Blodøks what about your other sister country Sweden? Do they have cheap booze and happy people? One thing I know is that Norwegians and Swedes are good looking guys (I know this from experience as I met 2 Swedish guys whilst they holidayed in Australia 6yrs ago - live in Australia)
I'm telling you as a Dane...I Think you have talked to the wrong people regarding the food part... Yes we eat the things your speaking off but mostly at lunch. The "real" Danish food you didn't speak off. Frikadeller, flæskesteg, stegt flæsk etc. Try it...
Yeah. Also, we put a lot of other things on smørrebrød -- any kind of cold cut you can think of, especially rullepølse!(Literally "rolled sausage" -- pork belly covered with herbs, chopped onions, seasoning -- salt, pepper -- then rolled up, placed in brine for a few days, pressed, then sliced thinly), cheese, etc. Smørrebrød with fancy toppings, like a shrimp cocktail, that's for "fine dining"; people only do that when you want to look, well, fancy. For regular lunch eaten at home, it's different and simpler. There's far more varities than "shrimp cocktail" and "steak tatar", though! For example, liverpate with meat aspic and salt beef. Dyrlægens natmad -- lækkert! Though you shouldn't knock the shrimp, especially with eggs and mayonaise. Or fried plaice with remoulade (you liked that!) and lemon slices (or just sprinked with lemon juice). I would say we eat plaice a lot more than we eat herring, by the way -- at least in the area I live in. We do eat it, it's just not the most common fish we eat -- though it may have been like forty-fifty years ago. For Danish dishes, you want to look out for any dish that we serve with potatoes: flæskesteg (roast pork), stegt flæsk med persillesovs (crisp fried pork belly with parsleysauce), forloren hare (meatloaf wrapped in bacon), hamburgerryg (salted and smoked pork which is then boiled), medisterpølse (thick minced pork sausage) and so on. We've got awesome potatoes, especially in the summer. Oh, and brun sovs (meat stock base, though we often replace it with broth cubes) with a lot of these. It's really good.
I think parts of what makes Scandinavians speak English so well is that (at least in Norway) people watch more American movies than movies from their own country, and (again, in Norway) they don't dub movies for people over the age of 11, while in many other parts of the world, they dub everything, both for adults and kids. So from a very young age, people watch English speaking movies and TV-shows, and that way they get fluent in the language without even working that hard. At least that's what happened with me.
Rosia Im American but I have a lot of Danish ancestors. How common is my last name in Denmark? I know it’s of Danish Origen I’m just kinda curious. Here’s to hoping i can visit some time
It's not super common but most people will probably recognize your last name since we have a pretty well-known Danish childrensbook author named Josefine Ottesen. You should definitely visit:)
You say our national dishes aren't good, but what I think the problem is with that, is that you should really know some locals, or maybe better yet, their mother who can make it for you, because the real national dishes are made with family love in mind and not in a restaurant. Maybe go to a "Kro" (or "inn" in english) in the countryside, they're more in the traditional sort of cuisine. A note on designs: A Dane designed the Sydney Opera House, and another designed a part of the interior of the UN building in New York.
Dane here. I try to be very friendly when tourists ask me stuff, but I have to admit, the point about danish ambivalence is very true. We like our privacy A LOT.
I 've been watching your videos for over 6 years before I travel to a country, and every time, I find a video about a new country I want to go to. Awesome channel
We ventured into Copenhagen once while on a long layover. Walking the Strøget, I think it was, there were many people. I have to say the cleanliness and that stand-offish seeming respect for privacy really appeals to my introverted nature, haha, especially more so than say, the Italian temperament.
You should try heading for Fyn (Fuensland), there's a BIG culturel difference, same goes for Jylland (Jutland). Copenhagen is busy and stressful, it's completely different in for instance Odense or perhaps Aarhus :)
LOLed :D "If you approach someone on the street the guy will go home and be like: "There was some guy who talked to me today...(frowning)", but that's alright, at least they will have answered your question" good one
Don't buy your beer in 7/11 unless you're desperate. :) Just go to any supermarket and get the same, but cheaper, beer there. Nobody's going to judge you.
Regarding poor service in Denmark, I disagree with you. It might be something cultural. What is service to you, might mean something else to me. I think that you get excellent service in Denmark. If you go to a restaurant I Denmark you will often be served by a waiter/waitress who has undergone a 3 years and 9 months training (yes I googled it). He or she should know everything there is to know about the food they serve in the restaurant, how it is prepared and what wine goes with what etc., especially if there’s no sommelier in the restaurant. He or she is a professional and knows how to lay a table and serve correctly, which is something Americans don’t seem to know anything about! He or she would be polite and only provide information if asked and not sticking their nose into things that don’t concern them. What I often experience in the USA is overfamiliarity from your “server”. As your waiter/waitress approaches your table, he or she will tell you that they will be your “server” and what his or her name is. I find their flippant attitude very annoying. They might mean well and think that it is friendly and appropriate, but it is not. I don’t want to know their name and I don’t really want to be quizzed about where your guys are from and what you are going to be doing over the next couple of days and going on hear their whole life story. Even the fact that they call themselves “server” and not waiter/waitress is a bit ridiculous. They are waiters/waitress’s. If your job involves waiting at table you are a waiter/waitress! At best at the end of the meal one can engage in light conversation with the “server”. Furthermore I don’t like that in the USA you just bang down the menu on top of the plate or the cutlery. I find it very annoying. The same happens when the food is brought to the table. Just slam it down on the table and elbow the customer in the face. There is nothing more unpleasant to smell their armpits when they are reaching over to the person in the corner of booth. As soon as you get the menu the waiter/waitress demands you to order your drinks. How can you order something to drink before you have had time to study the menu and decide what you want to order? Your choice of what to drink depends on that you decide to eat. I also find it very annoying that the waiter/waitress come over to my table while I am eating or in deep conversation whit my fellow diners, just to ask me if everything is OK. Trust me they will be the first to know if something was wrong or if I needed something else. If I am lucky it would often only happen once, but all too frequently it happens two or three times. Also coming over to ask if we are finished eating and would be like something else when we are clearly not finished eating. A properly trained waiter/waitress can see from just looking at the way you position your cutlery if you have finish or not. Upon paying your bill (cheque) on many occasions the “server” has asked me directly if I would like to give them a gratuity so they can put it on the card. How flippant can you be, it is up to me to ask the “server” to add it to the bill if I am paying with a card.
I agree with you, when it comes to the silence in the public. However we do talk a lot in the public, when we meet someone we know, and by that point we don't really care about standing out on the bus or elsewhere, and are able to laugh and talk loudly in the public. But I'm not from the Copenhagen area, so I can't speak for them! xD thank you for another good video! :)
Oscar Mørch I think for tourists if they had the chance to get to know Danes that the experience would be completely different Tourist vs Local Friend visit, if you understand what I mean. I had a lot of Danes I hung out with when I studied in Germany and it was completely different when I went and visited Denmark the first time on my own, I was like "is this the same people?" :) thanks for watching and commenting!
I know I am a bit late to the party, but if you really want the Danish experience, you will have to visit the small local communities or islands, not the big cities. I grew up in Copenhagen and I hate it there.
It's kinda funny because a lot of people I know don't like modern danish design and I live like 30 miles from the center of Copenhagen. They didn't want their historical capital to be turned into "Hipster Hell" but it ended up like that anyway. I mean people get angrier each time a new skyscraper is constructed in central Copenhagen.
Hey mate, I`m danish myself and to be honest, you are incredibly correct on so may points. But you also messed up a little bit, and it mostly about the food, smørrebrød is a lunch item and there is a lot of different kind, if you try traditional danish dinner items, you’ll see what we actually can make. And of course nice try pronouncing our words.
I lived in Norway and everything you said applies also to 🇳🇴. Love the Scandinavians, they're so smart, good in music etc however the weather most of the year, the indifference and the high cost of living makes me not want to go back.
I honestly don't know who could not like your videos! I love watching your videos, I learn so much from them! I hope I can go to all these places when I'm older...right now its exam season but hopefully one day!! :)
It's true, we have some special letter, Æ, Ø, and Å, that are used in our words, making it hard for others to understand. For instance, æble means apple, øl means beer, and sår means wound. But we also have some funny, sinlge letter words, for instance, ø can also mean island and å can also mean river. Just to let you know :D
Hey Mark love your videos, they help me very much!! I am from Colombia and I am going tu study in Denmark. I am scared and excited at the same time!! Saludos!!
Alfonso Alvarez you will enjoy it. it is very different if you are a tourist versus being a student or working in Denmark. You will have more time to meet the people and see that they can be very nice especially if you are their friends. For tourists it is a bit different. You will have a great time! Don't worry! Just enjoy!
The thing about 'danish ambivalence' (not sure how the word ambivalance makes sense here..but anyway) is that we don't like bullshit empty phrases in Denmark. When I first visited The US and ppl in stores said 'how are you' and 'have a nice day' etc. I was like.. wtf.. you don't give a shit about me or how my day will be. Stuff like that just seems fake to us. Unfortunately in the last 5 years or so it has begun to happen in some stores here too where ppl say have a nice weekend etc.
Marie Bowling I love nice people! ..but niceness/love/etc. is shown in actions, not in too easy words. If you think people are 'nice to you' cause the store manager/owner instructed his employees to say "have a nice weekend", then you are rather gullible :D Mock smiles/bubbly personalities/attention sells..
Mack M. It doesn't matter if people don't mean what they wish you as long as it is good thing, it is very sad that you don't appreciate bu saying thanks, it is very dad, I bet the number of people found dead in their houses by the smell of their decompose body is a normal thing in this country
As a Montrealer I have to say this all looks pretty normal to me if nicer than here...except it's not cold there buddy! The key for you on a day like that is to wear a scarf - so I would add that to your list. Nice video; now I'm off to find a smorrebord for lunch because you under-appreciated it.
Hi wolter! if you ever come to denmark again, i suggest trying some dishes like "boller i karry", "stjerneskud", "stegt flæsk med persille sovs", "brændende kærlighed" to mention a few that are danish but not the typical things you see or are advised to try on your first trip here !
The capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, is a lot more expensive than pretty much any other city in Denmark. They know that it's the city that tourists hit first and where only the rich Danes can afford to live so they abuse it and ups all the prices in restaurants and bars. Go to the supermarkets or visit the smaller pubs that are not on the main streets and you can find way cheaper beer and food :)
Danes like to mind their own business in the public space. We prefere talking to people we already know, and find strangers who talks to us weird and annoying. Unless we are drunk, which we are very often ;) There's your chance :) We don't like service. We will ask if we want or need something, otherwise OMG go away!! You are so intrusive ;)
ZoZoGamer !! earning a lot money will not make you wealthy, more money, more taxes, in matter of fact most Danes are low income earner because of taxes.
its not what we are sayig - its the "Rugbrød" (the bread thing of the open sandwich, its Healthy) you have to eat to grow up and get big, so we say to the children. "Dont you want to get big and strong like your dad son ?, yes dad i will, then eat your "Rugbrød"" ;)
I think it is super awesome that you are still traveling and making videos. It's always a huge let down when I discover cool channels like yours, watch their videos, and then get to the one where they say they don't make videos anymore. Good luck in your travels!
For some reason I wish you had met us Danes as we are at home and not like we are at work. Likewise, I wish you had seen more than Copenhagen and surroundings. There is therefore more to experience than Copenhagen. Legoland in Billund, The Kings stone in Jelling, the beaches, Odense, Aarhus, etc. You are welcome to visit Jutland for an introduction to Danish cosiness and an opportunity to find that there is more to Denmark than hot dogs and smørrebrød. : D
In terms of the shopping if you are looking for food, and everyday stuff most places in denmark treat sunday as a regular weekday. Insted they close at 18:00 on saturdays, so as long as you are not looking for electronics, books or other "specialised/luxury stuff" then sundays will be open until around 20-21
I am planning to go to Denmark April or May of next year.-but now know the weather might not be the greatest blah. I cannot wait! I am saving and going to smartly plan...pay ahead for this trip cash wise. You flip your hair a lot in this video
Jenna X If you don't have money to spend on a hotel, and you want to stay in Copenhagen, I can wholeheartedly recommend www.copenhagendowntown.com/ :) I went there on a school trip, and it was a really pleasant experience, and there was so many travelers from different parts of the Earth. Otherwise, if there's anything you'd like to know about the country or your trip - feel free to ask away!
***** I try buddy. i can't get everywhere and now that both kids are in school we are really limited in our travel time so we are going whenever we can, each break we are gone abroad. Christmas was France & Italy. Easter was Denmark and Germany. Summer more places on the way. Thanks for watching over the years Jeffrey and thanks for commenting every so often too :) twice on the same video even ;)
woltersworld I know I appreciate it. I have been working on my German. I hope to travel and maybe work abroad. However, I watched your video on living abroad. I wasn't discouraged. However, a lot of food for thought. Things that I didn't even think about. Every time somebody talks about traveling. I tell them to watch your channel because you give honest advice. No bullshit. You tell it like it is. One piece of advice to add to foreign exchange students is to try to make friends with the American kids because as you mentioned about college towns. They become a ghost town at thanksgiving and Christmas. So if they make it a priority to befriend some American kids. The American kids might invite them home with them for the holidays so they won't be lonely. Maybe that could work. I don't know. But it might.
I'm from Denmark and you hit the nail on the head. I will say that I am from Jutland and if you follow the Danish you can find a beer for 10 krone about 1,5 dollar :)
It was quite funny. I was in the UK once and I heard some people who sounded like they were from America. I asked them 'where in america are you from'. And they said they were from Denmark.
There is a saying in denmark that goes: there is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices. we also have a saying that goes: The danish summer is the best day in the year. so take everything with a grain of salt.
I live in Denmark and have been in Christiania around 6 or 7 times now. I've been there in the night time too and the people I've met were nice and friendly. I believe its safe
The smørrebrød is not as normal/common om Jylland (ex. Aarhus, Holstebro, Kolding, Aalborg, Esbjerg, many more) - it's just Copenhagen :)) - there is alot of difference between Sjælland, Fyn and Jylland
Fie prehn køneke Hvis jeg husker rigtigt, tror jeg, at jeg mente, at det ikke var så ofte, at man vil se 'god kvalitet' smørrebrød i byen. Men ved faktisk ikke, hvordan det skulle give mening haha, fordi det ikke er rigtigt.. ;)
for your #1 ... if you get hurt people will help you ... ALL the time. Because here you do not end up with a hospital bill if the "victim" can not pay. If you talk to a Danish person ... they will 99 % of the time be polite and help you for direction or what ever your problem is.
I feel the need to explain about our food. A national dish i Denmark is "stegt flæsk med persillesovs', which is basically fried bacon with a creamy parsley sauce and potatoes. Rye bread is not a real national dish or food, it's just one of the most common foods here in Denmark. Also, we put almost everything on our rye bread. (No, not stuff like remoulade, mayonnaise etc.)
Very good review! only one thing dosent make sense. is that you say danish food/scandinavian food is not good. i mean thats one of our main attractions. our restaurant and nordic cousine. try noma, geranium, kadeu, koefoed, salt or many more restaurants, and you will change your mind
+Rasmus Raunsbjerg Pilgaard For Americans, the open sandwich thing and traditional old style Danish food may be hard to get used to.However, the main reason for the old Danish type cuisine is actually that people lived off what the land provided. That is why bread is such a huge thing in Denmark and since we want energy, eating that food, we don't eat a lot of white bread, which is quite frankly worthless as an energy resource, when you need the energy to work another 4-5 hours.The dark rye bread we eat will sustain you for a whole day if you just eat 3 slices. The bread in itself is not so pleasant to eat so over time, various toppings were tried and introduced into that part of the Danish cuisine.Another typical difference between especially Scandinavians and Americans is that you don't see the amount of overweight people in Scandinavia as you do in USA. That is due to the difference in lifestyle and especially the eating habits. In USA, a lot of the food is just fattening without providing much in terms of energy like fibres, protein etc.About us Danes being reserved, yes that is true but if you manage to break that down and show your real, honest self, then you can get a friend for life in us Danes no matter where you come from in the world. In other words, we really dislike falseness in people. That's just us I guess.The reason the shops are closed most of the time during weekends is actually because our way of living is built on the need for family and friends to have ample time to be together without any stress.We like to think that we work to live, not live to work.
One thing else to tell, the history of our notes, the previous ones, didn't only show rulers, but also on our fifty-note, the author of Karen Blixen, who worte a book about her time in Africa. -Nathional Museum isn't free anymore. Our warehouses føtex, or Kvickly, maybe Bilka, all open till 8 or something our æ, is pronounced like, think of the e in "egg". Never walk on red, meh, some does. They don't have the patience to wait, but we respect the red lights in our signals. Denmark, is more than our court building, which you stood outside. Above the entrance, translated, says something like: "By law, country is build" which is taken from one of our older laws, or constitutions.
Danes talk all the time. Maybe not to strangers but to their friends. I always talk with my friends when we're in public transport, so there's no reason for tourists to keep quiet. We don't scare that easily.
Im from Denmark myself. Yes, we dont do small talks with people we dont know. And we are not cheap. But, people dont say if you dont eat smørrebrød you dont grow up. The most off the stuff you say, is true, but some off the stuff you say, arent true. All people (most) learn English in school. And you learn English in 1 grade now. I liked the things you said that was nice. It was true. But, good video!
You guys are going to Norway this year, right? Would be kind of fun to hear the good and bad about my own country from an American tourist's point of view. Though I guess the Scandinavian countries have alot in common, being safe and clean but with mediocre local food.
pingvinererkule We will don't worry. I am heading there this summer so please subscribe nad when the Norway videos start popping up you will get them in your feed. All the best and thanks for the comments! Mark
Idk about Denmark, but in the UK we don't do small talk the way Americans do, we ask about the weather or complain about the buses. It's rude here to ask about people's lives or share your own, whereas Americans think it polite to care about peoples personal lives, we consider it intrusive. I'd hazard a guess it's similar in Denmark.
I like your channel, you do a really great job! But Copenhagen is the least Danish city in Denmark. You talk about the Danish not want to talk, give service and is expensive it's almost only in Copenhagen where people live so many in such a small space. You talk about our food but it is not really Danish in "Danish restaurants" it's the tourist version but has almost nothing to do with what we really like to eat, you've almost never meet a Dane there. And yes we do eat a hotdog but it is wary rare, it is only in Copenhagen you find so many tourist hotdog stands. Travel to Nyborg and you'll find everyone talking, laughing and if they don't, just say hi and you will meet a big smile and a person who are wary chatty. Odense is a bigger city but still much more like Denmark. Taking to Copenhagen is like visiting New York and say, I have been in Texas.
Don't buy beer at 7/11. It's much cheaper to buy it in a supermarket. Do watch out though. There are public places where it's prohibited to drink alcohol. You can be fined for it. There will be signs where it's not allowed.
I thought the smørrebrød sandwiches were great. You're right about the pastries -- they look like what Americans call "Danish" pastries (the Danes call them Spandauers) but they are 1000 x better.
Lol, if you think danes are closed and are hard to talk to based on people in Copenhagen, try to come to west Jutland (West Denmark), then people from Copenhagen will seem very outgoing and open in comparison :)
Funny thing, as a norwegian I find both Denmark to have very cheap alcohol and cheerful people hehe says a lot about Norway :)
Blodøks what about your other sister country Sweden? Do they have cheap booze and happy people? One thing I know is that Norwegians and Swedes are good looking guys (I know this from experience as I met 2 Swedish guys whilst they holidayed in Australia 6yrs ago - live in Australia)
Lol! 😃
I'm telling you as a Dane...I Think you have talked to the wrong people regarding the food part... Yes we eat the things your speaking off but mostly at lunch. The "real" Danish food you didn't speak off. Frikadeller, flæskesteg, stegt flæsk etc. Try it...
Yeah. Also, we put a lot of other things on smørrebrød -- any kind of cold cut you can think of, especially rullepølse!(Literally "rolled sausage" -- pork belly covered with herbs, chopped onions, seasoning -- salt, pepper -- then rolled up, placed in brine for a few days, pressed, then sliced thinly), cheese, etc. Smørrebrød with fancy toppings, like a shrimp cocktail, that's for "fine dining"; people only do that when you want to look, well, fancy. For regular lunch eaten at home, it's different and simpler. There's far more varities than "shrimp cocktail" and "steak tatar", though! For example, liverpate with meat aspic and salt beef. Dyrlægens natmad -- lækkert! Though you shouldn't knock the shrimp, especially with eggs and mayonaise. Or fried plaice with remoulade (you liked that!) and lemon slices (or just sprinked with lemon juice). I would say we eat plaice a lot more than we eat herring, by the way -- at least in the area I live in. We do eat it, it's just not the most common fish we eat -- though it may have been like forty-fifty years ago.
For Danish dishes, you want to look out for any dish that we serve with potatoes: flæskesteg (roast pork), stegt flæsk med persillesovs (crisp fried pork belly with parsleysauce), forloren hare (meatloaf wrapped in bacon), hamburgerryg (salted and smoked pork which is then boiled), medisterpølse (thick minced pork sausage) and so on. We've got awesome potatoes, especially in the summer. Oh, and brun sovs (meat stock base, though we often replace it with broth cubes) with a lot of these. It's really good.
I think parts of what makes Scandinavians speak English so well is that (at least in Norway) people watch more American movies than movies from their own country, and (again, in Norway) they don't dub movies for people over the age of 11, while in many other parts of the world, they dub everything, both for adults and kids. So from a very young age, people watch English speaking movies and TV-shows, and that way they get fluent in the language without even working that hard. At least that's what happened with me.
Actually they all do. They are even better in Denmark than Norway tbh
I'm from Denmark and you got it all right, good job! PS Please dont talk to me...:)
+Peter Henriksen lol yes
Ja alt var rigtigt :)
Peter Henriksen men jeg vil >:D
Rosia Im American but I have a lot of Danish ancestors. How common is my last name in Denmark? I know it’s of Danish Origen I’m just kinda curious. Here’s to hoping i can visit some time
It's not super common but most people will probably recognize your last name since we have a pretty well-known Danish childrensbook author named Josefine Ottesen. You should definitely visit:)
You say our national dishes aren't good, but what I think the problem is with that, is that you should really know some locals, or maybe better yet, their mother who can make it for you, because the real national dishes are made with family love in mind and not in a restaurant. Maybe go to a "Kro" (or "inn" in english) in the countryside, they're more in the traditional sort of cuisine.
A note on designs:
A Dane designed the Sydney Opera House, and another designed a part of the interior of the UN building in New York.
kro translates to Tavern more so than inn.
Dane here.
I try to be very friendly when tourists ask me stuff, but I have to admit, the point about danish ambivalence is very true. We like our privacy A LOT.
Hjerrick YEAH WE DO and just so you trust me ÆØÅ
Hjerrick yeah we do alot :3 ( ja vi det gøre vi maget :3 )
loove it
About the open hours, most department stores are open til 8 all days.
I 've been watching your videos for over 6 years before I travel to a country, and every time, I find a video about a new country I want to go to. Awesome channel
We ventured into Copenhagen once while on a long layover. Walking the Strøget, I think it was, there were many people. I have to say the cleanliness and that stand-offish seeming respect for privacy really appeals to my introverted nature, haha, especially more so than say, the Italian temperament.
*****
If you like your personal space, Denmark is a great place for you.
It's just ... expensive.
You should try heading for Fyn (Fuensland), there's a BIG culturel difference, same goes for Jylland (Jutland).
Copenhagen is busy and stressful, it's completely different in for instance Odense or perhaps Aarhus :)
Tivoli Gardens...Lego...Royal Danish Guards...BEAUTIFUL Islands...
LOLed :D "If you approach someone on the street the guy will go home and be like: "There was some guy who talked to me today...(frowning)", but that's alright, at least they will have answered your question"
good one
Peppermint Well he's not wrong - If someone talks to you on the street here, it's going to be a topic of conversation later with your friends
Zypre ThePentachromancer I know. I live in DK too :) It's funny coz its true and in the why he said it.
Peppermint Ah.. I tried to check your channel to see if you were, but no hints there :p
Grocery stores are open from morning until 9 PM mostly
Don't buy your beer in 7/11 unless you're desperate. :)
Just go to any supermarket and get the same, but cheaper, beer there. Nobody's going to judge you.
Regarding poor service in Denmark, I disagree with you. It might be something cultural. What is service to you, might mean something else to me. I think that you get excellent service in Denmark. If you go to a restaurant I Denmark you will often be served by a waiter/waitress who has undergone a 3 years and 9 months training (yes I googled it). He or she should know everything there is to know about the food they serve in the restaurant, how it is prepared and what wine goes with what etc., especially if there’s no sommelier in the restaurant. He or she is a professional and knows how to lay a table and serve correctly, which is something Americans don’t seem to know anything about! He or she would be polite and only provide information if asked and not sticking their nose into things that don’t concern them.
What I often experience in the USA is overfamiliarity from your “server”. As your waiter/waitress approaches your table, he or she will tell you that they will be your “server” and what his or her name is. I find their flippant attitude very annoying. They might mean well and think that it is friendly and appropriate, but it is not. I don’t want to know their name and I don’t really want to be quizzed about where your guys are from and what you are going to be doing over the next couple of days and going on hear their whole life story. Even the fact that they call themselves “server” and not waiter/waitress is a bit ridiculous. They are waiters/waitress’s. If your job involves waiting at table you are a waiter/waitress!
At best at the end of the meal one can engage in light conversation with the “server”. Furthermore I don’t like that in the USA you just bang down the menu on top of the plate or the cutlery. I find it very annoying. The same happens when the food is brought to the table. Just slam it down on the table and elbow the customer in the face. There is nothing more unpleasant to smell their armpits when they are reaching over to the person in the corner of booth. As soon as you get the menu the waiter/waitress demands you to order your drinks. How can you order something to drink before you have had time to study the menu and decide what you want to order? Your choice of what to drink depends on that you decide to eat.
I also find it very annoying that the waiter/waitress come over to my table while I am eating or in deep conversation whit my fellow diners, just to ask me if everything is OK. Trust me they will be the first to know if something was wrong or if I needed something else. If I am lucky it would often only happen once, but all too frequently it happens two or three times. Also coming over to ask if we are finished eating and would be like something else when we are clearly not finished eating. A properly trained waiter/waitress can see from just looking at the way you position your cutlery if you have finish or not.
Upon paying your bill (cheque) on many occasions the “server” has asked me directly if I would like to give them a gratuity so they can put it on the card. How flippant can you be, it is up to me to ask the “server” to add it to the bill if I am paying with a card.
Yes, it is a cultural difference of expectation, mostly. And one you have decided to be quite rude about.
I agree with you, when it comes to the silence in the public. However we do talk a lot in the public, when we meet someone we know, and by that point we don't really care about standing out on the bus or elsewhere, and are able to laugh and talk loudly in the public. But I'm not from the Copenhagen area, so I can't speak for them! xD thank you for another good video! :)
Oscar Mørch I think for tourists if they had the chance to get to know Danes that the experience would be completely different Tourist vs Local Friend visit, if you understand what I mean. I had a lot of Danes I hung out with when I studied in Germany and it was completely different when I went and visited Denmark the first time on my own, I was like "is this the same people?" :) thanks for watching and commenting!
I know I am a bit late to the party, but if you really want the Danish experience, you will have to visit the small local communities or islands, not the big cities. I grew up in Copenhagen and I hate it there.
It's kinda funny because a lot of people I know don't like modern danish design and I live like 30 miles from the center of Copenhagen. They didn't want their historical capital to be turned into "Hipster Hell" but it ended up like that anyway. I mean people get angrier each time a new skyscraper is constructed in central Copenhagen.
First time watching ur channel and i like it. NEW SUBSCRIBER!
Some of the things you talk about is almost only in Copenhagen
As a dane i love our food. Being to other countries around europe, danish food is by far the best imo
i think its a little weired to complain about the weather..i think one knows in the north its colder
Hey mate, I`m danish myself and to be honest, you are incredibly correct on so may points.
But you also messed up a little bit, and it mostly about the food, smørrebrød is a lunch item and there is a lot of different kind, if you try traditional danish dinner items, you’ll see what we actually can make.
And of course nice try pronouncing our words.
I lived in Norway and everything you said applies also to 🇳🇴. Love the Scandinavians, they're so smart, good in music etc however the weather most of the year, the indifference and the high cost of living makes me not want to go back.
I honestly don't know who could not like your videos! I love watching your videos, I learn so much from them! I hope I can go to all these places when I'm older...right now its exam season but hopefully one day!! :)
Hope you get to go soon, and good luck on your exams!
It's true, we have some special letter, Æ, Ø, and Å, that are used in our words, making it hard for others to understand.
For instance, æble means apple, øl means beer, and sår means wound. But we also have some funny, sinlge letter words, for instance, ø can also mean island and å can also mean river.
Just to let you know :D
Hey Mark love your videos, they help me very much!!
I am from Colombia and I am going tu study in Denmark. I am scared and excited at the same time!!
Saludos!!
Alfonso Alvarez you will enjoy it. it is very different if you are a tourist versus being a student or working in Denmark. You will have more time to meet the people and see that they can be very nice especially if you are their friends. For tourists it is a bit different. You will have a great time! Don't worry! Just enjoy!
The thing about 'danish ambivalence' (not sure how the word ambivalance makes sense here..but anyway) is that we don't like bullshit empty phrases in Denmark.
When I first visited The US and ppl in stores said 'how are you' and 'have a nice day' etc. I was like.. wtf.. you don't give a shit about me or how my day will be.
Stuff like that just seems fake to us.
Unfortunately in the last 5 years or so it has begun to happen in some stores here too where ppl say have a nice weekend etc.
"Have a nice day/weekend" has always been a thing, at least everywhere I've ever shopped
Lol I guess you don't like nice people
Marie Bowling I love nice people! ..but niceness/love/etc. is shown in actions, not in too easy words. If you think people are 'nice to you' cause the store manager/owner instructed his employees to say "have a nice weekend", then you are rather gullible :D
Mock smiles/bubbly personalities/attention sells..
Mack i hope you will have a amazing day!
Mack M. It doesn't matter if people don't mean what they wish you as long as it is good thing, it is very sad that you don't appreciate bu saying thanks, it is very dad, I bet the number of people found dead in their houses by the smell of their decompose body is a normal thing in this country
As a Montrealer I have to say this all looks pretty normal to me if nicer than here...except it's not cold there buddy! The key for you on a day like that is to wear a scarf - so I would add that to your list. Nice video; now I'm off to find a smorrebord for lunch because you under-appreciated it.
Hi wolter! if you ever come to denmark again, i suggest trying some dishes like "boller i karry", "stjerneskud", "stegt flæsk med persille sovs", "brændende kærlighed" to mention a few that are danish but not the typical things you see or are advised to try on your first trip here !
The capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, is a lot more expensive than pretty much any other city in Denmark. They know that it's the city that tourists hit first and where only the rich Danes can afford to live so they abuse it and ups all the prices in restaurants and bars. Go to the supermarkets or visit the smaller pubs that are not on the main streets and you can find way cheaper beer and food :)
Danes like to mind their own business in the public space. We prefere talking to people we already know, and find strangers who talks to us weird and annoying. Unless we are drunk, which we are very often ;) There's your chance :) We don't like service. We will ask if we want or need something, otherwise OMG go away!! You are so intrusive ;)
love it
Great video as always Wolter! Very Helpful I miss Denmark. Hopefully i'll get back there in the near future
+Stan Buttimore thank you!
i went to legoland today hahaha!
If you want to save money on beer DON'T by it in a seven eleven... Go to a supermarket...
Netto?!?😂
Melanie Walker eller føtex
Henriette Andersen yeah
Rosia yep
Henriette Andersen i agree
I'm from Denmark, and yes it's so freaking expensive and I hate it! 😂😂
33kb 093 yeah XD
33kb 093 yea but we earn a alot more money :)
ZoZoGamer !! earning a lot money will not make you wealthy, more money, more taxes, in matter of fact most Danes are low income earner because of taxes.
It's so freaking expensive here but there is almost no poor people, that's a paradox?!?
there is poor people in Denmark, you may not see it but it's there, thanks to the Danish social democratic welfare system, make Denmark poor again.
its not what we are sayig - its the "Rugbrød" (the bread thing of the open sandwich, its Healthy) you have to eat to grow up and get big, so we say to the children.
"Dont you want to get big and strong like your dad son ?, yes dad i will, then eat your "Rugbrød"" ;)
I think it is super awesome that you are still traveling and making videos. It's always a huge let down when I discover cool channels like yours, watch their videos, and then get to the one where they say they don't make videos anymore. Good luck in your travels!
Thanks pirate! We will keep making them if you keep watching them! :)
For some reason I wish you had met us Danes as we are at home and not like we are at work.
Likewise, I wish you had seen more than Copenhagen and surroundings. There is therefore more to experience than Copenhagen. Legoland in Billund, The Kings stone in Jelling, the beaches, Odense, Aarhus, etc.
You are welcome to visit Jutland for an introduction to Danish cosiness and an opportunity to find that there is more to Denmark than hot dogs and smørrebrød. : D
You're hillarious and so on spot. My narcissistic ass loves hearing about my country
Same mate
Don't buy your beer in 7-11. Buy it in Netto or something. 7-11 is crazy expensive compared to the bigger stores.
Next time try to go to Århus/Aarhus
I would love to visit aalborg but I heard the people are closed minded.
I agree, especially now it's the European Capital of Culture
1. Healthcare 100% free
2. we get paid to go to school
3. we don't pay for education
I live in Danmark all my life and there are more amazing things!
and no its not that safe. you're just lucky.
Why no pictures on Pusher street?
In terms of the shopping if you are looking for food, and everyday stuff most places in denmark treat sunday as a regular weekday. Insted they close at 18:00 on saturdays, so as long as you are not looking for electronics, books or other "specialised/luxury stuff" then sundays will be open until around 20-21
I am planning to go to Denmark April or May of next year.-but now know the weather might not be the greatest blah. I cannot wait! I am saving and going to smartly plan...pay ahead for this trip cash wise. You flip your hair a lot in this video
Jenna X If you don't have money to spend on a hotel, and you want to stay in Copenhagen, I can wholeheartedly recommend www.copenhagendowntown.com/ :)
I went there on a school trip, and it was a really pleasant experience, and there was so many travelers from different parts of the Earth.
Otherwise, if there's anything you'd like to know about the country or your trip - feel free to ask away!
God damn Mark. You really kept your word when you said you were going to make videos on Denmark. Keep it up.
***** I try buddy. i can't get everywhere and now that both kids are in school we are really limited in our travel time so we are going whenever we can, each break we are gone abroad. Christmas was France & Italy. Easter was Denmark and Germany. Summer more places on the way. Thanks for watching over the years Jeffrey and thanks for commenting every so often too :) twice on the same video even ;)
woltersworld I know I appreciate it. I have been working on my German. I hope to travel and maybe work abroad. However, I watched your video on living abroad. I wasn't discouraged. However, a lot of food for thought. Things that I didn't even think about. Every time somebody talks about traveling. I tell them to watch your channel because you give honest advice. No bullshit. You tell it like it is. One piece of advice to add to foreign exchange students is to try to make friends with the American kids because as you mentioned about college towns. They become a ghost town at thanksgiving and Christmas. So if they make it a priority to befriend some American kids. The American kids might invite them home with them for the holidays so they won't be lonely. Maybe that could work. I don't know. But it might.
I'm from Denmark and you hit the nail on the head. I will say that I am from Jutland and if you follow the Danish you can find a beer for 10 krone about 1,5 dollar :)
I love speaking with enthusiastic tourists, I'm just not very comfortable starting conversations haha :')
point 1 : it is mostly only in cph they dont do small talks with ppl , if you go to jylland they do
it sounds like you havent been there for very long dude
Bikes in Copenhagen. Everything you can steal will be stolen. Tires, seats, lights. Take it inside when not using it.
You should try to eat stegt flæsk med persillesovs. it's basically thick slices of bacon, potatoes and a sauce made with parsley. It tastes amazing.
You should come to Norway again. (You said in another movie that you where there as a kid).
The way you pronounce remoulade tho :D
When people ask me how are you? I ask them do you really want to know? (Yes would be the wrong answer)
Oh! Yes I'm Dane
What about salty licorice?
Did you try stegt flæsk. It is like a thick bacon, not so mich crispy but delicious.
Next time you visit Denmark, try take somewhere else than Copenhagen. Maybe try Jylland.
Er du fra Vejle?
Rikke Vith Sørensen yeah or Aarhus
In Denmark there is a island called "Fur" it's beautiful. Go there!
no one does anything on the sundays in denmark m8
It was quite funny. I was in the UK once and I heard some people who sounded like they were from America. I asked them 'where in america are you from'. And they said they were from Denmark.
There is a saying in denmark that goes: there is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices.
we also have a saying that goes: The danish summer is the best day in the year.
so take everything with a grain of salt.
Allways lock your bike in Denmark! Actually, if you can lock it to something big and heavy. Denmark is a very safe place, unless you're a bike.
The less people get close and dont talk to you the safest you are. Squarely the best social way of conducting.
Lol in my town in denmark we have an artillery museum where u can climb around in tanks
I am danish and i have never been at a store whithout the Casper saying thank you
Hey man is amazing all the staff that you upload...Tell me is safe Cristania??? I am going to Copenhagen in 2 weeks
I live in Denmark and have been in Christiania around 6 or 7 times now. I've been there in the night time too and the people I've met were nice and friendly. I believe its safe
Come to Norway
You are doing a very good job!
I heard those crows, good birbs.
nice
I Don't Think its bad service and i am a dane
It's pricey here because we make good money xD Our salaries (spelled) are really really big if you compare to other countries :)
The smørrebrød is not as normal/common om Jylland (ex. Aarhus, Holstebro, Kolding, Aalborg, Esbjerg, many more) - it's just Copenhagen :)) - there is alot of difference between Sjælland, Fyn and Jylland
Fie prehn køneke
Hvis jeg husker rigtigt, tror jeg, at jeg mente, at det ikke var så ofte, at man vil se 'god kvalitet' smørrebrød i byen. Men ved faktisk ikke, hvordan det skulle give mening haha, fordi det ikke er rigtigt.. ;)
You should go to Aarhus. Oh yeah and Stegt flæsk is great!
for your #1 ... if you get hurt people will help you ... ALL the time. Because here you do not end up with a hospital bill if the "victim" can not pay.
If you talk to a Danish person ... they will 99 % of the time be polite and help you for direction or what ever your problem is.
Love Denmark 🇩🇰
I feel the need to explain about our food. A national dish i Denmark is "stegt flæsk med persillesovs', which is basically fried bacon with a creamy parsley sauce and potatoes. Rye bread is not a real national dish or food, it's just one of the most common foods here in Denmark. Also, we put almost everything on our rye bread. (No, not stuff like remoulade, mayonnaise etc.)
Im from Denmark too :)
Oskar Sams Hej!
Very good review! only one thing dosent make sense. is that you say danish food/scandinavian food is not good. i mean thats one of our main attractions. our restaurant and nordic cousine. try noma, geranium, kadeu, koefoed, salt or many more restaurants, and you will change your mind
+Rasmus Raunsbjerg Pilgaard For Americans, the open sandwich thing and traditional old style Danish food may be hard to get used to.However, the main reason for the old Danish type cuisine is actually that people lived off what the land provided. That is why bread is such a huge thing in Denmark and since we want energy, eating that food, we don't eat a lot of white bread, which is quite frankly worthless as an energy resource, when you need the energy to work another 4-5 hours.The dark rye bread we eat will sustain you for a whole day if you just eat 3 slices. The bread in itself is not so pleasant to eat so over time, various toppings were tried and introduced into that part of the Danish cuisine.Another typical difference between especially Scandinavians and Americans is that you don't see the amount of overweight people in Scandinavia as you do in USA. That is due to the difference in lifestyle and especially the eating habits. In USA, a lot of the food is just fattening without providing much in terms of energy like fibres, protein etc.About us Danes being reserved, yes that is true but if you manage to break that down and show your real, honest self, then you can get a friend for life in us Danes no matter where you come from in the world. In other words, we really dislike falseness in people. That's just us I guess.The reason the shops are closed most of the time during weekends is actually because our way of living is built on the need for family and friends to have ample time to be together without any stress.We like to think that we work to live, not live to work.
Do this about the netherlands
danish people notice other danish peoples accents when they speak english. Its infuriating
willem Dil I saw that. we would speak in a group and the Danes would look at each other like "don't try to fool me with your accent buddy" :)
Well.. Its pretty easy to say it's quite when you're standing alone
One thing else to tell, the history of our notes, the previous ones, didn't only show rulers, but also on our fifty-note, the author of Karen Blixen, who worte a book about her time in Africa. -Nathional Museum isn't free anymore. Our warehouses føtex, or Kvickly, maybe Bilka, all open till 8 or something our æ, is pronounced like, think of the e in "egg". Never walk on red, meh, some does. They don't have the patience to wait, but we respect the red lights in our signals. Denmark, is more than our court building, which you stood outside. Above the entrance, translated, says something like: "By law, country is build" which is taken from one of our older laws, or constitutions.
Danes talk all the time. Maybe not to strangers but to their friends. I always talk with my friends when we're in public transport, so there's no reason for tourists to keep quiet. We don't scare that easily.
Im from Denmark myself. Yes, we dont do small talks with people we dont know. And we are not cheap. But, people dont say if you dont eat smørrebrød you dont grow up. The most off the stuff you say, is true, but some off the stuff you say, arent true. All people (most) learn English in school. And you learn English in 1 grade now. I liked the things you said that was nice. It was true. But, good video!
are you from Denmark?
I am and shes right
I'd say it's pretty common for Danish parents to tell their kids "if you don't eat your rye bread you'll never grow big and strong" 😂
xxxCrybabyxxx yeah!
You guys are going to Norway this year, right? Would be kind of fun to hear the good and bad about my own country from an American tourist's point of view. Though I guess the Scandinavian countries have alot in common, being safe and clean but with mediocre local food.
pingvinererkule We will don't worry. I am heading there this summer so please subscribe nad when the Norway videos start popping up you will get them in your feed. All the best and thanks for the comments! Mark
That's great! I already subscribed about a year ago, so that shouldn't be a problem :)
9:12 Æææ wow i died...
The Drawer lol
You should go to ribe
Idk about Denmark, but in the UK we don't do small talk the way Americans do, we ask about the weather or complain about the buses. It's rude here to ask about people's lives or share your own, whereas Americans think it polite to care about peoples personal lives, we consider it intrusive. I'd hazard a guess it's similar in Denmark.
I'd love to live in Denmark
I work with A Danish friend...And He has A slight Accent...
I like your channel, you do a really great job! But Copenhagen is the least Danish city in Denmark. You talk about the Danish not want to talk, give service and is expensive it's almost only in Copenhagen where people live so many in such a small space. You talk about our food but it is not really Danish in "Danish restaurants" it's the tourist version but has almost nothing to do with what we really like to eat, you've almost never meet a Dane there. And yes we do eat a hotdog but it is wary rare, it is only in Copenhagen you find so many tourist hotdog stands. Travel to Nyborg and you'll find everyone talking, laughing and if they don't, just say hi and you will meet a big smile and a person who are wary chatty. Odense is a bigger city but still much more like Denmark.
Taking to Copenhagen is like visiting New York and say, I have been in Texas.
Come to Dubai! :p
Mouath Al Showaiman We will get there one day, don't worry :)
+woltersworld come now i can't wait that long
thanks😁😁😁
Don't buy beer at 7/11. It's much cheaper to buy it in a supermarket. Do watch out though. There are public places where it's prohibited to drink alcohol. You can be fined for it. There will be signs where it's not allowed.
im danis and you all need to know at a shop call netto is open to 20:00 and it kinda chip :)
+MrMofin DK Good english speaken. xD
I thought the smørrebrød sandwiches were great.
You're right about the pastries -- they look like what Americans call "Danish" pastries (the Danes call them Spandauers) but they are 1000 x better.
it rain's 217 day's a year i am from denmark
Lol, if you think danes are closed and are hard to talk to based on people in Copenhagen, try to come to west Jutland (West Denmark), then people from Copenhagen will seem very outgoing and open in comparison :)
Come to Japan! Please