Shows
How to Live in DenmarkJune: Danish pride, women in uniform, and the reverse Jante Law: The Danish Year Part 6As of this month, girls who turn 18 can be drafted into the Danish military. This is new, even though girls in Norway and Sweden have been eligible for the draft for some time. Denmark is proud of its record on gender equality, so maybe it’s a wonder it hasn’t happened sooner. After all, more than half of the medical doctors in Denmark are female. More than half of the priests in Denmark are female. The prime minister is female. At only about 10% female, the military is clearly lagging behind. The way the military draft...2025-06-0108 min
Dating Beyond BordersEp. 31 - Culture Shocks of an American Living in Denmark (feat. Kay Xander Mellish)This week I sit down with a professional speaker, coach, author and Podcast host Kay Xander Mellish to talk about living in Denmark, from work culture, to communication, to making friends, to dating .. and everything in between.
Check out Kay's work: https://www.instagram.com/how2liveindk/
https://www.howtoliveindenmark.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@how2liveindenmark
Each week I will interview guests from all around the world on the topics of culture, connection and of course, dating. The goal is to go as deep as possible and to really understand where we all come from and how much...2024-04-3057 min
How to Live in DenmarkDo you have to speak Danish to work in Denmark?If you’re only in Denmark for a few months, it might not be worth the investment in time to learn much more than the basic pleasantries in Danish. But you plan to stay in Denmark for more than a year or so, it’s a good idea to learn some Danish – and your visa may require that you do so. Even if you’re not forced to, it’s a good idea to learn Danish if you plan to make a commitment to Denmark. It’ll make daily life easier: you’ll stop wanting to tear your hair out ever...2024-04-2907 min
How to Live in DenmarkEquality and the Electric BikeWhen I first arrived in Denmark, you could shut down any dispute in Denmark by appealing to equality and the common good. Solidarity - “solidaritet” - and “fælleskab”, or community, or even “samfundssind”, societal spirit, were magic words. They still are with the older generation that built Denmark’s welfare state. If you want to convince this generation of anything, just make a reference to solidarity and community and societal spirit. Works like a charm. I’m often asked if the younger generation is as dedicated to these principles as their elders, and if they still follow...2023-08-2707 min
How to Live in DenmarkHow to Meet a Dead Viking: The Mummies of DenmarkMany people who visit Denmark are fans of the Vikings, the colloquial name for Scandinavians before the medieval era, although technically speaking the Viking raiders were at their peak in the years 800-1100. There are plenty of opportunities, especially now during tourist season, to see modern-day Danes dressed up as Vikings, building wooden ships, cooking over open fires, and fighting with swords and shields. Exhibitions like this are very popular with visitors from overseas. What they might not know is that you can see actual Vikings in Denmark, or what’s left of their bodies. It w...2023-08-0107 min
How to Live in DenmarkNo ice cream in July: Scenes from the Danish summer vacation periodIn Denmark, the right to a long summer vacation is enshrined into law - the national vacation law, which states that all employees have a right to three weeks’ vacation between May and September. Shops close, too. An ice cream shop in my neighborhood closed down for the entire month of July last year. You would think this would be peak time for ice cream, but for the owners of the ice cream shop, their own vacation was more important. This year, I noticed that the bicycle store up the street is closed for three we...2023-06-2907 min
How to Live in DenmarkRich in DenmarkDenmark is a rich country, but does it have rich people? It does, but Denmark’s wealthy tend to keep a low profile, due to the informal Jante Law in Denmark that prohibits too much showing off. That said, spring and summer is great time to see Danish rich people in their natural habitat. That’s when they put the roof down on their expensive German cars and drive through the medieval old towns, drink rosé chilled in silver buckets at fancy outdoor cafés, or sail through the harbor on their personal boats of various sizes. In the...2023-05-2607 min
How to Live in DenmarkWhat Newcomers to Denmark Ask MeWhen you’ve been an international in Denmark for a while, as I have, you sometimes forget what it was like to arrive here for the first time and know nothing. I remember arriving just about this time of year and being astonished by all the public holidays in spring. I’d arrived to work, but the office kept shutting down. Now one of my various gigs is cultural training for newcomers, paid for by the big corporations that bring them here. The questions they ask bring me back to the time when I first arri...2023-04-3006 min
How to Live in DenmarkDenmark and Butter: A Love StoryThe hottest competitive sport in Denmark over the past year hasn’t been handball, or football, or badminton. It’s been chasing cheap butter in the supermarket. Recent inflation has doubled the price of butter – in some places, up to 30 kroner – but if you rush, you can get…a package of butter for 10 kroner at one supermarket…wait, only three packages per customer…hey, this competing supermarket has matched the price…look, this other one has it for only 5 kroner…ohhhhhh, it’s sold out for today. Better come earlier tomorrow. Butter chasing is how even high-achieving...2023-04-1006 min
How to Live in DenmarkRanders is not a jokeIt seems as if every country has a city or region that it is the butt of jokes. The rest of the country makes fun of the locals’ unattractive accents and supposedly low-end behavior. In Denmark, that city is Randers. Randers is a city in Northern Jutland, about a half hour away from Aarhus. It used to be bigger than Aarhus, and bigger than Aalborg too, but it was a manufacturing town, and when manufacturing fell apart in Denmark after the Second World War, so did Randers. The stereotype of Randers today is...muscle meatheads, po...2022-09-2107 minHow to Live in DenmarkOn returning to Denmark: Swimming in Copenhagen harbor, picking wild blackberries, and admiring Danish law and orderAfter some time out of Denmark, Kay returns and finds a whole new list of things to love. Swimming in Copenhagen harbour is a delight - the once-industrial waterway has been cleaned up enough to become a giant swimming zone. The wild blackberry bushes are ready for harvest, and there are plenty in public spaces - like near the railway and S-train tracks - where the blackberries are totally free, first come, first serve. Wash them well and they make for a wonderful blackberry pie, a blackberry crumble, or even a blackberry smoothie. An...2022-08-1706 min
How to Live in DenmarkDenmark and the Coronavirus SummerIt’s a funny kind of summer this year in Copenhagen, quieter than usual, and more like a family event than a cosmopolitan city. Coronavirus came early to Denmark, the borders were shut down early, but they’re mostly open now to other Europeans. But the change came too late for many people to make summer vacation plans, so many of the usual tourist attractions are slightly forlorn. There are a few Europeans around the Little Mermaid and the Royal Palaces, but not many. And there are no huge cruise ships full of Ameri...2020-07-1305 min
How to Live in DenmarkAnimals and Denmark: Swans, pigs, and horsesAmong the many cultural questions I ask audiences during my How to Live in Denmark Game Show is “Which animal represents Denmark best?”? There never seems to be an obvious or generally agreed-upon answer. Sure, the bear represents Russia, the elephant Thailand, and the bald eagle the United States. But what about Denmark? Denmark does have a national animal – the mute swan (Cygnus olor) – but an image of a swan doesn’t provoke the kind of immediate association with Denmark that, say, a koala bear does with Australia. That said, mute swans are easy to find...2020-05-0807 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Danish Alcohol CultureAlcohol has a long history in Denmark. The Vikings brewed four types of beverages: ale, mead, fruit wine, and syra, a fermented milk – and for many centuries Danish babies have eaten øllebrød, which is a mix of old bread scraps and beer. Fast forward a few centuries, and alcohol is still part of almost every Danish gathering. Early in 2020, the EU Commission reported that Denmark placed an unhappy first in Europe in binge drinking and that it was one of the reasons Danes have the shortest expected lifespan in Western Europe. According to t...2020-03-1708 min
How to Live in DenmarkDebt in DenmarkJanuary, February, and March are some of the dreariest months in Denmark – it’s dark, with no Christmas lights to pep it up – and many people are dealing with a heavy load of year-end debt from traveling, parties, dining out, and gifts. Along with religion, personal finance is a topic that is rarely discussed in Denmark. But the country has one of the highest rates of household debt in the world. And once you get into debt in Denmark, it can be very difficult to get out. 2020-01-2206 min
How to Live in DenmarkMaking Danish friends: A few tips based on experienceIf you’re newly arrived in Denmark, making Danish friends is not easy – in fact, surveys show that one of the main reasons internationals end up leaving is the difficulty of building a network. The irony is that Danes are actually very good at friendship. Their friendships are strong, reliable, and deep-rooted. Friends can count on each other. But because Danes take friendships so seriously, they like to keep their number of friendships under control. They don’t want to take on more friends than they can keep their deep commitment to. The statem...2019-12-0107 min
How to Live in DenmarkNudity in Denmark: The naked truthThe relaxed approach to nudity in Denmark can be a surprise for many newcomers. It’s something they’re often confronted with at the local swimming hall, where a very large and strong attendant insists that they take off their entire swimsuit and shower thoroughly before going into the pool. Stripping off in front of strangers is new for a lot of internationals, and some try to place it a larger context of Danish morality. It hasn’t been entirely forgotten that Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize pornography in 1967...2019-11-0205 min
How to Live in DenmarkPoliteness in Denmark: Some thoughts on Danish etiquette“Is there politeness in Denmark?” That was the question I was recently invited on a national TV show to discuss. The implication was that I was supposed to say that Danes were not at all polite, because effusive praise and cheerful agreement make for a rather dull TV show. But Danes are not impolite. They have their own version of courteous behaviour, which is based on reinforcing aspects of their culture that they care about.2019-10-1205 min
How to Live in DenmarkWhat I say when I'm welcoming newcomers to DenmarkOne of my favorite types of speaking engagement is introducing Denmark to some of the smart, motivated young people arriving from around the world to study at Danish universities. Since the publication of my first book, How to Live in Denmark, I’ve been speaking regularly to audiences of new arrivals, and I probably learn as much from them as they learn from me. Among the things I’ve learned is that the aspects of Danish culture that the Danes are most proud of can be troublesome for newcomers.2019-09-0107 min
How to Live in DenmarkSummer Vacation in Denmark: The Agony and the EcstasyPlanning your summer vacation in Denmark is like playing the lottery. You could hit it lucky, with golden days and long, warm evenings, when you can sit with friends in the soft light and drink hyldeblomst cocktails. Or you could get grey day after grey day, interspersed with a little rain whenever it is least convenient. The weather could be chilly, leaving your cute new summer clothes to sit disappointed in your closet while you wear your boring long trousers again and again. I find that locals tend to base their decision about whether to st...2019-07-0204 min
How to Live in DenmarkApril Fool's in Denmark, and the Rough Game of Danish HumorApril 1st is April Fool’s Day – Aprilsnar in Danish – and each Danish newspaper will feature a clever but false story for the unwary to be fooled by. To some extent every day is April Fool’s Day in Denmark, because Danish humor is a rough humor. Danes show affection by making fun of each other. And, as an international, they might make fun of you too. This is a good thing: that means they have accepted you into the circle of Danishness. But it doesn’t mean that the intersection of non-Danes and Danish h...2019-04-0107 min
Quillette PodcastQuillette's Jonathan Kay talks to Danish expert Kay Xander Mellish on Denmark's rape culture, gender equality and the new, female-Led, right-wing Danish partyJonathan Kay talks to Kay Xander Mellish, author of How to Live in Denmark (2014) and How to Work in Denmark (2018) about the recent Amnesty International report claiming Denmark has a "pervasive rape culture," as well as what it's like living in the country ranked number two in the world for gender equality and why a female-led, right-wing political party is on the rise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2019-03-0718 min
How to Live in DenmarkMotivating Danish employees: Tips for Foreign ManagersMotivating Danish employees is very different than motivating other groups of people because there are two big factors missing – hierarchy and fear. We don’t like to talk about the fear part in our various countries of origin, but the fact is true that in the US, UK, China, India, and in parts of Europe, someone who loses their job can be in a lot of trouble. They may have trouble paying their bills, might lose their house, might not have access to health care, might not be able to send their kids to university. That’...2019-03-0306 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe sound of Denmark? Quiet. Very quietDenmark is a quiet country, even within the cities. Especially this time of year, February, when it’s too cold to do anything but scurry from place to place, when the street cafés are closed and no one wants to eat their lunch in the park. The Danes are hibernating in their homes until the spring. And especially when a blanket of snow covers the cities and countryside. Then everything around you will be beautifully, peacefully, totally quiet. This Danish quiet can freak out a lot of internationals when they first arrive. The...2019-02-0706 min
How to Live in DenmarkTips for Living with a Danish FamilyAs the new academic semester starts up, some of you may be planning to live in a Danish home. It could be you’ll rent a room in a household, maybe you’ll be part of a Danish host family, or maybe you’ll just be staying with Danish friends. I thought it might be useful to have some tips on living with a Danish family. First of all, if you’re used to having your parents or domestic workers do most of the household chores – things are about to change. Danish families generally...2019-01-0907 min
How to Live in DenmarkAlone for the holidays: What to do for Christmas in Denmark when you're on your ownBeing alone for Christmas in Denmark can be tough – one of the downsides of Danish "hygge" is that people who are not inside the "hygge" circle can feel shut out and very alone. Here are our tips for having a good holiday anyway.2018-12-1507 min
How to Live in DenmarkChristmas gift giving in Denmark: Package games, Almond Gifts, and Why It's OK to Exchange Whatever You GetLike so many other aspects of life in Denmark, gift giving in the holiday season comes with dozens of unwritten rules and unspoken expectations. Should you give a gift to your boss? What about your colleagues? Will you and your Danish friends exchange gifts? And why does almost every store in Denmark ask if you want a “gift sticker” when you buy something? Here are a few basic tips about gift giving in Denmark.2018-12-0208 min
How to Live in DenmarkAutumn in Denmark: The slow fading of the lightAutumn in Denmark actually starts in mid-August, when the kids go back to school. Danish kids have a very short holiday – usually only about 6 weeks. By late August, you can definitely feel a little fall crispness in the air. By September the leaves start to turn color, and by the end of October many of the trees are already bare for the winter. But what really defines fall in Denmark is the slow fading of the light.2018-09-2105 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe story behind the How to Live in Denmark Podcast: Fifth anniversary episodeThis is a special episode, because this is the fifth anniversary of the How to Live in Denmark podcast.The podcast began in the summer of 2013; at the time I’m recording this, it is near the end of Summer 2018. We’ve had more than 80 episodes and around a million streams and downloads. Most importantly, I’ve received a lot of messages from people like you saying that the podcast and the books that have come out of the podcast have been really helpful for you in adjusting to Denmark. I’m so happy to hear that. I origin...2018-08-3107 min
How to Live in DenmarkIs learning to speak Danish worth it?Learning to speak Danish can be difficult, even if you speak its close linguistic cousins, English and German. While the written language isn’t too tough to figure out, the spoken language is a headache. Danes pronounce only small bits of each word and smash those small bits together. Even the Swedes and Norwegians have trouble understanding spoken Danish. If you’re only in Denmark for a short time, is it worth it to learn more than just the basic pleasantries in Danish?2018-05-0706 min
How to Live in DenmarkWhat to wear to work in Denmark: Fashion in blue, black, grey, and for the adventurous - beigeThere’s no reason to spend a lot on what you wear to work in Denmark. Danes, by nature, are not flashy dressers. In most Danish business environments, you’ll be perfectly well dressed in a fitted pair of business trousers, dark shoes, and a solid-color sweater or dress shirt. Male or female, you’ll never go wrong with quiet colors like burgundy, dark blue, dark green, black or - for the adventurous - beige. Subtle good taste is the preferred style. Obvious designer labels are considered tacky, but quality cut and fabric are appreciated.2018-04-0305 min
How to Live in DenmarkYour first day at work in Denmark: Flowers, handshakes, passwords, and several people named MetteOn your first day at work in Denmark, you may find a pretty bouquet of flowers on your desk to welcome you. (This terrified a Chinese acquaintance of mine, who was accustomed to receiving flowers on her *last* day at work. She thought she’d been fired before she ever sat down.) In Denmark, the bouquet is just a way to say “welcome” and to add some sunshine to an arduous day that is sure to include many handshakes and computer passwords. Someone will probably be appointed as your “mentor” on the first day o...2018-03-0707 min
How to Live in DenmarkCan I date my Danish colleague?Many Danes meet their future spouses at work. Yet there are also strict laws in Denmark against sexual harassment. Where do you draw a line between harassment and two adults developing tender feelings for each other? -------------- Given the Danes’ fondness for alcohol, many inter-office romances start at the annual Christmas party. Ms. X and Mr. Y drink a bottle of wine or two, wiggle suggestively together on the dance floor, and depart to one or the other’s home in a taxi to complete the evening. The next morning, they discuss whether they are...2018-02-0706 min
How to Live in DenmarkUnderstanding your Danish boss: Less like a general, more like a sports coachIn an anti-authoritarian country like Denmark, being a boss is a precarious (social) position. Danish bosses don’t like to flaunt their authority. In fact, when you enter a room of Danes, it is often difficult to tell which one is the boss. The social cues that point to a big cheese in other cultures – the flashy watch, the oversize office, the glamorous yet servile executive assistant – are considered poor taste in egalitarian Denmark. So are the booming, take-charge personalities many foreigners may expect from a boss. Denmark is a flat country. It is fla...2017-10-2908 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Danish Flag: 800 years old and going out fashion?People visiting Denmark can’t help but notice that the Danish flag is everywhere. Christmas trees here are decorated with little Danish flags. Cucumbers in the supermarket have Danish flags on them to show they’re grown in Denmark. Whenever a member of the Danish royal family has a birthday, two little Danish flags are stuck on the front of every Copenhagen bus. The Danish flag is closely associated with Danish birthdays. If you have a birthday when you’re working in a Danish office, one of your colleagues is likely to put a Danish flag o...2017-09-0305 min
How to Live in DenmarkYour free daily banana and five weeks off: Job benefits in DenmarkOn-the-job benefits in Denmark come in three categories: the kind every Danish worker gets, the kind everyone at your company gets, and the kind everyone at a certain level in your company gets. When you talk with a future employer, you can negotiate your salary, but there’s not all that much room for negotiation on benefits. In most cases, as American kindergarteners say, “You get what you get and you don’t get upset.” Fortunately, the benefits tend to be generous. This is a chapter from my upcoming book, "How to Work in Denmar2017-08-2708 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanish gangsters: Night-time helicopters and the risks of a knit hatIf you live in Denmark or follow the Danish media, you’ll know there’s been a lot of talk of gangsters over the past week. One Danish gang is trying to expand at the expense of another gang, and this summer there have been about 25 shootings in Copenhagen, generally in the northern neighborhoods – my neighbourhood. Somebody was shot outside my supermarket, somebody else was shot outside the school near my house, and a couple of people have been shot just walking down the street. Most of the victims are other gangsters, but a few have b...2017-08-2005 min
How to Live in DenmarkNo more cookie pushers: Spouses and your work assignment in DenmarkIf you’re coming from abroad to work in Denmark, you may be bringing along your spouse. That can be great – it’s nice to have someone to shiver through the Danish summer with. But unhappy spouses are one of the main reasons that people who come to work in Denmark end up leaving. Denmark is not an easy place to make friends, given that Danish culture tends toward “respecting your privacy” by not striking up conversations with strangers. It can also be tough for spouses to get jobs in Denmark, particularly well-educated spouses se...2017-08-1308 min
How to Live in DenmarkWhy job titles aren't important in DenmarkOne of the most important words in the Danish language is "ligestilling" – equality. The belief that all (Danish) people are basically equal permeates every relationship and every interaction. Fancy job titles do not fit into that passion for equality. They suggest you think you’re better than someone else. Which you might actually be, if you’ve worked your way to the top of your field, but that admission is slightly embarrassing. If you do have an impressive job title, it's considered bad taste to show it off. Office doors in Denmark, for example...2017-03-0507 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanish union vs A-kasse: What's the difference?When you first arrive in Denmark to work or look for work, the last thing you need is another monthly expense. So many foreigners “save money” by not joining a union. And I was one of them. To be honest, joining a union never even occurred to me. In the US, unions are either for hands-on workers – steelworkers, hotel maids – or for civil servants, like schoolteachers and cops. Knowledge workers and creative types are almost never unionized. But that’s not true in Denmark, where engineers, doctors, lawyers, bankers, managers, and writers regularly join union...2017-01-2510 min
How to Live in DenmarkNetworking in Denmark: 5 useful tips for making Danish business contactsNetworking in Denmark is tough, even for Danes. This is a culture where it’s considered bad manners to talk to someone you don’t know, unless you’re drunk, in which case all bets are off. That said, most jobs in Denmark are found via networks. Somebody mentions on their LinkedIn profile that they’re looking for a new team member and the cv’s from friends of friends and old classmates start flowing in. And since “fitting in” is such an important part of the Danish work culture, someone from the network is more likely to seem like a...2016-10-2310 min
How to Live in DenmarkIt's all about the cake: The secrets of socializing with your Danish colleaguesWhen you work in a Danish office, you’ll often find yourself invited to impromptu in-office social events with your Danish colleagues. Somebody’s birthday, someone’s having a baby, somebody has been with the company for 10 years, someone is going on vacation the next day. And they almost all involve cake. Cake is very important in Denmark. Cake builds bridges. Cake makes friends. And when there’s cake on offer, as a foreigner, it’s a good idea to show up and accept it. When I first started working in a Danish office, I made a big...2016-09-0407 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Danish art of taking time offWhen I first began working in Denmark, people used to start saying around April or May, “So – are you taking three or four?” What they meant was, are you taking three or four weeks off for your summer vacation? Now, in the United States, where I come from, even taking two weeks off is extravagant. You always have the feeling that if you’re gone too long, there may not be a job waiting for you when you get back. In Denmark, a long summer vacation is legally required. If you have a full-time...2016-08-1506 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Danish job interviewIf you’ve been asked for a job interview at a Danish company, congratulations. Danish companies don’t like to waste time, so they wouldn’t be setting aside time to meet you if they didn’t think there was a solid chance they might hire you. Job interviewing in Denmark is a difficult balance, because the Jantelov makes all forms of bragging or self-promotion distasteful to the Danes. You’ve got to convince the person interviewing you that you’re skilled and capable without sounding like a used car salesman.2016-05-2210 min
How to Live in DenmarkFinding a job in Denmark: Cover Letters, LinkedIn, plus two magic wordsI often give presentations to job hunters in Denmark, and I tell them there are two words you can add to your cover letter that will virtually guarantee that it will be carefully read. What are those two words? The name of someone you know who already works at the company. Of course, you should only use a current employee’s name with his or her permission, and ask each time you use it. There’s always the chance that your contact and this particular hiring manager may be bitter enemies, or that a co...2016-04-2107 min
How to Live in DenmarkLooking for a job in Denmark: Your Danish cv (And why you might want to consider a Danish nickname)When you're putting together a cv for Denmark, titles and grades and long descriptions of examinations (unless they’re required for the job, as they are for accountants, architects and engineers) aren’t a golden ticket to employment, even if you’ve attended an excellent school. Your Danish cv should focus on projects you've worked on, and how your contributions to those projects relate to the job at hand.2016-03-1808 min
How to Live in DenmarkGetting a job in Denmark: Fine-tuning your approach to the Danish job marketForeigners in general are often trying to look for a job in a way that works well in their home country, not Denmark. Basically, this works as about as well as trying to tell your new girlfriend the same jokes that made your old girlfriend laugh. If the setting is Denmark, the approach has to be Danish. Danish jobs are all about independence and teamwork. It’s not like they need a red Lego brick and you have to convince them you’re a red Lego brick to get the job. The employer has a prob...2016-02-2206 min
How to Live in DenmarkHow to date a Dane: The two-speed bicycle and the flexible wordIn Denmark, romance is like a two-speed bike. Speed one is casual sexual affairs with someone you may never see again: speed two is a serious relationship where you’ll be expected to go to all your partner’s dull family events. There’s not much of a middle. And what there definitely is not is dating.2015-11-0106 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Beauty: Miss Denmark, the empty museum, and why you shouldn't expect compliments If you really want to get a Dane all hot and bothered, start talking about some thing that is beautifully designed. In Denmark, beauty is usually found in something practical that has been very well designed. Housewares, particularly kitchenwares, are a Danish design favorite. They don’t have to be from expensive materials, but they have to be simple, streamlined, and work flawlessly. The beauty is in the usefulness.2015-09-2107 min
How to Live in DenmarkArriving in Denmark: Some tips from my experience August in Denmark brings the first signs of fall: a crisp chill in the air, the changing color of the leaves, the annual posters warning drivers to be aware of small children riding their bikes to school for the first time. And foreign university students in the local 7-11, asking that their buns be warmed up. I saw a newly-arrived young American student in my local 7-11 this morning, asking that her newly-purchased bun be warmed. The 7-11 clerk told her sorry, but there were no bun-warming services available at that branch. She...2015-08-2308 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanish babies: Rolling Royalty and Tribal Names Denmark is a small country, and Danish people tend to think small things are good. Small cars. Small homes. Small ambitions when it comes to international team sports. But one thing in Denmark is never small – a baby carriage. Danes seem to believe that a carriage (or pram) for a new baby should be roughly the size of a hotel room on wheels. Inside, baby will be wrapped up warm with a fat feather blanket – even in the summer. There will also be room for pillows, books, toys, snacks, diapers and extra clothes in the gian...2015-07-1406 min
How to Live in DenmarkPrivate-equity pastry and the decline of bodegas: How Denmark is changing Every country changes, and so does Denmark. When I hold How to Live in Denmark events, people often ask me how Denmark is changing, or has changed since I got here fifteen years ago. I could name a hundred things, but the first one that always comes to mind is food and drink. Shotglasses are out, snaps and Gammel Dansk is out, fine wine (almost always bought on sale at the supermarket) is in. The small food stores that used to be on every corner in Denmark – the ‘pålæg’ or sausage shop, the fish shop...2015-05-3107 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Fear: What is there to be afraid of in Denmark?In general, Denmark is not a fearful country. You could argue, what is there to be afraid of in Denmark? It seems like a safe little corner of the world. Tax-funded social programs make it unlikely you’ll go hungry or homeless, as long as you have that little yellow social service card that shows you're here legally. Your medical care and education is paid for by taxes – yours or somebody else’s. Even if you lose your job – and it’s very easy in Denmark for companies to get rid of workers they don’t want – there is the social safety...2015-05-1007 min
How to Live in DenmarkSpring in Denmark: Hot Wheat Buns and Highly-Educated Drunks It’s spring in Denmark, and spring is by far my favorite season here. The wonderful white Scandinavian sunlight is back after the dark days of the winter, the flowers are coming out on the trees, and everybody’s in a good mood. The outdoor cafés are full of people again – sometimes draped in blankets to keep warm, but outside all the same. April and May are often the best months for weather in Denmark, along with September. Summers can be rainy. And April is when Tivoli opens in Copenhagen. (Side note: when you see a man in...2015-04-1906 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanish Birthday Traditions It has been said that Danish birthdays are the most important in the world. Adults, children, even the Queen of Denmark make a big deal about birthdays. And there is specific set of birthday rules and traditions for every age and role you play in life. Let’s face it, Danish birthday traditions are a minefield for foreigners. Get it wrong and you could make some serious birthday faux pas. For example, if the sun is shining on your birthday, you may find Danish people thanking you. ‘Thanks for the sunshine’ they’ll say. This is because in Danis...2015-04-1208 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and SingingThere have been very few international singing stars from Denmark, and that’s a surprise, because Danish people love to sing. Joining choirs is very popular, and Danish schoolchildren often start the week with a song – in my daughter’s school, all the grades get together and sing something from the school’s common songbook. There’s actually a kind of common songbook for all the children of Denmark, called ‘Det Små Synger’, where you can find classics like ‘Se Min Kjole’ (See my dress), Lille Peter Edderkop (Little Peter Spider) orOles Nye Autobil, Ole’s new car. Ole’s new c...2015-03-0806 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Inequality: Private Schools and Migrants Who Sleep in SandboxesI was on Danish morning TV recently, which isn’t really something to boast about. In a country of 5 million, 10 guests a show, 365 days a year – you do the math. Just about everyone gets on TV sooner or later. Some of my friends and colleagues mentioned that they had seen me, stumbling through with my imperfect Danish, trying to promote my book, How to Live in Denmark. But just SOME of my friends and colleagues, not all. Specifically, it was my friends and colleagues who work in trendy creative industries - advertising, app designers, actors. That’s beca...2015-01-2509 min
How to Live in DenmarkCat Bites and Dental Vacations: The ups and downs of the Danish health care systemI've just arrived back in Denmark after a couple of weeks in the US and the night I got back, my cat bit me. This was not just a little affectionate peck - Fluffy used her sharp teeth, her fangs, to create four bleeding puncture wounds in my leg. I suppose it was partly my fault – I put a call on speakerphone. Fluffy doesn't like speakerphone, because she can hear a person, but she can’t see one, so she assumes I’m some evil magician who has put a person inside a little glowing box, and she bites me.2015-01-1106 min
How to Live in Denmark'Best of' Podcast: Christmas in Denmark Part 2: Get Yourself an Elf HatI’ve been living in Denmark so long I sometimes lose perspective. I forget what it’s like not to live in Denmark. Specifically, I forget that in most countries, adult men and women don’t want to walk around in an elf hat, even if it is Christmastime.
In Denmark, the red and white elf hat is part of any Christmas activity where alcohol is involved, and a few where when alcohol isn’t involved. Children occasionally wear elf hats, which are called nissehue in Danish.
But you’re more likely to see an elf ha...2014-12-0505 minHow to Live in DenmarkDon't mention the flag: What I learned when I studied for the Danish citizenship examThere was no How to Live in Denmark podcast last week, and I apologize for that. I have been busy studying for my Danish citizenship exam. As some of you may know, Denmark is allowing double citizenship as of next year.
That means you're are allowed to keep your home country passport - in my case, USA - while also becoming a Danish citizen. Personally, I'm a little concerned that this may be overturned if a right wing government takes power next year. Danske Folkeparti, which is now the biggest party in Denmark, is passionately oppose...2014-11-2906 minHow to Live in DenmarkDonald Duck, Anti-Depressants, and the Myth of Danish HappinessHello, and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kay Xander Mellish.
Whenever I hear that Denmark is the happiest country in the world, I think of Donald Duck.
Donald Duck is extremely popular in Denmark, as he is in all Nordic countries. He is much more popular than Mickey Mouse. He even has his own Danish name - Anders And. Which means, basically. Anders the Duck.
I don't know how much you know about Disney characters, but Donald Duck - or Anders Duck - is kind of a second-class citiz...2014-11-1606 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Environmentalism: Why a country that loves green tech is the world's fourth-biggest polluterIt's been a beautiful autumn here in Denmark. Warm, with golden sun, blue skies, red and yellow and orange leaves on the trees. Just gorgeous. And unusually warm for Denmark. It's always exciting when, instead of wearing your winter coat every day from October to April, you can wear it every day from November to April. But this unusually pleasant weather can’t help but spark conversation about global warming. So far the biggest impact climate change has had in Denmark are some severe rainstorms, when end up flooding a lot of basements and overwhelming a lot of sewe...2014-11-0207 minHow to Live in DenmarkAre you a good foreigner, or a bad foreigner? How the Danes categorize newcomers to DenmarkHave you ever seen the movie The Wizard of Oz? It's a classic. When Dorothy arrives in the land of Oz, the first thing she's asked is - are you a good witch, or a bad witch?
I was having lunch with a friend this week, and, over club sandwiches she said, its a shame there's only one word for foreigner in Danish, when actually there's two types of foreigner here.
I got her point, even though I think there's only one word for foreigner in most languages. But what she's was really saying is, the...2014-10-0506 minHow to Live in DenmarkThe 8:00 meeting is not an 8:05 meeting: Do's and Don'ts in DenmarkI did a little crowdsourcing for this week's podcast. I asked some of our listeners, and some people on Facebook - what were some of the small cultural mistakes - the dos and don'ts, the faux pas - you made when you first arrived in Denmark?
I got a whole selection of answers. Don't keep your shoes on while entering someone's home was one thing. Don't arrive even a few minutes late was another. The 8:00 meeting is not an 8:05 meeting. Trying to bum a cigarette - not done in Denmark. Calling after 9:30 in the evening or so - not d...2014-09-2104 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Little Match Girl and the Fur Industry: Danes and China You wouldn't know it, but Denmark and China have much more in common than both having red flags and a love for green technology. Denmark and China have a surprisingly deep relationship. It helps that the Chinese have a deep love for Hans Christian Andersen. 2014-09-1406 min
How to Live in DenmarkHow to make friends in Denmark; or 'Friendship in Denmark is a slow-growing plant.'I was in London this week, and did a little fall wardrobe shopping. I got tired after walking for awhile, and it was lunchtime, so I sat down in a pub. I had a beer and a fish and chips and a British guy next to me was also having a beer and fish and chips and so we just chatted through lunch. We talked about politics, the weather, the job market. After lunch, we waved goodbye and I went back to shopping. It was a fun lunch, but I never found out his name. The reason I ment...2014-08-3105 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and English, or "Can I live in Denmark without speaking Danish?"I get a lot of mail at the How To Live in Denmark podcast, and some of it is from people who want to move to Denmark, but they’re not sure what to do to make money once they get here. But, I do speak English, they say. Can I make money in Denmark just off of just speaking English? Generally, no. No you can’t. I mean, I do, but I was an experienced journalist before I got here. But English is not a rare commodity in Denmark. Danish children start learning English when they...2014-08-2405 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Authority: The giant penis on the wall, or how to deal with Danish civil servants When you think you’re talking to the authorities in Denmark, you’re often not talking to the authorities. If it comes to bus service, train service, unemployment compensation, homeless shelters, construction, even fire protection and ambulance services – you will be talking to a private company hired by the authorities. At any rate, some things are still run directly by the government, like the immigration service and local affairs. So there are some times when you do need to speak to civil servants in Denmark. There is a way to do this. Put at least a...2014-08-1706 min
How to Live in DenmarkWhat I like about DenmarkI got an email a couple of weeks ago at howtoliveindenmark.com from a Danish woman who now lives in Germany. She says that this podcast helps her keep in touch with life back home, but that she doesn’t really like it. She writes: “I have to tell you, that almost every story has a negative ring to it when you portray your thoughts on Denmark and Danes. I cannot shake the feeling, that you really deep down, do not like Danes or Denmark. I find this sad, as you have been living there now over a decade.” L...2014-06-2805 minHow to Live in DenmarkMore thoughts on Danish summer: The downside of the 'light times'If you’re in Denmark right now, you’ll know that we’re coming up on the year’s longest day this week. June 21. You know it because it starts getting light at 4 in the morning, and the sun doesn’t go down until 10:30 or 11 at night and then you’re up again at 4 in the morning. In between it never gets really dark, just like in December it never gets very light.
During the dark times, I know that I wait and wait for the light times to come. Sometimes I count – only 3 more months until the light times! Onl...2014-06-1504 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Swedes: The world's worst haircuts are SwedishHello, and welcome to the How To Live in Denmark podcast. I’m Kay Xander Mellish. I don’t regret many things in life, but I do regret not going to a party I was invited to almost 14 years ago. That was in 2000, when I first arrived in Denmark. It was a party to mark the opening of the Ørseund Bridge, which connects Denmark and Sweden. There were no cars on the bridge yet, so you could easily walk or bike between these two countries that had been bitter enemies for hundreds of years. At one point...2014-06-0805 minHow to Live in DenmarkDanes & IT: Anyone can guess your CPR numberOrdinarily don’t get my technology news from the local newspaper sold by the homeless in Denmark, but I did this week. First of all, I learned that you can pay your homeless newspaper seller by text message. If you don’t have loose change, as I often don’t, you can send a text to the newspaper seller’s registration number, along with the amount you want to give him, and the seller gets paid right away.
Secondly, I learned that some homeless people have iPhones. (pause). Not my particular seller, but another reader had written a letter to t...2014-05-3106 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Norwegians: Bitter envy and brotherly loveDanes and Norwegians were part of the same country for hundreds of years, and they’re still family. Written Danish and written Norwegian are very similar – so similar that I once tried to find a Danish-Norwegian dictionary and was told there was no such thing. The spoken language is a little more different, but still Danes and Norwegians can understand what the other is saying. Danes and Norwegians like each other. They care about each other. They even sometimes cheer for each other’s football teams. But like any family, there’s envy involved. Envy. ...2014-05-2306 minHow to Live in DenmarkSummerhouse or dollhouse? What to expect if you're invited to a Danish summer homeIf you live in city or a big town in Denmark, you may notice that the weekends are getting very quiet just about now.
The streets outside my home in Copenhagen are empty. The streetlights just change from red to green and back again, but no cars ever pull up. Nobody comes to cross the street. It’s a little like a scene a movie right after the zombie apocalypse.
This is because all the Danish people have gone to their summerhouses.
On Friday afternoons, Danish people like to pack up their cars, driv...2014-05-1006 min
How to Live in DenmarkStories of a Salty: Arriving back in Denmark after vacationWhen you go back to your country of origin, it’s alarming sometimes to realize how Danish you are becoming. I’ve been on vacation in the USA for a couple of weeks. But I’m back now, and it only takes a few minutes after I arrive at Kastrup airport before something happens to destroy the relaxing effect of 2 weeks off and several thousand kroner spent on spas, hotels and tasty dinners. The jolt back to reality usually happens at baggage claim, when one of my fellow fliers of the Danish persuasion bumps right into me...2014-05-0405 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Little Mermaid is Highly Disappointing: Better ideas for visitors to DenmarkIf you’ve seen it, you know the Little Mermaid is only about four feet tall – that’s 1.25 meters. You probably own pillows that are bigger than the Little Mermaid. At any rate, all the Copenhagen tourist boat trips go right by it, so your tourists can get the photos they need for their Instagram or Facebook feeds. If they want, they can climb out of the boat and onto the slippery rock where the mermaid sits for a photo. There are plenty of other things to do in Denmark. In this podcast, I outline ways to eat Danish pastry...2014-04-0606 minHow to Live in DenmarkRaising children in Denmark: If their social life's OK, academic success will followDenmark is a pretty good place to raise children. Working hours are shorter, and it’s perfectly OK to leave work at 3 or 4 o’clock to pick up your kids. There’s a good system for early childhood health. A nurse visits to your home when your child is a baby, and then there are regular checkups with doctor. If your child has the sniffles, you can take off work and stay home with her – the first two days are paid.
And, of course, there’s the day care system. It’s not free, but it’s reasonably...2014-03-3006 min
How to Live in DenmarkThe Things I Do Double: Thoughts on Denmark’s offer of Double CitizenshipThere was big news this week for foreigners in Denmark. It looks double citizenship will soon be permitted. Previously, if you wanted to be a Danish citizen, you had to give up citizenship in your home country. Meanwhile Danes who had moved abroad, say to the US or Australia, and became citizens there had to give up their Danish citizenship. There’s now been a proposal to get rid of all that. It hasn’t been finally approved, but all the Danish parties say they’ll vote for it, with the exception of our anti-foreigner friends in...2014-03-2306 min
How to Live in DenmarkSalaam and Gooddag: Denmark for MuslimsThere’s a new mosque opening down the street from me this spring, a big one. It will be the first mosque with minarets in Denmark, although the minarets are legally prohibited from calling to prayer. The people behind the mosque are doing everything they can to blend in with the local neighborhood – they even went to observe at a local church service a couple of Sundays ago. They were probably the only ones there. There are a lot of Muslims in Denmark, about 250,000 out of a population of 5-and-a-half million, most of who have arrived...2014-03-1605 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanes and Stereotypes: The superficial American and the Copenhagen cheaterAs an American in Denmark, I get to experience Danish stereotypes about Americans on a regular basis: we are superficial, too outspoken and direct, and are apparently controlled by a small cabal of right-wing nutcases. But the Danes have stereotypes about other nationalities as well. Spaniards and Italians are seen as fun and sexy and romantic, but unlikely to arrive on time. Eastern Europeans work too hard, at wages that are much too low, at least by Danish standards. Asian immigrants are seen as OK because they work hard at things Danes aren’t interested in, like high...2014-03-0906 min
How to Live in DenmarkDanish Names: Why Bent is not bent, and why It's bad to be BrianDanish names are very strongly stratified by age. Ole and Finn and Knud and Kaj and Jørn and Jørgen and to some extent Poul and Per, are over 50. Their wives and sisters and secret lovers are Inger and Karin and Kirsten and Ulla. Or Bente. Another guaranteed old ladies’ name is Bente. Bent is the male version. Being named Bent is a problem for Danes who travel, because in many English-speaking countries, ‘bent’ is old-fashioned slang for ‘gay.’ In those countries, if you hold out your hand and say, ‘Hi, I’m Bent,’ you may get an unexpected reaction.2014-03-0204 min
How to Live in DenmarkHow to find a job in Denmark: Not easy, but it can be doneFinding a job anywhere is a headache, and Denmark is no different. And let's be frank, if the employer has a choice between a foreigner and a Dane, they're probably going to hire the Danish person. The Danish person knows the language, the Danish person knows the culture, the Danish person knows what type of cheese to bring for the Friday morning shared breakfast. Nevertheless, it is possible for a foreigner to find work in Denmark. Here are my tips for a successful job search in Denmark. 2014-02-2306 min
How to Live in DenmarkDating in Denmark, Part 2: Dating Danish men, a guide for the foreign womanIf you are a romance novelist, the Danish man is not your dream man. He will not write poetry and pursue his beloved to the ends of the Earth. He won't send flowers, he won't buy chocolates. He won't even help carry packages. That said, if you’re a feminist, a Danish man IS your dream man. He will cook and help with the housework, and spend time with the kids. He'll respect your opinion, and he won't force himself on you. In fact, you may have to force yourself on him. But if you do, he’ll usually...2014-02-1605 minHow to Live in DenmarkDating in Denmark, Part 1: Meeting Danish women, a guide for the foreign man A lot of the mail I get at howtoliveindenmark.com get is from men, wanting to know how they can meet women in Denmark.
I can understand this. Danish women are very beautiful. And I can tell you now, most of them will not immediately exclude you because you have a different skin color. I know of several babies of mixed heritage here in Denmark.
That said, dating in Denmark is hard, even for the Danes, and it will probably be hard for you too.
That’s because the process that works in much of th...2014-02-0906 minHow to Live in DenmarkMore Snow Tomorrow: Surviving winter as a foreigner in DenmarkI’m looking out the window as I record, and it’s snowing again. It’s pretty, but it’s not a novelty any more. It’s been like this for the past couple of weeks, Danish winter weather. Nearly every day there’s fresh snow and ice. When I wake up on winter mornings, it’s still dark, and cold, and I can hear the wind whistling outside my window. Every day I think, ahhhh, I don’t want to get up. But I do. Of course everyone in Denmark suffers a little bit during the winter...2014-02-0205 minHow to Live in DenmarkDanes and Vikings, plus: Two words to use to get Danish people to do what you wantI play a little game sometime when I look at Danish people. I imagine them as Vikings. It’s easy now that big beards are in fashion on young men. Sometimes on the metro I’ll look up at the hipster guy playing with his iPhone next to me and imagine him wearing a big fur cloak. Maybe a rope belt, with a sword dangling from it. I imagine him stepping off the boat in Newfoundland in the year 1000, freaking out the local American Indians.2014-01-2606 minHow to Live in DenmarkDanes and Work: My vacation flight was cancelled, because the pilot was on vacationA few years ago, during the peak July vacation season, SAS had to cancel a large number of flights out of Denmark. This is because too many SAS pilots had taken vacation...during the vacation season. In Denmark, the needs of the employee are often more important than the needs of the customer.The post Danes and Work: My vacation flight was cancelled, because the pilot was on vacation appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.2014-01-1904 minHow to Live in DenmarkGossip and Scandal in DenmarkWhile French or American politicians have sex scandals, Danish politicians have tax scandals. Only the Royal Family is permitted to be the subject of really juicy gossip and scandal in Denmark. The post Gossip and Scandal in Denmark - Podcast #22 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.2013-12-1506 minHow to Live in DenmarkSex and DenmarkEven though Denmark is very open about sex, it isn’t very…sexy. Everything’s so accepted, out in the open, so practical, that sex in Denmark is a bit dull. The post Sex and Denmark - Podcast #21 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.2013-12-0805 minHow to Live in DenmarkHow to survive the dark times, plus: Should I move to Denmark?Sitting at my desk in grey, November Copenhagen, I received an email from sunny Portugal. Eighteen-year-old Bárbara asks: Should I move to Denmark?2013-11-2306 minHow to Live in DenmarkChristmas in Denmark Part 2: Get Yourself an Elf HatWearing an elf hat at Christmas time is a way to show you’ve got a sense of humor about yourself. You’re likely to see an elf hat on your boss, your professor or somebody else you’re supposed to respect. The post Christmas in Denmark Part 2: Get Yourself an Elf Hat - Podcast #19 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.2013-11-1605 minHow to Live in DenmarkØrestad, Ørested and Øresund: Why I still get lost in DenmarkI still get confused about Danish place names. A lot of names sound so similar that I am constantly getting lost in Denmark. People's names are tricky, too. The post Ørestad, Ørested and Øresund: Why I still get lost in Denmark - Podcast #18 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.2013-11-0904 minHow to Live in DenmarkNo food, only stuff to make food: My culture shock in DenmarkAt every Danish dinner party, I'm asked a standard set of questions: How did you come to Denmark? Why did you come to Denmark? What type of culture shock did you experience once you got here? In part 1 of what is sure to become a multi-part series, I discuss one major cultural difference: In Denmark, people make their own food. This is the seventh episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a...2013-08-3104 minHow to Live in DenmarkPublic nudity and the passion for privacy: Why I Google my Danish neighbors to find out who they areThey may appear nude on public beaches and in daily newspapers, but the Danes have a passion for privacy. And they may be respecting YOUR privacy by not talking to you. This is the sixth episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-08-2407 minHow to Live in DenmarkDanish, Dutch, Deutschland: Confusing Denmark with its neighborsIt's a common mistake to confuse the Danish and the Dutch - all those healthy blond people on bicycles! - but if you really want to understand Denmark, look at Germany instead. This is the fifth episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-08-1507 minHow to Live in DenmarkPainful hugs and Poison Gifts: When the same words mean different things in Danish and EnglishDanish words and English words can look similar, but some of the similarities are deceiving. A Danish hug is not comforting. And slut is not a slut. This is the fifth episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-08-0903 minHow to Live in DenmarkDanish sports: Big handballs and lonely ping-pong playersDenmark is a small country. It needs sports it can win. Team handball, team badminton, and team ping-pong are where Danish sports men and women shine. This is the fourth episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-08-0205 minHow to Live in DenmarkWhite Socks and the Danish Tax BurdenThe price of white cotton socks in Denmark is about five times as high as in the USA. I explain how the price of socks has a lot to say about the Danish economic system. This is the third episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-07-2504 minHow to Live in DenmarkThe Deeper Meaning of PigsHear about the role of significant cultural role of pigs - and we mean real pigs, not just people with bad manners - in Danish public life. This is the second episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-07-1803 minHow to Live in DenmarkSummer in DenmarkHear about summer in Denmark (or what there is of it) and why 'summer herring' sometimes wears a bikini, and sometimes nothing at all. This is the first episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in 2013. Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at http://books.howtoliveindenmark.com. Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at http://events.howtoliveindenmark.com.2013-06-2604 min