I’m not dead!
Well, I guess that might depend on your definition of dead. Ever since we moved in on the 26th of October, we have been without broadband. Now you’re probably thinking – are there really people out there with no internet? And yup, there are. I’ve been one of those people for the past month. Well, we have had a ‘dongle’ which has been helpful but mostly just frustrating.
But in 4 days things will be different. We’ll be back in the group of people who has broadband, and it will be amazing.
Indian Summer
As the summer comes to an end, I must say, despite the weather it’s been an awesome one. Not much travel this time around (yay to being a poor student) but lots of quality time spend with the best of people.
The last weekend with real hot summer weather was spend in a little village just outside of London, with the last barbeque of the year, and late summer evenings in front of a fire. In just 3 days I’m back to uni, which also means that Autumn is here, and soon winter. Thankfully, being a dane I guess, I am actually looking forward to cosy evening inside and the fresh, cold mornings.
26 years and counting
Birthday celebrations
I have, right now, been 26 for 6 days, 9 hours and 23 minutes. In that time, I’ve shared a bottle of champagne with my love, been to a delicious Indian restaurant, had cakes with my housemates, spend an evening in Victoria Park with friends, chilled out on a terrace outside London, enjoyed the silence, slept a lot, worked a bit, been to 2 gigs, and generally just been a happy bunny. If this is what 26 looks like, I’m in!
But with birthdays comes questions. Panicky questions mostly, and rather existential, almost going as far as ‘what is the meaning of life’ sort of questions. When ever I tell people my age, the reaction I’ve had most times is ‘Ah, you’re just a baby!’, which, although nice, is also a bit worrying, as it must mean I still don’t have a clue as to what is going on. I’ve learned that it’s better not to moan about age, as there is always someone older who will shame you for it, or, someone will reply with the standard comment ‘Well, it’s better than being dead!’.
You can do a lot of things in 26 years. This guy for example, spend 26 years solving the Rubik’s cube. Although that’s quite an achievement, I’m quite happy I didn’t spend my last 26 years doing that. Looking back, I’m actually not quite sure what I have done. I guess I’ve spend most of the time growing up and doing things that everybody does. But every single thing, every small choice, every conversation, and every person who has been in my life in those years have shaped me into what I am today.
So what will my 26 year be like? It’s hard to say really. I do have a few objectives though;
-Finish my degree. This time next year I’ll be close to my graduation ceremony, hopefully with a result I’ll be happy with.
-Find out which master to do, and if I want to do one straight away, or if I want to do one at all. This is quite a big one.
-Stop living in a houseshare. This will be the end of an era, and I honestly cannot wait to share a flat with my love.
-Do more exercise. It just has to be said…. and done, hopefully.
-Possibly get a proper job. This depends on the master-thing though. I can’t wait to find a job that I actually like (Well, fingers crossed).
-Paint a lot more, which has already been initiated, and it feels awesome.
But really, anything is possible. Bring it on 26!
Holiday in Denmark
After having finished exams, all you really want is to kick back and forget all about them for a while. A trip to Denmark was therefore much welcomed, even if I have seen it all several times before. I took an English-man with me, and it was great fun showing him around and seeing his reactions to “disgusting fish” (herring, which for the record, I can understand that non-danish people find really weird), Danish style bbq’s, tivoli, and loads of new people.
Despite a rocky start and a 3am wake-up call to catch a coach to Stansted, we made it to Vejle, where my dad met us in the airport. Quick drive to my dad’s little farm in the middle of nowhere (apart from fields and forests) and a quick danish breakfast (meaning rolls with cheese, jam, butter, etc.) followed by a much needed nap.
The next few days were spend taking the dog Buster for walks, visiting Vejle and the surrounding areas, some driving (yay!), going to the seaside, seeing my mothers newly bought boat (which she still can’t sail), avoiding awkward questions (my parents are pros), and eating lots of great food, cake, and drinking Tuborg. Not bad, hey?
Saturday we spend the day at my uncles 60th, with bbq, loads (!!) of cake, red wine and beer non-stop, and of course the Denmark – Netherlands match. What is it with people, who normally have no interest what so ever in football, suddenly becoming experts as soon as the national team is playing? Can’t imagine how it must be to be a non-danish speaking person at a danish birthday party, but as the day progressed and bottles of wine emptied one by one, more and more questionable English was spoken. We went home feeling absolutely stuffed to the max, and probably quite a bit heavier.
The day after the Danish adventure moved to Copenhagen for a few days in the capital. It was a great time and the weather decided to treat us with some sunshine. I might be biased, but I find Copenhagen pretty amazing. I have never lived there myself, but if I was ever to move back to Denmark at some point, this would probably be the place I would go. Although being quite a big city (1.5 million) it is pretty relaxed. People sipping beers or coffee outside cafes, loads of bicycles and fewer cars, broad streets and fresh air, lots of canals and the sea nearby. What’s not to love? We spend the days seeing a few of my danish friends, touristing around, saying hi to the Mermaid, laying in a park watching the skies float by, walking around the streets, eating ice creams, and of course tivoli. Could easily have spend a few more days, but we’ll just have to return again sometime.
By the fjord close to Vejle.
The fjord again, looking out towards the sea.
An english man on a danish bridge
Countryside and horsey in Vejle
Feeding the friedly deers in a forest in Vejle (they love some raw, ecological pasta 
)
Lovely colours in Nyhavn (“newhaven”) in Copenhagen.
Cafe-life and Tuborg Classic in Copenhagen
The Little Mermaid. Build in 1909. Small, unnoticeable statue, if it wasn’t for the hordes of tourists looking at her. Poor thing have had paint poured over her, her head cut off, pushed of the stone, etc. she’s a tough lady!
Facebook babies and crazy mothers
I have them.
You have them.
We all have them.
Those Facebook friends who can talk about nothing but their babies. What they have just done, what they’ve said, pictures of them with their little faces covered in some unidentified food, etc. If you are anything like me, you are probably often asking yourself the question, while scrolling down your Facebook timeline, “Why, oh why do these mothers (Why is it always the mothers?) feel this need to share every little detail about their babies?!”
Obviously it is because they love them, and think they are the most incredible little creatures in the world, and that everybody else will obviously feel exactly the same way. Understandable. I don’t mind the occasional picture, or occasional baby-quote. But I do mind previously sensible women posting updates every hour about what their baby has been up to. Because, lets face it, babies don’t get up to much, really.
In my (Face)book it is a very valid de-friending reason if it continues for more than a week.
And in a sense, is it not a little bit wrong to post questionable photos etc. of a, although little, human being, without their consent? They are clearly too small to have an opinion or a say, but if you think about it, the pictures of children uploaded to Facebook are technically owned by Facebook. There are of course privacy settings, but as Facebook is a million dollar company, and not just a social network, they have the right to change their privacy settings whenever they want to. And I am guessing that many of their users might be slightly confused at times, and might not do the necessary research to only share things with the people they wish to share them with.
With the amount of Ultra scan images I’ve seen on Facebook lately, I reckon a large amount of children in this day and age have been tagged in a photo on Facebook, long before they were even born.
Fingers crossed I’ll never be one of them. And if I fall in, I sincerely hope than someone will hit me in the head and tell me to stop it.
The last few weeks in pictures
A few snaps from the last few weeks. 1. ate a lot of Tangtastics, absolute favorite candy, 2. Vincent’s first attempt at making hot-cross buns, very succesful! 3. Spend quite a bit of time wondering whether or not the banana contained a million little spiders, 4. did a presentation at work, and rewarded myself at the buffet afterwards :p 5. Shared a beer with a lovely person in front of an open fire, and 6. like everybody else, admired the new roof at King’s Cross station.
The next month or two are going to be quite intense in terms of uni work. Finish assignments, preparing and taking exams, and trying to figure out how my degree is gonna change next year. All I really want is sunshine and good times.
