Highlights of 2011

Once again, it is time to look back. And compared to one year ago, my outlook this time is entirely positive.

2011 ends on a high note, and a lot of this has to do with work. A year ago, I was unemployed and frustrated. But after many months of waiting, I finally came through in June and landed a job with one the most attractive employers in the country. Not only that, I have come to know many wonderful colleagues, and it seems like my work has created good results and made lasting impressions.

To me, this outshines the period spent without a job, and most of the bad experiences of the year (though not all). Travelwise, 2011 has been very lean compared to the previous decade. Also, church-related activities have unfortunately declined in importance, quality, and frequency. Thus, there is always room for improvement, but as we turn the page tonight, we are looking at yet another clean slate – full of opportunities.

My highlights of the past year:

• Blue sapphire wedding celebration (krondiamantbryllup) of Katrine’s grandparents (June)
• Carlie and Devon visiting Denmark (April)
• Choir experiences with Camerata: Vivaldi’s Gloria; the Messiah; Norwegian choir visiting; and much more
• Dining out in many new places
• Graduation party for Kamilla and Richard, Møn (August)
• Guest lecturing at Andrews University on the story of Aarhus Café Church (January)
• Helle and Erik’s wedding (April)
• ”ID Light” – study group at regen church (spring)
• Long weekend away in the holiday house (October)
• Mum and Dad in Denmark for the summer (July)
• Mum’s 60th birthday (January)
• Niels Lan Doky concert, Tivoli (July)
• Preaching/presenting for theme day on church and internet, Aalborg (October)
• Running – stats: total 898.5 km; 82h 50m 26s; avg. speed of 10.8 km/h
• Running the Eremitage Race for the first time (November)
• Small group
• Three days in New York City (January)
• Visiting the port terminal and the world’s largest containership, Aarhus (November)
• Working at Maersk Line (since June)

Happy New Year!

Don’t Reply All

Last week, all hell broke loose in the inboxes of a large number of people at work.

It began with a message which was clearly not intended for me. Somehow, an email regarding a servicedesk issue was being sent out to a distribution list (in BCC) with a large number of people, including myself and everyone else around me. Oh well, you just delete the message and move on, right? No, clearly not.

Five minutes later, the first reply ticked in: “Please everybody make sure I will be removed from the distribution list from now on,” with everyone in copy. Three more simply joined the crowd, with “Me too” replies, still everyone in copy. After that, the first sensible message was sent: “Please do not use reply all,” to everybody. All in vain, unfortunately. Within 40 minutes of the initial email, the staggering number of 40 people replied with a request to be removed. An additional 15 people repeated the message of not hitting Reply All. And one person took the very forthcoming action of hitting Reply All, but adding no comments of his own. Eventually the distribution list was shut down, or so we presume. Additionally, I was told that for each email that was sent, a new ticket was raised with servicedesk. Someone should be embarrassed for sure.

So are my colleagues more stupid than other people? Sadly, in this case, probably not. But they fell victim to an unfortunate combination of striving for efficiency and underestimating the power of modern communication tools.

Email is an individual mass communication channel which allows you to target an immense amount of recipients easily, instantly, and cost-free. This has great value, of course, and for a global business it’s hard to imagine living without it. But these traits also carry the potential pitfall of embarrassing yourself in front of that same number of people, wasting their time, and ultimately costing the business a lot of money in lost efficiency.

Control mechanisms can be conceived of, such as hiding Send buttons, installing verification measures when sending to a large number of recipients, or removing the Reply All button altogether. However, the best measure of all would be one that requires enhanced functionality not in the system, but on the side of the user: sheer common sense.

Sydney is a State of Mind

The summer that never was finally ended. Never mind that last weekend was exceptionally warm for October, setting records all across Europe. When I got up this morning it was much darker than yesterday, colder, and raining. There are still limits to global warming, apparently.

So sitting on the train, watching my umbrella dry, my mind wandered south. To another world, another hemisphere where summer should now be approaching. A world in which rainy days are an exception, where the wind doesn’t threaten to blow you over, where people smile and welcome you, where everything is beautiful year round, where you don’t exclaim “Oh, the sun!” as if it’s a rare visitor. A world of beaches, surfers, barbecues, friendly people, world-class business and dining, kangaroos and koalas, possums and kookaburras. A world down under, but in most ways coming out on top.

Walking in the dreary Danish autumn twilight, I can smile and think of that other world. I can relish the hope that lives on in a dream which will never die.

But Australia is not just a dream world. It is for real, and even after many visits and the extended stay of a year the passion never waned. Does that mean the place is perfect? No, of course certain downsides could be mentioned (long travel times to the rest of the world, poor traffic planning, minor xenophobic sentiments), but only the first one is a real discouragement. Too good to be true? I have still not come to that conclusion.

So often, and in so many ways, I still call Australia home. It has been two and a half years since we left, and we are still in the process of settling in as Copenhageners. I wonder if I will ever settle in, or settle down. Is it just wanderlust? Or is it the frustration of having to choose between two countries with no obvious compromise available?

Cyclist Hell

All eyes were on Denmark last week (well, some at least), as Copenhagen and Rudersdal hosted the UCI Cycling World Championships. The event itself went extremely well: huge amounts of spectators, interesting sporting moments, a well-organised affair, and great weather. Last Sunday, we went to Holte (just a 5K bike ride from our home) to watch part of the race and feel the excitement over such a big sporting event in little Denmark.

Of course, doing a road race in the middle of a big city is impossible without a certain hassle for its inhabitants. Major road closures changed the daily commute for the many people that usually rely on their car to take them into the city. But this is not what my title refers to. I ride the train everyday, and although last week saw an increase in the number of passengers, I was able to do pretty much the same as usual. And an event like this is great for the country in terms of tourist income and brand value.

No, what I’m talking about is how you cannot go anywhere in Copenhagen (or its suburbs, for that matter) without being overwhelmed by people on bicycles. It’s easy, healthy, free, good for the environment, and what have you. For many Copenhageners and outsiders alike, that’s what they love about this city. Not me, though.

I don’t mind being able to get to the station quickly and inexpensively, especially when the weather is nice. But I do not subscribe to the prevailing sentiment that bicycles are oh, so good for a city.

Too many cyclists believe they own the place. They are a danger to themselves and others, not adhering to traffic rules, taking up space on trains, and terrorising innocent pedestrians and others who want a clean and safe city.

What if the police started actively enforcing traffic rules for bicycles? Not just running red lights (jayriding?), but also especially riding on sidewalks, pedestrian streets, and train platforms, parking in no-parking zones (towing should happen much more frequently), riding against traffic, and speeding (how about speed-cameras for bikes?). Most of this is illegal already, but seldom enforced.

I know cars take up a lot of space, but there are simply too many bicycles in Copenhagen. My solution? More public transit (trains, metro, trams/light rail, buses), pedestrian streets (free of bicycles, that is), and a limited number of cars where unavoidable (taxing visiting drivers in some form is fine by me).

Am I just becoming a grumpy old man? Possibly – I think many bloggers are. While we’re at it, we should prohibit dogs as well.

Drinking Culture

In the news today, the WHO is saying that Denmark has a drinking problem. Despite improvements in the extent of youth drinking due to legal age restraints, it is simply not enough. They are recommending higher taxes on alcohol and harsher restrictions, and formulating a national alcohol strategy. I think they have a valid point.

Our new government is quietly listening. The socialists have promised higher taxes on other unhealthy products, and coalition partner Radikale have higher alcohol taxes as part of their political program. It will be interesting to see if they come through and actually succeed in changing behaviour.

I am not a teetotaller.

While red wine may have some health benefits, alcohol in general is definitely not good for you. Neither is pastry. My relationship to cake, chocolate, candy, etc. is probably worse than my relationship to alcohol.

Where alcohol differs from these is in its societal impact. Yes, having a few drinks can lighten up a party, but there is also the risk of driving people into addiction, violence, and more. This is not always the case, of course, and it is not a good reason for banning alcohol completely, but it does call for advocating a certain measure of moderation.

Basically, drink responsibly. And promote a culture where having a drink is fine, but not necessarily an integral part of every social occasion. People can have plenty of fun and still be able to drive home. A glass of wine is great, but not something you need every day – just like dessert. Getting moderately drunk once in a while can be a way of letting go of yourself, but if it happens every week you may want to reconsider your priorities.

As such, I am all for restricting access to alcohol for minors, and I believe higher taxes to curb destructive behaviour is in order. Especially since our society applies the same logic to other unhealthy consumer items, such as tobacco and sweets. But rules and regulations can only be one pillar in driving a change; the other is impacting public opinion and popular culture in a more responsible direction.