Ten surprising things that happened to me after moving to Denmark

Moving to Denmark is a great experience but there are some things that catch most expats out at some point. So here are ten of the things that have surprised me most in my first few years here.

 

1. I had a hard time mastering the local lingo

 

Remember that episode of ‘Friends’ when Joey thinks he is speaking French? That will most probably be you at the start of learning a new language. You hear what your teacher says, repeat it exactly how you think it sounds but she still looks at you with a complete lack of comprehension. Eventually it gets better, and you might even be ‘complimented’ by being told that you sound like a peasant or a Norwegian (even though you are neither).

 

2. I learned that not everything is as it seems

 

Careful what you pour in there! Photo: dimakp/Iris

 

Things at the supermarket look like they should until you get home, ready for a hot drink and find yoghurt plopping into your well deserved caffeine injection. Yep, Europeans love yoghurt and it comes in litre cartons, just like their milk, so be vigilant.

 

3. I found out suppositories are a thing

 

You're putting my medicine WHERE?!? Photo: erllre/Iris

 

Babies are not given oral medication. Yes, that means paracetamol for your baby (and up to the age of two) needs to be administered at the other end. My shock at this was not understood by my doctor.

 

4. I got hooked on salty food

Pass the salt, please! Photo: Sebastian/Iris

 

When I first moved to Denmark I found the food excessively salty. Now I immediately reach for the salt on the table when in the UK as I moan about the lack of seasoning.

 

5. I had to accept that nudity is no big deal

 

Danes have a relaxed attitude toward nudity. Photo: Dmitri Maruta/Iris

 

Changing in a Danish swimming pool can be an awkward experience for people from more conservative countries as there are rarely many or any private changing areas and the changing rooms are full of naked women (or men) wandering around, showering and enjoying a sauna. Eyes down is the best policy if you are shy and remember no one is looking at anyone else - we all have the same bits. And try not to be bothered by the mums who look like super models in bikinis at the baby swim classes.

 

6. I discovered that doing laundry can be an eye-opening experience

 

Shared laundry rooms can tell you more about your neighbour than you'd care to know. Photo: Brenda Carson/Iris

 

In some old apartment buildings in Northern Europe you have a communal laundry room with drying lines. You’ll never look your staid neighbour in the face again after seeing her sexy undies on the line.

 

7. I have no shame when it comes to getting what I want

 

You may have to occasionally go to extreme lengths to get your point across. Photo: zoryanchik/Iris

 

I mimed being a duck (with added quacking) at a Berlin department store butcher’s counter when they couldn’t understand me when I was out shopping for our Christmas dinner. The assistant didn’t even crack a smile but showed me where they were. Luckily here in Denmark this is less of an issue.

 

8. I learned to prepare early

 

Want champagne for New Year's Eve? Best to be safe and buy it in early December. Photo: tiero/Iris

 

Shops selling champagne will be closed by 4pm on New Year’s Eve and those that are open will be sold out. But you will still be able to buy fireworks to fire off on the streets, willy nilly. Before any public holiday make sure you have what you need as many shops will be closed.

 

9. I found the search for everyday things to be harder than expected

 

I just want one of these – how hard can it be??? Photo: Pabkov/Iris

 

The search for an everyday item like a drying rack can become a mission of epic proportions with people in shops looking at the picture of what you want as if you are looking for a mythical creature. Two weeks later you haemorrhage a huge amount of money for one in the best department store in Europe as it’s the only place you find one.

 

10. I learned to be wary of the Danish love of liquorice

 

Danes not only eat liquorice by the handful, they also sneak it into everything from ice cream to beer. Photo: cyclonebill/Flickr

 

Ice cream that looks like Oreo cookies? Nope, that’s liquorice. Ice lollies that are called Kung Fu that look fun? Again liquorice. Learn the word lakrids before any other when moving to Denmark to avoid inelegantly spitting out something you hoped would be lovely or having wailing children with mouths on fire.

 

Melanie Haynes is originally from the UK and has lived in Copenhagen for eight years. She writes about life in Copenhagen on her blog Dejlige Days and after experiencing relocation to Copenhagen and Berlin, she runs a settling-in service aimed at expats called Dejlige Days Welcome and works with Copenhagen Housing to offer an integrated settling-in and home search service. Her ebook, 'Dejlige Days: A Guide to Relocation', is available now.