Our Aarhus Adventure

Daisy’s first birthday in Denmark is her ninth.

Posted by Philip Morley on March 14th, 2016

Daisy invited the whole class to her party, plus three other girls whose mums share an office with me.

Our apartment didn’t offer a 12 metre climbing wall, huge gymnastics room and badminton course - plus on-site bulk catering - so we opted for DGI Huset in the centre of Aarhus.

DGI is brilliant. A family-friendly, giant sports hall where everyone can run amok safely.

Which they did.

Sarah and I both felt it was the first birthday party we’d actually enjoyed attending.

All we had to do was watch.

Six months in.

Posted by Philip Morley on March 2nd, 2016

We suddenly realised at the weekend that we’d lived in Denmark for sixth months.

We had dinner together as a family and I think we all felt pretty chuffed with what we’d achieved.

There have been low points but not many when you consider how things might have been.

We arrived just as the weather was turning, with nowhere permanent to live and only Daisy’s school as a constant.

The trials and tribulations of moving boxes and bits of beds now seem far behind us.

With the exception of the bits of beds.

This saga has only just finished.

But, as I write this looking out into the rain on a truly shitty day, it feels good to be here.

Daisy has her first Danish birthday party this weekend.

Over here, you either invite everyone, or all the boys or all the girls.

You can guess which option Daisy chose.

It’s going to be a little expensive but she’ll love having all her friends from school together at DGI Huset.

DGI is an amazing, massive sports centre in the middle of town.

They have a huge mezzanine floor, flanked by a climbing wall, stuffed with gymnastic equipment and all manner of padded stuff to fall onto after running around.

Here is the party invite we did, which has gone down well.

Sunshine at last.

Posted by Philip Morley on February 16th, 2016

Spring seems like it’s arriving, although we know that’s just wishful thinking.

Took these just a few minutes ago across the road.

The girls leave for a week in the UK.

Posted by Philip Morley on February 15th, 2016

Cards arrive.

Posted by Philip Morley on February 13th, 2016

Yesterday I was very excited to receive my new business cards.

I normally order 250 and end up throwing about 200 away.

So this time I spent more on better quality ones and only went for 50.

The surprise was the box the cards came in.

It had a magnetic shutting mechanism - itself quite amazing - but was dramatically sealed with genuine sealing wax.

How ironic that a digital production company thought that something so old fashioned could be so stunning.

I immediately left the office to see my new favourite shopkeepers - the ones that run the Architects’ Bookshop up the road. I just had to find someone who could make me a stamp.

They ended up googling a place in Odense but they looked both traditional and hyper-expensive.

So I went back to work and searched myself. I found a place run by an Anglo Asian couple in Hong Kong who make stamps of all kinds that are really affordable.

I’m going to be ordering mine next week.

At this rate, I’ll be writing with a quill by Easter.

Denmark’s newest start-up. Full stop.

Posted by Philip Morley on February 3rd, 2016

With a the help of the lovely Mike Young from Mike Young Design, here is the new identity for my Danish company, which began trading (and generating taxable income) on 1st February.

Funny how just putting the full stop at the front can make such a statement.

It was meant to be just a bit of design trickery, so that it wasn’t boring. But I suppose there’s a tale to be made up about using me after the thinking has come to a full stop.

I’ll come up with something plausible, I’m sure.

Gym fixes it for me.

Posted by Philip Morley on February 3rd, 2016

Finally, I have been hired by a gym.

Seier Fitness is a boutique, family owned fitness centre in the heart of the city.

The building is the 1930s one I mentioned when writing about the sauna.

I’d dropped in a flyer a few weeks ago and it seemed like nobody had noticed.

Then, Mads Seier, the owner, got in touch and interviewed me.

Following this there was a trial class, which lasted an hour. Much of which was observed by Mads himself.

Mads seemed impressed but wanted to get feedback from the people who’d attended the class.

This process dragged a few days and I was on tenterhooks.

Then, last Friday night, I got an email welcoming me to Crew Seier, the small team of trainers and instructors who work at the gym.

So, now, 1730 Tuesday is my class.

I feel very much at home now.

Denmark turns a bit Nazi.

Posted by Philip Morley on January 27th, 2016

Denmark is suddenly in the very bad books.

Yesterday a bill sailed through the Danish parliament giving the authorities the right to confiscate the cash and belongings of any immigrant over the value of about a grand. On top of this, successful asylum seekers will now be forced to wait three years before being joined by the rest of their family.

There are things not apparent hiding behind this news story. Such as the fact that, in Denmark, anyone claiming benefit has to sell belongings over a certain value first. So, if mummy and daddy have bought you a 62 inch telly, you have to sell it before claiming dole.

So making immigrants comply with this seems only fair.

Until you realise that they’ve already fled war torn Syria to get here.

When the news broke on the BBC it provoked a pretty angry response from friends back in the UK. Well, the ones on Facebook anyway.

And then, today, this cartoon appeared in the British press.

Brrrr.

Posted by Philip Morley on January 20th, 2016

Happiness is a bendy bus.

Posted by Philip Morley on January 19th, 2016

Daisy has become worryingly obsessed with buses.

We use buses a lot in Aarhus. Not least because we no longer have the use of a car but also because they’re excellent and inexpensive.

There are a whole range of bus options to and from school and Daisy is up to speed on them all.

She knows the 5A goes everywhere and is the one to avoid.

She knows the 18 is usually packed and you can’t get a seat.

She knows the 100 coach is a different kettle of fish. Here, you get executive style travel and even a bendy bus on occasions.

Daisy was particularly pleased with this one because the bellows of the bus - the bends in the middle - were covered in a kind of heavy duty velour.

What a way to go to school at 0728am.