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