Another for the Cultural Difference file.
Yesterday was a busy shopping day for my man and me. You loyal readers have already learned that the weeks here run Monday-Sunday; therefore, the stores' sales of the week begin on Mondays. This is except for those weeks where stores are allowed to be open on Sundays; usually the first Sunday of the month (and even then, some stores, like Super Brugsen, have very limited special offers on Sundays, but start the sale prices of everything else in their ads on Mondays). This is set to change in 2012, though.
Another huge difference between US and DK grocery stores is that many of the grocery stores here have an entire section that is devoted to "special products on offer" that the store does not carry permanently. Many of the awesome deals can be had in these bins; therefore, that is also why it is important to check out alllllll the stores' fliers and make a detailed shopping plan of attack of what to buy where.
As you probably have already guessed, the lack of having permanent shelving for these products means that once the product is sold out for the week, it's sold out. Ain't no more bein' delivered later on in the week. As a result, it is very important to shop for the special deals on Monday.
But not too early on Monday mornings, because the shipments are still being unpacked and shelved several hours after the store's opening. This has always confounded me, because my retail experience hearkens back to the days where there was a specific crew that worked during the pre-opening hours. This crew ensured that all of the products were shelved and ticketed correctly. Here, you might shop too early for the particular product you were looking for, because it might not yet have been put on the shelf. The worst part of being a shopper early on Monday mornings is that the workers actually act as if you are in their way! Oh, puh-lease! Bite me, I'm patronizing your store!
Once I asked my marketing professor about this phenomenon. Surely he was surprised at anyone noticing such a thing, but responded that here, the most important thing has to do with workers' working hours/conditions, and NOT the customer!
I worked for a few years at a department store's service desk. Oh boy, was there ever hell to pay if we were sold out of a product early on in the week. Usually we would always get another shipment of said product later on in the week. If not, we issued rainchecks to the consumer, who could buy the product later at the sale price. This said, we reserved no sympathy for the poor saps who still expected to find the huge package of Extra Quilted Pamper Yourself TP at a price of college-bachelor-TP late Saturday evening, and threw a bitch fit when they discovered it was sold out.
Another cultural difference I have noted about Shopping in DK is that people LOVE to stand in lines, waiting, waiting, waiting.... More often than not, the nimrods who designed the check-out stands made it so that a huge pillar or some other obstructing object blocks the cashier's view to see how many people are standing in line. Even if the cashier could see how long the line was growing, I am still not certain that a call for more help would be made.
So, people queue up, and up, and up. In 9.5 of 10 times, I have experienced that no one will ask the cashier to please have someone else open up another register. When it does happen, the person asking is usually 1. a 16-25 year old Danish male; 2. a Danish woman who is very tall and/or has some other kind of commanding presence; 3. a foreigner. Numbers 1 and 3 always act hurried and impatient. Otherwise, it seems as if people are completely and blissfully happy to spend large amounts of their time waiting in line.
This observation is even more reinforced when the relief cashier does open another line, but few people who have been in line the longest move over to it. ?!?!? They continue standing where they are, continuing to wait. Of course the customer who asked for another open register moves over to it, but after that, it is not at all a free-for-all rush to a shorter wait time. This confounds me even more than the workers acting like you are in their way.
Well yesterday I finally put myself into the #3 category. At least 15 people were in line in front of me, so I went up to the cashier and said, "Kan du lige åbne en kasse mere?" (Can do Lee Oh-ba-nah AIN ~as in pain~ Cass-ah meer?) Fortunately, she ran the bell, and a relief cashier came. Despite all of those people in front of me, I was second in line at the other one (and I didn't even make a mad dash over!).
What the deal is with being OK with waiting in lines for so long is beyond me. I have better things to get to, and will walk fast to get there.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Mad Men, Coming Soon
After scanning the headlines of today's news, I was held by only one story: tennis player Robin Soederling's grand run of defending his native Swedish Open title was halted in the final by Spaniard Nicolas Almagro. After losing the first set 5-7, Soederling came back to win the second; however being broken twice in a row in the third led to his defeat. Although I really dislike Soederling for beating Nadal, I do feel a little sorry for the guy now. He had a fantastic run in his homeland, but could not keep it going to win the title again.
Other than that, a whole political mess seems a'brewin'. Really, when isn't it? But all this talk of mid-term elections bringing trouble for the Dems is quite overwhelming.
So that leaves me to look forward to some escapism, starting this Sunday, 25 July. Mad Men returns to AMC for its 4th season. Yes! Although season 3 was a bit droll with Don being such a huge tool, and the blogosphere folks not really understanding Betty's predicament in the context of 1963, it ended on an exciting note that promised a lot more of why we fell in love with the show to come.
Other than that, a whole political mess seems a'brewin'. Really, when isn't it? But all this talk of mid-term elections bringing trouble for the Dems is quite overwhelming.
So that leaves me to look forward to some escapism, starting this Sunday, 25 July. Mad Men returns to AMC for its 4th season. Yes! Although season 3 was a bit droll with Don being such a huge tool, and the blogosphere folks not really understanding Betty's predicament in the context of 1963, it ended on an exciting note that promised a lot more of why we fell in love with the show to come.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Your US-DK Cultural Difference Tidbit for Today: Calendars
We're having an unusual spate of warm, sunny weather here in DK. The blue sky has been visible, which is such a treat to my eyes. The almost always-present puffy clouds, on the other hand, can feel suffocating at times (just as the foothills of the Appalachian mountains made me feel in southeastern Ohio).
Last night, as the daylight extended late into the evening hours, I thought about the differences of typical calendars published in the US and DK.
In the US, a week consists of Sunday - Saturday. Some fancy calendars may also include what day of the year it is, and how many days remain. Who uses that info, I don't know.
In DK, a week consists of Monday - Sunday. (What these differences have to do with Christianity and the importance of worshiping on the "7th Day", or when and where and why these changes were made is beyond me.) Something else VERY important is what week of the year it is. Many timelines here are measured by the number of the week. For example, a store's sale flier says, "Good for week 5". A syllabus says, for example, "Week 35: Introduction...Week 42: Fall Holiday...Week 50: Last Classes". No university student is fond of weeks 1-3 or usually 22-24, as those are the final exam weeks for fall and spring semesters.
So weekly calendars here consist of 8 columns, with the first containing which week of the year it is, the second being the date of Monday, and the last being the date of Sunday. This week's calender looks like:
29 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
This design has tripped me up more times than I can remember. It is so automatic for me to look at the last column for Saturday, that I have had to send out corrections for dinner parties that I mistakenly scheduled for a Sunday night.
At first I did not pay much attention to the number of the week. But living so far up north has changed that! Here is a link to a world map with Denmark in red, so you can see how far north it is. For those who want more precise measurements, the CIA's World Factbook gives Denmark the geographic coordinates of 56 00 N, 10 00 E.
As there are 52 weeks in a year (actually there were 53 in 2009), and the shortest day (winter solstice) falls usually in the next-to-last week of the year, I greatly look forward to weeks 24 or 25, as they will contain the longest day of the year (summer solstice). Yippee! Sunshine!!! Likewise, after late September or so, I greatly look forward to the winter solstice, as that will bring an end to the maddeningly shrinking amount of daylight that leaves us in a stupor.
Measuring time on a calendar by what week of the year it is also brings an impetus to actually do something. Knowing that it is already week 29 of the year kind of freaks me out. How are 2010's goals coming along? There's only 23 more weeks left to accomplish them! It just doesn't feel the same, to know that today is the 199th day of the year, and 166 remain. If only I could get used to finding Sunday at the end of the week.
Last night, as the daylight extended late into the evening hours, I thought about the differences of typical calendars published in the US and DK.
In the US, a week consists of Sunday - Saturday. Some fancy calendars may also include what day of the year it is, and how many days remain. Who uses that info, I don't know.
In DK, a week consists of Monday - Sunday. (What these differences have to do with Christianity and the importance of worshiping on the "7th Day", or when and where and why these changes were made is beyond me.) Something else VERY important is what week of the year it is. Many timelines here are measured by the number of the week. For example, a store's sale flier says, "Good for week 5". A syllabus says, for example, "Week 35: Introduction...Week 42: Fall Holiday...Week 50: Last Classes". No university student is fond of weeks 1-3 or usually 22-24, as those are the final exam weeks for fall and spring semesters.
So weekly calendars here consist of 8 columns, with the first containing which week of the year it is, the second being the date of Monday, and the last being the date of Sunday. This week's calender looks like:
29 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
This design has tripped me up more times than I can remember. It is so automatic for me to look at the last column for Saturday, that I have had to send out corrections for dinner parties that I mistakenly scheduled for a Sunday night.
At first I did not pay much attention to the number of the week. But living so far up north has changed that! Here is a link to a world map with Denmark in red, so you can see how far north it is. For those who want more precise measurements, the CIA's World Factbook gives Denmark the geographic coordinates of 56 00 N, 10 00 E.
As there are 52 weeks in a year (actually there were 53 in 2009), and the shortest day (winter solstice) falls usually in the next-to-last week of the year, I greatly look forward to weeks 24 or 25, as they will contain the longest day of the year (summer solstice). Yippee! Sunshine!!! Likewise, after late September or so, I greatly look forward to the winter solstice, as that will bring an end to the maddeningly shrinking amount of daylight that leaves us in a stupor.
Measuring time on a calendar by what week of the year it is also brings an impetus to actually do something. Knowing that it is already week 29 of the year kind of freaks me out. How are 2010's goals coming along? There's only 23 more weeks left to accomplish them! It just doesn't feel the same, to know that today is the 199th day of the year, and 166 remain. If only I could get used to finding Sunday at the end of the week.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Networking in DK and More Reason to Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
Two articles in today's Copenhagen Post interested me today.
The first reports findings of the Statens Serum Institute, which found that pregnant women who drank "fizzy drinks" had a 78% higher chance of giving birth prematurely. This news really shocked me, because I LOVE fizzy drinks! I could not live without my sparkling water. I love sparkling water so much that I really want to buy the fizzy drink maker machine. I love the bubbles dancing on my tongue. They make it a bit more exciting to drink water, without it being plain boring, flat water.
Here, sparkling water is called danskvand, lit. "Danish water". It comes in single serving, 1.5 liter or 2 liter plastic (yeesh!) bottles. I have yet to see something like the short green Pelligrino or Perrier bottles at the stores (maybe they are at the very high end grocery stores? Or maybe it would be impossible to call Italian or French sparkling water "Danish water", and so they'd have to come up with a new word for danskvand?). The flavor range includes lemon, cranberry, and blueberry.
Well the news was so upsetting to me (pregnant women are already supposed to give up so many things, but now this too?!), that I tracked down the source. This is what SSI reported (translated into English by Google):
OK, what?! We all know that pregnant women should avoid artificial sweeteners (actually, ALL of us should!), but how did the newspaper get "fizzy drinks" from "diet drinks"? A bit more research led me to discover that British English calls soda "fizzy drinks". OK, that makes more sense. Still, I do believe the article in the Post is a bit misleading. The SSI research applies to diet sodas specifically.
The other article of interest is about the Danish government setting up a "dating site" for expats and Danes. I'm not sure what creeps me out more about this scenario: Big Brother wants to Hook You Up, or Big Brother Pimps Out His Natives to 'Ferners. Maybe it's Allow Big Brother to Track Your Dating! yeeeeeks!
In any case, the article says that the Integration Ministry reports that 4 of 10 expat specialists are surprised at how asocial the Danes are, and that 6 of 10 say it's difficult to make Danish friends. This Ministry's goal is to make foreign workers and students stay in the country for longer periods of time.
I visited the site, letsmeetin.dk, and discovered that it is for expat singles, couples and families who want to get to know their Danish neighbors better (another misleading take, Post!). The site is part of expatindenmark.dk, of which I am already a "member". This is what they want you to answer for your profile:
- first name
- country of origin
- if you're looking for a Dane or an Expat (or both)
- geographical location (Bornholm; Fyn; Mid-Jutland; Northern Jutland, Southern Jutland; Greater Copenhagen; Southern Zealand and Lolland; Western Zealand)
- married or single
- number of children, if any
- preferred language (Danish; English; Other)
- Interests and hobbies (Adventure Sports; Art; Astronomy; Card Games; Chess; Classical Music; Collecting; Computer Games; Conversation; Cooking; Crafts; Dancing; Eating Out; Family; Fishing; Horse Riding; IT; Jazz; Language; Live Concerts; Movies; Painting; Photography; Poetry; Pop/Rock Music; Running/Jogging; Science; Sports; Travel; TV Shows; Walking/Trekking)
- one may also add her Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter/MySpace (who still uses MySpace??)/Web links.
A great flaw exists in the Interests and Hobbies section: no Drinking category! Also, another great Interest and Hobby of expats in Denmark is Bitching About Denmark, Danes, and Danish Weather, but it is understandable that this would not be an option. What about Film, though?
Well, props to the Integration Ministry for giving this a go.
I never imagined how hard it would be to make friends here. In fact, the professed lack of small talk and chit chat in Denmark greatly appealed to me! Nothing was more awful first thing in the morning at work (in the US) than having to listen to (and actually pretend to be Very Very Interested In) procreating co-workers' lengthy stories about how Johnny did in his T-ball game (everyone gets a trophy!), or what a chore it was to care for sick Susie (complete with gory details) the previous evening before we finally got down to business. I hated the types of clocks in the rooms where we held meetings, because I could look at the second hand and count the number of unreturnable seconds of my life disappearing into the abyss.
Fast-forward to my classes at the University of Southern Denmark, where everyone had already made their friends and were seemingly interested in not making any more. It was as if no one cared about anything but themselves. The amount of trash, from used tissues to empty beer cans, all over the place reinforced this idea to me. No one even cared about the person who would have to clean up their dirty, filthy mess.
If it weren't for my professor in Marketing Organizations, I am not sure if I would have made any Danish friends. On the first day of class, he made us team up with others because we would have to do group presentations later in the semester. So I approached a classmate afterward, and she agreed to be my partner. Later I discovered that she was not a "100% ethnic Dane", but had lived here since adolescence, when her family moved from another country. Ha, no wonder she was so nice to me! (Love you, F.!)
After numerous failed attempts at extending the olive branch to a "100% ethnic" Dane for friendship, I have pretty much given up on ever having a "100% ethnic" Danish friend. Their loss! So I really like where the Integration Ministry is headed with this concept. Hopefully their efforts will help make expats not feel so lonely (which can give them a huge reason to get the hell outta this Fairy Tale Gone Wrong). After all, Denmark is supposedly the happiest country on earth, and all of our friends and family back home wonder how it is possible that we also aren't always so happy while living here.
I would like to mention that my husband's family and friends ~and their spouses~ have been nothing but nice to me. I really appreciate their kindness. But it's just like a married woman and money: sure, it's nice that she can use her husband's money, but having her own, hard-earned money brings an irreplaceable feeling of independence and security. I am glad that we had to take Danish language courses, because I have made some great friendships with those classmates. The best thing is, we all have one Interest and Hobby in common that ties us together.
The first reports findings of the Statens Serum Institute, which found that pregnant women who drank "fizzy drinks" had a 78% higher chance of giving birth prematurely. This news really shocked me, because I LOVE fizzy drinks! I could not live without my sparkling water. I love sparkling water so much that I really want to buy the fizzy drink maker machine. I love the bubbles dancing on my tongue. They make it a bit more exciting to drink water, without it being plain boring, flat water.
Here, sparkling water is called danskvand, lit. "Danish water". It comes in single serving, 1.5 liter or 2 liter plastic (yeesh!) bottles. I have yet to see something like the short green Pelligrino or Perrier bottles at the stores (maybe they are at the very high end grocery stores? Or maybe it would be impossible to call Italian or French sparkling water "Danish water", and so they'd have to come up with a new word for danskvand?). The flavor range includes lemon, cranberry, and blueberry.
Well the news was so upsetting to me (pregnant women are already supposed to give up so many things, but now this too?!), that I tracked down the source. This is what SSI reported (translated into English by Google):
16 July 2010 - Artificial sweeteners give a risk of premature birth
Researchers at the Statens Serum Institute have found a link between artificial sweetener and premature birth. These findings suggest that the likelihood of premature birth is 78% greater for pregnant women who drink a liter of diet drinks or more everyday. The study is based on data from 60,000 pregnant women in Denmark participating in Better health for mother and baby.
OK, what?! We all know that pregnant women should avoid artificial sweeteners (actually, ALL of us should!), but how did the newspaper get "fizzy drinks" from "diet drinks"? A bit more research led me to discover that British English calls soda "fizzy drinks". OK, that makes more sense. Still, I do believe the article in the Post is a bit misleading. The SSI research applies to diet sodas specifically.
The other article of interest is about the Danish government setting up a "dating site" for expats and Danes. I'm not sure what creeps me out more about this scenario: Big Brother wants to Hook You Up, or Big Brother Pimps Out His Natives to 'Ferners. Maybe it's Allow Big Brother to Track Your Dating! yeeeeeks!
In any case, the article says that the Integration Ministry reports that 4 of 10 expat specialists are surprised at how asocial the Danes are, and that 6 of 10 say it's difficult to make Danish friends. This Ministry's goal is to make foreign workers and students stay in the country for longer periods of time.
I visited the site, letsmeetin.dk, and discovered that it is for expat singles, couples and families who want to get to know their Danish neighbors better (another misleading take, Post!). The site is part of expatindenmark.dk, of which I am already a "member". This is what they want you to answer for your profile:
- first name
- country of origin
- if you're looking for a Dane or an Expat (or both)
- geographical location (Bornholm; Fyn; Mid-Jutland; Northern Jutland, Southern Jutland; Greater Copenhagen; Southern Zealand and Lolland; Western Zealand)
- married or single
- number of children, if any
- preferred language (Danish; English; Other)
- Interests and hobbies (Adventure Sports; Art; Astronomy; Card Games; Chess; Classical Music; Collecting; Computer Games; Conversation; Cooking; Crafts; Dancing; Eating Out; Family; Fishing; Horse Riding; IT; Jazz; Language; Live Concerts; Movies; Painting; Photography; Poetry; Pop/Rock Music; Running/Jogging; Science; Sports; Travel; TV Shows; Walking/Trekking)
- one may also add her Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter/MySpace (who still uses MySpace??)/Web links.
A great flaw exists in the Interests and Hobbies section: no Drinking category! Also, another great Interest and Hobby of expats in Denmark is Bitching About Denmark, Danes, and Danish Weather, but it is understandable that this would not be an option. What about Film, though?
Well, props to the Integration Ministry for giving this a go.
I never imagined how hard it would be to make friends here. In fact, the professed lack of small talk and chit chat in Denmark greatly appealed to me! Nothing was more awful first thing in the morning at work (in the US) than having to listen to (and actually pretend to be Very Very Interested In) procreating co-workers' lengthy stories about how Johnny did in his T-ball game (everyone gets a trophy!), or what a chore it was to care for sick Susie (complete with gory details) the previous evening before we finally got down to business. I hated the types of clocks in the rooms where we held meetings, because I could look at the second hand and count the number of unreturnable seconds of my life disappearing into the abyss.
Fast-forward to my classes at the University of Southern Denmark, where everyone had already made their friends and were seemingly interested in not making any more. It was as if no one cared about anything but themselves. The amount of trash, from used tissues to empty beer cans, all over the place reinforced this idea to me. No one even cared about the person who would have to clean up their dirty, filthy mess.
If it weren't for my professor in Marketing Organizations, I am not sure if I would have made any Danish friends. On the first day of class, he made us team up with others because we would have to do group presentations later in the semester. So I approached a classmate afterward, and she agreed to be my partner. Later I discovered that she was not a "100% ethnic Dane", but had lived here since adolescence, when her family moved from another country. Ha, no wonder she was so nice to me! (Love you, F.!)
After numerous failed attempts at extending the olive branch to a "100% ethnic" Dane for friendship, I have pretty much given up on ever having a "100% ethnic" Danish friend. Their loss! So I really like where the Integration Ministry is headed with this concept. Hopefully their efforts will help make expats not feel so lonely (which can give them a huge reason to get the hell outta this Fairy Tale Gone Wrong). After all, Denmark is supposedly the happiest country on earth, and all of our friends and family back home wonder how it is possible that we also aren't always so happy while living here.
I would like to mention that my husband's family and friends ~and their spouses~ have been nothing but nice to me. I really appreciate their kindness. But it's just like a married woman and money: sure, it's nice that she can use her husband's money, but having her own, hard-earned money brings an irreplaceable feeling of independence and security. I am glad that we had to take Danish language courses, because I have made some great friendships with those classmates. The best thing is, we all have one Interest and Hobby in common that ties us together.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Avoid Food Dyes Suspected to Cause Hyperactivity in Children
From the Danish Information Center for Environment & Health today, an article about the success of a Danish organization, the Consumer Council, of requiring labeling on packages of products that contain certain kinds of dyes.
These dyes have been suspected to cause hyperactivity in children. They are
* tatrazin - E102
* quinoline yellow - E104
* sunset yellow - E110
* azorubin - E122
* panceau 4R - E124
* allura red AC - E129
While these E#s are not banned from products, if the product contains one or more, the packaging must be labeled, "May have a negative effect on children's activity and ability to concentrate." This does not apply to alcoholic drinks (which hopefully, children are not drinking!). This law goes into effect starting 20 July 2010.
The benefit for the consumer is that instead of combing through the ingredients list, she will easily be able to see the warning on the package and know that it contains these dyes.
These dyes have been suspected to cause hyperactivity in children. They are
* tatrazin - E102
* quinoline yellow - E104
* sunset yellow - E110
* azorubin - E122
* panceau 4R - E124
* allura red AC - E129
While these E#s are not banned from products, if the product contains one or more, the packaging must be labeled, "May have a negative effect on children's activity and ability to concentrate." This does not apply to alcoholic drinks (which hopefully, children are not drinking!). This law goes into effect starting 20 July 2010.
The benefit for the consumer is that instead of combing through the ingredients list, she will easily be able to see the warning on the package and know that it contains these dyes.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Multi-Faceted Post
Several items I'd like to share today:
1. Frappé coffee
On one of my summer travels to steaming hot Greece nearly a decade ago, I was served a frappé coffee and became hooked. Now on the rare hot summer mornings in Denmark (made all the more hot by lack of a/c or even a fan, let alone a hotel pool or the Mediterranean Sea to jump into), a frappé can dial one back from hot and bothered to cool as a cucumber.
In a martini shaker, put ice cubes, instant coffee, some raw sugar, your choice of milk, and a little water. Shake it baby, shake it, and pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!
2. Lavender +/or Tea Tree Essential Oils + Boys = Boobies
Oh dear. This cannot be good! Please if you have boys, keep them away from the lavender and tea tree oils! Our youth already get too many phytoestrogens from other things in the environment and diet (especially soy, which is in seemingly Everything). This one is a quick, easy fix. If you do use these oils for cleaning/fragrance/antibacterial purposes (which you should, instead of that manufactured crap from the Bath store or cleaning aisle at the Box store), make the switch to bergamont or lemon. Much cheaper than dealing with the plastic surgeon and/or therapy down the road!
3. A Complete Lack of Screens in Danish Windows
I have already established that the climate here in Denmark (especially on Fyn, which is buffered by Jutland on the west, and Zealand on the east) is mild. People (OK, expats) joke that there are just two seasons, fall and spring. This year must be the exception to the rule, as winter was most definitely here from December - March, and summer has given us some sizzling, sweltering, sweaty weeks of late. By that, I mean daily highs of around 85˚F (29.4˚C). Normally I freeze if the temp falls below 70˚, but there does come a point when it is just Too.Damn.Hot.
So, windows are opened, and bugs fly in. These types of windows are not your typical sliding windows. No, to open these windows, the actual window itself is moved outside of its frame; therefore, ain't no room for a screen. What in the hell kind of Efficient Danish Design is that?! HM??
There's a big reason I like the city. Lack of wildlife in proximity to my house. But these flies, bees, moths, wasps, butterflies, and god-knows-what-else creep me the frick out. Ick!
I've always known that these windows are old (conversations heard on the sidewalk below are heard more clearly than if those folks and I were talking via mobile), but last week something confirmed it for me. I was looking online at new curtains, and the current standard curtain sizes will not properly fit these windows. That's pretty old!
4. What Expats in Denmark Want to Stay Here Longer
Not sure if the link will work for those who are not members of the ExpatInDenmark group, so here are the results from their unscientific survey from their Web site, "What would make you stay in Denmark longer?"
- Top results were tied, with 23% responding "lower taxes" and 23% "a more inclusive culture". I admit it, I miss my friendly fat Americans. Arriving at the Pittsburgh airport last month and being greeted with a mini-Statue of Liberty and smiles and offerings of help to make my way around the airport from many volunteers nearly sent me into a state of shock. (This compares to the Copenhagen airport, where Efficient Danish Design greets us with escalators and a cattle herd-type of structure to form orderly lines to get the passport stamped, after which going through the sliding doors, the nauseating aroma of hot dogs and onions greets the passenger. Also, the signs for bathrooms are VERY easy to miss!)
- Second place goes to (my vote) "finding a job" at 17%. Do those 23% tax whiners even know how lucky they are to have a job and be taxed highly?!? Let me switch with you! Seriously, I have been nearly 9 months unemployed. My confidence is shattered, and I start to wonder if I have simply dreamed up the last 10 years of my professional and advanced-degree life. Is not getting hired because I'm American and come across as too aggressive in my CV? Is it because I am married without children, and no one wants to pick up the maternity leave tab? (This one I can't believe when I'm applying to temp positions that are filling in for the maternity leave women.) Is it because my Danish is not like a native's? Everyone likes to soothe with excuses about the financial crisis. OK yeah, but companies ARE hiring - that's why I'm applying to those advertised jobs. My American work ethic does not sit well with this situation.
- Third toes to "more lenient visa and residency rules" at 8%. (I think of my Belorussian friend, whose old aunt from Russia could not secure a visa to visit my friend here with my friend's mom. So I guess that people who cannot get visas for their relatives to visit may have voted for this. In other words, it might not all be about securing residency, just wanting to host old Auntie Olga.)
- 5% voted for "more sunshine and better weather". All I have to say is there's a darn good reason that the very strong Christmas beers are released in the first week of November, when the sunrise is at 7:15 a.m. and the sunset at 4:15 p.m. These times are similar to Ohio sunrise and sunset times, but on the shortest day of the year! On winter solstice this year (21 Dec.), we are looking at a sunrise of 8:37 a.m. and sunset at 3:38 p.m. Drinking one's self into oblivion is a phrase that comes to mind. BTW, those terms of "sunrise" and "sunset" should be in quotes, because in reality, this means that at 8:37 a.m., some light shines through the gray cumulus clouds, and at 3:38 p.m., the sky is pitch black. One PRAYS for snow, just so it reflects more light into our world.
Speaking of sunshine, it's out there now. Time to enjoy it!
1. Frappé coffee
On one of my summer travels to steaming hot Greece nearly a decade ago, I was served a frappé coffee and became hooked. Now on the rare hot summer mornings in Denmark (made all the more hot by lack of a/c or even a fan, let alone a hotel pool or the Mediterranean Sea to jump into), a frappé can dial one back from hot and bothered to cool as a cucumber.
In a martini shaker, put ice cubes, instant coffee, some raw sugar, your choice of milk, and a little water. Shake it baby, shake it, and pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!
2. Lavender +/or Tea Tree Essential Oils + Boys = Boobies
Oh dear. This cannot be good! Please if you have boys, keep them away from the lavender and tea tree oils! Our youth already get too many phytoestrogens from other things in the environment and diet (especially soy, which is in seemingly Everything). This one is a quick, easy fix. If you do use these oils for cleaning/fragrance/antibacterial purposes (which you should, instead of that manufactured crap from the Bath store or cleaning aisle at the Box store), make the switch to bergamont or lemon. Much cheaper than dealing with the plastic surgeon and/or therapy down the road!
3. A Complete Lack of Screens in Danish Windows
I have already established that the climate here in Denmark (especially on Fyn, which is buffered by Jutland on the west, and Zealand on the east) is mild. People (OK, expats) joke that there are just two seasons, fall and spring. This year must be the exception to the rule, as winter was most definitely here from December - March, and summer has given us some sizzling, sweltering, sweaty weeks of late. By that, I mean daily highs of around 85˚F (29.4˚C). Normally I freeze if the temp falls below 70˚, but there does come a point when it is just Too.Damn.Hot.
So, windows are opened, and bugs fly in. These types of windows are not your typical sliding windows. No, to open these windows, the actual window itself is moved outside of its frame; therefore, ain't no room for a screen. What in the hell kind of Efficient Danish Design is that?! HM??
There's a big reason I like the city. Lack of wildlife in proximity to my house. But these flies, bees, moths, wasps, butterflies, and god-knows-what-else creep me the frick out. Ick!
I've always known that these windows are old (conversations heard on the sidewalk below are heard more clearly than if those folks and I were talking via mobile), but last week something confirmed it for me. I was looking online at new curtains, and the current standard curtain sizes will not properly fit these windows. That's pretty old!
4. What Expats in Denmark Want to Stay Here Longer
Not sure if the link will work for those who are not members of the ExpatInDenmark group, so here are the results from their unscientific survey from their Web site, "What would make you stay in Denmark longer?"
- Top results were tied, with 23% responding "lower taxes" and 23% "a more inclusive culture". I admit it, I miss my friendly fat Americans. Arriving at the Pittsburgh airport last month and being greeted with a mini-Statue of Liberty and smiles and offerings of help to make my way around the airport from many volunteers nearly sent me into a state of shock. (This compares to the Copenhagen airport, where Efficient Danish Design greets us with escalators and a cattle herd-type of structure to form orderly lines to get the passport stamped, after which going through the sliding doors, the nauseating aroma of hot dogs and onions greets the passenger. Also, the signs for bathrooms are VERY easy to miss!)
- Second place goes to (my vote) "finding a job" at 17%. Do those 23% tax whiners even know how lucky they are to have a job and be taxed highly?!? Let me switch with you! Seriously, I have been nearly 9 months unemployed. My confidence is shattered, and I start to wonder if I have simply dreamed up the last 10 years of my professional and advanced-degree life. Is not getting hired because I'm American and come across as too aggressive in my CV? Is it because I am married without children, and no one wants to pick up the maternity leave tab? (This one I can't believe when I'm applying to temp positions that are filling in for the maternity leave women.) Is it because my Danish is not like a native's? Everyone likes to soothe with excuses about the financial crisis. OK yeah, but companies ARE hiring - that's why I'm applying to those advertised jobs. My American work ethic does not sit well with this situation.
- Third toes to "more lenient visa and residency rules" at 8%. (I think of my Belorussian friend, whose old aunt from Russia could not secure a visa to visit my friend here with my friend's mom. So I guess that people who cannot get visas for their relatives to visit may have voted for this. In other words, it might not all be about securing residency, just wanting to host old Auntie Olga.)
- 5% voted for "more sunshine and better weather". All I have to say is there's a darn good reason that the very strong Christmas beers are released in the first week of November, when the sunrise is at 7:15 a.m. and the sunset at 4:15 p.m. These times are similar to Ohio sunrise and sunset times, but on the shortest day of the year! On winter solstice this year (21 Dec.), we are looking at a sunrise of 8:37 a.m. and sunset at 3:38 p.m. Drinking one's self into oblivion is a phrase that comes to mind. BTW, those terms of "sunrise" and "sunset" should be in quotes, because in reality, this means that at 8:37 a.m., some light shines through the gray cumulus clouds, and at 3:38 p.m., the sky is pitch black. One PRAYS for snow, just so it reflects more light into our world.
Speaking of sunshine, it's out there now. Time to enjoy it!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Shopping at Matas
In many ways, Denmark is light years ahead of the States (social system and environmentalism being my two biggest examples). But in other ways, it is almost as if I was put into a time machine and transported back to the days of my Grandmothers, or say, Betty Draper. Shopping is the biggest example I have of this.
During the last several years I lived in Athens, I became very used to shopping at Wal-Mart for nearly all of my needs, from servicing the tires on my car to prescription medications to things for the home to food. One-stop-shopping. While there is one of the national chain Bilka stores in town, it is a good hike away by bike. Even then, I would never be able to buy Everything I Needed, 1. because it isn't there, and 2. bring it back home by bike or on bus. Oh, how I miss my car and its spacious trunk!
Here, there are two butcher shops on my street within a short distance. One of them even has signage that it has horse meat. I have never been to that shop. One must also go to an optometry store just to buy saline for contact lenses. (Still not sure why, but maybe saline is too dangerous to be dispensed by non-ophthalmologists.) Even Bilka doesn't (can't?!) carry that. Any pain killer more powerful than an aspirin must be had at the pharmacy. Even aspirin is available only at the larger grocery stores - not all of them - and ALL bottles of aspirin are in small bottles. Apparently it is also too dangerous here to buy a Valu-Size of OTC pain killers. The list goes on and on.
This is where the national chain Matas comes into play. It reminds me of Super-X, circa 1982, but without the pharmacy (because a prescription here can only be had at a pharmacy!). You remember Super-X - they often occupied the storefront next to Kroger back in the day. Matas has a very extensive selection of personal care products, from vitamins to makeup, hair and facial care (including facial hair!) to all your shower and bath needs. Ace bandages, Band-Aids, thermometers. You get the idea.
I really hate going into this store, but always am sure to check out their ads online, just so I don't miss a really great deal. Without Wal-Mart here, one must scrutinize all of the stores' ads in order to not miss a really great deal. This week, Matas had something I really needed: nail polish remover (200ml for 20DKK ~that's about $3.33 for a bottle just a little smaller than the smallest Cutex bottle). Also, tampons were 2 boxes for 35, and Garnier had new facial care products.
The sale began on Monday at 9.30 a.m., and when I got there around 3 p.m., I was the only customer in the store staffed by two. I did not see any of the sale signs on the items I wanted. In fact, I did not see any more nail polish bottles on the shelf! "Really?!" I thought to myself, "Can they actually be sold out already?!" Being sold out of an item by late Monday afternoon would not be unheard of here. So one of the two clerks asked if she could help me, and I said, "Yes, do you have any more of these, and are they on sale?"
She went to the back and returned with two huge boxes of the product. By that time, I had grabbed a copy of the flier and confirmed with her that this was indeed the one on sale. I also looked for my tampons. Three sizes were available, but only one of each size was on the shelf! Still, no price stickers. "Really?!" I thought to myself, "Can they actually be sold out already?!" So I asked the clerk to check for more of my size in the back.
She looked confused as to why I would need two boxes of tampons! So I pointed to the notice in the flier that had "2 for 35", and she then seemed to get it. When she returned from the back, she said that there were no more tampons. "Really?!" I thought to myself, "Can their distribution system be this bad?!" Apparently so. The clerk then tried to sell me on buying two, but one in another size. "No thanks!" I said. After all, size DOES make a difference, right? Why else would they offer all those sizes!?! "What kind of drugs is SHE on?!" I wondered. Oh, probably the ones oozing from all the chemical products in the store.
On to the next item, Garnier Nordic Care skin products. The moisturizer clearly stated on the front that it was "Paraben Free!" Yes! This is good!! But I was looking for toner and wipes. They were both loaded with parabens. No thanks, Garnier!
I have no idea what goes on in that store, but all my many years of retail work experience are rubbed the wrong way whenever I shop there. Bossy, in-your-face clerks (they must work on commission), lack of signage, poor distribution and lack of products - let alone regularly-stocked SALE products on the first day of the sale! Not one of my old retail managers would have stood for that, especially while the store was so dead (a.k.a. lack of customers; empty)! Although it is not Matas' fault, and while Garnier should get some props for having some paraben-free products, their other paraben-filled products left me with another disappointed feeling.
Get it together, people. Shopping for 3 regularly stocked sale items on the first day of the sale should not be so aggravating. Just another nick on the US side of the scoreboard of USA vs. Denmark. I must say, however, that I did appreciate the clerk not switching to English as soon as my American accent came tumbling out of my mouth. That usually always happens there!
During the last several years I lived in Athens, I became very used to shopping at Wal-Mart for nearly all of my needs, from servicing the tires on my car to prescription medications to things for the home to food. One-stop-shopping. While there is one of the national chain Bilka stores in town, it is a good hike away by bike. Even then, I would never be able to buy Everything I Needed, 1. because it isn't there, and 2. bring it back home by bike or on bus. Oh, how I miss my car and its spacious trunk!
Here, there are two butcher shops on my street within a short distance. One of them even has signage that it has horse meat. I have never been to that shop. One must also go to an optometry store just to buy saline for contact lenses. (Still not sure why, but maybe saline is too dangerous to be dispensed by non-ophthalmologists.) Even Bilka doesn't (can't?!) carry that. Any pain killer more powerful than an aspirin must be had at the pharmacy. Even aspirin is available only at the larger grocery stores - not all of them - and ALL bottles of aspirin are in small bottles. Apparently it is also too dangerous here to buy a Valu-Size of OTC pain killers. The list goes on and on.
This is where the national chain Matas comes into play. It reminds me of Super-X, circa 1982, but without the pharmacy (because a prescription here can only be had at a pharmacy!). You remember Super-X - they often occupied the storefront next to Kroger back in the day. Matas has a very extensive selection of personal care products, from vitamins to makeup, hair and facial care (including facial hair!) to all your shower and bath needs. Ace bandages, Band-Aids, thermometers. You get the idea.
I really hate going into this store, but always am sure to check out their ads online, just so I don't miss a really great deal. Without Wal-Mart here, one must scrutinize all of the stores' ads in order to not miss a really great deal. This week, Matas had something I really needed: nail polish remover (200ml for 20DKK ~that's about $3.33 for a bottle just a little smaller than the smallest Cutex bottle). Also, tampons were 2 boxes for 35, and Garnier had new facial care products.
The sale began on Monday at 9.30 a.m., and when I got there around 3 p.m., I was the only customer in the store staffed by two. I did not see any of the sale signs on the items I wanted. In fact, I did not see any more nail polish bottles on the shelf! "Really?!" I thought to myself, "Can they actually be sold out already?!" Being sold out of an item by late Monday afternoon would not be unheard of here. So one of the two clerks asked if she could help me, and I said, "Yes, do you have any more of these, and are they on sale?"
She went to the back and returned with two huge boxes of the product. By that time, I had grabbed a copy of the flier and confirmed with her that this was indeed the one on sale. I also looked for my tampons. Three sizes were available, but only one of each size was on the shelf! Still, no price stickers. "Really?!" I thought to myself, "Can they actually be sold out already?!" So I asked the clerk to check for more of my size in the back.
She looked confused as to why I would need two boxes of tampons! So I pointed to the notice in the flier that had "2 for 35", and she then seemed to get it. When she returned from the back, she said that there were no more tampons. "Really?!" I thought to myself, "Can their distribution system be this bad?!" Apparently so. The clerk then tried to sell me on buying two, but one in another size. "No thanks!" I said. After all, size DOES make a difference, right? Why else would they offer all those sizes!?! "What kind of drugs is SHE on?!" I wondered. Oh, probably the ones oozing from all the chemical products in the store.
On to the next item, Garnier Nordic Care skin products. The moisturizer clearly stated on the front that it was "Paraben Free!" Yes! This is good!! But I was looking for toner and wipes. They were both loaded with parabens. No thanks, Garnier!
I have no idea what goes on in that store, but all my many years of retail work experience are rubbed the wrong way whenever I shop there. Bossy, in-your-face clerks (they must work on commission), lack of signage, poor distribution and lack of products - let alone regularly-stocked SALE products on the first day of the sale! Not one of my old retail managers would have stood for that, especially while the store was so dead (a.k.a. lack of customers; empty)! Although it is not Matas' fault, and while Garnier should get some props for having some paraben-free products, their other paraben-filled products left me with another disappointed feeling.
Get it together, people. Shopping for 3 regularly stocked sale items on the first day of the sale should not be so aggravating. Just another nick on the US side of the scoreboard of USA vs. Denmark. I must say, however, that I did appreciate the clerk not switching to English as soon as my American accent came tumbling out of my mouth. That usually always happens there!
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