The Copenhagen Post, August 18 -31

SUPPLEMENT

SUPPLEMENT

SUPPLEMENT

The lowdown on what’s hot at Copenhagen Cooking

Explore the many facets of this fascinating nation

All you need to know about language schools

INSIDE DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH VOL 20 ISSUE 10

INSIDE

... BUT

CPHPOST.DK 18 - 31 August 2017

INSIDE

INSIDE

HE TAMPERED

NEWS Shootings in Nørrebro becoming a familia story

2

HE SAW

HE CAME

NEWS

EMA favourites?

Capital in pole position as Paris opts for EBA

3

4-5

Planet’s priciest pints More expensive than Oslo!?!?

SPORT Second best in Euros, champions in our hearts

7 BUSINESS

A market gone mad The minefield that is finding accommodation

8 PRINT VERSION ISSN: ONLINE VERSION ISSN:

2446-0184 2446-0192

9 771398 100009

C

OPENHAGEN is the priciest city in the world to live in and order a beer once you factor in how much the purchaser had to earn to buy it, according to a Sovereign Group study.

Yes, even more expensive than Oslo (!) and topping a top ten followed by New York, Tokyo, Osaka, Paris, Reykjavik, Seoul, London, Brisbane and Geneva.

Factoring in income tax USING data provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit cost-of-living league, the Sovereign Group applied high earner and average earner tax rates to the figures.

While Copenhagen rated 10th on the EIU overall list – an indicator of its high costs to

visitors – it shot up to number one for both high and average earners as the city with the highest cost of living.

“For example, if a pint of beer costs US$10 in Los Angeles and the local tax rate is 50 percent, it would be necessary to earn US$20 to purchase that beer out of employment income,” explained Sovereign.

Good for immigrants MEANWHILE, another study has assessed Denmark to be the 10th best country in the world to be an immigrant, although it finished last in Scandinavia behind Sweden (1) and Norway (6), and also behind Finland (9).

The US News and World Report study looked at measures such as economic stability, income equality and job markets, interviewing 21,000 people worldwide. (BH)

Mystery of the deep

Death do us part!

AGATHA Christie set murders onboard planes, trains and cruise ships, but never on a submarine.

The world has been gripped by the story of Peter Madsen, a well-known rocket enthusiast who has been charged with the manslaughter of a female journalist who joined him onboard last Thursday and disappeared. It is believed Madsen sank his sub on purpose on Friday to wash away evidence.

FOR SUCH a simple story it generated an awful lot of interest. In a nutshell, Prince Henrik, 83, does not want to be buried with his wife, the queen, despite a nice sarcophagus waiting for the couple in Roskilde.

“Is this because he was never made king?” the media asked in chorus. “Is their marriage happy? Is he going senile?” they ventured as the column inches reached the stratosphere.

Gonna need a better joke

Summer soaking

TWO GREY sharks were found dead on beaches in Hvidovre, a southwestern suburb of Greater Copenhagen, in early July. But before you tell your children that it’s not safe to go into the water, there may be another explanation. Henrik Carl, a specialist at the Swedish National Museum of Natural History, reckons some fisherman left them there as a joke.

THE SUMMER of 2017 won’t be remembered fondly by those who spent it in Denmark. Last month came within two days of becoming the first July since 1979 to make it through without a single summer’s day – temperatures of above 25 degrees. The rain was a constant though, with several days seeing in excess of 30 mm in some parts.

INSIDE OUR NEXT ISSUE, OUT 31st AUGUST! A DOUBLE CPH POST SPECIAL EDUCATION & DIPLOMACY SUPPLEMENT!

2

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK COPENHAGEN Pride will climax this weekend with its parade, and during the build-up the city has been enabling LGBT couple to marry at special locations such as Ørestedsparken.

Furthermore, it enlisted the former US ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, to perform some of the ceremonies.

Cost to taxpayer SOME 187 families in the troubled Greater Copenhagen neighbourhood of Tingbjerg currently costs the Danish tax payer 82.6 million kroner a year, reports Berlingske – so an average of 443,000 kroner each. One of the families is the recipient of 20 different benefits, claims the report.

Tattoo shop under threat A PETITION has been launched to save ‘Tattoo Ole’, a tattoo shop located at Nyhavn 17 since 1901, after the building’s owner declined to renew its lease. A court date has been set for September 14. The shop used to be referred to as the ‘Tattoo Capital of the North’.

Airport gunman scare A 24-YEAR-OLD Swedish man was arrested at Copenhagen Airport on July 16 following reports that a gunman was on the loose.

It turned out the gun was a cigarette lighter and the man was released without charge.

A Nørrebronx tale: A familia story Daily shootings continue despite increased police presence in Nørrebro, Nordvest, Brønshøj and Husum

H

UNDREDS took part in a torchlight procession in Nørrebro on Monday evening to protest against the spike in gang shootings that has seen 30 since the middle of June – and one every day since August 8.

The victims of the weekend shootings were all innocent bystanders – on Friday, a 39-yearold man with no apparent ties to the gang environment was gunned down by a masked shooter on a scooter.

The police believe the conflict is mainly between the street gang Loyal to Familia (see page 3) and groups based around Mjølnerparken, Nordvestkvartet and Husum.

Genuine anguish “WE DON’T want to see our children, youths and other innocent people become victims of criminal thugs. By using torches and solidarity, we’re showing we won’t be giving up in Nørrebro,” wrote the organisers on Facebook.

“I begin crying every time. Is it

another of our youngsters? Is my son next? Or the neighbour’s?”

Christina Christensen, a Nørrebro resident who took part in the torch procession, told DR. Gang busting package LAST WEEK, the justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, unveiled a new ‘gang busting’ initiative.

Amongst the measures suggested was military personnel relieving police officers currently on border guard duty to free up manpower to tackle the problem.

Poulsen, who called the situation “grotesque” and admitted he was “furious”, also revealed that the police will employ around 25 computer specialists to monitor potential digital clues, and another 25 people to work with young people vulnerable to recruitment.

Additionally, anyone choosing to wear a bulletproof vest must register it with the police.

Police measures THE POLICE’S stop-andsearch zone, where they have been entitled to search anyone they want to since July 20, now encompasses Nørrebro, Nordvest, Brønshøj and Husum.

New kid on the block

Meanwhile, the authorities have set up a hotline they hope citizens will use to send in image and video footage that will help the police crack down on the gangs. The hotline 9350 0012 can’t be called, though.

Rolling with it IN RELATED news, a new crime trend is growing in the city: car rolling. So far, vehicles have been turned on their side or back in Østerbro, Kongens Lyngby and Søborg.

The maximum sentence for extreme vandalism is four years in prison. (CPH POST)

W

ARCHITECTURE firm CF Møller has won the 2017 ‘Architecture with distinction’ Iconic Award for its design of the new Copenhagen International School school building.

Editorial offices: International House, Gyldenløvesgade 11, 1600 Copenhagen Denmark

Founded in 1998

by San Shepherd All rights reserved.

Published by cphpost.dk ApS. Printed by Dansk Avistryk A/S

ONLINE THIS WEEK Ban on diesel A MAJORITY of local politicians in Copenhagen would like to see a ban on diesel vehicles driving into the city similar to those proposed for Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City.

Award for theatre

F1 bid features Borgen and Broen ITHOUT a track, the story that Copenhagen could host a Formula 1 race as early as 2020 lacked credibility.

But now FOM and Liberty Media – which discussed the idea with the business minister, Brian Mikkelsen, on June 30 – have released details of their plan to stage a street race.

And while the Lakes haven’t got a look-in, two of the harbour bridges, Knippelsbro and Langebro, are central to the plans, as is Christiansborg. (BH)

Award for CIS architect

FACEBOOK – LTF CPH

Rufus at the altar again

18 - 31 August 2017

IMPROV Comedy Copenhagen has won the AOK Byens Bedste award for ‘Best Stage in Copenhagen’. The theatre, which opened at Frederiksholms Kanal 2 in August 2016, saw off competition from the likes of Skuespilhuset and Republique.

Noma’s family eatery NOMA HAS opened a pop-up in Copenhagen for a change.

Described as an outdoor, family-style restaurant, Under the Bridge opened its doors near Knippelsbro Bridge on July 19.

Cooking up a storm TWO MAJOR food events are taking place this August. The theme of Copenhagen Cooking (Aug 18-27) is ‘Breaking the New’. Some 80,000 people are expected to attend its 210 events. In contrast, the World Food Summit (Aug 24-25) at Christiansborg is an industry event. Its theme is ‘Better food for more people’.

Top vegan city COPENHAGEN is the sixth best city in Europe for veganfriendly eateries per capita, according to rankings compiled by German search engine Holidu, which noted: “That’s despite the fact there are more pigs in Denmark than people.”

The top five were Amsterdam, Paris, Lisbon, Stockholm and Berlin.

To subscribe – email subs@cphpost.dk Fredensborg located in 00 northeast Zealand To advertise –iscall 93 92 74 or email sales@cphpost.dk

To tell us your story – call 93 93 92 01or email news@cphpost.dk For all other inquiries – email info@cphpost.dk

Ejvind Sandal

Dorthe Elkjær

Hans Hermansen

Ben Hamilton

Christian Wenande

Stephen Gadd

CO-OWNER

ADMIN MANAGER

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

EDITOR

NEWS/LAYOUT EDITOR

JOURNALIST

NEWS

18 - 31 August 2017

ONLINE THIS WEEK Terror threat in Sweden

FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

EMA bid confirmed FILE IMAGE

PET

Keeping you safe, pet

Dublin and Stockholm challenging

INTELLIGENCE bureau PET has told DR that Denmark’s biggest terror threat lies in neighbours like Sweden where its counterpart SÄPO warns there are thousands of extremists. In contrast, PET received only 62 reports of radical asylum-seekers in Denmark in 2016, of which many concerned the same individuals.

COPENHAGEN has confirmed its bid to host the European Medicines Agency once it relocates from London as a result of Brexit. Back in March, KPMG rated Copenhagen as the second best behind Paris, but the French capital wants the European Banking Agency instead. Some 18 other cities, including Dublin, Stockholm and Amsterdam, have submitted bids.

Islamic State central SINCE the emergence of Islamic State, 23 Danes with links to the group have either been arrested in or expelled from Turkey, reports Politiken. A further 196 have been denied entry to the country, placing Denmark seventh in the EU top 10. Meanwhile, another Dane with links to IS was arrested in Spain in late June.

Gang moving north LOYAL to Familia, a street gang established in Copenhagen in 2013, intends to establish itself in the Swedish cities of Malmö and Helsingborg. In related news, French lawmen want to try a Bandidos biker gang member, currently serving life in Denmark, for crimes committed in France.

Dangerous dog saved ICEBERG, a dangerous dog breed sentenced to die by the Danish authorities after it injured a man trying to break it free from another dog, has won a reprieve and been returned to Italy. A petition to save its life gathered over 350,000 signatures.

Dutch eggs reach Denmark SOME 20 tonnes of the Fipronil-contaminated eggs, which originated in the Netherlands, have been found in Denmark. However, very few reached the supermarkets.

Ship scrapping convention signed DENMARK has signed the Hong Kong Convention, which aims to better protect the people and environment involved in ship scrapping.

www.cis.dk

PM re-elected party leader GREENLAND’S premier Kim Kielsen has been re-elected the leader of his Siumut party, beating off a challenge from Vittus Qujaukitsoq, who campaigned on a faster secession from Denmark.

Kielsen favours the moderate approach preferred by the 78 percent of Greenlanders who do not want independence to dent their quality of life.

Mariya fails La Manche bid MARIYA Krestyanska, who moved to Denmark from Ukraine ten years ago, failed in her August attempt at becoming the first woman from her country and only the ninth Danish-based swimmer to swim across the English Channel.

Observing in Albania SOME 30 observers from the Danish youth organisation Silba were given access to observe the Albanian parliamentary elections in late June, and they agreed the voting process was generally well organised despite some minor irregularities.

3XN hooks a big one ARCHITECTURE firm 3XN has won a contract to design Sydney’s new fish market. Some 100,000 sqm in size, it will be the biggest fish market in the world.

More migrant deterrent ads DANSK Folkeparti wants to advertise in Romanian newspapers to promote tough Danish laws on begging and deter Roma beggars from coming to Denmark. Konservative supports the measure.

Before long, you’ll belong Settling into a new country can be challenging – especially for the nonworking spouse. We know, from studies and from experience, that a successful posting depends on the happiness of the entire family – and our school is home to a very active, warm and welcoming community.

Our PTA offers a wide range of opportunities: Newcomers Network, Spring Fair, Halloween, Yoga, Art & Culture Tours, Wine and Cheese Evening, Dads’ Club and Ladies’ Night Out. Dedicated parents coach our sports teams, run our boy scouts and serve on the school Board.

At CIS the whole family finds a place to grow roots and make friends. So to quote one of our parents: “I came for the job, but we stayed for the school.”

3

4

COVER

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

18 - 31 August 2017

Caesar conquering Britain a 9th century invention by Alfred the Great Saxon king fabricated 54 BC invasion to replace Vikingfriendly heir and protect England from the Danes BEN HAMILTON

T

HE SAXON king Alfred, a late ninth century ruler who unified several kingdoms of England and thwarted the Danish Vikings from taking over at every turn, is commonly referred to as ‘the Great’ by historians.

But maybe ‘the Magnificent’ club of Suleiman, Lorenzo de’ Medici and co should make room for one more, contends Rebecca Huston, a former National Geographic Channel producer and American screenwriter who after ten years of original research and analysis believes the king single-handedly saved the country from being permanently absorbed into Scandinavia.

Never mind a one-nation Brexit, this was a one-man Brepel!

VICTORIAN WEB

Alfred the great storyteller ALONG with the collected letters of Cicero, the memoirs written by Caesar while he was conquering France and other areas of central Europe in the fifth decade of the first century BC is believed by many to be one of the few manuscripts to have survived the period.

But there is a very good chance that Caesar’s ‘Commentaries’ did not survive, and that ‘Bellum Gallicum’ (BG), the title it is known as today, was the work of other writers. Historians are wrong to treat it as gospel and to suppose this was the true voice of Caesar. But many do, and therefore they duly accept that he invaded Britain.

Ancient writings only survived because they were painstakingly recopied by hand, and also translated, mostly by monks at monasteries when it was judged the current version was becoming a little worse for wear. This made them vulnerable to change.

As an avid translator of Latin texts into Old English with all his kingdom’s manuscripts at his disposal, Alfred was ideally placed to meddle, and Huston claims she has found compelling evidence among 6,000 pages of ancient and medieval texts that Alfred fabricated Caesar’s two ‘invasions’ of Britain in 55 and 54 BC and added them to what would become BG. In reality, she says, the first ‘invasion’ did not take place, and the second was a passing visit.

Many academics concur the king of Wessex, Kent, Essex, Sussex and the western part of Mercia also translated and revised five old English works – including translations of ‘Ecclesiastical History’, an eighth century work by the Venerable Bede, and ‘History Against the Pagans’, a sixth century work

by Orosius – to include details about Caesar’s invasions. Prior to Alfred’s lifetime, none of the five mentioned them.

Bede, for example, relied on the sixth century monk Gildas for all of his early British history, but Gildas never mentioned Caesar or his invasions, suggesting the inclusion is not Bede’s work.

Tellingly, the earliest-known copy of BG dates back to the last quarter of the ninth century, coinciding with the latter years of Alfred’s life.

Traces of the Englishman “ALFRED was the anonymous author of ‘Bellum Gallicum’ because highly-specific details about Alfred’s own life appear in the text that could not have been written by Caesar nor be known prior to Alfred’s lifetime,” Huston told CPH POST. Huston points out that many scholars, including Germany’s Heinrich Meusel and Alfredus Klotz, have shared doubts over the authenticity of the passages – with Klotz suggesting that a “pseudo-Caesar” added false details, and Meusel questioning why Caesar wrote like an Englishman.

Historians have for centuries been stumbling over the truth, but have either not noticed or ignored the evidence – in some cases, suggests Huston, because Alfred was believed to be the spiritual founder of Oxford University and it would have been highly controversial!

For example, the early 20th century work ‘The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes’ acknowledges Alfred’s idiosyncratic style of drawing on his experience in describing Caesar’s invasion, while 19th century scholar Charles Plummer contends that the pious Alfred could not resist adding Christian elements, claiming that ‘History against the Pagans’ shows a “remarkable divergence from historical fact”.

Additionally, as a champion of indirect discourse (when he wasn’t saying “Veni, Vidi, Vici”!), Caesar would have never lapsed into the first person, as is often the case in BG – such a writing style was abhorrent to him and he even included his dislike in a book on classical Latin grammar.

Spun like Keyser Söze HUSTON’S groundbreaking analysis of BG has yielded 120 examples of Alfred’s idiosyncratic writing style (including word choice, verbose style and peculiar errors) along with 40 references to his own life and times.

For example, BG records that Caesar arrived in 54 BC on clinker-built ships – a vessel

never used by the Romans and not by anyone until the third century – which were familiar to Alfred as they featured heavily in his own West Saxon fleet.

In addition, the description of the Britons in BG closely matches that of the Danes in the ninth century, while Caesar’s experience fighting them is similar to Alfred’s against the Vikings. The ancient Brits, according to BG, wore animal skins and did not eat grain – a claim contradicted by modern archaeologists.

Throughout BG, Celtic and Old English terms frequently appear, geography is referenced that is six centuries premature and anachronistic errors are made regarding Roman weapons not yet invented nor used.

For example, the Latin term ‘equipes’ is used to mean knights, but in Caesar’s day it meant money-lenders, while the four kings of Kent who surrendered to Caesar were family members of Alfred’s, and one of the surrendering British tribes, the Ancalites, is named after a sixth century shield used by Alfred’s ancestors.

“Similar to the mastermind character Keyser Söze in ‘The Usual Suspects’, Alfred adroitly spun the tale of Caesar’s British ‘invasions’ by fictionalising objects likely found in his immediate environment,” contended Huston.

interested, as his brother took part in Caesar’s visit.

There is no mention of Caesar conquering Britain in the work of three prominent first century AD writers: the Roman historian Tacitus, the Greek essayist Plutarch, and the Roman poet Lucan, who observed that “Caesar came looking for the British and then terrified, turned tail.”

There is no evidence of the Roman camp which would have stood for three months and housed 25,000 soldiers, the battlesites – others have yielded countless finds – or the voyage over.

According to BG, 800 ships were launched from Port Itius in France in 54 BC – a location that would struggle to see off more

A lack of evidence NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL evidence has ever been found in southern England to confirm the Romans under Caesar fought the Britons as claimed in BG, with modern historian Richard Warner (in ‘British Archaeology’, 1995) asserting that the only reason people believe Caesar invaded Britain is because of his memoirs.

Not one ancient writer prior to Alfred mentions the invasion – not even Suetonius, who as the first official Roman biographer of Caesar and head of the Imperial Archives in Rome, had access to Caesar’s personal papers, daily military diaries and reports to the Roman Senate.

In 36 of Cicero’s letters from 54 BC, of which some were written directly to Caesar, not one mentions an invasion or fighting or transport problems despite many references to Britain.

Cicero had good reason to be

than a hundred, according to a French admiral serving in the Napoleonic Wars.

A five-year mission launched in 2000, which was co-sponsored by the British Museum, tried to find the remains of 52 ships that supposedly sunk when Caesar ‘invaded’ Britain (12 in 55 and 40 in 54 BC), searching predominantly seven miles northeast of the cliffs of Dover – the area identified by BG. BG also details the loss of 120 Roman anchors, of which each one weighed 680 kg and measured 2.8 metres across. The mission used SONAR technology that can identify a teapot at a depth of 500 metres, but nothing was found.

Ancient shipwrecks and

FLICKR - WWARBY

Caesar the non-conqueror THIS WASN’T through force.

Alfred simply demonstrated that the pen is mightier than the sword. Over a thousand years before the exploits of Bletchley Park saw off one army of foreign invaders, he delved into old manuscripts to stop another.

By doctoring a Latin version of one of the ancient world’s most famous writings, and altering several Old English manuscripts, he was able to convince his council of nobles that his son Edward was the rightful heir to his throne, not his nephew Æthelwold, a Saxon susceptible to alliances with the Danes.

And the astonishing up-

shot of this discovery is that Julius Caesar neither invaded nor conquered Britain in 54 BC.

COVER/NEWS

18 - 31 August 2017

Mission accomplished BEFORE his accession Alfred had promised his predecessor, his brother Æthelred I, that the dying king’s sons would take precedence over his own offspring and one of them, Æthelwold, was accordingly the senior heir.

Under Saxon law the kingship was not Alfred’s gift to bestow.

But he did his best to make his son Edward the most logical heir, leaving him the bulk of his lands and even having the bones of his predecessor moved from Steyning, an estate left to Æthelwold, to Winchester, his capital.

Alfred’s citation from BG helped to strengthen his claim to the same rights and responsibilities as Caesar, the ‘conqueror’ of the five territories he ruled over, because of an additional lie that no records support: that he had been consecrated in Rome by Pope Leo IV during a pilgrimage he made aged four in 853.

Accordingly, he claimed he had inherited the ancient right of a conqueror to install a council of nobles of his choice, thus superseding his agreement with his brother. Furthermore, by claiming the ancient nobles of Britain accepted Caesar’s choice of ruler of the exact same kingdom Alfred presided over, he could argue Roman authority superseded that of the Saxons, and that the ancient right was inseparable from the land.

“The anonymously-forged ‘memoirs’ were good enough to fool Alfred’s Latin-illiterate council of nobles,” contended Huston.

Edward duly succeeded Alfred in 899, prompting Æthelwold to launch a rebellion backed by Scandinavian allies, which he died fighting in three years later.

Edward’s grandson Edgar the Peaceful went on to unify the kingdoms of England in 957, although this was shortlived.

While the Danes did eventually conquer the whole of England in 1013, their 29-year rule was not long enough to permanently absorb the country into a Nordic empire. Had Alfred not intervened, they could have ruled England for 143 years, or even longer.

ONLINE THIS WEEK Homeless fighting back

A law unto themselves?

THOMAS BREDØL

anchors will deteriorate faster in warmer waters, but while dozens have been found in the Mediterranean, not one has been discovered in British waters.

A GROUP of foreign homeless people want to take the police to the European Court of Human Rights over strict measures they claim infringe their rights. At present, 30 percent of all prison inmates are foreign. In related news, violent crime rose by 12 percent during the second quarter of 2017 to 6,462 incidents, for which the average sentence has increased from 4.8 to 7.4 months over the last decade.

Work war on smokers SOME 44 percent of Danes believe smokers should not be paid for their breaks, according to a Wilke survey for Avisen.dk.

A recent Dansk Erhverv survey revealed that smokers work longer hours at a third of all workplaces, and that conflicts with nonsmokers are common at 24 percent of them.

More forced adoptions THE NUMBER of children being forcibly adopted without parental consent has risen from 13 between 2009 and 2015 to 17 in the last two years. Many MPs argue that parents risk losing their kids on flimsy grounds following a change in the law that no longer requires the authorities to cite hard evidence.

Smells like Christmas AMONG the viral videos this summer was a man bursting into flames after being doused with cinnamon as part of his 25th birthday celebration and Özlem Cekic, a former MP, going face-to-face with Stefan, a racist who sent her hatemail.

Meanwhile, the racism-related crime rate is climbing fast as more people complain.

ONLINE THIS WEEK Hygge in the dictionary THE WORD ‘hygge’ has been adopted into the Oxford Dictionary. It is defined as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)”. In the last 18 months, nine books have been published on the subject.

Au revoir to au pairs?

Sobering student news STUDENT debt is increasing – both the amount owed and the number in arrears. Over the course of 2016, the total owed on SU loans increased from 516 to 723 million kroner, with the number who owe more than 350,000 kroner rising from 109 to 203. In related news, students who don’t drink are 2 percent more likely to drop out of their studies than those who drink moderately.

5

“Servants of the state? We beg to differ!”

Police guilty of ignoring legislation on refugee valuables, stalking and retention of fingerprints BEN HAMILTON

M

OST WOULD agree that arresting drug addicts for jay-walking is a waste of police resources, even though they’re often breaking three laws at once, but are the Danish police guilty of taking their powers of discretion too far?

Ignored and applauded IN SOME cases, like the controversial ‘Jewellery Law’ that instructed the police to seize valuables worth more than 10,000 kroner from refugees applying for asylum in Denmark, it has worked out well.

Not a single asylum-seeker had their valuables taken, and this helped address a tide of antiDanish feeling as many compared the policy to those of the Nazis.

However, in some cases, the police’s failure to act is leaving the public vulnerable.

police forces have so far taken advantage of a new tool to tackle stalking – a crime that affects 100,000 citizens according to the Ministry of Justice – despite its implementation earlier this year, reports Berlingske.

By issuing a ‘strakstilhold’, a police presence can be assigned with immediate effect to deter a possible attack. Previously, the police felt they had limited options when a member of the public reported they were being stalked.

Not serious on stalkers FOR EXAMPLE, only two

Fingers crossed LIKEWISE the police are ignoring a law passed in 2010 that the fingerprints of unconvicted individuals must be deleted after ten years.

Thus far, reports DR, they have only deleted fingerprints belonging to individuals over the age of 80 or those who have been dead for at least two years.

But in their defence, the police might argue they are following the lead of Brian Mikkelsen, the minister who oversaw the passing of the legislation in 2010, who said he regretted the bill in 2015, calling it a “stupid decision”.

Handicapped lose case

Pricey for petrol

FOUR HANDICAPPED people have failed to overturn legislation that prohibits them from voting in the General Election because a guardian handles their financial matters.

Handicapped people can vote in municipal, regional and European Parliament elections.

DENMARK is the tenth most expensive country in the world to fill up your tank with petrol, according to Just Tyres.

At £5.66 per gallon, its costs £68.49 to fill up the 12.1-gallon fuel tank of a Ford Focus.

Venezuela (£0.36) is the cheapest country and Hong Kong (£80.83) the most expensive.

AU PAIR numbers are in freefall. Since a minimum salary of 4,150 kroner per month was introduced for au pairs in 2015, numbers have plummeted.

Some 422 of the 505 working here over the first five months of 2017 were from the Philippines.

Always at work EVERY second employed Dane checks their work email on holiday, according to a YouGov survey. Some 40 percent of the checkers said they wanted to avoid a big backlog on their return. In related news, a quarter of employed people have parttime jobs and one in five have more than one job, according to the University of Copenhagen.

Bombs, bunkers, bullets WORLD War II is still being fought in Jutland. First a bomb turned up in the dunes near Lønstrup in north Jutland. Then the Tirpitz Museum opened in an old Nazi bunker near Blåvand on the west coast of Jutland. And finally, a weapons cache was handed into police. The 25 weapons were dropped by a British plane in mid-Jutland for the famous Danish Hvidsten resistance group.

S’s war on Muslim schools OPPOSITION party Socialdemokratiet’s pledge to close down ‘friskoler’ private schools where the proportion of nonDanish pupils is over 50 percent would result in the closure of all 26 Muslim friskoler. The nation’s 550 friskoler receive state subsidies to cover 73 percent of their costs. Parents on average pay 13,000 kroner a year.

6

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK WITH 2.5 million kroner in funding from the Danish Industry Foundation, researchers at Aarhus University have set up an Open Science Platform on which results and data are uploaded and made available free of charge to anyone interested. The uploaded research cannot be patented, but it can be used to develop new products that can be patented.

Solving schizophrenia RESEARCHERS are close to understanding the root cause of schizophrenia, according to a study by the University of Copenhagen which has established a link between damage to the glial brain cells and the disease.

In related news, a warning has been issued about counterfeit 150mg packets of Xeplion, a drug used to treat schizophrenia.

Make the vulva glow!

BRITISH newspaper the Daily Mail has expressed outrage over the July 27 launch of Perfect V’s “intimate pampering products”, which promise to make “the vulva glow”. The range is the brainchild of Avonda Urben, a Copenhagen-based New York beauty expert who worked for L’Oreal in the late 1990s and launched Perfect V Enterprises in January 2015.

Electric overtakes petrol

BY A MARGIN of 2,030 over 2,028, there are now more electric car charging docks in Denmark than traditional petrol stations, according to Dansk Energi. However, sales continue to slow. As of late June, only 182 electric cars had been sold in Denmark in 2017, and just 17 of those sales were to private consumers – a steep decline from the 4,605 sold in 2015.

Bluetooth’s bite marks ARCHAEOLOGISTS can confirm that the remains of a Viking Age circular fortress found in the Vallo Diocese estate near Køge south of Copenhagen is indeed the fifth of its kind – a castle and settlement dating back to the tenth century reign of Harald Bluetooth. The dating used dendrochronology – the study of tree rings.

Summer loving? Depends who you ask While the weather’s been lousy for festival-goes and fruit farmers, it’s been marvelous for wood ticks …

PIXABAY

Sharing science

18 - 31 August 2017

B

Tourists unperturbed THE NUMBER of foreign visitors has remained strong.

Summerhouse rentals firm Novasol has had a really good year, with the number of foreigners staying overnight increasing by 1.4 percent from January to May 2017 compared to last year.

“Denmark is a so-called cold water destination. You know that it’s not a Mediterranean country. The approach to a holiday is different,” explained Novasol’s sales director, Philip Kildegaard, to DR. According to VisitDenmark, Germans are behind almost 60 percent of all overnight stays by foreigners in Denmark. They typically book summerhouses near beaches.

Foreign doctor concerns NURSING organisation Dansk Sygeplejeråd is concerned that foreign doctors are being misunderstood by patients and staff when communicating in Danish – particularly those from Lithuania, Poland and Russia. Slagelse Hospital has been accordingly prevented from treating patients afflicted by neurological conditions such as epilepsy, meningitis and strokes.

BEN HAMILTON

Y NOW WE really shouldn’t be too surprised by the heavy deluges that for almost a decade have signified that it’s Danish summertime.

A quick review of the country’s biggest festivals tells you everything you need to know.

NorthSide in June: 28 mm of rain in three hours; Roskilde in June/July: a rush to sell one-day tickets as the heavens opened; Langelands in July: a lockeddown carpark due to fears of a mudbath.

But, and it’s nice to use the expression literally, for every cloud there’s a silver lining, as it would appear the weather has not been all bad news this summer.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Risk of obese mothers The tourists didn’t come here for the weather

specify it was only good news for humans! – are also flourishing.

A damp spring followed by warm sunshine has seen wood tick numbers soar – an epidemiologist told Ekstra Bladet he caught 700 in three hours! – and it’s reported that up to 20 percent of them could be infected with the Borrelia bacteria that can settle in the nervous system and cause paralysis.

Eastern Jutland, Funen and Zealand were the worst hit, with western and north Jutland largely free of the pests. Contrary to popular belief, ticks are not only found in the forest. Visitors in cities and parks can also be bitten.

Similar conditions also suggested the country could be swarming in mosquitoes by the end of July, but cooler than normal conditions kept numbers down.

Some 449,000 tonnes of fish were brought in during the first five months of the year – double the volume of 2016, which was itself a record year.

Nevertheless, Esben Lunde Larsen, the minister for food and environment, has been stripped of his duties pertaining to the fishing industry due to his dissatisfactory record. Karen Ellemann will now add it to a portfolio that includes equality and Nordic co-operation.

Ticks all round WOOD TICKS – we didn’t

Hooking a record year WHILE certain freshwater fish are lured to the surface by the increase in insects precipitation brings, the same can’t be said about those dwelling in the sea.

But that hasn’t stopped Danish fishermen enjoying their best ever year, according to Finans.

No fruit of endeavour BUT ALAS, it’s been a terrible summer for fruit growers. Due to the frost that returned to Denmark this spring following a warm patch, fruit growers have endured damages of a severity not seen since 1991.

A night with frost on April 19 froze off many of the flower buds on apple trees in Denmark. The production of pears and berries has also been impacted.

In related news, research confirms that fungi, viruses and bacteria can all be used as microbiological weapons to combat insect pests, with no negative impact on insects used in biological pest control, such as aphid midges.

Salmon bonanza in US

The Breivik effect

Old vaccine, new use

ATLANTIC Sapphire has raised half a billion kroner to start a sustainable land-based salmon farm in Miami that uses recirculated water. It aims to produce 90,000 tonnes of salmon per year, quintuple the present production of the entire US. Meanwhile, a landbased salmon farm in west Jutland lost 250,000 kilos of its fish in late June – a quarter of its annual production.

THE DEADLY attack carried out by Anders Breivik, which left 77 people dead in Oslo and the island of Utøya in July 2011, led to an increase in the number of Danes diagnosed with PTSD disorders. In the period leading up until the end of 2012, the number rose by 16 percent – the equivalent of 2,736 extra cases.

A similar but smaller surge followed 9/11.

PHASED-OUT vaccines protecting people from long-gone eradicated diseases like smallpox offer protection against a number of conditions and disorders, according to Statens Serum Institut. In related news, the number of girls aged 12-17 getting HPV vaccinations shot up over the spring – a sign recent campaigns are working, noted the SSI.

A DANISH universities study suggests the kids of obese women are more likely to be fat. Chronic inflammation in the mother’s fatty tissue along with raised blood sugar levels and hormonal changes can ‘infect’ the foetus. In related news, Denmark has persuaded all EU countries to ensure the price of fertility treatment is the same for everyone.

ADHD link to teen mums YOUNGSTERS with ADHD are twice as likely to become teenage parents as their peers who don’t have the disorder, according to research at Aarhus University. The increased tendency to not use protection has also resulted in rising ‘morning after’ pill sales. Sales on January 2 – traditionally a bumper day – rose from 690 to 878 packets.

Records fall in Greenland DANISH scientists have discovered traces of life encased in a 3.7 billion-year-old Greenlandic stone. The CO2 derived from living organisms opens up the possibility of finding traces of life on Mars. In related news, the island’s recent tsunami waves were 90 metres high – the tallest ever seen – and dust and soot particles are darkening its ice, speeding up the melting process.

Boost for terminally-ill NURSING organisation Dansk Sygeplejeråd (DSR) has applauded new legislation that enables terminally-ill patients to opt out of treatment that will prolong their lives. “The old legislation could result in the patient suffering a terrible and undignified death,” DSR vicechair Anni Pilgaard told media.

NEWS

18 - 31 August 2017

ONLINE THIS WEEK Theron vs Thrones

Danes on the move JULY SAW a number of Danes find new clubs. Defender Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen and goalkeeper Jonas Lossl have joined Huddersfield Town; forward Viktor Fischer has moved to Mainz; and defender Simon Kjær is now a Sevilla player following a 96.7 million kroner move.

Hey big spender SUPERLIGA clubs had staff costs five times more than the First Division two seasons ago, according to Idrættens Analyseinstitut. FCK led the way with 156.9 million kroner – well clear of the 63.8 million average in the 14-team top flight. The D1 average was 13.1 million, with Helsingør only paying 3.5 million

FCK on target FC COPENHAGEN lost 0-1 away to Azeri champions Qarabag FK in the first leg of their playoff to get into the Champions League group stage on Tuesday. A dramatic 4-1 win at Parken saw off FK Vardar in the previous round. Meanwhile, FC Midtjylland face Apollon Limassol in the final round of Europa League qualifying on August 17. Brøndby and Lyngby were knocked out on August 3.

Back from the dead BLOCKBUSTER, a streaming service with 300,000 customers and a focus on newly-released films, has expanded into the Nordics – just three years after its namesake rentals company stopped operating in Denmark.

In related news, 80 percent of Danes’ music purchases in 2016 were spent on streaming – up from 40 percent in 2012.

Forwards Nadia Nadim and Pernille Harder, along with keeper Stina Lykke Petersen, excel on big stage

ONLINE THIS WEEK Ugly face of football HASSE FERROLD

IT WAS a busy July for three actors. Roland Møller is on the circuit promoting ‘Atomic Blonde’, in which he co-stars with Charlize Theron. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau will shortly appear in the new series of ‘The Simpsons’. And his ‘Games of Thrones’ co-star Pilou Asbæk is now the world’s tenth most popular male actor, according to the IMDB Star Meter.

Dames do Denmark proud BEN HAMILTON

N

IKE WILL be laughing all the way to the bank following its decision in late June to sign Danish women’s football player Nadia Nadim to its stable.

The Afghanistan-born forward was a revelation together with strike partner Pernille Harder, she powered Denmark, 25/1 shots before the tournament, to a final where they eventually lost 4-2 to the hosts, the Netherlands.

Nadim, who arrived in Denmark aged 12 as a refugee, was taught to kick a football by her father, a general in the Afghan army killed by the Taliban, at a time when the sport was forbidden.

HOOLIGANS delayed the end of the Brøndby-FC Copenhagen derby on August 6 by 20 minutes after a steward was struck in the stadium and FCK fans fought with police. Meanwhile, three fans are close to a hearing at the European Court of Human Rights regarding their ban from watching Denmark play Sweden at Parken in 2009.

Woz: loss number six A thousand handshakes and nearly as many pancakes at City Hall

Too much Dutch courage SOME 1.5 million people tuned it to watch the big game, and Harder’s equaliser to make it 2-2

at half-time was arguably the goal of the tournament.

The Danish defence ultimately paid the price for their inability to retain possession.

Time and time again in this tournament, they lost the ball in their own half, and goalkeeper Stina Lykke Petersen could not be relied on to continually bail them out of trouble.

Following the tournament, both Harder and Nielsen were selected for the UEFA all-star team.

‘Like’ a Virgin Tour

Basically a truffle

Jelly crisps anyone?

ASIDE from the Little Mermaid, tourists visiting Denmark over the next fortnight can take in something a little out of the ordinary: a 29-year-old virgin in a glass cage. No, it’s not Ron Burgundy howling in a glass case of emotion – not that he’s a virgin anyways, despite his affection for jazz flute. His name is Julian Toldam Juhlin, a Danish scenographer and performance artist who since August 1 has been touring Denmark in a white limousine as part of his ‘Virgin Tour’. “A virgin is the only being in the world that can tame a unicorn,” claims his Facebook page. (CW)

DANISH artisan chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt has created the world’s most expensive single chocolate. Dubbed the ‘La Madeline au Truffe’ [sic], the confection sells for 1,630 kroner – so a kilo of the candy would run … well, more than any sane person would spend on chocolate. The La Madeline au Truffe consists of a rare French Perigord truffle covered with ganache of heavy cream, sugar, truffle oil and vanilla coated in 70 percent Valrhona dark chocolate. The whole thing is then rolled in fine cocoa powder and laid in a silver box on a bed of faux pearls.

What a steal! (RW)

MIE THORBORG Pedersen, a gastrophysicist from the University of Southern Denmark, has just published research that might well prompt the transformation of the jellyfish crisp from an Asian delicacy into a Danish staple consumed en masse.

While the current Asian-style jellyfish tends to take on a rubbery texture when prepared, the method used by Pedersen and her fellow researchers produces a crisper, thinner product that could be complemented by different seasoning as found on more traditional crisps. Pedersen’s method has also shortened the process to a matter of days. (LS)

Get out Germany!

THE HIGHLIGHT, beyond a riveting final that the Dutch only put to bed in the 89th minute, was Denmark’s 2-1 defeat of Germany in the quarters – a

7

side that had claimed the last six Euro titles in a row!

Trailing at half-time, Denmark fought back to win 2-1 thanks to headed goals from Nadim and Theresa Nielsen.

And then the side gloriously saw off Austria 3-0 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to reach the final.

READ THE REST OF THESE STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Keeper legend retires

Stolen in Silkeborg

No joy for Jacob

FORMER national goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen, 41, has retired after a career spanning 24 years. The long-time Aston Villa player ended his career in Australia where it is believed he will stay to focus on his charity work.

THE MOUNTAIN bike of Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan, a five-time winner of the green jersey at the Tour de France, was stolen from a shop in Silkeborg on July 31 after thieves entered through the roof.

JACOB Fuglsang had a disappointing Tour de France racing for Astana. First he lost out to Fabio Aru as the team’s captain.

And then he fractured his arm on Stage 11 and had to drop out.

CAROLINE Wozniacki has now lost six finals this year. Now ranked five in the world, she lost in the finals of the Swedish Open and Rogers Cup on July 30 and August 13. An average Wimbledon saw her make the final 16 where she lost to Coco Vandeweghe. Prior to that she lost in the final of the Aegon Classic.

Bum notes all over JULY WAS tough for the Langeland Festival organisers, who were caught out by a deluge that left guests stranded, and Tivoli, where the sound quality of Erykah Badu’s concert came under fire.

Danish NHL duo drafted TWO YOUNGSTERS – Jonas Røndbjerg and Malte Setkov – were selected in the 2017 NHL Draft. Røndbjerg was chosen as the 65th pick overall by new expansion team Vegas Golden Knights, while Setkov was picked 100th overall by the Detroit Red Wings.

Denmark beat samba boys DENMARK lost to France 1-2 in the inaugural edition of the Star Sixes World Cup legends tournament in July, beating Brazil 4-2 in the semi-finals – a team boasting Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Juninho. Denmark’s Chris Sørensen was voted Star of the Tournament.

Cash for art graduates?

KONSERVATIVE wants to extend the SU student stipend to recent graduates pursuing artistic careers in areas such as design.

Too often the students have to apply for jobs outside their area of study to receive benefits.

8

BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK DANISH fashion exports are expected to reach a record 29 billion kroner for 2017 – following a 17.6 percent jump between 2013 and 2016. The biggest market is Germany – growth increased by 8 percent from 2015 to 2016 – and things are also improving in a number of other markets such as Italy, France and Belgium. However, UK exports are expected to fall due to Brexit.

Apple on the march APPLE intends to build a huge data centre in the southern Jutland town of Aabenraa to complement its other planned centre in Viborg in central Jutland. Construction will create around 300 jobs. Meanwhile, its digital payment solution Apple Pay – a competitor to MobilePay – will launch in Denmark by the end of the year.

New CEO at Lego AMONG the industry moves this summer, Niels B Christiansen has replaced Bali Padda as CEO of the Lego Group; Angela Naef has replaced Ron Park as chair of AmCham; former minister Christian Friis Bach is the new general secretary of aid organisation Dansk Flygtningehjælp; and Henrik Bo Nielsen has stepped down as chief executive of the Danish Film Institute.

Ryanair soaring RYANAIR expects 3 million passengers in Denmark in 2017.

From October, it will begin operating from Aalborg Airport – its fourth ‘base’ in Denmark after Copenhagen, Billund and Aarhus. In other news, Oslo (Gardermoen) and Stockholm (Arlanda) are closing the gap on Copenhagen Airport as the busiest airport in the Nordics

Ripping off Lego LEPIN, a Chinese company that blatantly rips off Lego’s products right down to a similar logo, is now selling in Italy, France, the UK, Poland, Denmark, Russia, the US, Brazil and Australia – often at half the price of the Danish firm.

Lego is still waiting for a decision after going to court in China to try to stop Lepin.

A prevalence of property pitfalls Ripped off on the price of your co-operative, or stung by your landlord, finding somewhere to live has never been harder

RENT GUIDE

Fashion exports rock

18 - 31 August 2017

Tough for treasury THE TREASURY is owed 101.1 billion kroner in unpaid taxes, of which it believes 80.5 billion will never be paid. Four out of 10 Danes said they’d visit Germany or Sweden this summer to buy drinks. Many experts now doubt whether Denmark’s oil and gas deposits will continue to boost its coffers and Liberal Alliance is no longer seeking a reduction in the top tax bracket.

BEN HAMILTON

R

ENTING in Copenhagen is a minefield. Extortionate prices, dissatisfactory accommodation, withheld deposits – it can be particularly hard for youngsters and internationals to know what their rights are.

A welcome rent guide BUT HELP is at from newlylaunched Danish startup Rent Guide (rentguide.dk), which is seeking to tackle the problem by offering its services to tenants who might feel they have a case to take their landlord to court.

A free consultation will determine the strength of the case, and Rent Guide will charge a 30 percent commission should it win the case.

“We will present the case on our client’s behalf if we assess they have a legitimate claim,” Rent Guide’s founder Nikolaj Let Jensen told CPH POST. “We believe in the ‘No victory – no costs’ principle. Therefore, our clients will never have to pay out of their own pocket, regardless of whether or not our specialists win.”

ONLINE THIS WEEK

A spate of sales A nice, simple abode: is it too much to ask? Invariably, yes ...

according to a survey by Dansk Andelsbolig Analyse for Politiken.

For example, the association A/B Falsterborg in Frederiksberg has raised its price per square metre from 9,800 to 25,400 kroner over the period, which means one of its 75 sqm apartments can now be sold at a profit of 1.17 million kroner.

Tenants to blame IN RELATED news, tenants organisation Lejernes Landsorganisation has said tenants often have themselves to blame if rent prices shoot up, as there are enough tenancy meetings to ask critical questions and also a housing appeals board, Huslejenævnet.

Rent prices have increased by 30 percent in the last decade, according to Danmarks Statistik, compared to a 17 percent general rise in consumer prices. Complaints to Huslejenævnet last year fell from 5,000 to 3,500.

And in other news, 383,065 Danes took tax deductions to have their homes refurbished last year, compared to 577,925 in 2015, following the decision to restrict the offer to climatefriendly home improvements – a move that was mainly detrimental to poor households.

According to the Tax Ministry, 26.5 percent of the top bracket (over 700,000 kroner per year) took advantage, compared to 3.6 percent of the lowest bracket (under 200,000) and 8.6 percent of the bracket above (200-350,000).

Greedy getting rich THE RAPIDLY rising price of co-operative housing is also a problem – particularly in Copenhagen, where prices have risen by as much as 375 percent in five years, with 50 percent being the average increase. It makes it almost impossible to compare prices.

This is because close to a half of the associations have got a valuation carried out by a private enterprise (normally an estate agent) instead of a public assessor,

Hidden dangers IT WASN’T long ago that such a flat would have cost you hundreds of thousands of kroner, not millions. Technically the association members don’t own their property, but just a share in the building for which they pay a monthly ‘rent’ to service the building costs and mortgage repayments.

Marc Lund Andersen from Boligøkonomisk Videnscenter warns that greedily pushing prices up too far could have dire consequences for co-operative association members if interest rates were to suddenly rise.

Newly-established associations that took out repayment-free mortgages with variable interest rates would be the most vulnerable, he contends, particularly as the housing tax would also increase.

Debt-careless Danes

Milk prices on the rise

Coop rebranding chains

LENA APLER, a leading Swedish entrepreneur who founded Collector, has rubbished Denmark’s claim to be an attractive country for startups. She told Breakit that overall the Nordics is a “superb market” thanks to its stable economies and limited corruption, but that Denmark was not worth the risk as “they have a lower morale for paying back their debts.”

THE PRICE of a litre of milk has risen by 1.50 kroner because farmers are producing less of it and there is now a bigger worldwide demand for dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese products and cream. Farmers are now getting 2.77 kroner per litre for milk – a 91 øre per litre jump to a level 49 percent higher than last summer.

SUPERMARKET chain Coop is rebranding five of its operations – Dagli’Brugsen, SuperBrugsen, Brugsen, Kvickly and Fakta – under the same name. Only Irma will hold onto its name. Coop told Økonomisk Ugebrev that it intends to provide a more local service to customers, so different stores will stock different products.

THE STATE has sold its 81 percent stake in Vestjysk Bank to an investor group at a loss of 1.4 billion kroner. Hardware chain Silvan has been sold to a German capital fund, the Aurelius Group, and the capital fund Nordic Capital has bought the Lagkagehuset bakery chain – both for undisclosed sums.

Finally, payment company Nets is reportedly close to being sold.

A run of results BANG & Olufsen’s annual post-tax loss of 117 million kroner is an improvement on a loss of 208 million kroner. Pandora blamed disappointing Q2 results on a decline in sales in US shopping malls. And Novo Nordisk has reported an 8 percent increase in its operating profit to 26.9 billion kroner.

Landmark for wind DENMARK’S land wind turbine capacity now exceeds 4 GW – enough to cover 27 percent of its electricity consumption, making it the leading per capita OECD nation with twice the output of second-placed Sweden.

In related news, Vestas is being sued by General Electric in the US over patented technology, and Global Infrastructure Partners is paying DONG Energy 1.17 billion euros for a 50 percent stake in a North Sea windfarm.

Education minister happy THE EDUCATION minister, Søren Pind, was happy to note that the higher education application and acceptance rate fell this year – an indicator that more students are choosing vocational studies.

BUSINESS OPINION

18 - 31 August 2017

PHILIP TEES PERSONAL BUSINESS Philip is a technical writer at a technology company and former business editor at the Copenhagen Post. He has a law degree, but prefers to play with words than Westlaw. Get in touch by following @currently_pt on Twitter or email holla@philiptees.com.

Silicon Valley I’M A FAN of ‘Silicon Valley ’.

The characters in TV series work relentlessly for their employers, but they don’t seem to do it for the money. Their job is a big part of their lifestyle: they believe in their company, and they have fun at work.

Until recently I assumed the series was guilty of wild exaggeration, especially regarding the culture at the world’s most successful technology companies.

But the more people I talk to who have experience of working there, the more it seems to be pretty accurate.

My experience THIS ECHOES my own experience of working at a tech startup. When I attended the

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

PIXABAY

O

RGANISATIONAL culture and strategy can seem like a chicken and egg deal – what comes first when we talk about business success?

But, according to the business guru Peter Drucker, the answer is simple: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast .”

job interview I was surprised to see someone coast past me on a skateboard. The walls were decorated with graffiti and there were arcade games and a foosball table.

But people weren’t slacking off playing foosball all day, as you might imagine. The work ethic of my colleagues was intense.

The culture wasn’t a hindrance to getting stuff done – if anything it was a reason for people to work hard.

The Danish Model IN THE past, some international companies have run into problems on their Danish adventure (think Ryanair and Uber), but the problems have been of a particular nature – falling foul of the so-called Danish model of employment.

The ‘Danish Model’ seeks to ensure minimum working conditions for employees. It is a barrier if, like Ryanair and Uber, you are seeking to get people to work for as little as possible. But if you are looking to get the best people to do their best work, you need to go beyond this.

Foosball and even pat-a-cake

One of the biggest challenges for tech startups is attracting and retaining the right people, and then motivating them to do their best work. The Danish model focuses on ‘traditional ’ parameters (job security, salary etc),

B I l I n g u a l

studeNts learN morE; – fastEr

world every day!

Institut Sankt Joseph

Copenhagen | www.sanktjoseph.dk/en Private cathOlic schOOl – ages 5-16

Open spaces in 6th and 7th grade an

iintercultural

Discover the

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

but for tech startups you need to build on top of this to create the organisational culture that people in the industry seek.

Just throw in skateboards and foosball and breakfast is cooking.

D e p a r t m e n t

English and Danish as teaching languages

Bilingual

9

First class

Cambridge

learning environment....

BiliNgual educatiON

Ouse?

Next OPeN hjoseph.dk kt visit www.san

clOse tO ØsterPOrt statiON

10 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

18 - 31 August 2017

The silly season I

A brave voice IN THE current silly season PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen, together with his peers in Finland and the Netherlands, has written an article showing a positive approach to the EU. His is a daring voice at a time when political majorities and high-profiled minorities are falling over themselves with competing demands for more austere immigration policy, whilst showing little love for the EU. This is not unlike Brexit, a peculiarly British silliness, which also in general looks negatively on the great European project that has given security and prosperity to all 28 countries – not least to the smaller ones. Thanks, therefore, are due to PMs who dare to voice positive sentiments in silly times.

Rolling up the sleeves AFTER the Folkemødet political festival on Bornholm where

A Dane Abroad

everything was draught beer and sweet-talk, it is now time for politicians to sharpen their pencils for drafting the 2018 budget.

For the first time in decades – thanks to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin – there seems to be a majority in favour of defence spending rather than cuts.

It remains to be seen how much.

The navy has modern frigates – alas without missiles. The airforce has ordered new fighter bombers, but they are still a long way from being delivered. Now it remains to be seen whether a modern infantry brigade with state-of-the-art equipment can be agreed upon.

It seems that we have a lot of officers – especially among the higher ranks – but fewer footsoldiers. It will be interesting to see if they can be recruited in times of low unemployment.

Now that army support for the police is on its way, we are somewhat nervous that politicians are mixing defence with law and order. However, the home guard has done a fine job so far.

Death and taxes FINALLY the all-party favourite – tax cuts – will be launched in many flavours, but the proposal to remove the top bracket tax is dead in the water.

So there is little to disturb the peace of the kingdom – not even the prince consort’s bizarre announcement regarding what is not going to be his final resting place.

The most curved cucumber of the season, some might say. (ES)

Join the chat WWW.CPHPOST.DK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/COPENHAGENPOST WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/CPHPOST WWW.TWITTER.COM/CPHPOST

Born and raised in Denmark, Kirsten jumped ship in her early 20s to spend the next 12 years living in New Zealand. A physiotherapist, acupuncturist, yogini and foodie, she has a passion for life and well-being.

After a few stints back in the motherland, Kirsten is once again back living in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

N DENMARK, the silly season is called ‘cucumber time’.

This is when nothing happens and everything gets blown out of proportion. The media report on trivia such as the postman being chased by a dog – and not the other way around.

Originally, 50 years ago, cucumbers were one of the causes of Danish scepticism about the EU. Regulations governing what degree of curvature was appropriate for an EU cucumber were too much for the Danes, who thought the whole brouhaha was nonsense, and that feeling has been latent ever since.

KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

You’re not going to wake up to this before heading into Rush Hour

S

O, MY FOREVER evolving journey as a ‘global citizen’ has yet again taken me north of the equator. This recent change has invoked fresh impressions of how utterly quickly and deeply your life can alter by simply changing your geographical location. I find this notion incredibly exhilarating.

Life or university skills?

YEARS ago when I was still a high school kid in a provincial town on Funen, I remember hearing the minister of education urging young people to prioritise their education and hurry up and get to university instead of taking a sabbatical, or ‘fjumre år’, a ridiculous term that translates as ‘a year of faffing around’. What a load of bollocks, and what disastrous advice for young people! Once upon a time people travelled to learn about life. Some things can never be learnt by taking a PhD. Some of the greatest perspectives and lessons in life are those I gained from what has come

from the challenges of being abroad. Journeying beyond and, in particular, living in a different country is hands down the most enriching experience you can give yourself, and it will put your personal development on speed.

Travel will open your eyes and mind and teach you more about life than any school book can ever do. The key, of course, is journeying beyond the familiar, whatever that is, which is done in many more ways than just physical travel. Physical travel simply facilitates and fast-tracks this process.

Energy follows change IT SHOULD be blatantly clear to everyone, particularly during these testing times of escalating global conflict, that we have never been more in need of people who can see and understand the big picture, relate to other (human) beings, communicate effectively, adapt to change and develop new ways of doing things better. I mean this in all its literal grandeur when

I say: for the sake of humanity, travel beyond!

Zooming through the meadowy landscape of Denmark as I am now, sitting on a DSB train en route to Sweden to visit an old pal, I am acutely aware of how different my life suddenly is, now I’m back in this part of the world, compared to somewhere in the South Pacific. It fills me with a creative fire of excitement and curiosity. Change always creates movement, and movement always creates energy.

When the daily grind of usual gets too strong a hold on us, we become bored, uninspired and unconscious. Change, in any capacity, can be the catalyst for all sorts of wonderful, refreshing newness as adaptation brings fresh neural wiring to the dusty old pathways up on the top floor. Moving into uncharted territory – whether physical, mental, spiritual or emotional – can be nothing short of mind-opening, lifechanging and, quite possibly, energising beyond belief.

OPINION

18 - 31 August 2017

11

NEXT ISSUE

ZACH KHADUDU

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

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Straight, No Chaser

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

STEPHEN GADD

IN 2 ISSUES

An Actor’s Life IAN BURNS

Fashion Jam JENNY EGSTEN-ERICSON The wildest taste, or in bad taste?

T

HE RACE debate that refuses to go away reemerged this summer.

This time, prompted by a radio program on public broadcaster DR, which invited listeners to call in with their ‘jokes without borders’, listeners heeded the clarion call.

Amnesia about slavery THEY CALLED in with jokes that were not only racist, demeaning and subjugating to people of colour, but also awoke the deep-seated sentiments of a race divide. For a country that was forefront in the slave trade, it suffers public amnesia regarding its involvement in human history’s biggest crime.

Arguing that we should merely laugh at these kinds of jokes in the name of freedom of expression is a bit disingenuous.

Today, pressure groups in the Virgin Islands are still pushing for a formal apology from the Danish government and reparation for the slavery, which by any measure were crimes against humanity of a monumental proportion.

The nation has eyes wide shut to its history. It’s time we face ourselves. Copenhagen, like other major western capitals,

is a city built on the blood, sweat and tears of African slaves.

Even by conservative estimates, Denmark enslaved more than 100,000, stripping the African continent of its human and natural capital. While most of the enslaved people made it to the Danish West Indies to work as beasts of burdens on Danish plantations, many perished at sea.

Education badly needed INSTEAD of broadcasting a racist jokes program, DR should start with some basic civil education 101 about Danish history and the inter-generational trauma it caused many African people whose descendants today reside in the Virgin Islands. Let DR be at the forefront of educating us about how stolen wealth from Africa and elsewhere made this nation what it is today.

Denmark prides itself on being an egalitarian society. When it comes to equality, justice and freedoms, it ranks highly. Beneath this veil, however, is a deep mistrust of people seen as ‘the other’, whether it’s black people, refugees or Muslims.

How else can you explain a program on a national broadcaster that actively endorses

the condescension of people of colour? Who are the gatekeepers that give a green light to these broadcasts – what social cohesion do these programs contribute to?

A house of cards THE DANES may be among the happiest people on the planet, but the tentacles of the white supremacists – thinly-veiled in the language of the alt-righters – is very much alive and present.

For the umpteenth time in this column I will say: until this country reconciles itself with its slave history, the race debate will continue to recur as a malignant infection in the bowels of the nation.

Any nation that wishes part of its history would simply go away is a house of cards susceptible to crumbling.

Call it far-fetched, but justifying racism for laughs, as in the case of the DR program LOL DK on P3 radio station, shows how little Denmark has evolved since the days of slavery when people of colour were regarded as lesser humans. In the words of Karl Marx: “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.”

IN 3 ISSUES

The Road Less Taken JESSICA ALEXANDER

Mishra’s Mishmash MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA

IN 4 ISSUES

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

OPINION

18 - 31 August 2017

11

NEXT ISSUE

ZACH KHADUDU

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

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Straight, No Chaser

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

STEPHEN GADD

IN 2 ISSUES

An Actor’s Life IAN BURNS

Fashion Jam JENNY EGSTEN-ERICSON The wildest taste, or in bad taste?

T

HE RACE debate that refuses to go away reemerged this summer.

This time, prompted by a radio program on public broadcaster DR, which invited listeners to call in with their ‘jokes without borders’, listeners heeded the clarion call.

Amnesia about slavery THEY CALLED in with jokes that were not only racist, demeaning and subjugating to people of colour, but also awoke the deep-seated sentiments of a race divide. For a country that was forefront in the slave trade, it suffers public amnesia regarding its involvement in human history’s biggest crime.

Arguing that we should merely laugh at these kinds of jokes in the name of freedom of expression is a bit disingenuous.

Today, pressure groups in the Virgin Islands are still pushing for a formal apology from the Danish government and reparation for the slavery, which by any measure were crimes against humanity of a monumental proportion.

The nation has eyes wide shut to its history. It’s time we face ourselves. Copenhagen, like other major western capitals,

is a city built on the blood, sweat and tears of African slaves.

Even by conservative estimates, Denmark enslaved more than 100,000, stripping the African continent of its human and natural capital. While most of the enslaved people made it to the Danish West Indies to work as beasts of burdens on Danish plantations, many perished at sea.

Education badly needed INSTEAD of broadcasting a racist jokes program, DR should start with some basic civil education 101 about Danish history and the inter-generational trauma it caused many African people whose descendants today reside in the Virgin Islands. Let DR be at the forefront of educating us about how stolen wealth from Africa and elsewhere made this nation what it is today.

Denmark prides itself on being an egalitarian society. When it comes to equality, justice and freedoms, it ranks highly. Beneath this veil, however, is a deep mistrust of people seen as ‘the other’, whether it’s black people, refugees or Muslims.

How else can you explain a program on a national broadcaster that actively endorses

the condescension of people of colour? Who are the gatekeepers that give a green light to these broadcasts – what social cohesion do these programs contribute to?

A house of cards THE DANES may be among the happiest people on the planet, but the tentacles of the white supremacists – thinly-veiled in the language of the alt-righters – is very much alive and present.

For the umpteenth time in this column I will say: until this country reconciles itself with its slave history, the race debate will continue to recur as a malignant infection in the bowels of the nation.

Any nation that wishes part of its history would simply go away is a house of cards susceptible to crumbling.

Call it far-fetched, but justifying racism for laughs, as in the case of the DR program LOL DK on P3 radio station, shows how little Denmark has evolved since the days of slavery when people of colour were regarded as lesser humans. In the words of Karl Marx: “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.”

IN 3 ISSUES

The Road Less Taken JESSICA ALEXANDER

Mishra’s Mishmash MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA

IN 4 ISSUES

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

12 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

18 - 31 August 2017

ABOUT TOWN

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

The diplomatic corps has bid farewell to four of its members. Luxembourg’s ambassador Gerard Philipps (left) will be sorely missed – not least for his virtuoso guitar performances. Armenian ambassador Hrachya Aghajanyan (centre left: left) had been here so long he performed acting dean of the diplomatic corp duties at Philipps’ farewell on June 24, and he was touched to receive a gift at his own send-off on June 28, where Russian ambassador Mikhail Vanin (right) took on acting dean duties. The guests of outgoing Finnish ambassador Ann-Marie Nyroos (centre right: centre) included her Irish counterpart Cliona Manahan (left) on June 21, while Ivory Coast’s ambassador Mina Balde Laurent (right: left), the current dean, gave a speech to mark the departure of Austrian ambassador Ernst-Peter Brezovsky (centre) on July 4

The cast of ‘Hamlet’ took a well-deserved bow (left) following a rain-drenched premiere of Lars Romann Engel’s modernist two-hour adaptation at Kronborg Castle – read our six-star review at cphpost.dk. The play continues until August 19. Among the cast enjoying a pre-performance reception before costumes and make-up were (centre left, left-right from second left: Natalie Madueño (Ophelia), Engel and Vivienne McKee (Gertrude), along with VIP guests (centre right) Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen (third left) and Sophie Hæstorp Andersen (second right), the head of the Capital Region.

Also at Kronborg recently (right) were Japanese ambassador Toshiro Suzuki (left) and his counterpart in Japan, Danish ambassador Freddy Svane, who met on June 20 as part of the 150-year anniversary of the commencement of diplomatic relations between the countries

China’s new ambassador Deng Ying (left) made her diplomatic corps debut on July 20 at an event to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the Chinese Embassy in Hellerup. The guest of honour was Senior Colonel Zhang Jiyu (centre in green), who along with Ying welcomed other guests, including Danish Rear Admiral Frank Trojahn (left). Meanwhile, a special China Tourism Night event on June 25, ‘Beautiful China - Journey Along The Tea Road’, which was organised at Tivoli by the Sinex Group, was a highly colourful affair

Estonian ambassador Mart Volmer performed the honours at Europe House to assume his country’s EU presidency – a stand-in for the UK, which dropped out following Brexit. Estonia succeeds Malta, while Bulgaria and Austria will share 2018

Indian ambassador Rajev Shahare (blue suit) has been sworn in as an honorary member of the Harald Bluetooth Guild alongside Albanian ambassador Kastriot Robo (hidden) and Austrian ambassador Ernst-Peter Brezovsky (blue tie)

James D Watson (sitting), a Nobel Laureate who co-discovered DNA in 1953, gave a lecture at the Panum Institute on July 26. Among those in attendance were Niels-Henrik von Holstein-Rathlou (centre left), the Novo Nordisk chief scientific officer

MARKETPLACE & SCHOOLS

18 - 31 August 2017

13

LEAPFORCE AT HOME INDEPENDENT AGENT DANISH (DENMARK) POSITION TYPE Independent Contractor

JOB DESCRIPTION

Learn or improve Danish!

Private experienced graduated teacher. All levels.

Free test.

Please contact Karen Berg at LinkedIn or mail: Linguacare@gmail.com

This position is restricted to current residents of Denmark that are fluent in written and verbal Danish.

This is a PERSONALIZED SEARCH ENGINE EVALUATOR position. As a Personalized Search Engine Evaluator, you will be given tasks that are generated from your personalized content based on your Google account linked to your Gmail address that you use to register with Leapforce. Ideal candidates will be highly active users of Google’s search engine and other products; use Google Play at least once per week; use Google+ more than once per month and have more than 11 people per circle and have a Gmail account with web history turned on.

Some projects require that candidates use an Android smartphone or iPhone, not provided, to complete the evaluation work. Only Android smartphones and iPhone’s are acceptable, tablets and other smart devices do not qualify at this time.

Leapforce is looking for highly educated individuals able to read and write using Danish for an exciting work from home opportunity. Applicants must be self motivated and internet savvy. This is an opportunity to evaluate and improve search engine results for one of the world’s largest internet search engine companies.

Search Engine Evaluators will need to combine a passion for analysis, understanding of various online research tools and in-depth knowledge of the Danish language and culture. Applicants must be detail oriented and have a broad range of interests.

Ideal Search Engine Evaluators will possess the following skills

SUMMERRFETE August Saturday 26 m 10-17 o r f , n e k r a p Churchill Fun for all the Family!

English Book Stall Bouncy Castle Barbecue Jazz Band Beer & Tea Tents Stalls with British Goods Kids' Corner & Home Made Treats

Can't wait to see you there!

St Alban's Anglican Church, Churchillparken 11 (Beside Gefion's Fountain) www.st-albans.dk

Have in-depth, up-to-date familiarity with Danish social culture, media, and web culture ■ Excellent comprehension and written communication skills in English and Danish ■ Broad range of interests, with specific areas of expertise a plus University degree or equivalent experience (degrees in-progress are acceptable). Advanced degrees a plus ■ Excellent web research skills and analytical abilities.

■ Ability to work independently under minimal supervision ■ Possess a high speed internet connection (DSL, Cable Modem, etc.)

■ Use of an Android phone version 4.1 or higher, Windows phone version 8.1 or higher, or an iPhone version 4s or higher.

■

Search Engine Evaluators provide feedback on search engine results by measuring the relevance and usefulness of web pages in correlation to predefined queries, by providing comparative analysis of sets of search engine results and various other techniques.

All candidates are required to take and pass a qualification exam before becoming a Search Engine Evaluator. There are three parts to the exam: a theoretical component and two practical components. Supplied study materials can be used during the exam.

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to offer more than one Search Engine Evaluator position per household.

CONTACT: CATHERINE HUYNH - catherine@leapforce.com

18 - 31 August 2017

13

No danish lunch without Akvavit 206750_Annonce_UK_Visit_Post_173x35mm.indd 1

21/04/15 17.18

DANISH CUISINE Bør nydes med omtanke

The very essence of

No one really has any idea when it first appeared. And no one knows who invented it, either.

But everyone agrees that it is the very essence of Danish cuisine.

Smørrebrød – don’t try saying it – just taste it

Smørrebrød means “open sandwiches” and, as the name suggests, it isn’t just one dish but many. In fact, it embraces a vast number of variations of fish, meat, salads and vegetables and cheese on rye or white bread.

Real smørrebrød is a pleasure to the eye and to the palate. But be careful - smørrebrød comes in almost as many different sizes as there are variations and it is more filling than you might think!

The Danes eat smørrebrød all year round as a traditional lunch dish. It is also popular on festive occasions together with the family or friends. And smørrebrød is almost always accompanied by Danish beer and schnapps.

Copenhagen boasts a whole range of restaurants which specialise in smørrebrød – typical Danish open – faced sandwiches. They are ancient, traditional establishments, often located below street level in cosy basements and cellars. Service at Copenhagen smørrebrød restaurants differs in style from that at normal eating places and can be an experience in its own right!

Welcome to the traditional Danish kitchen!

Velbekomme – Bon Appetit!

KANAL - KAFEEN Frederiksholms Kanal 18 Tel 3311 5770 www.kanal-cafeen.aok.dk Café Petersborg is one of Copenhagen’s very oldest restaurants with a history which dates all the way back to 1746. The cuisine is typically Danish and the restaurant has always made it an honour to serve good, traditional Danish food at reasonable prices. The menu has extended to include a range of foreign dishes which have become part of the Danish kitchen.

Many famous Danes and foreigners have visited Café Petersborg – notably Hillary Clinton.

HUSMANNS VINSTUE Larsbjørnsstræde 2 Tel 3311 5886 e-mail: 1888@husmannsvinstue.dk www.husmannsvinstue.dk

Annonce 1 side Frokostrestaurant.indd 1

Kanal – Kafeen – Canal Café – located on the canal near Christiansborg parliament building – dates back to 1852. The first owner of the café was a former cook at the royal palace who was given the restaurant as a pension! Canal Café has a genuine old – world Danish atmosphere, with a plethora of old pictures on the walls and low beams! The restaurant is frequented by office workers from the quarter as well as parliament, with families and tourists often in evidence! The Kanal – Kafeen is a bit cramped with seating capacity for only 60 guests, but there’s always room if you are prepared to wait a few minutes for a table – otherwise when weather permits, tables are put out on the pavement overlooking the canal.

CAFÉ PETERSBORG Bredgade 76 Tel 3312 5016 • Fax 3315 5062 www.cafe-petersborg.dk www.spiseliv.dk/petersborg Husmanns Vinstue – a classic luncheon restaurant founded in 1888 – is one of the very few old basement restaurants left in Copenhagen – almost totally unchanged in style during the 125 or so years of its existence! One significant change is that women are allowed to lunch there now – they were forbiden admittance in 1912 by the then proprietress, a ban not lifted until 1981!

HUSMANNS VINSTUE is today a traditional Danish smørrebrød lunch restaurant of the highest quality offering homemade specialities composed of fresh raw materials, based on typical old Danish recipes.

Opening hours mon-fri: 11.30 am – 6 pm, sat: 12.00 pm – 4 pm. Kitchen: mon-fri: 11.30 – 4pm, sat: 12 – 4 pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays. All credit cards accepted.

Evening parties catered for by special advance order.

Café Sorgenfri is a 150-year-old basement restaurant in central Copenhagen, serving classic Danish open sandwiches. Our famous kitchen works every day from 11am to 9pm (Sun 12 noon to 5pm), where as the restaurant only closes at midnight. A lot has been written about Café Sorgenfri as an example of genuine, traditional Copen-hagen culture at its best. However, most of all, the restaurant is popular in the true sense of the word.

Café Sorgenfri is known by any Copenhagener and everybody from all walks of life comes here to enjoy a meal, a couple of pints...and the company. Quite naturally, Café Sorgenfri is often completely packed – so please phone in advance for table reservation.

RESTAURANT & CAFÉ NYTORV Nytorv 15 Tel 3311 7706 www.nytorv.dk

CAFÉ SORGENFRI Brolæggerstræde 8 Tel 3311 5880 www.cafesorgenfri.dk Restaurant & Café Nytorv is 150 years old and one of the very oldest inns in Copenhagen – established 30-40 years after the Great Fire in 1795 that left most of the capital in ruins.

In times gone-by, Restaurant & Café Nytorv was the haunt of drunkards and prostitutes, today its clientele are artists, lawyers, businessmen and good people that just pop into the place for a beer or a good meal – we serve typical Danish-style lunches all day!

Københavner Caféen is a genuine Danish restaurant situated in one of Copenhagen’s small and charming streets – just a couple of steps off the walking street (“Strøget”). Traditional open sandwiches (“smørrebrød”) dominate the lunch menu whilst renowned Danish dishes are served in the evening.

The café is noted for its untraditional and impulsive activities for tourists. For example, Santa Claus often appears during the summer months!

Københavner Caféen is open seven days a week including public holidays and serves lunch between 12:00 and 17:00 and dinner from 17:00 until 22:30.

KØBENHAVNER CAFEEN Badstuestræde 10 Tel 3332 8081 www.kobenhavnercafeen.dk

22/04/14 21.40

14 FILM

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

18 - 31 August 2017

Perilous portals that take us to cinema hell BEN HAMILTON

A

CHILD finding a mysterious world in a wardrobe, down a rabbit hole, or in her dreams is surely the ultimate fantasy. Not only can these portals take us anywhere, but they also remind us of our own childhoods – happy summer days reading about heroic children taking on villainous women.

Down the drain hole SO WHY is it, given our predilection to such fare, that almost every film that’s tried to follow Alice, Dorthy and Lucy Pevensie through the wormhole has ended up bombing?

Sure there are a few exceptions: there’s no doubt the ‘Upside Down’ alternate dimension has played a major part in the ongoing success of TV series Stranger Things, but for every hit there’s a swathe of flops like the risible Stargate that swiftly snipped the three-film career of Jaye Davidson (The Crying Game), The Neverending Story (the adaptation of a 1979 German book that felt like it was longer than Ben Hur and duly got a sequel) and The Pagemaster starring Macaulay Culkin, a part-animation film that meant the producers could hide his rapidly-emerging acne.

In fact, Culkin wasn’t the only star to see his career go down the drain (into a washed-up world) with such a film. Most will have forgotten Arnie Schwarzenegger’s ill-advised turn in the 1993 children’s fantasy The Last Action Hero, but given he had already been cast in True Lies (1994), it was arguably the film that signalled the good times were over.

Let’s hope that won’t be the case with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, whose decision to join the cast of the universally-panned The Dark Tower (34 on Metacritic; released in Denmark on Aug 17), an adaptation of a book series by erratic horror writer Stephen King, might come back to haunt them.

Surely the hackneyed character names alone, the Last Gunslinger and the Man in Black, should have been enough to warn them off. Given King’s inconsistency, it really makes you wonder whether he is a franchise and that in centuries to come they’ll question his authorship in the same way we query Shakespeare’s. But with It hitting the cinemas on September 7, he’ll soon be everyone’s darling again.

Brits take over Motown WILL POULTER got his big break discovering Narnia through a painting and unlike Culkin appears to be demonstrating that you can find success in adult movies (no, not those kind!) thanks to splendid turns in The Revenant and now Detroit (78; Aug 24), In the capable hands of Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, James Cameron’s ex), and released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Detroit Rebellion, the film recounts how on that fateful night of rioting three young black men connected to a professional black R&B group were murdered in a hotel after one of them discharged a fake pistol as a prank.

Offering strong support to Poulter’s racist policeman (the villain, as he’s British innit?) is

If this was a Bond audition for Idris Elba, he failed miserably

another Brit, John Boyega, the rebellious Stormtrooper in the Star Wars reboot.

Denzel diligently directs ANOTHER absorbing American black drama that slipped under the radar of our last cinema preview, but fortunately not the Academy’s, is Denzel Washington’s first directorial film in a decade, Fences (79; on general release), which came out earlier this month.

The fences in the title are those placed by Washington’s character in front of his son’s attempts to become a professional baseball player in 1950s Pittsburgh – an opportunity he never had due to the prohibition of black players until 1947. Viola Davis offers strong support for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Continuing with family

reconciliation, New Zealand’s second most esteemed director, Lee Tamahori, is again joining forces with Temuera Morrison, the star of his acclaimed 1994 film Once were Warriors, for The Patriarch (no score on Metacritic; Aug 17).

Known as Mahana in its home country, it’s fared pretty well on Rotten Tomatoes, but mainly thanks to glowing Antipodean reviews.

Too sickly for some A BETTER bet might be The Big Sick (84; Aug 17), this summer’s feel-good romcom, which following in the track of Master of None follows a Pakistan-born aspiring comedian as he falls in love with an all-American white girl, and then one of them gets ill. The film is based on the reallife courtship between the two stars and interaction with their

prospective in-laws.

Also a true story is American Made (Not Released Worldwide Yet; Aug 24) starring Tom Cruise as a pilot who works for the CIA and also as a drug runner in the 1980s. It sounds like it could be like Blow – so fun in places but ultimately too ambitious – but Cruise is developing a reputation for meddling with every film he’s cast in, so don’t get too excited.

Likewise Manifesto (72; Aug 24) won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Clever and ambitious, it stars Cate Blanchett in 13 different roles – monologues that explore themes that might be too erudite for some viewers. Finally a film for people who like art!

If only someone would find a portal to a magical universe where they make good films about portals to magical universes, we’d all be happy.

’69 MINUTES OF 86 DAYS’ AUG 17 – AUG 23 DOCUMENTARY OF THE MONTH: In this relatable documentary on the refugee crisis, follow 3-yearold Lean and her family on a chaotic journey from a Greek refugee camp to Uppsala, Sweden.

We present some 50 films with English dialogue or subtitles every month.

See what’s on at cinemateket.dk or visit us in Gothersgade 55

18 - 31 August 2017

15

No danish lunch without Akvavit 206750_Annonce_UK_Visit_Post_173x35mm.indd 1

21/04/15 17.18

DANISH CUISINE Bør nydes med omtanke

The very essence of

No one really has any idea when it first appeared. And no one knows who invented it, either.

But everyone agrees that it is the very essence of Danish cuisine.

Smørrebrød – don’t try saying it – just taste it

Smørrebrød means “open sandwiches” and, as the name suggests, it isn’t just one dish but many. In fact, it embraces a vast number of variations of fish, meat, salads and vegetables and cheese on rye or white bread.

Real smørrebrød is a pleasure to the eye and to the palate. But be careful - smørrebrød comes in almost as many different sizes as there are variations and it is more filling than you might think!

The Danes eat smørrebrød all year round as a traditional lunch dish. It is also popular on festive occasions together with the family or friends. And smørrebrød is almost always accompanied by Danish beer and schnapps.

Copenhagen boasts a whole range of restaurants which specialise in smørrebrød – typical Danish open – faced sandwiches. They are ancient, traditional establishments, often located below street level in cosy basements and cellars. Service at Copenhagen smørrebrød restaurants differs in style from that at normal eating places and can be an experience in its own right!

Welcome to the traditional Danish kitchen!

Velbekomme – Bon Appetit!

KANAL - KAFEEN Frederiksholms Kanal 18 Tel 3311 5770 www.kanal-cafeen.aok.dk Café Petersborg is one of Copenhagen’s very oldest restaurants with a history which dates all the way back to 1746. The cuisine is typically Danish and the restaurant has always made it an honour to serve good, traditional Danish food at reasonable prices. The menu has extended to include a range of foreign dishes which have become part of the Danish kitchen.

Many famous Danes and foreigners have visited Café Petersborg – notably Hillary Clinton.

HUSMANNS VINSTUE Larsbjørnsstræde 2 Tel 3311 5886 e-mail: 1888@husmannsvinstue.dk www.husmannsvinstue.dk

Annonce 1 side Frokostrestaurant.indd 1

Kanal – Kafeen – Canal Café – located on the canal near Christiansborg parliament building – dates back to 1852. The first owner of the café was a former cook at the royal palace who was given the restaurant as a pension! Canal Café has a genuine old – world Danish atmosphere, with a plethora of old pictures on the walls and low beams! The restaurant is frequented by office workers from the quarter as well as parliament, with families and tourists often in evidence! The Kanal – Kafeen is a bit cramped with seating capacity for only 60 guests, but there’s always room if you are prepared to wait a few minutes for a table – otherwise when weather permits, tables are put out on the pavement overlooking the canal.

CAFÉ PETERSBORG Bredgade 76 Tel 3312 5016 • Fax 3315 5062 www.cafe-petersborg.dk www.spiseliv.dk/petersborg Husmanns Vinstue – a classic luncheon restaurant founded in 1888 – is one of the very few old basement restaurants left in Copenhagen – almost totally unchanged in style during the 125 or so years of its existence! One significant change is that women are allowed to lunch there now – they were forbiden admittance in 1912 by the then proprietress, a ban not lifted until 1981!

HUSMANNS VINSTUE is today a traditional Danish smørrebrød lunch restaurant of the highest quality offering homemade specialities composed of fresh raw materials, based on typical old Danish recipes.

Opening hours mon-fri: 11.30 am – 6 pm, sat: 12.00 pm – 4 pm. Kitchen: mon-fri: 11.30 – 4pm, sat: 12 – 4 pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays. All credit cards accepted.

Evening parties catered for by special advance order.

Café Sorgenfri is a 150-year-old basement restaurant in central Copenhagen, serving classic Danish open sandwiches. Our famous kitchen works every day from 11am to 9pm (Sun 12 noon to 5pm), where as the restaurant only closes at midnight. A lot has been written about Café Sorgenfri as an example of genuine, traditional Copen-hagen culture at its best. However, most of all, the restaurant is popular in the true sense of the word.

Café Sorgenfri is known by any Copenhagener and everybody from all walks of life comes here to enjoy a meal, a couple of pints...and the company. Quite naturally, Café Sorgenfri is often completely packed – so please phone in advance for table reservation.

RESTAURANT & CAFÉ NYTORV Nytorv 15 Tel 3311 7706 www.nytorv.dk

CAFÉ SORGENFRI Brolæggerstræde 8 Tel 3311 5880 www.cafesorgenfri.dk Restaurant & Café Nytorv is 150 years old and one of the very oldest inns in Copenhagen – established 30-40 years after the Great Fire in 1795 that left most of the capital in ruins.

In times gone-by, Restaurant & Café Nytorv was the haunt of drunkards and prostitutes, today its clientele are artists, lawyers, businessmen and good people that just pop into the place for a beer or a good meal – we serve typical Danish-style lunches all day!

Københavner Caféen is a genuine Danish restaurant situated in one of Copenhagen’s small and charming streets – just a couple of steps off the walking street (“Strøget”). Traditional open sandwiches (“smørrebrød”) dominate the lunch menu whilst renowned Danish dishes are served in the evening.

The café is noted for its untraditional and impulsive activities for tourists. For example, Santa Claus often appears during the summer months!

Københavner Caféen is open seven days a week including public holidays and serves lunch between 12:00 and 17:00 and dinner from 17:00 until 22:30.

KØBENHAVNER CAFEEN Badstuestræde 10 Tel 3332 8081 www.kobenhavnercafeen.dk

22/04/14 21.40

MARKETPLACE & SCHOOLS

18 - 31 August 2017

15

LEAPFORCE AT HOME INDEPENDENT AGENT DANISH (DENMARK) POSITION TYPE Independent Contractor

JOB DESCRIPTION

Learn or improve Danish!

Private experienced graduated teacher. All levels.

Free test.

Please contact Karen Berg at LinkedIn or mail: Linguacare@gmail.com

This position is restricted to current residents of Denmark that are fluent in written and verbal Danish.

This is a PERSONALIZED SEARCH ENGINE EVALUATOR position. As a Personalized Search Engine Evaluator, you will be given tasks that are generated from your personalized content based on your Google account linked to your Gmail address that you use to register with Leapforce. Ideal candidates will be highly active users of Google’s search engine and other products; use Google Play at least once per week; use Google+ more than once per month and have more than 11 people per circle and have a Gmail account with web history turned on.

Some projects require that candidates use an Android smartphone or iPhone, not provided, to complete the evaluation work. Only Android smartphones and iPhone’s are acceptable, tablets and other smart devices do not qualify at this time.

Leapforce is looking for highly educated individuals able to read and write using Danish for an exciting work from home opportunity. Applicants must be self motivated and internet savvy. This is an opportunity to evaluate and improve search engine results for one of the world’s largest internet search engine companies.

Search Engine Evaluators will need to combine a passion for analysis, understanding of various online research tools and in-depth knowledge of the Danish language and culture. Applicants must be detail oriented and have a broad range of interests.

Ideal Search Engine Evaluators will possess the following skills

SUMMERRFETE August Saturday 26 m 10-17 o r f , n e k r a p Churchill Fun for all the Family!

English Book Stall Bouncy Castle Barbecue Jazz Band Beer & Tea Tents Stalls with British Goods Kids' Corner & Home Made Treats

Can't wait to see you there!

St Alban's Anglican Church, Churchillparken 11 (Beside Gefion's Fountain) www.st-albans.dk

Have in-depth, up-to-date familiarity with Danish social culture, media, and web culture ■ Excellent comprehension and written communication skills in English and Danish ■ Broad range of interests, with specific areas of expertise a plus University degree or equivalent experience (degrees in-progress are acceptable). Advanced degrees a plus ■ Excellent web research skills and analytical abilities.

■ Ability to work independently under minimal supervision ■ Possess a high speed internet connection (DSL, Cable Modem, etc.)

■ Use of an Android phone version 4.1 or higher, Windows phone version 8.1 or higher, or an iPhone version 4s or higher.

■

Search Engine Evaluators provide feedback on search engine results by measuring the relevance and usefulness of web pages in correlation to predefined queries, by providing comparative analysis of sets of search engine results and various other techniques.

All candidates are required to take and pass a qualification exam before becoming a Search Engine Evaluator. There are three parts to the exam: a theoretical component and two practical components. Supplied study materials can be used during the exam.

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to offer more than one Search Engine Evaluator position per household.

CONTACT: CATHERINE HUYNH - catherine@leapforce.com

16

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

How many foxes do you need to make a fox cake?

Take a Danish course at Studieskolen and find out

Learn Danish for free. Sign up online today!

Studieskolen’s courses are designed for everyone who wants to make fast progress with their Danish language skills. Beginners, non-beginners and everyone in between. Come to class up to four times a week in the heart of Copenhagen and you’ll no longer be treading in the spinach (as they say).

Learn more at studieskolen.dk.

Follow us /studieskolen

18 - 31 August 2017