Remember how i said shopping in Copenhagen is expensive?
Even the prices of vintage junk at a flea market made me go bug-eyed!
Items were around 80-600 crowns / RM48-360
Oh, see the tin box in the pic above?
Think that was one of the cheapest items i saw there, at 50 crowns / RM30
Went for the canal ride for 30 crowns / RM18
There are two types of boat rides around the canal you can take,
and we opted for the cheaper one.
The other one costs almost twice as much,
and you can get off at various stops,
which we didn’t think was necessary.
CasparBFG’s friend Jean came to join us,
and he’s a freaking riot.
Also as gay straight as gay straight men can come.
Caspar told me how Jean DJs and plans the best parties in Copenhagen.
I think i see Jean more as an artist… cos the ideas and parties he’s done sound more like an installation infused with dance than anything else!
Concept i most remembered him telling me,
is a girl hanging off meathooks (S&M style) with blood dripping off her,
people’s jaws hanging open,
then BOOM lights + music come on and the party starts.
0_o
Statues underwater to remember a woman
who drowned her children and herself when her husband was lost at sea,
so they could all be together again.
Lost it sial.
After the boat ride, Jean was a super sweetheart and took us to his favourite bars here,
which i’ll be blogging about in a separate post (just bars and clubs!)
In a city of 5 million people, you can’t help but bump into friends on the street if you’re as happs as CasparBFG.
CasparBFG, Michelle formerly Michael, and Maria
No, this isn’t someone we know.
Just some random guy on the street.
He was having a stag party.
And we had a photo opportunity.
CasparBFG showed me Vesterbro area,
where drug pushers hang outside a church,
and drug paraphernalia is sold openly in shops.
These pics were taken outside a shop that also sold groceries, sex toys and jewellery (obviously stolen)
Also heaps of sex shops in the area,
with all sorts of things that would appeal to any fetish
and rows and rows of dildos and vibrators of every colour and kind.
Even the kind for fairies haha!
To answer the question in your head right now,
no, i didn’t get it, was so expensive!
Bling handcuffs that made me think of MingDaBomb *cough*
To end the evening, we went to get what Caspar says are the best hotdogs in town.
At 50 crowns / RM30, it’s more expensive than the normal ones you find everywhere at 20 crowns,
but was well worth it!
With homemade remoulade, fried onions + pickles.
Typically eaten with chocolate milk.
You can imagine i have so many pix from my trip here..!
Danish is a really tough language.
It sounds like complete garble to me,
and when Thomas, CasparBFG’s brother, asked me how it sounds to my ears,
i told him: Did you watch Avatar? The strange language they were speaking?… THAT’S how it sounds to me!
Even learning how to say ONE WORD (like a dish i like or something)
gets them laughing cos it’s so difficult getting the sounds right!
The other day when i got a bit lost, ChrisMinus demanded on the phone i read the sign nearest to me. “Urm shit *couldn’t even read the sign in my head concisely*” “Come on, just say it, i won’t laugh.”
*babbles some 5-syllable word incoherently.” “WAHAHAHA!”
“i hate you.”
Most people bike, walk or take public transport in Copenhagen.
Caspar told me how bikes just go around all the time,
like you’ll have one for a few months, someone would steal it,
then you end up with another one for the next few months,
and it happens again.
A hilarious ad promoting the World Cup and a TV channel.
Basically it shows a vibrator and tells girls that the World Cup is here haha
CasparBFG took me on a walkabout around town,
and we passed by his old office
One thing i love about CasparBFG being my tour guide
is that besides the regular sightseeing spots and partying he takes me to,
he also makes sure we run by interesting things he reckons i’d fancy,
like the grafitti walls below!
Shopping in Denmark is crazy expensive.
Shoes that are sold in normal shoe shops (the kind of quality you get in bangkok wholesale) typically cost about RM200-250
Crazy okay, i really cannot justify buying that.
Did buy some pieces in their departmental stores on sale,
but that’s about it.
Cos most of the other stuff on sale was still freaking ex,
and i’ll only dish out extra $ for some Danish designer items!
These pillowcases prollie cost RM200 a piece. Seriously.
So most of the time i just take pictures of nice things that i can’t buy
Went to King’s Gardens where people hang out during the summer.
I’m lucky enough to experience sunny weather while i’m here,
but it’s colder than you think!
Posts will come in short bursts cos there are so many diff type of pictures!
CasparBFG took me to Vor Frelsers Kirke aka Church of our Saviour, one of the higher look-out points in Copenhagen,
and also famed for its spiral staircase on the outside of the tower. [Entry fee: 25 crowns / RM15]
See the top of the spiral?
I squeezed right to the itty bitty space at the very top.
I think because the Danes are big people,
the steps in there are big too -_-
Not for scaredy cats afriad of heights,
cos you’ll prollie pasaut when you’re up there and feel the structure swaying
I thought it was a great introduction to Copenhagen,
what with Caspar pointing out various buildings and history to me
Too busy running around in day sightseeing, checking out bars,
and then resting for 30 mins at night before going out till wee hours or morn.
Besides, CasparBFG took some nice pix on his cam i wanna put here too!
All i can say is… Copenhagen has the best dance music scene in all the cities i’ve been to.
Love the music they play everywhere here!
Full stop.
Play the song below while you read the post,
so you’re really getting my vibe here!
+ + +
I took a cheap EasyJet flight (USD150) from London to Copenhagen yesterday evening
CasparBFG picked me up at the airport at 9pm and we took the train back to his place which is very near city centre
“Okay, we’re going to stop by Mono bar first, see how’s that, and then Zoo bar where lots of advertising/music people hang out, and then etc etc” “Caspar… urm *stomach growling* can i grab something quick to eat first? *meekly* i haven’t eaten since lunch…”
He was so excited about the drinks part that he forgot about the food part haha!
Which reminds me, CasparBFG and ChrisMinus have this perception that Asian people talk about food all the time… which is true.
One major factor here: I feel like a midget. A fairy midget.
Everyone is so tall!
“You think i’m tall, you haven’t seen the rest yet. Danes are huge people,” said Caspar “0_o… oh no…. i’m going to get trampled on!” “Trampled? The big guys are going to use you as a toothpick!”
And he’s right.
90% of the people around me last night were MASSIVE.
CasparBFG is already a whole head taller than me,
and there were some guys who are a whole head taller than him!
Even the girls are tall!
I had to look up to talk to them, or they had to bend down, which made me feel bad!
The only other person who isn’t so tall is ChrisMinus. Cos he’s half-Malaysian HAHA.
“You must be the smallest person here,” he said. “And you,” i shot back, “Must be the second smallest person here.” “Bitch.”
“You know it.”
So happy to see him and Caspar again after i hung out with them incessantly during the time they were in South East Asia!
Also been hearing lots of good things bout my host here
This girl called Sandra said she couldn’t think of a nicer and better person to take me out and hook me up with parties for free
I met about 50 people last night alone,
and apparently some important peeps in the dance music and club scene here.
But you know me… me memory damn cannot make it.
Even later in the night, i said hi to another guy and he went, “I met you earlier…” Shit.
Only a few hours and i’m doing what i’m so typical of in KL -_- *shy*
After the bars, we got some beers at 7-Eleven and walked to a house party.
Memory a bit hazy from there
Recall dancing with a girl while other ppl lounged about on sofas in dim lighting.
But the atmosphere was chill and nice… and people here are really friendly and smiley!
Quite a change from the ones in London.
Didn’t take any pictures last night,
save for one i managed to snap on our way home at 4am (i think)
But i woke up this morning thinking…
i know i had a good night when i didn’t even think of taking pictures!
Waiting in the street for a taxi
CasparBFG made us some sandwiches before we slept
Playing music from the stove
+ + +
Today is a gorgeous day!
Some said i brought the good weather with me cos it’s been raining the past 1 and a half weeks
CasparBFG working on his freelance design now while i blog
The couch next to him is my bed.
Which i passed out on without even covering myself with the duvet last night cos i was so gone.
I brought Cassie my flat pet along with me.
Think she’s the best ever cos she doesn’t poo nor get fleas.
I want to get her a toy tho.
CasparBFG called me crazy. But he knows that already.
Anyway he’s pretty whack himself.
Birds of a feather…
Wine bottle holder, + poster CasparBFG designed.
Not too worried that we’re only going out around 2pm,
cos it gets dark at 11pm, and light again at 3am.
Love it!
Partayyyyyyy
Yishyene and i took the train from Waterloo station to Portsmouth (2 hours)
and from there we caught a ferry to the Isle of Wight.
From the ferry port, we (were lazy so we) took a taxi to the campsite,
where we had to trudge through the most horrendous mud i’ve ever trod in my life!
The mud was so thick and slippery (thank god not smelly!)
i was just clutching at my knapsacks praying silently i wouldn’t fall down
and soil my clothes like Bridget Jones.
We thought the stretch of camps would never end…
i swear it’s like a km long or something!
Okay, so we cheated at camping.
We paid for our tents to be set up, complete with sleeping bags and airbed.
80 quid a person for 3 nights, and COMPLETELY WORTH IT.
1. It’s much nearer to the festival than all the other campsites, and walking a long distance after all that dancing is no joke.
2. Just watching other people set up tents, take them down, and having to carry them back to wherever they came from, got us tired even.
3. Tangerine Field tents have allocated portaloos, taps and showers. And the loos are generally cleaner than the public ones in festival area.
It was my first time in a large festival (where previous IOWs have attracted up to 60,000 ppl!)
I walked past the store above and said to Yishyene - Me: Liqour Ice… ooh… what’s Liqour Ic.. OH. Liqourice. >.< Her:
Me: Trust me to just read the ‘liqour’ in ‘liqourice’ *finishes self-conversation*
There are groups of people who dress up in certain themes.
Some are, of course, nicer than others.
Above is the tutu group [not so nice] and below is a Hawaiian group, complete with blow up coconut tree [A for effort!]
Lots of shops selling clothes and funny festival gear,
as well as funfair rides scattered across the whole arena.
Wanted to try the ride above but didn’t make the effort in the end.
We should have!!
Apparently the momentum makes you stick on the sides like a fly to a wall,
with only a thin wire in front of your waist 0_o
Miriam works for my aunty,
and i’s so surprised we managed to bump into each other
seeing the number of people there were there!
Everyone’s encouraged to go green by returning their beer paper cups for 10p each.
Most people (like me) can’t be arsed, and give the cups to (mostly) children collecting them to earn themselves some £
SPEAKING OF BEER PAPER CUPS,
i went through so much trouble just to BUY ALCOHOL!
I was asked for my passport when buying tokens for alcoholic drinks (£3.60 each),
and i said i didn’t bring my passport (cos who would bring their passport to a festival and risk losing it?!)
I then showed my Malaysian driver’s license.
And you know how our freaking Malaysian IC anad license doesn’t state our birth date right?
It just shows a stream of numbers with the first two being our birth year.
I showed them the ’83′ in the front, and said i’m 27.
The guy looked back at me in disbelief and said, “Sorry, but i can’t accept this. I need to see your passport.”
Yishyene then went to try, and she failed too.
This is what happens when you look like a minor and attend a festival without your PASSPORT(?!)
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Laugh = cos yay i look young.
Cry = cos i really want my drinks goddammit!
“I can’t believe it… i can’t even pass for 21 here. I’m 6 years over the age limit for chrissakes!” i complained to Yishyene
Imagine… back in KL people are throwing free drinks at me to the point i don’t even want them.
Here, i can’t even BUY MYSELF A DRINK
We ended up approaching a stranger to help us buy tokens.
Then WAIT.
Problem not over yet.
When i wanted to PICK up my DRINK, i was asked to show ID too! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Yishyene told me to not to smile,
“Just frown when you go pick up the drinks. Cos young people don’t frown, so they’d think you’re older.”
So in complete opposition of my nature,
i went up the counter and frowned at everyone there…
and got my drinks -_-
At other times, the frown didn’t work,
and we’d end up asking strangers to get our drinks for us too.
-_-
The next day, i was telling some guy queueing up behind us at the showers, about the whole ordeal. “I’m 27, so i’m SIX years over the age limit, and can’t even buy my drinks!” “You’re 27?!?! You don’t look 27! *peers at my face* You have great skin.” “Thanks!”
“And actually… the age limit here is 18, not 21!”
“Ah crap. I was thinking of US age limit somehow. 18? I don’t even pass for 18?! *incredulous*”
So yeah.
I look HALF MY AGE HERE ACCORDING TO PEOPLE.
Which is good… cos then when i’m 40 i’ll look 20.
And will finally be able to buy my own drinks without flashing ID
Acts we caught on Friday:
Calvin Harris! Calvin Fucking Harris MAN!!!
RowdyRudy and i played his album to no end at our joint birthday party!
Sarah and i use his songs for SalahWrong sets!
Everyone was dancing, and he’s also quite hot
Ending the night was Jay-Z. I’m not a big fan of hip hop (doop dee doo…) but still layaned his set just because he’s Jay-Z
Saturday
When we woke up on Saturday,
first thing we did was line up for the showers, which took almost 2 hours.
By the time i got into a shower, the water was a mere trickle
and i had to cup my hands and stand really close to the freezing wall
just to splash myself with a miserable amount.
At the point of time i had lathered facewash on,
the water stopped trickling and i was begging the Universe to please not do that to me then and there!
Gave up trying to shower after that.
The queue and pathetic amount of water wasn’t worth the trouble.
Very good thing: There was LOTS of food to keep us happy over the weekend!
English, American, Thai, Chinese, Carribean, Indian, even Filipino.
i’m wearing > polka dot top; baci, kl
white shorts; aa, nyc
pink tights; calzedonia, spain
shoes; for £5! at brick lane
watch; nooka @ h5, kl
I had Carribean goat curry twice.
LOVE BONE MARROW!
I spotted a balloon man selling all sorts of funny-shaped balloons,
and darted off like the wind to chase after him.
Thought very hard while choosing between a horse and a dog,
and ended up with a dalmation i christened Nigel Barkie (after Nigel Barker hardy haha)
Nigel taking to the beer
Yishyene had this brilliant idea to apply flamingo stickers on our faces.
So brilliant, that it left a flamingo-shaped tan on the side of my face after that
-_-
It was beautifully hot that weekend!
We were so lucky cos it was pouring the Thursday before.
The sun here is somehow different… i actually burn quite badly
and the only sunblock i could find was SPF 15 (cos kwailos like to tan -_-)
so i had to settle for that and apply it every 20 minutes!
Wilson was hot too
Balancing beer act
In between acts were breaks of 45 minutes,
when we’d nap in the sunshine
‘Twas a beautiful day!
Watched Paloma Faith for the first time,
and i really like her!
Another act in another area that i took a fancy to is Marina & The Diamonds
Crowded House took to the stage before Vampire Weekend, and played some songs we’ve all heard before but never knew who sang it
Poor Nigel got harrased by a group of cavemen…
Whereas Wilson met a friend!
This girl had this coconut on a stick with a happy face on it,
and when i saw it,
i immediately plucked Wilson out of my bag and introduced him to them.
We were all laughing and taking pictures of our two balls
and i overheard one of the guys with her saying, “I want one now too!”
See, like-minded people who have balls as pets hang out at Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend was FUN FUN FUN!
Check out the video below to see what a HAPPY PARTY it was!
Right after Vampire Weekend, was Blondie!
The only band ever to have had #1 hits on the UK charts in the 70s, 80s and 90s
Totally thought of SarChan cos we put Heart of Glass on our SalahWrong playlist too!
Actually saying that is so redundant… cos almost every act i saw has songs we’ve used on our sets!
These two guys called James and Rudy were really nice to hoist Yishyene and i up to their shoulders,
so we could rock out to Blondie proper!
As if Vamipire Weekend and Blondie wasn’t enough to kill me happy for a day, The Strokes came up to close Saturday’s performances!
Saturday night was AMAZING.
We danced and screamed and clapped so much,
we had to limp back to our camp in the cold after that.
We were tired and hungry so got some food to scoff in the tent before passing out.
Screw taking a shower in the cold.
We used wet wipes to get our make up off.
Sunday
I had this nightmare on Saturday night and tweeted about it even.
I dreamt that The Courteeners came on at 1:30pm instead of the scheduled 2pm,
and woke up in a jump cos i was so kancheong that i missed them!
Looked at the time and realised it was only 8am,
went PHEW,
and went back to sleep.
Told Yishyene my dream too, “Yeah i dreamt that they started at 1:30pm and you were being a total bitch to me and didn’t care cos you don’t really like them!”
We got lunch and sat on the grass,
before heading to the main field at 1pm to hang around
(and also because i wanted a good space to watch The Courteeners :p)
At 1:20pm - “What… are they performing now? What time is it?” asked Yishyene “Can’t be… they’re supposed to start at 2,” i answered, checking the schedule again “Is that them on stage?” “So weird to be sound-checking now, they’re not up yet.”
And you know what?
They started at 1:30pm.
Instead of 2pm as stated on all the festival material.
Which was weird because EVERY OTHER act started at time stipulated to the minute!
HOW WEIRD IS THAT?!
MY DREAM CAME TRUE.
I think the Universe was just warning me cos I wanted to watch them SO BADLY.
After The Courteeners was Friendly Fires, who played Paris as their last song and i loveeee
I love Friendly Fires!
Love the vibe their songs always bring,
and it’s so interesting to see the different types of people who make their way to the front for their favourite bands!
People were all dancing and waving their arms in the air and sunshine!
I brought funky glasses i found in Krabi, just for the fest.
And bubbles too
Look how tanned i got!!!
Spandau Ballet came up after that,
but i don’t know most of their songs,
so i took a nap
Editors was very rock and i only know one song from them which they didn’t play.
Dunno, i find them a bit noisy and most of the songs sound the same to me.
I much prefer more melody
Pink performed after.
To be truthful (and i know people are going to say i’m so undeserving to watch her) i’m not a fan of Pink
However, she did give an entertaining performance,
what with shooting out of a box in the sky to appear on stage,
to whizzing thru the air above the crowd on wires,
and jumping into a zorb ball unto the crowd which i thought was a brilliant idea!
I just think that she probably has to do all those circus acts to make up for the lack in other areas
*avoids flying items from Pink fans*
And Pink fans at the festival… well, the ones that surrounded us,
were large drunk girls that pretty much scared the daylights out of Yishyene and i
cos they’re so rough and don’t give a damn who they bump into when they sing and stomp along.
Scary for small people, y’know?
Funny thing is during her performance, i felt my period come,
so i rushed to a portaloo feeling kinda stressed out cos i didn’t have a tampon with me.
Upon emerging from the loo, Yishyene asked, “So how?” Me: Oh. It wasn’t my period. I guess Pink just made me wet my panties.
Her: Hahaha!
Closing the Isle of Wight festival was the legendary Paul McCartney.
Paul McCartney.
One of the Beatles.
And i managed to see him.
Priceless, i swear.
His band is freaking brilliant as well.
You have to watch the video below.
Imagine tens of thousands of people all singing to Hey Jude…
Incredible experience.
Monday
Going home day.
I was appalled by the mess campers left behind…
some didn’t even bother taking down their tents to bring home with them!
Had to wait for 2 hours on the pier to catch the ferry back
since so many people were trying to make their way off the isle as well.
A triangular cloud caught my attention and made constantly looking up at clouds worth it
All in all, the festival was SO WORTH IT.
I paid £160 to attend it for 3 days,
and £80 for my 3 nights stay at Tangerine Fields.
It was completely magical with all the music surrounding me,
and i think… i’m going to watch out for other festivals next summer to see which one i want to go for next
Tips if you’re going to a festival:
1. Bring toilet paper, sunblock, wet wipes.
2. Bring alcohol to drink before going in
3. Prepare not to shower for 4 days.
4. If you’re small (like us), find small people in the crowd to stand with them.
5. The moment you think you get a whiff of fart, stick your neck out and breathe the air as high as you can. Or hold your breath. Whatever it takes. I’ve neve smelt so many people’s farts in my LIFE.
