The fact that I'm just posting this now is inexcusable. Honestly, the nerve of some people. I must confess that following the game on Saturday, I sent off a quick email of the result to immediate family, knowing I wouldn't be able to get off an entry until a little later in the weekend. In doing so, I got a little sidetracked here and there and completely neglected my journalistic duties. Many apologies that this is coming so late (and also not in its entirety at the moment, big day of planning tomorrow), but here is a quick synopsis of this weekend's game: we won.
Okay, so I can give a few more details before signing off for the night; we scored more points than the other team. A lot more. Tigers: 51, Stallions: 0. That's about it for the moment. Come on back soon (yeah right, I've probably burnt every follower's bridge by now) and I'll finish up the story. Scout's honor. Goodnight.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wyld Stallyns
In case anyone out there is wondering, the title of this post is a reference to the timeless classic, "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." It is the name of Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted's (Keanu Reeves) band that a time-traveling George Carlin informs them, must remain intact, as their music prescribes the core fundamentals by which a future Utopian society will live. Among these fundamentals is the principle of being 'excellent' to one another:
Upon searching for any images more closely related to the name 'Wyld Stallyns,' I found out there are several bands out there claiming the name as their own. I have elected to listen to exactly none of them. As the trail was going cold on finding a suitable image (after never managing to get hot in the first place), I came across one of the theatrical posters for movie. I have placed it here because I really like the tagline above the two protagonists. George Carlin's face is also pretty funny there, too.
Anyways, the reason behind naming this post after part of a 1980s cult classic has to do with our opponent in tomorrow's home game. For the second time this season, we will be facing the Horsens Stallions. Call me crazy, but I prefer the movie's spelling of the word 'stallyn.' The letter 'Y' is extremely underrated as a 'sometimes-vowel' and in my opinion, it is used to perfection here.
Tomorrow should be great fun. It is our last game before the summer holiday break, which is basically the entire month of July. Since it is customary for many Scandinavians to go on vacation with their families during this time, the Danish American Football Federation (DAFF) chooses to put the season on hiatus until August. This makes sense, as most teams are most likely in the same situation of having many players go away at some point during the month. That being said, it will be the last time to knock some heads around for a few weeks so rest assured, the Tigers will be looking to do just that.
In addition to the game, tomorrow also marks the first game that will feature our newly opened clubhouse. Although we have been in there for about two weeks now, this is the first time we will have access to its amenities on game day. Following the game, we will be having a cookout at our new digs. Exciting times here in Da 'Hus (slang terminology I've taken to using when referring to Aarhus).
So for now, I will say goodnight. I've had a pretty productive day and I want to be rested for tomorrow's contest. I will try to get a post up as quick as I can following all the action. Stay tuned...
Upon searching for any images more closely related to the name 'Wyld Stallyns,' I found out there are several bands out there claiming the name as their own. I have elected to listen to exactly none of them. As the trail was going cold on finding a suitable image (after never managing to get hot in the first place), I came across one of the theatrical posters for movie. I have placed it here because I really like the tagline above the two protagonists. George Carlin's face is also pretty funny there, too.
Anyways, the reason behind naming this post after part of a 1980s cult classic has to do with our opponent in tomorrow's home game. For the second time this season, we will be facing the Horsens Stallions. Call me crazy, but I prefer the movie's spelling of the word 'stallyn.' The letter 'Y' is extremely underrated as a 'sometimes-vowel' and in my opinion, it is used to perfection here.
Tomorrow should be great fun. It is our last game before the summer holiday break, which is basically the entire month of July. Since it is customary for many Scandinavians to go on vacation with their families during this time, the Danish American Football Federation (DAFF) chooses to put the season on hiatus until August. This makes sense, as most teams are most likely in the same situation of having many players go away at some point during the month. That being said, it will be the last time to knock some heads around for a few weeks so rest assured, the Tigers will be looking to do just that.
In addition to the game, tomorrow also marks the first game that will feature our newly opened clubhouse. Although we have been in there for about two weeks now, this is the first time we will have access to its amenities on game day. Following the game, we will be having a cookout at our new digs. Exciting times here in Da 'Hus (slang terminology I've taken to using when referring to Aarhus).
So for now, I will say goodnight. I've had a pretty productive day and I want to be rested for tomorrow's contest. I will try to get a post up as quick as I can following all the action. Stay tuned...
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Mid-summer? But, it just got here...
Yesterday was yet another special day here in DK that I didn't even know about until mid-afternoon. It is now officially summertime, with the summer solstice taking place this passed Monday. The summer solstice, as you know, is the longest day of the year, in terms of hours of sunlight. From this point forward, the daylight hours will now progressively shorten by a few seconds each day until the winter solstice, when the cycle reverses again.
Moving on, I was naturally confused (as usual) as to why yesterday was a special day in the Danish grand scheme of things. Thus, I consulted several Danish citizens, assuming they were well-versed in their national holiday schedule. "It's got something to do with the longest day of the year, I think." was a typical response, prompting me to point out that MONDAY was the solstice and therefore, the 'longest day' of the year. My panel of experts all seemed to acknowledge this point and all of us were seemingly left in the dark on the subject, despite the copious amounts of daylight.
Several things did consistently check out with everybody's description of the day's festivities: there were barbecues and there were bonfires. But, these weren't just any old bonfires. These were fires built to burn witches, inkeeping with Danish quasi-summer solstice-but not really tradition (more confusion sets in). Needless to say, we all soon wanted to find out what the heck was going on wih these wacky rituals and thus, I have consulted the greatest compilation of information that has ever been assembled anywhere, ever: Wikipedia.
Yesterday was Sankt Hans' aften, celebrating the eve of the midsummer holiday. Although science has currently calculated that June twentieth or the twenty-first are the longest days of the year, the Roman calendar originally marked this date as the twenty-fourth of the same month. This pre-Christian tradition gave way to many pagan rituals that celebrated the changing of the seasons. It was commonly believed that certain midsummer plants held special healing properties and thus were harvested on or around this time. However, as the sun had reached its northernmost point and was now beginning to travel southwards again, people thought that evil spirits used this period to move about freely and might prove to be disruptive. To counteract these shenanigans, healing waters from wells were drawn and bonfires were contructed to ward off any unwanted apparitions.
Danish Vikings continued with these customs for many years. Eventually, in the early twentieth century, a small witch made out of straw and cloth was placed on the fire to commemorate the church-led witch-burnings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Communities that gather around these fires sing a midsommervise or a "midsummer hymn" that was originally composed in 1885, entitled, ''vi elsker vort land," which translates to ''we love our country." It is also common practice to hold these fires close to bodies of water today.
Such was the case last night, as the fire was held close to the shores of the Aarhus Bay. After a delicious BBQ in Mindeparken (thanks to Thomas Bager and his girlfriend, Stine), I accompanied several others to the nearby shores. Upon arriving there, this is what we discovered:
First of all, there was no witch being burned. A little disappointing, seeing as how this is done to release the witch's spirit from the area and send it to some mountain in Germany, where it can meet up with other witches. If that pour soul wasn't taken care of last night, who knows where it could be by now... Secondly, I don't know what types of evil spirits the creators of this fire were intending to ward off, but frankly, I wasn't convinced. This might work for a few imps, maybe even a wood sprite, but certainly not for any ghoul of note. I was expecting a fire at least two or three-hundred stories tall, just to be safe. I think the other people in attendance wanted the same, as their singing left much to be desired. It was pleasant, but it wasn't quite as powerful as I would have thought it might be. Furthermore, all of the songs sung sounded exactly like several popular Christmas carols. If I was a transient evil spirit, I can honestly say, I'd have probably kept a-marchin' right on through town.
All in all though, it was nice to experience another Danish holiday. I'm going to call it a night for now, but I should be back tomorrow with a look at this weekend's upcoming matchup. Until then, enjoy your daylight while you still have it.
Moving on, I was naturally confused (as usual) as to why yesterday was a special day in the Danish grand scheme of things. Thus, I consulted several Danish citizens, assuming they were well-versed in their national holiday schedule. "It's got something to do with the longest day of the year, I think." was a typical response, prompting me to point out that MONDAY was the solstice and therefore, the 'longest day' of the year. My panel of experts all seemed to acknowledge this point and all of us were seemingly left in the dark on the subject, despite the copious amounts of daylight.
Several things did consistently check out with everybody's description of the day's festivities: there were barbecues and there were bonfires. But, these weren't just any old bonfires. These were fires built to burn witches, inkeeping with Danish quasi-summer solstice-but not really tradition (more confusion sets in). Needless to say, we all soon wanted to find out what the heck was going on wih these wacky rituals and thus, I have consulted the greatest compilation of information that has ever been assembled anywhere, ever: Wikipedia.
Yesterday was Sankt Hans' aften, celebrating the eve of the midsummer holiday. Although science has currently calculated that June twentieth or the twenty-first are the longest days of the year, the Roman calendar originally marked this date as the twenty-fourth of the same month. This pre-Christian tradition gave way to many pagan rituals that celebrated the changing of the seasons. It was commonly believed that certain midsummer plants held special healing properties and thus were harvested on or around this time. However, as the sun had reached its northernmost point and was now beginning to travel southwards again, people thought that evil spirits used this period to move about freely and might prove to be disruptive. To counteract these shenanigans, healing waters from wells were drawn and bonfires were contructed to ward off any unwanted apparitions.
Danish Vikings continued with these customs for many years. Eventually, in the early twentieth century, a small witch made out of straw and cloth was placed on the fire to commemorate the church-led witch-burnings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Communities that gather around these fires sing a midsommervise or a "midsummer hymn" that was originally composed in 1885, entitled, ''vi elsker vort land," which translates to ''we love our country." It is also common practice to hold these fires close to bodies of water today.
Such was the case last night, as the fire was held close to the shores of the Aarhus Bay. After a delicious BBQ in Mindeparken (thanks to Thomas Bager and his girlfriend, Stine), I accompanied several others to the nearby shores. Upon arriving there, this is what we discovered:
First of all, there was no witch being burned. A little disappointing, seeing as how this is done to release the witch's spirit from the area and send it to some mountain in Germany, where it can meet up with other witches. If that pour soul wasn't taken care of last night, who knows where it could be by now... Secondly, I don't know what types of evil spirits the creators of this fire were intending to ward off, but frankly, I wasn't convinced. This might work for a few imps, maybe even a wood sprite, but certainly not for any ghoul of note. I was expecting a fire at least two or three-hundred stories tall, just to be safe. I think the other people in attendance wanted the same, as their singing left much to be desired. It was pleasant, but it wasn't quite as powerful as I would have thought it might be. Furthermore, all of the songs sung sounded exactly like several popular Christmas carols. If I was a transient evil spirit, I can honestly say, I'd have probably kept a-marchin' right on through town.
All in all though, it was nice to experience another Danish holiday. I'm going to call it a night for now, but I should be back tomorrow with a look at this weekend's upcoming matchup. Until then, enjoy your daylight while you still have it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Red, White & Brew(s)
As promised, I'm back now with a brief assessment of Saturday night's rousing World Cup match. I returned to the same pub with several of the same guys that I posted about earlier last week and upon closer inspection of the joint, I found a Connecticut license plate hanging above one side of the bar. My geography might be a little spotty, but I'm pretty sure the Constitution State is at least a good two-hour train ride away. This left me to wonder how such a decorative piece found its way here in the first place. The most likely explanation: one of the several Americans that works behind the bar is either from CT, or kidnapped someone from there and is holding the plate as ransom. I'll be sure to phone Chris Dodd when I get to the bottom of this mystery.
On the soccer side of things, the pub filled up quite nicely prior to gametime, with folks of all ages in attendance. Very much looking for a performance more becoming of the Scandinavian champs, the people were literally clammoring with anticipation and excitement. Before the game came on one of the several large projection screens situated around the bar, some strange satellite sports network recapped all the day's highlights in not only soccer, but also horseracing, rugby and of course, cricket. Most people here know a little something about cricket and they all say, ''Yeah, it's pretty much like baseball." I'm not so sure about that, what with the wooden ball, wickets and flat bats that never seem to hit the darn thing properly. It's pretty amusing being clueless about the sport and watching those highlights with scores of 217-168 flash by. At least it's comforting to know that no crickets are ever actually harmed during play (I think).
The broadcast ended and before long, the game commenced. Team Danmark faced a very energetic Cameroon squad that struck first with aggressive ball pressure just in front of the Danish zone. A lethargic effort to get the ball out soon resulted in a quick steal, shot and score for Cameroon within the first ten minutes of the match. A brave young man of no more than seventeen wearing a green and yellow jersey was particularly happy with this. The place became rather jittery and grumbles could be heard at some of the tables and benches surrounding us. The Danes did not lose their composure though and soon began playing more tenaciously themselves.
This effort would prove worthwhile as they scored their first goal of this year's tournament in the thirty-third minute when star player Niklas Bendtner slid into a pass coming across Cameroon's zone that froze the goalkeeper and knotted things at one apiece. The pub went wild and I found myself joining in with the chanting crowd. I mean, I am entitled to Danish healthcare, why shouldn't I be allowed to cheer for a soccer game? This would close out the scoring for the half and kept the intensity raised for the remainder of the contest.
The two teams both had chances in the second half, but the Danish attacks continually built momentum that culminated in the sixty-first minute with a scoring strike from Dennis Rommedahl. Denmark took a 2-1 lead and never looked back. The bar was in high spirits (in more ways than one) through the end of the match. Following the conclusion, the town was indeed painted red (and white). People were giddy with excitement:
Everyone certainly was into the game; I noted many different types of fans around the bar: There were the casual observers, who were more concerned with their own conversations than the goings-on on the screen. There were the hoot-n-hollerers, who led loud, boisterous cheers, whether anyone was their to follow or not. There were the barroom coaches, whose strategic insight in the form of hand gestures and head bobs clearly made difference in the end. There were old guys who puttered about in search of the perfect place to watch from, yet never seemed to get there. Amidst these various characterizations, only once did I almost see things get ugly.
A very short elderly fellow was watching nearby with presumably his daughter. The two were continually blocked by a much taller young man about my age. I noticed the older guy try to speak to his obstruction several times, but to no avail. Before long, this would not stand and the man barked some terse Danish words towards the kid in a very hoarse old guy voice. The kid had words for him too, but I think he started to realize he was dealing with someone who has seen quite a few more World Cups than he. Trying to play the tuff-guy card, he just turned his back on the situation. But after doing so, I noticed him inch inward from the older man's vantage point. so as to not be spoken to again. It just goes to show you: don't mess with old men when it comes to situations like these. Their old man powers always seem to prevail. Perhaps he was a Jedi.
I just realized I've posted on three consecutive days. Goodness, I haven't done that since my days as a plucky young newcomer in mid-March. I wonder if I've got four in me? Stay tuned to find out ... (Spoiler Alert: probably not and I won't post again until August.) Just kidding; I'll be back soon (maybe).
On the soccer side of things, the pub filled up quite nicely prior to gametime, with folks of all ages in attendance. Very much looking for a performance more becoming of the Scandinavian champs, the people were literally clammoring with anticipation and excitement. Before the game came on one of the several large projection screens situated around the bar, some strange satellite sports network recapped all the day's highlights in not only soccer, but also horseracing, rugby and of course, cricket. Most people here know a little something about cricket and they all say, ''Yeah, it's pretty much like baseball." I'm not so sure about that, what with the wooden ball, wickets and flat bats that never seem to hit the darn thing properly. It's pretty amusing being clueless about the sport and watching those highlights with scores of 217-168 flash by. At least it's comforting to know that no crickets are ever actually harmed during play (I think).
The broadcast ended and before long, the game commenced. Team Danmark faced a very energetic Cameroon squad that struck first with aggressive ball pressure just in front of the Danish zone. A lethargic effort to get the ball out soon resulted in a quick steal, shot and score for Cameroon within the first ten minutes of the match. A brave young man of no more than seventeen wearing a green and yellow jersey was particularly happy with this. The place became rather jittery and grumbles could be heard at some of the tables and benches surrounding us. The Danes did not lose their composure though and soon began playing more tenaciously themselves.
This effort would prove worthwhile as they scored their first goal of this year's tournament in the thirty-third minute when star player Niklas Bendtner slid into a pass coming across Cameroon's zone that froze the goalkeeper and knotted things at one apiece. The pub went wild and I found myself joining in with the chanting crowd. I mean, I am entitled to Danish healthcare, why shouldn't I be allowed to cheer for a soccer game? This would close out the scoring for the half and kept the intensity raised for the remainder of the contest.
The two teams both had chances in the second half, but the Danish attacks continually built momentum that culminated in the sixty-first minute with a scoring strike from Dennis Rommedahl. Denmark took a 2-1 lead and never looked back. The bar was in high spirits (in more ways than one) through the end of the match. Following the conclusion, the town was indeed painted red (and white). People were giddy with excitement:
Everyone certainly was into the game; I noted many different types of fans around the bar: There were the casual observers, who were more concerned with their own conversations than the goings-on on the screen. There were the hoot-n-hollerers, who led loud, boisterous cheers, whether anyone was their to follow or not. There were the barroom coaches, whose strategic insight in the form of hand gestures and head bobs clearly made difference in the end. There were old guys who puttered about in search of the perfect place to watch from, yet never seemed to get there. Amidst these various characterizations, only once did I almost see things get ugly.
A very short elderly fellow was watching nearby with presumably his daughter. The two were continually blocked by a much taller young man about my age. I noticed the older guy try to speak to his obstruction several times, but to no avail. Before long, this would not stand and the man barked some terse Danish words towards the kid in a very hoarse old guy voice. The kid had words for him too, but I think he started to realize he was dealing with someone who has seen quite a few more World Cups than he. Trying to play the tuff-guy card, he just turned his back on the situation. But after doing so, I noticed him inch inward from the older man's vantage point. so as to not be spoken to again. It just goes to show you: don't mess with old men when it comes to situations like these. Their old man powers always seem to prevail. Perhaps he was a Jedi.
I just realized I've posted on three consecutive days. Goodness, I haven't done that since my days as a plucky young newcomer in mid-March. I wonder if I've got four in me? Stay tuned to find out ... (Spoiler Alert: probably not and I won't post again until August.) Just kidding; I'll be back soon (maybe).
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Dad-Mark
This morning, I went to a bakery nearby to pick up some bread and a few pastries for breakfast. When I left my apartment, the sun was shining. On the way, the sun was shining. When I got there, the sun was shining. While I was waiting inside, the sun was shining. As I purchased my delicious baked goods, the sun was shining. When I walked out of the bakery, it suddenly got very cloudy. When I was no more than fifty feet away from the bakery, breads in hand, the skies opened up. I ran the five-minute route home, cursing (very loudly, at that) the Danish weather all the way. The bags containing my breakfast were soaked through, but thankfully their contents survived the journey unscathed. As I ate my breakfast, the sun was once again shining.
This afternoon saw probably the best performance of the season from my Under 16 Tigers. Although we once again came up short, our fundamentals at times looked exceptionally crisp and I was very proud of most of the effort put forth. Today's was the last action for these kids until August, as we are off during the month of July (more info on this to come this week). The Senior Tigers will take the field this coming Saturday in our last game before the summer break.
I don't have much else to report on at the moment. I would though, like to wish all patriarchal readers of NTD a very happy Father's Day. Seems like most places back home had some nice weather for all the Dads out there; hopefully all your bread-products stayed dry today as well.
I'm going to catch some shut-eye now, but check back tomorrow for more Team Danmark World Cup adventures!
This afternoon saw probably the best performance of the season from my Under 16 Tigers. Although we once again came up short, our fundamentals at times looked exceptionally crisp and I was very proud of most of the effort put forth. Today's was the last action for these kids until August, as we are off during the month of July (more info on this to come this week). The Senior Tigers will take the field this coming Saturday in our last game before the summer break.
I don't have much else to report on at the moment. I would though, like to wish all patriarchal readers of NTD a very happy Father's Day. Seems like most places back home had some nice weather for all the Dads out there; hopefully all your bread-products stayed dry today as well.
I'm going to catch some shut-eye now, but check back tomorrow for more Team Danmark World Cup adventures!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Dan Hailin'
Tough one for the C's the other night. From what I hear, they didn't help themselves by giving up a fourth quarter lead, yet the officials didn't help the cause either. Fifty-one more free throws attempted by L.A. in the series? As my mom always says, the Finals are rigged. She may be on to something there.
Truth be told, I didn't follow the series that closely. Part of the reason for this was that I couldn't, outside of watching on a poor quality internet feed. However, most of it was due to the fact that I wasn't willing to get too wrapped up in it solely based on morning-after game recaps. It's kind of a lousy attitude, I must admit, but at the same time, I didn't want to become too emotionally attached and then have no one to celebrate (or grieve) with depending on how the series finished up. Seeing as how it didn't turn out so well, this strategy unfortunately worked in my favor. To close this thought, I will say that if somebody told me the Celts were going push the NBA Finals to seven games a few months ago (amidst several embarrassing losing skids) I would have chuckled at the thought. Hats off to the Green Team on a fine season.
Shifting to the World Cup now, the USA - Slovenia match was pretty exciting yesterday, as I'm sure many of you know. Pretty weak call late in that one to nullify the go-ahead goal, but it was nice to see Team USA play more like the squad that showed up against England during the second half. In a few minutes, I'll be returning to Tir na Nog (the Irish pub from last post) to join several of the same guys to watch Team Danmark take on Cameroon; sk-goal!
I don't think I mentioned this in a previous post, but the Tigers actually have two Senior Teams that play separate schedules during the course of the season. This 'Developmental' Team is comprised of newcomers, long-time veterans and anyone else in between, including players from the Elite Team if they would like to participate. It is nine-man football (just like my U16 Team plays), so it's a bit different, but it still a great chance for guys that want to just get out and play ball. That is of course, when it doesn't start thundering with torrential downpours and lots and lots of hail.
I just got back a few hours ago from watching part of the Second Team's game and managed to snap these two pics before those very scary looking clouds brought forth doom and despair for all in their path. The pictures came out pretty good too, because at that very moment, the sun was shining directly on the field through a small hole in the overcast skies. If you were to just look at the players on the field, you'd think it was a rather nice day. That illusion quickly came to an end though, in the form of huge raindrops that soon turned into buckshots of hail. Those little buggers fell fast and furious, too. I attempted to use an umbrella that was left in the apartment when I moved in but quickly found this device to be:
1. Polka-dotted.
2. Too small to cover an infant.
3. Broken.
The hailstones lasted about five very painful minutes (somehow, the tops of my ears managed to get hit about two dozen times) before nastiest of the precipitation subsided. Before this happened though, a huge thunderclap and a streak of lightning prompted the officials to call the game. Nothing quite like Denmark in the summertime, I suppose.
That's it for now, I'll be back tomorrow after my Youth game.
Truth be told, I didn't follow the series that closely. Part of the reason for this was that I couldn't, outside of watching on a poor quality internet feed. However, most of it was due to the fact that I wasn't willing to get too wrapped up in it solely based on morning-after game recaps. It's kind of a lousy attitude, I must admit, but at the same time, I didn't want to become too emotionally attached and then have no one to celebrate (or grieve) with depending on how the series finished up. Seeing as how it didn't turn out so well, this strategy unfortunately worked in my favor. To close this thought, I will say that if somebody told me the Celts were going push the NBA Finals to seven games a few months ago (amidst several embarrassing losing skids) I would have chuckled at the thought. Hats off to the Green Team on a fine season.
Shifting to the World Cup now, the USA - Slovenia match was pretty exciting yesterday, as I'm sure many of you know. Pretty weak call late in that one to nullify the go-ahead goal, but it was nice to see Team USA play more like the squad that showed up against England during the second half. In a few minutes, I'll be returning to Tir na Nog (the Irish pub from last post) to join several of the same guys to watch Team Danmark take on Cameroon; sk-goal!
I don't think I mentioned this in a previous post, but the Tigers actually have two Senior Teams that play separate schedules during the course of the season. This 'Developmental' Team is comprised of newcomers, long-time veterans and anyone else in between, including players from the Elite Team if they would like to participate. It is nine-man football (just like my U16 Team plays), so it's a bit different, but it still a great chance for guys that want to just get out and play ball. That is of course, when it doesn't start thundering with torrential downpours and lots and lots of hail.
I just got back a few hours ago from watching part of the Second Team's game and managed to snap these two pics before those very scary looking clouds brought forth doom and despair for all in their path. The pictures came out pretty good too, because at that very moment, the sun was shining directly on the field through a small hole in the overcast skies. If you were to just look at the players on the field, you'd think it was a rather nice day. That illusion quickly came to an end though, in the form of huge raindrops that soon turned into buckshots of hail. Those little buggers fell fast and furious, too. I attempted to use an umbrella that was left in the apartment when I moved in but quickly found this device to be:
1. Polka-dotted.
2. Too small to cover an infant.
3. Broken.
The hailstones lasted about five very painful minutes (somehow, the tops of my ears managed to get hit about two dozen times) before nastiest of the precipitation subsided. Before this happened though, a huge thunderclap and a streak of lightning prompted the officials to call the game. Nothing quite like Denmark in the summertime, I suppose.
That's it for now, I'll be back tomorrow after my Youth game.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Green Machine
Since I posted before about Fakta and their trademark slogan, I thought it might be cool to show you a Danish advertisement for that particular store. The story behind the phrase is that shopping there is so easy, you should theoretically be able to do it in five minutes or so. I think it took me ten minutes the other day and in retrospect, I probably should have asked to speak to the manager about that. I do like their prices though, and they carry some decent products that other stores sell for a few Kroner more.
Below is a portion from this week's circular, complete with the famous (albeit dubious) tagline:
Shrimp and shampoo, together at last! Certainly Danish advertising at its best. Actually, twenty Kroner for 250 grams isn't too bad...
Before turning in for the night, some more important business. In the spirit of sending good internet vibes to the Green Team, I figured another post couldn't hurt. Enjoy Game Six and here's to the C's out West!
Below is a portion from this week's circular, complete with the famous (albeit dubious) tagline:
Shrimp and shampoo, together at last! Certainly Danish advertising at its best. Actually, twenty Kroner for 250 grams isn't too bad...
Before turning in for the night, some more important business. In the spirit of sending good internet vibes to the Green Team, I figured another post couldn't hurt. Enjoy Game Six and here's to the C's out West!
Cup Crazy (or at least mildly amused)
The Verdensmesterskabet i fodbold, more commonly known as the FIFA World Cup is well under way now and people have literally gone Cup Crazy. I can tell you firsthand that all the stories about European soccer hooliganism are one-hundred percent true. Cars flipped over and torched. Storefronts smashed and looted. Emergency sirens blaring incessantly. Marshall law is now in effect in Denmark. I'm fearful to leave my apartment.
Okay, perhaps that's a little bit of an exaggeration. Alright, a HUGE exaggeration, but still, it's pretty neat to be in a country that actually does get 'football fever,' as opposed to one that just gets a case of the sniffles during the World Cup. Signs, billboards, posters, print ads, television, you name it, everything has something to do with soccer. Cashiers and store clerks are wearing red and white jerseys (for Denmark) and all manner of tacky hats can be seen walking that streets at any given time. My personal favorite is one that has a pair of red and white hands on the front with a pullstring attached, allowing the wearer to clap at his or her leisure. Ingenious.
I enjoyed watching the Team USA in action on Saturday night, playing to a 1-1 draw with mighty England in a rematch of the American Revolution. Many Danes were quite thrilled with this performance, still bitter towards the English squad after a dropping a 3-0 match during the 2002 World Cup. I watched with some guys from the team waving an American Flag bandana sent to me from home and I look forward to using this again during another game, preferrably out in public at a pub.
Yesterday however, was Denmark's day as they had their first action against a very good Dutch team. The Netherlands are regarded as one of the top teams in this year's field and the Danes faced similar odds that the US team saw several nights ago. People here were unfazed though, as the better part of Aarhus seemingly shut down about an hour or so before the game began. The streets and stores gradually emptied and buses were packed with people eager to get to wherever it was they were going to watch the match.
Teammate Nick Holmelund asked if I wanted to join him in watching at the cafeteria of his school at the University. I accepted and that's we were started out. The school was all abuzz with anticipation; students and faculty were milling in and out of the cafe as the 2010 Danish World Cup Anthem played on. Below is a link to the video of this song, which thankfully features a keytar. Many people love the tune, many hate it; you decide for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kvkaFKoYlI&feature=PlayList&p=6FEE153E9EA54EE7&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=50
Soon after, the match was underway but the online video feed projected on to the big screen continually cut out, prompting many to exit and find other means to view the action. We quickly left as well and bussed a shortways downtown to the Square to watch with several thousand other people. This was a great decision. Right in front of the Aarhus Cathedral, the tallest in Denmark, there was a gigantic videoscreen set up in all its HD glory. Huge speakers were on either side of it and echoed all throughout the surrounding buildings. People packed in and found a space to watch wherever they could: on rooftops, out of windows, on top of a large sculpture, on scaffolding, everywhere. Below is a video I shot with my iPhone, which should give you and idea of this:
I must note that I took this video shortly after we arrived and that people continued to pack the Square on through the second half of the game. The following picture was taken a little later after we switched spots and met up with some other Tigers guys. It shows you a different look at the crowd, as well as some of the aforementioned hats (check out the soccer ball with the Viking horns). I can tell you that the mass goes on well past the big green Carlsberg banners; in total there must have been 5,000 people there and that could be a low-ball figure:
The next shot shows you more people hanging out of windows and balconies, as well as the sculpture-turned-grandstand, just to the left of the church:
As for the game itself, the first half was marked by pretty solid defense by both teams. It was a scoreless affair until a Danish own-goal blunder early in the second put the Dutch up 1-0. From that point on, the Danes struggled to find their offense while the Netherlands played keep-away. The clincher came with about five minutes to play, a Dutch goal moving them to a 2-0 advantage. That would be enough to end things. The crowd dispersed without incident; not a single brick was thrown nor big screen TV looted.
To console our wounded soccer spirits, we naturally went to an Irish pub for a pint of Guinness. In the picture below, the faces aren't nearly as somber as I would have imagined:
Above is myself with Jesper ''Psycho'' Christensen, Anders Arnfast, Nick and Morten Sehested. Jesper and Anders were so distraught that they took their aggression out on a slew of unsuspecting patrons on the foosball table. It is a well-known fact that they are two of the most dangerous foosballers in Denmark and they showed no mercy yesterday, in the wake a Danish defeat. After six or seven consecutive wins on the table and soon, no one lined up anymore for their chance to be crushed:
I dubbed the ordeal 'Det ta'r kun fem minutter,' or 'It'll only take five minutes.' Borrowing this slogan from the grocery store Fakta (soon after learning how to say it properly - "Day tay-er kohn fem mi-noo-ter"), I felt it appropriately described the impending doom that victims would face. Justice was indeed swift and efficient.
And thus was the day. Denmark (the soccer team, not the country) is off until Saturday, when they will face Cameroon. Perhaps then, I will see some happy faces afterwards and won't have to witness the onslaught above. Oh, the humanity. Be back a little later.
Okay, perhaps that's a little bit of an exaggeration. Alright, a HUGE exaggeration, but still, it's pretty neat to be in a country that actually does get 'football fever,' as opposed to one that just gets a case of the sniffles during the World Cup. Signs, billboards, posters, print ads, television, you name it, everything has something to do with soccer. Cashiers and store clerks are wearing red and white jerseys (for Denmark) and all manner of tacky hats can be seen walking that streets at any given time. My personal favorite is one that has a pair of red and white hands on the front with a pullstring attached, allowing the wearer to clap at his or her leisure. Ingenious.
I enjoyed watching the Team USA in action on Saturday night, playing to a 1-1 draw with mighty England in a rematch of the American Revolution. Many Danes were quite thrilled with this performance, still bitter towards the English squad after a dropping a 3-0 match during the 2002 World Cup. I watched with some guys from the team waving an American Flag bandana sent to me from home and I look forward to using this again during another game, preferrably out in public at a pub.
Yesterday however, was Denmark's day as they had their first action against a very good Dutch team. The Netherlands are regarded as one of the top teams in this year's field and the Danes faced similar odds that the US team saw several nights ago. People here were unfazed though, as the better part of Aarhus seemingly shut down about an hour or so before the game began. The streets and stores gradually emptied and buses were packed with people eager to get to wherever it was they were going to watch the match.
Teammate Nick Holmelund asked if I wanted to join him in watching at the cafeteria of his school at the University. I accepted and that's we were started out. The school was all abuzz with anticipation; students and faculty were milling in and out of the cafe as the 2010 Danish World Cup Anthem played on. Below is a link to the video of this song, which thankfully features a keytar. Many people love the tune, many hate it; you decide for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kvkaFKoYlI&feature=PlayList&p=6FEE153E9EA54EE7&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=50
Soon after, the match was underway but the online video feed projected on to the big screen continually cut out, prompting many to exit and find other means to view the action. We quickly left as well and bussed a shortways downtown to the Square to watch with several thousand other people. This was a great decision. Right in front of the Aarhus Cathedral, the tallest in Denmark, there was a gigantic videoscreen set up in all its HD glory. Huge speakers were on either side of it and echoed all throughout the surrounding buildings. People packed in and found a space to watch wherever they could: on rooftops, out of windows, on top of a large sculpture, on scaffolding, everywhere. Below is a video I shot with my iPhone, which should give you and idea of this:
I must note that I took this video shortly after we arrived and that people continued to pack the Square on through the second half of the game. The following picture was taken a little later after we switched spots and met up with some other Tigers guys. It shows you a different look at the crowd, as well as some of the aforementioned hats (check out the soccer ball with the Viking horns). I can tell you that the mass goes on well past the big green Carlsberg banners; in total there must have been 5,000 people there and that could be a low-ball figure:
The next shot shows you more people hanging out of windows and balconies, as well as the sculpture-turned-grandstand, just to the left of the church:
As for the game itself, the first half was marked by pretty solid defense by both teams. It was a scoreless affair until a Danish own-goal blunder early in the second put the Dutch up 1-0. From that point on, the Danes struggled to find their offense while the Netherlands played keep-away. The clincher came with about five minutes to play, a Dutch goal moving them to a 2-0 advantage. That would be enough to end things. The crowd dispersed without incident; not a single brick was thrown nor big screen TV looted.
To console our wounded soccer spirits, we naturally went to an Irish pub for a pint of Guinness. In the picture below, the faces aren't nearly as somber as I would have imagined:
Above is myself with Jesper ''Psycho'' Christensen, Anders Arnfast, Nick and Morten Sehested. Jesper and Anders were so distraught that they took their aggression out on a slew of unsuspecting patrons on the foosball table. It is a well-known fact that they are two of the most dangerous foosballers in Denmark and they showed no mercy yesterday, in the wake a Danish defeat. After six or seven consecutive wins on the table and soon, no one lined up anymore for their chance to be crushed:
I dubbed the ordeal 'Det ta'r kun fem minutter,' or 'It'll only take five minutes.' Borrowing this slogan from the grocery store Fakta (soon after learning how to say it properly - "Day tay-er kohn fem mi-noo-ter"), I felt it appropriately described the impending doom that victims would face. Justice was indeed swift and efficient.
And thus was the day. Denmark (the soccer team, not the country) is off until Saturday, when they will face Cameroon. Perhaps then, I will see some happy faces afterwards and won't have to witness the onslaught above. Oh, the humanity. Be back a little later.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Go Green
So when I said that my stomach was feeling better the other day, I must have picked up some sort of internet virus through my keyboard (can that happen?) and fell prey once again to previous symptoms. I'm not going to say how I'm feeling now, so as not to chance being stricken with lycanthropy (werewolfism) or something of the like. That particular affliction might not be the worst thing right now though, as I'm still pretty hungry from this whole thing. Of course, that's only as long as I'm able to digest the lamb that I would undoubtedly maul in the dead of night.
It's late here now and I'm sorry for these short little updates, but alas, this will be another quick one tonight. I should be able to sit down for a proper post tomorrow, barring any silver bullet wounds. I did however, want to send along some good internet vibes to the Green Team tonight in Game Five action. My hopes for a good outcome last time were answered, so why not try again, right? With that, enjoy a good game Stateside and I should be back tomorrow. Go C's! (almost forgot to include that!)
It's late here now and I'm sorry for these short little updates, but alas, this will be another quick one tonight. I should be able to sit down for a proper post tomorrow, barring any silver bullet wounds. I did however, want to send along some good internet vibes to the Green Team tonight in Game Five action. My hopes for a good outcome last time were answered, so why not try again, right? With that, enjoy a good game Stateside and I should be back tomorrow. Go C's! (almost forgot to include that!)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Quit Buggin' Me
I've been a bit under the weather (which has gone back to being crappy, by the way) the last few days. A little stomach bug sort of complicated the whole eating thing since Monday morning but thankfully, I believe it has run it's course. Once again, I look forward to my daily meals consisting of more than a handful of dry cereal and about two gallons of tea.
On this topic, I'd like to point out that one can't find ginger ale in Denmark quite as commonly as back home. I don't believe I've seen it anywhere and Brian confirmed its absence yesterday. However, speaking to a teammate today, he said you COULD find it (made by Schweppes, nonetheless ). A little late now, but I really would have enjoyed some to help bring the battle in my tummy to a ceasefire.
Since I'm still getting back into the swing of things (I'm too malnourished to post a proper entry), I'm going to head to bed soon. I just wanted to check in and say howdy. I'd like to get to the gym tomorrow in what looks like another rainy day this week. After that, I should be in a solid blogging mood. Until then, goodnight and go C's; I'd really like some good news when I wake up tomorrow.
On this topic, I'd like to point out that one can't find ginger ale in Denmark quite as commonly as back home. I don't believe I've seen it anywhere and Brian confirmed its absence yesterday. However, speaking to a teammate today, he said you COULD find it (made by Schweppes, nonetheless ). A little late now, but I really would have enjoyed some to help bring the battle in my tummy to a ceasefire.
Since I'm still getting back into the swing of things (I'm too malnourished to post a proper entry), I'm going to head to bed soon. I just wanted to check in and say howdy. I'd like to get to the gym tomorrow in what looks like another rainy day this week. After that, I should be in a solid blogging mood. Until then, goodnight and go C's; I'd really like some good news when I wake up tomorrow.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Points Aplenty (Cont.)
I suppose I wasn't entirely truthful the other day when I said, "More details to follow tomorrow!" as tomorrow has come and gone with not a one detail followed. I can assure you it wasn't my fault, though. I had some assistant coaching obligations for the U19 team up in Aalborg (an hour-and-a-half N), which ate up a good portion of the day. Well worth it though, as the team notched a 31-2 victory; the first for a Tigers' youth squad this season. Following that I was pretty tired and wanted to unwind with a movie before sitting down to post. Bad idea, as neither the acting skills nor the haircuts of Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in 'All the President's Men' could keep me from falling asleep. Much as I do at home quite often, I passed out on the couch until quarter of four in the morning, upon which time I awoke and went to my bed to finish the job. That led into today, where I started to clean the place up, returned some stuff to the library, picked up some groceries and participated in yet another blog-worthy activity, which I might get to sometime next January. That being said, I now bring you the recap from this weekend's resounding victory.
The weekend's forecast held true and temperatures soared into the sixties without a cloud in the sky. This was a veritable heatwave compared to what we have seen so far this season, so everyone was taking necessary precautions and drinking plenty of fluids. Every so often a slight breeze came by and kept things from ever getting too warm; all in all, it was perfect football weather.
For the past few games, wins had been coming thanks in large part to dominant defensive performances, with the offense doing just enough to get the job done. Saturday's focus was to get a great effort from each unit and it became apparent from the early goings that this was going to be the case. The mighty Swans defense flew the coop and couldn't do much to stop the run at the start. That would later set up a balanced offensive assault that scored six times on the afternoon. The defense continued their excellent play and contributed a score of their own; as mentioned the other day, they haven't been scored on in eighteen quarters.
With steady control of the game, we were able to start experimenting with several new plays and a formation that we haven't previously attempted, all of which worked pretty well and will benefit us greatly during the second half of the season. For those who don't know out there, we have now played every team in the division. Our next game is in three weeks, when we will begin facing teams we have already seen this year. That makes each contest an 'eight quarter' game so to speak, which is pretty interesting and should be fun to match up again against any sort of adjustments that might be made, based off our first meeting; just enough to keep the ol' Coach on his toes here.
Those new offensive installations aside, this game featured several firsts for yours truly:
- It was the first time I appeared on special teams since high school. I was on the punt unit and even stepped in for a PAT, which I never did in college because even coach Jason Tillery will tell you that I'm too short for that (only he will find that somewhat amusing).
- It was the first time I made a (credited and legitmate) tackle since high school. My freshman year in college, I (barely) tackled a defensive lineman who had recovered a fumble, but thanks to an inept scorekeeper on the day, credit was given to another player. During a brief stint in the American Indoor Football Association, I 'tackled' a defensive back who picked off one of about nine passes on the night in Casper, Wyoming. I have placed quotations around the word tackled because all I did was run into him and shove him into the boards, which counts as a tackle in indoor football. For this I did receive credit although in my book, a tackle means you wrap somebody up and plant him in the dirt (or synthetic turf). This happened to be the case on Saturday.
On one of the punt coverages, I assisted in bringing down the return man, who was already in the clutches of a fellow Tiger as I got down to him. It's good thing he was already sort of on his way down because I had a pretty healthy running start in his direction and still cleaned him up with some decent umph. This however, wasn't my finest hour on the day.
On a fourth-and-one in the second quarter, defensive coordinator Anders Bysted sent me out as a defensive tackle for a play during a Swans timeout. Anticipating an inside run, he wanted to get some penetration up front. Also, he had told me a few weeks ago that he'd like to put me in on D every so often if he could, just to change things up. Coach Bysted guessed correctly, as they happened to run straight at my gap. On the snap of the ball, I was met with little resistance by the guard in front of me and before I knew it, I saw the ball carrier right in front of me. By now, this was five yards in the backfield and he was firmly in my grasp. On the way down, someone else flew in to help out, but the damage was done. I trotted off the field to a rather fiesty sideline, having not done what I just did for some six years; made me feel young again.
- It was the first time I played a significant time at an offensive position NOT on the offensive line. I spent a few series in the backfield as a fullback, lead blocking on run plays. I had only appeared in the offensive backfield once before in a game, almost eight years ago in a freshman contest in high school (I got stuffed on a two-point conversion), so this was truly a rarity. However, it's something that we will continue to refine over the remainder of the season. It was an awful lot of fun and I look forward to putting the 'full' in fullback in our next few games.
All of this aforementioned firsts could conceivably pile up into this week's "Welcome To ... Moment," as could the fact that we faced a team named after arguably one of the most romantic creatures in all the animal kingdom. Same thing goes for their defense, which featured some pretty wild characters. One of their guys, a Dane, spoke exclusively (and quite often) in English throughout the course of the afternoon. The real kicker though, was that he spoke with a weird attempt at a Texas/southern accent that prompted me to laugh at him, more so than get annoyed with his antics. Him and some of his buddies really took the high road later and started 'headhunting' me, or basically looking for me on the field to try and knock me down. I'll give you three guesses as to how many times they were successful ...
All of this aside, this week's Moment actually took place as the second half was getting underway, while I was returning to our sidelines from our meeting place in the shade. It's quite common for youth players of home teams to attend games and take in some additional football. Most kids here are pretty into it if they play and like to see it any opportunity they get. With that, there were some young Odense lads throwing a pigskin right behind our sideline as we warmed up prior to the third quarter. As I came upon this, a kid of probably sixteen or seventeen wearing his junior jersey ran a route right in front of me and attempted to make a catch with one hand. He was unsuccessful and I cheerfully shouted to him, "Two hands, brother!" Danish kids generally enjoy this type of American lingo, much as Hulk Hogan might have said at the time and he did indeed turn to me with a big smile.
He looked at me and raised his arms, while saying, "ONE hand!" I then saw his point, as the young chap had a left hand but only his thumb and part of his index finger on his right. He was a very happy kid though and knew I didn't mean any insult in my attempted words of advice. I smiled back at him and shook my head in approval that he wouldn't let such a handicap keep him from having fun with a game he clearly enjoyed. I suppose this could have happened anywhere, not just in Denmark, but the fact that it did bumped it up to the number one spot for this week's "Welcome to ... Moment."
Well that's all for now, folks. Sorry again about the delay. Any and all complaints should be directed towards "Tricky Dick" and his Watergate scandal. I'll try and be back soon.
The weekend's forecast held true and temperatures soared into the sixties without a cloud in the sky. This was a veritable heatwave compared to what we have seen so far this season, so everyone was taking necessary precautions and drinking plenty of fluids. Every so often a slight breeze came by and kept things from ever getting too warm; all in all, it was perfect football weather.
For the past few games, wins had been coming thanks in large part to dominant defensive performances, with the offense doing just enough to get the job done. Saturday's focus was to get a great effort from each unit and it became apparent from the early goings that this was going to be the case. The mighty Swans defense flew the coop and couldn't do much to stop the run at the start. That would later set up a balanced offensive assault that scored six times on the afternoon. The defense continued their excellent play and contributed a score of their own; as mentioned the other day, they haven't been scored on in eighteen quarters.
With steady control of the game, we were able to start experimenting with several new plays and a formation that we haven't previously attempted, all of which worked pretty well and will benefit us greatly during the second half of the season. For those who don't know out there, we have now played every team in the division. Our next game is in three weeks, when we will begin facing teams we have already seen this year. That makes each contest an 'eight quarter' game so to speak, which is pretty interesting and should be fun to match up again against any sort of adjustments that might be made, based off our first meeting; just enough to keep the ol' Coach on his toes here.
Those new offensive installations aside, this game featured several firsts for yours truly:
- It was the first time I appeared on special teams since high school. I was on the punt unit and even stepped in for a PAT, which I never did in college because even coach Jason Tillery will tell you that I'm too short for that (only he will find that somewhat amusing).
- It was the first time I made a (credited and legitmate) tackle since high school. My freshman year in college, I (barely) tackled a defensive lineman who had recovered a fumble, but thanks to an inept scorekeeper on the day, credit was given to another player. During a brief stint in the American Indoor Football Association, I 'tackled' a defensive back who picked off one of about nine passes on the night in Casper, Wyoming. I have placed quotations around the word tackled because all I did was run into him and shove him into the boards, which counts as a tackle in indoor football. For this I did receive credit although in my book, a tackle means you wrap somebody up and plant him in the dirt (or synthetic turf). This happened to be the case on Saturday.
On one of the punt coverages, I assisted in bringing down the return man, who was already in the clutches of a fellow Tiger as I got down to him. It's good thing he was already sort of on his way down because I had a pretty healthy running start in his direction and still cleaned him up with some decent umph. This however, wasn't my finest hour on the day.
On a fourth-and-one in the second quarter, defensive coordinator Anders Bysted sent me out as a defensive tackle for a play during a Swans timeout. Anticipating an inside run, he wanted to get some penetration up front. Also, he had told me a few weeks ago that he'd like to put me in on D every so often if he could, just to change things up. Coach Bysted guessed correctly, as they happened to run straight at my gap. On the snap of the ball, I was met with little resistance by the guard in front of me and before I knew it, I saw the ball carrier right in front of me. By now, this was five yards in the backfield and he was firmly in my grasp. On the way down, someone else flew in to help out, but the damage was done. I trotted off the field to a rather fiesty sideline, having not done what I just did for some six years; made me feel young again.
- It was the first time I played a significant time at an offensive position NOT on the offensive line. I spent a few series in the backfield as a fullback, lead blocking on run plays. I had only appeared in the offensive backfield once before in a game, almost eight years ago in a freshman contest in high school (I got stuffed on a two-point conversion), so this was truly a rarity. However, it's something that we will continue to refine over the remainder of the season. It was an awful lot of fun and I look forward to putting the 'full' in fullback in our next few games.
All of this aforementioned firsts could conceivably pile up into this week's "Welcome To ... Moment," as could the fact that we faced a team named after arguably one of the most romantic creatures in all the animal kingdom. Same thing goes for their defense, which featured some pretty wild characters. One of their guys, a Dane, spoke exclusively (and quite often) in English throughout the course of the afternoon. The real kicker though, was that he spoke with a weird attempt at a Texas/southern accent that prompted me to laugh at him, more so than get annoyed with his antics. Him and some of his buddies really took the high road later and started 'headhunting' me, or basically looking for me on the field to try and knock me down. I'll give you three guesses as to how many times they were successful ...
All of this aside, this week's Moment actually took place as the second half was getting underway, while I was returning to our sidelines from our meeting place in the shade. It's quite common for youth players of home teams to attend games and take in some additional football. Most kids here are pretty into it if they play and like to see it any opportunity they get. With that, there were some young Odense lads throwing a pigskin right behind our sideline as we warmed up prior to the third quarter. As I came upon this, a kid of probably sixteen or seventeen wearing his junior jersey ran a route right in front of me and attempted to make a catch with one hand. He was unsuccessful and I cheerfully shouted to him, "Two hands, brother!" Danish kids generally enjoy this type of American lingo, much as Hulk Hogan might have said at the time and he did indeed turn to me with a big smile.
He looked at me and raised his arms, while saying, "ONE hand!" I then saw his point, as the young chap had a left hand but only his thumb and part of his index finger on his right. He was a very happy kid though and knew I didn't mean any insult in my attempted words of advice. I smiled back at him and shook my head in approval that he wouldn't let such a handicap keep him from having fun with a game he clearly enjoyed. I suppose this could have happened anywhere, not just in Denmark, but the fact that it did bumped it up to the number one spot for this week's "Welcome to ... Moment."
Well that's all for now, folks. Sorry again about the delay. Any and all complaints should be directed towards "Tricky Dick" and his Watergate scandal. I'll try and be back soon.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Points Aplenty
Sorry to do this, but the full-length recap will have to wait until tomorrow. Team social outing starting pretty soon and I have to get going. But for now, let's just say that the Swans (yes, the Swans) of Odense served as a tasty snack for a bunch of Tigers hungry for a solid team win. Scoring came early and often for the Big Cats' offense in a 45-0 rout of the homestanding long-necked ones, as the Tigers defense extended its streak of shutout football to 18 quarters. Good win, time to go enjoy it for now. More details to follow tomorrow!
Friday, June 4, 2010
A Walk in the Mindeparken
Scary things going on here. It's June and the weather is actually quite seasonable. Temperatures have been in the mid 60s to low 70s all week and the forecast for our game tomorrow doesn't call for rain, wind, sleet, snow, hail or meteor showers (yet). Outside of practicing and working out, I've been spending a lot of time outside biking and continuing to explore some of the things I've seen in passing. The other day, not willing to go all the way to the beach and jeopardize the nice conditions (if I went, I'm positive Godzilla would have risen from the sea), I decided instead to stay a little closer to home and check out Mindeparken (min-de-pah-ken), which translates to "park of the memories." That translation was provided by a man enjoying dinner (complete with wine) out in the park with his wife; more on my brief, but meaningful conversation with them in a moment.
Mindeparken is about a kilometre from my front step, just passed the Atletion and NRGi Stadium, where I stayed upon arriving in Denmark. It is situated directly in between Århus Bay and Marselisborg Castle. It covers about thirty acres and is linked to an arboretum that I did not venture into on this particular day. With the sun high above and myself feeling a little spent, I spread a towel down on the ground, tossed my earbuds in and tried to doze off for a while. Though, I didn't get much sleep, I did enjoy being outside without having to worry about being drenched in a perrenial downpour. After cycling through a few pages of reading and several Iron Maiden albums, I decided to take a walk around the park, which I honestly hadn't planned on doing then.
Marselisborg Castle is the big white house pictured up above. It's not so much a castle with a drawbridge and moat as it is a fancy mansion with a big fence around it. It was built between 1899 - 1902 and was historically the royal family's summer residence. To this day, the Queen still uses it is a summer vacation spot.
The park was a little bit more crowded than the pictures might suggest, but it wasn't nearly as busy as I've seen it on weekends. Still, there was much going on all around; barbequeing, picnicking, impromptu games of soccer, cricket and something called 'Kongspiller,' which sadly has nothing to do with King Kong, but I will very soon learn how to play and post about later. I followed a pathway that skirts around the main green of the park and ultimately lead to what I initially thought was an amphitheater of some kind, but soon discovered something much more interesting and historically relevant. I approached this structure at its top and eventually found myself looking down into where the majority of the aforementioned memories are preserved.
The monument at Mindeparken was pretty spectacular if I might say so myself. I quickly scurried down the path that leads into its entrance, which gradually descends as it wraps around the side of the structure. Once I got down to the base of the entrance, I was at least fifteen feet below the top portion that is exposed to the rest of the park. I entered and probably scared away a group of teenagers who were most likely up to no good. I gazed around and saw names inscribed into the rounded inner wall of the courtyard. I then walked over to the main inscription directly across from the entrance, located in between four relief sculptures. The garb of the figures in the reliefs, the years atop the inscription ('1914 - 1918') and the many names etched in the limestone brought me to the conclusion that this was a memorial to fallen Danes of the Great War, more commonly referred to these days as World War I.
Through some later research, I learned that this monument was inaugurated in 1934 and lists the names of 4,140 Danes killed in WWI. Even though Denmark was a neutral nation during the conflict, she still traded with both the Central Powers and Allied Forces. She also saw some of her own living in other countries go off as volunteers for those particular armies. Moreover, a number of Danes from the southern part of Jutland (closest to the German border) lived in communities that were almost as much German as they were Danish. Many of these men served for the Central Powers with Germany, even if they were Danish-minded and had little reason to fight. The reliefs each depict a particular event in the timeline of Danish participation:
DEPARTURE: A somber goodbye to those leaving to fight.
WAR: Combat ensues.
PEACE: Weary soldiers rejoice the Armistice.
RETURN: Some wounded and others lost, costs are counted.
As I was finishing up taking in all the monument had to offer, a noisy family rushed in and began a game of tag in the courtyard. Some of the less interested children climbed up on to the wounded soldier above and started hanging and on to the figures and I think I saw one of them picking a grieving Private's nose. That somehow killed the moment and I left, having enjoyed my few moments of solitude. On my way out, I stopped to ask the couple I mentioned earlier a few questions. They were very nice and when I asked them what the park's monument commemorated, they responded "lost Danish soldiers of World War I ... or Two." I said I thought it was the latter, given the dates inscribed, to which they smiled and responded, "yeah, most likely." Before wearing out my welcome (their dinner smelled pretty good), I thanked them and went on my way. A great unexpected adventure indeed, I look forward to returning more often.
That's all for now, bedtime now and game time tomorrow. Be back shortly after with a recap. G'night.
Mindeparken is about a kilometre from my front step, just passed the Atletion and NRGi Stadium, where I stayed upon arriving in Denmark. It is situated directly in between Århus Bay and Marselisborg Castle. It covers about thirty acres and is linked to an arboretum that I did not venture into on this particular day. With the sun high above and myself feeling a little spent, I spread a towel down on the ground, tossed my earbuds in and tried to doze off for a while. Though, I didn't get much sleep, I did enjoy being outside without having to worry about being drenched in a perrenial downpour. After cycling through a few pages of reading and several Iron Maiden albums, I decided to take a walk around the park, which I honestly hadn't planned on doing then.
Marselisborg Castle is the big white house pictured up above. It's not so much a castle with a drawbridge and moat as it is a fancy mansion with a big fence around it. It was built between 1899 - 1902 and was historically the royal family's summer residence. To this day, the Queen still uses it is a summer vacation spot.
The park was a little bit more crowded than the pictures might suggest, but it wasn't nearly as busy as I've seen it on weekends. Still, there was much going on all around; barbequeing, picnicking, impromptu games of soccer, cricket and something called 'Kongspiller,' which sadly has nothing to do with King Kong, but I will very soon learn how to play and post about later. I followed a pathway that skirts around the main green of the park and ultimately lead to what I initially thought was an amphitheater of some kind, but soon discovered something much more interesting and historically relevant. I approached this structure at its top and eventually found myself looking down into where the majority of the aforementioned memories are preserved.
The monument at Mindeparken was pretty spectacular if I might say so myself. I quickly scurried down the path that leads into its entrance, which gradually descends as it wraps around the side of the structure. Once I got down to the base of the entrance, I was at least fifteen feet below the top portion that is exposed to the rest of the park. I entered and probably scared away a group of teenagers who were most likely up to no good. I gazed around and saw names inscribed into the rounded inner wall of the courtyard. I then walked over to the main inscription directly across from the entrance, located in between four relief sculptures. The garb of the figures in the reliefs, the years atop the inscription ('1914 - 1918') and the many names etched in the limestone brought me to the conclusion that this was a memorial to fallen Danes of the Great War, more commonly referred to these days as World War I.
Through some later research, I learned that this monument was inaugurated in 1934 and lists the names of 4,140 Danes killed in WWI. Even though Denmark was a neutral nation during the conflict, she still traded with both the Central Powers and Allied Forces. She also saw some of her own living in other countries go off as volunteers for those particular armies. Moreover, a number of Danes from the southern part of Jutland (closest to the German border) lived in communities that were almost as much German as they were Danish. Many of these men served for the Central Powers with Germany, even if they were Danish-minded and had little reason to fight. The reliefs each depict a particular event in the timeline of Danish participation:
DEPARTURE: A somber goodbye to those leaving to fight.
WAR: Combat ensues.
PEACE: Weary soldiers rejoice the Armistice.
RETURN: Some wounded and others lost, costs are counted.
As I was finishing up taking in all the monument had to offer, a noisy family rushed in and began a game of tag in the courtyard. Some of the less interested children climbed up on to the wounded soldier above and started hanging and on to the figures and I think I saw one of them picking a grieving Private's nose. That somehow killed the moment and I left, having enjoyed my few moments of solitude. On my way out, I stopped to ask the couple I mentioned earlier a few questions. They were very nice and when I asked them what the park's monument commemorated, they responded "lost Danish soldiers of World War I ... or Two." I said I thought it was the latter, given the dates inscribed, to which they smiled and responded, "yeah, most likely." Before wearing out my welcome (their dinner smelled pretty good), I thanked them and went on my way. A great unexpected adventure indeed, I look forward to returning more often.
That's all for now, bedtime now and game time tomorrow. Be back shortly after with a recap. G'night.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
KG looks different these days...
Well, it's 3 am Danish time and momentarily, I'll going to bed none the wiser on the outcome of Game One of the NBA Finals. I received an anonymous tip (actually, three or four, from my teammates; not so anonymous, I guess) the other day that a Danish channel, not unlike PBS, carries a few NBA games a week and will be broadcasting each game of the Finals. Since I don't watch much TV, I don't have a full cable package at home. But, since it was described to me like a pretty standard channel, I assumed that I would have it and even flipped through some stations earlier today, thinking I'd found it. Thus, I took an power-hour nap at one, woke up around tip-off and found an episode of 'The Practice' on the air instead. Shucks. Checking the score when you wake up's as good as watching live, right?? Be back tomorrow (later today, really) with a cool post and some neat pictures.
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