Exploring the Vntage Shops in Copenhagen

During a dinner, some Danish students told us that by Danish standard, going to a shopping mall to buy H&M is not considered a really cool thing to do. Instead, people love exploring those vintage shops to look for some really special clothes and designs. Entering these little shops is like entering various small worlds. I guess girls must know better about this joyful feeling when one discovers something really cool and unique. Let the photos speak for themselves. Definitely a feast for the eyes. XD

WHY eating and drinking are both IMPORTANT in Denmark

I was kind of surprised that my whole weekend was about eating. My landlady invited me to her family dinner, where I met her parents, siblings, two nephews and a niece and we ate for hours till it was 9 o'clock. A Japanese girl also invited me to her place to have lunch, which turned out to be a mini Asian gathering because there were Japanese, Chinese and Korean. We ate from 1 o'clock to 6 o'clock, chatted a great deal about girl stuff, and came to the conclusion that Asian people do have a lot of similarities concerning cultural backgrounds, values, social realities and lifestyles, which made it way easier for us to make friends than with European people. It is quite true that when we are in our own countries, we know how different these three countries are, but when we are all in Europe, we suddenly feel that we are actually quite similar because we somehow all belong to the Asian category.

Actually life in Denmark, now as I see it, is to a great extent about eating - eating and drinking. There is reason to this tradition, of course; based on what Danish people say and some outsiders' guess, the reason could be: the cold winter. Denmark is located very north, so its winter is both very long and tough. They may have 5 months of winter when the sun rises at 9 o'clock in the morning and sets at 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The coldness just keeps people staying at home, and long time of darkness and little sunshine can really make people feel depressed. So, there is nothing else to do at home except eating and drinking some alcohol, which both keep people warm and make them happy. Then when summer comes, they love to sit in the yard, drinking tea, and enjoying the precious sunshine.

This may also account for why Danish homes are usually decorated with much taste/style/sophstication - people simply spend so much time at home, so how can they stand it if the interior design looks terrible? XD

Also according to my landlady's brother, the traditional Danish food is very heavy (huge steaks with gravy, boiled potatos) because weather was cold and Danes back at that time were usually farmers. They did a lot of manual work so they need lots of meet and heavy food to give them strength. I was lucky enough to try some real traditional Danish food at my landlady's parents' home. I have to say it tasted really good and I enjoyed their tradition very much.

What I enjoyed most was actually the dessert after the dinner (p.s. dessert after meal is another Danish necessity). It is pear with liquor (heated on a pan), plus cream and ice-cream. To put alcohol in dessert, that is to me, very Danish. But my landlady's family told me that it was nothing traditional, but something invented by them. So, stereotypes are most of the time wrong. :)

Some “facts” about Denmark

Time flies! I have been in Denmark for 36 days now. Listed below are some things that I have learned about Denmark so far.

1."The Dannish humor" is largely based on irony, which takes a while for foreigners like me to grasp what a Dane actually wants to say each time irony is spontaneously used - things like "what a lovely weather we are having today" while snow storm was whirling outside the window.

2.Danes keep the world record of the amount of alcohol consumption per person. Danes do drink a lot, considering what a small country it is and how small the population is.

3.Danes love their country. They have a certain pride about being a Dane; no need to be taught to be patriotic and they naturally are. Danes are believed to be not modest at all, but they may not say to you that they feel really good about themselves. They just keep the pride in theri heart. :) That's why I don't really feel that Danes are proud and arrogant; instead they are very polite and friendly toward foreigners - willing to help if I need to find my way to somewhere.

4. Danes love lighting candles in their homes. Candles, music, a couple of good friends and a nice meal make a perfect "hygge". "Hygge" is a Danish phenomenon/ a Danish way of life. "Hygge" may be best translated as "being cozy": good food, good chatting, good atmosphere. Danes just know very well how to enjoy life.5. Dannish design is fantastic. The most well-know Danish brands are "Royal Copenhagen" (porcelain) and "Georg Jensen"(silver articles and designs). All the Danish homes that I've been to are, with no exceptions, decoreated with good taste (antique furniture, candle holders, lamps or modern IKEA style, etc.) This somehow reveals that the quality of life here.

6. Spring is coming! Copenhagen has been sunny for four days on end now (one week ago it was incessantly snowy or cloudy). Snow may disappear very soon and green life is coming to be. Spring is said to be the most beautiful season of Copenhgaen and everywhere is green. So I'm really looking forward to the warm weather and the liveliness of spring. :)