Self Portrait V - Intersection

March 26 today, exactly one year since I boarded a KLM flight in Toronto headed for new adventures in Europe. At that time, there was only one runway to choose from for takeoff, with all lines of perspective converging at one point far in the distance.

Today, after one year following arrows and climbing slowly up a ramp, there is bend and the lines no longer converge but instead, intersect in every direction.

Although no longer running a marathon, I have hit a midway marker but cannot see where there is a finishing line.

Ligtog på Nørrebro

Gun violence due to the drug war between Hells Angels and immigrant groups in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen has been increasing rapidly in the last year. On February 27, 25 year old Mustafa Shakir Hsownay was innocently killed while sitting in his car in a parking lot at the Mjølnerparken Estate.

In commemoration of his death and in protest of the violence, a powerful and dignified demonstration was held on Saturday, March 14. It took place in the form of a funeral procession march from Nørrebro Station to Dronning Louises bridge on Nørrebrogade.

On arrival at the end point, the backhatch of the car was opened to reveal the coffin one last time. A hush of quietness filled the street as friends, family and loved ones rushed forward for one more goodbye. Bystanders stood still on the sidewalk and in the open windows above.

The faces around me blurred in grief. My hands fell to my side, my camera no longer in ready position. I could only hear cries of pain and grief.

The complete set of photos from "Faces, Nørrebro Funeral Procession'' can be viewed by clicking here.

Financial Crisis

Global Finance has released a list of the worlds 50 safest banks. Click here if you're curious. Nordea has been ranked as 22nd in the world and first in the Nordic region, maybe still not good enough for some....

No, I don't bank at Nordea. I keep my danish kroner under my bed.

Jante's Law

After 7 months in Copenhagen trying to understand the complexity of living in Denmark, it is time to bring up Jante's law, an unspoken code of ethics in Scandinavian-American culture. This law was created by Norwegian/Danish author Aksel Sandemose in 1933 when he wrote "En flygtning krysser sitt spor", a novel about Jante, a fictitious little village in Denmark where people live by 10 commandments to preserve social stability and uniformity.

Here are the ten rules to the law:

1. Don't think that you are special.
2. Don't think that you are of the same standing as us.
3. Don't think that you are smarter than us.
4. Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.
5. Don't think that you know more than us.
6. Don't think that you are more important than us.
7. Don't think that you are good at anything.
8. Don't laugh at us.
9. Don't think that anyone cares about you.
10. Don't think that you can teach us anything.

To summarize, the Law of Jante was the very core of the speech of the people and the result of breaking this social code meant that your neighbors would despise you for your individuality, uniqueness, or an excess show of wealth. Furthermore, according to this website,

"Equality is an important part of Danish culture, so much so that, ‘success’ or what may be seen as a deliberate attempt to distinguish oneself from others may be viewed with hostility. This characteristic is called Janteloven or Jante’s Law by Danes.

Relocating alone to a country with a new culture and language, one experiences looking in the mirror daily, questioning values, prejudices and self definition. With Jante's 10 commandments,living in Denmark comes with a whole set of additional challenges.