My last post touched on the Danish People's Party proposal to change the "24-year" law to 28 years.
Here's some thoughts from other sources about this proposal:
Expat In Denmark: "Danish Anti-Peoples' Party Madness in 'Agurketid'"
The Copenhagen Post: "Broad Political Backing for the 28-Year Rule"
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Danish News, 27 July
Several news articles caught my eye this morning:
1. The new iPhone 4 is expected to be released in Denmark on Friday, 30 July. This is over a month later than the US and UK release dates. Why Denmark got such short-shafted treatment, who knows, but a lot of Mac-philes here are certainly happy. Then again, they probably already ordered it from German stores, which have also had the phone since 24 June. The article says that attempts to replicate the infamous antennae problems here in DK have shown no antennae problems. My guess is that the country's average sea level of 31 meters has something to do with that.
What will that pretty little thing cost? 4,699DKK for 16G or 5,499DKK for the 32G. According to xe.com, that's $820 and $959.
Of course I had been hoping to have a job by now, so that I could finally get an iPhone, but that is not how it's worked out. I am finally open to getting another brand of mobile. $820 is just ridiculous. And I am a hard-core Mac fan.
2. Nearly half of all Danes are on vacation this week. I still do not fully understand what the vacation system is (see above: lack of job), but everyone seemingly takes their 5 weeks' worth in the month of July, with some spillage into June or August. This has stupefied me, as July usually brings the best weather of the year to this country. "Hey! Let's go to southern France/Italy/Greece/Turkey and fry in the sun, instead of enjoying the breezy 75-80˚F back home!"
3. In 2002, the Danish government passed a law that is referred to as the "24-year rule". Basically, if someone wants to 'import' a spouse (like my lovely husband did!), that person must have lived in Denmark for 24 years. This age limit was made in order to limit the number of foreigners moving here at a younger age, er, scratch that, it was made to prevent the number of forced marriages in this country (which are, of course, made up of people from non-Western countries). The rule has worked so well that the Danish People's Party (don't get me started on them!) has proposed raising the age limit to 28.
4. Well the Danish People's Party must be celebrating, because immigrants from non-Western countries have had a steep fall in birth rates in the last few years. The article states:
There it is, your wrap up from Denmark on Tuesday, 27 July 2010.
1. The new iPhone 4 is expected to be released in Denmark on Friday, 30 July. This is over a month later than the US and UK release dates. Why Denmark got such short-shafted treatment, who knows, but a lot of Mac-philes here are certainly happy. Then again, they probably already ordered it from German stores, which have also had the phone since 24 June. The article says that attempts to replicate the infamous antennae problems here in DK have shown no antennae problems. My guess is that the country's average sea level of 31 meters has something to do with that.
What will that pretty little thing cost? 4,699DKK for 16G or 5,499DKK for the 32G. According to xe.com, that's $820 and $959.
Of course I had been hoping to have a job by now, so that I could finally get an iPhone, but that is not how it's worked out. I am finally open to getting another brand of mobile. $820 is just ridiculous. And I am a hard-core Mac fan.
2. Nearly half of all Danes are on vacation this week. I still do not fully understand what the vacation system is (see above: lack of job), but everyone seemingly takes their 5 weeks' worth in the month of July, with some spillage into June or August. This has stupefied me, as July usually brings the best weather of the year to this country. "Hey! Let's go to southern France/Italy/Greece/Turkey and fry in the sun, instead of enjoying the breezy 75-80˚F back home!"
3. In 2002, the Danish government passed a law that is referred to as the "24-year rule". Basically, if someone wants to 'import' a spouse (like my lovely husband did!), that person must have lived in Denmark for 24 years. This age limit was made in order to limit the number of foreigners moving here at a younger age, er, scratch that, it was made to prevent the number of forced marriages in this country (which are, of course, made up of people from non-Western countries). The rule has worked so well that the Danish People's Party (don't get me started on them!) has proposed raising the age limit to 28.
4. Well the Danish People's Party must be celebrating, because immigrants from non-Western countries have had a steep fall in birth rates in the last few years. The article states:
Twenty years ago women from ethnic minorities had twice as many children as their Danish sisters, but by 2009 their birth rate had fallen to just 1.6 children per woman, below the 1.9 rate for Danes.Reasons given are the 24-year rule and improved integration, which means that the women are going for education first, family later. I love this article, because it throws the stereotype of non-Western women having scads of kids (and glomming off the social system) on its head (hear that, Danish People's Party??), and women getting an education is never a bad thing.
There it is, your wrap up from Denmark on Tuesday, 27 July 2010.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Biking
Four years ago is when I made my first visit to Denmark. T met me at the airport, and we stayed in Copenhagen for a couple of days. Just an hour after arriving, from my hotel room's window, I looked at the city below. One of the most memorable images was that of a VERY pregnant woman, just biking along on the bike path of the street with the other able-bodied cyclists. I was astounded. Actually it was as if I saw her big belly button first, and then the rest of her maternal body on the bike. "Why isn't she in bed, feet propped up, eating bon-bons and watching Days of Our Lives?!?!" I wondered. "Doesn't she know she shouldn't do ANY physical activity in such a state!!!"
My city of Odense has been called the most cyclist-friendly city in the country. I am quite glad for this, because it means that about 95% of the way from my apartment to the university has bike paths. These provide a great deal of security for the cyclist. The paths are wide enough for two bicycles (which was also good for the people who needed to pass this slow cyclist!). The usual laws of the road apply: slow people on the right, overtakers on the left. If there's a slow person on the left, then one rings her bell, and the slow person moves over to the right (hopefully, if she isn't tuned out on an iPod!).
Helmets are not required, although I seemingly notice more and more of them. Using a mobile, whether calling or texting, is not illegal for cyclists. But it is for motorists. If you're driving, there is also no turn on red, and when one does make a right turn, it is VERY important to check the passenger's side mirror, and/or look behind to the right, to make sure to turn when there are no cyclists coming. This is also tricky, because one must also make sure that there are no pedestrians crossing as well!
Parents actually drive their kids on bikes!!! A baby 'bike' seat is attached to the back of the bicycle. For toddlers, a parent can attach a 'doggie house' (a nylon and plastic-covered type of trailer where the kids can sit down) to the back of his bicycle. I don't even want to know how much muscle that takes to power.
Another major impression for me was going to uni for the first time, on my second trip here. A huge courtyard extends out from the main entrance. It was nearly covered with bicycles. I could just imagine if every bicycle was a car, how much parking space would have been needed instead. Simply incredible to think about such things.
Before I moved here, I had not ridden a bike for 7 years! Granted, riding a bike again was pretty shaky at first, but having to bike to uni 4 or 5 days a week quickly gave me my 'cycling legs' back again. Then the moment came when I did not have to bike the 4 miles out to uni anymore. whoohoo! This resulted in nearly 1.5 years of biking only one time, and that was just for a couple of miles. I do love living in the city, where everything is within walking distance!
Now I am getting back into biking, mostly due to home renovation shopping trips to Ikea. I really like biking! This is most likely supported by the lack of rain or strong winds, I admit. It feels great to have the wind in my hair, know that I'm not using any fossil fuels, save ~$8 from not taking the bus, and get in a great workout while running errands. (A couple of big hills do exist!)
Today I biked over 8 miles while running said errands. The last part of the trip was to somewhere I had not yet been, and the bike path was located apart from the road. Biking on a paved path through a very otherwise natural setting was so calming and relaxing. I am glad that this city has so many bike paths, and I can use my body's own energy to power the bicycle to get me to the destination.
My city of Odense has been called the most cyclist-friendly city in the country. I am quite glad for this, because it means that about 95% of the way from my apartment to the university has bike paths. These provide a great deal of security for the cyclist. The paths are wide enough for two bicycles (which was also good for the people who needed to pass this slow cyclist!). The usual laws of the road apply: slow people on the right, overtakers on the left. If there's a slow person on the left, then one rings her bell, and the slow person moves over to the right (hopefully, if she isn't tuned out on an iPod!).
Helmets are not required, although I seemingly notice more and more of them. Using a mobile, whether calling or texting, is not illegal for cyclists. But it is for motorists. If you're driving, there is also no turn on red, and when one does make a right turn, it is VERY important to check the passenger's side mirror, and/or look behind to the right, to make sure to turn when there are no cyclists coming. This is also tricky, because one must also make sure that there are no pedestrians crossing as well!
Parents actually drive their kids on bikes!!! A baby 'bike' seat is attached to the back of the bicycle. For toddlers, a parent can attach a 'doggie house' (a nylon and plastic-covered type of trailer where the kids can sit down) to the back of his bicycle. I don't even want to know how much muscle that takes to power.
Another major impression for me was going to uni for the first time, on my second trip here. A huge courtyard extends out from the main entrance. It was nearly covered with bicycles. I could just imagine if every bicycle was a car, how much parking space would have been needed instead. Simply incredible to think about such things.
Before I moved here, I had not ridden a bike for 7 years! Granted, riding a bike again was pretty shaky at first, but having to bike to uni 4 or 5 days a week quickly gave me my 'cycling legs' back again. Then the moment came when I did not have to bike the 4 miles out to uni anymore. whoohoo! This resulted in nearly 1.5 years of biking only one time, and that was just for a couple of miles. I do love living in the city, where everything is within walking distance!
Now I am getting back into biking, mostly due to home renovation shopping trips to Ikea. I really like biking! This is most likely supported by the lack of rain or strong winds, I admit. It feels great to have the wind in my hair, know that I'm not using any fossil fuels, save ~$8 from not taking the bus, and get in a great workout while running errands. (A couple of big hills do exist!)
Today I biked over 8 miles while running said errands. The last part of the trip was to somewhere I had not yet been, and the bike path was located apart from the road. Biking on a paved path through a very otherwise natural setting was so calming and relaxing. I am glad that this city has so many bike paths, and I can use my body's own energy to power the bicycle to get me to the destination.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Online Privacy
Today's post has nothing to do with organics or Denmark, but with the future of our reputations in the online world. This article is very long, but even more thought provoking. What happens to us in a world without forgetting?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Dying to be Beautiful
Yesterday the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics announced the release of a new informational film, "The Story of Cosmetics: The Ugly Truth of Toxins In, Toxins Out".
I thought that Annie Leonard, who talks to us in the film, spoke a little too much like she was trying to explain things to a 2-year-old. Then again, I have been immersed in researching green products for over a year, and none of what she says is new to me at all.
It may be to the general public. After all, everyone seemed shocked at Dove's Evolution of Beauty film in 2006. Having worked in a room with graphic designers for a few years, I definitely was familiar with how their graphics skills could transform an image. They should be called Magicians! Or Fairy God Mothers!
Another problem I have with the film is it seemingly dumps too much BAD onto the consumer, and does not give too much GOOD in return. This is a dangerously slippery slope, because many can now think, "Babies are being born pre-polluted; what could I possibly do to reverse this? Screw it, we're all going to hell in a hand basket, and I wanna use my carcinogenic products to live in the moment and look damn fine doing it!"
Yeah, yeah, write to your Congress person. Sign the Environmental Working Group's petition. Even if you do take the time to try to read the fine print of the ingredients labels, like I do, mistakes still can be made. I was so furious when I noticed last year that my bottle of Palmer's Organic Olive Oil lotion was loaded with parabens and other toxins! Now, I just use real organic olive oil as a body lotion (and make-up remover). Some new shower products here in Denmark have a "0%" or "Zero" name because they do not contain parabens or coloring agents; however, they do contain fragrance, which may as well be substituted with the word "carcinogen".
Hopefully this film will galvanize enough people to take action and change the laws. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but how has the 3-month-old BP oil spill galvanized enough people to take action and change the laws? Or even their driving habits or cars?
I hope I'm wrong. I hope consumers will make choices at the checkout and rally their representatives, and more companies will turn green - 100% - not halfheartedly. As for these types of films, how about one that gives us a testimonial of folks who have stopped using the bad chemicals and changed their lives for the better? Or make a clear list of products that are the safest? Give consumers the tools to make better choices, and sound like you're treating them with equal status while doing it.
I thought that Annie Leonard, who talks to us in the film, spoke a little too much like she was trying to explain things to a 2-year-old. Then again, I have been immersed in researching green products for over a year, and none of what she says is new to me at all.
It may be to the general public. After all, everyone seemed shocked at Dove's Evolution of Beauty film in 2006. Having worked in a room with graphic designers for a few years, I definitely was familiar with how their graphics skills could transform an image. They should be called Magicians! Or Fairy God Mothers!
Another problem I have with the film is it seemingly dumps too much BAD onto the consumer, and does not give too much GOOD in return. This is a dangerously slippery slope, because many can now think, "Babies are being born pre-polluted; what could I possibly do to reverse this? Screw it, we're all going to hell in a hand basket, and I wanna use my carcinogenic products to live in the moment and look damn fine doing it!"
Yeah, yeah, write to your Congress person. Sign the Environmental Working Group's petition. Even if you do take the time to try to read the fine print of the ingredients labels, like I do, mistakes still can be made. I was so furious when I noticed last year that my bottle of Palmer's Organic Olive Oil lotion was loaded with parabens and other toxins! Now, I just use real organic olive oil as a body lotion (and make-up remover). Some new shower products here in Denmark have a "0%" or "Zero" name because they do not contain parabens or coloring agents; however, they do contain fragrance, which may as well be substituted with the word "carcinogen".
Hopefully this film will galvanize enough people to take action and change the laws. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but how has the 3-month-old BP oil spill galvanized enough people to take action and change the laws? Or even their driving habits or cars?
I hope I'm wrong. I hope consumers will make choices at the checkout and rally their representatives, and more companies will turn green - 100% - not halfheartedly. As for these types of films, how about one that gives us a testimonial of folks who have stopped using the bad chemicals and changed their lives for the better? Or make a clear list of products that are the safest? Give consumers the tools to make better choices, and sound like you're treating them with equal status while doing it.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
"Leaving on a Jet Plane"
All day yesterday, I felt as if I was forgetting something, but could not figure out what it was.
Today, as I glanced at the calendar, it hit me: yesterday was the third year 'anniversary' of my last day at my old job.
20 July 2007 was also the last day I lived in Athens, Ohio. By that time, my husband and I had been married for almost 5 months. It was about 6 weeks after he returned to DK after visiting for a month. I would have 10 more days in Ohio until flying PIT-EWR-CPH and arriving in my new life. I couldn't wait to join my husband, but it was a lot of hard work to make this move, and difficult to say 'bye' to the treasured friends. Friday, 20 July 2007, was extremely busy and harried and filled with great memories.
My dear dear friend drove 90 miles to help me pack the night before, and continued doing so as I went off to work that morning. She is the sweetest friend (or else really wanted to see me leave, hahaha). And despite having had and participated in yard sales, donation store drop-offs, and give-a-ways, I was still left with a sizable amount of possessions. The pile was definitely NOT going to fit nicely into 2 50-lb. suitcases and a carry-on suitcase and backpack (the allowable free baggage at the time), like I had hoped. I e-mailed my dad and suggested he might want to bring my mom's SUV instead of his car to pick me up. (I had sold my beloved car a couple of weeks earlier.)
The day at work was mostly uneventful. Almost all of the sales reps were away at a seminar (THANK GOD!), and my replacement took the day off for a family event way out in the boonies with no mobile reception that had been scheduled since before she took the job. I still had to pack up the proverbial cardboard box that had once been filled with reams of glossy paper that we used for marketing materials. I packed the many photos, thank-you cards, and other mementos of the previous 6 years, like a 1940s imaged Coca-Cola mug-turned-pen holder that my sister had given to me into that box.
The 5th and 20th of the month were pay dates, and I had saved up a lot of vacation time to make that day's one whopper of a final check. My good friend met me at the Blue Gator for lunch. I remember our server gave me some suggestions of what books I should read while flying to Copenhagen. She probably did not imagine that every square inch of my luggage had already been carefully analyzed while planning which possessions to take with me. Instead, my friend and I happily smiled and nodded as we noshed and listened.
I went to the bank and deposited the check. Seeing that big number felt good, as it had been incredibly difficult to avoid taking vacation days near the end of my time in Athens. After all, my future university had demanded that I needed some intro to marketing courses, and I was taking two via Phoenix in my final weeks in Athens (which also cost a pretty penny!). This was on top of wrapping up all of the other loose ends that come with moving. My husband had visited for a month in May, and it was hard to not take more time off with him. We sacrificed, so we could have more of a cushion later.
At some point in the late afternoon, the Street Team leader had suddenly found some sort of crisis for the event that was happening the following day. With the sales reps who were also contacts for this event and my replacement being out of the office, and me hours away from freedom, she did not make much headway with solving the issue. After all, my replacement had trained for at least 6 weeks, and it was made extremely clear by all that Friday, 20 July 2007 was my last day, and the amount of input that I would have about decisions by then would have fallen to zero, zip, zilch, nada.
At 4:30, I suddenly remembered that I had some photos waiting for me at the CVS just down the street. I popped into the front office to tell the office manager where I was going, in case my dad arrived early. As was always the case, the wait at CVS took FOR-EV-ER. I thought of how this makes me not want to believe in karma, because I had always been a very fast cashier. When I finally got out of there, I hurried back to the office. As I walked down the sidewalk that lined the 2-lane one-way brick street, I heard singing from the other side: "She's leaving, on a jet plane....don't know when you'll be back again". My old boss from my part-time restaurant hostess job had spotted me and gave me this cheerful sendoff. He always knew how to make me smile.
Sure enough, my dad had arrived at the office. It was almost 5:00. A final round of hugs to the darling coworkers was in order. My dad drove to my rental, and filled up the SUV with more things I was giving away: a 1-year old LG window air conditioner, microwave, TV, a bicycle, and some small appliances that I knew the future inhabitants of the Little Denmark student rental could use. We drove around and dropped these things off at their future homes. We came back and packed the SUV completely full with my remaining possessions. Photo albums take up so much space!
My good friend's friend came by to pick up the Ikea couch and other small pieces of furniture. My housemate had complained a lot about his previous renter leaving behind a lot of his things, so I did my best to make sure I didn't leave anything behind. In retrospect, maybe he would have liked the a/c and microwave left behind.
With a small group of friends gathered, we opened a bottle of Ga-Jol licorice and had a farewell shot. Or two. We cheered friendship with each other, no matter where in the world we might be. My dad and I left, but I had one more stop in Athens to make. It was at the new apartment of the mutual friend of my husband and me, the guy who set us up on our blind date. Unfortunately he was at work at the time, but I shared a few moments on the porch swing with his wife and young baby girl. It was hard to imagine that so much had changed in their lives already: wasn't it just the other day that T and I were at their wedding reception? How time flies.
My dad and I stopped at Applebee's in Marietta for dinner, after I quickly returned some unused wedding reception items at Crafts 2000. More money in my pocket! As we sat at our table, I noticed how totally exhausted I felt - had been running on fumes for the last several weeks, and just a few hours of sleep over the last few days. I remember I ordered a chicken dish and was surprised when I discovered the chicken still had the bones in it. Oh, it tasted good. I think we forget how good chicken can taste, because we are so used to eating it boneless.
Finally we arrived back home, but the day was not done yet. We had to unload everything from the SUV, because the following morning we were leaving early to pick up his mom and uncle, and my mom (who was away helping out her sister with her blueberry farm harvest), to go to his brother's wedding in Columbus. I think it was after midnight when everything was unpacked, and we had to leave the house by 6:30 the next morning.
My uncle's wedding was one of the most holistic and spiritual weddings I've ever been to. It was in his backyard, and incorporated some lovely elements, such as chimes, the release of butterflies, and the like. It was great to meet my new cousins and aunt. One couldn't have asked for better weather. The warmth of the sun kissed my shoulders, left bare by the dress I wore at T's and my reception. At once, I felt relieved and re-energized. I would need that energy over the next 10 days - my final days back home until I didn't know when ("Don't know when I'll be back again"). My sister's new baby was just over 2 months old, too.
On my last day in Athens, my dear dear friend gave me a lovely present. Actually, two. One was a sterling silver necklace with "K" as the pendant, and the other a sterling silver charm bracelet, with one charm. It read on one side, "7-20-07" and on the other, "Love, H". Whenever I am in need of feeling closer to all the good things in my previous life in Athens, I wear that bracelet. In fact, I think I'll wear it today.
Today, as I glanced at the calendar, it hit me: yesterday was the third year 'anniversary' of my last day at my old job.
20 July 2007 was also the last day I lived in Athens, Ohio. By that time, my husband and I had been married for almost 5 months. It was about 6 weeks after he returned to DK after visiting for a month. I would have 10 more days in Ohio until flying PIT-EWR-CPH and arriving in my new life. I couldn't wait to join my husband, but it was a lot of hard work to make this move, and difficult to say 'bye' to the treasured friends. Friday, 20 July 2007, was extremely busy and harried and filled with great memories.
My dear dear friend drove 90 miles to help me pack the night before, and continued doing so as I went off to work that morning. She is the sweetest friend (or else really wanted to see me leave, hahaha). And despite having had and participated in yard sales, donation store drop-offs, and give-a-ways, I was still left with a sizable amount of possessions. The pile was definitely NOT going to fit nicely into 2 50-lb. suitcases and a carry-on suitcase and backpack (the allowable free baggage at the time), like I had hoped. I e-mailed my dad and suggested he might want to bring my mom's SUV instead of his car to pick me up. (I had sold my beloved car a couple of weeks earlier.)
The day at work was mostly uneventful. Almost all of the sales reps were away at a seminar (THANK GOD!), and my replacement took the day off for a family event way out in the boonies with no mobile reception that had been scheduled since before she took the job. I still had to pack up the proverbial cardboard box that had once been filled with reams of glossy paper that we used for marketing materials. I packed the many photos, thank-you cards, and other mementos of the previous 6 years, like a 1940s imaged Coca-Cola mug-turned-pen holder that my sister had given to me into that box.
The 5th and 20th of the month were pay dates, and I had saved up a lot of vacation time to make that day's one whopper of a final check. My good friend met me at the Blue Gator for lunch. I remember our server gave me some suggestions of what books I should read while flying to Copenhagen. She probably did not imagine that every square inch of my luggage had already been carefully analyzed while planning which possessions to take with me. Instead, my friend and I happily smiled and nodded as we noshed and listened.
I went to the bank and deposited the check. Seeing that big number felt good, as it had been incredibly difficult to avoid taking vacation days near the end of my time in Athens. After all, my future university had demanded that I needed some intro to marketing courses, and I was taking two via Phoenix in my final weeks in Athens (which also cost a pretty penny!). This was on top of wrapping up all of the other loose ends that come with moving. My husband had visited for a month in May, and it was hard to not take more time off with him. We sacrificed, so we could have more of a cushion later.
At some point in the late afternoon, the Street Team leader had suddenly found some sort of crisis for the event that was happening the following day. With the sales reps who were also contacts for this event and my replacement being out of the office, and me hours away from freedom, she did not make much headway with solving the issue. After all, my replacement had trained for at least 6 weeks, and it was made extremely clear by all that Friday, 20 July 2007 was my last day, and the amount of input that I would have about decisions by then would have fallen to zero, zip, zilch, nada.
At 4:30, I suddenly remembered that I had some photos waiting for me at the CVS just down the street. I popped into the front office to tell the office manager where I was going, in case my dad arrived early. As was always the case, the wait at CVS took FOR-EV-ER. I thought of how this makes me not want to believe in karma, because I had always been a very fast cashier. When I finally got out of there, I hurried back to the office. As I walked down the sidewalk that lined the 2-lane one-way brick street, I heard singing from the other side: "She's leaving, on a jet plane....don't know when you'll be back again". My old boss from my part-time restaurant hostess job had spotted me and gave me this cheerful sendoff. He always knew how to make me smile.
Sure enough, my dad had arrived at the office. It was almost 5:00. A final round of hugs to the darling coworkers was in order. My dad drove to my rental, and filled up the SUV with more things I was giving away: a 1-year old LG window air conditioner, microwave, TV, a bicycle, and some small appliances that I knew the future inhabitants of the Little Denmark student rental could use. We drove around and dropped these things off at their future homes. We came back and packed the SUV completely full with my remaining possessions. Photo albums take up so much space!
My good friend's friend came by to pick up the Ikea couch and other small pieces of furniture. My housemate had complained a lot about his previous renter leaving behind a lot of his things, so I did my best to make sure I didn't leave anything behind. In retrospect, maybe he would have liked the a/c and microwave left behind.
With a small group of friends gathered, we opened a bottle of Ga-Jol licorice and had a farewell shot. Or two. We cheered friendship with each other, no matter where in the world we might be. My dad and I left, but I had one more stop in Athens to make. It was at the new apartment of the mutual friend of my husband and me, the guy who set us up on our blind date. Unfortunately he was at work at the time, but I shared a few moments on the porch swing with his wife and young baby girl. It was hard to imagine that so much had changed in their lives already: wasn't it just the other day that T and I were at their wedding reception? How time flies.
My dad and I stopped at Applebee's in Marietta for dinner, after I quickly returned some unused wedding reception items at Crafts 2000. More money in my pocket! As we sat at our table, I noticed how totally exhausted I felt - had been running on fumes for the last several weeks, and just a few hours of sleep over the last few days. I remember I ordered a chicken dish and was surprised when I discovered the chicken still had the bones in it. Oh, it tasted good. I think we forget how good chicken can taste, because we are so used to eating it boneless.
Finally we arrived back home, but the day was not done yet. We had to unload everything from the SUV, because the following morning we were leaving early to pick up his mom and uncle, and my mom (who was away helping out her sister with her blueberry farm harvest), to go to his brother's wedding in Columbus. I think it was after midnight when everything was unpacked, and we had to leave the house by 6:30 the next morning.
My uncle's wedding was one of the most holistic and spiritual weddings I've ever been to. It was in his backyard, and incorporated some lovely elements, such as chimes, the release of butterflies, and the like. It was great to meet my new cousins and aunt. One couldn't have asked for better weather. The warmth of the sun kissed my shoulders, left bare by the dress I wore at T's and my reception. At once, I felt relieved and re-energized. I would need that energy over the next 10 days - my final days back home until I didn't know when ("Don't know when I'll be back again"). My sister's new baby was just over 2 months old, too.
On my last day in Athens, my dear dear friend gave me a lovely present. Actually, two. One was a sterling silver necklace with "K" as the pendant, and the other a sterling silver charm bracelet, with one charm. It read on one side, "7-20-07" and on the other, "Love, H". Whenever I am in need of feeling closer to all the good things in my previous life in Athens, I wear that bracelet. In fact, I think I'll wear it today.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I ♥ Queues and The Customer is King. NOT.
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.
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.
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