yep, that's our mailbox. my husband took that photo. i sat inside the apartment all weekend, going out only to get the laundry. but it's not just the weather that's zapping my will to go out.
all this time my blog has been about food (and moving), with the occasional whine about missing california, but i think now it will take a slightly different turn. seeing as i'm being wrung through the system myself, i can't shut up about it. despite the fact that i am married to a danish man, work at a public hospital part-time, volunteer at a soup kitchen once a week, and speak danish at a conversational level, i am under threat of deportation. all this started because i turned in a form late. then it just snowballed. the problem right now is that i'm supposed to have a full-time job if i want to live here under a work permit (though i couldn't find it stated in the rules anywhere). ever since i was notified of the 'problem' with my work permit renewal, i haven't been allowed to work. yes, folks; it's been a month a half of me waiting by the phone and not bringing home any of the proverbial bacon. my boss is trying to work out a deal with immigration services though i don't know if there's any hope in that. if it doesn't go through, i'll have to go back to california and apply for residency based on marriage, which is looking equally, if not more insane. but this is my 200th post so i'm gonna end it on a happy note.
on thursday night i invited all my friends to the soup kitchen; not for a 20kr dinner but for a vegan-vegetarian and mostly gluten-free thanksgiving meal that would be cooked by us... for us. it snowed all day so some people bailed out due to sickness or just desire to stay at home under the covers. but with the eight of us it was so cozy and so nice. despite the fact that there was only one american present aside from me, i think it was a great celebration. good food with good friends. the lithuanian made the most amazing bean and bread salad, which we dubbed 'stuffing,' and the canadian presented his delicious homemade tofurkey and gravy. before eating, we all took a moment to say what we were thankful for, serious or not. most of us stated that we were thankful for the delicious food and company. this holiday didn't concentrate on discovery (or should i say theft) of land or killing of a bird. it was all in the name! unfortunately i was so stressed out about it that i forgot the camera (so you'll have to excuse the crappy phone photo) and potatoes! what is a vegetarian's thanksgiving without roasted potatoes, seriously? in any case, here's what i made:
- pumpkin pie with a nut crust
- miso-glazed aubergine (without miso for those with a gluten sensitivity)
- salad of roasted broccoli, chickpeas, and bell pepper
- brown rice served with my homemade kimchi and also roasted seaweed sheets
what i am thankful for is my dear husband, all my friends and of course family who have supported me through this tough time in a strange land. the soup kitchen and countless afternoons in cafes for keeping me busy. my asian stinginess so that i could support myself in this time of 'unemployment.' my health. my bike. and last but not least, not having to deal with a kilo of dry-as-hell turkey leftovers for the next week! i ate the remaining vegetables quickly, one of the meals being thai-style pumpkin soup with somen noodles. VERY good. hope you had a good thanksgiving, fellow americans. and for the rest of you, count your blessings at least once in a while if you don't already. ^^
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12 kommentarer:
I seriously want to go dumpster diving with you. Send me a text next time. (tip: we have a big Irma around the corner from us, ya think Sunday night would be a good time?)
I don't know if the other message I was trying to leave went through. But I was saying:
It's horrible! I hope it turns out well for you. Maybe if it doesn't work out you can stay there on a tourist visa and when it's up, you can leave to another country for a couple of days and I come back again.
I'm renewing my work visa right now too...it's a pain.
Good luck!
I've said my piece to you on how screwed UP (!!!!) this situation is and how this place doesn't deserve you so I'll just say that your pumpkin soup looks AMAZING!
Hope everything works out for you with immigration. God knows they let in anyone in England who don't work and claim all the benefits too!!!!! You should not be having problems over there!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commeting, nice to meet you.
I'm so sorry to hear you're having problems with the immigration. I'm in a different position myself, as I hold another Scandinavian passport and am therefore considered "Danish" in much everything else but the national elections - but I have had so many friends with similar problems to yours. I can't understand what Denmark possibly thinks they're gaining by giving problems to people who are certainly not moving to the country to take advantage of the social benefits (let alone commit crimes!), but who come here (often from wealthy nations like Australia, USA, Canada, Japan...) to work and live. The immigration - and, most of all - integration politics in Denmark have been bad for years, and they are paying the price today. The sad thing is that the ones who suffer are not the politicians who made the decisions, but people who have done nothing wrong. I would also expect a small nation like Denmark to realize that they are going to need skilled foreign workers in the future; and if they chase everyone out now, chances are small that they come back one day. After all this rambling - I just wanted to say I really hope things will turn out well for you. :)
On a happier note, the Thanksgiving dinner looks fabulous! Oh, how I wish I had been able to participate!! :)
@seglare: SO it's ok to give problems to smaller and poorer countries? I still find it is NOT OK for Denmark just to treat immigrants (in general) like the way they are treating now, be it low-skilled, high-skilled, black, white, yellow, red, whatever.
Mina, I know it's a cheesy thing to say but I hope it'd work out in the end with something that works best for both of you, wherever that is. Fingers crossed that you remain here though - as selfish as I could be ;) - so that I can still go and grab Thai "breakfast" with you in the weekends ;)
Mina, your feast sounds lovely! I'm also glad to hear that you had a nice time.
PS: udlændingeserviceldighsdkgksdjvnkdshsdfCUNTS!
@everyone: thanks a lot for your comments! i am not so upset anymore and either way i'll be happy as long as i can be with my man. i appreciate your support. ^^
@eva: i don't think that's what seglare was trying to say, at least that's not what i got out of it. and reading your 'selfish' comment made me really happy; i would certainly like to stay in copenhagen and keep having those thai breakfasts with you. (:
Great post, start to finish.
I feel the same way about Thanksgiving... not so much the history but just taking a day to be thankful.
Good luck with everything and I can't wait to try out the recipes ;) + especially that soup it looks deliiiiiicious!
We just talked to our Danish lawyer today. Did you know they are changing the rules again in February? I do hope you are seeking the best legal advice to choose the best route for you. If there's no appeal for you, do move to Sweden - save all your documentation - and try for EU reunification. The February rules will be the new point system, which could require you to have a master's degree from a Top 20 university if you wish to return. We just don't know what the final regulations will be - so we don't know that if you leave Europe you'll ever be able to get back in. Best wishes.
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