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The Danes favourite vehicle
So I had my subaru impreza converted into a Danish bike. Hopefully I wont be climbing Alp d'Huez on this 5 speed with in-built shopping basketDanish pastry, Danish bacon and maybe Hans Christian Andersen. In general that's about all foreigners associate with Denmark. Few people actually know that it is indeed the oldest monarchy in Europe, it has the oldest flag in the world and it is the home of some of the top companies in the world such as LEGO, Ecco shoes, Bang & Olufsen stereos, Maersk Shipping (the biggest shipping company in the world) and of course Carlsberg beer.
Few people also know that Greenland (the world's biggest island) and the Faeroe Islands belong to the kingdom of Denmark and that Denmark is a tiny country extending only about 330km from North to South but including more than 500 islands. About 5,200,001 people live in Denmark. The "1" is of course little me as in order to enjoy the benefits of Denmark's fantastic welfare system including free Medicare and universities, I had to re-enroll as a resident of Denmark. Interestingly, Denmark has more pigs than humans, a funny fact considering I now live in a country with more sheep than humans. What's the connection, Vicki?
Denmark is what you call a lowland area with the average elevation reaching just 30m. This is
Family bbq
So here we are - this is my lovely family: Dad, mum, sis and me of course great for riding bikes which is probably why (along with the 180% taxes on cars) everyone rides bikes as the number 1 means of transportation. The highest point in Denmark is just 170 meters which of course means that I will be slightly under trained for my Tour de France cycling tour in July.
To me, Denmark is a beautiful country - green and yellow fields and lush forests combined with old villages and farms. However, with more than 600mm of rain every year and autumn/winter often lasting from Sep to April, it can some times be a challenge to see this beauty.
It has been extremely interesting spending time in Denmark again after having lived abroad for six years. It has given me the opportunity to look at the culture from an outsider’s perspective. Naturally, there are pros and cons of life in Denmark and I am sure I will reveal much more in my blogs to come as I contemplate my big question: Is the next chapter of my life going to be based in Denmark or New Zealand or maybe some place completely different?
So, here’s a bit about Danish culture:
Aabenraa's beach
yes we have beaches in Denmark! Danish culture is rich in "hygge" (“cosyness”) a term that is inherit in everything that Danes do. The central part of a Dane's life is its home. The homes are immaculate and most Danes spend lots of money buying beautiful furniture, paintings, stereos and plants and other knick knacks. Walking into a Danish home is almost like walking into a modern day museum, everything is arranged perfectly and you feel like walking around taking photos of everything. As mentioned, the home is central which means that instead of going out, most Danes have dinner parties inviting friends over for a beautiful meal on a pre-set table which includes table cloth, napkins, candles and several sets of cutlery. Although very neat and formal it is a long way from the good old kiwi bbq. The other good thing about Danish "hygge" is the traditional afternoon tea where the famous Danish pastry is served. The funny thing is that Danish pastry in Denmark is called "Vienna bread" which makes you wonder what its called in Vienna? Danish pastry is actually much much better than what you can buy overseas. In fact I would argue that a Danish bakery potentially is the best
Sis and me
and no Todd, she's got a boyfriend shop in the world. I cannot begin to describe the hundreds of variants of layered cakes, breads and more you can buy. In fact, I promise to take a picture of a Danish bakery for my next blog entry.
(Todd, this next paragraph is especially for you)
And of course there is the famous myth of the blonde blue-eyed Viking goddesses as my kiwi friend who visited Denmark a few years ago chose to describe them. Yes, its true. Somehow, most Danes are in fact blonde and blue-eyed and many of them extremely good looking. And yes, many Danes choose to sun bathe topless on the beaches in summer!
However, due to its relative small size and the fact that only a very small percentage of the population are immigrants, the culture is extremely homogeneous which can create huge pressures in society. I was once told that Denmark has the highest suicide rate per capita in the world! The homogeneity of the culture is often depicted in a law called Law of Jante which states: Thou shall never believe that you are someone special. Its kinda an extended version of the Tall Poppy Syndrome and its embedded
Danish country side
this is what I love about Denmark, isnt it beautiful? in the Danish culture causing people to put down people who talk about their achievements. All of which leads to jealousy and back stabbing. For those of you who know me well, you will know that this is what I have been fighting against all my life. I do believe I am someone special, in fact, I believe we are all special and that we should be proud of who we are and what we have achieved.
So perhaps this brief description of Denmark reflects the ambiguity of my feelings for my home country. On one hand, I am extremely proud of being Danish as it is a beautiful, safe country with perhaps the best welfare system in the world. On the other hand, there are values in the Danish culture that deeply conflicts with who I am and what I stand for. This is one of the reasons why my big decision to come is so hard to make. But I am sure as my journey continues, I will do what feels right for me.
So, what have I been up to and why has it taken me a month to write one silly little blog? Well,
Family time
Sis, her boyfriend and me preparing food in the kitchen again those of you who know me well, will know that I have this crazy habit of taking up too many challenges in my life. So I went on this journey to learn to relax and have time to think and enjoy the little things in life. I thought I had left my little “challenge devil” in Alaska, but he turned up again and before you know it I was studying 18h a day trying to do an entire’s semester’s worth of work in just three weeks in order to complete one of my four outstanding papers towards my Master’s. The exam consisted of two parts: a 72h hand out assignment followed by an oral cross-examination which is next week (15 June). I managed to write the assignment in the 72 hours but only had a total of 8 hours sleep so I was pretty tired when I finally crawled out to uni and handed it in. Lucky for me, I was staying with my friends Lise & Vivi who fed me with home-baked cakes, coffee and other great brain foods. Naturally, instead of sleeping we ended up having a huge party (check out the pics) after I handed in
My dad's surprise party
All the guests waiting in the backyard for him to come home! the assignment. I then proceeded to take the train to Copenhagen and boarded a plane to Prague…blog to follow!
It has also been great to catch up with the family again. My dad just turned 60 and because he decided not to have a celebration, as he doesn’t like to be the center of attention. However, my mum, sister and I do so we decided to throw him a surprise party! It was so much fun to organise especially because it is actually quite hard when you live in the same house. The party was a huge success and dad was really really surprised.
I have also managed to discover a whole new way of seeing my home country. As I have taken up my triathlon training again (although on a much smaller scale), I have been able to enjoy the beautiful scenery from my bike and the green forests while running. Its amazing that even though I lived here for 18 years, there are so many places I have never been to.
For those you interested in learning more about my home town, Aabenraa, here’s a link with some pictures to give you an impression of
Studying hard
Since Im still smiling in this picture it must mean that its day 1 of my three day exam! what it looks like
Aabenraapics. I have also added the three cities where I spent most of my time on the map which you can click on at the top of the page. Copenhagen is the capital city where some of my dearest friends live. Odense is my university city and the birth town of Hans Christian Andersen (its claim to fame) and Aabenraa my home town (obviously I am its claim to fame :-) ).
And finally thanks to everyone for the many emails I have received. Especially the ones complaining of the lack of blog updates. That must mean that some of you actually read them and enjoy my personal thoughts and views on the world. Much appreciated.
Next week I will update my Prague blog and then follow with another Denmark blog which will include an insider’s view on the Mohammed cartoons, a special feature on Danish pastry and another section on Danish culture. And of course pictures from yours truly’s birthday which is coming up (hint hint).
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Jill
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So glad to see a new blog entry from you! Looks like a good visit home. I can't wait to see your Prague blog!