We the Kinesisk

I tried to hold out for as long as I could, but Kendrick finally convinced me to try a Chinese restaurant in Copenhagen. This was after being forced to park far away from the cafe I originally wanted. So we went in, and the Chinese lady who served us was also the wife of the owner - she was friendly and inattentive. We struck up a conversation because I asked her if she spoke Chinese. She started in Mandarin but then quickly switched to perfect HK Cantonese. It was actually surprisingly comforting to hear Chinese and we spoke for a bit. She's in Denmark because she had to follow her husband here. She very tentatively warned us about the possibility of boredom in Copenhagen, complimented my Chinese accent, and offered us as much rice as we liked. But the most interesting thing she said to us was when I started translating some of the Cantonese to Kendrick. She physically pointed at Kendrick and asked, what's the matter with him - why doesn't he understand? We explained that his family speaks Fukien. She then asked how we speak to each other. I told her we speak in English. Oh, she replied casually, English is also good, but in the end I think it is best to speak in one's own language. With a smile she whisked away with her notepad, leaving me pondering this polite, disguised rebuke.

The funny thing is that a few days later I was forced again to seek out Chinese food. This time because Cesar dragged us out to an outdoor cafe on the water that only served hamburgers and chicken burgers from the grill. At Lotus restaurant, the Chinese man who took my order was as loud and piercing as the other lady was mild and oblique. Your Chinese kind of sucks, he told me. Gimme a break, I said, I was born in Canada. He thought I was in Denmark for school or vacation and was astonished that I would move from Canada to Denmark. But Canada is very good, he exclaimed to me, why would you move here to Denmark where it is so boring? All in all I think he fond of me - when he called me to pick up the food he addressed me as Miss Canada.

I get the feeling that Chinese people in Denmark are bored. :)

So Kendrick and I are unpacking and cleaning - not at the furious rate that Kendrick had envisioned unfortunately. The bedroom and bathroom are the two oases of cleanliness and we are enjoying it already. Hopefully I won't get charged with tracking in dirt again this evening. I have a failsafe plan - sock slippers!