Like rests of cigarettes placed among cobblestones, the newest Woody Allen film's posters are everywhere here. If it wasn't for the fact I have to be away from the city this weekend, I'd sure be going to the movies. Sometimes I forget it's still november, and every day is slightly darker than the day before. I feel like the time is wrongly set on my mobile, and I might have gotten up way too early, as I walk towards the station. "It's just very cloudy, it might be the reason". Inside the train, a group of women talk and laugh loudly, whereas a grumpy looking old man raises one eyebrow now and them, secretly wishing they left the area. A mother and a little child walk to find a place to sit, I just stand and wait. At my first destination, we're always welcome with happy melodies coming from a violin, and nobody seems to care, although it's cheerful in a relievable waý. If it's early morning and the metro is delayed, heads form a pool of people. I could wait for the next, but what the hell, those inches left are just enough, and I exit at the next stop, where once again there's music, this time, The girl from Ipanema coming from a saxophone.
On my way back, I talk to an armenian young woman, who says she's going home, because it's way too cold. She says there are all four seasons in her country, a long and hot summer, and a lovely winter, snowy and sunny. "Denmark is just so boring. It's cold, dark, windy, it rarely snows. In Armenia, it's even colder in temperature terms, but the sun makes it up to you. And there are the mountains...". She says she doesn't miss her country, although she misses warm people. These kind of comments are really common coming from foreigners, I've heard it a million times, but it's always interesting to hear it again, in different ways. Complains about danish people's mood are the most common ones. I've heard it from south americans, asians, north americans, middle easterns, africans and even north europeans... However, I never got the "it's cold and I'll stay at home" thing, funny how people used to the cold weather (danes included) do it a lot. I can walk for hours outdoors, while shopping, for example. The most annoying thing is entering in a heated store wearing infinite layers of garments, but you have no other alternative. Hot and Cold, Cold and Hot, warm drinks, cold drinks... And then I got my first winter cold of 2008. It might be just allergy, too. Right now I have a sore throat and my nose is literally "crying". And then I have a birthday party to attend tomorrow, about 5 hours away from here (I calculate distance by time, not km). First winter cold, and also first winter "snow", as it quickly disappeared.
17 comments:
Haha, that's funny. I think the Danes are considered the "warmest" of the Scandinavian peoples ;) If they're viewed as cold, us Norwegians and the Swedes and the Finnish must be like ice sickles!
I loved this post! The way you describe your day is so vivid, I could almost see and hear the things you saw and heard.
I also relate to many things you wrote here. The music, the seemingly infinite amount of people... these are scenes I live every day as well here in New York.
And also the foreign people's opinions on the new country where they live. It's the same here in the US, no matter where I am, and no matter who I'm talking to: "People are so cold, nobody cares about each other." "I don't miss my country, but I wish the people here were more like they are back home."
It's fascinating to see how humans behave the same, no matter where we're from or where we are.
And one last thing, I'm dying to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona!!! I just never got to catch it at the theater, so now I'm just waiting until it is released on DVD.
And I almost forgot! (hehe). I read last year that the Danish people were the happiest in the world!
Also, I have a friend from The Gambia who has traveled to many, many places, and he said his favorite people were the Danish.
I guess everyone's perceptions change after they begin to actually live in the place, and not just pass by.
And when I read the person was playing The Girl from Ipanema, I was instantly reminded of how a couple weeks ago, a group of jazz musicians in Central Park was playing Corcovado :)
Romeika!
Tenha um fim de semana feliz!
Mil beijos querida!
Maja, I've heard of that to haha I remember once an argentinian friend of mine told me the rest of Scandinavia sees the danes as "wild beings", oh jeez..:-)
Rita, I suppose NY city is far richer in these terms, I mean, CPH is a "small" city compared to a real big city. It's funny you say that about people living in US and having the same perception of foreigners living here in DK, including americans:-) Danish people are indeed the happiest people in the world according to a certain research, I believe they based their happiness on life quality, social services, etc. Not subjective happiness.
I mean, during winter time, it's sad that over 40% of danes suffer of depression. I agree with you, our perceptions' change, and after all, everything is subjective. Oh, I wish more musicians, amateur or not, performed more brazilian popular music here haha:-)
Kira, vc tb, bjs!
Adorei o relato do fim da sua semana. Como uma curiosidade: você sabia que o novo filme do Woody Allen obteve o melhor desempenho do diretor num final de semana de estréia em todos os tempos aqui no Brasil???? Parece que existe luz no fim do túnel para a platéia de cinema brasileira... Nem tudo está perdido! :-)
Bom final de semana!
Hi Romeika,
As a true Dane I must admit that I hate our winters more and more - maybe its an age-thing, I don't know..Its especially the darkness. It didn't bug so much when I was younger, but now arrg.
I actually just wrote a post about surviving the Danish winter on my blog- funny how November makes you think about the weather.
The thing about us Danes being cold always makes me a bit sad and I heard it from a lot of people too - I have no clever answer for it - I mean, I lived in Paris for a while and the people there seem just as 'cold' as us Danes.
Hugs from a very warm Dane ;)
Achei os dinamarqueses tao 'warm & friendly' quando visitei! E fui no inverno tambem. Mais um post lindo com fotos mais lindas ainda, adorei!
Tenha um otimo fim de semana!
Bjs!
xx
i never thought of danes as boring, but then, i've never had to ride on the train with them.
i remember you saying last year that danish people sat in their living rooms in winter. you'd walk past their homes and wonder why they weren't out doing things.
but that's ok, even bears hibernate in winter, i'm sure for a good reason.
i love street saxophone music. the way it bounces off buildings and doorways, sometimes so sad it almost makes me cry.
even in summer.
What a lovely post =].
I love walking in the cold, as long as I am all wrapped up. The chill on your face is so fresh! It is annoying entering heated shops with so many layers on though!
I have never met a Dane but I'm sure that a whole nation cannot be in a negative mood =]! In fact, I'd love to visit Denmark!
I loved you post! Really nice detailling. I really want to see the new Allen, and will try as hard as I can next weekend. And, for the finishing sentence, it really can't be measured by km, "always the hours...".
Ciao!
Seguindo a onda dos demais comentários, também adorei esse post, de um estilo único que só você sabe fazer!
Muito interessante seu texto, Romeika. Sobre Woody e seu Vicky, vc leu meu texto e sabe o que eu achei. Mas algo me diz que você vai amar!
Bjos!
sorry i've missed your posts :( lovely photos here and i love the parkinson stuff, stunning
also cute blue dress you were wearing below!
That description sounds so much like Seattle, I heard it [again] just the other day from a New Yorker of all people.
Eu adoro a Dinamarca e os dimamarqueses (minha mãe e meus avós são daí)! Mas no inverno os dias ficam tão curtos...
Lindas fotos!
Kamila, eu li sobre isso na UOL, que boa noticia! Acho que aquele poster-colirio contribuiu bastante hehe:-)
Hi Line, the winter can be quite tough:-S It's funny you mention this about Paris, like Rita (above) mentioned about people living in NY city. Perhaps in big cities people tend to be more individual, therefore more distant, so this isn't a danish "privilege". Even in Brazil it's like that in very big cities. Hugs back ^.^
Brigadeiro, eu ja ouvi isso de outras pessoas, parece q os dinamarqueses sao mesmo os mais "calorosos" da Escandinavia haha bjs!
Seraphine, your first sentence *lol* haha so true... The hibernation thing doesn't bother me anymore, I can always go to the city, and I'll see people, unlike in the city I lived before. I love street sax too:-)
She's dressing up: thanks! And I agree with you, it's wrong to generalize, there's warm people here too.
Wally, indeed, "always the hours"... ;-)
Vinicius, obrigado:-)
Kau, eu tenho expectativas medianas quanto ao filme, espero q vc esteja certo. Bjs!
Jayne, it's ok, and thanks:-)
Ambika, I suppose all big cities have a similar atmosphere.
Carolina, o inverno realmente (usando um termo bem nordestino) eh brabo! hehe Brigado:-)
Post a Comment