A Train Ride Away...

We went to Copenhagen!! We took a train over from Naestved and then walked from the train station to the heart of Copenhagen. Sunday isn't the best day to go because a lot is closed but there were still tons of people walking around. One of Brandon's teammates from Russia took this picture of us in front of a fountain. You see more diversity in Copenhagen then you do in the smaller town of Naestved. The fashion is funkier, the people and movement is much more "city" like. A city has a way of reminding you of how small you are. Not in a demeaning way but in way that refreshes the idea that this world really is a big place filled with endless adventures, exciting cultures and many different kinds of people. The city has a way of provoking that tingle of inspiration.





This is a picture of the fountain we were standing in front of in the last picture. The buildings in the background are the kind of buildings that line the streets of Copenhagen. You can tell a lot of the buildings are really old and have amazing detail to them. Some are lined in gold with antiqued finish and decorated with statues. I couldn't help but wonder who walked the streets here hundreds of years ago and what it may have looked like.

This is a picture of a street performer that had drawn in the interest of a pretty big crowd. I thought it was neat and I really liked the fountain in the background. The performer had frozen into this position until I was done taking my picture. Thanks Whitey! Hey, if college doesn't work out at least I know there are some things to fall back on! Just kidding.

And people thought Brandon was tall! We couldn't pass up the photo opportunity for Brandon to pose with the statue of the Guinness World Record's Tallest Man. Too bad he doesn't play on Brandon's team!

Tivoli is a really famous attraction in Denmark. This is a picture of the entrance, we have not been yet but hopefully we will get to go sometime this week. Tivoli is in the heart of the city, and has been visited by more than 270 million people since 1843. I'll write about it after we have been there.

This is a picture of a high church tower in Copenhagen. So many of the churches in Denmark are picture worthy. I still really want to go sit inside one of them but the doors have been locked the two times that I went. I was hoping I could go on a day where there wouldn't be anyone else in there. There is something so entirely peaceful and beautiful about sitting in a church all by yourself. Because the invigorating element of it is, you NEVER feel alone. No one else is around you but you feel like you are in the company of all the people you love. Perhaps, for me, that is because when I am in church all I can feel is gratitude and love for the people in my life, knowing that God allows me to be near to them in a way I can't normally be.

I am not sure what this building is but we passed it crossing the street. I think it may be a government building. Speaking of government, after meeting more people and having more conversations about life in Denmark and life in the states. I have learned a lot more about the differences in society and how the governments in each country differ. One HUGE difference...not only is education FREE here but they get PAID to go to school. The idea of higher education being a privilege to those fortunate enough to afford it has always been a concept that rests uneasy with me. I believe higher education should be something we are all blessed with the opportunity to explore. Well, not only is Denmark's society set up to provide free higher education but they will also pay you to go to school until you reach the age of around 23. Reflecting on the magnitude of expenses that build up while you are in school in the states, really makes you in awe of a country that has found a way to avoid that. Another difference in systems is health care. Health care is a fundamental need for quality health and should not be a luxury to those who can afford it. We are talking about health. Lives. It makes me sick to know that we have unhealthy people in our country that could be treated and aren't because of a lack of finances. I think our top priority for "the people" of our country should be health care. Granted, Denmark does provide free health care to its citizens but it doesn't come without fault. Thy system is being taken advantage of and has extensive waiting lists. But the bottom line is that Denmark is a country that provides free health care to those are sick and pays those who choose to become educated.

Leave it to Brandon to find some good old AMERICAN food! Apparently this is the only KFC in Denmark and personally I hope it stays that way! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the United States but I think we can all agree that it could use a little (lot) less fast food.

I feel so fortunate and grateful that Brandon has shared this experience of Denmark with me. I know it is something that will stay with me forever. Sweet Dreams! It is almost 1 a.m right now and I am off to dream, I hope everything is going well with all of you. As usual, I miss and love you guys! Email me @ rebeccakjos@hotmail.com and let me know how things are.

My Random Writing...
I refuse to exist simply as a witness to life.
That may mean I will be a victim to circumstance or a hero to coincidence but be what it is, I don't want to lack a role in any experience.
I don't want to look in the mirror one day and realize my reflection has aged without me.
I hope to always be on the journey of forming a bridge between my eyes and my ears, fusing a relationship of words and images.
I don't want to live language-less.
A part of me is that classic black and white photograph, framed.
Another aspect of me is that picture that develops blurred.
And a piece of me is that elusive image you can't capture.
I'd like to consider us all traveling exhibitions.
A tale of lyrical images.We are all complex beings born from a simple truth.
I want to explore the complexities to find my way back to the simple truth.
The truth is inconvenient and whether it's intentional or not, we live in a modified or manipulated truth so that we can rest emotionally comfortable, and we do it at the expense of living honestly.
I peer my eye through the keyhole because truth lies beyond that locked door.
It is a place where day and night blend and shadows dance in the grey.
A place where nothing is colored by perception.
A place where currency exists in the exchange of random acts of kindness.
A place where love is the fluent language that we all speak.
A place where the sea in our eyes parades as tears.
A place where different shades of skin color are celebrated and diversity is sacred.
A place where there is no cement; trees can't grow in concrete.
I want so desperately to artistically express how I feel physically.
Perhaps you should unravel my navel and just climb inside me.
There you can explore all my caves.
Day becomes night, because it is always night inside of me.
You can sit near my heart and let the beats tell you my story.
John Coltrane plays live through my lungs.
And my words are delivered in song, carried over lush, melodic rhythm that you breathe in.
And our breath becomes one; an exchange of in and outs, in and out, in and out.
We light one up and from the ash rises a ribbon of smoke, braiding in twists to mold hypnotic images of how things could be, if only we were to BE.
Your mirage dissolves, you realize you don't know you.
Suddenly a pinata appears and it has your name on it.
You don't even know what is inside of it; inside of you!
You break away the shell piece by piece until you have stripped it to it's core.
It begins to rain but my sky drips stars and they pour.
Tilt your glass to catch one.
Cheers to your new found light.
Light can only be shown to those who held darkness.
Your notion of reality gets scattered like playing cards.
And finally you feel my words.
A crisp wind blows out the light of your star and the jazz dies out.
A calm after the storm.
Now you have to find your own light, by giving someone else light.
I end my last sentence with a kiss...
A bittersweet kiss that runs through your veins.
A kiss that thaws you.
It causes your seasons to change.
The night swirls back into day.

Life is a BEAUTIFUL thing...

I FINALLY GOT A BIKE!!!! I feel like a 16 year old who just got their first car! Now Brandon and I can go on farther away adventures! It's a "mustang" bike but I have nicknamed it "the beast" and Brandon's bike is "beauty." Brandon even got me a basket to put on the back! :-) Bike riding in Denmark is a lot different than bike riding in the states. So many more people bike here that the cars have gotten very use to driving with them, so everyone bikes and drives fast and zips in and out and knows all the biking rules. So to sum it up, I have already almost gotten crushed by a van and honked at and yelled at by a Danish man in the middle of the town square. And you don't really know how out of shape you are until you are trying to make it up hill, you come to a wobbly halt in the dead center of the hill and you just know you are about to teeter off of your bike. Which in my case, included an old Danish man standing perfectly still watching my entire fight with the incline with utter amusement. Brandon later informed me that I was switching gears backwards and was actually making it harder to get up hills! Well at least I will have some calf muscles before it is all said and done.

Today we biked over to a park called "Munkebakken." It is one of the many parks in Naestved and is known for the story behind its creation. Munkebakken has a high tower commanding a wide view of almost all the sights of South Zealand. This picture was taken from the top of the tower.

This is a picture of the view behind us from the tower. In the distance you can see some windmills. Just another sign of Denmark's strive to help cure the environmental crisis. The two tall brick buildings are churches. Brandon's apartment is off to the right of this picture.

This is a picture I took while riding my bike behind Brandon...look Ma, no hands!! It was about 9 a.m and we were riding over the bridge that crosses the train station, to go see Brandon's physical therapist. I really like this picture for some reason. P.s- it doesn't look like Brandon is going to be able to play in his first game this Saturday. :-(

Wow! That's one mean, lean biking machine!! Hahaha well maybe not lean or mean but definitely a biking machine!

Just some random plants growing on a wall where we parked our bikes one morning. I liked the colors and textures so thought I'd post it.

This is a picture Brandon took of me next to one of the monk statues in Munkebakken Park. In 1997 a local artist, Jens Andersen, started converting an avenue of elm trees into monks. It was a really unique thing to see, not only because the monks were carved out of tree stumps but because the artist only expects the carvings to last for about ten years because it is impossible to prevent them from rotting from the inside.

This picture is funny because Brandon didn't even know I was taking it. This is one of the seven monk carvings in the park. It is amazing to see art created out of tree stumps.

This was that largest of the carvings and also my favorite. It had a real presence to it. It seemed to command attention and draw you into a peaceful state of mind. "A place in time, a place of mind. When palms seal, our Heaven feels. A breath exhaled, forever. One smile worth the falling journey of a thousand tears." Sorry, just thought I'd type what passed through my mind when I saw this picture.

This is a picture of all 7 monks. I took this as we were hiking down the trail. According to the legend, Munkebakken was actually created by a furious troll! The myth says that a troll living in Fladså couldn't stand the sound of the church bells in Næstved. So he filled a sack with sand and set off for Næstved to bury the churches. Luckily there was a hole in the sack and the sand leaked out. And in this way the troll created Fladså hills and the long ridge. Today a towering statue of the troll may be seen at the foot of Munkebakken, which was created by the last sand which the furious troll hurled at Næstved.

Here is a statue of the troll that made Munkebakken Park! It was a really pretty fountain with flowers all around the pools of water.

This is a picture taken inside of a bookstore in town. We couldn't read any of the words so we looked at books that had a lot of pictures. Notice the book Brandon decided to read!?! :-)

Instead of really ugly office buildings, Naestved has places like this. Along this whole street was really beautiful "houses" that are actually places of business.

For example, this is the house right next door to the yellow one and it is used as a clinic! I took these pictures from the top of a bicycle parking garage.

Brandon and I usually cook at home but a couple of days ago we decided to get some lunch at this really cute and trendy cafe called Oliver's. This is a picture of my salad. Everything here is so fresh and intricate. Everything has fresh vegetables and bursts of sundried tomatoes! Ok, I know, a little too corny with the "burst of sundried tomatoes"

And here is Brandon's extra healthy lunch! lol Notice anything different with the fries? No ketchup, mayonnaise instead. Not my cup of tea but Brandon embraces it. He also ate his chicken burger the way he says the locals eat it, which is everything separately. So basically he unlayered his sandwich and ate it in separate bites.

This is a picture of our water from lunch. I know you are probably wondering why the heck this picture is in my blog but I liked the angle of the shot and the foggy glass. So, just thought I'd post. The water (vand) here is so good!

A perfect example of Brandon's "enthusiasm" for taking pictures. It is easier to solve extra, extra long division than convince him to take a picture!

Well, now that you all are caught up on my world...you need to catch me up on yours! So PLEASE email me people! I love you all and miss each of you!

Random writing post...

There is a breath that rests on the lungs with ease. The exhale of peace. Knowing that you know what is important. One smile worth the falling journey of a thousand tears. Perhaps this is all crypted, delicate clarity offered in the unfolding of my thoughts. Maybe it is a haven, or a heaven. An empty paper begging me to give it life, to give it meaning. But it all had meaning before I touched it. Because the potential of what could be created on it, impregnanted it. And what will birth is only a matter of time, of matter of...the fate of pen and paper. A love hate relationship that survives only on the honesty of the writer. The honesty of the hand that delivers...If one is willing to bear soul, only then will the forest clear.It's always been right in front of us.

With Love,

Becca