What up with Dutch?

There is a common misconception between Denmark and Holland (otherwise known as the Netherlands) in America. I'm not sure why, but for some reason Danish is confused with Dutch.

If you were to tell anyone from those two respecting countries that they were mistaken for one another they would get a confused look and then they would strongly state that the languages sound nothing alike. According to Danes, Dutch is more guttural.

If you were to ask an American, they probably wouldn't be able to hear the difference and that's not to say they should. It's all about what you are used to. I wouldn't be able to hear a difference either had I not lived in Denmark and had gotten used to the language.

However, this isn't necessarily about the language. I think it is more about word play than anything else. People from Holland are Dutch, and people from Denmark are Danish. A "danish" is a type of pastry in the US, not necessarily a culture or language.

The countries aren't anywhere near each other on a map. Denmark (a little more north and further east) is a relatively small country somewhere in Scandinavia, whereas Amsterdam, is capital of the Netherlands and a popular destination for many in the US (between Germany and Belgium).

The Dutch are known for wooden shoes, van Gogh, tulips, windmills, canals and bikes. The Danish are known for LEGO, the little mermaid, daisies, windmills, canals and bikes. In fact, one of the canal neighborhoods in Copenhagen (Christianshavn) was built by a Dutch architect and inspired by Amsterdam, so if you were to break it down that way, you could easily see the similarities.

Either way, I hope this little blog entry clears the whole thing up and inspires you to politely correct the next person you hear call someone from Denmark, Dutch. I'm sure the Danes will thank me for that one later.

Mad About Mad Men

My new favorite show on American television is Mad Men, brought to my attention early this summer by my good friend Beth.

It's a show about the advertising men of Madison Avenue in the 1960's and fantastically delivers all the old school glamour and intoxication of that time.

On top of being an entertaining show with witty one liners, I've always had a 'thing' for the 50's and 60's. There's just something about the history and style of that time that is so intriguing.

So after three seasons of the show, we decided to have a 1960's style dinner party to celebrate the final episode of season three.

Turns out, we're not the only ones. After a little searching, this sleepy little AMC series which premiered in the States in July 2007, has gotten quite the fan following, not to mention Emmy and Golden Globe acclaim.

Where have I been? Oh yeah...living in a foreign country.

However, it was fantastic. From the food, to the costumes, to the themed cocktails of that time, we had a fabulous time and did Roger & Jane and Don & Betty proud!

The Tribe

I went to a very interesting seminar titled "The Danes...(are weird)." The turnout was fairly large which obviously meant the title of the event struck a cord for those of us expats living in Denmark. However, the most impressive part was the fact that the speaker was an anthropologist looking at the culture from a sociological perspective.

He used humor and humility to describe situations and experiences expats often have a hard time understanding from a historical and scientific point of view. He described the Danes as a tribe of people with a special language of their own that is very difficult to imitate and learn as an outsider.

The "weird" part about the people was that they trust one another more than any other culture. In fact, they almost treat each other like family. So when you're all one big family, you don't always use manners in the public sense of the word, which most of us outsiders have a hard time understanding.

However, since I have made an effort to learn their secret language, and think of them as all one giant tribe now, it has definitely helped me in situations where I would have been upset in the past. His final words were perhaps the most powerful: "You don't have to understand it or even like it, but you have to respect it."

Transients

The wonderful part about living in another country and meeting like minded people in similar situations is there is an instant bond. You may not have hung in the same circles or even lived in the same city in your home country, but here it doesn't matter.

Other times the only thing you have in common is that you speak the same language, but when you are living in a foreign speaking country, that is truly music to your ears.

The sad part about meeting these people is they eventually return to their home countries or move onto their next adventure and it is uncertain when or where you might see each other again. It gives an entirely new meaning to enjoying the present.

That is the case for three wonderful ladies I met over the past year and had many good times and laughs with, so I'd like to dedicate this blog entry to them.

Thank you for making life in Denmark a little bit lighter (despite the lack of sun) Marie fra Frankrig, and Maren & Mandy from California! Copenhagen won't be the same without you.

Master Mind

Today is the beginning of the next two years of my life in Denmark. The first lecture in Strategic Market Creation at Copenhagen Business School begins.

Most everyone that goes to university in Denmark graduates with a Masters degree, so this was a logical decision when it comes to career, coupled with the fact that I have been wanting to go back to school since I started working in the real world.

Intro week was last week and besides feeling really weird talking about my 'husband' while in college, I was impressed with the material we will be absorbing ourselves with over the next two years, and the classmates I will work with on a weekly basis.

Project work is a common method used in the Danish educational system which is very different from the independent study in most American universities so that will be different for me, but in a good way. It's very practical and realistic in terms of preparing you for the real world.

Another bonus is the fact that I have a 'husband' who enjoys learning more than anyone I know, which means he will be available to bounce questions or theories off of regularly. That's one competitive advantage I wouldn't have, had I gone back to school right after my Bachelors.

Seriously Missing Summer

I moved to Denmark a year ago in May. When I arrived it was rainy and cold and I could not under-stand for the life of me how the women could wear sandals and pretend it was summer. June 09 wasn't much better, but we lucked out for our wedding with a little bit of sunshine. By the time we made it back from the States in August we enjoyed a few more weeks of warmth.

This year has been my first official, full summer in Denmark and I knew not to expect the humid highs of the Midwest, but I was anxiously anticipating the day I could actually wear a summer dress. Those days arrived sometime in July, and lasted pretty much exactly one month. It is late August and long gone are those summer dresses.

When you come from the Midwest you live for your summers. The season starts at the Memorial Day holiday (late May) and ends with Labor Day weekend (end of August). Sometimes we're even lucky enough to get a little Indian Summer in September, but either way you can pretty much count on at least three months of nice weather.

Those summer months get you through the long, hard winters. So when you reside in Denmark and live through one of the coldest winters on record in 25 years, you need a little more than one month of summer.

Sister Visit

My baby sister took her very first flight EVER to come visit me in Denmark. If anyone knows Steph, that shouldn't surprise them. She's always been a daredevil and has never really been afraid of anything.

It has been an absolute pleasure to watch her absorb an entirely new culture, country, and language which she has wholeheartedly tried to speak. Especially when we were visiting my husband's family, who speak little English. She even made up a new word: "Velbetak." It's Velbekomme and Tak all rolled into one. Thanking and Welcoming someone all at the same time. Brilliant!

Any time friends or family visit, it gives you a chance to do all the touristy things you haven't tried yet, which I am very much looking forward to. Things like going to see the Crowned Jewels at Rosenborg Castle or taking a tour of Christiania to learn the history of how an abandoned military barracks could turn into an "Alternative City" based on communal living and freedom.

However, the best memories are those moments when you see your loved ones experiencing something for the very first time, like swimming in the ocean.