When we left the US the day after Thanksgiving, my Danish husband was more emotional than I was - I was actually looking forward to seeing my new home while he was emotional about all I was leaving behind to go with him to Denmark. The first couple of days was a bit of a blur. The trip consisted of a flight to Canada, a flight from Canada to Germany then a train from Germany to Odense, where my husband was living at the time. All this within a 24-hour period and bringing along my two cats. Needless to say, I didn't wake up until a day or so after arriving.
Odense is a quaint little town, lots of history which is one of my interests. My husband played tour guide and we saw quite a bit of the town, even parts he had never seen in the years he had been living there. My first Danish Christmas was interesting, was spent at the in-laws so it was my first introduction to his family. That particular experience most likely deserves a post all its own. To be brief, they're not bad people.
After Christmas, my wedding present arrived from my parents. They had arranged to have all my stuff shipped to Denmark to help me settle in better. The day it arrived was also the day we found out I was pregnant. As this was totally unexpected (I had been told it would be near impossible for me to get pregnant) it was a very emotional day all around. That in a nutshell was my first couple of months in Denmark - was happy, people were pleasant and was looking forward to a bright, happy future . . .
Then came the first signs that something was rotten in the state of Denmark. Governments the world over live and die by their bureaucracy, they can't help themselves, so I wasn't too surprised by the questionnaires and interviews that immigration put us through (where is your spouse as you're filling out this form? what are the measurements of each room in your residence? has your spouse seen your residence?) But everything worked out and my all-important CPR number was on its way. As we had the letter telling us this and what my number would be, we thought no problem getting me to a doctor for my first checkup. Nope, had to wait for the actual card which was still somewhere in the process. As the person in the kommune office told us, 'If everyone in America knew they could come here and have babies for free, they would all come here' Luckily the husband was talking to him, otherwise he might have gotten an earful from me. Because I was a bit on the old side for having my first child and we didn't want to take any chances, we had to pay cash for the first few checkups and sonogram, despite me having that CPR number but not having the physical card. Okay, fine, bureaucrats are annoying but this would be just one speed bump in the road.
Then came Danish lessons . . .
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
10 Clues That I'm Not Danish
1. I have manners, thank you.
2. I will actually stand in a line and wait for my turn. You are taking your life in your hands, however, if you try to cut in front of me.
3. Pickled herring, salty licorice, leverpostej - these are not edible food items.
4. I don't drink. I don't like the taste or how I feel when I do. Believe it or not, life can be enjoyed if you're not soused all the time.
5. It's my job to raise my children, not the government's.
6. Danish humor is not funny - unless you're Danish. The rest of us just don't get it.
7. Sitting in a chair is not meant to be an endurance contest or a test of how flexible one is. We have one Danish-style chair in our home which is my Danish husband's - you will be in desperate need of a chiropractor if you spend any time in it.
8. When I visit your home, I don't look into everything or wander through all the rooms. (Has anyone else experienced this here or is it special to the people my husband knows?)
9. I don't walk about naked in front of complete strangers.
10. I accept there is a world outside this country and there are actually better places than here.
2. I will actually stand in a line and wait for my turn. You are taking your life in your hands, however, if you try to cut in front of me.
3. Pickled herring, salty licorice, leverpostej - these are not edible food items.
4. I don't drink. I don't like the taste or how I feel when I do. Believe it or not, life can be enjoyed if you're not soused all the time.
5. It's my job to raise my children, not the government's.
6. Danish humor is not funny - unless you're Danish. The rest of us just don't get it.
7. Sitting in a chair is not meant to be an endurance contest or a test of how flexible one is. We have one Danish-style chair in our home which is my Danish husband's - you will be in desperate need of a chiropractor if you spend any time in it.
8. When I visit your home, I don't look into everything or wander through all the rooms. (Has anyone else experienced this here or is it special to the people my husband knows?)
9. I don't walk about naked in front of complete strangers.
10. I accept there is a world outside this country and there are actually better places than here.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
10 Clues I'm Still American
Thanks to the Talented Foreigner ;) This will most likely have a midwestern slant to it as that be where I hail from *picks hayseed out of hair*
1. I'm nice. I will hold doors, say 'please' and 'thank you', help someone who looks like they could use a hand.
2. I have a strong work ethic. If given a job, I will actually do it quickly and efficiently.
3. I'm friendly. I will ask you how your day was and actually want to hear about it. I may even invite you in for a cup of coffee and cake even though we've only been neighbors for a day and not for years.
4. I love to read. My home is filled with books covering different genres, fiction and non-fiction. Many of these books have never seen the top 10 of a bestseller list.
5. I have clutter. I collect things that touch me - it doesn't have to be modern or perfect or even part of a authorized collection, but it does need to be kindred. And I will show them in my home on any surface available.
6. I'm not afraid of color. Each room in my home has color on the walls and in the furnishings.
7. My cooking actually has flavor and variety. No one has ever left my table hungry and I've never really had to deal with leftovers despite cooking for twice the people that are physically there.
8. I'm not trendy. I don't need the latest fashions or gadgets. If the tv breaks and cannot be repaired, then I'll get a new one. I will not replace it just because a new version came out.
9. I'm independent. I don't need my government to take care of me or tell me what to think. I'll do that for myself, thank you.
10. I like the fact that people are different from me. They don't need to look the same or sound the same in order for me to accept them. The Vulcan race from 'Star Trek' (showing my nerdiness right there) has a motto: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. I believe in our melting pot back home - it makes for a stronger society.
1. I'm nice. I will hold doors, say 'please' and 'thank you', help someone who looks like they could use a hand.
2. I have a strong work ethic. If given a job, I will actually do it quickly and efficiently.
3. I'm friendly. I will ask you how your day was and actually want to hear about it. I may even invite you in for a cup of coffee and cake even though we've only been neighbors for a day and not for years.
4. I love to read. My home is filled with books covering different genres, fiction and non-fiction. Many of these books have never seen the top 10 of a bestseller list.
5. I have clutter. I collect things that touch me - it doesn't have to be modern or perfect or even part of a authorized collection, but it does need to be kindred. And I will show them in my home on any surface available.
6. I'm not afraid of color. Each room in my home has color on the walls and in the furnishings.
7. My cooking actually has flavor and variety. No one has ever left my table hungry and I've never really had to deal with leftovers despite cooking for twice the people that are physically there.
8. I'm not trendy. I don't need the latest fashions or gadgets. If the tv breaks and cannot be repaired, then I'll get a new one. I will not replace it just because a new version came out.
9. I'm independent. I don't need my government to take care of me or tell me what to think. I'll do that for myself, thank you.
10. I like the fact that people are different from me. They don't need to look the same or sound the same in order for me to accept them. The Vulcan race from 'Star Trek' (showing my nerdiness right there) has a motto: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. I believe in our melting pot back home - it makes for a stronger society.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Spider Sweatshops
In reading this article, the first thing that came to mind was thousands and thousands of spiders, chained to machines, forced to spin silk for little or no wages and in poor conditions.
Then came the part about introducing spider genes into cows and goats. A vision of an eight-legged cow sitting in a web strung between trees, looking for a human meal came into focus . . .
An imagination is a terrible thing to have at times . . .
Then came the part about introducing spider genes into cows and goats. A vision of an eight-legged cow sitting in a web strung between trees, looking for a human meal came into focus . . .
An imagination is a terrible thing to have at times . . .
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
How About An Original Idea?
A small rant about Hollywood these days . . .
What's with all the remakes??? News came out today that they are remaking the movie 'Highlander'. Now this is a classic and there was nothing wrong with the original - it's not even that old. This is just the latest in a long, very loooonnnggg list of remakes that are being worked on. Some of the other movies that are being remade:
Total Recall
The Neverending Story
The Karate Kid
Romancing the Stone
Footloose
The Dirty Dozen
Clash of the Titans
The Birds (didn't they learn from the Psycho remake not to touch a Hitchcock movie?)
Harvey
Beverly Hills Cop
Nightmare on Elm Street
All of these are fine just the way they are - people love them as much today as they did when they first came out. So why can't we get new stories to fall in love with?
Hollywood - stop thinking with your wallet and start dreaming again . . . if it's good, we will come.
What's with all the remakes??? News came out today that they are remaking the movie 'Highlander'. Now this is a classic and there was nothing wrong with the original - it's not even that old. This is just the latest in a long, very loooonnnggg list of remakes that are being worked on. Some of the other movies that are being remade:
Total Recall
The Neverending Story
The Karate Kid
Romancing the Stone
Footloose
The Dirty Dozen
Clash of the Titans
The Birds (didn't they learn from the Psycho remake not to touch a Hitchcock movie?)
Harvey
Beverly Hills Cop
Nightmare on Elm Street
All of these are fine just the way they are - people love them as much today as they did when they first came out. So why can't we get new stories to fall in love with?
Hollywood - stop thinking with your wallet and start dreaming again . . . if it's good, we will come.
Why Denmark?
Back when the world was young . . .
Actually it was 2001 when my husband and I decided to marry. However, that wasn't the big decision we had to make - the big decision was what country to live in. You see, my husband was Danish and I was American. Up to that point, I never had any desire to leave the US - it wasn't perfect (nothing ever is) but I was happy with the way I lived. I loved the different cultures available, the beauty of the different parts of the country and the friendliness of most of the people I knew or met. In the months my husband was with me in the US, I introduced him to the country I loved and he grew to love it as well. So that would seem to make the decision easy - we would stay there.
So how did we end up in Denmark?
Hubs had only a handful of classes and a thesis to write in order to finish his master's degree in literature/communication. As it was free and so close to the end, it was a reasonable point for moving here temporarily. He also mentioned the friendly people, the wonderful health care system, how easy it would be for me to adapt to the culture. Of course, all the literature (mostly touristy stuff) I could find about the country seemed to support this. So we came to Denmark for what I thought would be a temporary stay (5 years, max, he says).
How has life been here in the country with the happiest people in the world?
The people marketing Denmark as a wonderful place to live could sell water to a drowning man . . .
Why am I still here 8 years later?
Ask myself that question every day . . .
To be continued . . . (if they don't drive me crazy first)
Actually it was 2001 when my husband and I decided to marry. However, that wasn't the big decision we had to make - the big decision was what country to live in. You see, my husband was Danish and I was American. Up to that point, I never had any desire to leave the US - it wasn't perfect (nothing ever is) but I was happy with the way I lived. I loved the different cultures available, the beauty of the different parts of the country and the friendliness of most of the people I knew or met. In the months my husband was with me in the US, I introduced him to the country I loved and he grew to love it as well. So that would seem to make the decision easy - we would stay there.
So how did we end up in Denmark?
Hubs had only a handful of classes and a thesis to write in order to finish his master's degree in literature/communication. As it was free and so close to the end, it was a reasonable point for moving here temporarily. He also mentioned the friendly people, the wonderful health care system, how easy it would be for me to adapt to the culture. Of course, all the literature (mostly touristy stuff) I could find about the country seemed to support this. So we came to Denmark for what I thought would be a temporary stay (5 years, max, he says).
How has life been here in the country with the happiest people in the world?
The people marketing Denmark as a wonderful place to live could sell water to a drowning man . . .
Why am I still here 8 years later?
Ask myself that question every day . . .
To be continued . . . (if they don't drive me crazy first)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A Simpler Way of Living?
One of the reasons that a few US expats give for moving to Denmark is that it allows them to live in a less materialistic, simpler way than they used to. Why do you need to uproot your family and move thousands of miles to a different country in order to do this? While I knew people who lived for the latest gadgets and toys and status symbols, I also knew a lot of people who lived 'a simple life'. One in which they had time to spend with their families. A house that may not have been the biggest and fanciest, but provided shelter and was filled with laughter and love. A life in which children learned responsibility by doing their chores, and not by having a maid to pick up after them. Family vacations to the local amusement park were more fun and satisfying than trips to a Caribbean resort. People learned to be creative when it came to holidays, gifts or even everyday life. Many of these people lived this way by choice - not by necessity.
My life before I came to Denmark was one that certain people would consider boring. My family placed value on time spent together and learning to do things for yourself, even though my father had an executive position with a Fortune 100 company. I made a lot of my own clothes, cooked from scratch, enjoyed crafts such as candle making and crocheting - all this while living in the US. I've also turned down promotions that would have given me the fancy title, office and huge paycheck but would have left me no time for enjoy family and life. So there was no need to leave my home in order to live differently. This is probably why it seriously irritates me when people say moving to Denmark was necessary in order for them to live this way. You have a choice in how you live - don't blame the culture that you chose a hectic, materialistic life with no time for the ones you love. Millions of Americans have lives that put family and love first ahead of careers and 'things'. And they don't need to move to another country in order to do this.
My life before I came to Denmark was one that certain people would consider boring. My family placed value on time spent together and learning to do things for yourself, even though my father had an executive position with a Fortune 100 company. I made a lot of my own clothes, cooked from scratch, enjoyed crafts such as candle making and crocheting - all this while living in the US. I've also turned down promotions that would have given me the fancy title, office and huge paycheck but would have left me no time for enjoy family and life. So there was no need to leave my home in order to live differently. This is probably why it seriously irritates me when people say moving to Denmark was necessary in order for them to live this way. You have a choice in how you live - don't blame the culture that you chose a hectic, materialistic life with no time for the ones you love. Millions of Americans have lives that put family and love first ahead of careers and 'things'. And they don't need to move to another country in order to do this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)