killer danish snails

fun snails hiding in a bush in taarbaek.  these are not really killer danish snails, nor are they dangerous in any way.  the greenery they are crawling on however...well, very itchy you would be if you went in after this little guy.

note:  the real creature known as a killer danish snail is actually a slug.  leave it to the danes to have another word that is totally reliant on context for translation :)  and the killer part of the name is merely in reference to the dangers this invasive slug poses to the pretty danish gardens in the warmer seasons.  otherwise, it's as harmless as a, well, slug.

admiral gjeddes gaard dinner

the fulbright orientation ended with a dinner here: admiral gjeddes gaard.  this is the front side of the inner courtyard in this landmark building.  over the centuries the rooms and sections within have served as artist's quarters and gallery, lawyer's offices, accounting firms, apartments, inn and restaurant, and a brothel....and by centuries, i really mean that.  most of the building burned in the 1700's but the foundation on this end remains.  much of the items used to rebuild were scavenged from other burned buildings in the city....the door to the left (not pictured) was taken from rosenborg castle.  of course, the best part of that story is that rosenborg was not harmed in the fire.

interested in knowing more about admiral gjeddes gaard?  here's a link to their official site.  the english link or google translate might be useful.  http://www.admiralgjeddesgaard.dk/

travel day

red, white, and blue american breakfast on my last morning in the states.  i will miss REAL pancakes most definitely during my danish adventure.  don't get me wrong, i love crepes (the danish pancake, though they will refuse to admit it's a crepe :) ), and danish breakfast of bread and cheese, fruit, and coffee....but there's something to be said about lazy sunday pancakes.  and if you aren't sure about that, go check out jack johnson's music and maybe you'll understand what i mean.  to be fair, i did make these pancakes using a harvest grain recipe, so they aren't even really traditional american pancakes, but fluffy and yummy, for sure!

the plane ride to dk is about 9 hours--i usually try to go through ATL because that's my preference...chi-town's a bitch to be stuck in if anything goes wrong, and DC is often out of the way.  i like to fly in the late evening, and sleep (yes, i take the stereotypical american benadryl to sleep on the plane)...but i also like to wake up in the morning just as the sun rises--there's some research that says that this is a natural way to activate our internal biological system clock--and can help prevent jet lag...that's one reason, but it's also an awesome thing to be flying over the north atlantic at sunrise. window seats are a good thing.

these last two shots are for dad--my obligatory european traveler shot.  the boots weren't completely necessary as the weather's nice in dk and the states right now, but i needed the space in my suitcase, so i am wearing the boots and jeans.  as for hats, well, they are good for travel to hide "slept in plane hair" (if you think that kind of thing is necessary/important) but also hard to pack without crushing.





honestly, we should have gotten one of me with all my luggage so that you can all chuckle at my idea of manageable and concise packing...but hey, i can only take so much teasing.  

and of course i had to have a UT vol shot--only for you dad.  i will forever be a game cock and all my school colors have been red..  garnet gamecocks, maroon cougars, and now even copenhagen (KU) is a garnet color!

farvel callie = party time

in honor of my year abroad, we threw a fish fry second saturday supper club good-bye callie party at the church.  many thanks to ron and dad for capturing and cooking the yummy catfish, and to everyone else who helped supply snacks, food, and drink.  it was a really nice way to get to visit and say good-bye to my tn family and friends.

another plus: mary ann and bill, aunt nay and uncle mike, and uncle garrett came to visit for the weekend.  the boys went fishing and the girls went for pedicures and massage.  see the photo  for evidence of our joint "we'd like cajun shrimp toenails, please" excursion. 

even my "lil brother" came!  he is a science teacher now, just like me...  he also thought that bringing me a package of black licorice would be fun, informing me that, "i'd better get used to it."  Note to bob:  i shall not ever get used to the danes' idea of tasty chewy and candy items.  chocolate, pastries, sure....but licorice and cough drops for candy, nej tak.



this one is from a surprise lunch on the volunteer princess--boat ride and lunch along the tennesee river in downtown knoxville.  kath and andrew were nice enough to take us out for lunch to celebrate my fulbright award, and sneaky enough to invite some other family/friends.  the twiggs and ploegers came too!  i just might miss TN and the rivers/lakes after this lunch--such a nice way to spend a summer day.  the only thing better would have been to seen williams-bryce instead of neyland...all that orange still hurts my heart a little.

denmark: because germany was too warm

Arrival and Luggage and Stuff Tribulations


Elz came to pick me up at the airport and drive me to my new home in Kastrup.  Upon our arrival, Trygve (home owner where I am staying) stares at my 4 bags--2 suitcases, a weekender backpack and a backpack. He simply offers up this piece of wisdom with a slight chuckle: "little bit of luggage, then."  The Danes will forever laugh at my idea of minimalism and concise packing.  After all the thought and work, (and editing!), I put into taking only what I needed for a year, I am still found to be quite overloaded with "stuff".  I could blame it on an American stereotype, I suppose, but instead I will resolve to learn this concept of minimal.  In response, I told Elz and Trygve that their job was to teach me to be a minimalist, and I would take half of it back at Christmas.  I will not tell them that Mom is mailing a few items to me later this week. ;)

(I left the Palmetto Rose bouquets that I brought for Elz, Lisbeth, Julie, and Marisa at home...and remembered them only on the way to the airport.  My spastic packing curse strikes again!)

With regards to packing for a colder climate
I've been living in South Carolina for nearly 8 years now, and before that, in Tennessee.  Needless to say, I am somewhat afraid of the weather here.  I have spent time in Denmark in March and October, and it was much more pleasant than I expected (weather wise).  The days were sometimes cloudy or rainy, and often windy...but...as long as I was not afraid of many layers, silk underwear, and not seeing my feet for many days on end, I was perfectly comfortable.  Planning for a week of that type of wardrobe is easy.  Planning for a year, well that's a different matter.

I have been collecting various items that I thought I would bring for many months now.  Any time I saw a winter clearance, I would pick up a piece and think, "hey, I could wear that in dk."  This was perhaps not the best way to go about my planning, but there it is: my American self rears its cute little head.  A few weeks ago I realized I was going to have to do much better if I wanted to avoid a 200$ fee at the airport for :gasp: overweight/oversize luggage.  So begins my research into packing for a year abroad.  Yes, I said it.  RESEARCH.  What else do you expect me to do?  It's only fair that I begin this process the same way I would tackle any other.  This blog site is one of the better resources that I found.  I'm definitely going to try some of her tips and style thoughts.

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AcademiChic's "How to Pack for a Research Year Abroad"

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Sounds familiar right? That's what I thought, and her tips about neutrals and layering were really helpful, and made a lot of sense considering my prior fall/winter experiences in Denmark. I had already started the same process of breaking my clothes and "want to takes" into categories--dresses, shoes, pants, shirts, jackets. Of course my winter coats took up quite a bit of space, but I'm a bit terrified a true Danish winter, so they all come, even if I have to mail them! After reading this article I went back through my list and checked each item to see if I would wear it with at least 3 other items. That was hard, because it eliminated some of my favorite items--but in the end I think it was a good plan.

Shoes:

• black heels,
• gray slouchy boots
• brown buckle boots
• gray neutral flats
• sneakers
• brown heels
• pewter wedge

Cardis/Jackets:

• Black (long sleeved and lace back for layering)
• Gray
• Blue academic long sweater style
• Rose pink rabbit (warm!!)
• Black suit blazer
• Winter teal wool vest
• Black collared sweater style

Bottoms:

• Jeans: 2 skinny (dressy and casual) and a trouser length, and casual
• Black Trousers
• Denim Skirt
• Black shorts
• Jumpsuit/overalls
• (i didn't pack too much in this area because most Danish pant styles are, well..a bit funky)

Dresses:

• Black print
• Black Long Sleeved basic
• Black wool Sweater dress
• Funky Summer Print--to be work as a layering piece, very funky danish style
• Gray/Cream basic cotton for layering

Tops:

• Black Turtleneck
• Teal Basic in a lightweight wool (Loft)
• Cream Fair Isles style (Banana Republice)
• Heather Gray with rose floral motif baggy sweater (NY and Co)
• LAYERING TEES!  black, purple, white, gray, fuschia
• sage lace tank (target)
• print layering tank (American Eagle)
• white button down
• odd molly (swedish designer) white tunic thing
• green/gray floral tunic
• magenta/teal plaid tunic

Accessories:

• jewelry
• various headbands (will probably get more in dk)
• scarves (red print, english rose print, teal, black)  
• will DEFINITELY buy more in dk, can't have enough
• black/brown skinny belt, black brown wide belt
• charcoal felt bucket hat and other black hat

adventure begins

I am packing and in the process of selling my car before the big trip. Truly it is a distinct reminder of my American self...How is it possible to be so attached to a physical object?  I put more time and, honestly, money into my degree and teaching certification, yet leaving behind a teaching position was less stressful than selling my car.  As mom so astutely pointed out--Callie, you can't be snobby about the man who buys your car.  True enough, but I was much happier to find a different buyer in the form of a daughter starting college with a father who actually seemed to care about my baby/Xterra.  (yes, I realize how silly I  am.)  

As far as packing goes, I'll add more on that in the next post.  Hopefully this year will truly teach me the art of minimalism.  Because I'm pretty sure I need that.  Efficiency, competency, capability, etc I have...but minimalizing my stuff/life...not so much.  


Cheers.
-Callie

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In case anyone wanted a taste of any of the many quirks of life in Denmark as an American that I will be experiencing, here's a link to a great moron's guide to American's visiting/living in Denmark.  Even in my limited experience I can already appreciate most of his very candid and apt descriptions of life and idiosyncrasies there.    My favorite lines include:

medicine: Danish doctors like to tell cold and flu patients to drink chamomile tea, which isn't what most Americans want to hear.
pedestrian travel: Whenever I'm visited by someone from the states, I inevitably end up having to grab their arms and jerk them back to stop them from stepping directly in front of an oncoming bicycle.  You really, really need to be aware of those bike lanes.
dress: You can wear distressed clothing, if that's your look, but you had better wear it well.
smørrebrød or open sandwiches: Then the Danes will laugh at you and tell you what you ought to have done, even as they inform you that, of course, you're free to put whatever you want on your bread. Snicker, snicker.
drinking: Danes are definitely drinkers by nature, but they're beer and wine and snaps drinkers. Learn to be one.
recycling: Denmark is extremely environmentally conscious.   Pathologically so.  It's practically a religion with them.  There are recycling bins for everything, everywhere.  The sorting of garbage is virtually an art form.
transportation: So you basically pay three times the MSRP for the privilege of operating a vehicle you don't really need that runs on a fuel more expensive than beer.  You'll want a bike.