Mmmmm coffee!

Saturday, May 16^th

I can thoroughly say that I completely enjoy drinking REAL coffee drinks. They are more powerful; taste much better, and not made from a concentrate bag. My only complaint is that everything here is served in very small quantities. The largest size coffee drink, or most drinks for that matter are about the size of out small. Also, in most cases you must even pay for tap water. I ordered a sprite the other day at a restaurant and I didn’t realize that it was 42dkk. That roughly equates to about $7. Needless to say, I got wise and now only order tap water or a coke when I can see the prices. I forget that most of the things I usually get in the US are all imported items over here. So, in a way it’s a good way of branching out and trying the local brands, which are much cheaper.

I am surprised by how many 7-11’s there are… I wasn’t expecting that. And there are only just a few McDonalds and Burger King’s that I have stayed far away from. The hot dog stands could be the most appealing. They are everywhere, and offer a pretty affordable mid-afternoon snack.

So, today we walked about 84 miles… or so it felt that way. It was raining though and pretty chilly. It was the first bad day of weather so far. We got to see some pretty cool new housing developments and then ended up at a giant shopping mall. What was really interesting about the mall is that right outside, the metro has a stop that allows for anyone to just get off and shop. They do have a parking structure but it is completely hidden under the mall. Usually when you think of malls, you think of the endless amount of parking surface that surrounds the mall. Here in Denmark, they have condensed all the parking underground and use the land around the mall for other purposes. There are more shops, housing, and the metro station that allows people to come from all over town.

Another thing that I noticed is how much people shop over here. I was looking at buying either a Danish scarf or pair of European underwear because they are so awesome… but I decided to save my money instead. I still wish I would have bought something. There are shops everywhere and everyone is ALWAYS shopping. Its also funny to see how many men’s clothing stores there are. They probably nearly match or take over the women’s shopping stores. Everyone is so well dressed and dapper, its unbelievable. I cant get over how good everyone looks all the time. You rarely see a slob, and I have yet to see any really obese people. No wonder though… the ability to walk, take the metro, or bike, is just so convenient that you could get around very easily without a car. You would never need one. The cars too!!! They are all so small and compact. There are a lot of large cars and most of which are seen in the US, but on the majority… if people do have cars, they are smart cars, and small matchboxes. Haha.

Last night we went to a bar that was very cheap in comparison to everywhere else. Large beers were just under 2$ so it was nice to get a good taste of the local beer. I was allowed to get a better taste for the Tuborg and the Carlsberg beer. Last night I was mostly drinking the Carlsberg Special, a nice red beer.

I am still trying to get used to everything being in the metric system. We never know what the temperature is because its’ in degrees Celsius. Also everything is in Kilometers and Meters, which I am starting to get used too, as well as military time. The small things just trip you up here and there, but nothing too bad.

I went into a grocery store today and everything was automated. You just put your stuff on the belt, the attendant rang up the items, and then you either dumped your change into a bowl thing or put in the bills and it did all the calculation for you. It then splitter at the end of the track that put your stuff on one side to pick up, and stuff of the person behind you, would go to the other side. Talk about efficiency. Most things here are brand new and very efficient. Its kind of shocking to see that everything, all fixtures and furniture are all new and well designed. Its like every room or building you go in looks like it came straight out of an IKEA catalogue. (probably did) The hostel we are staying at for instance, has all automatic light sensors, glass shower doors and walls, and hardwood floors. Its quite the establishment.

My face has started to peel really bad because I got a pretty bad sunburn the other day, but I have been borrowing lotion and suntan lotion from people to keep from looking like I’m dying. Its been working out fairly well.

We have been hanging out in the hostel a few nights with all the other Europeans and watching the HUGE phenomenon of EURO VISION. Its like an American idol competition, but it’s a dancing/singing/performance of each of the European countries against each other. What’s funny though, is that they are not allowed to vote for their own country, so Orri was telling us that they vote for their nearest neighboring country no matter how bad the singing or performance is or how much they hate the other country. The show is very amusing because they have some really good performances and then some super ultra mega cheesy ones with men dressed in turquoise green, skin tight pants, jumping around on stage with women wearing god who knows what, and pretty much looking like a bunch of tools… But its hilarious to see how insanely strange some of the performances can be. I think we may be watching it again tonight.

Well I am off to find some dinner or something to hold me over!!

Leaving for Iceland tomorrow… I am sad to leave, but I know that this is a country that I am for sure going to need to make a visit to again.

Miss you much,

Drew