valby and stuff

After a much-needed workout in our hotel's gym, we had a successful exploration day- we tested out public transportation on Copenhagen's above-ground subway, the S Tog. The cars were so clean that it reminded us how much of a toilet SEPTA is (not that one needs to be reminded). We took the train to Valby, the suburb where Jason will be working and also where I'm headed to practice with De Homofone, the gay chorus group here. Interestingly enough, Jason's work and the gay chorus practice location are literally next door to each other! I couldn't believe it. Next, we did some shopping back in the Strøget neighborhood in City Center. It's basically the mecca for top stores. Some are recognizable, some are not. For example, H&M and Urban Outfitters are there, but overall, Copenhagen is known for steering clear of chains, which is great. We ended with a great dinner at a place called Atlas Bar, which promoted vegetarian food, but was not limited to that. I had a veggie burger made out of beet root and goat cheese. Holy hell, I could eat one every night. There's a picture below for you to see, as well as a few other snapshots from today. Godnat (goodnight)!

Palads Theater where we saw "Argo"

The S Tog train approaching (Copenhagen above-ground subway)

Street art in Valby

Outdoor/indoor shopping mall in Valby

Jason outside of the main Lundbeck building where he starts on Friday!

Dinner at the Atlas Bar- beet veggie burger patties with three different types of salads

samuel l. jackson / day two

After I wrote my entry for yesterday, we couldn't decide what to do last night. So, we did what one does in America...go to the movies. We saw Django Unchained (in English with Danish subtitles). The most interesting thing was the theater itself. It was huge. Like going to see a concert at the Tower Theater in Philly. It sat 1,102 people! We even had assigned seats. The movie was pretty good- typical Tarantino but funny as hell even with the over-the-top gore. Samuel L. Jackson once again is a total WIN. Ah, you were wondering why this entry was called Samuel L. Jackson, weren't you? After the movie, we visited Jailhouse CPH, a gay bar with a prison theme. The idea was to stop in for a quick Carlsberg (fresh from Copenhagen) beer and leave, but once we told the bartender we had just moved to the city, the Jagermeister shot came and so did another beer. Here's a little photo from the adventure there:

Today, we explored Frederiksburg, the neighborhood where we will be living for a few months before finding our permanent apartment. We checked out a few music shops, bike stores, and potential gyms. We also passed about 15 places where you can get your haircut. I guess that answered my question about where to head for a trim! We also stopped in a grocery store (to see how hard it's going to be to find what we need). Spoiler alert- it's going to be a pain in the ass to get used to. The reality is that shopping for food isn't a one-stop thing. You go to many different places when you're Danish. You go to place A for bread, place B for fruits/vegetables, place C for this, place D for that. Not like running to Superfresh or Shoprite to stock your house up. And here's a little discovery from the grocery store- gay cheerios??

Finally, we ended the night with another flick- Argo, which we had been wanting to see while in America but just didn't have the time. As the Golden Globes so obviously demonstrated, it was a fantastic movie. Fun fact: it's called Operation Argo here. So that was day two. In closing, here are some other things we discovered today.

What "The Help" is known as here...lol.

I miss PJ like crazy, but maybe I should be glad I didn't bring her here?

day one

Sign at the Chicago gate

Hej! That's "hello" in Danish. We have arrived in København! It's cold and rainy. So, not much different than what Philly or Pittsburgh is getting. Overall, the flights went smoothly. We were a little skeptical at first because of the freezing rain in Chicago, so our flight from Pittsburgh was looking pretty grim and was actually delayed a few times. But, the cards were in our favor and we made it to Chicago. Jason's work gave us business class from Chicago to Copenhagen. All I'm saying is, I could really get used to flying that way any time. When your seat literally reclines into a bed and the cocktails are delicious, strong, and free...um, yeah...sign me up! And just so you have an example:

That's what I call "wiggle room"!

We're staying in a hotel for the first few nights before moving into a temporary apartment. The same hotel we were in last time when Lady Gaga stayed here for her concert (also the same floor that she rented out that time). I think some of the feathers from her bird hat are still in the hallways. We have 3 months to find a permanent residence. I've never been one to enjoy living out of a suitcase, so this should be an interesting experience.

Today's going to be a "bearings-gathering" kind of day. We're in City Center of Copenhagen, so there's plenty to do and see. Thanks for reading this first little update and I'll be checking in again soon!

H

welcome!

Welcome to my blog. Not much here to see yet, but soon enough I hope to bring you some amazing life updates and photos from the wonderful world of Copenhagen! Keep checking back!