My Copenhagen

As soon as I entered Nørrebro, who do I see but Muhammed and his new family. I continue my journey to Stinne's store, love living on Guldbergsgade 22.

Stinne started her store a few years ago because as she said, "I couldn't help it! If someone had told me I would be a shop owner I would have never believed them. But then I realized that I could have a store that actually reflects who I am." The result? An eclectic and warm collection of everything from Ayurvedic beauty products (The Antiseptic cream is amazing!)to designer, vintage dresses.

Walking into love living is like getting access to your stylish Great-Aunt's closet--her store is full of edgy, fun vintage finds and features Danish designers with a eye towards the East. You could get everything from zone therapy, massages, facials, ayurvedic counseling, shoes, bracelets, hats, incense, soap, earrings, dresses, jackets and not least of all, a great chat with sassy Stinne herself.

In short, the store is as dynamic as it's owner, who sums up the dilemma of the average modern-day westerner precisely, when she adds: "In the middle of realizing my dream, I do recognize the irony of the world drowning in poison and yet at the end of the day, we still want to buy dresses. That's just how it is, isn't it?" And for a brief second, I catch a reflection of our generation's anxieties in Stinne's eyes, which is why, in the end, I'm proud to have her as a friend.
In between all of this, the store is bustling with customers, friends and food. There is even time for lunch out on the stoop for the brief time the sun shines. At love living it seems,there is room for everything.

Although I help myself to the fabulous chicken curry, I'm still hungry and since I'm in the hood, I decide to ride over to Kate's Joint on Blågårdsgade. Kate's Joint is an institution here in Copenhagen and I was lucky enough to work there a few years ago. I say lucky enough cause when you walk in to Kate's you walk into another Universe--there's the cook who could be Palestinian, Indian or Chinese. The dishwasher who is Danish and the waiters who usually represent the four corners of the globe, whether you're imagining East Indians from Australia, Colombians, Dominicans, Middle Easterners, New Yorkers--it's the closest I've gotten in Denmark to being in New York.
The food is Indian, African, Caribbean, Chinese, Japanese...and inexpensive.

This time it's Mathias the grumpy German who is waiting on tables tonight (he's also a member of Shine) and when Claudius shows up, the evening is in full swing.

We get into a discussion about the dogs in Christiania--something I never really understood. "I just never got how in a place where you can openly get high, there are lots of huge dogs roaming about. I mean, I couldn't imagine it being a good combination of weed-induced paranoi and roaming dogs. "They're all stray." Claudius adds.
"I'm not so sure about that." I add. We look to Christian, the authentic Dane, to set us straight.

"They're definitely pets--every now and again you'll see someone out looking for their dogs and in the evenings you very rarely see them."
"But they're just so dirty," Claudius continues in disbelief.
"Yeah, but so are their kids," Christian quips.
"There's just mud all over the place," Claudius continues, "they need to clean that place up, make it more sexy."
"No they don't," I add disgusted,"it's perfect the way it is."
"Yeah, but when was the last time you hung out there?"
"Not in a long time, but that's not because of the mud, it's because of the cops. I just don't feel safe when there's a lot of cops around."
And we lament the loss of the free state of Christiania and how much it has changed from the "good old days" to what is seems like now, an occupied territory. Whatever one's opinion may be about Christiania, it definitely was an alternative to the way of life that most of us are surrounded with here, and in that way, it offered relief.
It ends up with a table full of us who are all from somewhere else than here. Mathias asks me, "how do you do it? Don't you find the lack of opportunity here frustrating?" He's from Berlin, and also a new dad. I explain to him that when it comes to the kids, you kind of don't have the luxury of going home again. I add, "You just got to focus on the here and now. Your kids is going to grow up so fast--just focus on the present." He looks at me a bit suspiciously and adds, "You better watch out, you might end up happy with that attitude."

Frank's one of the newest additions to the staff there and comes from the Chinese seaside city of Dalian. He's studying Information Technology here in Denmark and when I asked him the usual question, "Why Denmark?" He told me it was easier for him to get a visa to Denmark than to North America, for example. His English is clear and deliberate and when I asked him when was the first time he saw a Black person, he answered wisely, "I really need to think about that." I ask him what he thinks about communism and he says that he thinks Democracy is the way. "But shouldn't every one have equal access to healthcare and education?" "But we have to pay for those things in China," we were all surprised to hear that. "I really love the idea of communism," Frank continues, "But it doesn't seem we can get it right." By this time Juan shows up, another ex-Jointer. Juan is Columbian and we soon get to chatting about the African presence in Columbia, about Livertos--or all the Blacks who came to South America.

Later, we end up at a concert and bump into a friend of his, an Argentinian named Gido. He complains, "I have been coming to this country for 30 years now, and nothing has changed except the Metro and the price of everything has doubled. Back then, a beer was 10Kr, now it's 20. Nothing has changed, this city has stayed the same." The conversation continues in Spanish and I try to apply whatever Spanish I do know but to no avail. A guy from Uruguay joins us and Gido tells a joke as Juan translates: Jesus is sitting at the last supper with his disciples. In front of him is the biggest mound of cocaine. He sneezes and it ends up on the faces of all his apostles. Judas,outraged, stands up and points his finger in disbelief, at Jesus, "And this is the man I have to betray?" They all laugh as I stand confused and live up to what I am sure is their idea of me, the dumb American (Not to mention that I know nothing of cocaine or of cocaine etiquette).
Tomorrow I'm off to a book party for a Copenhagen Guidebook (The Copenhagen Guide)I contributed to. I'm looking forward to that.
I'm out...
the lab