Mittwoch, 26. Oktober 2011

Erstes Resumee / First Résumé

Nachdem ich nun schon einige Zeit in Kopenhagen verbracht habe, ist es Zeit für ein erstes Resümee!


After coming to Denmark quite often the last couple of years and finally really living here for more than a month, I think it is time for a first résumé:

Ok, I tried to organize the points I like about Copenhagen, but there are so many, and most of them are so interwoven with each other that I just dont know how to do it. That's why I will write about them as messy as they are in my head, but mind that many of them may be connected to some particularly danish values such as fairness, trust, contentment and the hugge-concept.

Let's start with queueing:
In a lot of places you don't have to queue. Why? Because they are using a lot of those queueing-tickets-machines, where you can draw a number and sit down to read a book while waiting for your number to appear. At first I thought "stupid danes, need machines to queue properly". My second thought was about queueing in Austria, where people, even if not deliberately, try to get in front of you in the line from time to time. I hate those moments.

Bicycle-Culture
I don't think I have to say much about this. Huge bicycle-lanes, foot-rests for cyclists at traffic lights, free to use air-pumps all around the city (I even found some attached to official rubbish bins) and last but not least all those beautiful people cycling.
And don't tell me about how easy it is to apply cycling in Copenhagen and therfore naturally bound to be a success since all is flat and cosy.
Reading articles and comments in Austrian newspapers about cycling in Vienna makes me sick!
There is this standard set of objections, which are frequently used to justify Vienna's missing bicycle-culture:

Objection 1: "Vienna is sooooo hilly, I can't bike here."
- There is fu***** strong head wind in Copenhagen, which can be faaaar more exhausting than hills and you are likely to have head wind in both directions! (I haven't figured out yet, how that works.)
Objection 2: "We have so much rain and snow in Vienna."
Hallo, we are speaking about Copenhagen! It rains a lot here too, a llloooooottt and almost every day! It is freezing cold most of the year and there can be a lot of snow too. Now if there is, Copenhagen has its own cycling-lane-snowplows!

Culture/Internationality
There is a lot going on in Copenhagen. But what amazes me is the readiness and willingness of people to speak and listen to English. A lot of events are hosted in English. At the beginning of every universitarian sports-course we have been asked if there is somebody, who doesn't speak danish. If there were some, or even just one, everything was taught in English. This may sound like no big deal to some but I remember a "international" conference at the Philosophy-department in Vienna, where nothing but the rather unimportant welcome-speech was translated to English. That's just pathetic.


Studying
Well, this advantage would make up for a lllllllloooooooottttttttt of disadvantages. As every danish student, I get paid for studying! Paradise!

Divorce-Rate
The divorce-rate in Denmark is one of the highest worldwide. I am convinced that this is one of the best parts of Copenhagen. Apparently it is more important to be happy than to be married, which could even be better for the children (and a lot of danes have children!). It seems as if people divorce each other before they really start to build up bloodthirsty hatred, which allowes them to stay in friendly and close contact and sometimes even friendship.


Any drawbacks?
Danes are too hot! I am regularly about to cause a traffic accident, due to my inability to take my eyes off of them ;) 

2 Kommentare:

  1. thomas, ich hab angst dass du nicht mehr zurückkommst!

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  2. ich schätze, das ist schon mal ein grund wieder zurückzukommen! ;)

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