European Culture Shock
Let me start by saying that Google translate is a God-send. My laptop has a Danish keyboard, my search engines are in Danish, the blog account is in Danish. Danish is not English. As my brain can understand it, Danish is a mix of English, Latin, German and of course it's own origin. For example, the Danish word 'rediger' translates to 'edit' and for those who speak French and bother reading my page, the origin and translation then become obvious.
Aside from the inherent physical beauty of the Danish people (Scandinavian you see ...) they have been, to date, understanding, gracious and more than accommodating when they realise that this poor Canadian cannot yet address basic needs in their language. They are very nice people; Canadians and Danes have at least this much in common - politeness.
Money and currency were from the start a confusing issue. Denmark is one of the only countries in the EU that did not adopt the Euro as a national currency - they kept the Kroner. So far the easiest way I can convert quickly is to divide the cost of an item by 5 or 6. For example, a bag of oranges selling for 20Kr would work out to just over $4 CAD. It's best not think too much about a 1.5 litre bottle of Diet Coke sells for about $5. Needless to say, my Diet Coke intake has decreased.
Ahh the food. Danes are great bakers, organic foodies and make some truly remarkable cheese. To date I have not been shy and am determined to try as many cheeses as possible. To not try cheese in Denmark is akin to avoiding pasta in Italy. Submit.
Far from the healthy fresh options, I also have a new love commonly known as Ostepops. Imagine if Cheetos were made from sharp cheddar; heavenly, fattening, full of carbs and goes rather well with Tuborg. These decadent cheese smiles are also pricey, but I now live in a country where McDonalds is not popular and junk food is not common. They are a weakness and I fear for those who have to submit to Ostepop breath.
Pretty much everything is just a little different. Not better, not worse, but very embraceable.
I'm getting there .
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