As a descendant of Danish immigrants to NZ, it was an odd but somehow happy experience to walk down into the departure lounge at Bangkok Airport about a day ago to board my flight to Copenhagen to find that most of the large gathering of waiting passengers - 90% of them fair-haired - actually looked as though they could be my cousins! All the conversation I could hear was Scandinavian and by something about people's physical appearance, I could have sworn they’d wandered in from a family gathering in my childhood. Head shapes, hair texture, height, build and colouring, all instantly reminded me of my brother, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, my grandparents. High Slavic cheekbones, strong brows. The women are small, and everywhere I see versions of my kindly aunts.
It’s the fulfilment of a long-held wish to see this place my grandparents and their parents left behind for a punishing life as farming pioneers in New Zealand; to see the people and the culture. A few hours walking Kobnhavn streets in the old quarter and the city seems gracious and civilised. The people clearly love fine things – design, art, furniture, fine craftsmanship; and their food and ale. Today they were out in happy droves in the Autumn sun, pushing strollers and big-wheeled prams, or sitting over long lunches of ‘fiske’ and beer.
And then there’s the Association of Internet Researchers conference at the IT University. I’ll keep you posted.
