Siovhan in Scandinavia

Hey friends,

I can hardly contain myself, I’m so excited! Everything is on track for the move.  I hope to be packed by Friday.  A bit early, but I want next week(our last full week in the states) to be devoted to Bjork’s thesis presentation/Graduation, saying my last goodbyes, and a few final adventures around the city of Los Angeles.  This place really gets on my nerves, but it’s still beautiful, unique and full of memories.  The Dane and I fell in love in the city of Angels after all. We are also surrounded by some of the best mexican food in the world.  That’s something I’ll miss in Denmark.  Anyway, this is a busy week with lots of strings to tie up.  But I wanted to share a few things with you:

THIS MAKES ME SMILE. LOOK at this super cute BUNCH OF LOVE:

From Left to Right: Bjork, Me, Urie, Nehemiah, Dad, Momma, Philemon

This is a picture of all of us at my parents’ “Siovhan and Bjork…Going Away/Birthday/Graduation/And just because we love You” Party. I adore them.

I’ve been listening to Theophilus London ALL summer.  I really dig him.  Check it. Here’s a little taste.:

AND this song is PURE MAGIC!!!:

Also, I don’t know if you like the band Arcade Fire’s music.  I don’t listen to them, but THIS may be the coolest experience I’ve ever had on my laptop.  Check it out: http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

And FINALLY:

It’s American Football Season baby!  Are you ready?

Thanks for reading.  I apologize in advance if the posts for the next two weeks are scatter-brained.  All will settle after the move.

As Always,

Siovhan

I’d like to take this time to admit that I am indeed a Nerd….and, although it doesn’t make perfect sense, the above picture made me giggle.

By this time next year, I will be married to a Dane and hopefully speaking his native language. It’s only fair right? He can speak mine.

You know, I first heard of denmark in an acting class when I was in elementary school. We were learning about great playwrights and of course Shakespeare came up. I didn’t understand a word of one his most famous plays but I walked away from that class knowing that Shakespeare had written a play about a very sad prince who lived in a castle in far away land called Denmark. We studied Shakespeare again throughout middle and high school, and soon I knew everything there was to know about the play. I even knew that I wanted to play hamlet someday, despite the fact that I was a woman. I also learned that many people believed that Shakespeare used one of Hamlet’s speeches to advise actors ( in this case Danish Actors) on how to perform his plays, speak the words the way he wrote them, and overall his take on the art of Acting. Even today actors use these tips in their work. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

“Hamlet: Speak the speech I pray you as I pronounced it to you,

trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it as many of your players

do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the

air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently; for in the

very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion,

you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it

smoothness.”- Hamlet Act III, Scene 2.

OK, ever since I graduated from Art school, I’ve pretty much been the only Shakespeare geek in the room. So, I’ll spare you from anymore of this, but my point is: An Englishmen (through Hamlet) was telling the Danes how to speak, how to use the words he wrote to perform.

OH! how the tables have turned. As you know, I’m an actress, so I will not only learn a new language, but I will also have to learn to preform believably with a whole new set of vocabulary. I guess you can say that Shakespeare had his own language, and that If I learned how to bring Shakespeare to life onstage, I can surely do the same with Danish. But frankly, this is uncharted territory for me. I think my undergraduate Theatre Conservatory and work in Chicago and LA has prepared me for anything. So, here’s hoping that one day, everything falls into place. These days, when I say “I Love You”, I mean it…I feel it. However, when I say “Jeg Elsker Dig”, I’m just saying it because I’m excited that I know how to say “I love you” in Danish. That needs to change pronto. It will make me really proud to stand up on a stage in Denmark and perform a piece entirely in Danish. That Opening night will be one to remember. Speaking of moments to remember, two summers ago Bjork’s Dad took us to see ‘Hamlet’s Castle’! Kronborg Castle in the town of Helsingør. It’s the actual castle in which the famous play was set. And it was stunning. The theater geek in me was jumping for joy the entire magical day. Here are a few photos:

I’m really excited to start Danish classes next month. But I have been reading the blogs of American expats in Denmark, and many of them have found it difficult to gather the confidence to speak the language outside of the classroom because their accents gets in the way. I myself have found it sometimes frustrating to practice spoken Danish with my Dane, because once in awhile…not matter how hard I try…he doesn’t get a word of what I’m saying. He’s a sweetheart, and has helped me with all of the Danish basics. I’ve had to learn not to get frustrated.

As an American I have heard so many accents from all over the world and have had to listen super close or piece together words and sentences in order to understand what a non-native speaker was saying. I have even taken acting courses in college in which I studied the mechanics of the mouth, jaw, lips, throat, and how to manipulate the many muscles in order to believably put on an accent for a character. But many Danes are not used to hearing their language spoken by people from other countries. It’s not their fault. Their ears aren’t trained for it. But I must admit it can be discouraging. I’ve taken a break from trying to teach myself Danish. I’ve learned the basics and have a chunk of vocabulary under my belt. But I’m looking forward to getting a teacher that understands how to get my american mouth to speak danish words. I can’t wait to get started.

I did find a positive article written by a young man from England, named Lawrence Edmonds, that spent a year in Denmark. He wanted to be fluent by the end of the year (as do I) but ran into some obstacles. Unlike other things I’ve read from expats, he succeeded in being able to speak the language by the time he had to fly home. This gave me so much hope and confidence. Thanks Lawrence! If you’re learning a new language for fun or out of necessity give this article a read. You’ll be glad you did.

http://matadorabroad.com/how-i-learned-danish/

Ok, back to packing. I am NEVER doing this again by the way. I don’t care how long we stay in Denmark, or where we decide to move next…I will sooner sell or donate everything except for the clothes on my back. Im so serious, this packing thing is the opposite of fun. *sigh* We’re almost there. 21 more hot summer days in the US. I’m looking forward to the Fall, how about you? I miss hot cocoa, cool crisp mornings, watching leaves change color, scarves and rain boots…

As Always,

Siovhan

Ps: The picture below also makes me giggle…

Hey friends! It’s August, wonderful August…  I hope it’s treating you well.

Thursday was my 26th birthday.  It played out just how I wanted. Pancake breakfast with family  and a very chill mix of napping, eating, a trip to the movie theater and enjoying the tame california summer weather. Perfect.  My parents gave me a few lovely gifts. They purchased this pretty handmade gypsy bag from NYC that is totally me.

And my mother gave a me  bunch of her 70s/80s winter sweaters to keep me warm in Denmark.  I’m really blessed that my mama has style, and is willing to share some of the wealth.  

I didn’t really wish for anything this year(with the exception of my mother’s sweaters) . Actually ever since my 16th birthday when my parents so graciously bought me a car, I haven’t wished for much. If I wanted something, I would just buy it myself.  This makes me a little difficult to shop for. But there’s nothing wrong with gifts, and this year Bjork made me something really special.

I was browsing a design blog a few weeks ago, and I stumbled upon this dreamy necklace thought up by a french designer named Marianne Rautureau from her jewelry company in Europe called Calourette.   “Calourette” means “little bohemian” in french.

The  piece that I fell in love with is called “Balançoire” which means Swing.  It’s a very literal, simple necklace made of a silver chain and a piece of wood, but there is something so enchanting about it.  I was so excited about it, that I had to show it to Bjork.  He said that I should just buy it if I love it that much but sadly  they were only available for purchase in Europe. And the shipping price from Paris was way out of our budget.   Well, my Dane never gives up on making his lady happy.  So he studied the picture of the french designer’s piece, and proceeded to secretly make his own version…just for me.  There were tears in my eyes after I opened my present and saw the necklace that I was so in love with. I was sure that he had found some way to scrape up the cash to purchase it from France, but I was overjoyed and shocked when he said that he had made it himself.  What!?  How? Incroyable! Exceptionnel! Parfait! Perfect.  He’s amazing. It’s so much more than a necklace now. Here is the original beauty:

AND here’s Bjork’s beautiful version:

The pics were taken from my I-phone, so they don’t do the piece justice, but the point is that my new necklace and I will live happily ever after together thanks to my crafty, resourceful fiance with whom i’ll also live happily ever after. He really amazed with this one.

This past weekend was a blast.  My parents threw a Birthday/Graduation/Going Away Party for Bjork and I.  Alot of family members and family freinds on the west coast made it out, and we had a funky good time. It was 100 degrees, I pranced around in one of my favorite summer dresses and bare feet, and I laughed and ate ’til my stomach hurt. The Parents had our favorite foods(cooked by my lovely mother and BBQ by Dad), and ICE CREAM CAKE. Yummy yum yum. We even got to take leftovers home! It was more of a celebration than a goodbye party, so there were no tears.  Only hugs and “see you soon”s. I’ll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

  We have just under four weeks left in the states and I’m getting ready to weave some quality friend time into our packing time. There should be a going away happy hour coming up, as soon as things settle down a bit with family.

Anyway, all is well.  I’ll end this post, because my thoughts are a bit scattered at the moment.  Have a fantastic week!  And thanks for reading.  Very soon Siovhan will actually be in Scandinavia…very soon. Peace.

As Always,

Siovhan

****UPDATE:  Ladies and Gents they are now selling pieces from Calourette on Urban Outfitter’s online shop, they are not yet selling the Swing necklace, and they’ve set the prices pretty high, but they are now available here in the US. Just FYI.

Let me preface this post by saying that I am a crafty actress and Bjørk is a clever architect. So our wedding was never going to be simple. *Shakes head*…Artists and Dreamers. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

We gathered some  inspiration for the weddings from our heritages. Our color theme is a bright deep plum purple and almost a lime green. Purple represents royalty and spirituality in some African cultures and is one of my favorite colors. Bjørk suggested lime green as our second main color for our palette, which I thought was very summery and a great compliment to the purple.  He also expressed that the Danes believe that light green symbolizes hope.  They even have a saying, “Håbet er lysegrønt”, which translates to ‘Hope is light green’. I think it relates to Spring and the green it brings after a long cold Danish winter.  We also loved the idea of letting the beautiful wedding venues we’ve chosen to infused the look and feel of the overall feeling and decor.

 We decided to go with a Jazzy, romantic, Summer night Speakeasy feel for the Chicago ceremony and reception.  We were very inspired by a cocktail lounge called “The Violet Hour” in the Chi. It’s a Prohibition-era Speakeasy inspired bar  that Bjørk and I visited with a friend last year. We were bewitched by the ambiance, the clever prohibition-era drink menu, and the striking decor. If you’re in Chicago check this place out! Read about the place here: The Violet Hour.  Also I love the Jazz scene in Chi-town.  It was one of my favorite things to take in while going to college in the windy city. So, I booked my brother’s Jazz band at a Sister discount  He’s fantastic, so it’ll be a blast. We also booked a tiny castle-like venue right on the lake with a great view of the city and in the middle of an lovely park. We will continue to play with the use of outdoor and indoor space. Here’s our inspiration so far:

As for the wedding in Denmark, we’ll be exchanging vows and celebrating in a beautiful woodsy countryside called Næstved. The venue is in Bjork’s parent’s backyard which they’ve  made absolutely stunning. They did all of the landscaping themselves, and they even have a pretty pond that sits at the base of the small forest area.  Also, we will be able to make our own food and have more freedom with decoration and space than in Chicago.  Bjork and I met while camping in Joshua Tree, so we thought it would be fun to incorporate camping, and other outdoor activities to our reception. Here’s a look:

Wedding Inspiration: Denmark by Siovhan on Polyvore.com

For my bridal look I’m going for a lovely mixture of both weddings.  Also it needs to have versatility, because it seems that we will be having 3 receptions. One in Chicago, one in Copenhagen, and my parents are throwing a fun one in between Chicago and Copehagen in my hometown of Pittsburgh PA. So I am going for something natural, ethereal, chic, fabulous and versatile.

 

And that’s it for now. Sorry if this was too much information. I had to group all of our ideas in some sort of organized manner so that we can have space in our brains for other things, and why not here?  Whoo!  Next summer will be a busy one, but at least we have a year to bring it all together.  And in the end, Bjørk and I will be happy to celebrate our union with the people we love all over the world…so, it’s all worth it. Just thought I’d share because booking venues and making decisions for this occasion has been a big part of what’s going on in my life right now.  What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

As Always,

Siovhan

Hey friends! (clears throat)

A Poem:
Twas’ the month before Denmark
And all through the house
Were boxes full of the lives
of me and my soon to be spouse.
The art that we hung on the walls with care is all packed away, and the walls are bare…

~Fin~   (Takes a Bow)

   There are only 43 days until we get on that plane, and I’m sooo ready.
We decided to take all of our boxes on the plane with us instead of shipping them. Oddly enough we end up saving money that way.

My parents are flying into Los Angeles next week and throwing a Birthday/Graduation/ Going away party for Bjork and I. I turn 26 in a week, Bjork graduates with a masters in Architecture in 5 weeks, and 4 days after that we catch a plane to DK.
I’m excited to see as many of my family members. I have a feeling that it’s going to turn out much like a family reunion, which makes me smile. Can’t wait for my momma’s cookin’! And I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my parents and three amazing brothers. We’re such a funny unit Bjork is full on into graduate thesis mode, so it will be nice for him to get some much needed R&R.
The Goodbye Season begins this weekend. Meeting up with friends and family, wishing them success and prosperity for the year. Exchanging skype names, and mailing addresses. Telling them that I’ll see them at the wedding. Hugging them just a little bit longer, and a tiny bit tighter. But hopefully no tears will be shed, there is no need…I’ll be back soon.
In two weeks I will call and close out all of our accounts and pay our final round of bills. On September 27th I begin Danish Language Intensive classes down the street from our apartment in Copenhagen, which means I have to buy, notebooks, pencils, and flash cards.  It’s funny, because I haven’t touched that stuff sense 2006 when I graduated from college. Would you believe that we only own ink pens in this household? Strange but true. I’m so ready to hit the books.
And it all feels good. I’m experiencing a mixture of unfamiliar and all too familiar feelings of letting go, moving on, starting anew etc.
Am I nervous? A little. But I trust myself and my gut feelings. This is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Period. So, let Let The Goodbye Season Begin…
Thanks for reading! I’ll let you know how everything progresses. Is anyone out there starting a goodbye season? Or have you had one not too long ago?How did it go? Peace and enjoy the last days of summer.

As Always,
Siovhan

HEY FRIENDS!  So here’s what’s been going on…

Monday was our first day of packing for Denmark!

As I mentioned in another post, we have to ship some things to Denmark. Sadly, it takes a few months for shipments to arrive from the US to Copenhagen by boat. On the plus side, this means that we get to start packing for our move early. We are shipping our things off in two weeks. So I hope that because we’re getting things organized early, the rest of the move will go smoothly. We’re even cataloging each item in a spread sheet so that we can collect insurance money if the boat sinks like the Titanic…let’s pray that it stays afloat.

Boxes. Check. Bubble Wrap. Check. Tape. Check. Packing Music to sing along to. Mic Check. 1..2..1..2…testing…

I’ve been packing up my life and moving it from apartment to apartment since the fall of 2002 when I waved goodbye to my family and began my college years. Frankly, I would love to pack one suitcase, and throw out the rest, but I know that a few months into my time in Copenhagen, I will wish for a bit of the familiar. I have promised myself that I will only pack things that I LOVE. Things that I sort of enjoy or have survived several moves, but have yet to serve a purpose in my life will NOT make the cut. Those things will all end up in the magical box marked DONATE. Clear home, clear mind.
Switching Gears…
The beaches in southern California are full of sun lovers of all kinds. It’s been hot enough to jump in the Pacific ocean. I will definitely miss Californian summers. However I will not miss sitting in traffic all the way to the beach.

The Dane’s midterm review for Grad school went well, so to celebrate we went to see a movie he was dying to see. The film is called ‘Inception’, and i’m not alone on this, it was FANTASTIC! Here’s a preview. Don’t worry, it doesn’t give any clues as to what the film is about. Solid performances, solid script, killer fight scenes, spectacular and pretty seamless CGI, solid storytelling all around. What more do you need from a Hollywood summer movie? I’m really digging Christopher Nolan(dir.) and would love to work with him one day. I loved it!

And I’m stoked to catch this Julia flick in August, which is based on the Popular book ‘Eat. Pray. Love.’:

Also, one of my brothers, the very talented musician, and his band recorded an album, check it out here(Click Below):

 http://plusmusicgroup.bandcamp.com/ 

I’m used to hearing him play jazz and funk tunes, so this was an unexpected treat. My favorite tracks are ‘Roc Together’, ‘Turnt Up’, and ‘5′.  You can download them for free if you’d like.  My brothers are all super talented, and I’m a very proud big sister.

Things are going well with the wedding planning, and Bjork and I still want to
marry each other, so I guess all is well.
How’s the summer treating you? Did you see Inception? What did you think?
Thanks for reading! Stay cool out there. Seriously…turn on that AC, go to the pool/ocean/lake or soak in a cool bathtub with a tall glass of lemonade within reach. This heat is no joke…

1 month and a few weeks from Denmark!  Back to packing. 

As Always,
Siovhan

ON MY WISHLIST: Look at these beauties!!!

A GIRL CAN DREAM…BUT HOW WILL I EVER CHOOSE MY NEW RIDE? I FELL IN LOVE WITH ALL OF THEM. WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE? AND AREN’T THE HELMETS DISGUISED AS HATS AWESOME?!  PEOPLE SAY THEY MAKE THEIR HEADS LOOK SMALL, BUT WITH MY BIG PUFFY HAIR…I DON’T THINK THAT’LL BE A PROBLEM.

NO MATTER WHAT MY NEW RIDE LOOKS LIKE, I’LL BE HAPPY TO TRADE IN OUR CAR, PARKING, AND LA TRAFFIC FOR TWO WHEELS, A BASKET, AND THE WIND IN MY HAIR… 

As Always,

Siovhan

I’m GEEKED! So ready to explore my new neighborhood.     Nørrebro  I really loved the walks and bike rides we took around the neighborhood last summer…

Less than 2 Months Away from home.

As Always,

Siovhan

This past weekend was the American Independence day celebration weekend or The 4th of July, which has become a wonderful excuse to eat, drink, watch fireworks, and be merry with the ones you love. The weekend is usually full of parade watching, family togetherness, burger and hot dog flipping, and a yummy home cooked meal that I used to consume but never actually had a hand in cooking.  But this year was a bit different.  The weekend also contained Bjørk and my engagement anniversary, and my  family and I decided that we would spend time all together around my 26th birthday/ Going away party in August instead.  So, all of the sudden I became the 4th of July weekend organizer for my new little family of two, and the pressure was on because it was Bjørk’s very first fourth of July in the States.

Luckily my darling boy doesn’t sit back and relax when I’m cooking in the kitchen, I don’t know if he knows how to do that. Which was great, because I needed the help.  So, I gave in and let him chop things and take care of the dessert. And it was really nice to be cooking together on a holiday that I usually spend with my big beautiful family.  I missed everything about celebrating with my parents, brothers, cousins etc., but this was something new and wonderful and a very romantic experience. Romance or War seems too spring from a tiny kitchen with barely any counter space…depending on the occasion. (I cannot wait to break in our new larger kitchen) However, we really enjoyed cooking together.  I had a pretty ambitious menu for just two people, but I wanted to try some new recipes and rock out the meal, so we made everything AND we ate everything  It took us awhile, but we finally finished cooking and sat down to indulge right when the fireworks in downtown Los Angeles began.  I don’t love our temporary LA apartment, but  do love the view.  We could see fireworks from here to hollywood and all over town from where we sat. Fantastic evening.

After the fireworks finally died down we got some shut eye, because the next morning we were going to Six Flags amusement park!

It was a hot, fun, summer day. And we were brave enough to ride some thrilling rides! The ‘Tatsu’ was by far our favorite

Here is the beginning of the ride that took us by surprise:

AND then the screaming begins:

We had a really great time, and Bjørk really dug the unique rides at the typical American amusement park. He did say that he could do without the crazy long lines…but I’m used to them, if the ride is worth it. I hope to go again with my brothers so that B can have a braver riding mate for some of the even more ridiculous rides. I must say that although I love the thrill rides, my heart still has a place for the cute little amusement park at the center of Copenhagen, TIVOLI (which was Walt Disney’s inspiration for Disney World). I had a super fun time there as well, but sometimes, although we love the death defying, fly high roller coasters, Bjørk and I are amused by the simplest things.  I hope that you’re having hot fun in the summer time. How was your 4th of July? And which do you prefer…the crazy gutsy thrill ride park or the charming romantic fun amusement park? Stay cool out there…

As Always,
Siovhan

“Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” – Anonymous

In fact, on this very day last year…
A girl was awakened with sweet kisses from the love of her life, and sunshine spilling in through the bedroom window. She had a cup of coffee, a bit of breakfast, a shower, and was happy to be slightly less jet-lagged than the day before when she arrived in the land of Danes. The handsome boy took the girl’s hand in one of his, and carried a Picnic bag full of  lovely food fit for a princess in his other.

He told her that they were off to a picnic in the park, and then to the oldest amusement park in Europe called Bakken.

They walked(or maybe floated or skipped…can’t remember) to the train.

And as soon as they stepped off of the train, the girl quickly realized that they hadn’t arrived at a park at all, but rather a big beautiful forest.

The boy took the girl’s hand once more, and led her across the road to a horse drawn carriage that was waiting patiently for them. The boy and the driver, Claus (pronounced “Clows”…but he looked a lot like Santa Claus in the girl’s opinion), exchanged a few words in Danish as the girl was helped onto the carriage. And all the girl could think was, “I guess I’m not to old for fairy tales”. Claus was a very sweet old Danish man, who spoke in Danish EXCEPT for when he was telling a joke…those little gems were always in English.

The forest was stunning. It was called ‘Dyrehaven’, aka The Royal Deer Garden, and it was glistening with enchantment.
As they approached the area, the road plunged into a forest full of century-old trees and deer prancing and frolicking about.

Where the girl comes from, deer do not frolic…they run.  See, this was quite a sight to see, because where she’s from deer usually accidentally run into cars or away from gunshots.

Here, there were deer everywhere, which further supports the girl’s theory of their driver Claus actually being Santa Claus in disguise. This is obviously where the gang hangs out when they’re not delivering presents to children in the winter. Anyway, the girl and the boy enjoyed a tour of the garden, and even met some interesting characters.

At the end of the carriage ride, Claus went off the beaten path for a moment and dropped the couple off on a secluded small grassy hill under a tree for their picnic. They put down a blanket, sat down for a moment, and soaked in the beautiful scenery. As the girl got out her little camera and snapped pictures of a mother deer and her little Bambi-like babies, the boy proceeded to set up the picnic.

The girl plopped back down on the blanket once again and went on and on about how she’s never seen Bambi in real life and how amazing it was that they let her get so close to them. The boy just smiled…he was so in love and had something to say. The girl gave the boy a big hug and thanked him for bringing her to the beautiful forest. He held on to her for an extra moment and then looked into her eyes, and said some of the most beautiful words about her and their time together. I don’t quite remember it all, but this boy says some lovely things… as if teachers taught English to Danish children through poetry when he was young.

The boy knew that it was time. He brought out a  little bag that contained a sweet little box and when he opened it, he asked his girl to marry him. The girl’s breath was taken away. The ring was perfect, the boy was perfect, the day was perfect. So, she took a deep breath and said “I love IT, I love YOU, YES!”

Every time I look down at my ring finger, I am reminded of that day…when I experienced a real life fairy tale. Not a modern hollywood, up to date version. A lovely, old-school, breathtaking storybook engagement. I guess you can expect nothing less from the land of famous storybook writer Hans Christian Andersen, and the love of my life.

I love you Bjørk, and this time next year I can’t wait to walk down that aisle and marry you. You are so perfect for me.

Jeg elsker dig forever and ever.

Happy Engagement Anniversary!

-Siovhan