The Copenhagen Post June 17-23

Page 1

INDEPENDENCE DAY SUPPLEMENT

INSIDE! Vol. 14 ISSUE 24 17 - 23 june 2011

Entrepreneur hopes the iconic Christiania bikes – and the spirit they embody – catch on in car-happy US opinion

6

Under fire for the mess the festival left behind, Distortion founder Thomas Fleurquin urges patience sport

14

Denmark’s all-time leading scorer Jon Dahl Tomasson hangs up his boots to focus on management in & out

G2-G3, G6

Ahead of the Children’s Fair on Sunday, In & Out has found 33 ways to entertain the little ones this summer Copenhagen Post T: 3336 3300 F: 3393 1313 E: info@cphpost.dk W: www.cphpost.dk

Price 25 dkk

Government locked in dispute over borders By Jennifer Buley

A

Government and DF win majority but lose composure over border control agreement

T

he government secured the majority it needs for its ‘permanent border control’ agreement last week by the narrowest of margins. In a vote of 90 for and 89 against, parliament cleared the way for the deployment of 98 additional border customs agents – more or less – and sent a strong message to the rest of the EU about how “open” Denmark wants to be. The razor-thin margin of approval – secured by the single mandate of Per Ørum Jørgensen of the Christian Democrats – was itself symbolic of how controversial the symbol-laden agreement is both inside and outside the nation’s borders. ‘Permanent Customs Control in Denmark’, as it is officially called, is widely acknowledged to be the Liberal-Conservative government’s ‘payment’ to the Danish People’s Party for supporting its 2020 budget reform plan, particularly early retirement reform. The agreement calls for 98 new customs agents on Denmark’s borders, 24-hour manned

Scanpix Words were flying between DF leader Pia Kjærsgaard and German government official Werner Hoyer (top) and immigration minister Søren Pind and EU law expert Marlene Wind (bottom)

borders, four new customs houses, roads separated into six lanes, spot-checks, video surveillance and high-tech ‘contraband’ scanners to come by 2014. Before the border control agreement was signed last month, the finance minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, who was instrumental in writing the agreement with the DF, claimed that border controls would “prevent eastern European gangs from wreaking

havoc in our country”. The Danish National Police, however, have maintained that border controls will have little effect on stopping international criminals or organised crime in Denmark, but their assessment had little sway with the government and the DF, which also got political support from the leading opposition parties, the Social Democrats and Socialist People’s Party.

i i i i ii

Borders continues on page 2

1 01

HE

COPENHA

Just as important, you will have a chance to meet other Danish and international professionals and their children. We understand the challenges professionals face when relocating to Copenhagen and want to meet other families for social sustainability.

i i i i

Whether you are interested in creative, culture, dance, educational, leisure or sports activities you will have a good variety to choose from, learn about, or sign up for this summer, fall or next year. All the clubs attending teach and/or coach children of various ages.

Only the Social Liberals and the Red-Green Alliance opposed the tightened border controls from the beginning. But last week, in the wake of warnings from EU neighbours and business leaders, both home and abroad, that the border controls run afoul of EU co-operation and the Schengen Agreement, which guarantee free movement of people and goods,

majority of Danes don’t want to pay less in taxes. Yep, you read that correctly. Despite being among the world’s most highly taxed people, a significant majority of Danish voters think the tax rate is fair, the public services they get in return are worth it, and taxes should not be lowered. According to a recent Gallup survey, some 64 percent of all Danish voters said they were against taxes being lowered after this year’s coming election, while just 23 percent said taxes should be decreased. But while only a minority of voters supported tax cuts, the Conservatives, who form the government together with the prime minister’s Liberals and who strongly support lowering the tax rate, was pleased by the number of Danes that want lower taxes. According to the party’s political spokesperson, Carina Christensen, 23 percent support for tax cuts is remarkably high for Denmark. “That’s actually quite a lot if you look at what a political taboo tax reductions have been over time in Denmark,” Christensen told Berlingske newspaper. (JB)

F ENN’ ’S AIR 2 DR

T

sunday, 19 june from 14 – 17 at Valbyparken

THE CHIL

join us at the Children’s Fair! international and danish professionals and their families

Admission is free so join us at Valbyparken (Hammelstrupvej entrance) this Sunday, 19 June from 14:00 - 17:00 for the Children’s Fair. This is a great opportunity for international professionals to meet and join the various children’s clubs and associations located in Copenhagen.

Majority say no to lower taxes

POST

5

EN

News

The Danish News in English

For more details on location and participating clubs, associations, and schools, please see the Children’s Fair section inside. Rain or shine, we hope you will join us for this very important event and a fun afternoon! Admission is free, just RSVP at www.childrensfair. eventbrite.com

G

FULL TIME FULL TIMEMBA MBA

Organise a personal Limited number of places meeting remaining for September 2011 and sit in on a class.

Join Scandinavia’s most internationally The one-year general management full-time MBA at CBS diverse program

focuses on leadership, entrepreneurship, and real-world experience. The one-year general management MBA CBScan focuses Organise a personal meeting andfull-time hear how theatMBA give on leadership, entrepreneurship, and real-world experience. your career a new dimension. E-maillm.mba@cbs.dk lm.mba@cbs.dkororcall call 3815 6022 E-mail 3815 6022 to organise a personal meeting. to organise a personal meeting. Copenhagen Business School Porcelænshaven 22, 2000 Frederiksberg www.cbs.dk/ftmba


News

2 POST BOX

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive Jesper Nymark

Editor in Chief (Responsible under Danish Press Law) Philip G Shepherd Managing Editor Kevin McGwin Newspaper Editor Ben Hamilton Associate Editor Justin Cremer News Desk To speak to a member of The Copenhagen Post news team, please contact news@cphpost.dk 3336 4243 The Copenhagen Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor. All unsolicited submissions are at the writer’s own risk. Letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk Sales, Advertising and Marketing For information about advertising and rates, contact our sales department. sales@cphpost.dk 3336 3300 Sales and Marketing Director Hans Hermansen Subscriptions To subscribe contact: subs@cphpost.dk 3336 3300 Annual home delivery rates: 1 year: 1200kr 6 months: 750kr 1 year (online): 365kr Corporate and multiple issue rates are available. Distribution Questions or enquiries regarding distribution should be directed to: distribution@cphpost.dk IT Support Bemitech info@bemitch.com Editorial offices: Slagtehusgade 4 – 6 DK 1715 Copenhagen V Telephone: 3336 3300 Fax: 3393 1313 Original design by Mervyn Kurlansky Headline font by Rasmus Koch The Copenhagen Post accepts no responsibility for the content of material submitted by advertisers. The Copenhagen Post is published weekly by CPHPOST.DK ApS Printed by Dagbladet, Ringsted. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited by law.

Information Emergency – 112 24–hour doctor – 7013 0041; www.laegevagten.dk 24–hour pharmacy – Steno Apotek, Vesterbrogade 6C, Cph V; 3314 8266; www.stenoapotek.dk Rejseplanen – (Journey planner in English) – www.rejseplannen.dk Weather – www.dmi.dk

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

Poverty on the rise By Jennifer Buley The number of poor people has increased steadily over the last decade

O

nce – not very long ago – Denmark had less poor per capita than any other EU country. But now it lies in seventh place on that list and lag behind Iceland, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, France and Norway, according to a new report by the Economic Council for the Labour Movement (ECLM), a Danish think-tank that specialises in economic policy. “It’s a really worrying development that poverty in Denmark is rising year after year,” Jonas Schytz Juul, ECLM’s chief analyst, told public broadcaster DR. “Poverty represents a bigger and bigger social problem in Denmark.” Between 2002 and 2009 the number of Danes living in poverty rose by more than 55 percent to a total of 234,000, or roughly four percent of the population. When students were included in the tally, the number rose to 350,000, or more than six percent. A poor person is someone whose income is less than half the average national income, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), whose figures form the basis for ECLM’s

Borders

Continued from page 1 the opposition leaders changed their tune and began to question the agreement. When Germany’s vice foreign affairs minister, Werner Hoyer, wrote in an article published in all 27 EU countries last week that EU countries now considering new border controls (namely Denmark, France and Italy) were “playing with nationalism’s fire”, the controversy became a full-blown diplomatic row. DF leader Pia Kjærsgaard hit back in Politiken that Hoyer – as a German – had no right to tell other countries about the dangers of nationalism. One of Denmark’s rightwing elder statesmen and most seasoned diplomats was stunned by the tone of Kjærsgaard’s attack. “Hoyer wrote very carefully that [Germany’s history with Nazism and Hitler] was precisely why he was warning against nationalism,” former Liberal party foreign affairs minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen told Politiken. “It was totally unfair and a painful insult to be accused of that sort of thing. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read what she wrote.” Ellemann-Jensen added that it was no wonder the international community was up in arms. “Many of them [in the DF]

In brief Who’s watching you? Despite the raft of security measures put in place to restrict who can see the information users post on Facebook, many people are oblivious as to how to alter their privacy settings. So says a new survey from Statistics Denmark that showed that 22 percent of the 2.2 million Danish Facebook users didn’t know how to change their privacy settings. Facebook profiles are fully public until the privacy settings are changed, meaning the information on the accounts of almost 500,000 Danes is publicly available. Anna Ebbesen, a consultant from media agency Advice Digital, finds the figures disquieting. “I think it’s important that people know how to change their settings, so that they can be in control of who can see them,” she told Statistics Denmark.

new report. Denmark does not have its own definition of the poverty level. “The new figures show with absolute clarity that poverty in Denmark is a reality that we need to respond to,” Juul said. “It’s essential that this development stops, to avoid creating a new social and economic underclass in Denmark.” ECLM, which has historic ties to the Social Democratic party, attributed rising poverty in Denmark to the economic policies of the Liberal-Conservative government, which has been in power since 2001. According to the report the government’s plans to shorten the period for unemployment benefits and to reduce cash benefits for families with children would exacerbate the growing poverty figures. Statistics from Eurostat and the OECD confirmed that Denmark has more people living below the poverty line now. Between the mid-1990s and mid2000s, according to the OECD, Denmark saw a “small increase” in the number of poor – a reversal of the decreasing trend in the previous decade. The same study showed that while income inequality was steady from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, it increased in the following decade. Nevertheless, the OECD also determined that as of 2008 Denmark and Sweden still had less income inequality than any other country, and that income

redistribution through public services such as free education, healthcare and housing subsidies were most effective in reducing the hardship and stigma of low incomes. According to the report Denmark’s extensive welfare benefits effectively reduced inequality by some 40 percent. On the other hand, the report judged that Denmark’s 25 percent sales tax increased inequality by seven percent on average,

because the poorest citizens end up spending a much larger proportion of their income on heavily taxed goods. Denmark was also found to be among the countries with the highest “income mobility” – where poor people were least likely to remain poor for more than two to three years – usually between jobs or while getting an education – and where chronic poverty, lasting a lifetime or even generations, was rare.

have loudly celebrated that we are now going to be done with Schengen. One [DF politician] said we could now return to the way it was before we came into Schengen. When you say things like that you can’t accuse others of taking what we say too seriously,” he said. As the controversy escalated, the government began backtracking on its earlier tough-talk and claimed that the international community had “misunderstood” what the border control agreement was really about – which was “tariffs” not “eastern European criminial gangs”. The foreign affairs minister Lene Espersen and the immigration and development minister Søren Pind released a press statement – in English – to clarify the misunderstandings for the international audience. But curiously, their statement omitted some of the most controversial elements of the agreement. The border control agreement (in Danish only) refers to “a significant rise in crossborder criminality” and “criminality by foreign gangs” as the basis for the new measures, with the goal of hindering “suspicious people” from committing crimes in Denmark. But none of that was included in the ministers’ English-language statement. Instead, Espersen and Pind said that the border controls were aimed at halting

“tariff fraud”. Finance minister Frederiksen last week admitted the border plans had indeed hurt Denmark’s image internationally. “A lot of the talk has had a clearly damaging effect on our reputation,” Frederiksen told Information newspaper. But while the government was waffling, the message from its critics was clear. José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission chairman, maintained that the border control agreement violated Schengen and that the Commission would not let Denmark slip over the line on its EU responsibilities without a fight. Experts in EU law also maintained that Denmark was on a collision course with the EU. According to Gerd Battrup, a professor from the University of Southern Denmark’s Institute for Border Region Studies, two specific points are especially problematic: the permanent video monitoring and the partitioning of the roadway into six different lanes with scanners and control facilities. “The goal with Schengen is to ensure free movement across the national borders. Therefore you cannot create provisions that function as border controls,” she told Politiken. “I don’t think they can implement the agreement and be part of Schengen at the same time.”

Marlene Wind, a professor in civics from the University of Copenhagen agreed. “The moment you direct cars into six lanes with stops and set up video cameras, you have a form of surveillance. I simply don’t think that holds up to our international duties,” Wind told Politiken. Wind has often been quoted in the Danish media for her take on issues concerning EU law, her area of expertise. She added that the agreement looked to her like a case of “electioneering” – a reference to this year’s upcoming election. In reaction to her comment, Pind called her “Halv-Vind” on his Facebook page – a play on her last name that roughly translates as ‘half-cocked’ or ‘half-assed’, which Wind said was at too low a level to even merit comment. Kjærsgaard added that Wind had “crossed the line” as an academic commentator and told public broadcaster DR that Wind should be fired or suspended for her statements about the government and the DF’s border control agreement. And so, as the division over border controls and Denmark’s possible engagement with “nationalism’s fire” continues through jabs and threats across political lines, the agreement is expected to come up for final approval in parliament this week.

Fireworks charge sticks Colourbox The number of Danes living in poverty leapt by 55 percent over seven years

Two journalists who were each fined 6,000 kroner for buying illegal fireworks have had their cases to drop their fines rejected by the European Court of Human Rights. Jacob Adrian Mikkelsen and Henrik Lindahl Christensen from DR’s Aarhus bureau bought the fireworks to demonstrate their easy availability. After consulting with police in Aarhus and Copenhagen on how to proceed after acquiring the fireworks, they were told to take them to a police station where Copenhagen police charged them upon arrival. The journalists attempted to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights to protest against their fines but the court dismissed the case.

Oldest Dane dies Denmark’s oldest citizen, Else Sofie Jensen Lundblad, died earlier this month at the age of 109. She was born on 21 September 1901 in Randers and lived to see the sinking of the Titanic, two world wars and a man walk on the moon – not to mention, the invention of television, penicillin and the internet. She never married or had children – a possible reason for her very long life, she volunteered with a wink on her 108th birthday. Read the full stories at www.cphpost.dk

Online exclusive Electric cars are poised to take over the streets of Copenhagen thanks to a number of initiatives to promote them. Read how the city is trying to drive forward electrical car use online at www.cphpost.dk.


News

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

3

“Beautiful agreement” for Christiania residents

By Peter Stanners Establishment of a Christiania Fund effectively establishes new council, says lawyer

The new deal guarantees a reasonable rent for residents and good assurances for the future, ensuring that everyone can stay living there

A

fter seven years of failed negotiations, at the time of going to press Christianites were expected to agree to a deal on Wednesday that will see a newly-established Christiania Fund buy the land they live on for almost 120 million kroner. The final deal values the price for the area and buildings at 76.2 million kroner, with annual rent costing six million kroner. An additional 40 million kroner covers the cost of building additional properties on the land. Knud Foldshack, Christiania’s lawyer throughout the seven years of negotiations, told Politiken that the deal, which legalises the Christiainites’ right to live on their land while preserving the freestate’s communal identity, was “a very, very beautiful agreement”. The new deal also enjoys widespread political support, despite the decision to value Christiania’s properties at 3,500 kroner per square metre, well below the market price for Christianshavn. Finance policy spokesperson Mike Legarth from the

mined, Foldschack has met with the Danish heritage board to discuss which homes will be listed. Only a handful of homes are expected to be demolished. The new deal also permits Christiania to buy the land as a fund, allowing the land to be managed collectively and remain communally owned. Previous deals called for a near privatisation of the land, which

Factfile | Christiania Jimmy Fyfe At the time of going to press, a deal was expected that would ensure the Christiania flag continues to fly

Conservative party said that the pressure should be on transferring the ownership of land from the state to Christianites and legalising their status as landowners. “If the Christianites had to pay full market price they wouldn’t have an earthly chance of paying,” he added. The last attempt at a deal was thwarted by two major is-

sues: the right for Christianianites to control who moved onto the land, and the fate of 300 homes built beside the water along the historic defences. Both issues have been addressed in the new proposal. “This is a deal that has been agreed on all sides so to speak,” Foldshack said. “We are in agreement over which houses should be cleared, the right to

Gang ties suspected after huge arsenal found Routine traffic stop turns up weapons stash and police uniform

A

routine stop on Sunday night by police on Copenhagen’s Åboulevard road revealed a stash of explosives and weapons. A kilo and a half of plastic explosives, detonators, three shotguns, three rifles, ammunition and parts of police uniforms were found in a bag in the trunk of the car. The driver, a 27-year-old, from Brøndby, has a prior record, though not for offences this serious. Police say the weapons may have been intended for use by motorcycle gangs, but the man has no known connection with gang activity. In preliminary proceedings against him on Monday, the man admitted partial guilt. Police are now trying to establish a motive and are investigating a possible connection to the biker and gang communities. While the man is not an official member of either the Hells Angels or its support group AK81, his Facebook page shows support of the gangs and he is known to have attended their parties. “We are trying to identify his entourage and any possible links he may have to the biker and gang community,” Copen-

residents feared would result in class conflict and result in Christiania losing its culture and identity. “It’s basically the creation of a new council in Copenhagen. There are actually council in Denmark that are smaller. It has been a super interesting task, but also the hardest case I have ever been involved in,” Foldschack said.

control who may live here and the economy. In short, we have agreed about everything.” “The new deal guarantees a reasonable rent for residents and good assurances for the future, ensuring that everyone can stay living there. That’s what’s important,” he added. While the exact fates of the 30 homes built along the defences have yet to be deter-

Christiania, originally constructed as a naval barracks, was established in 1971 by squatters after the military all but abandoned the area. After ten deaths caused by heroin overdoses in 1979, ‘hard drugs’ users were evicted and banned. Cannabis trade still exists in the area despite police crackdowns, though the ban on ‘hard drugs’ remains in place. 623 adults and 130 children have permission to live in Christiania. 92 businesses have permission to operate in the area. All residents over 18, regardless of their incomes, pays 1,800 kroner a month to Christiania – 386 kroner of which is paid to the state to cover fees such as property tax. The majority of residents earn less than 150,000 kroner a year. The next largest group earns less than 50,000 kroner a year.

INVITATION The Rebild celebration through 15 years - a story in Pictures The official opening of the exhibition conducted by the American ambassador, Laurie S. Fulton.

Københavns Politi Police called the find “extraordinary”

hagen Police’s central intelligence director Thomas Dyhr told Politiken. A trial of biker gang members is currently underway in Glostrup, overseen by heavy police protection, and with police uniforms among the contraband, there is speculation that someone planned to parade as a member of the police. “But the weapons discovered are not similar to those used by police,” Dyhr added. The car was stopped by police for having a crack in the windshield, but after smelling cannabis within the vehicle, they chose to search it.

The man’s home in Brøndby was searched following the arrest. According to the police, the amount of explosives found in the car was enough to demolish two cars in a single blast. “It’s a rather extraordinary find,” Claus Vinther from Copenhagen police told Politiken. “He has all the ingredients to make a bomb. It’s just a matter of rigging it together.” The 27-year-old has told the court he found the plastic explosives. He will be imprisoned until July 11 – the first two weeks of which he will be held in isolation. (PS)

Thursday, June 16th, at 16-18 Photographer Jorgen Nøhr presents over 250 of his pictures from recent years Rebild celebrations in northern Jutland. The exhibition is open during office hours (10-16) until 15th of July and admission is free.

Location: Base Camp, Højbro Plads 6, Copenhagen Was shipping magnate Maersk McKinney-Møller really carried in gold chair when he was named Honorary President Rebild Company? And did Victor Borge grab the baton as the same honor befell him? You will get the answer with the photo exhibition “Rebild celebration through 15 years - a story in pictures” which recounts anything and everything about the 4th of juli celebration in Rebild Bakker and Aalborg City through the past 15 years - as seen through the photographer Jorgen Nøhr optics.


News

4

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

Right-wing support drops over early retirement “betrayal”

By Jennifer Buley Danish People’s Party sees voter support drop after signing deal to cut early retirement

The Danish People’s Party took a calculated risk in the early retirement negotiations

A

nger and feelings of betrayal over the early retirement reform deal have voters fleeing from the right-wing Danish People’s Party (DF), a new poll finds. In the YouGov/metroXpress pre-election poll, the DF got just 10.9 percent of votes – the lowest voter support the party has had since YouGov began pre-election polling in February 2008 and three percentage points under the party’s 2007 election result. Most of the party’s deserters said DF leader Pia Kjærsgaard and her colleagues betrayed their trust by helping the Liberal-Conservative government cut the nation’s early retirement programme in exchange for an agreement to implement border controls. “They lied about early retirement,” said one former DF voter from the Copenhagen area, who said he would be voting for the opposition Social Democrats in this year’s upcoming election. “They didn’t do what they promised,” said another from Jutland, who said the opposition Socialist People’s Party would

Scanpix Despite a strong turnout for party leader Pia Kjærsgaard’s Constitution Day address in Ørbæk, a recent poll revealed the lowest level of support for the Danish People’s Party in years

be getting his vote. But despite the many similar messages from former supporters who said the party had broken its promises to them by signing the early retirement reform deal, DF’s group chairman, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, denied that the party had betrayed its voters. “Some of our voters have bought into the massive campaign by the left and the trade

Youth party fights for the rights of whites

A

new nationalistic Danish party was established last Saturday by defectors from the Danish National Socialist (DNSB) movement, led by a 21-year-old self-confessed racist and holocaust denier. Danskernes Party (The Danes’ Party) will stand in the 2013 council elections and will seek to deport all non-European foreigners, withdraw from the EU and fight for the environment. The party’s young leader, Daniel Carlsen, reportedly said he believes they stand a good chance in the elections. “We are still experiencing massive immigration and we are still controlled by the EU despite promises of the opposite,” he said according to TV 2 News. Carlsen, who calls himself a ‘modern nationalist’, and other members of the DNSB left the party in April to establish the new party in order to fight for the rights of ethnic Danes. “We are all Danes before we are anything else. Before you are an academic you are a Dane, before you work you are a Dane, and even though I am a student I am first and foremost a Dane,” he said. “But despite this all we hear about are parties that either fight for workers or academics, ‘the rich’ or ‘the weak’. You never hear about people who fight for

unions saying that we committed a breach of faith,” said Dahl. “But it’s not a betrayal if you say before an election what you are going to do after the election.” TV 2 political editor Henrik Qvortrup said DF’s leadership had gambled – and lost – when they decided to trade early retirement for border control. “The Danish People’s Party took a calculated risk in the early retirement negotiations.

They knew very well that it could come back to haunt them, and the poll confirms their worst fears,” Qvortrup said. But if some voters punished the DF for its role in the early retirement reform, another group of voters rewarded the small opposition Social Liberal party for the risk it took on the same deal. The Social Liberals, who have long supported early retirement reforms but not the Lib-

eral-Conservative government and their allies in the DF, split with opposition leaders the Social Democrats to strike the deal with the political opponents. Instead of being punished for that gamble, the Social Liberals’ share of voters jumped from 6.1 percent in May to 9.0 percent in the new YouGov poll. “That kind of poll makes you feel good and improves morale,” said Social Liberal economic spokesperson and vicechairman Morten Østergaard. “We stand for reform of early retirement and a new government. The voters are acknowledging that. We’ve achieved the first thing. Now we need to stay on focus and get a new prime minister.” According to the new poll, if the election were held today, the left-of-centre opposition parties would get a total of 95 seats compared to 80 for the government and its allies.

Terror attack accomplice found guilty

Rana faces 30-year sentence for planning Jyllands-Posten attack

C

Scanpix Danes’ Party leader Carlsen

Danes. But that’s what we do.” The party’s website demonstrates sympathy for far-right nationalist parties and movements and features an article written by the leader of the American Third Position, a newly established party that works to promote the interests of white Americans. Their website also indicates a co-operation with Svenskarnas Parti (The Swedes’ Party). “Our fight is not only about Denmark, but the whole of Scandinavia, the north and Europe. All Europeans face the same challenges as us,” reads a statement from the website. Carlsen joined the DNSB when he was 16 and his far-right beliefs have often brought him into the media spotlight, most notably when his parents were interviewed on DR’s Aftenshowet about his beliefs. (PS)

hicago businessman Tahawuur Hussain Rana was found guilty last week of helping to plan an attack on the Copenhagen offices of JyllandsPosten newspaper. The Pakistani-Canadian was convicted in Chicago of aiding childhood friend David Headley, a member of the militant Islamist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, in planning the attack on the newspaper in reprisal for the 2005 publication of drawings depicting the prophet Mohammed. Documents presented during the cases against both Headley and Rana revealed that the attack on the Jyllands-Posten offices would have seen journalists killed, with some of them decapitated and their heads thrown out of the windows. Headley, who pleaded guilty in March last year, also revealed the attack would target all Danes and not just journalists at the paper due to the belief by a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba that “all Danes were guilty”. Rana now faces up to 30 years in jail after Headley testified to his involvement in the planning of the attack. Despite being cleared of charges related to the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, in which 166 people were killed in a

Scanpix Tahawuur Hussain Rana, with white hair, listens during the closing arguments of his trial last week in this courtroom drawing

three-day siege, the jury agreed with the prosecution’s claims that Rana was aware of the attack that Lashkar-e-Taiba and Headley were planning in Copenhagen. Key evidence in the case related to Headley’s use of Rana’s business, First World Immigration Services, as a cover for his scouting trips to Copenhagen, which even gained him access to the newspaper under the pretence of purchasing an advert. And after Rana’s admission to the FBI after their arrest in 2009 that he was aware of Headley’s involvement in the militant organisation responsible for the Mumbai attack, but that he still allowed him to travel to Copenhagen as a representative of his business, the prosecution

claimed that Rana must have been aware of the reason for Headley’s choice of destination. But Rana alleged throughout his trial that he was used by his long-time friend, a convicted heroin smuggler turned US Drug Enforcement Agency informant, and that he was unaware of the planned attack against the newspaper. The conviction does not draw the case to a close, however, as US investigators are still trying to trace six other suspected co-conspirators in the Mumbai and Copenhagen attacks. “We hope that all those involved in the planning of the terrorist attacks in Denmark and Mumbai will be caught,” prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said, according to Jyllands-Posten. (PS)

In brief Unhealthy men Danish men are among the least healthy Europeans, according to a new EU health report. They have higher incidences of cancer and diabetes and shorter life spans than more than half of all EU men. According to a Danish doctor who helped author the report, typically ‘masculine’ forms of behavior are a big reason for the low standard of health. “The most alarming result from the report is that we just don’t stand where we should in regard to the incidence of cancer. Cancer is now our most frequent cause of death,” Svend Aage Madsen, the chief psychologist at Rigshospitalet, told Berlingske newspaper. ”The diseases are being detected too late and mortality is higher than in other countries. It looks bad throughout Europe, but especially bad in Denmark.” In general, the report found that men throughout Europe are in worse health than women. They overate more, exercised less and waited too long to seek medical help when health problems arose.

Ready to rock The Roskilde Festival confirmed its final line-up announcement yesterday, revealing the addition of trip-hoppers Portishead from the UK, American emo rock band My Chemical Romance, and Norwegian alternative rockers Kaizers Orchestra. The final announcement came amongst rumours of headliner MIA pulling out and after the confirmed cancellation on Monday of heavy metal act Rob Zombie due to unspecified ‘family circumstances’. However, festival officials said MIA would still be attending the festival. The Sri Lankan rapper cancelled a planned 2008 performance at Roskilde. While the final schedule for the four days has yet to be finalised, it is expected to be released later in the week and festival organisers have urged punters not to wait until the last moment to buy tickets, as the festival was almost sold out.

Shrink before drugs Doctors should not be able to prescribe anti-depressants to children under 18 without first consulting a psychiatrist, proposed the Socialist People’s Party in parliament this week. “We want to ensure that it is only psychiatrists who can start treating children and young people under 18 with anti-depressant medicine,” said Özlem Cekic from SF, who has asked health minister Bertel Haarder to revise the rules governing this area. Both the Social Democrats and Danish People’s Party supported the legislation, which would curb the powers doctors currently have to prescribe the medication. Read the full stories at www.cphpost.dk


News

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

5

Cargo bikes gaining global foothold

By Peter Stanners Entrepreneurs are discovering markets for the iconic bicycles in the US and UK, though their cost and eccentricity are hard to overcome

For me it’s the fun factor that I like the most about it. The health and environmental and health effects are just side benefits.

C

ities across the world are looking to Copenhagen for inspiration on how to get their inhabitants out of their cars and onto their bikes – so much so that a new term has been coined for the trend, ‘Copenhagenisation’. But even in cities that actively encourage cycling, the prevalence of self-powered transport is still mostly limited to the conventional two-wheeled variety. Cargo bikes, such as the Christiania, Trio or Nihola, are still a rarity outside Copenhagen despite offering a practical and relatively cheap alternative to a car for transporting people and goods. One American entrepreneur hopes to change that, however. Through his distribution company Boxcycles, Will Kearins has been selling the iconic Christiania bicycles in the United States for a year now, where they can be found in about 20 specialist bike stores across the country. Like many foreigners in Denmark, Kearins moved to Copenhagen after meeting a Danish woman, who is now his wife. But after selling everything and moving over in 2007, he found it difficult to find work. With plenty of time on his hands, Kearins was able to wander the streets and soak in the bicycle culture – which is when he noticed the cargo bicycles. “I was intrigued by the bikes. It’s such a great idea and we had not seen anything like it in the States,” he told The Copenhagen Post. After taking a course in entrepreneurship at CBS, his initial plan was to design his own bike to manufacture for the American market. The high costs involved forced him to change tack, however, and he instead drew up a business plan to export Christiania bikes to the Unites States. “I liked the Christiania bikes the best because they have this cool edge to them and they weren’t being imported to the States at the time,” he said, explaining why he targeted the most iconic, and expensive, cargo bike manufacturer. The company took a bit of convincing, but after Will demonstrated that he was as interested in exporting the whole culture of cargo bikes and was not just in it to earn a quick buck, Christiania Bikes relented and let Will send over some test bikes to the States. “I quickly realised there was more pent-up demand for them than I had thought,” Kearins said. “I didn’t think people knew about them but there were a lot

Peter Stanners American Will Kearnis, seen with his three-year-old son Kristian, was so taken by Christiania Bikes that he began exporting them to the US

of people who had been to Copenhagen and had seen them.” With over 100 sold in the first year and double that expected for the second, the business has found the majority of its customers in cities with established bicycle cultures, such as Portland in Oregon, Brooklyn in New York and coastal towns in California. But while the bikes, which retail for approximately 14,000 kroner in Denmark and about $2,700 in the States, are slowly finding a following, convincing people to pay the same cost as a small car for a tricycle with a wooden box attached to the front is still proving a difficult task.

We get emails from customers saying that it’s changed their lives “What’s interesting is that in Copenhagen everybody has them from rich to poor and I am trying to relay that – because people often look at the pricetag and think they can’t afford it,” he said. And even if he manages to convince his customers that it is a sound economic investment – that the low running costs easily pays dividends when compared to the cost of petrol and maintenance of a second car – there is still work to be done convincing some people that Christiania Bikes are practical and not an expensive gimmick. “It’s still seen as side-show in the States. People seem to like it but they don’t see it as a

viable option. But the task is to transfer the Copenhagen model to the States not just the bike. I want them to look at Copenhagen and say: ‘It’s great, people use them all the time.’ It’s not just a toy or contraption. People still say ‘What’s that?’ when you ride past them on the street. We need to get beyond that novelty,” he explained. “That’s going to be the key to its success. You can go on about the specifications but people want to see it in practice so we use social media showing pictures from Copenhagen to show them in their setting.” To Kearins, owning a cargo bike is a lifestyle choice that offers a raft of health and environmental benefits as a result of being active and not consuming petrol, but whose primary selling point is the freedom of movement and mobility that cars once offered before congestion became the norm. “I had that helpless feeling out in the traffic. That’s why the bikes are so great, having the opportunity to be outdoors,” he enthused. “For me it’s the fun factor that I like the most about it. The health and environmental and health effects are just side benefits.” Cargo bicycles have also found a market in the United Kingdom where the same marketing problems face Carolyn and Martin Roberts who run ‘Kids and Family Cycles’. Their online business based in Devon is the sole UK distributor of the Bella cargo bikes that are similar in style to the Christiania. “I was looking for some way of not using the car and transporting children to and from daycare. One day I was searching on the internet and came

across them. They changed my life,” Roberts told The Post. Just as in the States, the bicycles are viewed with a degree of scepticism. “I think people are quite

shocked at the cost of them and people do see them as a little bit odd,” Roberts explained. “But people are beginning to understand the concept, and with the high petrol prices right now it’s

a rational solution to transportation, especially as their resale value is quite high.” With the company in its third year selling the bikes across the country, Roberts described the business as viable, while her presence on the streets of her town ferrying her children to and from school garners plenty of attention and free publicity. “I get stopped everywhere and asked about them, and we get emails from customers saying that it’s changed their lives,” she added. But just like Kearins, it’s the freedom of being outdoors that is the major selling point. “I get to be outside biking through the forest home with the kids, which is a route I could never take in a car.” Entrepreneurs like Kearins and Roberts have identified cargo bicycles as a transport solution that is practical, fun, healthy and environmentally conscious. The question still remains, however, whether car culture has too much of a grip on the US and the UK for people to take the plunge and invest in something as eccentric as an adult-sized tricycle. Should they be successful, however, it will only reinforce Copenhagen as a leader in intelligent design and transport solutions – something we in Copenhagen already know too well.


Commentary

6 Editorial

Who is ... Has Distortion lost all proportion? Jesper Christensen? Opinion

Thomas Fleurquin Director & Founder, Copenhagen Distortion

Towards a less integrated union

I

f there has been a common thread in the criticism of plans to heighten border control, it has been that it runs counter to half a century of increasing European integration. It is easy to understand the logic in favour of the agreement to increase the number of customs agents permanently manning Denmark’s borders. But with the relatively strict requirements required to keep the proposal within the Schengen Agreement on passport-free travel in Europe, it is hard to believe the new border controls will keep out many undesirables. In fact, what the plan does is send a message to Europe that is more likely to scare off the country’s friends. Europe, as we know it today, is built on co-operation and trust. And while the restrictions placed on former Eastern Bloc countries when they joined the EU showed that this trust has its limitations, the latest measure signals to Europe that Denmark has all but lost its faith in the European vision of closer integration. We’ve heard from commercial organisations that the border controls will harm our ability to do business, both on a personal level by making it difficult for people to work and live on different sides of the borders, as well as at a company and national level as customers are either scared off or hindered from conducting business efficiently. And in the public debate over the plan, the most moving arguments were those put forward by Werner Hoyer, the German deputy foreign minister, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, a former Danish foreign minister and leader of the Liberal party, and Liberal party MP Britta Schall Holberg, who all see the border controversy as a very serious threat to an open Europe that a younger generation takes for granted. All three reminded us this week that the Europe of tomorrow won’t necessarily look like it does today, and that things we say and do – ‘unimportant’, unpopular little political deals (border control) made on the side to support other unpopular political deals (early retirement reform) – can lead to a serious deterioration of international relationships and civil rights. That the criticism came from senior members of the prime minister’s own party show just how far we as a country have drifted away from the vision of a unified Europe.

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

H

ere is a personalised comment regarding Distorton 2011 from its founder and director – I was also the founder of The Copenhagen Post Guide and its editor from 1998-2008. The Distortion festival was developed as a side project to the guide, and the jump into a five-day fest was taken to celebrate the second birthday of In & Out back in June 2000 (it launched in late May 1998). So the history of Distortion and The Copenhagen Post (which I helped establish altogether) are more closely tied than many might know. Distortion 2011 was overwhelming in all ways: last week’s fest marked a turning point in the festival’s history – and maybe in the history of Copenhagen. Since 1998, we have strived to establish a platform for Copenhagen’s alternative, cosy, intelligent, funny, colourful, dynamic, uncontrolled youth – with no other purpose than celebrating what is unique about Copenhagen. The freedom that the city allows and its capacity to accept unconventional outbursts in the city’s daily routines have allowed the Distortion festival to reach proportions I never would have dared dream of. No other city on earth would be able to cope with this kind of madness, without crime, and without bad intent of any kind. But of course, there are problems due to our failed logistics. Bear with us, the size of the Distortion is yet unpredictable. In 2011, we expected 35,000 people per day and an approximate 80,000 - 100,000 showed up daily. The same happened in 2010, where we were geared to handle 10,000 guests per day - and over 30,000

showed up. Really, what we have to endure these couple of years – and believe me, I endure the urinal problems more than any of you do – is a fast transition phase. Soon, we will have one of the most unique festivals on earth. More joyful and more diverse than London’s Notting Hill carnival, and without any crime. More up-to-date with contemporary pop than the Rio Carnival, but without syphilis. Just as advanced as any other electronic music fest in Europe, without an exhuberant admission fee. With dinners in the streets, parties for children and the elderly, and spectacular light shows with breathtaking breakdancers, hiphoppers and what not. So please, bear with this explosive transition, it’s a good one for Copenhagen – and trust that Distortion is a constructive, professional endeavour full of passion and enthusiasm for our lovely city. Take a minute to look deep in our programme to realise what kind of artistic and social depth the fest has on offer. That is what we can offer today, with meagre means and a tiny organisation. This year was a turning point because it has shown that Copenhagen actually had the potential we had seen in her back in 1998, when The Copenhagen Post and Copenhagen Distortion were founded. Both projects were always meant as a constructive celebration of Copenhagen and all that is positively unique about Denmark. Hopefully, time will show that there’s more to Denmark than urine! And if the Distortion fest never stabilises, and if Distortion forever continues to be an explosion of uncontrollable energy, fun, urine, garbage, childish youth, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, at least we will have succeeded in pissing off a bunch of sour-ass conservatives.

Anne Charlotte Vengsgaard

Readers weigh in: Distortion: five days of obnoxious binge drinking, wading through ankle-deep waste, pissing in public, and generally treating the city like a giant garbage bin. An excellent way to showcase everything that is wrong with this city and country. Sadly, this kind of thing goes on just about every weekend – Distortion just scales it up a notch. The festival has huge potential to be a wonderful event to be cherished by all. Unfortunately, the participants, by behaving like monkeys revelling in the flinging of their own faeces, have turned it into a depraved spectacle. Sllutspurt via website I have had the opportunity to reside in several different nations and I can honestly say that people here seem to care less about tidying up after themselves at such events. They will ignore trash receptacles right beside them, deciding instead to litter on the street. Clean-up efforts at large-scale events also appear to be less organised. These venues could have a larger presence of clean-up crews, thus reducing the amount of litter left behind. Fines for littering could be increased to an amount which is actually punitive and actually passed out to those who opt to be lazy and ignore the myriad of trash receptacles available. via website AdHevylossy I really love all these negative comments from people who are just too boring to understand the

positive aspect to come from CPH street parties. It’s so true that things like Distortion do not happen in many places in the world, but this is one of the things that make CPH so good. I live on Sankt Hans Torv and I’m happy that most of the comments below are not shared here by residents or shop owners. Guys if you have so much bad stuff to say why don’t you all go home? scotsmanincph via website Danes simply behave like this when they go out drinking. To my limited knowledge it is by far the dirtiest city in Europe when people go out to party. Bottles and other garbage are tossed to the ground as a normal practice. Even inside clubs and bars, people just urinate wherever they happen to be at the moment – even girls will do it in the middle of the street. PC via website Most of the discussion seems to lie in the aftermath. We have the foreign Dane bashers as usual – the older community who seem to have selective amnesia about their past. Get a grip people or move back to the paradise you came from. Young people are the same everywhere! Cheapshirt2 via website I am too old to cope with this crap. The recent Aalborg carnival had drunks peeing in the street at 10 in the morning! I wouldn’t mind so much if it was a good carnival. But it’s rubbish! Ban young people, that’s what I say! Nebs via website

Reader comments Nation enters space race It is good to know Denmark finally has a space programme. Did the rocket blow the roof off of the hut? Skovhjerte via website We wouldn’t want anyone to take this launch the wrong way. I’m sure that the minute this thing rose over 1,000 feet there was a big ‘BEEP!’ on the NORAD and Moscow Defense Command computer systems. via website Sunnchilde I cannot believe how cynical all of the comments are! For a nongovernmental, private organisation to have launched a rocket at all is a remarkable achievement. So many issues could have stalled this attempt. Don’t forget, it took the combined resources

of two huge governments, the USA and the USSR, to formally launch the ‘space age’. via website USvisitor

for this post? It seems that everyone can become a minister regardless of education. Amber via website

Academic MPs alienate less educated voters

Most balanced and satisfied

Wow, flashback to the Cultural Revolution in China during the ‘70s. These were the same types of discussions that were held by the Chinese Communist Party at that time. Thorvaldsen via website How can a guy who is an electrician be a good tax minister? In my opinion a minister who is in charge of taxation should hold a degree in economics or law and have several years’ professional experience in this field. Why not appoint a 14-year-old Dane who just completed a primary school

There’s a ‘self’ missing before satisfied. Helle Møller by Facebook Yet another story glorifying Denmark’s never ending worship at the altar of the goddess of mediocrity. God forbid anyone ever reaches for anything above the lowest common denominator. My God Copenhagen Post, why don’t you just call yourself Pravda and be done with it. Thorvaldsen via website So sad that Danes do not even realise that they are being totally controlled. Micromanaged

from cradle to grave. They are conditioned to believe they are happy, but not happy in the true sense, which is in the heart. “A really efficient totalitarian state would be the one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.“ Aldous Huxley, author of ‘A Brave New World’. Think about that, Denmark. Da Bronx via website I would suggest the Danes have some of the lowest expectations in the world. How else can you explain these surveys? I live in Denmark, and it is miserable and boring. How can anyone actually find that state of affairs okay unless they don’t know any better? Nebs via website

He is a 60-something year old Danish film star. Ahhh …. he’s a Danish film star. That means I won’t have seen him in anything! Stop right there. He played the dastardly villain Mr White in the James Bond films ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’. He is currently in Lars Von Trier’s ‘Melancholia’. Where does he come from? Unlike most of the people in Copenhagen - who seem to come from Jutland - he was actually born in Copenhagen and has lived here ever since. Was it a clear and straight path to fame and fortune? Not really. He was lost in a life of drugs for a while, he explained in an interview with the magazine Psykologi. Luckily, he was able to escape from his addiction to hard drugs and is now only addicted to cigarettes. As all ageing Danish stars do, I bet he’s received a royal award … He has received his fair share of Danish film awards (Bodil statues and the like) and he was offered the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (ridderkorset) in 2006, but declined the honour. He said that the idea of having a Royal Family is in itself a kind of crime against its members (mmm, and that means what exactly?), and that it doesn’t fit with modern ideas. Anything else vaguely controversial? Though his character in James Bond has not been killed off, he has said that he won’t be acting in any more of them. He said that everyone gets killed in them, “so two films must be enough”. Actually, I don’t think he’ll be getting another chance anyway, having declared to newspaper Politiken that the films were “a load of shit”! If they were that bad, why did he take a second Bond film? It seems he has changed his view greatly over time. He had previously told filmz.dk that ‘Casino Royale’ was a fantastic film and that he was proud to be in it! Victoria Steffensen


culture

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

7

Here’s Johnny: no time for queen, he likes the socialist regime

By Richard Steed John Lydon, the original anarchist, is still courting controversy 30 years on from the Sex Pistols

That’s the trouble with singers today; they have no balls and will do whatever the record company wants

I

nterviewing John Lydon is a breath of fresh air. In an age of press agents, publicists and spin doctors, it’s sometimes difficult to get up close and personal. Normally before interviews, you’re told what questions you must not ask or things that you must promote but with Lydon it’s different he makes up his own rules and nothing is off limits. “I am not a performing sea lion, nobody tells me what I can or can’t do,” he smiles. “That’s the trouble with singers today; they have no balls and will do whatever the record company wants.” With no record label pulling his strings, Lydon is back in Copenhagen for the first since 1977, touring with PIL (Public Image Ltd). “I haven’t played here since the Pistols gig but I’ve always felt the Danes have liked Johnny. I love performing and I hope the Vega concert will feel like a rave party.” PIL started touring again in 2009 after a 17 year hiatus, and now they cannot stop. Thanks to a large sum of money Lydon received for a butter advertising campaign in 2008, he was able to reform PIL

Still Rotten after all these years: British ‘national treasure’ John Lydon is in town this week

from the ground up without a record deal. At the time, Lydon was widely mocked for ‘selling out’. “I’ve dealt with much worse accusations than that in my time. The only thing I lined my pockets with was butter. The money has been well spent.” (Sales of the butter brand went up 85 percent after the adverts were aired on television) This summer they will be playing all over Europe while at the same time recording a new album in Britain. “We will be working to a tight deadline, flying back to the UK most eve-

nings, so my tour wardrobe will be very simple, just one pair of underpants,” he laughs. In an age of TV reality pop robots, Lydon can still cause outrage and controversy and thrives on having an opinion. “It’s wonderful that the word socialism is still used in Denmark,” he says. “I am all for a strong welfare state, it’s something America could learn from. I come from a working class background; my father was blinded in one eye at work but back then there was no compensation. So I am all for trade unions. Any decent society

takes care of all their people.” Recently in the British press he’s been called a ‘national treasure’ (so he’s up there with the likes of Dame Judy Dench and Sir Cliff Richard), but he’s not impressed. “Those words are just a logo. I don’t need it and by the way, I don’t need a f**king knighthood either.” After doing his best to spoil the queen of England’s silver jubilee celebrations in 1977 with the release of ‘God Save the Queen’, his views on royalty are still today firmly negative, likening them to a Walt Disney

Danish crime writers aim to kill in US By Jennifer Buley In the tracks of ‘Nordic noir’ literature vogue, three Danish crime writers score major US publishing deals

A

mericans’ beach reading lists could be filled with Danish names this summer. In August, two seasoned Danish crime writers, Sara Blædel and Jussi Adler-Olsen, will make their US debuts, followed three months later by a US edition of the new crime thriller by the Danish writing duo Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis. “It’s a good time to sell Scandinavian fiction right now. Everybody is looking for the next Stieg Larsson, but no one knows what qualities that writer will have and who it will be,” Joakim Hansson of the Swedish publishing house Nordin Agency told Politiken newspaper. Larsson was the Swedish crime novelist, journalist and civil rights activist whose ‘Millenium Series’ trilogy – particulary its first part, entitled ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (in Scandinavia called ’Men who hate women’) – became a posthumous blockbuster, selling over 20 million copies in 41 countries as of 2010, with several film adaptations to boot. Hansson’s agency is respon-

sible for launching the US edition of Sara Blædel’s novel ‘Call me Princess’ (’Kald mig prinsesse’). “The publishing house Pegasus bought five of Sara Blædel’s books and that is just fantastic,” he said. “The huge bookchain Barnes & Noble has made her one of their prioritised writers, so she will be sitting with the biggest titles on the tables at the front of the boutiques.” Dutton Books, an imprint of the Penguin publishing group, snapped up Jussi AdlerOlsen’s novel ‘The Keeper of Lost Causes’ (‘Kvinden i buret’) and the Penguin group featured it as one of their top three picks for the season. The novel launched in the UK with the title ‘Mercy’. Blædel and Adler-Olsen’s excitement for their American debuts were sprinkled with a fair share of Jante Law-ish reserve – that particular brand of Scandinavian-style humility. “The US is an ’out of this world’ market and it’s great to be part of it, but I’m not expecting that a lot will change just because I have a book coming out there in August,” Blædel said. “It will be a miracle if it’s a success.” Adler-Olsen said he was so old that he had no expectations whatsoever.

Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen’s ‘Kvinden i buret’ is getting heavy promotion from its publisher in advance of its August US debut as ‘The Keeper of Lost Causes’

production. Lydon finds any privileged institution offensive, especially nobility. Though he does admit for the first time he could actually see a point to the British Royal Family with the recent William and Kate wedding, earning some hard-earned money for the cash-strapped British economy. Lydon has lived in America for the past 25 years. He gave up on living in Britain after being harassed by the public, who regularly called him anti-royalist and because every week police kept raiding his house and busting through his front door. “In the end I had no privacy. I was seen as a threat to the establishment and was even discussed in parliament under the Treason Act. One MP suggested that I should be tied to ‘Traitor’s Gate’ and drowned. Now you tell me that songwriting has no meaning,” he says. One thing he is looking forward to while being in Britain

again is watching his beloved Arsenal play. “Ever since my dad took me as a kid I have been hooked - football is pure spectacle” he says. “Though I can’t bear the new stadium, it’s all seated. You should be able to stand up and shout, which I do anyway.” His view on Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner is ambiguous. “God bless him, I don’t think he is the full shilling of a player; he lacks the full engine but at least he’s very loyal and has scored some important goals for the club.” Age has not made Lydon any less angry about the injustices of today. Now 55 years old, he’s still fighting fit and on a mission to create a better, more humanistic world. “Words are the tool for revolution not guns. So I think music and lyrics can be incredibly powerful; it’s your one opportunity to communicate so you shouldn’t be telling a lie. I think what I am doing is for the benefit of humankind.” “My philosophy in life is, if it says: ‘Don’t sit on the grass’ then you should definitely sit on the grass. Don’t let anybody take away your basic human rights. Rules are there for a reason, they are made to be broken,” he concludes.

Lydon’s band Public Image Limited is playing at Vega on Monday June 20. To learn more, see G4 in this week’s In & Out.

BRITISH CHAMBER OF OF BRITISH CHAMBER COMMERCE INDENMARK DENMARK COMMERCE

Business through Alliance and Friendship The forum for British-Danish business networking in Denmark • www.bccd.dk • events and activities • support services

“It would be fun if it is a success. But almost every time a Dane tries to do something in the USA, it ends in disaster,” he said noirishly. The ‘old’ Dane added, however, that his publisher had a brighter outlook on the venture. “Dutton expects a ‘smash killing success’ and also that they now have their next huge writer.” The Danish crime writers are being launched in the US at a time when other Nordic crime writers, in the wake of Larsson’s success, have the attention of publishers and readers

worldwide. Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø, in particular, has been lauded as the new Stieg Larsson for his US bestseller ‘The Snow Man’, while the Swedish writing team Anders Roslund & Börge Hellström have also had success in the US market with their novel ‘Three Seconds’. “You can’t underestimate the effect Stieg Larsson and his books have had,” Olsen said. “They created a niche that the rest of us are benefiting from. Without him, we wouldn’t be here today.”

For both Danish and British companies and business people bccd@bccd.dk • +45 3118 7558 Arne Jacobsens Allé 16, 3. 2300 Kbh S

Registration: Please sign up or email event@bccd.dk Please state DGU membership number in the “notes” section for each player entering the tournament. • official media partner


employment

8

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

Freelancers

As a vibrant and growing school, Rygaards International School seeks enthusiastic and qualified candidates for the following new position:

Admissions Officer Rygaards School has a Danish and an International Englishspeaking school each teaching its own separate curriculum. It is a Catholic school founded in 1909 by the Assumption sisters. The school has strong ecumenical traditions and welcomes applicants who are interested in actively supporting Christian values

IN & OUT

HISTORICAL

People had a blast at New Year - but who is left to pick up all the trash after the party?

Cash in on your knowledge of Sir Kenneth and win a Wallander DVD boxset

3

G2

In the Napoleonic wars Denmark attempted to stay neutral. But the peace was not to last.

16

VOL. 13 ISSUE 1 8 - 14 JAN 2010

THE DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH

NEWS

2

Cracking up? Police are alarmed by city residents walking and skating on the thin ice of frozen lakes Questions are being asked after a Somali man managed to enter Kurt Westergaard’s house and attempt to kill him 8

CULTURE A century of laughs. Denmark’s ‘Clown Prince’ Victor Borge would have been 100 this week. BUSINESS

13

There’s no other way to describe it - 2009 has been called a ‘catastrophic’ year for the tourism sector

PRICE 20 DKK

New decade: New city mayor By Katie Rice

3

NEWS

Copenhagen Post T: 33 36 33 00 F: 33 93 13 13 E: info@cphpost.dk W: www.cphpost.dk

Please see the school website www.rygaards.com for details of the position.

NEWS

New mayor Frank Jensen vows to keep election promise of easy-to-reach daycare facilities

C

OPENHAGEN’S new mayor, Frank Jensen, has started off his four-year tenure with an assurance that he won’t contest the next election if he can’t fulfil his promises on daycare for children. The Social Democrat stalwart retained the party’s hold on the seat of power in the city in the November elections and stepped into his mayoral role at the start of this year. The city’s daycare facilities are already strained to breaking point with waiting lists growing to almost 1000 children and parents waiting an average of 15 months to find a place. Jensen is promising Copenhagen parents that they will have to travel no more than 4km to their child’s daycare centre and that families will be able to secure places for siblings in the same institution. The mayor’s guarantee means between 10 and 15 new daycare centres will open within the next four years, each accommodating 60 nursery or 100 kindergarten children.

Car crash causes carnage A speeding driver crashed into pedestrians on City Hall Square on Sunday evening injuring several

P

Photo: Pamela Juhl Frank Jensen (L), has many supporters - not least Social Democrat leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt

‘The main theme for the next four years will be to deliver a childcare guarantee that works. If we can’t deliver it, then I won’t be recommending we run again. We must deliver this now and you won’t see me sitting here in four years time giving you evasive explanations,’ Jensen said to Berlingske Tidende newspaper. He has already received the backing of his predecessor, Ritt Bjerregaard, who praised the

choice of a Social Democrat for the role of deputy mayor for the council’s children and youth department. ‘I think it’s smart that he has clearly come out with this as his top priority,’ Bjerregaard said. But the Copenhagen Parents’ Organisation (KFO) has questioned the promises being made by yet another politician. KFO representative Nina Reffstrup said the guarantee for

accommodating siblings together was probably more important than the 4km travel limit. ‘But in general we would rather discuss the quality of daycare rather than a daycare guarantee, which is already legalised. If you can’t inject money into the operation of new daycare centres, you erode the quality of existing places and risk it becoming so bad that people end up moving,’ she said.

OLICE HAVE SAID they expect to charge a driver with endangering the lives of others after he lost control of his car at City Hall Square in Copenhagen and ran into six pedestrians. The accident occurred on Sunday evening when the 27year-old driver of a black BMW lost control of the vehicle on Vesterbrogade Street, slamming into a lamppost before spinning it and knocking over six people waiting at nearby bus stops. The most seriously injured is a Russian woman, who is suffering from internal bleeding but she is said to be in a stable condition at Bispebjerg Hospital. Another female pedestrian sustained a broken hip in the crash but her condition is not said to be life threatening. Police are awaiting blood tests and forensic results from the scene before determining whether the accident was caused by drunk driving or not. (kr)

The Copenhagen Post is looking to expand its network of freelance journalists and translators to help us with our news coverage, advertising supplements and commercial text services. To help strengthen our coverage of the Danish news, we are looking for journalists capable of writing feature articles about issues facing Denmark and the people that live here. In addition to our news coverage, we also regularly publish advertising supplements on topics ranging from Christmas shopping to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and would like to build up a network of area experts as well as general writers.

Applications should be addressed to The Board of Governors and sent by e-mail to: The principal of Rygaards International School, Charles Dalton, charles.dalton@rygaards.com. Information about the school can be obtained from our website www.rygaards.com

Finally, we are also looking to find translators and other wordsmiths to help us service the growing list of public and private sector clients who turn to us for translations, copy writing and editing.

Closing date for applications: Monday the 27th June 2011 January 8 - 14

The Copenhagen Post Guide

Exemplary my dear Watson! Burns as Holmes headlines an explosive line-up for 2010

See G2 and G4 for more details of the exciting English-language theatre in Copenhagen this year CRAZY CHRISTMAS 2009 a restaurant // takeaway // cocktails

VIVIENNE M C KEE PRODUCTION

If you are a journalists and are interested in writing about the country around you if or have experience translating from Danish to English we’d like to hear from you. Please send us a brief application and a CV, along with examples of previous work, to: hr@cphpost.dk, noting “Freelancer” in the subject field.

Your local sushi restaurant & takeaway located at Hotel Fox

Where taste & aesthetics are in focus Specializing in California-inspired quality sushi

TRÆDE

Place your order online at sushitreat.dk

www.londontoast.dk

T PEDERSS SANK

TRÆDE S TUDIES

ST

VE

ER

STERGADE

S TRØGET E

N

TIVOLI

AD

VE S TERPORT

LG

DHUS RÅ P LADSE

VO

Contact: Jarmers Plads 3 1551 Copenhagen V www.sushitreat.dk Tlf: 3338 7030

VE

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 16:30-22:00 Friday-Saturday 16:30-02:00 Sunday closed

NOVEMBER 5th 2009 - JANUARY 9th 2010

GLASSALEN TIVOLI T I C K E T S : 3 3 1 5 1 0 1 2 O R B I L L E T N E T 7 01 01 5 6 5 6 5

LOOKING FOR WORK? WE WANT TO HELP! Keep an eye on the Copenhagen Post employment section. Updated weekly with full and part time positions for English speakers.

For more information, please contact Managing Editor Kevin McGwin on 3336 3300.


COMMUNITY

the copenhagen post June 17 - 23

9

Don’t see the elephants die join their parade around the city By Clive Thain

More than 300 people turned up at Rådhuspladsen, the City Hall square, on Wednesday June 1 to witness the grand opening of this year’s Elephant Parade Copenhagen (www.elephantparade.dk), a financial support organisation to raise awareness of the plight of the animal in Asia. The parade consists of 103 elephants decorated by Danish and international artists – 20 of which come from Thailand – which can be seen at various locations all over the city until August 25 ahead of an auction on September 9. Before that buyers are invited to bid for their favourite elephants at www.bruunrasmussen.dk ahead of the live event at Scandic Copenhagen. The grand opening was followed by a reception at the nearby City Hall hosted by depaty mayor Pia Allerslev, head of the city’s culture and leisure department, where the building’s famous pancakes were served.

Dina Gellert and actress Ellen Hillingsø unveil the parade’s mascot, Mosha, the central character of a series of books written and drawn by Gellert, for which Hillingsø – one of the parade’s ambassadors (and a goddaughter of the queen no less) – provided the voice for the CD book series.

A wide variety of wonderfully colourful elephants were on display for the visitors to admire

Proceedings included addresses by depaty mayor Pia Allerslev …

Bengt Holst, the scientific director at Copenhagen Zoo ...

and the organisation’s Dutch founder Marc Spits

Behind the scenes Christine Rendtorff and Cristina Canzella The works varied from the resplendent … were busy applying the finishing touches to a whole legion of elephants

to the lifelike …

to the far-out …

to presumably the still in progress


10

COMMUNITY

ABOUT TOWN

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD (UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)

THE COPENHAGEN POST JUNE 17 - 23

An Actor’s Life A resident here since 1990, Ian Burns is the artistic director at That Theatre Company, and very possibly Copenhagen’s best known English language actor thanks to roles as diverse as Casonava, Oscar Wilde and Tony Hancock.

Postcard from Cph. June 2011

Watch out ladies and lock up your daughters. Celebrating the completion of their degrees, these bachelors (in more ways than one) were out to have a good time.

Salman Khurshid (left), the Indian minister for water resources and minority affairs, was in town last week to meet the Danish environment minister, Karen Ellemann (centre right). Here he is catching up with the Indian ambassador, Ashok Kumar Attri (centre left), and his wife.

Dear Ben, ‘Wonderful Copenhagen’ smells like a sewer and has done for almost a week now. Something to do with celebrating being young and enjoying the nightlife apparently. Now that it’s stopped, most of the rubbish they left behind has been picked up and heavy overnight rain has helped to wash the pee and its overpowering stench from the streets. The constant noise and chaos of trying to get round this city is frustrating, they seem to be digging up the whole of Copenhagen at once, and the road works and tunnelling starts really early just outside our hotel. Also, because the traffic lights aren’t working, Aunt Cissy got confused and almost got run over outside a shop called Politikens Boghandel is. That means bookshop I think. I spoke to a young man who witnessed this near fatal miss, but I realised that he couldn’t hear me because he had those small headphones in his ears and was listening to music. Strange how so many people don’t want to be a part of the world that they’re living in isn’t it? He removed one of them and I mentioned to him that if the lights weren’t working that maybe there ought to be a traffic policeman there to prevent any possible accidents. He

was carrying his bike on his shoulder. No, it’s not a Viking trend. All that broken glass from that five night-long party I talked about earlier had punctured his tyres. He said he was going to send the bill to the organisers, half smiled, said something that sounded like “fourbennel-two-wrister!” and walked off. Seemed a bit strange. You told me that the Danes were good at English… Talking of which I can’t seem to find any live entertainment here in English, which strikes us as a bit odd as Copenhagen is supposed to be a major European capital. At least that’s what it says in all the tourist brochures. We found the name of one English theatre company called That Theatre and a very polite and charming man told us that he’s been trying to stage Danish plays in English especially for tourists and is still hoping to do so if he can get some financial support. It is good to see something of the culture of the country you’re visiting in a language you can understand isn’t it? If we come back we’ll contact him again as he seemed like a really friendly and positive man despite his frustrations. Ian something… You can check him out at www.thattheatre.com. See you soon. Love Mum, Dad and Aunt Cissy. xxx

text 19

The Copenhagen Post Quick Crossword

No 356

The Danish singer Eran DD and Alan Melchior, a prominent member of the Copenhagen Jewish community, were in attendance at the opening of the new Jewish Culture Centre on Krystalgade last week on Friday.

Possibly as a warm-up to National Hotdog Day (which was on Wednesday June 15), City Hall Square was the scene for the cooking of a monster sausage (or should we say medister), that measured an incredible 2km in length. Celebrity chef Claus Meyer was among the 15,000 who sampled it, leading to speculation that Noma might soon be ditching its menu in favour of selling bangers and mash instead.

You’d guess this man likes comic books – he’s attending the premiere of the new X-Men film after all. But would you think he likes sports as well? Because this is none other than Christian Stadil, the current owner of sportswear company Hummel, the manufacturer of the nation football team shirts.

Across 6. 7. 9. 10. 12. 14. 18. 19. 21. 22.

The new outdoor photo exhibition at Nytorv is ‘Wild Wonders of Europe’. Pictured here are (left to right) the Danish organisers of the exhibition, Søren Rud and Stine Norden, and the exhibition’s creators, photographers Bridget Wijnberg and Staffan Widstrand

Italy celebrated its national day on May 31, no doubt with the sampling of a few Garibaldis, at the Italian Cultural Institute in Hellerup. In attendance were (left to right) the singer Dario Otto and his wife, the relatively new Italian ambassador Carlo Tripepi, and Harald Nielsen, who in the 1960s was the prized property of Serie A club Bologna and the league’s top scorer in 1963 and 64 (before moving to Inter, Napoli and Sampdoria), and his actress wife, Rudi.

Valour (7) Ghastly (5) Under (5) Quarrel (7) Acknowledgement (11) Temper (11) Free (7) Spin (5) Wrong (5) Travel (7)

Down 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8. 11. 13. 15. 16. 17. 20.

Revolt (5) Facetious (6) Enquire (3) Marionette (6) The novel (7) Stateliness (7) Own (7) Quandary (7) Delight (6) Advancing (6) Avarice (5) Task (3)

Post Quick Crossword No 355 Across: 1 Favourable; 7 Frail; 8 Disband; 10 Entirely; 11 Bias; 13 Ireful; 15 Danger; 17 Avow; 18 Excavate; 21 Edifice; 22 Ghoul; 23 Investment. Down: 1 Feast; 2 Valorous; 3 Unduly; 4 Also; 5 Leading; 6 Effeminate; 9 Disorderly; 12 Harangue; 14 Emotion; 16 Expert; 19 About; 20 Wise.


COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST JUNE 17 - 23

11

Mighty Vets too strong for hackers - even without their slackers By Steve Buckland Subless Celtic veterans see off SBV 09 challenge despite early injury

L

AST WEDNESDAY saw Copenhagen Celtic’s Mighty Vets meet SBV 09 (Stationbyen’s Vestegnen 09) on a lovely, warm summer’s evening in Valby. Again the team was beset with cry-offs (Jonesy apparently puts family before footie – we will put a clause about that in his next contract) and the usual “I can’t play because I’m undergoing major surgery” wimpish excuses. In fact injuries are so common that plans are now afoot to introduce a fanfare as the Mighty Vets leave the field (more often than not on stretchers) after each game. Suggestions so far include ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’, ‘Morning (and ankle/ knee/fingernail) Has Broken’ and anything by Ian Dury (try saying that with an Irish accent and you’ll know what I mean). The board has also hatched plans to swap our present sponsors with Falcke, the Salvation Army and Hamlet Private Hospital. However our lord and master, Snr Ballerttoni – who is out injured after seeing a doctor with buttock pains and finding out he’s torn his meniscus (quite how he came to be born with his meniscus in his arse is up for debate) - did what every

decent Irish manager since the great Jackie O’Charlton has done and that was to wring the very DNA out of the list of anyone legally entitled to play for us. So we had two newish (at least for this season) faces for this game: Kelly the Icelandic Wiking and Davie ‘Anyone Seen My Knees?’ Hill. Straight from the off it looked like we were in for a difficult hour of football as we concentrated on keeping our shape (pear), although the oppo, despite combining nicely in midfield, seemed to lack any sort of killer instinct. Chances were, in due course, had by both sides and, if I had to be brutally honest, SBV looked the most likely to break the deadlock before we scored a goal worthy of any game. Stewie (who still turns up for most games wearing his school uniform) floated a peach of a diagonal ball from the right side of midfield that just avoided the entire gravitationally challenged defence. Up popped Simon with an incredible kungfu-panda’ish lunge to knock the ball into the back of the net. In fact, from where I was standing, it looked like he was more likely to take out the goalie’s throat than hit the ball, but that’s angles for you. This seemed to stun the opposition somewhat so we kept grinding them down, sometimes playing our infamous psychologicalwarfare trick of giving them

Behold the Mighty Vets: (back row) Stevie Harris, Simon Sheard, James Knipe, Stephen Ball, Neill Jones, (front row) Steve Buckland, Davy Thom, Ronnie Wilson, Christian Vilbrand, Dave Maude. Photo: Coogan

a four-on-two knowing full well Pull-Off James would produce another blinding save. Their heads dropped and they resorted to either bitching at the ref when tackled “fairishly” or committing hideous, spiteful fouls of their own (remember I’m terribly non-impartial). On one such occasion Davie Hill (who was having a splendid game up until then)

Bringing Bangkok to the Brygge By Victoria Steffensen

I

’M PRETTY CERTAIN that you know a lot about Thailand, or at least you think you know a lot. Even if you haven’t been there yourself, you are bound to have family or friends that have been there, so you doubtless have been told about what a wonderful and exotic place it is. Well, here is your chance to confirm some of those reports about Thailand, and if you’ve been there, to become re-acquainted with some of the wonderful tastes and traditions that originate in the country. On Sunday June 26 the Royal Thai Embassy in Copenhagen will be hosting the 2011 Thai Festival, in co-operation with a number of partners, including a number of the city’s top Thai eateries. So, make your way to Haveneparken, Islands Brygge 1-9, between 10 and 18:00. Entry is absolutely free, and the day will play host a variety of stands - some which will provide you with information about this popular travel destination, others which will grant you the opportunity to experience a little of the country for yourself, such as free tastings of some of

Fabulous cooking – just one of the many things on offer at the Thai Festival

the national food and drink. There will also be various activities going on during the day – giving you the chance to experience what would otherwise cost you a good deal of kroner in the form of an air ticket to Bangkok! Great food has to be on most peoples’ lists of the top ten things they associate with Thailand. And there will be plenty of it on offer during the day. Thai food is extremely popular in Denmark, with the number of restaurants in Denmark estimated to be around 130! And that’s no surprise. Who could resist the delicate mixes of lemon grass, coconut milk and lime leaves, which Thai cooking provides? If a small sample of the food is not enough for you, there will also be the chance to buy food – at a very reasonable price -

from some of the restaurants represented at the day. You will also see demonstrations of traditional food preparation, and maybe pick up a trick or two from the professionals! If you are on a diet, there are plenty of reasons other than food to come along to this event. There will be some classical Thai dance performances to be seen, and traditional Thai music to be heard. If you’re keen to get your hands on some exotic home décor items or simply an unusual gift, there will also be handicrafts for sale. And if a glance around the things on offer at the festival has whetted your appetite, you can simply make your way to one of the travel stands and book your holiday of a lifetime to Thailand itself!

unfortunately took on perhaps the only player on the pitch who was slower than himself. A deft touch took the ball past the said player, Davie turned on the turbo charger, and then the said player brutally hacked him down. This was the end of Davie’s participation in the game; we were subless and still had 40 or so minutes in which to survive.

But survive we did, knocking in two more goals in the second half (good strikes by Kelly and Christian) before letting SBV get a consolation goal. An allround great team performance that sees us swap places with SBV in the table. MOTM went to Christian (a magnum bottle of Tizer and a check for 10,000 Zimbabwe tikkels) but a special mention should go to

Simon who played the entire second half despite suffering a heart attack at half time. Bert Trautmann has nothing on this lad. A big thank you goes to all the ladies who took advantage of the ‘get in for free’ offer but, on behalf of the board, I must ask that in future you all keep your clothes on until the final whistle.

COMING UP SOON... Children’s Fair Valbyparken (Hammelstrupvej entrance), Valby; Sun 14:00-17:00; free adm; www.expatindenmark.com Whether you are interested in creative, culture, leisure, music or sports activities the Children’s Fair will introduce international professionals and their families to various clubs and associations located in Copenhagen. This is a great chance for Danish and international families to meet and interact so their children can play together. JF Republique Studio Stage, Østerfælled Torv 34; June 17-18; tickets 125kr incl lunch and dinner on Sat; www.republique.dk This is a seminar held in English that explores the newest sound art out there and looks at the role that it plays in theatre today. Held at Republique’s theatrelab, the seminar caters for everyone who is interested in, working with, or studying music, stage art, and lighting design. The two-day seminar features artists and experts in the fields of sound and stage such as Jacob F Schokking, Heiner Goebbels, Toni Dove and Enrique Vargas, who will present the results of their laboratory projects and discuss the significance of sound, music and silence on stage. The seminar will feature audience interaction, live music, and various lectures, and includes lunch and dinner on Saturday.

Fun Run in Copenhagen The British Embassy, Kastelsvej 36-40, Cph Ø; Thu June 23, 12:00-15:30; email events. copenhagen@fco.gov.uk to secure your place; www. ukindenmark.fco.gov.uk; June 23 marks the occasion of 400 days before the opening of the London Olympics in 2012 so what better way to celebrate this esteemed occasion than a five kilometre fun run from the British Embassy around the scenic lakes and back to the embassy where runners can enjoy some well-earned refreshments. There will also be prizes available. JF Japan charity concert De Gamles Bys Kirke, Edith Rodes Vej 6; Cph N; Sat June 18, 19:00; tickets: 100kr, students/children 50kr; www. viaandplus.dk A charity concert for victims of the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11. Artists Unite is a group of Japanese and Danish artists who have formed this project to give support to the victims, share thoughts, and experience through music. All money raised will go to the Japanese Red Cross. JF

Power and control seminar Råvarebygningen at CBS, Porcelænshaven 22, 3rd floor, Frederiksberg; Fri June 17, 09:00-12:00; www. expatindenmark.com Arranged by the Department of Intercultural Communication and Management at CBS, this seminar looks at the role that power and control play in organisation, communication and management studies, anthropology, political studies, and sociology. Focusing in particular on biopower and seduction, this seminar brings together various international professors to consider how we can study situations marked by empowerment, participation, and other seductive forms of power and control. JF Gentofte Culture and Party Days Various locations over Gentofte; start Thursday June 16, ends July 19; free adm; www.festdage.gentofte. dk Get ready for colourful days of culture and party on the streets of Gentofte as the suburb of Gentofte comes alive for the annual festival. The four-day programme offers music, concerts, theatre, tours, nature experiences, a family day and open homes all over the area. JF


THE COPENHAGEN POST 12

SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

SPOUSE: Christina Koch FROM: Australia SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Drama, 1997 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Experienced actor and voice coach for speakers, with parallel high level experience in written communications. LOOKING FOR: Voice coaching for corporate presenters and speakers, Writing and Communications work, work in theatre organisations. IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft Office, Office for Mac. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English - Native speaker, excellent written and oral expression. German – good reading and listening skills. Spanish – fluent oral communication, good reading and listening skills. Danish – beginners level speaking and writing skills. CONTACT: Tel: +45 52 77 30 93 Christina@hermionesvoice.com, www.hermionesvoice.com. SPOUSE: Pooja Nirwal FROM: New Delhi, India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen and Capital region QUALIFICATION: Masters (M. Sc) in Environmental Science, +2 yrs of Exp. as Env. Consultant in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment LOOKING FOR: Positions in Consultancies/Organizations/NGOs working in the field of Environmental Science (Climate Change, EIA, Env. Compliance Audits, Solid Waste Management etc.) LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in English, Hindi and Sanskrit, Started learning Danish IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) CONTACT: poojadahiya1@gmail.com, +45 503 904 60 SPOUSE: Bhargavi Lanka Venkata FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: IT industry- Software - Manual & Automation Testingr QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering EXPERIENCE: Part Time/Full Time work in Software Testing, 4yrs and 9 months experience as Senior Software Engineer – Testing in a U.S based MNC in Bangalore, India LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Enrolled for Danish classes IT EXPERIENCE: Manual testing, Automation Regression testing using QTP, Web service testing using SOA Tool, HP Quality center, Unix, SQL, XML, Basic shell scripting CONTACT: bhargavipsk@gmail.com; Mobile: 50376689 SPOUSE: Francesco Grandesso FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Constructing architect EXPERIENCE: 4 years at TFF Engineering 2005-2009, 3 years at ADproject 2002-2005 LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian & Danish IT EXPERIENCE: AutoCAD 2011 CONTACT: grandessodk@gmail.com Mobile: 50110653 SPOUSE: Kaewkarn Kanchanavipu FROM: Thailand SEEKING WORK IN: Sales, marketing, project management, business processes, supply chain, HR and general management functions QUALIFICATION: M.Sc. International Business and Trade , School of Business Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Bachelor of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand; Certificate of Exchange Studies in Business Administration Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria; Certificate of Completion in STEPS, Saitama University, Japan EXPERIENCE: Three-year professional experience in sales, marketing, business development and project management. Proven record of achieving high performance in multiple markets: Norway, Sweden, Japan and Thailand in various industries. Able to devise and implement coherent organization strategies whilst improving internal process and procedures within a demanding environment, project deadlines and budgets. Area of expertise & experience: Operational management, sales, marketing, business development, project management, recruitment, customer service and administration. LOOKING FOR: A challenging position that will utilize my skills and offer opportunities for future development as well as wish to make a significant contribution to the organization. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Japanese, Thai and novice Danish IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office CONTACT: Tel: +45 50 398 555 Email: kaew.crystal@gmail.com SPOUSE: Suheir Sharkas FROM: Syria SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus and the nearby areas of the mentioned cities. QUALIFICATION: MBA–International Management, Bachelor in English Literature. LOOKING FOR: Positions in Organizations/Companies in the fields of: Administration and organization, Event & Project Management, and Assistance Management. LANGUAGE SKILLS: : Arabic: Native speaker, English: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), German: Fluent (understanding, speaking and writing), Danish: Basic 3.3 (understanding, speaking and writing) IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Power Point) and web publishing. CONTACT: ssouheir@gmail.com, Tel: 533 721 20 SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano FROM: Venezuela (with CPR number) SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København and Hovedstaden QUALIFICATION: PhD in Physics EXPERIENCE: I have wide experience as an university lecturer in physics, physics laboratory, mathematics and informatics. I have done research in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. I have done research and development / programming of numerical methods applied to geophysical problems, such as tomographic inversion and wave propagation, independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams. I have participated in gravimetric and magnetometric geophysical surveys LOOKING FOR: Short and long term work in education in science and mathematics / research / scientific computing / oil exploration or other geophysical applications LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Basic Danish IT EXPERIENCE: OS: MSDOS, Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), Solaris, incl. shell scripting. Programming Languages: BASIC, ANSI C, C++, FORTRAN. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. Typography: LaTeX2E. Software: Mathematica 7, MS Office and OpenOffice suites, several Windows utilities CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com. Tel: +45 50 81 40 73

Make the most of your foreign employees – help their spouses find jobs Companies that hire foreign employees often find that it can be difficult for them to settle in if their family doesn’t feel at home here. A job for an accompanying spouse can be a decisive factor in whether that happens. Workindenmark partners with companies ranging in size from major global companies to small companies hiring their first foreign employee. We try to make it easier for public and private sector employers to find the right candidate for the job – and to make sure that they make the most of their new employees. We offer new employees a welcome packet that includes information relating to their stay. We can often provide assistance in the employee’s native language. We also invite companies to participate in Partner Link, our nationwide job bank for spouses. Partner Link’s goal is to help companies retain foreign employees by helping their spouses find career opportunities here.

COMMUNITY

PARTNERS:

THE COPENHAGEN POST JUNE 17 - 23

SPOUSE: DANIEL JONES FROM: UNITED KINGDOM SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Qualified Teacher Status, UK; Bachelor of Science Degree (1st Class), UK EXPERIENCE: Enthusiastic , hands on teacher with 8 years teaching experience of Mathematics and Science in UK and International Schools. IB, GCSE and A-Level, including as Head of Department with excellent feedback from pupils, parents and teaching colleagues. LOOKING FOR: Teaching positions in secondary schools; Private tuition; Education related roles LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mother tongue English, fluent in Italian IT EXPERIENCE: MS-office. CONTACT: daniel_glyn_jones@hotmail.com

SPOUSE: VIDYA SINGH FROM: INDIA SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Arhus, Aalborg or nearby areas. QUALIFICATION: Master in Computer Management, Bachelor of Science, Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Professional. EXPERIENCE: Total 8 years (4 year in telecommunication as customer care + 4 year as HR recruiter consultant) LOOKING FOR: HR (Trainee/Assistant/Recruiter/consultant), Customer service, office work, IT LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi and Danish (currently learning) IT EXPERIENCE: MS-office, Hardware, Networking, Intranet and Internet. CONTACT: vidya.singh37@gmail.com, Mobile: +45 71443554

SPOUSE: IEUAN JONES FROM: UNITED KINGDOM SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen (Will travel if needed) QUALIFICATION: BA Hons and Professional Diploma, Town & Country Planning (Urban Design & 3rd World Development) EXPERIENCE: Over 7 years experience working as a Development Manager for one of the UK’s leading health and socialcare infrastructure companies, developing new health and community buildings. LOOKING FOR: Opportunities to transfer and develop my skills and knowledge in Denmark. Ideally a full time position but I remain realistic and my options are open. I am more than happy to take on a part time role or work placement while I continue with my Danish course. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (Mother Tongue), learning Danish at Studieskolen, Borgergade IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint), Promap CONTACT: ieuandhjones@gmail.com Tel: +45 52 40 07 85

SPOUSE: nina chatelain FROM: vancouver, bc, canada SEEKING WORK IN: midt- og syd jylland QUALIFICATION: ba courses in english and anthropology, certificate in desktop publishing and graphic design, internationally certified yoga teacher since 1999 EXPERIENCE: over 7 years experience as the assistant to the director (what would correspond to a direktionssekretær position) at an international university museum where i also was seconded to act as the program administrator—a project management internal communications role—for the museum’s major renovation project. i acted as the director’s right hand and the museum’s communications hub where i had daily contact with the visiting public, community stakeholders, volunteers and students. i have earlier worked as an editor and writer in various capacities, as well as a desktop publisher/graphic designer. LOOKING FOR: an administrative role in a creative company that needs someone who can juggle a variety of projects and use excellent english writing and editing skills language skills: English (mother tongue) and Danish (fluent comprehension--studieprøven / university entrance exam) IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Package, PC and Apple, have earlier worked with various desktop publishing software, quick to learn new software and systems CONTACT: nina.chatelain@gmail.com Phone: +45 29707430

SPOUSE: Jennifer Bouma FROM: The Netherlands SEEKING WORK IN: Egedal Kommune, Copenhagen 30 km QUALIFICATION: Managers Secretary, hands on, reliable, structured, self reliant, social, teamplayer) LOOKING FOR: Secretary job LANGUAGE SKILLS: Dutch, Danish, English, German, French, Italian IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office ( Word, Excel), Outlook, SAP CONTACT: jenniferbouma@ hotmail.com SPOUSE: Lena Schulz zur Wiesch FROM: Berlin, Germany SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen and Capital Region QUALIFICATION: Cand. scient. pol. from the Humboldt-University Berlin and London School of Economics. EXPERIENCE: Seven years work experience from the German Parliament (EU-consultant) and as distinguished research associate at the Humboldt-University (urban planning). Strong analytical and inter-cultural skills. Team-worker. LOOKING FOR: Jobs in consulting, public administration, politics, NGOs, international institutions or companies LANGUAGE SKILLS: German (mother tongue), English, Spanish, French, Danish (all fluently) IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office, CMS CONTACT: lenaszw@web.de SPOUSE: Geet Shroff FROM: Bangalore, India SEEKING WORK IN: Midtjylland / Copenhagen / Odense QUALIFICATION: Bachelor’s degree in Communicative English from Bangalore University, India. EXPERIENCE: 8+ years of experience as Senior Copy Writer, Assistant Manager – Marketing Communications, Executive – Customer Loyalty & Communication, Customer Service Associate respectively. Through these years, I have developed content, handled complete marketing communications, organized numerous corporate (internal & external customer), private and institutional events ranging from 50 to 1000 people and also handling special projects that have included training & internal communication campaigns. LOOKING FOR: A Corporate or Marketing Communication (Internal or External) position or that of a Copy Writer at an advertising agency or a corporate house. Also open to a position at an event management company. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Danish (Beginner) IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office, Adobe In Design CS3 (Basic) CONTACT: geet_shroff@yahoo.co.in +4550834024 SPOUSE: Francis Farias FROM: Venezuela (CPR number) SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København QUALIFICATION: Master in Spanish Studies from Universidad de Cadiz, Spain, as a Spanish Teacher and BA in Teaching English as a Second Language. Diplomas in Digital Photography (from Venezuela and Spain) EXPERIENCE: 7 years experience as a teacher of English and Spanish at JMV University. Academic translator (Spanish-English/English-Spanish) and freelance photographer LOOKING FOR: Spanish language teacher, translator, interpreter, photographer. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (native). Basic Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: Office tools, Photoshop. CONTACT: carolina1928@gmail.com, +45 50814073 SPOUSE: Rita Paulo FROM: Portugal SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Architect EXPERIENCE: I am an architect and I have experience in Project and in Construction Supervision. In the past 7 years, I have worked mainly in housing, masterplanning and social facilities buildings. My last employer was a Project and Construction company where I had the opportunity to complement my experience in projects together with construction related tasks, developing myself as a professional. LOOKING FOR: Job in Architecture or Construction Company LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native Portuguese, Proficiency in English, Basic user of Spanish and Danish IT EXPERIENCE: Strong knowledge of AutoCad and ArchiCad. Experience in Studio Max, CorelDraw, Photoshop, Office tools. CONTACT: rita.vaz.paulo@gmail.com +45 2961 9694

Please contact us to learn more about what Workindenmark can offer you.

Workindenmark WEST Nordhavnsgade 4-6 8000 Århus C Tel. +45 72 22 33 60 Fax +45 72 22 33 77 E-mail: west@workindenmark.dk

Workindenmark EAST Skagensgade 37, 1. 2630 Høje Taastrup Tel. +45 72 22 33 00 Fax. +45 72 22 33 15 E-mail: east@workindenmark.dk Workindenmark SOUTH Dannebrogsgade 3 5000 Odense C Tel. +45 72 22 33 30 Fax +45 72 22 33 44 E-mail: south@workindenmark.dk

SPOUSE: Lorena Augusta Moreira FROM: Brazil SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Interior Designer EXPERIENCE: + 3 of experience with interior design and sales of furniture and decoration products. LOOKING FOR: Position in an Organization/Company in the fields of: Interior design, lay-out and organization of vitrines, sales and assistance management IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook, access and power-point) access to internet LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Portuguese (native) and Spanish (pre-intermediate) CONTACT: lorena-augusta@hotmail.com, + 45 52177084 SPOUSE: Jawon Yun-Werner FROM: South Korea, (have Danish CPR and work permit) SEEKING WORK IN: Healthcare, Hospitals, Elderly/Child Care (in Greater Copenhagen Area) QUALIFICATION: B.A. in Nursing, Masters in Public Health. I am AUTHORIZED to work as a Nurse in Denmark EXPERIENCE: 1O years of experience as a nurse and midwife from the prominent hospitals LOOKING FOR: Any healthcare related jobs (hospitals, clinics, elderly/childcare places). I am open to any shift or day. LANGUAGE SKILLS: ENGLISH, KOREAN, DANISH (Intermediate, in progress, Module 3) IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, SASS Statistical Software CONTACT: cuteago@yahoo.com +45 30 95 20 53 SPOUSE: TEJA PRIYANKA FROM: INDIA SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: MBA in Finance and marketing , bachelor in Biotechnology LANGUAGE SKILLS: Telugu(mother tounge), Hindi, English, Danish(biggnier) IT EXPERIENCE: Familier with Microsoft office(word, excel,powerpoint,access, ), photoshop. CONTACT: teja.priyanka.n@gmail.com SPOUSE: Megan Rothrock FROM: California-USA,Via SEEKING WORK IN: Toy Design, Games Design, or Photography (Syd Denmark Jutland) QUALIFICATION: Associate Arts Degree: Corporate Communication, Design, and Commercial Illustration, with a background in animation. EXPERIENCE: Former LEGO Product Designer, LEGO Universe: Level Designer, European Bureau Editor Brick Journal Magazine. I have a strong knowledge of Toy and Gaming Markets. I am driven, enjoy solving daily challenges and I’m a strong communicator wanting to join a creative team of colleagues. LOOKING FOR: Part/Full time work in an innovative and creative LANGUAGE SKILLS: English: native- Dutch: Excellent- Danish (currently in): Danskuddannelse 3, modul 3. IT EXPERIENCE: PC and Mac- Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dream Weaver, Director, Maya, 3D Studio Max, ML Cad, LDD CONTACT: megzter1@yahoo.com +4535140779 SPOUSE: Lillian Liu FROM: Taiwan SEEKING WORK IN: Marketing/Public Relations QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Foreign Language and Literature (Major in English, and minor in French) EXPERIENCE: 5+ years of professional experiences in Marketing and PR. I am a dynamic and creative marketing communications talent with substantial international working experience in large corporation and in agencies, possessing Integrated Marketing Communication ability. Proficient in analyzing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision-making and formulating marketing communication strategies. Familiar with brand image build-up, channel marketing, media communication, issue management, etc. Possess in-depth understanding/knowledge of APAC market and Chinese culture. LOOKING FOR: Marketing jobs in Jylland LANGUAGE SKILLS: Mandarin Chinese, English, Danish, French IT EXPERIENCE: Familiar with Windows O/S and MS Office CONTACT: sugarex@hotmail.com

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs. If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible.


THE COPENHAGEN POST JUNE 17 - 23

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

SPOUSE: Debasmita Ghosh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmachemistry specialization) EXPERIENCE: 4 years in Clinical Research (Pharmacovigilance/Safety and Medical Coding) in a leading CRO (Quintiles) and 6 months experience as a lecturer for bachelor degree students in Pharmacy College. LOOKING FOR: Job in pharmaceutical industry, CRO or any vocation suitable per qualification and experience. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent written and spoken), enrolled for Danish language classes, Indian Languages (Hindi, Bengali, Kannada). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office Applications i:e Microsoft office word, excel, outlook, power point and tools, lotus notes, medical and drug softwares like micromedex and ISIS draw. CDM systems like ds Navigator-Medical coding tool and AERS database. CONTACT: ghoshdebasmita@gmail.com, Mobile No. +4571488438 SPOUSE: Laxmi Chawan FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland, as an architect/ interior designer or as a logistic co-ordinator. QUALIFICATION: Masters in Design Sciences and Sustainable Design, University of Sydney, Australia; Bachelors in Architecture, University of Mumbai, India EXPERIENCE: Design development, Drafting, Working drawings, Planning and scheduling of projects, Report compilation, Invoicing and Administrative works. LOOKING FOR: Part time /Fulltime work in Architecture/Construction /Interior Designing Firm or Supply chain management field. IT EXPERIENCE:AutoCAD 2009, Adobe In Design, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Project management softwares LANGUAGE SKILLS: English,Hindi CONTACT: lchawan@gmail.com Mobile : +45 5253 2498 SPOUSE: Debjani Nandy Biswas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Would like to join in kindergarten, School teacher in English, official work in English. QUALIFICATION: B.A., M.A in English literature and language (American, European and Indian). EXPERIENCE: Temporary school teacher in Bongaon, India and involved in social work (handicapped society). LOOKING FOR: A possibility in getting practical experiences in kindergarten or any international school, official work (administration) in English, voluntary work also. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, little Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: Diploma in basic computer applications. CONTACT: E-mail: debjaninb@gmail.com, Tel: +45 50219942. SPOUSE: Attila Simon FROM: Romania SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: International Welding Engineer (IWE/EWE), MSc in Welding Engineering, MSc in Flexible Manufacturing Systems, MSc in Quality Assurance of Metallic Structures EXPERIENCE: 10+ years experience in designing and manufacturing railway wagons, buses, trolleybuses and their subsystems. More than 7 years international project management experience in these areas. More than 2 years experience in industrial trading and investments LOOKING FOR: Transport, railway or welding related engineering job, also project management positions LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent speaking and writing), Danish (intermediate), Hungarian (mother tongue), Romanian (native speaker) IT EXPERIENCE: Several years experience working with SolidWorks, AutoCAD, ProgeCAD and VariCAD. User level of Microsoft Office CONTACT: attilon2@gmail.com; tel.: 28316752 SPOUSE: Fernando Carlos Cardeira da Silva FROM: Portugal SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Accounting course from Danish Institution (Regnskabs medarbejder at Niels Brock), previous frequency of Accounting and Management courses in Portugal. EXPERIENCE: I have more than 5 years of experience in accounting LOOKING FOR: Job as accounting assistant IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and Power point) and accounting software such as Navision C5 LANGUAGE SKILLS: I can read and write Danish, English, Portuguese, Spanish and French CONTACT: fercardeira@gmail.com +45 50437588 SPOUSE: Enikő Tóth FROM: Hungary SEEKING WORK IN: Psychology QUALIFICATION: Psychologist (MA), Teacher of English (BA) EXPERIENCE: A beginner in psychology, 10 years of teaching experience LOOKING FOR: A possibility in getting practical experience in clinical psychology, voluntary work LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hungarian, elementary French and Danish IT EXPERIENCE: Basic computer skills CONTACT: tenila@gmail.com SPOUSE: Isaac P Thomas FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: East Juthland preferably Århus QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science) EXPERIENCE:Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition, Software testing, software development, data analysis, best practice sharing, quality gap analysis LOOKING FOR: Process Consulting, Quality Assurance, CMMI, ISO, Quality Audit, Process Definition LANGUAGE SKILLS: Danish beginner, english, malayalam, hindi tamil IT EXPERIENCE: 8 years experence in IT Industry in software quality assurance, software quality control, software development. CONTACT: isaacpthomas@gmail.com, +4552225642

Make the most of your foreign employees – help their spouses find jobs Companies that hire foreign employees often find that it can be difficult for them to settle in if their family doesn’t feel at home here. A job for an accompanying spouse can be a decisive factor in whether that happens. Workindenmark partners with companies ranging in size from major global companies to small companies hiring their first foreign employee. We try to make it easier for public and private sector employers to find the right candidate for the job – and to make sure that they make the most of their new employees. We offer new employees a welcome packet that includes information relating to their stay. We can often provide assistance in the employee’s native language. We also invite companies to participate in Partner Link, our nationwide job bank for spouses. Partner Link’s goal is to help companies retain foreign employees by helping their spouses find career opportunities here.

EMPLOYMENT

13

PARTNERS:

SPOUSE: Ying Yuan FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Medical Degree & Master in Human Nutrition EXPERIENCE: Practiced medicine for 2 years China 2000-200. Conducted a clinical trial for ½ year England 2008. Work in nutrition, pharmaceutical industry, food industry and health secto IT EXPERIENCE: I am experienced in Statistical software SPSS and MINITAB, Nutritional software NetWISP/WISP LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English and Danish CONTACT: yuanying118@hotmail.com +45 31 36 92 58 SPOUSE: Katarzyna Szkaradek FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysitting QUALIFICATION: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). EXPERIENCE: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills. From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania. LOOKING FOR: internship in mental hospitals, part –time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter , voluntary job in hospitals. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speaker IT EXPERIENCE: MS Windows, basic MS Office, Internet CONTACT: szkasienka@gmail.com tlf. 508 288 02

SPOUSE: Chia-Pei CHEN FROM: Taiwan SEEKING WORK IN: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching in corporations, institutions or International schools. QUALIFICATION: A certified teacher of teaching Chinese as a second language. A degree in Social Science discipline. Continuously participation in training program (organized by Beijing Hanban of CHINA and CBS) to teach Chinese to foreigners in western context. Enrolment to distance Chinese teaching education system that keeps professional Chinese teachers resourceful. EXPERIENCE: I am a certified teacher of teaching Chinese as a second language to foreigners. And I have started teaching Chinese with English in my class for 2 years. I design suitable materials to teach Chinese with different phonetic systems (PinYin for China and HongKong, and Mandarin Phonetic Symbols for Taiwan) as well as to interpret differences between simplified and traditional Chinese characters. My past positions were Chinese language-related, such as: reporter, translator and social science researcher. Students who I taught before regard me as a sincere, discreet teacher who helps learners to progress in short time. LOOKING FOR: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese (mother tongue), English (Fluent), French (basic), Danish (beginner) IT EXPERIENCE: Word Office, SPSS statistic software, Basic Video and Audio editing, Blog writing CONTACT: teacherchen@live.com, Tel: 25 81 65 18 SPOUSE: Dolon Roy FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Masters in Science(Chemistry), BEd.(Teacher training course) EXPERIENCE: St. John Diocessan School February-May 2005, Kolkata, India. The Assembly of God Church School April-May 2006, Kolkata, India. Disari Public School June 2006-October 2007, India. Research project work Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen University, March-July 2009 LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time work teaching in primary,secondary or higher school level (Chemistry, Mathematics, Science) LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Bengali, Danish (modul 3/modul 5) IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft office CONTACT: dolonroy2005@yahoo.com. Mob: +45 60668239 SPOUSE: Weihua Xiao FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master in American Studies from University of Southern Denmark. Master in Education and B.A. In English. Diploma of Secretary. Certificate of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from East China Normal University EXPERIENCE: Work in the fields of education, training, translation, interpretation, administration, Chinese (business) culture consulting. 8 years of full-time English language teacher in China. Work for a global company in Shanghai and Copenhagen as Personal Assistant to General Manager/ Secretary for about 2 years from 2009 to 2010. LOOKING FOR: Chinese Language teacher, translator, interpreter, administrative position LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, basic Danish IT EXPERIENCE: A good user of Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel...) CONTACT: weihua06@gmail.com +45 5048 9667 SPOUSE: Dr. Parminder Lally FROM: United Kingdom SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen. Interested in analytical/quantitative role and/or private Physics & Maths tutoring. QUALIFICATION: PhD in Physics from the University of Oxford, MSci in Physics from Imperial College London. EXPERIENCE: Private tutor in undergraduate Physics at the University of Oxford, some experience of teaching science at GCSE level, and a 10-week internship in an investment bank. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (native speaker), Danish (completed module 2 at Studieskolen) IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, OpenOffice, MATLAB, CorelDRAW graphics suite CONTACT: parminder.lally@googlemail.com

Please contact us to learn more about what Workindenmark can offer you.

Workindenmark WEST Nordhavnsgade 4-6 8000 Århus C Tel. +45 72 22 33 60 Fax +45 72 22 33 77 E-mail: west@workindenmark.dk

Workindenmark EAST Skagensgade 37, 1. 2630 Høje Taastrup Tel. +45 72 22 33 00 Fax. +45 72 22 33 15 E-mail: east@workindenmark.dk Workindenmark SOUTH Dannebrogsgade 3 5000 Odense C Tel. +45 72 22 33 30 Fax +45 72 22 33 44 E-mail: south@workindenmark.dk

SPOUSE: Chao Wen FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Language teacher (German, Chinese) EXPERIENCE: Teaching Chinese as a foreign language by offering company-course for 2 years, in Germany; teaching Chinese to native speaker in private school for 4 years, in Germany; teaching German as a foreign language by offering private course; exhibition interpreter; translator. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus, Language teacher, translator or interpreter LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, German, Danish IT EXPERIENCE: Windows, Open office, Powerpoint CONTACT: wenlily80@googlemail.com tel.: 48417526

SPOUSE: Chiara Stevanato FROM: Italy SEEKING WORK IN: København or nearby areas QUALIFICATION: Bachelor degree in Physics EXPERIENCE: Now completing the Master’s degree in Physics at Københavns Universitet LOOKING FOR: Research in Physics. Research projects related to scientific areas LANGUAGE SKILLS: Written and spoken Italian, written and spoken English, written and Spoken French, very basic written and spoken Danish (still attending a second level course) IT EXPERIENCE: Operating systems: Windows, Linux. Programming languages: basic C, C++; Python CONTACT: chiarasteva@gmail.com. Tel: 41681741

SPOUSE: Dr Bev Sithole FROM: Australia SEEKING WORK IN: Social science research, project management, proposal writing and project evaluations. QUALIFICATION: PhD Applied Social Sciences; MSc Environmental Science; BA Hons Geography; Experiences in application of Participatory Approaches; Familiar with various project proposal writing frameworks. EXPERIENCE: I am an experienced social scientist with interdisciplinary training and am also an experienced participatory research, planning and evaluation practitioner. I have worked on governance of natural resources and community development issues in southern Africa and Northern Australia for over 15 years. I have been team leader on a number of research and evaluation projects. I spent more than five years managing projects and writing project proposals involving many organizations [ in the Stockholm Environmental Institute, Sweden) and in the Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor, Indonesia and most recently at LIFE, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.]. I am an experienced communicator and facilitator. LOOKING FOR: Short term or long term work in research, project management or proposal writing. Can deliver training in participatory approaches. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English IT EXPERIENCE: Basic computer skills. CONTACT: Telephone. HP 27834333 Email: bev.sithole@gmail.com

SPOUSE: Anisha Kanjhlia FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Arhus in Teaching/Training/Administration/Media/Public Relations QUALIFICATION: Post Graduate in Advertising & Communication EXPERIENCE: 6+ years of professional experience in Training, Customer Service, Promotions, Brand Marketing, Content Analysis and Team Management. Strong experience in planning and executing initiatives. Extensive training experience and influencing skills that will assist me in building a high potential, motivated and an effective team. Hands-on training in soft skills like crucial conversations and people management Branch Manager & Head of Training for Cosmo Aviation Training School in New Delhi, India. Proficient in analyzing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision making and formulating training strategies. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus IT EXPERIENCE: Comfortable with all the basic computer knowledge like Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet browsing… CONTACT: anisha.feb@rediffmail.com P: 4522305837 SPOUSE: Isabel Douglass FROM: San Francisco-USA SEEKING WORK IN: Music Education QUALIFICATION: BA in Music EXPERIENCE: 10 years of internationally touring performances and 7 years of accordion teaching experience. LOOKING FOR: I offer piano accordion lessons to individuals and small groups. In the courses students will learn a repertoire of songs ranging in styles including French musette, Argentine Tango, and Klezmer while strengthening there technique and understanding of music theory. Please visit www.myspace.com/isabeldouglass to learn more about me. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English Speaker CONTACT: isabeldouglass@gmail.com Phone: 60653401 SPOUSE: Miss Marta Guerrero FROM: Spain SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of English teacher for Primary Education. Bachelor of Psychologist for Education. EXPERIENCE: Over the past five years I have worked in a Primary School in Barcelona as English teacher for children from 6 to 11 years old. Moreover, last year I gained experience teaching Spanish, as a foreign language, in the UK. I also have some experience teaching adults. LOOKING FOR: Full time position as Spanish or English teacher in a Kindergarden, a Primary School or in a High School. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Spanish and Catalan (mother tongue). English (fluent speaking and writing). IT EXPERIENCE: A good user of all the basic computer knowledge (Word, Excel, Power Point,...) as well as blog and web publication and maintenance. CONTACT: martaguerrero13@gmail.com

THE COPENHAGEN POST SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE WHY: The Copenhagen Post wishes to help spouses looking for jobs in Denmark. We have on our own initiative started a weekly spouse job page in The Copenhagen Post, with the aim to show that there are already within Denmark many highly educated international candidates looking for jobs. If you are a spouse to an international employee in Denmark looking for new career opportunities, you are welcome to send a profile to The Copenhagen Post at aviaja@cphpost.dk and we will post your profile on the spouse job page when possible.


14

sport

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

The prolific marksman who was a midfielder at heart By Ben Hamilton

Factfile | Jon Dahl Tomasson’s club record

Jon Dahl Tomasson hangs up his boots on glittering career

His career started at Køge BK in 1992 when he was 16, and in his first two seasons he helped the club win back-to-back promotions to the second tier of Danish football. He then moved to Dutch club SC Heerenveen in the Eredivisie where he was top scorer two seasons in a row.

I

f Jon Dahl Tomasson, who announced his retirement from football last week at the age of 34, was English they would build a statue of him outside Wembley stadium. With 52 goals, he is this country’s equal all-time top scorer – a total three more than England’s leading marksman, Bobby Charlton. It’s not like Denmark’s opponents are easier ones than England’s – if anything, it’s harder to score for a team outside the world’s top 20, although the selection does tend to be less competitive. Nevertheless, a quick glance at the all-time top 50 international goal-scorers (Tomasson is joint 25th) reveals that since 1970 only four European players have scored more goals and that three of them were German. This record speaks volumes for a player who consistently delivered when his country needed him – most notably at the 2002 World Cup (in which he scored four in four) and Euro 2004 (three in four), where Denmark on both occasíons advanced from the group stage. Indeed, his record in competitive games (37 goals in 68

After a season at Newcastle United, he joined Feyenoord in 1998, where he helped the club to three successive top three finishes from 2000 to 2002, in which they won the UEFA Cup. He then moved on a free to AC Milan, where he won the Champions League, and during the 2003–04 season scored 12 goals as Milan won Serie A.

Scanpix Tomasson celebrates scoring a penalty in a Euro 2004 qualification match against Romania

games – 0.54 goals per game) was vastly superior to his overall ratio (0.46 per game) and record in friendlies (0.34). And the ratio would have been even better had he retired back in February 2008. At that point, Tomasson was just one goal away from equalling the 52goal record of Poul Nielsen, who retired from international football in 1925. But then he embarked on an agonising 28-month run of 14 internationals without a goal, a sequence he finally ended at the 2010 World Cup with Denmark’s consolation in a 3-1 defeat by Japan.

Even then, the goal was an embarrassment, with Tomasson bundling home after his poor penalty was parried. It was arguably his worst ever performance in a red and white shirt and, record or no record, it was clear he could not continue, although with Morten Olsen in charge reluctant to drop any of his old timers, it had to be his decision. Fortunately it came. Nevertheless, the goal drought should not cloud the Danish public’s memory of him, not least because he was often deployed as a target man for the national team, when his preferred position was as an attacking mid-

Intensive Danish Try IA´s Intensive Danish Course! A Shortcut to Danish • 10 levels • 4 weeks per level • Strong focus on pronunciation and oral competence • Morning and evening classes available • Classes start every month • Pleasant atmosphere and canteen facilities • Also E-learning combined with Saturday classes

To Enroll call: 3888 3233

IA SPROG Hejrevej 26, 2nd floor 2400 Copenhagen NV 3888 3233 info@iasprog.dk www.iasprog.dk

fielder. This was the problem when he moved to Newcastle United in July 1997. An injury to Alan Shearer meant he had to fill in as striker, and the goal-scoring drought that ensued soon became a source of amusement in the English media, which would have laughed knowingly years later when they saw the clip of Tomasson missing an open goal for Feyenoord on YouTube. However, this clip also reveals why Tomasson is a great player. After missing, he doesn’t bury his head in the sand (or even Ebbe Sand), he simply gets up and returns to the game with a wry grin that it was just one of

A move to Stuttgart in 2005 followed, and then a loan move to Villarreal in 2007 – which means he is only one of eight players to have competed in the Premier League, Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Primera Liga - and eventually a move back to Feyenoord, where he saw out his career before retiring to take a job as the assistant manager of Dutch club SBV Excelsior.

those things. This was the mentality that helped Feyenoord to win the 2002 UEFA Cup (he scored in the final and was named man of the match) and AC Milan to triumph in the 2003 Champions League – a campaign to which he contributed three goals – and take the 2004 Serie A title. Carlo Ancelotti, his coach at AC Milan, was particularly impressed by his endurability, which he referred to as his “Danish work ethic ... and special ability to give everything”. “The one who performed best and showed the most continuity was Jon Dahl Tomasson, who always had to fight for

playing time against world class strikers,” he told Ekstra Bladet. “He never had an easy time, but he never gave up and tried to take every chance he got.” Maybe that’s why the public will still be talking about Tomasson in a generation’s time, as opposed to 33-year-old Jesper Gronkjær for example, who has also confirmed his retirement from football. In contrast to Tomasson, he might have timed this just right, but he never came close to matching his achievements. Because despite playing for the likes of Chelsea and Ajax, Gronkjær never won a major honour outside Denmark.

Wozniacki goes through the motions Another win on home soil, but should she be focusing on English grass?

C

aroline Wozniacki successfully defended her Sony Ericsson Open title in Farum on Sunday – her fifth WTA tournament win of 2011. She easily beat the Czech second seed, Lucie Safarova, 6-1, 6-4 in the final in just 67 minutes – a convincing win that ensured she didn’t drop a single set all week. Safarova was the world number 38 before the tournament, so it would appear that the tournament, which made its debut as a WTA event last year, is still struggling to establish itself and attract the top players. The tournament starts at the same time as the English grass court season ahead of the commencement of Wimbledon on June 20. Two English tourna-

Scanpix After the hometown victory, Woz looks on to Wimbledon

ments ran concurrently with the Sony Ericsson, while several more started on Monday, including the Aegon International in Eastbourne, at which most of Wozniacki’s Wimbledon rivals will be playing, including the Williams sisters. Wozniacki has decided not to play a grass tournament before Wimbledon, a tournament she

won as a junior in 2006, but has failed miserably at since, only making it as far as the last 16. “Congratulations to Lucie for a good week and reaching the finals,” Wozniacki told media following her win. “I wish her good luck in Eastbourne and in the grass court season – hopefully we can both make it far at Wimbledon.” (BH)

Under-21s back on course at Euros

A

fantastic solo run and curled effort by Nicolai Jørgensen into the top right hand corner proved to be the difference on Tuesday night as Denmark came from a goal down to beat Belarus 2-1 and reignite their dreams of winning the Under-21s European Championship on home soil. The Bayer Leverkusen winger had earlier won a penalty that

Christian Eriksen converted via a rebound to quickly draw Denmark level just two minutes after Belarus had taken a 20th-minute lead. But nevertheless, when Jørgensen, who had failed to score all season in the Bundesliga, picked up the ball on the left wing with just 19 minutes left to play, few envisaged the impact he would make.

The campaign last Saturday got off to the worst possible start as Denmark lost 1-0 to Switzerland while Belarus defeated Iceland. However, Switzerland’s defeat of Iceland now means the Danes need to avoid defeat against Iceland and hope that Belarus do not beat Switzerland 3-2 in the final group games on Saturday to qualify for the semifinals on June 22. (BH)


postscript

The Copenhagen post june 17 - 23

15

Denmark through the looking glass

She dressed like a vagrant but her sculptures were radiant By Bonnie Fortune Biscuit briber Astrid Noack, the artist whose star is quickly rising 57 years after her death

I

n 2006, the Danish Ministry of Culture released the Cultural Canon of Denmark. The Cultural Canon lists, in separate categories, the best art works, films, architecture and design in the history of Denmark. In the category of art works, Astrid Noack’s ‘Standing Woman’ is listed, among only 11 other pieces, as one of the best in the history of the country. Noack was a noted Danish sculptor while she lived and, since her inclusion in the Culture Canon, there has been a resurgence of interest in her work. As a sculptor, Noack worked with several different materials. ‘Standing Woman’, for example, is carved from wood. Noack normally began her largely figurative sculptures by working with a live model and moulding the form in clay. The clay shape would be remade in plaster, where additional touches could be added, and later the piece could be finished in bronze. Her famous statue of the celebrated Danish painter, Anna Ancher, commissioned by the Skagens Museum, would have been created in this manner. Noack was born on 30 January 1888, the seventh child of a wealthy grocer. She was a friend of artists growing up, often sitting as a model for paintings and sculptures. At the age of 18, Noack began to study art and sculpture in earnest when she started at Vallekilde Højskole. There she was trained in how to sculpt and, especially, how to carve in wood. Noack thrived in this artistic community, living and working with other artists. Though she was often considered a lonely and strange figure during her

lifetime, from Vallekilde onwards, Noack would take solace in being around communities of working artists. Following the end of World War One, Noack, like many other Danish artists at the time, left to make a life in Paris. The Paris art world held great influence on the work of artists in Denmark and other European locales. Passionate about creating her sculptures, Noack felt there was no better place to be than in the European cultural capital. Her life in Paris shaped her future in many ways. In Paris, Noack felt at home. She quickly became involved in the thriving community of artists and artisans. The busyness of life in the city inspired her creatively. But although she loved working there, her life in Paris was, unfortunately, full of hardship. In Paris, Noack became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Stefan. She faced the difficult role of life as a single mother with grace, happily raising her son. Tragically, little Stefan died aged 18 months old from measles. Noack was heartbroken. She stopped making art and for a while she lived as a tramp under a Paris bridge. Noack slowly came back to the world of art: firstly, working as a model, and then creating her own work at the Scandinavian art school in Paris at Maison Watteau. At the school, her distinctive style crystallised into the work of a mature artist. Her friends supported her as well, so that she was able to move through this tragic time and fully develop her talent. Noack stayed in Paris until 1929, when the global economic crash brought her back to Copenhagen. Noack soon found a working environment where she flourished in Denmark’s capital. In Copenhagen’s Outer Nørrebro neighbourhood on Rådmandsgade, she found an energy that reminded her of Paris. She moved

her studio to an old horse stall at Rådmandsgade 34 in 1936 - a perfect place for Noack to work. The neighbourhood was home to artisans and craftspeople of many trades, from smiths to saddle makers to photographers. The active quarter inspired Noack to produce her best and most celebrated sculptures. The former horse stall was now one large room, which became both her studio and her home. A small, pot bellied stove heated and cooked her food, and a fold down bed served her for sleeping. Noack’s life was austere but it was not empty. For example, she always kept biscuits for the neighbourhood children. She was able to get the young ones to be still long enough to sculpt by doling out several servings of biscuits. Perhaps in memory of her own son, many of her sculptures are of young children or of babies with their mothers. Noack was very thin, but with sharp and sparkling eyes. She said she had little want for clothes and fine things, choosing instead to devote herself to sculpture. She mimicked the lifestyle afforded by the workers around her. Many people wondered The Royal Library about the bony woman in plain clothes when she Sculptor Astrid Noack (1889-1954) was known for working with different types of material attended art exhibitions and openings around Copen- Noack was actively involved cupation resistance movement. Today, Noack’s old workhagen. They were surprised in supporting anti-German efAstrid Noack died on 26 shop is the site of an artist to find that she was a well-re- forts. She offered shelter and December 1954 of lung cancer residency programme and exgarded sculptor patronised by, support to young activists in at Øresund Hospital. During hibition space. One can visit among others, the Carlsberg her workshop. If you visit the her life, she was rarely seen and see a sculpture, images of Foundation. In 1937, that insti- site of Astrid Noack’s studio without a hand-rolled cigarette Noack working, and the little tution bought her piece ‘Young today, you can see the sculpture hanging from the side of her stove she used. Just last weekGirl’ for 6,000 kroner. of a kneeling young man hold- mouth. Years of smoking heav- end there was a free music conFrom 1940 until 1945, dur- ing a flower. This sculpture was ily, while living and working cert at the studio featuring one ing World War Two, German modelled on her experience in close quarters with wet clay, of Denmark’s best known comforces occupied Denmark, and working with the German oc- left her in poor health. posers, Bent Sørensen.


Pay 200 kr and Call for

300 kr

Top-up

Bonus

Total

500 Kr

300 kr 800 kr

200 Kr 100 Kr

100 kr 300 kr

50 Kr

50 kr 150 kr 10 kr

to

Denmark other mobile from

Denmark fixed

International from

from

60 kr

Customer service 3332 from Lycamobile 70 14 55 56 Visit www.lycamobile.dk for more information Top-up available here:

Fri bonus når du tanker op på din Lycamobile. Ved tankning af 50 kr., gives der oveni 10 kr. gratis taletid som bonus. Ved tankning af 100 kr., gives der oveni 50 kr. gratis taletid som bonus.Ved tankning af 200 kr., gives der oveni 100 kr. gratis taletid som bonus.Ved tankning af 500 kr., gives der oveni 300 kr. gratis taletid som bonus.Opkald fra danske Lycamobile til andre danske Lycamobile koster 0 kr. pr. min. i de første 45 minutter + opkaldsafgift på 0,99 kr. pr. opkald. Efter 45 min. er alm. minutpriser gældende. Tilbuddet gælder kun samtaler for Lycamobile til Lycamobile i Danmark. Opkaldsafgift til fastnet og andre mobiler nationalt 0,99 kr. Følg med i dit forbrug og hent flere informationer på www.lycamobile.dk. Tilbuddet er gældende fra 07.04.2011


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.