We Have Half a Home

This morning at approximately 10AM we got keys to our flat! For those who don't know, a flat, is the equivalent of a US apartment yet slightly different. So you will probably hear that term a lot from me because really, it is very much a flat, and completely different then an apartment. Our furniture arrives on Tuesday and the movers unpack us on Wednesday.

ANYWAYS, yes, we got our keys this morning and now have complete access to our place. Our relocation agent, Flemming, picked us up from our hotel this morning and took us to our flat where we met the agent for the home owner. The two agents went through the apartment making notes about things that weren't in tip top shape (inventory if you willl) and read the meters and make a note of it, and show us a few things we might need to know about (fuse box, opening the canopy, working the fridge, finding the storage room) and of course, give us the keys. Flemming took us to ISO, a grocery store here to make sure we know everything we needed to know about them (which of course we did, though there were 1 or 2 minor things that have changed in the past 3 years. Mostly to do with recycling..yes in the grocery store, I'll get to that later). He then took us to TI and I ate lunch with Michael in the cafeteria there, left and went back to ISO. I got some Lime Light (for calcium in the shower) and garbage bags, Kleenex, cough drops, paper towels and a bottle of wine ( the bottle of wine was for tonight though, not the flat). While standing in line I met a nice guy in his 30's probably that I understood perfectly(because he spoke to me in Danish) that told me that another line was much shorter, so I followed him over. At some point while we were standing ther he realized I only spoke English and started talking to me. When the lady in front of him started having problems with the debit card machine he apoligized and said it was his fault I was standing there because he put me in that line. Of course, nice me just laughed, said it as nothing and it wasn't his fault. I think he felt bad..we chatted a bit in line and after I checked out he was still bagging up his stuff and said Have a Happy New Year, and I said, thank you and you too and he responded with, "take care". It sounds silly and simple but it reminded me of how incredibly friendly and nice the Danes are once you start speaking with them. At first they can seem almost standoffish when you are use to friendly Texas ways..especially West Texas ways and especially especially Lubbock West Texas ways, but once you get to know them, or break the ice a bit, they are such a friendly people here. After ISO I headed back to the flat and dropped it all off and looked around again and headed back home. Michael worked for about 2 hours after I left him and headed back this way too. We went to the gym, had a glass of wine, went down to the lobby bar/cafe for another glass of wine and dinner and now we are back up here and I am writing this.

The Danes are getting very excited for New Years and if we hadn't lived here previously I would think we were in a VERY bad part of town because of all the gun shots. Luckily I know, they are just fireworks randomly going off. I can't WAIT to show video and pictures from New Years Eve here, it is insane, and like nothing I have ever experienced before. It cannot be described in words, though when New Years Day comes, I will be up to the challenge because it will be fresh in my mind.