The Copenhagen Report

Each week, The Copenhagen Post passes across my desk at work. For those with a limited knowledge of Danish with an interest in Copenhagen, it's a often the starting point for picking up a bit of Danish news (though a better one is probably the handful of English article published at www.politiken.dk). As I can pretty much follow along with the normal Danish press, my need for the Copenhagen Post is limited - a good thing as it is hardly a comprehensive news source. But they do gamely (and oftentimes lamely) try.

The Copenhagen Post has been making effort to resemble a more traditional newspaper over the years, for example, by adding an editorial section, where newspaper takes a stand on one issue of the other. Which is what motivated me to sit down a write this little piece.

Now, trying to gracefully convey my feelings after reading the pile of smelly tripe they attempted to pass off for the reasoned opinion of the editor in the Feb. 20-26, 2009 edition will not be easy. But I shall attempt to. Fortunately, they did not pollute the cyberworld with this editorial - it can only be found in the print edition. What a shame. I shall therefore allow myself to quote at length from the article, so the nature of it's content can be understood well enough.

The subject was dual citizenship. That is, the ability for citizens to hold 2 passports. In Denmark, this is not permitted (there are a few exceptions, for example, children with parents of 2 nationalities). This in itself has always annoyed me, as it represents a very small-minded way of thinking.

However, reading this editorial left me seeing red by the end of the first paragraph. It only got worse from there.

"It is a fundamental principle of democracy that members of a community should have a say in making decisions about their community. But just as it is impossible to serve two masters, so too is it impossible to live in two countries - by belonging to both, one never fully becomes a member of either," intoned The Copenhagen Post to kick-off the editorial.

Oh, my. Are you fu*king kidding me?!? Um, what is this sh*t about not being able to serve two masters? Are we living in the times of slavery? And then to artificially equate this to serving two countries?

Elequent it may be, but nonetheless idiotic rubbish.

Personally, I don't think I could count how many entities I 'serve'. Is 'the country' really such an important one, amongst the many? And is it the 'ultimate' one (we'll return to this term shortly)?

Let's see.

I'm Canadian and my parents, sister and extended family live in Canada (and some in the U.S.A). They are pretty important to me. I live in Denmark and have for quite some time (which incidently is also a member of the European Union, which is a pretty important entity in itself). I like Denmark, in general. My girlfriend is Danish, as is her family. Would I chose country over her...hmmm, let me think about that for a while... And I have close friends all over the world, obviously some closer than others. They are also important. My employer is a Danish company, situated here in Denmark, but is actually owned jointly by a German company and a Norwegian company (oh no, two masters again!), but on a daily basis I'm working with people situated in 8 different countries (all working for this same company). Impossible to serve 2 masters?!? Impossible to serve 2 countries?!? What century was this editorial written in?

But let's allow ourselves to plow on further, even if we must hold our noses.

"Citizenship is bestowed upon us at birth, and giving it up is the ultimate sign of commitment to one's new country. But before one can make that commitment, one must be permitted to do so: to become a new citizen, one must not only be permitted to enter a country, one must be allowed to live there, and then one must demonstrate a knowledge of the country's history, language and culture by passing immigration tests," continues The Copenhagen Post.

The 'ultimate' commitment to one's new country? Well, I suppose for some it could be, but since when should making the 'ultimate' commitment, whatever it is, be the grounds for gaining something so practical as a passport? Is there not a much lower and more practical threshold that is somewhat more meaningful, or at least 'sufficient'. Does one really have to give up their first passport to make this commitment? Is there not simply, say, any number of actions that would do, such as living and working in a given country for some time (and thereby paying significant taxes), maybe raising a family there, with no additional conditions really necessary? And certainly no arbitrary judgment about which is the 'ultimate' among them.

Although The Copenhagen Post, and sadly the Danish government, supports this antiquated law, the 'ultimate' problem, if I dare suggest it, seems to be an insistence upon viewing the passport as something that is rather romantic in its nature.

Newsflash: it is not.

A passport is a practical and unfortunately necessary document. Something that enables people to move around from place to place. To cross borders. To live their lives as they see fit to. To be together with the ones they love. To make a living as they choose to, and to utilise the abilities they have chosen to develop in themselves. While there may be plenty of romance within these ideas, a passport is merely a facilitator and a cold bureaucratic reality - and those have always had the unfortunate trait of never ever being in any way romantic in nature.

Being able to acquire an additional passport simply makes it easier for those living in a given country to become productive members of society there. Being a productive and deserving member of society can happen in many, many ways. It also so happens that it can be done without the demonstration of knowledge of a given countries language, history, and so-called culture. Or to put it another way, one can 'integrate' into society in countless ways. There is no single correct way to integrate - for example, by giving up one's former passport or passing some sort of 'immigration test'. Of course, especially with regards to language, everything should be done to encourage those who make a country their home to learn it's language.

As for reading history books?!? Give me a break! Will they tell you everything you need to know to be a good little citizen of your new country? Give you a balanced picture of society? Yeah, sure.

Which brings us to 'immigration tests'. Oh, geez. There are certainly some worthwhile practical questions potential citizens could be asked: about laws specific to Danish society, maybe some basics about government that are of practical importance. But it's pretty limited, quite frankly.

That may be tough for those who believe everything can be measured and then converted into some numerical value to understand, a group which apparently includes the editors of The Copenhagen Post. But here's the truth: sorry boys (there are no female editors of the newspaper listed), the real world ain't quite so.

Okay, let's push further into the editorial, into the Disneyland-like make-believe world of The Copenhagen Post editors. There is more still.

"Citizenship carries with it certain rights, but those rights are paid for by living up to the obligation of national service, national pride and national unity. Dual citizenship is divided citzenship, and will always prevent a 'citizen' from fully living up to those obligations."

Yes, at this point we have moved fully into fantasy land that I would never want to be a part of. In fact, it's somewhat scary. What kind of deluded nonsense is this about being 'paid for by living up to the obligation of...national pride'?

Is the implication that if someone does not demonstrate enough, ahem, 'live up to the obligation' of national pride, then they are unworthy of citizenship? What exactly is 'enough national pride'? Maybe singing the national anthem in a loud voice whenever it is demanded? Perhaps when stopped by the police? Or perhaps simply cheering wildly whenever the Danish national handball team scores a point would be enough? Whatever. What a complete joke.

This is the point when the writers have completely lost the plot. And where I have lost my respect for The Copenhagen Post's ability to write a meaningful editorial opinion.

So boys, do enjoy your freedom to express your opinion - but please, show the 'ultimate' respect for this freedom by not forgetting to engage in a bit of critical thinking while doing so. It serves us all so well.

I have to admit that I was something of a rare species, in my surroundings, back in 2000 during the last Danish referendum on whether to replace the kroner with the euro. At the time I was attending Copenhagen Business School, where support for the Euro was about as close to unanimous as one can get. Business types, you know. Myself, I was quietly something of a skeptic. Actually, it wasn't really because I was against joining. My position was that Denmark was in the enviable position of being able to afford to wait. Denmark had stability and a solid economy, after all. Which is to say, it was the 'Euro Club' that had to prove itself to Denmark, not the other way around. So why rush it? Why should Denmark rush into the scheme before the euro had proven itself as a functional currency?

So to be clear, this was by no means true opposition to the euro, more of a strategic 'what's the harm in waiting a couple years?'. A type of passive opposition. In case you didn't figure it out, the euro was voted down in Denmark.

Those couple of years have long since passed and as it turns out the euro has long since proven itself. There is really no need for Denmark to hold out any longer, and plenty of reasons to go for it. And probably it won't be long before the question is put to the public. These days, the financial crisis has brought a significant softening of public opinion in Denmark, with the majority now shifting towards a position in favour of the euro.

It seems unlikely that Danish Prime Minister and EU-superfan Anders Fogh Rasmussen will be able to resist holding a vote on the matter much longer. Now dear Anders admittedly does his best to temper his displays of excessively-overt EU enthusiasm, lest he talk himself out of his position of leader of his own party by overtly coveting a 'higher' position elsewhere in Europe, or provoke disquiet among his not-so-silent coalition partners, the embarrassingly racist Dansk Folkeparti, should they sense he is becoming a bit too overzealous about something that simply doesn't fit into their bellicosely juvenile vision of 'Danmark for Danskerne'.

Ironically, it is the very issues that the government didn't dare to address during the last referendum that are now fueling euro support. Those being any arguments grounded in economic logic - such as the point that simply adopting a currency that the Danish kroner is already tied to anyway isn't such a risk, when it comes down to it.

The fact that in the recent weeks, the National Bank was obliged to increase the interest rate spread between the euro and the kroner during the financial crisis was the real kicker that really shifted opinion. When people in Denmark, with homes and apartments already deflating in value by the day, realised that they were now also paying as much as 1.5% extra for the privilege of holding their loans in kroner instead of euro, finally a certainly logic which was previously drowned in nationalist sentiment snapped with a nearly audible 'cracking' sound (of course, that may actually have been the sound of shareholders jaws dropping open and hitting the ground when Roskilde Bank was suddenly nationalised and their stocks become instantly worthless), and almost overnight the shift the brought supporters of the euro in Denmark into a majority position.

So bring on the euro referendum. It might just be the occasion the government needs to shake the moth-balls off of those EU flags - flags which the Danish government seems to have a morbid fear of flying for even an hour longer than necessary each year, lest they be interpreted as some sort of anti-Denmark sentiment by the more rabid elements of the Danish population.

More about it here in a recent article from The Guardian.

Sometimes you don't realise how much you have appreciated something until it's pulled out from under your feet. On Sunday, Sabine over at Oh - Those Danes...! announced she was stopping her excellent blog. Now that is not only a shame, but a real loss for those seeking an (English) window into Denmark. Hopefully she decides to leave her extensive archive of posts online, as they are a real treasure-trove.

For Sabine has been a truly prolific blogger on the subject of Denmark and the Danes.

I would describe her approach to blogging as rigorous (far more rigorous than mine) - rarely did has a day passed in the past couple years without a post from her (or an explanation for why there wouldn't be one). She never failed to find something insightful, pithy, amusing or clever to attach to one given issue or other - in succinct and reasoned posts. And rarely has she missed tackling the big issue of the day in Denmark, whatever it was.

Rarely have I found myself disagreeing with her, though frequently did I find myself looking upon one issue or another from an angle I hadn't previously considered, thanks to her comments.

For it is exploring issues and viewpoints that Sabine has been interested in, above all else. Issues and viewpoints of all kinds. I've never met her personally in my travels, though I've always hoped our paths would cross eventually.

I'm sure her decision to quit wasn't made in haste, but it's still a shame. Who knows, maybe she'll miss the glorious life of a blogger and return in a blaze of glory, like a retired rock band coaxed back by the memories of the riotous cheer of their fans.

So Sabine, here's my considered suggestion: what about starting a new blog entitled Once a week from Denmark. Just one post a week...I know you could spin that off with your eyes closed!

All the best to you!

There has been much talk in the Danish media in recent years, and by Danish politicians, about how important it is to attract foreign talent into Denmark since there is a growing labour shortage. Particularly, but not exclusively, in the area of maths and sciences and especially those with PhD's.

Of course, it's one thing to toss around lofty rhetoric about how welcome foreigners are in Denmark and so forth (at least, the well educated fully westernised ones), it's another thing to bring your army of bureaucrats in line with this thinking. Which brings me to this story I am about to share - which I will do by sharing the email exchange that took place around it.

It's a series of email a good (non-Danish) friend was involved in, which he forwarded to me, between himself and a hopeless bureaucrat at the Danish tax office, while trying to deal with some tax (skat, in Danish) problems that resulted from him going abroad to work. Apparently the memo that foreigners were now welcome in Denmark didn't quite reach this particular bureaucrat.

Incidentally (as he writes in his email) this work abroad, which my friend is doing, is actually funded by the Danish Research Council (who at least seem to understand the value a foreigner can be to the country)!

I should also add (not that it matters) that this friend of mine, who has been living in Denmark nearly as long as I have (he completed a PhD here, before becoming an Assistant Professor), genuinely loves the country - especially Copenhagen. He regularly refers to the city (in all seriousness) as 'his paradise'. In fact, I once wrote a post entitled 'Why Copenhagen is a happening place these days' that was somewhat inspired by his views, which I tend to share. Unfortunately, his Danish has not advanced terribly far during this time here (as often happens when you're working full-time...).

Well, even in paradise there is bureaucracy. And where there is bureaucracy, there are bureaucrats. And sometimes this means dealing with a live person...and here the problems so often begin.

Read the exchange for yourself below, it's rather breathtaking. In fact, it could be straight out of a manual written by the highly xenophobic Dansk Folkparti entitled 'how to deal with pesky foreigners in Denmark asking questions'.

"Sometimes they can really piss me off in my paradise.....", wrote my friend in forwarding this set of emails. Indeed, indeed - as you read through this exchange, you can almost feel the emotional explosion as my dear friend loses it...

______________________________

Fra: GP
Sendt: 18. februar 2008 14:30
Til: skat@skat.dk
Emne: VS: Problem Salary Abroad

Dear SKAT
My name is GP (CPR-nr. xxxxxx-xxxx), I am working at the Denmark Technical University for the past several years.
I am currently an assistant professor with a contract until November of 2009 and I have attached my contract. I am spending 12 months to Tokyo University (Japan) with a starting date 1/1/2008.
I visited the SKAT office before I leave for Tokyo because I was informed that I will be in a beneficial tax status since I will spend a period of more than 6 months abroad. I submitted the necessary documents and everything seemed to be fine. However when I received the salary of January this was very low. As you see in the email below the administration office of DTU reported to me that my allowance for 2008 is significant lower.
Allowance 2007 = 7.841 pr. month
Allowance 2008 = 3.685 pr. month
I don't see anything beneficial until now and my salary has decreased instead of increased, so could you please help me, what is wrong and how could we fix it? As you understand living in Tokyo makes difficult every other type of communication than email. Thank you in advance for your help.
Best wishes
GP
____________________________

by: Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)

There has been a lot of talk about the violence around Nørrebro lately. It can be heard on the streets, behind closed doors and not least of all from the talking heads in the media. It is essentially nonsense.

There has been something of an 'uprising' in Nørrebro over the past days, though the reality is it's the same old crowd generally found hanging out somewhere around Stengade and Griffenfeldtsgade (and sometimes around Blågards Plads later in the night). The police have a pretty good beat on the area (it's like 3 small streets) since there's always always a few people lurking around looking 'unsavory' - though I would prefer to use the term 'bored'. It's a feature of every city of any size.

Speaking of bored, that is a fair description for the media in Copenhagen as well. It's forgivable - they've got a lot of print space and air time to fill, and some weeks there's just not a lot going on. So when something happens, like a loud protest in Nørrebro, packs of hungry journalists and photographers are quickly dispatched (sometimes they arrive even before the events have begun, in anticipation) and producers and editors greedily lick their lips knowing there will be plenty of tasty morsels with which to fill airwaves and column inches.

The latest round started a little over a week ago when a car was torched and a couple garbage containers were lit on fire. This may sound a bit disturbing, but seriously it was pretty tame - I happened to be cycling by the incident when the garbage container was on fire. I wasn't alone - plenty of pedestrians and cyclists were in the area. And as (unintentional) proof of how innocuous it was (and overblown in the media) - even in one of the photo published by one of the major newspapers in Denmark, Politiken, intended to show how crazy the situation, a young couple could be seen sauntering by the burning overturned garbage bin holding hands (apparently passing by on a evening walk). Yet if you heard or read the media coverage you'd imagine the street was ablaze half the night, and the situation out of control.

There is precisely one purpose that these fires are started (and cars are torched) - and that is to get the police to show up. It's basically the equivalent of seeing a frog and poking it with a stick to make it jump. The fun is knowing there will be reaction, and having the power to provoke it. Nothing more, nothing less - it's not about theft and violence, and it's not about the Muhammad cartoons though it is always easy to mention those in the same breath as the fires.

One also must understand that in the area of Nørrebro in which this typically happens (as is the situation in the rest of Copenhagen), the nature of the urban layout means it is a relatively simple exercise for the police to patrol and control - and maintain a heavy-handed handle on the situation (which also tends to provoke things further, it must be openly acknowledged).

They just place their vehicles along all the side streets, follow the herd of demonstrators ('rioters'), both in front and behind and that's about it. Yes, windows can potentially get smashed and garbage containers can be set alight, but nonetheless there's not really any place for the protester to run - anyone trying anything stupid tends to get picked up by police almost instantly. Being in the area when something is going down isn't much of an issue either - a short detour of about one street will generally allow you to steer clear around the whole situation, even at its worst. It's certainly not a war-zone.

And one last point about those 'torched' cars: if you ever park your car on Stengade, you're an idiot anyway - no sympathy from this quarter if it gets damaged or worse torched one day. Seriously, find a smarter place to park - choose another of the hundreds of other streets in the city, plenty of which are extremely close by...

And of course, all of this subsequently makes a nice story for the lazy international media to grab ahold of, but that doesn't make their portrayal any more accurate or realistic...

...not quite the like the apple pie mom used to make

For those with a serious sweet tooth, Denmark is not a bad choice. And I'm the first to acknowledge that I have such a sweet tooth - it's no secret.

Whereas many a newcomer to Denmark, upon seeking out and tasting one of those infamous and authentic Danish pastry are shocked at the staggeringly sweet nature of these little sugar bombs, I thoroughly enjoy them. Interestingly, it should be noted these are nothing like that which is served under the tag 'danish' in other countries. Rather, these are heart-stoppingly sugar-laden and often sticky things, the likes of which you've surely never tasted anywhere else. For many the sweetness is simply too much (and in truth, many Danes feel the same way). I, on the other hand, reach for seconds. Perhaps it has something to do with coming from a country famous for producing one of the sweetest products made from a natural substance, maple syrup. Or maybe it's just me.

Examples include: wienerbrød, spandauer, snegle, kringler, to name but a few.

Upon tasting them, one immediately wonders why the average Dane doesn't weigh 2 tonnes (which they certainly don't - and I don't weight 2 tonnes either, I might add!).

So, coming home from work I occasionally find myself thinking about indulging my sweet tooth after dinner - which was the case the other night.

Previously, I've bemoaned the fact Danish supermarkets all too often leave something to be desired. This is especially true for those supermarkets without half-decent in-store bakeries (yes, this means Irma, Super Brugsen, Netto and Fakta). Føtex and Super Best are generally acceptable, in this regard.

Alas, I fell victim to my own desires the other evening, and consequently I was metaphorically 'sucker-punched' by a bunch of marketers from South Jutland (the part of Denmark attached to mainland Europe, if you don't know).

You see, this craving for something sweet lead me into Irma (as it was already past 6pm, meaning all the bakeries were closed) because that's about the closest thing to a decent supermarket around where we live (meaning not a Føtex or Super Best in sight).

Oops - they had me within 3 steps.

There at the entrance way was a stack of "Gyldne Kager" (Golden Cakes) boxed cakes/pies on offer. Choices included apple-cinnamon, carmel and nut, and a couple others. Superficially, they looked okay. So I grabbed an apple-cinnamon without really paying much attention or giving it much thought. Since Irma really doesn't have much in the way of decent desserts anyway, this seemed an alright option - one about as good as it was going to get.

Arriving home, I took a closer look at the box and began to wonder. The box proudly proclaimed, "bagt med sønderjyske traditioner og de bedste råvarer". To translate: 'baked with south Jutland's traditions and the best ingredients'.

And the moment I opened it, I knew I had been had. Apparently South Jutland's traditions and best ingredients revolve around heavily processed food with plenty of chemical additives. Not even the illusion of freshness (but a very unnatural sort of sticky feeling thanks to the questionable residue leftover in your mouth after eating).

Sometimes marketing can give you a real bitchslap, if you're not paying close enough attention. I won't be fooled again...famous last words.

by: Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)

Here we have a distinctly Danish toaster. It is, from a global perspective, not your typical toaster.



Rather, if you're not from Denmark, it's probably not like any toaster you've used or owned before. I hadn't. I thought it would be a cool and very Danish thing to go out and buy one for myself, until I realised that the real value of a toaster comes from the fact that the bread gets toasted (quickly) on both sides at once. Do it one side at a time and not only is it slower but, inevitably, one side gets cold while the other is being toasted. So I decided to go for the more traditional version and spurn Danish design (actually, I've never figured out whether the design is actually Danish...).

Anyway, this is just a lead-in, as this is not a post about toasters. Well, it sort of is. It's actually a post that is more generally about heating things, buying contraptions that heat things, and the state of apartments in Copenhagen.

Our apartment, not untypically, is missing an oven. You see, the kitchen is small and the apartment is old and the association that controls the building is not terribly proactive, which could also be said about our landlord, a nice as he otherwise is. (Another consequence of this is the stand-up shower located in our spare bedroom, not the bathroom - another common feature of very old re-furbished Copenhagen apartments). So instead of a normal oven, we have a little mini-oven, that I bought used from www.dba.dk, which serves the purpose instead (I mention www.dba.dk intentionally, as this is the best site in Denmark for finding pretty much any other used item that you can imagine - like a mini-oven...it also happens to be a good place to find an apartment to rent - just be sure to get ahold of a Danish dictionary first, if you don't speak the language). And as it turns out, rarely is it necessary to have a full size oven anyway - I think I've missed having such a thing about 2 times since we've lived in this place.

As I mentioned, this oven arrangement is not uncommon. Many an apartment kitchen in Copenhagen is in need of refurbishment (as there are loads and loads of very very old buildings in the city), and one consequence is a lack of an oven in some places. Actually, I have a friend who owns an apartment in Copenhagen that is even missing a cooker - instead he has two gas burners (connected to gas pipes) that sit on his counter. I'm not kidding, as crazy as this sounds!

Of course, when you buy used, you risk buying crap. So on Sunday our trusty little mini-oven conked out after 8 months - just as the quiche we made was baking. This is what has provoked this post, and the above commentary.


our now defunct mini-oven...

Which brings me back to the subject of toasters - and why those one-sided Danish toasters are just no good. You see, there was some left-over quiche in the fridge, obviously best re-heated. Suddenly, as I was about to eat it cold earlier today, in a flash of almost genius, an idea came to me for how to reheat it in the absence of a new mini-oven (to be purchased tomorrow).

Lest others living in such an apartment with a shitty mini-oven that has just broken find themselves caught in a similar predicament, here's my simple instructions for getting around the problem, inspired by those Danish one-sided toasters:

1. Take your traditional (non-Danish and not one-sided) toaster out of the cupboard (or wherever it is stored).

2. Turn toaster on its side (ok, you'll probably need a wide mouth toaster to succeed further) and push the quiche in (this will also work for leftover pizza slices in need of reheating). In this way, when the cheese on top begins to melt and the 'insides' soften, they won't go as far as they would if standing sideways in the toaster (as toast normally does).

2. When the quiche (or pizza slice) is (re-)heated, remove from toaster (still on its side), then return the toaster to its normal upright position.

3. Enjoy your re-warmed quiche.




yummmmm! Hot quiche...

Optional (but recommended) step:

4. Go to store the next day when it opens and buy a new mini-oven. People will quite justifiably think you've cracked-up if they catch you doing this.

This morning I woke up to a most curious sight. It was a sight that instantly took me back to the year 2006, which was one I spend in Shanghai - it was a rather common sight over there (and surely still is). I immediately grabbed my phone to snap a couple quick pictures of the moment. Perched outside the ledge of the 4th floor window across the street was a window cleaner. No safety harness, no nothing - very much like how it was in Shanghai (there the window cleaner would perch on dubiously installed air conditioning units to reach the windows above, or hang off skyscrapers attached to a single rope sitting on a wooden plank). It was an entirely superfluous act, I should mention. The windows he was cleaning were the sort that could easily be cleaned from the inside - both front and back. So apparently he enjoyed the buzz of doing the cleaning in this way. In fact, I could easily relate.


"good morning, Copenhagen!!'

You see, the sight also brought back memories of my university days, as I once had a summer window cleaning business way back when. There were moments when I quite enjoyed that job, actually. It was great to be outside all summer, and I came to enjoy climbing the 11 meter ladder that I owned, which was tall enough to reach most 3rd story windows, and usually just get me to onto the roof of 3 story buildings (so I could clean the leaves and other gunk out of the eavestroughs).

Anyway, in the same way I enjoyed climbing that ladder (we would normally only have the need to use it once or twice a day - normally the 8 meter ladder would do the trick, and it didn't have quite the same bouncy swaying action that the 11 meter one had as you climbed it), apparently these guys enjoy having the chance to straddle the ledges of Copenhagen apartments - just because they can. Myself, I generally found a certain passing tranquility and peacefulness whenever I was up that high, looking out across the neighbouring rooftops. I know, I know, it's not for everyone.

In a western world increasingly obsessed with safety, it was somehow good to see a couple guys 'living on the edge', even if just a tiny little bit. Of course, the company they were working for would probably get a hefty fine if such safety-regulation-flouting behaviour ever got caught and reported.

By: Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)

With the threat of a possible election hanging over the country, and not-quite-but-essentially-election style posters appearing on billboards around the city, I decided it was time to come clean and acknowledge that here in Denmark, there is a problem of integration that must be politically dealt with.

In countless Danish political and non-political circles, it has been pointed out over and over again in recent years that there is a small problem of integration in Denmark. At this point that one could be forgiven for believing that what they were hearing was in fact an old vinyl record skipping skipping skipping.

But here’s the reality: there is a certain much-discussed minority group that has begun to establish themselves in this country, yet try as society does this minority group continues to have grievous problems adapting to the culture that surrounds them here – on the streets, in the schools, in the bars and cafes - and even behind closed doors in the privacy of home.

And this it is often said - and frankly I must agree - is a real problem. Because it causes, how shall we say it, a certain disease that is very uncomfortable. It’s very disturbing to have to co-exist with. It’s a bit like desperately yet futilely trying to get oil and vinegar to mix – try as you do, shake shake shake, inevitably after a short period of time it’s right back to the same situation – the oil incapable of integrating itself in any meaningful way with the vinegar. The two remain visibly apart. And that sucks.

So I’ll come out and say it openly: how exactly can we get this small minority, the Dansk Folkeparti and its supporters, to integrate into Danish society? How exactly does one to get this minority group that so stubbornly refuses to see the obvious, to understand that the way they insist on leading their lives and how they insist others should lead theirs, the things they believe in, and the viewpoints they espouse have little, if anything, to do with the values of Danish society?

In fact, I must admit that I sometimes fear that one day this minority may even insist upon covering their faces on the streets in order to shield themselves from the obvious reality that surrounds them, that they nonetheless so fundamentally disagree with. And if they ever did do that, it would surely make an already sticky situation even stickier.

So this is a call to action: I say we need to force these Dansk Folkeparti people to integrate into Danish society!

I suggest to begin with, we move them to the housing centers that already exist for this purpose - for integrating those refugees who are new to Denmark and have never previously been exposed to Danish culture.

Why not start with the center located, rather uselessly, about 15 kilometers outside of Roskilde quite in the countryside, just on the other side of a forest? Maybe being apart from Danish society in this manner will finally allow these stubborn individuals to see the error of their ways and at last adopt the values that will allow them to gracefully fit into this great country.

Of course, I acknowledge that it may not work. I mean, consider the flexibility and ingenuity these refugees have shown in getting themselves from these distant lands where they were born to the far shores of Denmark. It’s a degree of strength and character that the Dansk Folkeparti and its supporters have never demonstrated they possess. Still, it’s worth a shot, no?

If nobody will stand up and say it loudly and proudly, the perpetual problem of integrating these outsiders into Denmark will remain unsolved. Because if nobody will deal with it, a real risk exists that the consequences may slowly tear this wonderful Danish society apart. Which is precisely why we must now be ceaselessly vigilant in our efforts.

*A special thanks to very deceased Jonathon Swift for inspiring this part of the title. My proposal is, of course, far more modest than his more famous one.

Something I've been after for quite some time is some statistics on the birth rate in Denmark, which I finally stumbled upon at www.populationeurope.com.

You see, I'm curious because although the endless talk in the media across Europe, when it comes to population, is about how the population in basically every European country is set to drop owing to ever declining birthrates (not taking into account immigration, of course), I've long been wondered how this could be true of Denmark.

After all, there is a seemingly endless parade of kids running around Copenhagen with their parents (or getting pushed around in baby carriages). To put it more bluntly, in Copenhagen BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN ARE EVERYWHERE! I've never seen anything like it in any other major city. Anywhere.

And if it is like this all over urban Copenhagen, where the birthrate should be at the lowest relative to smaller cities and more rural areas, how must the birthrate be in the rest of the country? Which has lead me to wonder how Denmark could possibly be suffering from the same declining birthrate trend that is so much talked about?

If you want to download your own detailed copy detailing the current demographic trends across Europe (including non-EU countries), you can do so here. It makes for interesting reading - I learned a few things.

Firstly, Denmark with a birth rate in 2004 of 1.78 children per woman (which when statistical manipulated for complex reasons best summed up as 'because sometimes it's necessary' becomes 2.0 children per woman). That's pretty close to that magic 2.1 replacement number, so often talked about. It is also a number well above the EU-25 country average birth rate of 1.5 children per woman (or, if you prefer the statistically adjusted European average of 1.67).

Secondly, of the more developed European countries, only France and Ireland have a higher birthrate - with Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands almost at the same level as Denmark. Funny isn't it, that all the so-called 'socialist' countries have such a high birthrate? Ireland being the exception, a non-socialist country, likely has it's own explanation - it is still catching up economically with the leading countries in Europe, and has had a historically high birthrate - one that has been dropping radically over the last years, so expect it to leave the 'high birthrate club' very shortly.

Thirdly, and this is rather significant, since 1990 Denmark's birth rate as increased (from 1.67 to 1.78). Only France, the Netherlands and Finland have experienced an increase in birth rates over this time, the rest of the developed European countries have seen a decrease.

Finally, and purely out of interest, the average age at birth of mothers in Denmark was 28.4 years old (in 2004).

I've long noted on this blog (for example, here) that Denmark is a pretty good place to have kids. And there are reasons for this. Unlike in many countries, there is thankfully NO stigma, or undue 'pressure', a woman feels for getting pregant before finishing her studies and establishing a career (or for being pregnant but not being married). Before she has a steady job, regular salary and a ring on her finger, if you prefer.

Because in Denmark, sensibly, it is assumed that as long as you support such studying mothers (and, of course, make sure the father's pay their bit as well), they'll surely manage to establish a solid career in due time - once they are able to put the kids into daycare (usually after about a year) and get their studies finished. It doesn't really matter if there is a husband, or equally as likely in Denmark - a boyfriend, at home - it's assumed these young mothers will generally do just fine regardless. And by in large they do.

Funny that - a few other countries could surely learn a thing or two from this simple but effective approach.

In fact, you might be saying to yourself, that it seems like a simple and screamingly obvious way to raise a declining birth rate, doesn't it? Especially if you are a government that professes to care about such things, as many claim to. It takes a solid daycare system, as Denmark has, and the assurance that mothers will receive an adequate level of social support while they are caring for their babies.

Because in the long run these mothers will more than pay that support back in taxes - and if they somehow don't (yes, highly unlikely...), well, their kids surely will. So it's a pretty safe assumption to make. And you want them to succeed for exactly this reason.

Because when you imply (by offering wholely inadequate support) that young mothers who are single, or at least haven't quite established a career, are stupid for getting pregnant so young - and leave them to suffer for it - well, in the end everybody suffers from this approach, don't they?

by: Tim Anderson (timothyanderson200@gmail.com)


basketball playing boys and girls at lunchtime - near a private muslim school in Nørrebro in Copenhagen...

Muslim headscarves have become a rather hot subject of late around Denmark.

Recently, there was the case of Enhedslisten parliamentary candidate who suggested she would wear her headscarf in parliament if she was elected an MP.

It's not only Denmark. Headscarves have become quite a political issue around Europe. In France, they're banned in public schools.

Yet the idea of passing such laws, in Denmark and elsewhere, just don't quite seem right. It smacks of intolerance and ignorance, and issues like censorship come to mind as not exactly unrelated ones.

A few points.

First, a bit about the comment, contributed helpfully by the leader of the Danish Racist Party Dansk Folkeparti, that Muslim headscarves should be banned in Denmark.

Um, why?

Yes, we all understand that in many Muslim countries the rights of women have been thoroughly and appallingly trampled on. However in Denmark, this is quite simply not the case.

It's like banning pink button shirts because somewhere in the world pink button shirts are worn by oppressed people. In short, it's a pretty unprogressive viewpoint to take.

There has also been much talk in the Danish media about the childcare worker who wanted to wear a burqa to work.

This is a far more sensitive issue then the previous one, and I'm going to take a qualified position on this one that many will probably disagree with. Though I intensely dislike the idea of a woman feeling there is a need for them to cover her face for any religious or cultural reasons, I haven't seen the evidence to demonstrate that such a covered woman couldn't nonetheless be a successful and competent childcare worker. I'm doubtful that it exists.

Still, this has been the conclusion of Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who has clearly stated that children should be able to see the faces of those who take care of them, and thus childcare workers in Denmark should not wear burqas.

As I said, I'm not entirely sure about the merits of that one, though there may well be something to it.

Because I can't help but think that having young children in contact with such a person is a clear acknowledgment that every person in the world is different, and in countless ways. It might just help them as they grow older and are truly confronted by just what this really means.

This seems more progressive then simply trying to create an environment as neutral, though entirely unrepresentative, as possible. And given that a fair number of burqa-wearing women can be seen walking the streets of Denmark everyday, for example around Nørrebro in Copenhagen, well, it really is a reality that is pretty close to home.

Still, I acknowledge that I may have to revisit my views on this one in the future.

And in the meantime, I'd just love to see someone like Kate Moss popularise some sort of muslim-inspired headscarf or burqa for all occasions that suddenly became the rage for young western women everywhere to wear anytime they felt like it. She could be just the one to do it, judging by the current success of her TopShop line of fashion.

'There seems to be an unusually large concentration of bicycles along Vesterbrogade today, we're going to check it out. Over and out.'

Those regular readers may have noted that I occasionally direct a few derogatory comments at TV2 News, Denmark's 24 hour news channel (that just went into operation a few months ago).

As I am involuntarily subjected to this channel for several hours each day at work, I have a pretty good idea at this point how the operate. For example, there was the recent extensive coverage of the Crown Prince and Princess putting their son into daycare for the first time, which extended on for several hours. I'm not kidding.

TV2 News also managed to buy themselves a helicopter, the first news operation in Denmark to have such a thing. And this is what I want to talk about.

Please, PLEASE, please - somebody stop them. Force them to ground that damn machine.

There is basically never any news worth flying around in a helicopter to cover (and should there be, I recommend renting one on that day!), yet that bloody TV2 News helicopter is constantly flying around Copenhagen. It's f*#king noisy and annoying. It sounds like a lawnmower drowning on endlessly and loudly - which, I don't need to point out, is kind of irritating.

And yet in spite of all the noise, there's no news to actually cover. So what the hell are they doing all day in that thing!!?

Somebody, PLEASE stop them. I know I can't be the only one to feel this way.

by Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)


is there an ice cream shortage in Copenhagen?

On pretty much any hot and sunny day in Copenhagen (in fact, it doesn't really need to be that hot, just sunny), at certain hours of the day you'll find queues like it was a supermarket twenty-five years ago in Eastern Europe suffering a food shortage.

Alas, it's not a shortage of food that drives the crowds toward Paradis in Copenhagen, rather it's a shortage of comparably tasty ice cream to be found anywhere else in the city. Italian style ice cream. Really f#%*ing tasty ice cream.*

How good would I say Paradis ice cream is?

Well, in the office where I've been working the past couple months Ben and Jerry's, one of the most popular American style ice creams, is stocked in the freezer for staff to help themselves to. There's a lot of it and many flavours all there for the taking. And it's free. It's also rather tasty. But it's just not tasty in the way Paradis ice cream is.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream has that artificial sweet kind of taste that Americans (and lover's of American products) go for. So even though I can eat all the Ben and Jerry's I want at work, I instead find myself occasionally opting to pay a few kroner for a hit of Paradis after lunch - it's just around the corner, after all. Because Paradis sells their own homemade Italian style ice cream and, even for free, Ben and Jerry's is no match for that.

At this point, there are several Paradis outlets around Copenhagen - basically one in each part of the city. The first that opened was in Nørrebro at Sankt Hans Torv a few years back, the next a couple years ago in Vesterbro and Amager, the latest ones just opened last month in the centre (on Købmagergade near Nørreport Station) and in Østerbro.

On a sunny summer day, lengthy queues can be found at all of them. And for good reason.


Paradis ice cream lovers...


learning about the joys of Paradis ice cream

*Note: the author has not received any favours from Paradis in relation to the promotion of Paradis ice cream on this blog. However, he would welcome such favours - for example, free Paradis ice cream for the next year - and does feel they would be an appropriate compensation for his wholehearted and unconditional endorsement of the Paradis brand and associated products. He can be contacted via email, address above.

by: Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)



It's hard to imagine a relatively dry article about the housing market in Copenhagen - The sound of the popping bubble: A bit about psychology and Copenhagen's housing market - a recent article on this blog, going over especially well. Especially as it also happened to be a rather long article - even by my own rather, ahem, lengthy standards.

To my surprise, up to now it is the article that has generated the most emails of any of the articles on this blog. Even more amazingly, it's actually one of the top google hits for 'Copenhagen housing market' at the moment, which is rather funny. So here's a slightly shorter follow-up.

The issue of the buying, selling, renting and moving apartments - and the general state of the Copenhagen housing market - are all subjects that tend occupy a rather significant mental space in the minds of many of those living here (myself included - we're in the process of moving apartments right now). Even if in themselves they aren't the most entertaining of topics.

Which brings me to the latest email I received in relation a couple previous Copenhagen housing market articles written for this blog.

It went like this:

"My interest is as a seller. I put my apartment on the market about 2 months ago and only one person has been to visit. My estate agent recommends I reduce the price and do so as soon as possible...thing is he's not very clear on why exactly other than the volume of properties is increasing. My reservation for dropping now is we're moving into what is typically considered to be a more active season in the market and I had hoped things would pick up...I'm not in a rush to sell the property, but don't want to wait it out and get caught in a readjustment."

The first thing I should say is that I find it odd and rather amusing to be answering such questions. I'm certainly not an expert on this subject - the experience I have comes from selling private jets a few years back, and noting that the behaviour in private jet market largely mirror what happens in the housing market.

Here's my thoughts on this particular question.

The typical market cycle in the housing market is LONG - normally three to four years. Meaning a quick turnaround in the Copenhagen real estate market is unlikely.

To imagine there is any significant 'seasonal variation' in a market like this one - as in a pile of buyers appearing who will suddenly drive up prices or even hold prices to their current level - is purely wishful and unrealistic thinking. There are simply too many apartments for sale in Copenhagen, at the moment. A few extra buyers in the springtime is unlikely to have even the slightest impact on selling prices.

The housing market in Copenhagen has been overheating for too long. But now it is catching up with itself.

A lot of people have second apartments to sell, interest rates have risen slightly, and frankly price inflation bypassed the money that was out there some time ago. Hence why more and more apartments are being put up for sale. A lot of people were essentially speculating on continued price inflation, even if they didn't fully realise that this was what they were doing.

The current downcycle has probably been going for about 12 to 18 months - which is a lot longer than most people realise.

It has really only been in the past couple months that this downcycle has been widely acknowledged in the media (and real estate agents have begun to shake themselves out of denial). And sellers are really only beginning to react, en masse, to the situation now. Hence the flood of asking prices being lowered (check out www.boliga.dk - only in Danish, but just look at the big negative number in the top right corner to get an idea of what is happening - it's the amount asking prices have fallen across Denmark since the beginning of the year).

This is a trend that will continue as more and more people react to the situation, realising that the plans for buying and selling and the amount of money they thought they would make now looks rather different. And a lot of sellers are imagining that they are going to wait the market out and hang tough on their selling price. It's a game of chicken, but the market has plenty of room left to fall. A lot sellers will crumble, and a lot more prices will tumble.

Sure there will always be the remote possibility that something unexpected will happen that will distort the typical lengthy market pattern/cycle and reverse the current trend (for example, the new 200 year mortgage that the government has proposed). But realistically this remains quite unlikely.

Even when the cycle hits the bottom, it will be some time before any significant price recovery can be felt - all the apartments for sale at the moment are not going to get sold overnight.

So it's unlikely an apartment seller will get any higher sales price than right now for at least the next couple years. But prices are quite likely to drop further still. Meaning that for sellers, unless you are willing to hold out for quite some time, the best advice really is to drop the price and sell it when a serious buyer appears.

Because attracting a real buyer is the issue. Playing around with the asking price probably won't make that much difference to this end (of course, it might help a little). It's the selling price that counts, so getting the message across to as many real estate agents as possible that you are a serious seller might.

Let it be known that your selling price is flexible, because sellers will have to match the market to get their apartments sold no matter what their asking price is.

My experience (gleaned from selling jets) is to tell your agent (and everyone else you can) that you want your apartment being one of the next ones (in it's size range) to sell, so they should make sure any buyers they have have see the place and have them make their best offer for it.

Any good agent will understand this as code to mean, 'forget about our asking price, just bring us a serious offer from a real buyer and we'll probably take it'. Still, with everyone clamouring for buyers, even this may not make much difference for some time to come. But it's better than nothing.

By: Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)

Following on the heals of Part 1 and Part 2 of this Istedgade series, the focus of this one will be the trendier end of Istedgade, let's call that 'upper Istedgade'. What could be referred to as 'lower Istedgade' (or 'Istedgade the Hooker' and 'Istedgade the Junkie') are areas of the street offering their own distinct set of nightlife possibilities - and these will be the subject of part 5 of this series...

Istedgade by night is pretty good, indeed. Bars and cafés abound. It's not wall-to-wall cafes or anything like that - that would in all liklihood prove to be hugely problematic. Furthermore, the target clientel at the establishment of Istedgade trendier places are not those planning to end the night in a mess of sloppy drunkiness (even if a good few end up this way, nonetheless). There are other areas of Copenhagen where those less capable of handling a few drinks with dignity tend to frequent, which is a good thing for Istedgade. This is not at all to suggest that this makes Istedgade a quiet place by night. It's certainly not.

Along upper Istedgade, there are a fair number of generally unpretentious alternatives for having a quiet drink or less quiet drink.

Until recently, Cafe Riga, with it’s laid back atmosphere and underground music was the place to hang - but an ownership change some months ago, apparently provoked by complaining neighbours, has, as if a neutron bomb exploded, left the walls (and furniture) intact but sucked the life right out of the place. The fantastic underground music and excellent local DJ’s have disappeared (along with the atmosphere they largely were responsible for creating). Still, Riga’s comfortable chairs and couches remain a pleasant option for whiling away a few quiet hours in the early evening.


Cafe Riga today...a rather unpretentious welcome

A better bet, if hip and trendy is your thing (and Carlsberg is not), would be Boutique Lize. Only open evenings from Wednesday to Saturday, Boutique Lize serves a variety fine beers (mostly foreign) while the highly competent bartenders happily serve up a wide assortment of cocktails - some of the better ones in town. A glass of ‘Brugs’, a tasty Belgian offering available on tap, or a mojito (arguably one of the best in Copenagen) are both particularly recommendable.

Then there are a couple of Istedgade’s longstanding institutions of alcohol consumption and chatter – Bang and Jenson and McKluuds.

While Bang and Jensen has always managed to effortlessly maintain an image of laidback, hipster-like cool (and rarely lets you down on any night of the week, even late in the evening on Sunday), McKluuds fits quite a different description. It is all 'Copenhagen bodega' - though one of the more accessible ones. By all means drop by McKluuds for a very cheap beer and a free game of pool, but not for the atmosphere.


Bang and Jensen by day - still pretty busy


Bang and Jensen by night - even busier and rarely a let-down...


McKluuds...always cheap and always...well, cheap...

The place that could take the prize for trendiness would be Strassen - and maybe it does in a parallel universe somewhere else. Unfortunately in this one, it doesn't quite make it. Consistently apathetic service (and a really nasty batch of raw burgers served up to us several months by a cook in the kitchen who apparently was a little overzealous about trying to close the grill down early for the night) has put Strassen way out of favour in my books. Still, when the bartenders are in the mood, they are capable of mixing up quite a tasty cocktail. And Strassen does get the prize for the most amusing fishtank in Vesterbro - a large tank built into the wall with a huge mural picture of Istedgade laid out behind it.

Another unpretentious possibility would be Simpelt V (across from Riga). Doing it's best to take over from where Riga left off when it changed owners, they still haven't quite got the music issue down to a science at Simpelt V, but they're kind of trying. It does look pretty hipster, what with all the vinyl hanging on the walls and the pleasantly comfortable seating.


Simpelt V - hidden behind the bikes and graffitti...

An untested newcomer is Malbeck, an establishment billing itself as an Argentian Wine bar. We'll see if this one flies, in time.



And still more newcomers will surely arrive in the area over the next months.

But what if you're hungry (you may be asking by now)? Well, that's up next in Part 4...

by Tim Anderson (timothyanderson2005@gmail.com)

The previous article (A stroll down Istedgade (part 1): Is this the seedy or trendy heart of Vesterbro) introduced an allegorical character, a schizophrenic named 'Istedgade' who it was claimed would star in an upcoming Woody Allen movie (a film apparently attracting a quite a significant 'buzz')...so that is where this article picks up. Got it?


welcome...

Istedgade the Hipster is unquestionably the most alluring of schizophrenic Istedgade's personalities.

First, about hipsters - in case you are not one but were thinking maybe you could be, or you are one and don’t know it, or you know you are one but are simply in denial. A hipster could loosely be defined as one who distains the mainstream - known to coldly yet vigorously reduce anything possibly fitting into any mainstream categorisation to kitsch and unworthy. With rare exceptions, they are rather skinny - 1 or 2% excess body fat kind of skinny, Mick Jagger skinny. They have complicated hair, just might be gay (or not entirely heterosexual) and of course, there are the tattoos. And if it’s not indie, underground, literature, music, film or some other sort of artform, it’s probably not that interesting. So while a lot of people could claim to be halfway there, one must be quite a determined breed to truely earn the title.

Meaning that 'Istedgade the Hipster' is a very specific sort of being - one quite in contrast to the other parts of its (schizophrenic) personality.


most certainly a hipster magnet...

Returning to our allegory (from Part 1) of Istedgade as the schizophrenic star of a Woody Allen film, let's talk about what happens in the film. Istedgade the Hipster spends much time on the couch in therapy (being a Woody Allen flick and all).

The opening scene (set in the office of Istedgade's long-time analyst):

Istedgade the Hipster (probably a 'he' but possibly a 'she') is lying on the couch complaining, agonising that in spite of their loud and continual protestations, he (or she) has become an object of fascination - the subject of the relentless and unforgiving talk of the masses. And this Istedgade the Hipster finds to be a terrible and rather soul-destroying plight. With amusing self-awareness, this fictional but ultra-cool hipster character worries that this film in which he (or she) is starring just may be Woody Allen's biggest film since Manhatten - a huge moneymaker. The buzz surrounding the film is ceaseless, and the very thought has left Istedgade the Hipster feeling more than mere anxiety. Istedgade the Hipster simply distains being associated with it all - this mainstream attention. Yet it seems there is no escape.

Rather, it has provoked a serious identify crisis within Istedgade the Hipster, one that could turn ugly (and into something more existential in nature).

So we return to the real world, briefly, once again.

A bit about Woody Allen movies. Woody Allen movies are always full of mainstream movie elements – the main characters are always Hollywood actors, the plot twists are often straight out of Hollywood and the endings are, more often then not, happily ever after. Of course, happily ever after in that trademark bizarre Woody Allen kind of way.

However, in spite of all this, they really are not quite mainstream movies. As stories, they have too many schizophrenic quirks. Instead, they stand apart, a brand of their own. They have this odd, hard to quantify, hipster-like shell that over time has proven quite resistant to penetration from the outside. Because in Woody Allen films there is basically always something different.

And in this way, they are just like Istedgade. Chalk full of, well, something different.

So the thing with Istedgade is that there is a risk that with all the attention it continues to attract (in it's coolness), and with its popularity continuing to soar, it just might cease being something different and instead become rather normal - just another not-so-distinct area of Copenhagen. If the graffitti should start to disappear (there's a fair bit of it at present), it will be more than a mere hint of what might be happening.

Now I'm not saying this is destined to happen, but surely sooner or later the chain stores and big money will get a whiff of it's potential and swoop in, no? And should this happen, as the composition of the shops and businesses shifts - Istedgade as we now know it will be no longer.

And should this turn of events take place, it will surely be the end of Istedgade the Hipster.

But we're not there yet. For now, Istedgade the Hipster thrives, genuinely non-mainstream (among many other identities as well, of course). The warmly welcoming local ecological bakery for bread, the numerous local design shops (mentioned in the previous article) for clothes, shoes and an assortment of other boutiques offering furnishing and other gadgets and gimmicks.


the local ecological bakery


funky light for the living room, anyone?


no brand names here...


or here...

or here...


or here...


or here, or here...you get the idea...

Yet when it comes down to it, of course, it's all very interesting, even if it's not quite a comprehensive in the range of 'stuff' you can find - you may need to leave Istedgade to get the rest of the 'things' you need.

And, of course, there's also Istedgade the Kitsch to contend with.

Istedgade the Hipster, of course, grudgingly accepts that lingering presence out of necessity, probably because Istedgade the Kitsch just isn't threatening in the way the mainstream stuff is. Istedgade the Kitsch is merely a bizarre and quirky part of Istedgade's schizophrenic personality.

Istedgade the Kitsch takes the form of a few peculiar shops selling an array of items presumably appealing to the (fairly numerous) immigrants of the area who have yet to acquire any sort of Danish design tastes and sensibilities. These immigrants are one of the features of the street that give it so much more character than other less diverse areas of the city.


welcome to the palace of kitsch...


see anything you like?

The junk being peddled at these kitsch places would make a great gag gift, if you’re looking for that.

But kitsch bits aside, Istedgade the Hipster has continued to grow stronger month by month over the last years - and this is without having even mentioned what is arguably Istedgade's the Hipster's best side - and that is the night time.

And this will be the subject of the Part 3, up next...