kleejourneys on CBC Metro Morning

It has come to my attention how special Nørrebrogade is, a street located in Nørrebro, Copenhagen . Not only is this where kleejourneys is based, it is also where many significant events or activities take place.

For instance, both at the beginning and at the end of the summer, hundreds of motorbikes gather and meet on Nørrebrogade before heading off on a group ride to Bakken, an amusement park one hour north of the city. Even though I am a bicycle advocate, I admittedly have a personal fondness for motorbikes and was thrilled when over 300 of them arrived and parked outside my window. Many bicyclists were however less thrilled at the CO2 and noise pollution.

As Nørrebro is the only ethnically diverse area of Copenhagen, Nørrebrogade is also the street for immigrant protests. I blogged back in March about a funeral demonstration that took processed down this street: Ligtog på Nørrebro.

However, demonstrations and gatherings aside, Nørrebrogade is actually a main commuter thoroughfare for cyclists and in October 2008, a decision to restrict vehicle access onto the street for a 3 month trial period was instigated by Klaus Bondham, Copenhagen's Major of Traffic and Environment. Instead of widening roads in order to ease heavy street traffic which is often a solution in North America, the project proposed the closure of Nørrebrogade to vehicular traffic at 2 sections, thereby allowing for the increase of bicycle and bus access. More information can be found by reading about Agenda 21 Grøn Nørrebro (Agenda 21 Green Nørrebro).

September 22nd is World car free day and in conjunction with this event, CBC radio Toronto was eager to speak to an ex-torontonian currently living in Copenhagen. Thanks to Spacing magazine and editor Dylan Reid, it was my pleasure to be selected to speak live from Copenhagen and have the opportunity to be interviewed by Andy Barry on Metro Morning about the recent infrastructure changes on Nørrebrogade.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Rainbow Monday

"Rainy days and Mondays" by the Carpenters

Assistens Kirkegård

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Six Feet Under by Thomas Newman

It feels like a long time ago when I was at the Assistens Kirkegård at the most beautiful moment where autumn light fell through trees ever so gently. Actually, it was only a month ago but time does not stand still for me living in Copenhagen. Everyday is a new page turned. Every week is a new chapter. There are already so many words, old ones reconfigured, new ones formed, but right now, a complete jumble of letters begging to find a home on paper.

It was very cloudy today, darker than normal, and being Monday, not a good choice of days to start making sense of the collage of letters, words, pages and chapters.

So instead, here are some cheerier images, revisited after a month, of a day when every breath of air I took in gave me that bit of nudge to carry on.

Lazy Danish Sunday

A Sunday Smile by Beirut

For better or for worse

First day of my life by Bright Eyes

Vulnerable

Beautiful Lie by Yoav

Bye Bye Canada

Time to pretend by MGMT

The climate in Eastern Canada varies greatly ranging from skies completely covered with cloud, haze and smog, to days that are bright and sunny or even cold but beautiful. In the last week as I say goodbye to my friends and family, the unbelievable range of emotions I have felt could be comparable to the weather conditions if not surpassed the number of them. The journey I am about to embark upon is equally exciting and terrifying. The feeling of leaving Canada is numbingly sad but also reassuring knowing the close ties I have made and the number of people I love and care for. Thank you to everyone, goodbye Toronto, hello Europe.

Siblings III

The Opposite of Hallelujah by Jens Lekman

Open Territory

Open Air Shop by Savage Rose

It was a cool summer day of 2007 as I manoeuvred my way across Queen Street. I waited for a young man on his bike, sitting up straight in a navy jacket, to go by. He rode past and I watched him smack without remorse, each and every innocent person he sailed by, whether they stood in his way or not. The majority of Toronto pedestrians are unaware of bike street traffic and I too, have done my share of yelling. But that day, this random assault on bystanders was purely violent aggression and not warranted. I was a witness and not a victim, only because I had let him pass me by before crossing.

Yesterday, I was not so lucky. In the middle of a sidewalk, void of other people, I was punched in the back. My innocent self assumed I was only shoved aside except, as the coward shuffled quickly by, the sharp distinguished pain from his fist could not be ignored . Just like how he only saw me from behind, I could only see, by then, the back of a navy blue jacket, this time on foot, already far in the distance. I am still feeling the hit today and wonder if the sting would hurt less if I had been punched in the face.

Gate 31 - Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Montreal

Seems like home to me by Two Gallants

Airports are pitstops of thought, places symbolic of personal and physical movement. This is the second of what will hopefully be a series of photographs that reflect my journey in the next year while I wander out to embrace new experiences and search for my way home.

This is the first photo. You can read about "Gate 41" here.

After the Storm

Your Daily Gift by Savage Rose, 1971

My favorite Savage Rose album is actually their 1968 "Yellow Album".

It has been written up as "one of the great rock albums from 1968. Denmark’s Savage Rose are one of the greatest European experimental, progressive bands with a career that successfully spans over 40 years." Read more here