Letters from Denmark

All Lit Up!

2007-12-11T15:30:00.000+01:00

In an earlier blog, I mentioned how we love seeing all the unique lights in the homes that we ride our bikes passed at night. Well, I decided to write a post dedicated to the inventive and curious lighting that have made Denmark notorious for it's creative design. The picture above is called the Mexican style IQ Light. The IQ light was created by Holger Strøm in 1972 and was re-released in 1999. It is a self-assembled modular lighting system made up of interlocking pieces. You actually put the light together yourself.

Here is a picture of the more traditional IQ lights. It all started when Holger Strøm was asked to make spherical and cylindrical lamps for a Christmas display. "I constructed them from triangular modules, which I glued together, and by using an equal number of modules for the sphere and the cylinder, they did actually appear to be the same size. It was just a Christmas decoration, but I couldn't completely forget the idea. I wanted to make it with a mechanical assembly system, and with identical modules." -Holger Strøm

Another picture of the Mexican style IQ light. This style of lighting seems very popular here.

This is a picture of Holger Strøm amongst his IQ lights. I think it may be a picture from the 70's.

Poul Henningsen designed this light in 1924. It is from the PH series and is known as the PH Artichoke lamp. It is a 360 degree glare-free lamp made by 72 leaves that shade the light source, and reflect the light onto the underlying leaves, creating a unique illumination. Henningsen's inspiration for the design of this light was the scientific analysis of the function of a lamp shade.

Some quotes by Poul Henningsen...”All political art is bad – all good art is political.”..."Faith has never moved anything at all. It is doubt that moves"...."Future comes by itself, progress does not."

This light was designed by Le Klint, a business that was passed down from father to son. Le Klint is known for it's artistically folded lamp shades.

Hopefully this post didn't bore you too much. I personally am fascinated by unique and beautiful lighting. I thought I would share it with you.

With Love,

Becca

Catching up...

2007-11-28T23:11:00.000+01:00

There have been so many moments in Denmark that I have wanted so desperately to just freeze time and remain in the happiness offered to me. It is not just the exciting moments that I will miss but even the quiet nights at home, drinking hot tea with Brandon. Tonight was one of those nights...I sat here writing my blog and listening to jazz while Brandon sat next to me reading his book...and I just thought to myself "this is happiness in such a pure form." Something in me has certainly changed; grown. I feel so blessed to have this collection of experiences. I hope everyone is doing well and also on a spiritual journey of happiness and health. Sorry for the gap in time since the last time I wrote. I regret not taking the time to place words on the experiences and will do my best to catch up. So hopefully I can connect the dots and trace the lines to the things I haven't written about yet...

This picture was taken on a ride in Tivoli! We finally had a chance to go :-) Notice the new additions to Brandon and my wardrobe? SCARVES!! We are officially dressing more "Danish." Tivoli is a very old and famous amusement park and garden. But it isn't just an amusement park, it has everything from a concert hall to the longest saltwater aquarium in Europe. Tivoli is in it's Christmas season right now and it was absolutely beautiful. The entire park was illuminated with Christmas lights and Christmas trees. Brandon and I walked around, riding the rides and trying to get some good pictures of the park. (but my camera batteries died!) It was freezing! And even after some hot chocolate and warming our hands by some hot coals, I was starting to think I was getting frostbite on my feet. I kept telling myself that my dad would be so disappointed in my choice of shoes! So I accepted my cold feet as my punishment for my dumb shoe choice. :-)

Isn't this beautiful?! This is a picture of Tivoli Gardens. This part of the park is Asian inspired and has a very serene aura. Chinese lanterns, lit with candles, are delicately sprinkled throughout the trees. This lake not only reflects the lights that drape it but also the fireworks. Brandon and I had a really great time. We ended the night by sharing a big bowl of Chinese chicken soup and drinking some hot sake. :-)

We took this picture from the top of the Ferris wheel. Right after that we went on a ride that was much higher and it really gave us a spectacular view over, not only Tivoli, but the city of Copenhagen. It was one of the those moments where, I just turned to Brandon and said, "we are soaring over Copenhagen! We are in Denmark, flying through the air! Who would have ever thought this is where we would be at this moment in our lives?!" I told myself to never forget that feeling.

I wasn't joking when I said it was freezing and we had to warm up by hot coals. This was by far the COLDEST I have ever been. Brandon was addicted to stopping by these pits of hot coals and warming up. I was holding my hands over the coals, with my gloves still on, and then I went to put my hands on Brandon's face to warm up his cheeks...and I guess cheap gloves are pretty flammable because my gloves got scorched...Brandon's cheeks got a little too warm as well! :-(

I can't believe I let so much time past since the last time I wrote. This picture is from a ferry ride we took to Germany. This was the first time Brandon had been on a ferry and the first time I had been to Germany. (Brandon was born in Bitburg, Germany but this was his first time back to the country.) Unfortunately, we didn't get to do very much exploring in Germany but it was still great being able to go. Our next trip will be to a city called Malmo in Sweden. It is a little over an hour away by train. Last night Brandon and I went with the coach of the younger basketball team to Copenhagen to watch them play. As we were driving through the city trying to find the gym, I couldn't help but be slightly hypnotized by the city ambiance and peering in all the windows of the houses and apartments. One of the things Brandon and I enjoy about riding our bikes at night is getting a glimpse into the homes and lives of the Danish. Unlike the states, almost every window here offers a great view right into the homes. Many of the homes here are lit by bright white geometric danish designed lighting. It has become a unique trademark in the windows we see. There are moments where it really starts to sink in that I am living in Europe and having an experience that will forever become a part of who I am. Last night as I was going down a steep hill on my bike, the icy breeze tingling my face, and it felt like I was traveling on private winds, being carried through a world only open to me. There are so many pieces of an experience that are edible if you are just willing to take the risk in tasting it; indulging in it. But most importantly, remembering to savor it. It is easy to forget to savor an experience. Hopefully, the taste of Europe will remain with me for a long time.

I guess all of Brandon's great games and impressive stats have gone straight to his head!!! :-) He has been doing so well here. He is the second leading scorer in the entire league and fourth in the league in assists. Yet, it isn't just what he is doing on the court that is impressing the community of Naestved, it is also very much what he does off the court. He coaches a younger team, works with young kids at a recreation center and also helps out with community events. Even though I am extremely proud of his success on the court and am very excited to hear people say he is the best player in Denmark, it is all the compliments about his character and who he is as a person that make me smile the most. He has a lot to be proud of and I hope that this journey he is on lasts a long time. He deserves to have success and happiness. There is a great interview with Brandon that aired on t.v throughout Denmark. It is posted on the Internet and you can also watch one of his games that aired on t.v through this website. www.dk4sport.dk/videos/flow/player/index.php Just look for the game with "Team FOG Næstved" and if you see a link with Brandon Thomas that should be the interview. If you want to keep up with the games or how Brandon is doing, you can find information on www.nifbasket.dk/ - www.eurobasket.com/den/den.asp - www.basketligaen.dk/ -www.danskbasket.basket.dk/ -Look for anything with "Team FOG Næstved."

Here are a couple pictures from his last game. Hopefully I can get my camera to work when I am trying to take action shots so I can post some pictures from Brandon's future games. I am going to make an entry for each one of his games and maybe even get him to write a thing or two. I think it would nice for him to have something documented to look back on and be reminded of this phase of his life.

During the games Brandon gets a lot of support from the audience, often with a whole crowd of kids that chant his name and cheer for him. One night after they won a game, he was ambushed by an entire group of kids. The sweet thing is that Brandon knows all of them by name. My mom once told me that "even after we are gone, our reputation lives on, so take care of it." I think Brandon will leave Denmark with a really respectable reputation.

Brandon wore a headband during the entire game that read "Coach Frankel" in honor of his coach who was let go before the game.

This picture was taken at Mickey and Henrietta's apartment in Copenhagen. Mickey is one of Brandon's teammates. We have become pretty good friends with them. Mickey is the other American on the team and Henrietta just finished getting her law degree so there are a lot of interests in common. On this night we went over to their place for dinner and after a great homemade meal and wine, we went out in Copenhagen.

Henrietta and I after dinner :-) I am really glad that I have had the chance to get to know her because she is a really great person and I'm happy that I have made some friends while being here.

Brandon and Mickey posing for the camera before a night out... :-)

This is a picture of us by a street sculpture in the main square in Copenhagen. This picture was taken weeks ago because it is way too cold to be dressed like that now!

This a picture of a sculpture that emerges out of the vines along a school building. I had passed it dozens of times on my bike without even noticing it. And now it is one of my favorite statues that I have photographed.

This is a picture I took a while ago of the very first place Brandon took me to eat when I first got to Denmark. It is our favorite cafe for breakfast, on the rare occasions that we don't cook our own breakfast.

I love this tree...with its golden leaves. Winter breezes have now left this tree naked but it was a beautiful sight for a few weeks. I guess it's true that all good things must come to an end. Including this blog! It is getting late so I am going to get some sleep but I will be updating the blog tomorrow night after Brandon's game.

Thank you for caring and reading my blog...I miss and love you all very much!

With love, Rebecca

Random Writing...
I walk barefoot on the cold sidewalk of the city's skin
A pause between the end of night and the awakening of morning
Experiences become our greatest stories
A fixed horizon stalls change
Let the sun set slanted tonight
And I will applaud it for its creative bravery
This morning reminds me of you in an unusual way
That tingle I swallowed when I first kissed you still lines my stomach
I want to lie on your heart and make a snow angel in the elasticity of our love
And if the softness becomes rigid, I will chisel my devotion
Losing myself in you makes me slightly uncomfortable, possibly scared
I fear not all of me will get returned when things fall apart
There is a difference between...
Lying in the grass and being clothed by the stars
And resting in your sheets beneath stick-on stars on the ceiling
It's the difference between love and lust
A subtle difference at times…
Often a transition

A Train Ride Away...

2007-10-07T22:46:00.000+02:00

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...

2007-10-04T20:23:00.001+02:00

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

Sleepless in Denmark...

2007-09-28T01:27:00.000+02:00

I took this picture of the sunset (solskin, solskinnet) sitting on the window in the living room while I did some writing. The words in parenthesis are Danish translations so I can share the language with you and also learn myself! Anyway, it was not the Key West sunset I am use to...but beautiful none the less. It is strange to realize that as we are saying goodnight to the sun and watching our day come to a close, somewhere else in the world the sun is welcoming a new day. A new start. Ahhh, and that is the beauty of the rise and fall of the sun! A reminder that each day is new. There will be a point in all of our lives where there will be our very last sunrise and sunset. Perhaps we can find it in us to be more grateful for the days we are given. I wondered what all of you were doing as I was watching the sunset tonight. Distance doesn't unravel the presence you all have in my thoughts. Ok, now on to some Denmark news! lol

SAY CHEESE! or (OST)

Ok, so this isn't the best picture of us but I figured so far there hasn't been any people in my pictures and I had to show we were really here! We went for a pretty long walk today through town. We were on a search to find this little hole in the wall office. Because unless you own your own washing machine or better yet "vaskemaskine" then you need special tokens to wash your clothes. So you go to this office and tell them what street you live on and then they give you special tokens for that street. I personally think it is really silly. So depending on what street you live on, that dictates what tokens you get to operate the washing machine and dryer. So 12 kroners a token later...we were off to find the physical therapist for Brandon's ankle and then get lunch. Ok, ok...I know, enough about food...but lunch was really good! Everything here is just super duper fresh. And you get little sugar cubes when you order coffee, which I think is really cute. Oh yeah, Brandon's ankle is getting better. Which is good because his first game is next Saturday! =-) Brandon is doing really amazing out here. He won a dunk contest out in Copenhagen a few weeks ago. If you go to http://www.gam3.dk/ then click on the main picture on the opening page, then click on gallery, then click on videos...there are like 6 videos of the dunks that he did to win the contest.

COBBLESTONE AND CRUTCHES

This is a picture of one of the roads that leads to the center of town. The buildings on the sides are apartments, restaurants and stores. There are a lot of roads here that are made out of cobblestone. And I can't say that cobblestone roads are very good for Brandon's sprained ankle! I have been looking for the perfect car to take a picture of that would reflect the "typical" car driven in Denmark. You very rarely see SUV's here and people that do decide to drive one have to pay a lot more money because you pay by the weight of the vehicle. So you actually have to pay a lot more to drive an SUV. Also, the amount of taxes you pay here is dependent on how much money you make. The more money you make, the more you get taxed. You can get taxed over 6o% but everyone here is covered and taken care of. You pay nothing for medical expenses, they give you money to help raise your kids until they reach 18, if you lose your job or are unemployed then they help you until you can get on your feet again, etc. I have not seen any homeless people since I have been here and there doesn't seem to be a big divide of the rich and the poor. In the states there are thousands of mansions and then thousands of projects. Here, there is a middle ground that most comfortably live at.

BERRIES OF SUNSHINE

This is a random picture but I loved the colors in it so I thought I'd share. There was a huge bush of them along the side of the sidewalk as we were walking. I have noticed that most people here either have a lot of plants and flowers growing or fill their window sills with potted plants. I think it can make a difference in someones day. Things seem a little more inspiring when you can see beautiful things growing all around you. It makes me think of the journey from seed to bloom, symbolic of life and the common thing we all share. And hopefully, the blossoming we are all in search of.
GOT LOGS?

While we were walking, we went down a more industrial area and saw thousands and thousands of stacked logs. I liked the angle of the shot and the texture of the view. Across the street was a recycling plant. Which reminds me, Denmark is a much more environmentally conscious country. And the land shows the rewards of the people taking care of it. Wake up America!

FISHING BOATS

These are the first boats I have seen since being here!! I can't wait to see the coasts of Denmark. It might be strange to be standing on a beach while feeling like you should be standing on a pile of snow!

It's time for me to sign off now but I will write soon! I love and miss you all!

With love,

Rebecca

Hidden Treasures

2007-09-24T00:11:00.000+02:00

"Violin Girl"
There are statues scattered all around Naestved. This is a picture of a statue in front of an apartment building and across the street from a large church. I think it is really beautiful that the city is sprinkled with fountains and statues. I noticed that a lot of different species of trees and plants grown here. It seems like every day I notice a new kind of plant.There are a lot of fruit trees around too. I walked around the neighborhood at sunset tonight and picked an apple off an apple tree and saw a beautiful garden in someones backyard. It had all sorts of flowers and plants. The house behind our apartment has a peach tree with so much fruit that peaches are scattered all over their yard. Yesterday, we tried white raspberries for the first time. They were sweeter than the red ones!

"Hookah And Boots"
This is a picture of the front door of the neighbor that is right across from our apartment. I thought it was an interesting picture and a simple insight to the casual laid back atmosphere of Denmark. A hookah and some shoes rest safely outside the door. The ironic part is that I heard American rap music coming from inside the apartment!

"Bricks of Heaven"
This is a picture of the church across the street from the violin girl statue. She has quite a view! All of the churches that I have seen look very much like this one. They are huge and have incredible brick work. I haven't been inside one yet. Lutheranism is the official religion of Denmark. Even though most Danes subscribe to a voluntary tax that supports the Church, many of the churches remain fairly empty because most Danes don't attend.

"The Sound & View of Town"
I took this picture from the window in our living room. Train tracks separate us from the main part of town. That grey building in the very back of the picture is the grocery store we shop at. The top part is the "biblioteket" which means "library" and the bottom part is the grocery store. The train is passing through right now. It is dark out right now and I can see the lights from town and hear the sounds of the train station. Perfection!

"Peaches and Clotheslines"
I took this picture from the bedroom window. If you look closely you can see the peach tree and dozens of peaches resting on the roof of the shed. I am tempted to walk over there and gather some to eat! I noticed the clothesline in their backyard and thought of the simplicity of how life could be. The people here seem so much easier to satisfy and aren't as materialistic as the people in the states. Their lifestyles seem physically and emotionally healthier. They are all very active, walking and biking everywhere. No one here is fat! You don't see girls wearing a lot of makeup and I have not noticed one single person with any obvious signs of plastic surgery. And they are happy. They don't need to be consuming fast food and the latest trend to be happy. We could learn something from them.

"Vand"
Vand means water in Danish. The tap water here tastes so pure that we mostly drink our water from the tap. Tonight I filled up a water bottle and stuck it outside the window to chill the water. We found this glass in a store in town and we had to take a picture because it was the same glass that Brandon always drinks from back home. This particular store was cool because it had the most random things you could think of...from painting supplies to candy bars to candles. And it wasn't expensive, which is rare here. Figuring out the value of kroners compared to dollars was one thing...but lately I feel like I have been a converting machine! Kilometers to miles...Celsius to Fahrenheit...and converting all the measurements when I am trying to cook. Brandon and I have been cooking at home a lot. We try to keep things a little authentic by cooking a lot of potatoes with Bearnaise sauce and finishing it off with some DELICIOUS danish cookies! ;-) But we haven't exactly moved on to pickled herring and dishes topped with raw egg yolks! Baby steps, baby steps!!

Okay, well it's time for me to say "hi hi" (that means goodbye in Danish!)

With Love,

Becca

You can't judge a book by it's cover...

2007-09-20T00:30:00.000+02:00

Welcome to Kornbakken street! Home sweet home. This is Brandon's apartment building in Naestved, Denmark. His window is at the very top right. We call it Dracula's house because of the spooky exterior but the inside of his apartment is adorable. I guess you really can't judge a book by it's cover. It might be a small apartment but I fell in love with it the moment I walked in...it has so much character and charm. This is my second night here and it still hasn't really hit me that I am in Denmark. Yesterday, after I landed, Brandon met me at the airport and we took a train from Copenhagen to Naestved. It was my first time on a train and the whole train ride was filled with windows of beautiful countryside and small towns. It's been pretty cold since I have been here and I can't say that I miss the heat or the humidity yet. Brandon has been a really good host. Yesterday we walked around Naestved on cobblestone streets with bicycles wizzing past us. We went into a small candy store where I bought some real black licorice...(Brandon seemed a little disgusted with my candy choice lol) We picked up a huge pizza for dinner. It was a lot different than the pizza in the states...it had really delicious lamb on it and was topped with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. While I am on the subject of food...going to the grocery store is quite an adventure...for one, it's all in Danish, and if that isn't hard enough, I had to try and figure out how much everything was worth by trying to convert kroners to dollars using my fingers to count! I know my Dad is reading this right now, talking out loud at the screen complaining about his daughter having to use her fingers to perform "simple math." This may be a little off subject...but I have noticed that because the majority of my traveling has been done with my parents, that I have started traveling with their perspective. I was noticing the brick work of a large church today the way my father would and looked at different species of plants and flowers wondering if I could figure out what they were the way my mom would. Even walking around town with Brandon the last two days has shown me how he notices the behaviors of people and the details of their culture. I think it is really refreshing how people can open up little windows into our worlds and offer their perspective on things without even realizing they are doing it. While Brandon was at practice today I went to the local grocery store by myself to buy flowers for the apartment...which turned out to be a little more intimidating than I had anticipated. Simply said, things are just different here. I have to step my game up and learn the grocery store rituals lol...you have to BUY the bags that your groceries go in, which means you have to guess how many bags it will take to get all your groceries...you have to put those little divider things BEFORE and after your groceries. I had different people speaking to me in Danish and even after I responded with the "I'm sorry, I don't speak Danish" they would keep speaking Danish! Lucky for me though, almost everyone under 50 speaks English. Between what Brandon is teaching me and plain old survival skills I have learned at least 10 new words in Danish...I know, that isn't very much but you have to start somewhere. Well, I made it out of the store alive and with flowers in tow...and made my cold yet refreshing walk back home. Brandon is asleep right now, it's about 1 a.m. here. The train runs right past his apartment so along with huge gusts of wind that are whipping past the building, I can hear the train coming through. I feel like I am in the setting of a novel. Well I need to try and go to sleep now because I am still not adjusted to the time change. Tomorrow I will post more pictures and not have such a rambling blog. Until then, take care. I love you all! Email me and let me know what is going on in your neck of the woods...

With love,

Rebecca