Germany calling….too
Apr 5th, 2007 by Peter
Saturday I’ll catch a ride with my buddy Kojak, and we’ll go across the border to Germany and do some much needed refueling of my wine-rack.
It will be a long 3 hour drive to get there, then a few hours of shopping wine, beer and other goods, and then back home again. 8+ hours away from home. C will stay home this time. She had enough of this Danish tradition last year. She find car rides boring when they are too long (read: more than 30 minutes). She always gets sleepy and can’t enjoy the scenery passing by like I do. On the positive side, she will prepare some yummy Chinese food for dinner for us when we return.
We planned this for a while. One thing that I didn’t plan was that other “call” from Germany.
Chance has it, that I might be writing a short column for a German magazine within the next month or so. Still not 100% agreed, since the editors haven’t been given the go for my first contribution yet. Funny how writing a blog can open doors (and close them too, I guess).
I received an email from one of the guys working at the Magazine a few weeks ago. It included a potential offer to write a short column every 3 months or so. Nothing I’ll get paid for, but since I’ll be writing on my blog anyway and will be allowed to re-use the stuff, it’s really not enough trouble for me to be asking for money. Also I am not a professional writer, so can’t say that I am worth it yet. For now, it’s just a funny new task I look forward to doing.
The deal is that I have to provide approx 1500 characters about life in Aalborg from my personal view. I’ll write in English, but the whole stuff will be translated to German. Fortunately I’ll still have the original English work here to publish on my blog. It seems that I am allowed to find my own style, but let’s see how they react to my first contribution.
Why the interest, you may ask, and I thought the same. The magazine is interested, since its target group is people in Rendsburg. The magazine is local only, as far as I can understand. Rendsburg is a sister city to Aalborg, so that’s the red line. I won’t be the only one writing the column, if they manage to ensnare bloggers from the other sister cities too. That’s also why the interval for my writing is about 3 months.
I sent my contribution yesterday and await the editor’s feedback. If I get a go, I’ll be writing more about this new “job” in the near future and also publish my ramblings here. If they don’t like it, hell, then I’ll just put it here instead. Nothing to lose really.
Congrats! I hope writing for the magazine turns out well for you. And have fun in Germany, that sounds like a really cool trip, oo bad C doesnt like car trips, she would hate it here since everything is so spread out.
Yeah, I know Americans find us Danes a bit whiney about distances. ;-)
You could go almost anywhere in Denmark in less than 4 hours (except for Bornholm maybe), so we’re pretty spoiled in this regard. C is used to big distances, but it’s like she have an internal timer that makes her sleepy when she rides cars, trains and busses.
I hope for good news from the magazine too, but nothing is settled yet. :-)
Wow,go to germany. it’s possible that u can get to another countries very easily.I can’t.China is so huge,if I get across from the north to the south by train,I will probably spend more than 48 hrs.I really long for that kind of life.Congrats,U will be the writer for the magazine.I think it will be very cool.
Yeah, from Denmark it’s pretty easy to go to other countries. Denmark is a tinty country, so no matter what direction you go (car, boat or airplane), you’ll be in another country fast. :-)
And Sweden just across the water .. just tell me when you wan’t to drag C. to Gothenburg – I’ll hook you up :-)
Tnx Gregers. You never know. It may come in handy before you know it.
How did the trip go?
The trip there and home went smooth and it was a good day. Thanks for asking. :-)
A long day, but a profitable one. Bought round 24 bottles of wine at ½ the price here in Denmark. Then some boxed wines too just for everyday use. A few beers too, and some things ordered by the home commander. Expensive all in all, but rather wise in the long run. Well, if I don’t start drinking more wine of course. :-)
Nice:)
So there werent any restrictions on how much booze you can bring back across the border? Does C ever use wine in her cooking? I’ve heard that it can add nice flavors to vegetables and meat cooked in a wok.
There are restrictions, but they are nowhere near what they were 2 years ago. Back then you had to plan in detail what you would buy so you made sure you wouldn’t get punished at the border.
Now I never think about what I bring. The only thing I know is that I can’t buy more that the new max without borrowing money in the bank ;-)
Oh, and C does not use wine in her cooking. Wine is not something that is so big in China that the average Chinese have incorporated it into their dishes….yet.
yet… haha, give her time and she just might start experimenting with your wine, then your trips to Germany may become more frequent!
No way! She already had her way with some of my other much treasured stuff in the kitchen. Enough is enough :-)