CPH Post 28 May - 10 June 2021 by The Copenhagen Post

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Why do Danes wait at green lights, buy electric bikes to fit in, and make strangers unwelcome? The answer is rooted in compliance and hygge

Most new arrivals know about ‘hygge’, but what about fællesskab, the concept that explains why so many office staffs choose to eat together?

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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH CPHPOST.DK VOL 24 ISSUE 05 28 May - 10 June 2021

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NATIONAL

Island hopping mad MPs back NIMBY concerns of Langeland community

COVID-19 Jilted jabs: how to jump the queue for vaccination

6 EDUCATION

On song or off-key? How students have been coping with limited class time

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HISTORY Dynamite denotation: from amateur club to Euros glory

18 ART REVIEW

Mummy’s boy at heart Getting personal at Louisiana’s acclaimed exhibition ‘Mor’

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Better for expats

Down in flamme

Good for sick pay

Wealth well-being

DENMARK ranked 37th out of 59 countries in the 2021 Expat Destinations report – up from 44th out of 58 countries last year. Its rating was bolstered by strong showings for Quality of Life (10) and Working Abroad (5), but Ease of Settling (57) remains poor.

DENMARK failed to make the Eurovision final. Despite the public rating Fyr og Flamme’s song as the seventh best with 80 points. It finished 23 points short of qualifying in 11th.

DENMARK has ranked fourth in a ranking of the best European countries for sick pay compiled by The Compensation Experts. It was applauded for the way unwell workers are entitled to 100 percent of their salary for 22 weeks over a ninemonth period. Iceland topped the rankings.

DENMARK has risen two places to second on the Wealth of Nations Index - an alternative benchmark of well-being to the GDP among 25 European nations. Austria finished top.

Evacuation ordered THE GOVERNMENT will evacuate three Danish mothers and 15 children from refugee camps in Syria. Three other mothers, who lost their citizenship when they joined IS, and their four kids will remain. A PET report raised fears the camps were unsafe and that the kids could be radicalised.

Yellow ribbons BRØNDBY won its first Superliga title since 2005 on Monday. A 2-1 away defeat of AGF last week, despite a red card, saw them overtake FCM, and then a 2-0 defeat of FCN sealed the deal.

Concerns over costs SOME 14 mayors have voiced concerns that their residents will foot part of the bill for the development of the artificial Lynetteholmen island in Copenhagen Harbour.

Investment shake-up PARLIAMENT has approved a law that will result in the authorities screening investments made in Denmark from abroad to ensure they do not pose a threat to the country. The new law will come into effect on July 1, but won’t impact investment entered into before September 1.

Top for sustainability A USWITCH study has rated Copenhagen as the world's fifth sustainable city. It scored well for green energy, air quality and transport infrastructure. Canberra took top spot.

High cost of tests DENMARK is spending 60 million kroner a day on carrying out tests, reports DR. PCR tests cost 115 kroner and quick tests around 150 kroner.

DANIEL RASMUSSEN

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Weekday night Metro disruption

ONLINE THIS WEEK A COLLECTIVE needs residents to donate a hectare’s worth of land to make Valby the first certified bee and insect-friendly district in Denmark. Copenhagen Municipality has already contributed four - get involved via Valbiplanen.dk! In related news, the City Nature Challenge wants help mapping the city’s fauna, flora and fungi using the iNaturalist app, and a campaign wants more skilled young people to get involved in the green transition.

Centre under fire

Test facility traffic jams A DRIVE-THRU quick corona test facility in Copenhagen has closed down after causing major traffic jams near the Bella Center in Amager. The authorities tried to redirect traffic to Ørestad, but it was not good enough, as it caused more congestion, which triggered complaints in the neighbourhood.

Break-in at Ilum THIEVES drove a car through the entrance of the Illum department store in central Copenhagen in the early hours of May 12, making off with a haul of expensive watches in a different getaway vehicle.

Eight new trains are being tested until the end of June CHRISTIAN WENANDE

F YOU’VE found the Metro’s services from Vanløse to Amager shut on a weekday night recently, it’s for a good reason. Eight new trains, which will be introduced onto the M1 and M2 lines at the end of the year, are currently being tested. Their introduction will increase the capacity of the MI and M2 lines, which are currently used by 200,000 people every day, by 20 percent.

No living souls on the graveyard shift

No weekend chaos THE TESTS will continue until the end of June, but never at the weekend. A bus replacement service

is in operation when the lines are shut. Each train needs to be tested 500 times before it can be ushered into service.

Sustainable services COPENHAGEN Municipality has set out a number of requirements to ensure the sustainability of its purchased products and services. For example, toys at daycare institutions must be eco-labeled and municipal building window cleaners must drive more often in green vehicles.

Jernbanebyen, a new city district bordering Vesterbro, looking an increasingly likely prospect ARZIA TIVANY WARGADIREDJA

‘CAMPING’ – a new joint that combines beers, Cocks and Cows burgers and a 14-hole indoor mini-golf course – has opened in Kødbyen. During Happy Hour every day from 16:00-18:00, pints cost 35 kroner.

Accused of killing Brit

Becoming an iron-cast certainty HE DANISH state railway operator, DSB, and the state-owned real estate arm, Freja Ejendomme, have taken another giant step towards developing a new city district close to the heart of Copenhagen. Jernbanebyen (iron tracks town), as its name suggests, will be located on the huge expanse of now defunct DSB railway lines and buildings located south of Copenhagen Central Station, which can be seen from Fisketorvet and roads such as Vasbygade

ONLINE THIS WEEK

New mini-golf bar

KØBENHAVNS KOMMUNE

LIVA REHAB has criticised the Center for Sexual Assault at Rigshospitalet for rejecting homeless women. The centre argues that homeless women have unstable living conditions and therefore do not meet the criteria for help. Liva Rehab contends that homeless women tend to be in constant flight to avoid abuse.

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28 May - 10 June 2021

A 71-YEAR-OLD Spanish resident stands accused of stabbing a 57-year-old Brit to death in Christiania on 22 February 2020. Sentencing was expected at Copenhagen City Court on May 26. The victim, Ian Roy Parkin, was a local bartender.

More CCTV for centre

It's even shaped like an iron!

and Enghavevej. Tender winners TEAM COBE recently won a tender to design the new district, and its masterplan envisages an area made up of six neighbourhoods with housing, retail and business areas, as well as a green

area and football pitches. “Here you start with the green and recreational element and build the city around it. It's a different way of thinking about urban development. It will mark a paradigm shift in Copenhagen,” commented Mayor Lars Weiss.

COPENHAGEN Police is setting up 14 new surveillance cameras at certain public locations in the city, Nyhavn and Nørreport Station, in a bid to deter crime. A 2017 survey suggested 60 percent of Danes want more cameras.

Major water damage A BURST water pipe at Frederiksberg’s Domus Vista, the tallest residential structure in Denmark, has resulted in 14 of its 29 floors being damaged.

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28 May - 10 June 2021

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DENMARK rated second on the Wealth of Nations Index – a ranking of 25 European nations compiled by Warsaw Enterprise Institute as an alternative benchmark of wellbeing to the GDP. It’s a climb of two places since the last index in 2015. Austria topped the index, with the Dutch and the Germans in third and fourth.

Aid to Africa DENMARK has signed deals with Rwanda to boost development and improve migration co-operation. The development minister, Flemming Møller Mortensen, hopes they will boost the green agenda, women's and human rights, access to solar energy, and jobs. However, the UN is concerned Denmark wants to use Rwanda as a landing pad for unwanted refugees. In related news, Denmark has donated 10 million kroner to help protect women and girls from violence and abuse in Ethiopia.

Return of the night train ACCORDING to the transport minister, Benny Engelbrecht, night trains could make a return to Danish rails in August 2022 – for the first time since 2014 – taking passengers from Stockholm to Hamburg and Malmö to Brussels. He claims there is political support for giving the Swedish authorities the authority to operate on Danish rails, along with some financing.

In light of President Assad’s likely re-election, Crossing Borders podcast questions wisdom of Danish government's decision to send refugees back home ARZIA TIVANY WARGADIREDJA

GOM YACOUB, a Syrian political activist and refugee in Denmark, has expressed concerns that someday he could have his residency taken away, despite his current permit being valid. “I still don't believe what is happening,” Yacoub recently said in a podcast produced by Crossing Borders, a non-profit organisation that focuses on educating and empowering communities across cultures. “I don't know how to convince them that Syria is still in conflict. Actually, things are getting even worse because Assad is going to be re-elected Closure an own goal DENMARK recently became the first country in the world to revoke the temporary residencies of Syrian refugees – a move that attracted heavy criticism from human rights organisations. Morten Goll, the former head of the recently closed down Trampoline House – an organisation that from 2010-2020 worked to ensure the sustainable integration of refugees and asylum-seekers – told the podcast that integration is not the problem. At Trampoline House, it was

ONLINE THIS WEEK FRANKIE FOUGANTHIN/CREATIVE COMMONS

Second on wealth index

A sad situation: Is Syria really safe?

There's something subliminal about this poster

possible to provide both practical and social support to refugees and to properly integrate them. Their labour, he contended, was especially needed in the western part of Denmark where there is a shortage of workers. But at the end of last year, the authorities decided to close it down, citing the economic impact of the Coronavirus Crisis. Bold decision, huge derision THE DANISH government began reassessing the status of its Syrian refugees last year, deciding it was safe for them to return home as the situation has “improved” significantly. Following the decision, a joint statement by analysts, researchers, and other experts on Syrian context was published by the Human Rights Watch expressing condemnation of the decision. The statement brought the testimonies into question and demanded that the government revise its conclusion as “safe return to Syria does not presently exist”. The EU and UNHCR have

stated that any returns should be voluntary, safe and dignified. Sent to the camps THE SOCIALDEMOKRATIET spokesperson for immigration, Rasmus Stoklund, claims that 137 Syrians returned voluntarily last year. There are 35,000 Syrians living in Denmark and more than half of them arrived in 2015. Without diplomatic relations between Denmark and Syria, the authorities have no right to deport Syrians. Instead, Syrian refugees are sent to detention centres, which have been described as being among the worst in Europe. “There's no empirical data supporting the idea that people return home because of the conditions," said Martin Lemberg-Pedersen, an associate professor in migration studies at the University of Copenhagen. "But there's a lot of data to show that they break down and have severe psychosocial trauma because of the conditions in these camps."

First Biden delegate ANTONY Blinken, the US Secretary of State, visited Denmark on May 17, marking the first time that someone from US President Joe Biden’s cabinet has visited the country. He met PM Mette Frederiksen, Queen Margrethe II, and finally Jeppe Kofod, Jenis Av Rana and Pele Broberg – his counterparts from Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Slovakian state visit ZUZANA Caputová, the president of Slovakia, visited Copenhagen in early May to strengthen bonds with Denmark. As part of her two-day visit, she visited the State Serum Institute to hear how Denmark has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Denmark sent doctors and nurses to Slovakia to help it through a corona crisis last winter.

Sixth best for retirees DENMARK is the sixth best European country for retirees, according to a Blacktower Financial Management Group report. It flourished thanks to low house prices and crime rates, but was let down by its high cost of living. Finland topped the rankings, followed by Spain and Slovenia. Belarus was the worst.

Aid sent to India DENMARK has sent 53 respirators to help treat corona patients in India, along with 1 million euros to help the Indian chapter of the Red Cross.

FEATURE

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28 May - 10 June 2021

A nation in compliance: green light obedience and smartphone subservience

NATALIA JOANNA BAJOR

HE FIRST thing new arrivals in Copenhagen notice is how expensive groceries are in most high-end supermarkets. The second thing they notice is how many Danes don’t seem to notice. One orange for a dollar? One bite-sized chocolate for a pound? “Fill my trolley up!” our hosts say, while we suppress our curiosity to find out what a ‘five-dollar shake’ tastes like. But the longer we’re here, the more we understand: while many of us come from naturally defiant countries where rules are habitually broken as a badge of honour, the opposite is true in Denmark. As the recent adherence to social distancing and wearing facemasks suggested – along with the quick adoption of smartphones among the elderly to aid the country’s fast digitalisation, and waiting for the green light at pedestrian crossings – compliance is a national standard. Danes buy the expensive grocery items in case the cheaper supermarkets sell out for the same reason they buy so many electric bikes – remember “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing/equipment”. Failure to do so would make them grumble, and the last thing they want to do is spoil the mood by complaining about the wind or Netto being sold out of baked beans. Anything but effortless ACCORDING to anthropologist Jeppe Trolle Linnet, an expert on consumer culture, the compliance is rooted in hygge, which he contends is far more than cosy blankets and elaborate candle arrangements. Hygge, according to Linnet,

is a multi-dimensional cultural phenomenon that influences almost every single aspect of the everyday lives of Danes. The simple fact that Danes have this special word provides great insight into Danish culture. “Hygge is essentially a signifier of how things should be done, even though the cultural implications can be quite claustrophobic and dull,” said Linnet. The concept, he points out, was born out of the need to sanctify the middle-class cultural experience with a code of conduct regarding how to make meaningful and lasting bonds with other members of society. "Although on the surface of things, hygge refers to a purely pleasurable experience, the centrality of the concept shows that deep down Danes recognise social interaction to be vulnerable and difficult,” he said. “The term hygge effectively smooths interactions, but also lets us pretend that they are easy.” Although the concept of hygge provides a rulebook on how to behave socially and secure a spot in the all-Danish social club, explains Linnet, it is also confining and restrictive. In this context, hygge does not allow for much wiggle room: you either comply with standardised social norms or are left outside alone. You can guess which is the more popular choice. Cold-weather friends DENMARK is known for its long winters, and this creates a certain dynamic within Danish society. Most people between November and March cocoon at home with warm blankets and candles, and it is during this period where the popular notion of hygge has its roots. Since the dawn of civilization, it’s been necessary to find a warm and secure space in winter. And to create the ‘safety blanket’, when you carefully pick your social circle you need to be picky and methodical – for

VISITDENMARK/ DANIEL VILLADSEN

Ever wondered why Danes seldom complain and are unwelcome to outsiders? The answer is rooted in the rules of conduct that govern their long winter evenings

Sailing without lights to comply with the hygge nature of this photo

survival's sake. This creates a rigid societal divide: you are either ‘in’ or ‘out’ of the social circle; there are no in-betweeners. The choice needs to be sensible, educated and calculated; after all, the people you pick will get to spend all those vulnerable and difficult winter months with you, so there is no room for error. This is why many expats feel left out and unwelcome when they first arrive in Denmark. It is extremely difficult for a newbie to penetrate established and calculated Danish social circles. Forget the easy-going social rules of your former home, because they do not apply here anymore – you are now being sized up as a friend according to whether you’ll survive a Scandinavian winter together. To not be left out, both literally and figuratively, in the snowstorm, you need to comply with the hygge rulebook, as no-one wants to spend a long, gloomy winter alone. This is accordingly one of the major driving forces behind Danish compliance: the fear of being left out. A fear of judgement CONVERSELY, given the need for conformity, it is important

that a Dane is able to be their genuine self. "It is important for Danes to feel that they show their authentic personality without guarding themselves,” explained Linnet. “Danes evaluate social relations and situations according to whether they allow for this. Therefore they are reluctant to form new relationships easily.” This fear of judgment, argues Linnet, is the primary reason why it is difficult for foreigners to get close to Danes. Quite simply, the risk of judgment by an outsider is greater than by "one of us". So while Denmark is viewed as one of the most egalitarian societies in the world, it has nothing to do with the common acceptance of diversity, like in most other places – quite the contrary. "Danish equality is based on sameness," points out Linnet. To be equal, you need to confine to general Danish rules – comply or you are out. This creates a concrete set of rules governed by a code of conduct that can be hard to follow. Why it’s hard to find work MANY EXPATS encounter difficulties finding a job in Denmark without knowing the local

language. While it is understandable that many careers require someone to speak the language of the country they work in – medicine, for example – the reasoning for others is often tied to social compliance. Prioritising the candidate’s ability to socially bond with co-workers over their job skills is a frustrating roadblock for many expats looking for that elusive first job. This intricate cultural effort again proves to serve one main goal – “the pursuit of the simple life”, as Jeppe calls it. Danes do not want to be challenged in their “pursuit of the simple life”, Linnet contends. Overcoming the outdoor elements of their lives is hard enough without having to concern themselves with social drama indoors – both at work and at home. Social phenomena like hygge serve one main purpose: to make life easy and challenge-free. Although unwelcoming and cold to outsiders, Denmark might have perfected the formula of a simple and contented life to the extent it is often referred to as being one of the world's happiest nations.

28 May - 10 June 2021

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FROM JULY 1, VAT must be paid on all goods purchased in countries outside the EU: a 25 percent VAT addition. And there will also be a delivery fee on top of the price – typically be between 150 and 250 kroner. The rule change is expected to hit consumers who purchase goods from China and benefit Postnord, which struggles to cover its costs when dealing with the thousands of packages.

Priest in the dock ON OCTOBER 25, the trial of Thomas Gotthard, 44, a local parish priest in Frederikssund in northern Zealand, will begin at Hillerød Court. He stands accused of murdering his wife on 26 October 2020, even though her body has never been found. The police searched waterways all over Zealand, but with no success. Some 16 court days have been set aside for the trial.

Whorehouse madam claim HELLE Thorning-Schmidt, the first female PM of Denmark, was told “You look like a right whorehouse madam” by an Ekstra Bladet reporter covering the Zulu Awards. Thorning-Schmidt, who was with her almost grown-up daughters, did not respond, but later via social media asked for an apology from the editors who then broadcast the clip. The apologies came as swiftly as the removal of the footage.

Headline condemned A FRONT-PAGE headline on a magazine produced by OTW for Salling Group, the owner of the likes of Netto and Føtex, has been condemned for misrepresenting how people feel about the PM – to the extent many have said they will boycott the supermarkets. The Salling Group described the headline “Hele Danmarks Mette” as a “screw-up”. OTW also produces the Socialdemokratiet member magazine.

Government isolated on island plans

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Proposal to locate a deportation centre on Langeland echo axed following political uproar and run on the capital by local residents CHRISTIAN WENANDE

HE GOVERNMENT'S plan to establish a centre for foreign criminals awaiting deportation from Denmark on the southern tip of the island of Langeland has been scrapped. Scheduled to be situated in Holmegaard, the plans were abandoned on May 25 following cross-party talks in Parliament. Bus-loads full of Langelanders made their voices heard outside the Parliament building as talks continued. Langeland mayor Tonni Hansen told TV2 he felt like

And let's not mention the plan to let them build their own fires

“Obelix and Asterix when they beat the Romans” after news broke that the integration and immigration minister, Mattias Tesfaye, had scrapped the plans. Back to square one THE 130 INDIVIDUALS earmarked for the centre are all scheduled to be expelled from Denmark for committing a crime or presenting a state se-

curity risk. The former Blue Bloc government had previously suggested the island of Lindholm near Møn for the purpose, and Dansk Folkeparti somewhere in Greenland! Many might remember that PM Mette Frederiksen got married on Møn last year, and that she actually has a summerhouse there!

Paddleboard first

First EU storage facility

Disappointing spring

CASPER Steinfath, a 27-yearold from Klitmøller, has become the first ever person to cross the Kattegat on a paddleboard. The six-time paddleboard world champ completed the 123 km journey in 10 hours and 53 minutes.

A WAREHOUSE just south of Copenhagen in Greve has become the EU’s first protective equipment storage facility, the first of ten to be established across Europe in a bid to assist countries hit hardest by COVID-19.

APRIL had an average temperature of 5.6 - a long way short of the 7.2 recorded over the last 30 years. In total, the 25 nights of frost was second only to 1881 since records began. And May so far has offered temperatures way below average.

Banknote appreciation

Nurse strike averted

On target for 2030

A DANISH banknote believed to be the oldest one in existence sold for 170,000 kroner at the Bruuns Rasmussen auction house in early May. The 308-year-old ‘1-rigsdaler’ had expected to fetch 60,000-80,000 kroner. It was issued in 1713 by Frederik IV during the Great Nordic War against Sweden.

THE NURSES union, Dansk Sygeplejeråd, warned that a strike may be on the horizon following a breakdown in wage agreement talks. It said that 10 percent of its members could strike from May 2021 if the situation was not resolved. The nurses are unhappy with the offer of a wage increase of just 5 percent over the next three years.

ACCORDING to the Energistyrelsen energy authority, Denmark is ahead of schedule in its bid to reduce CO2 emissions by 70 percent by 2030. Since setting the goal in June 2020, the amount of emissions needed to be cut has dropped by 40 percent to 11.8 million tonnes thanks to a 8.2 million-tonne reduction since last summer.

Charging hub for taxis

New motorway markings

Khader in Supreme Court

ELECTRIC charging operator E.ON has joined forces with taxi company Dantaxi to open the largest taxi charging hub in the Nordics. The 'Danhub' facility can charge up to 400 electric taxis per day - a huge step towards phasing out Copenhagen’s 1,700 remaining diesel taxis and to go completely green by 2025. There are around 300 electric taxis in Copenhagen – of which most are owned by Dantaxi.

CURRENT motorway markings that consist of one continuous line will be replaced with a new design of “offset, teardrop-shaped blobs” in the coming five to eight years. Rain can settle on top of the current road markings, making them difficult to see in the dark. The new road strips disperse water more effectively and therefore ‘glow’ brighter in car headlights.

A LIBEL case against Naser Khader, who stepped down from his duties as a Konservative MP to take stress leave in April, has reached the Supreme Court. Sherin Khankan, a female imam, contends that he defamed her with a character assassination and abuse of power, but her previous lawsuit in the High Court failed last year. Khader is also accused of calling her an Islamist.

Handshake rethink PROSPECTIVE citizens will need to shake the hand of a senior municipal official, according to new governmental guidelines. Previously, it could be any official. This means the mayor in most municipalities, although in the large ones, others can deputise, such as the six departmental mayors in Copenhagen. Frederikshavn mayor Birgit S Hansen told Jyllands-Posten she disagreed with the “political symbolism".

Phone menace at junctions SOME 19 percent of cyclists in Denmark aged 18-30 have confessed to using their mobile phone while cycling through an intersection within the past two months, compared to 9 percent among all cyclists, according to an Epinion survey for Rådet for Sikker Trafik. Two-thirds of all serious accidents involving cyclists occur at intersections.

Dagplejer in decline FAR FEWER children under the age of three are looked after by state-supported ‘dagplejer’ compared to a decade ago. The childcare providers, typically looking after six infants in teams of two, tend to be more popular in areas with low populations. A sixth of all under-threes were cared for by one in 2019, compared to a third a decade ago. In Copenhagen, the rate is 2 percent.

Rattling the sabre PRINCE Joachim has told media outlet Point de Vue that Prince Harry “rattled the sabre a bit” with his Oprah Winfrey interview. Both Joachim and Harry are commonly referred to as ‘spares’ – a second in waiting in case the heir presumptive snuffs it. “I have a huge respect for him,” said Joachim about him marrying Meghan: “He dared to follow what his heart dictated to him.”

Wolves wiped out THE MORTALITY rate of Danish wolves is 10 times above normal, according to an Aarhus University study. It strongly suggests hunters have been illegally killing them.

COVID-19

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AN ANALYSIS of a study concerning COVID-19 immunity carried out by the Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority concludes that those who have been infected won't catch it again for at least eight months.The likelihood of an infected person becoming ill again is small, it found. Studies concerning the efficacy of the vaccines are ongoing.

Socialdemokratiet stalling? ALL PARTIES in Parliament share the opinion that mask-wearing should be waived once the vaccination program is complete, according to a survey by TV2. However, speculation is mounting that Socialdemokratiet, the government party, has other thoughts on the matter.

Vulnerable more at risk RESEARCHERS at the Statens Serum Institut project ‘Vi Tester Danmark’ claim there is a higher incidence of COVID-19 antibodies among vulnerable groups and the residents of vulnerable housing areas, suggesting they both face a high infection risk.

Long-term issues rare AN AARHUS University-led study involving 90,000 people in Denmark suggests that only 5 percent of the people who contract coronavirus have long-term issues. The most common ailments are fatigue, headache, difficulty concentrating, muscle pain, shortness of breath, and an affected sense of smell and taste.

Benefits outweighed risks A NEW DANISH-NORWEGIAN study of the effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which assessed 280,000 people aged 18-65 in the two countries, concludes that the benefits outweigh the risks. Side-effects are “extremely rare”, it concluded, and it is safe to use. Denmark discarded the vaccine in April.

Prison restrictions lifted COVID-19 restrictions at the nation’s prisons were phased out over three stages, with the final restrictions lifted on May 24.

Jumping the queue for vaccination

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Eight-month window

28 May - 10 June 2021

Either sign up for an AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson jab, or keep on adding yourself to the Capital Region daily waiting list PUCK WAGEMAKER

OU HARDLY need to be Nostradamus to predict the vaccination completion date is going to change again. It’s already been altered ten or more times, and it will no doubt be changed plenty more from its current date of August 29. But pushed back by three more months? Well, analysis company Airfinity predicts Denmark won’t be fully covered until the beginning of December. But there’s no need to panic, as for those of you way down the pecking order – according to the schedule, the 30-34 age bracket have the longest to wait – there are a number of fast-track options open.

Trailing in Europe JUST OVER 32 percent of the population have received at least one vaccination jab, placing Denmark in 25th place in Europe, according to the Our World in Data database. With five countries just behind, it is expected to fall further down the rankings.

Needs adjusting

Your vaccination day could be closer than you think

have an individual medical consultation with their doctor, so they understand the risks and give their consent. It might be a stampede, as every third person under the age of 50 would say yes if they were offered the J&J vaccine, according to a Megaphone survey conducted for TV2 and Politiken. Some 24 percent would gladly have the AZ jab.

to turn up within 30 minutes. On average, there are between one and five vaccines left over every day (out of 6,000 jabs a day), but this will increase as the number of vaccinations increases.

Discarded but undeterred FIRSTLY, an executive order signed by the minister of health, Magnus Heunicke, has made it possible for people in Denmark to obtain an AstraZeneca (AZ) or Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccination, which were discarded in April and May respectively due to concerns they create blood clots. Subject to the government signing a contract with a supplier – Carelink and Copenhagen Practio are said to be interested – the public will be able to get vaccinated provided they first

Daily diligence dividends SECONDLY, residents in the Capital Region are permitted to sign up for a waiting list for excess corona vaccines. Previously the offer was only open to people who had already received an invitation to get vaccinated. The waiting list is only run on a day-by-day basis, so you need to sign up every single day, and older people will be prioritised. The daily deadline to sign up at regionh.dk is 13:30. Should you be selected, you would get a call and be expected

Risky for women? ACCORDING to health experts, there is a one in 500,000 chance of developing blood clots after taking the J&J vaccine, and a one in 40,000 chance with AZ. However, Sundhedsstyrelsen believes the risk with J&J is just as high as AZ, as there is a suspicion of under-reporting in the US, where six women aged 18-48 developed blood clots, with one going on to die. It is believed the women were all recipients of the contraceptive pill or being treated for the menopause, and several Danish health experts have told TV2 that women should avoid the vaccines. Men, on the other hand, face next to no risk, they generally agreed.

New variants at door

Like a driving licence

Summer aid package

EVERY week serves up a new COVID-19 variant threatening to dislodge the British strain as the dominant one in Denmark, and in mid-May, 50 people were quite literally served the Mexican variant - at a restaurant in North Zealand. They went on to infect 17 of their close contacts. Meanwhile, the Indian B1617 mutation is gathering pace with outbreaks in the capital districts Nordvest and Glostrup.

THE CORONA pass now operates like a driving licence: the onus is on you to carry it in case you are asked to show it, not the venue to check it. Since May 21, all societal gathering locations have reopened with the exception of the nightlife sector. Workplaces can reopen gradually: 20 percent (May 21), 50 (June 14) and 100 (August 1). And facemasks will be phased out once society is fully vaccinated.

MPS HAVE confirmed a 1.65 billion kroner summer aid package. Some 295 million is earmarked for boosting tourism in the big cities, 330 million for the cultural sector, 110 million has been set aside to motivate people to travel around Denmark, 565 million to support vulnerable people and sectors, and 155 million to boost exports, with a further 75 million set aside for next year.

THE OFFICIAL number of people who have been vaccinated against corona is probably 1,150 too high, according to Statens Serum Institut documents seen by TV2. In some cases, time-gap mistakes have invalidated vaccinations, meaning the recipients will need to be jabbed again, while in other cases, patients have been registered as fully vaccinated despite only receiving one jab.

End to compensation COMPANIES receiving state corona relief packages will stop getting compensated from July 1 onwards. However, vulnerable companies and the self-employed, who can demonstrate a fall in revenue of over 45 percent due to the corona pandemic, will be eligible for three months of compensation to help cover their fixed costs from July 1 to September 30.

Less healthy eating DURING the first corona lockdown, scientists at Southern Denmark University found that every third Dane developed less healthy eating habits and lifestyle compared to Italians and Spanish who ate healthier despite stricter lockdowns. In countries with stricter closures, people generally had a lower intake of meat and tended to eat more fish and vegetables.

In the top 20 BLOOMBERG has rated Denmark as the world’s 14th best country at dealing with the Coronavirus Crisis. Its people have never been ordered to stay in their homes, or suffered severe overcrowding at hospitals, and this has helped it to achieve a better ranking than most. New Zealand finished top, followed by Singapore.

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Let’s make America green again!

WITH THE green transition coming up, Denmark lacks both the skilled and academically-educated labour, and this can create major problems for business and society. To realise the green transition in the workforce, think-tanks Concito and Mandag Morgen have joined forces to map the green labour market of the future and describe what it takes for the labour market to follow a green transition.

Nerds and whey DTU FOOD Institute researchers have grown a lactic bacteria using whey, the watery byproduct of making cheese, to generate the food preservative nisin. Nisin prevents the growth of micro-organisms that spoil food without affecting the taste.

Stored in searing stone WORK IS starting on a 35 million kroner electricity store that will store renewable energy in stone. The GridScale plant, which will be located in either west Zealand or Lolland-Falster, super-heats and cools crushed pea-sized basalt in insulated steel tanks, enabling the heat to be stored for many days. Not only is it more efficient than lithium-based batteries (four hours tops), it is much cheaper.

PREMATURE babies weighing less than 1,500 grams at birth have an increased risk of developing the intestinal disease 'necrotizing enterocolitis' (NEC), which can often be fatal. PrePhage, a new research project set up by Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen, will investigate how to prevent this.

A TEAM of researchers from Aarhus University believe they're on the verge of reproducing cow's milk in the lab. They have started work on creating a perfect copy that includes all the many important nutrients. Their goal is to produce a milk that is just as healthy as the one you know, but far more sustainable.

RESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen have found a new combination treatment for leukemia, which focuses on two proteins to avoid resistance. The standard treatment for leukemia is chemotherapy, but some patients don’t respond to this – or only for a short period of time.

RESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen and the University Hospital in Bern have managed to control a group of enzymes that affect metabolism, paving the way for the treatment of hormonal imbalance diseases such as high cholesterol, infertility and certain cancers.

Tackling fatal disease

Sure tastes like milk

Leukemia breakthrough

Enzyme breakthrough

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Aiding the green transition

SCIENCE

Fish farm water quality All eyes on the green

Denmark signs green innovation deal with the US CHRISTIAN WENANDE

ENMARK has landed a new agreement with the US that seeks closer co-operation in regards to green research and innovation. The deal will see the two countries collaborate on sustainable fuel sources, energy storage and the use of CO2 – among other future tech pertaining to the green transition.

“The agreement is a fine example of how climate challenge solutions should not only be tackled nationally, but across the border,” said the research minister, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen. “The US is the country in the world that invests the most in research and tech development.” Science is back! THE AGREEMENT will foster closer dialogue pertaining to specific research and innovation projects, as well as pilot and

demonstration projects. It will also promote an exchange of knowledge and experience across institutions, authorities, workshops and seminars. The government underscored that the agreement also helps Denmark in reaching its goal to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 70 percent by 2030. The deal, which was reached during the Leaders Summit on Climate, will be followed by joint action plans.

Beats cancer from within

Tech summit plans

Data science academy

A 380 MILLION kroner investment should enable cancer researchers from Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen to test their ‘Trojan attack’ chemo treatment, which destroys cancer cells from within, on humans. In other cancer research news, Aarhus University has carried out the world’s first treatment of a new type of radiotherapy, focal brachytherapy, which can treat cancerous nodules on the prostate.

DANISH universities are joining forces with the IT industry and Teknologiens Mediehus to organise the Digital Tech Summit from November 30 to December 1. It will be the Nordic region's largest showcase for digital technologies, and it will attract players from research environments, technology-leading companies and startups. Margrethe Vestager will be the conference's keynote speaker.

T H E N OVO Nordisk Foundation and the Villum Foundation have awarded 184.3 million kroner to a new national academy that will support and organise research institutes and companies within data science. The Danish Data Science Academy will aim to lift Denmark into the global super league in data science areas, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and the internet of things.

THE INNOVATION Fund is supporting a three-year collaboration between DTU and fish-farm equipment supplier Danish OxyGuard, which will develop a new sensor that can monitor the water quality in landbased fish farms, with 6.4 million kroner until 2023. In related news, DTU researchers claim seaweed-containing fish-feed can safely increase the all-important iodine content of farmed fish.

Perfect for plastics A NEW STUDY by the University of Southern Denmark suggests that areas with dense marine vegetation trap more microplastics. Researchers studied mangroves and seagrasses in three Chinese coastal areas where microplastics were responsible for transmitting bacteria, environmental toxins and pathogenic substances to living organisms, as well as suffocating them.

Snakes = safety A JOINT study involving Aarhus University and the University of California, Davis proposes constructing building foundations inspired by the scales on a snake's skin. This will result in more resilient, safer structures.

CULTURE

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BODIL best actress winner Kaya Toft Loholt, 13, is the youngest ever recipient of the award. 'En Helt Almindelig Familie' ('A Perfectly Normal Family') was shot three years ago when Loholt was only 10 years old. However, she could not stop ‘Druk’ from dominating with three major awards.

Shortlisted for Reumert SERBIAN playwright Tanja Mastilo has been shortlisted for a Reumert – the country’s most prestigious theatre award – in the ‘Årets dramatiker’ category for writing ‘The Cheyenne are Leaving’, which was staged by Why Not Theatre Company last year. There are just three nominees. The award ceremony will take place at the Odeon in Odense on June 6 – the first time it has been moved out of the capital.

Garden bunker gallery A WWII bunker found in Frederiksberg has been transformed into an art gallery. Discovered by Rebekka Meyer in her garden, she decided she'd like to use the space to showcase the works of female artists. The result is Platform BUNKER. Visitors can now book a time to enjoy the exhibition, or enjoy a 360 virtual tour of the exhibition.

No Roskilde this year MOST OF the country’s festivals won’t be holding editions this year. With heavy corona restrictions permitting only 2,000 guests likely to remain in place until August 1, at which point the capacity can increase to 5,000, the likes of Roskilde called it quits in early May. In related news, Roskilde Festival and the Royal Theatre co-presented a four-day festival of art, music and workshops last week at Ofelia Plads.

Poems with a flourish DANISH writer Maria Zahle has launched an English-language book of poems with a visual flourish. ‘The Toe The Horse The Sister’ contains 25 poems.

How sound’s the science behind ‘Druk’? TV2 goes all-out Hunter S Thompson, while DR returns to the sauce ... sorry ... source BEN HAMILTON

HEAD OF ‘Druk’ winning the Oscar for ‘Best International Feature’, the country’s biggest two news outlets, DR and TV2, were battling to see who could produce the best feature to whet the nation’s appetite for glory at the Academy Awards. The pair took on a similar subject, namely how sound is the science behind Thomas Vinterburg's 'Druk', but with wildly different approaches. While TV2 went all-out gonzo, sending one of its journos on an almighty bender to see if her sterile writing might improve a bit when she was blotto, DR chose a more scientific approach, catching up with the Norwegian shrink whose research inspired the film's main contention in the first place.

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Teen takes top award

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But that's just a journalist's working lunch

Somewhat misquoted NORWEGIAN psychiatrist and psychotherapist Finn Skårderud, meanwhile, has once again insisted his claim that humans would function better if their natural blood alcohol level was 0.05 percent higher was never a serious theory. He maintains the claim was

something he wrote as part of a preface to a book on the psychological effects of wine around two decades ago – and that it applied to situations when some creative thinking might be required. It wasn’t widely reported at the time, but some years later, during the Norwegian cucumber season, a journalist happened upon the claim and wrote a story that quickly went viral. ‘Druk’ co-writer and director Thomas Vinterburg was among those to notice it on Facebook and the rest is history. “I felt enthusiastically misquoted and very frustrated,” Skårderud told DR. “I am a doctor and psychiatrist who treats people with serious alcohol problems and often meets their families, so it's a bit belittling to be referred to as some kind of alcohol prophet.” However, his stance changed when he was sent the script for ‘Druk’ and invited to meet Vinterberg over a glass of wine in Copenhagen to discuss his thesis. He wasn’t about to poo-poo their entire film! “I got sent this exciting manuscript, and we met in Copenhagen and drank a few glasses. I think we reached a per mille of 0.5," he laughed.

Netflix dominating

RIP: One of our own

Huge event for Aarhus

SOME 60 percent of Danes aged 15-75 have access to Netflix, according to a new report on streaming platforms compiled by Kantar Gallup. Its Digital Life survey for 2020 also reveals that 93 percent of the group are aware of Netflix, the average Dane has access to three streaming services that require direct payment and 38 percent have access to Spotify.

DANISH-BASED artist and author Heather Spears has passed away at the age of 86. Born in Canada, she moved to Denmark as a child, where she grew up on Bornholm. She wrote in English, and a collection of her poems won several awards in Canada. Meanwhile, her series of drawings of babies and premature babies at Rigshospitalet won wide appeal.

MARK JUNE 12 in your calendar if you live in Aarhus as it’s the start date for 'Aarhus Åbner Op', a month-long culture event at Musikhusparken organised by Musikhuset, Train and futurelive. To coincide with Euro 2020, the event will include concerts, film screenings (including ‘Druk’ of course), comedy performances, entertainment for children and untold gastronomy.

Great for voxpops! IF TV2 journalist Amalie Rud Seerup’s boring introduction to her story is anything to go by, she must have sobered up by the time she wrote it. Like the characters in the film, her editor strong-armed her into working her way through a day with a constant blood alcohol level of 0.5. Her first drink duly went down the hatch at 9 am – sorry make that two, as she drank a beer with a vodka chaser, taking her level up to 0.19. “It felt almost like Christmas to drink alcohol in the morning: like a feeling of freedom,” she

recalled. Three and a half beers then followed to take her to 0.66 by 12:30, at which point she finally elected to eat breakfast. Work meetings followed, and then finally the money shot: a voxpop on Strøget at 3 pm. Down at 0.46, she had a quickie at Rådhuspladsen before the onslaught: “I felt like I had better chemistry with the people I interviewed. I had no inhibitions and it was easier for me to connect with them.” After work, vodka, dinner, beer, vodka, even more vodka and football training then followed – with a beer hidden in a water bottle. “It was insanely hard to play football. I couldn’t understand what the coach was saying, so I was really relieved to be going home,” she said. But really, it was hardly Hunter S Thompson, was it.

Stolen letters? TURKISH filmmaker Serhat Karaaslan is considering legal action against Elvira Lind, who he claims based her Oscar-nominated short film ‘The Letter Room’ on his 2019 feature-length film ‘Passed by Censor’. In related news, ‘Druk’ producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen, 48, has been hailed for her great Oscar record: two wins and five noms from 13 films. The Zentropa producer also won for ‘Hævnen’.

Burger boat-trip IT IS NOW possible to travel by boat to Refshaleøen, the island home of the street food complex Reffen and other cultural activities. Vessels of up to 50 feet can dock at the quayside thanks to an upgrade of the old B&W areas by Refshaleøens Ejendomsselskab (see feature on page 19). Parking tickets can be purchased via a meter set up by Apcoa, but parking is not permitted between 24:00 and 10:00.

Mads’ luck runs out SINCE its premiere on May 6, Mads Mikkelsen’s new movie, 'Chaos Walking', has received terrible reviews and critics. With just 23 on Rotten Tomatoes and 38 on Metacritic, few are recommending it.

Michelin star postponement THE PRESENTATION of the 2021 Michelin Guide Nordic Countries stars has been postponed until September. In related news, Restaurant Panorama Mad & Vin in Silkeborg has won the Denmark’s Best Steak Sandwich, and HC Andersen's House in Odense intends to open a new museum cafe this summer called DEILIG – a collaboration with chef Claus Meyer offering dining infused with the author’s life and stories.

Right bones, wrong box THE REMAINS of an important 10th century man, which were mislaid by the National Museum of Denmark a century ago, have been found again. The bones of the Mammen Grave, which is located near Viborg, had simply been put in the wrong box.

SPORT

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Nothing iffy about Gabe

Lottery to allocate Euro tickets Once seated, these fans’ tickets will be considered more precious than the golden ones issued by Willie Wonka

Current holders of tickets will find out their fate in a lottery once the exact number has been confirmed.

BEN HAMILTON

ANISH fans probably never thought they'd get the chance to cheer on their football team in a major football tournament on home soil. Watching them win just over the Øresund in Sweden to claim Euro 1992 was the closest they’d ever get, they must have thought. So, the news that Euro 2020 would be co-hosted by upwards of ten different cities was an unexpected joy to many – and the eventual confirmation that Parken would host four games a chance to take part in history.

Like Charlie Bucket SO THIS month’s news that UEFA is demanding strict restrictions at the three home games against Finland, Belgium, and Russia on June 12, 17 and 21 will hardly put any of them off from attending. It’s been expected during these corona times that we’ll have to jump through a few hoops to enjoy ourselves. In this case, the rewards more than justify the means. By the time the games come along, Parken stadium will be housing fans holding tickets considered more precious than the golden ones issued by Willie Wonka.

Never been harder TICKETS acquired, they were all set, only to learn that the tournament had been postponed by a year. Now rearranged, only a fraction of the ticket-holders would get to see the matches, as only 15,900 tickets are available for each game, of which many will end up being taken by the away team’s supporters.

Special facemasks FOR THOSE lucky enough to be there, their tickets will instruct them when (a 30-minute window) they should turn up at the stadium – in order to stagger the number of fans entering – with a valid corona pass. Once in, they must wear facemasks – and it is thought likely it will be a special kind chosen by UEFA.

Big screen uncertainty A CLOUD of corona uncertainty also continues to dog plans to show the games on big screens in the capital. “We hope the 'Football Village' at Ofelia Beach and big screen events at Rådhuspladsen and Øksnehallen can go ahead, even if it is at a reduced capacity,” said Copenhagen Lord Mayor Lars Weiss. Meanwhile, the Euro 2020 trophy is visiting City Hall as part of its tour of the 11 host cities, while the DBU has confirmed that national team players will have no contact with family or friends whilst Denmark remains in the tournament. So, for 11 days then.

DENMARK will host its first ever World Padel Tour tournament in the spring of 2022. The Danish Padel Open will help to introduce the doubles racquet sport, which is played with a large ‘bat’ and tennis-like ball, to Denmark, but it has a long way to go to catch up the likes of Spain, Argentina and Mexico.

Women curlers qualify

Already relegated

Tak vaccine producer!

DENMARK finished fifth at the World’s Women Curling Championship. After finishing fourth in the standings, they were denied a place in the semis by the US, the side in fifth. However, their performance has earned them a place at the Olympics.

LYNGBY and Horsens have both been relegated from the Superliga. Vejle Boldklub were the last club to secure their survival – with three games to spare. Meanwhile, Viborg FF and Silkeborg will be making a return to Superliga.

DENMARK'S Olympic and Paralympic athletes and staff will receive vaccines donated by Pfizer-BioNTech via the International Olympic Committee. The minister of health, Magnus Heunicke, was thankful the personnel would not have to jump the queue.

Third time unlucky

Danes on song

Auspicious debut ahead

Both relay teams in!

IT WAS third time unlucky for Pernille Harder as she lost her third Champions League final on May 16: a 0-4 defeat by Barcelona in which all the goals came in the first half. A week earlier it had all been smiles after her club Chelsea won the Women’s Super League – their second title this season – making it the fifth consecutive time she has won a double.

IT’S BEEN a good month for Danish players. First off, Christian Eriksen won a Serie A winner’s medal with Inter, scoring the decisive goal in the game that won the title. Leicester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel was the man of the match as his side beat Chelsea 1-0 to win the FA Cup. And Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen is on the verge of becoming the 15th Dane to play in a Champions League final.

YOUNG Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard, 24, will make his Tour de France debut this summer. Racing for the Jumbo-Visma team, he will focus on assisting captain Primoz Roglic, who finished second in the 2020 tour. In other cycling news, Kasper Asgreen continued his fantastic season with victory in the fourth stage of the Volta ao Algarve road race in Portugal – a time-trial win that moved him up to third overall.

BOTH THE men’s and women’s 100-metre track relay teams have qualified for the Olympics following impressive performances at the 2021 World Athletics Relays event. The men set a new national record of 39.06 seconds to qualify ahead of the likes of France and Ukraine, while the women have qualified for the first time in 73 years. It is believed to be the first time that both teams have qualified together.

DANISH basketballer Gabriel 'Iffe' Lundberg, 26, has been named ‘Newcomer of the Year’ by the VTB, the Russian basketball league, which is considered one of the best in Europe. Long-term the CSKA Moscow player has his sights on the NBA, and this summer he will join the NBA Summer League in the hope of being spotted.

Only a second seed DESPITE being the reigning Olympic and world champions, Denmark was only a second-tier seed in Thursday’s draw for the 2022 Men's European Handball Championships. The Danes will play Slovenia, Northern Macedonia and Montenegro, with the best two going through.

Tour planner visit REPRESENTATIVES from the Tour de France organising committee have visited the start/finish cities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg as part of their “precise planning” of the event beginning with three stages in Denmark from 1-3 July 2022. Each city will have a fan park and media centre.

World Padel Tour event

No sea of colour this time

Fans will be seated 150 cm from one another and asked to maintain this distance at all times. Hand-shaking, hugs and high-fives are banned.

21st time lucky DENMARK beat Sweden 3-2 in a friendly on May 13 – their first ice hockey win over the Swedes in their 21st meeting. In related NFL news, Oliver Bjorkstrand has notched up 300 games for the Colombus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks forward Joachim Blichfeld, 22, has scored his first league goal, and Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers, 25, is sidelined after a suspected blow to the head.

Rambøll outed by EB DANISH engineering group Rambøll has been outed as one of the designers of the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, which will host seven games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Rambøll confirmed to an outraged Ekstra Bladet how it won a tender to become the stadium’s engineering consultant in 2012 and then went on to work on the “earliest phases” from 2013 to 2016.

Corona forfeit BADMINTON player Viktor Axelsen, the world number two, was forced to pull out of the European Championship final on May 2 after testing positive for coronavirus. He accordingly forfeited the game, handing Anders Antonsen, a fellow Dane, the title. Axelsen was dramatically stretchered away to a Kiev hotel room to quarantine. He has since returned to Denmark.

Brentford on brink THE DANISH-OWNED and managed club Brentford once again finds itself one game away from the English Premier League. After finishing third in in the Championship, Thomas Frank's team won the second leg of their tie against Bournemouth 3-1 on Saturday to advance 3-2 on aggregate. Brentford last played in England's top tier in 1947.

Randers horsed it! RANDERS won the Danish Cup on May 13 after beating SønderjyskE 4-0 in the final.

10 BUSINESS

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MOST OF Denmark’s leading companies have announced profits for the first quarter of 2021. Among them were Lundbeck (4.3 million kroner), Maersk (58.3 million), Novo Nordisk (33.8 million), ISS (17.2 million), FLSmidth (54.0 million) and Vestas (14.6 million). With the exception of Maersk, the results were a bit disappointing.

Backing for green scheme A NEW SCHEME to support energy produced by wind, wave power, solar and HEP plants has been backed by the European Commission with an investment of 3 billion kroner. In other green news, a circular system has been set up to enable farmers to produce and sell renewable energy directly to Arla, and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency is investigating how and why three Maersk ships are being scrapped on a beach in India.

Internships at the double THE GOVERNMENT has decreed that graduates will have twice as long to get to know potential employers via the ‘Virksomhedspraktik’ company internship scheme. Following recommendations by the Employment Ministry, graduates and employers can now use Virksomhedspraktik for eight weeks, instead of four.

Home-produced sparklers IN A BID to distance itself from the stain of diamonds sourced from a mine , Pandora will only use lab-produced gemstones in the future. The move makes good sense, both financially and sustainably. A lab can produce a diamond in less than a month, while natural diamonds take one to three billion years to form.

Car revolution EVERY fourth passenger car sold in April was an electric or hybrid car, according to figures from Danmarks Statistik. Tax law changes have made it more attractive to buy them

The students on ‘Millionaire’s Row’ But are their parents playing with fire?

PUCK WAGEMAKER

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Disappointing profits

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ARENTS are increasingly helping their kids to buy property and, unsurprisingly with 465 of the 900 apartment purchases made last year, Copenhagen leads the way – an increase of 12.5 percent compared to 2019. “The cheapest parental purchases in Copenhagen K are sold for around 3.5 million kroner, while the most expensive have a price tag of between 8 and 10 million,’’ estate agent Chris Baun Helios, the sales manager at Home Copenhagen City, told TV2. It is typically apartments with three to four rooms, so their children can share with a friend, reveals Helios.

DANISH state aid should not have been given to postal service PostNord, the European Court of Justice has ruled, effectively reversing the European Commission’s approval of the VAT exemption and cash injection given to the postal service in 2017. In related news, uniform VAT rules for e-commerce will take effect from 1 July, along with simple online VAT and import platforms for businesses to register payments.

Frank’s new firm

But this isn't a game of Monopoly

ment to serve as a future home for themselves. “They go for apartments they can eventually move into themselves when they are done with the villa in Hellerup or Klampenborg,” contended Helios.

ECJ reverses EU approval

The long view BUT PARENTS don’t only buy the apartment for their children. It’s also a financial investment. “Since last autumn, we have sold most of the apartments above the asking price, and the start of this year has been completely crazy,” continued Helios. Parents also buy the apart-

But is it safe? HOWEVER, investors should be concerned, a number of experts have warned. Nationalbanken head Per Callesen and PFA Pension chief executive Allan Polack have called upon the government to cool the red-hot housing sector. New figures from Boligsiden

reveal that since March 2020 the average price per square metre in Denmark has increased by 14 percent for houses, 15.5 percent for apartments and 24 percent for summerhouses. In an interview with Berlingske, Polack points to the taxation of profits from home sales as the most obvious model to stop this trend, along with a cessation of interest-only loans. However, the business minister, Simon Kollerup, has told TV2 that there are no plans to intervene. Nykredit, Danske Bank and Nordea are all against political intervention.

Below EU jobless average

Ryanair returning

IKEA plans approved

IN 2020, UNEMPLOYMENT in Denmark increased by 0.8 percentage points from 5.1 to 5.9 percent. In the same period, unemployment in the EU rose from 6.7 to 7.4 percent. Some 17 percent of Danes worked from home last year, compared to a EU average of 12.3.

RYANAIR is set to station two Boeing 737 aircraft at Billund Airport, opening routes to 26 new Ryanair destinations this winter. The Irish low-cost airline left Billund in the summer of 2015 after a union dispute erupted when they established a second flight base in Copenhagen.

COPENHAGEN Municipality has approved plans for a new sustainably-minded IKEA store near the Fisketorvet shopping centre, which is scheduled to open in 2023. Customers will be able to loan cargo bikes to take their shopping home, while a rooftop garden will offer them a 'brush' with nature.

Retail sales rocketing

First CO-2 neutral brewery

Minister: Greed is not good

RETAIL sales rocketed by 19.8 percent in March as shops reopened following the lockdown and customers spent some of their unfrozen holiday pay - the highest month-to-month jump ever according to Danmarks Statistik. Clothes sales doubled. In related news, the total consumer price index increased by 1.5 percent in April - the highest month-onmonth increase in consumer goods since October 2017.

SVANEKE Bryghus has become the first brewery in Denmark to become CO2-neutral. The Bornholm brewery, which has been 100 percent organic since 2018, had its CO2-neutrality verified by Force Technology. It sources 35 percent of its energy from solar panels and 65 percent from green-certified wind and solar energy sources. It has launched a new beer, ‘Game Changer’, to celebrate.

THE MINISTER of economic and business affairs, Simon Kollerup, has described Danske Bank’s decision to make account holders with savings of over 100,000 from July 1 pay a negative interest rate as “greedy”, In related news, more than 400 companies with accounts held at Danske Bank's scandal-ridden branch in Estonia were controlled by US taxpayers or companies, reports Berlingske.

FRANK Jensen, the former lord mayor of Copenhagen, has started his own consultancy. “FrankJensenCph Consultant will deal with global goals, green transitions and development in the energy and supply sector,” he revealed. In related news, a new tourism initiative, ‘Comeback Copenhagen’, will tap the growing demand for sustainable tourism by focusing on green developments.

DSV in major takeover SUBJECT to approval, DSV has acquired its Kuwaiti rival Global Integrated Logistics, increasing its workforce by 17,000 to 73,000, making it the world's third largest transport and logistics group. DSV is Denmark’s third largest company.

Local railways under threat DANSKE Regioner is lobbying for an annual investment of 124 million kroner to ensure the survival of the local railways until 2026. The local railways are crucial lifebloods, the organisation argues, but they risk being worn down completely. A financial solution must be found before the end of June in order to keep the trains running.

French coup for Coop COOP HAS an agreement with Carrefour that will give it access to the French supermarket giant's wide range of products. The deal should enable Coop to offer more discounts at its Irma, Kvickly, Fakta, Coop 365 and Brugsen supermarket chains.

28 May - 10 June 2021

Neil is a Scottish-educated lawyer with 18 years’ experience in corporate structuring and general commercial matters. Based in Copenhagen, he primarily advises on international deals. Out of the office, his interests include sports and politics. His column explores topical international financial and economic issues from a Danish perspective.

HERE IS still some way to go before the COVID pandemic can be declared over in Denmark. The troubled EU procurement program has meant a stop-start delivery, and the health authorities have decided not to use two approved vaccines. That said, notwithstanding the risks of new variants, the future looks bright for Denmark. The country is opening up, and those at high risk have been vaccinated, with all other adults to follow in the coming months. Strong support TAKING stock, Denmark’s performance has been impressive in both health and financial terms. Mortality rates are among the lowest in Europe and, although GDP fell in 2020, the drop was less steep than in many other countries. And although some business-

Secret of success SOME OF the performance is pure chance. For example, Denmark is less reliant on tourism than most Southern European countries. While other reasons are more structural and outlined here: Swift action: The government responded quickly in closing down the country in mid-March 2020, and again in December. With a virus which grows exponentially, timing really is critical, and they moved swiftly rather than procrastinating as, for example, Boris Johnson did. Fast to furlough: Businesses and trade unions are used to workployment and the issues faced when trying to secure employment in Denmark. The issue is complex and covers many different aspects, which is why Sam has allocated two of the ‘What the Denmark’ shows to finding employment in Denmark.

ing together to reach quick and pragmatic agreements. With the support of the government, their agreement meant that Denmark was the first country in the world to adopt a furlough scheme. Tests in their thousands: The Danish administrative system is strong on project management. Denmark leads the world in tests per capita. The country’s opening plan required regular negative tests, and hundreds of thousands have been obliging. Digitally driven: Denmark has a strong internet infrastructure, and workers are used to working occasionally from home. This meant that many knowledge workers could slip automatically into working from home, without missing a beat.

Easing the growing pains

ward, some countries may be troubled by the huge debts they have had to take on through the crisis. Denmark will have no issues; it has one of the lowest national debts in the world and is one of only a handful of countries to retain an AAA rating. The debts taken on should therefore not impact Denmark going forward.

Debt durability: Looking for-

Overall, there will be twists and turns before this pandemic is over, but Denmark is well placed to bounce back quickly in the months and years ahead.

In my work, I come into contact with thousands of internationals seeking employment on a daily basis, so I was only too happy to contribute to a two-part show that will help to guide, inform and educate both Danes and internationals about what could be a much smoother hiring process.

Slamdunk of a podcast

PIXABAY

S A RECENT guest on the 'What the Denmark' show, I spoke about how internationals can navigate the Danish job market, and also how companies in Denmark can benefit from great international talent.

es were undoubtedly hit hard by temporary closures, multiple support schemes were put in place to limit the impact.

PIXABAY

NEIL SMITH DANISH CAPITAL IN 2020

BUSINESS OPINION

Formerly the CEO of a consulting firm, Karey-Anne is a partner of The Welcome Group. Over the past 20 years, she has worked extensively in strategic HR, overseeing change management projects, the training of employees and managers, and the recruitment of international specialists and executives.

Employment woes SAM FLOY, a British expat who arrived in Copenhagen in 2020, contacted me to discuss the hardships that internationals sometimes face when job seeking in Denmark. Having created the East Africa Business Podcast (which is now one of the top business shows in Africa), Sam decided to tackle the issues of living, settling and thriving in Denmark. He wanted my perspective as a senior recruiter & HR business partner about international em-

Smoother hiring process TO SAM’S surprise, I shared real-life examples of internationals who were unable to find work here, even though they are often well educated and highly experienced. I have worked with former NASA engineers who helped to build the world space station, as well as countless doctors, accountants, dentists, web developers and IT professionals – all unable to secure full-time employment within their area of expertise.

Knock Knock ONE OF the main issues that arises during the recruitment process is the breakdown of communication between candidate and company. Companies often fail to communicate, assess and consider internationals for positions, preferring instead to stick with ‘what they know’, whilst candidates often don’t communicate their skills and experience in a manner that companies find

attractive enough for them to take a leap of faith and hire them over a Dane. This critical breakdown of cross-cultural communication is quite simply creating a bottleneck of companies thirsty to grow in an international arena, but without the talent needed to do so, even though the talent is literally knocking at the door! Take a listen to the ‘What the Denmark’ show to hear what was discussed and to find out how to launch your career in Denmark.

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KAREY-ANNE DUEVANG WELCOME ONBOARD!

12 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

28 May - 10 June 2021

MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA

Mother of the nation’s day

Leader of the pack FIRST in line to view the carnage is the new ‘leader’ of the bloc: Konservative chair Pape Poulsen. His party has pulled well clear of a Venstre plummeting so hard in the polls it could even be overtaken by the uncompromised nationalism of Nye Borgerlige. Don’t expect it to be Pape’s sidekick, though. Its leader Pernille Vermund has not been toeing the line regarding the corona reopenings, maintaining its allure for the disappointed followers of Dansk Folkeparti (DF) who can’t stomach the politics of the left. DF, meanwhile, is understandably quieter than normal following the fall of grace of its formerly high-flying EU superstar Morten Messerschmitt. His fraudulent handling of EU money represented exactly the kind of union-related spending it has been so quick to denounce in recent years. The embarrassment should ensure they keep their heads down for a good while longer. And finally, the allies on the left are also in trouble. The ace up their sleeve – standing up to the PM and making her sweat that she might have to call an election – has well and truly

Mishra’s Mishmash

scarpered. Fail to support her and the wilderness beckons. But could it backfire? THE GOVERNMENT’S hard-line immigration policy remains its trump card. Granted, it remains to be seen how long they can sit high in their tree and claim citizens with children in POW camps in Syria are not really Danish and deserving of being evacuated – regardless of whether they’re criminals. It surely devalues the promises the state gives to new citizens if citizenship can be withdrawn so easily – particularly given the hoops they must jump through. And it’s worrying to see how its stance has permeated the media to the extent that most newspapers are defining these women and children as persons with a relationship to Denmark – not as citizens. A way-out suggested by the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, which would separate the kids from their mothers isn’t going to cut the mustard with half the population. The forceful removal of kids, however troubled the families are, is never a vote-winner. Good times ahead SO, THE nation is holding its breath in the hope that vaccinations and social behaviour prevent another wave of the virus. Masks and social distance are widely accepted, and football fans are back in the stands – albeit in smaller groups, but it’s an important outlet for frustration or joy. Soon we will start picking up the bill for all the commotion. But in the meantime, unemployment is much lower than it could have been, and most entertainment and service-providers are back in business. It is springtime. Enjoy!!!! (ES)

As a regular contributor to the Times of India, the country’s largest newspaper, Mishra is often soughtafter by Danish media and academia to provide expertise on Asian-related matters, human rights issues and democratisation. He has spent half his life in India and the other half in Denmark and Sweden. PIXABAY

M METTE Frederiksen’s start to the month could have been so very different. But the traditional May 1 rally was cancelled, and she avoided the hecklers in the park. And then one weekend later, she was celebrated … on Mother’s Day. In fact, her position as an icon is now growing to the point there is speculation that a general election could be called in September. With 35 percent supporting her party alone, the Blue Bloc parties could be staring down the barrel at another four years in opposition.

ECENTLY, six women were killed in the span of just five weeks in Sweden, tarnishing the age-old image of Scandinavia as the safest place for women in the world and a haven for feminism and gender equality. This news spread far and wide. Rape rates soaring WOMEN aren’t just murdered in Sweden. Rape and attempted rape, particularly against young teenage girls, is on the rise and has been since 2015, the same year that Sweden experienced a surge in refugees from Syria and other countries in the Middle East. The rape rate, which unlike the attempted rape rate is documented, rose by a double-digit percentage in 2016 compared to previous years. The Swedish media are often known for their impartiality and political correctness, yet three years ago ‘Uppdrag Granskning’, a current affairs program broadcast by the state operator SVT, revealed that 58 percent of all men tried in Swedish courts for rape were born abroad. Some 40 percent of these men were born in the Middle East or Africa, with Afghanistan leading the way, and in the overwhelming majority of cases (97 out of 129) the victims had no connection whatsoever with the perpetrator.

the culprits to justice because the majority of the crimes are committed in areas where citizens do not dare bear witness. The recent figures from Sweden confirm the problem. In 2020, there were 16,461 cases of violence against women – a 15.4 percent rise compared to 2019, in which there were 14,261 cases, according to the country’s National Council for Crime Prevention. While Scandinavian countries have been busy reporting and focusing on crimes against women in other countries, the situation has worsened in their own backyard. Denmark and Norway, too, have experienced the same tendencies, but not on the scale measured in Sweden. Danmarks Statistik, which collects data on all socially-relevant issues, confirms that persons with Lebanese background are over-represented in criminal statistics in Denmark.

General complicity GANG RAPE is on the rise and, unfortunately, in such cases the police have a hard time bringing

Ministry’s watchlist MATTIAS Tesfaye, the integration and immigration minister, is well aware of the statistics

There's nothing blurry about this stark truth

that reveal which nationalities are over-represented in prison. Therefore, he has asked for critical vigilance regarding 24 countries – all of which are outside Europe. All this has resulted in a general debate concerning Swedish and Danish values and the impact of values imported from abroad. All of a sudden, Scandinavian countries, which boast a generous welfare state and decent level of gender equality, have seen a surge in gender violence and crimes against women. Even though the immigration rules have been tightened and citizenship laws toughened up, there has been no significant decrease in crimes against women at present. It is probably time for the Scandinavian countries to get realistic and see, once and for all, that before they try to fix the problems of other countries, they should set their own houses in order. It should be mentioned, however, that women who die because of domestic violence tend to know their killers. And in this category, Scandinavian men, too, are well represented.

OPINION

28 May - 10 June 2021

ZACH KHADUDU

NEXT ISSUE

Straight Up

The Road Less Taken

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.

PIXABAY

Ayah was suffering from SMA. And worse, the most promising treatment for the condition is not approved in Denmark yet. They had to look elsewhere. So look they did.

Baby Ayah needs more than a single hand

WRITE this piece on the eve of Mother’s Day 2021. Social media is awash with thankyou posts for mums the world over. All well-deserving. For a mother’s love compares to none. Indomitable spirit ONE SUCH mum can be found on the Danish Island of Bornholm. Kathure Mithika together with her husband Frank Lundt have over the last few months put on a spirited battle to fundraise for the treatment of their child. Baby Ayah’s story is one of resilience and determination. It’s a manifestation of the indomitable spirit of parents ready to travel to the edge of the world for their little one. Baby Ayah suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and atrophy (muscle degeneration).

Warning signs SMA CAN affect a child's ability to crawl, walk, sit up, and control head movements. Severe SMA can damage the muscles used for breathing and swallowing. Experts say there are four types of SMA. Some show up earlier and are more severe than others. All types of SMA need ongoing treatment by a medical care team. There's no cure for SMA, but treatment can help children with SMA live a better life. Speaking to American broadcaster CNN, Ayah’s parents recalled how in her first months of life she was hitting all the growth-milestones. Then at nine months, things took a turn. Baby Ayah started having difficulties sitting unassisted, lifting her head, clapping - things she had previously learned to do. Consultations with Danish healthcare experts revealed

So very dear THEIR search led to Zolgensma, a gene therapy treatment approved by the American Federal Agency in 2019 for the treatment of SMA in the US. While not a sure-cure, the drug is said to reproduce gene copies that significantly improve the muscle movement and function of children with SMA. Sadly, though, at a prohibitive cost of 2 million dollars (around 14 million kroner) Zolgensma can also claim the uncoveted title of the world’s most expensive drug. To be effective, Zolgensma will need to be administered before baby Ayah’s second birthday, so it is a race against time. Frank and Kathure have accordingly reached out to the world for help. They have knocked on every door, given countless interviews, appealed to all and sundry, and run round-the-clock fundraisers. So far, they have raised slightly over a million dollars - just half of what is needed. How we can help THEY NEED your help. Any help. Every dollar and every krone goes a long way. Baby Ayah, their bubbly bundle of joy is determined to beat this. We can help. Contributions can be sent via MobilePay (463363), transfer (Reg: 5340, Account number: 241876) or GoFundMe (search for Little Ayah).

JESSICA ALEXANDER

An Actor’s Life IAN BURNS IN 2 ISSUES

Englishman in Nyhavn JACK GARDNER

Living Faith REVD SMITHA PRASADAM IN 3 ISSUES

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Green Spotlight SIBYLLE DE VALENCE IN 4 ISSUES

A Dane Abroad KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

Straight, No Chaser STEPHEN GADD IN 5 ISSUES

Early Rejser ADAM WELLS

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

14 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ABOUT TOWN

28 May - 10 June 2021

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD UAE EMBASSY

Crown Prince Frederik was among those in attendance at the World Food Summit at Industriens Hus on April 15

UAE ambassador Fatema Khamis Almazrouei has made it a tradition during her time in Copenhagen to invite multi-faith guests to her Iftar celebrations during Ramadan UAE EMBASSY

Crown Princess Mary was the guest of honour at Forskningens Døgn at Naturcenter Amager in Kastrup in late April

Among her guests this year were Bosnia and Herzegovina ambassador Emir Poljo UAE EMBASSY

Queen Margrethe was delighted to climb aboard the royal yacht, Kongeskibet Dannebrog, in Nyholm on May 4 for the traditional Royal Summer Cruise

And Hans Hermansen, the CEO of CPH POST, was also a privileged visitor

COMMUNITY

28 May - 10 June 2021

Embracing rainbows: volunteer, be of value and feel vindicated forever

BEN HAMILTON

HAT FEELING you get when you’re in the close company of history-makers – it will stay with you forever. It could be sport. Imagine actually being on the playing surface, enjoying a unique view not available to any spectator. So close to the competitors, you can see the pores in their skin. Or music … watching a concert sideways from your backstage vantage point, like whatsername in ‘A Star is Born’. Try not to go ga-ga, this is really happening. Or even politics: an impromptu one-off event to mark historic peace talks. You bump into Yasser Arafat and moments later he’s on the podium clasping the hand of Bill Clinton and then Yitzhak Rabin. How do many ordinary people end up dining out on these memories for the rest of their lives? Simple: they volunteer! From ball-girls at Wimbledon to the 30,000-strong orange jacket brigade at Roskilde, it’s the graft dreams are made of. Being of value GRANTED, most of us volunteer for the most noble of reasons: to benefit those less fortunate than ourselves, to fight for something we believe in, to bravely put our body on the line in the interest of science, to give something back, or to integrate into a society. But it’s also okay to do it for the perks, experience and the friendships that follow. From volunteering at a kibbutz in Israel to heading out with the Raleigh Expedition to a country in the Developing World, some of the richest experiences in life are available to those who choose to give their services for free. Seriously, how can you put a

COPENHAGEN2021.COM

Copenhagen 2021 promises to be one of the most significant LGBTI+ events in history, and this is your chance to get truly involved

price on meeting your soul-mate or discovering a life-long passion or profession – a common occurrence when people leave their comfort zones to volunteer abroad. And don’t forget the overall satisfaction that comes from being of value. Be a part of history WELL, history is beckoning for everyone in Denmark this August, and there’s nothing stopping you from volunteering and taking part. The confirmation came through earlier this month that the huge LGBTI+ event Copenhagen 2021, which combines WorldPride with EuroGames, will be going ahead from August 12-22 in the Danish capital and the nearby Swedish city of Malmö. It promises to be the biggest LGBTI+ event ever hosted by Denmark Disappointed by an “over-cautious approach” – which stipulates that large events from August 1 onwards can only welcome 5,000 visitors, providing they are self-contained in units of up to 500 people, with room to increase the total to 10,000 in certain cases – the organisers will “work within the regulations and be going ahead”. To realise those plans, they need the help of thousands of volunteers to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely. Create movements! MARINA Jensen, the volunteer co-ordinator at Copenhagen 2021, is in no doubt that volunteering as an ‘includer’ is a “unique chance” to be a part of history. “The work we do right now for the LGBTI+ community worldwide will create movements all over the world, and we can reach people through sports, art, debates, music, demonstrations and so much more. Also the Human Rights Forum is extra ambitious and available for the whole world, offering a very unique chance to join the team and the fight for equality worldwide,” she told CPH POST: “On a personal level you

Making friends and enjoying the perks of being a Copenhagen 2021 volunteer

should join because you can meet the community, go to our social events and parties, and also get access to an exclusive education program where we teach all about inclusive behaviour anno 2021.” As Jensen stresses, includers do not need to be LGBTI+ to qualify. “We really mean it when we say you are included! All people, genders, identities, sexualities ... you are included!” she said. Too many perks to list INCLUDERS are invited to all of the community’s social activities and events, while the education program will cover all sorts of interesting subjects, from ‘Project Management and Activism’ to ‘Intersectionality 101’ and ‘Trans allyship’. Other perks include Copenhagen 2021 merchandise, food and drinks while working, and a special designed Pantone drinking bottle from Copenhagen Design. So you’re sold and wondering what the next step is. Well, short-term volunteers will be able to access the official shiftplan from June 14, where you will be able to choose all the roles and shifts that suit you on the Copenhagen 2021 program. For long-term volunteers who are interested in helping to plan the event, check out each role description in the ‘Long-term Roles’ section at copenhagen2021.com. For the long-term roles, three different Project Management

courses will be provided, while a basic course is accessible for all volunteers, which covers inclusive behaviour, the practicalities involved, and access to lots of different workshops. State's surprising stance THE ORGANISERS were surprised that the government’s guidelines appear to contravene the advice of its own expert group who advised last month that most restrictions could be lifted once all the over-50s are vaccinated, which is currently on schedule to take place by July 11. As planned, the attendees at Copenhagen 2021 are likely to need a corona pass, and all “events can be scaled up in size if the vaccine roll-out and general pandemic situation improves,” noted the organisers. Copenhagen 2021 chair Katja Moesgaard welcomed the clarity of the decision, but was critical that “such a cautious and conservative decision has been made” given that “Copenhagen 2021 is the biggest and most significant LGBTI+ event ever to be held in Scandinavia.” “With the clarity we now have, our focus is on the three months ahead. In the coming weeks we will publish more detail on how we will accommodate these regulations,” she continued. “In the meantime we urge political leaders and the government to reconsider the

regulations on a weekly basis to explore every option to safely increase the number of participants to allow more people to join us to campaign and celebrate equality. This is a unique event that will not be repeated in our lifetime and it is a vital opportunity for Denmark to shine as a global beacon of equality.” Huge line-up COPENHAGEN 2021 already has plans for a major digital presentation of events, which will ensure events are livestreamed online for a global audience. Live action events in Copenhagen include nightly concerts; human rights events at Øksnehallen, Christiansborg and UN City; 29 sports tournaments; and a large number of culture events at venues such as Gammel Strand, Huset KBH and Rådhushaven. The theme for Copenhagen 2021 is ‘You Are Included’, and to make sure everyone feels included the volunteers are being called ‘Includers’. There are longterm roles in the months leading up to the event, and lots of roles during the event itself. There’s a role to match everyone’s skills and experience. One thing is for sure: everything will depend on the volunteers. They are the lifeblood of the event. Visit copenhagen2021.com/volunteer or email volunteer@copenhagen2021.com to find out more.

16 EDUCATION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

28 May - 10 June 2021

On song or off-key? Is online learning bad for students?

BENJAMIN FROST

F THE MANY social changes foisted on us by the pandemic, perhaps the most tectonic was the migration of the entire professional spectrum into the digital realm. Suddenly, unless your job required you to be on-location, it moved online. The mysterious notion of working from home – hitherto reserved for fringe professionals: the obscenely rich and struggling artists – became an unglamourous norm. It was an awkward transition for many, but none more so than young students. School is just as much a social experience as an academic one. In terms of growing your interpersonal skills, a Zoom meeting doesn’t cut it like a classroom does. For young adults the impact of one lost year is huge. Though the curriculum might be largely unaffected, poorly managed e-teaching has had profound and lasting effects on many students’ attitudes towards learning. Missing motivation THE MOST noticeable effect was the blow to motivation. Online, hardworking pupils began to underperform and became

less concerned about slipping standards. A survey conducted by the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) in 2020 found that 76 percent of undergraduate students considered a lack of motivation to be the leading obstacle in online learning. Similarly, a survey of US higher-education students conducted in April by Bay View Analytics found that “students, professors and administrators all ranked the same top three challenges impeding online learning success as ‘feelings of stress’ followed by ‘level of motivation’ and ‘having time to do homework’”. Frederikke Schmidt, a 9thgrade student at Sønderborg International School, noticed her classmates’ lack of motivation, which she attributed to certain online teaching methods. “Gone are the days when we would engage in class and discuss with the teachers. Nowadays we are given tasks, then sent off to finish them individually. Only occasionally do the teachers check how it’s going,” she told CPH POST. Screen-time or scream-time? OTHER oft-cited obstacles to e-learning in both the Bay View and SERU studies were ‘distracting study spaces’ and ‘lack of face-to-face interaction’. School interiors are designed to be bright, ambient spaces

that edify focus and creativity. In-person classes benefit from this atmospheric homogeneity as it encourages sharing and collaboration – but this is diminished online. The fact that privacy, quietness, the right tools and, 2020’s hottest commodity, good WiFi are luxuries that not all students have access to at home, means it’s no wonder focus suffers. That said, an ergonomic keyboard, noise-cancelling headphones and a private study suite full of natural light simply won’t compensate for the hard pill that online schooling is sometimes just … boring. Hampered by lag and mic or speaker issues, lessons often move at a snail’s pace. Paying attention is barely necessary to complete tasks and, because the teachers can’t monitor students, there are no repercussions for cheating on tests or looking up answers. It’s not all bad … SO IT MAY be surprising that a recent student survey at Llandrillo College in Wales by the news aggregate site Inyourarea found that 93 percent rated the quality of online learning as ‘very good’. Notably, the college invested in tech-based resources like Chromebooks and smart devices to ensure students could connect with tutors. The digitisation of learning has undoubtedly reshaped the way teachers and pupils

PIXABAY

A rapid rise in screen time brought on by the corona pandemic has seen face-to-face classroom interaction disappear overnight, but at what cost?

"Just five more minutes before I can switch over to Netflix"

connect – but some say that’s a good thing. Jessica Rowland Williams, the head of the expert network Every Learner Everywhere, hailed the out-ofthe-box insights brought on by e-learning. "The pandemic has given us a unique opportunity to pause and listen to each other, and we are beginning to discover all the ways [students’ and teachers’] experiences overlap," she said. In fact, a survey of teachers and their experiences online by the School Education Gateway (SEG) in April found that “the most pleasant surprise, mentioned by 38 percent of respondents, was innovation or freedom to experiment.” Other positives were flexibility, the wide range of digital tools, accessibility of materials and resources, and increased autonomy and motivation among learners.

But can it compare? NEVERTHELESS, SEG underscored the major difficulties in involving pupils from disadvantaged homes, disaffected pupils, and supporting those with special needs or disabilities. Additionally, “digital competence was reported as equally challenging for both pupils and teachers”, and assessing pupils’ progress was repeatedly listed as a key hurdle. It seems nothing beats the real thing. Humanities teacher Oscar Manero at Sønderborg International School told CPH POST he’s relieved that students are leaving the screens behind and coming back to the classroom. “I never got training for this kind of situation. There were factors affecting students thatI couldn’t control, completely unrelated to my teaching ability. I had no clue what I could do, and I know I wasn’t the only one,” he said.

EDUCATION

28 May - 10 June 2021

From toddlers to teens: thriving through theatrical teamwork

BEN HAMILTON

ONTRARY to common belief, drama is not about ‘me, me, me’. Drama is an opportunity to step out of yourself and really work together with others. It's about possibilities, collaboration and confidence. That’s why Copenhagen International School offers drama to kids from the tender age of three through to the end of high school. “Drama provides the opportunity for very young children to practise for life as a ‘grown up’,” according to Sabrina Mannhartz, the principal of Early Years and Primary School. “Three and four-years-olds do this automatically. It's what they do when they play, and drama provides some structure to stretch their thinking.” Learning through drama IN EARLY Years and Primary School drama classes, children learn to listen, create, collaborate and reflect. The activities and drama games they engage in contribute to building focus and respect – everyone has a voice and the skills they learn go with them to all their other classes, according to Lizzy McIlroy, who teaches drama to Primary School children at Copenhagen International School. “Give young children the opportunity to experience learning through drama, and they will work together to explore concepts and create understanding,” contends McIlroy. “Take a science topic like ‘the body systems’. Students show their learning by creating a drama piece that represents how a system works – for example,

the digestive system. Two students work together to create a mouth, while others, representing the food, crawl through and are pushed between a line of students as if travelling down the oesophagus to the intestines before creating organised chaos to represent the digestion in the stomach.” Such an approach encourages teamwork, contends McIlroy: “Students have to organise themselves to decide their positioning and movement to tell the story. This physical approach can be a powerful tool for learning and can be applied to pretty much anything. That's the beauty of drama.” Clowning for confidence ONE OF the most satisfying moments teaching drama is when a student, who is generally quiet as a mouse in the regular homeroom setting, connects with a drama activity and shines with unexpected confidence. “Learning without words can really help children to come out of their shells, so I invited a professional clown,” revealed McIlroy “The most remarkable part was watching children who are usually more quiet and introverted develop confident cheeky personalities through mime once they put on a red nose. The take-home of the experience was resoundingly: ‘I can have a voice through my inner clown’.” In another unit with the older primary children, drama took a lead role in tackling the sensitive topic of puberty. Students created their own very simple oversized puppet and operated it to deliver a monologue they had written that addressed an element of puberty they had learned about during their unit of inquiry. “With the puppet to ‘hide’ behind, the children felt comfortable and confident to present their work. Drama offers a safe environment for students to work in and to explore ideas in all sorts of ways. It gives them

CIS

Beyond the stage: exploring the reasons why Copenhagen International School employs professional drama teachers to teach children from the age of three through to the International Baccalaureate high school diploma

a superpower,” contended McIlroy. “Drama is not about the end product, although that can be amazing. It is all about the process – and the skills and knowledge acquired.” Learning to let go BY THE time the children reach Middle School, they are in touch with their inner self – the perfect time, contends teacher Lena Noring, to teach them techniques to harness their focus. “Each class begins with a guided meditation in which students gain tools to focus on the present moment and learn to manage stress and deal with the change of emotions. It fosters students’ awareness of themselves and their ability to grow as performers and humans – in and outside of drama class,” she revealed. “First the meditation develops their focus and self-awareness, and this is followed by warm-up exercises that use both body and voice to stimulate creativity and imagination.” Students respond positively to the meditation – it is clearly the nozzle through which the steam can be released. “We achieve a peace of mind and body, whilst releasing thoughts or feelings that might have bottled up. It makes you more aware of yourself and your surroundings,” remarked a Grade 7 student taught by Noring. “It makes you and your body calm,” added a classmate. “You can let go of your mind and it really helps me to focus on the things I need to. Today when I started the class I was tired and I had a lot going on in my mind. After the relaxation I was way more relaxed and I could now focus on my task!” enthused a Grade 6 pupil. The knock-on effect of the relaxation is that the students become more open to change, building ensembles and fostering creative freedom, and in the unit ‘Trust and Improvisation’ they end up surprising themselves, and

The end product of drama can be amazing, contends a CIS teacher, but it is the journey that counts: “It is all about the process – and the skills and knowledge acquired.”

others, with their ability to create. Again, just like with the Primary School classes, the skills they learn through improvisation, like thinking on the spot, listening and responding to other people's ideas, quickly permeate other classrooms. Finding your voice BY THE time the students reach High School teacher David Chapman, they have come full circle. They have discovered creativity they didn’t know was there, learned to collaborate, improvise and even meditate, and honed many skills. Now the students can be trusted to embrace their individuality. “It’s all about finding your voice: what do you have to say? How can you say it and how can you get others to understand it?” said Chapman. “As teachers we can introduce them to different tools to craft their message. Whether it be through acting, singing or dancing, it’s all about finding ways of getting the world to see the way you do things.” Again the environment is crucial. “We encourage the children to make mistakes and to try things and let things blow up – and that's fine because that's the number one place where the learning happens,” he said. “They can make new discoveries that take them down different paths.” The visual arts, theatre and music program stands out from

others, contends Chapman, as it really challenges the children to “throw ideas out and truly show what they can do”. An enviable environment IT IS ALSO at High School that the children get the opportunity to don many more hats. For example, they might choose to get involved backstage. Certainly, the superb facilities of the visual arts, theatre and music departments at Copenhagen International School are a breeding ground for multi-talented creatives who can act, direct and even make their own special effects! “Specifically in the theatre class, we have ‘Small Blackbox’, which enables the kids to experiment, not just with performance, but with the technical side,” enthused Chapman. “This means they get to explore lights and sounds to create new worlds – basic design stuff – as part of the mastering laboratory. And let’s not forget the 300-seat auditorium with its huge lighting and sound potential. So they have those two different areas, where we go back and forth and explore – both in classroom settings as well as after-school performances.” It is an enviable environment. The school’s 900 students come from all over the world, which gives them an undeniable leg-up when it comes to having a global perspective.

18 HISTORY How the fuse of Danish Dynamite was lit 50 years ago THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Denmark’s national football team was dreadful up until 1971 when the national football association finally agreed to let professionals playing abroad back into the team PUCK WAGEMAKER

T'S GOOD times for Danish football at the moment. In three weeks' time, Denmark takes part in the postponed Euro 2020 tournament and there is optimism of a good run, given that the Danes are ranked in the top 10 in the world. However, it wasn't always a walk in the Parken. In 1948 the Danish football team won bronze at the Olympics in London, but shortly after eight of its 13 players got offered contracts by foreign clubs – which meant that the team could not go for gold at the 1952 edition. At the time, the DBU football association stipulated that Danish footballers with a professional contract at a foreign club were banned for life from playing for the Danish national team. Those who returned to Denmark were even forced to sit out for two years before being able to play in the Danish league again. Europe’s best and worst THIS RULE resulted in some really meagre years for the national team. While Denmark had some of the best players in Europe, they

were all playing for foreign clubs. In 1954, there were 11 Danes playing for top teams in Italy, but in the same year the national team didn't win a single game. Still, there was no talk of changing the rules and get Danish players abroad back on the team. Finally in 1970, following a nine-game losing streak and the team being dubbed the ‘worst ever’, the DBU finally decided to open up for foreign professionals on the national team from 1971 onwards. They may have been inspired by the Danish women's team, who won the unofficial World Cup in Italy the year before. The DBU sent invitations to 22 of the 70 Danish players abroad to ask if they were interested in playing for the national team again. They would get 250 kroner per international match – just like the Danish amateurs. But initially it was difficult to get the professionals back in, because they didn't want to play for peanuts. Amateur level continues THE FIRST game with the new national team in Portugal was amateurish, even though the professionals were involved. They didn’t train together before the match. It was only in the locker room a few minutes before the start of the match that player Benny Nielsen discovered he had brought two right boots with him.

28 May - 10 June 2021

The debut of the new team resulted in a 0-5 loss. For the first few years, the team didn’t improve much and they continued to fail in qualification for major tournaments. Money and a German HOWEVER, the breakthrough came in 1978, the year when Danish league football turned professional. Brewery giant Carlsberg provided the DBU with a million-kroner sponsorship on the condition that professional standards were set. A year later, the no-nonsense German coach Sepp Piontek was hired to drive home to the players that they needed to think and work in a more professional manner. Up until that point playing for Denmark usually meant a cheeky trip home and a few beers after the game. Piontek put a stop to that sort of thing and instilled some much-neede discipline in the team. Suddenly the Danes started knocking off top opposition – Italy was beaten 3-1 just a year before winning the World Cup. Three years later, Denmark found itself a penalty shootout away from reaching the Euro 1984 final and the magical Danish Dynamite era kicked off in earnest.

Denmark's team won silver at the 1912 Olympic Games

Denmark conceding to Sweden in the semis of the 1948 Olympics

DENMARK AT THE OLYMPICS 1908 London - Silver 1912 Stockholm - Silver 1948 London - Bronze 1960 Rome - Silver

Sepp Piontek brought much-needed discipline and organisation

LOCAL HISTORY

28 May - 10 June 2021

Sing me the old Copenhagen shipyard blues: back when B&W ruled the waves

FRANK SONDERBORG

AVE YOU ever visited Copenhagen and stood and admired the ‘Little Mermaid’? Because if you raised your head a little, you would be staring straight across at Refshaleøen and, what was at one time, the mighty B&W shipyards. Once it was the biggest employer in the capital region – working there was the very essence of being a Copenhagener. The shipyard workers were heroes, famous for their resistance to the German Occupation. And as far as Danish labour relations were concerned, when the B&W men in blue went on strike, everybody went on strike. It's all long gone now. Sandbagged by American bankers – they’d loaned the shipyard money and wanted it back. The Socialdemokratiet government was supposed to step in and save the day, but it never happened, and the plug was pulled on a bit of Copenhagen history, and a big part of its identity. Human steam-engine IT WAS never my intention to work in a shipyard. I was heading for Bondi Beach, Australia, the land of wombats and Men's Lib. But the best-laid plans of mice and wombats can often go agley. Which is why, it found me, one cold December morning, heading for the shipyards. The train stops at Østerport. From there, we are out and running, down that long tree-lined road towards Churchill's Park and finally Toldboden, the cold air turning our heavy breathing into a plume of steam – like some unnatural human steam-engine We swing left and head past the Resistance War Museum that honours the memory of Anders Lassen, a British SAS legend and Victoria Cross winner, with the

seven-pointed star of ‘AP Møller, Lord and Master of the Container Shipping Universe” beckoning in the distance. Then a final dash to the boat, whose lights we can see at the landing steps, to catch the B&W ferry across the harbour to the great assembly yards of B&W. The ferry boats from Holmen Naval dockyard would come and go, but they were winding down, while the B&W yards were booming. Saucers in the soup I WOULD learn that I could afford to miss one boat and still be early for the 06:45 am start. In the summer we’d sail around the ‘Dannebrog', the Danish Queen’s majestic yacht, waving to the bored sailors on deck. Behind us, the beautiful city of Copenhagen, slowly coming to life in the early morning sun, and in front, the giant cranes and assembly halls of B&W – like prehistoric monsters from another age. In winter, the trip was a bummer though. In the heavy fog, we’d sight the incoming Bornholm ferry, looking like a UFO hovering over the water, and then sigh with relief as the giant ghost ship slid by. Heavy storms at sea would routinely push icy black waters back up into Copenhagen Harbour, transforming our trip across the harbour into a rollercoaster ride of unimaginable terror. The ever-present thought, at the back of all our minds, is that one black morning, among howling winds and razor-sharp sleet, we'd get swatted by an incoming coaster. Original blues brothers BUT THEN, we were B&W tough guys. It was never going to happen. Every morning we’d make it over and run to our locker rooms and change into the blue boiler-suits – the trademark look of the B&W ship-worker. The B&W canteen in the early morning back in those days was one of the great wonders of Copenhagen. The workforce was multi-racial,

and the list of attending nations was endless: the ultimate melting pot. But when the blue boiler-suit went on, we became blues brothers together – all children of Adam and Eve, the people or the monkey's, depending on your belief. We lived in Denmark, both a country and state of mind, and while we spoke Danish, when thrown into the crucible of the B&W shipyard, the Danish language took an unmerciful hammering. One could still recognise the similarities between it and the inner-city Vesterbrogade variety. But from there to Queen Margaret’s beautiful Danish was a quantum leap. The shipyard version was vibrant – more a type of Zapata revolutionary, cantina language – and full of shrugs, and ‘nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more’ types of innuendo. Sentences invariably involved hand-chopping movements and started with "Op i røven," Mirth with Murph I HAD COFFEE every morning with Murph, whose claim to fame was having played cricket for Manchester Boys. And ‘English Graham’, who had played tennis with somebody well known in California. Also in our group was Fernando, a Spaniard who’d been raised in the USSR. Just before Franco had taken over in Spain, 6,000 children were sent away to Russia to ensure they were raised as true communists. There they stayed throughout World War II and beyond. Fernando was fully brainwashed and would not hear any criticism of the peace-loving Soviet Socialistic Republics, so one day when Murph injured his leg and was limping badly, he asked: “Daw-lee Been?" "Nej," said Murph. "Daw-lee Parton." Fernando turned to me totally confused: "Hvaa … Daw-lee ParDon?" I explained it was a famous US country singer with gigantic mammary glands, but it didn't seem to clarify the situation at all. Fernando went away still confused and none the wiser.

NEWS ORESUND

Today we can again visit the island of Refshaleøen by boat, retracing the daily voyage of the dockers who grew to epitomise the working ethos of Copenhagen

Calm crossing for once

In Dracula’s lair I REMEMBER on my first day driving down from the portgates on the tractor-bus to the dry dock. There was a building full of wooden tool-boxes stacked up row after row. The thought that raced through my cold numb brain was: "Welcome to Castle Dracula." The inside of a new bulk-carrier was a very overwhelming experience too. From the coffins of Castle Dracula, with an outside temperature hitting minus 25 degrees, into a vast cathedral-like environment – a place of bright lights and extremely dark places. With its scaffolding and the hanging lights it could easily have been mistaken for some enormous Egyptian excavation. Different breeds of sheep THE SHIPYARD was a hard and sometimes a very dangerous place to work. Hard hats were needed, as you could easily end up with a dropped glowing bolt going right through your brain. A new breed of shop stewards, with their crisp, well ironed boiler-suits and dogma, was emerging. Their mantra of “The Company is allowed to make a profit” was in stark contrast to the dirty recycled container city look favoured by the old breed. In the canteen we would gather to hear their latest wage negotiation report. If we didn’t like it, we would start banging tables and shout that universal sheep chorus of objection: “Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.” Newbie workers were met with a rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘Welcome to the Machine.’

Farvel Floyd, hello foodies B&W, THE heartbeat of the Copenhagen worker, closed its gates in the spring of 1996. In its wake, Den Gammel Svejsehall (the old welding hall) is now a modern museum, and its giant assembly hall was used to stage the impressive 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. The annual heavy metal festival Copenhell, meanwhile, has found a home just outside its walls. You can get street food and craft beer in the foodie markets of Reffen and, since earlier this month, you can even turn up by boat if you’re prepared to pay the asking price. It’s a route known all too well by generations of workers at the dockers. Only this time the melting pot of cultures they’re heading for is a serving of quinoa, edamame beans and IPA beer, not the hotpotch of happy-go-lucky Charlies whose resoluteness made this country proud.

Frank Sonderborg was born in Ireland, lives in the UK and does his best to write interesting stories. This particular tale is based on his experience working at the B&W shipyards in the 1970s. His short stories have appeared in various UK and US publications. He is currently working on a fictional book about the Irish War of Independence.

20 EVENTS Getting into bed with Berdal at Bøssehuset THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

PUCK WAGEMAKER

HE TWO young protagonists of Riley McCarthy’s Southern Bedfellows take us on a journey of discovery as their love blossoms – a bit like The Blue Lagoon, but non-binary, more armpit hair and more prom night than junior high. Jodie Fish, a revelation in HIT-Copenhagen’s autumn play ‘Harry Clarke’, returns to Bøssehuset, the scene of his triumph, with Annelise Nielsen, who despite her name is another highly promising fellow American actor. And the coups don’t stop there, as at the helm is Reumart-winning director Christoffer Berdal.

World premiere SEE THIS play before anyone, as this is a world premiere that is set to play on stages all over the world after headlining HIT-Copenhagen’s program at first CPH Stage and then Copenhagen 2021 in August. “I think everybody has experienced there is a part of you that you are not secure about sharing with friends, family lovers or whoever,’’ enthuses Berdal, and it’s true, this play might be about a non-binary couple, but the themes are universal.

The Rapture BENNY THAIBERT

Ireland’s entry into the European Union overnight expanded its working men’s professional horizons, as well their knowledge of Danish girls and beer

28 May - 10 June 2021

June 3-5, 11:00; Literaturhaus, Møllegade 7, Cph N; 135kr From the depth of her bathtub in Australia, the well-known environmental activist and burlesque performer Moira Finucane will stream live her solo work created during lockdown. Performed for HIT-Copenhagen’s audience, this intimate session of Art vs Extinction highlights hopes, propaganda, extinction and Antarctic ice. (ATW)

Sun & Sea

What it is to be human SPARKS fly when identities are challenged along with their willingness to love each other. Ultimately they come to appreciate what it is to be human. “Young and old should all watch it together and see each others’ reactions to it,” advises Berdal.

Creatures from the black lagoon?

JOB – A simple man

1984 – Back to No Future

Stalker

White Plague

May 27-June 2, times vary; Bådteatret, Nyhavn 16, Cph K; 160kr A performance based on ‘JOB – A Simple Man’ by Joseph Roth, a landmark novel about migration during World War I. The play will be performed both in English and Danish, exploring issues such as national borders, immigration, what constitutes a safe haven and new culture. (ATW)

May 27-30, times vary; Black/ White, Staldgale 26-30, Cph V; 145 kr Inspired by – what else – George Orwell’s classic ‘1984’ (and also Marty McFly), in this dystopian play by the artist collective Gob Squad, the protagonists travel back in time to confront their own teenage-self amidst the media revolution of the time. (ATW)

May 29-June 5, 20:00; TBC in Cph V; free adm Enjoy a mysterious audio performance by Fix&Foxy at a secret place in Copenhagen where you will find yourself. The ‘stalker’ in your headphones will guide you to the right place: a room where all your dreams come true. There you will experience the deepest levels of your consciousness. (PW)

June 3-5, 13:00, 15:00 & 17:30; Literaturhaus, Møllegade 7, Cph N; 135kr An immersive, interactive, live experience combining storytelling with something that’s very close to us: isolation and plague. Enter if you dare encounter unconventional experiences with your sight, sound and smell. (ATW)

“So we get a discussion be- SOUTHERN BEDFELLOWS tween the different generations 20:00 & 21:30, June 3-5 & 8-12; Bøssehuset, Christiania; and learn from each other.” tickets 175kr, teaterbilletter.dk

May 29-June 1, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 & 17:00; Copenhagen Contemporary, Refshalevej 182; waiting List This opera performance by Lithuanian artists Rugile Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė and Lina Lapelutė will take you to the beach to witness humorous, relevant depiction of the urgent issue of climate change. Discover why this opera won a Golden Lion at the 2019 Venice Biennale. (ATW)

The Shy Manifesto June 3-5, 15:30, 17:30 & 11:30; Literaturhaus, Møllegade 7, Cph N; 135kr The Shy Manifesto is a coming-of-age dark comedy that explores the life of a shy teenager surrounded by over-confident people in the social media age. Originally premiered in 2020, this monologue is one of five HIT-Copenhagen plays being staged this spring. (ATW)

latin american film festival 2021 In June, the 8th edition of Latin American Film Festival takes place at Cinemateket with ﬁlms, events, receptions and talks. Most of the ﬁlms have English subtitles and many of the talks are in English as well. See what’s on at cinemateket.dk or visit us in Gothersgade 55.

EVENTS

28 May - 10 June 2021

CPH Harbour Parade

Books & Wine

Sake Festival

Kabaret Kopenhagen

CPH Athletics Games

June 5, 13:00-23:00; Copenhagen Harbour; free adm On Constitution Day, the Port of Copenhagen will transfer into an artistic floating parade. The harbour will be full of art, performances, installations and music while boats sail through the city. The parade can be experienced from land, as well as from boats and kayaks on the water. (PW)

June 5, 14:00-18:00; Gammel Kongevej 33A, Cph V; free adm Some Merlot with your Melville, or Riesling with your Rowling? Come by this newly-opened antique store for great English-language books and enjoy wine at its opening event. (NJB)

May 28-29, 17:00-18:30; Seidokan Japan Center, Valbygårdsvej 36, Valby; 195kr Get a taste of Japan in the heart of Valby. During the festival, you will have the unique opportunity of tasting over 50 different sakes from the Land of the Rising Sun. Additionally, during the festival you will have the opportunity to eat authentic Japanese ramen and taste specially blended drinks that have been curated by world-class bartenders. (NJB)

May 28-29, 20:00-23:45; Musikcaféen, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; 200kr Kabaret Kopenhagen is officially inviting you all to not just one, but two nights of the best burlesque in town, so treat yourself to some socially-distanced sexy fun at Musikcaféen! Come and enjoy a bottle of bubbly. The fizz is guaranteed! (NJB)

June 8, 18:00-21:00; Østerbro Stadium, Cph Ø; 75kr Welcome to Copenhagen Athletics Games '21 - a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meeting. Look forward to an atmospheric evening where you can experience the elite of Danish athletics competing against middle-of-the-road competition from abroad. (NJB)

Wine tasting

Art Workshop

June 10, 17:30; Spisehuset, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; 275kr Come and join an exclusive wine tasting event in the heart of Copenhagen. Are you a Chardonnay chappy, or more of a Pinot pige? Here’s a perfect opportunity to test your wine tasting abilities and find your selection for your next dinner party. (NJB)

May 31, 18:00-20:00; ART Workshop, Nørreport Station, Cph K; free adm Join the Art Workshop in English in Central Copenhagen, get inspired and start your personal art project! It’s a great place to experience different art materials and techniques in a friendly atmosphere! No previous experience is required, just an open mind and a big smile. (NJB)

Open Stage May 28, 19:00; Urban House, Colbjørnsensgade 5-11, Cph V; free adm Copenhagen Theatre Circle’s Open Stage event welcomes performers of all genres: poets, storytellers, stand-up comedians, singers, dancers, clowns, musicians, magicians etc. A call to artists old and new: this is the space you have been looking for to try out your work in front of an energetic and supportive audience. Copenhagen wants to see what you’ve got! (NJB)

Danish academic job fair June 8, 14:00-16:00; online event by graduateland; free adm The jobs are out there so now is the time to kick-start your career! Join the academic job fair and find out who is hiring. Are you graduating this summer, or did you finish your education recently? Employers from different industries are participating and they all have news of exciting job opportunities for you. (NJB)

Poster party June 1, 15:00-18:00; KIHOSKH, Sønder Boulevard 53, Cph V; free adm In connection with the City of Copenhagen's launch of Party with Respect, you can come by Kihoskh and pick up a poster free of charge. While you are here, you can enjoy the first summer day of the year at one of Copenhagen's friendliest addresses. Kihoskh believes that everyone should come: both those who party and those who go to bed early. (NJB)

Daily Friction May 29, 17:00-18:00; online at travers.world; free adm Daily Friction is a panel debate panel aimed at starting meaningful debates. This week’s event will be attended by Stefan Kaegi, the co-founder of Rimini Protokoll, Danish actress Sara TopsøeJensen and multidisciplinary artist Magrét Bjarnadóttir. (NJB)

Flea Market May 29-30, 10:00-16:00; Istedgade 87, Cph V; free adm Come and join a flea market in the heart of Vesterbro. You will find everything from clothes, toys and books to antiques and furniture. Support your local community and make a second-hand purchase to save the planet. (NJB)

Open house at FABRIKKEN MAY 29, 12:00-17:00; SUNDHOLMSVEJ 46, Cph S; free adm Experience a day in the engine room of art, as Denmark's largest studio community for professional artists and designers is having an open house. The event also marks the opening of FABRIKKEN's joint exhibition where more than 60 of the inhouse artists and designers will exhibit side by side. (PW)

Twilight Zone on 16mm

June 6, 16:00-17:30; Bakken, free adm A bang of a summer party is planned, when the big hits Joey Moe and LIGA take over the Bakkens Friluftsscene. The two artists are currently in the studio writing songs together, and this collaboration will culminate with a joint show where they will play their biggest hits together as one joint band. (NJB)

May 30, 18:00-20:00; Husets Biograf, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; 70kr Watch three of the all-time top-rated episodes of the American Twilight Zone TV series, screened in their original 16mm format complete with the same TV commercials that screened at the time – a unique window into a world of exceptionally well depicted horror, accompanied by merciless consumerism that recalls the ‘Mad Men’ TV series. (NJB)

Period talks

CPH Photo Festival

May 28, 17:30; HUSET, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph V; free adm with booking May 28 marks International Menstruation Day, and HUSET is hosting a ‘Period Talks’, a corona-friendly, intimate event. Period Talks invites conversation, laughter and information about an ordinary monthly event that is forever slighted, shamed and too often silent. (NJB)

June 3-13, 17:00-22:00; Refshalevej 163A; from 100kr The largest Nordic festival of its kind returns on June 3-30, now with more than 30 exhibitions spread across galleries, museums and art institutions in Copenhagen and southern Sweden. The festival focuses on new forms of exhibiting and new ways of using photography, featuring work from both established and emerging artists. (NJB)

Joey Moe and LIGA.

BlaBla Language Exchange June 10, 20:00-22:30; online at BlaBla Language Exchange, free adm with booking Improve your language skills by chatting to a native in the language you are currently learning. The event always starts in English/Danish. Then, once two or three people want to speak the same language, it’s possible to create a new linguistic group. (NJB)

Move In Another Dimension June 3, 20:00-23:00; Xenon, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; from 140kr This installation concert, ‘Come Move In Another Dimension’, is part of an artistic universe first initiated when MoonBee & The Astronauts released their first double-sided EP ‘Come Move In Another Dimension Part 1 & 2’ in January 2021. Also featuring Who Killed Bambi. (NJB)

Concerto CPH plays Bach

Eliel Lazo Trio

May 29, 16:00-17:30; Den Sorte Diamant, Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, Cph K; find tickets at billetlugen.dk Lars Ulrik Mortensen, together with Concerto Copenhagen, interprets one of baroque music's favourite sons: a striking example that less can be more. (NJB)

May 29, 20:00; Store Regnegade 19A, Cph K; 290kr THE ELIEL Lazo Trio travels all over the world performing jazz and Cuban music, so where better to welcome them in Copenhagen than the historic hotspot Jazzhus Montmarte. It promises to be an evening full of Afro-Cuban jazz and vibrating tones. (PW)

Exhaust Trail May 29, 10:00-15:00; Vangeboskolen, Vangeboled 9; from 150kr Copenhagen Exhaust Trail will again be held in Denmark’s answer to Switzerland: Søllerød. Test yourself on some of the wildest hills in Zealand: two unique hilly forests a few kilometres north of Copenhagen. (NJB)

Watercolours masterclass May 30, 13:00; Tagensvej 188, Cph NV; 325kr TIME TO learn a new skill? Try watercolour painting. In this twohour masterclass, you will learn how to paint a botanical image using professional watercolour pigments from scratch. (PW)

22 ART REVIEW

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

28 May - 10 June 2021

Louisiana Art Review: Confirmation I’ll always be a mummy’s boy at heart The new exhibition ‘Mor!’, a homage to motherhood, comes highly recommended, and it’s almost impossible not to treat it personally BEN HAMILTON

EARLESS warrior woman. War survivor. Grateful for the simple things. Embarrassed me as a child; makes me proud as an adult. A true original.” Somehow, I’m the one producing the art for Louisiana’s latest exhibition, ‘Mor!’, a homage to motherhood co-curated by Marie Laurberg and Kirsten Degel, which has been taking pride of place in the famous museum’s West Wing since it reopened late last month, where it will continue until August 29. Upon entry, all visitors are entreated to write something about their mothers (Mor in case you’re a linguistic disaster zone), and I’m no procrastinator. The above is all spontaneity.

Same vintage as Aquitaine I GUESS Mrs Hamilton has always reminded me of strong female historical figures: Boudica, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Lucrezia Borgia … and I realise as I write this that I’ve written about her in this newspaper before. “My pseudo-Viking mother keeps on dropping hints about being cremated on a boat – if the witchfinder generals were right about them being made of wood, she should go up a treat,” I wrote in 2013. “I’m glad they stopped burning witches in northern Europe, as being the youngest, there’s a good chance I would have never been born. But then again, maybe I’m being unfair to my mother – with her talents for passing the blame, she probably would have evaded capture for years,” I remarked in 2008. But if this all sounds too Hamilton-centric, that’s the point: ‘Mor’ is a deeply personal exhibition that we can all relate to. So duck out of the

writing task at the entrance and you’re cheating yourself of true fulfilment at this exhibition. It’s important you get in the zone.

isn’t just my mother, but all mothers: enough teats for us everyone, but mind the messy floor. Who said motherhood was easy.

Destiny’s crowd? I KNOW what my mother would say about the opening image to greet us: “Beyonce who? Oh, an American. How ghastly!” There were no caesarean opt-out clauses when she gave birth to my goliath brothers (I’m the runt of the family) back in the 1960s – Beyonce Knowles can take her Christmas tree imitation and … she doesn’t know she’s (or they’ve) been born. But after that abomination – an ill-advised attempt to contemporise and connect with reference-famished visitors who are just here to take a photo of the beautiful statue park and share on Instagram – I’m confident Mrs H would start to perk up. There are some belting exhibits to behold: from photos hiding delicious details that can be easily missed, to provocation that digs into your ‘all is well with life’ demeanour and forces you to take a good hard look at yourself. It’s personal … do you get it now?

Down Tracy’s duvet IT CAN get harder too. Suddenly I spare a thought for my widowed ma, forgotten by her three sons on the south coast of England (daughters for life, sons until they get a wife, eh), as I read the ponderings of Britain’s very own Tracey ‘I forgot to make my bed again’ Emin. “Read in my mother’s diary: My mother wrote in her diary: ‘My mother died today’. I in turn wrote in mine: ‘My mother died today.’ No-one will say this about me. The end,” is one entry. “No use investing in the tenderness of my children, between Antoine’s placid indifference and Sophie’s selfish arrogance! My only consolation is she is so morbid that she will come visit me in my grave more often than on Rue Boulard,” is another … not sure whether it’s Emin, but it’s bang next door. Unlike me … because I crossed the North Sea to get away.

Knee-deep in memories ONE OF my early memories was hiding behind my mother’s knees from my brother. Creep up behind sofa, attack with vicious intent, run away and hide like a coward, and repeat – sometimes with a posse of friends. One day though, I knew, I would have to leave the warmth behind those knees forever. But it’s there I am taken back when confronted with Kaari Upson’s stunning sculpture ‘Mother’s Legs’. Scores of spindly limbs hang from the ceiling, some ostensibly trunks of trees, others weary and varicose-veined – a reminder of how so much rests on one person’s legs. Laure Prouvost’s ‘Mootherr’, especially carved for the exhibition and presented in a dedicated room, is another standout sculpture I won’t forget in a hurry. Nightmarish, womb-like and ethereal, this

I love you Mmmmunck OTHER highlights ensue: I pat myself on the back for observing the crafty sub-text in Catherine Opie’s self-portrait of her nursing her baby. ‘My Dog’s Cuter than your Baby’ is exactly the ‘pick me up’ we all needed after Beyonce. All good art needs an antagonist … hell, make that all goodness. But while Manjari Sharma and Irina Rozovsky’s five-month iPhone photo exchange ‘To See Your Face’ is thought-provoking, I can’t help thinking it would have been better if they hadn’t both been born within a few years of one another. And yeah, I love Edvard Munck’s ‘Madonna’ and ‘The Dead Mother and her Child’ – anything by Munck, basically. Talking of which, maybe I should call the old bird and tell her I love her too.

LOUISIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART Gammel Strandvej 13, Humlebæk; open Tue-Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-18:00; tickets 125-145kr; louisiana.dk; ‘Mor!’ is ongoing until Aug 29, other exhibitions include: Arthur Jafa (ends Oct 31), Taryn Simon (ends May 30)

ENGLISH JOB DENMARK Recruitment Announcements Part of The Welcome Group DRIVE TRAIN TEAM LEADER, VESTAS

We are responsible for delivering innovative solutions to ensure highest possible value to Vestas customers in the service business. The team is in different geographical locations and is expanding to meet the demand of a growing busines. Location: Aarhus Deadline: 4 June 2021 Contact: Company website ID: 15356

WE ARE LOOKING FOR MES PROFESSIONALS ACROSS EUROPE! – NNIT

In NNIT we are growing rapidly in the MES area, which comprises advisory, project implementations and operations from our offices in Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Basel. Our team has strong experience with all major pharmaceutical MES systems – and some rising stars. Location: Copenhagen (Soeborg) Deadline: 30 June 2021 Contact: Company website / Careers

SENIOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER, BILLUND, LEGO

Are you thrilled in combining your project management skills, expertise in construction with building a new innovative production site in Billund? Location: Billund Deadline: ASAP Contact: Company website Job ID DK11504

To advertise your vacancy here and reach 60,000+ readers weekly, contact: info@englishjobdenmark.dk or call 60 70 22 98. For more information about what we can offer: https://englishjobdenmark.dk/

ENGLISH JOB DENMARK

PR PROFESSIONALS BASED IN DENMARK, HOXBY

Operating on a freelance basis, you will work as part of a virtual team to deliver B2C media relations activity for a major sports brand. Location: Remote Deadline: ASAP Contact: Hoxby website / work with us

EDUCATIONAL GAME DESIGNER, LABSTER By taking this role, you will hands-on drive the design of our lab simulations together with science and pedagogy experts, developers, 2D/3D artists and SQA. Location: Remote Deadline: ASAP Contact: Labster website/ Careers

FLEXIBLE CLEANING WORKER (AARHUS), RIISVANG RENGØRING

You will be part of a team of other young employees. And together with another colleague, you get to influence the working hours and number of hours yourself. Location: Aarhus Deadline: ASAP Contact: Birger, info@riisvang.dk

SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST WITH BANKING EXPERIENCE, DANSKE BANK

We now offer an opportunity to be part of a great Tribe within Danske Bank, where we welcome customers and provide product orchestration services to customer journey tribes. Our vision is to transform the way we welcome customers and revolutionize how we do product ordering – contributing to the further digitalization of Danske Bank. Location: Copenhagen, Kgs. Lyngby Deadline: 27 June 2021 Contact: Martin Kryger Poulsen, MAPOU@danskebank.dk or +45 45 14 29 24

QA & QC COORDINATOR, GANNI You will be part of a fast-growing, global brand on a unique journey where results, learning and purpose are driving the culture. In this position, you will be a central part of the Production team where high pace, passion and team efforts are required. Location: Copenhagen Deadline: 3 June 2021 Contact: Gry Anna Nordensgaard, gry.nordensgaard@ganni.dk

LOGISTICS CO-WORKER FOR HANDOUT, IKEA

In the Handout Department, we work towards the goal “To dispatch orders at the right time and of the right quality”. It is therefore important you thrive in a fastpaced and changeable environment. Location: Brøndby Deadline: ASAP Contact: Mohamed Ashik, mohamed.ashik@ingka.ikea.com

FINANCE ASSISTANT, MAERSK

As our new Finance Assistant, you will deal with a broad portfolio of everyday tasks and be part of a team supporting Maersk H2S Safety Services affiliates from our office in Esbjerg. Location: Esbjerg Deadline: ASAP Contact: Jane Raun, Finance Manager, +45 76138012 or jje042@maerskh2s.com

AGILE MANAGEMENT OFFICE CONSULTANT, PANDORA

Scaling through from project to portfolio level, in a complex global digital program, this role requires significant agile know how and the ability to consult, advise, manage. Location: Copenhagen Deadline: 20 June 2021 Contact: Simon Shott, Recruiter, Global HR, extsisho@pandora.net

Working together with internationals and companies to better understand the needs of one another. The Welcome Group has created this page and provides additional services, including an online community supporting employment for internationals on Facebook.