Denmark is Lartin-America of Scandinavia, in a sense that things are (too) relaxed and rather slow attitude, somewhat confusing administrational process, which I confirmed it in real estate business. I do like them in many ways, yet it is still worth marking the differences.
When we sold an apartment in Norway, it took only 3 days in total; day 1-open house, day 2-bidding among buyers, day 3-both party signed contract. Done.
In Denmark, it seems to take for ever. We offered to buy a house: days later, we were told that contract is being drawn, and in a week long time afterwards, both party signed. The deadline for payment and documents for owner-ship were Monday-1 week after, yet we did not get signed contract back from the agency (you need it to process all the bank and lawyer documents). Finaly, I asked the agency to fax me on Thursday, delivered it to the bank personaly,and nagged both the bank and the agency on if we can meet the deadline. No one seems to mind to be later than deadline, and we still do not have hard copy of the signed contract except the faxed.
To sell the house, it went really fast regarding the city we live in. It usually takes 3-6 months to sell here, but our house got an offer after the first day of viewing. We were told by the agency that they are checking the potencial buyer's finances. About a week later without any information, we finally called the agency what happened. We were told that the contract has been made and the buyer signed it that day, without we knowing it. Great, it would have been nice to be informed. We signed two days later, and it's all sealed. However, the whole process is very strange and distant one for us.
I had other strange and confusing administrational dealings in Denmark before, and now it is one more evidence that Danes are different from Norwegians for sure. Well, I prefer Danish attitute in general to Norwegian's, yet it is still bit shocking how they are different in mystrious ways...
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Monday, August 01, 2005
Moving again
It has been really busy lately, but again, it always has been busy in life of mine, with travels, works, and changes. Somehow I am moving around allot: just count last 5 years, I have officially moved 2 times back-and-force (4 trips) between USA and Scandinavia, and if I include domestic moving, it will be + 5. Wow.
I swore never to repeat the trans-Atlantic moving again, but you never know. Having a baby does not make it any easier, and I long for a settled life. Like my husband's friend, A and M, who grow up as neighbors in a remote country side of Norway, and dated about 10 years, married, and lives in same home town for the rest of their life.
I hoped that moving to Denmark, to this lovely country side city, would be something for longer terms. Neigh, it won't happen yet. My husband found job in Copenhagen, while I have a job in a city that is far from Copenhagen.
After stressful search for a possible home near Copenhagen, we finally offered buying one property today, and it will be clear within a week if we can finalize it.
We have a beautiful, big house now, with a big garden. It feels like a middle of a forest, and I love it all. M runs happily in the garden, enjoys the swing hung in the tree, flowers bloom all year around. This is the first ‘house’ we ever bought, and we renovated beautifully. This is the place my beautiful M spent most of her life so far. I will miss the tranquility of the house, and the peaceful garden. I wonder if we will have a house as lovely as this one in the future.
However, changes are good, however painful and uncomfortable it feels at the moment. If something is alive and moving forward, it is in constant changes, and I remind myself it as positive force.
I swore never to repeat the trans-Atlantic moving again, but you never know. Having a baby does not make it any easier, and I long for a settled life. Like my husband's friend, A and M, who grow up as neighbors in a remote country side of Norway, and dated about 10 years, married, and lives in same home town for the rest of their life.
I hoped that moving to Denmark, to this lovely country side city, would be something for longer terms. Neigh, it won't happen yet. My husband found job in Copenhagen, while I have a job in a city that is far from Copenhagen.
After stressful search for a possible home near Copenhagen, we finally offered buying one property today, and it will be clear within a week if we can finalize it.
We have a beautiful, big house now, with a big garden. It feels like a middle of a forest, and I love it all. M runs happily in the garden, enjoys the swing hung in the tree, flowers bloom all year around. This is the first ‘house’ we ever bought, and we renovated beautifully. This is the place my beautiful M spent most of her life so far. I will miss the tranquility of the house, and the peaceful garden. I wonder if we will have a house as lovely as this one in the future.
However, changes are good, however painful and uncomfortable it feels at the moment. If something is alive and moving forward, it is in constant changes, and I remind myself it as positive force.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
About truth
I work as an assistant professor in computer animation.When you work in a university, you would expect at least some smart folks. But, no, nut cases are everywhere. Unfortunately, I am very naive, and believe what people say upfront. I say what I mean myself and I think others are same. I also believed in confrontation as in saying truth clearly would bring understanding in a conflict, but unfortunately, not everyone is happy to say straight, nor hear one. Funny thing about truth-telling is that when one says it, the other also tends to react truthfully; whether they want it or not.
Usually they are angry that they have to say truthful things.
As the result of this characteristic of mine, my social skills are not that great. I am sometimes confused ;if it is me who is very wrong. Today, after another unfortunate truth hunting, I realized that I am wrong in the sense believing saying truth will save the conflict. Expecting truth from the other is expecting really a lot. I am afraid that I have a lot to learn.
Usually they are angry that they have to say truthful things.
As the result of this characteristic of mine, my social skills are not that great. I am sometimes confused ;if it is me who is very wrong. Today, after another unfortunate truth hunting, I realized that I am wrong in the sense believing saying truth will save the conflict. Expecting truth from the other is expecting really a lot. I am afraid that I have a lot to learn.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Struggling with a baby
I guess M can be looked as a toddler, even though she really is in a baby category. As 2 year olds, she has 3 year olds body and strength. M just started a daycare, after being taken care of and spoiled to rotten by her beloved Daddy for last two years, at the comfort of home. Daddy started a new job in Copenhagen, and temporarily separated from home, being a weekend father.
Now, the reality sinks in to her little mind, and she is doing her best to protest to her poor mom. Somehow each week is getting worse, despite adults logic that she may get used to it by week. M throws tantrums in the mornings now. She does not want to change clothes, no diaper change, no everything, crying and pushing me away, and cry more as soon as I leave her alone.
Unfortunately for her, she does not realize that pushing away and being hold by me can not co-exist. So we go on with pushing and holding in cycles, and I simply do not have energy for, especially after lack of sleep lately.
As M is a big girl ( 96 cm, 15 kg), she also has some fierce kicks, and I am defenseless while forcing some pants on her. Luckily, she still does not know how to take the pants off yet, so it stays. Socks have no chance. I am afraid that she may stay in dirty clothes in days if things get worse. I do not think I can force her to put anything after 3 years old, when she will certainly train herself to have big muscles.
In split seconds, I really wished to ship her to the daycare half naked, and let the nanny do the job. It seems to be that she protests mainly to me, not to strangers. Unfortunately, it’s a busy week at the work so I can not take her at home until the weekend.
Now, the reality sinks in to her little mind, and she is doing her best to protest to her poor mom. Somehow each week is getting worse, despite adults logic that she may get used to it by week. M throws tantrums in the mornings now. She does not want to change clothes, no diaper change, no everything, crying and pushing me away, and cry more as soon as I leave her alone.
Unfortunately for her, she does not realize that pushing away and being hold by me can not co-exist. So we go on with pushing and holding in cycles, and I simply do not have energy for, especially after lack of sleep lately.
As M is a big girl ( 96 cm, 15 kg), she also has some fierce kicks, and I am defenseless while forcing some pants on her. Luckily, she still does not know how to take the pants off yet, so it stays. Socks have no chance. I am afraid that she may stay in dirty clothes in days if things get worse. I do not think I can force her to put anything after 3 years old, when she will certainly train herself to have big muscles.
In split seconds, I really wished to ship her to the daycare half naked, and let the nanny do the job. It seems to be that she protests mainly to me, not to strangers. Unfortunately, it’s a busy week at the work so I can not take her at home until the weekend.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Eurovision song contest
It was a mare chance that I watched the final of the contest, simpley because there was nothing on offer in other channels. I never watched it before,but enjoyed Terry Wogan's comments from BBC Prime.
Now, I have to agree with him in that alot of songs were very much mixture of East (Turkey, India, etc) + River dancing + Japanese inspired drumming performance. Boring pop songs were refreshing out of all the ethnic extravaganza.
Few were very funny and unexpected. Moldova ( I don't know where it is) was very funny and refreshing. I was impressed by Norwegian entry, watered down Queen + Kiss glam rock, mainly it is so unlikely from Norway. I don't know what I expected; maybe country singing that is strangely popular in Norway? The song was good, and the singer has a voice. Sweden was very good, better than most of singers in singing and performance, but a song admiring US city life may not impress European viewers nowadays. Danish entry was cute, but my husband strongly disliked silly boy-band dance steps.
What I was surprised to find out is that the contest is judged by viewers from all European country, and how each neighbors stick to each other, how strangely political it was. Norway got highest points from fellow Nordic countries; Iceland, Finland, and Denmark. Sweden and Norway are emotional rivals, which rather give Denmark 12 points than to each other.
Of course, so many tiny countries in Eastern Europe makes it difficult for three largest nations in Europe to win any friendly voting. UK, France and Germany are bitter enemies that did not want to help each other neither. Not that thier entry were any good, though. German singer was off key most of the time and painful to listen.
My husband was hoping Sweden would get better rate, and I liked Norwegian one, but the boring and simple Greece entry won the contest. I think 2 nd runner up Malta was much better.
Now, I have to agree with him in that alot of songs were very much mixture of East (Turkey, India, etc) + River dancing + Japanese inspired drumming performance. Boring pop songs were refreshing out of all the ethnic extravaganza.
Few were very funny and unexpected. Moldova ( I don't know where it is) was very funny and refreshing. I was impressed by Norwegian entry, watered down Queen + Kiss glam rock, mainly it is so unlikely from Norway. I don't know what I expected; maybe country singing that is strangely popular in Norway? The song was good, and the singer has a voice. Sweden was very good, better than most of singers in singing and performance, but a song admiring US city life may not impress European viewers nowadays. Danish entry was cute, but my husband strongly disliked silly boy-band dance steps.
What I was surprised to find out is that the contest is judged by viewers from all European country, and how each neighbors stick to each other, how strangely political it was. Norway got highest points from fellow Nordic countries; Iceland, Finland, and Denmark. Sweden and Norway are emotional rivals, which rather give Denmark 12 points than to each other.
Of course, so many tiny countries in Eastern Europe makes it difficult for three largest nations in Europe to win any friendly voting. UK, France and Germany are bitter enemies that did not want to help each other neither. Not that thier entry were any good, though. German singer was off key most of the time and painful to listen.
My husband was hoping Sweden would get better rate, and I liked Norwegian one, but the boring and simple Greece entry won the contest. I think 2 nd runner up Malta was much better.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Blog matter
Well, this is my first attempt in blogging, and frankly, not sure of the nature of it. First of all, I am dreadfully private person, and do not care for comments from strangers. Besides, random comments tend to be insensitive and at times, insulting.
There are brave folks out there put names and pictures on the net. I am certainly paranoid about spooky creeps out there, who may use information to come by and get friendly killing with my family. I think this kinda of thought had been manifested my years in US, the kingdom of fears, and limited experiences in internet posting (still turned out very spooky responses).
I rather take this blog as a diary, a random ranting to, let’s say, anonymous nice people who can understand me very well and that I do not have to response back. There is a story of a king's barber who had to keep a secret that the king has donkey ears, and he went to a forest and shouted it. Now, blog on internet can be my forest. I sincerely hope no one will not know my real identity, so I can rant freely about anything. Except from my husband, who I have no problem of sharing my inner most thoughts, none of my family and friends knows about this blog. I want to keep it that way. I found one sided communication very comforting now and then.
There are brave folks out there put names and pictures on the net. I am certainly paranoid about spooky creeps out there, who may use information to come by and get friendly killing with my family. I think this kinda of thought had been manifested my years in US, the kingdom of fears, and limited experiences in internet posting (still turned out very spooky responses).
I rather take this blog as a diary, a random ranting to, let’s say, anonymous nice people who can understand me very well and that I do not have to response back. There is a story of a king's barber who had to keep a secret that the king has donkey ears, and he went to a forest and shouted it. Now, blog on internet can be my forest. I sincerely hope no one will not know my real identity, so I can rant freely about anything. Except from my husband, who I have no problem of sharing my inner most thoughts, none of my family and friends knows about this blog. I want to keep it that way. I found one sided communication very comforting now and then.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Baby bites
Baby bite 
M got her first baby bite from her fellow baby at the daycare. As it can be seen, it can not be mistaken as any other bites but baby's.
Apparently, K, the biting-1-year-old, just wanted to express his liking by 'kissing'. Our brave M did not cry but 'oooh,oooh'ed, and said 'no' when she was asked if it hurts. But who knows if 2-years old understands such questions...
I hope K does not love M too much.
She is currently bored by Mummy who is making this blog and playing music and asking me 'la-la', which means dancing. Ok, here we go.
M got her first baby bite from her fellow baby at the daycare. As it can be seen, it can not be mistaken as any other bites but baby's.
Apparently, K, the biting-1-year-old, just wanted to express his liking by 'kissing'. Our brave M did not cry but 'oooh,oooh'ed, and said 'no' when she was asked if it hurts. But who knows if 2-years old understands such questions...
I hope K does not love M too much.
She is currently bored by Mummy who is making this blog and playing music and asking me 'la-la', which means dancing. Ok, here we go.
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