The Copenhagen Post | Mar 8-14 by The Copenhagen Post

Newly-finished shopping street to be torn up again

City to get its skiable rubbish plant after all

8 - 14 March 2013 | Vol 16 Issue 10

Bendtner busted big time

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk LARS JUST

NEWS

Days after students protest against SU reform, it’s revealed more and more students are cheating the system

Donor nation Lots of money is given to foreign aid, but does it change anything?

NEWS

More DSB woes ‘DSB in a box’ IT project a total bust and is permanently shelved despite costing 50 million kroner

6 SPORT

Bjarne Riis and his riders are gearing up for a cycling season filled with great promise

CULTURE

Government reveals massive infrastructure plans

Awards, awards, awards

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

The Roberts hand out more gongs than the Oscars, and there is still another awards show to come

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A 27.5 billion kroner investment in a swifter and greener public transport system gets widespread political backing

HE GOVERNMENT is set to invest 27.5 billion kroner into an infrastructure plan to improve public transport. Prime Minister Helle ThorningSchmidt (Socialdemokraterne) said in a press conference last week on Friday that the government will establish an infrastructure fund called Togfonden (The Train Fund) as part of its plan to improve train connections between Denmark’s major cities.

The funds are expected to come from a greater taxation of oil companies outside the oil association, Dansk Undergrunds Consortium (DUC), which are drilling in the North Sea. “The plan will make Denmark greener, better connect the country and provide better infrastructure,” ThorningSchmidt said during the press conference. “The 27.5 billion kroner will be obtained from the oil industry, which has long enjoyed advantageous terms when drilling for oil. All of Denmark should benefit from the oil industry in the North Sea.” DONG Energy looks to be among the energy companies that will face heavier taxation, while oil companies such as Maersk, Shell and Chevron, all part of DUC, will be exempt thanks

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to a recent decision to keep the North Sea oil excavation deal unchanged until the year 2043. The energy minister, Martin Lidegaard (Radikale), said that DONG would probably contribute about 25 percent of the funds garnered from the oil industry. According to Thorning-Schmidt, the oil money would begin to trickle in from 2017 and the infrastructure investments would not be made until the money is there. The rail investment will be the largest in Danish history and will feature the ‘hour model’, meaning that the travel time from Copenhagen to Odense will be an hour, as will the travel time from Odense to Aarhus,

and Aarhus to Aalborg. Furthermore, train lines to Struer and Frederikshavn in Jutland are expected to go electric, and there are also plans to construct a tunnel under the Vejle Fjord Bridge. The lack of an electrical railway network has meant that national rail operators, DSB, have been forced to run with the notorious IC4 trains and eco-unfriendly diesel trains. The IC4 trains will continue to be in use until the electrification is completed over the next 15 years. The plan must be approved by parliament first, but there already seems to be widespread political backing, and opposition party Venstre has cam-

Trains continues on page 6

Is opening! Strandvejen 169, Hellerup! Saturday the 16th of March

REE 6: F 12-1 CREAM ICE

/manologelato

Week in review

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

CPH Post Word of the Week:

8 -14 March 2013 THE WEEK’S MOST READ STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Spritkørsel (noun) – drink driving. Where you heard it: Footballer Nicklas Bendtner’s decision to drive with a blood alcohol level of over three times the legal limit led to the largest fine in Danish history (see more on page 14) Scanpix / Marie Hald

‘A photo that hurts’

Woman stalked by serial bicycleseat wanker Dating the Danes | One game you won’t win Social minister stops adoptions from Ethiopian orphanage Government reveals massive infrastructure plans More SU cheaters getting caught

FROM OUR ARCHIVES TEN YEARS AGO. Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller receives death threats following a diplomatic trip to Greenland. FIVE YEARS AGO. Danes now paying more in taxes than their neighbours the Swedes, according to new economic data.

Marie Hald won ‘Press Photo of the Year’ for this photo of prostitute Bonnie in action. The judges called the shot “a photo that physically hurts to view and a look that is hard to forget”. Now we understand why Hald turned down our offer in the autumn to print her prostitution photos.

move, while just 21.7 percent believe that it was the wrong decision. The debate over Greenland’s minerals has intensified as of late following Chinese interest in the region and discussions over whether or not to allow the mining of uranium. Greenland is due to hold its parliamentary elections on Tuesday March 12.

Denmark’s only English-language newspaper

Underground

PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Socialdemokraterne) went deep into the Impala Platinum mine near Rustenburg as part of her South African trip this week. Wearing a boiler suit and a safety helmet, Thorning-Schmidt descended 1,250 metres into the mine to see the production and try some of the drilling op-

President and Publisher Ejvind Sandal

Since 1998, The Copenhagen Post has been Denmark’s leading source for news in English. As the voice of the international community, we provide coverage for the thousands of foreigners making their home in Denmark. Additionally, our English language medium helps to bring Denmark’s top stories to a global audience.

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In addition to publishing the only regularly printed English-language newspaper in the country, we provide up-to-date news on our website and deliver news to national and international organisations. The Copenhagen Post is also a leading provider of non-news services to the private and public sectors, offering writing, translation, editing, production and delivery services.

Managing Editor Ben Hamilton

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Editor-in-Chief (responsible under the Media Liability Act) Kevin McGwin

News Editor Justin Cremer Journalists Peter Stanners, Ray Weaver & Christian Wenande

erations. While in South Africa, Thorning-Schmidt visited Nelson Mandela’s Soweto home and oversaw the signing of a wind energy co-operation agreement between Denmark and South Africa. The aim is to reduce South Africa’s greenhouse gas emissions with Danish financial support and know-how.

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DR / Henrik Ohsten

The vast majority of Danes believe that it was the correct decision to hand Greenland the rights to its underground minerals back in 2009, according to a new survey. The survey, compiled by Rambøll/Analyse Danmark for Jyllands-Posten newspaper, illustrated that over 70 percent of Danes agreed with the

Screenshot: DR

Scanpix / John Rasmussen

Right call

ONE YEAR AGO. Politicians are upset and vow action after hooliganism leads to arrest of 24 fans at FC Copenhagen-Aalborg match.

Kids show

DR’s new reality show, Ultrahuset, which started on Tuesday night on DR Ultra – a new channel aimed at children aged seven to 12 – and features children who have family or school problems, has attracted criticism from child advocates Børns Vilkår. In the show, entitled ‘Ultrahuset’, six children live to-

Layout and design Justin Cremer Aviaja Bebe Nielsen Logo by Rasmus Koch Published by CPHPOST.DK ApS Printed by Dagbladet, Ringsted.

gether in a house with cameras in the ceiling and the refrigerator, and they talk to each other about their issues in the classroom and with their parents. But Børns Vilkår argues that putting the children on TV could have negative consequences afterwards when the children return to their normal lives.

The CPH Post welcomes outside articles and letters to the editor. Letters and comments can be left on our website or at: comments@cphpost.dk

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News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 -14 March 2013

Students show their dissatisfaction with the new SU reform at huge demonstration

Thousands of protesters voiced their disapproval of SU reform

a political line that seems more right-wing than left-wing. “It is difficult to recognise this government,” said Cauchi, who voted for EL in the last election. The participants were all angered by the new reform and said that the government should start living up to the promises the parties made to their voters, such as not cutting welfare and not giving tax relief to large companies. One of the speakers, Malene Nyborg Madsen, who is the head of the student organisation Danske Gymnasieelevers Sammenslutning, claimed that rather than reforming SU, the government should work to create more internships and encourage students to meet with their student counsellors more often. She said that the nation’s disappointed students need to clearly express their dissatisfaction with the government’s direction. “We must stand together to make the government change its mind,” Madsen said. She is also angry with the way SU has been characterised by politicians and the media, particularly the tendency to refer to SU as cafépenge (café money). “SU for students living at home is not cafépenge,” she said, adding that many students depend on the funds to make ends

Sally Schmidt, 25, said that she didn’t agree with the reforms, but did think students should finish their studies faster

meet and that many students who live at home still have to pay rent. At the back of the crowd, behind a sea of banners reading slogans such as “It is not only a breach of promise, it is treachery” and “There goes the future”, 25-year-old student Sally Schmidt stood warming herself with a cup of coffee. She showed up for the demonstration because she is afraid that the minister for higher education is wrecking the educational system. She mostly disagrees with the new SU reform, although she did concede that students should finish their education faster. “We have to finish faster, but not this way,” Schmidt said.

our young people from Aarhus were caught last week lying about their place of residence in order to gain more money from the state-allocated student allowance, SU. They are not alone. The number of young people getting caught cheating their way to SU has doubled in the past year, netting the state millions of kroner. The minister for higher education, Morten Østergaard (Radikale), said that the high number of people being caught, and the seriousness of the consequences, deter other young people from committing the same crime. “There is just cause to praise the exemplary co-operation between the social authorities and the police in Aarhus,” Østergaard told DR News. “The efforts have been increased, and twice as many are now being caught. The best advice we can give the young is to stop cheating with your SU. We will find out.” If students report that they live on their own in order to receive more SU allowance, but are found to actually live at home with their parents, it is considered social fraud and can

Morten Østergaard warned students that cheating the SU system would not pay off in the long run

The best advice we can give the young is to stop cheating with your SU. We will find out result in a criminal record if they are caught. The number of young people being discovered committing SU fraud has risen drastically over the past few years, prompting Østergaard and the education minister, Christine Antorini (Socialdemokraterne), to launch a campaign in early 2012 in order to catch the many cheaters.

The effort resulted in around 400 discoveries of SU fraud last year and nine million kroner that the cheaters have had to repay to the state. “The noose is tightening and it’s becoming more difficult to cheat. The suggestion is to stop cheating because we have the world’s best SU system and there is simply no need to cheat,” Østergaard told DR News. SU recipients who live away from home receive 2,860 kroner more per month than those who live at home with their parents. The news comes in wake of the government’s new SU reform proposal that is expected to save the state two billion kroner by 2020 – a move that was widely criticised by the students. (CW) Utilfredse Arbejdsløse

ære, kære Morten, det er ikk’ i orden!” (Dear, dear Morten, it’s not okay!), thousands of people at Rådhuspladsen screamed last week on Thursday, venting their frustrations at the minister for higher education, Morten Østergaard (Radikale), over his proposed reforms of the student grant (SU) system, which is aimed at forcing students to finish their education faster. The demonstration started at Rådhuspladsen with speeches and performances before moving on to Christiansborg, where the demonstrators were so loud that Enhedslisten (EL) MP Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen later reported that the chants were clearly heard in the nearby Finance Ministry as EL met with the finance minister, Bjarne Corydon (Socialdemokraterne), to discuss the SU reform. The students’ association Danske Studerendes Fællesråd, which arranged the protest, estimated there were 25,000 in attendance, although police estimates put the number closer to 5,000. Most of them were angry students from all over Denmark, but the demonstration also attracted an older audience. Amongst empty beer cans, flyers and slogans, 56-year old Pernille Cauchi was selling books for Internationale Socialister (International Socialists). She is unemployed and highly dissatisfied with not only the SU reform, but also the kontanthjælp (cash welfare benefit) reform and the government’s growth and jobs bill. She said that she finds the new reforms unacceptable and thinks it is a pity that the government is cheating its voters by following

Photos: Sigrid Neergaard

Sigrid Neergaard

About 400 students cheated the student grant system last year and were forced to pay a total of nine million kroner back to the state

Scanpix / Keld Navntoft

Demonstrators: “It is not only a More SU cheaters getting caught breach of promise, it is treachery”

Teacher negotiations see another twist Christian Wenande Teachers’ union receives backing from the negotiations union, KTO, which says that councils’ terms for talks are unrealistic

he negotiations union, KTO, which represents some 500,000 public employees, does not want to approve the collective bargaining agreement (overenskomst) it agreed to last month with KL, the national association of local councils, unless KL changes its tune in its ongoing negotiations with teachers. KTO indicated that it refuses to approve the agreement until KL offers more realistic terms during the teachers’ talks. The teachers’ union, Danmarks Lærerforening (DL), is

pleased that KTO has decided to step in on its behalf. “It truly means so much that we as an organisation do not stand alone. That is really nice,” Anders Bondo Christensen, the head of DL, told Politiken newspaper. The approval of the collective bargaining agreement had been expected to be just a formality after it was originally agreed upon on February 16. The agreement included a general wage increase of 1.97 percent complemented by an additional 0.25 percent increase for employees within certain areas. Dennis Kristensen, the head of the FOA union, proposed to postpone the approval of the agreement at KTO’s representation meeting, which was unanimously backed by the other representatives, including the LO, FTF and AC unions.

Kristensen told Politiken that he deemed it necessary to postpone the approval of the agreement out of consideration to the teachers. “The negotiations have not been realistic at this point, and we don’t want to leave anyone behind,” Kristensen said during the meeting to applause from the other members of the representation committee. The negotiations between the teachers and KL have collapsed due to a failure to reach an agreement on teachers’ working hours, and KL has threatened to lock out the country’s 52,000 teachers from April 1. The two opposing parties met on Monday at the settlement institution, Forligsinstitutionen, for the first time, and it was during a break in these negotiations that Anders Bondo Christensen garnered KTO’s support.

The 100 kilos of manure were accompanied by a sign reading “Tak for lort” (“Thanks for crap”)

Letting the poop do the talking Justin Cremer A group of the ‘dissatisfied unemployed’ drop 100 kilos of horse dung at the entrance to the Employment Ministry to say “thanks” for recent reforms

t may be crude, but it was sure to get attention. A group of unemployed individuals delivered more than 100 kilos of manure to the front steps of the Employment Ministry on Monday morning. According to a press release from Utilfredse Arbejdsløse (Dissatisfied Unemployed), the delivery

was made in reaction to the government “breaking all of its promises of improvements for the unemployed”. According to a participant in the dirty doorstep delivery identified as Preben, one of the primary motivations was the government’s changes to the unemployment benefit, dagpenge. “Thousands of people risk losing their house and home,” Preben said. “In January alone, 5,000 people fell out of the dagpenge system, and the only thing [the employment minister] Mette Frederiksen has to offer those affected is hot air and empty talk.” Another participant in the

dung drop-off, Anita, pointed to the reform of the least generous unemployment benefit, kontanthjælp, as “another giant broken promise”. “They say that there isn’t enough [money] for social benefits, but at the same time they manage to find billions for bank bailouts and decreasing corporate tax,” said Anita. According to Ekstra Bladet tabloid, the manure – which appeared to be horse dung – was removed by 10am on Monday. The demonstrators also missed their intended target, Frederiksen, who was not at the ministry on Monday morning.

4 Cover Story Foreign aid: It makes us feel better, but does it work? The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

ast month, a highprofile fundraising campaign, Danmarks Indsamlingaid, generated over 80 million kroner that 12 aid organisations – including Save the Children, Unicef and Red Cross – will disperse to a variety of aid programmes in Africa. On March 10, it will be aid organisation Folkekirkens Nødhjælp’s turn. Denmark spent over 16 billion kroner on aid to developing countries in 2012, which is 0.83 of its Gross National Income (GNI), placing Denmark as the fourth biggest aid donor per capita in the world, just behind Norway, Sweden and Luxembourg. Over the past 50 years, over one trillion dollars of international aid has been sent to Africa in an effort to deal with the poverty and hunger that has become a mainstay in a number of African nations. It hasn’t worked yet Opponents of sending aid to developing countries argue that development aid simply doesn’t work, pointing to statistics that indicate that in the 1970s, ten percent of Africans lived on a dollar a day while today that figure is a staggering 70 percent. Dr Per Pinstrup-Andersen, a Danish economist and policymaker who won the 2001 World Food Prize, contends that aid

Danish development expert Dr Per Pinstrup-Andersen advocates sending money to countries whose governments have shown a willingness to act

website, it lists some reasons why one should become a volunteer. ‘Because a child dies of hunger every 12 seconds’, ‘Because you support the fight against hunger in the world’s poorest nations’ and ‘Because no mother should see her child die of hunger’, are a few of the slogans. Ruben suggested that, while there are lots of NGOs that do good work and do have an impact, decades of relying on aid means that many African nations are heavily dependent on aid as part of their national budget. “NGOs are more the ‘we are here to help you’ plan rather than the more valuable ‘we are here to help you help yourself ’. Aid can have an impact, but the most essential thing is to have a private sector that is concerned with poverty and a government that is dedicated to the poor,” Ruben told The Copenhagen Post. Why have some Asian countries developed so much more since the 1950’s in comparison to Africa? Is it because of aid? No, it’s because of national development policy efforts and poverty reduction efforts.”

Folkekirkens Nødhjælp

Development experts argue that while emergency aid is essential, other types of aid can do more harm than good

is indeed very important if it is used in the right way, arguing that the responsibility for overcoming poverty ultimately rests with the African governments themselves. “All we can do is assist, and that is why I have been arguing for a very long time that we should only send money to those countries that have allocated a reasonable amount of their own resources to achieve poverty, hunger and economic development goals,” Pinstrup-Andersen told The Copenhagen Post. Pinstrup-Andersen went on to suggest that there were two ways to spend the money effectively. The first is to only give money to governments that have shown a willingness to improve the lives of their people, and the second is to help NGOs mobilise civil society to improve the lives of people if governments won’t act. “You can circumvent governments that have different objectives and work with governments that share your development objectives. But ultimately, if you want my money, you should be ready to invest some of your own money into the same cause,” Pinstrup-Andersen said.

Emergency aid is vital

“A band-aid solution” A Zambian economist, investment strategist and author Dr Dambisa Moyo, has maintained for years that international aid actually stifles Africa’s development, arguing that sound economic policies, and not foreign aid, helped to lift millions of Asians out of poverty. “Let’s understand what charitable intervention can or cannot do. It can send a girl to school, for example, but it will never make these economies grow to the requisite levels so that we can put a meaningful dent into poverty” Moyo told Canadian news channel TVO. “It may be a good idea in the short-term but it’s not going to help in the long-term. To me, it is a band-aid solution ” One component of aid collection that is damaging, argues Jacob Ruben, a project development manager at Danish development organisation Quercus Group, is that in order to raise funds, aid organisations tend to project a negative picture of Africa. They project imagery of homeless orphans lying in the

Folkekirkens Nødhjælp’s campaign posters read ‘No mother should watch her child die of hunger’ The imagery used in aid campaigns often gives the impression that Africans are a downtrodden bunch, but can be made happy with generous donations from the West

lars just / Danmarks indsamling

Christian Wenande

8 -14 March 2013

one hand they have an agenda, a goal. Their business depends on people donating money, so in order to do this they must maintain a certain image.” Images that elicit emotion

streets and tend to forget or ignore all the positives that are present. “A lot of NGOs operate in developed countries rather than developing countries. They work

to, I would argue, promote an image of developing countries where aid is the most important way to get people out of poverty,” Ruben told The Copenhagen Post. “It’s challenging. On

Ruben’s argument is backed up by Folkekirkens Nødhjælp’s effort to attract volunteers for their upcoming aid collection drive. Commuters are shown stark images of downtrodden Africans, and on the organisation’s

Despite the somewhat dissimilar views on the issue of development aid in general, PinstrupAndersen, Moyo and Ruben all agreed that the aid that is diverted to assisting in emergency humanitarian disasters, such as the floods in Pakistan in 2010, are absolutely imperative. Part of Danmarks Indsamling’s proceeds did go to emergency aid, as did 42 percent of Folkekirkens Nødhjælp’s final figure in 2011 according to its website. A significant part of Danmarks Indsamling’s aid in 2010 went to assist in the humanitarian disaster that occurred in Haiti following the earthquake in 2010. “Emergency relief is critical. But we must move away from that in the long run and move countries out of poverty so they can deal with disasters themselves in the future,” Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen said. In 2011, Folkekirkens Nødhjælp managed to raise 528.7 million kroner and 45 percent of those funds were sent to Africa. Next week, on March 10, volunteers from the aid organisation will be looking to add to that when they hit the streets in their latest efforts to claim donations.

Online this week Copenhagen A&Es closing their doors to walk-ins

Troubled Vejle restaurant goes bankrupt

Cyber crooks target Danish credit card information

The days of simply walking into the A&E room at the closest hospital and asking for treatment will soon be over for Greater Copenhagen residents. Beginning in January, people will be required to dial 1813 and speak to a triage nurse who will then decide whether the individual should seek emergency care, wait to see

Amin Skov, the owner of Restaurant Vejlegården, announced on Monday that his restaurant is bankrupt and will not reopen. “It is checkmate,” Skov said in a press release that was also released on his Facebook page. “It is with great regret that I announce that Restaurant Vejlegården is bankrupt and can no longer contin-

The nation’s computers are increasingly threatened by attacks from malicious software – malware – which allows criminals to obtain information from unsuspecting victims, say computer security experts. Over the past year, a reported 80,000 computers

their family doctor or treat themselves using advice they get over the phone. The change will also put an end to calling an afterhours emergency doctor for non-emergency medical situations. The changes are part of an agreement reached last summer between the national government and the five regional councils.

ue.” Skov said his ongoing battle with union 3F and a recent fire have destroyed his bottom line. The restaurateur accused police of dragging their feet in investigating the December 21 fire that closed the restaurant. The 34-year-old is charged with arson and attempted insurance fraud in relation to last year’s fire.

have been stricken, but in the past six months, the pace is increasing. “It is as if the cyber-criminals have suddenly become aware of Denmark,” Jan Kaastrup, of security firm CSIS, told TV2 News. Most of the malicious viruses target credit card information.

Read the full stories at cphpost.dk

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The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 -14 March 2013

Jyllands-Posten

n Copenhagen, a majority on the City Council dreams of legally selling cannabis from pharmacies throughout the city to residents who are over 18 and have a home address within the council’s borders. The plan would, according to Mayor Frank Jensen and his Socialdemokraterne (S) colleagues, be a blow to the gangs who finance a large part of their illegal activities with money earned through the illegal cannabis trade. The council also wants to have closer contact with young cannabis abusers, who today are left to interact with criminals. Like flies to honey The justice minister, Morten Bødskov (S), has already rejected the City Council’s proposal to legalise hash for a trial period, but in two weeks City Council will once again refocus on the subject when it hosts a conference on the legalisation of cannabis. Councillors also plan to release a more detailed proposal for the three-year trial. But in advance of the conference, several mayors from Co-

Swedes are “hysterical” In November, 19 mayors of councils in southern Sweden wrote to Jensen to warn against the legalisation of cannabis in Copenhagen. In his response to the Swedes, Jensen wrote that with legalisation he hoped to

Renovation of Frederiksborggade is only just completed as shop owners receive letter confirming a new construction

Neighbouring mayors want to snuff out the city’s idea

take money away from the criminal element. “In no way is the objective of legalisation to get more to smoke cannabis,” Jensen wrote. “Therefore, it would continue to be forbidden for those under 18. And as long as there are restrictions, there is a risk of a black market. That is a basic fact.” City Council member Lars Aslan Rasmussen (S) dismissed the Swedish mayors’ concerns. “The Swedes have a hysterical approach to drugs and alcohol, and they have a huge illegal market,” he said. “Just because the Swedes don’t have control over their own misuse policies, that shouldn’t mean that we are prevented from trying a new approach.” Cannabis conference On March 15, the City Council will host a conference on the legalisation of cannabis. A simultaneous rally has been arranged by cannabis supporters at Rådhuspladsen

Wikimedia

Ahead of conference on the subject, neighbouring councils express their disapproval of City Council’s bid to legalise cannabis

penhagen’s neighbouring councils are speaking out against the capital city’s wish for a councilrun hash market. “I don’t think it is a good idea,” Herlev’s mayor, Thomas Gyldal Petersen (S), said. Helle Adelborg (S), the mayor of Hvidore, agrees. “If you legalise hash, you send the wrong signal to the youth,” Adelborg said. “I fear that children will interpret it as acceptable behaviour.” She also didn’t think the idea of selling only to Copenhagen residents would work in practice. “Running water doesn’t understand council borders, and this proposal wouldn’t either. I have a hard time believing that the cannabis would remain in Copenhagen.” There is also scepticism in Frederiksberg. “Legal cannabis in Copenhagen would be like flies to honey for some of the most vulnerable youth throughout Greater Copenhagen,” Frederiksberg’s mayor, Jørgen Glenthøj (Konservative), said.

Colourbox

Mayors reject legal cannabis proposal Outcry as shopping area prepares to become construction zone again

n January 2011, the City Council started a renovation of Købmagergade and Frederiksborggade, scheduled to be completed in December 2012. After a delay and a total cost of 108 million kroner, work on the shopping streets was finished in January of this year. Købmagergade, a shopping street stretching from the pedestrian street Strøget to the square at Kultorvet, and Frederiksborggade, the continuation of Købmagergade from Kultorvet to Nørreport Station, account for one of the most popular pedestrian areas in Copenhagen. But the shops on Frederiksborggade did not get to enjoy the new street or the silence for long. Last month, shop owners received a letter informing them of new construction. The construction of a new staircase leading down to a tunnel to Nørreport Metro station is scheduled to start in March and take up to two years. The site will even be in front of some shops, leaving only a small passage for entrance. This construction is expected to cost 157 million kroner and was already planned in 2010 –

Shop owners only get to enjoy the new street for a short period

before the renovation of the shopping streets started. The staircase project has long been known to the City Council and was even approved before the previous round of renovations. Now disappointed shop owners would like to know why the two projects were not merged. They contend that would have saved money and time for Banedanmark, the national rail infrastructure company behind the project, the City Council and the shop owners. “It is so ridiculous to use the council’s money on this. I think that there must be some people at the City Council who are really bad at financial management,” Allan Petersen, the owner of the clothing store Invasion, told Politiken newspaper. He believes that the noise and mess caused by the previous construction scared off customers and resulted in a marked decrease in sales. He can now look for-

ward to even more construction work, with the final result being a staircase placed right in front of his shop. “During the renovation, our sales were at about 70 percent of normal,” he said. “But this time we will lose a lot more as it will become more difficult to get to the shop.” Jens Christian ZøftingLarsen of the City Council’s public works department agreed that it would have been much cheaper to join the two construction projects, but said that the renovation of the shopping streets was planned a long time before the city knew about Banedanmark’s plans. “The reason is that there has been focus on carrying out the [renovation] and because it has not been certain if the staircase to the Metro would be built and where exactly it would be,” Zøfting-Larsen told Politiken. (SN)

News

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 -14 March 2013

Report: Buying local may be cheaper than crossing border Scanpix / Claus Fisker

Peter Stanners Despite lower prices in Germany, a new report argues there is often little economic incentive in driving across the border to buy cheaper beer and soda

ermany seemed to be winning the crossborder trade war when Danish discount supermarket chain Fakta in October opened two shops in northern Germany in order to attract Danish consumers with cheaper German prices. But a new study by the bank NyKredit has shown that reports over the extent to which lower taxes and levies allow German retailers to undercut their Danish counterparts may be exaggerated. For example, the study shows that residents of Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus, would need to buy at least 3,840 cans of soda before their car journey pays off. And due to petrol prices, driving the 180 kilometres to fill your car with slightly cheaper German beer would actually cost 700 kroner more than if it had been bought locally. According to Nykredit economist Johan Juul-Jensen, Denmark’s flourishing discount retail industry means products that

Many Danes choose to drive to Germany to buy beer and soda, but a new report from Nykredit questions whether it makes good economic sense

are only slightly cheaper in Germany are available only a short drive away from most Danes. “Either Danish consumers are cheating themselves or they are not primarily motivated by savings and feel like the trip to and from [Germany] was worth it in itself,” Juul-Jensen wrote in a press release. “It is far from cer-

tain that a trip over the border to buy water and other products will pay for itself.” According to Nykredit, there are significant savings to be made from purchasing products such as candy, chocolate and certain sodas in Germany. But JuulJensen said that many Danes underestimate the costs of driving.

In a modern, efficient car, a return trip from Kolding, only 90 kilometres from the border, will cost 400 kroner. The same trip will cost 1,100 kroner if setting off from Copenhagen. “If you fill your car with cans of soda, coffee, beer or toothpaste, you either need to fill your car with large quantities or live

DSB loses millions on failed IT project Christian Wenande

eleaguered national rail provider DSB lost over 50 million kroner on a failed IT system called ‘DSB in a box’, according to DR News. The IT fiasco is the latest instalment of the long-running DSBFirst scandal, which began nearly two years ago. DSBFirst was DSB’s attempt to branch out into Sweden and Germany, and it was an abject failure, resulting in losses of over 700 million kroner. The ‘DSB in a box’ project, also known as the ‘IT-suitcase’, was part of the DSBFirst strategy

Trains continued from front page

paigned for better infrastructure in the past. “It is positive that the government wants to invest in infrastructure. It is much needed, and we are pleased about the plans,” Kristian Pihl Lorentzen, a spokesperson for Venstre, told Ritzau news service. “But it is negative that they only invest in public transport. They need to invest in the roads as well.”

And while left-wing party Enhedslisten was sceptical over the government’s decision to shield the DUC, spokesperson Frank Aaen said that increasing taxes on the remaining oil companies was a good way to bring in funds for improving infrastructure. “We naturally believe that it is a good idea to tax the oil business harder, and using the money for public transport is something we can be part of,” Aaen told Berlingske newspaper. “We are ready to commence negotiations.”

few years, including the disastrous Italian IC4 adventure and, more recently, the controversy surrounding the company’s dealings with PR firm Waterfront. DSB, however, is adamant that it have followed the rules and guidelines when it comes to ‘DSB in a box’. “When the ownership of ‘DSB in a Box’ was formally handed over to DSB, the previous costs incurred by DSBFirst were transferred to DSB,” Jakob Højer, the head of communications at DSB, told DR News. “That is in line with accounting laws and DSB’s practices.” An additional three million kroner is expected to be spent on legal and experts fees as part of the arbitration case that Logica, now known as CGI Danmark, has filed against DSB.

Infrastructure investment: Where is the 27.5 billion kroner going? • 5.4 billion kroner for a new rail network across Funen • 4.0 billion kroner for a new bridge across Vejle Fjord • 3.4 billion kroner for a new railway station in Aarhus • 5.0 billion kroner for the electrification of parts of the rail network • 1.2 billion kroner to improve the rail link between Roskilde and Kalundborg • 1.0 billion kroner to improve the rail link between Aalborg and Frederikshavn • 4.9 billion kroner for the ‘hour model’ and other initiatives

Economist: Drop pricey vehicle registration fees Head of the environmental economic council says that implementing a ‘pay as you drive’ system would make more sense than sky-high registration fees

he head of Det Miljøøkonomiske Råd, the environmental economic council, has said that the nation’s costly vehicle registration fees should be dropped in favour of a road use system. “We believe that the registration tax should be abolished and replaced by road pricing,” Hans Jørgen Whitta-Jacobsen, a member of the council and professor of economics at the University of Copenhagen, told Politiken newspaper. “The current car taxes are too high and poorly designed.” Whitta-Jacobsen said that vehicle taxes should be about half of what they currently are, and that registration taxes should vary according to use, weight, engine and the overall size of a vehicle. The bigger the car, the higher the fee. The registration tax on a regular car is 105 percent of its value up to 79,000 kroner, and 180 percent of the remaining value. On top of that, vehicle owners pay a biannual charge of at least 290 kroner and up to as

Colourbox

Politician wants state auditors to look into DSB’s dealings following the rail company’s latest scandal

that was launched after IT devel- with the project. The project oper Logica hosted a number of has also cost the state 14 milDSBFirst representatives on a trip lion kroner in man-hours and to India in the autumn of 2009 to the total bill that the taxpaysee examples of Logica’s products. ers have footed is now over 51 million kroner and The entire procounting. ject was expected to “It’s a scandal cost nearly 100 milbecause we’re talklion kroner, which ing about taxpaybecame an issue in ers’ money, and it’s 2010 when DSBFirst It’s just one of a just one of a host of began suffering from host of scandals scandals that have financial problems. involved DSB,” As a result, it was that have Martin Geertsen, decided that parinvolved DSB a spokesperson for ent company DSB Venstre (V), told would take over the responsibility for the project, DR News. “Perhaps we have including its financing. But the reached that point at which project was scrapped in 2011 be- the state auditors should take a look at DSB’s books. I think we fore it was completed. DSBFirst sent bills to DSB should consider that.” DSB has experienced a totaling 7.7 million kroner for consultancy work in connection number of setbacks over the past

near the border to make it worth the journey,” Juul-Jensen wrote. “The abolition of the fat tax has reduced the benefit of cross-border trade, although there are still some areas where savings can be made, especially with services such as dentistry and car repairs.” The government tried to introduce taxes on fat and sugar,

but were placed under pressure to abolish them by food manufacturers, who argued that the levies encouraged consumers to head to Germany for lower prices. While both the fat and sugar taxes were dropped to the delight of manufacturers, some groups, including the trade union HK Denmark, voiced disappointment that the government’s recent growth package included no specific initiatives to minimise losses brought about through cross-border trade. “We have lost a lot of jobs because of all the trade that has moved south of the border,” HK Danmark chairman Kim Simonsen told public broadcaster DR. HK Danmark’s position is supported by business lobby group Dansk Erhverv, which wants the government to reduce taxes and levies on a range of popular products to encourage consumers to buy them in Denmark. But according to a 2012 report by the Tax Ministry, crossborder trade declined from a value of 15.6 billion kroner in 2005 to 9.6 billion kroner in 2011. More importantly, however, is the fact that more foreigners buy more products in Denmark than Danes do abroad, which means Denmark earns a net profit of 4.5 billion kroner from cross-border trade.

Denmark is going the wrong way with its purchase taxes, leading economist says

much as 10,080 dependent on the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. The taxes for diesel cars range from 120-15,090 kroner. Whitta-Jacobsen believes that road pricing – charging fees and taxes based on how much and where a vehicle is driven – is a more efficient way of levying tariffs on cars. “Car taxes should shift from taxing purchases to usage,” he said. “It is a car’s use that gives rise to the problems of congestion, accidents, pollution and noise.” He also suggested that taxes on CO2 and other emissions should occur at the petrol pump and not via registration and ownership duties as they are now. Whitta-Jacobsen said that the high taxes levied on new vehicle purchases encourages owners to hang onto petrol-guzzling polluters for too long, discouraging them from buying newer, safer, more technologically-advanced and cleaner vehicles. (RW)

Are you an international full degree student residing in the municipality of Copenhagen and pursuing a career in Denmark? Copenhagen Career Program is an initiative funded by the city council of Copenhagen. The purpose of Copenhagen Career Program is to improve the welcoming and retaining of highly skilled workers and students in Copenhagen. In the spring 2013 Copenhagen Career Program offers the following lectures to international full degree students residing in Copenhagen. The focus of the lectures is to help you gain insights in the Danish labour market and prepare you for job seeking in Denmark.



Jobsearching and Competencies Everybody tells you what to do to find your next job. You should search for a variety of jobs; send unsolicited applications and network, network, network. This is all true but how? It can be very difficult because it’s tricky to find both the positions and the right networks. Explaining your Competencies and Qualifications in the CV and applications is difficult. Examples of “Danish” CVs will be presented.

Thursday the 4th of April at 17 – 19.30 Lecturer: Niels Bertelsen, project coordinator, First Job in Denmark (www.forstejob.dk) 

Business-Dances with Danes. Decoding Danish workplace culture DOs and DON’Ts in Denmark. The social norms, their backgrounds and practical suggestions on how to deal with them. “Cultural” hints & tips for job searches / applications / interviews to match the Danish style.

Wednesday the 17th of April at 17 pm – 20 pm Lecturer: Dagmar Fink, Worktrotter CEO & speaker (www.worktrotter.dk)

 Applications and Job Interview Writing an application is a challenge for everybody, especially if you come from areas where the focus has been on the CV. We will talk about how to exemplify your qualifications in the applications. The job interview part can be very confusing for foreigners since a lot of interviews in Denmark appear to be quite different from what you might be used to. Different do’s and don’ts in the process will be discussed.

Monday the 29th of April at 17 – 19.30 Lecturer: Niels Bertelsen, project coordinator, First Job in Denmark (www.forstejob.dk) 

Networking and Personal Branding with Linkedin How using LinkedIn for online networking and personal branding can benefit your job search (and how to actually do it!).

Monday the 6th of May at 17 – 19.15 Lecturer: Morten Vium, Speaker, Author and Blogger (www.modernejobsoeger.dk)

For registration go to: copenhagencareerprogram.eventbrite.com Participation is free of charge! Please notice that you will receive final confirmation by mail. We have 40 available seats for each lecture – first come, first served. Please notice that you need to be an international full degree student residing in the municipality of Copenhagen in order to register. The lectures take place in our new International House, Gyldenløvesgade 11, 1600 Copenhagen V.

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

8 - 14 March 2013

Countries, not charities Dumb, dumber, Danish Changing attitudes about aid recipients would go a long way towards promoting long-term investment in emerging economies

N THE mid-1990s, when Vietnam began to head down the path trodden by Asia’s emerging tiger economies, one of the slogans most frequently repeated to American businessmen hesitant to invest in the country was that “Vietnam is a country, not a war.” The message was clear: Americans unable to get past their disastrous military involvement in Southeast Asia were missing out on business opportunities there. The same mindset could be said to hold sway among many of the nation’s charitable organisations and individual donors. Take Africa, for example. While foreign aid has become all but synonymous with Africa and many of the problems ‘the continent’ still faces (if an area made up of 54 countries housing over a billion people can be fairly described using a single collective term), many of its countries are today on the verge of growth, not disaster. Nevertheless, aid collections, including the upcoming Folkekirkens Nødhjælp drive, continue to play on worn-out stereotypes. Despite their worth for the most destitute, these campaigns tend to treat the development glass as half-empty, rather than half-full. A more effective approach would be to see emerging countries – not just in Africa, but also in Latin America, Asia and even Europe – according to their potential. For the poorest of countries – whether in Africa or elsewhere – traditional aid programmes may still be what the doctor ordered. But once countries start showing signs of growth, donors should stop thinking less in terms of aid and more in terms of grants or outright investments that require recipients to attain specific, albeit simply defined goals. Is poverty declining? Is corruption increasing? Are human rights and the environment respected? For countries that struggle with the basics of human existence, such requirements may seem like first-world luxuries, but getting to the point where they can accomplish the proverbial goal of fishing for themselves might just require being given money with strings attached. Denmark is typically singled out as one of the few countries meeting UN aid goals. But sceptical world leaders looking to get more bang out of their aid buck ought to have a look at how that money is being spent. Just this week, Denmark agreed to help South Africa, which is officially listed as ‘developing’, build more wind turbines. The project is funded with Danish aid money, and while the immediate goal – helping poor Africans – is in line with traditional thinking, Danish companies clearly stand to benefit if the effort is successful. Replacing altruism with corporate-mindedness might rub some aid purists up the wrong way, but what they can’t deny is that prosperity will come if donor funds pave the way for investment. It’s hard to argue the same if they keep being used to building roads that lead nowhere.

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T’S APPARENTLY a national problem that the EU bureaucracy is gradually being drained of its Danes. The reason: more are retiring than are passing the EU civil service exam. Last year, exactly 357 out of the 357 Danish university graduates who took the test failed. Their union is, naturally, up in arms. Denmark, they say, is losing influence. The Europe minister, Nicolai Wammen, is equally indignant. “We have reached an unacceptable low point,” was his reaction to the revelation. That’s an interesting way to put it. He must feel that there are certain low points that are unacceptable – such as his party’s standing in the polls. The reason why Danes are failing the EU exam in droves –

and instead need to stay here in Denmark to collect welfare – is obvious. As the graduates’ union itself explains it: in order to get a job in the EU, you need to pass a test that emphasises not only academic ability, but one that also tests general knowledge, mathematics and logic – questions of the sort Danish university students rarely encounter in their studies. Might there be a connection here? If so, could someone do something to rectify the situation? The most likely answer would be a big, fat nej. Over the past 40 years, we’ve undermined the educational system, all the way from primary school to university, and left behind little that can be fixed. Our schools are still there physically, of course. In fact, they continue to build new ones around about the country, particularly in the cities. And, if there is one word our talking heads like to repeat, it is the word ‘education’. But it’s all empty buildings and empty talk. The buildings are shells, the campuses Potemkin villages, and the discussions meaningless. There’s nothing behind the facades. Noone is learning anything and no elite is being fostered. There’s plenty of room for everyone. Each and every one of us.

Now that we’re on the topic of empty talk, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Marlene Wind, a professor of EU studies. She had the following to say about her own academic rising stars: “We have some outstanding students. Failing the test isn’t a sign they aren’t smart enough. It’s the test there’s something wrong with. They find the test old-fashioned and drawn-out and the ability to rote learn, which is being tested, does not appeal to them.”

Instead of blaming the test for not appealing to Wind’s students, why don’t they actually make an effort to pass the exam? Is there a chance of that happening? Instead of blaming the test for not appealing to Wind’s students, why don’t they actually make an effort to pass the exam? Is there a chance of that happen-

ing? Not really, since that would require an outstanding effort. A well-placed source has told me that Wind has no idea what she’s talking about. Memorisation is no longer required to pass the exam. The professor’s knowledge about the subject is out of date. The European Personnel Selection Office completely revamped the exam two years ago. What’s emphasised now is “abstract, verbal and numerical reasoning”, as is clearly stated on the organisation’s website. Unfortunately, none of those skills are the strong suits of a school system that seems to believe that our ‘knowledge society’ liberates us from ever having to know anything as long as we have Google at our fingertips. Of course these types of tests won’t appeal to a spoiled generation of young people who are allowed to have laptops, iPads, the internet, Wikipedia, spell checkers and what have you during exams. What’s worse, the EU exam doesn’t have a group project, nor does it test social skills. “Abstract, verbal and numerical reasoning” – what a good slogan for an educational system in need of reform. The author is a historian, author and columnist.

READER COMMENTS Newspaper denied access to freedom of information law documents Seems to me politicians have forgotten that they are there to do the Danish people’s bidding. Now is the time to remind them! Protest, demonstrate and vote for any grassroots party that you can believe in – just don’t vote for this professional elite that sits in parliament now. Tony Bell By website Military proposes closing five barracks Anyone who says that the military is not needed or is out of date has not heard the news of late. At all times, there is war somewhere in this world. It has come very close to Denmark and in fact has even been imported into this country already. This latest move by General Peter Bartram is shortsighted. He is proud to say that money will be saved by closing down these bases. In other words, he is saving his own ass, giving into a request or order by his political managers to reduce expenses in his budget. Well, General Bartram, we are all very, very disappointed in you. Egon Nissen By website It looks like they really want to destroy the economy of this area. It’s one of the largest economic providers of Haderslev, so let’s just get rid of it! Sounds like they are trying to take a page out of the US conservatives’ playbook. If the government provides jobs,

get rid of them – it will help create jobs. Not sure how exactly that is supposed to work, but apparently firing people or taking a flow of capital out of an area will create more jobs. And it’s not exactly like less people are choosing to go into the military in Denmark – it’s a conscription system. Sontaron By website Carbon market revival receives Danish backing Although I respect Denmark and the EU’s dedication to climate change, their altruism has got the best of them. It is not a controversial statement that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; naturally the controversy arises in how we do so. It usually is about finding the right mix of economically viable solutions. This is exactly where the problem arises, in my opinion. Denmark (and the EU in general) have let their overly ambitious, altruistic goals of ‘carbon neutral by 20XX’ and the like cloud their judgement on what is economically viable. Because, whether you like it or not, no green solution to energy production will ever be viable in the long-run if it does not show potential grid parity – the idea that the cost of producing energy from a greener source in the long-run will match the cost of current production by assumed, non-green sources. Basically, if a green source is more expensive, it will fail. The failure is starting to materialise, and you are on the hook to pay for it. The1youlove2hate By website

An EU without Danes? ‘Rote learning’? The tests were changed a few years ago, at the request of countries like Denmark, who said that they didn’t like rote learning. So, there isn’t any rote learning in the tests now, unless you consider being able to read, and do basic arithmetic to be ‘rote learning.’ Perhaps the Danish administration is having some troubles because they’re studying for the wrong tests. The reason that Danes are failing is not because the tests are extraordinarily difficult, or because Danes are stupid, but simply that they’re completely swamped by competition from the south and east. In these tests you can’t just pass it and get in, you have to be better than your thousands of competitors. Around 40,000 people wrote the test, and only 300 were finally hired. Danes marginally underperformed, but could only reasonably be expected to have produced a couple of successful candidates based on 357 initial candidates. Government should indeed focus on getting more candidates to take the test, but to complain that the test somehow disadvantages Danes is simply not correct. Christopher Appleton By website You’re still here? | Immigrations process needs less bureaucracy, more accountability A few rules for dealing with any bureaucracy once you get to the face-to-face level: Assume a polite and friendly manner before you ac-

tually meet a person. Always greet them with a smile (even if you’re not feeling it). Assume that the person you’re dealing with wants to help (seriously, that’s usually the case). Assume that your problem can be solved given enough patience and goodwill and willingness to answer silly questions. Use the local language whenever possible, even if your grammar and accent make dogs howl, even if the bureaucrat tries to use another language. Use lots of inclusive language like ‘what can we do?’ so that your problem becomes the bureaucrat’s problem too, at least temporarily. Realise there are limits to what the person you’re dealing with can do, and they’re just as likely to regard the system as stupid and dysfunctional as you do. Don’t lie. Bending the truth to make your case seem less awful or pathetic is one thing. Outright lying will mean the end of any and all goodwill, which you need. Do not assume that the bureaucrats need to show deference to you. Bureaucracies are the great equalisers, and the quickest way to make enemies therein (which will cause you much misery) are ostentatious demands for respect that you haven’t earned (in bureaucracy, respect comes from trying to meet the demands of the bureaucracy). Do not expect anyone to apologise, although if you follow the first set of rules, you’re far more likely to experience that rare pleasure. Do not assume that the bureaucrat has it in for you because of your ethnic or religious background (it’s almost never really that). Cliff Arroyo By website

OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

8 -14 March 2013

WTF is it with Danish swearing?

Brick by Brick BY STEPHANIE BRICKMAN Stephanie Brickman has recently made the hop across the North Sea from Scotland to live in Denmark with her distinctly un-Danish family. This 40-something mother, wife and superstar is delighted to share her learning curve, rich as it is with laughs, blunders and expert witnesses.

HERE are no swear words in Danish,” says my mate Irina as we sit together on the number 15 bus. She says it with absolute contempt, rolling her Rs and spitting out the words. “Now in Portugal, we know how to swear, there are thousands of swear words. What do they have here?” she asks with a rhetorical Mediterranean sneer. “All they have is stuff about the devil …” I find myself imagining a kind of ‘Swearovision’ contest in which poor, plucky little Denmark is desperately trying to defend itself against the Portuguese champions as they insult every family member individually. The Danes of course would be powerless without the F-word, which is an English word and would therefore not be allowed (this is my scenario and I make the rules) and so they would crumple in the face of Irina yelling: “Your great aunt Jetta has size 45 feet!” ‘Swearovisions’ aside, I personally have a problem with the theft of the Fword. I’m sorry but it’s a bad word to me. If I say it, it means I’m really upset and never in a million years would I write it. In Denmark it’s everywhere: sweet little old ladies use it and it’s in

newspaper headlines and adverts. When my Mum visits I have to throw myself in front of billboards to block it out. Am I a prude? Will my avoidance of saying ‘F this’ and ‘F that’ affect my prospects of integration in Daneland? I turned to Dr Marianne Rathje, a postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Language Council for advice. Marianne is an expert on swearing in Danish, from a linguistic point of view that is. She assures me that my clean speech probably won’t be a problem since I’m not a teenager. She also tells me that the F-word has been around in spoken Danish since the 1960s, in writing since the 1990s, and its use has doubled in the last 15 years. “There was no equivalent word, so we just took the English word,” she explained. I protest that there must be a word for that … the F-thing. “Oh yes, there’s the word kneppe,” she said. “But we couldn’t use that in Danish, it’s too shocking.” “So let me get this right,” I said. “You took a shocking word from my language and then made it so commonplace that it’s not shocking anymore, because your own language was too rude? Whose bright idea was that? Could I not just

Danish swear words fall into three categories: words of religious origin, words describing sickness, and words that refer to lower bodily functions take revenge by taking the word kneppe and doing the same thing?” We agreed this would be justifiable, but probably not achievable. And Rathje also admitted that the fact that the F-word is in another language probably makes it easier for Danes to say. According to Rathje, Danish swear words fall into three categories: words of religious origin, words describing sickness, and words that refer to lower bodily functions. Rathje has even conducted experiments that revealed that the old and young are just as foul-mouthed as one another but swear differently. Younger people used about half religious, half

lower bodily function swear words and shunned the disease words. Older people used more than 90 percent religious swear words with a pinch of disease and lower bodily stuff for good measure. So here’s the Danish profanity top five. At number five is the rather bizarre kraftedeme which apparently means ‘may cancer eat me’. Also bringing up the rear at number four we have the classic fecal interjection skid. Third place is occupied by words that make some reference to the devil either as the standard fandeme-type thing or in his incarnation as Søren. The second most used swear words are to do with god (e.g gud or gudselov), who finds himself beaten to first place by the humble sgu, which translates roughly as damn. As for our poor little English Fword, there are two possibilities for its fate, according to Rathje. Either it will get so overused it loses all impact (we are close to that in my opinion) or it will become something that only the young say, with one generation stopping saying it when they reach a certain age and passing it like an Olympic torch to the next. Either way Denmark is knepped at the ‘Swearovision’ …

Rules for riding the bus

Grain of Sand BY TENDAI TAGARIRA Tendai Tagarira is one of Africa’s most prolific independent authors, having penned over 16 books. Also a filmmaker and activist, he lives in exile in Denmark after receiving death threats from the Mugabe regime. He refuses to cut his hair until democracy reigns in Zimbabwe. Visit www.tendaitagarira.com for more.

There are several silent and unspoken rules that one must observe inside a Danish public bus, lest one be judged by odd stares and condemned to stereotype in silence Danish bus, exploring the lives of the many silent faces. The Danish bus silence can be an enriching experience, particularly for the creatives. It is a gold mine to observe the silent cardinal rules of Danish interaction inside a bus. On my journeys, I have so far observed the following cardinal rules: 1. Be silent and smile if someone looks at you. Always appear polite and calm. 2. If you receive a phone call, speak

COLOURBOX

IDING the bus in Denmark gives one a chance to observe a microcosm of Danish society up close. There are several silent and unspoken rules that one must observe inside a Danish public bus, lest one be judged by odd stares and condemned to stereotype in silence. The first, and most important rule, is that silence is golden. In many cultures, particularly in the sunny parts of the world, it is not unusual for complete strangers to engage in a conversation during a ride on public transportation. However, in Denmark, this would make most people feel unease. Danes enjoy being private, and that is their right and privilege. But could it be possible that one could pass a chance to meet a nice date or a useful contact by ignoring the strangers we encounter inside public transport? I am not proposing turning Danish public transport into hot spots for dating and networking, but sometimes I think I could write a complete novel that only takes place inside the same

Get in, sit down, shut up, fiddle, get up, leave

in a calm voice and don’t show any irritation with the person on the other end of the line, even if it’s your arch enemy. Shouting at the person on the other end of the line will only lead to the negative silent judegement of many strange eyes. 3. If the person sitting next to you presses the stop button, prepare to make way for them to get off. If they start fiddling, then give them the right of way to pass through. All this must happen in silence. People avoid speaking to each other as much as possible, so remember to read the body language.

4. Avoid looking people directly in the eyes. It makes them feel uneasy and may be considered offensive. 5. When it’s your turn to get off, press the stop button and start fiddling, so that the person next to you can prepare to make way, then walk calmly towards the driver’s door and then get off. It is acceptable to say Tak for turen to the Danish driver, but it is not a requirement. I am still observing this phenomenon each time I ride inside a Danish bus. I marvel at the silent choreography at play.

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10 NEWS It’s not just wolves – wild boars make a comeback too THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

The nature society points to Sweden as a model for handling the return of the boars, but the agriculture sector just wants them gone

ILD BOARS have returned to the Danish landscape for the first time in 200 years, much to the delight of hunters and nature enthusiasts. Farmers, on the other hand, are not so happy. The wild boars have probably been in Denmark for a few years now, but their presence is emerging publicly now because the environment and energy centre, DCE, have only just added the wild boars to the wild-game lists that hunters are required to fill out at the end of hunting seasons. Bo Håkansson, a biologist from nature conservators Danmarks Naturfredningsforening, is excited that the wild boars have made a return to Denmark, predominantly in southern Jutland. “Wild boars are particularly good for forested areas because they root about the forest floor with their snouts and turn the earth,” Håkansson told Jyllands-Posten newspaper. “That provides a more varied for-

est floor and a richer botanical foundation.” The wild boars have returned despite there being a ‘shoot on sight’ ordinance in Denmark. And while nature enthusiasts are pleased to once again see boars in Denmark, the country’s agriculture sector is less enamoured with the news. Current Danish law does not provide farmers with compensation for crops destroyed by the boars, despite the fact that the boars can cause massive amounts of damage. “The wild boars stick their snouts into the ground and can plough up entire fields. Fields can end up looking like a bomb site,” Håkansson told JyllandsPosten. “It can be very extreme and is certainly not enjoyable for the farmers.” Håkansson pointed to Swedish law as an example of how the re-emergence of wild boars should be handled, but the Danish agriculture sector is vehemently against the boars being able to return. They argue that, aside from the damage to crops, the return of the boars could severely compromise pork exports worth billions of kroner because of the diseases boars can carry. “The financial consequences attached to an outbreak of swine fever are devastating to the farmers involved, as well as the na-

COLOURBOX

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

8 -14 March 2013

Boars root about the forest floor with their snouts and turn the earth tional economy,” a 2005 report from the Food Ministry said. “Denmark is particularly vulnerable because we are the world’s leading exporters of pork meat. Free-roaming wild boar would increase the average costs associated with swine fever by 500700 million kroner.” According to Lars Hvidtfeldt, a spokesperson from the agriculture and food council, Landbrug & Fødevarer, the effects on the pork industry could be even higher today because Denmark has increased its exports. Interestingly, the return of the wild boars has coincided with the much-publicised return of the wolf. As is the case with the wild boars, the re-emergence of the wolf has generated a mixed response. The nature society in Denmark is pleased to see the predator return to the country, while farmers contend that the wolves are a threat to their livelihood, a point that may have been sup-

ported by the second case of a large predator killing and devouring sheep in eastern Jutland last week. The grizzly sheep maulings came just days after a wolf was discovered via a wildlife photo trap in the region and just months after the first wolf was spotted in Denmark in almost 200 years. The environment minister, Ida Auken (Socialistisk Folkeparti), said last week that Denmark needs to have a plan for how to deal with the wolves. “It is terrific that we have the wolves back in Denmark,” Auken said in a statement. “Now we need to ensure that our relationship with the wolf isn’t destroyed by the fact that we have many competing interests. Therefore, we need to come together and make a joint plan in which Denmark is a good country for wolves, and wolves are a good animal for Denmark.”

BIG / AMAGERFORBRÆNDING

Two men charged with Woman stalked by serial stealing Nazi documents bicycle-seat masturbator Who’s up for some summertime skiing?

Construction begins on skiable rubbish plant Amager Bakke will be outfitted with a large recreational area, including a ski hill

ONSTRUCTION has begun on Copenhagen’s new energy plant in Amager, which is expected to set new green standards for the energy exploitation of the rubbish that city dwellers dispose of every day. The energy plant, named Amager Bakke, is expected to be finished by 2017 and will also have a considerable recreational area on its roof and sides, including a ski hill designed by renowned architect Bjarke Ingels. The plant will replace Amagerforbrænding, which recently changed its name to Amager Resource Center (ARC) and is Europe’s oldest waste-toenergy plant. It currently provides electricity and heating to 150,000 households. The new plant aims to in-

crease energy output by more than 25 percent, reduce the release of nitrous oxides (NOx) by 85 percent and reduce the smoke’s sulphur content by 99.5 percent. And it is precisely the climate benefits that have been the cornerstone of the whole project, according to the ARC chairman, Mogens Lønborg. “With Amager Bakke, we are taking part in realising the vision of a better climate and environment for future generations,” Lønborg told the online news site Industriens Dagblad. “We avoid using as much coal as possible in order to produce energy that is better for citizens, companies and the environment.” Aside from the environmental benefits, Copenhageners will also be able to enjoy recreational areas that cater to skiing and mountain biking while offering a spectacular view of the city from above. (CW)

Over a thousand documents worth millions of kroner about Danish Nazi sympathisers were stolen from the state archives by two men over a three-year period

WO MEN have been charged with stealing documents from the national archives that are concerned with Danish collaborations with Nazis during the Second World War. The men, aged 45 and 53, are charged with stealing at least 1,062 documents from the national archives, Rigsarkivet, and the regional archives, Landsarkivet for Sjælland, between 2009 and 2012. They are also being charged with selling some of the documents for 38,060 kroner, though the total haul could have fetched between 1.5 and three million kroner, according to Berlingske newspaper. Kristoffer Petersen, a prosecutor for Copenhagen Police, said the thefts demonstrated that the men had a special interest in Danish Nazi sympathisers and Danes who fought for Værnemagten, the German military occupation force. “[The documents were] partly about Danes who fought for the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, but also Danes who served under the Germans in

Schalburgkorpset in Denmark,” Petersen told Berlingske. Schalburgkorpset was a German military corps comprised of Danish Nazi sympathisers. The men have been held in custody since they were arrested in October. Police raids on their homes uncovered not only the vast trove of archive material, but also a large number of nonfunctional weapons that included a pistol, 13 hand grenades and three anti-rockets. While none of the weapons contained explosives, the men will still be charged with breaking weapons laws. The 53-year-old has already pleaded guilty to another charge of stealing documents that belonged to the royal institution Ordenskapitlet, which is responsible for handing out royal orders such as the Order of the Elephant. The documents, which were not unique, had been sent to the company Renoflex, where the 53-year-old worked, for destruction. But instead of destroying the documents, the 53-year-old chose to take them home. The two suspects are known Nazi sympathisers, and many of the stolen records refer to a Danish soldier named Kaj Buchardt, who enlisted and fought for the Third Reich’s Wehrmacht during the 1940s. (PS)

Police hope that bringing the case to the media will cause the perpetrator to stop defiling the victim’s saddle

police commissioner, Henrik Hattel, confirmed that he had received several reports from the woman, most recently last week on Thursday. He said it was a conscious decision to go YOUNG woman has on public with the case. five occassions returned to “We’re hoping that this will Mørdrup Station in north get the freak to quit doing it. Zealand only to find that a man That’s the most important thing has masturbated onto her bicy- for us. It’s difficult to say how cle seat. we should punish the man,” The saddle-polishing per- Hattel told Ekstra Bladet. petrator has so far only struck Although indecent expoon Wednesdays, and only when sure usually involves someone the woman in question leaves witnessing another person doher bicycle at ing something sexMørdrup Station. ual publicly, the “At first I police still believe thought that it was that this case falls some kind of sick We’re hoping that under the law conjoke, but when it cerning indecent happened for the this will get the exposure. third time I decid- freak to quit doing “Otherwise the ed it was enough woman wouldn’t and reported it it. That’s the most have called us. Her to the police. It’s decency has been important thing bloody disgustviolated on some ing,” the 19-year- for us kind of level,” Hatold woman, who tel said. wishes to remain anonymous, The police have not heard told Ekstra Bladet tabloid. from anyone who has seen the The woman said she didn’t man ‘applying his hand brake’ have a clue who was behind the to the woman’s bicycle seat, unwanted bicycle lubrication, but and they haven’t looked at the feared that children could witness liquid to ascertain if indeed it the man ‘adjusting his helmet’ was semen. They do not, howfrom a nearby playground. ever, question the veracity of the North Zealand’s assistant woman’s report. (CW)

LIFESTYLE: SPRING SPORT THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

8 - 14 March 2013

A plan for all seasons JONATHAN SYDENHAM

S I WRITE these suggestions, there is no knowing whether Denmark will be buried in snow when you read them. Or worse: a centimetre of ice covering every woodland path or park perambulatory. But one thing is for sure: the days will be getting longer and we will all be heading towards a spring and early summer of fascinating athletic rituals that tell you more about the Danes and their outdoor activities than any couch potato could ever want to know. Dirking your sport BEFORE WE get that far, though, and if there is indeed snow around, get off your sofa and try out a few of the facilities designed to give Danes a comforting and comfortable arena in which to “dirk their sport”, as they say. The places they favour provide an ontological safety net, enabling them to feel secure in the knowledge that after a bit of rough and tumble on the slopes they will still make it back home for their Sunday afternoon cake, candles and coffee, and that they will be spared the ignominy of getting lost in the real woods.

with headphones plugged firmly into their pretty little ears, you will find that they are probably much more affable than joggers in your own country. Try a smile and a cheery “God tur!” (pronounced more like “Go two’er”) and you’ll get an equally friendly response almost every time. Danish joggers simply are better people. Jogging with thousands VALBY, AH YES, Valby: home to the city’s most hyperactive running club. A finer bunch you will not meet anywhere, and thereby the location of a hyggeligt running race for joggers of all shapes and sizes on March 23. You can combine it with a bit of shopping as the race starts from Spinderiet, an attractive mall right next to Valby Station. The distances are 2km, 5km and 10km, with a kid’s race at 11 am and the grown-ups (and any kids who want to join them) at 12 noon. Entries via DGI, Sportmaster

Jonathan Sydenham, originally from the UK, enjoyed getting muddy on the rugby pitches in his youth, which might explain why he today enjoys cross country running. He is a sports consultant at the DGI (the Danish Gymnastic and Sports Association), an umbrella group for around 5,000 local associations, which massively vary in size, from the dozens to the thousands.

at Spinderiet or www.valbyloeberne.dk, the running club’s website. Heading out west THE WIDE-AWAKE reader will have noticed a certain geographical progression in today’s piece. Westward Ho! Once you reach the top of Valby Bakke, you can see all the way to Esbjerg (at least, you could

if Valby Bakke were as high as the Danes think it is). Esbjerg 2013 provides you with the best chance you will perhaps ever have to catch the Danes at play. The former fishing port is hosting the 2013 DGI Landsstævn. If you see posters, leaflets or newspaper ads for ‘L2013’, this is what it is. A summer festival of sports for all, attracting 25,000 Danes for a long weekend of everything from gymnastics to pétanque via jogging and bicycle racing. DGI Storkøbenhavn is organising a bike ride all the way, stopping off on the island of Samsø overnight. Apparently you will even be able to take part on your ‘garden gate’ (the Danish term for the kind of bike your granny might ride). The festival from July 4-7 is something you need to book for. Check out the website at www. L2013.dk. If you have been in

THE FIRST such facility is just 15-20 minutes north of Copenhagen at Rudersdal (www.rudersdal.dk/lysloejpen), a landscape straight out of Tolkien where the kids can play Hobbit while you get your skis out. A 2½ kilometre circuit is illuminated by 239 separate lights providing a magical winter ambiance for family outings in the winter murk. Racing the lights

Caroline Cain

Naturopathic Nutritionist & Reflexologist

Natural health and detox specialist guiding and motivating you to create optimal, lasting health. tel: 50 19 76 06 www.carolinecain.dk

For four weeks at a time, four times a year, our aim is to give you all the seasonal lifestyle advice you need to thrive in the areas of gardening, health, food and sport. When should you plant your petunias, when does the birch pollen season normally start, which week do the homegrown strawberries take over the supermarket, and which outdoor sports can you play in the snow? All the answers are here in ‘A plan for all seasons’.

Sport Garden

Skiing with orcs

JUST BEYOND the stretch of streets true Copenhageners regard as a kind of Rubicon, you will find Søndermarken, a small assembly of trees and paths forming a seemingly natural no-man’s-land between Copenhagen (oh, all right, Frederiksberg) and Valby. The Nordea Foundation spent 30 million kroner on renovating the slightly undulating paths to provide a novel running course where you can programme the lighting to race you around the 2½ kilometre circuit (yes, the Danes like counting in halves). If the paths are not covered in ice, you will enjoy meeting crowds of other joggers, and unless they are men in their 30s who think they are just too cool or sej, or would-be X Factor stars

Halmtorvet 19 • The Bosch building • DK-1700 Copenhagen V Tlf: +45 33 31 20 00 • hej@biomio.dk • www.biomio.dk

Denmark for more than four years, you may have caught some of the last Landsstævn on telly. Unfortunately, TV coverage tends to emphasise the mass rhythmic gymnastics displays and plays down the huge number of sporting activities available. However, if you have been clever enough to send your 15-year-old to an efterskole this year, he or she may well be one of the 4,000 15-year-olds appearing at the festival gala after a week of preparations on site and six months of hard work at boarding school. (Yes, Denmark does boarding schools en masse for this age group – see www.efterskole.dk.) But whether you are 15 or 50, L2013 is a fabulous opportunity to join in. Which is, after all, what it is all about, and the sure way of making your stay in Denmark a happy one.

Health Food ‘A plan for all seasons’ will return in two months!

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GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL SPORTSGUIDE – FOR FREE! www.medarbejdermotion.dgi.dk/SportsGuides

Get your own personal guide to the local sports clubs and maybe the beginning of a Danish network Mail: CONTACT: morten.graff@dgi.dk

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

8 - 14 March 2013

ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta, pictured here with his Danish counterpart Helle Thorning-Schmidt, was a visitor to Denmark last week

The Czech ambassador Zdeněk Lyčka (right) was at hand at Husets Biograf last week to introduce a screening of ‘The Director’, a film by controversial Czech photographer Jan Saudek

The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel was the venue last week on Friday for an evening of Sicilian wine tasting

The chairman of the Moroccan parliament, Karim Ghellab (left), visited Denmark last week to meet his Danish counterpart, Mogens Lykketoft. Pictured with him enjoying some traditional Danish cuisine are Bertel Haarder (second right), the deputy chairman of the Danish parliament, and Raja Ghannam, the Moroccan ambassador (third right)

The Estonian Embassy celebrated its national day last week on Wednesday with a reception at Hellerup Park Hotel. Pictured here are Estonian ambassador Katrin Kivi (left) and Swiss ambassador Denis Feldmeyer

Seen here in a scene reminiscent of the end of ‘The Godfather’ are British ambassador Vivien Life (right) and Jens Alsbirk, the director of EU and international affairs at the Danish Chamber of Commerce, who were on Tuesday taking part in a UK business networking meeting at Børsen that was attended by many British firms

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LIVING IN AN EXPAT WORLD Belgium’s Tiny Maerschalk, who has worked for the International Community networking platform since its foundation in 2008, knows how it feels to settle in a new country. Dedicated to improving conditions for new arrivals, here she shares her insights about the issues that mean most to internationals in Denmark

Lights, strategy, action!

ENMARK NEEDS an officially formulated talent mobility strategy,” says Tine Horwitz from the Consortium for Global Talent, which is a joint initiative between 18 of the largest Danish and international companies based in Denmark – and I couldn’t agree more. International talents are desperately needed by businesses to ensure economic growth and prosperity, which is crucial to maintaining the Danish welfare state as we know it today. However, as long as Denmark does not create such a strategy on a political level, the country will lose out in the international competition to attract and retain international talents. Such a strategy on a national level has to reverberate in all legislation – with the help of the people closest to the target group. In Denmark a lot of initiatives concerning international employees have been started at both a local and regional level, where highly-qualified and professional practitioners have great insight into the wheeling and dealing of day-to-day

expat life. They also co-operate closely with the companies and know their needs and wants very well by now. These practitioners should play a vital part in designing the national mobility strategy. Moreover, the strategy must set ambitious goals and improve Denmark’s image to the

A great achievement – going from local to national within a year outside world. But empty cans rattle the most, and the strategy needs to be backed by action. In my opinion, one of the most important areas in which we talk about attracting, welcoming and retaining international employees and their families is the public service. One of the services open for change is International Citizen Service (ICS) where internationals can get their paperwork done in one place. When International Community initiated the ‘One Stop Shop’ in Aarhus

in 2009, it was based upon an existing need from the businesses in the Aarhus Region. The local initiative soon proved its worth and was transformed into a national initiative, which is today known as ICS. A great achievement – going from local to national within a year. Now it is time to improve the service even more. Today, ICS is based upon gathering different public authorities under one roof. However, it is based upon silo thinking, where each service is organised in a different authority, working within a framework of its specific legislation, organisational structure and tools. With a national strategy, the International Citizen Service should move away from this collection of authorities and become an authority in itself, thereby creating an even smoother process where a business or an expat has one point of entry with one designated contact person. This is just one example of an area where we can do better. The national talent mobility strategy is the key to long-term solutions and a precondition to be at the front of the talent race.

Community

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 - 14 March 2013

Why bother with a relocation company, when you can join the Celtics! Ben Hamilton Signing up with introduce you to a diverse bunch, boasting over 15 nationalities – some of whom are still enjoying their footy in the sixth decade of their life

o penhageners prefer playing football to watching it. The participation rate among men is miles higher than countries like Britain where pitifully low numbers play the sport once they reach their 30s. In contrast, the Østerbro-based Dansk Arbejder Idrætsforbund (DAI), just one of several amateur football bodies in the city, offers league football (both seven and eleven-a-side) for all ages, be it seniors (over-18s), old boys (over-33s), veterans (over-40s), super vets (over-45s) or masters (over-50s). One club that operates teams at all of these levels is Copenhagen Celtic, which just like its namesake was founded by Irish immigrants (in the 1980s,

not the 1880s) and prides itself on its international inclusiveness. Its members represent a vast range of nationalities, ages and abilities – many have been involved since the club’s foundation in 1982 and regularly meet off the pitch for social events like their summer party and barbecue, FA Cup Final quiz and end-of-season party. It’s not an understatement to say that for many the club is an integral part of their lives and one of the biggest factors in determining their decision to carry on living in Denmark.

From the first match that I played I was made to feel welcome by the lads, on and off the pitch The club has grown in stature over the past few years, partly down to the success of the senior eleven-man A team.

Even the meteor couldn’t put the lads off from training

If you look closely, the man on the front row, fourth from the left, is giving you the finger. Don’t worry, in Scotland that’s a term of endearment

Having gone unbeaten for the entire season of 2011, the Celtics won the A Division and were promoted to the Mesterrækken. This was followed by another successful year in 2012. While nothing was added to the trophy cabinet, they finished third, the club’s highest ever placing, and a narrow defeat in the semi-final was an indication of how hard the team had trained all year. “This was my first full year with the Celtics, and what a great year it was!” enthused Cian O’Callaghan, an Irishman who moved to Denmark in 2011 and this season has been appointed the new assistant coach of the A team. “I moved to Copenhagen

back in September 2011 and decided to look for a football club to play for, not only to feed my addiction for the beautiful game but to hopefully find a social base, a group with similar interests to me of football, beer and more football … and that I did. From the first match that I played, I was made to feel welcome by the lads, on and off the pitch. I was very surprised by the huge variety of nationalities within one club; the ease of conversing with other players who were in a very similar position to me made settling into my new life in Copenhagen very easy, and for that I will forever be grateful to this club.” The club is always interested in adding to its 100-strong

membership – and even welcomes whole teams to join its umbrella. One such team, a group of people who met at Studieskole in late 2003, joined in 2004 and is still going strong nearly ten years later, playing seven-a-side football as the 7s Bs. While there is no ladies team at present, the club would be delighted to welcome an entire team to their ranks. But while it might be too late to enter a whole team for the 2013 season, it’s never too late to join as individuals. Simply turn up to one of the club’s regular pre-season training sessions on Thursday nights at 7pm at Valby Playing Fields (Julius Andersens Vej 1, next door to Valby Hallen), specifically on

Car Fair Bella Center, Center Boulevard 5, Cph S; March 21 & 22, 14:00-18:00 and 23 & 24, 10:00-18:00; tickets: 90 kr (adults), 45kr (kids 4-12), 60kr (65 and over) Experience the world of cars at Bella Center.

Organisation and leadership across cultures Folksuniversitet course, Njalsgade 12-148, Cph S; April 20 & 21 10:15-16:00; tickets: 616kr; www.fukbh.dk Diverse cultural backgrounds can bring on differing mindsets and behaviours and make interaction a challenge. In a globalising world where cultures are constantly meeting and shaping each other, a more complex understanding of these differences is becoming increasingly important. Join lecturer Syed Salman Ahmad from Copenhagen Business School as he discusses issues of organisational and occupational cultures, cultural intelligence, and other topics in this two-day course.

Lunch with Stine Bosse British Chamber of Commerce luncheon; Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Hammerichsgade 1, Cph K; March 22, 11:45-13:00; free for members: 400kr non-members; register at www.bbc.dk At this British Chamber of Commerce lunch, businesswoman Stine Bosse will discuss her book ‘Det handler om at turde’ (it’s about daring) and her approach to no-nonsense communication and societal engagement. The event will include welcome drinks and a buffet lunch.

pitch number 4 (astroturf by the new swimming pool). Listen out for the exchange of English in a multitude of languages, get changed, and make yourself known to one of the coaches – it’s that simple. “Pre-season training for the 2013 leagues began a few months ago, and we have been delighted by the turnout so far from established club players and new players. We welcome everyone!” continues O’Callaghan. “If you can relate to my story, then don’t hesitate to contact us via our contact details, or better yet, stop by training and get involved!” The club operates eight sides in total: two seniors eleven-a-side teams, two seniors seven-a-side teams, one veterans eleven-a-side team, one veterans seven-a-side team, one super vets seven-a-side team and one masters seven-aside team. There are around 20 games a season played April to October on weekday evenings, Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. There is a summer break from late June to midAugust, but this still means that most of the games are played in warm conditions. The new season starts the weekend after Easter, so there is still time to get in shape! Join a training session on Thursday nights at 7pm at Valby Playing Fields (see details in story). For more information, consult the club’s Facebook page (search for ‘training copenhagen celtic’), efootballclub portal (www.efootballclub.com/clubs/2) or website (copenhagencelticfc. intheteam.com).

COMING UP SOON Women’s Brunch Kvinde til Kvinde meet-up, location given to registered attendees; Sat March 9, 11:00-13:30; tickets: 100kr, 75kr reduced; www. kvindetilkvinde.dk/shop/kvindebrunch-100kr Kvinde til Kvinde (Women to Women) offers a Saturday brunch for women to meet and enjoy a morning of food, friends and an inspiring speaker. The ingredients for success: an ironman’s journey European Professional Women’s Network event, Copenhagen International School, Hellerupvej 22-26, Hellerup; Tue March 12, 18:30-21:30; free for members, 150kr non-members; register at www.epwn.etheryl.net/ events/4505 Ironman champion Jimmi Raadberg will share tips from his journey to success and how to transfer skills learned in the Ironman competition to your everyday life. Gain insight into smart goal setting and motivational factors, time management and positive psychology.

Talk on Modern Buddhism Sankt Joseph – Klærkesalen, Griffenfeldsgade 44, Cph N; Tue March 12, 19:30-21:00; free adm; register at www.talksonmodernbuddhism.org/copenhagen Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong, the spiritual head of the New Kadampa Tradition, a global Buddhist organisation, will give a free talk on modern Buddhism in her first visit to Denmark. The event will feature a guided meditation and will be held entirely in English. Values in Global Education Challenges Hotel Marriott, Kalvebod Brygge 5, Cph V; March 20, 16:0019:00; free admin; register at www.bbcd.dk/en/Events Educators across the globe recognise that academia alone will no longer suffice to prepare the world’s youth for adulthood. Today’s event, led by education experts from around Europe, will discuss how to combine traditional learning conventions with the human qualities necessary for leadership and management, creativity and how to prepare young people for employment in a global world.

French Perspective on Current International Security Policy Changes Danish Institute for International Studies, main auditorium, Strandgade 71, Cph K; Thu March 14, 15:00-17:00; free adm, sign-up required by Wed March 13; register at www.diis. dk/sw127146.asp In the aftermath of the operation in Libya and in the midst of the French engagement in Mali, the Danish Institute for International Studies will hold a discussion on the unstable security environment due to international developments in the last few years. The event will be led by Camille Grand, the head of the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), a French independent think-tank on defence and security.

Friends Cafe Night Cafe Kant, Drejervej 15, Cph N; Thu March 14, 19:00-22:00; free adm; www.meetup.com/friendsproject/events/104414922 The Friends Cafe Nights will help international women build networks and make friends across cultural boundaries. Join for coffee, cake and good times!

Foreigners in Finance: KPMG Osvald Helmuths Vej 4, Frederiksberg, March 15, 18:00-21:00; free adm; register at www.kpmg. com/DK/da/arrangementer/ Join KPMG for an evening of fun and networking with global finance professionals! Learn about Danish company law, Job Vision’s career counselling and spouse assistance programme, and collaborate with other internationals for a trivia quiz. Prizes will be awarded to the lucky winners! Drinks and a light buffet will be offered.

Negativity and the Self: Individuality Library of Citizenship & Dialog, 3rd floor lecture hall, Danasvej 30B, Frederiksberg; Sun March 10, 16:30-18:00; free adm; sign-up at www.brahmakumaris.dk/tilmeldningenform. php?foredrag=166 Join a free session on meditation that will help you manage uncertainties and complexities and reduce negativity in your everyday life. The event will be run by Salman Ahmad, a brahman who has been teaching meditation for over 15 years and has also worked as a psychologist and lecturer in organisational psychology and HR management in Dubai. The event is open to anyone, but previous sign-up is necessary. Seminar on Modern Danish History Alexandersalen, University of Copenhagen, Bispetorvet 1-3, Cph K; Wed March 13, 19:00-21:30; free adm; register at www.goo.gl/A8IL4 This seminar will examine the impact of the country’s unique history and the challenges facing Denmark today.

Jessica hanley

SPORTS

THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK

8 - 14 March 2013

Factfile | Spring warm-up There are over a dozen smaller spring races to be battled through before the Giro begins in early May. Here are four of the best coming up soon.

hopes hit by Bendtner ban SCANPIX/KELDNAVNTOFT

SCANPIX/ NILS MEILVANG

Across the plains of France, Italy and Spain, the men on a mission World Cup

Milan-San Remo (March 17): This 298km one-day race in Italy has seen some memorable races in previous years that nearly always feature a wild and chaotic finish on a mountain. The race will be shown on Eurosport. Volta a Catalunya (March 18-24): This stage race around the Catalan area is the second most important race in Spain after the Vuelta. The race started way back in1911, making it the fourth-oldest stage race in the world. Alberto Contador won it in 2011 but was later disqualified because of his doping ban. Previous winners include Miguel Indurain, Laurent Jalabert and Alejandro Valverde, so you know that the race has prestige. Eurosport will show this one. Paris-Roubaix (April 4): This 254km one-day race in France is loved by cycling fans but despised by many of the riders due to its devious stretch of cobble road that winds through the Arenberg forest, causing a number of spectacular crashes every year. The race will be on TV2 and Eurosport.

Bjarne Riis, pictured here last year during gloomier times, has a lot more to smile about this season

The riders at Bjarne Riis’s Team Saxo-Tinkoff are gearing up for a season that could prove to be their most exciting ever

JARNE RIIS and Team Saxo-Tinkoff (TST) have embarked on perhaps their most exciting season in several years, and with the early part of the season in full motion, Danish cycling fans are expecting big things this year. December feels like a long time ago. Back then, things had looked less promising when TST still weren’t even guaranteed a place in this year’s UCI World Tour despite winning the Vuelta a España as recently as September.

I personally think that this [to win the Tour de France] will be the mission of Riis’s season and perhaps even of his time as a team owner, The international governing body, the UCI, was dragging its feet over handing TST one of the last few Tour licences, and it wasn’t until December 11 that

Riis and his team could finally release a sigh of relief, and only then because another team had been kicked out. It finally ended a rollercoaster ride that had begun last summer. Following the end of the 2012 season, TST announced that, with the aid of sponsorship funds mostly obtained from its new main co-sponsor, Tinkoff Bank, it was planning to make a series of high-profile signings in order to force its way back to the top of the cycling word’s elite. It wasn’t lying. One after one, they joined the TST ranks. Nicolas Roche, Michael Rogers, Roman Kreuziger, Matti Breschel and Oliver Zaugg were among the names that boarded ship. The new signings, combined with top riders Alberto Contador and Chris Anker Sørensen, look to be a solid group primed for success. And now that their season is guaranteed, there is absolutely no doubt that Riis and TST will be poised to snatch as many tour victory points as possible. And it is particularly the big three races that matter most: Italy’s Giro d’Italia (starts May 4), Spain’s Vuelta a España (starts August 24) and of course the most prestigious and important, France’s Tour de France (starts June 29). “I personally think that this [to win the Tour de France] will be the mission of Riis’s season and perhaps even of his time as

a team owner,” Ole Kristensen, the news editor at Danish cycling magazine Cykelmagasinet, told The Copenhagen Post. “To win the Tour de France with the best bike rider in existence and to once again have the best team in the world.” However, despite the marked improvements of the TST squad, the competition is going to be intense in every single competition, from the small one-day races to the large stage races. And given the competition elsewhere, this year could be one of the most exciting in a long time. “The competition is going to be fierce with the participation of Chris Froome/Bradley Wiggins, Cadel Evans/Tejay Van Garderen, Andy Schleck and likely his Vuelta rivals ‘Purito’ Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde, so the ingredients for a classic season are present,” Kristensen said. And while cycling fans have a couple of months to wait for the Giro d’Italia to begin, the spring season of this year’s edition is in full sprint already with the eight-stage Paris-Nice race, won by Wiggins last year, which is to be decided this weekend, followed by Spain’s second biggest tour, Volta a Catalunya, which begins on March 18. You can be sure that Riis will have one of his crew in the mix for a podium place in both races.

La Flèche Wallonne (April 17): The one-day race in Belgium may be less than 200km, but it features inclines on Mur de Huy in the Ardenne Forest that are nearly ten percent on average, and with a few inclines of 26 percent, one of the hills has the rightful nickname ‘The Absurd Hill’. Shown on TV2 and Eurosport.

POST DANMARK RUNDT/ARCHIVEPHOTO

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

ENMARK’S ODDS to qualify for the 2014 World Cup have lengthened ever further following the news that the national association, the DBU, has banned its first choice striker Nicklas Bendtner following his arrest for drink driving in Copenhagen on Saturday night. The Arsenal striker, 24, who is currently on loan at Italian club Juventus, for whom he hasn’t played since December 9, will miss three World Cup qualifiers: Czech Republic (March 22, away), Bulgaria (March 26, home) and Armenia (June 11, home). Bendtner’s absence against the Czechs will be the most critical, although it was doubtful whether he would have played anyway due to injury. The Czechs are Denmark’s biggest rivals to finish second behind Italy, and a win will put them six points clear with just six games left to play. Meanwhile, Juventus is believed to be considering a termination of the striker’s loan deal, during which he has played nine times (six from the bench) and not yet scored. Its coach Antonio Conte said he was confident the club would make an “appropriate decision”. When arrested on Saturday, Bendtner was driving the wrong way down a one-way street and found to be more than three times over the legal limit. It later transpired that he did not have a valid licence and must pay a fine of 842,000 kroner. However, he will not go to prison. Taking its decision, the DBU told Bendtner to “think long and hard” about his future on the national side. “The behaviour of players on the national team should at a minimum abide by society’s rules,” a statement said. Nevertheless, despite Bendtner’s absence from the next three WC qualifiers, bookmakers still rate Denmark a 2/1 chance to finish in the top two of their group. (BH)

SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF Danes are Devils

Wind power breakthrough

Cornelius content in City

Athletes surprise nobody

AC Horsens in trouble

Another bad week that Woz

MANCHESTER United’s commercial director Richard Arnold believes one out of every seven Danes supports the club – approximately 785,000 fans. Arnold made the estimate in a press release announcing a four-year sponsorship deal with Danish online financial services provider Ekspres Bank, in which it will produce an official Man United credit card for its customers, enabling them to win prizes, including match tickets.

THE MORE wind behind you, the faster you’ll cycle, or so it was believed as a new commercial for Danish fuel company OK, which is quickly going viral thanks to its witty take on gaining an unfair advantage without the use of doping, suggests it’s the wind from your behind that is key. The commercial shows a cyclist being trained to fart his way to glory, albeit at the expense of his friends at the back of the peleton.

FC COPENHAGEN striker Andreas Cornelius has indicated that he might leave his club for the English Premier League in four years’ time. Cornelius, 19, who has scored 14 Superliga goals this season, has been linked with several EPL clubs including Sunderland. However, he told Sky Sports “there is still a long way and I still have plenty to learn”, adding that his fouryear contract “seems like a good timeframe for me”.

NONE OF THE six Danish athletes qualified for their finals at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Gothenburg. Andreas Bube, the 800m outdoor silver medallist, was particularly disappointing, running only the 19th quickest time; long jumper Morten Jensen, second two years ago, missed out on the final, finishing 15th overall; while Nick Ekelund-Arenanders made the 400m semis but failed to make the final.

THE FINANCIAL authorities have reported Superliga club AC Horsens to the police for violating rules governing insider information last April. The reportage relates to the club’s decision to formally announce the departure of a board member and the election of a new president less than one day after its AGM on April 12. A spokesman for the club told media that the decision was one the club regretted.

CAROLINE Wozniacki has had a rocky week. First off, she was knocked out of the Malaysian Open by the world number 186. Then she had to put up with speculation her relationship with Rory McIlroy is faltering. The evidence: they’re not flirting on Twitter. And finally, she was called “sweet”. Urggh! Although to be fair, it was Serena Williams rejecting claims that Wozniacki’s impression of her last year was racist.

Business

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 -14 March 2013

Skat pursuing Microsoft for 5.8 billion kroner A

Economy may be heading back into recession

Colourbox

Microsoft allegedly sold on a Danish business at below the market rate to its subsidiary in order to avoid large tax bill

icrosoft is being pursued by the tax authority, Skat, for 5.8 billion kroner, according to public broadcaster DR. The sum makes the case the largest Skat has ever pursued and revolves around the American software giant’s 10.8 billion kroner purchase of Danish company Navision in 2002. Microsoft bought Navision for its highly successful supply chain management programme, but in the process, Skat alleges that Microsoft cheated it out of billions of kroner. Microsoft’s subsidiary Microsoft Danmark bought Navision and renamed it Microsoft Business Solutions. The Danish company then sold the rights to Microsoft Ireland, which is owned by companies in Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands – two locations that are known tax havens. According to tax legislation, when affiliated companies buy and sell goods from each other, they must abide by so-called

Skat alleges that Microsoft owes 5.8 billion kroner in lost tax revenue

‘transfer-pricing’ rules that force them to pay the market price for the products they are buying and selling. Skat alleges, however, that Microsoft Ireland bought the rights for far below the market value from Microsoft Danmark, meaning that the company would have to pay far less tax to the Danish government. The Danish tax authorities are now pursuing Microsoft for five billion kroner in lost revenue as well as 0.8 billion

in interest for the programme, which is now called Dynamics NAV and is being developed at Microsoft’s 600-person Danish headquarters in Vedbæk. According to DR, the different versions of the programme generate about 10 billion kroner of income annually for Microsoft. The software company is co-operating with Skat and the American tax authority, the Internal Revenue Service, to find a resolution over the missing billions. (PS)

GE suing Danfoss for price-fixing losses American multinational files civil suit over losses related to overpriced compressors. The suit arrives after Danfoss in 2011 was fined for participating in a price-fixing cartel

merican multinational General Electric (GE) is suing heat pump manufacturer Danfoss after the Jutland-based company was found guilty of participating in a price-fixing cartel, financial daily Børsen reports. Danfoss was fined 669 million kroner in December 2011 after being found guilty by the EU of collaborating with its competitors to fix the prices of refrigerator compressors. Following the verdict, GE, a significant consumer of refrigerator compressors, attempted to reach an out-of-court agreement with Danfoss and several other of the guilty companies over losses incurred from buying overpriced

compressors since 1996. While GE managed to reach a deal with two of the companies, negotiations with Danfoss, Whirlpool and ACC all failed, leading GE to file civil lawsuits against all three in a Kentucky court two weeks ago. “Negotiations with the other conspirators continued, but in February 2013 it became clear that GE’s demands could not be satisfactorily resolved without a court case,” John McCall, a lawyer representing GE, told Børsen. GE has not yet placed a figure on the losses, but regardless of the outcome GE could be entitled to three times the value of the estimated losses, according to Børsen. Danfoss managing director Niels Bjørn Christiansen argued that Danfoss inflicted no financial damages on GE because the company never followed through with implementing the agreed prices. “We haven’t set aside money

for the loss of a civil suit because, after examining our operations, we drew the conclusion that [the price fixing] had no effect [on turnover] and civil cases depend on proving that a loss had occurred,” Christiansen told Børsen. In the court documents filed by GE and obtained by Børsen, GE claims that the cartel, which controlled 85 percent of the US market, increased the cost of compressors, divided up the market and closed factories to reduce supply. GE claims it can prove that Danfoss attempted to keep prices high by closing a factory in Mexico and reducing production at a factory in Flensburg, Germany, while also attending and organising meetings of fellow conspirators. The cartel was exposed after one of the companies involved, Brazil-based Tecumseh, decided to co-operate with authorities in exchange for a lesser sentence. (PS)

Exchange Rates Australian Dollars AUD

Canada Dollars CAD

Euro EUR

Japan Yen JPY

Russia Rubles RUB

Sweden Kronor SEK

Switzerland Francs CHF

UK Pounds GBP

United States Dollars USD

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5.97

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fter predictions that Denmark’s stagnating economy would grow in 2013, the country may be heading back into recession. According to new figures reported by Bloomberg Business Week, the nation suffered its worst economic decline in several years in the last quarter of 2012. The country’s gross domestic product fell by 0.6 percent last year, the largest decline since 2009. And in the fourth quarter alone, the economy declined 0.9 percent, three times more than estimated. The data fuelled fears that Denmark may return to a recession – defined by two consecutive quarters of negative growth – after a tumultuous year of growth and decline in 2012. “The Danish economy is taking a beating on two fronts,” Niels Roehnholdt, a senior economist at Jyske Bank, told Bloomberg. “Foreign demand suffered from Europe’s crisis, while private consumption declined due to domestic households increasing their savings. The light in the dark is employment, which improved slightly.” The January unemployment rate eased down to 6.0 percent from 6.1 percent in December. Total investments and public spending both rose by 0.3 percent

Scanpix / Torkil Adsersen

Country’s economy shrinks more than expected in new figures

The economy minister, Margrethe Vestager, said that the numbers show Denmark has “a long way to go to get out of the crisis”

The Danish economy is taking a beating on two fronts in the last quarter, while both exports and housing construction fell by 1.6 percent. Consumer spending also fell 0.1 percent. While the economy minister, Margrethe Vestager (Radikale), was optimistic last year about economic growth in 2013, she said the new figures indicated the troubles are far from over. “This underlines that we have a long way to go to get out of the crisis, and that it will be heav-

ily influenced by developments abroad,” Vestager said in a statement in reference to the decline in exports. However, Helge Pedersen, the head economist at Nordea Bank, applauded the government’s efforts to boost the economy last week via its growth and jobs bill. “Once again, the Danish economy is halfway into a recession,” Pedersen told Bloomberg News. “On that backdrop, there’s reason to commend the government for the timing of its growth plan.” The government’s reforms included cutting corporate taxes, business costs and student funding (SU) in order to boost the economy. (JH)

BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN DENMARK

It’s about daring... Stine Bosse, has a Master of Law from the University of Copenhagen and before being appointed to Group CEO of TrygVesta A/S in 2001, she held various positions in Tryg which provided her with a unique, thorough and hands-on understanding of the day-to-day operations. She is widely known in the public for her direct and no-nonsense communication and is enthusiastically engaged in the societal debate for a better and safer world. She is a role model for many aspiring young people as the highest ranking female CEO in Denmark and was appointed the 22nd most influential business woman in the world in 2009 and 2010 by the Financial Times. Stine Bosse serves as chairman of Flügger Denmark, The Royal Danish Theatre, CONCITO, Børnefonden, and Copenhagen Art Festival. She is Danish member of ChildFund Alliance, and sits on the board of among others Nordea Bank A/S, TDC, Allianz and Aker ASA. Additionally, Stine Bosse is the former chairman of the supervisory board of the Danish Insurance Association (Forsikring & Pension), and former board member of Grundfos and Amlin plc. In the Spring 2010, Stine Bosse was appointed Advocate for the Millenium Development Goals by the UN Secretary General, Ban Kimoon, to fight world hunger and poverty. Stine will talk about the essence of her book “Det handler om at turde”. Programme: • 11.45: Registration and welcome drinks • 12.00: Welcome and introduction by Mariano A. Davies, President, BCCD • 12.10: Guest speaker - Stine Bosse • 12.40: Questions and discussion • 12.55: Announcements by Penny Schmith, Executive Director, BCCD • 13.00: Buffet lunch and networking

Date: Friday, 22 March 2013 Venue: Conference Suite on 1st floor Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Hammerichsgade 1 Copenhagen K

Non-members are very welcome. Please contact BCCD or go to www.bccd.dk for further information. Price in kroner for one unit of foreign currency

Date: 6 March 2013

If you would like to attend then please send us an email (event@bccd.dk) or call +45 31 18 75 58

THEEMPLOYMENT COPENHAGEN POST THE COPENHAGEN POST CPHPOST.DK SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PAGE

SPOUSE: Caroline Warnes FROM: England, UK SEEKING WORK IN: Midtjylland, preferably Aarhus QUALIFICATION: MSc Environmental Dynamics; Monitoring, Evaluation and Management, BSc (Hons) Geography. Both from Loughborough University, UK. EXPERIENCE: Has worked as a mapping data analyst for a telecommunications company and an evaluation technician and analyst for a utilities company in the UK. Undergraduate thesis was written on public acceptance of wind energy and wind turbines. Experience with GIS, mapping, data analysis, producing reports, working with contractors and clients to time constraints and budgets. LOOKING FOR: Full time (preferably) or part time work within environmental/land acquisition/ planning/wind farm project development. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (mother tongue), Danish (beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Office, Internet, MapInfo, ArcGIS, Wallingford InfoNet, previous experience of SPSS and bespoke analysis software. CONTACT: caroline@warnes.dk , Tel: +45 3133 3659 SPOUSE: Christina Koch FROM: Australia SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Drama, 1997 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Experienced actor and voice coach for speakers, with parallel high level experience in written communications. LOOKING FOR: Voice coaching for corporate presenters and speakers, Writing and Communications work, work in theatre organisations. IT EXPERIENCE:Microsoft Office, Office for Mac. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English – Native speaker, excellent written and oral expression. German – good reading and listening skills. Spanish – fluent oral communication, good reading and listening skills. Danish – beginners level speaking and writing skills. CONTACT: Christina@hermionesvoice.com, Tel: +45 5277 3093, www.hermionesvoice.com. SPOUSE: Clémence Arnal FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen; Region Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Wastewater/drinking water (processes and treatments, building design, water sampling and pollution rate measurement); environment protection (river basin management, waste management). EXPERIENCE: Waste sorting representative (Office “Communauté du Pays d’Aix”, France); Leaks investigation on drinking water networks, Help to communes to deal with their drinking water system, Control operation of individual sanitation systems (Office “G2C Environnement”, France); Drinking water stations security: putting the Antiterrorist security plan in practice, employees security , Distribution network security: determining the cost of a network re-chlorination unit (“Drinking Water” administration of Aix en Provence, France). LOOKING FOR: Water treatment assistant / engineer. LANGUAGE SKILLS: French (mother tongue); English (Fluent); Danish (Prøve Dansk 3). IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office; AutoCAD (basic); Mapinfo (basic). CONTACT: clem.arnal@gmail.com, Tel: +45 2334 6322 SPOUSE: Lorenzo Albano F. FROM: Venezuela SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen and Capital Region QUALIFICATIONS: PhD, MSc in Physics, BSc in Geophysics. EXPERIENCE: Researcher/programmer of numerical/computational methods in geophysics, signal processing, tomographic inversion, wave propagation. Lecturer in physics, mathematics and informatics. Researcher in theoretical quantum optics and quantum information. LOOKING FOR: Employment, freelance work, internship or plain unpaid collaboration in applied research/engineering/scientific computing and numerical methods/science education/ computational geophysics. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in Spanish (native), English and Italian. Danish (Modul 4, DanskUddannelse 3). IT experience: MSDOS, Windows 7/Vista/XP, Linux (Ubuntu, Solaris), included Shell scripting. C, C++, FORTRAN, Visual BASIC. Web: HTML, CSS, Joomla!. LaTeX2E. Mathematica, MATLAB, MS Office/ OpenOffice, PhotoShop/Gimp. CONTACT: lorenzoalbanof@gmail.com, Tel: +45 5015 9819 SPOUSE: Maihemutijiang Maimaiti FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus area, Denmark QUALIFICATION: M.Sc. In Computer Science, Uppsala University, Sweden; Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Southwest University. LOOKING FOR: IT jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Chinese, Uyghur. IT EXPERIENCE: 1 year experience in Java programming and modelling in VDM++. CONTACT: mehmudjan@live.se SPOUSE: Teja Priyanka FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: MBA in Finance and marketing, bachelor in Biotechnology. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Telugu(mother tongue), Hindi, English, Danish(beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: Familiar with Microsoft office (word, excel, Powerpoint,access), Photoshop. CONTACT: teja.priyanka.n@gmail.com SPOUSE: Lorena Augusta Moreira FROM: Brazil SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Interior Designer. EXPERIENCE: + 3 of experience with interior design and sales of furniture and decoration products. LOOKING FOR: Position in an Organization/Company in the fields of: Interior design, lay-out and organization of vitrines, sales and assistance management. IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook, access and power-point) access to internet. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Portuguese (native) and Spanish (pre-intermediate). CONTACT: lorena-augusta@hotmail.com, Tel: + 45 5217 7084 SPOUSE: Mohammad Ahli- Gharamaleki FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master degree in chemical engineering. EXPERIENCE: 5+ years as a chemical engineer in R&D oil/gas projects as a team leader or member in Iran. LOOKING FOR: A position in an Intrnational company to expand my experience and expertise. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Azeri (native), English (fluent), Farsi (fluent), Arabic (good), Turkish (good), Danish(beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: Professional (MATLAB, Hysys, Aspen plus, Auto Cad, others (Office, Minitab). CONTACT: mohammad_ahli@yahoo.com, Tel: +45 7163 1285 SPOUSE: Christina Ioannou FROM: Greece SEEKING WORK IN: Central Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: MA in HRM London, UK. Bsc. American College USA. EXPERIENCE: Worked as a manager for 11 years in the retailing sector - fashion industry for a big international corporation. I had budget and personnel responsibility. I was in charge of the purchasing department. LOOKING FOR: Any kind of industry.Not simply in fashion.Where I will apply my leadership, sales, communicative and purchasing skills. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Swedish,Italian, French, Greek IT-EXPERIENCE: MS Office CONTACT: EMAIL: christina_ioannou@yahoo.com, Tel: +46 7684 35211

PARTNERS:

8 - 14 March 2013 SPOUSE: Chia-Pei CHEN FROM: Taiwan SEEKING WORK IN: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching in corporations, institutions or International schools. QUALIFICATION: A certified teacher of teaching Chinese as a second language. A degree in Social Science discipline. Continuously participation in training program (organized by Beijing Hanban of CHINA and CBS) to teach Chinese to foreigners in western context. Enrolment to distance Chinese teaching education system that keeps professional Chinese teachers resourceful. EXPERIENCE: I am a certified teacher of teaching Chinese as a second language to foreigners. And I have started teaching Chinese with English in my class for 2 years. I design suitable materials to teach Chinese with different phonetic systems (PinYin for China and Hong Kong, and Mandarin Phonetic Symbols for Taiwan) as well as to interpret differences between simplified and traditional Chinese characters. My past positions were Chinese language-related, such as: reporter, translator and social science researcher. Students who I taught before regard me as a sincere, discreet teacher who helps learners to progress in short time. LOOKING FOR: Business Chinese/ Tutorial Chinese teaching. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese (mother tongue), English (Fluent), French (basic), Danish (beginner). IT EXPERIENCE: Word Office, SPSS statistic software, Basic Video and Audio editing, Blog writing. CONTACT: teacherchen@live.com, Tel: -45 2581 6518 SPOUSE: Sadra Tabassi FROM: Iran SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Master of Business Administration (MBA) LOOKING FOR: Any full time job related to my qualification field LANGUAGE SKILLS: Languages Fluent in English; Native in Farsi (Persian) and elementary level of Arabic. IT EXPERIENCE: Basic knowledge about computer (Windows), Office 2010 (Word, Excel, Power Point),Statistical software (SPSS) CONTACT: sadra.tabassi@gmail.com, Tel: +45 5033 7753 SPOUSE: Katarzyna Szkaradek FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Mental hospitals, voluntary(Ngo) organisations, kindergartens, nurseries, babysitting QUALIFICATION: Ma in Psychology (2008), post graduate studies in psychotherapy (4th year/ 5 year). EXPERIENCE: I am a highly motivated and creative individual with excellent communication skills. From January 2010 till August 2010 I worked independly in private practice. For the last 2 years (January ,2009 -October, 2010) I worked with children (also with special needs -Autism, Asperger, Down syndrome etc) and their families as a psychologist. My duties included organizing games, monitoring children’s development , consulting teachers and parents where appropriate and providing individual therapy. For the last 10 years I was member of NGO organisation and I was a volunteer in Israel, Italy, Portugal and Romania. LOOKING FOR: Internship in mental hospitals, part – time or full time jobs in kindergartens, nurseries, job as a babysitter, voluntary job in hospitals. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English–advance level (C1), Danish – (module 3 /module 5), Polish-native speaker IT EXPERIENCE: MS Windows, basic MS Office, Internet. CONTACT: szkasienka@gmail.com, Tel: +45 5082 8802 SPOUSE: Vidya Singh FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus, Aalborg or nearby areas. QUALIFICATION: Master in Computer Management, Bachelor of Science, Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Professional. EXPERIENCE: Total 8 years (4 year in telecommunication as customer care + 4 year as HR recruiter consultant). LOOKING FOR: HR (Trainee/Assistant/Recruiter/consultant), Customer service, office work, IT LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi and Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, Hardware, Networking, Intranet and Internet. CONTACT: vidya.singh37@gmail.com, Tel: +45 7144 3554 SPOUSE: Francis Farias FROM: Venezuela SEEKING WORK IN: Greater København QUALIFICATION: Master in Spanish Studies from Universidad de Cadiz, Spain, as a Spanish Teacher and BA in Teaching English as a Second Language. Diplomas in Digital Photography (from Venezuela and Spain). EXPERIENCE: 7 years experience as a teacher of English and Spanish at JMV University. Academic translator (Spanish-English/English-Spanish) and freelance photographer. LOOKING FOR: Spanish language teacher, translator, interpreter, photographer. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (native). Basic Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: Office tools, Photoshop. CONTACT: carolina1928@gmail.com, Tel: +45 5081 4073 SPOUSE: Jawon Yun-Werner FROM: South Korea SEEKING WORK IN: Healthcare, Hospitals, Elderly/Child Care (in Greater Copenhagen Area). QUALIFICATION: B.A. in Nursing, Masters in Public Health. I am AUTHORIZED to work as a Nurse in Denmark. (Have Danish CPR and work permit). EXPERIENCE: 1O years of experience as a nurse and midwife from the prominent hospitals. LOOKING FOR: Any healthcare related jobs (hospitals, clinics, elderly/childcare places). I am open to any shift or day. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Korean, Danish (Intermediate, in progress, Module 3). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office, SASS Statistical Software CONTACT: cuteago@yahoo.com, Tel: +45 3095 2053 SPOUSE: Mohamed Ismail FROM: Egypt SEEKING WORK IN: Marketing & Sales QUALIFICATION: Master of Science in Business and Economics with Specialization in Marketing. From Linnaeus University. Vaxjo, Sweden. EXPERIENCE: 3+ years in Marketing and sales, worked for one of the biggest Steel Companies in the middle east, worked in FMCG as a key account Sales Supervisor, worked as customer service international account for one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world. Experience in business development and innovation. Worked in sales in retail shops. Very motivated and high potential, believe in team work and good in sales and presentation skills. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Copenhagen LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in English and Arabic. Danish and Swedish (intermediate and currently learning) IT EXPERIENCE: Excellent in MS office, Excel, word and powerpoint, excellent in Browsing and internet searching. Excellent in SPSS, basic knowledge of Photoshop. CONTACT: mohamediismail86@yahoo.com, Tel: -45 5361 0031 SPOUSE: Deepak Kumar Koneri FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: M.Sc in Electrical Engineering specialization in Embedded Systems (Jönköping, Sweden), B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Hyderabad, India). EXPERIENCE: Worked as Electrical Distribution Design Engineer in Electrical Consultant company for more than 2 years. I was responsible from the start of design definition phase till the implementation phase of individual project. LOOKING FOR: Full and part time job opportunity in Energy, Robust Electronics design, PCB Design, Thermal Analyst, Design & Modelling of power systems, power optimization, simulation and also in constructional, architectural consulting organization. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (Fluent), Hindi (Mother Tongue), Swedish (Basic) and Danish(Basic, Currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS-Office (word, Excel, Power point, Visio), CFD (Mentor Graphics FloTHERM, FloVENT, Noesis OPTIMUS, Electrical CAD, Assembly Programming (PIC 16f77, 8086,8051), WireMOM, Telelogic SDL-99, C and VHDL. CONTACT: konerideepak@gmail.com, Tel: +45 7156 1151

SPOUSE: Dolon Roy FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Sjælland QUALIFICATION: Masters in Science(Chemistry), BEd. (Teacher training course). EXPERIENCE: St. John Diocessan School February-May 2005, Kolkata, India. The Assembly of God Church School April-May 2006, Kolkata, India. Disari Public School June 2006-October 2007, India. Research project work Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen University, March-July 2009. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time work teaching in primary,secondary or higher school level (Chemistry, Mathematics, Science). LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Bengali, Danish (modul 3/modul 5). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft office. CONTACT: dolonroy2005@yahoo.com. Tel: +45 6066 8239 SPOUSE: Chao Wen FROM: China SEEKING WORK IN: Great Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Language teacher (German, Chinese. EXPERIENCE: Teaching Chinese as a foreign language by offering company-course for 2 years, in Germany; teaching Chinese to native speaker in private school for 4 years, in Germany; teaching German as a foreign language by offering private course; exhibition interpreter; translator. LOOKING FOR: Part time or full time in Aarhus, Language teacher, translator or interpreter. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Chinese, English, German, Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: Windows, Open office, Powerpoint. CONTACT: wenlily80@googlemail.com, Tel: +45 4841 7526 SPOUSE: Dr Shivanee Shah FROM: India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Homeopathic Medicine Doctor, Medical transcriptionist, Medical auditor for medical insurances. EXPERIENCE: 5 years of experience of running own clinic, medical transcription, medical audits with national level scheme. LOOKING FOR: Full time/part time opportunity with pharmaceutical company, as assistant doctor, medical transcription, medical bill audits for insurance companies, data entry related jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, Hindi, Danish class to commence shortly CONTACT: pranavdsc@yahoo.com, Tel: +45 7184 1109 SPOUSE: Pooja Nirwal FROM: New Delhi, India SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen and Capital region. QUALIFICATION: Masters (M. Sc) in Environmental Science, +2 yrs of Exp. as Env. Consultant in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment. LOOKING FOR: Positions in Consultancy/Organizations/NGOs working in the field of Environmental Science (Climate Change, EIA, Env. Compliance Audits, Solid Waste Management etc.). LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluent in English, Hindi and Sanskrit, Started learning Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office (Powerpoint, Word, Excel). CONTACT: poojadahiya1@gmail.com, Tel: +45 5039 0460 SPOUSE: Keshab Nidhi Pantha FROM: Nepal SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: Masters in Mathematics EXPERIENCE: 4 years Mathematics teaching in secondary level and 2 years Mathematics teaching in Bachlor level. LOOKING FOR: Full time/ part time Mathematics teaching in international scool or College/ University LANGUAGE SKILLS: English,Nepali,Hindi and little Danish IT EXPERIENCE: 6 months diploma in computer with MS words and excel. CONTACT: pantha_kn@yahoo.com, Tel: +45 7157 9893 SPOUSE: Munawar Saleem FROM: Pakistan SEEKING WORK IN: Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: MBA logistics and supply chain management (Jonkoping University, Sweden) M.Sc. Computer Sciences (Punjab University, Lahore Pakistan). EXPERIENCE: 4 years, Lecturer in computer sciences. LOOKING FOR: Full time or part time job in Logistics and Supply. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (fluent), Urdu (mother tongue), Swedish (Basic). IT EXPERIENCE: Proficient in MS Office (word, excel, power point etc.). CONTACT: libravision3@gmail.com, Tel: +45 7141 2010 SPOUSE: Nicolas Corbet FROM: France SEEKING WORK IN: Greater Copenhagen QUALIFICATION: M. Sc. in Computer Science, ITIL certified EXPERIENCE: 4 years as IT Infrastructure Manager and 6 years as IT Infrastructure Project Manager. Solid Background in Infrastructure Design, Project, Team and Service Management. Broad experience in systems, networks and storage architectures. 1 and a half years as IT Operations Manager. Complete profile available on LinkedIn. LOOKING FOR: A new and challenging position in an international environment as IT Infrastructure Architect/Project Manager or Manager. Open also to volunteering opportunities. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English (working knowledge), French (mother tongue), German (academic knowledge), Danish (currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: Microsoft Windows Server and Client OS, VMware, IBM servers and storage, Cisco and Fortinet, among others. CONTACT: nicolas.corbet@free.fr, Tel: +45 5018 5966 SPOUSE: Dr Tessa Kate Anderson FROM: UK SEEKING WORK IN: University, education, research, social science, geography, GIS, spatial analysis, urban geography. EXPERIENCE: PhD from UCL (UK) in GIS and road safety, Assistant Professor at University of Canterbury, New Zealand for 3 years, Assistant Professor in GIS at University of Queensland for 1 year, Research Fellow at University of Hong Kong for 3 years. I have experience in project management and working in both the private and public sector. I have taught up to Masters level and have design courses and taught extensively. LOOKING FOR: Research, teaching, consultancy positions. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English, French (small amount), Chinese (beginner), I am enrolled at Danish language school IT EXPERIENCE: ArcGIS, MapInfo, GeoDa, Global Mapper, GWR, Python, Image J, SPSS, Excel, Work, PowerPoint, Access, Dreamweaver, Adobe, SAS, open source GIS programmes. CONTACT: tessaanderson@gmail.com SPOUSE: Erik Metzger FROM: San Francisco, CA USA SEEKING WORK IN: Drug & Alcohol Counselling QUALIFICATION: Masters degree in addiction counselling from Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies; Currently preparing for the IC&RC counselling exam. EXPERIENCE: Drug & Alcohol Counsellor; Masters in Addiction Counselling from Hazelden Graduate School in Minnesota, USA, August 2012. Ten years of active work in various 12-step programs. I can meet with you and/or your family to develop a custom recovery plan; all ages welcome. Registered Yoga Teacher through: www.yogaalliance.org since July, 2010. I can supply yoga mats and supports; my apartment or yours! Teacher of business English with training from Berlitz, Virksomhedsskolen and Denmark’s Library School (Cand.scient.bibl., 2007). *All diploma’s and certifications available upon request LOOKING FOR: Part/Full/Freelance/Volunteer work at treatment center and/or outpatient clinic. LANGUAGE SKILLS: English: Native; Danish: Fluent verbal skills and intermediate reading and writing. IT EXPERIENCE: PC and Mac – trained in many software packages and databases. CONTACT: erikmetz@gmail.com

Employment

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 - 14 March 2013 Spouse: Sucharita Reddy From: India Seeking work in: Anywhere in Denmark Qualification: Bachelor in Technology (Electrical Engineering) Experience: 4+ years of professional experience in SAP ABAP & OO-ABAP programming for Material Management(MM), Plant Maintenance(PM), Document Management and Record Management System(DM/RM), Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), Sales and Distribution(SD) and Finance (FI) modules. Looking for: Job opportunities in IT (technical or Functional),Consulting,Management or Business Field. Language skills: Proficient in English & Hindi. Danish(learning Intensive course) IT experience: SAP ABAP/4 technical skills include ABAP Programs (Dialog Programming, Standard and Interactive Reports), ALV Reporting, Smartforms, User Exit and Field Exit Development, Interfacing Data with external systems, Data conversions, Programming using BDC, ABAP/4 Workbench, Data Dictionary, Batch Job management, Workflows, Adobe Forms, Webdynpro, ABAP Objects Contact: sucharita17.reddy@gmail.com, Tel: +45 527 1184. Spouse: Momina Bashir Awan From: Pakistan Seeking Work in: All of Denmark Qualification: MBA (Degrees Assessed by Danish Agency for International Education). Experience: 4 years of wide experience as Human Resources Analyst in a USA based Pakistani. Organization. Involved in Recruitment of IT personnel for outsourcing, Compensation and benefits planning, Wage analysis, Conduct Training and Development Seminars and Team building. One year of Experience in Telesales of Citibank NA., 6 months of experience in Customer Services in Telecom sector. Looking for: Jobs in HR and Customer Services Language Skills: English [Fluent], Urdu [Mother tongue], Hindi [Fluent], Danish [Beginner’s Level]. Contact: mominabashir@msn.com, Tel: +45 7135 2387 Spouse: Jennifer Bouma From: The Netherlands Seeking work in: Egedal Kommune, Copenhagen 30 km. Qualification: Managers Secretary, hands on, reliable, structured, self reliant, social, team player). looking for: Secretary job. Language Skills: Dutch, Danish, English, German, French, Italian. IT experience: MS Office ( Word, Excel), Outlook, SAP. Contact: jenniferbouma@ hotmail.com Spouse: Anisha Kanjhlia From: India Seeking work in: Arhus in Teaching/Training/Administration/Media/Public Relations Qualification: Post Graduate in Advertising & Communication. Experience: 6+ years of professional experience in Training, Customer Service, Promotions, Brand Marketing, Content Analysis and Team Management. Strong experience in planning and executing initiatives. Extensive training experience and influencing skills that will assist me in building a high potential, motivated and an effective team. Hands-on training in soft skills like crucial conversations and people management Branch Manager & Head of Training for Cosmo Aviation Training School in New Delhi, India. Proficient in analysing market trends to provide critical inputs for decision making and formulating training strategies. looking for: Part time or full time in Aarhus. IT experience: Comfortable with all the basic computer knowledge like Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet browsing. Contact: anisha.feb@rediffmail.com, Tel: +45 2230 5837

Spouse: Clotilde IMBERT From: France Seeking work in: Greater Copenhagen Qualification: Master of town planning and development and master of urban geography (Paris IVSorbonne) Experience: 5 years in field of town planning and development: Coordinator in urban project in a semi-public company: supervised a major urban project in Paris area (coordination of studies, acquisition of lands, worked with Planning Development of the Town Council, architects, developers to define the master plan and implement the project); Officer in research and consultancy firm (urban diagnosis, environmental impact assessments, inhabitants consultation). Looking for: A job in urban project field: planning department of Town Council or consultancy firm in town planning, environment and sustainable development, architecture firm, real estate development company. Language skills: French (mother tongue), English (professional usage), Spanish (basic), Danish (In progress). IT Experience: MS Office, Abode Illustrator, AutoCad (basic), PC and Mac. Contact: clotilde.imbert@gmail.com Spouse: Simon Rigby From: United Kingdom (originally Scotland) Seeking work in: Jylland, Fyn or Sjælland (anywhere in Denmark). Qualification: Secondary High School - 8 ‘Ordinary’ levels & 3 ‘Advanced’ levels achieved. Experience: Business Development, Sales & Marketing and Client Relationship Management specialist. 15+ years experience in securing ‘insurance and lifestyle benefits’ contracts with high volume and high consumer numbers within the Affinity Group Marketing sector from a wide variety of distribution channels including banks, financial institutions, large membership affinity groups and employers, credit card issuers and insurers. Highly accomplished and skilled at ‘low cost, high perceived value’ large scale marketing to B2B and B2C target audiences through both on-line and other direct marketing channels. Entire career spent in the banking, finance and insurance sectors the latter of which I have spent in the UK employment of 3 of the top 4 global insurance brokers. A team player and a ‘people person’ with the skills and abilities to easily and comfortably interact with individuals at all levels. Natural problem solver who sees opportunities rather than obstacles. Simplistic and structured approach to finding straightforward and practical solutions to problems. looking for: A job within an organisation (financial services or otherwise) where my Sales & Marketing and Key Account managerial skills and experience are fully utilised and where I can provide a sustainable and tangible long term contribution to my new employer as well as to my new country within which I have chosen to permanently live. Language skills: English (mother tongue); German (very good); French (good); Danish (basic, but currently enrolled on a ‘Danskuddannelse 3’ language course). IT experience: Word - Advanced user. Powerpoint - Proficient user. Excel - Basic. Contact: simon040561@hotmail.co.uk, Tel: +45 6016 8040. SPOUSE: Malgorzata Tujakowska FROM: Poland SEEKING WORK IN: Aarhus and the surrounding area QUALIFICATION: Masters in Ethnolinguistics with major in Chinese and English, Chinese HSK and Business Chinese Test certificates, 2-year long studies at Shanghai International Studies University and National Cheng Kung University,Taiwan. LOOKING FOR: Working for companies hiring Polish and Chinese employees, teaching Chinese, Polish, Business English, linguistics, translation and interpretation, proofreading, Chinese business and culture consulting, administrative work. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Polish (native speaker), Chinese – simplified and traditional (fluent), English (fluent), German(intermediate), Danish (intermediate-currently learning). IT EXPERIENCE: MS Office. CONTACT: m.tujakowska@gmail.com, Tel: +45 2870 2377

Spouse: Silvia Figueira From: Portugal Seeking work in: Copenhagen Qualification: Landscape Architect Degree at Lisbon Technical University Experience: 14+ years of professional experience in planning and developing Land Use, Urban Planning, and Landscaping projects, that include development of master plans, urban design/ renewal, retail areas, leisure areas, schools, residential complexes and private housing. Experience in garden construction consultancy and maintenance schedules. Looking for: Part/Full/Freelance work as a Landscape Architect at Architecture/or Landscape offices. Language skills: Portuguese mother tongue. Fluent in English and Spanish. Basic knowledge of French. Starting Danish course. IT Experience: Proficient in the use of AutoCAD and MS Office. Trained in Adobe Illustrator/ Photoshop and ArcGIS. Contact: silviamfigueira@gmail.com, Tel: +45 2237 4427 SPOUSE: Ylenia Fiorini FROM: Italy Seeking work in: Copenhagen Qualification: Post Graduate Master’s Degree in Peace Studies, Development Cooperation, International Mediation and Conflict resolution Experience: I have ten years experience as social worker in Italy,and experience in various fields, in the social and third sector and I feel that my educational background combined with my campaign assistant practice in the Ngo Burma Campaign, in Barcelona, has been an excellent preparation. In the same way also my job experiences in the social field made me open to different situations and to see them as a source of knowledge. Looking for: Entry Level jobs in the third sector field, in international organization or NGO’s Language Skills: Italian Mother tongue, fluent in Spanish, English, French, Swedish (basic) IT Experience: Ms Office (Mac,Windows) Contact: yleniafiorini@yahoo.it SPOUSE: Kamali Ganesan SEEKING WORK IN: Jylland, Denmark QUALIFICATION: IT engineer. EXPERIENCE: IT Supporter,LEGO systems. LOOKING FOR: IT and Multimedia jobs. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Tamil, English and Danish. IT EXPERIENCE: 3 Years in LEGO systems. CONTACT: anbukamali@gmail.com

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

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For more information, deadlines and other job vacancies visit our webpage www.cphpost.dk/jobvacancies

Culture

The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 - 14 March 2013

Ben Hamilton

nd to think Ben Affleck didn’t think it could get any better! Last week on Thursday, his film ‘Argo’, fresh from its triumph at the 2012 Academy Awards, scooped best American film at the Danish film industry’s Robert Awards. It completes a memorable awards season for the artist formerly known as one half of Bennifer. Or does it? No, hold the front page, because on March 16, there is yet another Danish film awards scheduled to take place. While the Roberts, which began in 1984, are selected by the members of the Danish Film Academy, the Bodils, which began in 1948, are voted for by the members of Filmmedarbejderforeningen, the film critic’s union. It would appear that, for a small country, Denmark has an awful lot of film awards. Leading the charge is the Roberts, which last week bestowed 36 – that’s 12 more than the Oscars! Among the awards handed out were gongs for the best non-American film, the public’s choice for best children’s or youth film, and for the first time, seven TV-specific ones.

Does Trine Dyrholm (left) win every year? Sharing the limelight is Bodil Jørgensen who she tied for best actress

The big winner on the night was not, as many might have predicted following its Oscar nomination, ‘En kongelig affære’ (‘A Royal Affair’), although it did win nine awards. No, rather bizarrely, despite the film academy agreeing that the costume drama had the best director, supporting actor and actress (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Trine Dyrholm), cinematography, make-up, score, set design, special effects and, of course, costumes, the best film award went to ‘Kapringen’ (‘A Kidnapping’). The drama, which depicts the illegal taking of a

Danish cargo boat by Somali pirates, won four other awards for best actor (Søren Malling), script, editing and sound. Among the other winners were ‘Hvidstengruppen’ (‘The Village: One Family’s Sacrifice Will Let a Country Live’), which won the public’s choice for best drama and saw its star Bodil Jørgensen share the best actress award with Trine Dyrholm (who else!) for ‘Den skaldede frisør’ (‘Love is all you need’), which won the public award for best comedy. The big TV winner was

‘Forbrydelsen 3’ (‘The Killing 3’), which won four awards including best TV series, the public’s choice award, and best TV actor (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and actress (Sofie Gråbøl). And among the miscellaneous winners were ‘The Act of Killing’ (best documentary), ‘Amour’ (best non-American film), ‘Homeland’ (best foreign TV series), and 78-year old actress Ghita Nørby (honorary), just one year after winning the honorary Bodil! Many have questioned the wisdom of a small country like

Denmark having two awards shows, particularly when the recipients are so often the same. A quick look at the three major categories (best film, actor and actress – the Bodils has no best director award) reveals that in the last six years, 12 of the 18 awards have been duplicates. One film industry professional who believes the two award ceremonies should merge is Bo Ehrhardt, the co-founder of Nimbus Film, the producer of ‘Festen’ and ‘Flammen og Citronen’. “It is a problem that a lot of energy is being used to produce two award celebrations, while both organisations are struggling to make ends meet,” he told DR in 2011. “We should be only doing one big event a year − to create a greater identity and a stronger brand around Danish film.” However, the same article revealed that Mette Bubandt Aagaard of the Danish Film Academy disagreed. “Nobody talks about the Oscars and Golden Globe merging together,” she argued. Only recently, such a proposal was put to the 40 (yes just 40!) members of Filmmedarbejderforeningen to merge the two, and it was rejected − great news for those of us who can’t get enough of film awards. With the Bodils set to award another 20 plus this month, that’s more then one award for every 100,000 people who live in Denmark.

Mark Walker The Devils of Loudun HHHHHH

Store Scene, Opera

or those who generally take a disinterest in opera, Krzysztof Penderecki is a Polish composer whose work, even if you don’t recognise his name, will be familiar. He counts among his admirers the film directors David Lynch, Martin Scorcese and the late Stanley Kubrick − all of whom have either collaborated with Penderecki or used his compositions in their films, most notably in ‘Wild at Heart’, ‘Shutter Island’ and ‘The Shining’. Based on a documented episode of mass-hysteria and exorcism at a French convent during the 17th century, this opera, directed here by the celebrated British talent Keith Warner, opens with the hunchbacked Mother Jeanne (Ylva Kihlberg) receiving a rejection letter from the Priest Grandier (Louis Otey) declining her offer to lead her convent. Dejected and distraught, the woman becomes obsessed with the priest. A powerful horror permeates the production, one of sickness that speaks of madness and human chaos, particularly the kind brought on by the sup-

Per Morten Abrahamsen

Another shining moment for the horror score genius

Ray Weaver A Michelin-starred chef renowned for his work as only the third head chef in the history of Kong Hans Kælder in Copenhagen, he is also becoming well known as Denmark’s number one ambassador for the paleo or Stone Age diet: High in protein and vegetables and minus everything that has anything to do with sugar, bread, pasta, rice and many other grains. Andersen is a man on a mission to change the way we eat. CPH Post: So you are the meat guy? I get that a lot. Meat is part of the paleo diet, for sure, but I think people would be very surprised at just how little meat I eat. There are plenty of other foods, including vegetables, which are packed with protein. How did you get into this whole paleo deal? Just after I met my wife − who is 14 years younger than me − I was looking for a way to get in better shape and be more healthy. A friend told me about the paleo diet, and it just made sense: eating the way our bodies were designed to eat instead of filling ourselves with processed food and industrial poisons. Your book about the diet has been a huge success in Danish. Any plans to release it in English? We are looking for someone to do that right now. We have had a few offers, but we want to do it right. We have sold around 40,000 copies in Denmark. People are beginning to understand that this is not a fad diet − this is a lifestyle based on how we are designed to eat.

It won’t surprise you to learn that Penderecki also composed for ‘The Exorcist’

pression of natural human impulse, namely love. Grandier, having secretly taken a wife, laments the absurd incompatibility of God with happiness as does Jeanne secretly yearn for both the love of her parents and that of a man. There is also, surprisingly, a lot of humour. ‘The Devils of Loudun’ has spells of being very funny, at least for the first hour of its duration. It later takes a colder, violent tone, but only in accordance with the narrative, and it is no less engaging

Who is … Thomas Rode Andersen ? Press Photo/ Arthur A

Every cloud though! The addition of TV gongs will finally help the Roberts stand out from the Bodils as this country’s answer to the Golden Globes

scanpix/ Keld Navntoft

More awards than the Oscars, and even more next week!

for it. Penderecki’s haunting string arrangements and choral cacophonies make for uncomfortable soundscapes that reverberate long after hearing them. Some of the artistic direction, particularly the costumes, are intended to fuse a contemporary aesthetic with that of an authentic 17th century period – but this proves distracting and outmoded. However, the production design by Boris Kudlicka, which offers awe-inspiring spectacle, must

be praised as outstanding. A central, travelling space that revolves and comprises three main spaces is particularly inventive. The entire experience is enormously affecting, instilling a palpable sense of dread that is relative less to the Catholic conception of afterlife but instead speaks of the terrifying way in which men, under the veil of any religious or political institution, will wield the inescapable spectre of death as a tool of control and suppression.

Grandier’s burning at the stake is brilliantly solved for the stage in a final image that elegantly serves to remind that this widespread chaos, reaching up into the highest levels of church and state, began in the heart of one so tragically unloved that she would wish her pain on others. The Devils of Loudun will continue playing at Store Scene until March 26. The next performance is on Tuesday March 12. For more details, see page G2 of InOut.

The Michelin awards are due out soon. Are those stars important to Kong Hans Kælder? They are very important, especially to tourists and visitors looking to try out our restaurant à la carte. It helps lead them our way. Okay, you say that there is more to paleo than meat, but the cover of your book shows you with a huge leg of some dead animal on your shoulder, so what’s your take on this whole horse meat scandal? I think anything that makes people think twice about what they are buying and putting into their bodies is a good thing.

Denmark through the looking glass The Copenhagen Post cphpost.dk

8 - 14 March 2013

19 www.visithven.dk

The Hvem, Hvad, Hvor of Hven

Flat, very flat, a bit like Tycho Brahe’s face once he’d had his nose chopped off

Ahead of the Swedish parliament’s decision regarding the contentious ’H’, this week’s Through the Looking Glass casts its eye at the Øresund island with divided loyalties

n old Scandinavian legend tells of a female giant by the name of Hvenhild who thought that the gentle landscape of southern Sweden could do with some hills, so she walked across to Denmark’s Zealand and picked up some lumps of land to add to Scania, carrying them home in her apron. But her apron strings burst along the way, and a clod of earth dropped

out. This clod became the small Øresund island of Hven. However it was created, charming and tranquil Hven (with a population of approximately 350) has always shared links with both Denmark and Sweden, being almost equidistant from both countries. It belonged to the Danish nation until 1658, when it was ceded to Sweden along with the rest of Scania. Refuge for a stargazer The noted Renaissance astronomer Tycho Brahe was presented with Hven by King Frederik II in the 1570s. It was an incentive for Denmark’s leading scientist to remain in the country, as Brahe had set his mind on

The Marquis de Sadé was a regular visitor it seems

moving permanently to Basel. The island was to be the site of Brahe’s observatory, Uranienborg, where he spent the next 20 years in semi-isolation mapping in great detail the sky and its constellations. After a turbulent youth of duels and arguments, often with other academics, Brahe had become a bitter and rather asocial man, and the seclusion suited him fine. It also provided a refuge for his sister, Sofie Brahe, who welcomed the chance to leave behind a second marriage that was one of extreme poverty and some notoriety. A gifted horticulturalist, she maintained an extensive herb garden on the Uranianborg grounds and assisted her brother in his astronomical observations.

Here, in Hven’s tranquillity, she could be taken seriously as a woman and a scientist. Bricks that built Copenhagen Even after it passed into Swedish hands, Hven maintained strong ties to Denmark. For a short period during the 19th century, the island played a key part in the burgeoning brick industry, at a time when production was switching from manual to mechanical. Tens of millions of bricks were exported from Hven, mostly to Copenhagen, where they were used to build much of the modern-day capital. The demand decreased dramatically in the early 20th century, however, and the industry

Joan Blaeu

Jane Graham

www.visithven.dk

It may not look it, but this is actually the island’s nightlife hotspot

A map of the island: gawd knows why you would need one though

petered out. The population fell as jobs became fewer, and farming once again became the key industry. Today, Hven’s economy is fuelled by tourism, which mainly consists of short breaks and daytrips from both sides of the Sound. And while the island’s first language is Swedish, its dominant tourist attraction is clearly Danish: the Tycho Brahe Museum and Observatory draw many thousands of visitors every summer. Hven or Ven? So how exactly is the island’s name spelt: with or without the ‘H’? The ‘Hven’ spelling is the original one. It was used from the 13th century up until 1959,

when the island came under Swedish jurisdiction as part of Landskrona Council (its nearest mainland town), and its name was changed officially to ‘Ven’. And while it may be natural for people in many parts of England to drop their Hs, for the 350 or so islanders of (H)ven, hanging onto the ‘H’ is crucial to their identity. They want it back enough to take the matter to the highest authorities, and in September 2012 their proposal to change the name back to Hven was brought before the Swedish parliament. A final decision on the case has not yet been made, so until then, the spelling of this small island is mostly a question of national allegiance.

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