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Denmark 101 with Alex Berger

Tips, tricks, and cultural observations about the Danes and life in Denmark. From Copenhagen on the island of Sjaelland to Aarhus, Alborg and the far reaches of Jutland. I aspire to explore Denmark and to report back on Denmark's wonderful people, rich traditions and subtle quirks.
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Now displaying: February, 2018
Feb 27, 2018

When I graduated from Arizona State with my Bachelors there were three separate ceremonies all of which required I purchase and wear a maroon robe. I was initially skeptical of it all, choosing to only attend one, and thinking it was overhyped, a bit tacky, and ridiculous. But, later, I came to realize it offered a sense of closure and bookmarked the end of one chapter and the start of another.

So, when it arrived in Copenhagen ready to attend the University of Copenhagen for my Master's nearly 4 years later, I expected that when I graduated from the 2 year program I'd have a similar ritual and experience - after all the University dates back to 1479 - only with more "old world" pomp and ceremony than we'd had back in Arizona.

That's not quite what I got....

If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive.

If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way.

Topics that will be covered include the Danish approach to nudity, how to make Danish friends, how to meet Danes, Danish manners, and even a look at Janteloven.

Stay tuned for future updates - this is just the beginning!

Explore the stories behind this podcast at http://virtualwayfarer.com.

Where you can find me:

BLOG - http://www.virtualwayfarer.com
FACEBOOK- http://www.facebook.com/virtualwayfarer
INSTAGRAM - http://instagram.com/virtualwayfarer
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/AlexBerger

Feb 24, 2018

Remember the incredible experience that came with graduating from High School or Gymnasium? The Danes know how to kick things up a notch with their Studenterhue and "wagon" ride around town. It's a crazy fun tradition that involves white sailor's hats denoting a recent graduate combined with a day spent touring the city, raising hell, drinking, dancing, smiling, and celebrating with friends and family from the back of an old converted military transport with lots of fake flowers, horns, and large speakers.

I dive into the tradition in this episode of Denmark 101 BUT because it's a very rich and extensive tradition which I'm only scraping the tip of the topic, here's the Danish Wikipedia about student caps (use Google translate on it) https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studenterhue_(Danmark).

If you're Danish hopefully you'll find this series interesting, a bit informative, and not too outlandishly offensive.

If you're a foreigner coming to Denmark, I hope this helps you build upon observations and insights the rest of us had to find out the hard way.

Topics that will be covered include the Danish approach to nudity, how to make Danish friends, how to meet Danes, Danish manners, and even a look at Janteloven.

Stay tuned for future updates - this is just the beginning!

Explore the stories behind this podcast at http://virtualwayfarer.com.

Where you can find me:

BLOG - http://www.virtualwayfarer.com
FACEBOOK- http://www.facebook.com/virtualwayfarer
INSTAGRAM - http://instagram.com/virtualwayfarer
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/AlexBerger

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