I ran a mini half marathon around Copenhagen on Saturday. While my brother competed in a half triathlon, I competed in my own 10.46 mile run along the Copenhagen Marathon course. My brother came in 5th out of 11 in his age group which is quite an accomplishment, whereas I came in first overall. If you want to be technical about it . . .his race was official . . . mine was official only to me, myself, I, and the ducks in the pond.
Running Goal 2: run one more mini marathon around Copenhagen before I say farewell!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
PPP and Budgeting
can I say it? dammit dammit dammit . . . I asked like my mom asked if she could say it so it is okay! Those words are in reference to the PPP/Econ part of this summer. The Budgeting and cost accounting was great!!!!!!
Burgers, buns, and nudity
Nudity is so en vogue here, so I decided it might be fun to try to go against what was mainstream and keep my bathing suit on! Wow! me modest- get out . . . I never would have thought! Yea not much has changed I still have bathing suit that covers everything and even nice skirt. My skirt may not be as conservative as the blue one from the past couple years, but I still have one.
The beach was beautiful . . . I mean water, sand, the setting sun, windmills, and good food . . . what is not beautiful about that. I will tell you what is not beautiful about that . . . two nude women swimming around in the Oresund Sea. Yes, you read that right 2 nude women. Now, I am not one to judge, well maybe I do to some extent, but these women we decide were more than just friends. They walked up to a spot that was directly in front of us and one of the women stripped down . . and then proceeded to talk to the other woman . . .My gosh why wear clothes if you are going to do that. The other lady was quite modest because she went in with her shirt and panties on, but no she came back out of the water and threw her top off. Yeah, pretty sure they were more than friends. Never would I do that with friend, but hey here you can do that stuff. no thank you
The sad thing is Jen and I watched this whole thing and wondered why it had to be those two women that were not in the best shape . . . I mean we would have been ok if it was someone that was fit still gross but not as gross. Anyway, all afternoon we saw people change men too . . . fortunately we just saw rear ends, but still we don't need to be graced by its presence.
Now to the best part! We grilled out with a disposable grill! The burgers were amazing and so was the corn and the chocolate and the beer for that matter! I was sitting on the beach with a new friend in Copenhagen for crying out loud. . . That was awesome!
The beach was beautiful . . . I mean water, sand, the setting sun, windmills, and good food . . . what is not beautiful about that. I will tell you what is not beautiful about that . . . two nude women swimming around in the Oresund Sea. Yes, you read that right 2 nude women. Now, I am not one to judge, well maybe I do to some extent, but these women we decide were more than just friends. They walked up to a spot that was directly in front of us and one of the women stripped down . . and then proceeded to talk to the other woman . . .My gosh why wear clothes if you are going to do that. The other lady was quite modest because she went in with her shirt and panties on, but no she came back out of the water and threw her top off. Yeah, pretty sure they were more than friends. Never would I do that with friend, but hey here you can do that stuff. no thank you
The sad thing is Jen and I watched this whole thing and wondered why it had to be those two women that were not in the best shape . . . I mean we would have been ok if it was someone that was fit still gross but not as gross. Anyway, all afternoon we saw people change men too . . . fortunately we just saw rear ends, but still we don't need to be graced by its presence.
Now to the best part! We grilled out with a disposable grill! The burgers were amazing and so was the corn and the chocolate and the beer for that matter! I was sitting on the beach with a new friend in Copenhagen for crying out loud. . . That was awesome!
Vaughan the Red goes on a Voyage
It seems like so long ago . . It was two weekends ago to be exact. Remember when you were in grade school and you learned that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and he discovered America I remember that and I vividly remember the day I found out that Christopher Columbus was technically not the first voyager to discover America. The vikings?? Who what . . . no way . . . you mean to tell me that all those years we were lied to for the simplicity's sake and to sing a silly song.
Once I heard about the vikings in history class I decided that I really liked them. I always was partial to the Vikings and tried to learn as much as could about them since after all we shared the same first letter. "V" Then I found out about Eric the Red and surely that is some relation to me! Since I was Vaughan the Red. Looking back on my logic and reasoning I laugh, but alas I returned to one Viking settlement to retrace the steps of my ancestors. Perhaps not my ancestors directly, but surely in a many generations later I am what you get type of thing!
Saturday morning I set out for Roskilde, which is about a 20 min train ride from Copenhagen H. I took my Economics to study on the train and tackled PPP. The train arrived in Roskilde and my Viking Adventure Began. Please do not confuse Roskilde with Greenwood . . . there were no shiny viking ovens, ranges, or fridges that I could see in Roskilde. You may be familiar with the Roskilde Music Festival which is one of the largest in Europe.
The museum was a ways walk from the train station, so I ventured through the town. The town is not a coastal town but a fjord town. It did remind me of one of the coastal towns I have visited in England. I walked through a market and it was not too interesting, just junk but Danish junk none the less. I wound my way down the hillside to the fjord waterfront and the museum. You can see the pictures on the Picasso. I am not sure I will be able to explain to y'all how much I enjoyed my visit to the Viking Museum. The museum is basically an educational work site for archaeologists. In the yards surrounding the docks many craftsmen are building ships using the same tools that the vikings used 2000 + yrs ago. They were not wearing the same outfits fortunately. But it was so neat to go from station to station learning about all the different parts of the tree they used and how they developed the best and fastest ships this world had seen at the time!
I spent lots of time looking at the ships and admiring the water. I then joined the English tour of the museum. I was like a little kid in a candy store!! Really there is no better way to explain how I felt touring the museum.
First off let me explain a little bit more before you get totally lost. Roskilde was once the capital of Danmark back in the day when the vikings sailed. Roskilde was a very important town and many people tried to attack the city, so the people (the king) blocked the channels from invaders, but opened them for trade. How might one block a channel you ask well they sunk old viking ships to create a blockade. Very smart those Vikings, by doing that many years ago five viking ships were excavated out of Roskilde Fjord. The ships are not in their entirety mind you, but parts of the ship. They uncovered a warship, two trading ships, a fishing ship, and a ship that carried people. They have reconstructed all five ships. The last ship they reconstructed was the one with the least portion of the original remaining.
This is what I really want you to research! They reconstructed the final ship that was originally from Dublin and sailed to Roskilde and never left since it was at the bottom of the Fjord. After they reconstructed the ship the plan was to sail this ship round trip from Roskilde to Dublin. They would have crew on board, food would be prepared . . the works. They are trying to understand the Viking life on sea by making this 2007 maiden voyage. I think you should check this website out b/c I do not do it justice. I am so amazed and I was there!
http://www.havhingsten.dk/index.php?id=841&L=1
Please join me in welcoming the Seastallion back to Roskilde on Saturday! I will be in Charlotte, but still welcome home to us both!
Once I heard about the vikings in history class I decided that I really liked them. I always was partial to the Vikings and tried to learn as much as could about them since after all we shared the same first letter. "V" Then I found out about Eric the Red and surely that is some relation to me! Since I was Vaughan the Red. Looking back on my logic and reasoning I laugh, but alas I returned to one Viking settlement to retrace the steps of my ancestors. Perhaps not my ancestors directly, but surely in a many generations later I am what you get type of thing!
Saturday morning I set out for Roskilde, which is about a 20 min train ride from Copenhagen H. I took my Economics to study on the train and tackled PPP. The train arrived in Roskilde and my Viking Adventure Began. Please do not confuse Roskilde with Greenwood . . . there were no shiny viking ovens, ranges, or fridges that I could see in Roskilde. You may be familiar with the Roskilde Music Festival which is one of the largest in Europe.
The museum was a ways walk from the train station, so I ventured through the town. The town is not a coastal town but a fjord town. It did remind me of one of the coastal towns I have visited in England. I walked through a market and it was not too interesting, just junk but Danish junk none the less. I wound my way down the hillside to the fjord waterfront and the museum. You can see the pictures on the Picasso. I am not sure I will be able to explain to y'all how much I enjoyed my visit to the Viking Museum. The museum is basically an educational work site for archaeologists. In the yards surrounding the docks many craftsmen are building ships using the same tools that the vikings used 2000 + yrs ago. They were not wearing the same outfits fortunately. But it was so neat to go from station to station learning about all the different parts of the tree they used and how they developed the best and fastest ships this world had seen at the time!
I spent lots of time looking at the ships and admiring the water. I then joined the English tour of the museum. I was like a little kid in a candy store!! Really there is no better way to explain how I felt touring the museum.
First off let me explain a little bit more before you get totally lost. Roskilde was once the capital of Danmark back in the day when the vikings sailed. Roskilde was a very important town and many people tried to attack the city, so the people (the king) blocked the channels from invaders, but opened them for trade. How might one block a channel you ask well they sunk old viking ships to create a blockade. Very smart those Vikings, by doing that many years ago five viking ships were excavated out of Roskilde Fjord. The ships are not in their entirety mind you, but parts of the ship. They uncovered a warship, two trading ships, a fishing ship, and a ship that carried people. They have reconstructed all five ships. The last ship they reconstructed was the one with the least portion of the original remaining.
This is what I really want you to research! They reconstructed the final ship that was originally from Dublin and sailed to Roskilde and never left since it was at the bottom of the Fjord. After they reconstructed the ship the plan was to sail this ship round trip from Roskilde to Dublin. They would have crew on board, food would be prepared . . the works. They are trying to understand the Viking life on sea by making this 2007 maiden voyage. I think you should check this website out b/c I do not do it justice. I am so amazed and I was there!
http://www.havhingsten.dk/index.php?id=841&L=1
Please join me in welcoming the Seastallion back to Roskilde on Saturday! I will be in Charlotte, but still welcome home to us both!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Metro Card Bites the Dust
I will try to recap the week in a quick list b/c I really need to study this morning, but I am trying to put it off!
Monday: I went to class and actually understood everything the teacher was saying in Econ. Then went to a FCK . . .Fubol Club Kobenhavn match. It was my first soccer game (prof.) ever and I was very excited to be there! I posted an album which you can see you to the right of this post.
Tuesday: Ran for an 1.5hrs. . Bought more pastries . . . Ate chili with the UNCC MACC family plus one Norwegian, 3 Polish, 1 German, and 1 French. . . . Who knew chili would become an international delicacy loved and enjoyed by all. Also found a great microbrewery beer to enjoy with my chili!
Wednesday: Class and a long bike ride! And sad news . . . My monthly metro pass expired today . . .so that means I have been over here more than one month.
Thursday: Ran in the morning. Then went to buy movie tickets for a show on Friday, then went to the park with a girl from my class with the best intentions of studying . . .hmmm nope just talked. We did cover Risk Premiums and the Gold Standard Mint Parity Conditions, so we have that down, but 2.5 hours of the the 3 we were out there were mostly talking!
Thursday night we went to a Brew Pub that duh brews its own beer. I for one was sick of Carlsberg and wanted to taste something better. I don't think the word beer and snob should be paired, but I think Beer Enthusiast is more along the lines of what I might be! Three of us went and enjoyed 5 different varieties of beer. yum! I enjoyed that!
Friday: Woke up ate a pastry and now am typing. I need to study and then I am going to the movie this afternoon!
Monday: I went to class and actually understood everything the teacher was saying in Econ. Then went to a FCK . . .Fubol Club Kobenhavn match. It was my first soccer game (prof.) ever and I was very excited to be there! I posted an album which you can see you to the right of this post.
Tuesday: Ran for an 1.5hrs. . Bought more pastries . . . Ate chili with the UNCC MACC family plus one Norwegian, 3 Polish, 1 German, and 1 French. . . . Who knew chili would become an international delicacy loved and enjoyed by all. Also found a great microbrewery beer to enjoy with my chili!
Wednesday: Class and a long bike ride! And sad news . . . My monthly metro pass expired today . . .so that means I have been over here more than one month.
Thursday: Ran in the morning. Then went to buy movie tickets for a show on Friday, then went to the park with a girl from my class with the best intentions of studying . . .hmmm nope just talked. We did cover Risk Premiums and the Gold Standard Mint Parity Conditions, so we have that down, but 2.5 hours of the the 3 we were out there were mostly talking!
Thursday night we went to a Brew Pub that duh brews its own beer. I for one was sick of Carlsberg and wanted to taste something better. I don't think the word beer and snob should be paired, but I think Beer Enthusiast is more along the lines of what I might be! Three of us went and enjoyed 5 different varieties of beer. yum! I enjoyed that!
Friday: Woke up ate a pastry and now am typing. I need to study and then I am going to the movie this afternoon!
Wait I though I was in Norway.
This past weekend I went on my first ever cruise and my last ever cruise. Never again will I set foot a boat of that size. I will however step on smaller boats, kayaks, and canoes in the ocean, in rivers, or on lakes. As many of you know I am quite sensitive to motion sickness. This cruise did me in. Each night I got a migraine got nauseated and just plain dizzy. I hated the cruise and don't really want to go back and relieve it, so to make the long trip very short . . . I discoverd that I suffer from a mild form Vertigo. Mild just means I don't throw up when everything starts spinning and I feel like I am falling!
Oslo was beautiful city. Very quaint understandably since it is so far away from everything else in the world. Norway is a very expensive place to live. The cost of living is higher than in Denmark. The exchange rate b/t the USD and Norwegian Kroner was better than that of the USD/DKK though. That still didn't make it a cheaper city. . . prices were higher. We really just walked around the city and from end to end. We went to the most controversial park in the world. The park was full of nude sculptures. The Scandinavians have no problems with nudity. All in all it was a pretty uneventful time, but I felt for a few moments I was in North Carolina looking at the Urwharrie MTNS (spelling might be off). The Fjords that had formed were beautiful. Basically a Fjord is a steep cliff on the side of a Mountain created by a glacier. Like I said before I felt as if I was just on a lake somewhere in NC not in Norway and in the Oresund Sea!
Oslo was beautiful city. Very quaint understandably since it is so far away from everything else in the world. Norway is a very expensive place to live. The cost of living is higher than in Denmark. The exchange rate b/t the USD and Norwegian Kroner was better than that of the USD/DKK though. That still didn't make it a cheaper city. . . prices were higher. We really just walked around the city and from end to end. We went to the most controversial park in the world. The park was full of nude sculptures. The Scandinavians have no problems with nudity. All in all it was a pretty uneventful time, but I felt for a few moments I was in North Carolina looking at the Urwharrie MTNS (spelling might be off). The Fjords that had formed were beautiful. Basically a Fjord is a steep cliff on the side of a Mountain created by a glacier. Like I said before I felt as if I was just on a lake somewhere in NC not in Norway and in the Oresund Sea!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
I was a Foolish Man
I am so sorry to leave everyone hanging, but I have been busy with school. Well, not really, I have just been busy being busy. I know that makes absolutely no sense, but so much has been going on and I haven't had time to reflect on it all. For any of you who actually do read this, I suppose I should let you know that I did eat all of that pastry and more! I also am running up to an 1 hr every other day and riding my bike everywhere, so I can spare a few calories. I just pray that when I get back to the States I will be able to keep it up since yes there is a wedding coming up in Nov. and not to mention I have a half marathon and possibly another later on in the Fall.
I left off with the pastries, so I will pick up with the Lasagna. The UNCC MACC family enjoyed my Gran's lasagna Danish style. It was a hit even with a Polish guy and thankfully no marriage proposals from anyone this time when I made it! (Living it guys). I think I like it the way Gran, my mom, and I make it in the States better, but I will say when you use fresh mozzarella it kicks it up a million notches! Note to self Mom!
The rest of last week was pretty uneventful until Thursday night. We were scheduled to go Tivoli the amusement park were Walt Disney got his inspiration. I must say it was quite fun . . . I had been with Erin, so I really just went for the ice cream! I rode my bike there which only took about 12 mins from my residence. I love this biking thing they have going over here. You get exercise and get from point A to point B relatively faster than you would walking or using the Metro since you have to walk to the Metro. I left Tivoli a little early because I was tired and had to get on a boat for Oslo the next day.
I ended up running into one of the UNCC guys and the roommate to one of the girls I have met in class. I stayed outside talking with them and in the process a German guy came up too. Rumor was that every one was going out to a bar where you paid 60DKK and got to drink all you wanted from 11-2 I think those are the hours. Regardless the four of us were not planning on going out so we all ended up playing cards and drinking our own already paid for beer. I learned a great new Russian card game which translates into Foolish Man. Long story and I am not good an making them short. . . One of the girls in the London MBA program is from Russia so she taught the others in her program this game and so now Sean and I have the upper hand on this Russian card game! North Carolina watch out!!
After a couple rounds and only one beer later for me it was time to hit the hay! And yes as the title suggests I was the Foolish Man once!
I left off with the pastries, so I will pick up with the Lasagna. The UNCC MACC family enjoyed my Gran's lasagna Danish style. It was a hit even with a Polish guy and thankfully no marriage proposals from anyone this time when I made it! (Living it guys). I think I like it the way Gran, my mom, and I make it in the States better, but I will say when you use fresh mozzarella it kicks it up a million notches! Note to self Mom!
The rest of last week was pretty uneventful until Thursday night. We were scheduled to go Tivoli the amusement park were Walt Disney got his inspiration. I must say it was quite fun . . . I had been with Erin, so I really just went for the ice cream! I rode my bike there which only took about 12 mins from my residence. I love this biking thing they have going over here. You get exercise and get from point A to point B relatively faster than you would walking or using the Metro since you have to walk to the Metro. I left Tivoli a little early because I was tired and had to get on a boat for Oslo the next day.
I ended up running into one of the UNCC guys and the roommate to one of the girls I have met in class. I stayed outside talking with them and in the process a German guy came up too. Rumor was that every one was going out to a bar where you paid 60DKK and got to drink all you wanted from 11-2 I think those are the hours. Regardless the four of us were not planning on going out so we all ended up playing cards and drinking our own already paid for beer. I learned a great new Russian card game which translates into Foolish Man. Long story and I am not good an making them short. . . One of the girls in the London MBA program is from Russia so she taught the others in her program this game and so now Sean and I have the upper hand on this Russian card game! North Carolina watch out!!
After a couple rounds and only one beer later for me it was time to hit the hay! And yes as the title suggests I was the Foolish Man once!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
mmmmm yeah . .
mmmm. . . no written words can really explain what is in the photos.. really I am not sure what words I was saying as I ate these goodies!
Monday, July 14, 2008
east met west and west met east
I wish you luck reading the following post. I am still very very dizzy from the ferry ride b/t Denmark and Germany. I never got sick, because I took my medicine, but now I feel like I the top part of me (mostly my head) wants to start spinning and rocking like the boat. So a few words my be horribly misspelled inserted in others or just left out. I do apologize. Now with that disclaimer here is how Berlin was! And it is lengthy! and still more to come on Berlin.
We began our journey at 7:30 am from the my dormitory and rolled out of Copenhagen on the Bratwurst bus at 8:00am. I and my bus buddy had the front row due to my tendency to get motion sick. I am happy to report all was fine on the two hour ride to the ferry. That is when things (my body) got a little wacky.
The ferry was not a typical ferry boat that you hope on and tour around New York or Boston in. This was an actual ferry line where the cars, buses, trucks, bikes, etc all drive up underneath and then the passengers must all go above the parking deck to the other three decks during the 1h45m ferry across a small portion of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea was full of ocean liners transporting goods and windmills where in the middle of the sea. Quite neat, b/c I am sure I have seen a shipping document from a ship that set sail on the Baltic Sea and eventually ended up in the States then the products ended up in the hands of a GW client. Pretty cool to see one chain the process I get to audit. (only another accountant will think that is neat) We arrived in Rostock, Germany and got back on the buses and the buses pulled out and there I was amazingly in Germany! And Amazingly not sick, but I definitely felt the rocking and will never go on another cruise after this Oslo cruise. It was a little overwhelming for me to look out an only see water. I love water, but I really like to sea land and water preferably my feet should be in the water touching land and I am happy!
So, I have so pictures on my Picasso page of the drive. I was on the autobahn!!! That was very cool after reading about it in history class. I really felt like I was on a field trip which in a sense I kinda treated this like one. We only had two nights and one full day in Berlin so the plan was to make the most of it! At about 4.30 pm we arrived at the hostel in East Berlin and then we were own our own the first night in Berlin. Yikes!
Thankfully Claudia (my bus buddy) had been there before and knew where to walk and just see Berlin. So we Portuguese, Mexicans, and one American file to the train station, only to find a lot of other CBS students trying to understand the system. We quickly realized no one really let on that they spoke English. We ended up kinda joining forces with a group of 3 american guys and 1 Czech guy in order to get discounted tickets and to have one sorta German speaker among us. Drew, Bill and Erin your lessons you gave me proved useless. I am a bad student.
First order of business was to find a place to eat. Oh and get Euros. So about 5:30 the international group went into Berlin to find something to eat. Of course being such a large group we ended up splitting up to find food. I opted to go find food with the Americans and the 1 Czech guy since their English (obviously was better) and I didn't want burger king! I ended up eating a bratwurst! MMMMM good! I did feel a little bit weird, tagging along with a bunch of guys, but they were much more decisive than the Mexicans and Portuguese! and you know me!! They were all undergrads 1 from a university in Prague 2 from Minnesota 1 from Texas (acct. major!) It was really neat talking with then 1. b/c it was in English and 2. they were just nice guys, and 3. They cared about seeing the city and remembering their time in Berlin! It was refreshing to hear a conversation about something other than having a and I quote - "A wicked time last night" Yea really heard some kids saying that on the bus down to Berlin..
We all met back and some of the group (we thought) were going to go on the Berlin Pub Crawl, which didn't sound fun to me! If I were to go to a pub I would go park it in one pub and then preferably not crawl home , but at least enjoy a few good German Beers. Anyway a few guys short . . . 2 americans, 1 Czech, 3 Portuguese, and 4 Mexicans began to just walk around Berlin. From the famed TV tower in East Berlin to our final destination the Gate which separated East and West Berlin. Someone had to meet back with the other 2 Americans to get the transport tickets, so after seeing a church the Beliner Dome and the island of Musuems 2 Mexicans went off looking for the the 2 Americans. 45 plus minutes later the entire group minus the Czech (he went adventuring on his own) begin to their walk to Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). We made it and it was beautiful at dusk! The walk itself was quite interesting, the closer we got to the got the nicer and more modern the city got. Which made sense bc we were getting closer to the east side of West Berlin which was under American, French , and GB control when the city was split up after the war. On the way we ran into some others from CBS, just sipping coffee and beer at an outdoor cafe, and they told us we needed to go to Reichstag were the German Parliament meets. There they built a glass dome on the top in 2000, that is open to the public, just you have to wait in long long lines to get to the top. The doors closed at 10pm and the dome shuts down at 12am. Meaning that if you are are not in a correct place in line when they let the last bunch in you don't get in. Two of our guys were standing in line and the rest of us doubted that we would get in, well the doors open and it was like the start of a marathon. Everyone that was just lingering around rushed in and the entire group made inside! 4 Americans, 4 Mexicans, and 3 Portuguese all counted for!
I am so glad we did that, I mean that is probably one of the most beautiful architecture structures I have been inside! The way the architect designed it was neat. From the dome you can see into Parliament chambers and then from the chambers you can see up into the dome and see "the People" walking above you! Signifying that the people will always be above the Parliament. Very symbolic and speaks some truth if you ask me! We didn't leave there till shut down time. We then had to find our way back to our hostile out in East Berlin. It was relatively easy actually got on the street car trains had to make some stops but made it back about 1:00am. All of us thinking yea we have to be up by 7 am to eat and meet with our tour guide! I slept quite soundly that night . . .honest I don't think I moved once!
That is only the first night in Berlin and I passed from East to West Berlin easily or as they like to call it now I went strolling in the New Berlin no restrictions no papers to show! I think I was the only one out of our group that really remembered something happening in 1989 when the wall fell. I remember seeing something on TV and the pictures in the paper. I also didn't quite know what it all meant that the wall was falling/coming down. East and West Germany were now one as were East and West Berlin. I just remember watching the Olympics and seeing all the gymnasts from Eastern Europe that had leave their homes, b/c it was not safe for them to live there. I remember how sad I was about that and asking my mom why someone would have to leave their home and if we would have too. I have always wanted to go see these places, not sure if I wished that those places didn't really exist or if I just wanted to be there with the people and helping them and sharing my teddy bear with the girls that were my age. I knew there was difference b/t the two places, but I never understood what it was until history classes in elementary and in high school why they were so strikingly different, and the reasons behind not be able to live like we lived. I think being in Berlin and passing from one side to the other which literally meant crossing the street in most places made it all come full circle for me. I saw those images of what I remember seeing when I was younger and the history of Berlin came alive.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
2 guys a girl and some serious southern comfort cooking
Seriously tthe places you will go for some good ole comfort food. By comfort food I mean the kind your grandmother or momma used to make! I come all the way to Copenhagen expecting to eat yummy foods or normal foods on a regular basis. Well, think again my friends. Eating out in Copenhagen is VERY expensive and for what you get it really isn't worth it. So, I find that buying at the discount grocery stores and then cooking is a whole lot cheaper.
This past Tuesday the UNCC crew (2 guys a girl and some serious southern comfort cooking) got together for a southern feast. I did absolutely nothing in the preparation of the meal, except look cute in the corner! The guys love cooking one used to be a chef. I am not sure you really ever lose that classification once you become a chef so for what it is worth he still is a chef. They made fried chicken, mashed taters with an amazing gravy, mac and cheese, green peas (one healthy thing) served with some white wine and finished off with a huge chocolate cupcake. Only to find out it was Marzipan. Actually quite tasty!
This will now become a weekly thing with our group! Next week it is Lasagna! Thanks to my Gran's Recipe! I am off to Berlin for the weekend and will hopefully post a little before I leave!
This past Tuesday the UNCC crew (2 guys a girl and some serious southern comfort cooking) got together for a southern feast. I did absolutely nothing in the preparation of the meal, except look cute in the corner! The guys love cooking one used to be a chef. I am not sure you really ever lose that classification once you become a chef so for what it is worth he still is a chef. They made fried chicken, mashed taters with an amazing gravy, mac and cheese, green peas (one healthy thing) served with some white wine and finished off with a huge chocolate cupcake. Only to find out it was Marzipan. Actually quite tasty!
This will now become a weekly thing with our group! Next week it is Lasagna! Thanks to my Gran's Recipe! I am off to Berlin for the weekend and will hopefully post a little before I leave!
Monday, July 7, 2008
What do you call it in America . .. . uh Stuudiing no Studying that's it!
I am officially studying! Well, I studied a little last week, but I have the accounting templates downloaded onto my computer so I can work problems twice as fast now. As much as I hate managerial accounting this is actually fun now that I have fun accounting templates. I bet no one reading this has ever said the word fun accounting and templates in the same sentence. Except for you dad. And you might be the only other person that reads this. So here's to Accounting dorks!
As far as International Monetary Economics goes aka the Economics of Exchange Rates I have a lot of reading to do. I am not sure I will use fun in a sentence with Econ, because it isn't the most fun topic. Thankfully I enjoy learning about economics even if I don't quite grasp what is being said I can take it home and work it out in my way to understand! As long as I spit out enough at the end of the semester for my professor to understand what I mean I should be A-Okay! Or B-Okay what ever the case may be!
As far as International Monetary Economics goes aka the Economics of Exchange Rates I have a lot of reading to do. I am not sure I will use fun in a sentence with Econ, because it isn't the most fun topic. Thankfully I enjoy learning about economics even if I don't quite grasp what is being said I can take it home and work it out in my way to understand! As long as I spit out enough at the end of the semester for my professor to understand what I mean I should be A-Okay! Or B-Okay what ever the case may be!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Time certainly flies when you are having fun . . . or just sleeping late.
This week in Copenhagen has been absolutely amazing. The weather is beautiful. It has been about 77 F and sunny without traces of humidity!
I do not miss the Mississippi or North Carolina humidity one bit. But do not worry the fact that there is no humidity will not keep me here.
Well, let's imagine for one moment that I did in fact decide to stay and make a life here in Copenhagen. I would finish out school at CBS paying CBS tuition which is quite a bit more than UNCC. Since I would be paying so much for school I would not be able to afford to eat, drink coffee, or drink the local beer. So far this doesn't sound too good. Then as soon as I finished I would start working and the Danish government would start taxing. 40% to start and apparently you begin to move quickly to the higher tax brackets. Let me clarify, the highest tax bracket is taxed a whopping 68%. We all wonder what you have to be making to be taxed that much. So, there again you get taxed heavily and you still can not afford to eat. I hear there are loopholes in the system, so maybe I could find those as my accounting expertise increases. So far I don't really like what is in store for me if I stay. Oh wait I forgot a big part of me staying, Drew would fly over in a heartbeat as would my parents and bring me back, but lets say they couldn't come get me. I am not sure I would like being that far away from Drew and my parents in fact I would not like that at all. And how could I forget these two: No one gets married over here anymore, they just live together and have little babies, maybe they stay together maybe they don't. And then 2: No one goes to church, well a very small percentage of this population goes to church. I think there were 30 people at church the other Sunday. Hardly anyone here is religious.
There are some pluses to the living here though. The government takes care of everything. How do they do that you ask, well they tax the h-e-double hockey sticks out of your paycheck. The government pours money into healthcare, the arts, the royal family ( by the way they live tax free hmmmm?) They have nice long holidays and a very good paid maternity leave, but at the expense of being taxed and the name of Socialism. So far only one of those sounds terrific: the long holidays! I will admit that Americans probably do work a little to much and not hard enough sometimes and forget how to play!
Well, all that being said I think seven weeks is the perfect amount of time for me to live here, not be taxed, but sadly watch my bank account dwindle down. But that's alright because it is after all about the experience. I am seeing how much we do waste at home. And how thankful I am for Walmart and Target. Yeah, most of us hate either one or the other or both, but oh my gosh it is quite nice to only pay $25 dollars for all your toiletries, paper towels, etc. . . instead of $50+ over here.
So, I should say thank you to the Danish government for really caring about how their country looks! They have done a wonderful job keeping it green and bike friendly and clean. Like I said in an earlier post, Urban Planners for Charlotte really need to do a case study of Copenhagen! American towns and cities all over are going to start to see changes in the way cities are developed as prices across the board rise. It is just the way it happens, change is necessary and change will happen! I was talking with one of the guys from my group today and he said that the population in Copenhagen is split 3 ways. 1/3 ride their bikes, 1/3 use public transportation, and 1/3 use their cars to get to work. That definitely cuts down on traffic woes especially since the metro and train are efficient!
If I do take one thing from this country other than what I am learning in class it is efficiency. The danish take time to design things that are quite practical, efficient, and add an element of style to the mix. Everything they design serves a purpose and if it doesn't then why is it there?
Please do not think I am bashing the Danish culture, I think I am just saying it is not for me! Yay capitalism, Yay small government, and yay to spending more on the education of American children! We should learn another language. Not that we really need it, b/c the business world speaks English, but it really helps broaden our sense of place in this world.
So, changing the subject to the new pictures that have been posted. I have had a lively week exploring and being a real tourist. Jazz Festival has begun and what a way to spend your evening winding down with a local beer (tuborg is my favorite) and listening to some good jazz music about New Orleans and Chicago. I hope to get some pictures of the festival posted soon!
I went today to the NY Glyptotek Museum. It is free on Sundays and Wednesdays. The collection started as the private collection of the Carlsberg family and now the collection boasts over 10,000 works of art divided into 2 collections. Ancient Art from Greece, Italy, Egypt and then the Danish and French artist collection. For those with curious minds Glyptotek means a collection of sculpture. Wow what an impressive collection. It does not rival those in Rome and Greece, but definitely if you are a local here - going there could save you the expense of traveling to Italy and Greece.
After that my group in the alphabet was scheduled for a Canal Tour of Copenhagen. The name speaks for itself and if I need to explain I am not. The tour was definitely a great way to see the city. I was worried I was going to get a little sick b/c before we even started I felt like the shore was moving. I survived! It was nice to hear explanations of the buildings I have been looking at for the past two weeks! Wow, I can't believe I have been here 2 weeks now.
For those of you like my parents who are concerned about the real reason I came over here . . . SCHOOL. Do not worry classes are going well, and it is pretty much self paced on the reading. There are no assignments for grades, just a final in each of my classes. The classes are not going to be that easy. I will be reading and working on problems and case studies on the days I don't have class. I am trying to reserve my weekends Friday thru Sunday for touristy things! That of course is in good Danish form - don't work too too much!
And speaking of studying I better get back to it!
I do not miss the Mississippi or North Carolina humidity one bit. But do not worry the fact that there is no humidity will not keep me here.
Well, let's imagine for one moment that I did in fact decide to stay and make a life here in Copenhagen. I would finish out school at CBS paying CBS tuition which is quite a bit more than UNCC. Since I would be paying so much for school I would not be able to afford to eat, drink coffee, or drink the local beer. So far this doesn't sound too good. Then as soon as I finished I would start working and the Danish government would start taxing. 40% to start and apparently you begin to move quickly to the higher tax brackets. Let me clarify, the highest tax bracket is taxed a whopping 68%. We all wonder what you have to be making to be taxed that much. So, there again you get taxed heavily and you still can not afford to eat. I hear there are loopholes in the system, so maybe I could find those as my accounting expertise increases. So far I don't really like what is in store for me if I stay. Oh wait I forgot a big part of me staying, Drew would fly over in a heartbeat as would my parents and bring me back, but lets say they couldn't come get me. I am not sure I would like being that far away from Drew and my parents in fact I would not like that at all. And how could I forget these two: No one gets married over here anymore, they just live together and have little babies, maybe they stay together maybe they don't. And then 2: No one goes to church, well a very small percentage of this population goes to church. I think there were 30 people at church the other Sunday. Hardly anyone here is religious.
There are some pluses to the living here though. The government takes care of everything. How do they do that you ask, well they tax the h-e-double hockey sticks out of your paycheck. The government pours money into healthcare, the arts, the royal family ( by the way they live tax free hmmmm?) They have nice long holidays and a very good paid maternity leave, but at the expense of being taxed and the name of Socialism. So far only one of those sounds terrific: the long holidays! I will admit that Americans probably do work a little to much and not hard enough sometimes and forget how to play!
Well, all that being said I think seven weeks is the perfect amount of time for me to live here, not be taxed, but sadly watch my bank account dwindle down. But that's alright because it is after all about the experience. I am seeing how much we do waste at home. And how thankful I am for Walmart and Target. Yeah, most of us hate either one or the other or both, but oh my gosh it is quite nice to only pay $25 dollars for all your toiletries, paper towels, etc. . . instead of $50+ over here.
So, I should say thank you to the Danish government for really caring about how their country looks! They have done a wonderful job keeping it green and bike friendly and clean. Like I said in an earlier post, Urban Planners for Charlotte really need to do a case study of Copenhagen! American towns and cities all over are going to start to see changes in the way cities are developed as prices across the board rise. It is just the way it happens, change is necessary and change will happen! I was talking with one of the guys from my group today and he said that the population in Copenhagen is split 3 ways. 1/3 ride their bikes, 1/3 use public transportation, and 1/3 use their cars to get to work. That definitely cuts down on traffic woes especially since the metro and train are efficient!
If I do take one thing from this country other than what I am learning in class it is efficiency. The danish take time to design things that are quite practical, efficient, and add an element of style to the mix. Everything they design serves a purpose and if it doesn't then why is it there?
Please do not think I am bashing the Danish culture, I think I am just saying it is not for me! Yay capitalism, Yay small government, and yay to spending more on the education of American children! We should learn another language. Not that we really need it, b/c the business world speaks English, but it really helps broaden our sense of place in this world.
So, changing the subject to the new pictures that have been posted. I have had a lively week exploring and being a real tourist. Jazz Festival has begun and what a way to spend your evening winding down with a local beer (tuborg is my favorite) and listening to some good jazz music about New Orleans and Chicago. I hope to get some pictures of the festival posted soon!
I went today to the NY Glyptotek Museum. It is free on Sundays and Wednesdays. The collection started as the private collection of the Carlsberg family and now the collection boasts over 10,000 works of art divided into 2 collections. Ancient Art from Greece, Italy, Egypt and then the Danish and French artist collection. For those with curious minds Glyptotek means a collection of sculpture. Wow what an impressive collection. It does not rival those in Rome and Greece, but definitely if you are a local here - going there could save you the expense of traveling to Italy and Greece.
After that my group in the alphabet was scheduled for a Canal Tour of Copenhagen. The name speaks for itself and if I need to explain I am not. The tour was definitely a great way to see the city. I was worried I was going to get a little sick b/c before we even started I felt like the shore was moving. I survived! It was nice to hear explanations of the buildings I have been looking at for the past two weeks! Wow, I can't believe I have been here 2 weeks now.
For those of you like my parents who are concerned about the real reason I came over here . . . SCHOOL. Do not worry classes are going well, and it is pretty much self paced on the reading. There are no assignments for grades, just a final in each of my classes. The classes are not going to be that easy. I will be reading and working on problems and case studies on the days I don't have class. I am trying to reserve my weekends Friday thru Sunday for touristy things! That of course is in good Danish form - don't work too too much!
And speaking of studying I better get back to it!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Amazing Race Amazing Times
So, it has been a few days since I posted. I have been quite busy the past week getting to know my fellow classmates and showing Erin this great city. This city will wear you out. My legs hate me and my back has given up on carrying my books around. Oh well I can’t complain really, because I am miles away from the humidity and thankfully do not have to carry my books across campus in North Carolina this summer!
Where shall a start? Helsingor, Denmark. Erin and I took the train to Helsingor on Saturday to visit Kronborg Slot. This castle was made famous by Shakespeare in Hamlet. The castle itself was never a residence, but rather a place that the king could watch out for incoming and passing ships and tax them. Leave it to the Danish to find a way to tax you. I found out that some individuals(most) are taxed 60%. YIKES The castle had a dungeon that we were able to tour. They have created a great atmosphere in the dungeon. You actually have to purchase(go figure) a flash light to be able to read the facts on the walls. I have pictures posted, so you can see for yourself just how amazing and well preserved Kronborg Slot is.
On Sunday Erin and I ventured to church again. This was Erin’s first time to attend a church service in 10 months and we had to leave early.
After church is when it got all too exciting. Our school has a social program and they had arranged for us to have mock “Amazing Race” around central Copenhagen. I tell you what after that everything makes sense here. My group number 6 and team name “We need another minute” was probably the best team. . .aside from the fact we didn’t win or come close to finishing on time. Throw a bunch of business students together from around the world and what you get is strategy and efficiency. We were not allowed to break up, so we thought it would be a great idea to stop at the places we passed on the way to other places in order to make up time and win the game. Well unbeknownst to us we were supposed to stay in order. So 4 plus hours later and minus 3 team member we turned in our form. It was funny how many of us wanted to cheat or lie and say we had been to a place when we were tired hungry and ready for a beer . . .Perhaps not funny kinda scary considering our future professions! Oh well we think a few of the people in charge were a little too strict and some were much more helpful!
So, the race ended at a pub on one of the pedestrian streets so we could watch the Euro 2008 finals. We found a table drank yummy Tuborg beer and ate till we were stuffed and met some more Americans studying abroad for the summer. They are studying design and architecture. The pub by the end of the game was loud and unlike anything I have experienced in America. I figured that the Danes didn’t like the Germans since Spain was the favorite at the Pub. Spain won!
All in all a great end to my first full week in Copenhagen
Where shall a start? Helsingor, Denmark. Erin and I took the train to Helsingor on Saturday to visit Kronborg Slot. This castle was made famous by Shakespeare in Hamlet. The castle itself was never a residence, but rather a place that the king could watch out for incoming and passing ships and tax them. Leave it to the Danish to find a way to tax you. I found out that some individuals(most) are taxed 60%. YIKES The castle had a dungeon that we were able to tour. They have created a great atmosphere in the dungeon. You actually have to purchase(go figure) a flash light to be able to read the facts on the walls. I have pictures posted, so you can see for yourself just how amazing and well preserved Kronborg Slot is.
On Sunday Erin and I ventured to church again. This was Erin’s first time to attend a church service in 10 months and we had to leave early.
After church is when it got all too exciting. Our school has a social program and they had arranged for us to have mock “Amazing Race” around central Copenhagen. I tell you what after that everything makes sense here. My group number 6 and team name “We need another minute” was probably the best team. . .aside from the fact we didn’t win or come close to finishing on time. Throw a bunch of business students together from around the world and what you get is strategy and efficiency. We were not allowed to break up, so we thought it would be a great idea to stop at the places we passed on the way to other places in order to make up time and win the game. Well unbeknownst to us we were supposed to stay in order. So 4 plus hours later and minus 3 team member we turned in our form. It was funny how many of us wanted to cheat or lie and say we had been to a place when we were tired hungry and ready for a beer . . .Perhaps not funny kinda scary considering our future professions! Oh well we think a few of the people in charge were a little too strict and some were much more helpful!
So, the race ended at a pub on one of the pedestrian streets so we could watch the Euro 2008 finals. We found a table drank yummy Tuborg beer and ate till we were stuffed and met some more Americans studying abroad for the summer. They are studying design and architecture. The pub by the end of the game was loud and unlike anything I have experienced in America. I figured that the Danes didn’t like the Germans since Spain was the favorite at the Pub. Spain won!
All in all a great end to my first full week in Copenhagen
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Running
So there are hills in Copenhagen! I run in two parks here and in one of the them there are quite a number of hills! This is all too exciting. I thought training for the Mayberry half and Thunderroad half were going to be in vain and flat. I also run by zebras. (pictures to come)
Another observation is never run with or race a Dane. Thay are very fast with their long legs. I looked like an an old man trotting next to the Danish out running.
Another observation is never run with or race a Dane. Thay are very fast with their long legs. I looked like an an old man trotting next to the Danish out running.
Triple A, Sleep, and Dogs
my work desk kitchenette
The past two days have been just what I needed to learn my new part of town. I moved in to my dorm yesterday. The Danes really do care about style and looks more than anything. I think my furniture all came from IKEA, there are wood floors, I have my own kitchenette, and an Electolux cooktop. Much less of a Fire hazard than the open burners in the States. I really haven’t had any great adventures over the past two days. Today I was in the Grocery and a guy in front of me asked if I was from the US. I said yes and he spoke English remarkable well. That meant he was also from the States. At last someone you spoke English. He said he had noticed my Triple A card and was pretty sure that Denmark didn’t have the same thing we had. That is reassuring to know that he had to see my triple A card to know that I was an American. I at least don’t stick out like a sore thumb, and to be honest he didn’t either! Not too sure it is reassuring to know he saw inside my wallet, but then again when you are a tourist you divert your eyes in every which way hoping to find something familiar. In chatting I learned he was from Oregon State (dad you will be proud I mentioned the wine) and he was living in the same dorm I was living in. It was wonderful to actually have conversation in English for longer than 2 seconds!!
My bed! They supplied the black and White and I brought a fitted just in case! I didn't like the way their fitted sheet felt! I think it works nicely.
After making my way back to my dorm I decided it was time for some coffee. I had gone all day without it. I went out searching and found a great little place that will probably be a regular stop for me. The prices were reasonable and staff was friendly. However, I forgot to ask for mini maelk, so I am pretty sure the reason my latte tasted so good was b/c it had whole milk in it! Yummmm
My bed! They supplied the black and White and I brought a fitted just in case! I didn't like the way their fitted sheet felt! I think it works nicely.I then walked to the park and just sat looking up and Frederiksberg Castle taking the past week of my life in. I still have not been here a week, but I feel like I have been here two!
Ferderiksberg Castle
One more observation before I end this journal. Do not read murder mystery books before you go to bed at night. I have not fallen asleep before 3 am any this week. My brain is racing, but my body is worn out from all the walking I do.
Oh and I guess one more observation the most popular pups over here are spaniels, westies, beagles, jack russels, (really terriers). That little post was for Chloe and Mason!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Witch is scared away!
Mid Summer’s Eve Festival
I am quite impressed. I visited three mid summer’s eve festivals last night and am sure that witch has been scared away so we in the States need to worry that she may be flying around our part of the world. As you can tell from the pictures many of the locals take this festival very seriously. They bring their children, their friends, and most importantly their Carlsberg. The first two festivals I happened to stumble upon were taking place on the lakes. The lakes are not like Lake Tillery or Norman. They more resemble Freedom park or the mall lake in Washington DC. There are 5 lakes in total and they split the city into Vest (west) and Ost (east). Once you realize that then the city starts to make more sense. I didn’t make it to Faelledparken like I had hoped, but I did happen to find a kick “art” mid summer’s eve celebration. There was a band singing in Danish and the crowd was rocking out as a bonfire larger than any Tiger Burn I have seen was burning in the middle of them all. Amazing. After snapping some photos I headed home about 11pm. It was still light outside and my body felt like it was only 7pm b/c of the light.
June 24, 2008
Today I slept in until 11 am. This is really not normal for me, but I had nowhere to be so I slept! I decided that today I needed to get out and run a little. A little turned into a 40 minute jog around all five lakes. If anyone was paying attention they could tell I was the American with my white socks on. I laughed every time a Dane ran by in their tennypumps (for Drew’s mom) and black socks. It felt good to get out and do something other than walk.
I got back to the room and mapped out my day. My plan was to learn the metro and S-tog(S-train) system. It didn’t take that long. Kristin told me before I left that her and her brother were able to understand the train system when they were kids so I should be fine. She was right. I asked for directions the first time and now I know.
My next stop was Frederiksberg which will be my home for the next six weeks. According to my map book Frederiksberg is a classy upscale neighborhood blessed with spotless streets, tree-lined avenues, theatres and many green areas, including Frederiksberg Have (garden). I am not sure why the rest of Copenhagen isn’t called classy and upscale. I have yet to see a part that is a dump, to me it is all pretty classy and upscale. My goal of this excursion was to find out where I needed to be tomorrow. I found the school and kept walking to the Garden. On the way to the Garden I found my home. Porcelaenshaven is the dorm I am living in this summer. It was once a old Porcelain factory which is located next door to Royal Copenhagen. Not even a minute from my dorm is Federiksberg Have which more resembles Central Park except more green. There is even a zoo at one end and today I happened to walk right by the brand new Elephant exhibition. I will be running by elephants every morning, so you might think I am in Africa not Scandinavia. There is one hill in this park and I will be running it hopefully on a daily basis so I will be ready for the Mayberry half come November.
After a late lunch I hopped back on the metro and got off at Kogens Nytorv Station. This is within walking distance to the most famous street in Copenhagen. Nyhavn. (havn means bay) Anytime you see a picture of Copenhagen then you probably will see this street and canal. I was impressed, I just can’t wait to go back with Erin and others to stop for a beer at one of the sidewalk cafes.
On my way back to the hotel I stopped for some much needed Gelato and a quick email check.
Some things I have noticed. I had not real expectations of Copenhagen perhaps because I had to find it on the map when the study opportunity was brought up back in early spring. I knew very little and still feel like I know very little about this town, but I try to learn something new everyday. The people here are extremely friendly even though they may act or seem rude at first glance. Never bring up taxes unless you want to buy the round of beer. Apparently they tax 50% of you income at least no one really goes without, but still 50%. Most of the women and men are blonde, pale, and thin. I keep trying to find someone that resembles the Vikings but I can’t seem to find one. I guess thanks to all the walking and bike riding the Danes do keeps them thin. I have seen a couple redheads, no freckle though. I did see two people today with Freckles not including my own! And I will never be able to learn any Danish.
I am quite impressed. I visited three mid summer’s eve festivals last night and am sure that witch has been scared away so we in the States need to worry that she may be flying around our part of the world. As you can tell from the pictures many of the locals take this festival very seriously. They bring their children, their friends, and most importantly their Carlsberg. The first two festivals I happened to stumble upon were taking place on the lakes. The lakes are not like Lake Tillery or Norman. They more resemble Freedom park or the mall lake in Washington DC. There are 5 lakes in total and they split the city into Vest (west) and Ost (east). Once you realize that then the city starts to make more sense. I didn’t make it to Faelledparken like I had hoped, but I did happen to find a kick “art” mid summer’s eve celebration. There was a band singing in Danish and the crowd was rocking out as a bonfire larger than any Tiger Burn I have seen was burning in the middle of them all. Amazing. After snapping some photos I headed home about 11pm. It was still light outside and my body felt like it was only 7pm b/c of the light.
June 24, 2008
Today I slept in until 11 am. This is really not normal for me, but I had nowhere to be so I slept! I decided that today I needed to get out and run a little. A little turned into a 40 minute jog around all five lakes. If anyone was paying attention they could tell I was the American with my white socks on. I laughed every time a Dane ran by in their tennypumps (for Drew’s mom) and black socks. It felt good to get out and do something other than walk.
I got back to the room and mapped out my day. My plan was to learn the metro and S-tog(S-train) system. It didn’t take that long. Kristin told me before I left that her and her brother were able to understand the train system when they were kids so I should be fine. She was right. I asked for directions the first time and now I know.
My next stop was Frederiksberg which will be my home for the next six weeks. According to my map book Frederiksberg is a classy upscale neighborhood blessed with spotless streets, tree-lined avenues, theatres and many green areas, including Frederiksberg Have (garden). I am not sure why the rest of Copenhagen isn’t called classy and upscale. I have yet to see a part that is a dump, to me it is all pretty classy and upscale. My goal of this excursion was to find out where I needed to be tomorrow. I found the school and kept walking to the Garden. On the way to the Garden I found my home. Porcelaenshaven is the dorm I am living in this summer. It was once a old Porcelain factory which is located next door to Royal Copenhagen. Not even a minute from my dorm is Federiksberg Have which more resembles Central Park except more green. There is even a zoo at one end and today I happened to walk right by the brand new Elephant exhibition. I will be running by elephants every morning, so you might think I am in Africa not Scandinavia. There is one hill in this park and I will be running it hopefully on a daily basis so I will be ready for the Mayberry half come November.
After a late lunch I hopped back on the metro and got off at Kogens Nytorv Station. This is within walking distance to the most famous street in Copenhagen. Nyhavn. (havn means bay) Anytime you see a picture of Copenhagen then you probably will see this street and canal. I was impressed, I just can’t wait to go back with Erin and others to stop for a beer at one of the sidewalk cafes.
On my way back to the hotel I stopped for some much needed Gelato and a quick email check.
Some things I have noticed. I had not real expectations of Copenhagen perhaps because I had to find it on the map when the study opportunity was brought up back in early spring. I knew very little and still feel like I know very little about this town, but I try to learn something new everyday. The people here are extremely friendly even though they may act or seem rude at first glance. Never bring up taxes unless you want to buy the round of beer. Apparently they tax 50% of you income at least no one really goes without, but still 50%. Most of the women and men are blonde, pale, and thin. I keep trying to find someone that resembles the Vikings but I can’t seem to find one. I guess thanks to all the walking and bike riding the Danes do keeps them thin. I have seen a couple redheads, no freckle though. I did see two people today with Freckles not including my own! And I will never be able to learn any Danish.
The Longest Day
June 23, 2008
It is longest day of the Calendar Year and the Danes know how to celebrate it. (more on this later) These long days are taking a toll on me. This morning I woke up at 3:30 am and looked out my window and could see that the sun was coming up. Great I thought. When I am at home in Charlotte the sun shines right in my window and then I wake up. So, of course this morning was no different even though I had about 5 hours of sleep over the past 48 hours. I decided to make the most of my time by reading my Copenhagen maps and guide books I feel like everything is sinking in and making sense. I found that as I walk around I begin to absorb how this city is laid out. It is not complicated only a little daunting due to the large bike lanes. You think Charlotte is bad and over run with bikers on the loop, well Copenhagen is a city full of bikers. Biking is one of the major modes of transportation and there are wide bike lanes made especially for bikers, not cars or pedestrians. If you happen to find yourself in this lane you will get mowed down. This has not happened yet, but is very easy to see how it might before my time is up here. I really think that Charlotte city council could learn a lot from these bike lanes and many Charlottean bikers could just come here and bike in proper lanes instead of the car lane. Everyone has their specific lane and the must stay in it. Novel Concept!!!!
Well now after that little side note, once I finished reading my maps and figuring out where I wanted to go today I still couldn’t sleep. It was now 4:30 am and the sun had been up and light was flooding into my room, so I read some of my book True Evil which takes place in Mississippi, mentions Charlotte, and Denmark. I am finally sleepy again about 6:30 am and I fall asleep until 11:00. I force myself out of the bed so I can begin to adjust to the time.
After a trip to the corner coffee shop I ventured to the Internet café. As most of you know I was able to email loved ones. I can’t call yet, but a few more days and I will hear your voices.
Today I wanted to explore the canal area of Copenhagen. The official name of the neighborhood is Slotsholm, Stroget and the Latin Quarter. Slotshholmen is the seat of the Danish government and located on a small island surrounded by canals. I plan on going back to all these places during my stay. I am just trying to get my bearings and I don’t really know what I am looking at in most cases.
For lunch today I dined at Café Sorgenfri (b/c Bill has a friend with that last name) and it was a cheap eat. Cheap is relative in Copenhagen. I haven’t found much that is cheap here. Be glad we live in the US where you can get cup of coffee under a dollar or under two dollars. Here it is more like $2 for small and $4 -$5 for a large. I might get off caffeine while I am here. Any way back to lunch, I finally had my first Smorrebrod, which is a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich. I opted for the roast beef, pickle, lettuce, some un-identifiable sauce, cheese, and herbs of some sort. It was actually very good. I will survive on Danish food not Quaker granola bars and Lance crackers.
After that I stopped in a shop to pick up some much needed peanut butter, bread, and cereal. I also went to the Apple store to pick up a charger that I would be able to use here. Now I have adapters for China, Korea, Australia, UK, Europe, US, and some other random country. Let me know if you need to borrow them ever.
As I mentioned before the Danes know how to celebrate the longest day of the calendar year. This evening I am going to venture pretty far north of the central city to a park called Faelledparken to celebrate Midsummer’s Eve. No need to worry about me though b/c I will be walking the entire way there and back in the daylight! My hope is to finally get a decent night sleep by staying out a little later. Midsummer’s Eve is held on June 23rd every year and is also called Sankt Hans Aften. The Danes light bonfires at the beaches and in the parks. Remember Niels from yesterday . . he told me they light fires b/c they are scaring away some witch or bad spirits. Hopefully I can report on the accuracy of this after I have attended the festival.
My plan is to leave around 8:45- 9:00 to head to the park. Right now I am listening to thunder in the distance and watching clouds roll in. The weather here is a bit unusual, well not to the Danes, but to me it is. I can’t quite figure it out, because this morning b/t 3-6 the sky was clear of clouds and by the time I woke up clouds were rolling in and haven’t stopped. It does rain, but not too much, you just don’t want to be caught off guard with out a rain jacket or a place to duck into. If it is not raining then the wind is howling. But no complaints from me, because this is a much needed break from the Southern summers I am so accustomed to.
It is longest day of the Calendar Year and the Danes know how to celebrate it. (more on this later) These long days are taking a toll on me. This morning I woke up at 3:30 am and looked out my window and could see that the sun was coming up. Great I thought. When I am at home in Charlotte the sun shines right in my window and then I wake up. So, of course this morning was no different even though I had about 5 hours of sleep over the past 48 hours. I decided to make the most of my time by reading my Copenhagen maps and guide books I feel like everything is sinking in and making sense. I found that as I walk around I begin to absorb how this city is laid out. It is not complicated only a little daunting due to the large bike lanes. You think Charlotte is bad and over run with bikers on the loop, well Copenhagen is a city full of bikers. Biking is one of the major modes of transportation and there are wide bike lanes made especially for bikers, not cars or pedestrians. If you happen to find yourself in this lane you will get mowed down. This has not happened yet, but is very easy to see how it might before my time is up here. I really think that Charlotte city council could learn a lot from these bike lanes and many Charlottean bikers could just come here and bike in proper lanes instead of the car lane. Everyone has their specific lane and the must stay in it. Novel Concept!!!!
Well now after that little side note, once I finished reading my maps and figuring out where I wanted to go today I still couldn’t sleep. It was now 4:30 am and the sun had been up and light was flooding into my room, so I read some of my book True Evil which takes place in Mississippi, mentions Charlotte, and Denmark. I am finally sleepy again about 6:30 am and I fall asleep until 11:00. I force myself out of the bed so I can begin to adjust to the time.
After a trip to the corner coffee shop I ventured to the Internet café. As most of you know I was able to email loved ones. I can’t call yet, but a few more days and I will hear your voices.
Today I wanted to explore the canal area of Copenhagen. The official name of the neighborhood is Slotsholm, Stroget and the Latin Quarter. Slotshholmen is the seat of the Danish government and located on a small island surrounded by canals. I plan on going back to all these places during my stay. I am just trying to get my bearings and I don’t really know what I am looking at in most cases.
For lunch today I dined at Café Sorgenfri (b/c Bill has a friend with that last name) and it was a cheap eat. Cheap is relative in Copenhagen. I haven’t found much that is cheap here. Be glad we live in the US where you can get cup of coffee under a dollar or under two dollars. Here it is more like $2 for small and $4 -$5 for a large. I might get off caffeine while I am here. Any way back to lunch, I finally had my first Smorrebrod, which is a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich. I opted for the roast beef, pickle, lettuce, some un-identifiable sauce, cheese, and herbs of some sort. It was actually very good. I will survive on Danish food not Quaker granola bars and Lance crackers.
After that I stopped in a shop to pick up some much needed peanut butter, bread, and cereal. I also went to the Apple store to pick up a charger that I would be able to use here. Now I have adapters for China, Korea, Australia, UK, Europe, US, and some other random country. Let me know if you need to borrow them ever.
As I mentioned before the Danes know how to celebrate the longest day of the calendar year. This evening I am going to venture pretty far north of the central city to a park called Faelledparken to celebrate Midsummer’s Eve. No need to worry about me though b/c I will be walking the entire way there and back in the daylight! My hope is to finally get a decent night sleep by staying out a little later. Midsummer’s Eve is held on June 23rd every year and is also called Sankt Hans Aften. The Danes light bonfires at the beaches and in the parks. Remember Niels from yesterday . . he told me they light fires b/c they are scaring away some witch or bad spirits. Hopefully I can report on the accuracy of this after I have attended the festival.
My plan is to leave around 8:45- 9:00 to head to the park. Right now I am listening to thunder in the distance and watching clouds roll in. The weather here is a bit unusual, well not to the Danes, but to me it is. I can’t quite figure it out, because this morning b/t 3-6 the sky was clear of clouds and by the time I woke up clouds were rolling in and haven’t stopped. It does rain, but not too much, you just don’t want to be caught off guard with out a rain jacket or a place to duck into. If it is not raining then the wind is howling. But no complaints from me, because this is a much needed break from the Southern summers I am so accustomed to.
Monday, June 23, 2008
The longest day in my calendar year!
June 21, 2008-June 22, 2008
Touchdown in Copenhagen was quite uneventful we flew over Sweden (it is flat and green) and we flew over lots of water. I didn’t really feel as though I was on European soil, well minus the language barrier, but I felt completely relaxed about my travels ahead of me. Maybe it was because my new friend Niels insisted he get me to where I needed to go before getting himself home to see his family. That my friends is some southern Denmark hospitality. I let him no use in arguing a Dane. We did have to make a smoking stop for him so his jitters would calm down. . After all he was going way out of his way to help me. The train ride was quiet and by quiet I mean the train is almost soundless. Niels gave me the lay of land by marking out things on the map and then we embarked to find my hotel. Of course my hotel was not open or ready for luggage to be stowed, so we in good Dane fashion went next door to the café. I hade had some Orange juice and coffee, while niels enjoyed coffee Carlsberg at 8:30 am. (Only a Dane). I finally insisted after he paid for my coffee and juice that I would be fine waiting on my own, and he said I think you are now ready too! I guess I had to pass a test or something. Now I know what most of you are thinking at this moment is that oh my Vaughan you could have been murdered or something . . . Really never felt threatened and no warning flags went off in my head. The Danes are just that nice. And the rest of my day proves it!
To sum up these past two days in your lives and the past long long day in my life . . .
Reassuring, comforting, and spiritually moving and the Lord is Good!
And I say to all of y’all back home . . . Welcome to Copenhagen!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Oh those Summer Nights
Well if you check the weather report for Copenhagen you will notice that their summers are much cooler than those southern summers we are all accustomed to. The temperature at 3:40 pm is 52 degress F. Burrr thats cold for a Mississippi girl. I won't complain since it is 80+ degrees in Charlotte this morning!
It's the final countdown da dadadaa
I will bewhere my
Stickfigure is!
Six days till I leave for Copenhagen. I am not ready to leave. I still have to pack, go to campus, make copies, purchase krones, update my address list, charge my camera, map out locations, learn a little danish(not happening), say goodbyes, and take my Dramamine.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Countdown to Copenhagen:
62 days . . . I think I should be able to count!
I leave for Copenhagen, Denmark June 21 through August 10. The purpose of this 7 week trip is to study accounting at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). I am 1 of 3 UNCC MACC students participating in the exchange program. I will be taking graduate accounting courses at CBS for credit toward my Masters. To most people I have talked to this sounds like a great opportunity until they hear I will actually be studying accounting (boring to most, but I find it quite fascinating.) So, until time to go I will try to keep you updated with this and that!
62 days . . . I think I should be able to count!
I leave for Copenhagen, Denmark June 21 through August 10. The purpose of this 7 week trip is to study accounting at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). I am 1 of 3 UNCC MACC students participating in the exchange program. I will be taking graduate accounting courses at CBS for credit toward my Masters. To most people I have talked to this sounds like a great opportunity until they hear I will actually be studying accounting (boring to most, but I find it quite fascinating.) So, until time to go I will try to keep you updated with this and that!
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