Top 6 Things I Wish Denmark Knew About Americans Expats

As an American who has lived in Denmark for a number of years, I still feel there are some things that I just wish Denmark knew about us. The secrets are about to be revealed!

Number 1: Now, I know that most Danes LOVE to talk politics. When the US was voting for a president, I felt that the news in Denmark talked about it almost as much as they would in the US. I couldn’t believe it! Just because that is a hot topic here, please don’t assume that since I’m American, you can talk about American politics (or God forbid, Donald Trump) with me. My husband once mentioned to me that he doesn’t like Americans discussing Danish politics with him. Go figure! I guess everyone has their ideas of what should be in a casual conversation. There are probably tons of others Americans out there who would love to have this discussion with you, but assuming that all the Americans you meet are the ones who like it, isn’t a good idea. There are some of us who stick to the old tradition of NEVER talking about three specific topics with people we don’t know very well. These topics are Religion, Politics and Money. Maybe I am very old school in saying this, but I feel that it is a good way for me to get to know people without certain beliefs getting in the way. I have seen these topics tear families apart and that is no way to start a new relationship. Many of us Americans (and probably also Danes) could stand to be a bit more patient with each other and listen more to what others have to say. That being said, in my opinion, I would rather people who don’t know me get to know me better by discussing less-controversial topics. (Again, not the opinion of every American, but I’m not sure there are many who will say they want the political debate before exchanging last names.) I once sat around a group of lovely Danes who were very talkative to each other, but after the many hours of being left out of the conversation, one person turned to me and wanted to know what I thought about Trump. That is not the way to a person’s heart…let me tell you. I’d love to have a conversation about my children or about my work or about my interests. Anything that would show this person was really interested in getting to know me. Then, he would’ve known that I’m not the political debate type. I found it very rude. So if you were the lovely fellow who never introduced yourself to me nor ever asked me anything about myself before you asked about “The Donald”, please understand that I wasn’t trying to be rude to you on purpose. You started it!

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Number 2: Americans are friendly. Even the most introverted American is still very friendly and wants to be your friend. I know that Danes like to get to know people before they become “friends” with them. This might even take a lifetime for some Danes who are comfortable in their already-formed social circles, and to that we want you to know that we don’t understand that at all. We smile at you and say “hi”, even if we don’t know you. This isn’t to bother you; it is to make friends. We will invite you over to our homes and share our treats with you. We will laugh when we talk. We will learn the names of your kids and your dogs, and we’ll ask about them and want to be their friends. We aren’t weird. We are just friendly. We might be standing in line to use the bathroom at a crowded place and start conversations with complete strangers as if we have known them our entire lives. If you are our neighbors, we will treat you like family. We will want to hug you when we see you. We aren’t weird. We are just friendly. We want you to like us. We will love Danish holidays and traditions. We will want to celebrate them with you. Not every American is Mexican, but many of us celebrate Cinco De Mayo. Not every American is Irish, but many of us celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I love both, and I’m of Scottish/German decent. We love to have a reason to celebrate and have fun. Have fun with us! What is it, then, that I’m trying to say? Don’t be afraid to become friends with an American. We don’t bite!

Number 3: The American section of the grocery store needs a bit of work. It would be great if these stores actually discussed with local Americans living in their area about what they would like to see on these shelves and what are, in fact, what the majority of us eats. I know you can’t please all the people all the time, but can we get real for a moment? I’ve seen pop(soda) brands on these shelves that I have never heard of before. There is also always McDonald’s condiments on the shelves. ???? I’ve never seen those before in the States! And where in the world did you find that brand of Mac-N-Cheese? Sure, that might have been something we would buy to fill up our college dorm rooms because we were living on a budget, but when we desperately need a reminder of home, we’re thinking more of the good stuff that we know and love (Kraft). We also don’t understand why most of the section is junk food…like candy bars. I don’t recall Charleston Chews being an ingredient that I need for supper. We need to learn to love Danish food, but there are just those things that we can’t get here and would love to see. Don’t get me wrong; there are lots of wonderful things that you offer here, in which I am very grateful (French’s Mustard, Miracle Whip, Heinz Ketchup, Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce…to name a few. I mean, I’m set for a cookout, right?). The sections have also improved over the years, which can only mean good things to come for the Americans living in Denmark, but please consider shouting out to us sometime to get ideas for what to put on those shelves! I’d be glad to help Danes learn what American food is all about! (It isn’t just a candy aisle!) 😉

Number 4: What is with labeling things “American”? Yes, I know that when Americans hear the word “Danish”, we think of a pastry that isn’t actually from Denmark, but I’m willing to change if you are! 😉 I know that it isn’t the fault of Denmark that Doritos have an “American flavor”. I’m not sure what an American would taste like, actually, but I have a feeling it isn’t “cool ranch”. That is what we call it in the US by the way. It doesn’t just stop there. I have also seen Christmas decorations that are labeled “American decor’. They tend to be decorations that we might have used in the 80’s and are also a bit on the tacky side. I get it. They aren’t typical Danish decorations, so you probably have to call them something. Maybe you’re still upset about us calling pastries “Danishes”! I really don’t know. When Danes live abroad and have a Danish flag on the table for a birthday, another Dane can see it and smile, knowing what it represents. I can guarantee that not one of my family members would see this Santa decoration and internally feel some comfort or connection for the mother country. Now, If I saw a bandanna with an American flag printed on it, I might! You can sell those and label them American scarves! I’m okay with that! 😉

Number 5: Denmark, not common Danes, since this is a government thing, allows Americans to exchange their driver’s license for a Danish one. You need to go to the local police station and fill out a paper. You also have to give them your license from the USA. This is wonderful, since it wasn’t always this way. People from other countries and also earlier for Americans have/had to take a driver’s test to get a license. Thank you very much, Denmark for being so wonderful in letting me have a Danish driver’s license without taking a test. I live in a fantastic community with wonderful people who saw no problems with exchanging my USA driver’s license for a Danish one. However, I am one of the success stories. There are so many people who go through the same process as myself and get told that their American licenses are fake, so they need to prove that they are, in fact, real. I guess this has made it to the number 4 spot, because it is, evidently, an extreme misconception that Americans drive around with fake licenses. I don’t know where this idea comes from, but I think Hollywood really messed it up for us over here. All those movies with teenagers getting fake IDs must have really influenced the Danish police/government. Perhaps those in my area haven’t seen that many American, teen movies!

Number 6: This is probably going to get me into trouble, but we can’t avoid the elephant in the room any longer. Though driving in Denmark is very similar to driving in the US, I have to say that one of the most important things Denmark should know about Americans is that we have no idea what the road signs mean! There. I said it. Perhaps it is just me, but I really think that when Denmark allows the driver’s licenses to be exchanged, they should give us a cheat sheet for what the signs mean along with our Danish driver’s license. I know that I was able to drive with my American license before it was exchanged, but it might have been a nice “just in case I didn’t look up the meanings during that time” kind of thing. I’m sure most people look those signs up before they start driving in a new country, but let’s say, for example, that I didn’t think about that the first few times I drove. I live in a very small town. The blue sign with the white arrow was pretty much the one I saw most often. I figured that one out right away, but when I had to drive to a bigger city, I have to say that the panic set in when I saw a sign I was very confused by. I didn’t know if it was referring to a one-way or something to do with parking. Needless to say, I just avoided that area. Sure, there are also some “stop” signs here. That’s kind of nice! Maybe I am not a typical American in this regard, and every other American is very well aware of what these signs mean. If that is the case, I apologize for dragging you down in the mud with me. My bad, ya’ll!

I have a feeling that more will be added to this list.  Are there things you feel that are more important that I left out but you really wish the whole country of Denmark knew? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

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