A couple of weeks ago, I was speaking with Sam about mis-heard song lyrics (see fun link on the right to Kiss This Guy - a great site for such things). I was telling him that there are a number of people who think that our national anthem starts "Jose, can you see?" Sam then remembered a passage from a Ramona book he had read a few years ago in which Ramona asks what "dawnzerly" means. I myself was confused as to why Sam was bringing this up. He told me that after inquiring as to Jose's view in the first lyric, some people then hear the next line of the anthem as "By the dawnzerly light."
We have now adapted this adjective into our day-to-day language, most often by paying the compliment, "You're looking rather dawnzerly today."
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Benny Lava
Every so often, one comes across something so funny that it must be shared with the world.
In keeping with my recently added list of YouTube vids that my kids have turned me on to, last night friends of theirs were over and showed them what we are now calling the Benny Lava song. With almost 10 million hits on YouTube, we're obviously not alone in finding this hysterical.
This video is brilliantly funny from two perspectives. First is what the author did with the transliterated text as he heard it (watch the video - especially the introduction - and that last sentence will make sense), but second is that this Indian music video stands on its own merit in an '80's flashback sort of way. Watch the choreography. Fosse, it ain't.
In keeping with my recently added list of YouTube vids that my kids have turned me on to, last night friends of theirs were over and showed them what we are now calling the Benny Lava song. With almost 10 million hits on YouTube, we're obviously not alone in finding this hysterical.
This video is brilliantly funny from two perspectives. First is what the author did with the transliterated text as he heard it (watch the video - especially the introduction - and that last sentence will make sense), but second is that this Indian music video stands on its own merit in an '80's flashback sort of way. Watch the choreography. Fosse, it ain't.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
I Love Amazon
I started using Amazon right after it debuted however many years ago. Being the cheap bastard that I am though, I always opted for the free super saving shipping which could take up to 2 weeks. Sure the prices were good, and I loved that they seemed to "know me" offering recommendations based on what I had previously ordered or viewed, but my need for instantaneous gratification went unfulfilled.
At that time, Amazon carried primarily books, music and movies with some other odds and ends. Being a block and a half from Barnes & Noble and (before it closed) Tower Records, I usually chose to pay a bit more in exchange for the thrill of quick acquisition. It got even better when Barnes & Noble introduced free same-day delivery for Manhattan residents. Order it by 11AM and I'd have it by 7PM via courier. I was thrilled, though secretly ashamed that I wouldn't walk the block and a half to pick it up in person . . .
Then a few years ago, two things happened at Amazon. First, they started carrying just about anything on earth that could be put in a box and shipped by UPS, still at the lowest prices pretty much anywhere. Second, they introduced Amazon Prime. For an annual fee of $79, they will ship anything they carry (i.e. not things that they sell for others through their website) with free two-day shipping. Given how much I tend to rely on internet shopping, this was a phenomenal deal, and assuaged my need for speed.
In the last two days, two more things happened that have caused me to pledge my undying loyalty to Amazon. On Monday night around 8PM I ordered some DVDs from Amazon. Because of the lateness of the hour and Thanksgiving, my order was not scheduled to arrive until Friday. Imagine my surprise when they showed up Tuesday evening, having been delivered by courier.
Then today, I remembered that I needed to get some new windshield wipers for my car. Consumer Reports had just published their ratings and I was going to pick one of their recommended models. If you don't know, there aren't many auto supply shops in Manhattan so I figured I would order them on-line. Just for kicks, I checked first to see if Amazon carried them, assuming that if they did, they would be available through a third party. Imagine my surprise when I found that not only did they have them on the site, but that they were sold by Amazon and eligible for my free 2-day shipping. And like a cherry on top, the price was about 50% lower than Consumer Reports' reported street pricing.
Ooohh, I love my Amazon! Kudos Jeff Bezos!
At that time, Amazon carried primarily books, music and movies with some other odds and ends. Being a block and a half from Barnes & Noble and (before it closed) Tower Records, I usually chose to pay a bit more in exchange for the thrill of quick acquisition. It got even better when Barnes & Noble introduced free same-day delivery for Manhattan residents. Order it by 11AM and I'd have it by 7PM via courier. I was thrilled, though secretly ashamed that I wouldn't walk the block and a half to pick it up in person . . .
Then a few years ago, two things happened at Amazon. First, they started carrying just about anything on earth that could be put in a box and shipped by UPS, still at the lowest prices pretty much anywhere. Second, they introduced Amazon Prime. For an annual fee of $79, they will ship anything they carry (i.e. not things that they sell for others through their website) with free two-day shipping. Given how much I tend to rely on internet shopping, this was a phenomenal deal, and assuaged my need for speed.
In the last two days, two more things happened that have caused me to pledge my undying loyalty to Amazon. On Monday night around 8PM I ordered some DVDs from Amazon. Because of the lateness of the hour and Thanksgiving, my order was not scheduled to arrive until Friday. Imagine my surprise when they showed up Tuesday evening, having been delivered by courier.
Then today, I remembered that I needed to get some new windshield wipers for my car. Consumer Reports had just published their ratings and I was going to pick one of their recommended models. If you don't know, there aren't many auto supply shops in Manhattan so I figured I would order them on-line. Just for kicks, I checked first to see if Amazon carried them, assuming that if they did, they would be available through a third party. Imagine my surprise when I found that not only did they have them on the site, but that they were sold by Amazon and eligible for my free 2-day shipping. And like a cherry on top, the price was about 50% lower than Consumer Reports' reported street pricing.
Ooohh, I love my Amazon! Kudos Jeff Bezos!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Abby is a Rhodes Scholar!
Last week, I wrote about seeing my cousins Jeff and Judy in Charlotte, NC in this post. Judy has three incredibly sweet, smart and sophisticated children - Abby, Harper and Sarah - and Jeff, ever the proud step-dad, was telling me that Abby had applied for a Rhodes scholarship.
Yesterday, I was thrilled to read that Abby is one of the 32 people in the US selected (from 769 applicants) for the prestigious honor and she'll spend the next year at Oxford University.
Way to go Abby!!!!!
Yesterday, I was thrilled to read that Abby is one of the 32 people in the US selected (from 769 applicants) for the prestigious honor and she'll spend the next year at Oxford University.
Way to go Abby!!!!!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Updated Right-Side Column
I realized that the Elliot Spitzer, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Spears sisters news links I had in the right-side column were funny once but are no longer relevant. I have replaced them with a new section of YouTube videos that I like, many of which my kids turned me on to. Hope you enjoy them!
Trip Highlights - Week #6
At long last, my six weeks of travel have come to an end. I'm freakin' tired! At least my last week was an enjoyable one. I was in Charlotte, NC for an internal firm meeting. The meetings were very good, but the real treat was getting to see my family that lives there.
I got to see my cousins Jeff, Judy, Gloria and Celia. Jeff and I are kindred spirits when it comes to road food and we went to the Penguin - a Charlotte landmark that I have never had the opportunity to visit previously. We dined on the house specialties of fried dill pickles (with ranch dressing for dipping), fried bologna sandwiches, Brunswick stew and PBR tall-boys. Okay, maybe "dining" is not quite the right word . . .
Also had good BBQ at Mert's - a southern food establishment in uptown Charlotte, which is actually downtown Charlotte, though they call their downtown uptown which gets very confusing. The BBQ was quite good, though it was western NC BBQ (red sauce) and I prefer eastern NC BBQ (vinegar-based).
Also had an outstanding meal at Blue which is a chic and trendy downtown (sorry, uptown) restaurant that is not full of itself. I had wild boar which was excellent.
And so ends my six straight weeks of travel. It's good to be home for a while. One more trip out to California in December and I'm done for the year. I guess I'll have to think up some other fun things to write about.
I got to see my cousins Jeff, Judy, Gloria and Celia. Jeff and I are kindred spirits when it comes to road food and we went to the Penguin - a Charlotte landmark that I have never had the opportunity to visit previously. We dined on the house specialties of fried dill pickles (with ranch dressing for dipping), fried bologna sandwiches, Brunswick stew and PBR tall-boys. Okay, maybe "dining" is not quite the right word . . .
Also had good BBQ at Mert's - a southern food establishment in uptown Charlotte, which is actually downtown Charlotte, though they call their downtown uptown which gets very confusing. The BBQ was quite good, though it was western NC BBQ (red sauce) and I prefer eastern NC BBQ (vinegar-based).
Also had an outstanding meal at Blue which is a chic and trendy downtown (sorry, uptown) restaurant that is not full of itself. I had wild boar which was excellent.
And so ends my six straight weeks of travel. It's good to be home for a while. One more trip out to California in December and I'm done for the year. I guess I'll have to think up some other fun things to write about.
Friday, November 14, 2008
More Bushisms
As we move closer to the end of this inane administration, the items on my calendar seem to get even better. Here is the one from Veteran's Day:
"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein."
Only 67 days left!!!!
"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein."
-- Washington, DC; May 25, 2004
Only 67 days left!!!!
Trip Highlights - Week #5
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving week. Aside from the parade, meriment and turkey, it will be the first week that I won't have to pack a bag. I'm getting pretty tired of all this traveling . . .
Was in Providence, RI this week. Didn't get to see much of the city - at least the nice parts. I was with my client the whole time and since they provide care to the poor and uninsured, their locations are in the worst parts of Providence which, I have to say, were still somewhat nice at least compared to similar areas in NYC.
I spent a lot of time with the CFO. He is a very warm, intelligent, sharp and personable guy. Much of the time I was with him, however, I was somewhat distracted as physically he resembles Harry Shearer a bit but his voice resembles Harry's a lot. Some times I felt like I was in the middle of a Simpsons episode.
Next week is Charlotte where I get to see UncleCousin Jeff and his lovely wife Judy. Then it's tryptophan city, baby!
Was in Providence, RI this week. Didn't get to see much of the city - at least the nice parts. I was with my client the whole time and since they provide care to the poor and uninsured, their locations are in the worst parts of Providence which, I have to say, were still somewhat nice at least compared to similar areas in NYC.
I spent a lot of time with the CFO. He is a very warm, intelligent, sharp and personable guy. Much of the time I was with him, however, I was somewhat distracted as physically he resembles Harry Shearer a bit but his voice resembles Harry's a lot. Some times I felt like I was in the middle of a Simpsons episode.
Next week is Charlotte where I get to see UncleCousin Jeff and his lovely wife Judy. Then it's tryptophan city, baby!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Trip Highlights - Week #4/Part 2
Leaving Copenhagen early tomorrow morning so unless something amazing happens tonight, this will be my second and last post from Denmark and will take the form of various musings about more things I have observed.
The Marriott is certainly a nice enough hotel – more upscale than most US Marriott properties, it is regarded as one of the best in town. Unfortunately, it is still very American. This was demonstrated by the room service menu (club sandwich, burgers, pizza, almost nothing particularly Danish) and breakfast which is also largely American in its offerings. I had the opportunity to try the room service menu after I went down to try to get into the election night party again (see my first post from Copenhagen). There were still several hundred people waiting to get in, and since I had to get up early to speak at the conference the next morning, I just bagged it. I couldn't stay up to watch the returns anyway as the very first ones on the East Coast wouldn't come in until 2AM local time at the earliest.
Most of the taxis are Mercedes, as is the case in much of Europe, but it’s still nice to ride in style.
There is an office building being built across the street. The billboards advertise it as Copenhagen’s premiere location for business. At the bottom, it reads “For mere information, call . . .” I guess that either they mispelled "more" or they just want to give you a little more information, but not too much.
Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the MIT Media Lab and author of the bestselling Being Digital was one of the keynote speakers at the conference. He spoke about his One Laptop Per Child initiative which, although it has received some critical press, is still a pretty cool idea. Watch for the “give a laptop, get a laptop” campaign starting November 17th - just in time for the holidays.
When I first shaved my head about 8 years ago, I drew a lot of looks because I was one of the first. Today, that look is so ubiquitous, I just blend-in in the States, but not here. Not a lot of shiny heads in Copenhagen so I am, again, drawing looks.
Saw an Automatic External Defibrillator at the airport – the ones that are appearing in more and more public places. In the US, they are designated with a sign reading “AED”. Here, the sign says “Heartstarter.” Quite apt.
Cars pull over and stop about 3 blocks ahead of emergency vehicles here, even if there is no one else on a 3-lane road. That’s cool.
Went shopping here today, and every single salesperson in every store (they are very solicitous and I never had to go find someone) spoke to me in Danish at first. On top of that, many people have stopped me to ask for directions, including in French. Happily, I’ve been able to help many of them. I guess I blend in with the locals.
Tried another typical Danish treat – a Fledbolle. Think a gigantic Mallomar with a thinner base crust, fluffier marshmallow, and covered in dark chocolate with a selection of added flavors including pistachio, coconut, mocha, and caramel.
That’s about it. Considering taking the train to Malmo, Sweden for dinner just because I can (about a 30 minute ride) and to say that I was in another country, but have to check the return schedules – I have to wake up early tomorrow to catch my flight.
The Marriott is certainly a nice enough hotel – more upscale than most US Marriott properties, it is regarded as one of the best in town. Unfortunately, it is still very American. This was demonstrated by the room service menu (club sandwich, burgers, pizza, almost nothing particularly Danish) and breakfast which is also largely American in its offerings. I had the opportunity to try the room service menu after I went down to try to get into the election night party again (see my first post from Copenhagen). There were still several hundred people waiting to get in, and since I had to get up early to speak at the conference the next morning, I just bagged it. I couldn't stay up to watch the returns anyway as the very first ones on the East Coast wouldn't come in until 2AM local time at the earliest.
Most of the taxis are Mercedes, as is the case in much of Europe, but it’s still nice to ride in style.
There is an office building being built across the street. The billboards advertise it as Copenhagen’s premiere location for business. At the bottom, it reads “For mere information, call . . .” I guess that either they mispelled "more" or they just want to give you a little more information, but not too much.
Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the MIT Media Lab and author of the bestselling Being Digital was one of the keynote speakers at the conference. He spoke about his One Laptop Per Child initiative which, although it has received some critical press, is still a pretty cool idea. Watch for the “give a laptop, get a laptop” campaign starting November 17th - just in time for the holidays.
When I first shaved my head about 8 years ago, I drew a lot of looks because I was one of the first. Today, that look is so ubiquitous, I just blend-in in the States, but not here. Not a lot of shiny heads in Copenhagen so I am, again, drawing looks.
Saw an Automatic External Defibrillator at the airport – the ones that are appearing in more and more public places. In the US, they are designated with a sign reading “AED”. Here, the sign says “Heartstarter.” Quite apt.
Cars pull over and stop about 3 blocks ahead of emergency vehicles here, even if there is no one else on a 3-lane road. That’s cool.
Went shopping here today, and every single salesperson in every store (they are very solicitous and I never had to go find someone) spoke to me in Danish at first. On top of that, many people have stopped me to ask for directions, including in French. Happily, I’ve been able to help many of them. I guess I blend in with the locals.
Tried another typical Danish treat – a Fledbolle. Think a gigantic Mallomar with a thinner base crust, fluffier marshmallow, and covered in dark chocolate with a selection of added flavors including pistachio, coconut, mocha, and caramel.
That’s about it. Considering taking the train to Malmo, Sweden for dinner just because I can (about a 30 minute ride) and to say that I was in another country, but have to check the return schedules – I have to wake up early tomorrow to catch my flight.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Trip Highlights - Week #4
I’ve only been in Copenhagen for about 36 hours, but have observed so much, I thought I would start sharing now. Also because the US Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce are hosting an election night party here at the Marriott tonight which was called for 8PM. I went down at 8:30 to find a line of several hundred people waiting to get in. The security guard suggested that since I’m staying here that I just go back upstairs for 30 or 60 minutes and try then. So here I sit and write . . .
There were a few things that I noticed pretty quickly upon my arrival yesterday morning. First is Danish design which is evident everywhere, and since I’m a fan it’s appreciated as well. After passing through immigration into the customs hall, I noticed that the monitor which indicates the belt on which your luggage will come out, there is also a countdown timer to let you know when that will occur. Mt flight was scheduled for a 14 minute wait, and that’s exactly how long it took. Plenty of time to look around at another unusual feature – a shop in the customs hall featuring primarily perfumes and cosmetics, still at duty free prices. The last feature I noticed in the customs hall were “smoking cabins”. These are literally little booths about double the size of a telephone booth that fit about 4 people who can’t wait until they collect their luggage and get outside to light up. This phenomenon made more sense later when I noticed that many more people smoke in Denmark than almost anywhere else I’ve ever been, including the Middle East and China.
After checking into my hotel where I was upgraded to a water-view room overlooking one of the primary canals, and taking a short nap to try and overcome jet lag, I went to get something to eat and a nice long walk around central Copenhagen. First stop was for lunch - a smorrebrod – probably the most Danish of dishes. It is an open face sandwich consisting of buttered hearty dark brown rye bread with an assortment of toppings, usually fish in nature. I had a selection of herring prepared 3 different ways with a great cup of coffee. The Danish have nothing on Starbucks when it comes to a great cup of joe, confirmed by my not seeing a single Starbucks yet.
The weather here has also been a treat. Daytime highs are usually in the upper 30's this time of year, but it hit the low 50's yesterday and today, and it is supposed to continue that way until I leave on Friday. It was sunny yesterday but drizzled a bit today while I was at the conference center, though that is supposed to be the only precipitation expected.
Walking around, one cannot help but notice the number of bicycles (An estimated 160,000 in use every day!). They are all sturdy upright touring bikes. Nothing fancy (I saw a shop selling them for between $300 and $500), nor does anyone lock them up. They just park them outside shops, along the sidewalk, or in the many bike racks. The only time I saw a lock being used was where some people locked their helmet to the bike. They obey the rules of the road very strictly and have their own lane between the sidewalk and cars on every street. In many cases the bike lane is slightly lower than the sidewalk, slightly higher than the street, lending a tiered look to it.
Copenhagen is a charming old city and very clean. No tall buildings except for a couple of modern hotels. It did not take long to realize, however, that something was wrong. Not wrong really, just unusual, and it was that it is incredibly homogenous. Everyone looks Scandinavian, or at least northern European. With the exception of one person at the conference that I’m speaking at who is from Ghana, I have not yet seen any black people, very few Asians, Middle Easterners and eastern Europeans, and certainly no Latinos. I am so used to the diversity of New York and other major cities that I travel to, that it was quite noticeable.
My walk took me along some pretty canals and then to the Stroget – a collection of interlocking streets that are for pedestrians only and where most of the shopping is located. It was there that I passed the Museum of Erotica. It wasn’t the museum I found so interesting (no – I didn’t go in), but rather that right next door was a French Connection UK store with their ubiquitous “f c u k” sign prominently placed right next to the Museum of Erotica sign. Coincidence or brilliant marketing by the clothing retailer?
Another noticeable fact is that Copenhagen is very expensive, and that’s coming from a New Yorker. $4 for a 750ml bottle of water at 7-11 (Yes, 7-11. They’re everywhere here), $30/day for internet access in my room, $5 to check your coat at the convention center. Food is a little better, but it all adds up.
I also passed a childrens’ book store and on the rack was the book shown below. That word in the title means “to travel” in German, and I guess has a similar meaning in Danish as the book is all about types of transport. Couldn’t resist taking the picture with my phone though.
Public transportation is quite good and I rode a combination of a bus and Copenhagen’s new Metro system over to the conference center last night for the opening reception. Buses are big, on time (a novelty for a New Yorker!) and drive very fast which means that if you’re standing, as I was, you really have to hold on tightly. They can move so fast because on downtown streets, they too have their own lane. It goes sidewalk, bike lane, bus lane, car lanes.
After the reception, I attended a dinner at a local restaurant, the intention being to introduce Danish food to conference participants who chose to attend (there were about 50 of us at dinner, with 2,000 attending the conference) and who were from all over Europe. The food was good, but the company better. I was at a table with a whole bunch of Norwegians from Tromso, the largest town in northern Norway which is about 2,000 km from Oslo. Although the population is only 64,000, it is also known as the Paris of the North. They were a great bunch and the 3 women I was seated closest too – Siri, Tove, and Gerd - were particularly fun. I now call them my Viking friends.
With such an international crowd, it has been quite interesting and I’ve had some brilliant conversations with colleagues from Poland, Norway, Finland, Egypt, the Netherlands and more. Everyone asked if I had already voted, and then asked for who. When I said Obama they were thrilled (one even called over her friend, saying “Hey come over here and meet this guy from New York – he voted for Obama!!!") as they truly regard McCain as George W. Bush, The Sequel. I endured several tirades about Dubbya, especially in regard to the damage he has done to America’s reputation in the international community. What can I say – I was with kindred spirits.
Well, time to try the party again. More later.
There were a few things that I noticed pretty quickly upon my arrival yesterday morning. First is Danish design which is evident everywhere, and since I’m a fan it’s appreciated as well. After passing through immigration into the customs hall, I noticed that the monitor which indicates the belt on which your luggage will come out, there is also a countdown timer to let you know when that will occur. Mt flight was scheduled for a 14 minute wait, and that’s exactly how long it took. Plenty of time to look around at another unusual feature – a shop in the customs hall featuring primarily perfumes and cosmetics, still at duty free prices. The last feature I noticed in the customs hall were “smoking cabins”. These are literally little booths about double the size of a telephone booth that fit about 4 people who can’t wait until they collect their luggage and get outside to light up. This phenomenon made more sense later when I noticed that many more people smoke in Denmark than almost anywhere else I’ve ever been, including the Middle East and China.
After checking into my hotel where I was upgraded to a water-view room overlooking one of the primary canals, and taking a short nap to try and overcome jet lag, I went to get something to eat and a nice long walk around central Copenhagen. First stop was for lunch - a smorrebrod – probably the most Danish of dishes. It is an open face sandwich consisting of buttered hearty dark brown rye bread with an assortment of toppings, usually fish in nature. I had a selection of herring prepared 3 different ways with a great cup of coffee. The Danish have nothing on Starbucks when it comes to a great cup of joe, confirmed by my not seeing a single Starbucks yet.
The weather here has also been a treat. Daytime highs are usually in the upper 30's this time of year, but it hit the low 50's yesterday and today, and it is supposed to continue that way until I leave on Friday. It was sunny yesterday but drizzled a bit today while I was at the conference center, though that is supposed to be the only precipitation expected.
Walking around, one cannot help but notice the number of bicycles (An estimated 160,000 in use every day!). They are all sturdy upright touring bikes. Nothing fancy (I saw a shop selling them for between $300 and $500), nor does anyone lock them up. They just park them outside shops, along the sidewalk, or in the many bike racks. The only time I saw a lock being used was where some people locked their helmet to the bike. They obey the rules of the road very strictly and have their own lane between the sidewalk and cars on every street. In many cases the bike lane is slightly lower than the sidewalk, slightly higher than the street, lending a tiered look to it.
Copenhagen is a charming old city and very clean. No tall buildings except for a couple of modern hotels. It did not take long to realize, however, that something was wrong. Not wrong really, just unusual, and it was that it is incredibly homogenous. Everyone looks Scandinavian, or at least northern European. With the exception of one person at the conference that I’m speaking at who is from Ghana, I have not yet seen any black people, very few Asians, Middle Easterners and eastern Europeans, and certainly no Latinos. I am so used to the diversity of New York and other major cities that I travel to, that it was quite noticeable.
My walk took me along some pretty canals and then to the Stroget – a collection of interlocking streets that are for pedestrians only and where most of the shopping is located. It was there that I passed the Museum of Erotica. It wasn’t the museum I found so interesting (no – I didn’t go in), but rather that right next door was a French Connection UK store with their ubiquitous “f c u k” sign prominently placed right next to the Museum of Erotica sign. Coincidence or brilliant marketing by the clothing retailer?
Another noticeable fact is that Copenhagen is very expensive, and that’s coming from a New Yorker. $4 for a 750ml bottle of water at 7-11 (Yes, 7-11. They’re everywhere here), $30/day for internet access in my room, $5 to check your coat at the convention center. Food is a little better, but it all adds up.
I also passed a childrens’ book store and on the rack was the book shown below. That word in the title means “to travel” in German, and I guess has a similar meaning in Danish as the book is all about types of transport. Couldn’t resist taking the picture with my phone though.
Public transportation is quite good and I rode a combination of a bus and Copenhagen’s new Metro system over to the conference center last night for the opening reception. Buses are big, on time (a novelty for a New Yorker!) and drive very fast which means that if you’re standing, as I was, you really have to hold on tightly. They can move so fast because on downtown streets, they too have their own lane. It goes sidewalk, bike lane, bus lane, car lanes.
After the reception, I attended a dinner at a local restaurant, the intention being to introduce Danish food to conference participants who chose to attend (there were about 50 of us at dinner, with 2,000 attending the conference) and who were from all over Europe. The food was good, but the company better. I was at a table with a whole bunch of Norwegians from Tromso, the largest town in northern Norway which is about 2,000 km from Oslo. Although the population is only 64,000, it is also known as the Paris of the North. They were a great bunch and the 3 women I was seated closest too – Siri, Tove, and Gerd - were particularly fun. I now call them my Viking friends.
With such an international crowd, it has been quite interesting and I’ve had some brilliant conversations with colleagues from Poland, Norway, Finland, Egypt, the Netherlands and more. Everyone asked if I had already voted, and then asked for who. When I said Obama they were thrilled (one even called over her friend, saying “Hey come over here and meet this guy from New York – he voted for Obama!!!") as they truly regard McCain as George W. Bush, The Sequel. I endured several tirades about Dubbya, especially in regard to the damage he has done to America’s reputation in the international community. What can I say – I was with kindred spirits.
Well, time to try the party again. More later.
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