Category Archives: Pictures

I have a lot of fun making fun of Danes. I do. It’s fun. It’s fun for me, and it’s fun for them. I’m sure it’s fun for them…  Well, they certainly have fun teasing me back. I’m subjected to steady stream of American jokes at work, that’s for sure.

One thing that’s fun to mock is the Danish obsession with the sun. When you grow up in New Mexico, sunlight is not exactly a scarce resource, but here — especially at this time of year – you’ll see people walking own the street and suddenly stop, close their eyes, and just savor the light on their faces. I’ve frequently made fun on that account.

But, having been here for a few winters now, I’m beginning to understand. I don’t mind the winters (and this one was really very nice as far as winters go) but when the spring comes, and the days get longer… suddenly it’s is possible to conduct a tiny part of your non-working day in the light — it’s a revelation. Suddenly it seems like the dark was weighting down on you all winter and you didn’t even realize it.

This has been an amazing winter. There’s been snow on the ground for two months now. Weeks have gone by very little time spent above freezing. And every time it seems like the snow might be melting, another batch comes down. Two years ago I wrote an entry called This winter’s limp handshake. We’re certainly getting a firm handshake this winter.

This is not typical. Denmark had much milder winters than Americans tend to think. It is, after all, at the same latitude as Southern Alaska. But this January was Denmark’s coldest in twenty three years. Several I’ve talked to say they don’t remember a winter like this.  Read More →

It’s been a surreal two weeks. Security around Bella Center was incredibly tight. Tall barriers were constructed around the center, engulfing entire streets. There were generally five to ten police officers at every gate, 24 hours a day, and many more than that on days when protesters were expected. On Friday, when Obama came in, guards with assault rifles were added. It was like living next to a military base.

I took these pictures from our terrace on Wednesday morning (I had a headache and it was bitter cold, so the blur in these pictures is my unsteady hands). Protesters were expected to make another attempt to push past security and get into Bella Center. But, as seemed the case the entire time, police were two steps ahead, and were clearly not going to let things chaotic, even if it meant arresting 600 people at a time. (The mass arrests were later declared illegal.) Read More →