Derek is such a light sleeper - he really struggles in the summer since he's not used to it. BUT... on the weekends it's why he never wants to leave the bar haha.
The reason our shops close early is due to the market laws and employment laws and employee union guidelines. Basically the longer shops are open, the harder the work conditions will be for the employees and the harder it will be for families with smaller children, etc to work in retail. We prefer a very high standard of welfare for the general population including all workers. But grocery stores are open until 9-10 pm while clothing stores, leisure, and other retail closes at 5-6 pm. Simply because its more important to reach the food shops after work than to go shopping for materialistic goods. We're not really into massive consumerism and collecting and spending a lot is not seen as "doing well" or being "well of" but instead being wasteful and shallow and without appreciating the value of stuff.
Generally I feel like other than the high voices, habits of disposable plastics, and high electrical bills (I've been in the US on an internship once) Americans are very well suited for living in Denmark as we love people who strive for happiness and positivity and are openminded and curious. And those are some of the key values we usually connect to Americans who travel. We also value discipline and being on time etc, and it's not always that obvious how much we value hard work, as a lot of work is self-disciplined and not controlled by supervisors and therefore appear invisible or appear as though we just leave early from work and don't do much because no one is on our back to watch it.
As a Dane I can say that many of us find the thing about gifts when visiting people a bit difficult to figure out, because it really depends on the social settings and the individuel persons upbringing. My rule of thumb is usually to bring something the first couple of times if they are inviting to dinner (or any social gathering where they basically have spent a bit of money on you), but not if it's just hanging out in other peoples appartment getting coffee or a beer. it's basically an unwritten rule, that everyone have their own interpretation of.
Oh this is really good to hear because we definitely follow the same approach now - but it's a bit tricky to navigate at first. When we first arrived we mostly hung out with expats and our apartment was one of those 'temporary furnished apartments' for business travel, so we really didn't entertain. When we moved to a more traditional apartment and had friends come over we noticed we would receive host gifts and that we may have made some social missteps early on by forgetting haha. Now we bring a small gift to dinner parties or small gatherings but maybe not a large party (or maybe just a bottle of whatever we are drinking to that kind of event).
Ice cube trays - most fridges comes with an ice cube tray when you buy it but most Danes switched to single use ice cube bags about 10-15 years ago. You’ll find them next to tin foil, backing paper and freezer bags at any grocery store.
Ah, yes we have found them and the large bags of ice (for parties mostly). I think we've realized now that Americans like a lot of ice in their drinks compared to other countries. The single-use ice cube bags are a neat item though. We ended up bringing some typical American ice cube trays back with us after a while, so now we use those and add extra ice with bags when we host friends and need some extra ice for drinks :)
@@RobeTrotting The icecube bags are most likely used because of the limited use for ice for 9 months of the year, but when we do need it, it can be quite considerable. So it is considered better to have the capacity to make hundreds of cubes in one go to clear that need, and then leave the bags in some drawer for the rest of the year. It should also be noted that fridges and freezers with ice cube makers have gotten somewhat more common the last 20 years. Still not common, but there is likely at least one household in a friend circle with one.
@@UnintentionalSubmarine Yes, that's true - there's not a huge need outside of the summer. We also get to use the balcony as an extra beer refrigerator those months, which is a nice bonus haha.
@@RobeTrotting Oh yes, the largest fridge known to man, and all within easy reach. Also perfect for when you make Christmas food and can't stuff it all into the fridge.
@@RobeTrotting I like odd ice cube trays I use them to make chocolates for christmas. I get a few laughs when I make them in the form of male genitalia.
The first one is really important! PLEASE don't be afraid to talk english to us! As a cashier it is SO nerve wrecking to have someone in front of you and they say absolutely nothing and you don't know if it's because you should talk english to them. A lot of people in denmark are bilingual, if not danish and english, then english and something else or danish or something else, and it is kinda hard to know which one it is and I don't want to disrespect anyone by assuming So PLEASE if you don't talk danish, give us a hint!!
It is only the first time you visit a new home that it´s good manners to bring a gift. It could be viewed at as over the top to keep on coming with gifts.
Clubs and volunteer organisations is a core part of Danish society. We don't have stuff like band class in school or College football teams. All of this you do in clubs during afternoons or evenings.
Clubs and volunteering are such a great way to get involved and learn more about Denmark while meeting people. Also a great addition to mention that all activities are done in the afternoon and evening - this is a bit different for Americans especially 😀
My recommendation for you, is to see Skagen. You can see two ocances meet. Bornholm, just because it's Bornholm. XD Plz, See more of Denmark. Denmark has so much more to offer... So see Denmark when it opens up again.
Subscriber 66 here! Isn’t it always the little things that make such a difference! (Ice cube trays). I love how everyone uses public transport or bikes. We biked everywhere in Japan. Americans have to embrace this concept.
It's really nice being able to bike everywhere - having great transportation and a dedicated bike lane across the city and into the exurbs makes it a lot easier to promote biking. It started back in the oil crisis, just before our time, but they invested in all the bike lanes then and people just preferred it over time. Danes will even bike to work in the snow (we admit that we take the metro and train when it snows).
The gift thing is so wrong tbh... I'll NEVER EVER EVER!!! expect gift. Bring a gift for a bigger occasion.. graduation, house-warming gift, promotion.. that sort of things... If you're coming over for a bbq or a simple dinner, yes, it might be a nice gesture if you bring a bottle of wine or some beers (depending on nice dinner or informal bbq ect), but it's NOT expected... I've already picked out the wine/beverages in advance, and made sure there's PLENTY of it. If you insist on bringing something, think about who you're visiting, if it's a couple, some flowers for the lady of house.. if you're visiting a single guy then.. most likely, he'll be embarrassed and not really know what the heck to do with the gift.. sure, an imported beer might be a thing.. but tbh.. if he's not a beer guy then......
These are good points, we should have explained it a little bit better that it’s more for a first time in someone’s home or a new home and that wine, beer or flowers will do when it’s appropriate 🇩🇰👍
@@RobeTrotting True, good point about a first visit, making a good impression. But after that, then.. idk, for me, personally, it'll become weird. Like this awkward cycle of feeling obligated to "return the favour" sorta thing. You already touched on this, in some of your other vids, about Danes and "we should meet sometime", where we're more literal, almost to the point of you saying that, then it's viewed as a "binding contract" you've obligated yourself to :P (you brought me something nice, now I have to try and find something nice/cool for you...)
I don't know about the gift thing - if it is a housewarming, moving away party or a birthday you bring a gift, but other than that I never bring a gift.
Yeah, we've heard it much more situational than we first thought (so we're not as self-conscious as before). When people started bringing us gifts here and there for hosting we worried that we really missed something major but I guess not 🙏
Gotta say that it is really not expected to bring gifts when visiting other. Of course if it's a birthday or any other celebrations but not for a social visiting. I have never done that expect as mentioned for special ocasions. And ice trays you can find many places.
LOL !! BTW! Supermarkets are mostly open from 7AM - 10PM all week long. Other shops usually close around 6/7ish PM on weekdays and 4PM on weekends. 7-eleven (most places) is open 24/7 ! And they have the BEST croissants ;-D !
Yes, so different than when we first arrived and thought a 24 hour Walmart Super Store was just the way of the world 😂😂😂 In reality, we didn't expect things to be open so late, but we were a little surprised that shops like H&M weren't open until 10pm. Now we prefer it that way - people shouldn't have to work that late just because you want a new pair of jeans haha. We have some friends who moved to CPH from NYC in October and they were surprised by this, we told them in a year they would feel much better about it. It's nice that things are less commercial and consumeristic in Denmark.
@@RobeTrotting Your good people! And yeah, in a year your friends from NYC will get it (Corona permitting). But you still need to tell us, how you ended up in CPH? BTW! Apart from you two, I also share sites and videos from two other American expats ( on FB). Each of U bring something different to the table :-) ! I don't know any of U "from Adam", but Y'all seem nice..., so there :-D ! Take care ;-) !!
@@KHValby Ah, that's very cool! The expat community here is really cool and we like watching the other expat YT channels as well and some from Sweden. We moved here for Mike's job but it was pretty random and happened SUPER fast. We'll probably go over it in more detail in a video. Derek's 4th anniversary of landing at CPH is this month, so we figured that may be a good time to do a video with some reminiscing on how we got here and what we learned in 4 years :-)
@@RobeTrotting Super glad that there's an expat "gang" :-D out there! Love it :-) ! We know we're not that easy to get close to, but if you do.. you have Friends for life :-) !! Over and Out :-) !
@@RobeTrotting Being "Humble" is just part of Danish DNA :-) ! Since we are a small country...., hard to find on any map :-D ! We're questionable ;-) ! How did you guys end up here!? Tell us a story! We love good story's ;-) !! And based on the amount who follow you...., We like you :-D ! Just say'in ;-) !
If you’re in need of ice, there are some bags you can buy that are made to be filled only by water, afterwards it will separate into cubes, plop it in the freezer and you’ll be good to go after it’s frozen up :)
We REALLY dislike those haha. Not just the waste of plastic, but it's not enough to satisfy our American taste for ice-cold beverages haha. We really had no idea how much more ice we used compared to the rest of the world - even in the winter when it's below freezing we over-fill our drinks with ice cubes 😂🙈
@@RobeTrotting yeah well their is a reason we call it American fridges 😅 It might be because of alcoholic preferences 🤔 the Danes normally drink “iced” snaps and beer, where I don’t see the colonies having spirits in the freezer, most culture comes from booze is my understanding 😂
True, I guess some things are regional but our experiences of daily living and working have been in Copenhagen and Sjælland (besides a few work trips in Jylland). We love seeing more of Denmark and try to do trips around other parts but have never lived anywhere else in DK 😀
At my first US visit outside of NYC I realized how bad public transportation is in the US... Lets just say it took us 2 taxi rides and 5 miles of walking to, in the end, catch a greyhound bus in Miami... Had hoped for a train, but the last train of the day had left at 11 AM??? Should have done better research... The direct greyhound from Key West would have been faster and cheaper than accepting the free ride of some friends to Miami... Lesson learnt, and I understand why you can wish you did the reverse research. Edit: No, you don't have to bring a gift every time, but when you visit some place, for the first time, no matter how long you've known people, it's custom to at least bring a flower... So if your long time friend moves into a new apartment or house, you bring a moving-in gift, be it flowers, kitchen towels or an icecube tray, doesn't matter... but you do bring a gift to somewhere you haven't been before. In Chinese culture it's different, if you're invited you don't just bring "five bananas" (five fingers of your hand being empty)... But Denmark does not have that habit, it's only when you move. That said, I don't think any Dane would refuse to receive a small gift.
I'm just curious if you have considered or already have done a very classic way for Danes to go on holiday: a European road trip? Hehe it was my favourite thing as a kid, and still is today actually... just get in a car and drive through Germany and then hop to the different European countries that are connected from there, you can really get a lot of great scenery and culture in that way ^-^
I go to Denmark twice a year and stay for about a month with my Danish fam. A few things I didn’t know, you need a coin for a grocery cart, you need a clock to put in your windshield for parking in the cities (got a ticket in Ribe for that) and its illegal to get hand or face tattoos. I have finger and hand tattoos so I always get a few looks. Also Danes love to stare and they don’t care. I know not to make small talk but when I’d get some folks just staring at me, I’d ask my danish friend what are they staring at, should I say something? He said we always look at interesting things but that doesn’t mean we want your life story or for you to come over and talk, we just like to stare, that’s all. Lolol
OMG. This staring thing is such a minefield. In America, depending on the sex of the person staring and being stared at, you might possibly get a black eye! In the UK, it's almost the same or even worse - one does not stare and it is not socially acceptable! They are now trying to pass a law to make staring, especially what they call "sexualized staring" (don't ask me how they would determine that) a criminal offence. In many countries, staring is considered an aggressive gesture and you may find yourself in hostile situations if you do that and never, ever stare at a woman you don't know if you are a man.
note Danes expect you to become Danish this doesn't mean citizenship but does mean learn the language or try too be part of the flow not against it remember the rule all are equal your no better than me Danes love life but work hard and expect you too
This is definitely true, and taking Danish lessons to at least be able to speak at a beginner level was important. We love learning more about and experiencing Danish culture, we just can't break some habits - like needing a lot of ice in our drinks haha.
So Derek and Mike. Is Derek "Red T-shirt guy, with Bikes" and is Mike "Capt. America" ? Would be nice to put a face to your names ;-) ! Since I'm new to your channel!
OMG it was so easy for me when I came in 1986...And you are pretty much talking about life in Copenhagen. A lot of what you talk about dose not apply to all of Danmark. That’s like telling everyone that California is like this., or the whole of USA...
Great guide, easy to understand why you guys were city-hopping though, it *is* convenient. Expats in Copenhagen and similar FB groups are also quite handy for people to join before/when they arrive, to get a taste and have a few people to meet - plenty will be going through or recently tried something similar. So which of the two "evils" do you prefer, summer sun or winter sun? or those 4 days either side that are normal...
Thanks Ricky! It is super convenient to fly around from Copenhagen and for American's, it's really hard to resist the cheap fares and numerous options. The expat groups proved to be really helpful when we first arrived and they still help with questions and connecting with new people. Overall I think we enjoy summers in Denmark more than winter, but the sun is still really tough to sleep with. Late August is kind of the golden period with a nice sunlight balance and (hopefully) decent weather. It all depends on what week summer is I guess haha.
@@RobeTrotting Yes, there is and you have to get a permit if you want to keep open after 2 in the morning. The permits are usually till 5 in the morning. They have even stopped handing out these all night permits, because there are too many bars now which generate a lot of problems.
@@RobeTrotting There are few places which are open later, but we still do have rules like every other country. The difference is that alcohol here is expensive in bars and restaurants, so people tend to stay home for pre drinks. We usually leave home at 22:00 (but also later). That’s why bars are open late here.
@@dennissanfilippo8836 Sure, we could have explained that in more detail or said "later last call" etc. And you're spot on about late start times and the expenses of alcohol contributing to a different drinking/bar culture (going out later, pre-drinks, having drinks in parks instead of a pub, etc). It may be an interesting topic to take a deeper dive into for the future :)
For the Americans (and others) the "CPR-number" is basically the US social security number on steroids. It is your personal ID number assigned at birth and is used as a login with 2-factor authentication for anything related to health, insurance, taxes, banking, digital signing of document, online purchases, and basically any case where an entity needs to confirm that you are who you claim you are. Oh and you can't just aquire the birth logs from a hospital and count the rows from your own birthday to calculate another person's social security number, because that would be a silly and ill thought through system... Right, America?
The reason you won't find many icecube trays in DK, I believe could be due to the national pride over the invention of the single-use ice cube bag (isterningeposen på dansk) by danish inventor Erling Vangedal-Nielsen, patented in 1977/78 :)
Or maybe you should consider that some older people have not had English in school or gone to school after 4th, 5th, 6th grade? and therefor do not speak english. So they're not being weird. But being 12, you have your whole life and good upbringing to teach these old folks how to or translate for them because after all you would do that, wouldn't you? 😏
Gifts? Most Danes wouldn´t even bring a gift for a birthday party, unless its a close friend or family. Its kind of an outdated social rule that now only applies to old people and big city academics, far as i can tell. I lived here 30 years in 5 different cities and i sure as hell never had anyone presenting me with tribute like some emperor when i opened the door to a party i was throwing.
@@RobeTrotting Yeah that´s kind of what I'm saying. Students and working class people don´t generally give gifts, academics and the older generation do, "different".
I like your content but my rhetoric education really wants to see you leave the manuscript and editing a little behind and try a more natural approach. That said: keep it up! You get better Vid by vid. :)
Be careful using the word "Expat" because a lot of racist use it because they do not know what it means: if you are employed by a company and this company sends you to another country you are an expat - if you move to another country for a job you are just a migrant. Especially British racists like to use the term expat to distance themselves from dark skinned or poor migrants. So be careful when using wrong vocabulary ;-)
@@RobeTrotting In the past years the term has been especially misused around Brexit. Loads of British retires in Spain want to call themselves "Expats", but are just retired migrants. Good that you used it right :-)
The long summer nights are the best thing about Denmark
Derek is such a light sleeper - he really struggles in the summer since he's not used to it. BUT... on the weekends it's why he never wants to leave the bar haha.
The reason our shops close early is due to the market laws and employment laws and employee union guidelines. Basically the longer shops are open, the harder the work conditions will be for the employees and the harder it will be for families with smaller children, etc to work in retail. We prefer a very high standard of welfare for the general population including all workers. But grocery stores are open until 9-10 pm while clothing stores, leisure, and other retail closes at 5-6 pm. Simply because its more important to reach the food shops after work than to go shopping for materialistic goods. We're not really into massive consumerism and collecting and spending a lot is not seen as "doing well" or being "well of" but instead being wasteful and shallow and without appreciating the value of stuff.
Generally I feel like other than the high voices, habits of disposable plastics, and high electrical bills (I've been in the US on an internship once) Americans are very well suited for living in Denmark as we love people who strive for happiness and positivity and are openminded and curious. And those are some of the key values we usually connect to Americans who travel. We also value discipline and being on time etc, and it's not always that obvious how much we value hard work, as a lot of work is self-disciplined and not controlled by supervisors and therefore appear invisible or appear as though we just leave early from work and don't do much because no one is on our back to watch it.
As a Dane I can say that many of us find the thing about gifts when visiting people a bit difficult to figure out, because it really depends on the social settings and the individuel persons upbringing. My rule of thumb is usually to bring something the first couple of times if they are inviting to dinner (or any social gathering where they basically have spent a bit of money on you), but not if it's just hanging out in other peoples appartment getting coffee or a beer.
it's basically an unwritten rule, that everyone have their own interpretation of.
Oh this is really good to hear because we definitely follow the same approach now - but it's a bit tricky to navigate at first. When we first arrived we mostly hung out with expats and our apartment was one of those 'temporary furnished apartments' for business travel, so we really didn't entertain. When we moved to a more traditional apartment and had friends come over we noticed we would receive host gifts and that we may have made some social missteps early on by forgetting haha. Now we bring a small gift to dinner parties or small gatherings but maybe not a large party (or maybe just a bottle of whatever we are drinking to that kind of event).
this is so true
@@RobeTrotting when in doubt, I always bring a bottle of alcohol haha ;)
Ice cube trays - most fridges comes with an ice cube tray when you buy it but most Danes switched to single use ice cube bags about 10-15 years ago. You’ll find them next to tin foil, backing paper and freezer bags at any grocery store.
Ah, yes we have found them and the large bags of ice (for parties mostly). I think we've realized now that Americans like a lot of ice in their drinks compared to other countries. The single-use ice cube bags are a neat item though. We ended up bringing some typical American ice cube trays back with us after a while, so now we use those and add extra ice with bags when we host friends and need some extra ice for drinks :)
@@RobeTrotting The icecube bags are most likely used because of the limited use for ice for 9 months of the year, but when we do need it, it can be quite considerable. So it is considered better to have the capacity to make hundreds of cubes in one go to clear that need, and then leave the bags in some drawer for the rest of the year.
It should also be noted that fridges and freezers with ice cube makers have gotten somewhat more common the last 20 years. Still not common, but there is likely at least one household in a friend circle with one.
@@UnintentionalSubmarine Yes, that's true - there's not a huge need outside of the summer. We also get to use the balcony as an extra beer refrigerator those months, which is a nice bonus haha.
@@RobeTrotting Oh yes, the largest fridge known to man, and all within easy reach. Also perfect for when you make Christmas food and can't stuff it all into the fridge.
@@RobeTrotting I like odd ice cube trays I use them to make chocolates for christmas. I get a few laughs when I make them in the form of male genitalia.
The first one is really important! PLEASE don't be afraid to talk english to us!
As a cashier it is SO nerve wrecking to have someone in front of you and they say absolutely nothing and you don't know if it's because you should talk english to them.
A lot of people in denmark are bilingual, if not danish and english, then english and something else or danish or something else, and it is kinda hard to know which one it is and I don't want to disrespect anyone by assuming
So PLEASE if you don't talk danish, give us a hint!!
It is only the first time you visit a new home that it´s good manners to bring a gift. It could be viewed at as over the top to keep on coming with gifts.
Yeah, I think we overdid it a bit at first but now we get it 😂
For ice cubes we are just pragmatic and use the self-sealing ice cube plastic bags :p
Clubs and volunteer organisations is a core part of Danish society.
We don't have stuff like band class in school or College football teams. All of this you do in clubs during afternoons or evenings.
Clubs and volunteering are such a great way to get involved and learn more about Denmark while meeting people. Also a great addition to mention that all activities are done in the afternoon and evening - this is a bit different for Americans especially 😀
I hope you go out and explore the rest of the country, cuz there are many cool and interesting places outside copenhagen.
Most definitely! We actually just did a road trip to Fyn last weekend - look for it in a future video. Any recommendations?
@@RobeTrotting Well, I'd say just explore at your leasure, as you should discover your new country at your own pace.
My recommendation for you, is to see Skagen. You can see two ocances meet. Bornholm, just because it's Bornholm. XD Plz, See more of Denmark. Denmark has so much more to offer... So see Denmark when it opens up again.
Subscriber 66 here! Isn’t it always the little things that make such a difference! (Ice cube trays). I love how everyone uses public transport or bikes. We biked everywhere in Japan. Americans have to embrace this concept.
It's really nice being able to bike everywhere - having great transportation and a dedicated bike lane across the city and into the exurbs makes it a lot easier to promote biking. It started back in the oil crisis, just before our time, but they invested in all the bike lanes then and people just preferred it over time. Danes will even bike to work in the snow (we admit that we take the metro and train when it snows).
The gift thing is so wrong tbh... I'll NEVER EVER EVER!!! expect gift.
Bring a gift for a bigger occasion.. graduation, house-warming gift, promotion.. that sort of things...
If you're coming over for a bbq or a simple dinner, yes, it might be a nice gesture if you bring a bottle of wine or some beers (depending on nice dinner or informal bbq ect), but it's NOT expected... I've already picked out the wine/beverages in advance, and made sure there's PLENTY of it.
If you insist on bringing something, think about who you're visiting, if it's a couple, some flowers for the lady of house.. if you're visiting a single guy then.. most likely, he'll be embarrassed and not really know what the heck to do with the gift.. sure, an imported beer might be a thing.. but tbh.. if he's not a beer guy then......
These are good points, we should have explained it a little bit better that it’s more for a first time in someone’s home or a new home and that wine, beer or flowers will do when it’s appropriate 🇩🇰👍
@@RobeTrotting True, good point about a first visit, making a good impression.
But after that, then.. idk, for me, personally, it'll become weird. Like this awkward cycle of feeling obligated to "return the favour" sorta thing.
You already touched on this, in some of your other vids, about Danes and "we should meet sometime", where we're more literal, almost to the point of you saying that, then it's viewed as a "binding contract" you've obligated yourself to :P
(you brought me something nice, now I have to try and find something nice/cool for you...)
love it! great job on a super top ten. looking forward to more videos guys.xx
Thanks a lot! We'll definitely keep them coming :)
I don't know about the gift thing - if it is a housewarming, moving away party or a birthday you bring a gift, but other than that I never bring a gift.
Yeah, we've heard it much more situational than we first thought (so we're not as self-conscious as before). When people started bringing us gifts here and there for hosting we worried that we really missed something major but I guess not 🙏
Very good succinct video
Thank you Richard, and thanks for watching 😃🇩🇰
Gotta say that it is really not expected to bring gifts when visiting other. Of course if it's a birthday or any other celebrations but not for a social visiting. I have never done that expect as mentioned for special ocasions. And ice trays you can find many places.
LOL !! BTW! Supermarkets are mostly open from 7AM - 10PM all week long. Other shops usually close around 6/7ish PM on weekdays and 4PM on weekends. 7-eleven (most places) is open 24/7 ! And they have the BEST croissants ;-D !
Yes, so different than when we first arrived and thought a 24 hour Walmart Super Store was just the way of the world 😂😂😂
In reality, we didn't expect things to be open so late, but we were a little surprised that shops like H&M weren't open until 10pm. Now we prefer it that way - people shouldn't have to work that late just because you want a new pair of jeans haha.
We have some friends who moved to CPH from NYC in October and they were surprised by this, we told them in a year they would feel much better about it. It's nice that things are less commercial and consumeristic in Denmark.
@@RobeTrotting Your good people! And yeah, in a year your friends from NYC will get it (Corona permitting). But you still need to tell us, how you ended up in CPH? BTW! Apart from you two, I also share sites and videos from two other American expats ( on FB). Each of U bring something different to the table :-) ! I don't know any of U "from Adam", but Y'all seem nice..., so there :-D ! Take care ;-) !!
@@KHValby Ah, that's very cool! The expat community here is really cool and we like watching the other expat YT channels as well and some from Sweden. We moved here for Mike's job but it was pretty random and happened SUPER fast. We'll probably go over it in more detail in a video. Derek's 4th anniversary of landing at CPH is this month, so we figured that may be a good time to do a video with some reminiscing on how we got here and what we learned in 4 years :-)
@@RobeTrotting Super glad that there's an expat "gang" :-D out there! Love it :-) ! We know we're not that easy to get close to, but if you do.. you have Friends for life :-) !! Over and Out :-) !
@@RobeTrotting Being "Humble" is just part of Danish DNA :-) ! Since we are a small country...., hard to find on any map :-D ! We're questionable ;-) ! How did you guys end up here!? Tell us a story! We love good story's ;-) !! And based on the amount who follow you...., We like you :-D ! Just say'in ;-) !
My dad doesn't speak a single word of any language, but Danish.
But he's also the only person I know, that doesn't speak at least English.
It is definitely a rarity!
Great vid gentlemen! I request number 11 for the inevitable part 2 being the need to play the camel game!
Camel Cup is a crucial part of life in Denmark
If you’re in need of ice, there are some bags you can buy that are made to be filled only by water, afterwards it will separate into cubes, plop it in the freezer and you’ll be good to go after it’s frozen up :)
We REALLY dislike those haha. Not just the waste of plastic, but it's not enough to satisfy our American taste for ice-cold beverages haha. We really had no idea how much more ice we used compared to the rest of the world - even in the winter when it's below freezing we over-fill our drinks with ice cubes 😂🙈
@@RobeTrotting yeah well their is a reason we call it American fridges 😅
It might be because of alcoholic preferences 🤔 the Danes normally drink “iced” snaps and beer, where I don’t see the colonies having spirits in the freezer, most culture comes from booze is my understanding 😂
I'm from denmark and bike riding is really mostly that much in copenhagen in other places theres a lot less people riding bikes..
True, I guess some things are regional but our experiences of daily living and working have been in Copenhagen and Sjælland (besides a few work trips in Jylland). We love seeing more of Denmark and try to do trips around other parts but have never lived anywhere else in DK 😀
@@RobeTrotting Thank you for actually Responding :D
And remember to apply for a tax card as soon as your get your contract. You will be charged 55% until you get it.
Oh yes, this is really good advice - and skat is pretty easy to navigate (especially comparing it to the IRS in the States).
At my first US visit outside of NYC I realized how bad public transportation is in the US... Lets just say it took us 2 taxi rides and 5 miles of walking to, in the end, catch a greyhound bus in Miami... Had hoped for a train, but the last train of the day had left at 11 AM??? Should have done better research... The direct greyhound from Key West would have been faster and cheaper than accepting the free ride of some friends to Miami... Lesson learnt, and I understand why you can wish you did the reverse research.
Edit: No, you don't have to bring a gift every time, but when you visit some place, for the first time, no matter how long you've known people, it's custom to at least bring a flower... So if your long time friend moves into a new apartment or house, you bring a moving-in gift, be it flowers, kitchen towels or an icecube tray, doesn't matter... but you do bring a gift to somewhere you haven't been before. In Chinese culture it's different, if you're invited you don't just bring "five bananas" (five fingers of your hand being empty)... But Denmark does not have that habit, it's only when you move. That said, I don't think any Dane would refuse to receive a small gift.
I'm just curious if you have considered or already have done a very classic way for Danes to go on holiday: a European road trip? Hehe it was my favourite thing as a kid, and still is today actually... just get in a car and drive through Germany and then hop to the different European countries that are connected from there, you can really get a lot of great scenery and culture in that way ^-^
Yes! We did a 3-week road trip last summer in Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria. Started in Cologne and ended in Munich. Was amazing!
@@RobeTrotting love it! Sounds like a fantastic trip! I personally dream of going back to Italy and France ^-^
I go to Denmark twice a year and stay for about a month with my Danish fam. A few things I didn’t know, you need a coin for a grocery cart, you need a clock to put in your windshield for parking in the cities (got a ticket in Ribe for that) and its illegal to get hand or face tattoos. I have finger and hand tattoos so I always get a few looks. Also Danes love to stare and they don’t care. I know not to make small talk but when I’d get some folks just staring at me, I’d ask my danish friend what are they staring at, should I say something?
He said we always look at interesting things but that doesn’t mean we want your life story or for you to come over and talk, we just like to stare, that’s all.
Lolol
OMG. This staring thing is such a minefield. In America, depending on the sex of the person staring and being stared at, you might possibly get a black eye! In the UK, it's almost the same or even worse - one does not stare and it is not socially acceptable! They are now trying to pass a law to make staring, especially what they call "sexualized staring" (don't ask me how they would determine that) a criminal offence. In many countries, staring is considered an aggressive gesture and you may find yourself in hostile situations if you do that and never, ever stare at a woman you don't know if you are a man.
note Danes expect you to become Danish this doesn't mean citizenship but does mean learn the language or try too be part of the flow not against it remember the rule all are equal your no better than me Danes love life but work hard and expect you too
This is definitely true, and taking Danish lessons to at least be able to speak at a beginner level was important. We love learning more about and experiencing Danish culture, we just can't break some habits - like needing a lot of ice in our drinks haha.
So Derek and Mike. Is Derek "Red T-shirt guy, with Bikes" and is Mike "Capt. America" ? Would be nice to put a face to your names ;-) ! Since I'm new to your channel!
OMG it was so easy for me when I came in 1986...And you are pretty much talking about life in Copenhagen. A lot of what you talk about dose not apply to all of Danmark. That’s like telling everyone that California is like this., or the whole of USA...
This is true, but half the title is "Everything we wish we knew before we moved to Copenhagen" so we weren't hiding that fact 😀😂🇩🇰
@@RobeTrotting True missed that point..but you still keep referring to things in Danmark..not Copenhagen
Great guide, easy to understand why you guys were city-hopping though, it *is* convenient. Expats in Copenhagen and similar FB groups are also quite handy for people to join before/when they arrive, to get a taste and have a few people to meet - plenty will be going through or recently tried something similar. So which of the two "evils" do you prefer, summer sun or winter sun? or those 4 days either side that are normal...
Thanks Ricky! It is super convenient to fly around from Copenhagen and for American's, it's really hard to resist the cheap fares and numerous options. The expat groups proved to be really helpful when we first arrived and they still help with questions and connecting with new people. Overall I think we enjoy summers in Denmark more than winter, but the sun is still really tough to sleep with. Late August is kind of the golden period with a nice sunlight balance and (hopefully) decent weather. It all depends on what week summer is I guess haha.
@@RobeTrotting Truth.. lol I like it - and you can bet Danes will know which week number that is too.
@@rickybuhl3176 LOL So true - we still can't get used to the week numbers.
Bars do have last calls.
Sure, they have their own closing hours - we mean there's no mandated time where they're forced to close :)
@@RobeTrotting Yes, there is and you have to get a permit if you want to keep open after 2 in the morning. The permits are usually till 5 in the morning. They have even stopped handing out these all night permits, because there are too many bars now which generate a lot of problems.
@@dennissanfilippo8836 Interesting. I know Nevermind is open until 6am - it's very different than what we're used to no matter what :)
@@RobeTrotting There are few places which are open later, but we still do have rules like every other country. The difference is that alcohol here is expensive in bars and restaurants, so people tend to stay home for pre drinks. We usually leave home at 22:00 (but also later). That’s why bars are open late here.
@@dennissanfilippo8836 Sure, we could have explained that in more detail or said "later last call" etc. And you're spot on about late start times and the expenses of alcohol contributing to a different drinking/bar culture (going out later, pre-drinks, having drinks in parks instead of a pub, etc). It may be an interesting topic to take a deeper dive into for the future :)
Good info but folks who come to the USA make mistakes all the time.
For the Americans (and others)
the "CPR-number" is basically the US social security number on steroids.
It is your personal ID number assigned at birth and is used as a login with 2-factor authentication for anything related to health, insurance, taxes, banking, digital signing of document, online purchases, and basically any case where an entity needs to confirm that you are who you claim you are.
Oh and you can't just aquire the birth logs from a hospital and count the rows from your own birthday to calculate another person's social security number, because that would be a silly and ill thought through system... Right, America?
it is not true we expect a gift for inviting guests we are just happy if you show up
The reason you won't find many icecube trays in DK, I believe could be due to the national pride over the invention of the single-use ice cube bag (isterningeposen på dansk) by danish inventor Erling Vangedal-Nielsen, patented in 1977/78 :)
Pride of single ice bag... Looks like pride for nothing ,lol
i am a 12 year old Dane and even i speak english and most of my friends do to, you are weird if you don't
Edit: in my friend group
Or maybe you should consider that some older people have not had English in school or gone to school after 4th, 5th, 6th grade? and therefor do not speak english. So they're not being weird. But being 12, you have your whole life and good upbringing to teach these old folks how to or translate for them because after all you would do that, wouldn't you? 😏
@@FruPetersen2011 in my family we all speak English. And I did not learn English school🙃😁
uus ice cube bags you can bay then i all croseris in dk
Just meet the danes, we are easy to take with! LOL
Very true! We love how laid back the Danes are and love living here :)
Nice…but work on the sound
This was probably our fourth video, so I think you’ll see it improved.
You came by Ryan Air?! Are you not ashamed now?
Haha, well we avoid Ryan Air when we can - once we learned more about their labor practices. We sometimes can't pass up a really cheap flight though 😀
oh god no, please be a European turist if you like - it is telleng us something too. adventure is always a good story =)
Gifts? Most Danes wouldn´t even bring a gift for a birthday party, unless its a close friend or family.
Its kind of an outdated social rule that now only applies to old people and big city academics, far as i can tell. I lived here 30 years in 5 different cities and i sure as hell never had anyone presenting me with tribute like some emperor when i opened the door to a party i was throwing.
okay, everyone’s different
@@RobeTrotting Yeah that´s kind of what I'm saying. Students and working class people don´t generally give gifts, academics and the older generation do, "different".
That gift thng. That is something women do.
I like your content but my rhetoric education really wants to see you leave the manuscript and editing a little behind and try a more natural approach. That said: keep it up! You get better Vid by vid. :)
Be careful using the word "Expat" because a lot of racist use it because they do not know what it means: if you are employed by a company and this company sends you to another country you are an expat - if you move to another country for a job you are just a migrant. Especially British racists like to use the term expat to distance themselves from dark skinned or poor migrants. So be careful when using wrong vocabulary ;-)
We were moved here by our American company so it’s accurate for us. Didn’t know it was used as a racial term.
@@RobeTrotting In the past years the term has been especially misused around Brexit. Loads of British retires in Spain want to call themselves "Expats", but are just retired migrants. Good that you used it right :-)
how dare you travveling by air plane and polute
ok, Greta!