Doing my part for Danish democracy!

So I'm sitting at Kastrup's (Copenhagen Airport) Starbuck's (big surprise, not) sipping on a grande Chai Tea Latte (suprise, for real!). Just didn't feel like having coffee, even though I got up at 4:30 this morning for my flight out of Amsterdam. Back to the topic - anyhow, I have just put my foot ever so discreetly up on the chair next to mine, hoping no one would notice, and no sooner do I settle back when I am approached by a (pretty handsome) uniformed guy (who reminded me of Johnny from the Danish TV show "Mordkommissionen").

He asks if I speak Danish, and I answer that I speak Swedish as I lower my foot back to the floor. Taking no notice of my civil disobedience, he continues to explain that he is with the Danish police, and as such, he dutifully flashes his badge, as though I would know a real one from a fake one. Still, this is the first time a badge has been flashed before me, so now I'm curious as to where this conversation is leading...

He's holding a gym bag, and I catch only about half of what he is saying, because native Danish is spoken as though your mouth is full of oatmeal. Basically they're training dogs to sniff out explosives, and would I mind if he places his gym bag by my stuff as a test? Uh, street-smart as I am, I realize this could easily be a scam, trap, diversion that could send my ass up the river indefinitely. But being the nice girl I am, I answer, "Sure!", and he places the bag by my suitcase as he takes my computer bag saying, "I'll just take this so it looks like I'm holding a bag while I sit over there (points to a table nearby).

Smart-street girl goes at this point mentally going beserk over yet another of Nice-girl's gleeful "Absolutely! I'll just keep drinking my tea like it's no big deal."

A couple of minutes later, three officers show up with two dogs. I do my best to play the part of the suave, international criminal offender, sipping ever so nonchalantly on her Chai Tea Latte (ironic, right?). The dogs, which are more like pups, instantly recognize their trainer who's sitting with my computer bag and seem to momentarily forget they're on duty, tails wagging wildly as though they hadn't seen him for ages. But then they're reminded of the task at hand by the other trainers, and pretending it's a fun game, they're led from table to table sniffing everyone's bags.

When they get to mine, I continue my portrayal of an aloof James Bond, but the Lab isn't fooled, and she sits right down beside me. "DUUUUKTIG HUND!" exclaims the cop holding an automatic weapon. "Goooood dog!!" And the dog is thrilled, "I found the explosives! Yippee!! I found the explosives!! Reward me!" The cop throws down a red ball on my handbag, and bomb dog jumps right on top of it in pure ecstasy.

The other dog, not sure of its race, is a little more subdued, but even she finds the explosives, and a new rain of "Gooood dog!" is showered over them, and everyone is so happy. Smiles and hugs and petting and jumping, and even the other guests are getting caught up in the festive spirit of it all, and smiles are exchanged all around.

A portrait of cheeriness that transcends all borders when a dog finds what could have been a bag of explosives. Surreal.