Summer

Well it's summer time and the living's easy. Just picked up my buddy Garth, aka My Bodyguard, aka G-Mang, aka Bra Bra Streisand, aka G.I. Bro, aka The Doctor...ok that's enough for now. I always like when people make the journey out to Copenhagen to come visit me but it is even better when it is a good friend. I have pretty much known him for half of my life or more. We went to junior high and high school together and then were roommates for roughly 3 or 4 years on an off, we also played in a band for a couple years and played sports. His visit will last until the latter part of July which will give us plenty of time to catch up on the last two years (well nearly 2 years).

Last night was the first official night we went out since he had a bit of jetlag the first night he was here and I had a bit of a migraine. But after acquiring him a bike yesterday morning, we were ready for town. We started off with a pre-game with some friends and then headed to Hornsleth (also known, at least in my circle of friends, as the pussy or vagina bar...due to the decor and logo). We pretty much stayed there the whole night because the party turned out to be pretty good.

The night wasnt too crazy as I dont think my friend is quite ready to handle a "big" night out quite yet. The coolest thing about the night was on our way home. The sun was rising over the lakes and it was a spectacular view.

BEO* and no its not body odor

The weeks leading up to May 2nd, I had been working on a project for Carlsberg with the agency I have been interning at. The project revolved around the launch of a new product called BEO*. The first time I heard the name I chuckled a bit. Being from the US the name sounded a lot like BO, which is the shortening of body odor. I eventually learned that the name was chosen because it means 'Delight' in Latin. I wont dive too deep into too many specifics about the project so I make sure as to not unknowingly get myself into trouble but it revolved around an event that was held at the Carlsberg Museum.

For those that dont know, because I didnt, the Carlsberg Museum is an by invite only area of Carlsberg's headquarters in Copenhagen. I was lucky enough to attend such an event with my boss and another colleague. The main purpose was to launch the new drink which isnt a beer (though it pours like one) or a soda, rather in my opinion something that is in between a soda and sparkling water or juice. Sounds complicated right? Well in actuality its a brewed soda that has natural bubbles from the brewing process and no added sugar which is also made from all natural ingredients. It has a high amount of real fruit juice (35-38%) and much less calories than a soda. Its not considered a health drink and it cant be considered non alcoholic by danish standards because it has ,2% alcohol in it. The amount though is so little that it would take something like 25 of them in order for you to get the same effect as 1 beer.

There were 2 flavors that were being released. Blood Orange with a touch of Hibiscus and Apple with a taste of Green Tea.

The Blood Orange was by far my favorite. I think it had the best full taste. It was everything that was advertised and my taste buds experienced the full spectrum of flavors.

The Apple is actually the one I thought I would enjoy the most. I am an avid apple juice/cider lover and thought this would be a delightful treat. Upon smelling its aroma I was even more excited, as my sense of smell was treated with a delightfully sweet apple aroma. It then poured into the glass with a foam like head that you see from a beer. And then as I took my first sizable drink...complete and utter disappointment. Everything that I had expected up until that point didnt culminate into taste. Its not that its bad, and I would rate it as OK. Would I buy it...well...if they didnt have the Blood Orange, and I really wanted something other than soda, juice or water, then definitely. Some of the other people I have talked to liked it, and about half of the people at the agency I work had it as their first choice.

Along with BEO*, another new product was being launched under the Jacobsen brand. It was a new Ale called Velvet. I didnt really get many of the specifics on how it was made due to the entire presentation being in Danish, but it uses some of the same processes as champagne. Its not a typical Ale thats for sure. It has a sort of sweeter taste but it really only comes in at the end. You dont feel overwhelmed or like you are about to get a sugar high. It really goes down very smooth and doesnt leave you with a bitter after taste. For anyone who doesnt like normal beers, then this is probably your best bet for ever being able to possibly enjoy one. The brew master said that its good for a hot summer day or a pre-meal beer with appetizers, and I would completely agree. I drank a couple of glasses of it on a warm night when my room still contained the lingering heat of the afternoon sun. It was refreshing and quite satisfying.

The last element of the night was a 4 course meal by the Carlsberg head chef Marco Sganzerla. He has quite an impressive resume and has worked at many Michelin star restaurants. Most of the food was meant to be complimented with the Velvet Ale but there were also some snack type appetizers that were meant for BEO*. Most the food was in form of raw seafood which isnt really my favorite, but I managed to eat it all and really enjoyed one of the dishes. It was small baby shrimp in a rhubarb sauce. I tell you what, I could have eaten those all day long. It was such a unique taste that my mouth hadnt ever experienced before and I was craving more.

For the BEO* there were crab cakes, seasoned almonds and a sort of chocolate desert that catered to bringing out the taste of BEO*. The almonds were really good. I have the recipe and I am going to attempt to make them one night soon.

Overall it was an awesome experience. I felt privileged for being invited and enjoyed the evening. The Carlsberg Museum is a beautiful place and would love to be able to go back again.

The 3 S's

There are many different measurements of the change between winter to spring. Some use the groundhog or a certain date, while others wait to see green on the trees, flowers blooming and birds chirping. I disregard all of these and instead have my own system. Spring, to me, has officially arrived when I can utilize the 3 S's all at the same time.

So what are the 3 S's. They consist of Sunglasses, Shorts and Sandals (aka Flip Flops). When I am able to wear these 3 items at the same time and be outside for more than an hour without freezing my ass off, spring has official begun.

This glorious day came yesterday. It was a gorgeous day around 20 degrees Celsius. I rounded up a couple friends and biked into the city for a relaxing day at Kongens Have. It was truly the first day of the year when the sun was out, the wind wasnt blowing ridiculously (like it always does) and you could be outside without a scarf, winter jacket and gloves.

Its quite a change considering only a couple of weeks ago on st patty's day it was snowing. Its amazing how this one day of amazing weather brings such a shift. It feels so much more like spring now. I almost welcome the week long of rain that is being predicted because I know we are officially out of the winter darkness that settles over Denmark in the winter months.

I m completely looking forward to the warmer weather and the endless daylight that the spring/summer brings. It was a great feeling being back on a bike again for the first time in nearly 2 months. Of course I generally bike in the winter, but there always seems to be a month or two in the year that I grow tired of the freezing cold and buy a bus pass.

The nice weather makes the city seem more alive. The cafes move into the streets and the tourists begin to take over certain areas of the city. I like that people smile more, with good reason...Copenhagen is amazing during the spring and summer. The office I work in is situated in Nyhavn, so when I come out of work there are always lots of people enjoying an afternoon beer by the harbor or eating at one of the many cafes.

From Fine to Not

Well this weekend was supposed to be an epic adventure of the danish Halloween like holiday Festalavn. I was supposed to be dressing up and going to a crazy costume party with 5 of my friends and getting rowdy. I was supposed to stay out late and then wander home in the wee hours of the morning. I was supposed to sleep all day today.

Well that pretty much didnt happen. Turns out that the gods had other plans for me this weekend. It was sort of like I got all the consequences of partying without the party.

Basically I managed to get pretty sick. The only logically explanation in my head is food poisoning. My stomach is normally one of those that was forged from iron and steel. I have probably only had issues with it a handful of times in my years and the majority of those were definitely alcohol related. In fact the only time I can think of when I threw up from being sick was back when I lived in Connecticut which was during the years of 2nd and 3rd grade. And I will admit it was slightly forced as I was looking for a way out of a day at school.

So yesterday I was sitting in a meeting at work with my boss and other colleague, who is like my second boss, talking about basically what happens next. It was a fairly important meeting and I was very interested in sharing some ideas and whatnot. But after about 10 minutes...I nearly fell out of my chair and passed out. I had to excuse myself from the room and go lay on the bathroom floor, which was refreshing and cool. I went back in to the meeting and then had to leave again...and was shortly after sent home.

I took the metro one stop to where I needed to catch a bus, but didnt quite make it to the bus. After catching a whiff of the normally delightfully smelling hotdog stand I felt as if I was going to explode. I quickly searched for a semi private place to do my bidding but it was not to be found. So I braced myself on the handrail between the bus lane and where normal traffic passes by and poured the contents of my stomach onto the street as cars passing by slowed and swerved to avoid.

I d say it was probably one of the most embarrassing things that has happened to me. And if I had infact been able to see myself I would have definitely laughed. I was like in a movie where it just shoots out of your mouth. There was definitely some distance achieved. So just as I finished up a bus came and I got on and went home. Unfortunately not everything had be able to escape the now hostile confines of my ones god like stomach. I discovered this after I had some water to drink. After many hours of trying to drink and sprinting to the bathroom, the remaining piece of food that I had consumed earlier in the day made its grand exit at around 330am. That was a home made bun with multiple kinds of seeds.

So basically after around 17 hours of sleep dating back from about 3am yesterday, I am glad to report that I have been able to retain fluid for the past hour and my stomach seems to have settled. I dont really feel like eating much of anything but really hope I can manage something. I mean I have a basketball game tomorrow that I want to play in badly.

All in all the last 24hrs ish hasnt been so bad. And besides being incredibly sore, thirsty and hungry I dont feel sick in the flu or cold sense. I will say though that being sick like this has only brought back memories of being way too drunk....I may have to take an extra weekend off of going out for beers with the guys.

Joining the Rat Race

Well it was just over a year and a few weeks but I m finally back doing the 9-5. To be honest, I couldnt be more happy getting back to the working life and using my brain on a more consistent basis. Last week was my first week of a 4 month internship with a small pr/communications firm here in Copenhagen. The office has a superb location in a rather famous part of the city and all the people I work with are nice and friendly. I am working with social media, which I am super excited about. My thesis had a lot to do with social media and online content distribution so this gives me a chance to continue to learn as well as use some of the knowledge I have gained. I also am an avid user of many social networking sights so its fun to be able to combine something I enjoy with my professional life.

Although this is only an internship, I am hoping that at the end it will turn into a regular position. The company is trying to grow the social media aspect of their company so I m hoping to be part of that past the 4 months. There has been an agreement that after 3 months I will have an evaluation meeting to discuss my performance and the possibility of continuing on. So basically I m going to do everything in my power to secure a future. I tend to excel in my professional life so I am looking forward to gaining some responsibility and proving my value.

Its nice working in a smaller office because you get more interaction with co-workers. We all eat lunch together too so even if we dont work on the same projects or floor for that matter, there is always a chance to talk with everyone at some point. I think eventually when I get enough courage I ll try and practice my danish a bit more. Last week though I didnt really say much at all. I just try and keep up with the pace of the conversation and at least get the main points so I know what people are talking about. There is one other person that is a non danish speaker but I think her danish abilities are much better than mine...especially when it comes to understanding the spoken language. The good thing though is that we sit in the same office and will be working together a lot so I think there will be an opportunity to practice a bit with each other.

I think the hardest part of last week was getting used to waking up early and staying engaged for a full day. For the past year I have been able to make my own schedule and switch from a variety of things. I find it much easier to sleep at night after a full day of work. I think this week will probably be a bit easier in terms of being fresh in the mornings. I have already felt a dramatic shift in my body in regards of when I am ready for bed.

Overall I am pretty happy with life right now and despite not having any source of income for 4 months, I am basically stress free. I have no complaints and am glad that I have gotten the opportunity to gain some practical experience and potentially earn a full time position with a great company.

Its The Parents Fault

I would say in the past 6 months I have seen an increasing number of things in the news about parents and their outrage for McDonalds. First, I think that they are being singled out. Really if you look at all fast food and even some sit down type restaurants, then McDonalds really isnt even the worst of them.

So some months ago Happy Meals were banned in San Francisco. Ok well they werent completely banned but there were a number of restrictions placed on meals that come with toys. So now fruit and/or vegies have to be included. Then I read a few weeks ago that there is a petition with 500+ signatures that is trying to ban Ronald McDonald from advertisements as well as being featured in the restaurants. All this is to effectively diminish McDonalds ability to market their products to kids. These parents and organizations are trying to curb the every skyrocketing child obesity that is taking over the US.

I find this all to be quite absurd. I have rather fond memories of having my birthday parties at McDonalds when I was younger, where Ronald himself would make an appearance. Why should kids be completely deprived of such an experience? I mean if trends like this continue then who would the Ronald McDonald house representative be? Just another corporate suit.

Basically it seems to me that Parents are not doing their job. Its the parents job to raise their kids and if they cant say no to fast food, hours of video games or time spent in front of the computer, then clearly they are to blame. I grew up with fast food however it was a treat. It wasnt something I could simply demand from my parents. I also played a number of sports growing up and was always outside riding around on my bike or playing other activities with friends. It seems like the era of building forts or playing kickball with the neighborhood kids is slowly diminishing. Of course its fun to sit with friends and play video games, but its the job of the parents to monitor and regulate that kind of activity.

There were times when I was growing up that I had to do a certain amount of pushups or sit ups so I could watch tv or play nintendo. On nice sunny weekend days I would pretty much be banned from the house and be sent outside to enjoy the good weather. Its the little things like this that can help kids stay in better shape. Saying no to fast food, candy, etc also helps. Parents should stop laying blame and take the responsibility of raising their kids.

Tim - Your Birthday Clue

Well Tim is that time a year again when you age another year. Now that you will officially be moving out of your 20s I m pretty sure its safe to say you are old balls. Just think...you have your midlife crisis to look forward...so that means a little red sports car cause you are finding the need to make up for things that just dont work as well as they used too. Anyways, the two letters you seek are as followed....well one is the noise pirates make and also the 3rd letter in the word pirates. And the second i sounds like see and is the third letter of the alphabet.

Happy huntings

Goals

So I ve recently had friends ask me if I have set any goals for the year. Please do not confuse this with a new years resolution...as stated in a previous entry....I hate those things.

When this question was presented to me I didnt really have a good answer I suppose. So here it is.

Goal 1 - Get a job

Goal 2 - Make a new list of goals

fin

So why only 2 goals. Well basically my life cannot move from the post graduation purgatory in which it currently resides. Any plans that I have require me to take focus off of getting a job unless it is enhancing skills to get a job. But the enhancement of skills goes into goal 1.

I know that once this goal has been reached, my new list will include a plethora of new goals on which can be separated into person and professional. I am looking forward to this day. Until then goal number 1 remains my priority.

Closure and Change

Well 2010 is over and done with. I d say by far the worst year that I have been on this planet. Started off with a battle with immigration, followed by an unexpected death in the family, continued with 10 weeks of activation with a jobcenter and was pretty much completed by the longest stint on unemployment in my entire life (since i have started working).

I will say I had a great Christmas here in Denmark. Had dinner with a good friend and his family. I ve spent a couple holidays with them before and they are great people that I enjoy being around. New years was fun too. Simple but delicious dinner with a couple friends then went to a party in the city where I was able to see the whole Copenhagen skyline at midnight when the entire city erupted with fireworks. It was an amazing sight.

My horoscope, which I dont ever look at or put much if any belief into, says this year is supposed to be a good year for employment opportunities as well as for my love life. Hmm that seems to be a ridiculous coincidence. But perhaps I m believing a bit that perhaps it was true. I have already been invited to an interview this year. Pretty excited because this year for me is focused on change. After an absolutely dismal year last year I am determined to get the most out of this one and try and change my stars. I sort of started in the last couple of months last year so dont get it twisted...this is not a new years resolution. I dont do those, I think they are load of crap. I took a course and started studying for some certifications that can make me a bit more valuable in the job market. I ve also been working more with programs that I find fun and interesting which also have use in a work setting. On top of this I ve been to the gym more releasing those wonderful endorphins and have begun to be less lazy with meal preparation.

I cant believe that I will go another year being unemployed so I am preparing myself and staying excited about work opportunities. With nearly 200 applications sent out the numbers game is on the verge of shifting to my favor. Otherwise I m planning on traveling a bit this year with a Mediterranean cruise, another surf trip to Morocco and a visit home to the US tentatively schedule. I also really want to visit some of my friends around Europe which is long overdue. I think this year there are big things in the works and this post graduation purgatory that I ve been stuck in will finally end.