Well, I suppose it was inevitable.

I'd been hearing some rumors about another big shake-up at my previous studio, so it wasn't a complete surprise when I read this in today's videogame news. There are apparently some other developments that came along with this that aren't reported, but since I only have third-hand confirmation, I won't comment on them.

I have mixed feelings about this. There was a time when I was wholely committed to getting that game made, despite the obstacles. After all that happened while I was there, it's still disappointing to see that nothing will come out of my work. And it really sucks for the guys who stuck around and tried to make something work. They end up paying the cost of mistakes that weren't theirs.

Denmark's Newest Work-able Foreigner

Denmark's Newest Work-able Foreigner
Originally uploaded by Trevor_.

Sara's residence/work permit arrived today. It's a little later than we'd been led to expect, but we're not looking that gift horse in mouth. We had hope it would come in while Bush was in town, or maybe on the 4th of July, just for the synchronicity of things.
Now that she has her work permit, she can get job-search assistance from the labor office, take free language courses, sign up for health care, apply for enrollment at university, and any number of other free services offered by the state. I suppose, when you think all the services the state provides, it's understandable that they're not real hip on sharing lately. Still, good news for us.

Poul Pava

poulpavapostcard
Originally uploaded by Trevor_.

Go check out the website for our new favorite artist, Poul Pava. He's Danish, we just discovered him, and we already have three of his postcard prints framed on our wall.

Pizza in the park

DSC00475
Originally uploaded by Trevor_.

This is the view from where we ate pizza. One of the great things about Copenhagen is the string of lakes that lie in a band through downtown. During the summer, they're filled with joggers, families, and picnickers.

The Tuborg Revolution

DSC00474
Originally uploaded by Trevor_.

We spent the afternoon at the anti-Bush rally in Copenhagen, which was held outside the American Embassy. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I was a little anxious about the idea of protesting outside the US Embassy in a foreign country. Backlash of footage from my childhood of angry mobs burning American flags in Middle Eastern countries, most likely. At any rate, nothing to worry about. The protest was very Danish. Which means that everybody brought their bicycles and a case of Tuborg. Toward the back, people were actually having picnics. We stayed for about an hour, then went for a pizza and ate it by the lake.

I'm of two minds about protests. On the one hand, I doubt that Bush will change his mind, lose any sleep, or even think about this protest for a nanosecond. This is all the more likely given that the major protest began a full half-hour after he left the country. Way to go, organizers! On the other hand, I suppose this is a useful way to let other people know that resistance continues to grow. What they do with that information, of course, is completely uncontrollable. One good point I saw in all of this was the awareness that while what Danes think about Bush doesn't amount to a hill of beans as far as the Bush administration is concerned, there was a clear link between his presence and Anders Fogh Rasmussen's support of his policies. As one speaker put it, you can't vote in the US, but you can vote in Denmark. It will be interesting to see whether this visit will help or hurt Rasmussen.

Top Ten

Top Ten Things I Miss from the States
10. Refried Beans
9. Good bottled spaghetti sauce
8. Amoeba Music in Los Angeles
7. My car (which is still for sale if you're interested)
6. Trader Joes
5. Cheap beer at cool indie rock clubs and/or dive bars
4. Feeling like a game development bigshot
3. Feeling like I know what the hell is going on or that things generally make sense
2. Affordable sushi
1. Our friends and family

Top Ten Things I Don't Miss from the States
10. Texas
9. Boring architecture
8. American anti-intellectualism
7. Insert snotty Euro-arrogant superiority comment here
6. Working a 50-60 hour work week
5. The American healthcare system
4. Having to drive to get anywhere
3. Traffic and commuting
2. The American neoconservative political machine
1. President Bush

Top Ten Things Gained by Moving to Denmark
10. The smugness of being an American expatriate
9. The reality check of transitioning from making million-dollar development decisions to being required to limit my photocopying expenses (See Top 10 things missed, #4)
8. The opportunity to practice my Danish language skills
7. My own office
6. Absurdist Danish subtitles on American sitcoms
5. No set schedule
4. Danish pastries and good, fresh bread
3. Bike paths and bicycle commutes
2. Research sabbaticals
1. More time with Sara

This is just to say (with apologies to William Carlos Williams)

DSC00461
Originally uploaded by Trevor_.

I have eaten
the cookies
that were in
the cupboard

and which
you were probably
saving
for yourself.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so buttery.