My first Thanksgiving in Copenhagen
I know, you guys are all probably wondering what gives with my love affair with Denmark? Well, let's just say that when I said this would be at the top of my list for places I'd come back to and live, Copenhagen fits the bill. I flew into Denmark to see snow cover everywhere, which was a nice and welcome contrast to the desert sands of Egypt. The cool, fresh air made me miss my snowboard as it reminded me of Mammoth, my winter stomping grounds back home.
I also wanted to spend Thanksgiving with my buddy Ron, who is from California, and I knew he'd be up for hosting a feast with some of our friends. We invited a few other Danish friends of ours, which made it even more exciting because it was their first Thanksgiving dinner. With Kia's tremendous help in the kitchen, and Ron's uncanny ability to uncan one can of cranberry sauce (what would we have done without you?) we managed to serve up a spread consisting of:
1) One 8-pound turkey and gravy (couldn't quite match Grandpas, but I probably never will!)
2) Two slabs of ribbensteg (traditional Danish roast pork)
3) Kia's Hand-Mashed potatoes (They were supposed to be Ron's Hand-Mashed potatoes but somehow that sneaky bastard managed to shirk that responsibility!)
4) Spinach salad with carmelized onions, bacon, and pinenuts
5) Grandma's veggie mix (carrots, onions, corn, peas and celery)
6) And of course, my favorite desserts from Lagkagehuset, the best Danish bakery.... YUMMM!
All in all, it was a great time, and we had more than enough food for everybody (I am a Lew, after all-- we ALWAYS fret about not having enough food.) There were plenty of leftovers and thankfully, no younger sister to have our traditional annual fight over them! :)
Speaking of thanks, some other things I'm thankful for:
1) My health. If there's anything that can put a damper on travel, it's getting sick. Thankfully, I've only had one minor case of stomach flu, and that was just a very recent deal in Egypt. I blame the beetle god for that, actually, and not the cheeseburger.
2) My waterproof pants and jacket. One day when it was raining cats and dogs in Istanbul, I was walking along a flooded street thinking happy thoughts in anticipation of putting some kebap and baklava in my stomach. All of a sudden, a huge truck mows down a lake-sized reservoir of water right next to me and I get completely splashed in what felt like a 10-foot tidal wave. You'd think a sad song would have ensued in the background with nothing but a melancholic demeanor about me. Yet in reality, I actually laughed to myself (like the looney bin I am) because I've NEVER been splashed like that before (and stayed completely dry inside.) I thought it only happened in cartoons!
3) My Mom and Dad, for raising me to be who I am today. Granted, I'm still holding a couple of grudges-- Dad, for not buying me a race car bed when I was young; and Mom, for only buying me one pair of shoes per year during my prime feet growing stage. My hammer toes will never forgive you.
4) All my clients who ever bought anything from me-- without your trust and excellent decisions (translation: commission checks!) I probably wouldn't be here living my dream.
5) Truly understanding and learning the difference between want and need, for example: "I only WANT to pay for just one beer but I really just NEED twelve."
6) Every stranger who has come up to me when I was completely lost and offered to help me, especially all you hotties! There's nothing more comforting than to have a pretty woman approach a confused and lost idiot like me. Next time it happens, instead of thanking you profusely, I'm just going to kiss you profusely. Consider yourselves warned.
7) All the potential muggers, henchmen, hitmen, mafiosi, and shady bad guy bastards who have not robbed and/or beaten me up yet-- thanks for staying away from me so far. Although I do have to say that I expect to see more of you in Latin America, so the next time you decide to target me, let's just grab a beer or two instead. It's more fun that way and nobody gets hurt.
8) Wine O' Clock *hiccup* and *hiccup* Beer O' Clock. Nuff, said. *hiccup*
9) McDonald's and Starbucks' being everywhere. While most people think Big Macs and Frappucinos, I think free bathrooms and napkins. Thanks to you two, I haven't spent a single penny on napkins, and plan to keep it that way for the rest of my trip. See, there is actually something good about them, even if they're tucked inside a pyramid or 12th century cathedral!
10) My aunt Bev and my buddy Calvin, for taking care of all my mail, random bills, notices, and all the stuff that I couldn't possibly take care of while away. Many million thanks!
11) The ability to say cheers in 13 different languages!
I also wanted to spend Thanksgiving with my buddy Ron, who is from California, and I knew he'd be up for hosting a feast with some of our friends. We invited a few other Danish friends of ours, which made it even more exciting because it was their first Thanksgiving dinner. With Kia's tremendous help in the kitchen, and Ron's uncanny ability to uncan one can of cranberry sauce (what would we have done without you?) we managed to serve up a spread consisting of:
1) One 8-pound turkey and gravy (couldn't quite match Grandpas, but I probably never will!)
2) Two slabs of ribbensteg (traditional Danish roast pork)
3) Kia's Hand-Mashed potatoes (They were supposed to be Ron's Hand-Mashed potatoes but somehow that sneaky bastard managed to shirk that responsibility!)
4) Spinach salad with carmelized onions, bacon, and pinenuts
5) Grandma's veggie mix (carrots, onions, corn, peas and celery)
6) And of course, my favorite desserts from Lagkagehuset, the best Danish bakery.... YUMMM!
All in all, it was a great time, and we had more than enough food for everybody (I am a Lew, after all-- we ALWAYS fret about not having enough food.) There were plenty of leftovers and thankfully, no younger sister to have our traditional annual fight over them! :)
Speaking of thanks, some other things I'm thankful for:
1) My health. If there's anything that can put a damper on travel, it's getting sick. Thankfully, I've only had one minor case of stomach flu, and that was just a very recent deal in Egypt. I blame the beetle god for that, actually, and not the cheeseburger.
2) My waterproof pants and jacket. One day when it was raining cats and dogs in Istanbul, I was walking along a flooded street thinking happy thoughts in anticipation of putting some kebap and baklava in my stomach. All of a sudden, a huge truck mows down a lake-sized reservoir of water right next to me and I get completely splashed in what felt like a 10-foot tidal wave. You'd think a sad song would have ensued in the background with nothing but a melancholic demeanor about me. Yet in reality, I actually laughed to myself (like the looney bin I am) because I've NEVER been splashed like that before (and stayed completely dry inside.) I thought it only happened in cartoons!
3) My Mom and Dad, for raising me to be who I am today. Granted, I'm still holding a couple of grudges-- Dad, for not buying me a race car bed when I was young; and Mom, for only buying me one pair of shoes per year during my prime feet growing stage. My hammer toes will never forgive you.
4) All my clients who ever bought anything from me-- without your trust and excellent decisions (translation: commission checks!) I probably wouldn't be here living my dream.
5) Truly understanding and learning the difference between want and need, for example: "I only WANT to pay for just one beer but I really just NEED twelve."
6) Every stranger who has come up to me when I was completely lost and offered to help me, especially all you hotties! There's nothing more comforting than to have a pretty woman approach a confused and lost idiot like me. Next time it happens, instead of thanking you profusely, I'm just going to kiss you profusely. Consider yourselves warned.
7) All the potential muggers, henchmen, hitmen, mafiosi, and shady bad guy bastards who have not robbed and/or beaten me up yet-- thanks for staying away from me so far. Although I do have to say that I expect to see more of you in Latin America, so the next time you decide to target me, let's just grab a beer or two instead. It's more fun that way and nobody gets hurt.
8) Wine O' Clock *hiccup* and *hiccup* Beer O' Clock. Nuff, said. *hiccup*
9) McDonald's and Starbucks' being everywhere. While most people think Big Macs and Frappucinos, I think free bathrooms and napkins. Thanks to you two, I haven't spent a single penny on napkins, and plan to keep it that way for the rest of my trip. See, there is actually something good about them, even if they're tucked inside a pyramid or 12th century cathedral!
10) My aunt Bev and my buddy Calvin, for taking care of all my mail, random bills, notices, and all the stuff that I couldn't possibly take care of while away. Many million thanks!
11) The ability to say cheers in 13 different languages!
12) My iPod... for providing a soundtrack to my wonderful journey.
13) All the friends I've made on this trip so far. With friends all over the world, my quest for world domination will be that much easier *muhahahaha... MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.... MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA*
13) All the friends I've made on this trip so far. With friends all over the world, my quest for world domination will be that much easier *muhahahaha... MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.... MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA*
posted by Daniel @ 1:49 AM
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