Winnon Brunson Jr

A Fulbright student from St. Louis, Missouri, USA taking Master's level courses in the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen. I like to blog about Danish culture in general and just some of the differences between Danish and U.S. culture. I have another blog that you are more than welcome to check out: brunsonw.wordpress.com

Life Lessons from Danish Socialism

Initially, I intended to end this blog with my “Farvel Danmark” post but I wanted to give myself some time to process my transition back to the U.S.   I definitely have experienced waves of reverse cultural shock but it has all made me reflective of my own country and culture.   And I think many of my family and my friends have probably become pretty annoyed with me comparing everything back to Denmark.  I guess that is all a part of living there for a year, the enchantment of having discovered a small country and feeling like it was my home.

As I am preparing for another world adventure, this will be my last blog post.  I have enjoyed sharing my experiences in Denmark.  So bare with me as I put on my philosopher hat and share with you 3 life lessons that living in Denmark has taught me:

1.  Live within your means.  As I reflected on this principle, I was immediately met with the challenge of the American Dream.  Initially, I would argue that the American Dream meant striving for economic independence and the opportunity for social advancement through thrift, hard work, and financial gain.   Now is has come to mean, finding a way to instant wealth!  Ultimately, in a capitalist society meaning that life is almost ruled by money and assets such as having a big house and nice car is what separates the successful from those who are not.  This is not to say that there are not threads of this thinking in Denmark but I think for many Danes, life is about being content with having (at the very least) your basic needs met.  Therefore, living within your means doesn’t mean denying yourself of what you feel might make you happy but it’s learning to separate your needs from your wants by satisfying your wants when your needs have been met.  I guess now I can see that maybe having a big car or house isn’t really necessary.   Maybe with a change in focus on living within what you already have and not just the pursuit of acquiring luxurious assets, maybe many Americans could save more.

2.  Work to live and don’t just live to work.  Try to find a balance between work (be it a job or school) and make time for yourself, family, friends, and/or leisure.  Most jobs end by at least 4pm in Denmark and that means people are usually on their way home to spend time with family or friends.  There are 24 hours in a day.  8 hours would be ideal for sleeping, 8 hours for work, and technically you should have 8 hours left for whatever.  If you’ve worked 7-8 hours already, why go home and work more?

3.  Humor has the power to counteract some of life’s worst situations.  Danes have a way of adding humor to every aspect of life.  Although, it takes some getting used to, I’ve come to appreciate it.  So learn to laugh more and see the lighter sides of things.  Maybe we should learn to live life with no regrets because a good day gives you happiness and a bad day gives you experience!

So in conclusion, I just wanted to thank all the people that have read, followed, and commented on my blog.  I always welcome different perspectives as they help me expand my understanding of U.S. and Danish differences but also allow me to become aware of my own biases.  Thanks Denmark for the incredible life lessons!

By Winnon Brunson Jr • August 31, 2011
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“If you don’t like it, then go back to your own country…”

I am sure that this phrase haunts the many that have decided to move to another country.  It is the words that produce the feeling of you don’t belong, so just go back to where you came from.  No matter where you live there will always be good or bad, positive of negative issues with your environment.  Just because you are living in another country doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t be able to express the challenges or problems that you might face.  Speaking about your challenges, doesn’t mean you are necessarily verbally attacking the country that you are in, but it is acknowledging that this is something that might be difficult for you.  It provides an opportunity to create discussion and analyze how your situation be changed.  In fact, it could even show how invested you are in the country, based on the fact that you have so much to say.

I’ve heard this said to so many people in Denmark and even to me and it’s such an unfair statement.  Not everyone completely loves the place that they are from or wants to continue their life in their home country, and some for many different factors have been forced to leave their home country (such as refugees, asylum seekers, or other groups of migrants).  Everyone has a voice and ideally should be able to use it, within reason of course and hopefully with some reflection that words have consequences and we are accountable for what we say.

On the other hand, I am aware of those that move to a country and do nothing but complain and focus on all the negative aspects.  This is not to excuse those that are guilty of such behavior.  But with an increasing globalized world, many countries are experiencing demographic changes which undoubtedly will bring about challenges with co-existing with people that you probably are not use to (culturally speaking).  So, the next time you think about telling someone, “If you don’t like it then go back to your own country… ”, at least try to understand their perspective.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • August 8, 2011
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Farvel Danmark!

Initially, I had plans to extend my stay in Denmark after the completion of my Fulbright year.  I was accepted into the University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg and was pretty sure that everything would work out.  However, non-EU students have to pay approx. 10, 200 EURO (75, 000 DKK) per year and in Denmark there is definitely not a large degree of funding as in the U.S.   With the relatively late application deadline (disqualifying me from major scholarships and grants)  and non-allocation of funds to my subject for this year, it was quite challenging to raise the funding.  My back-up plan was to apply for U.S. federal funding as one would usually do for their studies, but unfortunately the University of Southern Denmark doesn’t have a federal code, blocking any attempts to find a way to receive U.S. federal funding to complete my Masters.  Therefore, my “chance” to extend my stay in Denmark did not quite work out.  However, I say this all with a smile because I would not take away any of the experiences or personal growth that has occurred this year.

Even though I studied abroad in Copenhagen in 2008 for a semester, coming back last year in 2010 was a totally different experience.  This time I had an idea of how the Danish society works but I realized that I only had a surface level understanding.  As a Copenhagen Youth Ambassador, I’ve learned that Denmark is difficult to market because it is a “lifestyle experience”, something you have to actively engage in or live the life to appreciate or make sense of why people like to study, work, and/or live here.  Before, it was always difficult to define what makes Denmark, Denmark!   After this year, I can understand why.

So, I’d like to briefly discuss some but not ALL of the big topics that I seem to have always found myself discussing while in Denmark.  This is not intended to go in much detail but just to provide some food for thought.

Religion
In Denmark the official religion is Lutheran-Protestant.  I’ve always been fascinated that in Denmark (church and state are not separate) yet it’s still a relatively secular society; whereas in the US. (church and stare are separate) and we are still very much a religious or spiritual society.  However, it seems that in Denmark, God (in the Christian sense) is perceived as an antiquated idea.   Thus, creating an overall feeling that some Danes might think that Danish society has transcended the very notion of God and (for the most part) has been replaced by humanism and/or scientific thought.

Politics
Politics in Denmark and the U.S. are also quite interesting.  First, a huge distinction must be made.  Socialism has such a negative connotation in the U.S.; it’s been quite amusing when people have to said to me, welcome back to capitalism now that I’m back in the U.S.  But what I’ve noticed is a huge misunderstanding in Americans about socialism in Denmark.  I think many Americans think that socialism and communism is the same thing.  But I must say that Denmark is a social democracy.  Danes elect and vote just as Americans but just have a different democratic structure to their system.  For example, they don’t have an Electoral College like the U.S., which could mean almost direct representation in their democracy compared to the U.S.   On a scale progressing from liberal to conservative, Danish politics would almost always be to the far left of the U.S. political scale because every one of the 9 major Danish political parties are in favor of the welfare state (socialism), they just disagree or vary on how it should be implemented.

Humor
Danish culture seems to be riddled with humor that has a very dark nature.  Danes can easily find a way to make a touchy topic into something funny, especially something like death.  One time at a BBQ picnic, a couple of friends and myself were all talking about the windy weather and all the debris that was flying around in the air, and a Danish friend replies, just imagine if the picnic shade just blew away and impaled me.  Everyone kind of just paused, trying to erase the gruesome image that we collectively thought about, but then we all couldn’t stop laughing.

However, a contradiction might exist.  If you make fun of Danish culture, you might be quickly reprimanded.  It’s almost like Danish humor works best on other topics but not so much when it’s applied to their own culture.  It’s almost like in criticizing Danish culture, you are brutally attacking them and they can feel the physical pain (I say this of course, with humor).  It could be the small country mentality that creates a strong sense of insularity and nationalistic pride, thus warranting the need to protect what is already so small and is seeking to maintain its survival.

Janteloven
If you want to learn about Danish culture then you should definitely be aware of Jantelov.  The Janteloven or “the law of Jante” was first coined in 1933 by the Danish writer Aksel Sandemose, which is about 10 “unwritten or secret codes” in Danish society that helps create egalitarianism or an unchanging, collective mentality.

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 of us cares about you.
10. Don’t think that you can teach us anything.

In essence it could mean that people are not supposed to consider themselves better than anyone else.  For example, students who win awards should not brag about it, grades such as a 7 on the Danish scale or a C on an American scale, for most academic disciplines, is considered really good because it means you are relatively in the middle.  Janteloven may act as a leveling mechanism to keep a flat hierarchy and to preserve egalitarianism in Denmark but I’ve noticed a contradiction.  Many Danes on the outside don’t want to be perceived as any better than their fellows but on the inside, most Danes actually seem to think they are very special.  Or as a Danish friend put it, we all (the Danes) think we’re special, instead of saying it ourselves, we just like for other people to say it.

Cultural Exchange
My whole year as a Fulbright Research Fellow was supposed to be about cultural exchange.  It’s a funny notion to me now, because I thought cultural exchange was about changing someone’s opinion about your own culture.  But you learn that it is more about learning to agree to disagree.  It’s realizing that everyone won’t approach cultural exchange the same way that you do because not all cultural exchange is visible.

Being open-minded doesn’t mean dispelling all of your beliefs so that you can keep yourself open to new beliefs or perspectives.  That’s actually almost impossible because no matter how open you are, you still have your own core values and because of our faculty to judge as human beings we will always be biased by nature.  Cultural exchange is then, choosing to respect while trying to understand.  Respecting and understanding does not mean you always have to agree. Disagreements as well as agreements are essentially a part of the cultural exchange learning process.

Overall, although, I’m continuing to look for work in Europe with hopes of getting a Work Visa, until I can figure out how to finish my Masters, I have really enjoyed my year in Denmark, the good and the bad, the positive and the negative.  So until then: Farvel Danmark!  Jeg håber snart til at komme tilbage.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • July 19, 2011
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Danes work to live, while Americans live to work!

Some of the things that are so desirable to many about Denmark is the relaxed lifestyle with a focus on family and friends, biking as a main source of transportation and a great way to experience the city, and the tropical weather. Well, maybe not the weather, consisting of gray skies, gusty winds, and rain.

But one of the major attractions that I have heard the most about is Danish jobs.  Danes work about an average of 37 hours per week with a minimum of 5 weeks’ vacation plus national holiday.  Liberal employment regulations, a broad net of social security and a pro-active labor market policy are all combined under what can best be described as flexicurity.  Although, a 37 hour work week might be the norm, the career oriented might tend to work more. In the U.S., besides a handful of national holidays, the typical American worker might get anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks out of the whole year for vacation and most of the times there are strings attached.  Some U.S. companies might not like for employees to take more than 1 week off at a time or expect employees to be relatively on call.

A big reason for this major difference is that employers are not obligated under federal law to offer any paid vacation, so more than 25% of American workers (based on government figures) don’t even have access to it.  However, in Denmark, paid time off is mandated by law.  So with all of this in mind, I think that Danes work to live and Americans live to work.

Last month, I attended a Work in Denmark seminar about the Danish workplace, since I am looking for job opportunities in Denmark.  And the speaker described his first experience with a Danish job, in which he had a very similar work mentality of the U.S. mentality that working long hours per day is a measure of ambition, success and drive.  So when he first received his job in Denmark, he said he worked to about 7pm one night while every Dane at the office went home by 4pm at the latest.  So the next morning, he said he sort of bragged about having worked so late and his Danish employees were actually not impressed.  Why?  Because of the construction of the work life in comparison to life, one is supposed to create a balance, meaning you still work hard but efficiently so that by 4pm you have time for family, friends, and leisure.  Working longer than the typical Danish work day, might actually be interpreted as not being efficient enough within your allotted work hours and that you have the potential to become a costly employee!  In Denmark, balance and moderation are highly honored values.  This would mean that ideally (and in practice) you are supposed to center your work around your life and not so much the other way around.  You are supposed to make time for family, friends, and leisure.

However, in the U.S., many Americans are faced with the fear of layoffs and the increasing pace of work which would mean that many American might be a bit reluctant to take time off.  This could be because of anxiety that they are not committed to their job or worry about dealing with the backlog of work that will be waiting for them after vacation.  Also, based on a study in the Journal of Happiness Studies (http://www.springerlink.com/content/33078107768v8044/),  working actually makes Americans happier than Europeans because Americans believe more than Europeans that hard work is associated with success!

Lastly, I think the attainment of the American Dream, as a way to sum up our national ethos is still very much a driving factor for many Americans.  And work is the way to achieve this dream, which is not something I have come across in Danish culture.  Denmark has one of the highest employment rates, so it is not that Danes are lazy and don’t like to work, it’s just that work life is taken in moderation. But based on welfare structure, the U.S. has a liberal residual welfare model (but in practice is more pluralistic) which would mean you only get welfare assistance if you really need it.  In Denmark, because of the high taxes, ranging from 40-60% which essentially helps maintain the universal welfare state, even the unemployed receive a high level of benefits as well as comprehensive retraining for new jobs.

Therefore, the welfare state in Denmark produces a sense of security and comfort that the U.S. does not have in terms of unemployment.  Even maternity leave is about 12 months (paid) and paternity leave is an option.  Overall, it seems to me that if you were to take a step back from the U.S. and Denmark, Danes work to live meaning work is meant to be scheduled around one’s life while Americans live to work meaning that life tends to be scheduled around one’s job.  However, based on each country’s welfare models and socio-cultural values this might be quite relative.  Could the U.S. learn something from Denmark and could Denmark learn something from the U.S.?  What do you think?

By Winnon Brunson Jr • June 15, 2011
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My First Danish University Oral Exam Experience!

Earlier this month, I had my first Danish oral exam in my class, Refugee and Immigrant Health.  In Denmark, oral exams are used as a method to test the students’ knowledge and ability to understand and expound upon the readings in light of the core objectives related to the course.  It is a very common testing method compared to papers, mid-terms, or oral exams in the U.S.

So, oral exams are usually 20-25 minutes in length.  First, I walked in and was asked to pick a question, read it out loud and then confirm that I understood the question.  After that, I was asked to sit down and was introduced to the external censor.  A piece of paper was provided for me to jot down my thoughts.  Next, I gave a short presentation on the question I had chosen.  After that, the course lecturer then asked questions that tested the breadth of my knowledge surrounding the question.  I didn’t feel like it was a grilling session but more of a conversation and a chance for me to express my understanding of the course.  After what felt like eternity but was only like 15 minutes, I was asked to leave the room while the lecturer and external censor discussed my grade.  After about 5 minutes I was asked to re-enter the room and was given my grade and the rationale behind my grade!

My first impressions were oh God, I am about to be grilled for 20 minutes, what if I choose a topic that isn’t my strongest area?  Actually, I did choose a question that wasn’t my strongest area but the main point of this oral exam is not that you know all the answers but that you’ve taken the time to reflect on the readings in light of the course objectives.  Also, if I didn’t know something I would take the question to an area that I was familiar with.  If I wasn’t too sure about a question, the lecturer would ask a question that would help me to continue contributing to the oral exam. So it was really designed to be conversational.

You aren’t talking the whole 20-25 minutes, that time span includes walking in, choosing a question, giving your presentation on the topic, being asked questions about your short presentation, and the discussion of your grade.  Unlike having multiple coursework or exams throughout the semester in the USA, in Denmark the oral exam is your final and only grade.  It was definitely a different experience and it teaches you to articulate your thoughts about the course.  Overall, I think I could get used to oral exams.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • May 25, 2011
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An Unexpected Experience at the Danish Immigration Service Centre

It’s amazing how fast time has passed in my time in Copenhagen as a Fulbright student.  I’ve been here for 9 months and have learned so much about myself, about Denmark and perceptions of the U.S. on a global level.  I’ve now pretty much decided to stay in Denmark a bit longer.  First, I would like to finish my education and hopefully get a job.  I’ve been battling this decision for quite some time in light of all the media attention about immigrants coming to Denmark.  Every time I’ve read a new article, it’s been something about immigration in Denmark, whether it’s about non-Western immigrants taking advantage of the welfare state or how the new points system is unjustly weeding out skilled workers that Denmark actually needs. Undoubtedly, the media plays a large role into what we are informed about but also how we might react to what we are informed about.  I have mixed feelings about the Danish points system but I digress from really taking a stance on it.

I’ve spent much time, looking through the Immigration Website to see what are some of my options for extending my stay/moving to Denmark and it can actually be quite confusing.  You are either stuck between the feeling of being in a society that does not want you here or being afraid of applying for the wrong type of permit and ultimately losing a decent amount of money, especially for a student.  So after checking the website, I decided to check things out for myself and visit the Immigration Service Centre to navigate through some of the confusion.

Upon entering, I noticed all types of people and most appeared to be non-Western immigrants.  But that was only from my own biases of what someone who belongs to the non-Western immigrant group might look like.  I mean sometimes, I’ve been even classified as a non-Western immigrant (not that it is a bad thing to be called a non-Western immigrant, as it seems to carry a negative undertone sometimes in Denmark) until I’ve said I’m from the U.S.  But I can say, most were not people who would be perceived as ethnic Danes.

From the picture that the media has depicted of the Immigration Services and all the controversy, I really expected rude customer service and people who probably wouldn’t be that helpful because they just want to get foreigners out of the country.  But from observation and experience alone, I experienced something completely different.  The customer service representatives were friendly and helpful to everyone.  The guy at the Information desk basically walked me through what I was and was not eligible to apply for as I watched him do the same for every person before and after me.  This also applied to the other lines that I could see or the Danish that I could understand.  The guy even cracked a joke, dredged in typical Danish humor.

Maybe it was the combination of expecting something only to have a completely different experience or that I just wanted to feel welcomed despite everything that the media keeps saying about the state of immigrant affairs in Denmark.  We can easily blame the media but we must also keep in mind that the media is not a monolithic force, it can very much be a reflection of society, be it some or most of society.  That part, I am definitely not ignoring.  I do know that I experienced friendly and helpful Service Centre Representatives at the Immigration Office and that totally made me feel a bit more at ease about the Danish society compared to what I’ve been constantly reading about in the Danish newspapers.  I only hope this continues to be characteristic of my experience as I continue through this process.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • April 29, 2011

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Confidence is the Key to Learning Danish

Yesterday, I walked into a Danish sandwich shop and at first I thought I’d just order it in English.  But I’ve been to this sandwich shop before and I promised the person fixing my sandwich that the next time I came by, I would order in Danish.  So, I walked in and she had actually remembered my promise from about 2 months ago.  At first, I was a bit hesitant but it was about time that I put, “Jeg vil gerne have” (I would like…) to use.  So, I went for it and what transpired was actually a good moment.

I was actually able to order my sandwich and work my way through the payment, all in Danish.  We didn’t switch to English and I didn’t get a “Hva’” or “Hvad siger du?”  This may not seem like a big deal but for me it was truly a confidence booster. At this stage of learning Danish it’s all about learning the grammar, definitely the pronunciation and listening, but most importantly building confidence.

After the year 1864 in the Second War of Schleswig when Denmark suffered a series of defeats and territory losses that reduced it to its current size now, Denmark has been strongly focused on preserving its culture, its national identity, its welfare state and most of all its language.  When putting the population size into perspective, Denmark is a country of about 5.5 million people and maybe 95% of the people speak English.  Danish only really needs to be learned if you plan on living in Denmark for an extended period of time.  So you’re constantly battling with the question of, should I even learn Danish?

My reply is, yes.  I think learning Danish is a gateway into the culture.  Danish is a straightforward language riddled with dry humor.  Compared to English, I don’t think Danish has that many words.  But, when comparing English to Danish, I think English is quite metaphorical and can sometimes tend to not be as straightforward or specific. For example, the Danes have four different words for “to think”, (at mene, at tro, at tænke, and synes).  I mean how specific can you get?  And trying to distinguish between the four verbs can sometimes be quite challenging.  I think when I figure those four words out and how to effectively use my glottal stop, I will have mastered Danish.  :-)

What yesterday’s experience taught me was that many foreigners learning Danish could benefit from more Danes that are willing to give them the opportunity to practice.  Many foreigners learning Danish actually love to practice but keep encountering Danes that keep replying back in English or have the belief that one should either speak Danish 100% correct or don’t speak it at all.  I’m sure many of the foreigners that are learning Danish have experienced, the notorious “Hva’ ” or “Hvad siger du?”, that just makes you feel like you are never saying anything right.   But as one that is actively learning Danish, I’ve learned 3 practicing tips in helping to build confidence in this stage of learning.

1.   If you want to avoid, a “Hva” or “Hvad siger du?”, try to speak up a bit more.  Sometimes when you think you might pronounce the sentence incorrectly, one has the tendency to speak softly.  Therefore, it might not always be that you have said the word incorrectly.  Sometimes, speaking with confidence helps build confidence.

2.   Don’t always feel bad about speaking slowly; the rule of thumb has been it’s better to pronounce the words correctly than to try to just say them quickly to prove your proficiency.  What I’ve discovered is that although Danes know English they are usually pretty self-conscious when they have to use it.  So, putting this into perspective, you’re just two self-conscious people trying to find the best way to communicate with each other.

3.   Until you have built up your confidence start with, “Jeg vil prøve at tale dansk….” which means “I will try to speak Danish…”  This helps prepare the Danish person, so they can know that you’re practicing Danish and most find it quite exciting that you would even take the time out to learn their language.

Overall, this is just a beginner’s advice as I am only in Studieskolen, Module 2.2.  Of course the obvious key to all of this is to practice as much as possible but I think often the confidence building part of learning Danish is sometimes missing.  Even as I am giving this advice, I still have to remember to apply it to myself.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • April 7, 2011

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Denmark is a Knowledge Society

Last Saturday, I attended an event called, “Matchmingler” and no it wasn’t a dating event.  Matchmingler was an event with about 160 students and post-graduates all interested in startups & innovations divided into the four categories: Computer Science & Technology, Business & Social Science, Natural- & Life Science, Design & Media.  Throughout the day we were given speeches and the opportunity to network, share and develop our entrepreneurial ideas with each other.

Here is a recap of the day.

Anne Skare Nielsen: Be Open
Chief futurist of the futurist company, Future Navigator
Anne’s talk was about not doing what other people do, but about being yourself and following your heart.  Her belief was that we are in an era of constructive visions.  Life has become not about having more but about how can we make it better?  She discussed how we can transform our minds.  We have the social mind, the narrative mind, and the transformational mind.  The social mind says: “World is out of my hands”, the narrative mind says: “I am playwriter in my own life”, and the transformational mind: “What can I do with what I have, every time something happens in my life”.  What we need to all do is strive to reach the transformational mind and to realize that it doesn’t always take a long time.

Nicolai Moltke-Leth: Commitment and Risk
Former Special Forces Soldier
Nicolai began with the quote, “The greatest danger for the most of us, is not that our aims are too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Therefore, his speech talked about unleashing our inner power.  He thinks that what differs among people is not our abilities but the quality of our mindset.  Therefore, what are you willing to sacrifice to reach whatever you like?  It could be that you are focusing on the wrong thing.

A stable foundation for what you want is believing in yourself.  Therefore, you have to step  out of your comfort zone into a zone of development.  The key to doing that is tackling your fears!  He thinks we think and act within 3 levels, a green, yellow and red zone.  Now imagine this circle in three layers, in the middle or core is the green part and this is when we have the most control, the yellow part is the caution zone and the red zone is the zone that is on the furthest to the outside of the circle, it is the zone dominated by our fears.  What we must do is focus on increasing the green part or the core so that we eventually push the circle to its outer limits thus eliminating or greatly reducing the yellow and red zones.

Alex Farcet: What can I do for you?
CEO Startupbootcamp
Alex’s speech focused on networking.  He asked the question: What type of networker are you?  Are you an open, active, or closed networker?  Therefore, he explored the networking tool, LinkedIn and gave 5 tips for how to maximize usage of LinkedIn.
1)       NEVER use the default invitation text, personalize it when asking someone to join your network.
2)      WORK on your summary section, people read this and rarely scroll down unless interested in what your summary has to say.
3)      Keep your STATUS updated, maybe even link your Twitter page to LinkedIn.
4)      HELP Google by filling out the “Additional Information” section of your LinkedIn profile.
5)      JOIN groups.  This helps you meet people with similar interests.

After the speakers we had a networking session in which we got to discuss our ideas with each other through a walk through Frederiksberg Garden.  We finished off the event with a 3 course dinner in which after each course we had to switch tables and meet someone new!

Denmark is a knowledge-based society and this program was definitely one of the indicators of why Denmark thrives from people with innovative and creative ideas.  It’s a small country with a loud voice.  If it is to survive within the era of globalization and the recession, it has to continuously produce people that can generate new ideas and create more businesses that focuses on making what we already have, better.  Think of the co-founder/creator of Skype, Janus Friis, who is actually Danish.  Before Skype, there were instant messaging programs such as AOL and Yahoo, but Skype took the idea of those programs to an even higher level.

Most importantly, this program affirmed that people with a business background aren’t the only people who can be entrepreneurs!  If you want a desired result or outcome in your life, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, share and enhance your ideas with other people.  Success is not always a solitary act.  At the same time, find your own originality and don’t be a standardized product.  One of the keys to overcoming your fear is realizing that many share the same fear and thus that you are not alone in your fears, particularly the fear of not being good enough.  When networking, find people who resonate with what you want, desire or like. We are social creatures and thus a strong social network is highly beneficial in the development of your ideas and even yourself.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • April 4, 2011
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Cafe Retro Nørrebro: Non-Profit, Volunteering, and Coziness

Meeting the Danes for international students or foreigners in general has definitely been a topic of discussion in Denmark. Being a student and living here, I wanted to find more ways to interact and meet Danes outside of a party setting while also becoming active in the community. Meeting Danes through parties can be challenging because most of the times you are either screaming over loud music or not really communicating with someone who might happen to not be so sober.  :-)   So, while reading through the University Post’s, “Top 10 tips to meet Danes”, situated at number 9, I happened to discover, Café Retro Nørrebro.

Café Retro Nørrebro is a non-profit organization who gives its profit to development projects in third world countries, particularly Sierra Leone.  It is owned and run by the organization VIAid, which you are more than welcome to check out more about on the website (posted below).  Café Retro Nørrebro is currently divided into about 6 or so different volunteer teams, each serving the purpose of making the café a welcoming, friendly, and cozy spot for customers and volunteers.

I work for the Public Relations team as the “International Relations Manager”, where we meet about once a month at the moment, brainstorming and discussing creative ways to disseminate and market information about Café Retro Nørrebro among many other developing responsibilities.  For example, we recently discussed implementing a guest book where people get to write what’s on their mind while being at Café Retro Nørrebro or we’ve discussed different ways to increase the visibility of the cafe within Copenhagen such as through more flyers or post cards.

For me, volunteering at Café Retro Nørrebro produces the feeling that I am volunteering for something that I know serves an overall good purpose, which is giving its proceeds to Sierra Leone.  At the same time, I get to enjoy a cozy place with a relaxed atmosphere where I can easily have a chill night, meet new people while enjoying a nice drink, or even do homework since the cafe also has free Wi-Fi!  Also, I get to work with different groups of people and acquire professional competencies that will undoubtedly impact my resume.

I would classify Café Retro Nørrebro as still being in a relatively young phase, as a lot of structural components are still being developed such as creating more cohesion between the different volunteer teams.   If you’re a non-Danish speaking person and are worrying about the language barrier, they try their best to decrease the language barrier as much as possible but you have to keep in mind that most material and some events will be held in Danish.  However, if you’re looking for a great place to volunteer and meet really nice and friendly Danish people, I would really recommend you volunteer here.

Website: http://www.retro-norrebro.dk/index.php?id=708
Location and Contact Information: Jægersborggade 14 – 2200 København N – tlf. + 45 51 93 28 18
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By Winnon Brunson Jr • March 20, 2011
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Copenhagen: The Danish Lifestyle Experience

Imagine you’re cycling through a city consisting primarily of 17th and 18th century buildings that produce a cozy and intimate atmosphere.  Everywhere you look, there are cafes and authentic Danish bakeries.  You see small kids walking around in their onesies.  Outside of the stores, are baby carriages left unattended while the parents are inside shopping.  Today is a lucky day, because the sun shines vibrantly in the sky, piercing through the grayness you’ve become so accustomed to.  As you cycle, you see nature and parks incorporated into the city life. Right in the center of the city by one of the most popular train stations, sits the Botanical Garden.  Even more, you see lakes that as the sun beams in the sky produce scenery that is bound to be displayed on a postcard.  In the middle of the lakes are snow-white swans, perched so elegantly in the half-frozen lakes, making you think of H.C. Andersen’s fairytale of the Ugly Duckling.

Next, you try to find street signs, only to discover they are on the corners of the buildings and many have different vowel sounds (æ,ø,å) that you can’t even begin to pronounce.  You want to speak to the people as you would do in a typical American city, only to discover they’re actually quite self-reserved.  Also, the people are very fashionable and black seems to be the most favorite color.

You continue your bike trip all the way to the extravagant Amalienborg Palace where the Royal Family is housed. As you cycle through, you try to get the Royal Guards to break focus and look at you.  Good luck with that. Eventually, you ride by a woman with a fish tale perched on a stone quite close to the shore and you flash back to your childhood where this statue is a Disney classic in American pop culture.  But as you continue to cycle around you see statues situated on top of buildings that one would have to really observe to become aware of.  You realize this city is like an enchanted fairy tale, where every building, every canal, every lake has some historical aspect to it that just sends you into a curious frenzy.  Even more, the buildings are vibrant colors and if you veer off main streets you eventually start riding down cobble stone streets making you feel like you’re living in the 17th century!  You eventually stop and realize the freedom riding through the city produces and the joy it incites from being able to explore the city at your own pace.

Describing Copenhagen to others can be a difficult task because  it’s such a lifestyle experience.  You have to come to Copenhagen to experience the beauty within and the richness of culture that is so deeply entrenched into everyday life.  Copenhagen may not be the top city on everyone’s travel list and when you see the Little Mermaid, you think wow she’s kind of small.  Honestly, if she were bigger I wouldn’t think of it as a special Danish trademark, because keeping things small and moderate are also elements of Danish culture.

Every time, you go into a café you should expect candles in a dimly lit room, which are there to produce the Danish concept of hygge, which means “cozy”.  People will speak Danish to you, even if obviously you look like a foreigner.  Also, biking is such a huge part of the lifestyle here.  Every Danish person I know has a bike.  It’s healthy and a great way to get around/experience the city.  I think that Denmark definitely wants to attract tourists, but at the same time it manages to keep its originality.  Overall, Copenhagen has a small city appeal, but there is always something waiting to be discovered.  Therefore, to really appreciate what Copenhagen stands for, you have to actively engage yourself.  So in visiting, I challenge you to not only be captivated by the beauty but to also try to explore the lifestyle.

By Winnon Brunson Jr • March 10, 2011
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