The International - November 2019

international

the

ISSN 2596-5220

THANKSGIVING GRATITUDE FOOD

7 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

BEAUTY BUTTER FROM GHANA

EVENTS AROUND DENMARK

NOVEMBER 2019 - THE-INTL.COM

HAZEL'S MAD ABOUT COPENHAGEN

FREE

PAPER

AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FOOD!

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

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REMEMBERING TO SAY THANK YOU. DURING THIS SEASON OF GIVING THANKS, IT'S GOOD TO REMEMBER YOUR JOURNEY TO DENMARK AND WHY YOU CHOSE TO MOVE HERE. DON'T DWELL TOO MUCH ON WHERE YOU'VE COME FROM, RATHER FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, NEW EXPERIENCES AND ENJOY WHAT DENMARK HAS TO OFFER YOU.

F

FOR ME THERE are tell-tale signs that Christmas is just around the corner. The first is 'JDay' - the infamous ringing in of Christmas with Tuborg's Christmas beer. This tradition has been around since 1990 where from the 1st of November is the only time that bars and supermarkets are allowed to sell the famous beer. The boys in my house get really excited and rush out to the shops to pick up a couple, and ring in the start of Christmas - boys will be boys I guess!

The second is when the Christmas decor starts arriving in the stores (usually middle of October...crazy!), and the isles are filled with the smell of cinnamon - I've even heard via the grapevine that Coca Cola is releasing cinnamon inspired Coke! Yuck... what next!

And last but by no means least the Danish Julefrokost, celebrated anywhere between mid-November to just before Christmas. Don't forget to read Heather's hillarious article 'Sea, SkĂĽl and Sild' (on page 14) to give you a view into another Dansk tradition.

This issue we have a few Christmas events to keep you occupied (I'm saving more for next issue), but one I'm really looking forward to is Odense Glow - a Canadian based company that is finding it's way into the hearts of Europeans, starting with the Danes. The promise of over-thetop explosion of lights and Christmas in abundance, to sensory experiences sounds brilliant! I will certainly be making the trip

over the bridge to see it (see page 3-7).

I've had the absolute pleasure this issue of interviewing Hazel Evans from the popular Mad About Copenhagen, she is a breath of fresh air and so passionate about everything Copenhagen. We all come to Denmark with one dream or another, Hazel shares her experiences and raw honesty in getting to know the city and the ups and downs of building her business (see page 8-11).

We really love Greete's job column every issue, and she tackles an interesting one about

being LinkedIn ready. I personally have seen so many connections made via this medium, and Greete guides us through to make sure you are LinkedIn profile ready (see page 13).

Laura talks about going solo as a business owner (see page 16). I highly recommend you read this, as Laura walks-the-talk and gives some solid advice we can all take on board as business owners. Building your own business can also be an alternative to finding a job in Denmark, the government actively promotes starting your own business, and is getting better at providing information in English every year to help you do this. Judy delves into dealing with anxiety in her article (see page 18) and how to surround yourself with positive people when you're feeling self-doubt over new challenges.

Reinvention and remaining positive is the key to moving forward in these situations.

Last but by no means least, Erin is sharing her thanksgiving recipes (see page 22-23) for our American/Canadian internationals, and lovers of the thanksgiving tradition. Be thankful for your new adopted country, it's a good place filled with good people. I for one would like to say thank you for my family here and all over the world and my team at The International. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."

- John F. Kennedy

Love,

LYNDSAY JENSEN - EDITOR & FOUNDER THE-INTL.COM

MEET THE TEAM CAR DISTRIBUTION (SEALAND) CONNOR is taking a gap year before continuing his studies in education. Born in South Africa and moving to Denmark at a young age, he realtes to internationl life. He enjoys meeting new cultures, music and hanging out with friends.

EDITOR & FOUNDER LYNDSAY JENSEN has twenty years' experience in the advertising and publishing industry, and holds degrees in Business and Desktop Publishing (print and repro).

Born in the UK, and brought up in South Africa, she has the ability to understand different cultures, and is passionate about networking. She is a wife of twenty two years and mother to two boys aged 21 and 15. She loves travel, photography and art. lyndsay@the-intl.com

MANAGING DIRECTOR & PARTNER KENNETH MACALPINE is a Nordic Financial Manager in the Transport industry.

His degree is in Finance and business obtained in the UK. Born in Norway he moved to Denmark at the age of 22. He is of Danish Scottish ancestry and lives in southern Denmark with his large multi-national family consisting of Danish, Irish and Brazilian heritage. He is always interested in new challenges and loves to live life to the fullest. kenneth@the-intl.com

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

SALES For advertising sales, please contact: sales@the-intl.com CONTACT The International ApS; +45 42676745 PRINT

Provins-Trykkeriet ApS, Vordingborg

BICYCLE DISTRIBUTION (COPENHAGEN)

COVER PICTURE

CAMILA is from Argentina. She's a free spirit who decided

Anastasia Dimitriadou

to leave her tourism job to explore the world. Landing in Copenhagen, she's exploring the city and taking on the Danish cold weather. See you around the city!

HEAD INTERN FOR SOCIAL MEDIA (COPENHAGEN) LARA is from Zagreb, Croatia. She lives in Copenhagen and is studying Constructing Architecture at KEA. She enjoys interior design, architecture, literature, and photography.

INTERN FOR SOCIAL MEDIA (AARHUS) CATHY is from Estonian who just recently moved to Aarhus. She worked with EU policy topics at the European Parliament for almost 2 years before moving. Her passions include digital marketing and photography.

DISTRIBUTION

The International is available at a range of businesses, institutions, cafĂŠs and public libraries across Denmark

SUBSCRIPTIONS

For home or corporate delivery of the printed edition please contact: distribution@the-intl.com The International is published 12 times a year. This issue was published on October 29, 2019

CVR:

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

THE COPING IN CPH CREW FROM LEFT: MARIUS, WILL AND OWEN

IN NOVEMBER

COPING IN CPH PODCAST HAZEL EVANS Meet Hazel, our November cover from Mad About Copenhagen. She shares with us her journey to Denmark, finding her tribe, and how her love and passion for everything food developed into a large SoMe following.

HEAD BREWER AT BRUS Cosmo Sorrention, award-winning Head Brewer at craft beer bar Brus, joins us for a talk about beer brewing and how he brought his 12-year-old Australian shepherd dog with him from San Diego.

KERI BLOOMFIELD Keri, our resident Kiwi and popular blogger of "Billingual backpack baby"joins the guys in the studio. Keri will be sharing her funny experiences and adventures in Copenhagen with her Danish partner and daughter.

LOW-FI Anne Dving founder Low-Fi a place for Music lovers supporting DIY live music scene, which allows musicians and music lovers to connect and create unforgettable musical experiences.

TO LISTEN TO THE COPING IN COPENHAGEN PODCAST, VISIT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE: THE CIC SHOW PODCAST OR SEARCH FOR THEM ON SPOTIFY

COPING IN COPENHAGEN

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

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AARHUS

COPENHAGEN

UNSPLASH.COM

ERIN GUSTAFSON

GIN&TONIC FESTIVAL FB PAGE

COPENHAGEN

26 OCT - 5 NOV

8-9 NOVEMBER

10 NOVEMBER

IRON RING

GIN & TONIC FESTIVAL

Step down inside BÃ¥dteatret refashioned barge from 1898 and enter an intimate art space that has been entertaining local audiences since the 70s. The current performance of Jernring, or Iron Ring, by playwright Rolf Heim, is no exception. Set to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich's 7th Symphony, skilled performers enact a visual telling of the music's motivation - the Nazi invasion of Leningrad in 1941. Intense and mesmerizing, watch as the characters - quirky puppets and their players - take you through the horrors of war in this beautifully tragic piece. Brilliantly designed and truly creative, you too can experience Stalin as a pole dancer in Iron Ring on now through November 5. Best of all, no Danish language skills required.

A festival not to be missed where you can taste many different Gin & Tonic products for free. You get your own personal glass where you can walk around to different stands and get to taste your favorites. All stands have Gin & Tonic for sale at reasonable festival prices.

FINDING YOUR NEW NORMAL IN MOTHERHOOD As a new mother, where do you find yourself in the midst of all the roles you play? In this event for international mothers, we will gather for cake, coffee, and inspiration: three international moms who are business owners in Copenhagen will share openly some stories of the challenges and growth they've experienced as mothers, women, and businesswomen. New moms in attendance will have opportunities to privately explore your own experiences as well as connect with others.

Our speakers for the day are: Barbara from Barbara Mensah Beauty (UK), Maja from Maja de Silva Photography Maja Interiors (Poland) Eliza from Undress me (Poland) You can come alone or with your baby or a friend. The event is free, but space is limited, we expect to sell out, and advance registration is required.

FOR MORE INFO: WWW.GINTONICFESTIVAL.DK

FOR MORE INFO: HTTP://WWW.BAADTEATRET.DK/JERNRING-2019/

FACEBOOK PAGE

MIKLOS SZABO

GIN&TONIC FESTIVAL FB PAGE

FOR MORE INFO: HTTPS://COPENHAGENLACTATION.AS.ME/ SCHEDULE.PHP?APPOINTMENTTYPE=11634345&FBCLID=IWAR0 EJY4JAF4ZB4IAACPLDWY0UG0WJGYRPBKUOVJUIWG4MNSTJU DMQG2EST8

H i g h Acad em i c S t an d ar d s C h ri s t i an E t ho s C onv e n i en t l y l o c at ed i n H el l er u p

rygaards.com NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

VIS GU VISITS & T GUIDEDARNE 5

-train (C): Klampenborg St.

BELLEVUE TEATRET

-train (C): Klampenborg St. -train (C): Klampenborg St.

in collaboration with:

Strandvejen 451 · 2930 Klampenborg www.bellevueteatret.dk

BELLEVUE TEATRET Strandvejen 451 · 2930 Klampenborg www.bellevueteatret.dk

in collaboration with:

GISSELFELD FB PAGE

BELLEVUE TEATRET Strandvejen 451 · 2930 Klampenborg BELLEVUE TEATRET www.bellevueteatret.dk

KLAMPENBORG

in collaboration with:

HASLEV

VISITS & GUIDED TOURS ARNE JACOBSEN’S

TOURS BELLEV ARNE JACOBSEN’S

BELLEVUE TEATRET

12 NOVEMBER

15-17 NOVEMBER ALL YEAR

SWING DANCE

CHRISTMAS AT GISSELFELD

VISITS & GUIDED TOURS

Tuesday night Swing Dance at Studenterhuset.

Stop by Studenterhuset and join in on the fun on the dance floor!

Experience a great evening of dancing with swing music playing from 19:30 to 23:00 – there is room for everyone, and the entry is FREE. From 19:30, there will be a swing dance introduction that lasts for about half an hour, and afterwards the dance floor will be swinging, so you can try out your new steps! So come join us on Tuesday night at Studenterhuset! You don’t want to miss this!

A tradition at Gisselfeld is the annual Christmas Market, where the scent of Christmas and the stands help set the perfect setting. The Christmas market, which always takes place during the last two (whole) weekends in November, offers lots of real fun and Christmas atmosphere, pony rides, music, and entertainment. There will also be sales of Christmas trees and ornaments.

Santa will always welcome children into "Santa's Cave" under the Castle.

OPENING HOURS BOTH WEEKENDS: Fridays at 15:00-20:00 and Saturdays & Sundays at 10:00-16:00.

Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Bellevue Teatret, completed in 1936, lies elegantly on Strandvejen, Klampenborg. The theatre looks out across the sandy Bellevue beach onto the Øresund. Everything about the theatre was designed

by Jacobsen, including the gorgeous Bellavista condominium adjoining the theatre to the south.

Get the entire story of the theatre through our visits and guided tours. The roof can slide open, and we’ll open it for you if the sky is blue outside.

LOCATION: KØBMAGERGADE 52, 1150 COPENHAGEN FOR MORE INFO: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ EVENTS/337637730154308/

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT: MARIANNE@BELLEVUETEATRET.DK OR CALL +45 3963 4900

FOR MORE INFO: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ EVENTS/373538563556147/?EVENT_TIME_ID=373538566889480

Speak Hellerup Bernstorffsvej 20C 2900 Hellerup Speak Lyngby Klampenborgvej 221 2800 Kgs. Lyngby

Learning Danish is expanding your horizon

G an

BELLEVUE TEATRET

Speak Frederiksberg Lindevangs Allé 8-12 2000 Frederiksberg hello@speakspeak.dk +45 3946 3050

speakspeak.dk

UNSPLASH.COM

COPENHAGEN

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NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

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ODENSE

BRABRAND

VISIT AARHUS

FACEBOOK PAGE

ODENSE GLOW MEDIA CENTER

COPENHAGEN

19 NOVEMBER

21 NOV - 4 JAN

ALL YEAR

WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP DAY

ODENSE GLOW

BAZAR VEST

Glow is a Christmas market in a whole new way in DenMissing some homegrown favourites? Bazar Vest is mark. It will be big, it will be impressive, and it will a unique shopping centre in Aarhus – a paradise for In collaboration with Union, Céline Faty, the founder be based on the North American, extravagant mindset, the gourmet, the price-conscious consumer, and the of "Take Action Now " will be hosting the "Women Enwhere neither adventure nor impressive lighting sethandyperson alike – Bazar Vest has it all. Just like the trepreneurship Day" Tuesday 19th November 2019 from ups are spared, and where pure family fun is highest best bazaars of the Orient, Bazar Vest bids you welcome 10:00 to 16:30 here in Copenhagen, Denmark at Unon the wish list. to a melting pot of culture, spices, colours, and scents. ion. The idea of the event is to encourage and empower As a guest, you will be guided through a sumptuous Culture, spices, colours, and scents women to unlock their potential and to help those who light adventure filled with illuminated trees, enchantThe gift shops abound with surprises, the vegetable secdream of opening their own business. ing snow, huge luminous gifts, glittering and giant lollition’s assortment, quality, and prices make it unique, This day will be celebrated in two parts: pops, stellar shots, and an adventure castle with thouand from the small restaurants flows the smell of OriArne Jacobsen (1902-71) was a Danish architect and First, we will invite several successful women to give sands of glowing bulbs. ental food. Bazar Vest covers 18,000 square metres and designer and a key figure in the Danish golden age of a short presentation (approximately 10-12 minutes) on Glow is magic, presence, and adventurous winter expeoffers a wealth of great bargains and shopping experiarchitecture and design in mid-twentieth century. He their achievements and on how they overcame their chalriences for the whole family. Here the children can play, ences. Closed on Mondays and on the 1st of January. is internationally famous for iconic classics such as the lenges. This is in the hope that everyone in the room sense and experience, while the adults explore our traEgg and Swan chairs as well as buildings like Danmarks will leave motivated, ready to follow their dreams, and ditional Christmas market with food trucks, crafts, and FOR MORE INFO: WWW.BAZARVEST.DK/ Nationalbank, Århus City Hall and SAS Royal Hotel. create big things for society as a whole. We believe that fun delicacies. their “voice” will be beneficial to like-minded individuGlow Odense willTeatret, take place from Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Bellevue completed in 21 November to 4 als who attend the event.

January 2020 and will be heldand in heated premises at Arne Jacobsen (1902-71) was a Danish architect 1936, lies elegantly on Strandvejen, Klampenborg. The Arne Jacobsen (1902-71) was aB Danish architect and designer and a key figure in the golden age of The second part: Faaborgvej 248 in Danish Odense SV. theatre designer looks out theinsandy Bellevue beach andacross a key figure the Danish goldencentury. age of He architecture and design in mid-twentieth Entrepreneurial speed dating. This will be a unique oponto thearchitecture Øresund.

Everything about theatre was and design in mid-twentieth century.

He as is internationally famous for iconicthe classics such the portunity to have relaxed and personal chats with some is internationally FOR MORE INFO: WWW.GLOWGARDENS.DK/EN/ for iconic such asBellavista the EggJacobsen, and Swanfamous chairs as well asclassics buildings like Danmarks designed by including the gorgeous and Swan chairs as well asHall buildings like Danmarks of the most successful Entrepreneurs in Denmark, Swe- EggNationalbank, Århus and Hotel. condominium adjoining theCity theatre toSAS theRoyal south. den, and Paris. We will welcome the audience to sit Nationalbank, Århus City Hall and SAS Royal Hotel.

Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Bellevue Teatret, completed in around a table with three founders of highly renowned Jacobsen’s iconic Teatret, completed Get the Arne entire story of theBellevue TheKlampenborg. roof canin slide 1936, lies elegantly ontheatre.

Strandvejen, The 1936, lies elegantly on Strandvejen, Klampenborg. The international start-ups from various sectors, and evetheatre looksitout sandy Bellevue open and we’ll open foracross you the if the sky is bluebeach outside. theatre looks out across the sandy Bellevue beach ryone will get answers to all of their questions on how onto the Øresund. Everything about the theatre was onto the Øresund. Everything about the theatre was designed by Jacobsen, including the gorgeous Bellavista they can start their own business! designed by Jacobsen, including the gorgeous Bellavista condominium adjoining the theatre to the south. condominium adjoining the theatre to the south.

As this event location has limited spots available, apOpen weekdays 12-15 / Visits and guided tours on entire story of theatre. the theatre.

The can roofslide can slide plicants will have to answer a few questions in the reg- GetGet thethe entire story of the The roof weekdays atand 13and – also for groups Arne Jacobsen (1902-71) was a Danish architect and open open for ifyou theissky is outside. blue outside. open we’llwe’ll open it forityou theifsky blue istration form for candidate screening.

ARNE JACOBSEN’S GEM

ARNE JACOBSEN’S GEM ARNE JACOBSEN’S GEM

Booking: marianne@bellevueteatret.dk or +45 3963 4900 weekdays at 11-13 FOR MORE INFO: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CELINEFATY/?

EID=ARCW9MCU9CDXUQGHO80TT2HK7-VOPHS9ORLNMUNBFB2UKC28R_S5MYDFVJ6W3XUBTOHUACVHAQGDRTZA

Open weekdays / Visits and guided Open weekdays 12-1512-15 / Visits and guided tourstours on on weekdays – also for groups weekdays at 13at– 13 also for groups Booking: marianne@bellevueteatret.dk Booking: marianne@bellevueteatret.dk or +45 3963 4900 weekdays at 11-13 or +45 3963 4900 weekdays at 11-13

designer and a key figure in the Danish golden age of architecture and design in mid-twentieth century. He is internationally famous for iconic classics such as the Egg and Swan chairs as well as buildings like Danmarks Nationalbank, Århus City Hall and SAS Royal Hotel.

VISIT AARHUS

ODENSE GLOW MEDIA CENTER

ARNE JACOBSEN’S GEM

Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Bellevue Teatret, completed in 1936, lies elegantly on Strandvejen, Klampenborg. The theatre looks out across the sandy Bellevue beach onto the Øresund. Everything about the theatre was designed by Jacobsen, including the gorgeous Bellavista condominium adjoining the theatre to the south.

ARNE JACOBSEN’S GEM Get the entire story of the theatre. The roof can slide

VISITS & GUIDED TOURS ARNE JACOBSEN’S

-train (C): Klampenborg St. NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

BELLEVUE TEATRET Strandvejen 451 · 2930 Klampenborg www.bellevueteatret.dk -train (C): Klampenborg St.

in collaboration with:

BELLEVUE TEATRET Strandvejen 451 · 2930 Klampenborg www.bellevueteatret.dk

in collaboration with:

open Jacobsen’s and we’ll open it for iconic you if the sky is blue outside.

Arne Bellevue Teatret, completed in 1936, lies elegantly on Strandvejen, Klampenborg. The theatre looks across the and sandy Bellevue beach onto the Øresund.

Openout weekdays 12-15 / Visits guided tours on weekdays at 13about – also for groups Everything the theatre was designed by Jacobsen, inBooking: marianne@bellevueteatret.dk cluding the gorgeous Bellavista condominium adjoining the or +45 3963 4900 weekdays at 11-13 theatre to the south.

VISITS & GUIDED TOURS ARNE JACOBSEN’S

BELLEVUE TEATRET

Get the entire story of the theatre. The roof can slide open and we’ll open it for you if the sky is blue outside.

VISITS AND GUIDED TOURS ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, ALL YEAR ROUND WITH CAKE AND COFFEE! CONTACT: MARIANNE@BELLEVUETEATRET.DK OR CALL +45 4055 0752

BELLEVUE TEATRET

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HELSINGØR

VIG ANANDA GAORII ASHRAM, FARM AND LEARNING CENTER FB PAGE

ISTOCK.COM

ISTOCK.COM

AARHUS

28 NOVEMBER

29 NOV - 1 DEC

29 NOV - 1 DEC

TIR NA NOGS QUIZ NIGHT

CHRISTMAS AT KRONBORG

YOGA DETOX RETREAT

Make sure you join our weekly Pub Quiz. Going strong since we opened in 2004, the Quiz is alway sure to fill every seat in The Tap Room.

Christmas is celebrated with a Christmas Market, where you can buy unique Christmas gifts for everyone in the family.

In the rooms and halls of the castle, you will find a great variety of stands selling Christmas decorations, art and crafts, unique design, clothes, toys, and small goods.

At Kronborg Castle, you'll feel the Christmas spirit.

The tall Christmas tree in the Ballroom is decorated, and the children are entertained by a Christmas show and Santa Claus.

Rejuvenate and Revitalize Physically, Mentally and Spiritually Join our Weekend Yoga Detox Retreat to prepare your body, mind, and Soul for the upcoming winter!

With our relaxed program, including daily practice of yoga & meditation and drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice, we will make a new start on our journey towards health and wellbeing.

By putting your body and mind in a soothing environment away from the stress of everyday life, drinking nourishing and cleansing juices, and practicing powerful stress reduction techniques you allow yourself to detox, relax and heal the body and mind naturally.

Raw fruits and vegetables are nutritional powerhouses that detox the body and help make you healthy and strong inside and out. One glass of fresh fruit and vegetable juice gives more nutrients than many people get in two or three days!!

No reservations or booking seats Arrive early for best seats Gourmet Pizzas available until 21:00 No charge - it's absolutely free Live music starts straight after the quiz Don't fancy the quiz? Just head into The Merchant Room - Cocktails, events, concerts, and sports events on every Thursday evening.

SEE WEBSITE FOR TIME, DATES AND ADMISSION TICKETS. FOR MORE INFO: HTTPS://KONGELIGESLOTTE.DK/EN/PALACES-AND-GARDENS/KRONBORG-CASTLE/WHATS-ON-AT-KRONBORG-CASTLE/CHRISTMAS-AT-KRONBORG-CASTLE.HTML

Great atmosphere and prizes for the winners!

See you EVERY Thursday

FOR MORE INFO: WWW.TIRNANOG.DK

UNSPLASH.COM

UNSPLASH.COM

TIR NA NOG AARHUS FACEBOOK PAGE

FOR MORE INFO: WWW.ANANDAGAORII.DK

It is never too late to fulfil a dream...

Do you have the makings of a writer? Of course you do! But you may need help with finding the right setting for your book, or with developing your characters. And the point of view – is it the best one?

Maybe you have the first draft written of your story but what now?

And where do you find an agent?

Or do you simply need to “just write” but want to improve how you put words onto the paper in a way that portrays your view of the world?

Through one-to-one tutoring or in my small writing groups I can help with any of the above.

I have worked with Faber and Faber and Cornerstones for the past four years and have completed my first book.

Getting it published is another matter….something else I can help with.

C O N TA C T M E O N : 5 0 4 0 9 1 9 4

EMAIL ME: brainlessstells@live.com NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

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FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD MEET HAZEL, ONE OF THE PASSIONATE FORCES BEHIND THE MAD ABOUT COPENHAGEN PHENOMENON

HAZEL FROM MAD ABOUT COPENHAGEN SHARES WITH US HER JOURNEY TO DENMARK, FINDING HER TRIBE, AND HOW HER LOVE AND PASSION OF EVERYTHING FOOD DEVELOPED INTO A BUSINESS.

PHOTOGRAPHS BENJAMIN TARP, HAZEL EVANS AND NIELS VOGENSEN BIASEVICH

Q: TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHERE YOU'RE FROM? A: I grew up in the beautiful city of Bath in the southwest of England. Although that sentence conjures up quite an idyllic image, my childhood wasn’t always easy. My parents divorced early, and it was a bad one—one where they didn’t speak to each other (and still don’t), so a lot of their communication went through six-year-old me. We moved around all the time and I never quite felt like I had a home that would last. That’s probably what gave me such determination to leave and to make a home for myself. It also meant I had to grow up very fast. I thought nothing of traveling alone as a 15-year-old or moving to a new country at the age of 19.

Q: SO, WHY MOVE TO DENMARK — WHAT WAS THE ATTRACTION? A: I moved here in January 2014. After leaving school I had been traveling, working,

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

TEXT LYNDSAY JENSEN

and looking for opportunities abroad. I never felt like I quite fit in the UK—but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to live, yet. Denmark happened by accident; or perhaps it was fate?

I was traveling in Colombia and met and befriended a Dane and a Norwegian (Cecilie and Ida). When we were all back in Europe, I visited them in Copenhagen for a weekend. Life seemed so smooth and easy here. I remember Ida and I walked through one of Copenhagen’s “dodgier” parts, and I kept asking if we were there yet. I couldn’t believe that such a place existed—that people actually lived like this.

After that first taste of Denmark, I made swift plans to relocate. I applied for a web design course, was accepted, and in the space of a couple of weeks, I’d sold most of my belongings in the UK, and Ida helped me find my first apartment. I had enough money saved up to last me about a month. I packed two suitcases and arrived at the airport one cold January evening, where my two friends surprised me, waving Danish flags. We

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"IT TOOK ME A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE I FELT LIKE I'D FOUND MY PEOPLE (OR AT LEAST, SOME OF THEM), AND I HAD AN OKAY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CITY."

took the train to my new apartment and ate crisps and ice cream in my bed as my unofficial housewarming.

Q: HOW WAS YOUR ADJUSTMENT INTO DANISH LIFE? A: Initially, I had no idea how long I’d be here, or what I’d end up doing; there was no master plan - but I had a lot of energy and ideas. Everything was exciting, and I was ready to live and experience a new country. It was only after a couple of years of living in Denmark, when I look back on that initial phase that I recognise how much of my energy went into assimilating to the culture, trying to make friends and establishing my routines. I’d expected to be stressed out about studies and earning money, but it was more subtle things that occupied my attention, things that you don't really plan for or know to expect in advance. It took me a couple of years before I felt like I’d found my people (or at least, some of them), and I had an okay understanding of the city. But this is nowhere near a finished process. I’m still learning new things about this country every day; the more I discover, the more fascinated I become.

Q: SO WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT COPENHAGEN? A: I should say the food scene. That’s definitely a big part of why I love living in Copenhagen. But I think the best thing is being able to swim in the sea, which I do all year round. Now that I’ve experienced living in a capital city where I have access to amazing art, food, culture, and people and nature, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live anywhere else that can’t offer me all that.

Q: HOW DOES DENMARK COMPARE CULTURALLY TO WHERE YOU GREW UP IN THE UK? A: I spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing the differences between Denmark and the UK. Sometimes I worry I’m too focussed on comparing cultures, but perhaps that’s just the inevitable role of the expat. The similarities between the two cultures are many – they are, after all, both Western, fairly affluent, European countries with similar climates.

I’ll start with the most obvious difference, and what I think really drew me to Denmark. I grew up in a wealthy city, but my mum struggled as a single mum, receiving very low benefits, and I started working at a young age to be able to afford things that most of my friends would take for granted. It wasn’t like my life was a big struggle – I could still go to a good school, and I worked hard and had opportunities in life, but I was constantly reminded of the huge disparity between my friends and I. While they were able to join sports clubs and go on nice holidays, I was working several jobs at the same time as well as studying for exams. It might sound trite and teenage, but life and the system I grew up in never seemed fair to me. My personal experience seemed to reflect how the country functioned as a whole. Extraordinary and unnecessary wealth co-existed alongside a lot of struggle and genuine poverty. "It never made sense to me why it should be like this. So, to then find myself in Denmark – where a university education is not only free, but students are paid to support themselves while studying. The country has also invested in decentpublic transport, and bike lanes, where the sea in the capital city is clean, and thebest activities are free – well, as you can imagine it was like finding myself in utopia."

I do think, though, there is an element of this utopia and this ease of life that leads to complacency. I've often felt that living in Denmark is like living in a privileged bubble, that complains about the tiniest things because it has never experienced real problems.

It can feel a bit closed off from the world. I remember when there were a few shootings in Copenhagen in 2015, and it came as a huge shock, although terrorism had been rife in Europe's main cities for years, it's as if Denmark thought nothing would ever touch

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them. That in itself is testimony to how lucky we are to live in a society where we don’t have to walk around fearing for our lives, but that privilege sometimes makes you forget the state of the world beyond Denmark. I find myself in two minds: on the one hand, worried that I too am losing touch with the real world, on the other hand, I feel so lucky to live here, so why would I ever leave? However, some of my latest projects are about bridging that gap between Denmark and the English-speaking world.

Q: TELL ME ABOUT STARTING YOUR BUSINESS AND HOW YOU CAME UP WITH MAD ABOUT COPENHAGEN? A: Food has always been a big part of the way I experience a city when I travel, and my way of relating to and feeling part of a city.

The first thing I did when I moved to Copenhagen was to research the best coffee shops, restaurants, and so on. At the time, there was very little English information about Copenhagen's food scene – a few blog posts written by tourists but not much else. So I took to the streets, cycled around, relied on my nose. And, when I found a place I liked, I quizzed the owner about all the places he or she liked, and my world would expand a little each time.

I'd been living in Copenhagen for eight months, amassing food knowledge, when I decided to do something with it.” I had learnt enough Danish to know that “mad” was Danish for “food”, and the name (Mad About Copenhagen) seemed an obvious choice: an injoke for all that understood the double meaning, and just an excellent food guide for the rest. Surprisingly, no one else had thought of the name before, so I nabbed all the social media accounts and made a simple website. It became pretty popular on Instagram. I put a lot of work into finding places, doing research, finding photographs, writing about them and trying to spread the word. For years it was just a hobby—albeit one I spent a lot of my time on.

But it was so rewarding that people were beginning to engage with the stuff I was making, and the account was growing faster than I could keep track of.

It got to the point where I wanted to do more with it, and I believed enough in the brand’s potential to be able to grow into something that could scale and sustain me financially along the way. I was working full time in a tech startup, and I took the plunge and quit my job in 2016. I had 50,000 followers, a bit of money saved up, and 1000 ideas for what I wanted to do with the brand.

This is pretty much the way I'd still describe Mad About Copenhagen today – although, of course, it has evolved a lot since then.

Pretty soon after quitting my job, I persuaded one of my friends, Marie, to join me full time, and she (the nutter), quit her job too. We started out in an odd position for a startup. We already had a popular brand with plenty of followers, but we didn’t have a product – it was like we were working backward. Most founders have an idea for a product, they produce that, and then they have to figure out how to reach the people. Having so many followers and so many ideas is both a blessing and a curse because we wanted to do so many things, but we were very careful not lose our audience. We knew we didn't want to go the sponsored route though—that would defeat the entire point of starting Mad About Copenhagen, which was to create a trustworthy and high-quality guide to the city. It wouldn't fly to suddenly start spamming about McDonald's, pocketing some short-term cash, but losing the trust of our followers and the future of our brand as a result of it.

So we took alternative routes to try and become a sustainable business. Believe me, we've tried it all. We sold guides, walking tours, social media consultancy, hosting, tourism films, food markets, and of course; eventually, we published the book. The book has been a huge success, and it's a project I'm insanely proud of. It's in Louisi-

ana, SMK, Arken, Copenhagen Airport, Magasin, Illums Bolighus, and many more. But more importantly, every place that we featured in the book is super proud to be in it, and many of them have the book lying in their café/restaurant for their customers to read.

However, business-wise, books aren't exactly big money projects and, although it kept us afloat for a while, we couldn't pay our salaries out from book profits for very long.

This has been the main struggle keeping Mad About Copenhagen afloat. We started out with all this ambition and so many ideas, and we worked 24/7 without salary for years to bring them to life, without knowing if we’d be able to pay rent or afford food (the irony) next month. So yes, there have been times where it felt like we had nothing to stand on, and we've wobbled a lot. It hasn’t been an easy ride to where we are today, but I don’t regret a thing.

Q: CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME AN EXPERIENCE THAT MADE YOU FEEL IT WAS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO ADJUST TO LIFE HERE? A: I think the biggest experience has been concerning learning the language. I remember, in my first year, being at parties or dinners where I was the only one who couldn’t speak Danish. I’d either sit through it in silence, gritting my teeth and feeling like a shadow of myself, or else everyone else would have to switch to English and, whether they were thinking it or not, I felt so guilty about this. But I will say that it was these occasions that really motivated me to learn Danish, which has been one of my saving graces.

Q: HOW DID YOU LEARN DANISH? A: I asked friends to speak Danish to me, I sat through meetings, feeling incompetent, or being unable to express myself, constantly feeling like a 20% version of myself. But, gradually, it became more of a natural thing to speak Danish. I felt such pride the first time I went to the doctors without planning everything I was going to say beforehand using Google Translate; I just showed up, and Danish came out of my mouth, just like that.

I'm definitely not 100% myself yet, but I’m getting close. I've worked in a bar, held business meetings, been on dates, and now I'm studying art in Danish. I have friends who've never even heard me speak English.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO OTHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO LEARN DANISH? A: I’d recommend listening to podcasts, even if you don’t understand them at first, just letting the language enter your head as much as you can until your brain starts to automatically spot patterns and break it apart.

But mainly I’d recommend being stubborn: once you have a fairly decent grasp of the language, suck it up and make all of your friends and colleagues speak Danish to you. I don’t think Danish is a difficult language; I think the main barrier to learning Danish is that Danes are so willing to speak English. They do so with good and welcoming intentions, but the side effect is that foreigners struggle to learn the language and therefore can feel excluded from Danish society. THE-INTL

THE MAD ABOUT COPENHAGEN BOOK IS AVAILABLE VIA MANY STOCKISTS IN DENMARK AND ABROAD AND CAN BE ORDERED ON THEIR WEBSITE: WWW.MADABOUTCOPENHAGEN.COM FOLLOW THEM ALSO ON THEIR POPULAR INSTAGRAM: @MADABOUTCOPENHAGEN

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VISITDENMARK PHOTOGRAPHER CREDITS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: RUNI PHOTOPOP; RUNI PHOTOPOP; RUNI PHOTOPOP; FOTOGRAF ANDERS TRÆRUP

A LESSON IN HUMILITY MOVING YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY IS ONE OF THE BRAVEST THINGS A PERSON CAN DO. MORE THAN THAT, IT IS A LESSON IN HUMILITY, WHICH IS THE FREEDOM FROM PRIDE OR ARROGANCE.

BY LETTING YOUR GUARD DOWN AND FEELING HUMBLE, YOU REMOVE ANY PAST DEFENSES YOU HAVE BUILT UP AND CAN EASILY EVOLVE INTO YOUR NEW CULTURE.

PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT BAILEY JENSEN

I

IMMEDIATELY AS I began

my journey as an expat, the experience quickly transported me back to my childhood. Suddenly, I was experiencing things for the very first time just as a child would by eating, watching, touching, and questioning everything in sight. Each new thing was more exciting than the last. However, learning the world in an entirely different way as an adult took great humility and vulnerability. When I first began learning Danish, I was not able to construct full sentences or ask questions properly. I often would blurt out single words similar to a toddler and hope the context of the setting would fill in the rest. Over time and with much practice, I began growing with Danish. With each new year I became stronger and had new memories associated with my new world. It was just like growing up I suppose.

BAILEY JENSEN BLOGGER & STUDENT Bailey Ann Jensen is an American expat in Aarhus, Denmark since 2013 and is from Helena, Montana. She

MAKING MISTAKES Before moving abroad from the United States, I was hesitant to admit if I ever made a mistake. I arrived in Denmark in 2012, which now looks like an archaic time period. I did not have a smartphone and no access to a digital map. Working with a paper map meant I constantly was lost, confused, and always in the wrong place.

This required me to continuously admit my mistakes daily and reveal I did not know what I was doing. In a country such as Denmark where it is uncommon to talk to strangers, I consistently found myself humbly relying on the help of strangers.

IMMIGRATION Humility is the freedom from pride or arrogance, where you experience the feeling that you have no special importance that makes you better than others. One of the quickest ways I shed any entitlement I had, and gained enormous humility, was through my experience with Danish immi-

originally came to Denmark gration laws. When applying for my family reunification visa in 2014, there was an exception to the immigration laws for the Danish language requirement, for those coming from English speaking countries.

This was quite the relief for me because moving to Denmark was already a huge undertaking, and I didn’t have the added pressure to learn Danish quickly. With the swift change of the law this exception no longer applied to me and I was given six months to pass the first government language exam. My visa relied on me successfully passing this exam or I would be sent back to the United States. At first, I thought this law change was unfair and ridiculous, but in hindsight, it was exactly what I needed to push myself into my life in Denmark. Suddenly living outside my native country, there was no catering to me. I was the same as everyone else, precisely the way it should be.

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EVOLUTION After enduring large doses of humility, this truly broke down my defenses and preconceived notions I had unknowingly built up over the years. I knew that living abroad would change me, but I did not expect to evolve like this. Any previous pride or arrogance I packed with me to Denmark quickly evaporated as I began my evolution to an expat. THE-INTL

SUDDENLY LIVING OUTSIDE

as an exchange student at Aarhus University for one year, where she met her Danish husband. Now living in Denmark permanently, Bailey is getting her bachelor’s degree in political science and is an international nanny for families in Aarhus. In her free time, she makes sense of her multicultural life around her with her blog about becom-

MY NATIVE COUNTRY, THERE

ing a Dane: Dane in Training.

WAS NO CATERING TO ME. I

check out her website and

WAS THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE, PRECISELY THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

For frequent new blog posts, daily pictures on Instagram www.daneintraining.com @daneintraining

13

IS YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE JOB READY? According to the consultancy company Ballisagers’ yearly recruitment analysis (2016), 67% of the companies check the candidates’ Linkedin profile before an interview”.

So, a question for you is your Linkedin profile up to date?

VISITDENMARK PHOTOGRAPHER CREDITS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: RUNI PHOTOPOP; RUNI PHOTOPOP; KIM WYON; RUNI PHOTOPOP

S

PHOTOGRAPHS VISIT DENMARK / ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT GREETE ELURI

SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS a strong role in Denmark when it comes to recruitment. Many headhunters and HR people search and screen candidates on Linkedin without you even knowing. Danes also like to network on the platform and have tight social circles therefore connecting and being connected in Linkedin can be a valuable way to break into some of these networks. But how to do it successfully?

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SHARP LINKEDIN PROFILE

I attended a workshop where Linkedin specialist, and strategist, Giovanni Niese, shared a great analogy about the platform, “Think of Linkedin as your home. If you are expecting guests, you would probably clean before and make sure it looks nice and presentable. The same goes for your Linkedin profile.”

This resonated with me. It means that whoever lands on your profile, should easily understand who you are and what you do. People’s attention spans are short, and their time is limited, which means you need to make your photo, headline and summary count.

A good profile is the one where the reader can get an overview of you within 10 seconds. It starts with a professional profile. This could be the first impression you are giving to that HR person checking your profile, so make it a professional one: no holiday photos, no wedding photos.

The headline (the short description under your name), in my opinion, is one of the most important parts of your profile. Why? Because recruiters are looking for keywords when they are headhunting to find the right profiles. You have 120 characters to make it count – so choose 3-4 industry-specific keywords that describe your competencies the best, including the geography - where in Denmark you are interested in working. The more specific you are in your headline, the better. A headline such as “Employer branding – HR – Recruitment – Communication; Ready for employment in Aarhus” ticks all the right boxes. Whereas a general headline like a “A job seeker in Denmark” does not contain any keywords (it is also slightly boring) both of which reduce your chances of being found. Think differently, think professionally and think ‘keywords.’

The "About" section should also show in a bit more detail who you are as a person - remember to write about both your hard and soft skills – both are very important when working in Denmark. Use bullet points to make it reader-friend-

GREETE ELURI ly. The more filled out and sharp your whole profile is, the better - the chances of someone finding your profile and recruiters being attracted to you. It is your chance to open new doors in Denmark.

HOW CAN LINKEDIN HELP YOU FIND A JOB

Linkedin has a great amount of valuable data about various industries and topics. All of which you can discover simply by using the 'search' function. If you want to find all people working as a 'marketing coordinator,’ you need to search for 'marketing coordinator in people.' You can also look for companies and browse, who are the employees working there.

How can it help you? It allows you to reach out to people and ask them questions about that dream company you always wanted to work for. But remember, when you contact people and state who you are, why you are writing to them, and what you would like to know. Most of them will be willing to help! And if you are brave enough, you can even ask them out for a coffee meeting to talk more about a specific topic.

Danes are active networkers, and Linkedin is a great way to make yourself more visible and interesting for others when job seeking. So, get cleaning and make sure your Linkedin profile is up to date if you want to be discovered in Denmark. THE-INTL

A GOOD PROFILE IS THE ONE WHERE THE READER CAN GET AN OVERVIEW OF YOU WITHIN 10 SECONDS.

JOB CONSULTANT Greete was born in Tallinn, Estonia and has lived in four countries and on four continents. After high school exchange year in the US, Greete caught a ‘travel bug’.

Since 2010, Denmark has become her second home. Her background is within international marketing.

Greete changed her career to work with her passion - to help international job seekers in Denmark. For the last two years, she has been actively creating content in Linkedin and organising different events for job seekers.

Greete believes that with the right mindset, skills and tools you can be successful in the rigid Danish job market. www.linkedin.com/in/ greeteeluri/ greete.eluri@gmail.com

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SEA, SKÅL AND SILD! SKÅL MEANS ’CHEERS’ AND COMES FROM THE NORSE WORD FOR SKULL.

VIKINGS ALLEGEDLY DRANK FROM THE SKULLS OF THEIR ENEMIES, WHICH SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURS AT A DANISH JULEFROKOST

PHOTOGRAPHS SASHA KNUDSEN / ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT HEATHER GARTSIDE

HEATHER GARTSIDE STORYTELLER AND TOUR GUIDE Heather is a successful storyteller, she’s also a tour guide, event organ-

I

I LOVE A party. But over the years I've struggled endlessly with the

Danish concept of partying. It all began in 2002; after globetrotting for years, my family and I arrived to settle in Denmark. I felt tearful, and as the world shrank to Lego size I stifled my loss in a whirlwind of Danish lessons and hiding behind my children’s lives.

Then it was Christmas. My Danish husband, sensing a change in my mood, excitedly asked if we could hold a julefrokost. Of course, I love an event! I used to organise events for Louis Vuitton in Paris, and would do him and his friends proud (albeit minus the budget, the jeroboam’s of Veuve Clicquot, and Naomi Campbell clad in LV monogram bikini).

MUSICAL CHAIRS?

Late November, -7C outside, but inside the candles flickered on the perfect table. I was rushing, and hoped that our guests would be fashionably late. But they all arrived at exactly 3pm. Nevermind, I could put my makeup on while they sat at the table and poured drinks. What’s with sitting down immediately though? I’d thought we could mingle a bit and get to know each other naturally, but no.

It was the start of a five-hour-long sit-a-thon, punctuated with food which I prepared and served. I was flustered and confused. Startled at the rigidity, and didn’t like the herring, don’t eat meat, rugbrød gives me wind and so drank.

iser, photographer and mother of three. All these ingredients are carefully blended together, with a

placed cloth upon his rigorous loins, his mermaid daughters languid and welcoming with two groovy flared tails each, and wild Rán out drowning sailors. But besides being the divine power of the oceans, Ægir was also the purveyor of wonderful beer, which he brewed for the Nordic Gods and ran great parties and events!

pinch of sea salt, to create her unique take on life in Denmark and around the world. You’ll find more viv-

SEA, SKÅL AND SILD

When I stand in front of this image with my tour groups, I (cunningly) link the connection of Denmark with its trading, shipbuilding, viking plundering and Mærsk shipping prowess. Also, the love of beer, of getting drunk and for the humble sild (herring) which sparked the founding of Copenhagen by Bishop Absalon. It’s a tenuous theory, but seems to keep my visitors entertained!

id descriptions and bitter-

DOLLY PARTING

on Amazon. This summer

sweet adventures in her novels, ‘Rice Pudding In A Duvet’ and ‘Middle Distance’ which are available

Back to 2002, by 10pm at the julefrokost I drunkenly thought it would be a fun touch to sing Dolly Parton’s ’Jolene’ at full belt with a blonde wig on. The horrified faces of the guests will stay with me forever. In hindsight, perhaps I needed song sheets? Skål! THE-INTL

Heather’s Time Travelling tours of Copenhagen and Helsingør have become a sensation with travellers from around the world.

More details on her website and at Airbnb Experi-

NOT ENTHRALLED

So many toasts, and what's with the song sheets? Happy wellfed Danish faces everywhere, swaying, sweating and singing their hearts out. I kept checking on the kids and enjoying Teletubbies on the VCR, then reluctantly returned to wash up and swig more beer. Glancing around the table and feeling like an Anglo Saxon thrall in a Viking longhouse, I did a spot of tidying up, opened another bottle and glanced miserably as the hands of the clock staggered towards 8pm.

ences. @timetravellingin copenhagen @gartsideheather @timetravellingin copenhagen

TIMELESS TOILETS

ONLY ÆGIR FOR THE BEER

One tiled 1900s fresco in particular took my fancy, that of the Nordic giant, Ægir, and his wild wife, Rán. Ægir stands with a strategically

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

Amazon: @heather-gartside/ BETTMANN/CORBIS

Fast forward to 2019, I work as a tour guide in Copenhagen and have recently discovered what an amazing building the Copenhagen City Hall Rådhuset is. Previously, I’d tie the dog up on an iconic bronze handle by the steps and use the lovely old bathroom facilities, then meet my latest Time Travelling in Copenhagen guests.

But, after taking a boring tour of the building by a dusty old retainer, I’d opened my eyes to what an important place it is; what a design classic and what a national treasure-trove of stories it holds within it’s ’National Romantic’ walls.

SO MANY TOASTS, AND WHAT'S WITH THE SONG SHEETS? HAPP Y, WELL-FED DANISH FACES EVERYWHERE, SWAYING, SWEATING, AND SINGING THEIR HEARTS OUT.

LinkedIn: @heather-gartside Airbnb Experiences: @timetravellingin copenhagen and @time travellinginhelsingør

15

NAVIGATING THE RENNOVATION

LAWS OF DENMARK

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WE SEE IN THE HOUSING MARKET TODAY IS TENANTS BEING CHARGED FOR UNNECESSARY RENOVATIONS. THIS ISSUE WE FOCUS ON THOSE LAWS AND TEACH YOU HOW TO SAFEGUARD YOUR RIGHTS.

A

PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT ALEX DAGIL

ALMOST EVERYONE OVERPAYS for renovations they shouldn't have to. Before the 1st of July 2015, a landlord had the right to have the tenant pay for all renovations necessary to make the apartment appear new - even if they weren't necessary. This was an issue, as tenants that had short term rentals had to pay large amounts for renovations, for example, painting/sanding after having lived there for six months. So the politicians decided to change this law to make it more favorable to tenants, this was not well received by landlords and contractors.

This new law stated that tenants should only pay for renovations that exceeded 'normal wear and tear' and that a tenant couldn't pay for renovations that would make the condition better than when they moved in. This has led to two situations when renting housing:

ALEX DAGIL FOUNDER OF

#1 You either move into a home that is newly painted, and

RENT HERO

the floors are sanded, etc. Here the landlord will typically try and get you to pay for painting and sanding when mov ing out. Or else the landlord will be in a situation where they either have to pay themselves, or the following will happen.

A lex was b or n and

#2 You take over the home 'as is' without renovations being made

working as an entrepre-

prior to your moving in. In these cases, you shouldn't pay for renovations such as painting/sanding as it would improve the condition of the home compared to when you moved in.

But note that you'll still be liable to pay for any direct damages you cause such as a broken window etc.

Unfortunately, very few tenants are aware of these rules, and that ends up with them not challenging the moving out report and the expenses related to refurbishing the home. This is very understandable since most people want to get what money back they can and move on.

At Rent Hero, we offer to handle the whole process for the tenants. Either by showing up at the move-out inspection or by challenging the case through the legal system. In most cases, we can get a large part of the deposit back as most people don't destroy the walls or use the floor for ice-skating.

Note, that if you didn't get a move-out report provided within 14 days of you handing over the keys, the landlord has no right to withhold your deposit. It's possible to challenge a deposit case for up to 3 years of moving out.

Visit our website to read more about what we offer and how we can help you get a fair deal when moving out.

THE-INTL

ra ise d in D en ma rk .

Since 2011 he has been

JONATHAN'S STORY

neur building new and

Jonathan moved to Denmark to study for a semester. Together with two

innovative products pri-

other students, they found an 81sqm apartment in Nordvest (Copenha-

marily in the real estate

gen) for 16.000 DKK a month. After four months when the time came for

business. The latest pro-

them to move out, they were faced with an issue they didn't expect - the

ject is Rent Hero which

landlord made a long list of unjustified damages and refused to transfer

seeks to help expats get

back their deposit of 32.000 DKK. Jonathan contacted Rent Hero, and we looked into the case. Due to the landlord not having used a proper standardized contract, his claim towards the deposit was invalid which made it easy for us to build the case. We

a fair deal on their lease when renting housing in Denmark.

also found out that the apartment was a rent-controlled 'andelslejlighed' (co-owned apartment), which is regulated by a special clause in the rental

www.renthero.dk

law - this meant it should have cost around 6000 DKK a month. With the

alex@renthero.dk

deposit and excess rent claim, we sent a settlement offer of 69.000 DKK. The case was eventually settled at around 50.000 DKK to avoid waiting for a verdict through the legal system.

LEARN ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS AT WWW.RENTHERO.DK

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16

DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO SOLO

INTERNATIONALS WHO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS PHOTOGRAPHS VISIT DENMARK / ISTOCK PHOTO

G

TEXT LAURA WINTEMUTE

GOING INTO BUSINESS for yourself is a dream for many internationals moving abroad. Increased independence, freedom to do what you love, and having more flexibility to do the things you want to do. This may seem like an impossible feat when you don’t know the language. One important Danish word to know is that entrepreneurship is called iværksætter; that means someone starting something up.

NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK. When I started Homestead back in 2017, I had a pretty good network after ten years of living here, but unfortunately, few of them we’re businessrelated. After two years and around 200 cafe latte’s later, I can confidently say I have become a master at networking. I have met so many inspiring and motivational people. Some of which ended at coffee, but a select few have made a huge impact on my life as an international entrepreneur.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Shamiel Jansen at International Citizens Day. Shamiel, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, moved to Denmark in summer 2018 together with his Danish partner. Like many of us, they also took a chance to start a new life together here and experience all the new exciting challenges it would bring along with it. Less than six months later, Shamiel began his Danish entrepreneurial journey and started his own business growth consulting company Ubuntu Biz. After drinking yet another cafe latte with Shamiel and learning his story of starting up a business here in Denmark, I quickly realized we had so much in common. We both understood, the key to a successful business in Denmark was first and foremost collaboration, then secondly, having a good network.

Shamiel was kind enough to answer a few questions, which I thought might be helpful for others starting their own business.

LAURA WINTEMUTE OWNER, HOMESTEAD Laura is Canadian. After years of living abroad and travelling the world, she moved to Denmark in 2007 and start-

ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGES YOU EXPERIENCED STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS HERE, WHICH OTHER INTERNATIONALS MIGHT EXPECT TO FACE? The process of registering a company in Denmark has been ranked as one of the easiest in the world and can be completed within minutes. The difficulty, however, arises when it’s time to start putting all the pieces together that make a successful business.

This can relate to not knowing how the ecosystem works or just a general lack of knowledge in the Danish market. For newly arrived expats and entrepreneurs, this can be down to a lack of personal network.

mark.

Laura’s experience working in the Danish relocation industry, encapsulating both her experience as an ex-pat and her desire for helping people, which is WHY she started Homestead.

Homestead offers Settling in Services and Workshops focusing on the day to day challenges of expats, as well as the cultural differences in both their work

YOUR MOST VALUED “TIP” OR ADVISE TO NEWCOMERS REGARDING BECOMING SELF-EMPLOYED AND STARTING THEIR OWN COMPANY?

and daily life.

My number one piece of advice for expats, job seekers, and the self-employed is to network, network, and when you feel you have networked enough, do some more networking. I cannot stress this enough, especially in a small country like Denmark, how important networking is. Networking can be anything from attending events, joining a local Meetup, or InterNation’s event or inviting someone for coffee via LinkedIn. If you make one new quality connection, learn a new skill that can expand on an existing idea you have it would be more than worth it.

tional employees are also one of Home-

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST USEFUL LINKS I USED WHEN FIRST STARTING UP: www.startupdenmark.dk; www.nyidanmark.dk; www.iværksætterhuset.dk; www.international.kk.dk; www.virk.dk; www.skat.dk When you’re ready and have your idea, remember to do your research, learn your market, take advantage of the free resources available and most importantly… get out and drink some café latte’s! THE-INTL

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

ed her new life as an expat living in Den-

“In House” consultations for Internastead’s specialties. Customized, personal consultations focusing on the individual employee.

Homestead. We are You’re Settling in Experts.

www.homesteaddenmark.com

17

CAR REGISTRATION TAX

IN DENMARK

A CHALLENGING POLITICAL DESIRE TO FAVOUR GREEN ENERGY.

PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT MARIANO ANTHONY DAVIES

tric cars registered from 2016-2019 is 20%. This tax will increase to 40% in 2020, 65% in 2021 and then increase to 100% in 2023.

To encourage the purchase of electric cars, an additional deduction of DKK 10.000 was increased to DKK 40.000 in 2019 and will increase to DKK 77.500 in 2020 before being terminated in 2021.

This means that the registration tax on electric vehicles will fall to nearly nothing at least until 2021.

Hybrid cars are also subject to specific deductions from the registration tax. This will mean that the cost of purchasing this type of vehicle will also remain much lower than petrol-engine cars until the end of 2021 when the registration tax will be almost fully phased in.

USED CARS Used vehicles are, in principle, subject to the same rules as new cars. The registration tax and any applicable deductions or additions are adjusted relative to the difference in the value of the used car compared with an equivalent new model. However, further adjustments to the RA can be applied according to fuel consumption.

There are special rules for cars over 35 years old. They are defined as ‘veterans’ and generally have lower registration tax costs attached - depending on their condition and usage.

WILL THE TAX ON CARS CHANGE?

W

WHEN YOU PURCHASE a car in Denmark, the price you pay is higher than most countries and consists of three elements – the manufacturer’s purchase price, a 25% standard value-added tax on all goods and an additional registration tax. However, there are deduction exemptions for climate-friendly cars.

The taxing of Danish car owners dates back to 1910 when the sitting government implemented a tax for driving on public roads.

The registration tax, as we know it was first implemented in 1924 when the government put a tax on the import of 'luxury items' including vehicles.

The present two-tiered tax system has been in place since 1977.

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY CARS At the moment, Hydrogen-powered cars are exempt from registration tax until the end of 2021 in order to boost these sales. Hydrogen-powered cars are still few and far between. However, in Europe, Denmark stands out for having the most dense network of stations for the CO2-free fuel. Additionally, there are reductions that apply to hybrid and electric vehicles. However, these registration tax reductions are due to be phased out by 2022.

This year, the Government introduced that the registration tax should be 85 percent of a car’s purchase price value for cars worth up to DKK 193,400. For cars worth more than this, 150 percent of the remaining value over DKK 193,400 must be added to reach the total registration tax due.

Given the present registration tax on petrol-driven cars, the end-user price is well over double the manufacturer’s price of cars priced at approximately DKK 120.000.

Present legislation dictates that the registration tax for elec-

The method of calculating the registration tax could be reformed and could move away from the monetary value of the car and more towards technical specifications such as a vehicle’s fuel type and emissions.

Taxing emissions is not easy. How do you measure emissions?

Do you install a measurement device on each and every car? You only need to consider the VW diesel scandal to identify potential problems with that. Add to this that emissions vary depending on where you drive and how you drive, so this is not a perfect solution either.

Another possible solution is perhaps to introduce a tax per kilometre driven and require that everyone reports their annual mileage. The tax rate should then also be dependent on the car model (emission level). There is also the problem of under-reporting, so regular checks would be needed.

On the other hand, the level of trust in Danish society is very high, so perhaps the checks are not as often needed as one might think. THE-INTL

AT THE MOMENT, HYDROGEN-POWERED CARS ARE EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION TAX UNTIL THE END OF 2021 IN ORDER TO BOOST THESE SALES.

MARIANO ANTHONY DAVIES PRESIDENT & CEO BOSS CERTIFICATION UK LIMITED Mariano has over 30 years' global experience as a business executive. He spent ten years with KPMG, twenty-one years with British Chambers of Commerce (while also running his own companies) and now BOSS Certification. He is a British citizen, who grew up in Kent, went to boarding school in Sussex and has a British university education.

He has been married to a Dane for over 43 years and has held over 100 official anti-Brexit speeches. He both speaks and writes Danish without difficulty. www.boss-register.com

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STEERING YOU THROUGH UNCERTAINTY AND SELF-DOUBT

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY CAN BE A FRIGHTFUL, ANXIETY-INDUCING THING. STILL, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SO – UNCERTAINTY CAN ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT, REIMAGINE, AND RESET OR ADJUST YOUR GOALS. FREEING YOURSELF FROM THE HAMSTER WHEEL OF UNCERTAINTY, SELF-DOUBT AND IMPOSTER SYNDROME IS POSSIBLE WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET.

PHOTOGRAPHS JUDY WANJIKU JØRGENSEN / ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT JUDY WANJIKU JØRGENSEN

A

ONE DAY RECENTLY, I sat with a friend over lunch who confessed to feeling stuck in her career. We discussed the strangeness of dealing with the imposter syndrome, the frustrations of uncertainity and acceptance as a path to thriving abroad.

We are living in uncertain times, where thanks to the 24-hour news cycle, we are continuously fed with news of an uncertain world. Look around you. Entrenched economic and political uncertainity is a global concern. Top on the current agenda are fakes news, the uncertainty of Brexit, climate change and rocketing property prices.

People are worried about the everchanging and rigid immigration laws, as well as the constant fluctuations in the financial and job markets. The future, based on uncertainity, looks depressingly unpredictable. Today there is an emergence of modern forms of pyschological distress many of which never concerned our parents generation.

But can you thrive in uncertainty? Can you have faith in the future by charting your course through flux and uncertainty?

CHOOSE WHO STANDS IN YOUR CORNER In Boxing, the cornerman plays a vital role in the fighter's wellbeing. In some cases, he plays the role of psychologist, nurse, and nutritionist to the boxer. He or she can break or boost the fighter's moral.

The same analogy applies to the people or person, whom you choose to be in your corner when you are going through a difficult phase in your life.

Is your cornerman belittling you or giving you the motivation to keep fight-

ing? Is your cornerman instilling confidence and pragmatically helping you re-examine your goals, weaknesses, and strengths?

It is easy to attract people who are equally disillusioned by doubt and fear — people who will rally a pity-party for you. But by doing so, however noble their intentions may be, you will be inviting more anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and doubt into your life. Allow yourself to feel sad, but don't wallow in pity for too long.

The people you surround yourself with will in one way or another influence your mindset. A good cornerman will care about your success and respond with positive reinforcement.

ASK FOR HELP We all have periods of change and doubt in our lives. Some are easy to navigate through while others test your grit. Unfortunately, self-doubt can create feelings of feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome, which make reaching out for help more difficult.

Sadly, many people go through life, feeling isolated and judged when things are not going well or as planned. The negative impact is worse when a once productive person finds themselves in an unfamiliar and stationary trajectory in their life.

Asking for help may evoke a sense of vulnerability, which might lead you to feel judged. You may think that asking for help is a sign of weakness, but it is the opposite. Being bold enough to ask for help when you are feeling stuck, shows that you are authentic and willing to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

Reaching out to others should not be confused with seeking approval and validation. That is why it is essential to ask for help, only when you genuinely need it. Make sure that your requests are reasonable, and be ready to hear the word NO. Don't be a taker. Remember to offer assistant too when others are struggling. Cultivate an attitude of asking, giving, and offering help when it is needed. THE-INTL

‘SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE DREAMERS AND THE DOERS, THE BELIEVERS AND THINKERS, BUT MOST ALL, SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THOSE WHO SEE GREATNESS WITHIN YOU, EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T SEE IT YOURSELF.' – STEVE JOBS

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JUDY WANJIKU JØRGENSEN JOURNALIST, WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER Judy is a journalist and writer, fuelled by a passion for bringing words to life.

She has also been a photographer for 11 years.

Her hunger for knowledge first led her to Denmark on a scholarship for an MA in Journalism at Aarhus University. Love made her stay. She is now a mother of two Afro-Viking boys.

Judy is currently working as a freelance journalist and photographer and is always interested in a challenge. Reach out on judysimon2002@ yahoo.com www.judywanderi.net

19

BLAZING A TRAIL IN WILD-ISH WEST DENMARK SADDLE UP AND HEAD WEST TO ESBJERG, WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. PHOTOGRAPHS LINDSEY SCAIFE / VISIT ESBJERG

TEXT CATRIONA TURNER

O

ON A DARK Monday evening in Esbjerg, the streets are still, but in the Huset student and culture hub, there’s chemistry brewing and a buzz in the air. I’m standing in a circle with some brand-new friends, and we’re getting to know each other at headlong speed, pushing each other out of our comfort zones. We’re doing something that’s never been done before in Esbjerg; we’re blazing a trail, mapping out new territory, pushing through to a new frontier.

Okay, so it’s not the Oregon Trail or the Starship Enterprise. (Keep reading to find out what is happening.) But this moment is a good example of what’s special about Esbjerg.

CATRIONA TURNER WRITER AND BLOGGER Catriona is a writer and blogger

DENMARK’S NEWEST CITY

"I AM THRILLED TO SEE HOW THE INNOVATIVE SPIRIT THRIVES. WE ATTRACT START-UP

Last year Esbjerg celebrated its 150th anniversary. The town’s first port was constructed in 1868, at a time when there were only 23 residents in the area.

When I went for my first Danish lessons at a local aftenskole, the principal proudly mentioned that we were in “one of the oldest buildings in Esbjerg.” The carving above the entrance said 1902.

Most of Copenhagen is older than that.

My house back in Scotland is older than that.

So Esbjerg is the youngest town in Denmark. It’s not unknown for people to complain that there’s a lack in this town – of culture, or history, or character. It’s true that Esbjerg has a kit-town feel at times, with its redbrick heritage buildings, modern architecture, and focus on industry and commerce - albeit always with a Danish design sensibility. Esbjerg is not a metropolis – yet.

currently living in Esbjerg, Den-

COMPANIES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME NEWCOMERS

mark. In the decade since leaving

PIONEER SPIRIT But it’s growing all the time. Many Danes, as well as internationals, are gravitating to the region, and its potential for growth and opportunity. This means that, unlike in other Danish towns where clubs or institutions are well-established, or where people are more fixed in their social circles, here in Esbjerg, everything is up for

CARSTEN BARRETT

WHO WISH TO LIVE IN A CITY WHERE WE FOCUS ON OUR OPPORTUNITES." – JESPER FROST RASMUSSEN, MAYOR OF ESBJERG grabs; there’s a lot of flexibility.

Pia Enemark of the kommune’s Newcomer Service agrees: “There are always newcomers here in Esbjerg, all of them looking for a connection. The town’s newness gives it a pioneer spirit. Internationals and Danes alike are open to new things, willing to take a chance, and it’s easy to create new networks.”

The result is that if you don’t find what you’re looking for in Esbjerg, then there’s a niche to be filled, and it won’t take long to find the fellow adventurers and trailblazers who will join you there.

And it’s not just socially that this pioneering spirit is in evidence.

LOOKING OUTWARDS In business too, the town’s newness is a strength. From being established as an export hub in the early 20th century, to becoming the world’s leading port for offshore wind energy, to its new role as a gateway for transatlantic data traffic, the dominant characteristic of Esbjerg is that of openness, a city that looks outwards to the opportunities in the rest of

TORBEN MEYER

Scotland, she’s also lived in France, Uganda and the Republic of Congo.

the world. An entrepreneurial spirit is thriving, and resources such as Boost Esbjerg offer start-ups the chance to take risks and innovate.

Esbjerg’s mayor, Jesper Frost Rasmussen, is proud of the town’s growth.

“I am thrilled to see how the innovative spirit thrives,” he says. “We attract startup companies from around the globe, and we are happy to welcome newcomers who wish to live in a city where we focus on our opportunities.”

And if you still doubt that there’s culture here, I’ll be telling you where to look in a future issue.

Meanwhile, in that hall in Huset, full of buzzing youthful energy, my new friends and I have found each other in our niche, are taking a chance, and forging something new. It’s all coming together, so watch out in the spring for Esbjerg English Theatre to break on to the scene!

Or even better, be a fellow pioneer, and join us! THE-INTL

At her blog, The Frustrated Nester, she writes about Danish living, travel and the expat life. Her writing has also been published in the anthology Once Upon an Expat, and its follow-up Life on the Move, published in June 2019.

She’s currently working on a memoir of place and home, and is also a freelance copy-editor and proofreader.

Follow The Frustrated Nester: www.thefrustratednester.com www.facebook.com/thefrustratednester @thefrustratednester

With thanks to Birgit Bach Jensen of Business Esbjerg for her input.

VISIT ESBJERG

VISIT ESBJERG

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20

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HELLERUP TURNS 10 The International School of Hellerup (ISH) turned ten in August. In just a decade, this International Baccalaureate (IB) Full Continuum School has developed into one of the best and well-known International Schools in Copenhagen, and Denmark as a whole.

G

PHOTOGRAPHS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HELLERUP

“GLOBAL MINDSET – GLOBAL EDUCATION – GLOBAL LIFE" is, in essence, what the school is all about.

These words have been accepted as their value proposition and school promise, and this is exactly what you experience when you visit the school in Hellerup.

This not-for-profit IB World School is an education hub for more than 500 students and 70+ staff members from all over the world.

TEXT JUANITA VAN DER WATT

ISH’S VALUES AND BELIEFS

REASONS FOR SUCCESS AND GROWTH

As a team of professional pedagogues, the management and the teachers at ISH believe in the IB philosophy and its pedagogical thinking. As a student-centered school ISH places great emphasis on international-mindedness and they focus on education that influences and shape responsible students who are reflective and active global citizens.

Stef also commented that the school is dynamic and open to change, which fosters open-mindedness among the school community. He added that many of the team of teachers and staff have remained at ISH for many years and have either grown within their roles or moved into other roles. This dynamic and evolving team is balanced with recruiting the best of class teachers and staff with a heart for children, a desire for delivering good quality education, and the passion and drive for ensuring pedagogical excellence.

Nedzat, the Head of School, states that learning can only take place in an environment where staff and students feel safe and happy. He sees this as the foundation and one of the reasons why ISH has successfully grown.

The Deputy Head of School and Secondary School Principal, Mustafa Gezen, contributes the success and steady growth of ISH to listening, responding to, and meeting the needs of its community. He also believes that the ISH family’s spirit of collaboration is at the heart of the school’s success.

The staff and teachers at ISH love working at the school and with their colleagues. They treasure the international environment, the friendliness, camaraderie, and true warmth of the Danish hygge, which are experienced by all.

WHERE DID IT ALL START? Nedzat Asanovski, the Head of School, has been part of the ISH journey since inception. As a passionate history teacher with a love for education, he was approached by a group of businessmen who wanted to create an international school for expat families. Due to the growing number of international families moving to Denmark, there was a great need for more schools that could render an English education, based on best practice. For Nedzat, this idea sounded very interesting and the challenge appealed to his entrepreneurial spirit. He secured approval from the Ministry of Education, and in August 2009 the then called Østerbro International School opened its doors with 60 students and 4 teachers.

MOVING TO HELLERUP The School continued growing year on year, and at a point, had close to 270 students with more than 300 students in a waiting pool. They then took up the campus in Hellerup, and on August 2015 ISH re-opened their doors with 420 students. At this point ISH also opened a high school section, which marked a major milestone for the school.

The School has since developed in several areas, and in 2018 it built a state-of-the-art playground.

ISH is located near a beautiful forest, off-site community playgrounds, sports grounds and facilities - which are all used by the teachers, students and parents.

HIGHLIGHTS AND CELEBRATORY MOMENTS Esma Guvenc, ISH’s Business Manager, was one of the four teachers who started the School with Nedzat. She fondly remembers the pivotal point of becoming an IB School and learning new ways of designing teachings based on international best practices.

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"WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS, AND TO ENSURING THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE." - NEDZAT ASANOVSKI The teachers and staff at ISH have the heart and passion for ensuring the best education possible, and they are committed to having a positive impact on society. “As educators, we understand that we play an important role in shaping the world by educating the next generation of global citizens.”

Students at ISH identified caring as the number one value of the school. Stef Fleet, the Primary School Principal, says that he believes that the school can create a sense of feeling cared for, as the team and students at ISH value and nurture relationships and demonstrate this in small ways every day.

ISH IS MORE THAN A JOB, IT’S A PURPOSE The ISH Middle Year Programme Coordinator, Abenaa Uttenthal is passionate about the school and says that it is not just a teaching job for her. She feels that ISH is a place where she can live out her purpose and make a difference every day. She has experienced the freedom of being able to develop herself and evolve continuously.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR ISH The management team at ISH is delighted about the growth of the school, and they are proud and fond of the students, parents, teachers, and staff. “At the moment, we are not planning major new developments. However we are always evolving within our current landscape. We are committed to continuing to do the things that we are good at, to making a difference in the lives of our students, and to ensuring the best possible education and student experience.” THE-INTL

21

MONEY TALKS MOVING ABROAD CAN PUT A STOP TO A SPOUSE’S/PARTNER’S CAREER. ALL TYPES OF CHALLENGES CAN COME UP, THE QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU MOVE PAST THEM?

T

THE CHANGE FROM active professional life to being financially dependant on your partner can be difficult. How is it possible to keep our professional identity afloat while adjusting to a new chapter in life?

DON’T WAIT. COMMUNICATE. The financial dependency can weigh heavily on a spouse’s shoulders, and it can significantly affect the relationship.

After my move to Denmark, I had a difficult time dealing with the fact that I was financially dependant on my husband. It made me feel as if I was not contributing to our household and relationship.

Having been fully financially independent and then feeling so inadequate is painful. Being open about these financial worries and concerns is imperative.

Your husband or wife is not a mind reader, and although we wish that were true at times, we have to speak up. Expressing fears, needs and doubts is the only way to move forward. I remember, at one point, when I was not working, and it was a pretty low point. We were discussing the situation, and I was saying how hard it was for me not to contribute to our household. My husband said to me something that stuck in my mind “What

PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTO

you do is equally, if not more important.

I would not be able to do what I do if it wasn’t for you.” This was uplifting and true. As an International couple, you are a team. You have to work together, and the key is communication. As a spouse you may have to put your career on hold, you may change careers multiple times, you may be a stay at home parent, a student, a volunteer, a community leader and you may have many other roles. Always remember that you have a great set of skills, experience, resilience, and strengths. And finally, please do not let anyone call you a trailing spouse or partner. You are the front runner!

SHOW ME THE MONEY There is no doubt that Denmark has a strong working culture. One of the first questions people ask at any event is, “What do you do?” Being a spouse myself, and having gone through the awkward moments of being asked what I did professionally when I was job searching, or as a stay at home mom was uncomfortable. People can lose interest quickly if you are unemployed. This, in turn, can impact our self-confidence. Many of us will experience the career gap as spouses/partners. What helped me was

TEXT KATHY BORYS SIDDIQUI

realising that I had choices. If I could not find work in my field, I could get out of my comfort zone and apply for different types of jobs, and I could start my own business or study. I did all of the above. I also learned that this process made me so much stronger. Living in a foreign country, looking for work in a different language is a big task to take on. It is ok to ask for help, and it does not mean you are weak. Sometimes, we want to figure things out by ourselves, but by reaching out to someone who knows the culture, the job market, and already has a network can be a lifeline.

As Internationals, we learn that being open to opportunities is an important part of our lives. The same openness applies to our careers. Our professional identity does not disappear, it evolves, and we may end up on a completely different path then we started. That in fact, is the beauty of life on the move. THE-INTL

LOOKING FOR WORK IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE IS A BIG TASK TO TAKE ON. IT IS OK TO ASK FOR HELP, AND IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE WEAK.

KATHY BORYS SIDDIQUI FOUNDER, ACTIVE ACTION Kathy was born in Poznań, Poland and has lived in four countries and on two continents. Growing up as an immigrant and a cross cultural child she was able to discover a multicultural world that shaped her into the person she is today. As an adult she experienced life as a re-pat as well as an expat and she is not a stranger to the challenges and opportunities that life abroad offers.

Just when she least expected it, she met her Danish husband and once again packed her life in boxes and set off to live the happily-ever-after life in the land of the Vikings and Hygge.

Over the span of 10 years she has lived on Fyn, in Jylland and currently in Nordsjælland.

Kathy has a background in Cultural Studies and also a degree in American Studies. She has been able to combine her passion and profession as a Cultural Transition and Expat Spouse and Partner Specialist at Active Action.

A firm believer that if you are lacking something - create it. She is the founder of two International Mom Groups in Denmark, a running enthusiast, active lifestyle advocate, wife and mom. www.activeaction.dk kbs@activeaction.dk

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22

GRATITUDE AND FOOD Thanksgiving time is here! If you’re not familiar with the holiday, it’s the one holiday out of the year that North Americans (Canadians in October and Americans in November) come together around the table with family and friends and feast on a traditional late-Autumn meal of turkey and pumpkin pie, with a wide array of classic side dishes. I’ve included two of my favorite sides here that are easy to prepare for a Thanksgiving dinner, and can also complement any winter feast you’re planning.

PHOTOGRAPHS KAM

TEXT ERIN CHAPMAN

NOT ONLY IS THANKSGIVING A BELOVED HOLIDAY FOR IT’S MOUTH-WATERING, FOOD-COMAINDUCING FLAVORS, ITS MOST PROFOUND ELEMENT IS THAT WE TAKE A MOMENT TO SHOW GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN OUR LIVES. AS THE SAYING GOES: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THE GLASS IS HALF EMPTY

GREEN BEAN AND CITRUS SALAD MAKES APPROXIMATELY 6-8 SERVINGS

OR HALF FULL – BE GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAVE A GLASS, AND THAT THERE IS SOMETHING IN

THANKSGIVING HAS ITS SHARE OF RICH – SOMETIMES HEAVY

IT. CHEERS TO THAT.

– SIDE DISHES, SO FOR A GOOD BALANCE, IT’S ESSENTIAL TO ADD A BIT OF FRESHNESS TO THE TABLE. THIS TANGY, CRUNCHY SALAD WITH JUICY WINTER CITRUS AND BLANCHED BEANS IS A LOVELY COLORFUL SIDE DISH FOR THE FEAST.

INGREDIENTS 1 kg fresh green beans 5 oranges 1-2 pink grapefruit 1 medium red onion 70 ml balsamic vinegar 2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup pinch of salt to taste

METHOD #1 Bring a large pot of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Mean

while, fill a large bowl with ice-cold water.

#2 Boil the beans until they are bright green and not too soft

(approx. 2-3 min), then drain immediately and place beans

into the cold water to blanche. Drain beans, pat dry, and set

aside. #3 Peel and slice onion thinly. #4 Peel and slice 4 of the oranges and the grapefruit with a sharp

knife, removing all the white peeling and membrane. Set

aside. #5 Zest one of the remaining oranges and squeeze the juice from

them into a saucepan.

#6 Add the vinegar and honey or syrup and cook over medium

THANKSGIVING FACT: CANADA CELEBRATES THANKSGIVING ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF OCTOBER, AND IT WAS MADE INTO A NATIONAL HOLIDAY IN 1957, AS A DAY OF THANKS TO THE YEAR’S BOUNTIFUL HARVEST.

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heat. Bring dressing to a boil, occasionally stirring, until the

liquid has reduced to a syrup. Add a pinch of salt.

#7 Gently toss the prepared beans, orange slices, and onion,

drizzling with the dressing and garnish with orange zest.

23

ERIN CHAPMAN CO-OWNER, THE AMERICAN PIE COMPANY With over 20 years’ experience in the advertising industry, working both in Denmark and USA, Erin has specialised in brand building and image development for lifestyle, food and fashion clien-

STUFFING IS A BREAD AND HERB MIXTURE THAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY USED TO “STUFF” INSIDE THE TURKEY WHILE ROASTING. HOWEVER, STUFFING CAN ALSO BE MADE IN A CASSEROLE DISH ON THE SIDE AND SERVED AS THE ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD SIDE DISH, COMPLEMENTING ANY ROAST.

CLASSIC BREAD STUFFING WITH HERBS MAKES 6-8 SERVINGS

tele at both national and international level.

Erin attended DIS, Denmark’s Study Abroad programme in 1996 and made a connection with Copenhagen. She moved to Denmark permanently in 1998 with

uncovered, for 18-24 hours. Alternatively, you can

bake the bread cubes in the oven on a baking tray on

low heat for about 30 min to dry them out.

INGREDIENTS

#2 Rinse, clean, and finely chop the leek, fennel, celery,

700-750 g quality bread, dried

(white or non-seeded wheat)

#3 To prepare the stuffing: Preheat oven to 175 C and

1 large leek, finely chopped

1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped

#4 Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the leek, fennel,

4 large celery stalks, finely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 80 g (large handful) fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

and onion. grease a medium baking dish with butter.

two suitcases and a pocketful of change. Working in the advertising industry she worked her way up as a senior creative, as well as a voiceover artist, and then began her own brand and design business in 2006.

Merging her love for food and

celery, and onion. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and

art direction, she began food styl-

cook until soft and translucent. Remove from heat.

ing and cookbook design for oth-

#5 Transfer sautéed vegetable mixture to a large mixing

er authors, and then proceeded

bowl. Add the dried bread cubes, fresh parsley,

to continue with recipe develop-

thyme, rosemary, and sage.

ment, publishing two cookbooks

#6 Stir in the chicken or vegetable broth and add

in Denmark. While living in Los

butter. Stir the mixture well, making sure the liquids soak

Angeles, Erin worked with several

into the bread – feel free to use your hands! The

US brands on image and recipe de-

bread mixture should be moist and hold together

velopment and upon returning to

Salt and pepper to taste

when squeezed or pressed. Season with a bit of salt

and pepper.

Denmark,

METHOD

#7 Place stuffing mixture into a prepared baking dish and

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped 400 ml chicken or vegetable broth (can be prepared with boullion) 50 g butter, melted

#1 DAY BEFORE: Prepare the bread for drying. Trim the

cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, then

crusts from the bread and cut into 1.5 cm cubes.

remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until the

Spread out the bread cubes on a baking tray and dry,

top is golden brown. Serve warm.

she partnered with Dorte Prip in 2015 to introduce The American Pie Company in Copenhagen.

Erin is happily married to her Danish husband and is the mother of a sassy seven year old daughter who speaks fluent “Danglish”.

THANKSGIVING FACT:

www.theamericanpieco.com

IT’S SAID THAT THE FIRST OFFICIAL THANKSGIVING WAS HELD IN 1621. AFTER THAT, IT WAS CELEBRATED IN THE USA ON AND OFF SINCE 1789, AND IT WASN’T MADE INTO AN OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOLIDAY UNTIL 1863 BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN. AMERICA CELEBRATES IT ON THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF NOVEMBER.

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24

JUTL AND

AARHUS TOASTMASTERS AARHUS AND EASTERN JUTLAND IS HOME TO MANY INTERNATIONAL-MINDED COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THIS PARTICULAR AREA. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL TAKE YOU BY THE HAND AND SHOW YOU THE DIVERSE SCENE ON WHICH INTERNATIONALIZATION IS BUILT. THIS MONTH WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT AARHUS TOASTMASTERS. PHOTOGRAPHS VISIT DENMARK / TOASTMASTERS.ORG

TEXT AARHUS TOASTMASTERS

WHY AARHUS TOASTMASTERS? Joining Aarhus Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. Whether you are a manager, student, accompanying spouse, young professional, someone who is looking to advance their career or looking to make an impact in your community, Toastmasters is one of the most efficient, supportive, and enjoyable way of gaining great communication skills. By learning to effectively formulate and express your ideas, you open an entirely new world of possibilities where you will improve your interpersonal communication and be more persuasive and confident when giving speeches and presentations.

Aarhus Toastmasters is a community of like-minded people. It is a great place to socialise and network with fellow expands and internationals from all over the world. It is not only a great place to improve our public speaking skills, but also to make friends and have fun while learning.

HOW DOES TOASTMASTERS WORK? At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Aarhus Toastmasters meeting gathers approximately 20 people who meet once a week for about two hours. Our meetings are open to both members and guests and are let entirely in English. We promise well-prepared and inspiring speeches, as well as challenging impromptu speeches, quality evaluations, and feedback to members on their performance.

VISITING FOR THE FIRST TIME

A

AARHUS TOASTMASTERS IS part of Toastmasters International, a non-profit educational organization that offers a proven education program that helps improve communication and build leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization has more than 16,600 clubs in 143 countries and 357,000 members. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds build confidence as speakers and leaders.

Currently, there are over ten clubs across Denmark – Aarhus, Aalborg, Kolding, Esbjerg, Søborg, Odense and Copenhagen. Aarhus Toastmasters Club is the second club in Denmark, which was founded on January 21, 2012.

Each club is different, but one key common aspect of all our meetings is that we help each other in becoming better communicators and leaders, we network and learn, we have fun!

TOASTMASTERS.ORG

DENNIS BORUP JAKOBSEN

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

Visiting the club is the first step to building a better you, improving your public speaking and leadership skills. While you do not have to contact us before you attend the meeting, we recommend letting us know by email or through our Facebook page. Join us as a guest and meet new people, network with Danes and internationals, and guests from other Toastmasters clubs around the world. Attending a meeting as a guest is free and there’s no pressure to participate until you are ready and comfortable. THE-INTL

CLUB INFORMATION: MEETING TIMES: Tuesdays at 6:30 PM LOCATION: Folkestedet, Carl Blochs Gade 28 Aarhus C, 8000 FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/AarhusToastmasters EMAIL: aarhus@toastmasters.dk

AARHUS THEATRE

KIM WYON

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY We offer a wide range of events, seminars and online activities that help internationals get settled in Denmark.

Learn more on our website or follow us on: @internationalcommunityAarhus @internationalcommunityaarhus

www.erhvervaarhus.dk www.international community.dk

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B e s t BEAUTY BUYS A N EX C L U S I V E P E E K A T M Y BR A N D OF ORGANIC SHEA BUTTER FROM GHANA I’m super excited to introduce to the readers of The International my very own line of raw, unrefined, shea butter from Ghana. It has been three years in coming to fruition. I have been able to source the most premium quality shea that has lead me to be proud enough to put my name on it.

In this month's beauty page, we will teach you all you need to know about shea butter and also offer all readers an exclusive discount to this creamy magic butter.

BARBARA MENSAH

PHOTOGRAPHS WWW.MAJADESILVA.COM / UNSPLASH.COM

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING PREMIUM ORGANIC RAW, UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER? It contains high amounts of It is packed full of vitamins A, E,

Shea butter is a fat extract from the nuts of the shea tree. It has a solid form until it’s warmed up. Real shea butter is ivory or off white and has a nutty shea scent.

WHERE IS BARBARA MENSAH- ORGANIC SHEA BUTTER FROM? Shea butter is from Africa, its produced in only 21 countries. The largest producers of shea butter are Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda.

My shea butter is exclusively made by skilled women in a small village in Ghana. We have ethically sourced all of our shea butter in a way where we provide great working conditions and fair pay and trade in exchange for these wonderful, hard-working women making shea butter from scratch.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNREFINED AND REFINED SHEA BUTTER? The difference between unrefined and refined shea is simply in the scent, the colour, and the benefits.

Unrefined shea butter maintains its nutty scent and all its healing properties and vitamins. It has been chemically altered to remove the sheas natural scent. Its white and its healing properties are significantly reduced.

Barbara was born in England, London and relocated to Copenhagen, Den-

antioxidants.

WHAT IS SHEA BUTTER?

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sional Lash Stylist for 3 years. After moving to Copenhagen, Denmark, Bar-

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FOR READERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL IN DENMARK ORDER YOUR SHEA BUTTER FOR ONLY 99 DKK WITH FREE POSTAGE. CONTACT BARBARA DIRECTLY VIA FACEBOOK ON BARBARA MENSAH BEAUTY. OTHER ORDERS: WWW.BARBARAMENSAH.DK; AMAZON - (BARBARA MENSAH BEAUTY); ETSY. COM - (BMBEAUTYSTUDIO); BARBARAMENSAH. BEAUTY@GMAIL.COM

@barbara.mensah.beauty @barbaramensahbeauty

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WHAT'S HOT IN AARHUS That unmistakable chill in the air means winter is around the corner – but it also hints at all the delights of Christmas coming up! Start getting your hygge on this month at one of the many markets, festivities, and shopping sales taking place this November.

PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTOS / VARIOUS

TEXT BARBARA BALFOUR

GET SOME IDEAS FOR KNITTING A WINTER WARDROBE OR PART OF IT

GET A HEAD START ON YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Time for mulled wine, burnt sugar almonds, and indulging all your materialistic temptations, that is. Starting November 22, this year’s Aarhus Christmas market boasts more than 85 stalls of home-made Danish handicrafts inside the beautifully decorated "Ridehuset" Equestrian Hall.

You can’t miss the festivities at Den Gamle By, also starting Nov. 22, where you’ll be enchanted by 400 years of Christmas history, listen to traditional tales by the fireplace, and give your wish lists to the elves. And don’t forget Black Friday on November 29, when the stores roll out amazing deals, and you can shop till you drop until the stroke of midnight.

■ RIDEHUSET, VESTER ALLÉ 1, 8000 AARHUS C ■ DEN GAMLE BY, VIBORGVEJ 2, 8000 AARHUS C - WWW.DENGAMLEBY.DK

Check out a hands-on workshop and talk on November 3rd with textile artist and weaver, Astrid Skibsted. This event is part of her collaborative exhibition Open Lines, which runs until November 9 and is free of charge. Participants will study compositions of yarn and material, experiment with new colour combinations, and create playful works of art to inspire future knitting, weaving or textile projects. Tickets to the workshop are 50 DKK; all skill levels welcome, and all materials are provided.

■ PALLE JUUL-JENSENS BOULEVARD 82, 8000 AARHUS C ■ WWW.AARHUSMAKERS.COM

ASTRID SKIBSTED

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ASTRID SKIBSTED

■ GAMMEL MUNKEGADE 5, 8200 AARHUS N - WWW.HAMANNS1990.DK ■ CERESBYEN 20, 8000 AARHUS C - WWW.THELAZYWOMBAT.DK

22-29 NOVEMBER

HAMANNS1990 FACEBOOK PAGE

All the shopping, errand-running, and cold weather this month is bound to run you down.

What better way to exercise self-care than by taking the time to treat yourself to a leisurely weekend brunch? We especially love the pastel colours and healthy dishes at new café Hamanns Emma 1990, where on the menu you might find black rice porridge with roasted peaches, hearty shepherd’s pies, and Portuguese custard tarts.

Then there’s the triedand-true Australian favourite, Lazy Wombat, which makes a killer French toast, topnotch pancakes and a cake of the day sure to make the corners of your mouth turn up in bliss.

VISIT AARHUS - RIDEHUSET

LINGER OVER A WEEKEND BRUNCH BARBARA BALFOUR

TELEVISION HOST, PRODUCER, PUBLIC SPEAKER, AND INTERNATIONAL PRINT JOURNALIST. In addition to hosting a live talk show, she writes regularly for BBC World News, The Globe and Mail, and ELLE, to name a few. She has published two children’s books, contributed to tourism guidebooks on Iceland and Chile, and co-edited an anthology of essays on Canada-European Union relations.

Her work has taken her to over 40 countries, but she currently calls Aa rhu s home . W he n she’s not curled up with a good book and a hazelnut hot chocolate, you might be able to find her spinning away on the dance floor of a salsa club, or nestled in a window seat on a plane, en route to some exotic new destination. www.barbarabalfour.com

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THE DANISH PARADOX

WE HAVE FORGOTTEN TO EAT OUR OWN FISH Most seafood caught off Denmark’s coasts is enjoyed by almost anyone but Danes.

Here’s how we can turn it around.

PHOTOGRAPHS GINA LORUBBIO / ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT GINA LORUBBIO

T

THE HARBOR IS quiet at 6.30 – the water smooth as glass and the sun just greeting the day. Normally I would not be admiring the world at this hour, but today – on vacation, no less – we arose to see how a real-life fish auction works. We are in Skagen at the tippy top of Denmark, where fishers spend the wee hours of the morning pulling in nets full of fish, big and small, to deliver to this gargantuan facility where the fish are cleaned and sorted by species and quality.

Once each fish has found its place in one of the thousands of green plastic crates, the fishers tap out, and the auctioneer takes over. A swarm of buyers wearing heavy jackets (it’s cold in here!) and headsets has gathered, and at 7.00 sharp, the auction begins.

The auctioneer approaches a stack of fish and spouts off prices while the buyers decide, with the help the voices inside those earpieces, whether they should remain in the price fight or drop out. On the scale from slow, deliberate Danish spoken by a teacher, to rapid, mumbled Danish spoken at a party, this auctioneer’s tempo is off the chart. I throw all hopes of understanding out the window and sit back to enjoy the spectacle of kilo upon kilo of fish selling instantly with the thwack of the auctioneer’s stick-on cold, green plastic.

Many of these fish are destined for Copenhagen, where they’ll end up on restaurant dinner plates this evening. But that’s not the fate for most seafood in this country – a whopping 95 percent of Danish-caught fish is exported. This is ‘The Danish Paradox:’ Danes have forgotten to eat fish. Danes eat only a third of the amount of fish the French or Italians eat. Somewhere along the line, the people of a country that’s mostly coastline stopped eating their own catch.

HERE ARE FOUR WAYS YOU CAN FIND DANISH SEAFOOD AND CHALLENGE THAT PARADOX: #1 KYSTFISKER KOMPAGNIET a company that picks up fish from wherever small-scale fishermen catch it, whenever they catch it. Then they sell it whole or process it. This helps fishermen immensely since some of them have no way to get their fish to market until it’s five days old—at which point it’s lost a lot of value. KystfiskerKompagniet.dk. #4 THORUPSTRAND COASTAL FISHERMEN’S GUILD which is the only Slow Food Presidium in Denmark, a designation that protects traditional methods and ecosystems. It’s the last remaining coastal village where fishers sail out from the shore—the same shore from which people have traded and fished for the last 1000 years. ThorupstrandKystfiskerlaug.dk. #3 HAVHØST, DANISH FOR ‘OCEAN HARVEST’ hosts all kinds of

GINA LORUBBIO ARTIST & WRITER

Gina is a food illustrator and storyteller in Copenhagen. Upon arrival from the U.S., she made an art series called ‘How to Fall in Love with Denmark through Food in 100 Days.’ She’s now creating art in 2019 that inspires us on the adventure of everyday home-cooking. To buy artwork, commission an illustrated recipe, or follow her educational events and activities to encourage city dwellers to get to know the sea around them and try their hand at local, sustainable food production. If you like mussels, seaweed, and oysters, check out their calendar of events. Havhøst.dk. #4 KEEP IT LOCAL at your fish shop and ask what came in from Denmark that day.

series, visit:

www. HeirloomFood Project.com @heirloomfoodproject

If you’re like me, cooking seafood can be daunting. Just ask the person selling it to you for some pointers, and you’ll be turning that paradox around in no time. THE-INTL

A WHOPPING 95 PERCENT OF DANISH-CAUGHT FISH IS EXPORTED

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EXPLORE ONE OF DENMARK'S SEVEN UNESCO WORLD

HERITAGE SITES PHOTOGRAPHS ERIN GUSTAFSON

TEXT ERIN GUSTAFSON

DESIGNATED FOR THEIR UNIVERSAL CULTURAL OR NATURAL SIGNIFICANCE, TARGET ONE OF THESE IMPORTANT SPOTS AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR YOUR NEXT DAY OUT IN DENMARK.

UNESCO #3 KRONBORG CASTLE

At the northeast corner of Zealand sits the famously fabled home of Hamlet. Take the train to Helsingør and walk the halls with Shakespeare’s famous Danish prince. The castle itself is an impressive Renaissance structure built in the 16th century to keep command over strategic regional interests. Built at the closest point between Denmark and Sweden, the castle helped control access to the Baltic Sea and influenced history in Northern Europe.

UNESCO #1 STEVNS KLINT

The stunning white chalk cliffs along the eastern seaboard of Zealand offer more than just vistas and pretty places to walk. Here at Stevns Klint, scientists have found evidence of dinosaurs and their subsequent extinction. An incredible fossil record buried in the layers of clay provides proof of the devastating meteorite that crashed into the planet nearly 65 million years ago. And whether or not you’ll find your own evidence of the mighty mosasaurs that once swam in these waters, Stevns Klint is still a gorgeous place for a day out in Denmark.

UNESCO #2 ROSKILDE CATHEDRAL

Before Copenhagen was the capital of Denmark, Danish kings since Harald Bluetooth ruled from Roskilde. Sitting high above the meandering medieval city, the Roskilde Cathedral has been the final resting place for every single Danish Royal, save one. Step inside this gorgeous example of Scandinavian Gothic architecture, the first in the region, and see Denmark’s storied history of succession.

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UNESCO #4 JELLING BURIAL MOUNDS, RUNIC STONES AND CHURCH

The birthplace of Denmark, a visit to Jelling tells a tale of how pagan Viking culture became a modern Christian monarchy. Current reigning Danish monarch, Queen Margrethe II can trace her lineage back to the original Viking kings, Gorm the Old and his son Harald Bluetooth.

After claiming all of Norway for Denmark and then converting the Kingdom to Christianity, King Harald commemorated his conquests with two runic stones that still stand today outside his original church.

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UNESCO #5 CHRISTIANSFELD, A MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENT

Since 1773, the southeast Jutland town of Christiansfeld has been a bona fide example of protestant city planning. Still, in use by the Moravian Church, the well-preserved settlement was designed with the egalitarian and democratic values important to this sect, one of the oldest protestant denominations in the world. In 2015, UNESCO chose to include the entire town on the World Heritage list, still operating much as it has for centuries. Explore the central church square and step inside the Brethren’s bakery for a sample of the town’s iconic gingerbread, a true taste of history.

UNESCO #6 WADDEN SEA NATIONAL PARK

UNESCO #7 PAR FORCE HUNTING LANDSCAPE OF NORDSJÆLLAND

Built under the direction of King Christian V in the 17th century, the landscape of North Zealand was developed for “par force” royal hunting displays. All the rage for Baroque kings, long lanes through the woods, let hunters and dogs chase their prey to exhaustion before the King could step in and administer symbolic and final blows attesting to his dominance over nature and place. Lucky for you, the brutal practice has long since ceased, and now the planned forests are gorgeous green spaces to soak up the scenery. Evidence of the stately system of parkways and stone markers that aided the hunters can still be seen in the forests of Gribskov, Store Dyrehave, and Jægersborg Dyrehave - north of Copenhagen. On the first Sunday in November, you can get a sense of the historic action as red-coated riders pound through the park during the Hubertus hunt around the Hermitage Hunting Lodge in Klampenborg.

Denmark’s largest National Park sits along the southwest coastline of Jutland. The greater Wadden Sea area passes Danish, German, and Dutch borders to form the largest intertidal mud and sand flats in the world, important for the rich flora and fauna that flock here. You can witness some of the ten million migrating birds that move through here each year as well as meet the resident seals. Make your way to the islands of Fanø and Rømø and explore all the beautiful biodiversity of these wild wide wetlands.

ERIN GUSTAFSON WRITER & BLOGGER Erin is a travel writer and culture hound exploring a life across borders in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is the creator-in-chief at Oregon Girl Around the World, a blog that focuses on sustainable travel for the whole family.

With a background in graphic design, photography and art history, Erin has a creative way of seeing a destination and believes that travel choices can have positive impacts for both the traveller and the communities visited. A local in Denmark since 2014, Erin has embraced the green city of Copenhagen and loves to share her insider tips. For more Scandinavian travel inspiration and Copenhagen culture, follow Erin around the world here: oregongirlaroundtheworld.com @oregongirl_ aroundtheworld @oregongirlworld www.facebook.com/oregongirl roundtheworld/ www.pinterest.dk/oregongirlworld/

DID YOU KNOW? 9 OUT OF 10 EXPATS ARE OVERPAYING FOR RENT-CONTROLLED HOUSING. REDUCE YOUR RENT TODAY! VISIT WWW.RENTHERO.DK

EFFECTIVE, TRANSPARENT AND FRIENDLY.

RENTHERO RECOVERED MY ENTIRE DEPOSIT!

EXTREMELY HUMBLE AND HELPFUL GUYS

PROFESSIONAL, IMMEDIATE HELP

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

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WHY DO CATS AND DOGS EAT GRASS? You've probably seen it happen more than once. Your furry family member goes outside, and it immediately starts to gobble down grass. More often than not, that triggers a reflex, and they promptly vomit, either outside or on your freshly cleaned carpets.

Why do our pets eat grass, when it isn't something they should be eating?

PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTO

TEXT TAREK ABU SHAM

TAREK ABU SHAM OWNER, THE PET-AGREES

T

THERE ARE SEVERAL reasons that your pet might eat grass, and

your veterinarian might not be able to identify the exact reason why your pet is consuming this leafy goodness. That said, some reasons can be ruled out by taking a careful look at your pet's history.

Tarek was born in Amman, Jordan and from an early age has had a love for animals. cent of wolves eat grass. Most wolves have to hunt for the meals that they consume unless they're living in captivity. As part of scavenging for food, they may ingest grass and other plants. Even though your pet eats a balanced commercial kibble, it may scavenge on grass and plants in your yard.

He met his spouse in Amman and then soon embarked on an expat lifestyle that took him to Dubai, Prague, and now Copenhagen. Originally a veterinarian,

A NEED FOR NUTRIENTS

A STRESS RELIEVER

Tarek reinvented himself profes-

One of the most common reasons for pica, or eating something that isn't a food item, is a lack of nutrients. As long as your pet is eating a complete and balanced pet food, rather than just eating table scraps or food that doesn't have a seal of approval from a veterinary and food administrative body, this cause should not be the reason that they're eating grass.

Dogs may eat grass as a way to alleviate boredom or anxiety. If a dog is stuck outside with little human interaction, it may start to graze on grass. It can be a way for the dog to get more attention or as a comfort mechanism to help relieve anxiety. When pets have more time with and attention from their owners, they tend to eat less grass when this is the case.

sionally and decided to launch his

AN UPSET TUMMY

A TASTY SNACK

A common thought behind dogs or cats eating grass is that they have an upset stomach, and the act of eating grass in some way helps relieve the discomfort. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, only 25% of dogs vomit after they eat grass, so this is not a likely reason in most cases.

By consuming grass, your pet may be getting the fiber that it needs to help regulate its digestive tract. Eating grass helps keep food moving properly through the GI tract and helps your pet to pass stool, especially since some pets need more roughage in their diet than others.

Some pets eat grass because they like the taste of it. Between the texture of the grass and its flavor, some animals may enjoy it and treat it like a tasty snack.

AN INSTINCT Your pet might eat grass as a way to channel its instincts. In dogs, in particular, it may link back to their wild canid ancestry.

In studies of the fecal material in wolves, between 11 and 47 per-

NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM

SHOULD YOU WORRY? If your pet is on a good intestinal parasite prevention program, eating grass from time to time is not much of a worry unless it’s getting sick (or feeling sick before or after eating the grass). These parasite prevention measures will help with deworming if your pet ingests roundworms or hookworms from contaminated grass. However, if your grass is treated with herbicides or pesticides, you're going to want to keep your pet from eating it. Spending more time with your dog or cat and retraining its behavior with appropriate treats or toys is a great way to stop grass grazing. The Pet-agrees is owned by a trained veterinarian. Send us a message today! THE-INTL

own company.

With The Pet-agrees, Tarek has combined his veterinary experience with his entrepreneurial spirit. The Pet-agrees cares for pets in the Copenhagen area, offering services including pet-sitting, walking, and more to come soon. www.thepetagrees.com

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A PICTURE IS WORTH...

In comics and graphic novels, you get to see another layer in a story.

Whether you like dark and gritty, cute and sweet or strong and horrific.

You could also try www.library.comicsplusapp.com for free through your library.

SUSAN JESSEN SPIELE LIBRARIAN Susan is a librarian at Roskilde Library, and in charge of the English section. She does English events all year; everything from expat dinners and pub quizzes, to karaoke nights and book talks. She is also busy with Roskilde Horror, a club dedicated to scaring the town.

CHARACTERDRIVEN RURAL NOIR

STARK, STRONG AND FASCINATING

REVIVAL

BY TIM SEELEY

RASPUTIN

BY ALEX GRECIAN

In rural Wisconsin, the

In Russia, just before the First World War the rule of the czar is in trouble. Into this mess comes the infamous Mad Monk, Rasputin.

With gifts of healing he quickly becomes a favorite of the royal family, but not all approve and enemies are gathering.

dead came back to life.

Officer Dana Cypress has to deal with media scrutiny, religious zealots, government quarantine and brutal murder. The living have to learn to deal with those who are supposed to be dead, and it is not easy.

CLASSIC CRIME, A NEW VISION THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE

BY EDGAR ALLAN POE In Paris in 1841, a horrible double murder takes place in a locked

UNSETTLING, DARK AND ACUTE LOCKE & KEY

BY JOE HILL Three siblings move to their ancestral home in Massachusetts, only to

room; two women are

find the house has mag-

brutally slain, and

ical keys that give them

there is no sign of the

a vast array of powers

murderer. When the police arrest a man his friend Dupin looks into to case to find the truth.

and abilities. However, a devious demon also wants the keys and will stop at nothing to attain them.

DID YOU KNOW? Every November, many libraries celebrate Nordic Game Day! Here at Roskilde Library we dedicate Saturday 2nd of November to board gaming from 11 to 20. We usually have around 250 games, 15 brilliant volunteers from all over the World and free cake for the gamers. It’s free, and you can come and go during the day.

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