July 31 Sunday Sunday, Jul 31 2011

Third day on the job

TYpical morning breakfast of oatmeal with milk and lingonberry jam

rye crisp with butter and cheese (there is mystery deli meat daily)

coffee is carried to the 14 serving stations (in this tent–there’s another)

10 caraffes at a time each holding 3 liters

milk and juiceand something  resembling tuna or other mysteryfish

Check the bulletin board onteh Spring Town info center

catch the special needs jitneyto the QUEST Forest and don my cave man costume.

We run 1250 scouts throughthe maze  each hour 2 before lunchand 2 after.

thenclean and repair the maze and its 40 challenge games

and we’re off for the day!

wander up to the Global Development VIllage tovisit with other organizations of ethics

or tour the main square and it’s scout shop ($400 million business just yesterday)

post office or bank

Every thing is for sale just as the real world.

or go down the avenue of flags with all the coutry tents, many of whichare restaurants with great ethnic food at great european prices ( I need to raise my debt ceiling tomorrow)

I have run into folks i met at powderhorn or leave no trace training or philmont training whohave been able to help me in a pinch (i’m running off of Jacques’ converter at the moment while he dines.

time for early to bed

only a 1/2 kilometer from the noisy cafe with loud music onthestage until 12 or 2am

got earplugs form a tennessee scouter who providid security for the Prince of Saudi Arabia at opening night

 

 

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25 July Quick report Monday, Jul 25 2011

25 July Quick report

Been on Swedish soil 7 hours,2 of which were standing in lien at checkin with 5000 other ISTs

2d check-in got the tee shirt patches and nicker.

3d checkin got my official BSA nametaqg (they didn’t tell us they would suppluone so I ordered my own and it arrived the day I departed.) And usa tent.

Took a while to find which of 15: 30×30 meter square areas I was assigned to.

Dinnerinthe mess tent 5-10 PM every night open seating. They ran out atmy station(#13) 2 or 3 times before I got the rice with chicken and sausage, sour cream and sweet/sour sauce fruit juice and coffee.

Later there being served pirogis or katsu patties.

Just the IST area is huge ½ by 1 km. Thenther are the 3 big camps each with sub camps.

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23 July Scout parent “meeting” Sunday, Jul 24 2011

Scouts in Denmark are co-ed and divided by age. Micro 5-6 Mini 7-9 Junior 10-11 Trop 12-16 Senior 16-23 up (Seniors are actually of drinking age over here 16)  http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Det_Danske_Spejderkorps

Local Havaarti 1st Group includes micro mini junior and troop so far. Ten parents were to get together for a barbecue without the children Saturday night. About 8 km west of Copenhagen.
(Borrowed car coming in handy. Kids walk to their sitters Oma & Papa live a few doors away.) Young Scouts are able to go out into neighboring forests at night without adult supervision. There’s always a few carrying cell phones. Last example: a compass course to be negotiated after sunset in April.

The house was something to behold. Think “Scandinavian design”. Hardwood floors, white built-ins. But also the vegetable garden and rainwater collection tank. A solar room and a greenhouse. Wall between kitchen and dining had been removed making a great space for 6-8 people to prepare dinner. Three of us took charge of the barbecue.

Great dinner of barbecued loins, spareribs and flavored links with salads and of course Danish beer.
One parent, a member of the Danish Ale Club is the local expert. We sampled several varieties including three (beta) test brews, responses from which the brewer will decide on their next general distribution.

Later the hard drinks came out and the candy. Everyone had a different variation of “Irish Coffee” to try. Then some Tequila shots. After one irish coffee and no wine, I settled back to nursing a beer, until my host family pleaded to leave, because of MY jet lag! At one point in the evening I was able to announce that “I was officially re-hydrated.” part of my jet-lag prescription.

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23 July Arrival in Denmark. Sunday, Jul 24 2011

Whoh! I must have dropped my jacket exiting the airport. I failed to keep to my system of “only one place for each item” and the jacket slipped from a temporary place of tucked into a shoulder strap.

The good news. Passport control was a smile and a stamp. Customs was non-existent. There were Chris and his son Felix waiting. Chris’s comment on customs, “Welcome to our civilized country.” Parking was less than 100 paces out the door.

Drive home in a borrowed car (with gas at $11.00 per gallon, nobody drives and fewer have cars.)
Modern European dwelling over retail. 1st floor (ie 1st above ground floor.) Get settled in and reorganize my big bag. Gifts to the family and a welcoming Carlsberg.

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22-23 July Sunday, Jul 24 2011

The 2 chaps turned out to be from Hamburg, and when they got their 2 wines (one for now one for later with dinner) they took it to mean drink two at a time. Went back for more beer (Grolsch and Heineken) Scotch (Johnnie Walker Red Label) which they drank with, ugh, 150 ml Cokes!
I showed them how to enhance the scotch flavour with a “wee dram of water” mit ein bischen wasser, but they proceeded heedless of caution.
Much later they finally were told “the bar is closed”. When I finally had my Grolsch- only my second beer officer after a fine bitters (Fullers London Special Ale) with my veggie lasagna, they wondered. I said “Mama’s told you ‘no’.”

I was actually awakened when the plane touched down at Heathrow.

We had to exit the secure area to go to a different terminal (Tram shuttle to the main hall)
British security was just as tight. Signs and displays showing forbidden items and acceptable sizes. An attendant handed out zipper bags for us to collect our liquids. I had to ditch the second wine, and I remembered to stow the toothpaste from the BA goodie bag with the rest of the Scotch.)

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23July Sat Copenhagen Sunday, Jul 24 2011

23July Sat Copenhagen
arrived 1-ish
morning rain was drying up
A few showers in the afternoon.
Locals: “unusually wet for July.”

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22 July Sat British Airways Sunday, Jul 24 2011

22 July Sat British Airways. Even though I had chosen the cheap route SFO DFW LHR CPH, the BA service was outstanding-worthy of the name. Goodie bag on the seat with the blanket and pillow had loaner earphones for the current and classic movie choices toothbrush and paste. Are they trying to tell us something? Long flight.

Behold the 4 seats in the back row are empty. Wait; I had ambled back to the gate after my repast, and the picture of the mutant pretzel, only o hear “now boarding rows 46-55” Walked right in; sat right on down. Then got up to stretch.
Not for long; a couple, she looking like a Kelly Ripa clone came and dumped luggage on all the seats. The steward is saying, “there’s a chap sitting here.” They eventually after a little duel to claim the one unoccupied seat. Later two chaps changed to the two left seats.

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23 July Sat DFW Sunday, Jul 24 2011

23 July Sat DFW 2-hour+ layover, plenty of time to shop around for a good dinner. I choose pubs by looking at the tap handles for something new and different. This one had Shock Top Belgian white. Think I had it before in Arnold, CA. Asked for what Texas beers they had. Only Shiner Bock. How about something smaller than their half-pound burger—enough for 3 of me. Their pub bites included a pair of “drunken roast beef” sliders. Just right with a few shoestring fries. AND the meat for the meal came from only one animal. Easier to thank one cow than 10,000 cows for one McDonald’s burger.

I had stopped by the gate for BA-requiring using the tram to get to the other end of terminal D. (could have walked, but the signs said…. Friendly agent checked my travel documents (passport-this trip I have one not expiring for at least three months after returning-somethig Scandinavian immigration wants. Not like Nicaragua in 2004, when my passport was expired!)

As I left, agent came out to catch me wondering if I wanted to change seats. (I .had paid $30 to choose online, taking the last row right aisle on the 737. This for the extra wide aisle at the rear emergency exit for stretching and the proximity to the heads.)

The food options other thanrealrestaurants seem to be americanjunk. A new low in taste sensations: the pepperoni pretzel (see pix.)

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22 July Sat American Airlines. Sunday, Jul 24 2011

By the time I had gotten online to choose a seat, there were, like, TWO left. Each a middle seat on the local plane. No knee room no elbow room. This big, old man between 2 disinterested young females. Oh well It’s only 3+ hours. And they have Wi-Fi…turns out for $12.95 per trip.fuggetaboutit.

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22 July Fri SFO + Sunday, Jul 24 2011

I really need that first cup of coffee after. Do I go for the Starbucks and plan ona longwait for security?
No. Hunker down and get the chores done. Oops, no waiting at the TSA station. Having put EVERYTHING doubtful in my check-through, the scan is easy enough. (Don’t even think about having to choose between x-rays and pat-downs.) My aura beats your nervousness in spades. The people in Southern Sudan and Somalia need your good thoughts today more than you do.
Laptop (actually a smaller, “netbook”) hat shoes jacket belt and pockets into 3 trays. Done!

Hey, there’s a Peets between TSA and the gate! Plenty of time to enjoy it.

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