On Saturday I went to the chick flick 27 Dresses (or 27 Weddings, as it's called in Danish). Not a great movie; if you haven't seen it, don't bother. Like so many others, it involves a girl who reluctantly falls for a guy who is initially using her to further his career or for a bet, but who then falls for her and regrets what he's done. There's a fight, she gets mad, then she forgives him and they live happily ever after. Anyway, I was interested to see that in the fight scene of this movie, the female lead confronts the male lead for publishing a humiliating newspaper article with "1 million photos" of her. Only, in the Danish subtitle, this is translated to "117 fotos". How is 117 Danish for 1,000,000? I don't get it. Perhaps Denmark, being smaller and humbler than America, can't understand such large numbers? Perhaps they don't exaggerate, and someone went through and actually counted the photos in the article? (At least if he did, he would be well-paid for it... since Danish minimum wage is so high). Weird.
You learn other interesting thing by reading subtitles. Such as, that the Danish equivalent to the term "honey bunny" is "sukkergris", which means "sugarpig" (thanks, Pulp Fiction). And that Harry Potter's descriptions of Lord Voldemort as "uhyggelig" just doesn't quite cut it. Danish needs some stronger adjectives.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Attention, A. Fogh!
Rumors are afoot that Anders Fogh Rasmussen may be planning a referendum to revote on the euro: "Leading German newspaper, Die Welt, quoted Mr Rasmussen in a February 8th interview as saying that ‘a referendum on the joint currency is definitely on the way’, but the PM claimed yesterday that it was ‘old news’ and he was referring to a referendum on all Denmark’s opt-outs."
I have no idea what's actually going through Mr. Fogh's head on this topic, but since I assume that at SOME point Denmark will cave and switch to the euro, and that Fogh most likely reads my blog regularly, I'm offering my ideas as to what should be on the future Danish euro coins. Most countries pick one design for the 1 and 2 euro coins, another for the 50, 20, and 10 cents, and another for the 5, 2, and 1 cent ones -- although a few, who apparently have no imagination, do the same thing on all the coins. But I figure if you have the option, why not make a different design for every coin? Then you can show the world all the cool things your country has to offer.
So: My suggestions!
2 euro: The queen. Because you have to. (Ideally I think it would be cute to do the whole royal family, since everyone loves them, but realistically I don't think it would be possible in such a small format...)
1 euro: Tuborg beer. Because Danes love their beer, and Tuborg is the king of beers.
50 cents: A windmill. Because Denmark is a leading producer of windmills and wind power, and I think it would look good on a coin. I think everyone should use as much wind power as possible.
20 cents: Storbroen (the bridge connecting Sjælland to the rest of Denmark). Because again, it would look good in coin format, and because it shows how Denmark is made up of islands but still connected (and reminds Danes that Sjælland and Jylland really aren't that distinct, and that they shouldn't be so contemptuous of those on the other side of the bridge).
10 cents: Gråvejr. "Grey weather". This would be a coin that was entirely blank on one side. Never been done before, as far as I know, and a huge part of Danish life.
5 cents: Danish food. Smørrebrød with sild (herring) and maybe a Danish (wienerbrød) for good measure. Mmm. Sild would also be representative of Bornholm (famous for herring) and keep them from feeling left out.
2 cents. Tom Cruise. Because he's the face of scientology, and Copenhagen is now the scientology capital of Europe.
and finally, 1 cent: The mermaid. Because you have to include her, but like the real thing, the 1-cent coin is tiny and barely worth mentioning.
So -- those are my suggestions, now let's see if Fogh takes me up on any of them!
I have no idea what's actually going through Mr. Fogh's head on this topic, but since I assume that at SOME point Denmark will cave and switch to the euro, and that Fogh most likely reads my blog regularly, I'm offering my ideas as to what should be on the future Danish euro coins. Most countries pick one design for the 1 and 2 euro coins, another for the 50, 20, and 10 cents, and another for the 5, 2, and 1 cent ones -- although a few, who apparently have no imagination, do the same thing on all the coins. But I figure if you have the option, why not make a different design for every coin? Then you can show the world all the cool things your country has to offer.
So: My suggestions!
2 euro: The queen. Because you have to. (Ideally I think it would be cute to do the whole royal family, since everyone loves them, but realistically I don't think it would be possible in such a small format...)
1 euro: Tuborg beer. Because Danes love their beer, and Tuborg is the king of beers.
50 cents: A windmill. Because Denmark is a leading producer of windmills and wind power, and I think it would look good on a coin. I think everyone should use as much wind power as possible.
20 cents: Storbroen (the bridge connecting Sjælland to the rest of Denmark). Because again, it would look good in coin format, and because it shows how Denmark is made up of islands but still connected (and reminds Danes that Sjælland and Jylland really aren't that distinct, and that they shouldn't be so contemptuous of those on the other side of the bridge).
10 cents: Gråvejr. "Grey weather". This would be a coin that was entirely blank on one side. Never been done before, as far as I know, and a huge part of Danish life.
5 cents: Danish food. Smørrebrød with sild (herring) and maybe a Danish (wienerbrød) for good measure. Mmm. Sild would also be representative of Bornholm (famous for herring) and keep them from feeling left out.
2 cents. Tom Cruise. Because he's the face of scientology, and Copenhagen is now the scientology capital of Europe.
and finally, 1 cent: The mermaid. Because you have to include her, but like the real thing, the 1-cent coin is tiny and barely worth mentioning.
So -- those are my suggestions, now let's see if Fogh takes me up on any of them!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
still here
It's been a while -- Since my last posting I've been to Jutland and America, and tomorrow I'm heading off again to Poland and then Germany, so I don't have time to really post now. But just to prove I still exist, here's a picture of some friends and I enjoying free ice cream from Paradis last weekend:
And another from today, of the royal gardens:
That's all I have time for now, as I still have to finish packing and then go to bed so I can be ready for a 7 am departure tomorrow -- more when I get back, I promise!
And another from today, of the royal gardens:
That's all I have time for now, as I still have to finish packing and then go to bed so I can be ready for a 7 am departure tomorrow -- more when I get back, I promise!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Famous
Today I was interviewed by Politiken (the more left-wing of the two big Danish papers) AND by Danish Radio about being an American abroad during the primaries. Here is the Politiken article, although it's in Danish -- maybe you can run it through babelfish or something :) You know you've finally made it big when you have interviews with two big national media companies in one day! Actually, they just came to my work because they know there are a lot of Americans there, I think -- but perhaps they looked me up especially.
I can't find a link to the radio interview so far, but if I do I'll put it up here too -- I'm not sure if it will be in English or Danish though. I imagine I'll probably have a Danish voice-over, but maybe not. The DR girl said they'd make a short version for the channel targeted to young listeners, and a longer version for the grown-ups' channel. This means either that young people have no attention span, or that old people have nothing to do -- or maybe both.
I can't find a link to the radio interview so far, but if I do I'll put it up here too -- I'm not sure if it will be in English or Danish though. I imagine I'll probably have a Danish voice-over, but maybe not. The DR girl said they'd make a short version for the channel targeted to young listeners, and a longer version for the grown-ups' channel. This means either that young people have no attention span, or that old people have nothing to do -- or maybe both.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
I Voted
Today I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could vote after all in the primary -- I had been under the impression that, since Minnesota has a caucus instead of a primary, I wouldn't be able to vote absentee. However, just this morning I found out that Americans living abroad can vote in person in various world cities at Democrats Abroad, which has its own delegates -- 11 of them. So Americans everywhere abroad count as a kind of 51st state, apparently. I don't know why I've never been aware of this before, but I suppose in most cases it doesn't end up being a deciding factor so it doesn't get much coverage, and I think it's pretty new. In any case, it was exciting to find out that I could vote after all! Polling in Denmark has already closed, with Obama coming out on top, 98-37. Maybe those 135 Danish votes will end up being the deciding factor in the closest race in history...
Monday, February 4, 2008
I really, really, really want...
Monopoly Her og Nu: Copenhagen version Monopoly, in which "the rent is adjusted to the sky-high prices in today's Copenhagen". Park Place and Boardwalk are replaced by Nyhavn and Strøget, you pay for everything on your Dankort, and I think it's the cutest thing ever. I saw it yesterday at Toys R Us (while trying to kill time on the Ikea trip), and would have bought it if it weren't for the 379 kr. price tag... not that that's apparently unreasonable, as Trivial Pursuit and Cranium were both 499! I can't imagine ever spending $100 on a board game! BUT, I found a place selling Monopoly Her og Nu online for 300 kr, so we'll see... maybe if I'm feeling generous I'll buy myself one as a going away present before I leave.
Fastelavn, Ikea style
Yesterday was Fastelavn (a Danish holiday in which children dress up in costumes and hit a candy-filled barrel with sticks until it breaks. Below is an old blog post I wrote on the subject when I was here two years ago:
Today is Fastelavn, a holiday marking the beginning of lent and traditionally associated with feasting, killing a cat, and beating your children. "At slå katten af tønden" means "to hit the cat out of the barrel", and originally this was taken literally -- people would hang a barrel with a cat in it from a tree and hit it with wooden clubs until the barrel broke and the cat fell out. Then they chased the cat with their clubs, killing it if they could catch it and otherwise just chasing it out of town. Sin and bad fortune were supposed to be abolished along with the cat. Today, the cat has been replaced with food and candy, and kids take turns hitting the barrel (usually decorated with black cats) until someone breaks it or knocks it down. The lucky child is then dubbed the king of queen of cats, and everyone grabs the candy, like with a piñata.
Another lovely Fastelavn tradition is the Fastelavnsris. This is a tree branch which is decorated prettily with ribbons the night before Fastelavn. In the morning, parents would wake up their children by beating them with the Fastelavnsris to remind them of the sufferings of Christ. Today, the beatings are gentle and just for fun, if they are done at all. Afterwards, the kids put on costumes and walk around the neighborhood singing the Fastelavn song (which we learned in Danish class). Originally, they would go door-to-door asking for Fastelavn buns, but now they mostly ask for money.
So anyway, yesterday I was chaperoning a student trip to Ikea, where some Fastelavn festivities were taking place. They set up a few barrels which the kids eventually managed to break, although it took a pretty long time -- a wooden barrel is sturdier than a normal piñata, apparently. But what was particularly shocking to my American sensibilities was a child there who was dressed up in blackface! Including an Afro wig and brown face paint -- I have a feeling that kind of thing wouldn't fly in the US. Crazy Danes.
Today is Fastelavn, a holiday marking the beginning of lent and traditionally associated with feasting, killing a cat, and beating your children. "At slå katten af tønden" means "to hit the cat out of the barrel", and originally this was taken literally -- people would hang a barrel with a cat in it from a tree and hit it with wooden clubs until the barrel broke and the cat fell out. Then they chased the cat with their clubs, killing it if they could catch it and otherwise just chasing it out of town. Sin and bad fortune were supposed to be abolished along with the cat. Today, the cat has been replaced with food and candy, and kids take turns hitting the barrel (usually decorated with black cats) until someone breaks it or knocks it down. The lucky child is then dubbed the king of queen of cats, and everyone grabs the candy, like with a piñata.
Another lovely Fastelavn tradition is the Fastelavnsris. This is a tree branch which is decorated prettily with ribbons the night before Fastelavn. In the morning, parents would wake up their children by beating them with the Fastelavnsris to remind them of the sufferings of Christ. Today, the beatings are gentle and just for fun, if they are done at all. Afterwards, the kids put on costumes and walk around the neighborhood singing the Fastelavn song (which we learned in Danish class). Originally, they would go door-to-door asking for Fastelavn buns, but now they mostly ask for money.
So anyway, yesterday I was chaperoning a student trip to Ikea, where some Fastelavn festivities were taking place. They set up a few barrels which the kids eventually managed to break, although it took a pretty long time -- a wooden barrel is sturdier than a normal piñata, apparently. But what was particularly shocking to my American sensibilities was a child there who was dressed up in blackface! Including an Afro wig and brown face paint -- I have a feeling that kind of thing wouldn't fly in the US. Crazy Danes.
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