Category Archives: living in denmark

Exploring new neighbourhoods

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on August 23, 2010 – 18:49
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Ørestad Syd - 8 Tallet Cafe

"Dear doggy, the grass is only for the sweet children and their parents"

Ørestad Syd - roller parkThis was our weekend: a German outdoor production of Hamlet on Friday in the courtyard at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør – totally mad, with a mud stage, chain link curtains, amazing music and a Hamlet that was totally off his rocker (of course). Saturday – research, bookings and more research (no one feels sorry for us, I know – I don’t either). Sunday – killer spinning class and an afternoon bike ride in the fresh air around Ørestad Syd – a brand new neighbourhood not far from where we live. We’d heard rumours about a great new café out at 8 Tallet (another Bjarke Ingels Group development that’s as impressive now that it’s nearly complete as it was in architectural model format at the Danish Architecture Centre). The café did not disappoint. Neither did the new sports park – it’s all kitted out with basketball court (not many of those here), soccer fields, an urban garden and even a rollerblading rink… might have to strap on the padding (and by padding I mean wrist guards AND pillows front and back) and blow the dust off those rollerblades…

Where to call home

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on August 13, 2010 – 15:35
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thinking of homeDropping my parents off at the airport doesn’t get any easier. It hurts my heart – how much I miss my family and friends in Canada. It puts me in a bit of a funk for a few days – my mind working through all sorts of scenerios and ways to make a move back to Vancouver work. But sure enough, along comes the everyday again and loving being a Canadian in Copenhagen.

I sort of take it a year at a time, but I think it’ll be a while yet. It’s a matter of extremes here – with things that I absolutely love (every day) and others that I sometimes can’t stand (some days) – which I suppose isn’t so unusual when where we come from will always be our benchmark. And a visit from home (just ask my expat friends – German, French or Russian) – sets off this whole series of questions about where to call home – every time. But smiling breath out – I’m happy here, and that is (for now) reason enough to stay. I think Jan’s always relieved when I reach that conclusion – that he won’t be dragged off to Canada just yet anyways.

I’m always super curious when someone uproots again and moves back, especially when the person has been living elsewhere for several years  – I wonder what it finally was that was strong enough to pull them away from all the things that drew them to a new city or country in the first place. My guess is that it’s family. Definitely family.

Summer Visits + Being Tourists

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on August 12, 2010 – 16:45
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playing tourist
bikes bikes bikes
live video installation (of the little mermaid while she's at the world Expo in China) at the spot where she would otherwise be sitting
Frederiksbergslot (Opera on Location)
on board the military ships
Kronborg Castle in HelsingørIt’s been so good having my folks in town. They’re usually here for a few days before heading over to visit family in Jylland, and then back for a few days more before heading back to Vancouver (although this time they were traveling on to Barcelona, followed by a whirlwind two week tour of the coastal cities of Southern Europe – I think they sail at night and get one full day at each stop – a sample tour you could call it. That way they know what they’d like to come back and see some more of next time). Believe me – I tried my darndest to negotiate my way into one of their suitcases.

It’s become standard now for us to do a lot of biking as Copenhagen is brilliant for that (if I haven’t raved about that aspect a hundred times already) – and not that you could ever run out of places to bike… but after 3 years and a lot of kms… the thought did enter my head (and I was hard pressed to come up with an answer) – what haven’t they already seen? Both my parents are great for being super active, and open to just about anything. I think retirement is suiting them both better than they’d expected (or maybe it would be more accurate to say than the rest of us had expected – having seen them pull crazy long work days/ weekends for so many years). Having put everything into their business – I can’t think of anyone who better deserves the time now.

This year we biked along the coast and up to Dyrehaven, through the woods and fields in there and back to the city. Fantastic day (plus a flat tire repair rescue from Dad) – and plenty of sunshine despite the forecasts listed on our iPhones (seriously, that weather app is inaccurate way too often). We ate at some of our latest finds/favourites – Les Trois Cochons in Vesterbro, Den Lille Fede on Store Kongensgade and Told og Snaps; spent an afternoon in Dragør, and then a weekend with everyone in Jylland. Saw Opera on Location at Frederiksberg Castle (can’t say enough about that one, we loved it!), and (Tim Rushton’s) Dansk Danseteater at the Politigaard (the police headquarters building of all places – amazing courtyard setting). Got up to Helsingør for a day (so that the guys could golf in Humlebæk) and Mom and I could “sightsee”…. ok, well it starts with “s” anyways (shopping). We did see a bit of Kronborg Castle (used by Shakespear as the setting for Hamlet) – but it was admittedly a quick look to prove that we hadn’t just shopped and talked all day… I’d be spoiling the secret here if I didn’t think that the bags had already given us away…

Thanks for a great great visit. Already looking forward to next year…

What matters most

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on August 1, 2010 – 23:07
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reminiscing with my grandmother: the same stories and loving every minute (she's pretty great lady, my gran)
This is exactly what I moved to Denmark for.
Better time with my grandparents. Hours of stories, too much coffee, one too many biscuits, and again – more with the stories. Who were they as children, who were my parents as children, what makes them laugh, what gets their goat, where have they been and what have they seen. What they couldn’t live without, and what they really think matters (which without fail – always boils down to PEOPLE). Not how educated you were or what kind of job you had exactly (just as long as you worked hard) – what matters are the people that truly meant something to you at various points in your life. Family. The good neighbour. The sweet nurse. The people who made an effort to make you feel welcome, happy or at home. Having lost my dear granddad earlier this year (still getting over that one), and sitting this weekend with my last remaining gran (95 and sharp as a tack) – I wouldn’t trade these last few years of cozy (albeit over-caffeinated) afternoons with them for anything..

And then comes the tricky part. Acknowledging that what matters most are the people in your life, whether you chose them or not – doesn’t make it easier somehow. Why? At first glance it seems like the perfect simplification. Grandparents love you through and through and accept you as you are, and vice-versa. But then you see (or maybe it’s just me?) – that instead of tackling some of those other, tougher, relationships and letting go of past hurts and what you know are probably great misunderstandings – you throw your energy into all sorts of other things like staying on top of the to-do list, meeting new people, this month’s big client project or next month’s little travel excursion. Work has it’s challenges, but people… people are tough. They’re awkward and prickly and raw sometimes and rarely does any of that have anything to do with you. As with the reverse – the way I choose to react (admittedly) probably has more to do with my own ‘stuff’ than what was said or done by someone else. But man alive it’s tough to let go of our assumptions and preconceptions (where familiarity with an opinion often wins out over being open to another perspective) – especially when it has to do with family – why? Do we expect so much more of family? Maybe. Yes. I think we all hope for acceptance – or in other words – that we matter. Seems basic doesn’t it – and yet that somehow gets muddled up in all sorts of complication. But you see what I’m getting at. People aren’t easy.

So what does that mean – that no one (not even me) will remember the extra steam put in to doing a stellar job on that big telecom website come 6 months from now (although I hope that in general I can be happy about being the type of team mate & professional that I am). On the other hand (and far more importantly) – maybe I ought to put some more energy into understanding where people (even sharp-tongued aunts) are coming from, that prickly is sometimes no more than a means of self-protection, and that off-hand comments are sometimes just an awkward way of showing an interest. Tricky, but it matters. And for that I have my grandparents to thank.

Louisiana | Museum of modern art

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on June 27, 2010 – 18:35
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It’s been ages since I’ve had a solo afternoon up at Louisiana. Reminded me a lot of my first half year in Copenhagen, when I didn’t know all that many people (hardly any actually) and Louisiana was the place I could retreat to, to lose myself in the exhibitions, forget how lonely it was and empty my brain of all the things there are to think about when you’ve uprooted yourself and moved to another country. Things have obviously changed since then, and I’m well settled (most days) – but being up there today, and with a lot on my mind these days – the sanctuary was the welcome break I didn’t know I’d needed.

Sophie Calle

The sheer creativity of French photographer & writer Sophie Calle has me so SO inspired. There is a follow-through with each concept that I’ve rarely seen before, and each concept is so clear, solid and well thought out – that I found myself exploring every little detail to the end. Imagine – finding an address book belonging to a stranger and deciding to make a project out of it by contacting every person in the book, interviewing them one by one to build a mental picture of who this address book owner is – coming closer and closer to knowing him, without actually knowing him.

Or how about inviting friends, family and strangers to, one at a time, sleep in your bed for 8 hours each so that you could photograph them sleeping? The result is 28 sleepers and 173 photographs. How intimate – inviting so many, even strangers (one of them drunk), to sleep in your own bed. Interestingly, despite the personal nature of sleep, the installation remains unsexual and anti-romantic – as the sleepers arrive one at a time and do not talk about anything deeply personal during their interviews.

And the biggest of all (if the others bordered on obsessive, this tips the scales) – “Take Care of Yourself.” Calle receives an email from a lover ending their relationship – at the end of which her ex-lover says ‘take care of yourself’. How she does that is just epic – she distributes the letter to 107 women professionals, from grammar professionals who scrutinize his writing, to psychiatrists who evaluate his mental profile, from actresses who act out their own would-be reactions to such a letter to opera singers who sing the ex-lover’s words. Calle is quoted as saying that at first it was therapy, seeking and documenting all these professional evaluations of the letter, but that in the end it worked – the project replaced the man, and the suffering was gone. The woman really knows how to pour everything into a project. Hats off to that.

A living map of Europe

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on June 15, 2010 – 16:08
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Next time you’re near Kongens Nytorv check out the European Environmental Agency building (next to the French Embassy). As part of their contribution to the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity they’ve created a living façade consisting of 5,000 plants to demonstrate some of Europe’s plant biodiversity. Their creation also shows just one possible way of bringing more of the necessary green space into cities – via vertical gardens!

The living façade will be in place until October. Just imagine how it will look by July! I also like how they’ve hung images of the plants instead of actual plants wherever there are windows – so that it’s still livable for the people inside.

Summer in the City

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on June 8, 2010 – 23:02
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Copenhagen is incomparable in the summer time.

Every patch of park grass (and there’s a LOT of that) is decked out in picnic blankets and baskets, happy singles snoozing with a smile, couples lounging affectionately, and groups of friends cooking lunch on their mini-grills, drinking chilled white wine or a cold Carlsberg. The otherwise reserved Danes shed their seriousness together with their winter jackets, and it becomes clear what time of year it was when the surveyors came to Denmark to find the  ‘happiest people on earth’. The mood shift is formidable as the whole country breathes a sigh of relief and turns its smiling face towards the sun.

As luck would have it – I get to play tour guide again this year to friends and family visiting from Canada – which means even more occasion to explore new corners of Copenhagen – mixing old favourites with things I haven’t seen yet (and there’s almost nothing better than a new discovery!).

Here are a few of the events we’ll aim to check out (definitely send me a heads up if you’ve got extra suggestions) :

June 10-12
Start Festival in Vesterbro (originally called Vesterbro Festival)
Music festival with focus on DJs and World Music (100% driven by solar energy by the way)- at Øksnehallen and the space in front. http://www.startfestival.dk/

Jun. 07-16
Dansk Sommerballet 2010 (we’ll go to the June 13th production at Bernstorff Slotshave, Gentofte) http://www.kglteater.dk/

Mar. 16 – Nov.30
Argentinian Tango lessons for beginners at Tango y Vinos every Tuesday (now if I can just convince the boyfriend that this will be fun… apparently he locked himself in the bathroom as a kid when his mother tried to send him to dance classes – and he’s just done the same now after I mistakenly mentioned the Tango lessons…  but he can’t stay in there forever)

May 01 – Aug.25
Copenhagen Castle Concerts – free open air classical music concerts every Wednesday at 17.00. Every month the concerts are held at a different castle – in July they’ll be at Fredensborg Castle and in August they’re at Christiansborg Castle Church. http://www.castleconcerts.dk/

Jul.01-07
Roskilde Festival – I really do need to go to this one day (ok there I admit it – I’ve never been – which makes me so uncool, yes yes I know it).  At very least a day pass to see Prince is in order.

All summer
Kayak trips along Christianshavn’s Canals – various guided outing and duration options, with views of the old and modern mix of Danish architecture from the water. http://kajakole.com/kajakture

Jul. 01- 27
Summer Dance in Fælledparken – more open air free dance lessons (Swing, Latin, Tango) with great live bands. Monday to Thursday from 19:00 (I’d better not mention this one just yet – boyfriend might never come out of that bathroom at this rate).

Jul. 02-11
Copenhagen Jazz Festival (venues around the city, indoor and outdoor)
After July 11th – there’s jazz at the newly re-opened Montmartre Jazz House (apparently legendary)

Jul. 27- Aug. 01
Copenhagen Opera Festival – 9 (very affordable) operas to choose from at some amazing venues:
July 27 – 29 Opera On Location @ Frederiksberg Castle 20:00 (follow the opera singers around as they perform in rooms otherwise closed to the public)
July 29 – La Bohéme @ 17:00 @ Nytorv (free entry)
http://www.copenhagenoperafestival.com

First weekend in August
Stella Polaris
In Østre Anlæg (the park behind the National Art Museum, SMK) DJ’s turn out mellow slow tempo electronic music to a relaxed, sunbathing crowd of thousands. Entry is free and the atmosphere is always amazing. http://www.stella-polaris.dk

Aug. 06- 08
Islands Brygge Kulturhavn / Culture Festival
All kinds of music, dance shows, food/drink, sport, art and more, harbourside and in the sunshine. A brilliant day out each year. http://www.kulturhavn.dk/

Aug. 09- 15
Copenhagen Summer Dance (Tim Rushton) @ Politigården
19:30 each day – entry is free unless you want to reserve a seat (38kr). Imagine a ballet at the Police Headquarters! http://www.danskdanseteater.dk/forestilling.asp?ver=uk&menu=3&sublink=1&id=408

Out of addiction,  I’ve seen nearly every one of Tim Rushton’s modern dance productions over the last few years – the Dansk Danse Teatre troop are mesmerizingly beautiful to watch, and Rushton’s concepts are so original – that you sit entranced and enthralled until the dancers take their bows. Not to be missed.
There is also:
June 10-12 Dance Delicious (DANSEhallerne, Carlsberg)
May-June  (4 Saturdays) Spring Dance på Carlsberg

Aug. 15
Free open air Opera & Ballet @ Rosenborg Castle
The Royal Danish Opera and Ballet put on a free concert for the picnicking public (“bring cold wine” says the announcement) to celebrate the opening of the 2010 season – the best of last season is highlighted.

All year
Byvandringer/ Walking tours (various tours options, flat group price – so if you can get up to 12 people to join you, it’s pretty economical). When I lived in Nyhavn I saw the guide and his group quite often, overhearing the word “haunted” as they stood outside my front door and pointed at the building – I’ve been curious ever since! I was never sleuth enough to avoid notice when trying to eavesdrop – so forget quitting my day job to become a secret agent.  I love a good story from a real history buff with a fantastic gift for storytelling. www.copenhagen-walkingtours.dk

Got suggestions? I’d love to hear them…

Bjarke Ingels: 3 Warp-speed Architecture Tales

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on May 30, 2010 – 13:19
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My friend Inge posted this Bjarke Ingels’ TED presentation recently and I couldn’t resist blogging it here. Partly because I’m fascinated by the way BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) thinks evolution into architecture, and partly because we live in one of their buildings.

Last year, after witnessing an average of 3 summer tour groups per day and being subject to some less than subtle tourist photography while lounging at home in our underpants, we just couldn’t resist hopping on board one of the few tours actually hosted by BIG themselves – to hear what all the hubbub was about.

Odd as it was to step onto a tour bus at the Danish Architecture Centre and ride with the group back to our own front door – it was wonderful to finally hear first hand (from Kai Uwe Bergmann, architect and Director of International Business Development at BIG) what the thinking was behind not just our building, but several others in Copenhagen as well. BIG has a way of thinking more than the end product (the building) into their architecture – and you can feel that when you’re inside them. The light is different, the space breathes, and it feels alive. Outside is brought in, and there’s a great connection with the surrounding neighbourhood…  (and ok, maybe too great a connection with the tourists, but that’s another story).

Visit BIG’s website: http://www.big.dk/
Read more about VM Husene: http://www.cphx.dk/index.php?id=23878#/23878/

Human Spirit

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on May 21, 2010 – 11:48
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We see what we have our eyes open to.

Every now and again you go through some odd phase – when people ignore you as you hold the door open for them (or even give you a look like you’re some kind of nut) and the grocery store cashier seems to think he’s doing you a huge inconvenient favour. A middle aged man cuts off an old woman in the line-up for ice cream and some idiot throws her trash on the ground 2 meters from a trash can. And you wonder what on earth is going on with people these days.

But then you have one of those great days for no reason – you can’t wipe the smile from your face as you ride your bike through the city – and you notice all the people that smile back. Someone gladly holds the door for you when your arms of full of grocery bags. You notice the person giving up their seat for the pregnant woman, the person who picks up a dropped glove for someone in front of them, and the dog owner who’s got 2 minutes to stop for a kid who wants to talk to his dog. Some small thing – that hits the reset button on your faith in the enormous goodness present in people and you go a long time with that happy feeling in your heart.

Maybe that’s why this video’s so appealing. It shows us that’s it’s there (in Denmark, everywhere for that matter) – that brilliant human spirit and inclination to give and spread some happiness. It’s not always this obvious, but it’s there if we choose to see it.

Happy Friday.

Recycling in CPH?

Posted by Marianne Kjær Jensen on May 15, 2010 – 17:54
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Can this be right? In one of Europe’s “greenest” countries, and in a city touting an aim to become the first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025 no less– we throw our plastic containers and aluminum cans in the *gasp* garbage bin?!

In Canada, we’ve had that one pounded into our ‘be a good world citizen’ list of no-no’s. But maybe I just haven’t seen the entire picture here – there are other ways of doing things after all, and Denmark doesn’t have the stellar reputation of being policy progressive when it comes to the environment for nothing, does it.

According to a document released by the Danish Ministry of the Environment called “Nature and Environment in Balance: Today and in the Future,” glass and cans constitute about 6% of all waste generated in Copenhagen and are widely returned for deposit money, about 23% gets incinerated and turned into heat for households and the bulk of all waste — 73% of all waste created in Copenhagen — is recycled and reused in the creation of other products. There is apparently a private company that sorts waste at its facility (rather than involving individual households to a greater extent).

Some significantly impressive statistics, absolutely, but can we do more (as households)? Wouldn’t there be an even stronger “recycling culture” if responsibility were shared a little more at the individual level? Granted, there are recycling bins near most apartment buildings for glass, paper, batteries and cardboard – which makes for a strong recycling focus by most world standards – but I still can’t get over the plastic and tin situation (surely some are overlooked at the sorting centres?) I also wonder (as do many tourists) about where on earth the little recycling bins are on sidewalks and in town centres (in many countries there are two bins for street trash, one of which is reserved for recycling). And why so much excess plastic packaging around the veggies at our local supermarket?

I’m not quite ready to leave it 100% up to the system to do what’s right on my behalf (maybe that’s the Canadian in me?) and at the risk of sounding like a complete hippie – I WANT to take an active role and feel like I’m making an (albeit miniscule) difference by recycling where and when I can. Please – make it easy for me to make that choice, and possible for us to take more responsibility at home.