KARMA
Most societies have some concept of karma, where a person's actions influence what happens to that person in the future. "As you sow, so you reap" and "what goes around, comes around" are two examples in English.
I was exposed to it on my recent trip to England. When you get to Luton Airport railway station, you have to take a shuttle bus up to the airport, which costs £1.60. A French guy was running late for his plane, and had no cash, so I did a deal with him. I paid for his bus ticket, if he would send an sms on his phone on my behalf. The battery had run dead on my telephone (I had my charger with me, but the U.K. has different plug sockets from the rest of the world, so I couldn't use it!), and it was very important that I gave the number of my new passport to my colleague in Denmark. I had tried to do that from a public telephone in Victoria Station, but that did not take a credit card and ate coins like crazy, so I had been cut off mid-sentence.
An sms doesn't cost £1.60, so I had some good karma in my bank account. Which I duly cashed in the next day. On my way back through Copenhagen, and rushing to get a train, I found that I needed to pee. Unfortunately, the loo at the main railway station cost kr.5; even more unfortunately, the two machines at the entrance which took a credit card were both broken and I had no coins. On discovering this, I harrumphed rather loudly. At which point a lady coming out of the loo voluntarily, and without prompting, gave me a kr.5 coin.
If I wasn't before, I am now a firm believer in karma.
Walter Blotscher
Saturday 28 February 2015
Friday 27 February 2015
CARL NIELSEN
Denmark is not a country that you would automatically associate with classical composers. Germany, Italy, France, even Norway, but not Denmark.
The exception that "proves" the rule is Carl Nielsen, who was born in 1865 and died in 1931. Abroad, he is known for his symphonies and concertos; at home, he is most liked for the melodies he composed for hymns, folktales and songs, many of which have become part of the national heritage.
This year is the 150th anniversary of his birth. As part of the celebrations I went last night to a lecture/concert in the local church, mixing details of his life with extracts from his music. I didn't recognise any of the serious stuff, though I did know a lot of the simpler tunes.
Walter Blotscher
Denmark is not a country that you would automatically associate with classical composers. Germany, Italy, France, even Norway, but not Denmark.
The exception that "proves" the rule is Carl Nielsen, who was born in 1865 and died in 1931. Abroad, he is known for his symphonies and concertos; at home, he is most liked for the melodies he composed for hymns, folktales and songs, many of which have become part of the national heritage.
This year is the 150th anniversary of his birth. As part of the celebrations I went last night to a lecture/concert in the local church, mixing details of his life with extracts from his music. I didn't recognise any of the serious stuff, though I did know a lot of the simpler tunes.
Walter Blotscher
Wednesday 25 February 2015
FLIGHT TO THE CITIES (4)
The expression "udkants Danmark" (Denmark on the edge) is back on the agenda. There is a marked population shift from rural areas to the big cities, notably Copenhagen and Aarhus; udkants Danmark covers those areas which are being depopulated.
Even with more nuanced parameters than simple population movements, it is clear that some local authorities are doing better than others. Those that are struggling are islands, the south and west of Zealand and the south and west of Jutland. Jobs are disappearing, villages are becoming deserted, the average age of the people who remain is rising.
The local authority where I live is ranked in the second bottom quintile of the 98 in the country. Not brilliant, but not terrible either. Though I have to say that I doubt that my children will live here when they choose to marry or start a family.
Walter Blotscher
The expression "udkants Danmark" (Denmark on the edge) is back on the agenda. There is a marked population shift from rural areas to the big cities, notably Copenhagen and Aarhus; udkants Danmark covers those areas which are being depopulated.
Even with more nuanced parameters than simple population movements, it is clear that some local authorities are doing better than others. Those that are struggling are islands, the south and west of Zealand and the south and west of Jutland. Jobs are disappearing, villages are becoming deserted, the average age of the people who remain is rising.
The local authority where I live is ranked in the second bottom quintile of the 98 in the country. Not brilliant, but not terrible either. Though I have to say that I doubt that my children will live here when they choose to marry or start a family.
Walter Blotscher
Tuesday 24 February 2015
WATER
It's been warm and wet in Denmark all winter. Not Costa del Sol warm, but warmer than you would expect. Snow and ice have been markedly absent.
Water, on the other hand, has been abundant. The rainfall this winter was 245mm, more than a third higher than the average of 180mm. My wife's uncle, a retired farmer in the village, says that the fields are the wettest he's seen them in 70 years. Nearly every major field has a lake in it. His highland cattle, which he keeps as a hobby, are marooned on a small island surrounded by a sea.
On my hacienda there has always been water in a low-lying area near the kitchen garden, where an apple tree fell over some years ago. Now, however, that area is some 30 metres by 20 metres. Other parts of the property are boggy and swampy for the first time since we moved in back in 2002.
The water will eventually sink into the ground or flow out to the sea. But it seems as if this sort of thing will become more common in the future. I am glad that the ground floor of our house is raised a metre or so above the surrounding yard.
Walter Blotscher
It's been warm and wet in Denmark all winter. Not Costa del Sol warm, but warmer than you would expect. Snow and ice have been markedly absent.
Water, on the other hand, has been abundant. The rainfall this winter was 245mm, more than a third higher than the average of 180mm. My wife's uncle, a retired farmer in the village, says that the fields are the wettest he's seen them in 70 years. Nearly every major field has a lake in it. His highland cattle, which he keeps as a hobby, are marooned on a small island surrounded by a sea.
On my hacienda there has always been water in a low-lying area near the kitchen garden, where an apple tree fell over some years ago. Now, however, that area is some 30 metres by 20 metres. Other parts of the property are boggy and swampy for the first time since we moved in back in 2002.
The water will eventually sink into the ground or flow out to the sea. But it seems as if this sort of thing will become more common in the future. I am glad that the ground floor of our house is raised a metre or so above the surrounding yard.
Walter Blotscher
Monday 23 February 2015
A NEW PASSPORT
I have had to get a new passport. The old one didn't run out until August, but I am going to China at the end of March, and the Chinese require all passports to have at least 6 months to the expiry date before they will give you a visa. Mine was just out of time.
Post 9/11 and all that, getting a new British passport is not easy. My expiring one, acquired 10 years ago, was organised (painlessly) through the British Embassy in Copenhagen. But that is no longer allowed; everything must now go through the Passport Agency in London.
I called them up to find out how long it would take, and they said "a minimum" of 6 weeks if it was done through the post. Given that we needed at least a month to get a Chinese visa, I didn't like the sound of that word minimum, particularly after reading the horror stories about the Agency over the past year. So I chose the "fast-track" option, where I pay more, arrange a personal interview at the Agency, submit an application and get the new passport four hours later. Sure, that would involve flying to London. But I hadn't seen my mum in a while, so I could kill two birds with one stone.
My time was arranged for 10.15am on Saturday 14 February (I was impressed that they worked on Saturdays). I got there early, since there were ridiculous security measures. eventually got to see a human (not at the appointed time, but not long afterwards) and then received the bombshell. The computer system was down, so no passports were being issued that day.
I was lucky, in that I had booked my return flight for Monday afternoon, and so could pick the new one up Monday lunchtime (which I did, though it meant an additional trip from Luton to London). Others were not so fortunate. The man in the booth next to me was arranging a passport for his son so that they could fly to the United States on the Sunday to attend his father's funeral.
Nobody can be responsible for technical glitches. But what struck me forcibly were three things. First, we were not treated as citizens acquiring a document to which we had a right, but more like petty criminals trying to pull one over on the state. Secondly, staff at the office were completely unconcerned about the human problems which the glitches had caused. Nearly all of us had travelled from abroad, at some expense, in order to acquire that document, and couldn't get home without it, yet they couldn't give a rat's arse. Thirdly, and perhaps contributing to the first two things, the offices were dreadful; badly designed, shabby, and dirty.
Waiting around to hear what would happen, I have to admit that I experienced a new emotion with respect to my country, one that I have never really had before. That emotion was shame. Tanzania had similar difficulties, but my expectations there were vastly lower. The U.K., on the other hand, claims to be a developed nation. Not when it comes to passports.
Walter Blotscher
I have had to get a new passport. The old one didn't run out until August, but I am going to China at the end of March, and the Chinese require all passports to have at least 6 months to the expiry date before they will give you a visa. Mine was just out of time.
Post 9/11 and all that, getting a new British passport is not easy. My expiring one, acquired 10 years ago, was organised (painlessly) through the British Embassy in Copenhagen. But that is no longer allowed; everything must now go through the Passport Agency in London.
I called them up to find out how long it would take, and they said "a minimum" of 6 weeks if it was done through the post. Given that we needed at least a month to get a Chinese visa, I didn't like the sound of that word minimum, particularly after reading the horror stories about the Agency over the past year. So I chose the "fast-track" option, where I pay more, arrange a personal interview at the Agency, submit an application and get the new passport four hours later. Sure, that would involve flying to London. But I hadn't seen my mum in a while, so I could kill two birds with one stone.
My time was arranged for 10.15am on Saturday 14 February (I was impressed that they worked on Saturdays). I got there early, since there were ridiculous security measures. eventually got to see a human (not at the appointed time, but not long afterwards) and then received the bombshell. The computer system was down, so no passports were being issued that day.
I was lucky, in that I had booked my return flight for Monday afternoon, and so could pick the new one up Monday lunchtime (which I did, though it meant an additional trip from Luton to London). Others were not so fortunate. The man in the booth next to me was arranging a passport for his son so that they could fly to the United States on the Sunday to attend his father's funeral.
Nobody can be responsible for technical glitches. But what struck me forcibly were three things. First, we were not treated as citizens acquiring a document to which we had a right, but more like petty criminals trying to pull one over on the state. Secondly, staff at the office were completely unconcerned about the human problems which the glitches had caused. Nearly all of us had travelled from abroad, at some expense, in order to acquire that document, and couldn't get home without it, yet they couldn't give a rat's arse. Thirdly, and perhaps contributing to the first two things, the offices were dreadful; badly designed, shabby, and dirty.
Waiting around to hear what would happen, I have to admit that I experienced a new emotion with respect to my country, one that I have never really had before. That emotion was shame. Tanzania had similar difficulties, but my expectations there were vastly lower. The U.K., on the other hand, claims to be a developed nation. Not when it comes to passports.
Walter Blotscher
Sunday 22 February 2015
NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES
A couple of years ago, the Danish central bank issued bonds with a negative interest rate. Since negative nominal (as opposed to real) interest rates are economically bizarre, this was widely perceived to be a one- or two-off.
However, negative interest rates have come back with a vengeance and have started to filter down from the central bank and into the housing market. When someone takes out a Danish mortgage, it is usually through a credit union, which finances the deal by issuing a bond (to be precise, it funds, say, kr.100 million of mortgages by issuing a kr.100 million bond). Some of those mortgages are variable rate, meaning essentially that they are refinanced in the market every year for the life of the term. In next week's big annual refinancing, it is expected that the bonds issued will have an interest rate of minus 0,2-0,3%.
In other words, people will be being paid to borrow money. If that sounds daft, then that's because it is.
Walter Blotscher
A couple of years ago, the Danish central bank issued bonds with a negative interest rate. Since negative nominal (as opposed to real) interest rates are economically bizarre, this was widely perceived to be a one- or two-off.
However, negative interest rates have come back with a vengeance and have started to filter down from the central bank and into the housing market. When someone takes out a Danish mortgage, it is usually through a credit union, which finances the deal by issuing a bond (to be precise, it funds, say, kr.100 million of mortgages by issuing a kr.100 million bond). Some of those mortgages are variable rate, meaning essentially that they are refinanced in the market every year for the life of the term. In next week's big annual refinancing, it is expected that the bonds issued will have an interest rate of minus 0,2-0,3%.
In other words, people will be being paid to borrow money. If that sounds daft, then that's because it is.
Walter Blotscher
Saturday 21 February 2015
KAL
KAL is the pen-name for the American cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher. I know him best from his cartoons in the Economist, who recruited him as their first ever resident cartoonist in 1978, about the time I started subscribing to the magazine. But he has also drawn for other newspapers.
Like newspapers, cartoonists have a style. I really like KAL's style, which I contrast with (say) Gerald Scarfe, another famous cartoonist who works for the Sunday Times, and whose style I can't stand.
What would I do if KAL worked for the Sunday Times, and Scarfe for the Economist? Mm, that's a tough one. I am just glad that they are where they are.
Walter Blotscher
KAL is the pen-name for the American cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher. I know him best from his cartoons in the Economist, who recruited him as their first ever resident cartoonist in 1978, about the time I started subscribing to the magazine. But he has also drawn for other newspapers.
Like newspapers, cartoonists have a style. I really like KAL's style, which I contrast with (say) Gerald Scarfe, another famous cartoonist who works for the Sunday Times, and whose style I can't stand.
What would I do if KAL worked for the Sunday Times, and Scarfe for the Economist? Mm, that's a tough one. I am just glad that they are where they are.
Walter Blotscher
Friday 20 February 2015
SCHOOL ELECTIONS
One of the things I was busy with in January was running a school election. Research has shown that if a young person votes for the first time for a particular party, then they are likely to vote for that party for the rest of their lives. Now combine that thought with two others. First, it is quite likely that the voting age will at some point be be reduced from 18 to 16 (witness the Scottish independence referendum). Secondly, old people the world over vote more regularly than young people. So it becomes important for all political parties to get young people interested in politics and voting.
At the end of January the Danish Government held a school election for all children in their last year of ordinary school (i.e. 15/16 year olds). Representatives of the parties' youth wings came to my school the day before for a debate, which I chaired. It was passionate and well argued.
Both the debate and the election showed two clear trends. First, young people are more to the right than the population as a whole; if the election were replicated at a national level, then the current left of centre Government would be decisively booted out. Young people are more individualistic and less keen on "fællesskab" than previous generations. Secondly, the strong showing of the far-right Danish People's Party at national level is not replicated amongst the young. They are much more tolerant of immigrants, homosexuals, foreigners and other DPP bogeymen than their parents (and especially grandparents) are.
However, this was a school election, not a real election. All those who voted in the school election will be ineligible to vote in the general election due this year, and will probably have to wait until 2019 before they can. It's still not clear whether they will care enough to do so.
Walter Blotscher
One of the things I was busy with in January was running a school election. Research has shown that if a young person votes for the first time for a particular party, then they are likely to vote for that party for the rest of their lives. Now combine that thought with two others. First, it is quite likely that the voting age will at some point be be reduced from 18 to 16 (witness the Scottish independence referendum). Secondly, old people the world over vote more regularly than young people. So it becomes important for all political parties to get young people interested in politics and voting.
At the end of January the Danish Government held a school election for all children in their last year of ordinary school (i.e. 15/16 year olds). Representatives of the parties' youth wings came to my school the day before for a debate, which I chaired. It was passionate and well argued.
Both the debate and the election showed two clear trends. First, young people are more to the right than the population as a whole; if the election were replicated at a national level, then the current left of centre Government would be decisively booted out. Young people are more individualistic and less keen on "fællesskab" than previous generations. Secondly, the strong showing of the far-right Danish People's Party at national level is not replicated amongst the young. They are much more tolerant of immigrants, homosexuals, foreigners and other DPP bogeymen than their parents (and especially grandparents) are.
However, this was a school election, not a real election. All those who voted in the school election will be ineligible to vote in the general election due this year, and will probably have to wait until 2019 before they can. It's still not clear whether they will care enough to do so.
Walter Blotscher
Thursday 19 February 2015
BOOK TITLES
Since I have been offline for a while, time for a rant.
One of the things that really irritates me is the fact that so many non-fiction books have both long titles and a dual title separated by a colon. Two examples from the issue of the Economist that I am currently reading.
1. America's Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deal, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System.
2. Hall of Mirrors: The Great Depression, the Great Recession and the Uses - and Misuses - of History.
Now, don't you find that irritating?
Walter Blotscher
Since I have been offline for a while, time for a rant.
One of the things that really irritates me is the fact that so many non-fiction books have both long titles and a dual title separated by a colon. Two examples from the issue of the Economist that I am currently reading.
1. America's Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deal, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System.
2. Hall of Mirrors: The Great Depression, the Great Recession and the Uses - and Misuses - of History.
Now, don't you find that irritating?
Walter Blotscher
Wednesday 18 February 2015
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
My last post was on 13 December. Normally, I let people know when I am going to stop blogging for a while, but this time I didn't. That wasn't intentional, it just worked out that way. It was gratifying when some of my readers (yes, there are some, you will be pleased to know) asked me what had happened, as if I were ill or had had some other misfortune. However, the short answer to the reason why was that I have been very busy these past two months, what with end of term, Christmas in our new kitchen, New Year in Scotland, and then preparing for, and having, a visit from our Chinese exchange school. I clocked up more than 80 extra hours in January, if proof were needed.
However, now I am back, and what better way to start than with my New Year's resolutions. Nothing particularly exciting, but they are mine, so here they are.
To play, and listen to, more music.
To get a mobile payment app for my phone, and learn how to use it.
To get a new passport.
To cut down the rest of the old apple trees in the orchard and plant new ones.
To have a summer holiday with just my wife.
To get my mother to visit me in Denmark.
To cycle with the local cycle club instead of on my own.
To paint the rest of the barn.
I am pleased to say that I have already knocked off one of them, namely getting a new passport (more on that in a future post). Only seven to go.
Walter Blotscher
My last post was on 13 December. Normally, I let people know when I am going to stop blogging for a while, but this time I didn't. That wasn't intentional, it just worked out that way. It was gratifying when some of my readers (yes, there are some, you will be pleased to know) asked me what had happened, as if I were ill or had had some other misfortune. However, the short answer to the reason why was that I have been very busy these past two months, what with end of term, Christmas in our new kitchen, New Year in Scotland, and then preparing for, and having, a visit from our Chinese exchange school. I clocked up more than 80 extra hours in January, if proof were needed.
However, now I am back, and what better way to start than with my New Year's resolutions. Nothing particularly exciting, but they are mine, so here they are.
To play, and listen to, more music.
To get a mobile payment app for my phone, and learn how to use it.
To get a new passport.
To cut down the rest of the old apple trees in the orchard and plant new ones.
To have a summer holiday with just my wife.
To get my mother to visit me in Denmark.
To cycle with the local cycle club instead of on my own.
To paint the rest of the barn.
I am pleased to say that I have already knocked off one of them, namely getting a new passport (more on that in a future post). Only seven to go.
Walter Blotscher
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
