Copenhagen: Part I
Copenhagen Journals
23rd January 2009 Friday
I cannot begin to explain how much I wish I had a bicycle right now.
It’s easy to become frustrated by how cold it is, and nothing is in bloom. Copenhagen is a city of many public gardens. Walking through the Botanic Gardens grounds is infinitely depressing - the plaques listing the origin, and common and scientific names of all the planets not in bloom seem to mock me, saying, “Look at all the thing you can’t see!” Instead, all the shrubbery are brown, shriveled corpses of themselves. Even the green house flowers are in winter mode, which is exceedingly strange. One would think greenhouse flowers would be in season year-round. Isn’t that the purpose of a greenhouse?
So instead, I focus on the positive - I take comfort in the loneliness of the city. I enjoy the quiet of travelling off-season. I remind myself that my plane tickets were under 30 euro each way. Better to travel Denmark in winter than not at all. Better to see Soren for one day in winter than no days in summer. Maybe I can come back to Scandinavia in summer - not Copenhagen again, but maybe the Netherlands, or Holland, and see all the tulips. Send some tulip seeds home to mom.
Couch surfing is a very strange experience. The girl actually hosting me is odd, and doesn’t seem at all interested in my presence. She didn’t even tell her roommates that she had decided I would leave Saturday - that’s just when she decided I should be gone. She actually told me at lunch, “it’s just a couch - that’s all couch surfing is.” This, as her roommates are inviting me to go on a road trip on Saturday. I have no problem with the “just a couch” idea, but her roommates keep inviting me out, and the girl told me to come back at noon for the face painting, so I did. Then she acts confused as to why I’m there. Thank God for her roommates - they’re amazing. Even they are surprised that I’m travelling alone. They couldn’t understand how I didn’t have a definitive plan for my trip, which I thought meant that’s how Americans are viewed - obsessive, anal, hyper travelers, which is how I view Americans, I guess. Soren said, though, that’s just how Danes are - they truly plan out every hour of their days. I tend to do that at home, but I just can’t do that here, because naturally things don’t go according to my plans, and then I get upset and overreact. So, I just don’t plan much, so when thins go wrong, I blame the situation, or my lack of planning, usually the latter. I never said it was a perfect system.
Today (Friday the 23rd) I took the bus down to Norreport, intending to visit the Statensmuseum for Kunst, or the Botanic Gardens, but instead found an H&M and spent most my morning there. Yes, there is an H&M in Munich, and I realize it may seem insane to go to Denmark and shop a chain store, but 1.) I’m here, and H&M is here, so why not, and 2.) Why go to Munich and shop a chain? And 3.) I badly need new clothes, so I don’t care.
I’m developing a really good feeling about Copenhagen. The neighborhood I’m staying in, Norrebro, is nice, but a little sketchy at night. I walked at least ten kilometers tonight, and found myself in the heart of Copenhagen, and felt a newfound respect for this place. Here was my old royal town, my new emerging metropolis, my heart of Scandinavian fashion, my capital city. Learning suburbs first is not a good introduction to a city.
Tonight we attended an art premiere in Islands Brygge, which is full of inspiring architecture that is quite like what you would expect the capital of a North Atlantic island to look like. The residential neighborhoods are massive and honeycombed, fanning outward for several kilometers, each building a clone of the other. Every apartment has the same sliding glass doors and opened window treatments, exposing their clone lives to passersby. Islands Brygge is home to fascinating residential architecture that had potential to be great, but instead became the prison for Danes looking for the suburban-city blend. Islands Brygge is a curse.
Tomorrow the roommates - Rosa and Rebecca - are driving to Louisiana (pronounced Luciana) and taking Soren and me with them. I am excited for my Danish friend from the States to meet my amazing Danish hosts. Louisiana is a treat because no bus or train goes there, and though in the summer many people bicycle there, one must have a car to get there in winter. I hope it is something Soren will enjoy.
There are still many things in CPH I want to do hand hope there is enough time. I want to see the Hans Christian Andersen mermaid, and go to Freetown Christiania, which is a hippie commune. I could live without seeing the Copenhagen crown jewels. The Statensmuseum for Kunst is negotiable, since we’re going to Denmark’s largest art museum tomorrow.
I really, really like it here.
Midnight Friday: I think I just figured out part of why I like it here so much. There’s not a bombardment of tourist knick-knack stores here, like there are in Munich and Innsbruck. I hated Innsbruck for that reason. Same junk assaulting your eyes and good taste, everywhere.
Where will I find postcards?
24 Saturday
Today Rosa, Rebecca, Soren and I drove up to Louisiana for the art exhibit, which was dedicated to Manga. I left the United States to see an exhibition in Copenhagen of a Japanese art style, and the exhibit was built by a Frankfurt museum. Weird. The exhibit was fascinating, though - the entrance featured a wall with Manga terms and their origins. What I found most interesting was the display of celluloid “cels” used for anime films, which gave Japanese films their distinctive static backgrounds. Because I now understand the seemingly simplistic style used, I can appreciate it more. Knowledge is power. What the artists do is paint the background on one “cel,” then the top layer on another, and the move the top layer independently. This is effective most in fight scenes, I think. The grounds of Louisiana are splendid and expansive, and once again I so wished for a sunny day. Still, even in the hazy grey sky the harbor commanded my attention - Sweden was calling. I could only slightly make out her crests on the horizon, but that little bit was enough. How insignificant I feel, standing on the Danish shore, looking through the mist to Sweden.
I truly love this place. The people are cold and distant, but will gladly help you in your time of need, but won’t go beyond polite conversation. They will welcome you into their lives, but will act unphased by your presence.
I’ve been drinking quite a bit of coffee here. I also ate a banana. The last time I ate a banana was August 2004, and I only had two bites. I don’t know if I’ve done these thins to be polite, or I’m just so hungry I’ll take anything.
I’ve slimmed down a little here. I feel this unexpected surprise has given me the jumpstart I need to start working out again when I get home. I’ve gained so much weight since moving here, after working so hard to lose it before I came over. I fear - and it’s realistic - that I will struggle with my weight the rest of my life. I hate this.
This vacation is exhausting. I love it. I have trouble falling asleep at night though, because I am nowhere close to comfortable. I have always had a strong attachment to my bed. “My blanket and I have always had a difficult relationship.” - Yuri Olesha.
23rd January 2009 Friday
I cannot begin to explain how much I wish I had a bicycle right now.
It’s easy to become frustrated by how cold it is, and nothing is in bloom. Copenhagen is a city of many public gardens. Walking through the Botanic Gardens grounds is infinitely depressing - the plaques listing the origin, and common and scientific names of all the planets not in bloom seem to mock me, saying, “Look at all the thing you can’t see!” Instead, all the shrubbery are brown, shriveled corpses of themselves. Even the green house flowers are in winter mode, which is exceedingly strange. One would think greenhouse flowers would be in season year-round. Isn’t that the purpose of a greenhouse?
So instead, I focus on the positive - I take comfort in the loneliness of the city. I enjoy the quiet of travelling off-season. I remind myself that my plane tickets were under 30 euro each way. Better to travel Denmark in winter than not at all. Better to see Soren for one day in winter than no days in summer. Maybe I can come back to Scandinavia in summer - not Copenhagen again, but maybe the Netherlands, or Holland, and see all the tulips. Send some tulip seeds home to mom.
Couch surfing is a very strange experience. The girl actually hosting me is odd, and doesn’t seem at all interested in my presence. She didn’t even tell her roommates that she had decided I would leave Saturday - that’s just when she decided I should be gone. She actually told me at lunch, “it’s just a couch - that’s all couch surfing is.” This, as her roommates are inviting me to go on a road trip on Saturday. I have no problem with the “just a couch” idea, but her roommates keep inviting me out, and the girl told me to come back at noon for the face painting, so I did. Then she acts confused as to why I’m there. Thank God for her roommates - they’re amazing. Even they are surprised that I’m travelling alone. They couldn’t understand how I didn’t have a definitive plan for my trip, which I thought meant that’s how Americans are viewed - obsessive, anal, hyper travelers, which is how I view Americans, I guess. Soren said, though, that’s just how Danes are - they truly plan out every hour of their days. I tend to do that at home, but I just can’t do that here, because naturally things don’t go according to my plans, and then I get upset and overreact. So, I just don’t plan much, so when thins go wrong, I blame the situation, or my lack of planning, usually the latter. I never said it was a perfect system.
Today (Friday the 23rd) I took the bus down to Norreport, intending to visit the Statensmuseum for Kunst, or the Botanic Gardens, but instead found an H&M and spent most my morning there. Yes, there is an H&M in Munich, and I realize it may seem insane to go to Denmark and shop a chain store, but 1.) I’m here, and H&M is here, so why not, and 2.) Why go to Munich and shop a chain? And 3.) I badly need new clothes, so I don’t care.
I’m developing a really good feeling about Copenhagen. The neighborhood I’m staying in, Norrebro, is nice, but a little sketchy at night. I walked at least ten kilometers tonight, and found myself in the heart of Copenhagen, and felt a newfound respect for this place. Here was my old royal town, my new emerging metropolis, my heart of Scandinavian fashion, my capital city. Learning suburbs first is not a good introduction to a city.
Tonight we attended an art premiere in Islands Brygge, which is full of inspiring architecture that is quite like what you would expect the capital of a North Atlantic island to look like. The residential neighborhoods are massive and honeycombed, fanning outward for several kilometers, each building a clone of the other. Every apartment has the same sliding glass doors and opened window treatments, exposing their clone lives to passersby. Islands Brygge is home to fascinating residential architecture that had potential to be great, but instead became the prison for Danes looking for the suburban-city blend. Islands Brygge is a curse.
Tomorrow the roommates - Rosa and Rebecca - are driving to Louisiana (pronounced Luciana) and taking Soren and me with them. I am excited for my Danish friend from the States to meet my amazing Danish hosts. Louisiana is a treat because no bus or train goes there, and though in the summer many people bicycle there, one must have a car to get there in winter. I hope it is something Soren will enjoy.
There are still many things in CPH I want to do hand hope there is enough time. I want to see the Hans Christian Andersen mermaid, and go to Freetown Christiania, which is a hippie commune. I could live without seeing the Copenhagen crown jewels. The Statensmuseum for Kunst is negotiable, since we’re going to Denmark’s largest art museum tomorrow.
I really, really like it here.
Midnight Friday: I think I just figured out part of why I like it here so much. There’s not a bombardment of tourist knick-knack stores here, like there are in Munich and Innsbruck. I hated Innsbruck for that reason. Same junk assaulting your eyes and good taste, everywhere.
Where will I find postcards?
24 Saturday
Today Rosa, Rebecca, Soren and I drove up to Louisiana for the art exhibit, which was dedicated to Manga. I left the United States to see an exhibition in Copenhagen of a Japanese art style, and the exhibit was built by a Frankfurt museum. Weird. The exhibit was fascinating, though - the entrance featured a wall with Manga terms and their origins. What I found most interesting was the display of celluloid “cels” used for anime films, which gave Japanese films their distinctive static backgrounds. Because I now understand the seemingly simplistic style used, I can appreciate it more. Knowledge is power. What the artists do is paint the background on one “cel,” then the top layer on another, and the move the top layer independently. This is effective most in fight scenes, I think. The grounds of Louisiana are splendid and expansive, and once again I so wished for a sunny day. Still, even in the hazy grey sky the harbor commanded my attention - Sweden was calling. I could only slightly make out her crests on the horizon, but that little bit was enough. How insignificant I feel, standing on the Danish shore, looking through the mist to Sweden.
I truly love this place. The people are cold and distant, but will gladly help you in your time of need, but won’t go beyond polite conversation. They will welcome you into their lives, but will act unphased by your presence.
I’ve been drinking quite a bit of coffee here. I also ate a banana. The last time I ate a banana was August 2004, and I only had two bites. I don’t know if I’ve done these thins to be polite, or I’m just so hungry I’ll take anything.
I’ve slimmed down a little here. I feel this unexpected surprise has given me the jumpstart I need to start working out again when I get home. I’ve gained so much weight since moving here, after working so hard to lose it before I came over. I fear - and it’s realistic - that I will struggle with my weight the rest of my life. I hate this.
This vacation is exhausting. I love it. I have trouble falling asleep at night though, because I am nowhere close to comfortable. I have always had a strong attachment to my bed. “My blanket and I have always had a difficult relationship.” - Yuri Olesha.