Crown Princess Mary's Working Visit to New York City: September 27-29, 2015

[gerry]

Our treasured member, Roskilde, has found this Facebook post by the chef Claus Meyer, who was baking with Mary: https://www.facebook.com/clausmeyerdk/posts/883913464995429

And this is his account in his typical style:
Dear friends,
The day before yesterday I went to North Festival in New York, where I along with my head-baker, Rhonda Crosson was to do a baking-workshop for children.
Crown Princess Mary dropped by and I received her in the festival area on Charles Street in West Village together with the festival manager Kalle and the Danish Minister for Foodstuff, Eva Kjer Hansen.
We walked along the stands together and in to the children who were preparing to roll out soft dough and knead remonce.
The Crown Princess, who through the visit was incredibly present and dedicated, was about to look at the children, but suddenly it was as if a Tasmanian Devil possessed into her. She suddenly told me that contrary to all plans she would actually like to roll out the soft dough.
Holy moly I thought. There wasn't even a chair for her, because the tables were designed for children. I asked: "Your Royal Highness, are you (formal you) sure you want dough and flour on your hands"? "Yes, I am", she replied resolutely, "It's been way too lomg since I rolled out dough".
She rolled like a pro, with an enormous surplus, while she chatted with children on both sides.
Crown Princess Mary soon got to the remonce. The butter was too hard to knead with the tools at hand so what to do now.
With thirty cameras in front of her the Crown Princess either had to quit halfway through the project, like most would have done or mess up her hands and nails in butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Fortunately I spotted out of the corner of my eye what was going on and I hurried to ask her if I could help her with the remonce, please, so that it became a team-job. She thought that was a good idea. A short while later we had folded together the dough, rolled it out again and was working on producing the finest twirls.

On the way out I asked whether it had been a good experience. Mary replied legendary short: (In English) "Oh, yes, very nice to try it... (Danish) It was KONGE = KING" (Slang for great).

I was completely taken aback over that reply. But I couldn't believe what I just heard, so I asked the Crown Princess is she would mind repeating what she just said, to which she replied (in English): "Oh Yes, it would be nice to try it with... perhaps honey".
(Konge and honey does sound somewhat similar).

BT article based on the Facebook story: Claus Meyer hylder kronprinsesse Mary: Her bager de sammen i New York - Royale | www.bt.dk

- Funny little anecdote. Thanks for digging it up, Roskilde.

thank you Muhler! I am sure 'konge' and 'honey' sound similar in Danish, especially as Claus Meyer asked the Crown Princess to repeat her comment! Danish pronunciation is quite unlike anything I have ever heard, especially as the written language is NOTHING like the spoken language; I am certain there is ample opportunity for jokes, puns and other double entendres in Denmark. i have put Danish on my list of languages to learn.

 

[Muhler]

You are welcome Tarlita, Roskilde & Gerry.

Yes, I'm afraid you are right, Gerry. So imagine learning Danish as your first foreign language - as an adult...
If you are to learn Danish I strongly suggest you use someone speaking with southern Jutlandic accent as basis. Oddly enough (for me) that accent seems to be the most easy to understand for foreigners.
Some years ago another member of a royal forum used a former DK MP's New Year address as basis for her Danish examination as she had huge problems understanding the Copenhagener accent - and passed.

Here is the video she used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chebRsybvqg

 

[Roskilde]

Pictures from Kongehuset.dk gallery from Mary's last meeting in New York

http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe...mber/besog-i-new-york/besog-i-new-york-12.img
http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe...mber/besog-i-new-york/besog-i-new-york-13.img
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQExt_YVAAAZ3sX.jpg

 

[marye]

Thank you everyone! Mary's passion and willingness to be in the forefront of women's equality has always impressed me. Not less impressed with the work done by members of this forum.

 

[Muhler]

A nice and quite funny video summary of Mary's visit to New York from BB: VIDEO: Kronprinsesse Mary kæmpede for hjertesag i New York | Billed Bladet

BB also has a report and an interview in the magazine edition today.

I'll return to that later.

--

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #40, 2015.
Written by our foreign correspondent, Marianne Singer.

There is an interview with Mary which I will deal with in the next post. This post will be a summary of what she was doing during the first couple of days in New York. And in no particular chronological order.

The first thing Mary attended was the Global Leader's Meeting on Achieving Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment.
That included a large number of political heads of states from all over the world and it was hosted by the Chinese President, Xi Jinping and UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon.
The purpose of the meeting was to follow up on the Beijing Congress in 1995 at which a number of goals were laid down in regards to women's right. So the discussion was basically about what has happened, what needs to be done and what can we do in regards to women's rights.
Among the political leaders present was also the Danish PM, Lars Løkke who Mary had a brief chat with before the meeting.

The 193 member countries of UN have decided on an ambitious agenda: Among other to eradicate poverty by 2030.
Apart from increasing the general wealth worldwide (*), protecting the environment and promoting the general well being of people.

Late Sunday afternoon, Mary went to Morgan Library on Madison Avenue, for a meeting at Maternity Foundation, that had arranged a conference on Mobile Innovations for Maternal Health that is particularly aimed at Africa south of Sahara. (**)
Mary gave the opening speech and took an active part in the debate afterwards.

But as always when a member of the DRF are on the job abroad they promote Danish commerce, local Danish businesses or Danish export. That was also the case for Mary this time.
She went to West Village to attend the North Nordic Food Festival, which is a six day long celebration of Nordic cuisine.
Here Mary visited the Danish part of the exhibition and she was supposed to have looked on while pastry was being made by local children. But as you know Mary decided to join in. Standing between two local boys, Charlie and Bob, Mary first studied the ingredients to make cinnamon-twirls. (***) So it's probably the first time she's made them. Anyway with a little guidance and a bit of banter with the children she got the dough ready for the oven.
On the way out Mary said about Nordic cuisine: "I have many favorits, I'm very fond of the Nordic kitchen/cuisine and it's lovely to see that such a festival can help inspire the interest there is for the new Nordic cuisine in New York".

Outside a number of Danish expats had shown up to look at the giraffe (****). Mary had a brief chat with a woman who had brought her daughter with her and she asked the child whether she could sing some typical Danish children's songs.

(*) Despite all the depressing news and setbacks we hear about every day on a global scale things are progressing. Because never before has such a large percentage of the human race been:
Literate.
Got an education beyond basic schooling.
Have access to at least basic medical care.
Had access to global communication and information. I.e. the internet and phones.
So wealthy. - The majority of families worldwide now have a living standard that is equivalent to the European average in 1930-1960. I.e. a home, often a car and the means travel when on holiday. - It is estimated that at present about one fifth of the human race are below that standard. About one fifth is above that standard.
Living in a democracy or a system with some degree of democracy, including at least some degree of free speech.
And so on and so on.

(**) In many places in Africa south of Sahara the infant mortality and just as bad the mortality among women giving birth is at a medieval level. In other words if you become pregnant there is a very real chance you will only have some nine months more to live!
Africa is peculiar in the sense that the most important mean to communications and information, apart from the radio, is the smart phone. Not the TV, not the newspapers, not local government offices but the phone. And that includes apps.
So the Maternity Foundation has developed an app aimed at pregnant women to inform them about often very basic measures in regards to their health and giving birth - and thus save lives.

(***) As with all other kind of Danish pastry there are many variations. Emitting a mouthwatering smell when pulled out of the oven, guaranteed to attract your dog, your husband and your children within nano seconds!
Here are a few examples: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7R6dE7V1dIk/UGbYCnsD0nI/AAAAAAAAAp4/lX5ovw-4spo/s1600/mad+014.JPG
https://moseveien.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_6640.jpg
Here with marzipan: http://bloggersdelight-dk.bloggersd.../files/2014/03/Kanelsnurrer-med-marcipan5.jpg
And a recipe: https://iheartcakes.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/kanelsnurrer/

(****) Idiom, said about someone or something that is very novel.

 

[Roskilde]

A nice and quite funny video summary of Mary's visit to New York from BB: VIDEO: Kronprinsesse Mary kæmpede for hjertesag i New York | Billed Bladet

BB also has a report and an interview in the magazine edition today.

I'll return to that later.

That's a nice video

BB has also uploaded this sweet little clip on Facebook of Mary and little Charlie in a little baking contest. You can't but smile a little.

https://www.facebook.com/billedbladet/videos/vb.340406532927/10153363357097928/?type=2&theater

 

[Muhler]

Here is part of the interview BB made with Mary in New York. It's interesting to compare it with the interview Frederik made in Nepal.

Q: Do you feel you have once again succeeded putting focus on the rights of women and girls?
M: “There are a lot of people who work hard to promote equality and the rights of women and children, and there are a lot of countries that are a part of UN, who must agree on that agenda, so of course you could wish for more. Perhaps a slightly stronger language/wording, especially in regards to sexual and reproductive health and rights, but having said that I think that equality and women and girls rights are well represented.
With goal number five (of seventeen the General Assembly agreed on) equality has become and independent goal/aim. But is it also important to understand that equality and improving women and girls rights and conditions are there in the other targets (agreed upon) and you cannot achieve a fulfillment of the other aims unless you ensure equality and respect for women’s rights”.

Q: You have over time established a large network through your work with the UN. What significance does this network have for you and can you use it?
M: “It’s correct that for the many years I have worked with that field, my network has grown. And that’s very important, because you suddenly realize that you can use each other, establish new co-operations or create a new contact to others. That’s a network I can use way into the future”.

Q: What does it give you personally to work with these topics?
M: “It’s very important that we ensure equality. We cannot create sustainable development, we cannot improve our world and create wealth without including women and girls. And that means we have to work hard to create equal opportunities for young girls and women, that there among other things are access to school, access to healthcare, that there is equal pay for equal work. I can in these days sense a momentum in the perception of women and girls being the foundation, when it’s about achieving what the seventeen targets stand for: to create a better world for all – for the present and the coming generation. And absolutely central for that agenda is the agenda about women and girls rights”.

Q: How have you experienced this trip journey to New York?
M: “It has been enormously exciting and very encouraging. But we must also realize that we here today stand with seventeen new goals that are being passed (by the General Assembly) and it’s very wide aims for the next fifteen years. They have to be the ones that guide us in the efforts to creating a better and sustainable development.
But having said that, now the hard work begins and that’s the implementation of the agenda. It’s a universal agenda, so each country has a responsibility for implementing the new targets. So even though we stand here with seventeen good, strong aims which are for humans and for creating prosperity in the world there is a long way to go yet.
It’s easy to feel the enthusiasm to the meetings, but it’s also about diving into the substance and start on the next phases.
Something that has made a big impression on me was the session I took part in with Restless Development with the young (#Generation 2030: Torchbearers for the SDG’s). We have the largest generation ever of young in the world today (*) and they have taken part in developing the seventeen targets. And you could clearly hear in the hall that they darn well are also going to take part in implementing them. Because they are our future leaders of decision-makers, and they should have the opportunity.
They must among other things have a good health, so that they can achieve their full potential, not only for the benefit of themselves but also for their family, their community and their country”.

Q: Did it make you optimistic to hear the young speak?
M: “Yes, you simply get so impressed! It’s accomplished young people who know what they are talking about and who have a drive, an energy and a dynamics, so that they can contribute in a big scale to what the seventeen targets stand for”.

Mary is also told about the admiration Frederik expressed for her in his interview in the previous issue of BB. Mary replied: “It was a lovely front page to wake up to, especially as I missed him”.

(*) Over the rest of the century the world population is expected to stabilize and then slowly begin to decrease from a maximum of eleven billion people. The reason being that even in developing countries two-child families are becoming the norm. That means the generation of children will constitute around two billion, who will have two children per couple, who again will have two children per couple. So in a hundred years the world population will begin to drop, when those who are children today have died and the last “big generation” has gone.

 

[polyesco]

thank you Muhler.

We cant say that Mary's is not informed and knowledgeable.
She seems very focus and knows how best to express herself.

And cute little ending saying she missed Frederik (she is more reserved in that aspects I feel)

 

[Roskilde]

Thanks Muhler, for your always great work and resume of BB. An very interesting and knowledgeable interview which I learned from.

Mary is also told about the admiration Frederik expressed for her in his interview in the previous issue of BB. Mary replied: It was a lovely front page to wake up to, especially as I missed him”.

And to the romantics of us, aww. Frederik was in Nepal at the time, so I can well imagine that waking up to such a front page on the newspaper must have been lovely.

 

[marfre]

That's a nice video

BB has also uploaded this sweet little clip on Facebook of Mary and little Charlie in a little baking contest. You can't but smile a little.

https://www.facebook.com/billedbladet/videos/vb.340406532927/10153363357097928/?type=2&theater

Thanks, cute clip. Mary has a beautiful smile and how nice that she joined in the cooking unannounced, way to go Mary.