long MAPT night II

©expat copenhagen - sun rise, office, model, ... happy

special thanks to Carlsberg, Those Dancing Days, Trentemøller, MAPT guys!

long MAPT night I

It's been quite a while since I experienced a whole night working through. Tomorrow 10 am is the deadline and I am still here, 2:55! It seems as the sun is on its way to rise and I am coming to an end, at least I hope. Till an hour ago I wasnt alone!

Still I'm having a great time here! Had to prepare lunch today, made a cous cous salad and everybody loved it. I'm quite happy about that as well.

So much looking forward to the party on friday!


Es ist schon recht lang her das ich eine Nacht durchgemacht hab. Morgen ist um 10h Abgabe und ich bin noch immer im Büro 2:55! Es sieht so aus als würde die Sonne bald aufgehn bei mir gehts dem Ende entgegen. Bis vor einer Stunde war ich auch nicht alleine!

Dennoch habe ich eine super Zeit hier! Heut Mittag war's meine Aufgabe das Essen zu machen und mit meinem Cous Cous Salat waren alle glücklich und ich war auch recht froh!

So weit für jetzt! Ich freu mich schon auf den Freitag denn da ist Party angesagt!

Nordish Dinner

©expat copenhagen - nordish dinner

After a quite long day I've decided to take advantage of nordish food or else of what is cheaper here then in Vienna! I tried to do something on budget for the region.

prawns & pineapple with avocado dip on plain white bread!

costs: 200g Rejer (Irma, prawns) 25 dkk - 3,2€

one pineapple (stand at christianshavn) 20 dkk - 2,8€

two avocados (Irma) 10 dkk - 1,2 € !!!!!

bread (Irma, cos Bakery was already closed!) 7 dkk 0,9€

carrots on the side (Irma) 10dkk - 1,2€

all together for two portions! Took about 3 min to cut and roast everything and was as delicious as it looks on the picture! So some things are way cheaper here then in Austria and although it's just 15% or so it's still great to have the chance to eat this tasty fresh and organic ingredients! (Irma almost only has organic food!)

So far from my tasty monday dinner, I'll be on my little lovely buddy to draw some construction drawings for the rest of the evening! jeeh

Nach einem langen Arbeitstag heute hab ich mich kurzerhand entschlossen die Vorzüge des Nordens zu genießen oder besser gesagt ein Abendessen mit allem was billiger ist hier als in Wien! Ich wollte was günstiges für diese Region kochen.

Shrimp & Ananas mit Avocado Dip auf einfachem Weissbrot!

Kosten: 200g Shrimp (Irma) 25 dkk - 3,2€

eine Ananas (Stand in Christianshavn) 20 dkk - 2,8€

zwei Avocados (Irma) 10 dkk - 1,2 € !!!!!

Brot (Irma, leider war die Bäckerei schon zu!) 7 dkk 0,9€

Karotten (Irma) 10dkk - 1,2€

Alles für etwa zwei Portionen! Hat auch nicht länger als 3 Minuten gedauert um die Ananas mit den Shrimp zu braten und den Rest zu schneiden! Also einige Sachen sind hier doch billiger als in Österreich und obwohl das nur ein sehr geringer Teil ist (ca. 15%) ist's super solch frische, schmackhafte und biologische Zutaten zu bekommen! (Irma, Supermarkt hat fast nur Bio Produkte!)

Soviel zu meinem Abendessen, ich begebe mich jetzt wieder an mein Lieblingsgerät um einige Pläne zu zeichnen. juhu!

Den Sorte Diamant

den sorte diamant - somewhere on google

©expat copenhagen - jen at the library

Today I went to the Royal Library to study, because at home I'm getting interested in all sorts of other stuff and it makes it hard to concentrate. Actually I have never been a library learner, because I also cannot focus, hearing people whisper, cough etc.. But because I live just a 3 min bike away from the library I decided to give it a go. The black, glossy building (that's why it's called the black diamond) was opened in 1999 and built by Schmidt, Hammer and Lassen. I guess you could argue about the design, but I think it's pretty cool. I like it much better than the opera house, for example.

Well, amazingly the layout of the library is really good, the reading rooms are really quiet and I don't mind the little noise at all! That is very strange indeed as people who know me might think.

But I can really focus here, the tables are nice and spacious and one of the reading rooms looks out to the atrium and the immense glass-facade, so that you can actually look out on the harbour, which is really nice. Also I like the slick, grey concrete, steel & glass construction that they have going on here. May be to minimalistic for some, but it makes me feel calm and relaxed.. Whatever, I love this place!

When it's not raining like today, you can sit outside in reclining chairs on the harbourfront, enjoying a beer or a coffee, depending how long you have been in there ;-)

So far so good, tomorrow I'm leaving for Austria with the night train, taking the doggy with me. I'm curious how it will go, but the last two times Tetsuya was no problem, he was happy to be with us. It's strange to leave again, I feel I have never the time to become more acquainted with the city and the surroundings. When I come back we'll be here for 2 weeks and then again head for Austria to attend the wedding of Paul's sister, which I'm really looking forward to :-)

Well, that's for now, feminist theory awaits me.

Heute habe ich zum ersten Mal in der königlichen Bibliothek gelernt, zuhause werd ich leider immer von allen möglichen Sachen abgelenkt. Eigentlich bin ich kein Bibliothekslerner, weil ich mich selbst dort schwer konzentrieren kann, wenn Leute flüstern, husten usw. Aber die, die mich kennen, wissen das eh ;-) Da wir nur 3 Minuten mit dem Rad entfernt wohnen, hab ich mir gedacht es wär ja nen Versuch wert. Das schwarze, glänzende Gebäude (deshalb "Den Sorte Diamant" - der schwarze Diamant genannt) wurde 1999 eröffnet und von Schmidt, Hammer und Lassen Architekten gebaut. Natürlich kann man über das Design streiten, aber ich finds ziemlich cool. Ausserdem ist das Design meiner Meinung viel besser als das der Oper auf der anderen Seite.

Die Aufteilung der Bibliothek ist ziemlich gut. Die Lesesäle sind ruhig und selbst ich war echt relaxt, was wirklich seltsam ist, wie gesagt, normalerweise macht mich selbst das kleinste Geräusch wahnsinnig.

Konzentrationsmäßig wars also echt super. Die Tische sind groß und einer der Lesesäle sieht hinaus aufs riesige Atrium und dessen Glasfassade. Von dort kann man sogar auf den Hafen und das eine oder andere Schiff sehen, was eine nette Abwechslung ist, wenn man von den Büchern aufschaut. Vor allem mag ich den glatten grauen Beton und die Stahl/Glaskonstruktion des Atriums. Das ist den meisten in unserem Kulturkreis höchstwahrscheinlich zu minimalistisch *g*, aber ich fühl mich in so einer Umgebung wohl, nichts dass die Sinne ablenkt, Goldschnickschnack und Barock-hin-und-her. Aber, wie schon erwähnt: Geschmackssache.

Wenn es nicht regnet, wie heute, kann man draußen sitzen, am Hafen und bei einem Bierchen oder einem Café dem Treiben am Wasser zusehen, je nach dem wieviele Stunden lernen man schon hinter sich hat. ;-)

Soweit so gut! Morgen abends verlassen ich und das Hundzi diesen schönen Ort mit dem Nachtzug in Richtung Österreich. Ich frag mich bereits wie das wird, aber die letzten beiden Fahrten mit dem Zug waren für Tetsuya, den Reisehund, kein Problem. Er ist happy wenn er bei uns ist. Es ist wirklich komisch jetzt schon wieder weg zu müssen! Ich habe das Gefühl ich hatte noch nicht die Möglichkeit mich irgendwie einzuleben. Wenn ich wieder nach Kopenhagen komme sind wir bloß 2 Wochen hier und dann geht's wieder los nach Österreich, zur Hochzeit von Paul's Schwester. Aber darauf freu ich mich schon!! :-)

So viel zum Zeitaufschieben mit dem Blog, jetzt geht's wieder an die Bücher.

News from MAPT

©expat copenhagen - office time

It's a week that I've been working for MAPT and I am very happy to be here. I am working on a model for a little shopping centre in Herluv just outside of Vanløse (outside of Copenhagen). It's nice using both hands to build a model and not only to touch the computer. The represented building got a special roof that is the main issue of the model.

Aside work the office is really nice. All colleagues are friendly, young and nice and most of the people are quite new. I can feel that there is a spirit which could be quite nice. We're having lunch together each and everyday provided by one of us and payed by MAPT. That is really fantastic. So far we had pasta salad, sandwiches, burgers and today chicken wings & ribs with potatoes and salad! Though I am a vegetarian I really liked the potatoes and I feel that they really put a lot of love into preparing the food. While eating everybody is chatting. Most of the times chats are in danish which is still hard though I can at least grab the issue. Cameron and I are the foreigners and we're always switching to english!

Today I also was able to bring the doggy which is also nice and important for me. Of course everybody likes him and he got a nice rib bone treat ;-)

"it brings a good vibe to have the dog in the office! it's really good!"

quote from anders

I think in times like these facing the crisis (although I don't give a shit) it's really nice to be able to start somewhere new and feeling comfortable right from start!

Seit einer Woche arbeite ich nun für MAPT und bin sehr glücklich! Ich arbeite an einem Model für ein kleines Shopping Centre in Herluve etwas ausserhalb des Vororts Vanløse ( nahe Kopenhagens). Es macht mir viel Freude beide Hände zu benützen um dieses Model zu bauen und nicht vor den PC zu sitzen! Das dargestellte Gebäude hat ein sehr spezielles Dach das im Modell zum Hauptpunkt wird.

Neben der eigentlichen Arbeit ist es hier super nett! Alle Kollegen sind freundlich, jung und auch noch nicht lang hier. Ich spüre das ein gewisser Spirit vorhanden ist und dann macht die Arbeit Spass. Wir essen jeden Tag zusammen Mittag, gezahlt von MAPT und zubereitet von immer einem anderen Mitarbeiter! Bisher gabs Pasta Salat, Sandwiches, Burgers und heute Spare Ribs & Chicken Wings mit Kartoffeln und Salat. Obwohl ich Vegetarier bin war das Essen vorzüglich, die Kartoffel und der Salat sehr gut und man merkt das alles mit sehr viel Hingabe zubereitet war! Während des Essens plaudern alle miteinander. Meist in Dänisch was für mich noch immer ein wenig schwierig ist, obwohl ich immer mehr verstehe und zumindest den Kontext begreife. Cameron und ich sind die einzigen Ausländer im Büro und wir wechseln einfach immer auf Englisch.

Heute konnte ich auch den Hund mitnehmen, was unser Leben um einiges leichter macht und mich sehr freut. Alle haben ihn gut aufgenommen und er bekam natürlich nach dem Essen ein paar Ribs ab.

"Es bringt echt gute Stimmung den Hund im Büro zu haben! Ist echt super."

Zitat Anders

Ich glaube in diesen Zeiten der Kiese überall (obwohl ich mich nicht wirklich darüber Gedanken mach) ist es wirklich toll in so einem jungen Büro aufgenommen zu werden!

update, neuigkeiten

Hallo to our followers and Hallo family!

Since most of my family is Austrian we'll have a little change on our blog. From now on all posts will be in German & in English! (Our Danish is not yet so perfect that we can cover that)

Hallo an unsere Leser & Hallo Familie

Da beinahe meine gesamte Familie aus Österreich ist benötigen wir hier eine kleine Veränderung. Alle Posts (Anzeigen) werden von nun an in Deutsch & Englisch sein! (unser Dänisch ist leider noch nicht so gut das wir auch das abdecken könnten)

first working day

I'm happy to announce that I had my first working day today. Now after some hours building a model I'm sitting on the lake watching swans and runners. I'm working in an small architectural office named MAPT (Mediating Architecture Processes and Technology) and as everybody can imagine it was quite hard to get in. The crisis is struggling architects in denmark and I am quite happy that although I am in the position of an intern I'll receive some payment!

The office is located in Nørrebro close to the lakes and with myself there are 13 people working. We (happy to say it in this terms) share the space with fashion designers which haven't been in today. The project I'm working on is a little shopping center in Herlve outside of Copenhagen.

I can't really say anything about my colleges as one day doesn't seem like a proper judgment but most of them are my age and the first impression was good!

I hope to post some more good news soon, till then I'll enjoy some more runners, wooow and the sun! cu

first week

©expat copenhagen - pictures from christianshavn

hej, now that we're living more then a week here in Christianshavn I thought it's really time to name some things I start loving about that area!

1- Lagkagehuset

I guess it's the best bakery in copenhagen :-) they have unbelievably good bread that is still nice after a week! the pie's are also adorable and what jen likes a lot: very good looking!

2-the opera

it's nice living next to beautiful buildings. well as an architect I've got some points to critique about that big house on the holm. but still it is gigantic like a big thing standing opposit to the castle and I like that as a statement! and our doggy likes that not many people yet discovered the nice grass next to it!

3-the nice canals

for me coming from an inland country the sea attracts me. having the canals in front of my doorstep it's amazing to see these nice sailing boats every day. I hope there may never come a day that I oversee them.

4- christiania

well not many of my friends know copenhagen and I think those who know it know christiania. most people know the area around the pusher street, well but that's not christiania for me. the real christiania you discover walking around the lake(s).

so far just some things I start loving about my new home area.

for more pictures go to -click-

the moving movie

©expat copenhagen - the moving movie

after a long long long week jen, tetsuya and I have our first weekend here in københavn. although we are tied to the bed (aka the couch) because I caught a cold, jen is suffering from allergy and tetsuya hurt his leg while running toooooooo hard and enthusiastically on the grass close to the opera.

It's been a hard time the last two weeks packing, moving and unpacking but I somehow got sick of telling the whole story over and over again. For that reason I made a little movie with all our pictures and hope some of you can experience how it was (to move about 1.5 tons of our stuff).

I also want to shoot a special thanks to our friends who helped out even when we lost our last reserves. Also to our family who supported us not only financially but also with love and helpful reminders! And last but not least a special thanks to our new and first danish friends Sune & Kristina who not only rent us their lovely apartment but also help out with any question and also with their muscles for our most precious goods.

this movie is hosted by youtube but you can also watch it in a better quality on my web gallery.

enjoy!!

a life out of boxes

so well, it has been a few days that we have arrived in copenhagen. while paul is taking back the little truck to salzburg I'm fighting with all our stuff that waits to be unpacked and neatly arranged in our new little home. after almost finishing with the kitchen (somehow that's the most important place for me *gg*) I'm now left with a mountain of clothes that we used to wrap the fragile kitchen stuff (nothing broke, yay).

as the weather is so beautiful right now, I decided that the dog (hehe..) absolutely wanted to go out and I couldn't stay inside working in that mess and make the little fella stay in (yeah, blame it on the dog). So I met up with an old friend who happend to be in copenhagen for the weekend and we spend the day in christianshavn, drinking coffee and playing with the doggy on the big grass-space next to the opera at holmen. the children where jumping in the canals, and the daddys where working on their sailing boats, preparing them for the scandinavian summer ahead. it was almost to idyllic to be true. I wanted to go swimming, but I am really a jelly-fish phobic and although the danish friend who was with us told me that only sting "a little" and I should go, I decided that swimming could wait a little longer until I would become more aquainted with the copenhagen medusas.

I read awhile ago that christianshavn is like a village in the city and that its people rarely cross the bridge to the center. I thought this was strange at first, but I haven't crossed the bridge until today :-) I just feel so comfortable with the quietness and all the people relaxing on the canals, picknicking. and there is all you really need: "lakagehuset" for the best friggin' bread and sweets (sadly vienna has lost it's famous bread and patisserie-mojo the last few years), the canals for swimming, enough space to give our doggy a good workout (he needs his 60km/h run every day :-)) and bottega, which has amazing pizza. I also like how young the mothers are and that they take their children everywhere. In vienna most people believe that your life is over once you have babies. I even saw that with a friend, she didn't have anyone, her husband was working and she spent the days at home being depressed for the first 6 months, not knowing othe young mothers (it's considered rather weird to have a baby before turning 35). but here it seems children are just part of life, that somehow starts to take away my fear of becoming a mom! *g* maybe that's why we germans and austrians are dying out and scandinvians happily reproduce themselves :-)

not everything is perfect, though and I wouldn't mind if all the pit bulls from christiania and the straying dogs would disappear, but I guess you can't have everything.

but apart from that I feel really lucky that we have found such a sweet little apartment in an amazing place and that we can afford it and even have a little money left at the end of the month.

I realize, of course, that there is the real life also and so tomorrow is going to be spent with getting our registration certificate, internet, tv and all the bureaucratic stuff that needs to be done. then we have to continue unpacking and so on and so on. I also want to start the danish course as soon as possible, cause I really didn't like the look full of pity that the lakagehuset-girl gave me when I tried to pronounce "kanelsnegl".

I somehow feel very lost when I don't know the language of a place, it makes me feel so isolated so I really need to get going with it!

pics and news will come soon!!!!