Gratitude

It is with mixed emotions we celebrate Thanksgiving today.

We have a lot to be thankful for: each other; family and friends in close vicinity; job, house, material needs fulfilled; an opportunity to spoil ourselves and others with loads of great food. This is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, and the first in our new home region of Greater Copenhagen. We live in a home with plenty of room for occasions such as this, and I’m looking forward to tonight’s festivities.

On the other hand, I look back to last year’s first and only Thanksgiving in Sydney. And this very week, my parents have left Australia for good, moving east to the U.S., the home of Thanksgiving. While this will give me a chance to return once again to my childhood home and doubtlessly bring countless new experiences, I’m leaving a big part of my heart down under.

A year ago, we were thankful for the good experience of coming to Oz to live, and for good friends that we were able to spend time with. And with eight visits over the course of nine years, Australia has given me much more than just an accent. It has been my home away from home, a source of constant joy, an always-welcome refuge, an endless summer, a wide new world, a spring of inspiration, and a never-ending dream.

Australia was where I proposed to my wife, and where we did much of our wedding planning. And especially this time of year, with Denmark turning dark and cold and wet, my heart wanders south. To a place which, in one sense, is no more. But in another, it still lingers. We are not done with Australia. The dream never dies, but more than that, we will return – somehow, someday.

My parents may have moved on, but – to quote Peter Allen – I still call Australia home.

Now What?

Sitting in a nice but hot office in the sun with no air-con, I realise it’s been three months since we returned to Denmark. Spring has turned to summer, much has fallen into place, and my life is arguably as stable as never before.

Just a few weeks ago, the combined efforts of ourselves and family and friends resulted in the perfect wedding day. We’re settling into our first house together, and the future looks fairly bright.

Planning the wedding has been an almost year-long endeavour, surpassed only in scale by writing my MA thesis last year. So after pulling off two such projects, what is going to be the next one? Where do I focus my energy from now on? There are several possible answers.

Obviously, building a good home and marriage needs energy and devotion. On the horizon looms writing that first book, but probably not in the very near future. My best guess is that any big projects will be within the scope of my (still) new job.

Also three months now I have been working for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denmark, in a newly created position of “concept developer and information officer”. This entails many interesting projects, but also hatching and nurturing a grander strategy for the church’s media work here. Strategy work takes time though, and over the next months I hope to be able to think creatively and listen to the needs and opportunities in, especially, new media. I look forward to this challenge.

Where does that leave this blog? It is evident that it has grown a bit stale recently. Is it worthwhile to resurrect it in its current state? Is a refocus necessary? Is it best to shut it down altogether and launch something more focused, perhaps in Danish? Or has the time of blogging come and gone already? If so, then I should move on to other ventures.

Whatever the outcome, I think that my online presence – especially within the fields of church, communication and media – should grow, not diminish. Finding the right outlet(s) to join the discussion should be a focus in the time to come. Stay tuned.

So Far Away

Once again, I must say: what a difference a year makes.

One year ago today is when I left Denmark to go to Australia. Countless experiences and 10½ months later, I returned to my native country on April 1st. Denmark looks the same, but everything is different:

• I am engaged to be married in less than a month. This will change my life forever – for the better.
• I have finished my education.
• I have a job – working for the Adventist Church in Denmark. The position is a new one, emphasising new initiatives in communication.
• I live near Copenhagen again, not in the West.
• We will be living in a house, provided by my employer.

… to name a few.

But a more subtle difference is that my bond with Australia has been further deepened. The experience of an everyday life in Sydney, working for an aussie employer, developing and deepening friendships there has been truly life-altering.

I have seen good and bad sides of Australia, but even after such a long period the good by far outweigh the bad. The main problem is that Australia is just too far away – but then again, that’s also part of the attraction.

Good things are definitely happening in my life. But it is sad that the Australian adventure is over – for now, at least.

Highlights of 2008

For the last three years on this blog (2007, 2006, 2005), the turning of the year has been occasion for looking back at the events that made up the year. 2008 has been different in many senses, and instead of writing one long list as before, I have decided on a more sectional approach, with a few headlines.

Australia

One of the big changes has been the move to Sydney, where I have now spent more than seven months. A couple months are left before Katrine and I return to Denmark in April next year. Highlights of the time spent around here include:

• Attending Fox Valley Community Church
• Passion World Tour in Sydney
• Meeting C and D, and many others
• Preaching in English for the first time

Travels

No new countries this year, but several new places, and still lots of travelling and great fun, especially in Australia. Here’s a list of noteworthy destinations and experiences:

• Paris, with the Jutland Academic Choir
• Alice Springs and Uluru
• Darwin and Kakadu
• Cairns
• Brisbane
• Hervey Bay and Fraser Island
• Mackay region
• Whitsunday Islands
• Northern New South Wales
• Blue Mountains
• And of course lots of stuff in Sydney

Graduating

Another highlight of the year has been writing my MA thesis, which was a very good experience. I really enjoyed the studying and writing process, and I enjoyed working with LEGO Australia. Of course, I was happy that Aarhus University subsidised my travel expenses to Australia, and also thrilled with my final grade of 10 (next to highest) on the Danish scale.

Other highlights

Include:

• Singing in the choir for the Passion of St John in Aarhus, in March
• Playing worship music for National Youth Day in Nærum
• Couple training weekend
• Camp meeting in Denmark
• Talking about Aarhus Cafe Church at Vejlefjord

The future

While New Year is a time for looking back, looking back is also looking forward. The most important event and decision of 2008 has by far been my engagement to Katrine. And although the main event is still to come, a highlight also of this year has been that decision, that relationship, and the first steps of planning next year’s wedding. If any of my readers are around Nærum (Copenhagen) on June 13, you’re welcome to drop by at our wedding ceremony.

2008 has been an important year, but 2009 promises to be just as eventful, and hopefully just as joyous. I look forward to seeing you. Happy New Year!

Where Are You From?

It is a most fundamental question, and one of the first questions we ask when meeting someone new. (Second only to: what do you do?) But recently I have come to see that question as somewhat of a challenge. For some people it’s easy. They grew up in one spot, their family probably still lives there, and they call it home, even though they have since moved away. For others, like me, the world is not nearly as simple as that.

Born in Denmark with a Danish father and Norwegian mother, I usually felt mostly Danish. The four childhood years spent in the U.S., and subsequent moving around within Denmark didn’t inflict on my nationality, but I still never had one place to call home. The city of Aarhus was my home for nine years, but whenever people would ask me: where are you from? I would reply with a lengthy explanation, almost an excuse.

When my parents moved to Australia, Sydney became another home, as impossible as that may sound to people who have never lived in more than one country. I visited once each year and took pride whenever someone mistook me for being a ‘real’ Aussie. Never mind that this is a country of immigrants, and a lot of people here weren’t actually born here. But now, having been here for seven consecutive months, I still struggle with answering the question.

I live in Sydney, but I’m from Denmark. I’m here on a holiday, but I also have work and a home. I have a Danish passport and student ID card, but an Australian bank account and mobile phone number. When I try to get a student discount, I answer that I’m from Denmark. When clerks ask for my postcode, I reply 2076. So where am I from? Sydney? Denmark? Previously, one of my favourite answers has been: “Well, my passport says Denmark.” But while here, I’d rather be a Sydneysider, and while in Europe, I’ll settle for being a Dane.

What am I trying to say here? That geography isn’t everything. Where I am from does not answer the question of who I am. Identity is a whole lot more than that.

Speaking in Tongues

Despite the title, I’m not about to embark on a thorough account of the different theologies of spiritual gifts. I do not deny a more supernatural meaning, but I also believe that a spiritual gift can be when God chooses to use a seemingly simple personal skill to the benefit of his church.

In this understanding, I have come to see excelling in translation or understanding different human languages to be an aspect of “the gift of tongues”; the gift of languages. Calling this a gift is not trying to make myself sound better. It is saying that, while I would certainly call myself proficient in English, using it for the glory of God is only possible through his power. As is the case with any type of work for the kingdom.

So yesterday I preached in English for the first time in my life. I accepted the invitation to stand in for someone who wasn’t able to make it, and delivered a sermon in Fox Valley Community Church’s “Opal Room service” (the more traditional-style worship service). From the ensuing remarks, I think it went pretty well – language was never an issue, and more importantly I believe the message was well received. If anybody is interested (which I’m doubting ) they do put recordings of all sermons on the website.

Declaration of Dependence

In CAIRNS, September 5, 2008.

When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one Person to ensure the Bands which have connected him with another, a decent Respect to the Opinions of that Special Someone requires that he should declare the causes which impel him to the Unification.

I hold these Truths to be self-evident, that Men and Women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That it is not good for Man to be alone. For this reason a Man will leave his Father and Mother and be united with his Wife, and they will become One Flesh.

I, therefore, solemnly Publish and Declare, that Katrine and I are destined for each other, and that she has accepted my Request for her hand in Marriage. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Holiday Season

I haven’t posted a whole lot recently, with the MA thesis taking a great deal of time and energy. And it will probably remain more quite than usual around here for a while now, as several weeks of travelling commence. Katrine and I will enjoy many parts of Australia, including Alice Springs, Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane, Whitsundays, and more. It will be great to be away, and great to share a wealth of new experiences together.

For those of you who understand Danish, you can read some travelogue on katrineogkenneth.wordpress.com. Pictures are availbale on flickr.com/photos/kennethbirch. We will update these sites when we have the opportunity. And don’t worry – we will eventually return to a more stable existense, and this blog will once again awaken from its slumber.

A Long, Deep Sigh of Relief

My feelings may not be as elated as they are for other people in similar situations. Nonetheless, today marks a turnaround in my life; the end of a chapter. I have finished my time as a student. Today, my MA thesis has been handed in for judgment, concluding six months of work, and five plus years of studying. While the final judgment may take up to two months from this date, I have no doubts that I will pass, and receive the title of MA in Information Studies.

The writing process has been surprisingly pleasant, although I had been looking forward to it in advance. I have been extremely lucky in finding a perfectly suited and very willing partner in LEGO Australia. It has been a great experience working with them, and I am also happy that the Australian angle could be turned into something interesting. The opportunity of doing field work in a foreign country, while at the same time living with my parents in Sydney with no big distractions and food every day has been a good combination. The writing process has not at any stage been stressful, and I have managed to stay more or less excited about the topic throughout.

A big thank you goes to Andreas, for printing the paper and handing it in back in Århus.

My thesis is titled “LEGO Australia: Internal Communication”, and is written in Danish. It comprises a systems theory study of the communication in this organisation, with issues such as communication media, team spirit, cross-departmental relations, and more. If anybody is interested, I am happy to email a copy of the English summary (3 pages) or the Danish report in its entirety (80 pages).

A new phase of my life is about to start. I don’t know exactly what that entails, work-wise, neither short-term nor long-term. But I do know that for the next month or so, I will enjoy some well-earned time off. Starting next week, Katrine and I will travel around Australia, visiting Uluru, Darwin, Cairns, and the east coast from Sydney to Brisbane and beyond. Not a bad way to celebrate.

The last six months have been fun, and I am very satisfied with the result, no matter what grade the report eventually will earn. But it does feel good to finally be finished!

100 km Later

I had decided beforehand to take up running again after coming to Australia. And while hard the first few times it has proved to be a good respite from otherwise potentially tiring days of studying and writing.

Today I passed the 100 km mark. This includes a 10-day break from having the cold and adds up to a total 22 trips in two months with an average distance of 4.6 km per trip and an overall average speed of 9.6 km/hour.

It feels great to be in better shape again, and I am somewhat proud of my discipline. Whether I can keep it up indefinitely is questionable, but I would certainly like to continue expanding.