h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not so convinced that Chinese food tastes better when using chopsticks, but once mastered, they're actually a much more practical way of eating Chinese (and other oriental food) than with a fork, as the food has of course developed over the hundreds of years to be suited to being eaten with chopsticks.

I have to say though, eating soup in the Orient is not for the faint-hearted! I made friends with a Japanese guy while I was in Vietnam (he was a very nice chap and had a great sense of humor). We ate dinner together, which included a Vietnamese soup - some meat and a spinach-like vegetable in a stock. He slurped the whole lot into his mouth in two or three gos! Unfortunately my Western table manners did not react kindly - I have to say it just about put me off my food!

Saying that, it can be fun to slurp your soup in East Asia sometimes, just because you know it's allowed there and you're not allowed to do it in the West!

Lizzy

If you think about it, it makes more sense to eat soup in this manner.

Why?

Have you ever really succeeded in eating ALL of your soup with a spoon? - Me neither. And this way, you get to eat chunks when you like and drink nice, warm soup as you please - in great, big mouthfulls.



Go watch The Lord of the Rings II - The Two Towers!

-KC

Erm, yes, I have managed to succeed in eating all my soup with a spoon. I tend to just eat what I pick up in the spoon: chunks, soup, whatever. If it's *really* chunky soup then I put practically the whole spoon in my mouth so that I don't have make any slurpy sounds. But maybe that's just me having fancy British manners. Though it's not really that big a deal; I was just trying to share an amusing anecdote.

I've been to see 'The Two Towers' already - it's a fantastic film, isn't it? Have you read the book 'The Lord of the Rings'?

Do you own a cat? I have a cat called Bramble - he looks like this, in that he's black. He's quite old now and lives with my parents (where I lived until I went to Uni). His favorite pastimes are eating and sleeping on my brother's bed! Christmas is also one of his favorite times of year because he gets to stuff himself silly on turkey (though he's not the only one, yum yum). What do you do to celebrate Christmas in Denmark?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lizzy

And an amusing anecdote it was, thank you. I also eat everything in the bowl, no matter what. (If I like all of it, that is.)

If I've read the book? Several times, our copies are quite worn. But I currently refuse to read them again, before after December 17th, 2003, so that I may still be somewhat surprised as I watch The Return of the King. Yes, I have a weak spot for Hobbits, who doesn't?

I used to have a cat, a beautiful Tomcat named Tarzan (I was a wee lass when we had him...) and he shared most of Brambles favourite passtimes, it would seem.

Celebrating Christmas? Well, primarily by not sitting here, typing on the comp, according to my parrents. Just now, I was told something about Christmas being a family event and that, in spite of my personal relations, the comp is not part of the family...
But okay, I'll be happy to get back to you on this subject. Tomorrow or some day soon, if that's okay?

A Merry (and Pippin) Christmas to all of you from all of me.

-Kimoto

P.S.

Where's the cat-with-a-santa-hat-on-smiley when needed?

Hi again and happy New Year.

I promised to get back to ya regarding the Danish Christmas. Okay, here goes.
Christmas in Denmark starts somewhere late October as the shops are suddenly violently attacked by rampaging flocks of Christmas-goblins, santa's, trees and all sorts of do-it-yourself Christmas ornaments. The next two months are spent on shopping for the holidays, primarily f´gifts varying from the very nice to the very tasteless - but that's probably much like the rest of the Christmas-celebrating world.
December arrives and is celebrated with a candle with 24 marks on it. You burn the candle a little more each day, thus "counting down" to Christmas evening.
On the 24th, we gather with our families and a roast bird, preferably a duck og a goose, though turkey or even a good pork roast will also do nicely. A few people have other kinds of food, but those are the traditional ones. Then we eat a lot. After the dinner itself, we have a dessert - ris a-la mande - which is a vanilla-flavoured rice-and-cream dessert. Somewhere in it, an almond is hidden. Then we eat a lot, in order to find it, as the person who gets the almond, gets a present. (Usually chokolates or so. And gets to eat a lot...)
Then, as the table is cleared, we dance around the Christmas-tree and sing a mixture of psalms and traditional Christmas-songs. "Silent Night" also excist in Danish.
After that, we sit down, with lots of candies and sweets on the table. Then we eat a lot, while receiving our presents. One person gets a present and opens it while the others gaze interested at it. Then, after opening of the present, the reciever gets another present for somebody else. And during that, we eat a lot.
The next days are spent with various Christmas dinners, where we eat a lot with family and close friends. If there are children, we may throw an "extra-Christmas-evening" and give more presents, mainly to the children. This is also to keep them occupied while the adults eat a lot.
It carries on like that to a few days before New Years evening where we go shopping for food, sweets and fireworks. Then, as it becomes the ultimate evening of the year, we cook complicated foods and then we... well, you know. It used to be tradition to have cod on New Years evening, but cod is expensive and hard to get, and now a days, most people try to make something delicious and extravagant for the occasion.
Then we eat a lot - for a long time, and as we clear the table, we discover that it's half past eleven. Fireworks are prepared, champain is poured and we assemble at the telly, following the countdown. At midnight, we toast and drink, then we burn a lot - outside.
After that, we enter the house again and then... we... eat...

In Denmark, most people diet during january!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you.

-Kimoto

Hi Kirsten

Sorry I've taken so long to reply - I had a very hectic Christmas and I've now got a lot of people to keep in contact with on h2g2! No bad thing of course, but I do try and not to let h2g2 take over my life too much, which means that sometimes I can take a bit of a while to get back to people (sorry again ). Hope you had a great Christmas and thank you very much for the long message about how Christmas is celebrated in Denmark. I found it very interesting - maybe you could make it into a Guide Entry.

Thanks for telling me when the final part of 'LOTR' trilogy comes out by the way - I was wondering about it! It's such a looong way away, though. By the time it comes out I'll be back in England stressing over my final exams. In the meantime I think I'd like to read some of the book(s). I have a weak spot for hobbits, too - esp when they look like Elijah Wood!

I read on your personal space that you teach English and Danish. I was wondering, how old are the students you teach? Do you enjoy teaching? Once I finish my degree I want to become a teacher of some kind. If I decide to stay in England I'll probably take a post-graduate course in primary school teaching. I've done lots of work experience in primary schools since I was 16 and it's one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done. I miss not being able to do it here in Germany. I have got a contact for someone who could organize voluntary work in a primary school for me here but unfortunately my timetable at the moment won't allow for it.

By the way, I'm visiting Copenhagen this weekend with some American friends and so I wondered if you might be able to give me some 'insider' tips, what with being a native of the country and all. I've had a look on lonelyplanet.com but I'm still not very sure what I'd like to see (except for the Little Mermaid - sorry! ).

Maybe you should suggest a cat with a Santa hat on smiley! It would be cool if we could get one for next year.

Take care, ttyl, Lizzy

Hi again.

All is forgiven. Just nito hear from you again. Hmmm, I'll consider to turn that post into an article. Perhaps you're right about that.

I teach children age 9-15, some of whom are pretty nice an a few of which are devils in disguises. But then, that's kids.

Insider ideas for Copenhagen? Hmmm.
Whenever we go there, I always have to stop somewhere to have sushi. The "Sakura" in Møntnergade in the inner city makes good sushi, as does "Sticks'n'sushi", located several places. The "Sushiterean" should also be good, but jully expensive.
OTHER than that... I like to visit the "Rundetaarn", a tower built by King Christian IV as an observatory to survey the night-sky - back then it was located a bit away from the castle and in good surroundings for that. Nowadays it's a wee bit surrounded by houses. Situated in the central city; it should be easy enough to find.

Ooops, I am requested by real life - I'll get back to you a bit later. See ya.

-KC

Hi Kirsten

Yes, I guess that is just kids. I must say though I've never really disliked any of the kids I've helped - I've just dismayed at the parents, since they're usually the reason the why kid has turned out that way. I think it's really unfair that teachers in the UK get so much slack about kids not becoming good members of society when if the parents are hopeless, there's not really much they can do. Having had a glimpse from the other side of the classroom I can see that even the best teachers are educators, pure and simple, and if the child doesn't have the support of the parents there's not really much the teacher can do unless by some miracle the kid is self-motivated. Do you teach just Danish and English language or do you teach some literature and cultural studies too?

Thanks for your tips about Copenhagen, I'll make a note of them. Sushi may not be such a good idea for me as I don't like eating fish but I might mention it to my friends, since they do - I can always make do with a portion of fries!

Any other foods you like besides fish and soup? I love beef: hamburgers and steak esp. - and steak and kidney pie, and Cornish pasties! I also like turkey with cranberry sauce, yum yum. I was actually a vegetarian for a few years though, so I can happily live without eating meat. I tend to like 'naughty' foods rather than 'nice' foods but that may be because everyone's encouraging me to eat them at the moment, as I only weigh 43kg, and even though I'm quite short I could do with putting a bit of weight on (one of the very few people in the Western world that does! ). But I also like cherries - in fact, most berries (but not raspberries ). And chocolate - who doesn't like chocolate?! My favorite is the British stuff - I find continental chocolate a bit rich and American chocolate is just plain nasty, though 'Hershey's' 'peanut-butter cups' aren't too bad. And I like potatoes in all their forms, esp fries and , but they're great mashed/roasted etc, too. Only I don't like the skin once they've been baked.

Take care, ttyl, Lizzy

Hi again.

Well, try the Rundetaarn then. And as for food, if you feel wealthy - go to "Kong Hans" and dine - it's claimed to be the best restaurant in Denmark. Prices are accordingly alarming, but what can one expect... I haven't been there myself. For some reason.
Anyway, if you go to a tourist info centre in Copenhagen, they are very helpful to suggest whatever cuisine you may prefer.

Once every month I go to a van that comes to Aalborg; they sell British products; foods and stuff. As they claim themselves: "with over 15,000 Ex Pat "Brits" currently resident in Denmark, we offer an exclusive food service that is without doubt nothing short of a godsend to many!" In deed so, I shop there for all things yummy. The grand price winner every time has to be Jaffa-cakes! Yummyummyumm!
But I do prefer continental chokolate, especially rich Valrhona, dark and tender as only the very best chokolates can be. (More )

Oh, and I also teach arts class, geography, religion and a sort of nature-and-technology class. And music, but neither I nor the pupils fancy that!

You?

Hi

I had a great time in Copenhagen. I went with three American friends and we all loved the city and returned big fans of Denmark. We found it a bit expensive, though - do the Danes find it a very expensive place to live? We gave Danish food a big thumbs up - and Danish beer an ever bigger thumbs up! Our favorite was Danish pastries...mmmmmm

I find I don't miss British food too much if I like the food of the country I'm in. So I think if I lived in Denmark with its widely stocked supermarket shelves and delicious nosh, I wouldn't miss British food as much as I do here in Germany. They don't really go in for consumer choice in Germany, unfortunately. Jaffa cakes are yummy and the Germans do a very decent version of them - in fact for a while when I was first in Germany they formed a staple part of my diet! I'm eating more healthily now I've got the knack of being resourceful with the little choice one has on the German supermarket shelves.

I'm still a student, actually. Once I've gained my BA German degree from the University of Leeds I'll then spend a year training as a primary school teacher. In England primary school teachers take only one class (all in the same academic year) and teach them everything, from English and math thru to art and PE. How many classes of children do you teach?

Take care, ttyl, Lizzy

Whee, I teach one second grade, two fifth grades, two sixth grades and two eight grades. Add to that a special class with girls from an eigth grade... *Sighs*

Jaffa cakes are the BEST!

Yes, German supermarkets seem to reflect on an ideology that food can be made based on water, powder and half an ounce of fried mushrooms to make personal taste.
In Denmark, the selection of food is broad and plentiful, but as are the prices. I like it this way, as it is possible to buy cheap goods as well. But then, you get what you pay for, I say...

Tally-ho, I have to go. Be back soon. (Why do I always visit The Guide when busy?!?)

-KimotoCat

Just thought I'd pop by and say 'hi'. Hope you're OK and that the kids at school are behaving themselves. I'm doing fine, still suffering from the fact that German supermarkets seem to think we all like to live off of pork, 'Bockwurst' and instant mashed potato, but fortunately they seem to have enough food there that I do like so that I'm not starving. One big advantage of it though is that it's *CHEAP*. My nearest supermarket is 'Lidl', which apparently is a sort of cash-and-carry type store anyway, so the food is even cheaper.

Did you do anything this weekend? I went on a *very* brief shopping trip yesterday. We didn't get there 'til 3 and the shops shut at 4, which in Germany means they *throw you out* at 4. Still, we went for a coffee afterwards, which was nice. In the evening I went to a Mexican-themed informal dinner party at a friend's. We ate lots of delicious Mexican food and afterwards drank Tequila sunrises...only I don't like Tequila, so I just had a 'sunrise'! We then watched the movie 'A Knight's Tale.'

Tonight I'm stuck in doing homework, boohoo. I've got a presentation to prepare for Wed.

Take care! ttyl, Lizzy

You saw 'A Knight's Tale'? What's it like.

I'm planning a shopping-spree one of these days too. With a slovak exchange student. In Denmark, shopping for English short-bread, Irn Bru, Cider, Chicken Jalfrezi and Jaffa-cakes.

How international can it become?

TTYL - ta-KimCat

Well, apart from starring yummy Heath Ledger, I found 'A Knight's Tale' to be good all-round frothy entertainment. Basically it does what it does very well, though I have to admit that sometimes the way it mixes contemporary into medieval doesn't really gel - a classic example of this is that Princess Josceline wears contemporary-style clothes while the others are in medieval garb. And why did they call Heath Ledger's character William *Thatcher*? That's almost as bad as 'Free Willy'...

Have you seen any good movies lately?

Yes, that sounds pretty international. Sounds like you'll be able to have quite a feast when you get home as well! Is the Slovak exchange student in a class you teach, or is she a friend from somewhere else?

ttyl, Lizzy

She is studying the Danish culture and educational system on our school. A very nice, intelligent and fascinating lass, whom I hope to maintain contact with when she travels home.

As for the feast - well, I intend to! Yummy!

I gues that First Knight is just a bit fallen for the modern in-joke principle. It happens in the best of cirkles - as when Connery in "Name of the Rose", after having deducted a fine set of informations from few traces, exclaims 'elementary, my dear Adso!'. Sherlock Holmes was not invented in the fourteenth century, but... I'm none too sure what Umberto Eco thought about it.

Ta! - KC

Hi

Enjoy that feast when you have it.
I think if 'A Knight's Tale' had just included modern 'in-jokes' it might have worked better. The reason why the contemporary-medieval mix didn't really work so well was because the contemporary was just too obvious. Did Connery really say that in 'The Name of the Rose'? It completely went over my head when I watched it!

Doing anything exciting this weekend? I've no plans as yet, but incidentally I am going down the pub this evening to sample some more German beer.

Take care, ttyl, Lizzy

Must zzZZzzZZzzleep this weekend... ´zzZZzzZZzz...

Hope you managed to get plenty of sleep over the weekend. That's one thing I'm *not* looking forward to about becoming a teacher, the lack of sleep. And the early starts - I'm not a morning person. Still, most jobs today seem to involve early starts and too little sleep.

When does your Easter break start? (Or rather, the kids' Easter break - if teaching in Denmark is anything like in the UK, I guess you'll have to spend a bit longer in school after the kids have broken up). My semester ends this Friday. A friend of my American friend Graham is coming to visit for a week starting on Friday and I've promised I'd help him show her around Germany, so I'll probably be doing a fair bit of traveling next week. Graham's friend is American too but she's spending this year studying in Helsinki. Her classes are in English, though she's trying to learn some Finnish. Have you ever tried learning Finnish? I hear it's an impossibly difficult lang to learn, with fifteen cases - trying to tackle four in German is enough for me!

Hope you're OK, ttyl, Lizzy