Pending.

One big fat Denmark entry.
This lack of internet makes matters very difficult.

Stuff:
Early nights/ Pancakes/ Library stalker/ Women's Institute (best idea ever)/ Monty Python/ Summer Dresses/ Creative Writing weekend in Wales/ Art Students in London.

Day 1-3.

Day One/ Day Two/ Day Three. (Pictures later)

Sunday:
In the morning we went for a walk through Freidriksburg park, where we saw a lot of babies and dogs out for a Sunday stroll, some Hansel and Gretel cottages, ducks swimming on an icy lake and statues carved from the trunks of trees. We went home via. a nearby 7/11, where we stocked up on provisions, and had fish finger sandwiches for lunch. Later, we walked into the centre of Copenhagen, where we visited the Carlsberg Glyptotek. The gallery (which was initiated by the the founder of Carlsberg breweries) consisted of Roman and Greek sculptures, Egyptian mummies and Impressionist paintings, among other things and we stayed until closing time.

Monday:
We had a lazy morning about the flat and went into Copenhagen after lunch. It had snowed heavily overnight, so it was a cold walk into the city centre. We went to the tourist information centre, where we sheltered from the wintry weather and formulated a plan for the week. We bought Copenhagen cards, which are to be activated on Wednesday. Afterwards, we went to a few nearby shops (Poster World, where I bought some Barbar postcards, H&M, All Over the World, Royal Copenhagen and Topshop) and then on to a great vegetarian/ Mediterranean restaurant called Riz Raz. I particularly enjoyed the bread rolls and the herb potatoes. Plus, the chicken kebab was delicious, even if it did defy the point slightly!

Tuesday:
Yesterday, we went to Sweden (or Sverige) for the day. We took the train from Copenhagen to the University town of Lund, which involved crossing the Øresund bridge. At Lund we visited the cathedral, which had an intricate astronomical clock and a large crypt. Outside I saw a lamppost wearing a scarf! We then took the train back to Malmö, which is the third largest city in Sweden. We went to the museum at Malmöhus Castle, which was really interesting. It's so easy to forget that there are kingdoms and castles and age-old battles other than those we learn about at school. Afterwards we walked through the park into Malmö Centre. In H&M I discovered I had lost my glasses. We trekked back the way we had come, with the sun setting and the weather growing colder, but with no luck. I was so annoyed. We went to a supermarket, where we bought real Swedish meatballs and to McDonald's, so we could warm up (and add another branch to our international list!)

Copenhagen.

I'm in Denmark!

Harry and I caught the train/bus/train to Stansted airport this afternoon. We explored the shops in Departures, until it was time for me to check in and go through security. My flight left for Copenhagen at quarter to six and all in all it was pretty uneventful. I read some of my Haruki Murakami book, played on my DS and ate my Boots meal deal of prawn sandwich, Capri Sun and fruit salad with yoghurt. I arrived at 8:30, Danish time (which is an hour+) and my dad met me at Arrivals. We took the train/tube/Metro (?) back to my dad's flat and as I type we are watching Bruce Almighty and eating Valentine's Day cake♥.

Valentine's Eve.

I am in Cambridge and there is a power cut. Fun times.

Following a particularly late night and a painfully early wake-up call I finally succeeded in completing a tedious Approaches essay and a Critical Commentary for Creative Writing. At two, with work handed in, bags packed and room tidied I set off for King's Cross and for Cambridge. I arrived sometime after four and Harry met me at the station not long after. We took a taxi back to Selwyn, where I made a mockery of my careful packing and we exchanged Valentine's Day presents. Harry had prepared a lovely welcome for me (pictures to come later?) with special Valentine's notes waiting at both the typewriter and on his miniature blackboard. I received a beautiful long-stemmed rose, some shrimps and bananas ♥, some glow-in-the-dark stars ♥♥, some pretty cutlery from Octopus (the hearts can only increase, but I won't!), a Hotel Chocolat gift set, the Stephen Fry in America DVD boxset and some InAnimate faces from Paperchase, to "add character to your inanimate objects". 

Later, after an episode of Torchwood in all colours of the rainbow, we set out for Bella Italia, where we passed several enjoyable hours with much-missed chit-chat and delicious Italian food.

Back at Selwyn and power cut subsided, we are now going to watch a film (Evan Almighty?), before going to bed/ watching another film and another and another. I am off to Dansk tomorrow. However, the flight does not depart until the late afternoon, so I have a few more hours with Harry yet. ♥. 

Westfield.

Today I went to the Westfield Centre in Shepherd's Bush, in search of warm clothes for next week's trip to Denmark. It was a vast place and I would quickly have found myself lost, if it were not for a regular interspersing of interactive maps and floor plans. I began my shopping trip on a light note, with visits to Paperchase and Scribbler, before progressing onto the darker territories of Topshop (where I tried on a wooly jumper with a turtle neck; yuck the static!), Next and River Island. I bought a Valentine's Day present for Harry in HMV and a navy-blue cardigan in H&M. I looked at shoes in Office and I spent a lot of money on moisturiser in Boots (although in my defense I had a £10 gift voucher and Soap & Glory's Peachy Cream body butter is very, very nice. So nice in fact, I'd like to schmear it on a cracker ♥). For lunch I had a tasty Mellow Yellow pancake from crepeaffaire, then I went to WH Smiths, in order to use up some more vouchers. I bought the Times for its free book (Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence), some plastic wallets and a orange Capri Sun in a squeezy pouch :). Finally, I went back to Topshop where I bought Harry some Valentine's Day moped cuff-links with the coppers and silvers lining the bottom of my purse. I do hope he likes them.

After leaving Westfield, I made a quick trip to Artbox in Covent Gardens, where I bought a fleecy Hello Kitty blanket with my birthday/ Christmas money. The nights are so cold at the moment and my radiator is very selective in its operating hours that it is a more than justified buy! Unfortunately, as the purpose of my trip was a little bit neglected in the end, I shall have to venture out again tomorrow. I hate to battle the crowds, but the Oxford Street Topshop is certainly the best bet for finding a desired item. And then, because I haven't been for over a week, I might pay Cineworld a visit too. :)

Surprises.

This weekend signalled a very special birthday for my mum, so at half past one on Friday afternoon I set off home in order to surprise her. I bought a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts at London Bridge and the Times plus free book at Euston. The train was somewhat delayed in setting off due to the 'adverse weather conditions', but eventually we made it out of the station. I spent the London - Chester train in the depths of my Thomas Hardy book and some serious snow admiration as the train whizzed through the blanketed countryside. At Chester I paid the city centre a brief visit, where I bought an extra birthday present in our favourite shop, Liberty Bell. The salesman and I had a very nice conversation; apparently his daughter completed her MA degree at London School of Publishing and absolutely hated it.
I arrived back in Colwyn Bay around half five and Nathan met me at the station. We went back to his house for a while, where we played with his new puppy Pepe/Dexter and watched an episode of Scrubs.
Eventually I decided it was high time that I carried out Operation Surprise! to the full, so we set off for my house. Nathan rang the doorbell and I hid behind him, making the most of his height. Just as my mum was saying, "Hello Nathan! It's nice to see you!" I popped out and gave her the shock of her life. :) A large amount of stunned silence followed and eventually we were ushered into the house. (Rest of the evening = shock continuation, catching up, more guests and party tea #1)

On Saturday my mum and I woke up early and after a Krispy Kreme breakfast we drove to Manchester to collect my dad from the airport. The journey was quick and we arrived back in Colwyn Bay before twelve. At 2 the rest of the family went and played tennis and I waited for Hannah and Vicki to arrive. When they did, we walked into Rhos-on-Sea on an unsuccessful gift hunt. It was very, very cold and we were glad when we finally arrived back at the house. We spent an hour or so in the kitchen, amusing ourselves with an orange, plastic ball, some cake and a fancy dress pipe♥. Later, after H+V had left, we went out for a birthday meal at the Bistro in Conwy. I had a lot of fun giggling around with Josh and attempting to take pretty pictures of the birthday girl with my camera. AND the food was delicious.

Sunday was my mum's birthday proper, so I woke early to make her a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I was beaten to it by my dad, so I was reassigned to hot-water bottle filling and breakfast arranging. We had a party lunch (#3) and my mum opened some presents, then we went ten-pin bowling in Llandudno. Usually I hate bowling, but this time it wasn't so bad - probably because I was actually hitting the pins for once! I was even in the lead, until Ian knocked me back with exuberance in the final set. Oh well. Back at home my mum opened some more presents (she got some lovely necklaces, EIGHT bunches of flowers (!), some books, a pretty china set from the Japanese Shop in Chester, theatre vouchers, a Keane CD and from me, the colourful plates from Whittards, the Snowballs and Gravy from IKEA :) and a memory box from Liberty Bell.) We had drinks and an amazingly amazing birthday cake (courtesy of my auntie and Oxford's finest bakery), then my auntie and Ian left and we watched the BAFTAs with tea before bed.

I came back at 9:47 this morning, but I'm not so sad, because we're all going to Denmark next week and that will be just as lovely.
It is now 8:42 and I need to return a book to the library. It's cold and raining outside so this could take a lot of preparation. I am also excited about this like nobody's business.

Schriften.

"In the corner of my study there is a desk, piled high with the debris of a hectic life. Gas bills and bank statements and half-written letters litter the grainy oaken surface like a carpet of papery snow, criss-crossed every now and then with the tracks of coffee rings and correction fluid. Company invoices and uninspired articles in various forms of redraft, tower precariously at intermittent points across the chaos, spilling from their envelopes and plastic binders like gutted entrails and threatening to topple at the slightest of persuasions. The long-dry husks of biros protrude from packets and cases like upright branches in an otherwise desecrated forest, while their ink-infested siblings hide mischievously among the paper chase, eluding the searching hand in its time of need. The computer monitor in the centre is always on, always glowing; the room forever filled with the sounds of frantic typing as words escape the flurried fingers, or with the muted concertos of Handel and the Oriental twang of Majhong. This unashamed confusion implies the commonplace, the everyday. The incriminating evidence of a blissful normality."

Yesterday my creative writing class were supposed to review the piece that began like this. Instead, a second snow day confined me to my room and I am left another week, wondering what they thought.
Writing is a strange business. It has always come naturally to me, but now that it is my job to write I find myself grasping at nothing, or worse, pandering to the simple and the obvious, or the expectations of others. In September I bought a thick writing journal from Paperchase. The other day I ripped three pages of writing from its centre. The only three pages. I feel the same way about these mundane postings of mine. Not one of them, I think it's safe to say, remains the same as the day it was written. Everything must be just so, but I don't know what just so might be.

There are people skateboarding in the hallway and I cannot get my head around my Approaches essay. So I just thought I'd let you know. Sorry to be repetitive.

Snow Day.

I woke this morning to the sound of silence, which could only mean one thing: the trains had stopped. I sleepily rolled over and opened my curtains an inch, only to fall back, blinded by a skyless white light. Eventually I got up and opened the curtains fully. The railway line was completely hidden under a blanket of white and snow continued to fall from the sky. A quick Internet check confirmed my hopes and suspicions. Goldsmiths was closed for the day. I showered quickly and dressed in several layers of warm clothes, hat, gloves and scarf. Then I ventured out into the wintry cold.

New Cross was a different world for its coating of snow. The roads were quiet, the cow bins were sporting new white hairstyles and people walked about with slow, jerking strides as they tried not to slip on the icy pavements. I wandered around for a while taking photographs and intercepting the odd snowball fight and then I walked to Sainsbury's where I stocked up like there was no tomorrow. Back at the flat I changed out of my cold wet clothes and set about making some fairy cakes for Kyrone's birthday. I spent some time in the kitchen Rick and Cecilia while they baked away in the oven and then came back to my room before tea. I've just heard a train whizzing past my window, which is very sad news indeed.

农历新年.

Pinch, punch.
The last few days have been a lovely combination of productive and fun. On Thursday I washed some clothes, walked to the Post Office and sent a letter to Norway, bought some beautiful peach tulips for my new flower vases, vacuumed and cleaned away all the dirty dishes in the kitchen. On Friday I went to my Approaches classes, wrote a large amount of letters, read the text for Monday's lecture, walked to the postbox, began work on an essay and watched some QI. On Saturday (and here I must assure you that the weekend did progress beyond 'productive') I went food shopping, posted some more letters and organised two folders of work. I then glanced at my phone, discovering that I had a missed-call from an 020 number. After referring to the great oracle Google I learnt that it came from a phone box somewhere in the Greater London area. The mystery number rang again and I ignored it. It rang again and I grew suspicious. On the fourth attempt I answered.. only to hear Harry's voice spewing forth from the other end. Very suspicious.
"Harry," I asked. "Why are you calling me from a London phone box?"
"I'm outside," he replied. "Can you let me in?"

We went into Central London, to Topshop as always. :) Harry bought a new black shirt and a grey cardigan for himself, and pretty mix and match writing paper and a bag of pick 'n' mix for me. We ate dinner in McDonald's and then we took the train to the cinema where we watched Frost/Nixon. Popcorn + slushy blue drinks + pick 'n' mix = yum-full ♥. We both felt that the film was very well done, as it antagonised neither David Frost nor Richard Nixon and left the viewer to make their own judgements. Frank Langella played a very human Nixon, which I felt added to the film's overall success. Back in New Cross Harry attempted to set up his new projector, but ultimately failed so we went to bed.

Today we woke around ten and Harry made sausage and egg sandwiches, while I dressed. After a quick Wheetabix hunt we set off for Chinatown, where we wandered about the New Year celebrations in the biting cold. There was a large stage in Trafalgar Square with dancing, singing and martial arts, stalls in Leicester Square and I do believe we caught the start of the dragon parade in Chinatown proper before we were forced into a nearby Starbucks by the weather. I had a big red balloon at one point, which read Happy New Year and had a picture of an Ox on one side, but sadly Harry popped it. We went to Covent Gardens for a bit, but eventually we fled back to New Cross in search of warmth. We made scrambled eggs for tea, watched an episode of the IT Crowd and drank hot chocolate before Harry left. It has been snowing and outside now looks like this (^):
(I wonder if snow days are still a possibility when University is a mere five minutes away? Either way, tomorrow I'm going to fashion me a snowman!)