Category: Fun facts

Fun facts about DK…

Published on by Cyranny18 Comments

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Denmark will never cease to amaze me… Never.

Here’s another fun thing I discovered just today, and wish I had known about back in May. I sure would have stopped by to check it out.

Back in 1944, a Dane (Duh!), Sir Søren Poulsen, discovered a rock resembling Jutland while dewatering the meadows surrounding his childhood home at Klejtrup Lake. He probably had a very wandering mind like mine, because it inspired him into creating his own “little” world, all made of man made islands.

 

landscape-1448384855-map-of-the-world

It took Mr Poulsen 25 years… And here is the result!

The park is open to visits, and it will be visited by me, next time I set foot in Denmark! That’s for sure!

To learn more about Verdenskortet…  http://www.verdenskortet.dk/en/

 

 

Fun facts about DK…

Published on by CyrannyLeave a comment

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Hans Island is not much more than a big rock peaking in the water of the Kennedy Channel between Greenland and Canada.

Really, not much more than a rock:

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Hans Ø eller/or Hans Island

 

Why do I “Fun-fact” about it, you might wonder? Well it so appears that Canada and Denmark are fighting for the 1290 per 1199 METERS big “Island”. I feel concerned by this fight. First because I don’t like the idea of my two favorite countries fighting period! It is like following a reality show, getting to the finale and having your season-long 2 favorite characters fighting for the big price… Who do you root for?? I don’t watch reality tv (almost never… almost..) but that must be so nerve wrecking!

I don’t really see the point in fighting either. There are no natural resources on the Island, no one lives there, and quite frankly, if they weren’t fighting for it, I wonder how many people would even be aware it exists…

It is like children fighting over marbles. And I find that pitiful coming from two such peaceful pieces of land. And the fight itself is ridiculous.

I read a bit about the conflict, which has been going on since June 2005. At that time, it appears that Canada sent some ships around Hans Island but there was no takeover even possible since there are no inhabitants on the Island. My guess is that ownership of the rock was discussed because of border issues, and the discussion never came to an end.

Now, the “fight” consists in Danes dropping a bottle of Schnapps when they navigate by Hans Island, and the Canadians taking it away and leaving a bottle of Canadian Club… To me it looks more like a very intricate and expensive ongoing gift exchange.

There seems to be a few Danes making fun (and trying to make a few bucks) out of the situation… Here are 2 websites that I found along my researches…

 

  • A bit aggressive, but still funny… I take from the lack of contact information and the pretty absurd arguments that it is a joke, if it isn’t… It is scary

http://freehansisland.com/

 

  • Clearly a joke… But I love the idea of bringing Santa to Hans Island to stop the conflict!

http://www.hansislandliberationfront.com/index.htm

P.S. For any concerned Dane reading this, and thinking that I am not very informed for a girl claiming to LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Denmark… Yes, I know that oil extraction is the main reason for the conflict… But that’s just not funny 😉

Fun facts about DK…

Published on by Cyranny4 Comments

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The NHL (National Hockey League) season is on again, after a few months break.

My favorite Danish fun fact is an anecdote that is a link between two of my fav things in life; Denmark and hockey.

On February 12th 1949, in Stockholm, Canada defeated Denmark with a final score of 47-0. (/o\) To people unfamiliar with hockey, this might be of no interest at all. But when you know that a hockey game is played over 3 periods of 20 minutes each, the score becomes a real joke! (Really, how can you score a goal every 1.28 minutes??? Did Denmark know they were allowed to have a goaler in front of the net?)

I often take a minute to imagine the scene… How incredibly discouraging it must have been to play the last minutes… I think that there should be a rule saying that when a team has a 20 goals lead on the opponent, the game simply stops!

But hey! You have the Viking spirit or you don’t… These Danish players fought until the very last minute! Go Danes!!

 

 

Fun facts about DK…

Published on by Cyranny2 Comments

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Ok… Since I am trying to make way better posts out of my “Day ** – Name of the city” series, and that it is taking time, I thought I’d treat you with anecdotes and fun facts in between cities… I don’t guarantee 100% seriousness, and if Danes are reading, and don’t agree, please correct me, or give your opinion…

Here is one fun fact that is possibly more on the fun side than actually a fact. But I don’t really care. I have lost my faith in the Internets a while ago, and I don’t bother doing thorough background check when I read something weird. I just assume it is a hoax. When I really really want something to be true, I do my research (most of the time to find out it was a hoax anyway). And there are very few and blissful moments when I just accept a funny story as it is told. Knowing too well it is probably a hoax, staying consciously oblivious to the fraud.

This is one of those delightful moments…

I read somewhere online a funny story about Faroe Islands. Those islands that belong to Denmark nowadays were previously part of Norway’s territory. (that’s the fact-part) The story also said that Norway lost the Islands after the King of Norway had lost a drunken poker game against the King of Denmark…

Don’t Google anything! And if you do, don’t tell me about it!

I want to believe that a few centuries ago, a hammered King woke up one morning with a splitting headache telling himself he’d never have Akvavit again. That he got up, went to get good strong Danish Kaffe, and asked his wife what had happened the night before… And that at the end of the epic summary of the drunken King’s evening, she just added;

  • Oh, and you won Faroe Islands hun…

 

*Giggles*

 

That’s the kind of stories that make my life worth living!

But I held a minute of silence for Faroe Islanders though… Because it is the worst way to change nationalities. The country that is letting you go didn’t fight the big fight to keep you… And your new country didn’t really want you all that much… It must have been a crappy ego day for Faroe Islanders.

Sooooo… the lesson learned here is? Never play drunk poker, or drunk checks, or drunk any game for that matter, with a Dane! They hold the liquor better than you!