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Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Copenhagen Files Pt. 3

Days 2 and 3 were not particularly astonishing. In fact, it was Day 2 where I started getting sick and it went downhill very quickly. A scratchy sensation in the back of my through, feeling slightly feverish with most movements.

We were staying in the area of the city known as Østerbro, which is rather close to the city center and close to such sites as the famous Little Mermaid statue (which we didn't see) and a fortress/citadel/military structure. The latter is also a nice park where the Danes pratice what is very obviously their favorite activity: staying incredibly fit (which I'm sure is meant to encounter the extreme winter hygge-ing). Approximately, 90% of the city's surface area is dedicated to accomodating joggers and cyclists. Nine percent is for cars, 1% is to prevent the stoners in Christiania from getting freaked out by quick movements (more about that later). I took many mathematical liberties with the last two sentences, please keep that in mind.

Still, when the Danes aren't busy being cosy, they are probably out riding a bike. As opposed to, say, riding a bike in Southern Germany (*ahem* Tübingen), Copenhagen is flat as fuck. They've got plenty of bike lanes, so it does appear really well-organized and if you're the kind of person used to riding near traffic with a bike, then it's probably one of the best and cheapest ways to get around the city. In the downtown area, it's basically free even. Just deposit a 20 Krone coin in a bike and you can get back the coin when you drop off the bike.

I did not extensively cycle around the city. All in all -- a total of 500 meters. The plan was actually to do more, but my upper respiratory functions were not cooperating. Also, I will freely admit that spending my formative years in the not-very-bicycles-in-traffic-friendly Oklahoma has scarred and scared me. It is a phobia that I'm working on.

Nevertheless, two great things happened that day: 1. We found the Candy Mega Store, which was full of amazing US junk food. Shit that I haven't seen in years. I'm talking about A&W cream soda, Junior Mints, fuckin Cheetos...everything. I bought some muhfuckin Welch's grape soda


2. I had a delicious Danish hot dog. I've mentioned (ages ago) that Scandinavian hot dogs > any other hot dogs. Them little crumbly fried onion shits are THE shit.

Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, I was overtaken by my cold. Frosty switched in to nurse mode and was just taking care of my sick self for the next 24 hours. And more unfortunate than that...he was "rewarded" with his own cold. But he still was able to make me some lemon tea, slather me in vaporub and we watched the seminal John Singleton classic, Four Brothers.

Day 3 was a complete wash of slime and snot. But we did buy a giant jar of black olives for the equivalent of 2€ and then converted 3 also inexpensively purchased avocados into some guacamole for our cheesy awesome nachos with tomatoes and black olives, which was awesome sauce.

On a side note: Before we left for CPH Frosty and I pre-recorded this month's episode of RAP statt EKG. That was so much fun, I wish we could do it again.

...to be continued

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