An English Christmas Sunset and a Big Turkey

Strøget in the rain: Købmagergade

December on the lakes

På Cykel mod Nørrebro

CPH, because everyone asks why

Everyone keeps asking why Copenhagen was so great when I was back there last week. What an awesome feeling it was to be back in a foreign place where I really felt at home. It wasn't real home - Australia home - for various reasons. The unique, gutteral language (even if I could understand it), the bitingly cold weather; both made sure of that. But I did manage to slip back into my old life there. After Chris' Wednesday night gig at the four-story Huset in the centre of town, it was only a short cycle back to the Studenterhuset, where time stopped: there I was with the managers behind the bar, a spot of cleaning to help out, free Carlsberg after free Tuborg, late night pizza with the guys behind the bar. It was a typical Wednesday night at the student house, and I "cykeled" through the empty streets at the typical hour, just shy of 6am.

If the places were constant, so too were the people, in some fashion. At the shallowest, arrival at the Kastrup airport was met with a sight that will never become old - the bright and flowing blonde locks of one of the tallest and most homogenous female races the world must have known, the Danish Vikings. And I met with international student friends - Big Al and Chris returned at the same time, and Spanish Miguel and Catalan Anna 2 are both working there now. I met with Danish friends too, and even made new ones in my five days there. But most familar, most homely of all, was sharing a beer with Tom, my landlord of Kronborggade 8, and Marianne, my boss at the student house, who exchanged stories about me; whisking me back into a land - and a life - that I will treasure forever.

I think I enjoyed it so much because I experienced all over again a time I thought I'd lost.

Tilbage i KBH (Back in Copenhagen)

...med godt venner

Live at The Bedford

Went down to watch Chris play down at the Bedford in Balham last week and was treated to a great night of live music by not just Chris but 4 others too...

Spanish and a little bit different - Juan Zelada
A little Scottish girl - Adriana
From Brighton, with a very big voice - Elissa Franceschi
And from NY - Marwood

Big Weekend

Thoughts of the Gig of the Year //
stifling air sits trapped between the throbbing mass and the beats above... suspended in the sound that is bloc party... the lights cut through the heat and the music entrances and rocks through your soul //
lean back and resist the crowd... don't get trampled... hold your ground... get to the front

We're at Alexandra Palace, set high overlooking London from the north. Outside, london's lights twinkle in the crisp night. Inside the huge hall, the crowd is alight. Anth and I are somewhere towards the front, lost in a sea and lost to the music that is driving this party crazy.

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obscenities fly from the mouth of the short bald guy to the left of Fernando, he hates them. Distaste rolls off his tongue like a shower of nails. He sneers, he jeers. This is Arsenal and we're at the new Emirates stadium, Arsenal is playing Chelsea and there is no love lost. The atmosphere here too is electric. A 1-0 victory for the Gunners and we leave happy; I'm tired from a big weekend, but I reckon the buzz will last for a week.


And then it's Christmas :-)

Glædelig Jule(bryg)

Try to take the smiles off our faces. It rains. We're happy. It's cold. We're happy. Alister is explaining to me that it's a little wierd the feeling - that we haven't left. I think it's great!