by tim anderson

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?

Click to read more ...

by tim anderson

If there is one thing that can be said about the current government in Denmark, it's that they are becoming rather predictable.

Needing the proudly xenophobic/racist Dansk Folkeparti to prop up their minority/coalition government, the government has developed a nasty little habit of throwing their support behind various proposals propagating the idea of 'Danishness' (thereby helping to ward off perceived threats to whatever it is that this so-called 'Danishness' is...).

The Dansk Folkeparti loves squeezing out these sorts of legislative turds from the bowels of their parliamentary caucus, as they are the self-proclaimed protectors of the Danish society and cultural identity in parliament. And the government knows how to appease the Dansk Folkeparti.

Click to read more ...

by tim anderson

News reporters in Copenhagen, and in particular TV2 News – Denmark’s 24-hour news channel - recently had what was probably their biggest news week for several years.

It all began with a police raid of the Ungdomhus (‘The Youth House’) in Nørrebro in Copenhagen on March 1, which succeeded in clearing out the occupants of the building. The Ungdomshus had been the subject of much controversy over the previous months (and years) thanks to the steadfast refusal of those using the building to voluntarily vacate the premises.

You see, it had been sold by the local government some years before and had been used by a large number of young people for many many years (since 1982, in fact) to stage regular events and parties. The controversy basically ended with the demolition of the building 5 days later.

The aftermath of the police clear-out of Ungdomshus carried on throughout the weekend (March 1-4) - some 400-600 were arrested and plenty of demonstrations in support of the building ensued.

It was a tale of two protests, you could say.

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrman

Princess Alexandra, Queen Margrethe's ex-daughter-in-law, has decided to marry her boyfriend on March3, thus leaving the royal family for good and be reduced to a lowly Countess of Frederiksborg. She'll lose the last of her privileges, but not her annual alimony of appr. € 250.000.

However, she will have to pay about 73 % taxes. So she'll probably need a job.

The media and all their royal specialists are having a fieldday.

Some are probably terribly disappointed that the wedding is to take place without them.

And all of this almost drowned the news that Danmarks Radio needs yet another one hundred million Euro to pay for their new digs...

Photos: (above) Princess Alexandra at Odense Zoo
(below) Princess Alexandra with new beau Martin (on her left) and ex-husband Joachim (on her right). 

Photo credits: Flukedk & l&coolj 

by tim anderson

Digging deeply into Copenhagen's underground electronic music scene has its rewards. It also has its challenges, since though it's out there, its extent is relatively limited - particularly the further below the surface you try to get.

Please forgive the grainy low-quality mobile phone pictures, though poor, they do capture the atmosphere of Lab rather well...

If you're into electronic sounds, the various arrangements put on by Komponent are about as deep as you can get in Copenhagen - both in terms of music and venues. At least that is my belief after 6 years of exploring. 

Komponent's usual venue of choice is Lab (site in Danish), a space that could not possibly be any less pretentious. It would take about three minutes to convert it into a motorcycle repair shop.

Click to read more ...

by tim anderson

I don't think I could come up with a better theme picture to show life in Copenhagen at its best (during the winter months).

But the real fun was waking up last Saturday morning and finding a good 10-15 cm of snow had fallen during the night. (Isn't it nice when these days line right up with the weekend!)

Anyway, that gave us a few hours on Saturday to get down to Kongens Nytorv in the center of town, rent some skates and enjoy a couple hours of skating.

Click to read more ...

by tim anderson

I’ve been running my own blog, The Copenhagen Report, for the past two years now, but as this is my first article for Shortcut, I'll back up and give a short introduction to the city I now call home.

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrman 

December in Denmark a time of endless celebration - and therefore of hangovers, too. One of the reasons for all these parties is the monochronic approach to time, typical for these parts of Europe.

The Danes call them "Christmas lunches" - they usually take place in the evening, and food and drink are very important here, just as tradition. The pickled herring as much as the beer and the aquavit...

Click to read more ...

by rhiannon davies

For 10 days Copenhagen is the hub of the international documentary film scene. From 10-19 November, 150 documentaries from some of the world’s best documentary makers will be shown at cinemas across the city.

CPH:DOX 2006 is the fourth edition of Scandinavia’s largest documentary film festival and there’s an impressive programme choose from. Click on the calendar on the left for the day’s showings.

There is something for everyone with subjects ranging from the first elected woman in Afghanistan, gangs in Port au Prince’s worst slums, impoverished musicians in Africa, love, integration & separation, to finding the perfect Hitchcock look-a-like, and taking a closer look at Zinedine Zidane or Maradona.

It is time to get excited because many of this year’s feature films are coming to Copenhagen fresh from major international film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Venice. Work by directors like Alan Berliner, Romuald Karmaker and David LaChapelle to 11 brand new, Danish success stories.

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrmann

Illness comes with nightfall. Or so it may seem. Maybe it is just more noticeable when the hustle and bustle of the waking hours have come to a halt. It is then people in Denmark call the emergency doctor. As did one Brian Mikkelsen one evening in June this year. And his story has shaken the foundations of a bonus system that has worked to the dissatisfaction of many over the last 15 years.

Brian Mikkelsen called the emergency doctor, and received what many perceive as the standard suggestion: take an aspirin and see your own doctor tomorrow (or when the weekend is over). However, Mr Mikkelsen, being a cabinet minister, could afford calling a private emergency service and have a doctor come and see him. The doctor immediately sent Mr Mikkelsen to the nearest hospital where he was treated for a severe heart condition that could have cost him his life within a very short period of time. In this case it "only" cost him about 200 of his own money.

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrman
 
There is a common denominator for most public projects: more often than not they turn out to be much more costly than planned.

When it was announced that Danmarks Radio, the older of the two Danish public service companies, would move to new premises in the Copenhagen suburb of Ørestad, this seemed to be yet another attempt to bring life into an area, which the general population does not seem to want to embrace with particular ardour.

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrmann
 
What do you give to someone who has been everywhere, tried everything, and is a bit blasé about new experiences because there isn't really anything new under the sun?

Try a bottle of Danish red wine. It will at least raise an eyebrow or two. And provoke a certain astonishment. Wineries in Denmark? Who has heard of such a thing?

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrmann

Having lice is an experience that you will not find in any guide about the 115 things you are supposed to have done before you die.

But if you have children in Denmark you may not be able to avoid it, either. Last year 46 % of all kids between the age of 3 and 13 had contracted lice. In 1997 there were "only" about 33 %.

This is not due to lack of hygiene. Rather on the contrary. Lice love a clean and fragrant environment - but the idea that they are a sign of poverty and poor standards is deeply rooted in many of us.

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrmann

The festival Images of the Middle East, which currently is trying to enlighten the public all over Denmark about contemporary culture in that part of the world, has had bad press for a very long time.

There was trouble getting the festival arranged we were told - because of bad management. So there was no reason to believe that the invited artists would show up, and the whole affair would explode in the hands of the organisers who would be disgraced and turn Denmark into an international laughing stock...

Click to read more ...

by sabine behrman

Climatic changes happen in Greenland - or so the Danes think. That is why Connie Hedegaard, minister for the environment, this week will take a group of international politicians - among them US senator John Mc Cain - on a guided tour to the world's biggest island. She hopes that this will serve as an eye-opener to these decision makers (but since senator McCain won't be US president before 2009 - if ever - this is all very slow going, and quite likely not the brightest strategy).

Click to read more ...