The Copenhagen Post, April 15-21 by The Copenhagen Post

NEWS

SCHOOLS

It’s often observed how lifelong partners die within days of one another, and now a Danish study suggests we really can die of a broken heart

Bringing up our children to treat the planet with respect: how a Valby kindergarten has opened the country’s first recycling workshop for kids

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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH VOL 19 ISSUE 14

CPHPOST.DK 15 - 21 April 2016

NEWS Clamping and towing under consideration at City Hall

NEWS

Is God dead? As thousands leave the church, fewer get baptised

TRANSITIONAL DAZE

Tightening the screw in the age of terror

Institut Sankt Joseph is thriving with a mixed curricula

High alert COPENHAGEN Police and the intelligence agency PET arrested four people suspected of being enlisted by Islamic State (IS) to commit terror attacks. Meanwhile, PET estimates that at least 135 people have left Denmark for Syria and Iraq to join militant Islamist groups – predominantly IS. PET had previously estimat-

ed that about 125 people had left and about half of those have returned to Denmark.

Hybrid education works!

ERRORISM and its fallout was felt across Denmark this week. The justice minister, Søren Pind, proposed a law change to make it a punishable offence for Danes and foreigners living in Denmark to travel to areas abroad where terror organisations are part of an armed conflict.

Linked to IS DR REPORTS that one of the two – possibly three – mysterious arrests made at Copenhagen Airport on April 5 was in connection with the leaked IS documents that detailed the names of the terror organisa-

tion’s foreign-born fighters. The police have refused to comment on the case, but DR reported that a 20-year-old man’s name appears on the documents. Meanwhile, it has been reported that if troops are deployed in the fight against IS, the terrorist organisation’s fighters could eventually wind up on Danish soil if Danish soldiers take prisoners.

Distortion needs a million

Birch pollen on the way

Green about green

Speeding up asylum

DISTORTION has told media it will need to raise 1 million kroner from its 100 kroner support bracelets or have to cancel one or two days from next year’s program. Chiefly bought to donate money to Distortion, the bracelets also provide perks. In previous years, sales have fluctuated between 8,000 and 13,000.

ASTMA-ALLERGI Danmark predicts the birch pollen season will start between April 19 and 22. The season only lasts two to three weeks, but is much more intense than others, with counts often ending up in the thousands! Newcomers to the city without a previous allergy history are often caught out.

DENMARK may be a leading green nation, but its citizens are not particularly well informed, according to a new Gallup survey. While 80 percent wanted to live a more sustainable and green existence than they currently do, only 40 percent knew what the green transition was really about.

ASYLUM-SEEKERS wait an average of over three months for their first interview, and Inger Støjberg, the immigration minister, contends that her ministry is doing its best to speed up the process. It recently took on an extra 100 employees to help process the requests, of which there were 21,000 last year.

SPORTS CALENDAR Find out why interest in volleyball is spiking!

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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK HUMMER, a new restaurant specialising in lobster, opened on the sunny side of the Nyhavn harbour on Monday. Partly inspired by a road trip around North America, one of the founders is Michael RønnebækRørth, the owner of Restaurant Koefoed. Prices at the 5 million kroner venue will be middleranged, despite the drink of choice being champagne.

Pant for pizzas EMPTIES are a rare sight on the city’s streets – unless they’re smashed. But food wrappings are everywhere, and in a bid to eliminate them, Copenhagen Municipality is eyeing a pant deposit scheme for pizza boxes and other such culprits. Their plans follow a successful pilot scheme at a 7-Eleven on Gothersgade in the city centre.

More likely to smoke

Freebies all round IT WAS a good weekend for freebies. Visitors to the Lyngby Storcenter’s new indoor food market on Friday enjoyed free burgers, pastries and juice shots. While meat-eaters enjoyed 1,000 free beers and roast suckling pig at the first anniversary party of Warpigs in Kødbyen on Saturday. Revellers drank ‘Dark Lord’ and listened to black metal.

Wheel-locking and towing vehicles favoured by City Hall to tackle unpaid ticket problem CHRISTIAN WENANDE

ANY INTERNATIONALS will be familiar with the feeling of returning to their car, not finding it, initially thinking it has been stolen, and then discovering it has been towed away. Wheel clamping is also another common practice worldwide. But neither are used in Denmark – yet. City Hall, in a bid to tackle Copenhagen’s unpaid parking ticket problem, is considering wheel locking as a deterrent. If adopted, it will be used instead of a second ticket for the same offence. However, the city’s deputy mayor for technical issues, Morten Kabell, told Berlingske that it wouldn’t solve the problem of the space being occupied. He advocates, therefore, towing the car.

COPENHAGEN plans to invest 2.5 million kroner into turning the city’s harbour into a cultural oasis with interesting events taking place all year round. Kulturhavn365, a threeyear project supported by the Nordea Foundation (with 11.5 million), aims to raise awareness of the harbour’s potential outside the summer season.

New venue plans

Soon to be a familiar site on the city’s streets?

Mocking the law “NOT PAYING parking fines is mocking those drivers who park according to the law,” Jakob Næsager, the head of Konservative in Copenhagen, told Berlingske. Venstre is also heavily in favour of the measures. However, the car owner or-

ganisation FDM has rubbished the idea, arguing it will mostly penalise driver whose only crime was being mistaken. Some 66,553 unpaid parking tickets were issued in 2015 in the city. At 510 kroner a ticket, that accounts for almost 34 million kroner in lost revenue.

FOLLOWING the closure of Tap1, its founders have their eyes on a new venue at an old industrial building at Kløvermarken in Amager. Ideally, they argue, the city needs a venue that is bigger than Vega but smaller than Forum and Parken: between 2,000 and 4,000 seats like Falconer Salen, which is closing for renovation.

Sex always sells EROTIC World brought strip shows, S&M performances, sex toys and lectures to Valby Hallen over the weekend as thousands came to the venue.

Digital ads are all around thee – everywhere you go As fewer are exposed in their homes, the industry is taking to the streets CHRISTIAN WENANDE

ROM THE walking streets to the train stations, the first outdoor digital ads have been springing up across the Danish capital recently. Behind the initiative is the outdoor ad giant AFA JCDecaux, which revealed that more digital ads will be installed around the city over the summer. Sign of the times “WE HAVE followed global

trends closely and we’ve changed our entire structure as a result,” said Casper Gregersen, the commercial head of AFA JCDecaux. “By digitalising the outdoor market we are giving advertisers the opportunity to target their messages to relevant people in a far more flexible manner.” Changing consumption THE MOVE has come in the wake of a dwindling interest in ads and a need for ad agencies to embrace new avenues to ply their trade and catch the attention of consumers. According to PageFair/Adobe 2015 and Gallup, almost a quar-

Is it an advert for clean sheets?

ter of Danes use some form of adblocking on their computers, 49 percent use social media dur-

ing commercial breaks on TV, and increasing numbers never watch conventional TV.

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Harbour investment

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ONE OUT of every five students at Copenhagen upper-secondary schools is a daily smoker, compared to one out of ten across the rest of the country. The capital’s gymnasium students are also twice more likely to smoke cannabis and take hard drugs, according to a survey of 5,000 youngsters by the National Institute of Public Health.

Clamping down on illegal parking ISTOCK

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15 - 21 April 2016

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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 21 April 2016

Amnesty International intensifies campaign for transgender people’s rights NATALIA GHINCUL

N 1989, DENMARK became the first country in the world to legally recognise same-sex unions – a brave new step for LGBTI communities across the world. And then in 2014, it became the first European country to permit a legal change of gender without the need for a medical expert statement. But despite its reputation as a pioneer, Denmark still has a long way to go before it can call itself a champion of transgender people’s human rights, claims Amnesty International. Some of the screenings and observations that transgender people must currently undergo to be approved for hormone therapy, it claims, are “outdated and offensive”, “long-standing and humiliating” and certainly unbecoming of a nation that takes such pride in its progressiveness. A treatment monopoly AMNESTY International is so concerned with the violation of transgender people’s rights in Denmark that it started a campaign on March 1, #sygtsystem (the sick system), to petition the government into change. The troubles began in December 2014, just three months after the historic law change, when the National Board of Health in Denmark made changes to the guidelines for the treatment of transgender people in Denmark. This gave the Sexological Clinic at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen a monopoly on treating transgender people, thus prohibiting them from choosing a gynaecologist of their choice, who could then screen them, approve them and administer hormones. No appeals process TODAY, transgender people are at the mercy of the Sexological Clinic where they are subjected, argues Amnesty International, to disempowering studies that can take years. And should they not be approved for hormone treatment or surgery, there is no appeals process, which can often lead

to them looking for treatment abroad. “Transgender people are met with long, outdated and offensive clinical screenings and observations,” Pernille Bækkel Jensen from Amnesty International told the Copenhagen Post Weekly. “They started getting into contact with Amnesty when the gynaecologists lost their authorisation to provide them with hormones – this was the beginning of the campaign and briefing process.” As of mid-March, Amnesty International had received 1,938 letters signatures and 304 personal comments to support a campaign (which will continue until August) to break the monopoly and withdraw transsexuality from the Danish National Board of Health’s list of psychiatric diagnosis. The latter means that transgender people have to be diagnosed with the psychiatric diagnosis ‘gender identity disorder’ before they get approval for hormone therapy. Changing the law could prove difficult as all 193 members of the World Health Organization would need to reach a consensus. Speaking out IN THE meantime, increasing numbers of transgender people are self-medicating, according to Michael Lützhøft Hansen, a gynaecologist with 15 years’ experience screening and treating transgender people. “I feel bound hand and foot because I reject many transgender patients and see how they resort to self-medication,” he told Information newspaper. While Linda Thor Pedersen, a spokesperson on transgender issues at LGBT Denmark, told Videnskab in early 2016 that some transgender people at the clinic “are so worn down by all the interviews that they cannot take it anymore”. In the same article, Tobias Raun, an associate professor at Roskilde University, said that transgender people are exposed to “extreme psychological pressure having to bear so many years of uncertainty before they are allowed to undergo surgeries”. Criticism rejected HOWEVER, Professor Annamaria Giraldi, one of the

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Thousands signed petition to pressure government into law change

TRANSGENDER AND TRANSSEXUAL • Transgender is related to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not coincide with their birth sex. • Transsexual is a person who has undergone treatment in order to acquire the physical characteristics of the opposite sex.

2014 LAW CHANGE • Proposal L 182 was passed on 1 September 2014 • It enabled transgender people in Denmark to achieve juridical recognition of their gender without requirements of chirurgical interference or other types of treatment - for example hormone treatment. • The person must be minimum 18 years old and has to be ready to wait six months before he can reconfirm to have his or her gender legally changed.

LGBTI • People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex. Other commonly used initialisms LGBT or GLBT are prone to excluding intersex. Optimism is waning among some transgender people

“The entire campaign, briefing and impact objectives are developed with LGBTI-organisations and rights holders themselves – they participate in all the meetings we have with the authorities and they have been part of the team while we developed our policy objectives” head doctors at the Sexological Clinic, contends that the criticism is unfounded. “We really regret that this is how some people feel. The treatments in the clinic are professional, and I do not recognise that they are derogatory,” he told Information. “On the contrary, it is not in our interest to make people stop being transgender. We would like to help as much as possible.” And Rikke Kildevæld Simonsen, a psychologist at the Sexology Clinic, told Videnskab

that the extent of the evaluation process made sense as some “drop out of the treatment, perhaps because they are having doubts”. Certainly the average time it takes for a transgender person to get approval has shortened dramatically. A survey of 104 individuals who underwent sex reassignment surgeries in Denmark between 1978 and 2008 found that the average wait for male-female transgenders was eight years and female-male transgenders six years. In recent years, the average wait has fallen to one and a half to two years. Damning findings EARLIER this year, Amnesty published a Danish briefing, ‘The access to healthcare for transgender people in Denmark’, as a continuation of the 2014 international report ‘The states decide who I am – lack of recognition for transgender people’. The briefing includes findings gathered from interviewing 10

percent of the transgender people currently being treated at the Sexological Clinic, and it details how the psychiatric diagnosis of ‘transsexulism’ and the screenings and observations violates transgender people’s rights. The contribution of transgender people to the briefing, as well as LGBTI-organisations, cannot be underestimated according to Amnesty International’s Jensen. “The entire campaign, briefing and impact objectives are developed with LGBTI-organisations and rights holders themselves – they participate in all the meetings we have with the authorities and they have been part of the team while we developed our policy objectives,” she said. “They have been part of developing the campaign identity: they were interviewed for the briefing, and they have had an active role in educating Amnesty activists, giving interviews for media outlets and being important ambassadors of the campaign that will run until the Copenhagen Pride in August 2016.”

COVER

15 - 21 April 2016

Border controls to cost billions

ENMARK'S ongoing border control saga with Sweden is more than an annoyance for commuters and tourists trying to move between the two countries – it's downright expensive. And many are quitting their jobs as a result, according to the information centre Øresunddirekt. According to a report by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Sweden (CCISS), the border ordeal – which last week was extended by another 30 days until May 8 – could end up costing society 1.2 billion kroner a year. Lots of worry “WE HEAR three things from our employees: the first is about how difficult it is for employees to travel back and forth,” Per Tryding, the deputy head of

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CHRISTIAN WENANDE

The station has started to look like it’s in a conflict zone

CCISS, told News Øresund. “The second is that it gives an odd impression to guests. Some members have seen strong reactions from visitors who experience being profiled at the border control because they are not blonde. The third thing is that many people worry about long-term investment in the region.” Looking for answers ØRESUNDDIREKT is regularly contacted by those struggling

to understand the situation. “People have a difficult time finding information about what is required by the responsible authority,” Sandra Forsén, its head of operations, told News Øresund. “People want answers from the politicians so they can ascertain what's going to happen. If it's just six months, maybe they can wait it out, but if it keeps going for two or three years, then it's different.”

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Rally set for Sweden

HUNDREDS of Icelanders took to the streets of Copenhagen on April 8 to protest against their government in the wake of the Panama Papers revelations. The demonstrators gathered outside the Icelandic Embassy in Christianshavn. Icelandic PM Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson resigned last week after being implicated in the scandal.

THE KAK Midnattssolsrallyt rally, which consists of homologated rally cars pre-1981, will this year take place from June 29-July 2 in and around the town of Vimmerby in southern Sweden. The rally originally started in 1950, before relaunching again in 2006 following a lengthy hiatus. The sign-up deadline to compete is May 1.

Invested in occupiers

Travel ban proposed

SEVEN banks and 20 pension companies from Denmark have been named by Afrika Kontakt as investors in companies illegally (claims the UN) extracting natural resources such as oil, gas and phosphate from Western Sahara, a country occupied by Morocco since 1975. Danske Bank, Nordea and Djøf are among the companies legitimising the occupation disputed.

THE JUSTICE minister, Søren Pind, has proposed a change to the law to make it a punishable offence for Danes and foreigners living in Denmark to travel to areas abroad where terror organisations are part of an armed conflict. All such travel would need the approval of the Danish authorities. Failure to adhere could carry a six-year prison sentence.

”Macbeth” A Comedy by John Christopher-Wood

Directed by Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen

4 - 27 May 2016

Thursdays and Fridays at 20:00

Venue A Touch Of Vintage Badstuestræde 12 1209 Copenhagen Tickets: www.rabbithole.dk Down the Rabbit Hole Theatre is Copenhagen’s newest professional English theatre company. Find out more at www.rabbithole.dk This production of ”Elsie and Norm’s ”Macbeth”” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD.

FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Icelandic protest

Elsie & Norm’s

Down the Rabbit

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 21 April 2016

Is God dead in Denmark? T

HE NUMBER of baptisms is in freefall and people are cancelling their folkekirken (national church) membership following the launch of a campaign by Ateistisk Selskab (Danish Atheist Society) in March. Maybe Nietzsche was right. The atheist campaign makes it easy for Danes to cancel their automatic membership and save money via udmeldelse.dk, and already 3,000 people have deregistered – at a loss of 9 million kroner. On average, Danes pay an average 133,000 kroner in church tax in their lifetime, and the national church receives about 9 billion kroner a year from the state and its members. Last year, there were 9,979 deregistrations and 6,967 new registrations.

Easy not to pay “THE CAMPAIGN targets the many Danes who have long considered leaving folkekirken, but have been putting it off because the process is too cumbersome,” Anders Stjernholm from Ateistisk Selskab told Kristeligt Dagblad. Thomas Frank, a dean in Viborg, contends that the church needs to fight back. “We can explain that the church uses the tax money members pay on maintaining cemeteries and churches, organising activities for people of all ages, and much, much more,” he said. Autonomous kids MEANWHILE, just 62.6 percent of all new-borns in Denmark were christened in 2014 – a 1.3 percent drop from the year before and a considerable decline since 1990 when 80.6 percent were baptised. Astrid Trolle, a religion sociologist at the University of

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The church is losing members at both ends as deregistrations climb and baptisms fall

His wings have been clipped

Copenhagen, told DR that three factors are to blame: individualisation, secularisation and religious diversity. Additionally parents are letting their kids choose. “Most of the parents I spoke to believe the child’s right to choose was most important,” said Trolle. (CW/RW)

Parliament plans to help police Stretched forces don’t take kindly to offer to use the military

MAJORITY in Parliament are believed to be in favour of Danish Defence helping out the country’s stretched police force by guarding possible terror targets and helping control Denmark’s borders. However, both the police and army have rejected the idea, which has been proposed by Dansk

Folkeparti and has the backing of Liberal Alliance, Konservative and Socialdemokraterne. Not at war! “DENMARK is not at war, which is what the military is trained for,” Claus Oxfeldt, the head of the police association Politiforbundet, told TV2 News. “The police are trained to respond to a civilian population. The police are the authority dur-

ing times of peace.” Jesper K Hansen, the head of the military personnel union, added that the move would impact on other areas of the military and involve tasks that would require training. Overtime an issue THE PROPOSAL comes in the wake of new figures from the state police Rigspolitiet, which showed the national police force

ONLINE THIS WEEK

FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Netflix hike

Fewer plate thefts

STARTING next month, the basic 79 kroner per month Netflix subscription will cost 89 kroner, while premium customers will start paying 119 kroner per month. Analysts predict a few Netflix customers – fewer than five in every 100 – will drop the service over the price hike.

A LAW IN place since last November requiring car owners to secure their number-plates with two bolts or screws does seem to be slowing down those bent on stealing the plates, but only a bit! In the first quarter of this year, 2,700 licence plates were stolen – 1,000 fewer than last year.

More hard shoulders

Gunman arrested

CAR OWNER organisation FDM has urged the municipalities to establish more hard shoulders on the roads to alleviate traffic queues generated by slow agriculture vehicles like tractors. However, some have rubbished the idea, claiming it would cost too much to purchase the necessary land.

A MAN DESCRIBED as “unbalanced” by South Zealand Police was last week on Wednesday arrested after barricading himself in his apartment in Sorø with a gun. After being alerted by neighbours of possible explosives at his home, the police called in the bomb squad as a precautionary measure.

Faster caravans

School suspended

OWNERS of trailers and caravans will soon be able to drive at speeds of up to 100 km/h on the main roads – an increase from the previous speed limit of 80 km/h, reports Metroxpress. However, vehicles will have to meet new standards to make sure they are in a good enough condition.

STUDENTS at a school in Stensved in southern Zealand were warned by police to stay home last week on Thursday. South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police later confirmed there had been a shooting nearby and that a man had been charged with attempted murder.

had once again accumulated massive amounts of overtime. Danish Defence has already teamed up with the police to educate an emergency force of 400 people, who can complete tasks for the police in connection with the refugee crisis. Something wrong “SOMETHING is wrong

when the citizens across our nation can no longer feel as safe as they could before,” said Socialdemokraterne’s spokesperson on judicial issues, Trine Bramsen. “We are pretty much just waiting for Søren Pind [the justice minister] to call for a meeting so we can make a decision on this.” (CW)

Spitting man pays fine

Life is life says DF

Pin in the pram

Higher grade needed

Paid to watch porn

THE 58-YEAR-OLD Dane who last September became infamous as ‘The Spitting Man’ has agreed to pay a fine of 5,000 kroner for his racist behaviour, reports TV2. Last October, a picture of him spitting on and hurling racist abuse at refugees went viral, but the man has maintained he was only looking down at the refugees. He was charged with violating section 266b of the Penal Code relating to racism, and also with violence. However, the violence charge was later dropped. His nonappearance in court implied he had accepted the charge of racism, a prosecutor told TV2. (SR)

RIGHT-WING party Dansk Folkeparti has proposed a law that would mean that anyone in Denmark sentenced to life in prison would never be released. According to the prison and probation services, Kriminalforsorgen, the 20 people who served life sentences in Denmark over the past three decades spent an average 17 years behind bars. DF would like to raise this to 30-40 years. The possibility of murderers reoffending and the sense of justice for the victims relatives made the short sentences unacceptable, it argues. DF intends to propose the new law to Parliament later this year. (CW)

A HORRIFIED mother discovered a pin in her baby carriage just as she was about to lay her two-year-old son down following a doctor’s visit in Helsingør in northern Zealand last week. “I saw something flashing in the pram so I put my hand down to feel what it was and then got stuck with a pin,” Pernille Klein, 25, told Metroxpress. “There was no sign at all that it could have fallen from the wall or anything like that. You could clearly see that someone had put it there.” The mother has since warned others on Facebook, where her post has been shared over 500 times. (SR)

THE GOVERNMENT has submitted its proposal for a reform of upper-secondary schools to Parliament that includes improved options at vocational schools. Pupils will need a minimum grade 4, a ‘fair performance’ on the seven-point scale, in both mathematics and Danish in order to get enrolled. The requirement will gradually be phased in over the next three years. For example, applicants who wish to attend upper-secondary school in 2017 and 2018 will only need a grade 02 in the subjects. Prior to the change, students simply needed approval from their teachers at public school. (LR)

MOST PEOPLE have always presumed that Hornsleth Bar was named after the owner, the controversial Danish conceptual artist. But now it appears the ‘horn’ might refer to something else – and it’s good news for men. After all, there are few jobs nearly all men are qualified to do, but this is undoubtedly one at which everyone has a shot, reports Ekstra Bladet. Nightclub chain owner Kristian von Hornsleth, never one to shy away from a media-friendly gimmick, is looking for a part-time employee for his nightclub in Aarhus where the main responsibility will be watching porn films. (BH)

NEWS

15 - 21 April 2016

ONLINE THIS WEEK SOME 136,000 Danish women are expecting to have or be considering plastic surgery this year, according to a Voxmeter survey on behalf of the private hospital Aleris-Hamlet. The figure amounts to 8 percent of Danish women aged 18-69. Expert say plastic surgery is becoming the norm.

Study reveals that loss of a loved one can increase the risk of a heart attack

the risk was almost the same as in the non-bereaved population.”

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Common as plastic

That’s the pain of the broken-hearted

ONLINE THIS WEEK Popular in South Korea EVEN THOUGH the Billund BioRefinery wastewater treatment plant won’t be finished until 2017, South Korea has seen enough to spend 50 million kroner on two replicas. Since 2013, over 1,500 experts from the likes of China, Germany, Mexico and the US have visited the treatment plant to admire it.

FOUR BARBARY macaques made a break for it on Saturday morning when they escaped from Munkholm Zoo near Grenaa in Jutland. The primates sought refuge in a nearby forest, and attempts to entice them out with food into a tranquilizer gun ambush have so far failed.

T TURNS out it may be possible to die of a broken heart. A study of nearly 1 million Danes has revealed that the death of a lifelong partner may trigger an irregular heartbeat, which can be life-threatening. The study – headed by Simon Graff of Aarhus University and published in the online journal Open Heart – showed there was an elevated risk of developing a heart flutter that lasted about a year. The risk was highest “8-14 days after the loss, after which it gradually declined”, read the report. “One year after the loss,

Young most at risk THOSE under 60 whose partners died unexpectedly were most at risk. They were more than twice as likely to develop problems, while those whose partners died unexpectedly were 57 percent more at risk. Researchers used population data collected between 1995 and 2014. Of the group, 88,612 people had been newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) and 886,120 were healthy. The risk of developing an irregular heartbeat for the first time was 41 percent higher among those who had been bereaved than it was among those who had not experienced such a loss.

The glass of 1950

Oldest Enigma found

Thorium vote in May

Redback arrives from Oz

Island’s unknown history

SOME 1,427 Danes over the age of 65 sought help for alcohol problems in 2013, according to the health authority Sundhedsstyrelsen – over double the 655 cared for five years earlier. “When regular drinkers retire and don’t have that much to do, they might start drinking even more,” Karsten Brøndmark from Frederiksberg Municipality told DR. Some 27 percent of men and 10 percent of women aged 65-74 had an alcohol problem in 2010. Aarhus University Hospital claims Danes born in the 1950s are the most likely to suffer chronic liver damage due to alcohol abuse. (CW/SR)

THE POST og Tele Museum in Copenhagen has discovered that a rough-looking machine in its possession since the turn of the century is actually the world’s oldest existing Enigma machine. It is one of only three remaining M1 Enigma electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines produced for the Germany navy in 1934. Some 611 were made and its serial number ‘M522’, the lowest of the three, confirms it is the oldest. The first Enigma was produced for the German army in 1926. The decryption of Enigma played a large role in the Allies winning WWII. (CW)

NEXT MONTH, Parliament is scheduled to vote on whether thorium technology will be permitted to receive research funding on par with other energy techs. The proposal, which was submitted by Liberal Alliance on April 1, means it could become feasible to research and develop atomic energy in Denmark for the first time since the government decided in 1985 that itwould not be part of the nation’s future energy strategy. However, it will be tough going as a recent survey by Ingeniøren showed the majority of parties do not want to carry out atomic energy technology research. (CW)

A MAN IN Vojens in southern Jutland received a shock last week when he opened up a shipment from Australia to find a live Redback spider nestled amongst the contents. The Redback is slightly more deadly than the Black Widow found in southern Europe. If bitten, its poison affects the nervous system and can result in fatalities – however, most cases do not require treatment and antivenom is only administered to 2-20 percent of bite victims. The spider has been taken to Terrariet, the reptile zoo in Vissenbjerg, where it is the only one of its kind. (SR)

BORNHOLMERS celebrated the 70th anniversary of their liberation from Soviet forces last week with a torchlight procession in Rønne, the island’s largest town, and other festivities. Historian and professor emeritus Bent Jensen has written a book about Stalin’s occupation of Bornholm called ‘The Long Liberation’. He said he was surprised at how little Danes – including scholars – know about this slice of Danish history. When the Germans failed to surrender in May 1945, Soviet aircraft bombed and destroyed more than 800 houses, damaging about 3,000 more. (RW)

Primates on the loose

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CIS Summer School

Want to learn Mandarin? What’s a Rube Goldberg machine and how do you build one? Always wanted to try cheerleading or basketball? Brush up on your public speaking skills?

Early registration is advisable since places are limited.

The 2016 summer school at CIS is available for children aged 4 to 15. Our activities include an Early Years Program, and for all other age groups: English, Danish, French and Mandarin language courses, Art, Drama, Drum Troupe, Manga and Street Art, Cheerleading, Basketball and more. The Summer School Program is suitable for all children who would like to upgrade their English or other Foreign language skills. To learn more or to register please visit www.cis.dk or contact us at summer@cis.dk

THE FOOD and agriculture minister, Esben Lunde Larsen, has agreed to Konservative’s demands for reduced nitrogen emission levels. The funds will be found in negotiations for a new nature package. Konservative had previously demanded a 624-tonne nitrogen reduction for 2017-2018.

www.cis.dk

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

15 - 21 April 2016

FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Ga-ga over Graham

On the way to Rio

DESPITE a lukewarm reception from US critics, Lukas Graham’s ‘Blue Album’ is number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart for albums – the first time a Danish artist has broken into the top five. Meanwhile, ‘7 Years’ is number 2 in the singles chart.

THE MEN’S handball team qualified for this summer’s Olympics by beating Croatia and Bahrain and drawing with Norway over the weekend. All the games were in Herning. It follows the failure of the women’s side to qualify last month.

Boost for opera

Too timid to threaten

AP MØLLER Foundation has donated a three-digit million kroner sum to the Copenhagen Opera House to improve its green fingerprint and increase the number of its performances. It comes at a time when the Royal Theatre must cut 50 million kroner over the next four years.

SØREN Kjeldsen finished seventh equal in the US Masters on Sunday, firing a 71 to finish level par, five behind the English winner, Danny Willett. Halfway through the final round, he was in contention in fourth, but played too timidly to threaten. Willett is half-Swedish through his mother.

Winger is flying

Three in two weeks

HERNING-BORN right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand, 21, has 4 goals, 3 assists in 11 games since making his NHL bow for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Called up from AHL side the Lake Erie Monsters, he is one of seven Danes in the league.

FC COPENHAGEN and Brøndby will play three times in April after being drawn to face one another in the Danish Cup. The first leg on April 6 was a draw, with the second leg in Brøndby on April 20, just three days after they meet at Parken in the Superliga.

PIKE IT! Don’t joust, just finish the attack. Let’s dig one out and use the fiveone to get the kill.” Sounds like something taken out of ‘Platoon’. But actually, it’s volleyball jargon, which apparently sounds rather aggressive. There is ample opportunity to learn more warzone-ish sounding terms, as well as enjoy the best volleyball Denmark has to offer, at the deciding Danish Championship finale at Gentofte Sportspark this Saturday. Golden set potential THE LADIES are up first at 14:00, with Holte trying to over-

come a 0-3 first leg loss to Brøndby, while Gentofte will be aiming to bounce back from a 1-3 defeat against Marienlyst at 16:00. Should Holte or Gentofte manage to win, a deciding 25-point golden set will be played. Gentofte and Marienlyst both finished with records of 13-1 in the regular season. While Brøndby could cap an undefeated season should they win the ladies. Tickets will be available at the door. They cost 75 kroner for adults, while under-18s can get in for free.

SWIMMING: NATIONALS (M/W) FRI 15 APRIL, 10:00 DANISH OPEN BELLAHØJ SVØMMESTADION

RUNNING (M/W) SUN 17 APRIL, 09:30 NIKE MARATHON TEST 4 GUNNAR NU HANSENS PLADS

VOLLEYBALL: NATIONAL FINALS SAT 16 APRIL, 14:00 BRØNDBY VK VS HOLTE IF (M) GENTOFTE VS MARIENLYST (W) GENTOFTE SPORTSPARK

SOCCER ALKA SUPERLIGA SUN 17 APRIL, 18:00 FC KØBENHAVN VS BRØNDBY PARKEN

POSTCALENDERS.DK

THIS WEEK’S DATES APRIL 15 FIRST DANISH LAW

ON THIS day in 1683, ‘Dankse Lov’, the first Danish law, was signed off by Christian V. It replaced three regional laws (Jutland, Zealand and Scania, which had been lost to the Swedes according to the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658). It was not hugely significant, but did give the whole country, for the first time in its existence, a single codification. Christian V, a contemporary of Ole Rømer, was more into architecture than science and eventually died in a hunting accident.

APRIL 16 BIRTH OF MAERSK

OVERSHADOWED every single year since the birth of the queen on this day in 1940, just days into the German Occupation, April 16 marks the 112th anniversary of the foundation of AP Møller Maersk. Remarkably they’ve only had three chairmen: founder Arnold Peter Møller lived until he was 88 and his son, Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller, until he was 98. (NØ)

WATCH OR PARTICIPATE IN?

– GO TO THE SPORTS CALENDAR AND SEE WHAT´S GOING ON RIGHT NOW!

ACCESS ALL THE EVENTS – GET ALL THE NEWS – REACH ALL THE CLUBS – SEE MORE AT POSTCALENDERS.DK

DAS BÜRO FOR TEAM DANMARK

LOOKING FOR SPORTS TO

Spike some tickets for the volley finals!

BUSINESS

15 - 21 April 2016

Our manhunt in Panama? ONLINE THIS WEEK

ISTOCK

Everyone wants a piece of Panama again

SKAT scouring lists for Danes

HE TAX authority SKAT will cast a keen eye over the list of 37,000 names confirmed by the Sunday Times as part of the ‘Panama Papers’ tax haven scandal to see if there are any Danes among them. However, it conceded to DR that name data is “difficult to work with because there are a lot of people who can have the same name”. Criminal offence? MEANWHILE, Enhedslisten has proposed a new law to make it easier to imprison people who counsel others on how to avoid

paying taxes and finding tax havens. Socialdemokraterne supports the proposal. According to the Panama Papers, Jyske Bank and Nordea have assisted their customers’ efforts in opening and maintaining secretive companies in tax havens. Tax returns ELSEWHERE, three out of four tax-payers, some 3.3 million people, got money back in their back tax returns – an average 5,328 kroner each. The remaining, 973,219 taxpayers, owed the government an average 6,920 kroner each. (CW/SR)

Transatlantic #1

Goodbye Fona

BANG & Olufsen has offloaded ICEpower, a subsidiary that develops and manufactures amplifiers for high-performing audio systems. It sold shares in the company for 32 million kroner in what was a management buyout. B&O, which could potentially be sold itself – to Chinese suitor Sparkle Roll – also announced an 8 percent rise in Q3 revenue to 703 million kroner.

DANISH customer experience management firm Sitecore has been named the Transatlantic Company of the Year by the American Chamber of Commerce. Sitecore, which is based in Denmark and the US, won the award thanks to impressive growth – surpassing 1 billion kroner in turnover – that has catapulted it into becoming a global leader within its field. It employs 250 people in the US.

ELKJØP Nordic, the owner of Elgiganten, wants to buy electronics chain Fona. It will acquire its remaining 10 stores, but the Fona brand name will be retired. Once Fona’s warehouses are emptied, its 46 other locations will be sold off. Elkjøp Nordic sees the business as a “supplement to its e-commerce efforts” noting that the 10 shops were “in good locations throughout the country”.

Big in Japan

Statoil name change

CEO fraud cases

NOVO NORDISK has found a winning formula in Japan where its insulin product Tresiba is thriving thanks to increased confidence amongst the country’s doctors. Tresiba enjoys a 33 percent share of the nation’s long-acting insulin market – its best market ratio in the world. Novo’s overall market share in Japan, a country in which it has faced stern challenges, is still only 11 percent.

STATOIL Fuel & Retail, which operates 326 service and fuel stations across Denmark, is changing its logo and brand name at the start of May to Circle K to comply with the global branding efforts of Statoil’s parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard. The name change process will affect all of Couche-Tard’s retail bands and is expected to be completed in three to four years worldwide.

THERE have been three recent cases in which the Danish office of a major international company has been duped into transferring funds into bogus accounts, and Bagmandspolitiet, the fraud squad, is appealing for vigilance. The ‘CEO fraud’ scam involves ‘executives’ asking accounts employees for a quick, confidential transferal to purchase another company. One company lost 100 million kroner.

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BUSINESS OPINION THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

DANIEL K REECE MIND OVER MANAGING Daniel is the managing director of Nordeq Management (nordeqmanagement.com), managing cross-border investment projects with a focus on international corporate and tax law issues. Educated as a lawyer, Daniel is passionate about mindfulness as a means of personal transformation, and he holds workshops and runs one-on-one mentoring programs on the subject (deepening-connection.com).

‘Blackfish’ … blacklisted SEAWORLD has come under increasing pressure to rethink the way it looks after its orca whale population since the release of the 2013 documentary film ‘Blackfish’. The depiction in graphic detail of the horrendous treatment meted out to its killer whales appears to have been the final straw. Seaworld is stopping its controversial orca breeding programs and live shows, and its shares have since increased by 20 percent, showing that the ethical treatment of animals does pay. Thriving … ironically SO WHAT about the rest of the animal population that we have domesticated for our own ends? As of 2009, approximately 90 percent of all ‘large’ animals (i.e

LINDA WENDELBOE BUSINESS NEEDS TALENT Linda heads DI Consortium for Global Talent at The Confederation of Danish Industry. Leading this initiative, she addresses the challenges and opportunities for attracting and retaining foreign talent from an industry perspective.

Top marks aplenty HOWEVER, a closer look reveals that while Denmark enables and grows talent, this does not translate into an equally strong ability to attract and retain talent. The report identifies ‘business-labour landscape’ and ‘access to growth opportunities’ as key to Denmark’s competitiveness. The country scored top marks for the ease of doing business and government effec-

Finally something to jump with joy about

Prison … everywhere WHY DOES this matter? Well, from a business standpoint you would hope that greater awareness of the consequences of industrial farming would mean there is a financial incentive towards more humane treatment of the animals concerned. Even more importantly though, as Albert Einstein

pointed out, we are part of, not distinct from, other living beings and nature in general, and our inability to recognise this inter-connectedness is a mental ‘prison’. Our task, he said, “must be to liberate ourselves from this prison by broadening our compassion to encompass all living beings and all of nature in its beauty”.

ISTOCK

TTRACTING and retaining the right talent is one of the biggest challenges facing Danish companies today and in the future. DI Consortium for Global Talent is therefore very pleased with the news that Denmark is back among the world’s top five countries as the highest ranked Scandinavian country in INSEAD’s Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2015-16.

weighing more than a couple of kilos) are domesticated, but billions live in appalling conditions in industrial installations. For the large part, we prefer not to think about them – out of sight out of mind. From an evolutionary perspective, at least in terms of sheer numbers, these animals are big winners. Ten thousand years ago, the chicken was a rare bird living in Southeast Asia. There are approximately 20 billion in the world today. In Denmark alone there are around 28 million pigs, compared to 5.6 million humans. Yet these animals often never see daylight and are denied the ability to pursue basic natural instincts such as natural reproduction and nurturing young – and even just to sit down. These are, as Yuval Noah Harari memorably put it, “individually the most miserable animals that have ever existed”.

YATHIN S KRISHNAPPA

ARCH BROUGHT unexpected good news for both animal-lovers and shareholders in SeaWorld.

15 - 21 April 2016

tiveness, delegation of authority, freedom of voice, and tertiary education expenditure. However, when it comes to attracting talent – particularly attracting people and businesses from abroad – Denmark fared less well, and for retaining talent, it was ranked outside the top 20 Unexploited potential THE HIGH ranking confirms Denmark has a solid platform but unexploited potential. While Denmark offers an attractive and world-class business landscape, along with a unique open work culture, the core attraction and retention of both businesses and people lag behind. It is a global battlefield with countries fighting for their share of a continuously shrinking talent pool, and Denmark needs to step up its game.

No ‘I’ in team, granted, but there’s a big one in skill

Failing on tax ONE OF the biggest barriers is

the taxation system, for which Denmark ranked 98th out of the 110 countries ranked. High scores for an attractive regulatory landscape seem pointless if foreign qualified people are reluctant to stay due to one of the highest income taxes in the world. Denmark needs to work on

both its structural weaknesses and societal challenges to leverage its full potential. A dedicated effort across political parties, academia and businesses is required in order for Denmark to position itself as a preferred career destination for international talents. DI Consortium for Global Talent is ready to contribute.

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Living in an Expat World

From Struggle to Success

Union Views

Startup Community

Why Innovation?

The Valley of Life

Give Yourself a Chance

Trading Kingdoms

CPH Career

Danish Capital in 2015

CAREERS ADVICE

15 - 21 April 2016

21st Century Alchemy is a weekly Q&A column for career-minded professionals, entrepreneurs and small businesses written by David Parkins, a business (re)development specialist, company culture strategist, career coach, and IMCSA speaker (ep3.dk).

HAVE YOU RUN OUT OF IDEAS? STRUGGLING FOR INSPIRATION? NEED SOME MOTIVATION? PLEASE SEND YOUR CAREER OR COMPANY QUESTIONS TO CONTACT@ EP3.DK OR @EP3DK.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS INTERVIEW QUESTION

“How many calories are in a grocery store?” Why they’re asking – This actual interview question and similar oddball questions are designed to get past your pre-programmed answers, discover if you’re capable of original thought, reveal your creativity and/or sense of humour, but most importantly focus on how you would approach an unexpected challenge, thereby assessing how you’ll handle unanticipated stress in the workplace. How do you answer – There are no wrong answers just wrong

What a feeling! “WELL, I don’t …” the employee might reply … or “I’m just excited at the possibility” or “It’s been my dream for a long time” or “C’mon! Who wouldn’t want to work for them!” The employer might say: “They just get it. You know… who we are … what we do … why we do it.” If you’re not in a talking mood or can’t explain it, a simple “It’s just a feeling” usually works. What? A feeling? A FEELING? Are you basing an important decision like who to hire or where to work on a feeling? Chemistry? While important and inherently difficult to define, chemistry can be easily confused with lust, infatuation or friendship. So it’s no surprise why such doubts linger, even in the final moments before you say ‘I do’ (contract signing). I’ve worked with serious employers or employees who reactions, so take a moment, reflect and then respond instead of saying the first thing that comes to mind (e.g verbal diarrhoea). Naturally, shape your response to highlight job-specific activities (action-orientated), but then go further and include why and how. For example, if you’re in an accounting interview, do a think-aloud on how you would find your answer, using concrete examples to illustrate key points.

WORKPLACE QUESTION

A colleague is very flirtatious (jokes, remarks, body language) and makes a lot of physical contact with members of the opposite sex (touching while talking, hugs etc). When I was single, I found it flat-

ISTOCK

DAVID PARKINS 21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

OR BOTH employers and employees in the early stages of their relationship (e.g the interview or the probationary/trial period), there’s often an almost imperceptible uneasiness about the ‘other person’ that’s only ever discussed when asked about – usually by sceptical friends or risk-averse mentors and advisors. But at some point during the conversation, the same question always comes up: “Are you sure this is what/who you really want?” And after everything is weighed and measured, the final answer is only “yes” or “no”. But how do you know?

FUTURE WORKSHOPS • ‘Foundations’ is an upcoming four-part workshop series focused on your professional values that is free to attend. • Career: Why you do what you do (May 2) Developing employee-employer relationships can be tough-going at first

are absolutely sure they want to commit, but couldn’t clarify their ‘feeling’ even if their career or company depended on it. But there is a common thread. They all had a high level of satisfaction with the relationship (at that point). In its simplest terms, satisfaction means your needs, or what you value, are being met. It’s the basis of that indefinable feeling that’s sensed but lacks explanation. It’s a sign that a relationship is working. What are you feeling? BUT HOW do you know? Ask yourself: “How satisfied am I? Have I been more satisfied before? How easily could I illustrate being more satisfied (provide examples)? Do I need a self-appraisal?” tering, but now it makes me uncomfortable. You might’ve heard ‘a joke is truth wrapped in a smile’ and two forms of this ‘joke’ are sarcasm (passive aggression) and flirtation (passive, perhaps unconscious desire) and we tolerate them because they’re superficially harmless. But considering how your reaction has changed, how harmless is it really? Passive joking reflects immaturity, insecurity and impulsive thinking (i.e acting like a child) so treat the person as you would an insecure child – don’t embarrass them or overreact to what they’re doing and modify their behaviour through your unsubtle but non-verbal response. With time, things will change between you.

If you can’t imagine or recall specific examples of satisfaction – yet a lingering, subtle dissatisfaction remains – it’s an indication that you may not know what you want, need or value. If you’re satisfied, it’s more by chance than by choice. What might be needed is a self-evaluation: time and effort dedicated to assess your professional/company needs and values. And to do it right, you’ll need to determine three things: 1) Efficacy – Is this working? (you need to know your values before you can assess); 2) Effectiveness – Is it benefiting me? (are my values being satisfied?); and 3) Efficiency – What’s my cost/benefit? (there are always opportunity and real costs).

• Work: How you do what you do (June 7) • Job: Where you do what you do (first week in July) • Interview: Where it all begins (first week in October) Each workshop is independent but builds on perspectives and practices developed in the preceding workshop. In other words, we recommend that you participate in all of them so that when it matters, like at the interview, you are fully-prepared (equipped and empowered) to get the job you want, doing what you want, where and how you want it. Getting that requires knowing your professional values and how to satisfy them. To register and read more, search for EP3.dk at billetto.dk

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 21 April 2016

Focus on journalism is good

Still your best bet IF YOU visit europeanpressprize.com, you will see how good journalism digs into the chaos in the world and give us insight about the troubled areas. True, journalists can sometimes lose their focus in their quest for the story that might attract the most interest, but it’s no wonder when we see what they are up against. Recent internet and social media and smartphones advances have made everything available for everybody anytime – or so they say? As things stand, journalists remains the best protection against misinformation. Dangerous job AT THE same time, it’s important to remember that many

High standards paramount WE HAVE to remember that good journalism needs to maintain high standards. However, without help it does not work. The Panama Papers were not released on their own – somebody helped. Now investigative journalists can contribute to closing the immoral tax havens that have clouded rich people with greed. If you cannot stop the drug lords – tax them. If you cannot stop the traffickers – tax them. Nobody can manipulate big sums of money without a digital trace. If they have nowhere to go, they will go nowhere. Bankers, lawyers and tax consultants will have to learn an honest trade. The third driver of humankind is sex – but that is another story. (ES)

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Fashion Jam

journalists work under dangerous conditions in war zones and under scrutinising control in waking democracies or totalitarian environments. Last year the award-winners covered corruption, suppression, and cover-ups. Even now, an alarming number of journalists are imprisoned. In Turkey, the government recently closed one of the largest dailies. In Egypt and China, hundreds have been locked up. And Turkey is not much better.

Toftegårds Alle 43, Valby 2500

As a Swede who spent eleven years in London and New York, coming to Denmark four years ago had its ups and downs. Having worked in fashion most of her professional life, Jenny (@jennyfashjam) will be giving her opinion on our dress sense: the right choices and the bad ones.

JENNY EGSTEN-ERICSON

HILE THERE are no Danish articles or journalists among the shortlisted nominees for this year’s European Press Prizes, there is a Dane among the judges: Jørgen Ejbøl, the former editor-in-chief of Jyllands Posten and chairman of JP/Politiken. The five category winners will be announced on April 14, but already the organiser Forum 2000 has stressed that this year’s prizes will have a special focus, the refugee crisis, and its Special Award will pay tribute to some of the great pieces written about it.

JENNY EGSTEN-ERICSON

Jenny’s grandmother is still style-conscious at 90 – an example to us all

T THE TIME of writing this, my grandmother is due to turn 90 in three days, and even though we are 52 years apart, I think she cares just as much as me about her appearance and what she is wearing. And since she doesn’t live in England, she has no idea that you should desire to look like the queen after a certain age. A life in fashion THE TYPICAL women’s magazine articles that offer tips to women on ‘dressing their age’ all tend to follow the same line. In your 20s, you’re assured you can pull off almost anything. They tell you to start investing in statement bags and shoes early, but not to sweat any particular look too much – teens and twenty-somethings, you are young and invincible. But oh, the 30s. Things start to get a little more serious. You get the big promotion and/or have a child and/or achieve your first brushes with power and success. Time to put the fake leather leggings away, time to invest in real ones from Helmut Lang. Time to start thinking about installing Dr Scholl’s in your

high-heeled boots (but still wear them, the magazines say – heaven forbid you get over heels before 50). Then come the 40s – I’m dangerously close and it’s apparently going to be very expensive. Think more cashmere, more leather goods and more luxury. Then the 50s: you turn a corner. You should be wearing all designer clothes by now, say these articles, but nothing too flashy. Stick with tailored suits and demure blazers (in other words boring). But in your 60s, should you make it that far, it seems like you finally get to start having fun again. The same rules seem to apply to the 70s, 80s and 90s – it turns out magazines don’t really acknowledge women over 60. They all seem to say: we don’t really care about you! Trust the inner compass WOMEN very often say they are too old to wear this or that. But isn’t it discomfort, rather than a mismatch of age and outfit, which is truly the basis for all fashion mistakes? I love it when I see a woman beyond the magazine’s age-ap-

propriate remit, or any age for that matter, who makes an effort and feels comfortable, regardless of what the look is. Style has never been about obeying fashion rules, but listening to your inner compass about where your creativity should go – where you should put your focus. Truly worth it WHEN THESE articles tell a woman what is and is not suitable for a lady and her age, it is a way of both policing individual choices and creating new mass objects of desire that can be marketed and sold. As women get older, and have more disposable income, the industry would benefit from telling them they need to buy more and more expensive goods to look young and true unto themselves. Giving yourself the permission to don whatever you desire will keep you excited to wake up the next day and do it all over again; when you turn your closet into a playground, you are prolonging your own life. And nothing is more age-appropriate than that.

OPINION

15 - 21 April 2016

NEXT ISSUE

ZACH KHADUDU

Straight Up

Prospects of the City

Zach Khadudu is a Kenyan by birth and a journalist by choice. He is a commentator and an activist with a passion for refugee and human rights. He may share a heritage with a certain US president, but his heart lies elsewhere – in the written and spoken word.

A Dane Abroad

PER SMIDL

KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

BJARNE BERGIUS HERMANSEN

IN 2 ISSUES

‘Mere te’ Vicar? DARREN MCCALLIG

The Director’s Cut DAVID NOEL BOURKE IN 3 ISSUES

Straight, No Chaser STEPHEN GADD The nation still hasn’t fully embraced its new cultural identity

RUTH BE told, Danes love their talent shows. And on the first Friday of this month, they were glued to their screens for the grand finale of the 2016 edition of ‘X Factor’.

One small (dance) step MANY TUNED in to root for their favourite contestants, and in the end, the sister-duo of Anilde and Azilda, two AfricanDanes of Angolan extraction, won the contest and received roaring cheers and standing ovations. They have since become local celebs. This win by the African-Danish sisters in a national contest is a clear indication that Denmark’s demographics are changing fast. Whether we like it or not, this country is fast-becoming ever more multicultural, multi-ethnic and, dare I add, multilingual. This is a good thing. It’s a global wave that can’t be stopped. Not by hook, not by crook. Unless of course you belong to that political wing that believes closing borders and maintaining cultural homogeneity is the way to a Danish nirvana.

A rare exception UNFORTUNATELY, the win by the two girls is a rather rare exception. See, the media is a mirror of society, and as such, when we look at the Danish media we should see a reflection of the ‘real’ Danish society, but do we? Nope. Here is the thing: the power of the media in reflecting and shaping a society cannot be underestimated. Let’s crunch numbers. The latest official statistics show that as of April 2016, Denmark had 700,000 immigrants amongst its population. That’s 12 percent of the total population, yet their representation in the media is almost negligible. Whiter than the Oscars IF YOU thought the Oscars were white, try watching Danish non-fictional TV. The TV news industry is still hung up on the image of a sassy-sexy ‘TrueDane’ reporter. This narrow view of talent reflects on the narratives we get. Any news editor will tell you that news selection decisions are quite subjective, so diversity in a newsroom not only serves society, but adds to

the different points of view of the related narratives. If you walk the corridors of any journalism school in Denmark, you’ll meet the most intelligent and talented young people. And some of the crème de la crème are of foreign origin. The question remains, therefore: where do these young talents end up after graduation, as we don’t see them on telly? Needs to reflect society GRANTED, I’m very sceptical of any kinds of affirmative action or so called positive discrimination, but am also unconvinced there are not people of colour who are talented enough to be on our screens as journos. The bottom line is this: the kids growing up in Denmark today are tech-savvy. They spend considerable time consuming television and other media. Until the impressionable young kids of colour growing up in this country start seeing their reflections on the screens as a part of society, it will be an uphill task trying to convince them that they do, indeed, belong. Such is the power of the media.

Brick by Brick STEPHANIE BRICKMAN IN 4 ISSUES

Under the Raydar RAY WEAVER

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE IN 5 ISSUES

An Actor’s Life IAN BURNS

You’re Still Here KELLY DRAPER

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 21 April 2016

ABOUT TOWN

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

A memorial service was held for the victims of all recent terror attacks at Vor Frue Kirke on April 6, and the diplomatic corps were out in full force – not least Belgian ambassador Pol De Witte (centre and right), who was among those to give an address. Among those showing their solidarity with De Witte and others were (centre: left-right) Ghanaian ambassador Edith Hazel and Pakistani ambassador Masroor A Junejo; and (right: left-right) Ivory Coast ambassador Mina Balde Laurent and Moroccan ambassador Raja Ghannam

Why Not Theatre Company enjoyed a successful premiere of its new play, ‘Love and Money’, at Bådteatret on April 7. The cast members (left: left-right) Malte Joe Frid-Nielsen, Bennett Thorpe, Sira Stampe and Sue Hansen-Styles took a well-deserved bow before retreating backstage to take care of a bit of publicity (centre) along with their director, Mia Lipschitz, and then enjoy a few drinks with their adoring public, which included Barry McKenna (beard), a regular contributor to the theatre group

The South Korean Embassy’s new meeting hall, which has been designed by Mogens Lassen, was the venue for a ballet demonstration, ‘How to understand Ballet´s Art of Moves and Mimes’, by dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet Corps, Ji Min Hong and Sebastian Haynes. South Korean ambassador Young-sam Ma (centre) was the proud host – particularly as Hong is Korean – and his guests included (right) Romanian ambassador Matei Viorel Ardeleanu (left), Bangladeshi ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhit (red tie) and Nepalese ambassador Mukti Nath Bhatta (yellow tie)

Polish ambassador Henryka Moscicka-Dendys (left) was among those present as her foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski met his Danish counterpart, Kristian Jensen, at the Foreign Ministry on April 6

Sibylle Osten-Vaa and Marko Lins from the German Embassy were joined by Alernativet leader Uffe Elbæk (centre) at the screening of ’Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer’ at Grand Teatret as part of the Tyske Filmdage festival that concluded on April 13

Liu Biwei, the Chinese ambassador, was among the many guests to bid farewell to former PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (left) on March 29 ahead of her moving to the UK to take over as CEO of Save The Children International

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15 - 21 April 2016

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3:00 p.m. in English and 4:30 p.m. in Danish (free entrance) Hotel Imperial – Vester Farimagsgade 9, 1606 CPH V John Adams is an international lecturer, teacher andpractitioner of Christian Science. He was healed of serious drug abuse by studying Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. This started his healing mission. THE LECTURE IS SPONSORED BY THE CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST IN COPENHAGEN - KRISTENVIDENSKAB.DK

St Alban’s Church The Anglican (Episcopal) Church in Denmark

Join the American Club in Copenhagen, and take part in our exciting and interesting events and excellent networking opportunities! This is a great way to meet others from the international community in Copenhagen! For further information: www.americanclub.dk or contact Vibeke Henrichsen at 3961 7375

A lively, diverse and inclusive Christian community of adults and children from every corner of the world Living Church is an international church family – a visionary congregation with a genuine passion for God. Our worship is joyful and vibrant. You will find a church family and a home with us. Sunday Service 12:00 with Children’s Church (ages 2-14); Home Groups Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Femagervej 39, 2650 Hvidovre (Close to Hvidovre Station) For more information see: www.levendekirke.com; facebook.com/levendekirke

Sunday Service at 10.30

Sung Eucharist with Sunday School Followed by refreshments

Mid-Week Service of Holy Communion on Wednesdays at 10.30 We are on Churchillparken, half way between the Little Mermaid and Amalienborg. www.st-albans.dk

We look forward to welcoming you!

Dentists Studiestræde

Keep your good habits check your teeth in CPH We are former expats caring for your lovely s m i l e

We speak several languages: English German Swedish Danish Norwegian Swiss-German Studiestræde 61 1554 København V Call us: 33 11 07 15

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

OUT AND ABOUT

MORTEN FAUERBY

HOUSANDS of people of all ages converged at Christiansborg Slotsplads on Sunday for Denmark’s first-ever Workshop for Global Peace.

15 - 21 April 2016

are no longer enough, and that people need to learn how to prevent violence and create a peaceful world through knowledge of empathy, awareness and

constructive conflict. “We must learn how to diffuse our emotions rather than blow up as soon as we are challenged,” said organiser Pernille

Lauritsen (centre left). Also present were Alternativet leader Uffe Elbæk (centre right) and singer Monique (left). RAY WEAVER

According to happiness coach Meik Wiking, this is partly because it’s simply more difficult to be unhappy in an otherwise happy society. He and nine others spoke at TEDxCopenhagen at Bremen Teater on April 7 turning common notions of the world upside down, reconsidering eve-

rything from insects to nuclear waste to happiness. It’s a given that economic inequality can cause unrest, but how about well-being inequality? Take social media, for instance: don’t we all know that negative feeling when friends post pictures of “the most amazing breakfast?” It makes

your own slightly brown banana and instant coffee seem a bit sad. To stick with the Ted Talks, maybe we shouldn’t just reconsider how our social media behaviour affects the well-being of others, maybe we should all begin eating insects. They are sustainable and their nutritional

effects are helping solve challenges in developing countries. Maybe they could also help close the well-being gap in the Western World? So what’s stopping you? Grab a grasshopper snack and watch the talks attedxcopenhagen.dk. MALENE ORSTED

MALENE ORSTED

The initiative embraces the premise that passive and reactive events in response to acts of violence, such as demonstrations or torch-light marches,

ANES ARE the happiest people in the world! Just ask happy bunny Sarah Hedegaard Pedersen (centre)! Or are they? Denmark is a fairy-tale country filled with happy beerdrinking and biking people, but there’s a dark side too as we’ve still got a reasonably high suicide rate.

RUNDETAARN.DK

The Round Tower will once again host events to celebrate International World Voice Day. Enjoy performances, workshops, lectures, a 7pm concert and experience your voice in many different ways (April 16, 10:00-17:00; Købmagergade 52A, Cph K; 25kr; rundetaarn.dk)

It’s time to salsa! Let loose your Latin passion and enjoy salsa and delicious food. Dancers of all levels are welcome to dance by the water and celebrate the arrival of the long-awaited spring! (April 16, 18:00-02:00; Trangravsvej 8, Cph K; free adm; copenhagenstreetfood.dk)

Øl, øl, øl! Prepare to quench your thirst for beer and knowledge at the National Museum. The event includes the chance to mix beer cocktails and a beer-themed comedy film ‘BeerFest’ (April 15, 16:30-22:00; Ny Vestergade 10, Cph K; free adm; natmus.dk)

For clubbers and those in the mood for love, download dating app Krown and attend its launch party at night club Hive. There’s a free bar from 22:00-24:00. (April 16, 22:00-04:00; Skindergade 45, Cph K; show the app on your phone to enter)

ISTOCK

KB.DK

The Danish Press Photo of the Year 2015 Exhibition comes to a close this Saturday at the Black Diamond. Don’t miss the chance to marvel at last year’s memorable moments (until April 16, 10:00-19:00, Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, Cph K, 40kr; kb.dk)

ISTOCK

COMING UP SOON

Dome of Visions will host the release party for the music video ‘Hungry Vaginas’ – a study of female desire and pleasure (April 15, 20:00-23:55; Søren Kierkegaards Pl, Cph K; free adm; domeofvisions.dk) JUNYI QI

SCHOOLS

15 - 21 April 2016

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

RygaardsRygaards International School International School Invites experienced, enthusiastic and well-qualified teachers, familiar with and expeInvites experienced, enthusiastic and well-qualified individuals, familiar rienced in British-style education, apply for the following education, teaching position. Ap-the with andtoexperienced in British-style to apply for plicants should be lively, energetic and committed professional teachers who have following position. Applicants lively, and committed professionals. a desire to contribute to the Primaryshould Teambeand theenergetic community spirit of Rygaards. They must also be native English The job will be for February, They must also be native English speakers. The job willspeakers. be for August 2016. 2013.

PROSPECTS OF A LOW-CARBON CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Rygaards is a Catholic school, founded in 1909 by the Assumption sisters. The school Rygaards School has a Danish and an International English-speaking has strong ecumenical traditions and welcomes who are interested in school each teaching its own applicants separate curriculum. Rygaards International actively supporting Christian values. School consists of Key Stages 1 – 4 (Years 1 – 11). Rygaards a Catholic school founded in 1909 by the Assumption sisters. Rygaards School has a Danish andis an International English-speaking school each The school has strong ecumenical traditions and welcomes teaching its own separate curriculum. Rygaards International School consists applicants of Key who are interested in actively supporting Christian values. Stages 1 – 4 (Years 1 – 11). The position is as follows:

The teaching position is as follows: ✓ A KS1 Primary Class Teacher with a combination of other subjects such as Music, • Teacher’s Assistant for Reception Class. This/or is aSpecial temporary position. Gym, Swimming, Religion and Needs. Terms of employment in accordance with contract between BUPL and Applicants should be able to demonstrate: Danmarks ✓ Excellent classroom practice using a range of Assessment for Learning strategies Privatskoleforening. to monitor ongoing progress in learning. Applications should be addressed to The Board of Governors and sent ✓ Have high expectations by and an ability to challenge allInternational the children through e-mail to: The Head of Rygaards Primary School, Shirley planned differentiation and clearly articulated learning objectives. Jacobsen, shirley.jacobsen@rygaards.com. about the schooltheir can be ✓ Be enthusiastic and teach in a way that inspires theInformation children and celebrates obtained from our website www.rygaards.com achievements and abilities.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark, in cooperation with the Benelux Business Club, are proud to invite you to a networking event and reception at the European Environmental Agency (EEA). We have the honour to present Dr Hans Bruyninckx (BE), Executive Director of the EEA, as guest speaker and host. Dr Bruyninckx took up his position with the EEA in June 2013. He is currently on leave from his posts as Professor of International Relations and Global Environmental Governance, Institute for International and European Policy; and as Director, Research Institute for Work and Society, both at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven). Dr Bruyninckx will be speaking about the prospects of a low-carbon, circular economy as envisaged by the policies of the EU. He will focus on the issues of investment, innovation and competitiveness.

Closing date applications: 26th 2012 Terms of employment in accordance with for contract between TheNovember Ministry of Finance and LC (Teaching Unions)

Applications should be addressed to The Board of Governors and sent by e-mail to: The Head of Rygaards International Primary School, Mrs. Shirley Jacobsen, shirley.jacobsen@rygaards.com. Information about the school can be obtained from our website www.rygaards.com

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: FRIDAY, 22ND APRIL, 2016.

Programme: 17:00-17:30: Arrival and networking 17:30-18:45: Dr Hans Bruyninckx 18:45-20:00: Networking reception Date & Time: Tuesday, 19 April 2016, 17:00-20:00 Venue:

European Environmental Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, 1050 Copenhagen K

Registration: No later than 14 April 2016 at www.bbcs.dk. Please note that this event is free of charge and places are limited. Please enter “BCCD” in the note field of the registration form when you sign up.

Rygaards International School • Bernstorffsvej 54 • DK 2900 • Hellerup • Tel: +45 3962 1053 / +45 3962 1081 • www.rygaards.com

LANGUAGE INSTRUCTIONS - CULTURAL COACHING

quarter century experience in teaching Danish / English offers personal timeAre you a foreigner in Copenhagen? Do you flexible instruction. need to improve your social skills/ interaction? Contact: pan.smidl@gmail.com Danish novelist with masters in English and Phone: 3322 6021

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• High Academic Standards • Christian Ethos • Conveniently located in Hellerup For further information, see our webpage or phone the Admissions Officer on 3962 1053

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SCHOOLS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 21 April 2016

At Sankt Joseph, integration and internalisation go hand in hand

INCE AUGUST 2013, Institut Sankt Joseph, a private Catholic school located in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, has been offering a hybrid education model that combines Danish and international curricula. The Copenhagen Post Weekly caught up with Thomas Knudsen Mulhern, the head of the international department, to learn more about the bilingual program and how it has transformed life at the school.

INSTITUT SKT JOSEPH OFFERS A UNIQUE BILINGUAL EDUCATION THAT COMBINES THE CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATION SYSTEM WITH THE DANISH NATIONAL CURRICULUM. HOW DOES THIS WORK IN PRACTICE?

Each subject determines which language is spoken. For instance, English mathematics and science are taught in English – following the Cambridge International Examination system – while Danish, art and history are taught in Danish, following the Danish national curriculum.

SO IF STUDENTS WISHED TO ATTEND A DANISH HIGH SCHOOL AFTER THEY FINISHED SKT JOSEPH, ARE THEY EQUIPPED TO FOLLOW THE CLASSES IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE THERE?

International Baccalaureate Programme), they take one year of a pre-IB program and then two years of a diploma program. The first students enrolled on our bilingual program are due to finish in June 2018.

VICTOR VALORE

LUCIE RYCHLA

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THIS APPROACH INSTEAD OF BECOMING PART OF THE MORE COMMON IB WORLD SCHOOL NETWORK?

We saw there was a need to offer a hybrid program, especially for Danes who had migrated abroad and then returned back, as well as for expat families, in which one parent is a Dane and the other one comes from a different country. We saw there was a need to provide an education that is both in English and Danish, and which simultaneously offers flexibility and an interculturalintegration approach. Our goal is to give these families a third option, so they don’t have to make the choice between Danish or international education, but can get the best of both worlds.

THE INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT OPENED TWO YEARS AGO. HOW HAS THIS MOVE TRANSFORMED THE SCHOOL?

Pupil numbers are soaring at its international department

ebrations, Fastelavn and Danish songs along with many other authentic integration opportunities.

HOW MUCH HAS THE SCHOOL EXPANDED SINCE THEN?

We have gone from about 550 children in 2013 to 715 today, and we’ll be expanding further next year. The international department started with 75 students in 2013 and it looks like we’ll have about 150 children in August this year.

BESIDES OFFERING THE BILINGUAL PROGRAM, SKT JOSEPH ALSO TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN BEING A CATHOLIC SCHOOL. HOW DOES THIS RELIGIOUS FOCUS MANIFEST IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AT THE SCHOOL?

community as a way of expressing Christian love.

CAN STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS ATTEND THE SCHOOL AND, IF SO, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO FOLLOW CATHOLIC PRACTICES?

Well, I would like to stress that we are a Catholic school but not a school for Catholics. In fact, about 80 percent of our school body are not Catholics. We have a very diverse student body – both in terms of ethnicity and religion. Of course, the identity and approach of the school is based on Catholic traditions, but everyone is welcome here and we respect different religious views.

school. We also regularly go to Bornholm, where the students work on improving their social skills. Apart from that, we run a cultural organisation with focus on music, with a choir and an orchestra. And of course, we offer a full after-school program.

WHAT REQUIREMENTS DO CHILDREN HAVE TO FULFIL IN ORDER TO GET ENROLLED IN SKT JOSEPH?

In order to enrol in the international department, students in grades 0 to 2 need to be fluent either in English or Danish, while those in grades 3 and above need to be fluent both in Danish and English. The youngest students must be at least 5 years old.

Well, there are now many more teachers and students who speak English. Children at the Danish department in the pre-elementary program are incorporating English into their play and we organise international theme days. Also, when we have our morning assemblies, psalms are sang both in Danish and English. On the other hand, students who lived abroad are being immersed in Danish traditions and learn, for instance, about St Lucia cel-

We do something called ‘Ten days of giving’, when children learn all the ways of giving back to the community. This practice is based on the Catholic humanistic philosophy of loving thy neighbour and taking care of the world. We work with community service projects such as helping the elderly and the local

Every year, our students have an opportunity to go on various field trips. They can travel to the United States and to Rome. They can work in a soup kitchen in Italy and go on an exchange with another international

Our short-term ambition is to successfully complete the expansion of our bilingual program all the way to the ninth grade. We also want to keep offering families the opportunity for both authentic integration and internationalisation.

Online photo concerns

Students using drugs

Helping kids in Peru

The select network

A quantum leap

THE POLICE and Save the Children have reported that a growing number of kids in Denmark – some as young as eight – are sharing nude photos and videos of themselves on the internet. Typically the photos are selfies taken in front of a bathroom mirror wearing underwear. The Association of School Headteachers says parents should give their kids more guidance on online acceptability.

MORE UNIVERSITY students are taking performance-enhancing drugs to cope with the requirements of the new school reforms that sets strict time limits on the completion of their studies. According to a survey carried out by Djøf, some 8 percent of its members used drugs during their studies. The number one choice was caffeine pills, while the ADHD treatment Ritalin was also popular.

TWELVE students from Copenhagen International School (CIS) spent two weeks in Peru over Easter helping at centres for disabled and abused children. The program aims to cultivate the students’ sense of civic responsibility and strengthen the global community. The centres are financially supported by CIS program ‘Team Peru’ and run in co-operation with UK-based organisation Kiya Survivors.

A TEAM of seven students from various Danish high schools reached the quarter-finals of a debating competition at Harvard University. Among the motions was ‘The United States should enter into a military alliance with Russia to stop the civil war in Syria’. Several team members won individual awards. The team is now preparing for the world schools debating championship in Stuttgart.

INNOVATION Fund Denmark announced last week a historic investment of 80 million kroner that will be used to build a new Danish centre for quantum technology. The centre will be based at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen and will co-operate with researchers from DTU and Aarhus University. Some 18 companies have already agreed to collaborate. It is scheduled to open in 2018.

Yes, if they are evaluated as being able to attend a Danish gymnasium, they will have no problem following the national curriculum. On the other hand, if they want to go to an IB school (a school certified to offer the

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES YOU OFFER TO STUDENTS?

WHAT IS THE INSTITUT’S AMBITION FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?

NEWS IN BRIEF

SCHOOLS

15 - 21 April 2016

Turning green at Denmark’s first recycling workshop for kids ALESSANDRA PALMITESTA

Since opening 18 years ago with just 12 kids, the Lillekilde kindergarden in Valby (lillekilde.dk) has expanded to 115 little ones (ages 0-6). On April 8, it celebrated the launch of Villa Verden, the first recycling workshop for children in the country – further proof of its commitment to teach its kids to respect the environment and involve them in nature, for which it was recently awarded with the Green Flag. Visitors to the event enjoyed presentations, exhibits and a buffet on a splendidly sunny day enjoyed by all.

The Villa Verden workshop will welcome the children of Lillekilde (4 years +) on a daily basis. They will follow specific projects with a teacher and also be encouraged to create freely. The workshop is open to everybody in Copenhagen on weekends – especially teachers and parents. Everyone is welcome to get green!

Sabrina is half-French and half-Algerian. She decided to enrol her son Vincent at Lillekilde because she has previously worked for the kindergarden. “I know how well they work here,” she enthused. “They give 100 percent, and I believe in their values.”

Marianne Fogelstrøm, the owner of Børnehuset Lillekilde, proudly shows off her diploma from the Sustainable Development Department at Copenhagen Municipality, which she was awarded in recognition of her workshop being an important initiative.

“I live nearby and I decided to bring my kids here because I’ve heard very positive feedback, and I know I can totally trust in the teachers,” revealed Stephanie from Switzerland. “I am very happy about this workshop because it is important that my daughter learns how to recycle, so that she will also do it when she grows up.” “We have to rethink our idea about trash: trash is trash only because we trash it!” contends Radhika Larsen, who works at Lillekilde. “ With this workshop we want to collect industrial waste and reuse it while bringing innovation. Children have to learn to be conscious about the environment, but also be imaginative because the possibility to create is infinite.”

BAR

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 21 April 2016

Where Castro himself would feel at home – no revolution required! just as well as everything about this place makes you just want to dance.

Dronningens Tværgade 9, Cph K; open Thu 18:00-03:00, Fri 16:0005:00, Sat 18:00-05:00; cocktails price range 80-125kr; fidels.dk LYCELLE AURE BAJAR

HERE IS no doubt that when it comes to cocktails, the Cubans perfected the craft years ago. So when I discovered a Cuban-themed cocktail bar in the middle of the city, I couldn’t wait to see if the rumours were true. Fidel’s Copenhagen is conveniently located near Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn, serving a variety of fresh fruit-based Cuban classic cocktails and more.

Unless stated otherwise, the drinks in these reviews are paid for by the venue. No snacks were included. JOHAN KARPANTSCHOF

JOHAN KARPANTSCHOF

Caribbean vibes GOING through the big doors of Fidel’s was like entering a world suddenly 30 degrees warmer. The bartenders gave us a warm welcome and I could not help but notice their exquisite interior design straightaway. Vibrant lighting, fancy chandeliers and sophisticated furniture adorn the venue along with posters and pictures taken in Cuba hanging on its walls. The entire area was glowing with red lights that gave the place a rusty, mysterious vibe. Along with the palm leaves surrounding the entrance, there’s an unmistakable Caribbean essence permeating through the two-floor, two bar premises with room for 350 guests, which is

Winning cocktails THE MENU was jam-packed with lots of different cocktails to try. Fidel’s bar manager Aryos Muhsin explained how the venue always tries to provide as least one variation of every cocktail. We wanted to see what he was talking about so we opted for two kinds of mojito. Given the bar’s Cuban flavour, the expectations were high for this drink: it would make or break our visit. We had a classic mojito and their famous twisted mojito. Both are bestsellers so surely they wouldn’t disappoint! The twist in the twisted mojito is the addition of Strawberry liquor and white balsamico. Who knew that having a hint of vinegar in your cocktail would actually be so refreshing?! Both drinks were amazing, but the twisted mojito really stood out. There was a different kick and I liked the creativity with the flavours they combined. Another hit was the ‘Passion Kiss’. It was a mix of vanilla vodka, passion liquor, blackraspberry liquor, passion fruit, kiwi, cranberry and vanilla – a wonderful use of fresh fruits. The acidity and sweetness combination was a perfect match, and that’s coming from a girl who likes it sour and sweet. My companion absorbed every drop of his drink as if he could not get enough of it. I absolutely didn’t judge as I wanted to savour every sip from mine as well.

JOHAN KARPANTSCHOF

FIDEL’S COCKTAIL BAR

Always a fun time EVERYONE is definitely guaranteed a splendid time at Fidel’s. The live and upbeat environment they provide for everyone is so warm and welcoming, there’s no possibility to not enjoy it. Even if it’s just for a quick busi-

ness chat or catching up with friends, there’s no better place to be. It’s not just your ordinary cocktail bar as it also transforms into a nightclub once the DJ plays his fine beats. A variation of music is avail-

able: Cuban, Latin, reggaeton and pop will surely get you dancing. And at night, when you think there’s nowhere else to go, I’ll leave a humorous quote I found at Fidel’s: “They will smuggle your butts in.”

A U ST R A L I A N R E STA U R A N T Live Music

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INOUT: WHAT’S ON

15 - 21 April 2016

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

April 21-Sep 18, 10:00-17:00; Arken, Skovvej 100, Ishøj; 110kr; arken.dk DANIEL DELEURAN

THE FIRST thing you’ll notice when you come across a work by Abdoulaye Konaté is that they aren’t paintings, but rather beautiful textile works using harmonic colours. The award-winning 63-year-old artist, who lives and works in Mali’s capital of Bamako as the director of the Conservatoire of Arts & Media, is actively and politically engaged, frequently in his works commenting on contemporary issues that plague this modern world. For example, his general use of Ma-

LOVE AND MONEY April 7-29, Mon-Fri 20:00, Sat 17:00; Bådteatret, Nyhavn, Cph K; whynottheatre.dk WHY NOT Theatre Company presents the Copenhagen premiere of Love and Money by British playwright Dennis Kelly. Retreading the dramatic path of a failing marriage, the play offers a keen analysis of materialism and compulsive

FRA MIG TIL DIG Wed-Sun in April; Wed & Thu 09:30 & 10:45, Fri 10:45, Sat & Sun 11:00 & 13:00; Folketeatret Snoreloft, Nørregade 39, Cph K; folketeatret.dk; ages 3-8, 35 mins KIDS LIVE in bubbles, don’t they! But even they might have noticed that something pretty momentous is going on right now. So, why not introduce

SALOME

QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY

April 17-June 3; Operaen, Ekvipagemestervej 10, Cph K; 125895kr, kglteater.dk; 105 mins In co-production with the Norwegian National Opera, director Stefan Herheim presents the dangerously sensual Salome, a biblic figure who continue to entice and intrigue the world to this day. (AP)

April 16, 12:00-12:30; Amalienborg; kongehuset.dk It’s her majesty’s birthday and the aristocratic family will be assembling on the balcony to dutifully wave to their flagwaving loyal subjects between 12:00 and 12:30, after which Queen Daisy will take off around Copenhagen. (PS)

MUSIC

MAHALA RAI BANDA

Sat 16 April, 22:00; Global Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 7, Cph N; 150kr, billetlugen.dk When ‘Mahalageasca’ made the soundtrack of the blockbuster Borat, the doors to success opened. With elements of Arabic and Balkan mixed with funk and horn instruments, you are guaranteed a mad dance party. (NØ)

I n t e r n a t I o n a l

Bilingual a progressive catholic school with a 150 year tradition of humanistic education

studeNts learN morE; – fastEr

E ng l is h and Danis h as teach ing l ang u ag es

intercultural learning environment....

ARTIST’S FACEBOOK PAGE

SPECTACLE

them to the ongoing migrant crisis, but in a gentle fashion through humour and lively music, via Fra mig til dig. Performed in Danish, we follow Omar’s experiences as he leaves his home country, along with the hilarious burka ladies and a sneaky carpet dealer, to settle in Denmark, where the local market is called Netto and he has to go to kindergarten every day. ARTIST’S FACEBOOK PAGE

OPERA

PICK OF THE WEEK

KVASIR79

GAUGUIN’S WORLDS

April 15-Aug 28, 11:00-18:00; Glyptoteket, Dantes Plads 7, Cph V; 95kr; glyptoteket.dk French impressionist artist Paul Gauguin, one-time stockbroker and resident of Copenhagen, was no stranger to experimental chapter art. This exhibition looks at his fascination with primitive peoples in Egypt and Polynesia. (DD)

shopping and their effect on society and relationships. Jess (Sira Stampe – above right) and David (Malte Joe Frid-Nielsen – second right) were once in love, but are now a shopaholic wife and an indebted husband compelled to unexpected actions. Bobbing ever so slightly up and down in the cosy confines of the boat theatre, Sue Hansen-Styles and co always provide a memorable night. (AP) KGLTEATER.DK

PUBLICDOMAIN

ART

lian cotton as a material comments on its scarcity in his home country – something that he regards as a beautiful irony. His works blend traditional west African crafts with beautiful colours and political issues concerning the encroachment of the Sahel (main focus in the 1990s), AIDS (main focus in the 2000s), climate change, dictatorships, war, minorities and human rights. Throughout his life, he has worked in art, starting as a graphic designer to become the head of the Palais de la Culture in Algeria. This will be his first solo exhibition in Denmark, but his works have been displayed at many international venues, such as the Hayward Gallery in London, the Primo Marella Gallery in Milan, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This is definitely not one to miss for all the art-lovers out there.

MUSIC

JACK & JACK

Sun 17 April 19:00; Koncerthuset, Studie 1, Cph S; 225kr Having already conquered the realm of comedy, these young stars have added hip-hop to their growing list of talents. The Nebraska-born pair are stylistically similar to Flo Rida and have previously toured with Shawn Mendes. (AJ)

B I l I n g u a l

D e p a r t m e n t

Discover the

First class

world every day!

Cambridge open spaces in 7th and 8th grade

BiliNgual educatioN

Private catholic school – ages 5-16

Institut Sankt Joseph

Copenhagen | www.sanktjoseph.dk/en

ouse? Next oPeN h tjoseph.dk visit www.sank

LE CRAYON, 2015

ABDOULAYE KONATÉ

close to ØsterPort statioN

INOUT:FILM

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Get me outta here? Not this jungle – no Khan do MARK WALKER FILM EDITOR

THE JUNGLE BOOK Dir: Jon Favreau; US adventure, 2016, 105 mins; Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken PREMIERED APRIL 14 PLAYING NATIONWIDE

HE 1967 animated version of The Jungle Book, adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s collection of stories and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, is one of Disney’s most beloved classics. What Jon Favreau has attempted with his translation of that production into live action is ambitious to say the least. Another in a growing list of live-action adaptations of classic Disney animations, this one would seem to be the most ill-advised (others have tried and failed). While there’s little to justify updating the timeless original, and admittedly this version certainly doesn’t improve on the animation, there is much to marvel at here. Against considerable odds, the same magic that permeates

AT CINEMAS

15 - 21 April 2016

FTER ENDURING last week’s cinema drought (brought about by the expected dominance of Batman v Superman – which instead saw a sharp drop in sales after its opening) there’s plenty to appease your eyeballs and earholes this week. In pole position is Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book, the latest in Disney’s long line of live-action makeovers of their classic animations. See this week’s review to find out how Favreau fared. Hardcore is an action thriller, unique in that it is filmed entirely in the first person, much like a video game. Henry is resurrected from the dead with no memory (stop me if you’ve heard this one) and must shoot, kill and karate

the animated original is fully replicated here. Overall voice of approval FOR THE ignorant and uninformed, The Jungle Book was originally published in 1894. It tells the story of ‘man-cub’ Mowgli (here, an astounding performance by young newcomer Neel Sethi), who was raised by wolves and hunted by the tiger Shere Khan (Elba). Khan believes that man has no place in the jungle. Beyond the predictably firstclass computer-generated work carried out by Peter Jackson’s WETA studio, it is the voice cast (only minimal facial capture was employed, so as to avoid the ‘uncanny valley’) that is to be applauded most loudly. Christopher Walken lends just the right amount of mafia menace to King Louie’s crazy, Ben Kingsley’s Bagheera embodies the slick, shiny black regality of the paternal panther, and Bill Murray as the workshy, honey-loving bear Baloo is simply as sublime a casting as can be. Marginally less successful casting is Idris Elba as Shere Khan. Though no fault of Elba’s, one can’t help but think what Benedict Cumberbatch might do with the role (he is cast in the role in yet another adaptation, which is directed by Andy Serkis and due out in 2018). As chop his was through hordes of bio-engineered soldiers to save his wife and learn his true identity. The reviews have been lukewarm. The Lady in the Van has performed much better with critics – it stars Maggie Smith as a woman who lives in her van on Jim Broadbent’s drive. Similarly, Michael Moore is claiming new territory, albeit in a more playful manner in Where to Invade Next. Once again analysing US foreign and domestic policy, this time he’s comparing his homeland with that of European countries. Finally, David Lean’s Oscar-winning masterpiece Dr Zivago is getting a newly-restored print and screening at Imperial (amongst others). Over at Cinemateket, they’re celebrating next week’s release of Mr Holmes, in

You said ‘Jungle Book’ not ‘Jurassic Park’

perhaps due to the photorealism of the animals, this seems to be the correct choice. So, much of the slapstick is out, and a measure of darkness is in. Favreau also decided to opt for less of a musical approach, but when Mowgli joins Baloo, the pair still float down river and croon ‘Bare Necessities’ – keeping very much to the tone of the original film. Again – it works. What should have been a gaudy CGI travesty, instead simultaneously validates the modern tech with a subversive and utterly enchanting recreation, while proving the timelessness of its source.

A success on all fours GIVEN that the film is successful on almost all fronts, it’s interesting to note what Favreau chose to keep of the original and where he, and screenwriter Justin Marks, decided to di-

vert from that path. Certainly, those decisions were key to satisfying the legions who cherish the animation while avoiding accusations of crafting a mere facsimile. In an early scene, Khan returns to play with the wolf cubs, undetected by the elders of the pack. When Mowgli’s wolf mother, Raksha (Nyong’o), discovers Khan in their camp, she orders the cubs, who are unaware of the peril they are in, away from the bully. There is none of the visual comedy from the original film as Khan traps the last cub, preventing its departure – and

which Ian McKellen appears as the eponymous detective in his twilight years, with a retrospective season of Sherlock-themed films. On Saturday you can see Barry Levinson’s Young Sherlock Holmes at 12:30. The David Bowie season continues, also on Saturday. with Nic Roeg’s incredible sci-fi drama (possibly Bowie’s best performance as an actor) The Man Who Fell to Earth at 21:15 (dfi.dk/Filmhuset). For those of you who are aware that April 20 is Cannabis Day, you might be interested to know that Huset is marking the occasion with a double bill of amusing anti-cannabis propaganda: Marijuana: Weed With Roots In Hell (1936) and Reefer Madness (1936). Tickets are 50kr for both films – the screening starts 20:00 (huset-kbh.dk). (MW)

She’s just found out she can see AB’s ‘Kafka’s Ghost’ at the CTC

a result, this is a different Bengal tiger than the one you remember. Nevertheless, Elba will surely strike terror into the hearts of an entirely new generation of children. This Khan’s burned and mutilated face reminds less of his reserved animated counterpart, instead recalling the monstrous General Woundwort from Watership Down.

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