Everyone told me that this semester would pass quickly; but in the midst of finals week, I cannot grapple with where the time has gone. I knew that study abroad would be a good experience for me. I knew that I was in for a great semester, maybe even “life-changing” as so many of my classmates returning from abroad described. I knew that I would love Copenhagen; I just didn’t know how much.
As part of my semester in Denmark, Georgetown requires all students to take an introductory Danish course. At first, I was apprehensive and reluctant. I heard that everyone basically speaks English, so why do I have to learn Danish. But going abroad makes you open to new experiences and this was one that I was ready to embrace with an open mind. Surprisingly, taking Danish Language and Culture this semester has been an integral part of my study abroad experience.
I believe that learning the language of a place you are living in is crucial. By learning the language, you gain deeper insight into the culture of a place. If you do not speak the language, you will always be seen as an outsider, regardless of how many years you’ve lived in that place. “:anguage is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” Learning the language helps you integrate into the society. However, as I have simply taken one semester of Danish, there was not a dramatic transformation. Four months was obviously not enough time for me to become fluent in the language. My knowledge of Danish did not manifest itself in huge ways, but instead, in small, daily mannerisms that I sometimes did not even notice.
I started being able to know enough Danish to order at restaurants without asking for the English menu. At BagelMe in the mornings, I could decipher off the menu which fruits I wanted to add to my smoothie. When my friend came to visit me in Copenhagen earlier this semester, I was shocked that I was actually able to translate things off of the menu for her. I started to understand street signs and directions: udgang, indgang, ensrettet, ikke in rute. And I was able to pick up a word here and there when I eavesdropped on people’s conversations on public transportation. The goal of beginning to learn the language of a new country should not be to acquire fluency as soon as possible; it is to gain a level of comfort with your surroundings.
Living in Denmark this semester has helped me realize several things about my own life. This semester has made me realize the importance of family and friends and how I need to do more to prioritize the people in my life. In Denmark, there is such a high premium put on the value of community. Families will sit around the dining table chatting for hours about their days. Whereas in America, I always treated eating with my family at the dining table as something that I had to do before I got on with the rest of my day. In Denmark, the workday is shorter—people normally go home from work at around three or four in the afternoon. In the United States, the normal time to go home is six. By then, you are so tired from your day, you go to pick up your kids, and then you go home to resume your household tasks. Parents do not spend extended time with their children. Having two working parents is the norm. Thus, getting a nanny has also become the norm.
This semester has been a much needed change of pace and scenery in my own life. At school, I overcommit myself and rarely have any free time. When people ask me how I am doing, my default response is “oh you know, busy.” I throw myself into my studies, internship, and extracurriculars. Though these are all good things, the harm in that is that I have lost sight of what is important. I have stopped prioritizing people. In Denmark, they prioritize spending time with loved ones, a lesson that I have learned this semester. I love that hygge is a big concept in Denmark. Hygge is cosiness and intimacy with friends. It is taking the time to have friends over, eating good food, and sharing stories and laughter. This comfort is not materialistic—hygge is available to all people regardless of social class. This lifestyle in Denmark provides a nice reminder to the lifestyle motivated by capitalism in the United States, that true comfort and happiness does not require large funds to achieve.
Studying and experiencing Danish culture has made me more interculturally competent. My Danish Language and Culture class provided me with the context that explained my daily interactions with locals. I understand that while Danes are profuse with their declarations of thanks after everything, they have very reserved occasions for using sorry. As Richard Jenkins describes in “Everyday Social Democracy,” it is crucial to learn “the paramount importance of saying ‘thank you’ in the right places, at the right times, and in the right ways.” I have enjoyed learning about Danish values of janteloven, the philosophy that you shouldn’t hold your success over another person’s. We are all cut from the same fabric, not one cut above and not one cut below.
The principle of janteloven is manifested in Denmark’s domestic policy of having a welfare state. We need to treat everyone with respect—the poor, sick, disadvantaged all should be included. In a welfare state, the poor in society also get taken care of. Grundtvig’s famous quote forms the crux of the welfare society: ”Og da har i rigdom vi drevet det vidt,/ når få har for meget, og færre for lidt.” This translates into “And when in wealth we have gone far, / when few have too much and fewer too little.” It is a Danish principle to “carry the weak with us.” As Jenkins describes, in Denmark, “ a social democratic welfare state has been secured, material inequality has diminished, and although it hasn’t vanished, class is less important as a yardstick of status and life chances.” This differs greatly from the United States, run on capitalism and individualism where it often seems like it is every man for himself. I found it interesting to reflect on how the United States, which considers equality one of the fundamental pillars of the nation, is still far behind Denmark in terms of equality.
This semester has been everything I didn’t know I needed. Copenhagen, thank you for teaching me how to live and enjoy life. I’ve been missing out. I’ve definitely left a part of my heart here, and I hope that one day I’ll be lucky enough to come back to get it.
