yoga, writing, cooking, and whatever else catches my fancy
In typical early summer fashion, Copenhagen has been experiencing unpredictable shifts from brilliant sun to pelting rain in a matter of moments. There’s been a touch of hail for good measure. Forecasters are not to be trusted, with predictions showing nearly no rainfall in an six-hour span — or up to 8.6mm.
It’s not just the weather that’s felt somewhat chaotic this week. Both classes I taught, in two different locations, held surprises.
Continue reading “The (yoga) week that was”January and February were colder and snowier than usual in Copenhagen. It felt like proper winter — or at least more wintery than England or Vancouver.
Heavy duty winter wear was pulled out of storage. Tractors were fitted with ploughs. Bike lanes were cleared and salted, often far earlier than sidewalks (if pedestrian pathways were cleared at all). Cross country skiers relished not having to travel to Sweden. Children went sledding down Denmark’s negligible hills. Neighbour kids built a make-shift ramp on the driveway to the building’s underground parking. And the snow from the above ground parking lot was piled into a dirty mound taller than my head.
Although the temperatures still aren’t breaking into double digits, the snow and ice are melting. Tiny snow drops and anemone are popping up. Chunky knits and bulky mitts have been packed away. Kayakers far hardier than we are have returned to paddling. Spring is creeping in.
Continue reading “Shedding winter”
I read a lot in 2025, more than I do in a typical year. I put that down to the aimlessness that often accompanies a relocation, plenty of time in transit, and a wealth of waiting.
Looking through the 98 books I finished last year, I can’t say I’m pleased to have spent time with all of them. About a dozen stand out as ‘meh’ or worse — and that’s on top of the eight titles I did not finish (or DNFed).
My aim for this year is to quit books earlier and more often, all in pursuit of making more space for books I really enjoy — like the dozen or so below.
Continue reading “My Favourite Reads of 2025”For the first time in over a decade, I’ve spent the holiday season in my hometown. It’s been a very special Christmas and we’ll arrive back in Denmark just in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve — or, more realistically, crash into a jet lagged sleep.
Continue reading “Season’s Greetings from Steveson”
If you’ve been in Denmark around Christmas, you’ve almost certainly eaten æbleskiver. These pancake-like globes are ubiquitous at Christmas markets and frequently paired with gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine).
Using a buttermilk batter, they’re cooked in spherical pans and flavoured with cardamom and lemon zest. For those of us without the necessary cooking equipment or desire for home-baking, they’re also widely available in supermarket freezers. Inspired by Epicurious’ Taste Panel series, I decided to taste-test (and rank) as many premade æbeskiver as I could get my hands on — with surprisingly uninspiring results.
Continue reading “The Great Round Pancake Taste Test”
Tuesday was election day in Denmark. Across the country, 2,432 municipal council seats and 134 regional counsel seats (representing 98 municipalities and four regions) were decided — with thousands of candidates standing for office.
Seriously, the ballot for our municipality (kommune in Danish) was massive. Very different from ballots in Canada or the UK.
Continue reading “The drama and routine of Danish elections”
My consumption of short pieces has dropped substantially since completing my Post-Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing a couple years back. Makes sense as I’m no longer required to keep a reading journal and critically evaluate short-form pieces. I’ve also slowed (maybe even halted?) my own fiction writing, meaning I’m no longer prowling publications I might want to submit to — and seeing other people’s writing.
But I have collected a few short bits to share over the last few months. There’s no theme tying these together, just pieces I’ve liked.
Continue reading “Selected short reading (vol. 8)”