Archive for 'Uncategorized'
The Battle of Stereotypes Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Aug 30, 2014
”Jylland, du er hovedlandet”. Jutland, you’re the main country. Ever since Danish national bard H.C. Andersen wrote those words (in 1859), people from Sjælland (Zealand) have resented him for it. Andersen himself was from Fyn (Funen), the middle island, but spent most of his career in København, so why couldn’t he see that the island…
A love letter to the Danish sky Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 30, 2014
Everybody knows that Denmark is not Copacabana. Does such a sad thing as the Danish himmel, where all that cold regn [rhyne] (rain) originates, really deserve a kærlighedsbrev (love-letter)? Well, take a look at the classical oil paintings of Skagensmalerne (the Skagen painters). P.S. Krøyer, Mickael Ancher, Anna Ancher and the others – they were all…
Denmark’s Great Little Gift to the World Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 31, 2014
Did you watch the official LEGO movie this spring? It might be due time to dedicate some lines to Denmark’s most cherished opfindelse (invention, literally ”finding-up”)… Der var engang en snedker, der hed Ole Kirk Christiansen. Han boede i den lille by Billund… (Once upon a time there was a carpenter, called Ole Kirk Christiansen…
The Thousand Joys of Spring Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 31, 2014
Spring has come to Denmark, and even indoor fanatics can’t help noticing that leaves are sprouting and flowers opening… The boring winter country has been magically transformed into a wonderful garden. Knowing the names of some of the most typical blomster (flowers) and træer (trees) will never be as relevant as right now: Vintergækker (snowdrops…
Danes and Dead Animals Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 22, 2014
This February a somewhat macabre topic has been haunting Danish media – and foreign web sites writing about Denmark: døde dyr (dead animals). I starten af måneden (at the beginning of the month), København Zoo announced that they were going to kill Marius, a fit and healthy two-year-old giraf [gheeRAFF]. (What? How could anyone be…
The Danish Dream of Working Less Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jan 9, 2014
You take the blue pill – you get your drømmejob (job-of-your-dreams), with long, interesting, busy days and en fed løn (a fat salary). You take the red pill – you get a deltidsjob (part-time job) with short days and a lot of fritid (leisure time) – but considerably less penge (money). I hope you forgive…
If it’s a downer it’s an again’er! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Oct 11, 2013
The suffix -er makes magic in Danish as well as English. You just have at tænke, to think, and poof! you’re en tænker, a thinker. You want at flyve (to fly), and there you go: en flyver! Well, okay, that’s not a ”flier”, but an airplane… The last example is actually shortened from flyvemaskine – airplane…