Firsts and Seconds:To the homeland...

Guest Blogger: Sister Swede Reports

We are moments away from leaving Sonderborg for one more night in Copenhagen, then it's off to Sweden! Here are some photos I took while in Ben's "home" town.

Highlights of Sonderborg: Swimming in the Baltic, downtown, and Ben got another haircut!

Kobenhavn, Wonderful, Wonderful... Kobenhavn For Me!

Guest Writer: Sister Swede Reports...

I've had a great time in Denmark so far! Ben met me at the airport (he was early, I was late) and we headed out for our European adventure. After spending three days in Copenhagen, we made the trip to Sonderborg this afternoon. It is a beautiful city!

It's getting late (and Ben has an exam early tomorrow morning), so I'm going to keep this short. Here are the highlights from our first three days.

Day 1:

Tivoli, the main city square, the walking street, dinner in Nyhavn and back to Tivoli.

Day 2:

Lots of sightseeing! Highlights include royal gardens, the Little Mermaid, Nyhavn (again) and eating a Fransk hot dog!

Day 3:

The Carlsberg Brewery, getting a birds eye view of the city, Christiana and more Nyhavn!

Enjoy! More tomorrow...

Copenhagen contest called off

When I said the Scandinavian truce was to take a pause, the Danes just had to go and take it too far. Sweden took a 3-0 lead in the first 25 minutes, only to see their lead slowly chipped away by the Danes. In the 89th minute, Poulsen of Denmark took a cheap shot at Rosenberg, reminiscent of the Zindane head butt of the 2006 World Cup. The Dane received a direct red card for the kidney punch and the Swedes were awarded a penalty kick. After the call, all hell broke loose in Parken (the stadium in Copenhagen), and a disgruntled Dane charged the field on a mission and attempted to attack the referee. The ref called the match off, and the pitch was cleared as fans pelted the field with flares/debris. After deliberation, UEFA took away the goals of Denmark, and the final score will go in the books as 3-0 Sweden.

Needless to say, I can't wait to go to Copenhagen tomorrow to see what kind of destruction the Danes unleash in their drunken fury!

The Hand Holding is Over

Scandinavian cooperation takes a pause today, as Sverige takes on Danmark tonight in qualifying for the 2008 Euro Cup. Tickets are going for 500 Euro ($675 USD), so I'm going to sit this one out to join my Dansk rivals here in Sonderborg for a night of drinking and watching good 'ole fashioned Scandinavian football. I'm predicting a 2-1 Sverige victory.

This was the scene at the 2004 UEFA Euro Cup when Swedes and Danes swapped jerseys after a 2-2 draw ensured they both would move on... to the demise of Italy, who needed anything but a draw... there's nothing like Scandinavians working together!

Holy Hare Batman!

So apparently a rabbit isn't a rabbit here, but a European Hare. I snapped this pic a few weeks ago and I thought it was an ordinary rabbit hopping around like your average bunny. This afternoon I saw the same creature, different situation. Like a five year old girl chasing a boy on the playground, two of the 'lil foo-foo's came flying by chasing each other. Allegedly this little fella can reach speeds of 45 mph. Faster than the average hare! Take that Yogi Bear.

I'd Like, I'd Like to be Like Mike...

Apparently people still look up to the US as being a good model. Despite all the negative stuff going on in the last two terms few years, countries still want to be more like the US. The Danish prime minister's son has just wrote a book in favor of the US:

Henrik Fogh Rasmussen writes in his new book, 'American Conditions', that the Danish media paints an exaggerated picture of poverty, racism and uninsured patients in the US, and argues European leaders should instead use the US model to address this continent's own social problems.

Rasmussen has lived in the US for several years and has an American wife. In his 57-page book he challenges the many negative images of the US promoted by the media and says the Danish health care system is more apt to fail patients than the American.

'Seen in light of the huge demographic changes Europe is experiencing, European decision makers should take more inspiration from the market-based health care system in the US, instead of warning us about the "American conditions" in health care,' Rasmussen writes.

'The national health care systems in Europe are characterised by rigorous cost controls, where hospital administrators and doctors jealously guard their annual budgets. This means there is little place for experiments such as a wider use of preventive medicines, and it is the patients that this lack of creativity and resistance to new thinking ultimately affects.'

'The picture of the US as a society with widespread poverty and homelessness is wrong. The numbers clearly show that living standards for the poorest Americans are at the same level as the poorest people in Denmark and the rest of Europe.

This never would have happened to Miss Sweden...

Is the US Buying Sweden?

In a very economical sense, yes... Nasdaq has made a bid to buy OMX, the Swedish company that owns the Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia exchange markets. This purchase gives the US a stronghold in the technology sector in the Scandinavian states, which have produced such companies as Nokia, Ericsson, Volvo, AstraZeneca (those cheesy drug commercials), and others.

Be prepared for a more Scandinavian looking Times Square!

Dream Job

All jokes aside, it would be sweet to work for IKEA corporate one day. Not only would you have preferred access to efficient Swedish design, but there would obviously be some travel time to the homeland.

IKEA has made the short list upon graduation...

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/jobs/apply_now/international_jobs/index.html

International Food, (drink) Day

Have you ever had an Afghani nut? How about a Romanian dessert? Either had I, until Friday's "Intercultural Snack-evening."

Now, you have all been here in Sønderborg for 6 months or longer, but have you had a taste of Denmark, yet?

And what is the taste of your country???

Make a traditional snack and drink from your place of the world, and bring it to our Intercultural Snack -evening for your fellow exchange students to taste -and have a taste of their country, too.

The first thing I thought of was to make Swedish Pancakes with Lingon, but upon authorization from the international director she asked that I bring something "American," since I am the only American representative. First of all... it is nearly impossible to find corn and turkey, the only two real "American" foods I could think of. So what did I end up making? Hot Dogs, Peanuts, COOOOLD BEER! The traditional pastime of a day at the ballpark, nothing is more American than that.

I did however do something that I am not proud of... I bought a case of... gulp... Budweiser. It was the only American import beer available in the distant land of Denmark. That isn't an acceptable excuse, and in retrospect I should have forgone the idea of having an American beer rather than serving that sad excuse for a beer. I hope I didn't anger the beer gods back home, and rest assured the first thing I will do upon my return home will be to crack open a Milwaukee brewed Miller product.

I will also take this moment to propose a new Man-Law:
"A man must always carry a six pack of Miller Lite when traveling overseas in the event that there are no Miller products available" - Man Law

Bank Update: Currency Edition

That is the value of the USD vs. Danish Krone (affectionately known as the Copey) since I have been here. Notice the slight downturn, and by downturn I mean constant decline, which amounts to a 5% decrease in my purchasing power parity. Add to that the high price of living expenses here, and a man with no income could have a problem surviving here. Keep in mind the minimum wage is approx $14/hr. here, so they have no problem surviving. Heck, Danish students receive weekly checks from the government to pay for their living expenses (aka beer for a Dane).

I won't frighten you with actual balance of my account, but rest assured it will be good/(necessary?) to get back home to start working again!

They're here: Cicadas resurface after 17-year hibernation

So the "buzz" is that the cicadas are back... perfect timing for me to miss this once and a 17 year phenomenon! Prepare for the famine of 2007 as the "locusts" swarm and destroy everything in their paths like Swedes in a ship. Anticipate six weeks of constant buzzing as 1.5 million cicadas per acre emerge from their 17 year slumber.

I have prepared a recipe for those that survive the rapture:

Cicada Stir-Fry:

• minced onion, coriander (cilantro), fresh gingerroot
• sliced carrots, chopped cauliflower and/or broccoli
• water chestnuts and/or other vegetables of your choice
• bean sprouts and snow peas
• blanched, teneral cicadas

In a wok or other suitable pan, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add ingredients in the order listed above when those in the most recent addition are partially cooked. Serve over whole-grain (“brown”) rice and add soy sauce to taste.

Whats White and Red and Red All Over?

Distance from Equator: 3,500 miles
Time in the sun: 2 hours
Being Swedish: Priceless (and a mean burn!)

¡Suerte y al toro! (pertaining to jokes)

This is a tale of a joke that didn't work so well across cultural boundaries:

Ben to a Spaniard: "Have you seen that new pirate movie?"
Spaniard: ???
Ben: "Yeah, it's rated ArrrrrrrrR!"
Spaniard: ???
...twenty minutes of explanation...
Spaniard: "So that is the sound a pirate makes?"

Michael Moore on Sweden

Filmmaker Michael Moore has attacked the Swedish government for opening up the health service to more private sector involvement.

"I am very sorry to hear that they are selling out public healthcare. Everything that is good about public healthcare has its origins in Scandinavia," he said, adding that he thought the Swedish public would vote the centre -right Alliance government out as a result.

I accept your apology Mr. Moore...