Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Learn Danish with Audrey - lesson 1

So here are some of my favorite words in Danish so far:

- fart: If you see a sign on the side of the road that says "Din fart: 49 km/h", it doesn't mean that Danish people like to have a farting competition to see who can fart the fastest :) Fart in Danish is your speed.
- slot = identically, if you see directions to "frederensborg Slot", it will not take you to the prostitute of the city, but rather to the castle. Oh and yes - there are a LOT of "Slots" in Denmark, so these signs are everywhere :)

yes, I know, a bit childish....but still, I can't help but smile when I see them - and to the Foremans: I know you too would be laughing and taking pictures of you standing by these signs, you know you love it too :)

Haaaa yes, the innocence of learning a new language again :)loving it! Ok, this was a short lesson, but come back soon for more words and funny expressions.

Monday, December 28, 2009

want to move to Greenland, anyone? :)

After seeing this, you'll probaby all want to :) We all had dinner at Troels' parents, and Hanne made us Greenlandic coffee - she taught there for a year and loves their culture! She had told me about the Greenlandic coffee before.....but this was even cooler than I expected - it just puts any Irish coffee to shame!!! Ames sensibles (and Pregnant women) s'abstenir, this drink is quite strong.

So here is how she learned how to make it:
- You start with a shot of whiskey - which represents the strength of the Greenlandic natives
-Then add coffee - as dark as the long winter Greenlandic nights
- Then a shot of Kahlua - for the sweetness of the Greenlandic people.
- Followed by some whipped cream that you add on top of the drink - like the beautiful icebergs of Greenland.
- And last but not least, you heat up Grand Marnier in a spoon and light it up into flames, and slowly poor the alcohol on the drink, like the Northern lights falling on Greenland.

Now I can't wait for baby to be born to prepare a round for everybody - including myself :)

Copenhagen

An another freezing day in DK, which didn't stop us from going to KBH (Copenhagen in short here). Even though all we really did, in the end, was trying to stick in some vague points of interest of the city (Little mermaid, old port, main plaza) in between restaurants and coffee shops so that we could stay warm - looking at it, we probably we spent more time eating and drinking than anything....but we get a good grade for trying, right? :)

1. The LITTLE Little Mermaid; 2. Street around the old harbour; 3. Who wants another cup of coffee? :); 4. The little Mermaid, bar-version - as you can see some of her attributes are "slightly" larger :D



Sunday, December 27, 2009

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Sweden!


The port of Elsinborg, Sweden

With my parents and Soazic visiting, we thought that a fine rainy day would be the perfect occasion to go visit one of our favorite places in the whole wide world - SWEDEN. Just a 15-minute ferryboat ride away from where we live, Danish people can thus very conveniently travel to their Scandinavian arch enemies. Let's just say that the relationship between Swedish people and Danes is very similar to that of the British and the French - That is, a very old love-hate relationship, fueled by who won the last soccer games and such other very crucial battles:) Haaaaaa good old grudges :)

In any case, a quick little stroll to walk (be pushed, for me) up to the top of the port....and back down to the ferry :) The weather was just awefull anyway, so we came back home where it was warm and "hyggelit" - a favorite and very important concept in the Danish culture, I shall tell you more about "hygge" in a later post!

Grrrrrrr Sweden! Nothing like swearing at your enemies in their own country :D

8-month pregnant women and stairs = just not the best combination!!! thanks Troels for giving me a hand though ;)

Dear Advertising: - Thank you so much for always making this world a better place! Please stay true to yourself. Love always, Audrey.

Mmmmmmmm Gammel Dansk :D

Nothing like a good old shot of Gammel Dansk before breakfast, right Soazic? :D Sorry darling, but you know....it's Danish tradition :D

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sweet sweet viking land

Troels had promised me nothing but gray skies and rain to me once we move to Denmark - oh and I was soooooo looking forward to it......but so far it's been all but that! Blue skies for a few days, snow falling the next, and repeat the pattern over and over - it's like Denmark prepared a little welcome present for us, to Troels' surprise :) Everywhere we got the landscapes just look beautiful...well, if you don't look at all the cars stuck in the ditch on the side of the road :D Keep the faith people, I am sure that you too can think that snow is making Denmark a sweet sweet viking land. Yes you can :)


Taking a walk by the Baltic see with Steffen, Kaare, Line, Rasmus and Mads who didn't want to keep his hands in the warm under the blanket :)

Friday, December 18, 2009

Spinning my wheels

Literally and metaphorically. With the cold and snowy weather we've had since we arrive, the wheels of the cars were spinning on a few centimeters of ice today as we were driving back from Ikea to troels' parents house - an almost daily ritual for us these days (The Ikea cafeteria almost feels like home these days "babe, will you have the meatballs again?" "No I think I'd rather have the salmon today?" - quite pathetic I tell you :).

And the wheels spinning and spinning and spinning around made me realize why exactly I've been feeling a bit frustrated for a couple of days- because my own wheels have been like spinning on ice! Going going going but yet not really moving: still working for AOL and waiting on news as to when my last days will be, buying things and things for the house and building furniture and yet we're still not quite able to move there for a few more days....and have contractions over contractions but I know that our little girl is tricking us and she's not quite ready to come out for a while (thankfully!). Of course, my wonderful pregnancy hormones are making me a lot more frustrated than I should be - Troels "Noooooooooooo you think?:D" .....but it is too much to just ask for a little push to get things going? :) Just a little push to get out of the ice.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Bienvenue Enzo!

Everybody is so happy that you are here! Congrats to my cousin and his girlfriend, a nice little Christmas present for you :)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Be kind, Rewind


A vague feeling of deja-vu here, as our apartment empities out once again. Slowly packing boxes and selling furniture before the movers come to take care of the rest...Bye bye New York, bye bye stinkeby, we love you but it's time for us to go. Denmark here we come! Another Frenchie and geek on the run :)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Cowboyland for Thanksgiving

One last quick trip before we head back to Europe - and before I can't fly no more with our little tinymus in my belly. Two weeks and we are moving....8 weeks and baby's here! Crazy!!!

In any case, direction Arizona for oh-so-lovely Turkey Day. We just had the best time - sun for a couple days, snow on Saturday and Sunday. Only in Arizona :) On our schedule: hike in Sedona (oooh did I think I was gonna make it up that hill??? Tinymus you're getting heavy!), Grand Canyon, Freezbe golf with the Foremans, dinner with Emily, sunday football and chicken wings....and of course TONS of food for Thanksgiving....hhaaaaa pure bliss!

Found my cowboy - yeaaaaahhhaaaaaa:)

The first person that tells me my belly looks like one of the big huge rocks by the river.....goes in the DAMN RIVER!!!!
...not like I didn't warn you :D You look brave in there my love.....but we both know you were freezing to death :)
For once, Brian stayed ON the bridge:)
Freezbee golfing.....mmmmmm thought I had enough training at home with the Wii.....real freezbee golfing kicked my butt!
No matter how many times you look at it....it's a BIIIIIIIG hole!
My huuuuubby :)

Friday, November 20, 2009

Christmas CAN be scary :D

Troels and I went on a little gateway weekend, not too far, just to New Jersey, because we wanted to go ooooooooooh-shopping at the Woodberry Commons on Saturday. On Friday night Troels booked a room in a small bed and breakfast place - and if the fact that Christmas was approaching hadn't hit me yet.....it sure hit me right in the face as soon as we entered the house. The place was a lovely little house....but it just looked like Santa litteraly threw up in that house :D

Christmas song books on the piano, red and green decorations EVERYWHERE, etc etc....oh but my favorite of all? The woman's display of her collection of Santas. Just plain scary...and this was just a small bit of what she had. Santa has never scared me off before.....but I think that that night I actually had nightmares. Never thought I would ever say this, but actually....too much Christmas kills Christmas!!! Get off the red and green people!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Ella est la :)

Yifhat and Yoav's little Ella arrived on Monday :) We got to go see her at the hospital and she is just the cuttest little thing - well, not so little, 3.8kg....go figure why her mum is happy to not have to carry her around in her belly :) Welcome to this world, Ella!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Some Doreah Love

Even five minutes of it, it's always nice - I'll take it:) Doreah stopped by our building for 5 minutes this weekend, to give us a big hug. Hope we can see each other a bit longer next time, sweetie!

The High Line

I had been wanting to go on a walk on the High Line (a park in New York City that was built on old supsended train tracks that run through the West part of the city)ever since we moved to New York - and Satuday we did. Saturday, best day of the year - cold, rainy and windy day :D Haaaa, we just have such a way of picking our days :D

So no pretty pictures this time around since the weather was so terrible-except one beaaaaaaaaautiful iPhone pic of Troels and me and my hair flying around! But below are some pictures of what the High Line really looks like. Maybe we'll try again before we leave....although we are running out of time now. Only three more weeks in New York....and so much to do!




Thursday, November 12, 2009

Where the party's at :)

Looks like our little Tinymus is having fun in there! Going left and right and up and down.

Tinymus - I am wondering what you've been doing in there, turning my belly into your little playground? hehe You've been hard to catch though! I've been trying to get this video for a few days. You usually stop moving as soon as I grab the video camera...camera shy before birth, are you? :)

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Who's wearing the pants now?!

Tricky little ones. I've been working on creating a good pattern for these little baby pants in the past couple of weeks. No perfect, but I think I am getting there. I made these with an elastic band + extra reversible length at the bottom so that baby can wear these pant a pit longer as he/she grows up.

Problem is - I don't have a little one try these on and make sure they fit right :) hahah oh so if you get one of these in the mail, my lady friends who just had babies.....just don't get offended if they don't "quite" fit :D You're part of the experience! xoxox



Thursday, October 29, 2009

Happiness 101

Happiness starts with a swing and an apple tree by a little house in the prairie :)This is our new house in Denmark, we're moving there this December - hurra hurra hurra!

Friday, October 16, 2009

burn the floor on broadway & think about life in my head

This weekend my friend Julien was visiting - hehe yes another guest for the Belliard Smit Hotel-, and we all went to a show on Broadway called "Burn the Floor" - supposed to be ballroom dancing, re-invented.

While I was rather disappointed by the show itself (I didn't really think that they reinvented anything...classic moves, classic costumes...oh and the music, I thought I was in the movie Ghost half the time, and Flashdance the rest of the time with a mix of Viva Mexico here and there), I enjoyed going to the show because it made me think about my life a lot. It made me think about salsa dancing, something I used to LOVE and do all the time in Tucson, and that has somehow slipped out of my life.

How I miss my salsa friends!!!!

And from then on I started thinking about all of these other things that I've picked up at some point or another in my life, and that are gone now. Some of them for the better. But others I really miss, and wish I was still doing them. I know, you will tell me - I try to do so much and am interested in so many things that it would be hard to keep up with all of these things I life to do. But still. Can I still dream that it's possible for me to be SuperWoman and do them all? :)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Dreams of purple flowers

Another sewing project, this time not for our little tynimus, but for Ella - the little girl that our friends Yoav and Yif are expecting for November. Yif gave me fabric that she had left over from her wedding dress because she had no use for it, so I thought I'd make a little dress and matching shoes for Ella as a suprise. My first dress working without a pattern too :) Hoping that they will like it - the pink it showing much brighter on the pics than it actually is.




25 weeks!




Only 15 more weeks to go and we can hold you, little Tinymus :)

Friday, October 2, 2009

Love in the City


Courtesy of our friend Dani, who took this pic when we had no idea. I love it :)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Showering Yif's baby :)

Nothing like a bachelor-wedding-babyshower party :D Lots of friends, food (yummmm ribs by Troels and guacamole by Dani, delicious!) and drinks. Our friends Yoav and Yif had already celebrated their union in Israel, where going to get the real wedding done the day after at City Hall, and are expecting a little girl for November. Talk about staying busy!


Tyler was just cracking up all night -later on I saw him dance and sing for the first time.....it was priceless :D

Yoav and Meredith

Just a happy happy night :)

Yif and one of her presents - Wash towels shapped into a "Sushi" platter....oh this is SO New York.

The pregnant ladies and the dessert.....typical picture :D

Friday, September 18, 2009

And you'd think by now I'd hit the balls....

But NO! I am still lame at playing golf!!!! :D And loving it. Out at Chelsea Piers with my little bro and sweet Alex.


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Crazy HAIR!

Not talking about my own hair - although it very well could have been given they way I am treating it! My hairdresser is going to scream next time she sees me. No, I am talking about the musical that we saw this week with Sarah, Elodie, Troels and my bor - thanks for picking the show girls! It was really unexpected for me, so different from any of the other shows I've seen on Broadway so far....hlafway through the show, the entire cast gets naked on stage!!!!! I was so shocked - not that they were naked, but that they were naked on a fairly mainstream show. Amazing how the cast drew us in. Tons of fun!