to the Wendelt's house for a Christmas Even celebration at 4 pm. They are American and have a daughter in 3rd grade with Molly. There were 4 other American families and 1 Scottish there, all with children in primary years and mostly young boys. Quite a scene. After drinks and delicious American type foods (including my soup) we played 3 rounds of "white elephant" with each family deciding on keeping on giving away. We drove home on absolutely desolate streets. Most, if not all Danes are celebrating really big tonight. Christmas Eve is their big night when they light the tree, dance and sing around it, feast, drink heavily and give presents. Many go home to their parents in the other islands.
Tomorrow, Christmas Day, we will wake and see what Santa brought, hopefully not before 6 am. We'll have a nice breakfast at home, then visit a Catholic Church that has an English mass and back home for games, family time, movies and a roast pork dinner. We're going traditional Danish dinner: roast pork with the "crackle back", potatoes au gratin, braised red cabbage, and rice pudding with cherry sauce for dessert.
We're all feeling a little out of sorts about Christmas. Even though we have all the necessary decor and all, it's just very strange being in a new place and trying to recreate traditions. Craig and I are o.k. because we know that a place doesn't necesarily make the holiday, but the spirit. But children dont' quite get that. They just want what they are used to. That makes them feel comfortable. It is not the same as being home, that's for sure. We are so far from it. Often, the less communication makes it easier on us. That way we don't know what we're missing.
We had a Hannukah dinner party with some new Dutch friends on Sunday night, the first night of Hannukah. We made and ate too many latkes, as usual.
Our holiday will be a combination of highlights, shopping and relaxing: jsut the right amount of activity mixed with pleasure and laying around. We'll celebrate Molly's birthday on Sunday/Monday 28th/29th then leave for Switzerland on the 30th for 5 days.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a Blessed New Year.
Love and Light,
Mary Jo, Maya, Molly and Craig
Tomorrow, Christmas Day, we will wake and see what Santa brought, hopefully not before 6 am. We'll have a nice breakfast at home, then visit a Catholic Church that has an English mass and back home for games, family time, movies and a roast pork dinner. We're going traditional Danish dinner: roast pork with the "crackle back", potatoes au gratin, braised red cabbage, and rice pudding with cherry sauce for dessert.
We're all feeling a little out of sorts about Christmas. Even though we have all the necessary decor and all, it's just very strange being in a new place and trying to recreate traditions. Craig and I are o.k. because we know that a place doesn't necesarily make the holiday, but the spirit. But children dont' quite get that. They just want what they are used to. That makes them feel comfortable. It is not the same as being home, that's for sure. We are so far from it. Often, the less communication makes it easier on us. That way we don't know what we're missing.
We had a Hannukah dinner party with some new Dutch friends on Sunday night, the first night of Hannukah. We made and ate too many latkes, as usual.
Our holiday will be a combination of highlights, shopping and relaxing: jsut the right amount of activity mixed with pleasure and laying around. We'll celebrate Molly's birthday on Sunday/Monday 28th/29th then leave for Switzerland on the 30th for 5 days.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a Blessed New Year.
Love and Light,
Mary Jo, Maya, Molly and Craig
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Maya turns 11
Our daughter Maya turned 11 on December 4th and carried on the same kind of birthday celebration that has been successful for the last 4 years: good friends, bowling, burgers, ice cream, movies and sleep over. Maya had a fun 4-day run of events. The 4th was her actual birthday - school, pizza with the family and presents (a new lego challenge). The 5th was an all-school music recital at a concert hall away from campus, then the bowling party with 3 classmates. They stayed up til 12:30 am giggling and talking like teens. Awoke the next morning and hug out, played "Dance Dance" Revolution on Wii, watched a movie and ate chocolate chip pancakes. Later that day we all attended the Copenhagen International School Holiday Fair (where mom was in charge of the menorah craft table). Sunday we had friends for brunch and Maya went to the Nokia company Christmas party with her friend Maddie. That was probably our busiest weekend for the entire holiday season.
Maya has taken her time to adjust to the school and home life here. She misses her trusty, reliable, true-blue friends from home terribly, and is seeking out quality people to connect with. So far, we love her choices. Her friends sang "happy birthday" to her in dutch, chinese and spanish! Now she is playing basketball and bonding with teammates as well. Maya is really evolving into an independent, responsible, thinking and caring person. Being here has been good for her development and challenged her comfort level in a good way. We are so proud of her.
Maya has taken her time to adjust to the school and home life here. She misses her trusty, reliable, true-blue friends from home terribly, and is seeking out quality people to connect with. So far, we love her choices. Her friends sang "happy birthday" to her in dutch, chinese and spanish! Now she is playing basketball and bonding with teammates as well. Maya is really evolving into an independent, responsible, thinking and caring person. Being here has been good for her development and challenged her comfort level in a good way. We are so proud of her.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Jesus has been replaced by Nissa
Well folks, christmas has arrived in Denmark and with it the onslaught of the gnomes - "nissa" people. Nissa is everywhere, ornaments, cartoons, t.v. shows, crafts, decoration, wreaths, cards, wrapping paper, yard statues. And, along with lights, candles and greenery is the standard holiday decor in this country. Trees only come into the homes the week of Christmas, but many people buy them earlier and keep them in their backyard.
However, I keep looking for some sign of baby Jesus and any form of Christianity here and it's as missing as OJ's glove in his first trial. While this is a Lutheran Country and all Danes profess to be Lutheran, very few if any at all actually go to church, except on Christmas and maybe Easter. I have only seen one nativity scene for sale. Granted, I am not a practicing Christian in the church sense, but still I try and demonstrate with family what the meaning of Christmas is.
In Denmark, it has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, but rather the significance of lights, the derision from darkness and work life, joyous times of merriment with family and friends and gift giving. It is a timeless tradition that, like all countries, has become more materialistic and a chance for overworked parents to dote on their children. I have asked countless people their impression of this and everyone, Dane and non-Dane answer the same way, "Denmark's not a religious country".
So now we know what it's like to live in a country where everybody celebrates in the same nationalistic/ethnic way. Even though we are connected to an international school, we are surrounded by almost pure Danish culture and it's noticeable that everybody joins in, because that is what is done and will always be done. Every shop, business, doctors' office, grocery store decorate for Christmas. It's an unspoken rule that you must. Every desk in every office or table at home has an advent candle that burns down a number from 1 - 24 days. Lights and greenery in every window. Yes, it is beautiful. Try and get that spirit in America where disjointed religions and beliefs mix with the pervasive political correctness. Sheesh. There's a lot of "hum bug-ness" that goes on in America. And even though it's not in the name of religion, at least the Danes haul off and go with the festiveness of it all. It's all very interesting.
Now, go out and light your Christmas spirits.
Comments to thecohen4dk@gmail.com
However, I keep looking for some sign of baby Jesus and any form of Christianity here and it's as missing as OJ's glove in his first trial. While this is a Lutheran Country and all Danes profess to be Lutheran, very few if any at all actually go to church, except on Christmas and maybe Easter. I have only seen one nativity scene for sale. Granted, I am not a practicing Christian in the church sense, but still I try and demonstrate with family what the meaning of Christmas is.
In Denmark, it has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, but rather the significance of lights, the derision from darkness and work life, joyous times of merriment with family and friends and gift giving. It is a timeless tradition that, like all countries, has become more materialistic and a chance for overworked parents to dote on their children. I have asked countless people their impression of this and everyone, Dane and non-Dane answer the same way, "Denmark's not a religious country".
So now we know what it's like to live in a country where everybody celebrates in the same nationalistic/ethnic way. Even though we are connected to an international school, we are surrounded by almost pure Danish culture and it's noticeable that everybody joins in, because that is what is done and will always be done. Every shop, business, doctors' office, grocery store decorate for Christmas. It's an unspoken rule that you must. Every desk in every office or table at home has an advent candle that burns down a number from 1 - 24 days. Lights and greenery in every window. Yes, it is beautiful. Try and get that spirit in America where disjointed religions and beliefs mix with the pervasive political correctness. Sheesh. There's a lot of "hum bug-ness" that goes on in America. And even though it's not in the name of religion, at least the Danes haul off and go with the festiveness of it all. It's all very interesting.
Now, go out and light your Christmas spirits.
Comments to thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
As I write this, I am sitting at the dinner table still filled with turkey, dressing, dirty dishes with dried gravy and pumpkin pie yet to be eaten. We carried on the American tradition in a simple fashion, with just the four of us and only the food that really counts: fresh turkey, smashed potatoes, dressing, hot gravy, brussel sprouts. Pie and whipped cream to follow.
The girls had school and hardly any one knew about Thanksgiving except a few Americans here and there. Craig was in Aarhus the last few days and just came home at 6 pm. I had been at Danish school half the day and then visited Molly's Open House for their city projects. I didn't start dinner until about 4. A small turkey and a convection oven speeds things up.
Life goes on here as if Thanksgiving is non-existent, so it's up to us to remember and carry on. Maya has now returned to her homework, with a power point presentation due tomorrow for their class' Open House. Craig is exhausted from his drive back and eating his first real turkey dinner (after being vegetarian for 15 years) and he'll fall asleep very quickly. Earlier I had time to squeeze in a yoga practice and think about what I am grateful for:
The girls had school and hardly any one knew about Thanksgiving except a few Americans here and there. Craig was in Aarhus the last few days and just came home at 6 pm. I had been at Danish school half the day and then visited Molly's Open House for their city projects. I didn't start dinner until about 4. A small turkey and a convection oven speeds things up.
Life goes on here as if Thanksgiving is non-existent, so it's up to us to remember and carry on. Maya has now returned to her homework, with a power point presentation due tomorrow for their class' Open House. Craig is exhausted from his drive back and eating his first real turkey dinner (after being vegetarian for 15 years) and he'll fall asleep very quickly. Earlier I had time to squeeze in a yoga practice and think about what I am grateful for:
- the opportunity to live in another country with my family and fulfill a lifelong dream
- the opportunity to see the world and expand my knowledge and perspective
- to meet new people and learn from and share with them
- to have the security of home, family, finances
- the devotion and love between my husband and I
- the joy and purpose my children bring to me
- the challenges I face that make me stronger and wiser
- My passion for yoga and all that comes with it
- My creativity
- My endurance
- My patience
Now I must end and help clean up the dishes. Oh yes, I am grateful for a working stove that produces a cup of coffee in the morning.
The Cohen 4 wish you all a lovely Thanksgiving Day. May you remember to remember.
Eat well and fill your souls as well.
Mary Jo
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Snow in November!
The weather report said it would snow yesterday and sure enough, it came. The temperature dropped Friday morning while we were all at school. At noon, while the kids were on the playground and I was riding home, the first flakes fell. It continued to snow through the day and then into the night. We didn't get much more than an inch but it spread a lovely coating of while cheer and coupled with a bright blue sky, we were gifted with a spectacular day. The girls were out at 8 am to play in the snow. We'll contine to have cold weather and probably more snow over the next 2 days. This is unusual for Denmark but not rare. Let's hope for LaCrosse Footwear's sake, that this is a very stormy winter!
Monday, November 17, 2008
I dag er det min fodeselsdag!
Translated: Today is my birthday! And one would reply: ti lykke (congratulations).
So for my blog today, I thought I'd have a photo journal of what my day was like.
It started out, with a nice breakfast at home with the family and some lovely gifts. Craig made the school lunches even! Then Maya, Molly and I rode our bikes to C.I.S. (their school) and I rode on to Danish school at the Sprog Centre.
Today's lesson plan included honing in on phrases such as "Jeg hedder Mary Jo. Jeg kommer fra Portland, Oregon i USA. Jeg bor i Hellerup og bor sammen med min man'd og to barne. Jeg taler selvfolgelig engelsk og lidt spansk. Mine enteresser er yoga og laer dansk. Jeg er 47 ar.
You get the idea. Reading Danish is so much easier than speaking it. About a third of the letters are deleted altogether when speaking and the trick is knowing which ones to leave out. Unfortunately, my keyboard does not type their extra vowels, so the above words have ommitted some crucial vowels. My apologies to those Danes in the audience. Our homework for next class is to memorize 4 sentences and create a dialogue about ourselves which we will say aloud to the class. We have had 3 classes. That's what immersion is all about.
From Danish, I rode my bike from Hellerup to downtown, stopping along the way to snap some pictures. It was a spectacular day, with sunshine and no wind. Since it was about 34 degrees F at 8 am and 40 at Noon, I wore gloves and ear covers with my helmut. Slick, leafy roads are too dangerous these days to go without a helmut. So much for designer hair...
I had a laser appt. for my feet. I'm trying laser to work off the scarring and inflammation I've had for years. So far, so good. On the way, stopped at a kebab shop in the University district that sells the cheapest durum falafels (like a burrito but falafel inside). 25 DKK is like $4.50. The cheapest lunch in town. The University District is obviously by the University and has very hip places to eat, wild second hand stores, bars and coffee shops.
After, I cycled back to Hellerup to pick up the girls (about 30 minutes) and then we all cycled home. Put in my thrice-weekly strength training while the girls did homework and then took Maya to her first basketball practice of the season. Molly and I then went to the Lynby Mall to get a back pack since hers has fallen apart, while Craig made dinner. By 7:20 we were all home, had a salmon, rice and green bean dinner with baked pears and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Now, sitting on the couch, writing this while the girls read their books. As you can see, nothing was outstanding about the day, except for the fact that I was living in COPENHAGEN. Damn. Sometimes I forget about that fact. Often, I think that nothing has changed: I still have to shop for food for the family, clean the toilets, vacuum the house, process homework and bills, discipline the kids, orchestrate the social calendar, blah, blah, blah. I'm still the same American housewife that I was in the states. I just have a new title- "husmoder" or hjemme gaerne. House mother. We have to keep some sense of regularity to our lives. It's not like we're on vacation for 2 years. We can't be tourists every day. Much of our experience here is to be like the Danes - which means the same boring stuff that they do, but in their way. Do I make any sense?
We still keep a lot of Americanisms, we can't help that. We can't change who we are. And we are learning that many Danes appreciate that about foreigners. Foreigners bring a complexity and diversity to the social landscape that makes it more interesting. Often I think I should just "blend in" and not draw attention to alien self. However there are a growing number of Danes who want foreigners to bring liveliness and richness to these mundane and lifeless people. Steeped in tradition, the Danes can also be repetitive, predictable and boring.
Thank goodness we have a multi cultural social network within the international school. There are about 50 countries represented. I just had tea with a Scottish family whose daughter is in class with Molly. They've lived in Dubai and Australia and now here. We're all moving around and passing on interesting stories and the children are reaping amazing experiences.
Will post off for now. The wine is getting to my head. I'm full and I'll hit the sack soon. Love and best wishes to you all. Email me at: thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Love and Light,
mary jo
So for my blog today, I thought I'd have a photo journal of what my day was like.
It started out, with a nice breakfast at home with the family and some lovely gifts. Craig made the school lunches even! Then Maya, Molly and I rode our bikes to C.I.S. (their school) and I rode on to Danish school at the Sprog Centre.
Today's lesson plan included honing in on phrases such as "Jeg hedder Mary Jo. Jeg kommer fra Portland, Oregon i USA. Jeg bor i Hellerup og bor sammen med min man'd og to barne. Jeg taler selvfolgelig engelsk og lidt spansk. Mine enteresser er yoga og laer dansk. Jeg er 47 ar.
You get the idea. Reading Danish is so much easier than speaking it. About a third of the letters are deleted altogether when speaking and the trick is knowing which ones to leave out. Unfortunately, my keyboard does not type their extra vowels, so the above words have ommitted some crucial vowels. My apologies to those Danes in the audience. Our homework for next class is to memorize 4 sentences and create a dialogue about ourselves which we will say aloud to the class. We have had 3 classes. That's what immersion is all about.
From Danish, I rode my bike from Hellerup to downtown, stopping along the way to snap some pictures. It was a spectacular day, with sunshine and no wind. Since it was about 34 degrees F at 8 am and 40 at Noon, I wore gloves and ear covers with my helmut. Slick, leafy roads are too dangerous these days to go without a helmut. So much for designer hair...
I had a laser appt. for my feet. I'm trying laser to work off the scarring and inflammation I've had for years. So far, so good. On the way, stopped at a kebab shop in the University district that sells the cheapest durum falafels (like a burrito but falafel inside). 25 DKK is like $4.50. The cheapest lunch in town. The University District is obviously by the University and has very hip places to eat, wild second hand stores, bars and coffee shops.
After, I cycled back to Hellerup to pick up the girls (about 30 minutes) and then we all cycled home. Put in my thrice-weekly strength training while the girls did homework and then took Maya to her first basketball practice of the season. Molly and I then went to the Lynby Mall to get a back pack since hers has fallen apart, while Craig made dinner. By 7:20 we were all home, had a salmon, rice and green bean dinner with baked pears and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Now, sitting on the couch, writing this while the girls read their books. As you can see, nothing was outstanding about the day, except for the fact that I was living in COPENHAGEN. Damn. Sometimes I forget about that fact. Often, I think that nothing has changed: I still have to shop for food for the family, clean the toilets, vacuum the house, process homework and bills, discipline the kids, orchestrate the social calendar, blah, blah, blah. I'm still the same American housewife that I was in the states. I just have a new title- "husmoder" or hjemme gaerne. House mother. We have to keep some sense of regularity to our lives. It's not like we're on vacation for 2 years. We can't be tourists every day. Much of our experience here is to be like the Danes - which means the same boring stuff that they do, but in their way. Do I make any sense?
We still keep a lot of Americanisms, we can't help that. We can't change who we are. And we are learning that many Danes appreciate that about foreigners. Foreigners bring a complexity and diversity to the social landscape that makes it more interesting. Often I think I should just "blend in" and not draw attention to alien self. However there are a growing number of Danes who want foreigners to bring liveliness and richness to these mundane and lifeless people. Steeped in tradition, the Danes can also be repetitive, predictable and boring.
Thank goodness we have a multi cultural social network within the international school. There are about 50 countries represented. I just had tea with a Scottish family whose daughter is in class with Molly. They've lived in Dubai and Australia and now here. We're all moving around and passing on interesting stories and the children are reaping amazing experiences.
Will post off for now. The wine is getting to my head. I'm full and I'll hit the sack soon. Love and best wishes to you all. Email me at: thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Love and Light,
mary jo
Monday, November 10, 2008
3 Month Anniversary of Living in Denmark
It's been a rocky road, but we have managed to get through the first 3 months. While riding back from taking the kids to school this morning I reflected on our first few days here, compared to now. The first week we lived in a fog, not knowing where to go or how to operate in this society. Just look at how we've integrated:
There's obviously more, but you get the picture. We're getting involved and feeling connected. Right now as I type, it's pouring rain with winds. From what I gather, fall is the rainiest, dreariest season of all. They start celebrating Xmas in mid November with fairs and festivals and keep lights up until the end of January.
- we ride to school in inclement weather, with rain gear and boots, and play outdoors in the rain at recess...
- Craig kisses me good bye at 5:15 am and goes to Germany, Holland and Poland for 3 days, like it's going to the office. Other weeks he drives 3 hours to the current office.
- Maya's beginning basketball season next week and rode to school by herself this morning. She took the city bus home with a friend last week for the first time. These are all normal events for that age here.
- Molly is on a Danish Soccer team, indoor and outdoor year round.
- I am starting Danish language classes this week, 3 days/wk for 3 hours each
- I have a home gym set up and work out at least 3 days a week.
- We now have our Dankort cards, Citizen cards, on-line banking, wire transfering successfully, emailing, skyping, watch t.v., have land-line phone and local phone book so we are hooked up on the communications
- Craig got his company car with GPS, hands free phone and IPOD connection.
- We know the bus and train schedules and I know the roads, neighborhoods and ways to get around.
- I know where to shop for almost everything we need and I'm going to IKEA less and less all the time.
- We are making friends and socializing. Going to more museums, family activities and investigating culture. Last weekend Craig and I went to see an English play and out for Thai food.
- I'll start to teach after-school yoga classes for students in December.
- We are now planning our Xmas vacation break: a road trip to Switzerland to visit Karin and Elmar Auf Der Mar.
There's obviously more, but you get the picture. We're getting involved and feeling connected. Right now as I type, it's pouring rain with winds. From what I gather, fall is the rainiest, dreariest season of all. They start celebrating Xmas in mid November with fairs and festivals and keep lights up until the end of January.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Day - Proud to be an American
Congratulations America. I am so proud of my country's citizens for showing up to vote in what will go down in history as the most amazing election of all time. It has restored my faith in American nature - that we are in this together and that we can effect a change. However, the charisma and intent of Barack Obama is what inspired that change. I look forward to being on his team as he leads us and continues to inspire the country into our greatest era. I pray that this is the country's darkest hour and that this moment in history is the dawn of the new day.
I am proud that my country is choosing to believe in hope over fear. Hope is like a coat of positive energy that we individually wear and collectively as a country will give us newfound strength and courage that is needed to rise above.
Today is the first day that I really wished I could be at home to share in the celebration with fellow Americans. It's just not the same via internet and one measley CNN station. Molly and Maya didn't quite understand my tears of joy, but they will remember their mom celebrating this day. I remember alternately crying tears of grief 7 years ago on 9-11. It's taken this moment to begin to reverse that grief as a nation.
I unite with my American citizens in joy, relief and pride. Bring on the change. I'll wave my flag in Denmark.
I am proud that my country is choosing to believe in hope over fear. Hope is like a coat of positive energy that we individually wear and collectively as a country will give us newfound strength and courage that is needed to rise above.
Today is the first day that I really wished I could be at home to share in the celebration with fellow Americans. It's just not the same via internet and one measley CNN station. Molly and Maya didn't quite understand my tears of joy, but they will remember their mom celebrating this day. I remember alternately crying tears of grief 7 years ago on 9-11. It's taken this moment to begin to reverse that grief as a nation.
I unite with my American citizens in joy, relief and pride. Bring on the change. I'll wave my flag in Denmark.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Spain Trip '08
We went on our first big adventure after moving to Denmark. The girls had a week off from school (as did all of Denmark's schools) and my mother, Carole, arrived for a visit. We all took off on the following Monday and flew into Malaga, Spain, in the southern region of Andalucia. Craig has always wanted to go to Spain and it was a treat for me to return to the country of my college year abroad 26 years ago. We chose this area to try and get the last of the year's sun and we managed more warmer than colder days.
The first 3 nights were spent between Nerja and Frigiliana , about 2 miles off the coast in the Costa de Sol, in an agricultural valley with avocado, orange and olive trees. We stayed in a recently built villa with a private pool, 3 bedrooms, a lovely view, a stuffed stag over the mantle, and boasting roosters that began every morning at 4 am. From there we visited local sites, the fantastic caves nearby, ate classic chocolate and churros for breakfast, tapas in a little bodega for dinner viewed the ocean and a drive to Granada where we visited the Alhambra, the last Moorish stronghold.
From there we drove to Sevilla and stayed right in the barrio Santa Cruz, right next to the walls of the Real Alcazar, the castle of both Moorish and Christian kings. It's from this building that King Ferdinand sent Christopher Columbus to discover America! We took a bus top tour, ate more tapas, mom and I visited the Cathedral and Tower while Craig took the girls to Mcdonalds.
From there we jetted south of Cadiz, to the Costa de Luz and landed in a town called Zahara de los Atunes. Little did we know we were one of the only vacationers in a small town of 600 people, who's population grows to 120,000 Spaniards on holiday in the summer. We caught the last of the beautiful warm fall days and the girls actually jumped the waves with Craig. It was a ghost town and our resort owner took kindly to us and opened his dining room, ordered fresh fish from a friend, put on his chef whites and made us the best meal we had the whole trip. The girls had fresh hamburgers from steer that live just down the road and the adults has sea bass. Juan joined us later for dinner and wine, and then met us the next morning with hot croissants as we drove away to catch the ferry to Morocco.
So, our last full day of the trip was spent in Tanger, Morocco. We had 7 very full hours there, guided by Jamol, who works for the tourist ministry (and his commissioned retail friends...) to the financial district, kings' mansions, parks, camel rides, the ancient Casbah, dined on touristy bland Moroccan food entertained by old, toothless musicians who desperately needed a bath but couldn't be happier, walked through the food and clothing markets and, visited the city ovens where a man will bake your own bread for the citizens, the dirty, smelly streets, hovels for homes and very poor children running through a maze of 850 web-like, narrow streets they call home, some playing with soccer balls that had lost all their leather and barely held air.
I've never felt more like royalty, and more exposed than walking the streets of the Casbah, where locals physically hung on us to sell us their wares, many of whom will never leave Morocco and only dream of America from what they see on t.v. We are so privileged in our lives. It was a great eye-opener for the girls as well.
We flew out of Malaga and returned to Copenhagen the next day. All very glad to get back to fresh air, less cigarette smoke, foods we could buy and cook to our liking and times.
Carole stayed on an extra week and used it to recuperate from the busy trip, see the sights of Copenhagen, nap, eat, play games with the granddaughters, walk and shop. One night I took her to a CIS 5th grade parent potluck at the home of the Ambassador to Cypress (don't mind if I name drop, please). She enjoyed meeting the variety of people that make up the social network at school. The home wasn't bad either.
Next month the PTA is throwing a Dinner Dance/auction with a country western theme (oh boy) at the home of the US Ambassador, who will be leaving after January... I'm sure Craig just can't wait to dress up for that. There will also be a couple of evening galas next year.
I am helping at one of the craft table for this year's holiday festival, on Dec. 6th. Each table will have a different ethnic theme. We'll be making menorahs (surprise!) There will also be food, games, santa, bake sale, crafts for sale, etc.
No plans yet for xmas, but we have over 2 weeks off. I'm hoping to go on at least a 4 or 5 day trip by train somewhere. I'm starting to work on that now.
Tried my luck and got a haircut by a Danish stylist. It turned out to be a great cut and I am very happy. This was a below average price at $95 and it was just a shampoo, cut and blow dry.
Welcome to Denmark.
The first 3 nights were spent between Nerja and Frigiliana , about 2 miles off the coast in the Costa de Sol, in an agricultural valley with avocado, orange and olive trees. We stayed in a recently built villa with a private pool, 3 bedrooms, a lovely view, a stuffed stag over the mantle, and boasting roosters that began every morning at 4 am. From there we visited local sites, the fantastic caves nearby, ate classic chocolate and churros for breakfast, tapas in a little bodega for dinner viewed the ocean and a drive to Granada where we visited the Alhambra, the last Moorish stronghold.
From there we drove to Sevilla and stayed right in the barrio Santa Cruz, right next to the walls of the Real Alcazar, the castle of both Moorish and Christian kings. It's from this building that King Ferdinand sent Christopher Columbus to discover America! We took a bus top tour, ate more tapas, mom and I visited the Cathedral and Tower while Craig took the girls to Mcdonalds.
From there we jetted south of Cadiz, to the Costa de Luz and landed in a town called Zahara de los Atunes. Little did we know we were one of the only vacationers in a small town of 600 people, who's population grows to 120,000 Spaniards on holiday in the summer. We caught the last of the beautiful warm fall days and the girls actually jumped the waves with Craig. It was a ghost town and our resort owner took kindly to us and opened his dining room, ordered fresh fish from a friend, put on his chef whites and made us the best meal we had the whole trip. The girls had fresh hamburgers from steer that live just down the road and the adults has sea bass. Juan joined us later for dinner and wine, and then met us the next morning with hot croissants as we drove away to catch the ferry to Morocco.
So, our last full day of the trip was spent in Tanger, Morocco. We had 7 very full hours there, guided by Jamol, who works for the tourist ministry (and his commissioned retail friends...) to the financial district, kings' mansions, parks, camel rides, the ancient Casbah, dined on touristy bland Moroccan food entertained by old, toothless musicians who desperately needed a bath but couldn't be happier, walked through the food and clothing markets and, visited the city ovens where a man will bake your own bread for the citizens, the dirty, smelly streets, hovels for homes and very poor children running through a maze of 850 web-like, narrow streets they call home, some playing with soccer balls that had lost all their leather and barely held air.
I've never felt more like royalty, and more exposed than walking the streets of the Casbah, where locals physically hung on us to sell us their wares, many of whom will never leave Morocco and only dream of America from what they see on t.v. We are so privileged in our lives. It was a great eye-opener for the girls as well.
We flew out of Malaga and returned to Copenhagen the next day. All very glad to get back to fresh air, less cigarette smoke, foods we could buy and cook to our liking and times.
Carole stayed on an extra week and used it to recuperate from the busy trip, see the sights of Copenhagen, nap, eat, play games with the granddaughters, walk and shop. One night I took her to a CIS 5th grade parent potluck at the home of the Ambassador to Cypress (don't mind if I name drop, please). She enjoyed meeting the variety of people that make up the social network at school. The home wasn't bad either.
Next month the PTA is throwing a Dinner Dance/auction with a country western theme (oh boy) at the home of the US Ambassador, who will be leaving after January... I'm sure Craig just can't wait to dress up for that. There will also be a couple of evening galas next year.
I am helping at one of the craft table for this year's holiday festival, on Dec. 6th. Each table will have a different ethnic theme. We'll be making menorahs (surprise!) There will also be food, games, santa, bake sale, crafts for sale, etc.
No plans yet for xmas, but we have over 2 weeks off. I'm hoping to go on at least a 4 or 5 day trip by train somewhere. I'm starting to work on that now.
Tried my luck and got a haircut by a Danish stylist. It turned out to be a great cut and I am very happy. This was a below average price at $95 and it was just a shampoo, cut and blow dry.
Welcome to Denmark.
WE ARE CONNECTED!!
Yes, folks, it took the better part of 3 months to get internet/phone/cable for t.v. It's been a real circus but we are now live and connected to the world of knowledge and information, friends and family, commercials, bad t.v. programming, telephone ringing, and more. Aren't we lucky to finally get what most Americans can order and receive in days! Granted, much of our problem is that the phone line (which is how they connect all communication to the dwelling) was cut and disabled during the remodel of the house 2 years ago. this was not brought ot our attention until 6 weeks into living here. the rest was just a matter of them figuring out what to do and waiting for their schedule. Regardless, we've managed just fine and realize that you don't really need so much connection to the outer world to survive. Life goes on whether you know things or not.
I'm up at 5 am to catch some early time on the net, since the girls and I compete for the laptop. We'll get wi-fi set up this weekend and then we'll have 2 laptops between the 3 of us. Craig has his own. We're hoping to start skyping and all that cool stuff. the weather is about 41 degrees, or 4 degrees C. Halloween night will be clear and cold, about 38 degrees with a mild wind, thankfully. The nights are beginning to dip down into the 20's. When you add the rain, it makes for a miserable bike ride.
Halloween is not celebrated like in the states. It's a very new holiday so many people don't observe. However, the retailers have caught on and promote it. In Denmark, actually they celebrate halloween more during the month of October, rather than on just the 31st. There will be halloween parties and festivities throughout different communities. For example, on October 9th our local village of Gentofte had a street fair where children in costumes with parents could stroll up and down 3 blocks and stores would hand out treats (not candy) or you could stop for cider or popcorn or buy a sausage. It was a nice evening and there was still daylight so we could really see each other's costumes, so it made a lot of sense to have it earlier in october. Maya and Molly did not dress up, of course, but they will tonight.
Copenhagen International School (CIS) has arranged homes on a particular street to participate in an American Trick-or-Treat night. We had to buy tickets, and then we go to school, get the map, and knock on these 12 certain doors (in a very nice neighborhood, where the american ambassador lives) and at the end the kids get a treat bag. We'll probably carve our pumpkins after school, work on our costumes and head to the shin dig at 7. Maya is a "tired woman" wearing curlers, a bathrobe, coffee cup and wearing a sign that says "I am not a morning person". Molly is a classic witch and we've been making her costume.
This morning for the weekly assembly at school Molly's class is celebrating Diwali with the school. Diwali is an Indian celebration of Lord Ram and his successful conquering of the bad guys and his popular reign as king. Diwali is taking place this week. Molly has a speaking part and will be performing a dance with her girl classmates.
Craig has been in Portland for the last week and will arrive home tomorrow. He was not able to visit with many people since he had to work so much. We will be returning to Portland as a family the week prior to Easter. We will arrive on Friday the 3rd of April and depart on Easter Sunday or Monday. We plan to visit with friends and family, have doctor and dentist appointments and such.
Molly and I experienced the Danish hospital system recently when I thought she was having an appendicitis attack. My mother was here and so I took Molly to the hospital at 1:30 in the morning by taxi since Craig had the car. They were unsure if Molly really had it and instructed us to another hospital where they was an "expert". Well, by the time we got to the next hospital and saw 3 more doctors, they let us leave, but only after I pleaded. By this time it was 10:30 am. Molly missed a whole day of school. The Danish medical system is very strange and their method of operation is to wait and see what happens rather than test and get a diagnosis. And the hospital was a little creepy too, and nurses and doctors very unavailable. We'll stay healthy thank you very much.
I'll write about our trip to Spain in another posting.
I'm up at 5 am to catch some early time on the net, since the girls and I compete for the laptop. We'll get wi-fi set up this weekend and then we'll have 2 laptops between the 3 of us. Craig has his own. We're hoping to start skyping and all that cool stuff. the weather is about 41 degrees, or 4 degrees C. Halloween night will be clear and cold, about 38 degrees with a mild wind, thankfully. The nights are beginning to dip down into the 20's. When you add the rain, it makes for a miserable bike ride.
Halloween is not celebrated like in the states. It's a very new holiday so many people don't observe. However, the retailers have caught on and promote it. In Denmark, actually they celebrate halloween more during the month of October, rather than on just the 31st. There will be halloween parties and festivities throughout different communities. For example, on October 9th our local village of Gentofte had a street fair where children in costumes with parents could stroll up and down 3 blocks and stores would hand out treats (not candy) or you could stop for cider or popcorn or buy a sausage. It was a nice evening and there was still daylight so we could really see each other's costumes, so it made a lot of sense to have it earlier in october. Maya and Molly did not dress up, of course, but they will tonight.
Copenhagen International School (CIS) has arranged homes on a particular street to participate in an American Trick-or-Treat night. We had to buy tickets, and then we go to school, get the map, and knock on these 12 certain doors (in a very nice neighborhood, where the american ambassador lives) and at the end the kids get a treat bag. We'll probably carve our pumpkins after school, work on our costumes and head to the shin dig at 7. Maya is a "tired woman" wearing curlers, a bathrobe, coffee cup and wearing a sign that says "I am not a morning person". Molly is a classic witch and we've been making her costume.
This morning for the weekly assembly at school Molly's class is celebrating Diwali with the school. Diwali is an Indian celebration of Lord Ram and his successful conquering of the bad guys and his popular reign as king. Diwali is taking place this week. Molly has a speaking part and will be performing a dance with her girl classmates.
Craig has been in Portland for the last week and will arrive home tomorrow. He was not able to visit with many people since he had to work so much. We will be returning to Portland as a family the week prior to Easter. We will arrive on Friday the 3rd of April and depart on Easter Sunday or Monday. We plan to visit with friends and family, have doctor and dentist appointments and such.
Molly and I experienced the Danish hospital system recently when I thought she was having an appendicitis attack. My mother was here and so I took Molly to the hospital at 1:30 in the morning by taxi since Craig had the car. They were unsure if Molly really had it and instructed us to another hospital where they was an "expert". Well, by the time we got to the next hospital and saw 3 more doctors, they let us leave, but only after I pleaded. By this time it was 10:30 am. Molly missed a whole day of school. The Danish medical system is very strange and their method of operation is to wait and see what happens rather than test and get a diagnosis. And the hospital was a little creepy too, and nurses and doctors very unavailable. We'll stay healthy thank you very much.
I'll write about our trip to Spain in another posting.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Mating Season in Dyrrehavn "The Deer Park"
Fall is in bloom here. The colors of the leaves changing are beautiful. Mornings can be stormy with high winds and heavy rains and then change completely over to sunny afternoons. Mornings are cold enough to wear winter coats, gloves and hats biking to school but give way to warmer temperatures in the afternoon.
I rode through Dyrrehavn (The Deer Park) last week and witnessed hundreds of deer and many stags with many points on their antlers. They are bellowing like crazy. Many schools are taking field trips there as well as locals going for walks to see the beauty of all kinds of nature. Maya and Molly will join dozens of other school this Friday in the park on a national recreation day. They let all children out for organized exercise to promote health and well-being.
We are cruising along with daily life. Still buying things to organize the house, girls getting more in to school and Craig into work. He is renting a temporary office downtown for a while. We have the girls parent-teacher conferences today. We had a wonderful outing last weekend with another family (British) and visited an outdoor museum of 18th and 19th century Danish farm houses that have been collected and brought together near Copenhagen. Later we had them over for dinner and find that entertaining is a wonderful grounding experience.
I sat one afternoon with a dutch mom while Maya hung out with her friend. She's been all over the world and is the most down-to-earth, gracious lady. Her daughter is a tom-boy, like Maya, and they watched Disney channel and did Web-Kinz together. Maya was in heaven.
Our internet-cable situation continues. The phone company must dig a new line from the street to the house and hook us up. You'd think some one would have figured that out before we moved in, but instead we had to fumble in communication darkness for months to get it done. Our landlord is handling it now.
While we wait, my mother, Carole will arrive this Friday, October 10th for a visit. she will join us the following week as we take our first big trip to Andalucia, Spain. We will be staying both coastal and inland, in Sevilla. I have been putting together a lodging itinerary on what short internet time I can get. The girls have mid-term break from school. Grandma will then stay another full week in Copenhagen so she can play tourist. We are very excited!
We wish you all well and drop us a line at thecohen4dk@gmail.com any time
I rode through Dyrrehavn (The Deer Park) last week and witnessed hundreds of deer and many stags with many points on their antlers. They are bellowing like crazy. Many schools are taking field trips there as well as locals going for walks to see the beauty of all kinds of nature. Maya and Molly will join dozens of other school this Friday in the park on a national recreation day. They let all children out for organized exercise to promote health and well-being.
We are cruising along with daily life. Still buying things to organize the house, girls getting more in to school and Craig into work. He is renting a temporary office downtown for a while. We have the girls parent-teacher conferences today. We had a wonderful outing last weekend with another family (British) and visited an outdoor museum of 18th and 19th century Danish farm houses that have been collected and brought together near Copenhagen. Later we had them over for dinner and find that entertaining is a wonderful grounding experience.
I sat one afternoon with a dutch mom while Maya hung out with her friend. She's been all over the world and is the most down-to-earth, gracious lady. Her daughter is a tom-boy, like Maya, and they watched Disney channel and did Web-Kinz together. Maya was in heaven.
Our internet-cable situation continues. The phone company must dig a new line from the street to the house and hook us up. You'd think some one would have figured that out before we moved in, but instead we had to fumble in communication darkness for months to get it done. Our landlord is handling it now.
While we wait, my mother, Carole will arrive this Friday, October 10th for a visit. she will join us the following week as we take our first big trip to Andalucia, Spain. We will be staying both coastal and inland, in Sevilla. I have been putting together a lodging itinerary on what short internet time I can get. The girls have mid-term break from school. Grandma will then stay another full week in Copenhagen so she can play tourist. We are very excited!
We wish you all well and drop us a line at thecohen4dk@gmail.com any time
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The lost weeks of September
(Pictures coming soon...)
Those of you loyal readers have been wondering when the next posting will be and hoping for something a little more "uplifting" after that last cup of coffee. Yes, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last journal entry and it's been filled with our busy daily life here. The biggest reason for the slow communique is that our internet/phone/cable has not yet been installed and I must still borrow computers away from home. After 10 days of being on-call for the phone company and 2 different service visits, they now know that our cable line needs to be re-connected to the house. This will take a crew to dig and lay a new line. Our landlord knew this needed to be done but he waited until we fumbled our sorry asses through the Danish system of paltry customer service to find this out. Long story short, we must now wait in line for the repair crew with an estimated waiting time of 2 weeks (translation... it could be even longer). We watch very little screen and when we do, it's one of the same old tired movies that we own. Movies at blockbuster rent for about $8 for one night. It still beats the movie theater where tickets go for $15 and up each.
So, let's get off that positive note and I'll "grocery list" some highlights over the last 2 weeks.
Molly and Maya are making more friends, getting better used to our school life and finding new ways to have fun in this city. Molly had 2 sleepovers and a birthday party in one 3-day weekend. She really needed that peer socialization. Maya has been named the "human calculator" in her classroom now after winning the multiplication contest among all fifth graders. It's a small achievement, but one that is helping her integrate and engage among her peers. Maya has been invited to a birthday party for a friend at the Danish Film Institute this weekend. They are riding on their bikes with more certainty and less scrapes and bruises and know the route almost well enough to go alone. We discovered a new skateboard park that is a 20 minute bike ride away and has cool stuff for bikes, scooters and skates too.
As it turns out, the girls brand new American bikes don't fit the Danish system here of fenders and basket racks. We've spent numerous trips to the bike shop and still haven't figured it out. Craig and I bit the bullet and bought ourselves new Danish bikes because we were having the same problem. Bikes are not just for recreation - they are like primary transportation vehicles and need the right gear. Craig and I now have fenders, covered chain rings, lights, reflectors, kick brakes, 7 gears, baskets (I have one in front and back) and of course, the mandatory bell.
So now we have extra bikes for guests.
We've had some family outings on the weekends including the travelling circus, 2 long rides through copenhagen on bikes, saw the Little Mermaid, The Danish Resistance Museum, The Experimentarium (their version of OMSI), and hit up several flea markets. While the flea markets aren't quite a family activity, they are fun and a cheap way to fill up on local art, games, puzzles, baskets and other things to fill in our very empty house. Flea markets are in almost every community, every weekend and they are like joint-garage sales. Upwards of 20-40 individuals display their stuff all in one communal area. Bargaining is not easy and things are not USA garage sale prices, however things are much cheaper than the stores. Next weekend we have plans to go to a museum that depicts the rural life of historical Denmark with hands on activities and crafts.
LaCrosse Europe Office (Craig and Matt and the salespeople) hosted a dinner party this week for all the business partners that have helped them make the transaction and transition. Local bankers, accountants and lawyers got together at an upscale Brew Pub and restaurant downtown for drinks and dinner. Joe and Teresa Schneider (my sister) were present as was Dave Carlson and Steve Belloti from LaCrosse Portland. This kind of demonstration of thanks is rare in Denmark as Danes don't ever show their appreciation among business associates. They were thrilled. The food and drink was very good and very Danish, which made them happy. Craig and the LaCrosse contingency are up in Aarhus now doing the same with the current sales and office staff from the distribution center.
I got to share a brief afternoon with Teresa and will try to squeeze in more time before she leaves Denmark in a few days. The weather is superbly gorgeous right now, after mostly drizzly, cloudy November-like weather. There is blue sky and about 55 degrees with no wind. The days are already getting noticeably shorter and everyone keeps warning me about how dark and depressing the winters are here. They don't know I've had training in Portland, Oregon! Bring it on.
So, you wonder, what do I do with my days? It's always something different. There seems to be some school-related coffee every week for Maya or Molly's classroom or a newcomer thing. Every day I have some sort of shopping to do, whether it's food or household or clothes, etc. I see the chiropractor once a week, work-out and practice yoga in my newly created home-studio/gym 3-4 times a week, explore, take care of domestic chores and clean the house. Sounds just like America! But every week I go out and ride somewhere new or roam streets just absorbing life.
I just met with a new book club group. They are mostly moms from school. The focus is on Scandinavian authors, both classical and modern, fiction and non-fiction. It's another layer of understanding of where we are. We first meet in October. Books printed in English are very expensive so we'll ship them from the UK. Looking into language courses. They're here, I'm just not ready to devote 3 mornings a week to it... Looking into a rock climbing gym and club here too.
My day to myself usually ends at 2:45 when I pick up the kids. I devote the rest of the afternoon to their activities, playdates, household needs, homework and making dinner. We have incorporated the Danish practice of creating "hygge" in our dining area and during our meals. We sit at the dinner table with lit candles and share our day.
My mother Carole is arriving in 2 weeks and we are all going to southern Spain for the kids fall break. They traditionally have a week off in October because years ago families had to all pitch in and harvest potates during that time. (Can you say Oroville Apple Harvest?) Now people just go away. We are scheduled to fly to Malaga, Spain and stay in a tiny village just off the coast for a few days and then to Sevilla. We may attempt a trip to Gibraltar-Morocco for the day as well. Grandma Carole will be here for 2 and a half weeks total. We are looking forward to sharing our new lives with her.
The girls have had a couple of babysitters now, one of which I gooffed up and overpaid by $45. Sometimes converting Kroner to dollars is confusing. That's why I'm always asking Maya to figure it out for me - see? my human calculator!
There's a lice scare in Molly's class. 2 girls have had it and I'm watching Molly's head daily. Like we need that. Lice know no boundaries in status or country.
We are still working with the banks to organize our money and our access to it. Can you believe, up until this week we are still drawing US cash out of an ATM (exchanged to Kroner) to pay for everything. We just established our Danske Bank Account and are in the process of wiring US money, which we will do once or twice a month. Things like banking and internet, getting the company car, are taking so long it's like being in slow motion speed. We just don't realize how efficient America is with service. It's expected. In Denmark, they have no expectations, therefore they have no disappointment. Of course I'm generalizing.
We are having to create an entire new social and recreational life over here. At times it's exciting and at times it's tiring. It would have been so easy to just stay right where we were and coast. But we are meeting some incredible people here, all as friendly and helpful as can be, worldly travelled and vibrant. We learn more about our surroundings and our possibilities every day. for example, kayaking is a huge sport here, year round. There are dozens of lakes within a 10 mile radius and often the lakes connect. And the third largest lake in Denmark is just a few miles from where we live. We will slowly check this all out.
I hope this reader is doing well. Please comment to my email address: thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Love and Light,
Mary Jo
Those of you loyal readers have been wondering when the next posting will be and hoping for something a little more "uplifting" after that last cup of coffee. Yes, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last journal entry and it's been filled with our busy daily life here. The biggest reason for the slow communique is that our internet/phone/cable has not yet been installed and I must still borrow computers away from home. After 10 days of being on-call for the phone company and 2 different service visits, they now know that our cable line needs to be re-connected to the house. This will take a crew to dig and lay a new line. Our landlord knew this needed to be done but he waited until we fumbled our sorry asses through the Danish system of paltry customer service to find this out. Long story short, we must now wait in line for the repair crew with an estimated waiting time of 2 weeks (translation... it could be even longer). We watch very little screen and when we do, it's one of the same old tired movies that we own. Movies at blockbuster rent for about $8 for one night. It still beats the movie theater where tickets go for $15 and up each.
So, let's get off that positive note and I'll "grocery list" some highlights over the last 2 weeks.
Molly and Maya are making more friends, getting better used to our school life and finding new ways to have fun in this city. Molly had 2 sleepovers and a birthday party in one 3-day weekend. She really needed that peer socialization. Maya has been named the "human calculator" in her classroom now after winning the multiplication contest among all fifth graders. It's a small achievement, but one that is helping her integrate and engage among her peers. Maya has been invited to a birthday party for a friend at the Danish Film Institute this weekend. They are riding on their bikes with more certainty and less scrapes and bruises and know the route almost well enough to go alone. We discovered a new skateboard park that is a 20 minute bike ride away and has cool stuff for bikes, scooters and skates too.
As it turns out, the girls brand new American bikes don't fit the Danish system here of fenders and basket racks. We've spent numerous trips to the bike shop and still haven't figured it out. Craig and I bit the bullet and bought ourselves new Danish bikes because we were having the same problem. Bikes are not just for recreation - they are like primary transportation vehicles and need the right gear. Craig and I now have fenders, covered chain rings, lights, reflectors, kick brakes, 7 gears, baskets (I have one in front and back) and of course, the mandatory bell.
So now we have extra bikes for guests.
We've had some family outings on the weekends including the travelling circus, 2 long rides through copenhagen on bikes, saw the Little Mermaid, The Danish Resistance Museum, The Experimentarium (their version of OMSI), and hit up several flea markets. While the flea markets aren't quite a family activity, they are fun and a cheap way to fill up on local art, games, puzzles, baskets and other things to fill in our very empty house. Flea markets are in almost every community, every weekend and they are like joint-garage sales. Upwards of 20-40 individuals display their stuff all in one communal area. Bargaining is not easy and things are not USA garage sale prices, however things are much cheaper than the stores. Next weekend we have plans to go to a museum that depicts the rural life of historical Denmark with hands on activities and crafts.
LaCrosse Europe Office (Craig and Matt and the salespeople) hosted a dinner party this week for all the business partners that have helped them make the transaction and transition. Local bankers, accountants and lawyers got together at an upscale Brew Pub and restaurant downtown for drinks and dinner. Joe and Teresa Schneider (my sister) were present as was Dave Carlson and Steve Belloti from LaCrosse Portland. This kind of demonstration of thanks is rare in Denmark as Danes don't ever show their appreciation among business associates. They were thrilled. The food and drink was very good and very Danish, which made them happy. Craig and the LaCrosse contingency are up in Aarhus now doing the same with the current sales and office staff from the distribution center.
I got to share a brief afternoon with Teresa and will try to squeeze in more time before she leaves Denmark in a few days. The weather is superbly gorgeous right now, after mostly drizzly, cloudy November-like weather. There is blue sky and about 55 degrees with no wind. The days are already getting noticeably shorter and everyone keeps warning me about how dark and depressing the winters are here. They don't know I've had training in Portland, Oregon! Bring it on.
So, you wonder, what do I do with my days? It's always something different. There seems to be some school-related coffee every week for Maya or Molly's classroom or a newcomer thing. Every day I have some sort of shopping to do, whether it's food or household or clothes, etc. I see the chiropractor once a week, work-out and practice yoga in my newly created home-studio/gym 3-4 times a week, explore, take care of domestic chores and clean the house. Sounds just like America! But every week I go out and ride somewhere new or roam streets just absorbing life.
I just met with a new book club group. They are mostly moms from school. The focus is on Scandinavian authors, both classical and modern, fiction and non-fiction. It's another layer of understanding of where we are. We first meet in October. Books printed in English are very expensive so we'll ship them from the UK. Looking into language courses. They're here, I'm just not ready to devote 3 mornings a week to it... Looking into a rock climbing gym and club here too.
My day to myself usually ends at 2:45 when I pick up the kids. I devote the rest of the afternoon to their activities, playdates, household needs, homework and making dinner. We have incorporated the Danish practice of creating "hygge" in our dining area and during our meals. We sit at the dinner table with lit candles and share our day.
My mother Carole is arriving in 2 weeks and we are all going to southern Spain for the kids fall break. They traditionally have a week off in October because years ago families had to all pitch in and harvest potates during that time. (Can you say Oroville Apple Harvest?) Now people just go away. We are scheduled to fly to Malaga, Spain and stay in a tiny village just off the coast for a few days and then to Sevilla. We may attempt a trip to Gibraltar-Morocco for the day as well. Grandma Carole will be here for 2 and a half weeks total. We are looking forward to sharing our new lives with her.
The girls have had a couple of babysitters now, one of which I gooffed up and overpaid by $45. Sometimes converting Kroner to dollars is confusing. That's why I'm always asking Maya to figure it out for me - see? my human calculator!
There's a lice scare in Molly's class. 2 girls have had it and I'm watching Molly's head daily. Like we need that. Lice know no boundaries in status or country.
We are still working with the banks to organize our money and our access to it. Can you believe, up until this week we are still drawing US cash out of an ATM (exchanged to Kroner) to pay for everything. We just established our Danske Bank Account and are in the process of wiring US money, which we will do once or twice a month. Things like banking and internet, getting the company car, are taking so long it's like being in slow motion speed. We just don't realize how efficient America is with service. It's expected. In Denmark, they have no expectations, therefore they have no disappointment. Of course I'm generalizing.
We are having to create an entire new social and recreational life over here. At times it's exciting and at times it's tiring. It would have been so easy to just stay right where we were and coast. But we are meeting some incredible people here, all as friendly and helpful as can be, worldly travelled and vibrant. We learn more about our surroundings and our possibilities every day. for example, kayaking is a huge sport here, year round. There are dozens of lakes within a 10 mile radius and often the lakes connect. And the third largest lake in Denmark is just a few miles from where we live. We will slowly check this all out.
I hope this reader is doing well. Please comment to my email address: thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Love and Light,
Mary Jo
Friday, September 12, 2008
It's Just a Cup of Coffee
We've been here five weeks now. The sense of zeal we first had for all the new challenges has worn off and now it's just down right frustrating. We are entering a phase of smoothing out daily and weekly bumps in the road. We need to be fed daily with patience and tolerance to get through. Then again, the old "bitch session" with the other American ladies works pretty well too.
Let me paint a picture of life as a new ex-pat on one given day. After biking the children to school and biking back, getting in my physical therapy & strength training, I prepared myself with a specific shopping list of necessary items to buy at a Target-like store outside of town. "Bilka" is the equivalent to Wal-Mart in that the sq. footage is so large it must be out of city limits. Locals stock up on things in a Costco-like frenzy, if Danes could muster such an emotion. But in order to find the store, I had to research the address (not easy without internet or phone book) and then plug it into my gps in the car. I found the place o.k., followed directions into the underground parking lot and went 2 flights upstairs to Bilka. I then discovered that shopping carts (the British call them "trollies") were back on the parking lot level, so down I went and returned.
This store has everything from groceries to table saws, fabric, bicycles, linens, furniture, but hardly any salespeople to help. I wandered from aisle to aisle searching for what I needed and trying to read the labels in Danish. This day I needed a power drill, vacuum cleaner, head shaver, baking ware, bicycle baskets and equipment and many other household items. After my cart was filled to eye level I proceeded to the check out, waiting 15 minutes til my turn. The process at check-out in this country is the customer does all the work: unloading to the conveyor belt, then loading your own bags (which you bring yourself or pay dearly for one of theirs). Since I know the routine I've gotten pretty quick. The cashier then told me the amount and that they do not take non-Danish credit cards. So while everyone in line behind me waited, I hunted for the ATM on the other side of the store, squeezing every penny out of 2 American bank accounts' daily limits, then hurrying back to the cashier.
Perspiring from humiliation and 2 hours of shopping I return to my car and load up, glad to have my gps to lead me home. I proceed to the parking turnstile to realize I cannot get out because I didn't validate my ticket. At this point the gentle swear words started finding their way to my lips. Eventually, I had to reverse my car against traffic and return to the lot, repark, validate my ticket at which time I was able to exit, leaving not-so-gentl explitives all over the place. How am I supposed to know about all these things? Obviously, the answer is trial and error. That's what these first few months will be about.
But wait, it doesn't end there. I get home, unpack and I have 5 minutes before getting on my bike to collect the girls from school. I find my way to the bathroom where I have just enough time to make a necessary "deposit" in peace. But who should show up but the gardeners, who proceed to have a discussion right below the open bathroom window! Fortunately they go to the door and knock, giving me time to finish up. After a hurried discussion I jump on my bike, get the girls at school, ride to the Hellerup Library, check emails and check out books, ride home, then prepare dinner, do laundry, oversee homework and bedtime routine. Craig was in Aarhus for 3 days.
That night, Molly touched the hi-tech stove buttons in a way that locked the whole system. The next morning when she woke me at 6 am for the day, I tried for one hour to push all the buttons, even resetting the fuses and nothing could get the stove to work. I had no manual, no internet to look on-line, too early for phoning the landlord and all I wanted was a cup of coffee to jump start the day ahead. I called Craig to ask his advice, only to feel his frustrations from work, parallel to mine. As he hung up he said to me, "Peanut, it's just a cup of coffee".
The next half an hour I grimly made it through the morning routine, getting lunch, breakfast and the three of us ready for the day, the whole time wallowing in an escalating amount of self-pity. It wasn't just the cup of coffee that got to me, it was what the cup of coffee stood for: the simple ease of daily routine, where no brick walls stood in my path. That cup of coffee saved me from moments throughout the day where I feel like a square peg ramming into a circular opening. The glitch in the stove represented the continual series of steps that we must take to figure out the simplest of tasks. And I just had it. I had it with everything for the last 3 months. And I lost it. I gave in to tears while brushing my teeth. And then the sobs followed and I couldn't stop. The girls were mystified and awed and a little concerned, but very loving. It was a good teaching moment and heavenly cathartic. Needless to say, I knew it would come and I'm so glad that day is over.
After the girls went to school I sat at a cafe with a very large latte and morning roll with butter, jam and cheese and read my (English) novel before carrying on. Later that day I got a hold of the landlord and he directed me to a manual that had directions in English, imagine that! That was 2 days ago and seems like an eternity. Things will get better, but we'll have a lot of yucky days as well.
So think of me during your next cup of coffee and remind yourself of how easy the simple things are and be grateful.
Let me paint a picture of life as a new ex-pat on one given day. After biking the children to school and biking back, getting in my physical therapy & strength training, I prepared myself with a specific shopping list of necessary items to buy at a Target-like store outside of town. "Bilka" is the equivalent to Wal-Mart in that the sq. footage is so large it must be out of city limits. Locals stock up on things in a Costco-like frenzy, if Danes could muster such an emotion. But in order to find the store, I had to research the address (not easy without internet or phone book) and then plug it into my gps in the car. I found the place o.k., followed directions into the underground parking lot and went 2 flights upstairs to Bilka. I then discovered that shopping carts (the British call them "trollies") were back on the parking lot level, so down I went and returned.
This store has everything from groceries to table saws, fabric, bicycles, linens, furniture, but hardly any salespeople to help. I wandered from aisle to aisle searching for what I needed and trying to read the labels in Danish. This day I needed a power drill, vacuum cleaner, head shaver, baking ware, bicycle baskets and equipment and many other household items. After my cart was filled to eye level I proceeded to the check out, waiting 15 minutes til my turn. The process at check-out in this country is the customer does all the work: unloading to the conveyor belt, then loading your own bags (which you bring yourself or pay dearly for one of theirs). Since I know the routine I've gotten pretty quick. The cashier then told me the amount and that they do not take non-Danish credit cards. So while everyone in line behind me waited, I hunted for the ATM on the other side of the store, squeezing every penny out of 2 American bank accounts' daily limits, then hurrying back to the cashier.
Perspiring from humiliation and 2 hours of shopping I return to my car and load up, glad to have my gps to lead me home. I proceed to the parking turnstile to realize I cannot get out because I didn't validate my ticket. At this point the gentle swear words started finding their way to my lips. Eventually, I had to reverse my car against traffic and return to the lot, repark, validate my ticket at which time I was able to exit, leaving not-so-gentl explitives all over the place. How am I supposed to know about all these things? Obviously, the answer is trial and error. That's what these first few months will be about.
But wait, it doesn't end there. I get home, unpack and I have 5 minutes before getting on my bike to collect the girls from school. I find my way to the bathroom where I have just enough time to make a necessary "deposit" in peace. But who should show up but the gardeners, who proceed to have a discussion right below the open bathroom window! Fortunately they go to the door and knock, giving me time to finish up. After a hurried discussion I jump on my bike, get the girls at school, ride to the Hellerup Library, check emails and check out books, ride home, then prepare dinner, do laundry, oversee homework and bedtime routine. Craig was in Aarhus for 3 days.
That night, Molly touched the hi-tech stove buttons in a way that locked the whole system. The next morning when she woke me at 6 am for the day, I tried for one hour to push all the buttons, even resetting the fuses and nothing could get the stove to work. I had no manual, no internet to look on-line, too early for phoning the landlord and all I wanted was a cup of coffee to jump start the day ahead. I called Craig to ask his advice, only to feel his frustrations from work, parallel to mine. As he hung up he said to me, "Peanut, it's just a cup of coffee".
The next half an hour I grimly made it through the morning routine, getting lunch, breakfast and the three of us ready for the day, the whole time wallowing in an escalating amount of self-pity. It wasn't just the cup of coffee that got to me, it was what the cup of coffee stood for: the simple ease of daily routine, where no brick walls stood in my path. That cup of coffee saved me from moments throughout the day where I feel like a square peg ramming into a circular opening. The glitch in the stove represented the continual series of steps that we must take to figure out the simplest of tasks. And I just had it. I had it with everything for the last 3 months. And I lost it. I gave in to tears while brushing my teeth. And then the sobs followed and I couldn't stop. The girls were mystified and awed and a little concerned, but very loving. It was a good teaching moment and heavenly cathartic. Needless to say, I knew it would come and I'm so glad that day is over.
After the girls went to school I sat at a cafe with a very large latte and morning roll with butter, jam and cheese and read my (English) novel before carrying on. Later that day I got a hold of the landlord and he directed me to a manual that had directions in English, imagine that! That was 2 days ago and seems like an eternity. Things will get better, but we'll have a lot of yucky days as well.
So think of me during your next cup of coffee and remind yourself of how easy the simple things are and be grateful.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Container Arrived
At long last, the truck arrived with our container from America. This has helped ease the transition from "camping" in our house to that of more comfortable surroundings. The overseas shipping companies were phenomenal, contrary to the horror stories we've heard. The container arrived on time, a few days earlier than expected and nothing was damaged or lost. The movers brought everything in, set up the beds and dining room table and were gone in 2 hours. Although it arrived August 29th, we have yet to put everything away, mainly because Danish homes just do not have storage of any means built in to homes. We must purchase all forms of cabinets, shelves, drawers, closets, shoe racks, etc. etc. for every room. This is a process that will take the better part of 6 months or longer.
However, even with our American belongings, we still have bare walls and no familiar affects on the very stark white walls (every home is white interior here). Next purchase is a drill with concrete bits to penetrate the walls. We are looking forward to this weekend where there are numerous "loppemarkeder" flea markets. There we will find many needed household items without shopping at IKEA. Last weekend we dragged the girls through IKEA for a 4 hour experience, where both left screaming and crying. Too much for everybody. Although their meals are good and cheap! That started the beginning of a sour week for us all which now is turning much better. We had a lousy restaurant experience, more furniture building, colds and sicknesses for the girls, scrapes, bumps and bruises from injuries on bikes and in our house, and a tense first week with the girls commuting by bike to school. Watching and instructing them what to do and where to go during rush hour is unnerving as a parent. We will all feel comfortable soon.
This whole biking business is amazing. The city biking system reminds me of SunRiver, but on a much bigger scale. The cities are interconnected like a big spiderweb, and towns are a mere 2 kilometers from each other. Our house is a mere 6 kilometers (3 1/2 miles) from downtown Copenhagen. And there are so many kinds of bike carriers. Children are often carried in 2 person carts on the front of bikes. Women ride in all kinds of footwear and clothing. Dresses and high heels and all. And what is up with all the pregnant women here? My gosh there are a lot! And tons of babies and prams and strollers and bike seats. Little kids are everywhere!
On a personal note, I randomly chose a Danish chiropractor this week and saw her twice. It has helped tremendously and I am feeling much better. The office does NO paperwork, no medical history, no nothing. It is not a litigous society. Cost for a chiropractice visit is less than the cost of a movie and popcorn for 2 people.
We got our citizen cards yesterday. Yoohoo! Now we are officially residents and receive all the services that Danes do. However, we're not sure what they are exactly, since the list came printed in Danish. But it's health and library and community services, etc.
Craig and I are learning the transportation system much better now. We go from train, to bus, to bike and walk, just like everybody else. We save the car for when we really need convenience or when we go somewhere far as a family. I feel as if we're going througha Danish boot camp, to be indoctrinated into civilian life here. We are learning the do's and don'ts but also the mentalities of the culture and the people. I dare say it will take the better part of 2 years to really grasp that, if at all.
We have not gone out of our way to buy newspapers and such in English, nor do we have t.v. yet therefore our news from the states is meager. It doesn't seem to bother us at all. What we don't know won't hurt us.
We are getting to know some neighbors a little. M & M played with kids from across the street on Sunday. Anna (10) and Mads (12). They spoke very little English but played Bocci ball in the back yard and caught frogs and made them a house. Later that day we went to another beautiful beach nearby and Molly was the only brave one to swim in the sound.
We have our internet and t.v. installation date for September 23rd. Hurray! Now we wait. Until then I will continue to grab internet time at the library in Hellerup or at the kids' school or an internet cafe. During these times, I usually don't have a lot of time to write long email passages. I'm taking care of banking or other business. Please forgive my brevity.
If commenting via blogspot is troublesome, please communicate via my email addressÆ thecohen4dk@mail.com
Looking forward to sending more good news when I can.
Love and Light,
Mary Jo
However, even with our American belongings, we still have bare walls and no familiar affects on the very stark white walls (every home is white interior here). Next purchase is a drill with concrete bits to penetrate the walls. We are looking forward to this weekend where there are numerous "loppemarkeder" flea markets. There we will find many needed household items without shopping at IKEA. Last weekend we dragged the girls through IKEA for a 4 hour experience, where both left screaming and crying. Too much for everybody. Although their meals are good and cheap! That started the beginning of a sour week for us all which now is turning much better. We had a lousy restaurant experience, more furniture building, colds and sicknesses for the girls, scrapes, bumps and bruises from injuries on bikes and in our house, and a tense first week with the girls commuting by bike to school. Watching and instructing them what to do and where to go during rush hour is unnerving as a parent. We will all feel comfortable soon.
This whole biking business is amazing. The city biking system reminds me of SunRiver, but on a much bigger scale. The cities are interconnected like a big spiderweb, and towns are a mere 2 kilometers from each other. Our house is a mere 6 kilometers (3 1/2 miles) from downtown Copenhagen. And there are so many kinds of bike carriers. Children are often carried in 2 person carts on the front of bikes. Women ride in all kinds of footwear and clothing. Dresses and high heels and all. And what is up with all the pregnant women here? My gosh there are a lot! And tons of babies and prams and strollers and bike seats. Little kids are everywhere!
On a personal note, I randomly chose a Danish chiropractor this week and saw her twice. It has helped tremendously and I am feeling much better. The office does NO paperwork, no medical history, no nothing. It is not a litigous society. Cost for a chiropractice visit is less than the cost of a movie and popcorn for 2 people.
We got our citizen cards yesterday. Yoohoo! Now we are officially residents and receive all the services that Danes do. However, we're not sure what they are exactly, since the list came printed in Danish. But it's health and library and community services, etc.
Craig and I are learning the transportation system much better now. We go from train, to bus, to bike and walk, just like everybody else. We save the car for when we really need convenience or when we go somewhere far as a family. I feel as if we're going througha Danish boot camp, to be indoctrinated into civilian life here. We are learning the do's and don'ts but also the mentalities of the culture and the people. I dare say it will take the better part of 2 years to really grasp that, if at all.
We have not gone out of our way to buy newspapers and such in English, nor do we have t.v. yet therefore our news from the states is meager. It doesn't seem to bother us at all. What we don't know won't hurt us.
We are getting to know some neighbors a little. M & M played with kids from across the street on Sunday. Anna (10) and Mads (12). They spoke very little English but played Bocci ball in the back yard and caught frogs and made them a house. Later that day we went to another beautiful beach nearby and Molly was the only brave one to swim in the sound.
We have our internet and t.v. installation date for September 23rd. Hurray! Now we wait. Until then I will continue to grab internet time at the library in Hellerup or at the kids' school or an internet cafe. During these times, I usually don't have a lot of time to write long email passages. I'm taking care of banking or other business. Please forgive my brevity.
If commenting via blogspot is troublesome, please communicate via my email addressÆ thecohen4dk@mail.com
Looking forward to sending more good news when I can.
Love and Light,
Mary Jo
Monday, August 25, 2008
Dinner with a Danish Family
Last Saturday, after putting together yet more IKEA dressers (4 in all), we were invited to dinner at the home of Micheal - lawyer for Lacrosse Footwear - who has been working very closely with Craig et al with the company transition. Matt Schneider joined us and the girls and we drove to Michael's house in Taastrup (minutes outside of the city) where he lives with his ladyfriend, Vibeka. We arrived at 3 pm for coffee and dessert, which is very typical on a weekend. We sat, ate and talked. Then, Michael brought out the wine and while the girls watched Olympic coverage with Danish commentary, we drank, Michael smoked his pipe, Vibeka cooked and we watched the barbecue. Michael is an entertaining individual and the time passed quickly. We asked many questions about their culture and life there and they were very gracious. We ate dinner around 7 and finished with more dessert, talk and wine, leaving for the evening about 9:30 pm. (21:30 in Danish time. They use the military system of time) It is true what we read about meals in Danish homes: they can last a long time.
The next day we explored Dyrehaven Park or "Deer Park" which is just a 5 minute drive from our house. It is a huge forest with interconnecting trails, restaurants, and Europe's oldest amusement park, Bakken. We strolled along and viewed Danes enjoying picnics amongs the woods, horse and carriage rides, a jazz band performing an open-air concert, mountain bikers, walkers and horseback riders. This is a quintessential park, similar to Central Park and Golden Gate, that the Danes take pride in and visit often. The ocean is on one perimeter and we paused for a while to view the ships, dip our feet in the water and look out over Sweden's coast. We are beginning to realize what wonderful family adventures lie ahead of us and so close to our home.
We are also being warned about the dark winters...
We got registered for residency today, after taking the children out of school and going to the immigration office andn city hall twice. Still, it will take another 1 - 2 weeks to get our residency cards and numbers.
The girls have playdates scheduled this week for after school. They also get to sign up for after school activities. Listen to some of the choices: music, choir, soccer, basketball, sports and fun, floor hockey, gymnastics, karate, yoga, ballet, dance, running, drama, photography, sailing and painting. Most of these will have a cost, of course. Maya's class has mandatory swimming lessons, once a week during school. All Danish children learn to swim through school.
Pictures coming...
Hej,Hej
The next day we explored Dyrehaven Park or "Deer Park" which is just a 5 minute drive from our house. It is a huge forest with interconnecting trails, restaurants, and Europe's oldest amusement park, Bakken. We strolled along and viewed Danes enjoying picnics amongs the woods, horse and carriage rides, a jazz band performing an open-air concert, mountain bikers, walkers and horseback riders. This is a quintessential park, similar to Central Park and Golden Gate, that the Danes take pride in and visit often. The ocean is on one perimeter and we paused for a while to view the ships, dip our feet in the water and look out over Sweden's coast. We are beginning to realize what wonderful family adventures lie ahead of us and so close to our home.
We are also being warned about the dark winters...
We got registered for residency today, after taking the children out of school and going to the immigration office andn city hall twice. Still, it will take another 1 - 2 weeks to get our residency cards and numbers.
The girls have playdates scheduled this week for after school. They also get to sign up for after school activities. Listen to some of the choices: music, choir, soccer, basketball, sports and fun, floor hockey, gymnastics, karate, yoga, ballet, dance, running, drama, photography, sailing and painting. Most of these will have a cost, of course. Maya's class has mandatory swimming lessons, once a week during school. All Danish children learn to swim through school.
Pictures coming...
Hej,Hej
Thursday, August 21, 2008
School Begins
The girls' time of uncertainty and mystery came to an end when Maya and Molly started School yesterday. They were excited and content as well as nervous as they entered their classrooms. By the end of the day, they had engaged in new friends, got to know the playground (Molly even went to the school nurses' office with a cut eye from the playground...) and were so relieved to be speaking English with kids their ages. Maya's teacher is from New Jersey and is a petite, very organized young woman named Ms. Christianson. Molly's teacher is new to the school, from New Delhi, India, named Ms. Gupta. The school is bursting at the seams and so all of 3rd grade is in a portable classroom. Maya's room is on the second floor of the main building, mixed in with the middle school, which is very cool for her.
This morning I went to the "Newcomers Coffee" which was about 200 moms and I met several parents of children in the girls classes. I'm setting Maya up with a boy in her class who's a big skateboarder. He just got back from skateboard camp in England. When his mom told the boy that Maya carried her skateboard on the plane because it was that important, he considered Maya instantly o.k. There are several other girls in her class that are sporty and academic as well.
Molly's teacher was impressed with her immediately and told us we "were very blessed to have a child like her". 3 mothers came up to me and said their daughters came home raving about a girl named "Molly".
I was relieved to meet other people that spoke English as well. Some are ahead of my by a few weeks and others by a few years, but everybody has gone through exactly what we have. Our issues are no bigger or smaller than others. There's a common thread of shared annoyances, i.e. slow cable services, resident card issues, transportation, shopping, etc. And all the veterans adore the school and the community that it offers. This morning alone I chatted with parents from The Netherlands, Sweden, England, Scotland, Cyprus, Mexico, India, Hungary, Spain, Italy, China and Denmark, of course. Many families are on their 3rd or 4th international assignment and ask "Where have you been before this?" Portland, Oregon sounds a little country bumpkin compared to the rest.
I continue to shop at IKEA and other stores to supply our house. We have good news - our shipment is on schedule and if it doesn't go through customs, we may have it by August 28th. The girls are looking forward to sleeping in beds. And we want to get on our bikes. Biking is the way to go. While waiting for the bus today we counted the number of cars vs. bikes and it was almost even. Bikers respect the same rules of the road as cars.
Other good news: Craig's work permit and resident status has been approved and now we have to go to the local municipality and get our "CPR" cards - kind of like social security numbers. With this number we get resident services, including cable, television, telephone, utilities, doctors, dentists, schooling, library, etc. etc.
Craig's job is going well, but there is so much to do. He goes to Aarhus (3 hour drive, 4 hour train) every week for 2 - 3 days to the office and distribution center. The company transfered over the inventory and company data onto a different software program last week and it was successful. He will be working out of our home as soon as we get internet and all the office equipment. Until then he uses internet cafes and meets with business associates wherever he can.
We are all making huge adjustments, but because there are so many of them, they seem minimal. Denmark is easy to integrate because the city logistics and way of life are more or less similar to the U.S. We just have to learn the ways and language.
We had a great Danish weekend just last: went to the nearby mall's theater to see Mamma Mia on a Friday night, to Tivoli Garden on Saturday and to the beach on Sunday. There is a beautiful park and beach right in Hellerup, 10 minute drive from our house. Monday and Tuesday we did some school shopping. They mostly needed lunch boxes (here they just bring lunch in tupperware, no ziplock bags or foil) and "indoor shoes" to wear in the classroom.
We splurged and went out and bought a big TV and now the kids can watch 2 movies that we bought: old Simpons episodes and Ghostbusters. That's it for visual entertainment without cable or internet. However the family is getting really good at our laptop standard games, like Hearts, Mah Jong and Spider Solitaire.
I went to the local recycling center. This place was awesome! You drive around to any of the 20 types of materials and dump it for free including; computers, scrap metal, paper, appliances, yard debris, clothing, plastic pvc, and on and on. They have their junk down. It's a 5 minute drive from our house. I've also hooked up with our neighbor who's English and owns a yard service. He and his Danish wife have 4 children. He's going to handle our yard needs until end of September. After that no one touches their yards until April. We'll decide then whether to buy a mower and clippers and do it ourselves or hire out. Hiring out for services is barely heard of here. Everybody does everything themselves.
This is a long entry because I haven't afforded the time to be at the library's computers for this long. I'll try and do a weekly blog even so.
Please comment if you wish or send comments to my email: thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Hi Hi (which means bye bye!)
This morning I went to the "Newcomers Coffee" which was about 200 moms and I met several parents of children in the girls classes. I'm setting Maya up with a boy in her class who's a big skateboarder. He just got back from skateboard camp in England. When his mom told the boy that Maya carried her skateboard on the plane because it was that important, he considered Maya instantly o.k. There are several other girls in her class that are sporty and academic as well.
Molly's teacher was impressed with her immediately and told us we "were very blessed to have a child like her". 3 mothers came up to me and said their daughters came home raving about a girl named "Molly".
I was relieved to meet other people that spoke English as well. Some are ahead of my by a few weeks and others by a few years, but everybody has gone through exactly what we have. Our issues are no bigger or smaller than others. There's a common thread of shared annoyances, i.e. slow cable services, resident card issues, transportation, shopping, etc. And all the veterans adore the school and the community that it offers. This morning alone I chatted with parents from The Netherlands, Sweden, England, Scotland, Cyprus, Mexico, India, Hungary, Spain, Italy, China and Denmark, of course. Many families are on their 3rd or 4th international assignment and ask "Where have you been before this?" Portland, Oregon sounds a little country bumpkin compared to the rest.
I continue to shop at IKEA and other stores to supply our house. We have good news - our shipment is on schedule and if it doesn't go through customs, we may have it by August 28th. The girls are looking forward to sleeping in beds. And we want to get on our bikes. Biking is the way to go. While waiting for the bus today we counted the number of cars vs. bikes and it was almost even. Bikers respect the same rules of the road as cars.
Other good news: Craig's work permit and resident status has been approved and now we have to go to the local municipality and get our "CPR" cards - kind of like social security numbers. With this number we get resident services, including cable, television, telephone, utilities, doctors, dentists, schooling, library, etc. etc.
Craig's job is going well, but there is so much to do. He goes to Aarhus (3 hour drive, 4 hour train) every week for 2 - 3 days to the office and distribution center. The company transfered over the inventory and company data onto a different software program last week and it was successful. He will be working out of our home as soon as we get internet and all the office equipment. Until then he uses internet cafes and meets with business associates wherever he can.
We are all making huge adjustments, but because there are so many of them, they seem minimal. Denmark is easy to integrate because the city logistics and way of life are more or less similar to the U.S. We just have to learn the ways and language.
We had a great Danish weekend just last: went to the nearby mall's theater to see Mamma Mia on a Friday night, to Tivoli Garden on Saturday and to the beach on Sunday. There is a beautiful park and beach right in Hellerup, 10 minute drive from our house. Monday and Tuesday we did some school shopping. They mostly needed lunch boxes (here they just bring lunch in tupperware, no ziplock bags or foil) and "indoor shoes" to wear in the classroom.
We splurged and went out and bought a big TV and now the kids can watch 2 movies that we bought: old Simpons episodes and Ghostbusters. That's it for visual entertainment without cable or internet. However the family is getting really good at our laptop standard games, like Hearts, Mah Jong and Spider Solitaire.
I went to the local recycling center. This place was awesome! You drive around to any of the 20 types of materials and dump it for free including; computers, scrap metal, paper, appliances, yard debris, clothing, plastic pvc, and on and on. They have their junk down. It's a 5 minute drive from our house. I've also hooked up with our neighbor who's English and owns a yard service. He and his Danish wife have 4 children. He's going to handle our yard needs until end of September. After that no one touches their yards until April. We'll decide then whether to buy a mower and clippers and do it ourselves or hire out. Hiring out for services is barely heard of here. Everybody does everything themselves.
This is a long entry because I haven't afforded the time to be at the library's computers for this long. I'll try and do a weekly blog even so.
Please comment if you wish or send comments to my email: thecohen4dk@gmail.com
Hi Hi (which means bye bye!)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Living in Limbo
We made it! The flight was easy and very symbolic of our transfer process from one life to another - "all that we can't leave behind" came with us in-hand, which basically comes down to the four of us in our family. Everything else can be bought, borrowed or left out. Now begins the journey of rebuilding (buying) our cache of life stuff. We started with survival basics. After arriving in Copenhagen and getting into our new house, we had 1 hour to get to IKEA and buy sheets and blankets to sleep on our air mattresses. Had falafel and pizza for our first meal and bought toilet paper and soap on the way home at the only place open on a Saturday night.
The second day was dedicated to figuring out where we live and where we can get what we need. The third day was back to IKEA (twice) to get more essentials- thank goodness it's only 2miles down the road! Yesterday I built furniture and Craig and I slept in our own bed for the first time in 3 weeks. We now have enough kitchen stuff to make limited meals and eat at home. Everything takes a while to figure out: the bus, the dishwasher, the washer and dryer, the oven, groceries, menus, mail, garbage, phones, trains, etc. etc. The learning curve is straight up!
It will be a while before we get our house connected to internet for communication and cable for T.V. I may have a phone next week, but not sure it it's a land line or cell. In the mean time, we are living without communication and the girls are using their imagination! It's amazing what can be done with one doll, hair ties and lots of cardboard boxes! Today we are at the Hellerup library using the internet.
Craig is in Aarhus, Denmark for a couple of days and nights, changing over the systems data for Lacrosse. We're on our own and plan on eating at one of the 6 pizza places within a 1 mile radius of our house.
Tomorrow the girls take a test and get oriented at school and we will meet other families. They start school August 20th. And yes, they have back-to-school sales here, just like in the states.
I want to thank all of you who supported us on our journey to get here, either physically or just energetically. It was your well wishes and excellent thoughts that lifted us up and carried us to our destination. The universe offered no resistance whatsoever in this life-changing transformation. May we continue to be bouyed by your support and love and carry that with us. As I got on the plane I felt nothing but love. My blessings and love back to you all.
The second day was dedicated to figuring out where we live and where we can get what we need. The third day was back to IKEA (twice) to get more essentials- thank goodness it's only 2miles down the road! Yesterday I built furniture and Craig and I slept in our own bed for the first time in 3 weeks. We now have enough kitchen stuff to make limited meals and eat at home. Everything takes a while to figure out: the bus, the dishwasher, the washer and dryer, the oven, groceries, menus, mail, garbage, phones, trains, etc. etc. The learning curve is straight up!
It will be a while before we get our house connected to internet for communication and cable for T.V. I may have a phone next week, but not sure it it's a land line or cell. In the mean time, we are living without communication and the girls are using their imagination! It's amazing what can be done with one doll, hair ties and lots of cardboard boxes! Today we are at the Hellerup library using the internet.
Craig is in Aarhus, Denmark for a couple of days and nights, changing over the systems data for Lacrosse. We're on our own and plan on eating at one of the 6 pizza places within a 1 mile radius of our house.
Tomorrow the girls take a test and get oriented at school and we will meet other families. They start school August 20th. And yes, they have back-to-school sales here, just like in the states.
I want to thank all of you who supported us on our journey to get here, either physically or just energetically. It was your well wishes and excellent thoughts that lifted us up and carried us to our destination. The universe offered no resistance whatsoever in this life-changing transformation. May we continue to be bouyed by your support and love and carry that with us. As I got on the plane I felt nothing but love. My blessings and love back to you all.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Departure Day - 08-08-08
After a whirlwind 6 weeks of preparation for the move, the four of us will get on a plane Friday, to start the adventure of our lives. We will miss our Portland home, friends, family and all the beautiful, sweet life that comes with it, but are comforted by the fact that we will return and that with current technology will be able to stay in contact with everyone. I (Mary Jo) am launching myself into just such technology with this blog. I will try my best. Feel free to check in at any time. A few facts about where we are going:
1. Copenhagen proper has about 1.5 million people (like Portland). We live in Hellerup, just minutes north of downtown Copenhagen.
2. They speak Danish, use the Kroner money system and are considered a Scandinavian country (not European).
3. English is spoken as a second language and taught to children in schools. How fortunate for us! Maya and Molly will attend Copenhagen International School, a K-12 taught in English.
4. The country consists of up to 500 islands, some just little pieces of sand. We live on the most Eastern Island call "Zealand", which is just minutes by bridge to Sweden!
5. The weather is breezy and cooler than Portland, with less rain but more ice and snow.
6. The latitude is equal to Anchorage, AK, therefore summer days are long and winter days are very short. The country is very flat with the highest elevation only 500 feet!
7. It is a socialist country and, after finalizing paperwork, we will be residents - welcome to all the benefits of that country.
8. The people are friendly, crime is non-existent, mass transit and bikes everywhere, situated close to dozens of countries to visit and the city a beautiful mix of old-world charm and modern technology.
1. Copenhagen proper has about 1.5 million people (like Portland). We live in Hellerup, just minutes north of downtown Copenhagen.
2. They speak Danish, use the Kroner money system and are considered a Scandinavian country (not European).
3. English is spoken as a second language and taught to children in schools. How fortunate for us! Maya and Molly will attend Copenhagen International School, a K-12 taught in English.
4. The country consists of up to 500 islands, some just little pieces of sand. We live on the most Eastern Island call "Zealand", which is just minutes by bridge to Sweden!
5. The weather is breezy and cooler than Portland, with less rain but more ice and snow.
6. The latitude is equal to Anchorage, AK, therefore summer days are long and winter days are very short. The country is very flat with the highest elevation only 500 feet!
7. It is a socialist country and, after finalizing paperwork, we will be residents - welcome to all the benefits of that country.
8. The people are friendly, crime is non-existent, mass transit and bikes everywhere, situated close to dozens of countries to visit and the city a beautiful mix of old-world charm and modern technology.
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