Should we all just be a little more like Denmark?

"can I go and live there as a garbage man?

a life where you try not to stand out, quiet, and getting paid a very good sum for doing menial work. i can definitely live with that"

me too

Agreed, Trentemøller is by far the best music producer and musician here in Denmark.

Talking money and prices, I can't do anything but cry over the prices of a new CD, a train ticket and the fee if you haven't got the proper one.

A new CD is usually around 150DDK ($28-29), some down to a 100 ($18-19), but thankfully vinyl is having a proper comeback at the general stores at a fair price, but usually I only do my music shopping at second hand stores or over the internet.

Denmark is, at least the area around Copenhagen, divided into zones, and you'll need to buy a ticket that corresponds with the number of zones you're going to be traveling through and to. For example, from my nearest train station(s), I need 3 zones to get into town and of today that price is 36DDK, $6-7. And it only lasts for an hour, so you'll probably need another one back home, so around 72DDK, $13-14, for one day in train. Absolutely ridiculous. (Actually, the price of properly sized beers at cafés, bars, etc. are just about the same price, actually more expensive for the most). And then there's the fees... 750DDK, $142, for not having the proper ticket/amount of zones. They don't give a shit, same fee to all passengers. I've had two of those fuckers within the last month and a half due to a complete misunderstanding of the zone system that not even the employees could explain properly, so when I followed their guidance it cost be another 750DDK. Thankfully they're being heavily criticized at the moment, which means they're dropping many of the zone-system related given fees.

you paid $280 this month for being on the wrong train?

I just remembered one danish music act i like, Lulu Rouge.

But in general I think danish music is very poor. Much better music comes out of Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Suicide, pickled fish, racism - no thanks

  On 3/29/2011 at 8:50 AM, Iain C said:

Suicide, pickled fish, racism - no thanks

aahh c'mon.. There is at least as much (if not more) racism in the UK. And you're own national dish is fish and chips?

I don't know about the suicide thing though, i guess the suicide rate is pretty high in the nordic countries (or just Denmark)?

  On 3/29/2011 at 3:46 AM, joshuatxuk said:

this lad got addicted to synthesizers. see here him huffing the narcotic detuned gasses !

  On 3/29/2011 at 9:36 AM, Dropp said:

  On 3/29/2011 at 8:50 AM, Iain C said:

Suicide, pickled fish, racism - no thanks

 

aahh c'mon.. There is at least as much (if not more) racism in the UK. And you're own national dish is fish and chips?

 

I don't know about the suicide thing though, i guess the suicide rate is pretty high in the nordic countries (or just Denmark)?

I'm just pulling your blonde-haired, blue-eyed chain. I'm sure it's a lovely country. I went to Copenhagen when I was a kid but I can't really remember anything other than the little mermaid statue.

  On 3/29/2011 at 9:36 AM, Dropp said:

  On 3/29/2011 at 8:50 AM, Iain C said:

Suicide, pickled fish, racism - no thanks

 

aahh c'mon.. There is at least as much (if not more) racism in the UK. And you're own national dish is fish and chips?

 

I don't know about the suicide thing though, i guess the suicide rate is pretty high in the nordic countries (or just Denmark)?

Nah, it's high here as well, and we also love the jantelaw.

good danish artists: Bjørn Svin?

  On 3/28/2011 at 11:43 PM, chimera slot mom said:

  On 3/28/2011 at 11:29 PM, Squee said:

  On 3/28/2011 at 11:15 PM, joshuatxuk said:

Another question, anyone have experience with the military conscription systems of Scandinavia? Just another aspect I've associated with those countries.

 

There's a mandatory test. If you don't pass the physical test they don't let you go to the military. If you do you still have to go talk to three people about a possible career in the military. Then they tell you to stick your hand in a bowl and grab a piece of paper and the number on this paper will determine whether or not you will have to join the military or not. Even if the number on the paper says that you have to go join the military you can always just tell them, 'fuck no' and that's that.

 

I didn't even have to do the test.. They just sent me a letter that said that and that was it.

At least your countries have abolished or planning to abolish conscription. Here in Finland it's still a mandatory minimum of 6 months if you are healthy/sane enough. If you are not fit or don't want to learn how to kill people you need to do alternative service for a year. If you refuse all sorts of service you are sent to prison for a maximum of 6 months. It's absolutely hideous that this sort of shit is happening in a modern society. There's still this stupid idea that military service somehow makes boys into men ingrained in the general population.

Oh yeah, Lulu Rouge is absolutely fantastic. Both of those guys, Trentemøller and another Danish electronic musician Mikael Simpson are all great friends - now THAT's "hygge".

The Danish wunderkind of electronic music is, if you ask me, Mike Sheridan.

He released 'I Syv Sind' which is a masterpiece, he was fucking 16 years old and it's better than most other. He's pretty much a Trentemøller-junior but with more ambient and abstract textures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TVaLD-gThU

My mate and I had a drinking contest with a nice friendly Danish bloke in a Prague nightclub a while back. We were thoroughly humiliated.

I like Denmark, and especially Copenhagen. Prettier than Oslo and more relaxed than Stockholm. Nice pastries and those oh so lovely smørrebrød. And I really think the best part of living in Scandinavia is the jante law. I mean, if you are actually good at something you get respect, but all those stupid fashion blogs, reality show contestants, "glamour" models, and celebrities who are known just for being ...celebrities should really feel the jante law every day. "No! The world are not interested in your new fake tan! Stop blogging already!" "No you cannot make a living out of being a celebrity just because you were stupid enough to participate in Paradise Hotel. Go do something useful with your life!"

Pros: Copenhagen, more liberal and relaxed atmosphere (at least compared to Norway), having a beer at Nyhavn, Christiania, their "dirty words" sound funny and are all over the newspapers (Check Belindas smukke fissekussenumserøv).

Cons: There are a few good techno acts and Efterklang, but the music scene pretty much sucks ass.

prø'li'å hør her igåh. decent Danish music (or, when a Dane pronounces Music: mewwssick)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sha7vC_uGkg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvkQ6_xMvdA

^lol

I used to love 'Midt om Natten' as a kid.

But ever since that fucking The Loft remix came out, it has not been as nostalgic to me as it used to be.

The Loft came, saw, ruined everything and left.

Rump recordings actually have quite a lot of amazing artists. Bjørn Svin, System, Analogik, Rumpistol, etc.

I'm Norwegian, but I live in Copenhagen..

I'm too tired to add anything, but I mostly just agree with most that's been said, and wanted to mention that I live here, for the record. ;)

I'll join the choir tomorrow with a fresh mind!

Question for the natives in this thread: What's the employment situation like?

I've been giving some serious thought to moving to Copenhagen in the next year and a half to study with this guy.

It would be free to study but are living costs so high that it would be impossible to survive on part-time work? I'm fairly well qualified in my field (piano and composition) as it is, so I would probably be hoping to pay for myself by giving lessons, which is what I do in London (a rather expensive place itself)...

Also about the language situation- it seems everyone speaks English but is it considered important to have at least some Danish if you're going to be working in a non-freelance capacity?

I got you on tape and Moi Caprice are two of my favourite indie bands at the moment and they both hail from Denmark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOa527BjKhQ

  On 5/9/2011 at 11:08 PM, 277: 930-933 said:

I got you on tape and Moi Caprice are two of my favourite indie bands at the moment and they both hail from Denmark.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOa527BjKhQ

Have you heard this one:

[youtubehd]SNaYaS27VMU[/youtubehd]

  On 5/8/2011 at 8:16 PM, jim said:

Question for the natives in this thread: What's the employment situation like?

 

I've been giving some serious thought to moving to Copenhagen in the next year and a half to study with this guy.

 

It would be free to study but are living costs so high that it would be impossible to survive on part-time work? I'm fairly well qualified in my field (piano and composition) as it is, so I would probably be hoping to pay for myself by giving lessons, which is what I do in London (a rather expensive place itself)...

 

Also about the language situation- it seems everyone speaks English but is it considered important to have at least some Danish if you're going to be working in a non-freelance capacity?

It's starting to get better. But it has been very fucked like the rest of Europe/America.

  Quote

Despite its strong economy Denmark has like most other countries been affected by the global financial crisis, which has had an impact on the employment situation in Denmark.

 

The general scarcity of labour that has characterized the Danish labour market for some years has changed into a situation with fewer vacant jobs, and the need for recruiting manpower from abroad has thus been diminished.

 

However, there are still areas where Denmark will be needing labour from abroad in the future, not least highly qualified labour.

But again, it's getting alot better. I'm actually going to my first job interview tomorrow, since i lost my job.

If you're thinking about moving to Copenhagen. Keep in mid that it's very expensive (which most europaen larger cities are, i guess). You probably could survive with a part-time job. But you'll don't have much money to go around. But i'm not really sure, haven't lived in a big city like that myself, yet.

Also learning a bit of Danish probably wouldn't hurt.

part-time job? I couldn't survive with one of those anywhere

  On 5/9/2011 at 11:26 PM, Dropp said:

 

Also learning a bit of Danish probably wouldn't hurt.

You're a good guy, Dropp but i think that is literally the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard and i have seen The Lightening Seeds live.

  On 5/9/2011 at 11:18 PM, Dropp said:

But again, it's getting alot better. I'm actually going to my first job interview tomorrow, since i lost my job.

Good luck.

  On 5/9/2011 at 11:26 PM, Dropp said:

If you're thinking about moving to Copenhagen. Keep in mid that it's very expensive (which most europaen larger cities are, i guess). You probably could survive with a part-time job. But you'll don't have much money to go around. But i'm not really sure, haven't lived in a big city like that myself, yet.

 

Also learning a bit of Danish probably wouldn't hurt.

The other option is some kind of grant. I've done some sporadic research and it seems that only Danish nationals are eligible for state support for things like living costs... I guess I'd have to ring the college and ask about the possibility of some sort of grant direct from them, but have you ever heard of a foreigner (within the EU) getting that kind of financial support?

Wouldn't mind learning Danish actually but I obviously I'll leave that until I decide if I definitely want to go there first.