Be brave to be happy

'There is no happiness without freedom and no freedom without courage.'
Pericles

Få derfor det bedst mulige ud af det!

Rutsj med Rembrandt

»En stor rutsjebane giver masser af synlighed og omtale. Man kan sige, at det er vores svar på museernes Rembrandt- og Matisseudstillinger.«
Søren Kragelund
direktør i Fårup Sommerland og formand for Foreningen af Forlystelsesparker i Danmark
Kilde: artikel på Politiken.dk

That settles it... kind of...

You Should Be An Aquarius

What's good about you: philosophical and idealistic, you are a great thinker What's bad about you: you require a lot of space - it's hard to get close to you In love: you're quirky and playful, but you hate to be smothered In friendship, you're: likely to have many acquaintances and very few good friends Your ideal job: pilot, snow boarder, or science fiction writer Your sense of fashion: unconventional, unique outfits that turn heads You like to pig out on: anything with garlic or unique spices

What Sign Should You Be?

Friends

'I have — finally — realised that friends are an enormous support (even if they don't provide direct support) in getting at least little momentary shots of self-confidence. Eventually, these shots might accumulate into something bigger and more stable, so that your self-confidence builds on yourself and your self-esteem instead of on these momentary shots from outside.'
Bjørn Clasen, 23/3-6

Kvinder er dyre i drift...

'En [...] kunde mistede 53.000 kr., fordi han ved en fejl overførte pengene til en kvinde i stedet for en mand.'
fra leder i Ekstra Bladet,
som i øvrigt bruger et glimrende ord — gebyrgribbe — om bankerne

Surrender

After all your soul will still surrender
After all don't doubt your part
Be ready to be loved
extract from the Yessong 'To Be Over'

Creativity... crucial!

'Creativity is the brain's ultimate weapon in an uncertain world. Without creativity we are restricted to reacting to set rules in dealing with life. Rules are fine at times of constancy. But there has never been a less constant time than the present.'
Brian Clegg in his book Instant Brainpower

'Most rewarding walks'— My Lonely Planet Bluelist

...and how it got there!

This is life in a nutshell. Two days ago, I stumbled over a competition on Lonely Planet's website, through which you can win the first step to what could be at least my dream job... making a living by travelling and writing!

Great, you say — OK... but the thing is, the closing date was... today, and one had to be creative to enter. I'm creative, alright. Only... creativity doesn't come on command. Yet, I decided to enter the competition before deadline.

Great, you say again. OK. No, not OK actually. 'Cause they cut off my phone line this morning, and with it my Internet connection. Aaaaargh... I had been told they'd only do it tomorrow...!

Can't I do it from work, you'll say now. Thanks, yes, well, I could. Only... I was not at work today. Ill. Fourth day. Throatache, snotty, bit o'fever. Home.

Damn, you say now, damn. Haha yes, but I was determined. So I got in here after working hours, sitting here with coat and scarf, still achy snotty coughy fevery but also creative! I don't know why it is like that, and I don't care, but it always comes to me in the last moment, and when conditions are worst.

That's what I meant by life in a nutshell. It is a lonely planet indeed. And a blue one.

So here it is, my bluelist. Vote for it. Please. Do.

Thank you, and enjoy your trip!!
Bjørn

Vivre

alors viens sur moi
sous mes doigts
sur ma peau
dans ma vie
lève toi
on est libre
on va vivre
pour nos vies

Indochine: «gAng bAng»
Paroles: Nicola Sirkis

Selv ophavsret bør have grænser

»Vi kunne ikke vide, at der ovre i USA findes folk, der lever fedt af, at deres bedstefar engang skrev en fjollet julesang. År efter år bliver 'Jul det' cool' udgivet på en ny stak julekompilationer og ligger på radioernes top 5 hele december. Og år efter år modtager Leroy Andersons arvinger omkring 80 procent af, hvad nummeret indtjener. Resten er vi fem om at dele, for sådan gjorde vi det dengang. Og hvad mener jeg så om det? Jeg er ikke bitter over, at jeg ikke er blevet rig på min eneste evergreen, men jeg synes heller ikke, at det alene er Leroy Andersons skyld, at 'Jul det' cool' er et hit. Teksten og udførelsen har vel også lidt at sige? Så et eller andet er der galt.«
Nikolaj Peyk

Kilde: artikelserie om sampling af Ralf Christensen på Politiken.dk

Ragnvald nær kvalt af sesambrød

Dansktopsangeren Richardt Ragnvald blev onsdag ramt af et voldsomt allergisk anfald

Richardt Ragnvald måtte onsdag have akut lægehjælp, efter at han fik et allergisk anfald under slagerparaden i Gørlev Hallen ved Kalundborg.

― Jeg er super allergisk over for sesam, og vi fik serveret smørrebrød. Jeg så med det samme, at der var sesam på brødet og bad om at få noget andet, hvilket jeg da også fik.

― Hvad der er gået galt, ved jeg ikke, for der har åbenbart været sesam på det brød, jeg fik i stedet. Der blev ringet efter en ambulance, og ambulancefolkene vidste, hvad de skulle gøre, siger Richardt Ragnvald til Kalundborg Folkeblad.

Det er ikke første gang, at 58-årige Ragnvald må have lægehjælp, efter at han har spist noget, han ikke kan tåle. Sidste år kunne Ekstra Bladet fortælle, at den populære dansktopsanger var døden nær, efter at han havde spist en hotdog med sesamfrø.


af Mikkel Selin
Kilde: Ekstra Bladets netavis 16. februar 2006


― Jeg blev virkelig bange. Det er ikke sjovt at mærke, hvordan det bliver næsten umuligt at trække vejret, sagde Richardt Ragnvald til Ekstra Bladet, da han sidste år spiste en hotdog, der indeholdte sesamfrø.
(Foto: Andreas Szlavik)

Was Kinder werden

"Es muss uns [die Spielwarenbranche] gemeinsam gelingen, Kinder generell wieder mehr für Spielware zu begeistern und die Frequenz im Handel zu erhöhen. Ich halte langfristig Handys oder MP3 Player für viel gefährlicher [als Mattel und Playmobil]. Diese Konkurrenten sind schneller, wendiger und unvorhersehbarer und legen ein Tempo vor, bei dem die behäbige Spielwarenbranche kaum mithalten kann."
Dirk Engehausen, Geschäftsführer, Lego Central Europe
in Toys, Februar 2006

Carpe diem

«L'avenir n'existe pas. Seul existe le présent.»
Hergé

My wish list :)

updated 10 February

DVDs/videos


Friends ― the complete series (box set)


Un Gars, Une Fille ― l'intégrale (box set)


Yes Acoustic


Yes Symphonic Live (DVD+CD box set)

CDs


Indochine: Alice & June (I'd prefer the double CD version though...)
√(acquired on 28 January!)


Texas: Red Book √(acquired on 21 January!)


Yes: The Word Is Live (triple CD box set)


Simply Red: Simplified


Radiohead: The Bends


Pet Shop Boys: Please


Indochine: Dancetaria


Air: The Virgin Suicides


R.E.M.: New Adventures In Hi-Fi √(acquired on 28 January!)


R.E.M.: Automatic For The People


Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man


Air: Moon Safari


Air: 10 000 Hz Legend

Comics


Largo Winch 13: Le prix de l'argent √(acquired on 28 January!)


Largo Winch 14: La loi du dollar √(acquired on 28 January!)

Other books


The Rough Guide To Poland

or


Lonely Planet: Poland


Palle Schmidt: Den Nye Generation — Dansk Møbeldesign 1990-2005
(Nyt Nordisk Forlag)


Lennart Gotlieb: Michael Kvium — Malerier Og Motiver
(Lindhardt & Ringhof)

Miscellaneous

Walkman (yes, for old-fashioned tapes...)


iPod with the largest possible capacity

or


iRiver H10 with the largest possible capacity

Long-sleeved T-shirts (something that helps me look sexy or at least nice ;))

Des cerveaux africains pour l’Afrique

Depuis 1990, chaque année, plus de 20.000 personnes quittent le continent africain pour émigrer en Europe et en Amérique du Nord. Dans les pays les plus pauvres, des millions de personnes sont prêtes à tenter leur chance, parfois dans des conditions inhumaines. Pour améliorer leur niveau de vie et celui de leurs proches, ils sont prêts à prendre des risques énormes.

Pauvreté, chômage, violations des droits de l’Homme, conflits armés et manque de services sociaux, tels la santé et l’éducation, figurent parmi les facteurs qui les incitent à tout tenter pour venir dans nos pays.

Mais dans nos pays «riches» la population est également inquiète du chômage, de l’insécurité et des incertitudes d’un monde qui change, qui évolue et dont les accélérations sont imprévisibles.

L’Europe a besoin de nouveaux migrants

En même temps, l’Europe a besoin de nouveaux migrants, dans une double logique de remplacement, en raison du vieillissement de nos populations, mais aussi pour survenir au manque de ressources humaines dans certains secteurs de nos économies. Deux catégories d’immigrés sont essentiellement visées: ceux qui sont prêts à accepter des emplois mal payés, durs ou dangereux, dédaignés par nos propres citoyens, soit des professionnels hautement qualifiés. Car près de deux millions de techniciens et de spécialistes font défaut aujourd’hui dans l’Union européenne, notamment dans le secteur de la santé et dans celui de l’informatique et des nouvelles technologies.

En raison de ces déficits, les pays industrialisés se sont lancés dans des campagnes de recrutement à l’étranger, en Afrique sub-saharienne en particulier. Or en Afrique, la perte de main-d’œuvre qualifiée, la fuite de cerveaux, a des conséquences dramatiques sur le développement du continent. Cet exode renforce la dépendance des économies africaines, en les contraignant à recourir à une expertise étrangère onéreuse dans des domaines trop nombreux, créant ainsi un cercle vicieux croissant. Il est invraisemblable et insoutenable que les pays africains consacrent chaque année environ 4 milliards de dollars à employer environ 100.000 expatriés non africains!

A l’heure de la mondialisation, il devient de plus en plus difficile de freiner la libre circulation de la main-d’œuvre qualifiée. Et il est évident que les mesures permettant de freiner ce phénomène n’aboutiront que si elles sont appuyées par les pays de destination, ces mêmes pays qui, en mal de personnel qualifié, incitent directement ou indirectement à cet exode. Avant d’approfondir cette discussion, une chose doit cependant être claire. Quelles que soient les mesures envisagées pour casser cet antagonisme entre migration et développement, la migration ou le retour doit rester un choix personnel de tout individu.

Une coopération internationale devient urgente pour trouver des solutions à ce phénomène et pour inverser ses effets dévastateurs sur le développement. Il faut construire des ponts entre les pays d’accueil et les pays d’origine des migrants, de façon à ce que, par exemple, les compétences acquises dans le pays où ils suivent leur formation puissent servir en priorité leur pays d’origine, moyennant un accompagnement sous forme d’aides à la réinstallation, au démarrage de petites et moyennes entreprises ou d’appui aux administrations publiques où ils vont prêter leurs services.

Assister l'Afrique à créer des centres de formation

Il faut, en particulier, que la communauté internationale, avec l’Europe en tête, assiste les onze pays africains qui n’ont pas encore une seule école de médecine à mettre sur pied des centres de formation. De la même façon, pourquoi ne pas créer des centres régionaux d’enseignement, de sciences, de recherche et de développement?

Nous devons apporter un appui budgétaire aux organismes de santé pour encourager les candidats potentiels à l’émigration à rester au pays.

Nous devons assister les Africains à créer des «réseaux d’excellence» ayant des liens privilégiés avec des institutions en Europe. Ces réseaux doivent pouvoir bénéficier d’une utilisation accrue et plus efficace des nouvelles technologies d’information et d’initiatives telles que la télémédecine.

Enfin, au-delà de toutes ces considérations, il serait bon de rappeler que les phénomènes migratoires furent de tous les temps. Et qu’à l’aune de l’histoire et placé dans la perspective du long terme, ce phénomène produit toujours des effets bénéfiques pour les migrants certes mais aussi pour les sociétés qui les accueillent par intérêt ou par solidarité universelle.

par Louis Michel, commissaire européen au Développement et à l’Aide humanitaire
Source: Luxemburger Wort du 27/12-5

A farmer...

This is my own reconstruction of one of the funniest jokes I've ever received by e-mail.

A farmer in the Mid-West has three daughters who are all in the dating age.
He tries to be a modern father, but still, he has his Mid-West norms.
So whenever the doorbell rings, he takes down his rifle hanging in the entrance hall before opening the door.

On this particular Saturday, all of his three daughters have a date around 7 o'clock.

At two past seven, the first car is heard driving slowly up the road to the farm, and shortly thereafter, the doorbell rings. The farmer goes to the entrance hall, takes down his rifle from the wall, loads it, unlocks the door, and then opens it. On the doorstep stands a decent-looking young man, and he says:

Hi, I'm Eddie
I'm here for Betty
We're going to eat spaghetti
Is she ready?

The farmer is a bit surprised about this poetry presentation ― but the young lad is polite, so the farmer goes to get Betty, and off they drive.

A few minutes later, the doorbell goes again. As usual, the farmer takes down the rifle and loads it, before unlocking the door and opening it. The young man outside says:

Hello
My name is Joe
I'm here for Flo
We're going to the show
Is she ready to go?

Strange... but it's an OK-looking bloke, so the farmer calls for Flo, and off they go, she and Joe.

Five more minutes pass by, and the doorbell rings for the third time. Once more, the farmer takes down his rifle, loads the rifle, unlocks the door, opens the door...

Good evening, my name is Chuck...

And then the farmer shoots him.

Et billede, man husker

Jeg har vist kun set denne plakat en eller to gange i virkeligheden ― men den har bidt sig fast på min indre nethinde. Og nu faldt jeg netop tilfældigt over den på Nettet. Jeg kunne ikke huske, at den kom fra Ekstra Bladet.

Two apples a day...

Image taken from Woodstock Art Works.

d'Méint op lëtzebuergesch

1. Haartmount
2. Spierkel
3. Lenz
4. Fréileng
5. Mee
6. Broochmount
7. Heemount
8. Karschnatz
9. Hierschtmount
10. Wäimount
11. Wantermount
12. Chrëschtmount
vum Konsumenteschutz seng 2006 Kalenner

Sikken Voldsom Trængsel Og Alarm

(med syv strofer)

Sikken voldsom trængsel og alarm
Det er koldt og man må gå sig varm
Lygten tændes klokken fire alt
Det skal være aften med gevalt
Midt på gaden sælges træ'r og frugt
Se butikken, hvor den stråler smukt
Varer kan man få i tusindvis
Tænk Dem bare under indkøbspris
Pris, pris, pris, pris, pris, pris
Tænk Dem bare under indkøbs-
Pris, pris, pris, pris, pris, pris
Tænk Dem bare under indkøbspris

Håndværksmanden, han må holde her
Kunstneren har også sit besvær
Og hans værker spredes trindt omkring
Takket være Horneman og Bing
Man af kundskabsvæsnet dagligt ser
At poeterne bli'r fler' og fler'
Selv min lille bly, forfrosne fugl
Kvidrer med i dag, for det er jul
Jul, jul, jul, jul jul, jul
Kvidrer med i dag, for det er
Jul, jul, jul, jul jul, jul
Kvidrer med i dag, for det er jul

Pyntet smukt af en usynlig hånd
Står nu træet der med lys og bånd
Døren åbnes og man strømmer ind
Kredsen sluttes med begejstret sind
Børnene, de hoppe rask af sted
Bedstefader, han er også med
Lad os tage del i deres sang
Brødre, vi var også børn engang
Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang, gang
Brødre, vi var også børn en-
Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang, gang
Brødre, vi var også børn engang

Juleaften, o hvor er du sød
Så skal alle folk ha' risengrød
Æbleskiven bliver flittigt vendt
Gåsestegen er til bag'ren sendt
Bonden sidder tidligt ved sit fad
Sikken Guds velsignelse af mad
Lænkehunden selv får dobbelt sul
Den skal også vide det er jul
Jul, jul, jul, jul, jul, jul
Den skal også vide det er
Jul, jul, jul, jul, jul, jul
Den skal også vide det er jul

Når man ikke er en dovenkrop
Står man julemorgen tidligt op
Klokken kimer, gaden er så glat
Kirken lyser i den stille nat
Indenfor er sang og festlig fred
Og man føler sig så vel derved
Allerhelst når præk'nen ikke du'r
Thi så får man sig en lille lur
Lur, lur, lur, lur, lur, lur
Thi så får man sig en lille
Lur, lur, lur, lur, lur, lur
Thi så får man sig en lille lur

Op ad dagen går man byen rundt
trækker vejret lidt, det er så sundt
Alle folk er i den nye stads
Thi om aft'nen er der fint kalas
Gud velsigne den der først opfandt
Det at lege jul og give pant
Unge pige, lad os lege skjul
Giv mig kun et kys, det er jo jul
Jul, jul, jul, jul, jul, jul
Giv mig kun et kys, det er jo
Jul, jul, jul, jul, jul, jul
Giv mig kun et kys, det er jo jul

Du, som sendte os den skønne fest
Hvad der båder os, det ved du bedst
Dog jeg har det håb, at før jeg dør
Du ej nægter mig en vis favør
Drej kun Universet helt omkring
Vend kun op og ned på alle ting
Jorden med, thi den er falsk og hul
Rør blot ikke ved min gamle jul
Jul, jul, jul, jul, jul, jul
Rør blot ikke ved min gamle
Jul, jul, jul, jul, jul, jul
Rør blot ikke ved min gamle jul

Tekst af Peter Faber

Bei diesem Wetter...

At least he got that one right

The 21st century World's three biggest groups of fools are smokers, people who do not know about music, and people who do not know about computers, according to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il.
Source: Article on Politiken.dk

Myam-myam

Dringend: Zaun brechen

Homo consumentis

«[J]e haïssais cette société, cette période, j'étais très deçu par ce que le monde attendait de moi, [...] comme homme, la façon dont la société me demandait de me comporter : seulement en consommateur.»
Bret Easton Ellis sur l'existence qu'il menait à New York à l'époque où il écrivait «American Psycho» (publié 1991)

Source: interview dans les Inrockuptibles

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it. That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realize your power! The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism. You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world. Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in. You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you? You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways. Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you. As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

Your Eyes Should Be Brown

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

...talvez este esteja mais apropriado

Vielleicht sollte das mein Logo sein...

...denn anscheinend gibt es die Firma nicht mehr?

Köstliches in Köln

Elegant en eenvoudig

L'amour est la liberté

«C'est si merveilleux d'aimer sans exiger rien de l'autre. [...]
L'amour est donc la liberté.»
Jiddu Krishnamurti

12 février 1982, entretien avec le Pr Maurice Wilkins à Brockwood Park, Bramdean, Hampshire, UK. Source: «De l'amour et de la solitude» (livredepoche.com) traduit par Colette Joyeux; titre original «On Love And Loneliness» (Harper's San Francisco) ― Unfortunately I cannot find the original quotation in English on The Net.

Einfach (und) Elektrisch

The beauty of love

'The beauty of love is that you never know when it hits. Or comes sneaking. All you need is an open mind towards it. 'Cause you can't protect yourself against it anyway, so why waste your energy and wrap yourself into a numb being that you do not wish to be!?! Love is a gift, and we get more chances than we dare to admit. We tend to only see the pain afterwards but fact is we cannot escape, and if we do, we most likely end up being even more hurt. Call me naive for all I care; I have chosen to see The World this way, for the alternative(s) seem like choosing to die rather than live.'
Bjørn Clasen

Go For Gold ―Get Chocolate-Covered By Clasen

The simple truth about information

'Information is only useful when it can be understood.'
Muriel Cooper

Seen in the Design Museum.

Optimismus

'Auch aus Steinen, die einem in den Weg gelegt werden,
kann man schönes bauen.'
Goethe

Den Eneste Ene...

'Man er konstant på jagt efter den eneste ene,
også når man tror, at man allerede har fundet den...'
Steffen Brandt

Kilde: Mere tv-2 om lidt...

Curtains or blinds?

Ode to a curtain
You are so beautiful and so tall,
protecting me from the outside invaders,
You hide me from the darkness,
and when I open the balcony door
you can dance with the wind.
I like your soft touch and
smooth look.
And when I feel sad I can wrap
myself into you and hide from the rest of
the world.

Anti-ode to the blinds
You rattle like the old men's teeth,
disharmony for my ears,
even the colour you are wrapped in became
pale when she came into touch with you,
when I touch you you are cold and life has
left you long ago.
You fight with the wind and
the darkness can still peep into my room
through your imperfect structure.

Milena Zuran 17/11-5

The 100th post!

I thought I'd make some statistics in order to see what kinda stuff my blog actually contains. As it often happens when one tries to categorise, put things in limited, generalising boxes, I found no 'good' way of structuring the thing. Luckily, I'd say ― 'cause I guess this shows that my blog enjoys a great deal of diversity, which to me is a stamp of quality.

Just to get a vague idea, however, I've chosen to add it all up into far broader themes (when counting, I reached 32! And with a lot of borderline cases and overlaps). Happy Hundredth!

Themes
Culture: 30 posts
Politics: 19 posts
Personal: 16 posts
Philosophy: 12 posts
Science: 8 posts
Love (& Sex): 7 posts
(Other) fun: 4 posts
Travel: 3 posts
plus this post

Bjørn's Multilingual Blog contains posts in 11 different languages ― 9 posts are in more than one language ― though Luxembourgish and Dutch are not included so far.

Languages
English: 49 posts
Danish: 36 posts
German: 9 posts
French: 7 posts
Castellano: 2 posts
Swedish: 2 posts
Kölsch: 1 post
Latin: 1 post
Norwegian: 1 post
Polish: 1 post
Turkish: 1 post

I launched the blog on 7 January 2004. That is 684 days ago today, meaning that on average there is one post a week. The most active month has been September 2005 (11 posts), whereas August 2004 and December 2004 saw only one post each.

Some rediscovered highlights

The meaning of life
Shoe Souls
L'obligation d'un éditeur public
I believe (Insomnia Gallery)
Deutsche Schimpfwörter

USAmericans advertisefor European cholesterol

Give us this day our daily bread...from all sorts of countries

Noch ein umweltfreundlicher Clasen

Yes ― That's Me

Your World View

You strongly reject traditional values. Above everything else, you value honesty. For you, morality and truth are one and the same. You hate to be thought of as weak or insecure. You abhor hypocrisy and have troubles with authority. You are impulsive and somewhat unpredictable.

What Is Your World View?

Wise words from Václav

'The new European democracies that have emerged from the ruins of the Communist world are seeking membership in the European Union. Some have a chance of joining it sooner, others may become ready later on, but the process is bound to be long and arduous for all of them. It is not easy to make up for fifty years' delay. Nevertheless, it is evidently in the interests of the whole of Europe that these countries should progress towards membership in the Union, which has been a cornerstone of European integration. Throughout history, the price for any division of Europe has ultimately been paid by the whole continent. It follows that its unification is essential to the interests of all European countries.'
Václav Havel, 27 April 1995

Studying to legitimise

'[W]hy am I studying? Well, the control of the legitimate power is so strong, that to adopt to the system of 'civilised' I force myself to do things, which the powerful require. Like this small studying of mine is actually a sign of capitalism having turned me into a portfolio-person. By training myself to survive better in the system I actually legitimise the system. Brilliant.'

Kirsi Tanski

De polske aner

Min farmors mor Johanne Emma Nitschke blev født den 11. november 1877 i Śląsk/Schlesien, nærmere betegnet i Nieder Herwigsdorf, som nu hedder Stypołów, en lille by ca. 100 km nordvest for Wrocław og vel en 20-30 km fra Polens nuværende grænse til Tyskland. Sognebyen var Freystadt (nu Kożuchów), den nærmeste større by Żagan, hvis tyske navn jeg ikke kan finde og min far ikke kan huske.

Emmas mor hed Johanne Rosina Schorsch. Faderen Reinhold var snedker. Familien flyttede til Berlin, inden Emma begyndte sin skolegang.

How many countries we've been to

A few months ago, we were a group of friends discussing travelling. The eternal subject came up: Who has been where. And man's weakness for numbers ignited the below list.
A such debate also causes discussions as to what is to be considered as a country. For example, Koen wanted Carpetland, Disneyland and heel veel Weiland to be taken into account but rejected Christophe's Plopsaland suggestion. And what about countries you have not actually been to but looked into across the border or in the horizon ― Christophe mentioned Algeria and Saudi Arabia; Bjørn mentioned Bolivia, Paraguay and the Soviet Union, the latter he has even 'seen' both from Finland and Norway)?
The list counts only countries one has physically been to, and at least overnight. This eliminates Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, and even Hong Kong and Switzerland from some people's list. As for what to consider as a separate country, it's a little more fuzzy. Places with a certain degree of independency such as Denmark's dependencies, the Acores, Sint-Maarten and even French Guyana have been counted, but not Rapa Nui/Easter Island or Zanzibar, as these have no particular autonomy and are geographically somehow connected to their ruling country. [Due to several comments on the Acores, it was after all not counted as a country.] Moreover, the UK is considered just one country though there are differennces between the 'competitors' as to how many of the lands they have been to.

Europe
Andorra Christophe
Austria Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Belgium Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Croatia Christophe - Koen
Cyprus Kris
Czech Republic (or the Czech part of Czechoslovakia) Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Bjørn
Denmark Noëlle - Christophe - Bjørn
Estonia Noëlle - Bjørn
Faroe Islands Noëlle - Bjørn
Finland Noëlle - Bjørn
France Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Germany Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Greece Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen
Hungary Christophe - Bjørn
Iceland Noëlle - Bjørn
Ireland Christophe - Bjørn
Italy Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Latvia Noëlle - Bjørn
Lithuania Noëlle - Bjørn
Luxembourg Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
The Netherlands Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Norway Noëlle - Bjørn
Poland Bjørn
Portugal Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Bjørn
Slovakia Koen
Slovenia Noëlle - Christophe - Bjørn
Spain Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn
Sweden Noëlle - Christophe - Bjørn
Switzerland Noëlle - Koen
United Kingdom Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen - Bjørn

Africa
Morocco Kris - Noëlle
South Africa Koen
Tanzania Kris
Tunisia Noëlle - Christophe - Koen

North America
Bahamas Koen
Canada Kris - Noëlle - Koen
Cuba Kris
Dominican Republic Kris - Christophe
Greenland Bjørn
Mexico Noëlle
Sint-Maarten Kris
USA Noëlle - Koen

South America
Argentina Noëlle - Bjørn
Brazil Noëlle - Bjørn
Chile Noëlle - Bjørn
Ecuador Kris
French Guyana Kris
Surinam Kris

Asia
Israel Christophe
Jordan Christophe - Koen
Thailand Kris
Turkey Kris - Noëlle - Christophe - Koen

Oceania
Australia Koen
New Zealand Noëlle - Bjørn

Total (countries/continents)
Noëlle 33/6
Bjørn 29/4
Kris 24/5
Christophe 24/4
Koen 21/5

Poèmalade

Je suis frigorifiée, j'ai mal partout.
Je rentre chez moi.
La salle 481 m'a tuée.

@+
Marie-Claire