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SOCIAL

Top 10 signs you’ve been in Denmark too long

Top 10 signs you’ve been in Denmark too long

If some of these speak to you then you’ve perhaps spent a little too much time among the Danes.

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<b>You mix Danish into your mother tongue.</b><br> Ever find yourself back home answering ‘Jo, jo’ in the affirmative to one of your non-Danish friends’ questions? Find people looking at you funny when you do that weird sucking-in-air-while-saying-ja thing that the Danes do? Told your mother “Tak for mad” after she cooked you a homecoming dinner? Yeah, you’ve been in Denmark too long.Photo: Steven Depollo
<b>When you go back home, you’re annoyed that you have to drive.</b><br> After living in Denmark with its vaunted cycling culture and expansive public transport networks, it’s easy to forget that getting around in other places isn’t always as easy. This is particularly hard on Americans who on trips home have to trade in the freedom of their iron horse for the steel prison of the automobile. Photo: Jens Rost/Flickr
<b>You do multi-stop shopping.</b><br> Do you do the bulk of your shopping at Netto but then swing by Irma for some organic goods, Kvickly for a wider beer selection (see #5), the local butcher for a choice cut of meat, and then SuperBest for the American peanut butter you can’t find anywhere else? Congratulations, you shop like a Dane. Bonus points if you scour all the circulars and plan your shopping route by what’s on special offer this week.Photo: Jens Rost/Flickr
<b>Your beer shopping is complicated.</b><br> Sure, you could just grab a couple six packs of Carlsberg and be done with it, but who wants that? Those who have been around long enough know that it’s better to pick some bottles among the country’s ever-growing selection of microbrews, while also having a few of the old standards on hand for guests. Even if you are more of a quantity and not quality drinker, even the choices among the cheap stuff is seemingly endless.Photo: Colourbox
<b>You scoff at bottle openers.</b><br> Now that you’ve purchased those various beers, you need a bottle opener, right? Pssh, not if you’re like a Dane. Lighters, keychains, another bottle of beer and tabletops are just some of the many ways to pop open your beer ‘Danish style’. A true litmus test amongst expats. Photo: Kristina DC Hoeppner/Flickr
<b>You stop jaywalking.</b><br> Many an expat has ridiculed the Danes for their habit of waiting for a green light to cross the street, even when there is not a vehicle in sight. If you find yourself doing this too, you may have been in Denmark too long. Photo: Boegh/Flickr
<b>You adopt Danish pride.</b><br> OK, you probably won’t root for them if they face your home country, but suddenly you will find yourself cheering on the Danes in international competitions, be they sport or entertainment. And speaking of entertainment, as soon as you start explaining to people back home that the dude who plays Jamie Lannister is Danish (and so was that lady who took a selfie with Obama), you might as well buy yourself a klaphat. Photo: unisport.dk
<b>You forget about the after-work drink.</b><br> Back home, you wouldn’t have thought twice about offering or accepting a spontaneous offer to grab a drink after work. But after extended time working with Danes, you’ll know that they’re more inclined to head straight home when the working day ends (which is usually quite early). After a while, you will stop asking and then the day will come when you are shocked – shocked, I say! – when someone dares to invite you for a spur-of-the-moment drink.Photo: Carlsberg Group
<b>You join the rugbrød cult.</b><br> Danes love rugbrød, the hearty rye bread that is a staple in lunch packs and the basis for the famous open-faced sandwiches, smørrebrød. Resistance is futile and eventually you too will opt for rugbrød. You’ll find yourself topping it with curried herring and jam-topped pungent cheese (no, not at the same time). But the day you spread some leverpostej on your rugbrød and actually like it, well that, my friend, is a tell-tale sign you’ve been here too long.Photo: Colourbox
<b>You turn off the subtitles.</b><br> Television is a helpful tool for learning a new language. Upon arrival in Denmark, most newcomers are unlikely to make any sense out of what they are hearing, but after some time – and language courses – things start to make sense. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying Denmark’s world-famous shows in their native language with the help of Danish subtitles. Turning those suckers off and still following along is a pretty clear sign you’ve been here a while.Photo: Tine Harden/DR


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