My Corona Nightmare

For at certain amount of time I have been thinking of sharing a blog post about COVID-19. However, I had too many thoughts about the content of this blog post and there are simply too many angles of the crisis I would like to share with you.

Believe me there are many stuffs about COVID-19 I would like to assess. I want to discuss about: 

  • The strategies the different countries are executing 
  • The usefulness of wearing masks 
  • How to use a mask 
  • How citizens are behaving 
  • Discriminations 
  • How people should put health and safety over economy and leisure 
  • How people are underestimating COVID-19 

These are not the only topics I want to share my opinion on and who knows I might publish more posts about COVID-19 later this year. For a long time I thought this specific blog post would be a political one, but in the end, I ended up with a more “down to earth” blog post. 

I started reading about COVID-19 right after a great Christmas Eve celebration when I saw some articles before I went to bed (back then it was not called “COVID-19” yet). At that point I was already concerned and my memories about SARS were reappearing. I did not want it to affect my mood, so I decided to just enjoy the holidays and not think too much about it. 

Sadly, more and more international articles about this mysterious disease and Wuhan were appearing through different channels. I started getting seriously concerned around mid-January when I cancelled all my vacation plans for spring and Easter. I was really looking forward to another Hong Kong trip in spring and visiting Japan while there are sakura during Easter, but as a person I am really safe. From my perspective COVID-19 was already getting out of hand and I knew it could potentially already be in different countries when people can travel so freely. 

Mid-January was also the start of my journey of buying masks, hand sanitizers and disinfection items to prepare for “battle”. It was not like I wanted to use masks right away, but I wanted to make sure I had some in case the different governments do not take this potential crisis seriously enough.

Not long and around end of January the whole crisis started escalating (even more). Around Christmas and New Year I was already skeptical and was feeling that it could turn into a crisis if it is not properly dealt with. Deeply I was also hoping that the whole world had learned from SARS and that it would be possible to restrain COVID-19 with the right moves. At the same time, I clearly felt that the public did not receive all the information about COVID-19 considering how problematic it was. I was also convinced that COVID-19 could be transmitted from human to human early on even though it was not announced back then. I was certain that it was a problematic virus even though it was claimed as something minor. 

As you now know COVID-19 has created a global crisis and even today there are still people who do not take it seriously enough and consider it as a flu. I honestly do not get how people can be so carefree against COVID-19 when countries have executed curfews, lockdowns etc. I do not want people to be or feel scared, but you can at least take precautions and do what you can to avoid getting infected and to avoid infecting others, because if we all take it too lightly this crisis will never end.

I also want to point out that I do not understand why people keep saying COVID-19 is not dangerous. Have you not noticed that young and healthy people are dying too? As far as I know there are no one in this world who has a clear and full picture of COVID-19. Scientists and doctors have many discoveries about this virus and they all have their own theories about it. We have to remember that this is a new virus and we have no experience with it. Why else would we be in this situation? Also be aware that we do not have any knowledge about the side effects and if there are any long-term health problems. Remember that SARS gave some health problems in the long run. 

I understand that people have a hard time in limiting their lives, but at the same time I did what I could to be safe. I stayed home for almost 60 days and I did not go out at all. I also bought groceries online, because before the lockdown I could tell that many people in Denmark do not keep distance. If I had the choice, I would have stayed home for at least 100 days, but I also felt guilty towards some of my responsibilities. This is also why I did not reach exactly 60 days at home even though it would have been some sort of a milestone. Currently I have reached another milestone, because I have not got a haircut for 3 months now. 

Lastly, I just want to say that some countries acted fast against COVID-19, but most countries did not react fast enough. In general, I think none of the countries outside of Asia were fast enough and they clearly do not have any experience with something like COVID-19. At first it was claimed that COVID-19 is not troublesome, but you could still clearly tell it was getting out of hand if you followed closely. My point is that even though the official statements were unclear, the western countries could still be better prepared to fight against COVID-19. Maybe I can elaborate on this matter in another blog post. 

Stay safe.

Achievements of an Engineer

Last time I went to Hong Kong I also visited RTHK to share my knowledge about Denmark and Danish Butter Cookies as a Chinese born in Denmark through a radio show called: “Talk of the World” (打開世界).

With this experience I sort of feel like I have reached a goal, as funny as it may sound.

Before I started elementary school I told my family that I want to have some remarkable results and achievements during my “prime”. I also had silly ideas about getting remembered forever in this world by creating great changes on a society and scientific level.

During my education this dream evolved into me wanting to take the mantle of major technological changes that helps societies grow. At some point I also had silly ideas of getting remembered as a successful actor in both Hollywood and Hong Kong.

The interview with RTHK took place two days before my birthday. It was great to get this experience just before I reached a certain age, because when I think about it I have actually reached some of the goals I had in life with this interview and a certain article.

When I graduated with a master degree I also became the author of an scientific article. The scientific article had several authors, but I was like the main drive force behind this article, since it was my knowledge that was expressed throughout this article.

I did not end my master degree with a master thesis like most people do, because my final course was about creating this scientific article with the knowledge I had acquired with the master thesis.

In many ways I am thankful for all the good and bad things that happens i life. I also have to thank my friend Victoria for giving me this opportunity to join a RTHK radio show. She does not know this, but at first I was very reluctant to accept the interview, as I had all these crazy ideas about what the radio show could be about.

However, I found out that the radio show did not have topics like serious political issues. It was about how Denmark is compared to Hong Kong and I was sort of invited as an expert.

With my scientific article and this radio show I know that my knowledge is of use in one way or another, even though the radio interview was not related to my engineering skills.

In the end I feel like I can still have an impact on the society even though I have not won the noble prize.

Life may not take shape as you want it to, but as long as you believe and accept the obstacles you will reach satisfaction. No matter what you will still be an expert in many aspects. Do not lose hope and remember that anything is possible when an egg can become the most liked Instagram photo.

You can listen to the RTHK interview by clicking on the following link, but please be aware that it is in Cantonese:

https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio2/programme/talkoftheworld

Amazing HK Xmas

Festive decorations is like one of Hong Kongs many attractions and especially before, during and after Christmas.

Hong Kong has without doubt some beautiful and impressive Christmas decorations. In fact there are so many different decorations around the city, that you will likely not be able to see all of them nor find the “best” ones.

I was lucky enough to see many of them and I have decided to share some photos of the most beautiful Christmas displays I experienced during my 2018 Hong Kong trip. If you are against Christmas you should probably stay away from Hong Kong around Christmas time.

Personally I like to travel to Hong Kong during November and December, because the weather is perfect for people that are born and raised in the very cold Scandinavia. While some locals in Hong Kong need to wear their winter coats, I do not even need to wear a jacket and sometimes I might only need a t-shirt. Adding the Christmas decorations my experience and mood just get better.

Whether you are a Hong Kong resident or not I think it is worth seeing the Christmas displays in Hong Kong, but it is often too hard to get some good photos when everyone is trying to get a selfie with their loved ones.

Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong
Langham Place, Mong Kok
Langham Place, Mong Kok
Pacific Place, Admiralty
The Landmark, Central
Central, Hong Kong Island
Harbourfront, Central
Harbourfront, Central
Lee Tung Avenue, Wan Chai
Park Lane, Tsim Sha Tsui
The Peninsula Hong Kong Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui
Heritage 1881, Tsim Sha Tsui
Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui

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The Biggest Attraction in Funen

This is my first blog post of the year. I do not know why I waited so long to share another post, but it will change from now on. This time I just want to share a few photos from a place that I have not even heard about before I visited it myself.

 

There are many beautiful castles in Denmark and if you happen to be in Funen you should definitely visit Egeskov Castle.

The castle might be small, but it is situated in a beautiful area with a lake surrounding the castle. During summer you will likely enjoy the green areas with many things to explore. Children can enjoy the playground and there are also a couple of mazes, which can take forever to get out of.

 

Egeskov is considered as one of the most impressive historic gardens in Europe. I can honestly tell you that you will feel the same way when you are walking around the garden. It may not be as popular as Frederiksborg Castle, but I find them equally good in terms of aesthetic.

 

Also, did you know that in 2017 a Chinese couple travelled across the world with their own car just to see Egeskov Castle? By coincidence I happened to visit Egeskov Castle around one week before them and it just makes me wonder how come I have not heard about this place before last years summer.

 

The Old Smithy

 

Egeskov Castle

 

Egeskov

 

Egeskov Castle

 

Egeskov Castle

 

Egeskov Castle

 

Egeskov Castle

 

Egeskov Castle

 

Egeskov Castle

 

The Garden

 

The Garden

 

Rose Garden

 

Roses

 

Egeskov Castle

 

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Christmas in Copenhagen (2017)

One of the things I enjoy most during winter is all the different Christmas decorations you happen to pass by. I hope your Christmas shopping went well and I hope you caught the Christmas spirit at your location. Also, please enjoy the Christmas holidays with the people you hold dear.

 

In this blog post I just want to show you how Christmas looks like in Copenhagen by showing you some photos I took around the city.

 

This is also my last blog post of 2017, so have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! 🙂

 

Copenhagen Central Station

 

Copenhagen City Hall

 

H. C. Andersen Christmas Market

 

H. C. Andersen Christmas Market

 

H. C. Andersen Christmas Market

 

Højbro Plads

 

Højbro Plads

 

Nyhavn

 

Kongens Nytorv

 

D’Angleterre

 

Strøget

 

Strøget

 

Købmagergade

 

 

Illums Bolighus

 

Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen

 

Kronprinsensgade

 

Magasin

 

Royal Danish Theater

 

Copenhagen Mall

 

Illum

 

Illum

 

Illums Bolighus

 

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Table

 

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Table

 

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Table

 

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Table

 

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Table

 

Royal Copenhagen Christmas Table

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

Tivoli

 

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12 Days in Hong Kong (2017)

Some of you know that I return to Hong Kong quite often. People close to me find it weird that I tend to visit the city when I have been there many many times. When people ask me what they can do in the city, I often have some trouble giving them specific answers even though Hong Kong is a city you can visit again and again.

 

Hong Kong has many attractions, but I guess I have trouble sharing suggestions because I usually just visit friends and families, eat and go shopping. In fact the majority of my clothes are actually bought in Hong Kong (around 98% I believe). In other words there are actually many attractions I have not been to in Hong Kong despite being in the city once a year. A great example is that I visited Hong Kong Disneyland for the very first time this year (2017).

 

This post is about my most recent trip in Hong Kong (October 2017), which is likely my last adventure with my iPhone 6. With this blog post I want to show you that Hong Kong is an “instafriendly” city and I have not even been to many of the popular “instaspots” yet like Choi Hung Estate, Quarry Bay, Instagram Pier, Hollywood Road, Chi Lin Nunnery, Tai O Infinity Pool, Fei Ngo Shan, Dragon’s Back etc.

 

The photos you see below may not be the best shots from my trip, but they are showing Hong Kong from 12 different “angles”. Some days I had way many great shots, while other days I only got a few decent shots. No matter what I ended up with 12 different photos from 12 different places in 12 days:

 

Day 1: 女人街 Ladies Market, 旺角 Mong Kok

 

Day 2: 利東街 Lee Tung Avenue, 灣仔 Wan Chai

 

Day 3: 半山區 Mid-Levels, 香港島 Hong Kong Island

 

Day 4: 長洲 Cheung Chau, 香港 Hong Kong

 

Day 5: 希慎廣場 Hysan Place, 銅鑼灣 Causeway Bay

 

Day 6: 香港迪士尼樂園 Hong Kong Disneyland, 香港 Hong Kong

 

Day 7: 維多利亞港 Victoria Harbour, 香港 Hong Kong

 

Day 8: 西營盤 Sai Ying Pun, 香港島 Hong Kong Island

 

Day 9: 尖沙咀 Tsim Sha Tsui, 九龍 Kowloon

 

Day 10: 天際100 Sky100, 香港 Hong Kong

(Featuring: IG @travelmomentss – Facebook 旅遊時刻 Travel Moments)

 

Day 11: Jockey Club Innovation Tower, 紅磡 Hung Hom

 

Day 12: 香港國際機場 Hong Kong International Airport, 香港 Hong Kong

 

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Easter Trip Memories 2017

During Easter 2017 I went to a few cities in three days time. Honestly I prefer to spend more days in a single city rather than spending one day in a city and rushing from city to city. On the other hand you are forced to explore different places when you have limited time. In this trip I went to Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Eguisheim, Colmar, Nancy and Heidelberg.

 

Strasbourg was definitely the highlight of this trip even though each city had its own charm. I really liked the old styled houses in Strasbourg, Eguisheim and Colmar and if I had the choice I would spend several days just to walk around Petite France in Strasbourg and enjoy its environment and have some flammekueche.

 

With this blog post I just want to share some of the photos I took during this trip.

 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

 

Petite France

 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

 

Eguisheim

 

Fontaine d’Eguisheim

 

Château Saint-Léon

 

Colmar

 

Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

 

Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation

 

Place Stanislas

 

Place Stanislas

 

Heidelberg

 

Schloss Heidelberg

 

Schloss Heidelberg

 

Heidelberg

 

Heidelberg

 

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Samsøe & Samsøe Fashion Show

Today (September 6, 2017) I saw a fashion show where Samsøe & Samsøe showcased the Summer and Pre-Autumn Collections. Without doubt I was really excited since I did not take part in the recent fashion week in Copenhagen back in August.

 

I recognised most of the clothes, since I am one of the few people who gets to see the collections before they are released. However, I want to point out that the clothes were wrapped, so it is not like I got to see the whole look, which is why it was really exciting to see how the different clothes looks like with a model.

 

Below you can see some of the photos I took during the event. Sorry for the bad quality, but I also had the same problem during a previous fashion show I went to. I guess it is time for a new phone, but I am waiting for iPhone 8! As you can see I was not able to get any good shots from the front, so I can only share how the pieces looks like from behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Olympus Perspective Playground 2017

I went to Øksnehallen to test an Olympus camera and had some fun. Perspective Playground is arranged by Olympus and is a way to understand their products and it is possible to test different types of cameras in an interesting playground. The event is free and you will receive a 4GB SD card, meaning you get to keep the photos you have taken.

 

In recent years I have tried many different kinds of cameras and smartphones to understand how I can get the “perfect shot”. Till this day I am still debating whether I should get a professional camera or not. I always had a certain interest in photography and takes many photos throughout a day, since you can capture unique moments or moods that tells a story. If you are an instagramer I want you to stop for a moment and consider the following:

 

No matter how many followers you have there are many people that somehow crosses paths with your photos. Even if you have not put many thoughts on your picture your audience will interpret your shot in many different ways. You might have a certain story you want to share, but your audience might see an entirely different story that do not have anything to do with what you originally felt the photo was about. That is exactly what is great with photography and probably why most of us use Instagram. Photography is an international language that somehow turns something “ordinary” into almost unlimited stories with deeper meanings.

 

With that in mind I might never purchase a professional camera, because you do not necessarily need the best devices to get great pictures. Another reason is that smartphone cameras are improving in a swift way and I honestly do not like the idea of carrying a camera that does not fit in my pocket. Right now I think I will wait to see how great the camera for the upcoming  iPhone 8 will be before I make any decisions. However, I have to admit that owning and utilising a professional camera gives me more possibilities and it will likely lead me to a promising direction.

 

Lastly I want to share some of the photos I took during Perspective Playground where I borrowed Olympus E-M10 Mark II, which has some interesting functions and settings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Why You Should Behave Like an Asshole

Here in Denmark we are craving warmer days, but an increasing threat appears when it is summer.

 

The amount of trick thieves increases when the weather is great, but that does not mean that there are no trick thieves during other seasons, it is just a bigger problem during summer. Since I am based in Copenhagen I have observed and heard stories about the different ways of fooling people to steal something. Based on what I experience and what different people has told me, I can tell you that trick thieves are an increasing problem in Copenhagen and with this blog post I hope I can prevent bad things to happen to you.

 

I may be paranoid, but whenever I am out in inner city there are people that tells me that they lost their phone, forgot their phone or the phone is broken and they need help from you. It could of course be a person that legitimate needs your help, but you really do not know the motive of the person that may or may not be a trick thief. I just find it very suspicious when the person just goes directly to you when many other people has passed him or her for a long time. I get it that if you need help you do not ask a random guy, but you want to ask someone you believe is friendly and one that can actually help you.

 

I feel like a jerk for not helping, but sometimes I get too suspicious and I do what I can to protect me and my belongings, since people around me have been victims of tricks thieves and pickpockets and I hate losing stuff. It does not mean that I do not help strangers I just do not help every single one like I used to and I feel really bad about it. I have always been very observant on my surroundings, which is why I like working with user experience where you need to observe and understand how a product, system or service can be improved and how it can benefit users. Some people might say I overreact from time to time, but I prefer to be on the safe side. I do not have the solution to be safe while at the same time helping a person that might or might not be a trick thief, but I hope I can help you out by listing some of the tricks I know:

 

  • If there are people dancing around you, you should be on guard. In Denmark we call them dance thieves and they confuses you by dancing really close to you where they go after your belongings. Sometimes it is only one person that all of a sudden greets you and shakes your hands while he or she starts ‘dancing’ and moving his legs around your legs.
  • People that wants to borrow your phone for an emergency. As soon as they get their hands on your phone they will run
  • People claiming they need help, because someone just stole his or her wallet and it is the persons birthday
  • Someone that wants to sell or give you fake jewelries. Do not look at it nor wear them, because as soon as they get your attention they will remove something you are wearing (watch, necklace, bracelet etc.) or take something from your pockets
  • Do not let strangers that appears out of nowhere hug you
  • People asking for directions with a map. After a short while fake English speaking police arrives to check your ID and will find ways to get your belongings
  • A Person points at some cash on the ground and claims you dropped it. While the person got your attention a partner will go after your pockets or maybe something you have on a table or your card inside the ATM
  • Your phone or wallet should not be visible on a table. Trick thieves will use a map or some paper to cover it and take it away while speaking to you
  • Most of us are not very good at hiding our credit card pin code and there are trick thieves that look after it inside a store or supermarket. They might even try to take to take the card just right after with the help of a partner. Otherwise they will follow you and take it from you when the timing is right
  • A person talking very loudly on a phone near you while a partner goes after your belongings

Then there are trick thieves that are related to cars and bikes:

  • Cars in emergency lanes. Usually there are a few people and they claim to have problems with their car, but in reality they want to steal your valuables
  • Cars stopping near you and wants directions. Again they are usually a few inside the car. No matter what you must not get near the car
  • There can also be different tricks to get you out of the car while the engine is running. If you see a piece of paper sticking to your back window you must not get out of the car without pulling the key with you. Also do not easily get out of your car and trust strangers that claims your tires are flat.
  • You should also be careful if you put your bags in a bike baskets where they are not secured. There are even stories about thieves that smashes car windows to take the purse on your lap

Lastly there are also home related trick thieves:

  • People that claims they are here to fix the water, heat or something else.
  • People that needs to use your toilet
  • People claiming they are some sort of social worker

 

Trick thieves will do what they can to get inside your home and what is most important is to never let them get in. In most cases the trick thieves claims they need your help and that is very frustrating, because you want to help someone in need, but in reality they are after your belongings. What I can say is that you should not get near a car, do not receive things from strangers, do not let strangers carry your bags. Trick thieves will do whatever they can to distract you while they act or a partner acts. If you realise that something bad is happening you should scream and yell, because that scares most of the trick thieves away.

 

A French friend of mine sees a bad development in Copenhagen and he knows that places like Paris has a bigger problem, but he thinks that Copenhagen might end up like Paris if something do not happen soon. It is very understandable since it is a growing problem in Copenhagen. I do not have the right to tell you to become an ‘asshole’ to your fellow citizen, but right now I do not have another solution. You can of course be more careful when dealing with strangers, but trick thieves always have new ways to fool you.

 

 

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