The Great and Exhausting

So, you may ask what is great about Denmark? Friends, I'll tell you there are a ton of things.

About SAFETY:

A) It is considered safe by most women to walk around alone at night, even when it's dark. I have asked, seen, and learned that woman often travel by bike, foot, and train alone when it's dark out (which starts in the afternoon), including late at night because crime rates are low. I have gotten to take advantage of traveling when it's dark out (7-9 p.mish) in this big, unknown city because of the reassurances I have received that it would be safe.

B) The Danes generally do not intrude on each others personal space throughout the day, and at night this same habit provides me with a sense of calm and safety---as long as no one walks in range of my personal bubble (which they tend not to) I am not in danger of being pickpocketed, etc. I remain on the lookout but I allow my paranoia to recede a bit because of this culture. :)

Commuting Culture:
If a man or woman talks with a stranger it is only to ask for or offer help (e.g. directions) or some sort of customer service. Trains are mostly filled with silence as are the streets often. Now this quiet may sound rude or discomforting to you, but I think it is kind of beautiful. The Danes have a respect for personal space; they use and allow others to use travel time (walking or commuting by train) to recharge one's batteries between activities and locations. It's like they culturally endorse aspects of meditation, yoga, or progressive relaxation through partaking in this silence, or in quieter conversation in public areas.

ABOUT THEIR ROYALTY:
1) King Christian the 4th built most of Denmark's historical buildings seen today in the 1600s (and others that no longer exist) and there are tons of them still standing today. He's like all of the US presidents wrapped in one in his historical stature here.

Queen Margarethe the 2 rules today but the Prime Minister has greater legal authority. The Queen is loved by her people and she began her life as a Queen in her thirties. Two weeks ago she had her 30th or 40th anniversary of being Queen and there was a large celebration in which even foreigners without status could have partaken.

Other fun odds and Ends:

a) It is more common to bike and or take public transportation than to own and use a car in both Copenhagen and many of the outlying towns, city, and even countryside!

b) The Danes have a Ripleys Believe It or Not Store. One restaurant has an American-style Hamburger called the "Ill be right back Burger" (referencing the Terminator).

Basically, there is a long list of wonderful things about the people in Copenhagen and Roskilde (where I live) that goes on and on which cannot be explained in words. Sorry guys, I'm sure you'll hear more about what I love about Copenhagen, but tonight I just gave you some of the fun things I have noticed.

Don't worry there is more to come-about my life here more specifically. For now I thought it would be good to give you some context for my life here :) IN a way I'm actually giving you a window into my mind--there is so much to process about this new environment that I am never sure which two thinks to think about in any moment. Information overload oh yes!

Miss you all,
Lara

First Call with a Dane

I had my first conversation with a Dane today: a receptionist with accounting services at my Danish Doctor's office. She was a good teacher; her first words to me taught me that language barriers can a) be intimidating and b) be amusing to navigate. When she picked up the phone I was stunned because---big surprise?----conversational Danish was incomprehensible to me.

She probably said something like "I am Miss____ speaking from the _____Department. How can I help you?" Because I could not distinguish the individual vowel sounds of her speech, I became fixated in an "oh my G-d" moment. I worried, what if she'll be unable to understand me? Irrationally, my concern escalated to "what if all Danes will be unable to understand me?" The thought overcame my intention to clearly communicate and my first conversational Danish came out as gibberish. Oh well. I meant to say "Mit noun air Lara Cohen" followed by Danish for "Do you speak English." The receptionist responded with a word: Danish for 'whaaaaaaaaaaaaat.' I switched to English, but my confidence remained low. Although I am pretty good at networking and communicating to get things done, I paused and 'erhmmed' and 'ummed' my way through the rest of the conversation. I was processing the new thought that many English words may be unknown to Danes. For instance, when she asked me my Doctor's department name I wondered would she recognize the English word for the Department name? I certainly did not know the Danish name. She recognized most of the words I provided, but we did come to somewhat of an impasse when I attempted to spell out my email for her. Although the English and Danish alphabets are similar, because our words, sound combinations, and accents differ I had to provide a word that represented each of the letters in my email so that I made sure she heard me correctly. It seemed that she did not always know the words I provided, or maybe I didn't enunciate enough--in the end we went through the email a couple of times. " Luckily it worked out, but silly me, it wasn't until I went running later that I calmed down. Whether this is culture shock or silliness I think I deserve a gold star for effort and perseverance, even if I was the worlds greatest goof. :)