Facebook posting

Funny, today I have read something interesting on a Facebook.
One of my husbands cousins has posted the following:
WARNING: if you received a friend request from Karen Ellemann, Lene Espersen, Lars Lokke or Pia Kjaersgaard, do not accept it! IT'S A VIRUS that removes your retirement, steals from the poor, import cheap labor, gives your child 32 classmates and sets limits to love.
Funny and sad summary of the Danish politics.
As I have already commented several times, Danish government ones in a while comes up with a brilliant idea or two.
I am not that concerned about my pension, as I can see most likely my generation will be working til our 70s, so all that discussion regarding retirement is not of my business. But I have my dear friends and colleagues, who are rapidly approaching the pension age and I can see that it does concern them.
I can see that all the cleaning and craftsman were taken over of eastern Europe nations. Nothing wrong with that, however what should we do with our work-force?
All the educational reforms end up with less money for education, more kids in classes, less focus on education in general. I am happy again that doesn't concern us, as we go to a completely different system, but in a long run, when my kids will go to university, it will be my problem as well.
And the famous boarder for love. Well, we lived with 24 years rule, but how about now? If you come from an EU or OECD countries then your, so to say, qualified to be integrated, if you are from the other "banana" republic, then you should prove for the government that you are worth to stay. And this is just one step. If gets worse.
Any way, getting back to Facebook message. I just liked it. I agree with the post, I agree with the frustration, but on the other hand I love this country, believe it or not.

State may lose millions on new law on artificial insemination

A new law that makes people to pay fees for artificial insemination could eventually have cost the government more than it actually would save by not having introduce the law.

Surprise? Not really.

The new law was introduced from the 1st of January 2011 where one is facing fees for artificial insemination in public sector. Up to that day Danish tax-payers could get 3 treatments at states expense.
Now own payment means that a childless couple must calculate with having to take out of their pocket between 15,000 and 30,000 kroner for the treatments. And it has caused many to stay away from clinics.

It is so weird to hear that Danish population is getting older, there are not enough young people who would be able to support the economy in about 25 years. And so what does the government do? Yes, it comes up with a brilliant idea of asking for fees for artificial insemination. How clever is that?

Right now all you can read in the newspaper a shocking discovery on the facility conference in Stockholm. One of the highlights are that fewer people will seek fertility treatment, because they themselves must pay. That means fewer births and thus fewer people who can contribute to the economy with their taxes.

Am I chocked? Not really. Why does the government thinks in a short run, not in the long run. Yes, they will save the money now, but who will pay the bill later, when in comes in the form on lost tax revenues?

The two scientists wrote in their report that a decrease in the number of treatments of 30-50 percent as a result of the new standards for user fees in Denmark means that the state in 2034 will have saved between 500 and 830 million kroner.

However in 2059, then 25 years later, the state will in turn have lost between 555 and 920 million kroner. A loss due to less tax because there will be fewer children born to pay taxes.

Broken arm and etc.

So, the news of the day is that I have managed to break my arm. The good news is that I don't need to pack, the bad news is I have to go with the cast on my arm for 6-8 weeks.
Anyway it was dark, I have overestimated my ability to see in the dark and the knowledge of the basement, so there it was... A huge fall, then I thought I can sleep over that. Well, my conclusion... One can't. So believe it or not I am with the cast now.
On the Canada issue. We got a contract, signed and now we are in the process of filling out the huge amount of paper, talking to the lawyers, going to court to sign the papers. All in all the process is moving so we have hoping to move by the end of our vacations.
On the sentimental part... We have had 3 farewell parties: for Masha with nail-polish, for David with water fight and for us with a flood in Copenhagen... Well we had a great party, not even a drop of rain, while at the same time in the central Copenhagen has been flooded. So I know that our guest will remember that day, but I hope because of us and not because of the flood.

paper work

So, today, apart of working we were doing all the paper work, well, as much as we could do.

The moving company has been by, asking us what we are taking with and leaving behind. The moving agent was surprised how little stuff we were having. There is a question about violins, and about how we will ship them to Canada. As we have 6 of them, it might be hard to take them all as a hand luggage and it might be too warm in a container, depending where it is standing in a cargo ship. No food is allowed and we might have a challenge with vine as well. There are some import taxes on vine and as we have over 50 bottles of different ones we will have to decide what to do. To drink, or to storage, or to pay, that is the question.

Then it was a tax officer. And you know, we have decided, to pay Danish taxes. Yes, you have heard us. Yes, yes, yes. For the first time we are proud to be Danes and we will be continueing being Danish as long as possible. ;-)
P.S. Why are there tax offices are so boring? The girl was so nice and I should say, beautiful, but boy, could she find more unattractive clothes?

Then it was the time to get birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc in english. What we can say, some offices are cooperative, some are not. And those who were not, they were 100% uncooperative. We got everything except one paper, which we hope we will get in a day or two.

Now the tickets and credit cards are coming up.

Montreal it is

Decision has been made. First year of 2 year assignment will be in Montreal, Canada.
All in all it was "easy" to make that decision.
School: there is no place for Masha in the french school in New York, so far, however she is on the waiting list.
Work: even that I have been trying to do my best by contacting Nordea in New York, it looks like they are not interested. Well, their loss, not mine.
Living conditions: it is cheaper, closer to European way of thinking and living, and then Morten will be close by.
And then housing: The prices we have seen were quite affordable and nice ones as well. And maybe I get to get a garden and a lake view and a fireplace and a bathtub.
Language: french, my dream. I always wanted to learn and to speak French. Why do you think David goes to a french school?
Hippos: there are hippos in the zoo, next to Montreal, so that is covered as well.
Sports: Morten will get to try skiing. ;-)
So the inspection trip in coming up in 10 days. Let us see what it will bring.

politics

Denmark is going into the wrong direction. Since I came here in 2000, it has been going from bad to worse.
Did you hear the latest news? Now Denmark wants to set a boarder line between Germany and Denmark back. It order to make sure who is coming into the country. They say they want to protect themselves from Romanian and Polish people who are coming here to steal and ask for money. But whom will it effect in the reality? Someone like me, someone who needs to have a visa for her mum to visit, which makes it impossible after all.
The new rules in order to get a permanent residence is insane. For someone like my friends, who came here as au pairs, worked, studies, learned language, got work and it is almost impossible to obtain one if they haven't been a member of a football club or some kind of a freewill organization for a year or two.

http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/permanent-residence-permit/permanent-residence-permit.htm

So the clever rats leave the ship, and they do it fast, before Denmark turns up to be Germany of 1935s, and they it will really go wrong.

a bit of everything

Too many things, too many plans.
We have been facing a huge changes in our lives. Everything, you name it. It is so strange and huge and hard to explain.
On a daily life things are going as they usually are:
Morten is getting ready for a new start. Getting organized paperwork, calling lots of people about insurances, schools, etc.
Zhenya is taking it to extreme at work. Doing her best, and doing all the practical and sensible organization.
David is having concerts that are coming up in June. School is doing good, and the grades are good as well.
Masha started to go to tennis, continuing going to ballet and started on house back riding this Saturday. No school yet, however.
For Zhenyas birthday we have been in Hamburg, and met one of Zhenyas friends Natasha, whom she hasn't seen for almost 13 years. Fun to see where you end after all those years.
Mortens birthday is coming up and there are some plans, but one never know where one will end up right on that day.