On average, it rains or snows 16 days each November in Copenhagen (Rainy 1). To deal with the nearly constant stormy skies, Danes have some seriously cool rain gear. Not only do they have raincoats but they also have rain trousers. Danish toddlers tumble around town donning bright, waterproof suits of orange, purple, and green. Generally, Danish adults stick to black or dark gray rain gear. I am on the market for a yellow pair of rain trousers. If I successfully find a pair, I will post a picture to celebrate. Fingers crossed.
My first real experience with Danish rain occurred the same day I first rode a bike in Denmark. After sitting through a theoretical biking lesson with my host mom, I ventured out into the world on my first grand adventure: a ten-minute bike ride to my friend’s homestay. I used proper Danish handle signals and managed to follow the bike lanes on the way to her house. By the time I got there, I felt pretty fly. So fly in fact that I didn’t notice when the sky grew ominous and gray an hour later.
Most Danes practically fly on and off their bikes. They point their legs and take flight like ballerinas or swans. I kind of fall onto my seat and hope for the best. It had already started raining when I clumsily merged onto the road back home. I was soaked through and through within seconds. This, I thought, could not possibly be rain. Instead it must be thousands tiny waterfalls covering every inch of the sky. How could rain be so relentless and unforgiving?
I was sitting at a red light when I felt a small object hit my back. I looked down and found the mystery object, a purple poncho pack, sitting in a puddle next to my bike. HOW?! I looked up. A stranger was waving at me through a closing car window. I waved back and yelled, “TUSIND TAK! [thank you so much],” before my savior pulled away.
I smiled the whole way home. At first, I thought that I must know this person. Was it someone from my host family? From my friend’s host family? Nope. The car I saw was different from each one that I checked. My guardian angel was truly a stranger. Danes trust each other. Danes look out for each other. Whether that means tossing a damp American a poncho, returning a wallet left unintentionally on the train (yes this also happened shhh keep it on the DL), or supporting a welfare system that provides a safety net for citizens when times get tough. Yes, it’s usually raining in Denmark but Danish people are always shining.
“Rainy Days, Copenhagen”. Weather and Climate Information. N.p., 2010. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.
