Archives: March 2007

Have I been living in DK too long????

YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN DENMARK TOO LONG WHEN:

You think there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

You think is impolite to sit next to someone in a bus if there is a bench where you can sit on your own.

You go to the supermarket and buy three good beers and 10 not too good ones.

You can open a beer bottle with almost anything.

You honestly believe that the distance between Copenhagen and Aalborg is long.

You can tell the difference between a Grøn Tuborg and a Carlsberg beer.

The first thing you do on entering a bank/post office/pharmacy etc. is to look for the queue number machine.

You accept that you will have to queue to take a queue number.

When a stranger on the street smiles at you, you assume that:
a. he is drunk;
b. he is insane;
c. he is American;
d. he is all of the above.

Silence is fun.

It no longer seems excessive to spend 800 kr. on alcohol in a single night.

You know that "religious holiday" means "let's get pissed".

You use "Mmmm" as conversation filler.

The word "yes" is an intake of breath.

You have only two facial expressions, smiling or blank.

Traditional dinners may not necessarily mean a cooked meal.

You forget how to open canned beer.

Can't remember when to say "please" and "excuse me".

You will leave a pub if you can't find a seat.

You don't mind paying the same for a 200-metre bus ride as you do for going 10 kms.

You don't look twice at businessmen in dark suits wearing white sport socks.

You find yourself more interested in the alcohol content than the name of the wine.

You know the meaning of life has something to do with the word "hyggelig".

You start to believe that if it weren't for Denmark's efforts, the world would probably collapse pretty soon.

You don't think it strange that no one ever comes by to visit without being invited and you never show up at any one's place unannounced either.

You find yourself lighting candles when you have guests - even if it is brightly sunny outside and 20 degrees.

You think it is normal to pick up a girl in a pub, walk her to her bike and ride with her back home.

You've completely forgotten what a "date" is - no one ever comes to pick you up and unexpected gifts are VERY unexpected.

You wouldn't dream of coming even 10 minutes early to a party (once around the block is always an alternative).

by Dale Shelton, care of www.southerncrossclub.dk

Currency Converter

Emergency Numbers

Fire Department_________________________112
Police_________________________________112
Ambulance ____________________________112
Animal Ambulance (Falck)__________70 10 20 30
Emergency doctor service__________70 13 00 41
Crisis Psychology Help (Falck)_______44 92 42 22
Gas Leak - Zealand_______________39 69 56 11
Pharmacia Zealand_______________33 14 82 66
Poison Emergency line ____________36 46 51 00

A call for Danish Immigration horror stories

I have posted twice to this forum with regards to my long, drawn-out residence permit process, and I am happy to report that I FINALLY was told by Udlændingeservice today that they have approved my application. I submitted it back in June 2006.

This process has been a real education for me about the politics of Danish immigration these days. I am fortunate to have Danish heritage (my mother is Danish) and my so-called straightforward case became extremely complicated due to the increasingly stringent immigration requirements. After everything I've been through these past months, I would very much like to collect other stories (contributors and any identifying details will remain anonymous) about these kind of bureaucratic entanglements. I am deeply interested in doing so and would like to bring these stories to the public eye here in Denmark. I am thinking of creating a blog or website to this end to help others, and I would like to publish some articles here and at least one article in a prominent Canadian culture magazine. I think that the Danish people need to know how these policies are impacting real people's lives and how their once sterling international reputation as a humanitarian nation has become tarnished this past decade due to the successful lobbying by the xenophobic contingent (especially the Danish People's Party and their ilk). While I understand that there are many complexities involved in the kinds of voting patterns that have produced such stringent policies and suspicion of foreigners in general, the present state of the nation does not reflect the Danish values of democracy and liberty, and is in fact quite tragic.

If you are interested in sharing your stories and/or opinions with me, you can post them here or contact me by email at nina.chatelain@gmail.com

For anyone caught in the throes of a bureaucratic nightmare, I suggest checking out the following two non-profit organizations here in Denmark:

Dokumentations- og rådgivningscenteret om racediskrimination (DRC)
København
The DRC acts as the national reporting center for documenting race discrimination in Denmark and they report to the EU High Commission and the United Nations. The DRC also provides free legal advice to those facing family reunification difficulties. They are extremely helpful, professional and their legal advisor is a human rights specialist. They can be contacted on Monday evenings from 6-8pm at (45) 35 36 38 50
email: drc@drcenter.dk
www.drcenter.dk

Ægteskab Uden Grænser
If you are a facing the terrible reality of trying to marry a Dane and hitting blockades at every turn, you may want to contact this organization.
Mondays, same time and number as DRC (see above)
Tuesdays from 7pm-9pm at (45) 36 98 11 94
www.aegteskabudengraenser.dk

EU national and work

Hello! I have a question about the possibility of work in Denmark. I am Canadian and my husband is a dual citizen of Germany and Canada. We are currently living in Hong Kong but are contemplating a move to Denmark in a year or two if we can find work there.

My questions: How difficult is it to find work in Denmark for EU nationals in Denmark? My husband is a German national and is fluent in both English and German. He does not speak Danish although his mother is a Danish national living in Canada. Does he stand a better chance of applying for work in Denmark from abroad via websites and email or is he better off going to Denmark for the 3 months period that EU nationals are permitted when looking for work in Denmark?

I suppose it is important to add a bit of information about my husband's education and experience. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology and a Bachelor of Laws degree (both from Canada). He has never practiced as a lawyer and is not interested in doing so. He has sales/ marketing work experience in the insurance field and is open to insurance, finance, marketing, and business in a variety of fields.

Any comments? Suggestions? Advice? We are genuinely interested in moving to Denmark after my post is finished here in Asia.

International Schools??

Hello! I am new to the site but ran across it during my research for employment in Denmark. My question is about international schools in Denmark. Does anyone have any information about what work/life is like at the International School of Copenhagen or others? I would appreciate any insights and comments. I am currently investigating whether I could find work as an international school teacher in Denmark. I am currently living in Asia at a school that offers the International Baccalaureate programs and love the field!

Tax time - looking for an accountant

Its tax time again. For the first time since moving to Denmark I really feel that I need to hire an accountant. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good tax accountant?

Thanks in advance!

Canadian Embassy in Copenhagen

Kristen Bernikowsgade 1,
1105 Copenhagen K,
Denmark

Phone: (+45) 33 48 32 00
Fax: (+45) 33 48 32 20
E-mail: copen@international.gc.ca

Office hours: Monday to Friday: 08:30 to 16:30 (note that reception is closed between 12:00 and 13:00)
Consular Section Office Hours: 09:00-12:00 (Monday to Friday)

www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca