Friends

The longer I live in Denmark, the more I am fascinated by the affect the American TV show Friends has on the global population. Especially for those that want to learn how to speak English.

When I met my husband I thought it was cute that he knew all of the Friends shows by heart and referenced them frequently in real life situations, similar to the way me and my girls do with Sex and the City. However, the more people I meet in Copenhagen, the more I am told how Friends helped them learn English. More importantly, Friends made them WANT to learn English.

This takes the show to a whole new level. Not only are Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey beloved because they made us in the US laugh at them and in turn ourselves, but they inspire non speakers to actually want to learn to speak their language. Now that's what I call a global phenomenon.

Where is the Love?

Most of my Danish experiences over the past 10 months have been positive but one that simply continues to boggle my mind is the lack of public courtesy. For the most part I have found the Danes to be extremely kind people, but you would never know that when you are out in public with them.

I talked about this a little in my "Ode to the US of A" post in January, but it continues to be the most pressing question and noticed characteristic of Danish people amongst foreigners and/or the people I see everyday in Danish class. We are a class of approximately 15 people from all corners of the world so our different cultures are discussed on a regular basis.

Why can't the Danes just say "Excuse me" or "Undskyld"? ... is the question asked over and over again. The reason this is asked, is because you will rarely get an acknowledgement that anything ever happened if you get bumped on the street, metro, bus, wherever. You will simply get pushed out of the way with complete disregard.

One theory is that this change in public courtesy happened 50 years ago when the formal use of "you" or "De" was mostly removed from the Danish language which only left the informal "du." Public perspective changed and a flat hierarchy was incorporated. Everyone was equal and treated the same. Instead of treating everyone with respect, which is what happens in most cultures, the Danes decided to do the opposite.

My theory is based around the fact that "hygge" is such a big part of Danish daily lives, that things left unsaid in the name of "keeping it cozy" fester over time. Naturally, those emotions need to come out somehow. Unfortunately, the victims are perfect strangers. Or maybe I'm just over analyzing it. This, quite honestly wouldn't be the first time! After all, they call this Viking country for a reason.

The L is a 3 Letter Word

My last visit to Chicago was more than just a cozy visit down memory lane, it was the first time I looked at the city through EU eyes. What struck me most was how OLD the beloved 'L' was. Now, I took the L almost everyday of my city life in Chicago, so I say this with the deepest sincerity.
For those that aren't familiar, the 'L' refers to the train or rapid transport system as it is defined by Wikipedia, that takes Chicagoans around the city by public transport. However, after riding Copenhagen's S trains and Metro, rapid it is not.

In worst possible conditions Copenhagen public transporters have to wait 20 minutes at the most. Normally an S train comes every 7-12 minutes and there are signs which tell you how long you have to wait. The Metro is even faster. In my new neighborhood where I have access to both, I have never waited more than 5 minutes for a train and can make it into the center of the city in less than 10.

To add insult to injury, the trains are also clean and quiet. There are garbage bags that people actually use to put their trash in. Conversation is kept to a minumum and there are also 'silent zones' to guarantee peace and quiet during your commute.

Chicago has a new Transit Authority president that was leading the charge of the much needed renovations before I left, but finding the funds for a society built on cars and gasoline may be his biggest challenge.