Last night Rio de Janeiro was granted the 2016 Olympic Games at the IOC session here in Copenhagen. And, oh my, has the police been going crazy about all those crowned heads and heads of state visiting – just too many heads to protect I guess. They have been driving around in their big blue vans closing streets and on motorcycles escorting black cars with toned windows like nothing else mattered for the past couple of days. And I tell you – working at the Copenhagen Opera House did not make things easier since the Opera hosted a gala show on Thursday night. That meant checking every single employee in the police registers, regularly searching the building for bombs the month leading up to the event (or whatever all those uniformed types were at…) and on the day we all had to go through a security check airport style. This may be normal behavior at some tough American schools but in Denmark it seems just a tad hysterical. Well maybe not with Michelle Obama there and all (not to mention Oprah!). What do I know. Well, at least I know that the Danish version of the CIA does not regard me as a threat to the state’s security – they even let me go to work!
I would have loved to have shown you the masses of police officers and how they had the Opera surrounded, but I was afraid they would kick me out or send me to Guantanamo or something if they caught me taking pictures of their defense systems (hee). So I went to the foyer instead where the preparations for the evening were being carried out. Quite calm. Can you find the discreet Olympic presence?
And yes Mr Obama came too and messed with our normally smooth traffic. Looks like he enjoyed it – after all he was already on the Air Force One when the news of Chicago’s defeat hit him…
/anna
