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Two sensible and quiet Americans talking about their life in another country on UA-cam makes a refreshing change! No shouting or handwaving or razzamatazz, just facts. Well done.
Thank you so much for the kind words and we’re so glad you enjoyed the video. That’s the kind of approach we try to take with just facts, experiences and an open mind 😃
Saw a vid the other day where some Good Samaritans tipped the waitress 200$. The waitress was in tears. 200$ is the equivalent of 94 hours work. Mental!
Little known fact is that we have the same system in Denmark - only difference is that the Restaurant includes the tip on the bill - 13,1%. "Drikkepenge inkluderet". In the US they dont. But the system is pretty much the same.
@@carstenf279 ¨not really some do but not all and they still have to pay "minimums løn" all the places I have worked. the tip is just a little bonus sometimes
IF a waiter is tipped in a Danish restaurant, it doesn't go to the waiter him/herself. It goes into a box, where they collect the money for them all to share, equally, at the end of the month.
@Rita Roork Efficient is one word. I could name a few historic (and modern) leaders who also were very "efficient", but I rather not :-). You have 2 million people in prison. Higher percentage relative to population of any other western country, by a mile. That is more than 20% of all prisoners in the world! (Source: fast google search). That is a truly insane number!
Wait till you hear about prison slavery! From the 13th amendment Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. This means its perfectly legal to use prisoners as slave labor as long as they say its a part of the punishment.
@@Kille483 have you heard of italy? Russia? Even denmark has known cases of these corruptions. The pharmaceutical corporations have a heavy grip on the politics influences and economic directions of denmark- to think otherwise is simply naive.
The type of training is also different, very specifically "Warrior Training", which seeks to train the police to handle deadly threats, which is not inherently bad, but often it is the only type of training they receive. This means that the only way many American cops are taught how to act is with violence.
Also the type of people who actually get into the police academy in Denmark. Are much older and more mature, Minimum age is 21 but it is so rare that candidates that young gets accepted. Also it is recommended to have another educational degree before you apply for the academy. They get the best of best candidates and they had 2077 applications and only around 450 got accepted.
Wow. What a difference. I'm a Brit living in Copenhagen and I must say I prefer Denmark to the UK, even though the UK is not half as horrifying as the US
We have the most intense reverse culture shock from customer service experiences in the States. Now we very much think “If you’re needed, we will find you!” when we get asked that question 😂
I don't think I've ever been so horrified at the thought of living somewhere before. Just imagining people waltzing through my front door without taking off their shoes gives me chills.
I visited a friend's home for the first time a few months ago and as I was bending down to unlace my boots she told me to keep them on because she hadn't had time to clean the floor for two days and her dogs track in a lot of dirt, even when trying to clean them off every time they come in. So I was sitting there in her kitchen with my huge hiking boots on and I was *so* ✨uncomfortable✨ How people do this as a matter of course is beyond me.
I'm American but grew up in a home with parents of Eastern European descent. My mother was ADAMANT about not wearing shoes in the house. Her mother taught me to knit, and now I carry on her legacy of making booties that our entire family wears indoors. Wearing shoes in the house is NOT acceptable. :)
@@WitchyGeek : I’ll preface this by stating my mum and I have 1/2 inch callouses on the bottoms of our feet because we naturally hate shoes. In the Western U.S. you may want shoes indoors. I run around barefoot and have no issues with friends doing it. It’s not mandatory in US homes. Beyond mud & tiny volcanic (sharp rocks) which the dogs do bring in on paws, poisonous insects like scorpions aren’t culturally sensitive. Six months a year even with socks its freaking turn your feet cold in North. The other 6 months, you don’t want guest stepping on dirty floors (puritanical dirt shame) or dangerous insects. If your Stateside, just ask to take them off. Most people don’t mind.
I had a dream of living in Japan, but after hearing about their infamous work-a-holic culture, and the fact you are expected to work yourself to death and see your family (if you have any) as little as possible because the only thing that should be on your mind is efficiency and creating results for your company... I suddenly don't wanna go there for anything more than a short vacation.
My first day in the US i went to a Wallgreen's to stock up on food and snacks - as one does at the pharmacy - and as I walked in some guy greeted me so warmly with a 'morning sweathear, how are you today?'. I felt embarrassed because I assumed it was someone from my hostel I'd met the night before and already forgot! So chatted to him fkr ages before realising he was working at Wallgreen's as a greeter! That was such a foreign concept to me:)
A greeter??? Paid to call me, a stranger, sweetheart and intrude like that? That would not go down well in my country, Austria. I bet most people here would react very annoyed. That is overstepping boundaries.
what horrifies me, even more, is the places that drag the average down to that. there are some places where it's above, so there must also be places where it's below...
One thing that surpises me about police in the US, at least as seen on TV - that you seem to get hand-cuffed almost no matter what crime you have done.
I live near assistens Kirkegård, and during lockdown I've taken so many walks on the cemetery. A few times i felt it was a bit weird that I was walking near graves. But a lot of the cemeteries in Copenhagen, and Denmark in general, are very beautiful and are extremely well kept with a lot of beautiful trees/flowers.
@@RobeTrotting maybe the dead enjoy the company, it gets boring haunting abandoned buildings, better to rattle peoples beer filled shopping bags, than old rusty chains.
When you live in a city with very little room for parks, the cemeteries quickly become the little green haven in the middle of everything. While there are some things you do not do out of respect, it's a good way of making it feel more alive, when you're visiting a grave.
What upset me the most when living in the states was that young men and women can die for their country at the age of 18, but they can’t have a beer after a long day at work. That doesn’t make sense at all. On the other hand I was very impressed with how well the military was treated and supported.
They're definitely not treated well or supported. That's only a facade people put on. In reality, the moment military personnel are no longer of any use to the government and country they've served, they're thrown in the gutter. It's why so many veterans end up killing themselves, because they've been told they're heroes and "thank you for your service", but the very second they can't be "of service" anymore, they're seen as worthless and realize the country they let break them to protect, doesn't actually care about them.
@@Duspende I disagree with you. My ex husband is a veteran and there has never been anything other than respect from everybody while he was in service (20+ years) and after. I have heard of some veterans not being treated well, but I don’t know what the circumstances around why that is, so I’m not going to give my opinion on that. Just telling my personal experience.
About the health care and taxes. "Travelling young" did a comparison of taxes in Denmark vs USA. Actually taxes are not so low in USA, when you break it down it was similar, with a slight advantage to Denmark.
Very true, you pay for A LOT of things for yourself and if you have a kid you’re taking on massive expenses that you wouldn’t have in Denmark. Americans ou a lot in taxes without much to show for it.
@@mathiashollbaum6312 who reacted? You can head over to the "traveling young" channel and find the clip there. Almost felt sorry for Maya, it is her existing that completely tip the balance in favour of Denmark.
@@petermoller4610 yeah i have seen it, im just saying i also Saw a youtuber from Kentucky reacting to the tax video. He talked about how He broke his leg when we was 15, and that it cost 20k dollars. I just thought it might be the same youtuber, that you were talking about.
I'm from Finland and underage drinking isn't actually illegal, for minors the possession of alcohol is. This is why if police run into minors who are drunk, all they do is pour the drinks on the ground. Never heard of anyone being arrested for being drunk, heard of plenty of people getting arrested for what they have done while drunk.
Yeah same in Denmark, I think it’s only restricted to that people under 18 can’t buy hard liquor and people under 16 can’t buy ciders and soft classed alcohol. But drinking doesnt really have a minimum age.
Replying late, but the irony is that in some states, people can openly carry their guns in public, but would have to conceal any open alcohol. So you can have a picnic in a park with your gun in full view, but no bottle of wine. Yes, much is wrong about this.
@@2cats4tea79 Part of the reason why the laws in Finland are like that is so that minors don't hide their drinking. I mean they do, but if something bad happens they are not afraid to call for help. They know they are not going to get in trouble. They more try to be discreet about their drinking than hide it, meaning they don't go to remote places that are hard to access. So if help is needed it can get to them quickly, and nobody tries to run or hide what has actually happened. We also have good samaritan laws meaning we have duty help, just calling the emergency number is enough. So in case of a car accident the first civilian on sight is responsible for seeing if anyone needs help and calling the emergency number. If they fail to do that and just leave, they are then responsible for whatever happens to the accident victims. Same goes if a minor has drank too much alcohol, their friends are required by law to call for help otherwise they are responsible for whatever happens.
@@uffepedersen4151 The scary thing is that you're allowed to join the army at 17 if you ask your parents for permission first... That means you can go to war before playing war video games because those are 'mentally scarring'.
My two cents…16-17, 18-19 age groups have significant higher numbers of car accidents in the US. (Just look up AAA stats by age.) Many teenagers drink or can drink underage by having friends or family buy supplies. Fake IDs also can help. Usually events or home parties is where the action takes place. Allowing 16-18 year olds kids drive muscle cars is bad enough. Allowing them easy access to drink (and smoke weed) by lowering the drinking age is probably not a good idea. Furthermore, add in the American risk taking culture and you can see where this might be going. Joining the military is a personal decision. Everybody knows the risks signing up.
But I guess when public transport is non-existing at some places and you need to get to school... Changing age would be easy, but fixing public transport .. alomost impossible. Not sure how well are organised school buses.
You forgot the most horrifying thing. The supermarket greeter. When they ask how I'm doing and I actually answer.. They look like they are having a stroke. The horrifying part is later, when I think about their workday..
So true, that looks like such a weird and bad job to have. It’s said that a lot of retirees like taking that job as part time work to have something to do (or maybe afford retirement). I guess if they don’t see many people otherwise it may be nice.
How rude and disrespectful you are! It’s their job, adding value to society and earning their keep. My Mom’s 80 and still working, it keeps her busy and young. Better than sitting in a bodega drinking and smoking her pension, like a Dane! Stop looking at the US via a Danish lens.
@@adamw8469 Dude if you don't like the vedio don't watch it! If you don't like how we run things and live our lives in Denmark, then piss off! Our Danish Kingdom 🇩🇰 and how we run things work for a reason and we have done that since we stop being Norse Pagans (vikings) and became unified as one kingdom with Norway. If you don't like us that's fine! Your system is broken and so corrupt in any possible way! And thank the Gods you don't have that cazy ass D. Trump as president any more.
I've been an exchange student in Iowa in 2007, and I remember talking about evolution with one of my friends, and she just loudly said that she didn't believe in it. I chuckled because I thought it was a joke at first... Also, in my family we also take our shoes off. I always assume that you have to take your shoes off unless the host says: »You don't have to take your shoes off.«
Hej Mads, that's so funny - it doesn't surprise us much that someone in that part of the country puts religion over science... but the good thing is that evolution exists even if religious folks don't believe in it 😂(no offense to your friend)
The most disturbing part of that sentence is "I don't believe in....". It's not relevant, what you believe, Nature, biology and physics don't care what people believe.
As an American, it is indeed horrifying that around 40% of the population believes in creationism (god created the world 6000 years ago) while rejecting evolution. Some will go so far as to claim that evolution, also called "evil--ution" is satanic. That percentage is rising, especially among the Republican Party.
I thought I was secretly Danish when I watched your other video, but now I’m convinced. The shoes indoors thing is cringe. I have a shoe area by the entry doors where it’s very clear that’s how we do things, so if someone ignores it, it’s rude (unless they have a good reason). As an American, “normal things” here horrify me too. Policing everything is a waste of time and resources! Other things (not mentioned in your video) that horrify me are: our military is ridiculously oversized and overfunded, public schools make children learn and recite the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and our “polite” interactions with strangers culture (it’s considered rude to not smile or nod at a stranger when passing them type stuff).
Oh Kat, you have to at least visit Denmark - you just might not want to leave haha. We find that we fit in much better here for all of the reasons that you listed. No country is perfect, but for the lifestyle and culture we really prefer living in Denmark (while we still love America).
3:38 There's also the whole thing about Europe having so, so many religious wars... So we kind of have learned to just take a live and let live approach to religion in Europe where talking with eachother about religion is a big no-no...
@torivarnor Yes, we've had *many*... The northern crusade, the reconquista, the various wars caused by the reformation like the thirty years war... In the case of England the English civil war was partially a religious war. And the Netherlands and Flamish speaking parts of Belgium are in different countries because the Netherlands had a large and growing protestant population while the Flamish ones where mainly Catholics and loyal to the Habsburg dynasty of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. The Hussite Wars... The Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in France, something that probably played a role in the decline of the Occitan language in France even if it's not wholy to blame. And so one and so forth... Oh, and then there's things like the Northern Crusade... Trust me, we've had *so* many religious wars... Wars between Catholics and Protestants (the latest one of those being in Northern Ireland), between Orthodox and Catholics. Between Muslimes and Christians... Between Orthodox and Protestants... There's even been a couple of Protestant vs Protestant conflicts between different denominations...
@@kewsoner7924 It wasn't really a question (despite the question mark), I mostly just wanted to express my surprise, though I can see why you got it confused.
As a dane I went to Florida as a high school exchange student. On my first day at school I was very shocked by the guards walking around campus, carrying guns. I had never ever seen a gun before in real life, only in movies.
@@adamw8469 oh so your kids go to the Jewish school. That's an argument you can't really use. But hey let's pull them away an open you up to a terror attack, personally im pissed that we use our tax money, protecting a religious closed of group! Personally I think we should completely ban religious school, schools are for education and not religion, religion is something you can practice at home. And if you don't want your kids to go to school with the Danes, then guess what I'm sure you can get a plain from kastrup, going directly to Tel Aviv. I have nothing against Judes, but I have alot against any form of religious schools! And I have an even bigger problem with stupid comments like yours!
@@malcolmhaig3709 Danish police is not always armed, only at speciel operations. And I have never seen a policeman at my School, and defenetely never a veapon.
@@futtedk3770 I have lived in Denmark for 15 years and I have never seen an unarmed policeman while on duty. Since 1965 ALL Danish police have carried a pistol while performing their duties. Why do you lie?
OK, I have traveled a lot in the US, so I knew just about all of this. What really horrifies me, however, is the lack of education in the various US police forces. Six months? That is ridiculous! This could in reality explain why Black Lives Mater ever began! And in Denmark you will have to pass several psychological tests along the way. All the hot head gunslingers are sent home long before graduation!
It's pretty remarkable, and while there are plenty of police officers who continuously train and learn new skills and have longe education - it's surprisingly quick academy time. There are even "citizens' police" programs where locals can train to be citizen police in 10 weeks... like taking an improv class.
@@williamjones4716, that is not correct as all Danish police get the same basic training. They are one force, not a whole lot of different police forces. I think it’s more likely that the policeman in question and lapsed on his upkeep of how to handle and use his gun due to lack of regular usage. You can bet that that would have been addressed by the whole police department. Danish police learn a whole range of skills on how to interact with the public whereas it seems that in the US all they learn is how to shoot and arrest people.
My brother is 21 (and btw looks very young) and he could buy beer with no problem in Denmark😂 And he could go into a bar when he was 16 or 17 with a girl bc idk why but the guards dont usually ask girls for ID😂
@@RobeTrotting Don't feel bad. I was turned away once because I tried to use my US Passport (in a town in Missouri) and no one working that night had ever seen a US Passport and could not determine if it was a "legal id." I had to go home (I'd walked) and get my driver's license.
I lived in Austin Texas for a year a few years ago and that was a cultural shock even for me who’s originally from Australia. The whole thing about tipping and the prices was extremely confusing and yes public transport in the US is unfortunately pretty bad
Hey Darren, that's awesome - we love Austin! Great city, but I can only imagine what it was like adjusting to tax, tips and service charges after never dealing with it before. It's so annoying when we go back to the States.
This is such an awesome video! I really appreciate it and agree with it as a half-American/half-European. I’d add the food portion sizes, but definitely didn’t think of all you listed and 100% agree. Hugs from Germany 😉
You guys really seem to enjoy your stay here in Denmark. And that is the feeling I get too when speaking to Americans. You really seem to enjoy/agree on our way of doing things. Not saying ‘Merica isn’t great in its own right, but watching your vids just confirms that we have it pretty great in our little country. Oh, and skål to you as well ;)
Hej Camilla, sorry for the downer - but yeah, it's really sad that there's not more support for the vulnerable people or for when an unforeseen tragedy strikes. It's nice that the communities usually rally together to help pay for people (but there's a better and easier way 😬).
Great video! I loved what you guys said about Bragging/Winning culture; I didn't even notice it at first but you're so right. In North America, there's very much a Winners vs. Losers dialogue - even among adults - that you just don't hear in Europe. Interesting difference! But ngl, as someone who grew up in a "shoes off" household, I definitely appreciate the Danish take here 😂 I will never go to the dark side! Haha
Bragging is an absolute no go in Denmark. It's perfectly ok to say that this and that I find exciting and the busier I deal with at work and am happy and work with. But from there and then say that one is the best; it does not work. Because in the real world, there is always one who is better. What counts in Denmark is that a person who is really good professionally at something, shares his knowledge, helps the one who is not so good at and lifts the entire workplace. And that is recognized and rewarded by both the other employees and the employer. And an important point in Danish culture. Because you are very good at something does not make you a better person than others. It just shows you have knowledge / competence for something. But showing respect and helping others gives high social status. Regardless of profession.
I am using a wheelchair, do to a disability. I was in the US in 2017, on the part of our roadtrip, from Boston to Washington DC. My assistant, went to use the restroom & I went to buy a couple of softdrinks. I discovered that I could not get to the fridge, where the cold softdrinks where. I asked some of the other customers for help, & they almost ran to me, to help me. When I got to the checkout counter, the young girl, who was working in the store, apologized for the fact that she was not the one who, handed me the cold softdrinks. I still have a bit of a smile, when I recall the situation. That is just a funny example of "extreme" customer service. Side Note. : Good to know, that you are not known to Danish police. Thanks for the great videos. & yes it seemed to me when I was in the US, that the US way of policing is a lot more visible.
The customer service is so on point. When I visited the states with one of my friends I think we may have offended some servers. Tipping is also very different. I've never paid tips in Denmark so the first few times paying is the US was pretty weird.
Love your content and how you hit all the topics that Americans moving to Copenhagen need and want to know. One thing that isn’t addressed is the attitude toward seniors, elderly, and disabled. Curious to know why rental listings point out “no seniors.” It would be great if you could do a segment on how seniors, disabled, and elderly are accommodated or not.
A very uplifting video. Most Danes do not know that we actually live in a country flowing with milk and honey and this is not the case in the rest of the world.
Love your videos. I am Danish and would never ever ask anyone to remove theire shoes before entering my home. Otherwise I can see myself in much of what you are saying.
Nice video, nice to hear about differences from real people, instead of the "facts" one is always told about. And like how you often make your videos when you are out and seeing local sites!!!
Thank you so much! We like to think that when the weather is nice and it’s possible to be out and about we should show off this great city and other parts of the country if we are traveling 😃🇩🇰
We were in the US in 2019 and went out to eat - one time the waiter sat down at the end of our table and talked us through the menu - and we were just like wtf are you doing, sitting at the table? - BUT she was kind and the food gr8 :-) thanx for your fun videos :-)
That's so funny - classic American waiter move haha "Hey guys, I'm Julie, your totally casual, but overly-friendly and desperately relatable server who will be just like your friend by the end of this meal -- see, I'm even sitting with you -- so you should tip me at least 20%" 😂 Glad you still had a good experience and thanks for watching our video! We are thinking of doing a full video comparing Danish vs. American restaurant culture and service.
Our neighbour travelled a lot in the US both privately and for work. Once at a "good" restaurant the service was so poor that he refused to tip AT ALL! He knew this would set them off, but he refused to pay for a bad meal and bad service at a so-called "good" restaurant. The waiter was fuming and raging. Insisting to get his 20 % But come Hell or high water, my neighbour insisted not to tip, stating that if so the service should at least have been good. Auch!
@@birgitteknudtzon1998 just tip 10% the waiter will still be pissed but have no reason to complain, also never tip less than 20% if you are more than a 4 top, especially if you are 8 or 12 people, that seriously screws over the servers.
@@erikrungemadsen2081 A tip should be a gratuity...a thank you for exceptional service...not a supplement (pay your staff a decent wage or shut down!) to the owner's cashflow...personally I refuse to eat at dumps (even posh stuck-up dumps) which impose a fixed service charge...
YES on a specific video about specifically eating/restaurants (wait staff, food, pricing, how to pay, do you clean up, tipping etc) and shopping (how stores look like, how to pay, is there a normal POS vestibule, who helps you, etc)
"Police are a little more trained" excuse me, it takes 3½ years and it's what we call a profession-bachelor, so it's way more than what you get in America! :D And also, the focus is much more on disarming, communication, de-escalation, and the biggest of them all, their training is not militarized. and Skål.
Also the academic demands and screening interviews are brutal, i know people that started preparing years i advance to pass the entry exam. Also the physical requirements are bare minimum if they have to many applicants they start cutting applicants from the bottom up.
Which is probably why we feel much more safe around police officers in general. When I go to Copenhell, the police is there, because they have to (because of the amount of people), but they do three things: listen to metal with the rest of us, get hugs and people take pictures with them.
@@Raztiana They are just rocking out and flirting with people, apparantly there is a lot of trading going on at the station to catch their favorite bands.
I adore you guys and enjoy your content. I am arriving in DENMARK soon in pursuit of higher studies. I really hope to fit in and blend in quickly and enjoy my studies.
Fun fact about religion and state religion in DK: In US a politician can use religion as a argument. Like Bush did. In Denmark it is very forbidden to even mention a religius argument in Folketinget. And nobody do!
Even though Canada (my home) is a neighbouring country to the US, I feel like culturally we have more in common with Denmark, at least with regards to the things you’ve pointed out here in this video. Gun culture ✅ No shoes in the house✅ Universal Healthcare ✅ Religion ✅ Underage Drinking (our legal drinking ages are 18/19) ✅ BUT… Shopping/Dining Out - (we’re not as “in your face” as American sales people), we might learn our server’s name in a restaurant, but the fake bubbliness is toned down. Our police training is more similar to the US, but the police behave differently here (most of the time-lots of improvement needed though). We add taxes at the counter in Canada and we tip in restaurants. Our public transport is horrible too. Public drinking is not officially allowed in Canada, but if you’re discreet about it, you can definitely enjoy a drink in a park or at the beach and police won’t get in your face or really care.
Most horrifying: arrest adults for being drunk. And 6 mth police training. I hope they dont get a gun right away... They probably do. Least horrifying. Shoes inside.
@@adamw8469 No But some facts from movies are true, like D- day taking place in France in Saving private Ryan. Even if Ryan never existed and fact is in 1986-1997 it took 400-445 hours of trainning to become a police officer or 12 weeks as the movie explains. Today it actually takes 24 weeks to become a police officer but in actuality it only takes 640 hours of course work to graduate. And i wish real life reflected those movies more, because atleast those police officers where respected by the communities they served. A task the modern American police apparantly have failed utterly at.
Thank you for your videos that are super educational, also for a Dane. You are amazingly knowledgeable and true to fact. On the topic of picnicking in cemetaries: I would like to add the following facts: It is a new thing to do and it still horrifies some elderly people. And a word of caution or respect: You are still in a cemetary. I was at a funeral where a relatively young person was being buried, and there were people sitting on the grass nearby having beers. Not so funny. So the (new) tradition is that if you see a funeral or a crying family laying flowers on a tomb you quickly and discretely move out of sight to another nice spot.
Something many Danes don't know because it's not really enforced is that public intoxication is actually also illegal in Denmark. The law is only used if you're a nuisance or a danger to yourself (for example, you're so drunk that you might fall onto train tracks acidentally)
Not exactly correct, but you are pointing out an important matter. We don't have an ABV (promillegrænse) for walking around in public. But the law does say that if you're becoming a problem to the public, police is allowed to put you into detention, until they judge you not a problem anymore. It'll not show up in your criminal records or anything, but they can take your freedom until you're sober. On the other hand, often those that are so drunk that the police want to take them in will try to resist the police, and that's when it ends up on your record. If you can keep your calm and behave nicely, they'll never bring you in for a sleepover at the station. And most often when you are visibly intoxicated they'll first ask you to just go home. Reminds me of another law that says that bars/pubs/clubs are not allowed to serve you another drink if you're visibly intoxicated... Least enforced law ever.
@@BenjaminVestergaard Sometimes they will even drive you home if they don't feel like doing paperwork or the slammer is already full. My mom has tried that after a Christmas party where the last few shots hit really hard when she went out in the cold. She got so dizzy that she couldn't navigate and ended up lurching on a fence. The female police officer held a vomit bag for her in the back seat (pretty much by force) while they drove her home :D
I’m a Dane with close American ties as my mother was born and raised in Minnesota. While I’ve visited the US several times, I’ve never lived there. You are spot on about the things that will horrify Danes. They definitely horrify me. I find the obvious corruption going on in the US political system horrifying including the fact that some members of Congress can get away with saying the most outrages and defamatory things about other people without consequences. People like Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert wouldn’t get very far in Danish politics. Fortunately! The lack of political action with regards to gun violence is totally insane in my opinion. After massive shootings it’s always “thoughts and prayers” as if that is going to prevent new shootings. It’s the insaneness of repeating the same action over and over hoping for a different result. To me, it sounds like many Americans who have never traveled beyond the borders of the US, seem to think that mass shootings are a daily occurrence in other countries as well. They most certainly are not. Danes are indeed competitive, some more than others. We generally don’t like losing any more than the next guy, but bragging about one’s accomplishments is a no-no. If you are really good at something, word will get around. Other people will “brag” about you. I have a different belief system than the Danish state church and don’t mind talking about religion at all. It makes a lot of Danes very uncomfortable even to the extent where people feel sorry for you that you have a religious belief, aka that you aren’t strong enough to live your life without a crutch. I totally disagree on that one, but even I balk at the in-your-face preaching done some places in the US. To deny basic scientific facts is beyond stupidity. Abusing religion to justify this standpoint is no acceptable excuse. But I understand better why so many people in the US, compared to other countries, allegedly so willingly will believe in crazy pseudo science such as flat earth theories. In my book there is no conflict between true science and true religion. Science keeps us grounded as religion without science reverts to superstition. But science without religion as a moral, ethical foundation leads to inventions (such as nuclear bombs) of instruments for the destruction of humanity instead of remedies for its peace and prosperity. And no, the earth was not created in only six days, but that does not deny the fact of an unknowable universal creator far above our understanding. You can accept science and still believe creation of the universe and all therein was sparked by a supreme intelligence. And yeah, the mere idea of walking around indoors with outside footwear is almost sacrilege.
I’ve never been stopped by a policeman in Denmark, though i’ve seen many encounters with them and criminals. So when I went to the US for vacation and was stopped several times I felt like a real criminal :((
I was stopped in my car driving home from some friends at 3 am in the night. A police car stopped me, and I had to pull over. Then they tested me for the whole shebang: alcohol, MDMA, marijuana, heroin etc. The ordeal took about 30-40 minutes, so I was pretty tired afterwards, but I am honestly glad they do those tests once in a while. And no, I didn't test positive ;-)
I live in Denmark, and I got stopped all the time, for alot of reasons, specially when i was a teenager. I dont know why. My police record is clean, and im native danish 😅
A little cheeky, but it’s kind of ironic how much Americans are made to think that we are the only free ones, or at least the most free ones in the world.
Subscribe to you guys ever since I started talking to a Danish men hahaha been wanting to know more about him and his culture and you guys make it fun to get an inside haha great video 😆
Derek and Mike ! Totally true ☺️ ! The Danish Travel Board should hire you guys 😃 ! LOL! Think we could call you both "Ameridanes" 😄😄😄 !`Proud to have your here 😀 !!
Hello from Central Florida 25 F. 555 pm. Cool for You are this time of the year!!! You both did a great job with Jellingestenen. I have not heard you say anything about Harald Bluetooth and who invented this for my computer!!
Regarding bragging, the late Walter Mondale (senator, vice-president, ambassador) said that in the Norwegian-American community he grew up in, bragging was considered as serious as lying. Of course Norway isn't Denmark, but I imagine they're culturally similar. I'm American, and some of these things horrify me!
I thought the shoes were more of a Swedish thing. I don't normally think to take my shoes off, when I am inside. I got caught in the "no public transportation" one on my first US trip. I was going to a wedding in a small town in Texas. When I got to Dallas airport I called for instructions on what bus or train to take, there weren't any, and I had no drivers licence, so couldn't rent a car. Thankfully another wedding guest was flying in, so I could go with him. One difference that did horrify me : I changed into my swimsuit on the beach in Galveston. My American friends told me, that I could have been arrested for that. Public nudity. I had not even thought about it.
Hej Morten, it sounds like you got lucky with the wedding trip! It's a bit sad how we don't do a better job connecting our cities with buses and light rail (at least from the airports is important). The changing on the beach is funny, we are really strangely afraid of nudity in America. We have no idea why, but it's so taboo to be seen nude - even to the point of arresting or fining people.
@Rita Roork But how is it immoral to be nude on a beach. It’s a body, we all have bodies- and you seem to believe in God, and from what I heard you will then believe the God created the humans.
@@RobeTrotting just one comment (or two). In the US nudity is a crime, but eweryone is nude or semi-nude in movies, tv-shows, music videos etc In the US underage drinking is elegal. But they almost always drink in movies etc. maybe instead of notices for rude language, violence etc shown in cinemas before the movie or in the corner of some tv-shows, they should start stating "this movie is NOT reprecentative regarding: alcohol, nudity, sexual activities, etc. Only thing in this movie acurately displayed might be the way the police act." ;)
Another thing that scares me as a Dane is how easy it is to get a drivers license in the us. And that there is no need for a teacher, but you can simply use your parents as a guide. And how easy it is to get your hands on a gun. I may be incorrect on this, if soo, then you're welcome to correct me.
You are incorrect about driving licenses. In the US you can get a driver’s permit at 14 without any formal education after studying the basics on your own and passing a written test. This means you can drive if there’s a licensed adult/parent in the front seat. In order to get your full driver’s license at 16 and drive on your own, you have to take and pass a driver’s education course and complete a certain amount of hours driving with your instructor. Many people take this as a course in high school. There’s also private driving schools. I took driver’s ed through the local community college during the summer between my freshman (9th grade) and sophomore (10th grade) years so that when I turned 16 in November of sophomore year I could immediately get my license on my birthday. This is for my state of Iowa: iowadot.gov/mvd/resources/MM690_InstructionPermitCard.pdf Driving is such a necessity in the US because everything is so large and spread out. Which also means we don’t have efficient public transportation because it would be hugely expensive to build the networks that would be required to replace a car.
I had to take driver's education at high school. It was half a year during gym hours. Before I could get my permit. After having the permit driving practice was just with parents or anyone over 18 with a valid license. And I had to have my permit for almost a year before I could take the test to get my license. Now I live in Denmark. No license anymore. Lol. This may have changed since then.
i couldn't stop laughing at how it looked like as if they were playing a game of ping pong as they were talking, everytime one looked at the other he'd turn his head right before the other would make eye contact, best example would be 2:33
Wish I had known the thing about tipping- a few years ago I went to the US Virgin Islands, and looked quite a fool in the first restaurant I went to... lol - and to top it I am horrible at percentages in math... :)
Usually....the process is that the police department where your license was issued (in my case, Philadelphia), needs to reply to a letter from the Copenhagen police confirming the license is real and you can drive legally. Philadelphia never replied after many months, then I got a letter in my e-boks that the application is denied and my temporary license is revoked. By then my US license had expired, had to go back and get a new one, and it was pure hell 😩😩😩
Great vid, guys. One addition to the shoes-off-in-the-house thing. Most people I know adhere to what we call the Uffe Buchard Rule: If you are having a "dressy" party (or for that matter a dress party) you NEVER ask your guests to remove their shoes. That's just an insult to the time they spent on picking out the outfit. Party today and worry about the floors tomorrow, as I am sure Uffe would say.
The biggest lesson for us since moving to Denmark is that freedom comes in a number of different ways. Sure it may feel like higher taxes or more regulations protecting workers takes away freedom, but the trade-off is a system that lets people be more free in their choices.
@@Heeman1119 If they removed the benefits we get from our taxes, you wouldn't say they sucked anymore. Watch the video Traveling Young did about US vs DK taxes, despite the US taxes are lower, they can very easy end up paying loads more.
I constantly have to back away from debating price including taxes with Americans online. It's like a whole different reality, and it's absolutely no use getting agitated and bang your head against that particular wall. Interesting fact about Danish police and guns. The used to be unarmed until a rather gruesome episode where a robber gunned down four officers in 1965, after that it was made mandatory for officers to wear sidearms.
@@Hjorth87 Just checked, it was the phrase 4-0 til palle. I remember it from school in my early years. Was born in 90. And alot of classmates used 4-0 til palle. We never understood the meaning untill we got a bit older and our teacher explained it
a similar concept to the restaurant is phone support, where you have to sit through 15 minutes of empathy before you are allowed to get your problem solved. That really grates on my nerves as a Dane, and especially when you ask them to skip all the empathy and is told that they are not allowed to do that (true story).
Let's also remember, that when there WAS an active shooter, in a Mall - it took the Danish Police SIX MINUTES... from being alerted until they had the shooter in custody.
Many good examples! Another one that comes to mind is police corruption - pretty much unheard of in Denmark. And food deserts, linked to the structure of big cities in the US, and the huge variation in quality of public education, from district to district in the US.
Hej Kristian, we are actually thinking about it now that things are somewhat open. In the next week or so we are going to start a Facebook group to be able to organize some meet ups or social activities.
love the vid! and i agree on most of it :D much love from this dane :D also Randers Regnskov :D just sayin you gotta go there, not just for a vid but for the fun of it :D
My brother and I, jumped over the walls of Assistenten, one night at 11:50pm. And we went to the grave of Scholtenberg, to share beer with him. For each beer we drank, we poured one whole beer on the ground of his grave. That was out of respect for the man, who granted the slaves on the virgin islands their freedom. Then we went to a bar on vesterbrogade, and got a couple of more beer's. My brother actually took me around the most dangerous places at that time, and it was all quiet.
(Swede here, fairly similar culture to Denmark) A friend god dutch boyfriend a couple of years ago, and his culture was to wear shoes indoor. I accidently solved this by giving my friend a pack of indoor slippers - turned out his mind had less of an issue with indoor shoes rather than no shoes indoor (the compromise was good enough). This might be a valid compromise for those that just feel uncomfortable without shoes indoor, bring (soft, no hard soles) slippers with you and change.
Often guests can keep on shoes if it's a quick visit (and especially for a dinner party) but yeah... we take our shoes off inside (and some even have slippers (called hjemmesko - home shoes)
I have a small hair shop in my home, and every day I have to tell my clients to keep their shoes on, because I don’t want them to get hairs in their socks ;) I get that it’s a politeness issue, but if they walk in to a salon setting, they wouldn’t take their shoes off... On the other hand I always ask if it’s ok that I keep my shoes on when I go to clients homes, and I always get a yes!! So I think it’s more an ingrained routine they get from their parents, so it seems polite to take the shoes of - but you are not always directly asked to anymore - maybe because it’s become more common to have hard floors instead of carpet...
In those instances, it makes a lot of sense to keep them on... but Sabina, are you saying that you could have helped us with Mike's lock-down hair? 😂 We needed you!
@@RobeTrotting I probably could have ;) the lockdown only applied to shops, not the work itself, so I was able to work in my clients homes for a while before lockdown lifted.... I did keep completely closed until mid February, and only worked 2 clients a day after the infection rate hit around 1.... And - I only visited after a negative covid test and only with mask mandate ;) I even got tested twice a week then, and still do ;)
The bragging thing in Denmark is a lot different. If you are awesome at something your talents or accomplishment should speak for themselves. If you have to pad yourself on the back, you are likely not very good at it.
Yeah, that rule rings true here too. For judging something, I have the general rule of "If the only ones who like you are others who are like you, then you may have a problem. If the only ones who can tolerate you are others like you, then you absolutely have a problem." I use thos rule to dismiss certain negative aspects of various cultures which I find can be more productive then bundling everything together.
😃 Thank you all for the comments, views, and shares of this video. We'd love to keep them going in our Facebook Group which is also a place for planning future content and getting the opinion of you, our community in what we produce. It's also where we will premier videos, content not placed on UA-cam, and plan meet-ups and events.
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Proselytizing is rude no matter where it is done. I hate it when anything, especially others' beliefs, are pushed on me.
You want comments here and not on Facebook I think. Comments are good for the UA-cam algorithm. It will get you more views on the videos.
Two sensible and quiet Americans talking about their life in another country on UA-cam makes a refreshing change! No shouting or handwaving or razzamatazz, just facts. Well done.
Thank you so much for the kind words and we’re so glad you enjoyed the video. That’s the kind of approach we try to take with just facts, experiences and an open mind 😃
razzamatazz :D
The fact that servers in the US have to rely on tips to collect a living wage is definitely horrifying to me.
Saw a vid the other day where some Good Samaritans tipped the waitress 200$. The waitress was in tears. 200$ is the equivalent of 94 hours work. Mental!
@@rappel322 Wonderful that they can afford to do that, and did.
Little known fact is that we have the same system in Denmark - only difference is that the Restaurant includes the tip on the bill - 13,1%. "Drikkepenge inkluderet". In the US they dont. But the system is pretty much the same.
@@carstenf279 ¨not really some do but not all and they still have to pay "minimums løn" all the places I have worked. the tip is just a little bonus sometimes
IF a waiter is tipped in a Danish restaurant, it doesn't go to the waiter him/herself.
It goes into a box, where they collect the money for them all to share, equally, at the end of the month.
My biggest US shock, was and still is the concept of private prisons.
Yes, the more people learn about that issue the more they’re against it too. Hopefully it’s one of the many things that we can fix and eliminate.
The land of the free... has more in prison that any other western country.
@Rita Roork Efficient is one word. I could name a few historic (and modern) leaders who also were very "efficient", but I rather not :-). You have 2 million people in prison. Higher percentage relative to population of any other western country, by a mile. That is more than 20% of all prisoners in the world! (Source: fast google search). That is a truly insane number!
@@fastertove Any country... in the world.
Wait till you hear about prison slavery!
From the 13th amendment
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
This means its perfectly legal to use prisoners as slave labor as long as they say its a part of the punishment.
What really horrifies me about the US, is how politicians are often paid by corporations..
Its the same everywhere.
@@jimmybaldbird3853 It seems to be even more so in the US
@@Kille483 have you heard of italy? Russia? Even denmark has known cases of these corruptions. The pharmaceutical corporations have a heavy grip on the politics influences and economic directions of denmark- to think otherwise is simply naive.
@@jimmybaldbird3853 I don't think otherwise. I know it happens a lot in many places. It just seems to be more extreme in US.
@@Kille483 based on?
6 months of police training in a country that's so big on guns. That's just bound to go wrong over and over again.
Yup, if only more of us saw it like you and me. It's terrifying here.
The type of training is also different, very specifically "Warrior Training", which seeks to train the police to handle deadly threats, which is not inherently bad, but often it is the only type of training they receive. This means that the only way many American cops are taught how to act is with violence.
Also the type of people who actually get into the police academy in Denmark. Are much older and more mature, Minimum age is 21 but it is so rare that candidates that young gets accepted. Also it is recommended to have another educational degree before you apply for the academy. They get the best of best candidates and they had 2077 applications and only around 450 got accepted.
You get years of apprentice, on the job training tagging along with other police officers.
@@unconventionalideas5683 But if those police officers aren't properly trained either they just pass it on.
Wow. What a difference. I'm a Brit living in Copenhagen and I must say I prefer Denmark to the UK, even though the UK is not half as horrifying as the US
Customer service haha. I am annoyed the second someone in a store asks "can I help you?" :D
We have the most intense reverse culture shock from customer service experiences in the States. Now we very much think “If you’re needed, we will find you!” when we get asked that question 😂
@@RobeTrotting That's the general way we think here lol
When an employee follows you around in a danish store, its usually because they suspect you want to steal something
@@tinacolding5971 that is so untrue. Maybe I Copenhagen, but that is basically Sweden
I have avoided some stores because of all the associates buzzing around. They are generally polite though at least
I don't think I've ever been so horrified at the thought of living somewhere before. Just imagining people waltzing through my front door without taking off their shoes gives me chills.
Generally the only people who keep their shoes on while in the house are working people, at least in my experience
I visited a friend's home for the first time a few months ago and as I was bending down to unlace my boots she told me to keep them on because she hadn't had time to clean the floor for two days and her dogs track in a lot of dirt, even when trying to clean them off every time they come in. So I was sitting there in her kitchen with my huge hiking boots on and I was *so* ✨uncomfortable✨
How people do this as a matter of course is beyond me.
I'm American but grew up in a home with parents of Eastern European descent. My mother was ADAMANT about not wearing shoes in the house. Her mother taught me to knit, and now I carry on her legacy of making booties that our entire family wears indoors.
Wearing shoes in the house is NOT acceptable. :)
@@WitchyGeek : I’ll preface this by stating my mum and I have 1/2 inch callouses on the bottoms of our feet because we naturally hate shoes. In the Western U.S. you may want shoes indoors. I run around barefoot and have no issues with friends doing it. It’s not mandatory in US homes. Beyond mud & tiny volcanic (sharp rocks) which the dogs do bring in on paws, poisonous insects like scorpions aren’t culturally sensitive. Six months a year even with socks its freaking turn your feet cold in North. The other 6 months, you don’t want guest stepping on dirty floors (puritanical dirt shame) or dangerous insects. If your Stateside, just ask to take them off. Most people don’t mind.
I had a dream of living in Japan, but after hearing about their infamous work-a-holic culture, and the fact you are expected to work yourself to death and see your family (if you have any) as little as possible because the only thing that should be on your mind is efficiency and creating results for your company... I suddenly don't wanna go there for anything more than a short vacation.
My first day in the US i went to a Wallgreen's to stock up on food and snacks - as one does at the pharmacy - and as I walked in some guy greeted me so warmly with a 'morning sweathear, how are you today?'. I felt embarrassed because I assumed it was someone from my hostel I'd met the night before and already forgot! So chatted to him fkr ages before realising he was working at Wallgreen's as a greeter! That was such a foreign concept to me:)
@Rita Roork I recommend watching some more of these vidoes so you can see that Danmark isn't messed up due to our lack of supermarket greetings:)
This story really made me laugh :)
A greeter??? Paid to call me, a stranger, sweetheart and intrude like that? That would not go down well in my country, Austria. I bet most people here would react very annoyed. That is overstepping boundaries.
How is police training only 6 month on average in the US? That's so wild to think about!
No wonder it's so chaotic with the policin in the us.
what horrifies me, even more, is the places that drag the average down to that. there are some places where it's above, so there must also be places where it's below...
Think about the quality training they get in that 6 months. Good crap, 6 months of training and they still certify that many racists and idiots?!
The thought is that the 6 months in police academy is basic police training and the department that hires you will continue with ongoing training.
I understand that they are none too fussy about the quality of the candidates either. A fact not shown on TV entertainment shows exported globally.
I agree. Being able to drink beer wherever you want should be the definition of freedom. Cheers. ^^
Exactly, it’s not hurting anyone!
@@RobeTrotting I do see the occasional smashed beer bottle on the street, could get cut.
@@doltBmB While I agree, that hardly should be a reason to change the law :) Littering is after all illegal
@@doltBmB
Luckily most people wear shoes outside
I’m from Canada and we never wear our shoes in the house - ever. We have slippers for inside.
I normally wear socks in my house. I don’t think A LOT of people wear the shoes inside, but I do see where people come from.
Taking off your shoes isn't so common in my circles in the UK.
Same thing in denmark my parents would make me mop the floor if i had shoes on indoor
One thing that surpises me about police in the US, at least as seen on TV - that you seem to get hand-cuffed almost no matter what crime you have done.
Hej Kim, yeah it's very true that if you're detained for any reason you are almost always handcuffed.
its for safety
@@Snafu90 Yes, obviously
@Rita Roork Yes of course, I just pointed out the difference.
That's because there are lots of crazies with guns here!
I live near assistens Kirkegård, and during lockdown I've taken so many walks on the cemetery. A few times i felt it was a bit weird that I was walking near graves. But a lot of the cemeteries in Copenhagen, and Denmark in general, are very beautiful and are extremely well kept with a lot of beautiful trees/flowers.
So true, they’re certainly beautiful parks as well as final testing places. It does fee a bit odd though haha.
@@RobeTrotting maybe the dead enjoy the company, it gets boring haunting abandoned buildings, better to rattle peoples beer filled shopping bags, than old rusty chains.
When you live in a city with very little room for parks, the cemeteries quickly become the little green haven in the middle of everything. While there are some things you do not do out of respect, it's a good way of making it feel more alive, when you're visiting a grave.
What upset me the most when living in the states was that young men and women can die for their country at the age of 18, but they can’t have a beer after a long day at work. That doesn’t make sense at all.
On the other hand I was very impressed with how well the military was treated and supported.
They're definitely not treated well or supported. That's only a facade people put on. In reality, the moment military personnel are no longer of any use to the government and country they've served, they're thrown in the gutter. It's why so many veterans end up killing themselves, because they've been told they're heroes and "thank you for your service", but the very second they can't be "of service" anymore, they're seen as worthless and realize the country they let break them to protect, doesn't actually care about them.
@@Duspende I disagree with you. My ex husband is a veteran and there has never been anything other than respect from everybody while he was in service (20+ years) and after. I have heard of some veterans not being treated well, but I don’t know what the circumstances around why that is, so I’m not going to give my opinion on that. Just telling my personal experience.
@@Duspende Same goes for older people, no country for old men.
@@Duspende Because I was in the Air Force for four years in the 50s I get a ten percent discount at Home Depot!
Lack of health care definitely should be horrifying!
About the health care and taxes. "Travelling young" did a comparison of taxes in Denmark vs USA. Actually taxes are not so low in USA, when you break it down it was similar, with a slight advantage to Denmark.
Very true, you pay for A LOT of things for yourself and if you have a kid you’re taking on massive expenses that you wouldn’t have in Denmark. Americans ou a lot in taxes without much to show for it.
@@RobeTrotting Some youtuber from Kentucky I like to follow, put his parent in huge debts when he broke his leg when he was 15. It is scary.
@@petermoller4610 haha you Saw the video Where He reacted to the tax comparison vid didn’t you!
@@mathiashollbaum6312 who reacted?
You can head over to the "traveling young" channel and find the clip there.
Almost felt sorry for Maya, it is her existing that completely tip the balance in favour of Denmark.
@@petermoller4610 yeah i have seen it, im just saying i also Saw a youtuber from Kentucky reacting to the tax video. He talked about how He broke his leg when we was 15, and that it cost 20k dollars. I just thought it might be the same youtuber, that you were talking about.
I'm from Finland and underage drinking isn't actually illegal, for minors the possession of alcohol is. This is why if police run into minors who are drunk, all they do is pour the drinks on the ground. Never heard of anyone being arrested for being drunk, heard of plenty of people getting arrested for what they have done while drunk.
I think its same in like all EU countries.
Yeah same in Denmark, I think it’s only restricted to that people under 18 can’t buy hard liquor and people under 16 can’t buy ciders and soft classed alcohol. But drinking doesnt really have a minimum age.
@@WolfieSilveira don't really have a drinking age? We absolutely don't have a drinking age.
Replying late, but the irony is that in some states, people can openly carry their guns in public, but would have to conceal any open alcohol. So you can have a picnic in a park with your gun in full view, but no bottle of wine. Yes, much is wrong about this.
@@2cats4tea79 Part of the reason why the laws in Finland are like that is so that minors don't hide their drinking. I mean they do, but if something bad happens they are not afraid to call for help. They know they are not going to get in trouble. They more try to be discreet about their drinking than hide it, meaning they don't go to remote places that are hard to access. So if help is needed it can get to them quickly, and nobody tries to run or hide what has actually happened.
We also have good samaritan laws meaning we have duty help, just calling the emergency number is enough. So in case of a car accident the first civilian on sight is responsible for seeing if anyone needs help and calling the emergency number. If they fail to do that and just leave, they are then responsible for whatever happens to the accident victims. Same goes if a minor has drank too much alcohol, their friends are required by law to call for help otherwise they are responsible for whatever happens.
In most states you can get your drivers license at 15 or 16 - but can’t get a drink until you are 21 - weird 🤓
It’s super weird!
And go to war at 18
@@uffepedersen4151 The scary thing is that you're allowed to join the army at 17 if you ask your parents for permission first... That means you can go to war before playing war video games because those are 'mentally scarring'.
My two cents…16-17, 18-19 age groups have significant higher numbers of car accidents in the US. (Just look up AAA stats by age.) Many teenagers drink or can drink underage by having friends or family buy supplies. Fake IDs also can help. Usually events or home parties is where the action takes place. Allowing 16-18 year olds kids drive muscle cars is bad enough. Allowing them easy access to drink (and smoke weed) by lowering the drinking age is probably not a good idea. Furthermore, add in the American risk taking culture and you can see where this might be going. Joining the military is a personal decision. Everybody knows the risks signing up.
But I guess when public transport is non-existing at some places and you need to get to school... Changing age would be easy, but fixing public transport .. alomost impossible. Not sure how well are organised school buses.
You forgot the most horrifying thing. The supermarket greeter. When they ask how I'm doing and I actually answer.. They look like they are having a stroke. The horrifying part is later, when I think about their workday..
So true, that looks like such a weird and bad job to have. It’s said that a lot of retirees like taking that job as part time work to have something to do (or maybe afford retirement). I guess if they don’t see many people otherwise it may be nice.
I make the same mistake all the time in the US … wanting to answer to “ how do you do?” because I see it as a question
How rude and disrespectful you are! It’s their job, adding value to society and earning their keep. My Mom’s 80 and still working, it keeps her busy and young. Better than sitting in a bodega drinking and smoking her pension, like a Dane!
Stop looking at the US via a Danish lens.
@@adamw8469 Dude if you don't like the vedio don't watch it!
If you don't like how we run things and live our lives in Denmark, then piss off! Our Danish Kingdom 🇩🇰 and how we run things work for a reason and we have done that since
we stop being Norse Pagans (vikings) and became unified as one kingdom with Norway.
If you don't like us that's fine!
Your system is broken and so corrupt in any possible way! And thank the Gods you don't have that cazy ass D. Trump as president any more.
@@peterpoulsen1210 Anger management is appropriate for you. Serious issues.
I've been an exchange student in Iowa in 2007, and I remember talking about evolution with one of my friends, and she just loudly said that she didn't believe in it. I chuckled because I thought it was a joke at first...
Also, in my family we also take our shoes off. I always assume that you have to take your shoes off unless the host says: »You don't have to take your shoes off.«
Hej Mads, that's so funny - it doesn't surprise us much that someone in that part of the country puts religion over science... but the good thing is that evolution exists even if religious folks don't believe in it 😂(no offense to your friend)
@@RobeTrotting // Lol, yes, but unfortunately they are still able to vote ;-)
The most disturbing part of that sentence is "I don't believe in....".
It's not relevant, what you believe, Nature, biology and physics don't care what people believe.
As an American, it is indeed horrifying that around 40% of the population believes in creationism (god created the world 6000 years ago) while rejecting evolution. Some will go so far as to claim that evolution, also called "evil--ution" is satanic. That percentage is rising, especially among the Republican Party.
You guys are so wholesome and respectful in your way of talking! I love these videos👌
I thought I was secretly Danish when I watched your other video, but now I’m convinced.
The shoes indoors thing is cringe. I have a shoe area by the entry doors where it’s very clear that’s how we do things, so if someone ignores it, it’s rude (unless they have a good reason).
As an American, “normal things” here horrify me too. Policing everything is a waste of time and resources! Other things (not mentioned in your video) that horrify me are: our military is ridiculously oversized and overfunded, public schools make children learn and recite the Pledge of Allegiance on a daily basis, and our “polite” interactions with strangers culture (it’s considered rude to not smile or nod at a stranger when passing them type stuff).
Oh Kat, you have to at least visit Denmark - you just might not want to leave haha. We find that we fit in much better here for all of the reasons that you listed. No country is perfect, but for the lifestyle and culture we really prefer living in Denmark (while we still love America).
Same in Norway. Taking of shoes is "mandatory". Had the police come into my house once, and they excused themselves for not taking of their shoes:)
3:38
There's also the whole thing about Europe having so, so many religious wars...
So we kind of have learned to just take a live and let live approach to religion in Europe where talking with eachother about religion is a big no-no...
@torivarnor Yes, we've had *many*...
The northern crusade, the reconquista, the various wars caused by the reformation like the thirty years war...
In the case of England the English civil war was partially a religious war.
And the Netherlands and Flamish speaking parts of Belgium are in different countries because the Netherlands had a large and growing protestant population while the Flamish ones where mainly Catholics and loyal to the Habsburg dynasty of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.
The Hussite Wars...
The Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in France, something that probably played a role in the decline of the Occitan language in France even if it's not wholy to blame.
And so one and so forth...
Oh, and then there's things like the Northern Crusade...
Trust me, we've had *so* many religious wars...
Wars between Catholics and Protestants (the latest one of those being in Northern Ireland), between Orthodox and Catholics.
Between Muslimes and Christians...
Between Orthodox and Protestants...
There's even been a couple of Protestant vs Protestant conflicts between different denominations...
I have never been much outside Denmark so I love to hear your take on the differences in US and DK. Keeper up the good work 😊
Thank you Kate, we will, and thank you for watching 😃
That's it...I'm moving to Denmark. Much more civilized.
You've never been outside of Denmark? Not even Germany or Sweden?
@@supersejkaj3093 she said much, is that hard to understand Kaj kage.
@@kewsoner7924 It wasn't really a question (despite the question mark), I mostly just wanted to express my surprise, though I can see why you got it confused.
As a dane I went to Florida as a high school exchange student. On my first day at school I was very shocked by the guards walking around campus, carrying guns. I had never ever seen a gun before in real life, only in movies.
Here too! My kids school has armed police with rifles. Don’t be ignorant.
@@adamw8469 oh so your kids go to the Jewish school. That's an argument you can't really use.
But hey let's pull them away an open you up to a terror attack, personally im pissed that we use our tax money, protecting a religious closed of group!
Personally I think we should completely ban religious school, schools are for education and not religion, religion is something you can practice at home.
And if you don't want your kids to go to school with the Danes, then guess what I'm sure you can get a plain from kastrup, going directly to Tel Aviv.
I have nothing against Judes, but I have alot against any form of religious schools!
And I have an even bigger problem with stupid comments like yours!
So you had never seen a Danish policeman?
@@malcolmhaig3709 Danish police is not always armed, only at speciel operations. And I have never seen a policeman at my School, and defenetely never a veapon.
@@futtedk3770 I have lived in Denmark for 15 years and I have never seen an unarmed policeman while on duty. Since 1965 ALL Danish police have carried a pistol while performing their duties. Why do you lie?
OK, I have traveled a lot in the US, so I knew just about all of this.
What really horrifies me, however, is the lack of education in the various US police forces. Six months? That is ridiculous!
This could in reality explain why Black Lives Mater ever began!
And in Denmark you will have to pass several psychological tests along the way. All the hot head gunslingers are sent home long before graduation!
It's pretty remarkable, and while there are plenty of police officers who continuously train and learn new skills and have longe education - it's surprisingly quick academy time. There are even "citizens' police" programs where locals can train to be citizen police in 10 weeks... like taking an improv class.
@@williamjones4716, that is not correct as all Danish police get the same basic training. They are one force, not a whole lot of different police forces. I think it’s more likely that the policeman in question and lapsed on his upkeep of how to handle and use his gun due to lack of regular usage. You can bet that that would have been addressed by the whole police department. Danish police learn a whole range of skills on how to interact with the public whereas it seems that in the US all they learn is how to shoot and arrest people.
As for drinking rules. When my older brother goes to a store in the US to buy beer, and is asked for an ID, he freaks.
He is over 60.
My brother is 21 (and btw looks very young) and he could buy beer with no problem in Denmark😂
And he could go into a bar when he was 16 or 17 with a girl bc idk why but the guards dont usually ask girls for ID😂
One Christmas they wouldn’t let us buy alcohol in a grocery store because we only had our EU license 🤦🏻
@@RobeTrotting Don't feel bad. I was turned away once because I tried to use my US Passport (in a town in Missouri) and no one working that night had ever seen a US Passport and could not determine if it was a "legal id." I had to go home (I'd walked) and get my driver's license.
"because.. freedom"
great work as always you guys!
I lived in Austin Texas for a year a few years ago and that was a cultural shock even for me who’s originally from Australia. The whole thing about tipping and the prices was extremely confusing and yes public transport in the US is unfortunately pretty bad
Hey Darren, that's awesome - we love Austin! Great city, but I can only imagine what it was like adjusting to tax, tips and service charges after never dealing with it before. It's so annoying when we go back to the States.
I went to the same hairdressers in Atlanta three times and didn’t realise I was supposed to tip!
This is such an awesome video! I really appreciate it and agree with it as a half-American/half-European.
I’d add the food portion sizes, but definitely didn’t think of all you listed and 100% agree.
Hugs from Germany 😉
Great twist to turn this around! Thanks for another great video.
You guys really seem to enjoy your stay here in Denmark. And that is the feeling I get too when speaking to Americans. You really seem to enjoy/agree on our way of doing things. Not saying ‘Merica isn’t great in its own right, but watching your vids just confirms that we have it pretty great in our little country. Oh, and skål to you as well ;)
This duo is simply fantastic! Make me more confident and excited about getting to Denmark. 4 days left
Having to do a fundraiser for a Child with cancer... That got me 😢
Hej Camilla, sorry for the downer - but yeah, it's really sad that there's not more support for the vulnerable people or for when an unforeseen tragedy strikes. It's nice that the communities usually rally together to help pay for people (but there's a better and easier way 😬).
Yup...all the time. As an American I find it so wrong.
We've recently had some of those for kids needing expensive treatments that haven't been accepted into the government system.
@Bojan V Some maybe raised the money, didn't follow the stories closely.
Also all the war veterans that are homeless because they get scresed over
Great video! I loved what you guys said about Bragging/Winning culture; I didn't even notice it at first but you're so right. In North America, there's very much a Winners vs. Losers dialogue - even among adults - that you just don't hear in Europe. Interesting difference!
But ngl, as someone who grew up in a "shoes off" household, I definitely appreciate the Danish take here 😂 I will never go to the dark side! Haha
Yeah, it's funny how obsessed we get with winning/bragging/self-promoting compared to Europe 😂
We need some Jantelov over here :)
Bragging is an absolute no go in Denmark. It's perfectly ok to say that this and that I find exciting and the busier I deal with at work and am happy and work with. But from there and then say that one is the best; it does not work. Because in the real world, there is always one who is better. What counts in Denmark is that a person who is really good professionally at something, shares his knowledge, helps the one who is not so good at and lifts the entire workplace. And that is recognized and rewarded by both the other employees and the employer. And an important point in Danish culture. Because you are very good at something does not make you a better person than others. It just shows you have knowledge / competence for something. But showing respect and helping others gives high social status. Regardless of profession.
the "winners/losers" mindset is called competition and it's why America became and remains the most powerful country on the planet.
I am using a wheelchair, do to a disability. I was in the US in 2017, on the part of our roadtrip, from Boston to Washington DC. My assistant, went to use the restroom & I went to buy a couple of softdrinks. I discovered that I could not get to the fridge, where the cold softdrinks where. I asked some of the other customers for help, & they almost ran to me, to help me. When I got to the checkout counter, the young girl, who was working in the store, apologized for the fact that she was not the one who, handed me the cold softdrinks. I still have a bit of a smile, when I recall the situation.
That is just a funny example of "extreme" customer service.
Side Note. : Good to know, that you are not known to Danish police. Thanks for the great videos. & yes it seemed to me when I was in the US, that the US way of policing is a lot more visible.
@Rita Roork *cringe* I don't know what to say, there's just soooo much wrong in that last statement. Especially following the first sentence.
Really enjoying your videos. In March, I'm coming to CHP to visit a friend & his husband. Thanks for the tips!
The customer service is so on point. When I visited the states with one of my friends I think we may have offended some servers.
Tipping is also very different. I've never paid tips in Denmark so the first few times paying is the US was pretty weird.
Totally makes sense! If you aren't expecting it then you won't do it (and then the poor server made like 3 dollars for your whole meal!)
@@RobeTrotting well now I just feel bad..
Anyways, thanks for the great content
Love your content and how you hit all the topics that Americans moving to Copenhagen need and want to know. One thing that isn’t addressed is the attitude toward seniors, elderly, and disabled. Curious to know why rental listings point out “no seniors.” It would be great if you could do a segment on how seniors, disabled, and elderly are accommodated or not.
A very uplifting video. Most Danes do not know that we actually live in a country flowing with milk and honey and this is not the case in the rest of the world.
Love your videos. I am Danish and would never ever ask anyone to remove theire shoes before entering my home. Otherwise I can see myself in much of what you are saying.
Probably because anyone Danish will just take them off without asking! 😋
@@meduzazudem56 The shoes-off tradition actually stems from the country side. Nobody wants cow dung on their carpet....
Nice video, nice to hear about differences from real people, instead of the "facts" one is always told about. And like how you often make your videos when you are out and seeing local sites!!!
Thank you so much! We like to think that when the weather is nice and it’s possible to be out and about we should show off this great city and other parts of the country if we are traveling 😃🇩🇰
We were in the US in 2019 and went out to eat - one time the waiter sat down at the end of our table and talked us through the menu - and we were just like wtf are you doing, sitting at the table? - BUT she was kind and the food gr8 :-) thanx for your fun videos :-)
That's so funny - classic American waiter move haha
"Hey guys, I'm Julie, your totally casual, but overly-friendly and desperately relatable server who will be just like your friend by the end of this meal -- see, I'm even sitting with you -- so you should tip me at least 20%" 😂
Glad you still had a good experience and thanks for watching our video! We are thinking of doing a full video comparing Danish vs. American restaurant culture and service.
Our neighbour travelled a lot in the US both privately and for work. Once at a "good" restaurant the service was so poor that he refused to tip AT ALL! He knew this would set them off, but he refused to pay for a bad meal and bad service at a so-called "good" restaurant. The waiter was fuming and raging. Insisting to get his 20 % But come Hell or high water, my neighbour insisted not to tip, stating that if so the service should at least have been good. Auch!
@@birgitteknudtzon1998 just tip 10% the waiter will still be pissed but have no reason to complain, also never tip less than 20% if you are more than a 4 top, especially if you are 8 or 12 people, that seriously screws over the servers.
@@erikrungemadsen2081 A tip should be a gratuity...a thank you for exceptional service...not a supplement (pay your staff a decent wage or shut down!) to the owner's cashflow...personally I refuse to eat at dumps (even posh stuck-up dumps) which impose a fixed service charge...
YES on a specific video about specifically eating/restaurants (wait staff, food, pricing, how to pay, do you clean up, tipping etc) and shopping (how stores look like, how to pay, is there a normal POS vestibule, who helps you, etc)
"Police are a little more trained" excuse me, it takes 3½ years and it's what we call a profession-bachelor, so it's way more than what you get in America! :D And also, the focus is much more on disarming, communication, de-escalation, and the biggest of them all, their training is not militarized. and Skål.
Also the academic demands and screening interviews are brutal, i know people that started preparing years i advance to pass the entry exam. Also the physical requirements are bare minimum if they have to many applicants they start cutting applicants from the bottom up.
Which is probably why we feel much more safe around police officers in general.
When I go to Copenhell, the police is there, because they have to (because of the amount of people), but they do three things: listen to metal with the rest of us, get hugs and people take pictures with them.
@@Raztiana They are just rocking out and flirting with people, apparantly there is a lot of trading going on at the station to catch their favorite bands.
I adore you guys and enjoy your content. I am arriving in DENMARK soon in pursuit of higher studies. I really hope to fit in and blend in quickly and enjoy my studies.
Spot on, once again 👍😀
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching 😃
Every 11 things would horrify me. You nailed this one too! Yet another inspiring and reflecting video from you. Thumbs up.
Fun fact about religion and state religion in DK: In US a politician can use religion as a argument. Like Bush did. In Denmark it is very forbidden to even mention a religius argument in Folketinget. And nobody do!
America would be much better off if that were adopted.
As an Australian (Danish heritage) I have just discovered your channel - it's great keep it up
Even though Canada (my home) is a neighbouring country to the US, I feel like culturally we have more in common with Denmark, at least with regards to the things you’ve pointed out here in this video.
Gun culture ✅ No shoes in the house✅ Universal Healthcare ✅ Religion ✅ Underage Drinking (our legal drinking ages are 18/19) ✅
BUT…
Shopping/Dining Out - (we’re not as “in your face” as American sales people), we might learn our server’s name in a restaurant, but the fake bubbliness is toned down.
Our police training is more similar to the US, but the police behave differently here (most of the time-lots of improvement needed though).
We add taxes at the counter in Canada and we tip in restaurants.
Our public transport is horrible too.
Public drinking is not officially allowed in Canada, but if you’re discreet about it, you can definitely enjoy a drink in a park or at the beach and police won’t get in your face or really care.
Great video. Very spot on :). Thank you! - Kim
Most horrifying: arrest adults for being drunk. And 6 mth police training. I hope they dont get a gun right away... They probably do.
Least horrifying. Shoes inside.
Yeah, it’s pretty wild how you can be arrested for “public drunkenness” - it’s pretty arbitrary how it’s enforced.
I heard that some county sheriff deputies only get 5-6 weeks of training. Can you even become a hotdog vendor with 5 weeks education in Denmark?
In the old Police academy movies it is 12 weeks.
@@erikrungemadsen2081 a movie! Not real life!
@@adamw8469 No But some facts from movies are true, like D- day taking place in France in Saving private Ryan. Even if Ryan never existed and fact is in 1986-1997 it took 400-445 hours of trainning to become a police officer or 12 weeks as the movie explains. Today it actually takes 24 weeks to become a police officer but in actuality it only takes 640 hours of course work to graduate.
And i wish real life reflected those movies more, because atleast those police officers where respected by the communities they served. A task the modern American police apparantly have failed utterly at.
Thank you for your videos that are super educational, also for a Dane. You are amazingly knowledgeable and true to fact.
On the topic of picnicking in cemetaries:
I would like to add the following facts: It is a new thing to do and it still horrifies some elderly people. And a word of caution or respect: You are still in a cemetary. I was at a funeral where a relatively young person was being buried, and there were people sitting on the grass nearby having beers. Not so funny. So the (new) tradition is that if you see a funeral or a crying family laying flowers on a tomb you quickly and discretely move out of sight to another nice spot.
Watching these videos makes something veeeerrry clear to me......if America and Denmark had a baby it would definitely be Canada hands down😂
Bwaaahahaha! Good one! :D
really enjoying your guys videos! just spent 2 months studying in copenhagen and absolutely fell in love with denmark, so these vids bring me back :)
Omg i loved the ending with you guys celebrating the freedom here in Denmark XD
Me too - I was waiting for the phrase: 'Because we can' though 😅
Really love your funny, intelligent, and interesting, observations❤❤
Something many Danes don't know because it's not really enforced is that public intoxication is actually also illegal in Denmark. The law is only used if you're a nuisance or a danger to yourself (for example, you're so drunk that you might fall onto train tracks acidentally)
Not exactly correct, but you are pointing out an important matter.
We don't have an ABV (promillegrænse) for walking around in public. But the law does say that if you're becoming a problem to the public, police is allowed to put you into detention, until they judge you not a problem anymore. It'll not show up in your criminal records or anything, but they can take your freedom until you're sober. On the other hand, often those that are so drunk that the police want to take them in will try to resist the police, and that's when it ends up on your record.
If you can keep your calm and behave nicely, they'll never bring you in for a sleepover at the station. And most often when you are visibly intoxicated they'll first ask you to just go home.
Reminds me of another law that says that bars/pubs/clubs are not allowed to serve you another drink if you're visibly intoxicated... Least enforced law ever.
@@BenjaminVestergaard Sometimes they will even drive you home if they don't feel like doing paperwork or the slammer is already full. My mom has tried that after a Christmas party where the last few shots hit really hard when she went out in the cold. She got so dizzy that she couldn't navigate and ended up lurching on a fence. The female police officer held a vomit bag for her in the back seat (pretty much by force) while they drove her home :D
I’m a Dane with close American ties as my mother was born and raised in Minnesota. While I’ve visited the US several times, I’ve never lived there. You are spot on about the things that will horrify Danes. They definitely horrify me.
I find the obvious corruption going on in the US political system horrifying including the fact that some members of Congress can get away with saying the most outrages and defamatory things about other people without consequences. People like Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert wouldn’t get very far in Danish politics. Fortunately!
The lack of political action with regards to gun violence is totally insane in my opinion. After massive shootings it’s always “thoughts and prayers” as if that is going to prevent new shootings. It’s the insaneness of repeating the same action over and over hoping for a different result. To me, it sounds like many Americans who have never traveled beyond the borders of the US, seem to think that mass shootings are a daily occurrence in other countries as well. They most certainly are not.
Danes are indeed competitive, some more than others. We generally don’t like losing any more than the next guy, but bragging about one’s accomplishments is a no-no. If you are really good at something, word will get around. Other people will “brag” about you.
I have a different belief system than the Danish state church and don’t mind talking about religion at all. It makes a lot of Danes very uncomfortable even to the extent where people feel sorry for you that you have a religious belief, aka that you aren’t strong enough to live your life without a crutch. I totally disagree on that one, but even I balk at the in-your-face preaching done some places in the US.
To deny basic scientific facts is beyond stupidity. Abusing religion to justify this standpoint is no acceptable excuse. But I understand better why so many people in the US, compared to other countries, allegedly so willingly will believe in crazy pseudo science such as flat earth theories. In my book there is no conflict between true science and true religion.
Science keeps us grounded as religion without science reverts to superstition. But science without religion as a moral, ethical foundation leads to inventions (such as nuclear bombs) of instruments for the destruction of humanity instead of remedies for its peace and prosperity.
And no, the earth was not created in only six days, but that does not deny the fact of an unknowable universal creator far above our understanding. You can accept science and still believe creation of the universe and all therein was sparked by a supreme intelligence.
And yeah, the mere idea of walking around indoors with outside footwear is almost sacrilege.
I’ve never been stopped by a policeman in Denmark, though i’ve seen many encounters with them and criminals. So when I went to the US for vacation and was stopped several times I felt like a real criminal :((
I was stopped in my car driving home from some friends at 3 am in the night. A police car stopped me, and I had to pull over. Then they tested me for the whole shebang: alcohol, MDMA, marijuana, heroin etc. The ordeal took about 30-40 minutes, so I was pretty tired afterwards, but I am honestly glad they do those tests once in a while.
And no, I didn't test positive ;-)
Don't take it so personally, it was likely just a procedural thing
I live in Denmark, and I got stopped all the time, for alot of reasons, specially when i was a teenager. I dont know why. My police record is clean, and im native danish 😅
@Dri Ven To be fair I could also see how someone might say that it's scary how acting a little strange warrants a full stop as well...
I’ve been stopped in Copenhagen for random tests, on Skelbækgade, back in the day. No big deal if you’re not doing anything wrong
The finishing sentence encapsulates much: “Because … freedom!”. 😁👏🏼
A little cheeky, but it’s kind of ironic how much Americans are made to think that we are the only free ones, or at least the most free ones in the world.
Subscribe to you guys ever since I started talking to a Danish men hahaha been wanting to know more about him and his culture and you guys make it fun to get an inside haha great video 😆
Skål guys ;) i really like your videos
And glad to have you here in Denmark
Derek and Mike ! Totally true ☺️ ! The Danish Travel Board should hire you guys 😃 ! LOL! Think we could call you both "Ameridanes" 😄😄😄 !`Proud to have your here 😀 !!
Thank you so much! That’s a high compliment 😃🇩🇰
No Compliment intended! Your just really good people ❤️❤️❤️
Hello from Central Florida 25 F. 555 pm. Cool for You are this time of the year!!! You both did a great job with Jellingestenen. I have not heard you say anything about Harald Bluetooth and who invented this for my computer!!
Regarding bragging, the late Walter Mondale (senator, vice-president, ambassador) said that in the Norwegian-American community he grew up in, bragging was considered as serious as lying. Of course Norway isn't Denmark, but I imagine they're culturally similar.
I'm American, and some of these things horrify me!
Nice touch with the beer in the bottom right hand corner in the end. Great video as always guys, skål 🙂🍻
I thought the shoes were more of a Swedish thing. I don't normally think to take my shoes off, when I am inside.
I got caught in the "no public transportation" one on my first US trip. I was going to a wedding in a small town in Texas. When I got to Dallas airport I called for instructions on what bus or train to take, there weren't any, and I had no drivers licence, so couldn't rent a car. Thankfully another wedding guest was flying in, so I could go with him.
One difference that did horrify me : I changed into my swimsuit on the beach in Galveston. My American friends told me, that I could have been arrested for that. Public nudity. I had not even thought about it.
Hej Morten, it sounds like you got lucky with the wedding trip! It's a bit sad how we don't do a better job connecting our cities with buses and light rail (at least from the airports is important).
The changing on the beach is funny, we are really strangely afraid of nudity in America. We have no idea why, but it's so taboo to be seen nude - even to the point of arresting or fining people.
@Rita Roork But how is it immoral to be nude on a beach. It’s a body, we all have bodies- and you seem to believe in God, and from what I heard you will then believe the God created the humans.
@Rita Roork If you can't change into and out of your swimsuit on the beach, how are you supposed to go for a swim?
@@RobeTrotting just one comment (or two).
In the US nudity is a crime, but eweryone is nude or semi-nude in movies, tv-shows, music videos etc
In the US underage drinking is elegal. But they almost always drink in movies etc.
maybe instead of notices for rude language, violence etc shown in cinemas before the movie or in the corner of some tv-shows, they should start stating "this movie is NOT reprecentative regarding: alcohol, nudity, sexual activities, etc. Only thing in this movie acurately displayed might be the way the police act." ;)
I love you guys and your videos :D Wish you all the best!
Thank you so much for watching and your support. Sending love right back to you 😃
Another thing that scares me as a Dane is how easy it is to get a drivers license in the us. And that there is no need for a teacher, but you can simply use your parents as a guide.
And how easy it is to get your hands on a gun.
I may be incorrect on this, if soo, then you're welcome to correct me.
You are incorrect about driving licenses. In the US you can get a driver’s permit at 14 without any formal education after studying the basics on your own and passing a written test. This means you can drive if there’s a licensed adult/parent in the front seat. In order to get your full driver’s license at 16 and drive on your own, you have to take and pass a driver’s education course and complete a certain amount of hours driving with your instructor. Many people take this as a course in high school. There’s also private driving schools. I took driver’s ed through the local community college during the summer between my freshman (9th grade) and sophomore (10th grade) years so that when I turned 16 in November of sophomore year I could immediately get my license on my birthday. This is for my state of Iowa: iowadot.gov/mvd/resources/MM690_InstructionPermitCard.pdf
Driving is such a necessity in the US because everything is so large and spread out. Which also means we don’t have efficient public transportation because it would be hugely expensive to build the networks that would be required to replace a car.
I had to take driver's education at high school. It was half a year during gym hours. Before I could get my permit. After having the permit driving practice was just with parents or anyone over 18 with a valid license. And I had to have my permit for almost a year before I could take the test to get my license. Now I live in Denmark. No license anymore. Lol. This may have changed since then.
Beautiful video!
Thank you so much for the kind words and thanks for watching 😊
i couldn't stop laughing at how it looked like as if they were playing a game of ping pong as they were talking, everytime one looked at the other he'd turn his head right before the other would make eye contact, best example would be 2:33
LOL! great observation
Keep up the great work
Thank you 😊 🇩🇰
Wish I had known the thing about tipping- a few years ago I went to the US Virgin Islands, and looked quite a fool in the first restaurant I went to... lol - and to top it I am horrible at percentages in math... :)
It takes a while to get used to, but we’re really quick at figuring out 20% of anything now 😂
And I’m your defense, those islands used to be Danish 🇩🇰
Double the tax and round up- that's your tip
Love these vids!
Thank you for watching 😊
Hi :) There is also a big difference between getting a driving license in the US and Denmark. :)
Oh man we definitely know that! One day we can talk about how it took Mike 18 months to get a Danish drivers license....
@@RobeTrotting You should definitely do a video on the differences between American and Danish driver education.
But for driver license the US age limit (16 right?) is better.
@@RobeTrotting how on earth did it take 18 months. Usually just 2-3 months.
Usually....the process is that the police department where your license was issued (in my case, Philadelphia), needs to reply to a letter from the Copenhagen police confirming the license is real and you can drive legally. Philadelphia never replied after many months, then I got a letter in my e-boks that the application is denied and my temporary license is revoked. By then my US license had expired, had to go back and get a new one, and it was pure hell 😩😩😩
Great vid, guys. One addition to the shoes-off-in-the-house thing. Most people I know adhere to what we call the Uffe Buchard Rule: If you are having a "dressy" party (or for that matter a dress party) you NEVER ask your guests to remove their shoes. That's just an insult to the time they spent on picking out the outfit.
Party today and worry about the floors tomorrow, as I am sure Uffe would say.
Sometimes I wonder why Americans feel they are in a free country when a lot of freedom has been taken away from them without realizing it.
The biggest lesson for us since moving to Denmark is that freedom comes in a number of different ways. Sure it may feel like higher taxes or more regulations protecting workers takes away freedom, but the trade-off is a system that lets people be more free in their choices.
@@RobeTrotting Gotta say, I never once thought of taxes as a freedom issue. They certainly suck, but I don't feel less free because of them.
@@Heeman1119 If they removed the benefits we get from our taxes, you wouldn't say they sucked anymore. Watch the video Traveling Young did about US vs DK taxes, despite the US taxes are lower, they can very easy end up paying loads more.
@Rita Roork ... and yet at the same time when they wrote this they had slaves.
@Rita Roork I can't believe I am seeing this. I know who the traitors were and was certainly not Lincoln.
Love your videos Guys, keep it up :)
I constantly have to back away from debating price including taxes with Americans online. It's like a whole different reality, and it's absolutely no use getting agitated and bang your head against that particular wall.
Interesting fact about Danish police and guns. The used to be unarmed until a rather gruesome episode where a robber gunned down four officers in 1965, after that it was made mandatory for officers to wear sidearms.
True, wasnt the phrase. 4-0 til palle used alot if i remember correctly
@@niklaslund2204 possibly. I wasn't born until 22 years later, so can't really tell :)
@@Hjorth87 Just checked, it was the phrase 4-0 til palle. I remember it from school in my early years. Was born in 90. And alot of classmates used 4-0 til palle. We never understood the meaning untill we got a bit older and our teacher explained it
I see people walking and bicycling in the background, you rarely see that in the US in quiet areas.
a similar concept to the restaurant is phone support, where you have to sit through 15 minutes of empathy before you are allowed to get your problem solved.
That really grates on my nerves as a Dane, and especially when you ask them to skip all the empathy and is told that they are not allowed to do that (true story).
Yes! It’s really bad 😂 if someone is in need of help enough to call you, they just need quick answers haha.
I love it when you get the “would you like for us to call you back when an employe is available,” it is the best feature ever.
Hej, jeg er fra danmark, det var faktisk ret sjovt at se det. Bliv ved med det gide arbejde😃
Hello from Jylland💖
Hej Jylland 🇩🇰😀
Let's also remember, that when there WAS an active shooter, in a Mall - it took the Danish Police SIX MINUTES... from being alerted until they had the shooter in custody.
Many good examples! Another one that comes to mind is police corruption - pretty much unheard of in Denmark. And food deserts, linked to the structure of big cities in the US, and the huge variation in quality of public education, from district to district in the US.
Hey Karsten, those are all really good example too - and some are quite upsetting to most Americans too.
I see you guys growing rapidly.
Do you ever consider making a meet and greet?
Hej Kristian, we are actually thinking about it now that things are somewhat open.
In the next week or so we are going to start a Facebook group to be able to organize some meet ups or social activities.
@@RobeTrotting great news.
You earn a danish tip 👌
love the vid!
and i agree on most of it :D much love from this dane :D
also Randers Regnskov :D just sayin you gotta go there, not just for a vid but for the fun of it :D
Yeah, Randers Regnskov is interesting and educational. I love just wandering around and seeing what I can discover.
Funny to hear how you have adapted!!
My brother and I, jumped over the walls of Assistenten, one night at 11:50pm. And we went to the grave of Scholtenberg, to share beer with him. For each beer we drank, we poured one whole beer on the ground of his grave. That was out of respect for the man, who granted the slaves on the virgin islands their freedom. Then we went to a bar on vesterbrogade, and got a couple of more beer's. My brother actually took me around the most dangerous places at that time, and it was all quiet.
@@williamjones4716 Yes. I was wrong on the name.
(Swede here, fairly similar culture to Denmark)
A friend god dutch boyfriend a couple of years ago, and his culture was to wear shoes indoor. I accidently solved this by giving my friend a pack of indoor slippers - turned out his mind had less of an issue with indoor shoes rather than no shoes indoor (the compromise was good enough).
This might be a valid compromise for those that just feel uncomfortable without shoes indoor, bring (soft, no hard soles) slippers with you and change.
In the US, one is “allowed” to go to war and risk your life - but one cannot buy a beer…… extremely weird.😵
And one time you were 'enforced'... hint hint the Draft.
And vote. The voting age for all elections is 18. But no drinking to celebrate your winning party/candidate until you are 21!
imagine going to war for a country that doesn't give a shit about you.
Often guests can keep on shoes if it's a quick visit (and especially for a dinner party) but yeah... we take our shoes off inside (and some even have slippers (called hjemmesko - home shoes)
Oh yeah, we are big fans of house slippers :)
I have a small hair shop in my home, and every day I have to tell my clients to keep their shoes on, because I don’t want them to get hairs in their socks ;)
I get that it’s a politeness issue, but if they walk in to a salon setting, they wouldn’t take their shoes off...
On the other hand I always ask if it’s ok that I keep my shoes on when I go to clients homes, and I always get a yes!!
So I think it’s more an ingrained routine they get from their parents, so it seems polite to take the shoes of - but you are not always directly asked to anymore - maybe because it’s become more common to have hard floors instead of carpet...
In those instances, it makes a lot of sense to keep them on... but Sabina, are you saying that you could have helped us with Mike's lock-down hair? 😂 We needed you!
@@RobeTrotting I probably could have ;) the lockdown only applied to shops, not the work itself, so I was able to work in my clients homes for a while before lockdown lifted.... I did keep completely closed until mid February, and only worked 2 clients a day after the infection rate hit around 1....
And - I only visited after a negative covid test and only with mask mandate ;) I even got tested twice a week then, and still do ;)
Again a great video :-)
The bragging thing in Denmark is a lot different.
If you are awesome at something your talents or accomplishment should speak for themselves.
If you have to pad yourself on the back, you are likely not very good at it.
Yeah, that rule rings true here too. For judging something, I have the general rule of "If the only ones who like you are others who are like you, then you may have a problem. If the only ones who can tolerate you are others like you, then you absolutely have a problem." I use thos rule to dismiss certain negative aspects of various cultures which I find can be more productive then bundling everything together.
In the US, if you don't toot your own horn, your horn will never get tooted. 👀
Great video guys! You perfectly pointed out things about US that are horryfying to all Europeans, not only Danes. 😄