Ubuntu Wiki

aka laoshi

I was born on April 5th 1948 in Western Jutland, Denmark, the 3rd child of a country doctor who was active in the Danish resistance movement against the German nazi occupation. So ideals of freedom and taking responsibility were implanted in me from early childhood.

Graduated from college at Struer Statsgymnasium in modern languages in 1967, with subsequent military education in Russian 1967-1969.

Studies at the University of Copenhagen 1969 in sociology, ethnology, japanese. B.A. in eskimology from U. of C.

My main field was lingustics, and apart from the Scandinavian languages I am competent in English, German and Italian, apart from Latin, and am able to read and understand Catalan, Castillian, French, apart from Russian and to some degree Czech and Greek. Sadly to say Japanese and Inuktitut are almost forgotten.

Intensive studies in the life and works of Danish polar pioneer Peter Freuchen, and main actor in the festivities on the occasion of the centenary of his birth in 1986.

Active in the planning of the University Centre of Roskilde in 1970 and subsequently tutor at RUC until 1975.

Left the university in 1975 and worked for the Danish Railways 1975-1986, for the last 6 years as a stationmaster at Frederiksberg.

In the years 1970-1979 active in the socialist movement. And from 1979 a dedicated follower of Japanese and Chinese martial arts: kendo, iaido, ninjutsu, taijiquan, baguazhang with accompanying studies i buddhism and daoism. From 1997 I have mainly concentrated on the Sun Lutang tradition in 'taijiquan' and 'baguazhang'.

From the late 1980'es I have been a counsellour for the martial arts community Amanogawa in Vejle http://forsvardig.dk.

It is from this life-long activity that I owe my nick 'laoshi' (literally: the old gentleman, or old teacher)

In 1986 my wife and I moved from Copenhagen to the provincial town of Vejle in Jutland, where I found work as a janitor, until I found my final calling as a verger in 1997 at the churches of Hover and Grejsdal.

From 1968 to 1975 I was married to Elisabeth Møller Jensen, the present esteemed leader of KVINFO. Our children are Tomas og Line who have given us altogether 6 wonderful grandchildren.

In 1986 I married Gitte Vemmelund with whom I have further 3 children Thea, Tue, and Simon, without whom the world would have been a poorer place.

I am a member of:

• The Dorothy L. Sayers Society
• Foreningen af Danske Ubuntubrugere
• Den danske klosterrutes støtteforening
• Assisikredsen
• Dansk Kennelklub
• Danmarks Kirketjenerforening

For relaxation count on me to reread Sherlock Holmes, Nero Wolfe, Lord Peter Wimsey, Homer, Dante or centuries old theological treaties, or watch a movie starring Michael Caine, Bud Spencer & Terence Hill, Clint Eastwood or Anthony Hopkins, and last - not least - Monty Python.

Ubuntu and me

I first came to Ubuntu through Archbishop Desmont Tutu, whose fight for freedom and humanity gave me new insights into what a political life ought to be. Not least in the Commission of Reconciliation.

So the idea of Ubuntu was known to me before I realized that it was also the basis of a unique computer operating system and a community based on ubuntu as defined and lived by Desmond Tutu.

What a joy it was to enter the world of ubuntu! In 2008 I switched completely to ubuntu on my pc - 3 days with Gutsy, and from then on all subsequent releases.

In the spring of 2008 I found help in ubuntuforums.org and decided to contribute with what help I could give to others on the Danish ubuntu-forum.

In December 2008 I was appointed as one of the 3 moderators of the forum, and since then my main activity has been support on the forum, centering on general questions, netbanking, network-problems, use of the command-line, and the writing of guides and how-to's, apart from moderating the boards of the forum.

I am a member of the Danish loco team, and in May 2009 I am running for the office of loco contact for the Danish team, against my esteemed co-moderator Jesper Jarlskov. We both hope that the best man may win...

My main activities lie on the forum, but at present I am casting my eyes towards publicity and translations.

My website

In connection with work I have created and upholds the parish website http://www.hover-grejsdal-kirke.dk

My private website is http://www.stromata.dk named after the writings of Clement of Alexandria, 'stromata' or 'stromateis' - meaning apporximately patchwork. The site contains a patchwork of important elements of my life: Peter Freuchen, Ubuntu and Archbishop Tutu,Kungfu, Dorothy L. Sayers, St. Francis of Assisi, Fathers of the Church, Mentors like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis and Georgios Kazantzakis, Poetry like that of Dante Alighieri in words and Antoni Gaudì in works, Pilgrimage, and insights in life in general.

Testimonials

Dear friends: if you have a kind word to say to me - please feel free to do so!