One of the key responsibilities of the GSE Team Leader is to look after the welfare of his/her team. This is particularly true towards the end of the trip. Of course to be effective at this one needs to look after oneself as well and it is the interests of this that I permitted myself to participate in my third round of golf in Denmark.
Before the game, I pondered the possibility of changing my vocational activities from school principal(retired) to "Golf Professional" given my obvious prowess at the game. On the way to the course I decided to visit my GSE "Son" Neil. I was so pleased that I could awaken him at 12:30 in the afternoon (he must have been up late the previous night studying). The previous afternoon, of course, we had presented at the District Conference and there was a little "letting down of the hair" to follow. I understand that the girls were also a little slow in the morning.
Anyhow, I have decided after today's game that I should delay any sudden career change until my return to Australia.
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Golf
Friday, 28 September 2012
A bit of Einstein wisdom...
I had the pleasure of being seated next to Jens-Martin at last nights Rotary meeting in Aars, and he shared this great quote with me. Perhaps there is something about me that indicates my constant struggle to keep a clean desk (it's true).
I know there are a few others in my team who have the same problem, so I thought I would share :)
I know there are a few others in my team who have the same problem, so I thought I would share :)
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Back to school
Today, I went back to school - to Erhvervsskolerne Aars, which is a combination of gymnasium, basic vocational education and training, and adult vocational education and training.
Let's just say, when I left the grounds of All Hallows' ten years ago, I never thought I would be returning to high school, let alone partly teaching a class (yes, that happened today).
I began my day with a brief introduction to the school by the vice principal Kasper. We spoke about the size of the school (1,200 students in total), the background of the teaching staff (all have at least a masters degree plus practical experience) and a bit about their COOL - or cooperative learning - approach to classes (basically involving group work for short periods of time).
Then, it was off to my first class of the day - International Economics. Unbeknownst to me, I was actually a guest speaker, and ended up giving an introduction to the Australian Economy according to Lauren. Thankfully the information I gave the class was in line with what their teacher, Sven, was going to tell them so I didn't lead the students completely astray.
The rest of the class was done in Danish, but what impressed me was how engaged the class was. While I didn't actually understand what was being said, judging by the tone of voice, body language and lively discussion between the students and their teacher, it seemed as though they were genuinely interested in being there.
This same attitude was evident even moreso in my second class of the day, English. The topic of the lesson was Australian Business Behaviour, and I was able to give a little bit of insight into some of the verbal and nonverbal traits of communicating with Aussies. It was really fun to chat with the students, and I think they were excited to ask questions about home - especially about the wildlife and the beaches.
So, another really interesting vocational day, and while I won't be going home to teach classes per se, it's always very useful to practice speaking and presentation skills, and always great to meet new people!
Thanks heaps to Kasper, Helle and Sven (not pictured) for taking me around today.
Let's just say, when I left the grounds of All Hallows' ten years ago, I never thought I would be returning to high school, let alone partly teaching a class (yes, that happened today).
I began my day with a brief introduction to the school by the vice principal Kasper. We spoke about the size of the school (1,200 students in total), the background of the teaching staff (all have at least a masters degree plus practical experience) and a bit about their COOL - or cooperative learning - approach to classes (basically involving group work for short periods of time).
Then, it was off to my first class of the day - International Economics. Unbeknownst to me, I was actually a guest speaker, and ended up giving an introduction to the Australian Economy according to Lauren. Thankfully the information I gave the class was in line with what their teacher, Sven, was going to tell them so I didn't lead the students completely astray.
The rest of the class was done in Danish, but what impressed me was how engaged the class was. While I didn't actually understand what was being said, judging by the tone of voice, body language and lively discussion between the students and their teacher, it seemed as though they were genuinely interested in being there.
This same attitude was evident even moreso in my second class of the day, English. The topic of the lesson was Australian Business Behaviour, and I was able to give a little bit of insight into some of the verbal and nonverbal traits of communicating with Aussies. It was really fun to chat with the students, and I think they were excited to ask questions about home - especially about the wildlife and the beaches.
So, another really interesting vocational day, and while I won't be going home to teach classes per se, it's always very useful to practice speaking and presentation skills, and always great to meet new people!
Thanks heaps to Kasper, Helle and Sven (not pictured) for taking me around today.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Hjallerup Folkskole
On Tuesday I visited Hjallerup Folkskole with Lone, had dinner with the team and all of the wonderful hosts at President Henrik and Kirsten's place and then next morning had to farewell Heinrich, Asger, Peter and Lone to make our way to Års. One of the fabulous features of the school was the before and after school facility which was like a warm and comfortable home, complete with indoor and outdoor games, on-site baking, quite areas, a loft, dress-ups, craft, etc. etc. and lots of room. The majority of children actually attend this site. I enjoyed also talking to the children in one of Lone's classes and they tried (and easily succeeded) to test me with a famous Danish tongue twister - Rødgrød med fløde. I paid them back with "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers". Lone's commitment to her pupils and her family was outstanding and this made me a little sad to leave. I hope that we can keep in touch. A few photos including some of the wall and floor charts follow.
Positive psychology in action
I am loving the variety of my vocational days. Yesterday Jenne took me to three workplaces in the medical industry that had a focus on preventative health care. We visited a centre for young people with mental health conditions, an aged care facility and a 'health city' where they developed and implemented health programs for people with diabetes, heart and lung disease.
It was a very inspiring day, I must say. The two lessons for the day were around the focus on wellbeing (not on illness or disability) and the way they engage with their clients.
I was so touched by the way each person I met talked about the people in their care and I was inspired by the interventions they have developed that focus on the total wellbeing of the person. There was a very strong undercurrent of respect for the individual. There wasn't pity or sympathy just empowerment and a desire to facilitate quality of life.
In psychology and health care there is sometimes be a tendency to look at fixing the symptoms or problem or curing a disease. It is single minded as opposed to wholistic and it can be depressing for the patient rather than empowering.
Jenne shared that the underlying philosophy and framework for care was by two theorists Socrates and Antonovsky. In essence it is about meeting people where they are or helping them to help themselves. This puts the responsibility in individuals hands. But the beautiful thing about it, is that it gives them ownership over their own life. It gives them meaning, purpose and a sense of achievement and personal control.
I realised, unbeknownst to the health care workers, they are actually using positive psychology principles intuitively. Every workplace I visited, facilitated wellbeing using positive psychology principles. It was quite exciting to see it in action, and in an a industry typically focused on cure rather than prevention.
This has given me lots of food for thought around how these principles can be applied practically and further evidence that positive psychology in practice can create positive change.
It was a very inspiring day, I must say. The two lessons for the day were around the focus on wellbeing (not on illness or disability) and the way they engage with their clients.
I was so touched by the way each person I met talked about the people in their care and I was inspired by the interventions they have developed that focus on the total wellbeing of the person. There was a very strong undercurrent of respect for the individual. There wasn't pity or sympathy just empowerment and a desire to facilitate quality of life.
In psychology and health care there is sometimes be a tendency to look at fixing the symptoms or problem or curing a disease. It is single minded as opposed to wholistic and it can be depressing for the patient rather than empowering.
Jenne shared that the underlying philosophy and framework for care was by two theorists Socrates and Antonovsky. In essence it is about meeting people where they are or helping them to help themselves. This puts the responsibility in individuals hands. But the beautiful thing about it, is that it gives them ownership over their own life. It gives them meaning, purpose and a sense of achievement and personal control.
I realised, unbeknownst to the health care workers, they are actually using positive psychology principles intuitively. Every workplace I visited, facilitated wellbeing using positive psychology principles. It was quite exciting to see it in action, and in an a industry typically focused on cure rather than prevention.
This has given me lots of food for thought around how these principles can be applied practically and further evidence that positive psychology in practice can create positive change.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Let's go ride a bike...
Today, Leish and I finally got to tick off a goal for Denmark - to ride a bike. The opportunity arose at our vocational day (Leish and I were doing ours together after a slight change of plans). After a morning session with one of the planners at Aalborg Kommune, we grabbed a couple of bikes and headed for the city. The first picture below is a perfect representation of how we saw ourselves cruising around on our wheels.
There was, however, a small problem. The bikes were too big for us. My grandma has always said to me that good things come in small packages, but today being vertically challenged didn't prove to be so good. We simply could not reach the ground. Getting onto the bike was feat in itself. It involved straddling the bike, setting the pedals at an optimum angle for take-off, jumping on and hoping to hell that our balance would prevail and we would head off in a relatively straight line. (Just to clarify, and before anyone points out the obvious, the seats wouldn't go down any further than they were because of a strategically placed basket on the back that couldn't be removed).
Needless to say, carnage ensued. There were multiple close calls, who knows how many frustrated Danes trying to get around us on the bikeway and one stack that will be etched into my brain for a long time. I wasn't even close to bring coordinated enough to get photographic evidence of our first time on bikes in Denmark, but the below sketch gives a pretty good representation of what happened.
So, currently it is Denmark bikes 1, Leish and Lauren 0. Not to worry though, we still have a few more days left to even up the score!
There was, however, a small problem. The bikes were too big for us. My grandma has always said to me that good things come in small packages, but today being vertically challenged didn't prove to be so good. We simply could not reach the ground. Getting onto the bike was feat in itself. It involved straddling the bike, setting the pedals at an optimum angle for take-off, jumping on and hoping to hell that our balance would prevail and we would head off in a relatively straight line. (Just to clarify, and before anyone points out the obvious, the seats wouldn't go down any further than they were because of a strategically placed basket on the back that couldn't be removed).
Needless to say, carnage ensued. There were multiple close calls, who knows how many frustrated Danes trying to get around us on the bikeway and one stack that will be etched into my brain for a long time. I wasn't even close to bring coordinated enough to get photographic evidence of our first time on bikes in Denmark, but the below sketch gives a pretty good representation of what happened.
So, currently it is Denmark bikes 1, Leish and Lauren 0. Not to worry though, we still have a few more days left to even up the score!
Monday, 24 September 2012
Dronninglund adventures
Yesterday morning we were farvelled (that's the Danish word - not poor spelling) the Saeby & Fredrickshavn Rotary Klubs, and velkommen our hosts from Dronninglund.
Our first adventure with our new hosts involved seeing the Voergard Castle. Once again I was given further inspiration for my own designs (for those of you who don't yet know, Denmark has inspired me to live in a castle one day!) and we saw plenty of culture and history from across Europe within the walls.
After a fantastic velkommen party hosted by Finn & Caron we were sent home early to bed. We were quite grateful for the early night (although we hear that doug stayed up and had a scotch - or 4 - whilst discussing the 'differences in the education systems') Yeah right!!
Today we have been busy visiting the Vikings graves, and learning about the very oldest of Danish people. After a Viking meal including smoked wild boar, pickled herring, pork belly, and cured salmon with beetroot!!! Delicious...
Fortunately we were full of energy, as we spent the next 3 hours trekking around the forest with Birgitte as our guide. There was alot of mud, wildlife and nature in general. The highlight by far was to see Doug falling flat on his face in some slippery mud! (Picture a beached whale in the middle of a Forrest!!) We were treated to some hot drinks and chocolate before making it back to the car.
We're off to do a presentation at the Rotary club tonight - hopefully we can stay awake!!
Our first adventure with our new hosts involved seeing the Voergard Castle. Once again I was given further inspiration for my own designs (for those of you who don't yet know, Denmark has inspired me to live in a castle one day!) and we saw plenty of culture and history from across Europe within the walls.
After a fantastic velkommen party hosted by Finn & Caron we were sent home early to bed. We were quite grateful for the early night (although we hear that doug stayed up and had a scotch - or 4 - whilst discussing the 'differences in the education systems') Yeah right!!
Today we have been busy visiting the Vikings graves, and learning about the very oldest of Danish people. After a Viking meal including smoked wild boar, pickled herring, pork belly, and cured salmon with beetroot!!! Delicious...
Fortunately we were full of energy, as we spent the next 3 hours trekking around the forest with Birgitte as our guide. There was alot of mud, wildlife and nature in general. The highlight by far was to see Doug falling flat on his face in some slippery mud! (Picture a beached whale in the middle of a Forrest!!) We were treated to some hot drinks and chocolate before making it back to the car.
We're off to do a presentation at the Rotary club tonight - hopefully we can stay awake!!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Catching up
I haven't blogged for a while due to some connectivity issues so here goes (this will test my memory). We left Hjørring after a wonderful dinner for all of the team and their hosts at my host PDG Gunnar Pedersens home. Each of the team is getting good at proposing toasts (especially as the evenings progress). Our visit to Hjørring included such highlights as a visit to the Herring factory at Skagen, watching the eagles at a nature reserve, going on board an ultra modern trawler, exploring the ocean aquarium and of course our team presentation hosted by the RC at Sindal and our vocational visits (mine at the first school that bore a resemblance to those in Queensland - Gunnar's old Folkskole for P-9 children). We were then transported to Frederikshavn and Saeby where we did our first split presentation (Neil & Lauren in Frederikshavn and Doug, Alisha & Jas in Saeby). It was at Saeby that I taught Neil the finer points of golf (which he finds challenging despite his Scottish heritage). Once again our hosts in Frederikshavn and Saeby were magnificent and we had two great dinner parties, one with plenty of Australian music and even dancing (or something that slightly resembled it). I have some interesting video evidence but I have to first work out a way to remove myself from the frames. Now I'm in Dronninglund with my new hosts, Lone (a YEP student to Richmond NSW in 1988), her husband Heinrich and three children, Emma, Peter and Asger. Lone and Heinrich travelled back to Australia prior to Emma being born so we spent last evening swapping stories about our travels.
A 10 out of 10 day!
Some of my favourite things to do are to try new things and feast on great food...
So if a day is judged by doing your favourite things with awesome people then yesterday was an amazing day all round...!
We started our day off with a delicious brunch in a very trendy cafe in fredrickshavn. ...oh it was so scrumptious..! I loved the concept too...a bit like a brunch tapas...best of both the savoury and sweet breakfast foods...ingenious...never again to have the internal debate about what to choose...danish logic strikes again!
And most exciting of all....i was able to tick off one of my 101 things to do in my lifetime - play golf... (it still counts even though we played only two holes). It was super fun...
Leishie has pics of the golfing and the eating so she will upload them later...(haha surprise Leish)
So if a day is judged by doing your favourite things with awesome people then yesterday was an amazing day all round...!
We started our day off with a delicious brunch in a very trendy cafe in fredrickshavn. ...oh it was so scrumptious..! I loved the concept too...a bit like a brunch tapas...best of both the savoury and sweet breakfast foods...ingenious...never again to have the internal debate about what to choose...danish logic strikes again!
And most exciting of all....i was able to tick off one of my 101 things to do in my lifetime - play golf... (it still counts even though we played only two holes). It was super fun...
Leishie has pics of the golfing and the eating so she will upload them later...(haha surprise Leish)
Friday, 21 September 2012
On top of the world (or Denmark)
Who can claim to have made it to the very top of Denmark and Continental Europe... We can!!
Today we were decked out in wet weather gear by our hosts and taken to the northernmost tip of Denmark, in Skagen, which is a very prestigious summertime vacation spot.
Armed with glasses of champagne (to mark the momentous occasion of course), we ventured to the point where the Skaggerak and the Kattegat sea ares meet. Apparently in inclement weather, the meeting point of these two bodies of water can get pretty spectacular, with bursts of water flying up into the air. Luckily for us, today it was a bit calmer and we were able to get right to the edge.
Thanks to the team from Frederikshavn and Sæby Rotary Clubs for organising a fantastic morning/day!
Today we were decked out in wet weather gear by our hosts and taken to the northernmost tip of Denmark, in Skagen, which is a very prestigious summertime vacation spot.
Armed with glasses of champagne (to mark the momentous occasion of course), we ventured to the point where the Skaggerak and the Kattegat sea ares meet. Apparently in inclement weather, the meeting point of these two bodies of water can get pretty spectacular, with bursts of water flying up into the air. Luckily for us, today it was a bit calmer and we were able to get right to the edge.
Thanks to the team from Frederikshavn and Sæby Rotary Clubs for organising a fantastic morning/day!
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Hjørring Library
When I was young, my brother and I were frequent visitors of the Ashgrove Library. We would spend hours reading books, collecting tallies for the MS Read-a-thon, writing 'books' on the typewriter and quizzing each other on facts from the encyclopaedias.
We loved it, and thought it was the best place in the world. Nothing could top it.
Well, I think I can now safely say that 10 year old Lauren and Thomas were very wrong! I visited the Hjørring Library with my host dad Nils yesterday and was blown away.
It has been open now for four years, and is a pretty magical place. The entire interior is connected by red 'tape', which at times acts as a functional shelf, and in other areas is simply decorative. There are little coves throughout that have interactive videos and games for children and adults alike. Quiet areas that come standard with any other library are themed so you can feel as though you are escaping to another time and place. It's really wonderful.
Of course, the library was designed by Danish architects and decorated by Danish interior designers, which is evident in the intelligent simplicity of the space. Every area has its own individual function, yet it all works together to create a very organic, playful and inspiring space.
It's not often that a town can boast a library as a tourist attraction, but Hjørring can... and trust me, the inner 10 year old in you will thank you for taking the time to visit :)
Side note - The library has actually been recognised internationally for its creativity in design, and will have visitors from the Louvre in Paris coming to check it out in the next few months. Not too bad for a town of only 25,000 people!
We loved it, and thought it was the best place in the world. Nothing could top it.
Well, I think I can now safely say that 10 year old Lauren and Thomas were very wrong! I visited the Hjørring Library with my host dad Nils yesterday and was blown away.
It has been open now for four years, and is a pretty magical place. The entire interior is connected by red 'tape', which at times acts as a functional shelf, and in other areas is simply decorative. There are little coves throughout that have interactive videos and games for children and adults alike. Quiet areas that come standard with any other library are themed so you can feel as though you are escaping to another time and place. It's really wonderful.
Of course, the library was designed by Danish architects and decorated by Danish interior designers, which is evident in the intelligent simplicity of the space. Every area has its own individual function, yet it all works together to create a very organic, playful and inspiring space.
It's not often that a town can boast a library as a tourist attraction, but Hjørring can... and trust me, the inner 10 year old in you will thank you for taking the time to visit :)
Side note - The library has actually been recognised internationally for its creativity in design, and will have visitors from the Louvre in Paris coming to check it out in the next few months. Not too bad for a town of only 25,000 people!
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Fire souls...
The lovely Lauren shared a truly gorgeous term that she picked up on her vocational day at the Hjørring Kommune - it was 'fire souls'...those people who have a fire in their belly...a passion and infectious enthusiasm for their calling that inspires those around them.
How powerful (and effective) would it be to create a little internal community of fire souls who help transform the organisation to a place people want to be.
Speaking of a place people want to be...I had the pleasure of visiting a nursing home in Hjørring. It cares for people who are unable to care for themselves due to dementia...here i met Lene, the head nurse...she was a true fire soul...!
The nursing home has been on a journey to transform from an institution to a cosy home! A place where people in their final year or so of life can live with dignity in cosy surroundings. (A side note...but incredible outcome is that some people who are in their care have a reduction in their prescription medications...inferring that their quality of life improves...and according to Lene one of the reasons is social interaction...this might have to be a topic for another blog!!!)
She had a clear mission and litmus test for every decision...'is this the best outcome for the people' (note I I'd not use the word patient or elderly...she spoke of them as equals). Simple yet so powerful...how very Danish!
She showed respect for the people in her care and empowered her staff to be the best they can be. With her staff there was a big focus on learning. She has implemented a coaching model to encourage reflection, peer debriefing and joint problem solving. They set time for this at every team meeting!
My mission is to figure out how to find these fire souls and then how to best harness their energy for the greater good in the Public Trustee to drive the culture change to be a place people want to be!
Also too...it could be worse if the fire in my soul is sparked in the process!
How powerful (and effective) would it be to create a little internal community of fire souls who help transform the organisation to a place people want to be.
Speaking of a place people want to be...I had the pleasure of visiting a nursing home in Hjørring. It cares for people who are unable to care for themselves due to dementia...here i met Lene, the head nurse...she was a true fire soul...!
The nursing home has been on a journey to transform from an institution to a cosy home! A place where people in their final year or so of life can live with dignity in cosy surroundings. (A side note...but incredible outcome is that some people who are in their care have a reduction in their prescription medications...inferring that their quality of life improves...and according to Lene one of the reasons is social interaction...this might have to be a topic for another blog!!!)
She had a clear mission and litmus test for every decision...'is this the best outcome for the people' (note I I'd not use the word patient or elderly...she spoke of them as equals). Simple yet so powerful...how very Danish!
She showed respect for the people in her care and empowered her staff to be the best they can be. With her staff there was a big focus on learning. She has implemented a coaching model to encourage reflection, peer debriefing and joint problem solving. They set time for this at every team meeting!
My mission is to figure out how to find these fire souls and then how to best harness their energy for the greater good in the Public Trustee to drive the culture change to be a place people want to be!
Also too...it could be worse if the fire in my soul is sparked in the process!
Monday, 17 September 2012
It could be worse
Here in Denmark, we are quickly learning that adding extra adjectives to describe how unbelievably, fabulously amazing our time has been so far is perhaps a little too much for the generally lower-key, humble and modest Danes...
...So from us overenthusiastic Aussies to whoever is interested, a few tips:
* when eating, if you think the food is delicious, a phrase such as "it may stay in my stomach" is appropriate
* while a response of "fine" would usually suggest the opposite in Australia, "fine" in Denmark means "great"
* "it could be worse" is a standard, positive response to a question of opinion, be it on food, wine, or anything else.
So, I'm off to bed now after a fine meal that may stay in my stomach, and could have been worse.
Farvel!
...So from us overenthusiastic Aussies to whoever is interested, a few tips:
* when eating, if you think the food is delicious, a phrase such as "it may stay in my stomach" is appropriate
* while a response of "fine" would usually suggest the opposite in Australia, "fine" in Denmark means "great"
* "it could be worse" is a standard, positive response to a question of opinion, be it on food, wine, or anything else.
So, I'm off to bed now after a fine meal that may stay in my stomach, and could have been worse.
Farvel!
Ronde summerhouse and Mols Bjerge
Two great nights at the summer house courtesy of the Rønde Rotary Club. It gave us a great chance to recharge for the second half of the trip. We appreciated having a guided tour of the Mols Country with author/historian and past mayor Wilfred Hansen. My thanks as well to my hosts, Erik and Inga and to Karsten Neilsen for his coordination. Erik ran the personal taxi service for us back and forth to the summer house and on our tour of Mols Bjerge .
Hygge
So we first learnt about the elusive and subtle hygge (pronounced hue-ge not huggie as we first thought) when Neil read about it in the lonely planet...we all knew we wanted some hygge but we weren't sure exactly where to find it, or what we were really looking for that matter...
But after my first two weeks in Denmark...I know when i feel it...! you know when you are in someone's company and you feel at ease, like you are old friends...so comfortable and relaxed that time seems to fly by?...that cosy romantic (in a platonic way...not sure if that is an oxymoron, but I am going with it) feeling ...that is hygge...!
I don't know the official definition but to me hygge is many things...it is a verb...it is something you do to make your friends and soon to be friends feel comfortable and relaxed. It is a sensory sensation..candle light, comfy chairs and cushions all facing each other are a must, music is a a lovely addition, and it always seems to be accompanied by lots of food or drink...delightful!!!
Kirsten, my host mum from Rønda said it is a way of brightening and cosying up the darkness of winter (note hygge is experienced all year round but this is how it started)...because in winter the sun is only up for 7 hours a day...I love how they have made something so special and positive out of what could have easily been something to complain or whinge about...!
But after my first two weeks in Denmark...I know when i feel it...! you know when you are in someone's company and you feel at ease, like you are old friends...so comfortable and relaxed that time seems to fly by?...that cosy romantic (in a platonic way...not sure if that is an oxymoron, but I am going with it) feeling ...that is hygge...!
I don't know the official definition but to me hygge is many things...it is a verb...it is something you do to make your friends and soon to be friends feel comfortable and relaxed. It is a sensory sensation..candle light, comfy chairs and cushions all facing each other are a must, music is a a lovely addition, and it always seems to be accompanied by lots of food or drink...delightful!!!
Kirsten, my host mum from Rønda said it is a way of brightening and cosying up the darkness of winter (note hygge is experienced all year round but this is how it started)...because in winter the sun is only up for 7 hours a day...I love how they have made something so special and positive out of what could have easily been something to complain or whinge about...!
Rønde
Today we are leaving Rønde after a few rest filled days. We have been staying in a Summer house which has been great (or as they say in Jutland "could be worse!") Yesterday Eric and Uls took us for a drive around The Mols Country with Vilfred, author of our guide books, former mayor and an expert in the local history. It was great to have a commentary from Vilfred who could answer all our questions about the area.
From the house we drove down to Sletterhage lighthouse and on the way we saw the trenches which were dug in 1848 during the Three Years War to protect against the Germans. On our way south we passes through a narrow isthmus which the Vikings would drag there ships across the land using logs to avoid sailing around the land mass. After a quick stop at the light house we headed north again passing the areas in which eel fishing was once a lucrative industry. They still fish for eels in this area and the area is a very popular destination for tourists in the summer months.
After stopping for some sandwiches courtesy of Uls, we went passed the ruins of Kalø castle to the beautiful estate with a hunting lodge which is now being used for the government's environmental department. Opposite the estate is an organic farm owned by the government and I was luck enough to have a private tour of on the previous day. It was very interesting to hear about how the Danes approach the challenges of organic (or ecological) farming and was able to see inside the buildings thanks to Peter the farm's manager and my host Niels.
Tonight I am staying at my new host, Finn and Anna's house. This afternoon we went to their summer house and tomorrow we have another vocational day. I will be visiting the Novo Nordisk plant which manufactures insulin and other diabetes related medications.
From the house we drove down to Sletterhage lighthouse and on the way we saw the trenches which were dug in 1848 during the Three Years War to protect against the Germans. On our way south we passes through a narrow isthmus which the Vikings would drag there ships across the land using logs to avoid sailing around the land mass. After a quick stop at the light house we headed north again passing the areas in which eel fishing was once a lucrative industry. They still fish for eels in this area and the area is a very popular destination for tourists in the summer months.
After stopping for some sandwiches courtesy of Uls, we went passed the ruins of Kalø castle to the beautiful estate with a hunting lodge which is now being used for the government's environmental department. Opposite the estate is an organic farm owned by the government and I was luck enough to have a private tour of on the previous day. It was very interesting to hear about how the Danes approach the challenges of organic (or ecological) farming and was able to see inside the buildings thanks to Peter the farm's manager and my host Niels.
Tonight I am staying at my new host, Finn and Anna's house. This afternoon we went to their summer house and tomorrow we have another vocational day. I will be visiting the Novo Nordisk plant which manufactures insulin and other diabetes related medications.
Friday, 14 September 2012
Pursuit of happiness
I've had a few light bulb moments today, after a really enriching vocational day with Nikolaj Dalsgaard, from AS3 Employment.
Much of the discussion throughout the day was about the company and the work they do - providing job guidance and support for the unemployed - but towards the end, our conversation digressed ... which leads me to this post.
Did you know Denmark has been ranked as the world's happiest country? They received the highest 'life evaluation score' in the UN's World Happiness Report, but why, exactly are they so happy? Here is what I think (bear with me!!)
Nikolaj today introduced me to the philosophies of a Danish lady named Anne Skare Nielsen, a 'futurist' who describes a 'mega trend' or paradigm shift that sees more value being placed on life fulfillment rather than career progression.
She argues that the future is about doing things better, originally and fulfilling our potential rather than sitting in the same "boring job, with a boring manager, watching crap PowerPoint slides and failing to question the meaning of what we are all doing".
In a nutshell, to me, she is imploring people to seek fulfillment, to find happiness in what they do. Basic principle, but how many people actually do this?
I feel as though this is actually more common than we think here is Denmark, which could be one of the reasons the Danes are the happiest people in the world! Yes, they pay 50, sometimes 60 per cent in tax, but out of this comes free health care, free schooling, free university and payments, no matter what your parents earn, throughout your studies. It gives people the freedom to focus their studies and careers on what they love to do, not what is going to make them the most money (as at the end of the day, it mostly goes to tax!)
This might go a long way towards explaining why we seem to have met so many passionate and driven people on our trip so far, and why we are all feeling so inspired just by being here.
Finally, how could Denmark not be the happiest country in the world when one of their icons is a simple toy called the Hoptimist, whose sole purpose is to make people smile... This one is coming home with me as a reminder of the many positive lessons I am learning and, of course, to keep me smiling!
Much of the discussion throughout the day was about the company and the work they do - providing job guidance and support for the unemployed - but towards the end, our conversation digressed ... which leads me to this post.
Did you know Denmark has been ranked as the world's happiest country? They received the highest 'life evaluation score' in the UN's World Happiness Report, but why, exactly are they so happy? Here is what I think (bear with me!!)
Nikolaj today introduced me to the philosophies of a Danish lady named Anne Skare Nielsen, a 'futurist' who describes a 'mega trend' or paradigm shift that sees more value being placed on life fulfillment rather than career progression.
She argues that the future is about doing things better, originally and fulfilling our potential rather than sitting in the same "boring job, with a boring manager, watching crap PowerPoint slides and failing to question the meaning of what we are all doing".
In a nutshell, to me, she is imploring people to seek fulfillment, to find happiness in what they do. Basic principle, but how many people actually do this?
I feel as though this is actually more common than we think here is Denmark, which could be one of the reasons the Danes are the happiest people in the world! Yes, they pay 50, sometimes 60 per cent in tax, but out of this comes free health care, free schooling, free university and payments, no matter what your parents earn, throughout your studies. It gives people the freedom to focus their studies and careers on what they love to do, not what is going to make them the most money (as at the end of the day, it mostly goes to tax!)
This might go a long way towards explaining why we seem to have met so many passionate and driven people on our trip so far, and why we are all feeling so inspired just by being here.
Finally, how could Denmark not be the happiest country in the world when one of their icons is a simple toy called the Hoptimist, whose sole purpose is to make people smile... This one is coming home with me as a reminder of the many positive lessons I am learning and, of course, to keep me smiling!
Etc etc
It would be an understatement to say I was incredibility excited when I found out i would attend my vocational day with Kirsten who is the Vice President of HR at Aerostructures, a subsidiary company of Therma who fabricate Alternative Mission Equipment for defence and commercial aircraft. And the day did not disappoint!
After passing through three security points, the first thing that struck me was how visible the organisational values are! On the front counter as i walked in was a little pocket brochure that outlined the values of the company! Cue my internal 'ekk'. Then i looked up...there were posters on the walls...THEN i kid you not...the first employee I met was a holding a "show passion" mug (which is one of the values)... after i had to contain my nerdy excitement I had a little chuckle to myself because I felt like I was watching one of those sitcoms where they have product placements in every shot... It was everywhere i looked...and as you can imagine...I was in awe! In awe of the way they made the intangible tangible...because as we know (hey doug :p) is difficult to understand and explain the warm and fuzzy stuff that invisibility motivates employees behaviour etc...
After passing through three security points, the first thing that struck me was how visible the organisational values are! On the front counter as i walked in was a little pocket brochure that outlined the values of the company! Cue my internal 'ekk'. Then i looked up...there were posters on the walls...THEN i kid you not...the first employee I met was a holding a "show passion" mug (which is one of the values)... after i had to contain my nerdy excitement I had a little chuckle to myself because I felt like I was watching one of those sitcoms where they have product placements in every shot... It was everywhere i looked...and as you can imagine...I was in awe! In awe of the way they made the intangible tangible...because as we know (hey doug :p) is difficult to understand and explain the warm and fuzzy stuff that invisibility motivates employees behaviour etc...
Rønde Højskole and Efterskole
This morning I had the pleasure of visiting Rønde Højskole and Efterskole. It took me a little while to get my head around the concept but essentially the institutions are private boarding schools focussing on firstly an alternative for "gymnasium" education for Year 9 - 10 students with a holistic approach (in the case of the Efterskole) and a non assessable "gap" year approach for older students prior to them moving on to university or elsewhere (in the case of the Højskole). Many thanks to Efterskole Leader, Birthe and Administrator, Ejvind for giving up their time to explain things, show me the school and provide lunch.
My host, Erik was also kind enough, on the way home, to show me his garden plot and then the hospice.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Randers - and all that came with it!!
Tuesday the Skive rotarians Bodil and Thøger drove us to Graceland to meet with our new hosts - the Rotary clubs of Rosenholm & Randers Søndre.
Together we shared the Elvis experience, whilst guided by Henrik - the Elvis addict. Henrik entertained us with his knowledge of the King, and entertaining anecdotes. We then headed to the dinner, and were treated to some delicious burgers and fries.
The only thing that could possibly top our visit to graceland was some animals and tropical temperatures. Lucky for us, Randers is home to an enormous tropical zoo which housed animals from south America, Asia and Africa. It was an entertaining afternoon, but there were a few too many snakes out in the open for my likings!!!
We then had a guided tour around the town centre by Torbin, Birgit, Stefan & Erik. We were then sent to our host families, and I met Jes, Charlotte and Maria in their inner city apartment (my new home for the next few days!)
On Thursday I went with Jes (pronounced yes) to work at his law firm (a whole 2 minute walk from the apartment.) We went to the courts and watched a domestic violence case. Because all court proceedings are in Danish, it was very interesting to watch the body language in the case. It was also wonderful that Jes could take the morning off to sit in court and explain to me what was happening (it was one of his colleagues matters).
In the afternoon we were free to see the sights of town, and buy some souvenirs. (We also took Neil shopping, as he'd been wearing the same pair of pants since we had arrived...)
Wednesday night we did a presentation to a very welcoming meeting of both host clubs.
Thursday we put on our Terry tourist hats and visited the Hornslet church (first built in the 12th century), Rosenholm Manor ( a local castle erected in 1549) and the Frigate Jylland, Denmark's largest ship.
Here I discovered my inner princess, and have decided to build a similar castle back in Australia. Jas has asked for her own personal suite, with similar tapestries to those hung in Rosenholm Manor covering the walls.
Last night our hosts hosted a lovely farewell dinner party for us in Torbin and Birgit's home. We were fed far too much food, and drank lots of local beers. It was a lovely way to cap off our time in Randers.
This morning we travel to Rønde. It was quite sad to once again be saying goodbye to our hosts. Many thanks to the RK's of Randers Søndre & Rosenholm for their wonderful hospitality :)
Together we shared the Elvis experience, whilst guided by Henrik - the Elvis addict. Henrik entertained us with his knowledge of the King, and entertaining anecdotes. We then headed to the dinner, and were treated to some delicious burgers and fries.
The only thing that could possibly top our visit to graceland was some animals and tropical temperatures. Lucky for us, Randers is home to an enormous tropical zoo which housed animals from south America, Asia and Africa. It was an entertaining afternoon, but there were a few too many snakes out in the open for my likings!!!
We then had a guided tour around the town centre by Torbin, Birgit, Stefan & Erik. We were then sent to our host families, and I met Jes, Charlotte and Maria in their inner city apartment (my new home for the next few days!)
On Thursday I went with Jes (pronounced yes) to work at his law firm (a whole 2 minute walk from the apartment.) We went to the courts and watched a domestic violence case. Because all court proceedings are in Danish, it was very interesting to watch the body language in the case. It was also wonderful that Jes could take the morning off to sit in court and explain to me what was happening (it was one of his colleagues matters).
In the afternoon we were free to see the sights of town, and buy some souvenirs. (We also took Neil shopping, as he'd been wearing the same pair of pants since we had arrived...)
Wednesday night we did a presentation to a very welcoming meeting of both host clubs.
Thursday we put on our Terry tourist hats and visited the Hornslet church (first built in the 12th century), Rosenholm Manor ( a local castle erected in 1549) and the Frigate Jylland, Denmark's largest ship.
Here I discovered my inner princess, and have decided to build a similar castle back in Australia. Jas has asked for her own personal suite, with similar tapestries to those hung in Rosenholm Manor covering the walls.
Last night our hosts hosted a lovely farewell dinner party for us in Torbin and Birgit's home. We were fed far too much food, and drank lots of local beers. It was a lovely way to cap off our time in Randers.
This morning we travel to Rønde. It was quite sad to once again be saying goodbye to our hosts. Many thanks to the RK's of Randers Søndre & Rosenholm for their wonderful hospitality :)
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Vocational day in Randers
Today's vocational day was at the Randers Business and Development Council, where Jas and I met with Torsten, who is one of the consultants in the business.
The Randers Business and Development Council is a not-for-profit organisation which supports small and medium businesses to succeed beyond two to three years. They also provide free advice to entrepreneurs, including business planning and strategy development and assist with connecting them with other professional services to help get their business idea up and running.
They are funded partially by the Randers Municipality and also by around 600 member businesses. They employ 9 permanent staff, and have other sub-consultants working for them when needed.
Throughout our day there, all of the staff members who were on-site took the time to come and meet us and tell us a little about what area they specialise in. This included the newly appointed managing director, who was busy preparing for his first board meeting.
This was the first glimpse of what we soon discovered was an extremely inclusive, open and collaborative work environment.
What was most impressive to us were the little things that all worked together to form what we perceived to be a very positive workplace culture. Simple things like:
- having morning tea together every day (Torsten said it was the most important meeting of the day)
- Uffe (the new MD) chose to sit in the open plan office space rather than the closed office
- relationships were their number one focus, and their most important resource, and this seemed to start at home, and with each other.
Their external focus is on ensuring that local business succeed, and they do this through a network of well established and well nurtured relationships. This is all done with the generous spirit that we have been seeing so much of over the last eight days.
Thank you to everyone at Randers Erhvervs- & Udviklingsrad for a very insightful vocational day.
Jasmine and Lauren.
The Randers Business and Development Council is a not-for-profit organisation which supports small and medium businesses to succeed beyond two to three years. They also provide free advice to entrepreneurs, including business planning and strategy development and assist with connecting them with other professional services to help get their business idea up and running.
They are funded partially by the Randers Municipality and also by around 600 member businesses. They employ 9 permanent staff, and have other sub-consultants working for them when needed.
Throughout our day there, all of the staff members who were on-site took the time to come and meet us and tell us a little about what area they specialise in. This included the newly appointed managing director, who was busy preparing for his first board meeting.
This was the first glimpse of what we soon discovered was an extremely inclusive, open and collaborative work environment.
What was most impressive to us were the little things that all worked together to form what we perceived to be a very positive workplace culture. Simple things like:
- having morning tea together every day (Torsten said it was the most important meeting of the day)
- Uffe (the new MD) chose to sit in the open plan office space rather than the closed office
- relationships were their number one focus, and their most important resource, and this seemed to start at home, and with each other.
Their external focus is on ensuring that local business succeed, and they do this through a network of well established and well nurtured relationships. This is all done with the generous spirit that we have been seeing so much of over the last eight days.
Thank you to everyone at Randers Erhvervs- & Udviklingsrad for a very insightful vocational day.
Jasmine and Lauren.
Vocational Day - Gymnasiet i Paderup
Today I visited Paderup Gymnasium (secondary college) courtesy of the school and past Principal Karl Vibjerg. Karl opened the school as it's first Principal in 1979 and retired from there some 9 years ago. He is very proud of the school, its staff, students and facilities and from my observations deservedly so. The school caters for academic students across 3 forms from the ages of 17 to 19 or so (roughly equivalent to Years 11, 12 & 13) but is very different from Queensland schools. The differences are primarily related to the degree of freedom that is held by students and the more "University like" feel to the campus - no uniforms, first names basis, open space teaching with very significant use of technology, catered lunch for staff for small payment per month, one day off for staff each week for preparation, correction etc. (not including weekends) and so on. The place had a very nice atmosphere. The school did not cater, however, for any technical or commercial type subjects and so had a fairly narrow focus. Students were expected to complete three language subjects, Danish, English and one other. I was really pleased to see evidence of past Australian exchange students. Overall, a great morning.
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