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.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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
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