What are Danish New Years celebratory traditions? I dive into several of the major ones and describe the series of events that make up a typical Danish new year in this episode. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way. Topics that will be covered include the Danish...

Have you heard the stories about Danish parents leaving their young children in strollers outside while they enjoy a coffee or do some light shopping? Those stories are true and the focus of this episode of Denmark 101. The NY story I mention: "A 14-month-old girl who was taken away from her parents after being left alone in her stroller outside an East Village restaurant while her parents dined was ordered returned to her mother by a Family Court judge yesterday." ...

Danish mailmen and women often ride bikes - regardless of the weather or time of year.  Rain? Snow?  Wind? No problem.  You'll find Denmark's stalwart bike mailmen and women making their rounds.  If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way. Topics that will be covered...

Visiting Denmark? There are some things you should know about how their credit card system works. This includes the incredibly cool and secure Nem ID security code system used for all secure Danish logins (think taxes, city services, your doctor, etc.), passwords, and credit cards, as well as some of the challenges foreigners face when attempting to use non Dankort credit cards in Denmark. I also explain how chip and pin credit card systems work and how they differ from magnetic strip and...

Denmark's homeless population has taught me a very humbling and important life lesson. In today's Denmark 101, I delve a bit into the topic and the humbling realization that virtually all of Denmark's homeless are better linguistically educated than I am. This is a touchy subject, so I invite you to approach comments and discussion with an open mind and to be respectful of reach other. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too...

The Freetown of Christiania is famous the world over as a fascinating cultural experiment. In this episode of Denmark 101 I attempt to combine a mixture of the history, with my own experiences/observations and commentary that has arisen during conversations with Danes. The result is a look at what Christiania was, has become, and how it has experienced radical changes over the past decade which make it a vastly different place than it was 5, 4, or even as recent as 2 years ago. If you're...

So, is Denmark a Scandinavian country or a Nordic one? The answer is...both. In this episode of Denmark 101 I run through the relationship between the Nordic countries, Denmark, and the Scandinavian countries. Want more of a deep dive? Read my blog post about the differences here: http://virtualwayfarer.com/what-is-the-difference-between-scandinavia-and-the-nordics/ If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If...

Denmark has become famous for it's less than stellar service culture. While it's not as bad as what you'll find in some countries, apathy and a mild sense of buyer-be-ware is definitely quite often the case. This doesn't apply to service support and warranties, as these have been regulated by the government. If you're at a bar, restaurant, or shop though? Good luck. You're likely to find friendly but generally apathetic employees and a service culture that almost rarely goes out of its way...

A key part of many Danish workplaces is their unusual approach to lunch. While many larger workplaces offer Canteens smaller companies also often offer catered lunch. This is done through interesting lunch services that allow you to pay one fee and then pick and choose between 30 or 40 different restaurants at will. While some work places charge on a per-meal basis, the vast majority of Danish workplaces offer a subsidized lunch that usually costs about 360 DKK/month ($60 USD). It's worth...

Recycling cans and bottles is a huge issue in most countries. While major progress has been made, the vast majority of cans and bottles in countries around the world, particularly in the US, still end up in the trash. Denmark's solution? Make it financially worthwhile to recycle, and it's not just working - it's a stunning success. if you've ever seen locals leave bottles on the ground next to trash cans in Denmark, here's the reason why. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series...

A look at how Danes celebrate their birthdays (part 2 of 2) and their use of the Danish flag. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way. Topics that will be covered include the Danish approach to nudity, how to make Danish friends, how to meet Danes, Danish manners, and...

A look at how Danes celebrate their birthdays (part 1 of 2) and their use of the Danish flag. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way. Topics that will be covered include the Danish approach to nudity, how to make Danish friends, how to meet Danes, Danish manners, and...

Every culture has its interesting linguistic quirks.  For the Danes, an expression similar to "uh-huh", "yes", and "yup" is of particular interest.  In this video I delve into their use of the word yeps/yips and how they manage to express it while simultaneously in-haling. Watch the video for an in-depth look at it and a few examples.  If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to...

If you're from the US, you've grown up with a College and University system where sports are fully integrated into the University system. Each school has a variety of school teams spread across a mixture of sports. In many cases some of the students also likely are attending the University explicitly because they have received University scholarships to play in these sports programs. If you're not from the US - this may seem like a pretty crazy concept. As an American moving abroad, I was...

Most Danish workplaces have a half hour set aside every week where everyone gets cake. Sounds delicious, right? Tune in to learn more about this long-standing Danish tradition and what it means for the Danish workplace. Feeling inspired? Let's see if we can't help this tradition catch on outside of Denmark. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you...

Danish (and European Universities in general) take a very different approach to education, specialization, and curriculum than those in the US, UK and various other countries that fall more in line with the US/UK approach to education. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard...

Denmark, dating, and Danish women are always a popular topic. While this isn't a deep dive, in it I quickly try and share some of my observations, experiences, and the conclusions that have come from dating in Denmark, conversations with peers (Dane and International alike), as well as information accrued from reading up on a collection of blogs and articles all of which attempt to explain what makes dating in Denmark so distinctly a-typical. If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this...

I did my BA at Arizona State University. In addition the the US' nonsensical drinking age, which is set at 21 our campus was also a "dry campus" which meant that even after turning 21 drinking on campus or in the dorm rooms was prohibited. I did my MA at University of Copenhagen, one of Scandinavia's largest, oldest, and most prestigious Universities. The difference in drinking culture and these "wet" campuses was significant. While the topic of on-campus bars and drinking is controversial...

They may be neighbors, but just how similar are Danes and Germans actually?  If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way. Topics that will be covered include the Danish approach to nudity, how to make Danish friends, how to meet Danes, Danish manners, and even a look at...

Danes are famous for their directness and their open-mindedness.  But, how does that translate into how easily (or difficult) Danes are to offend? When navigating the pitfalls of cross-cultural communication this is a highly relevant topic to be aware of.  Enjoy =) If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive. If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest...

The Danes are famous for their Nordic beauty. They also have a reputation for being quite liberal in their approach to nudity and sex. The genders in Denmark enjoy a level of equality that is, perhaps, the most equal in all of the world. One expat, married to and living with a Dane, remarked that Denmark is the most shameless country in the world.To support this she referenced a report from 2014 which backed up the claim. Impressive! While I suspect it may may be a bit of a stretch, it...

Coming from the west coast of the US "How are you doing?", "How's it going?" and other similar questions are used less as questions and more as alternatives to hello. For internationals in Denmark these types of questions can cause problems leading to all sorts of confusion. I delve into the impact of these questions and cultural miscommunication in today's video. Denmark and its residents are a fascinating group. In this video series I'll be leveraging my observations and research to share...

I'm a huge fan of hamburgers. In truth, I could eat a different type of hamburger for lunch and dinner non-stop for a week and be completely happy with my meal selection. So, it is with a not-insignificant amount of passion that I weigh in on how hamburgers are eaten in Denmark. Is this the grand cultural epiphany you've been waiting for? I doubt it. But, perhaps you'll join me in my cause never the less. Denmark and its residents are a fascinating group. In this video series I'll be...

The Law of Jante defines the Nordic societies and is particularly prevalent in Denmark.  To understand Danes and the Danish society it is essential that you understand the Law of Jante.  What is it?  In this episode I explore the topic, my observations, and share a bit about what you can expect when running into Janteloven. Denmark and its residents are a fascinating group. In this video series I'll be leveraging my observations and research to share with you insights into how to get the...

There are rumors that I am constantly terrorizing Danes throughout Copenhagen - from the metro to the line at the super market. What am I doing you ask? Breaking the social norms and talking to strangers. Luckily, I'm American which gives me a get-out-of-jail free card ... and of course, I'm not-so-secretly convinced that the Danes actually love my gregarious antics. Denmark and its residents are a fascinating group. In this video series I'll be leveraging my observations and research to...