Shoe Etiquette and Danish Homes
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
When you visit a Danish household, apartments in particular, there tends to be one hard and fast rule....the podcast title probably gives it away, but give this episode a watch and weigh in with your own stories and experiences.
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Danes and Doggy Bags
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
The meal was amazing. The portions were bottomless. You're ready to go home but feel guilty about wasting food. You're also feeling a bit lazy - why cook tomorrow morning? So, you ask for a doggy bag. What's a doggy bag? It's a to-go bag for your leftovers and while it may eventually find its way to a canine friend, the food you save and take home is usually reserved for human consumption as delicious leftovers. At least, that's how we do it in the US. But, what about Denmark?
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Scandinavia and Fur Fashion
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
Yikes! It's a hard topic. What's up with all the Danes wearing fur and working it into Danish fashion? Why is it still so popular in Nordic and Scandinavian fashion when most other regions have abandoned it? I encourage everyone tow atch the full video for commenting, particularly as I know it's an emotional and sensitive topic for most. Right or wrong is up to you, but, as with everything in this series - I aim to better understand and explain the what and the why.
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Famous but Controversial Licorice Pipes
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
They may be delicious and a simple candy, but that does not mean they're not noteworthy and are without controversy. Tune into this episode of Denmark 101 for a look at one of Denmark's most iconic candied treats!
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Julefrokost: Danish Christmas Lunch Parties
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
Starting in late November, the Christmas Lunch / Danish Julefrokost season starts and it is a wild and crazy time. With charming dinners, fancy clothing, wonderful food (and not so wonderful food) as well as inappropriate flirtations and more than one or two frisky encounters - it's quite the cultural experience. Here's a quick down and dirty look at what it is and some casual observations.
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Danish Snaps vs Akvavit: What's the Difference?
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
WTH is Snaps? Is it the same as Akvavit? Do you spell it snapps, schnaps, akvavit, or aquavit? In this episode of Denmark 101 I take a shot at explaining how Danish snaps is made and its cultural significance in preparation for next week's julefrokost video.
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The Danish Export Economy
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
At the heart of understanding Denmark, Danish history, and Danish culture is the Danish economy. To do that, I've put together this video summarizing and discussing a number of statistics that serve as a great insight into where Denmark's job market is centered, where the country's economy is going, potential pitfalls in the future, and exciting opportunities.
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Boobs and Danish Beaches
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
For my 50th Denmark 101 episode it's time to circle back around to the topic of Danes and Nudity, this time, let's focus in on beaches, breasts, and general nudity. Is it legal? Is it true that Europeans run around beaches naked? Are the men naked? Do people still go topless? Tune in and find out in this episode of Denmark 101 - and just a reminder for those watching, idiotic or disrespectful comments will be treated with disrespect or re-located to where they belong; the trash.
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Copenhagen's Neighborhoods
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
Do you know the difference between København V, Vesterbro, Nørrebro, Østerbro, Christianshavn, Christiania, Amager and Frederiksberg? Each is widely different with very distinct with their own unique personalities. I do my best in this episode of Denmark 101 to give you a quick crash course run-through. Hint: If you're not familiar with Copenhagen, you may want to also pull up a map for this one!
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Danish Bodegas
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
There are few things more Danish than the Bodega. Far from a local corner shop which might share the same name in other countries, a Bodega is the name for the traditional Danish corner bar. They're small, they're gritty, they're a bit rough, and they're overflowing with charm.
info_outlineWithout fail one of the things most non-Nordics find captivating about the Nordic countries are their liberal approach to sex and the stunning beauty of their populations. It doesn't take long looking for information about Denmark before the beauty of Danish men and women comes up.
In the last few years there have even been some very widely viewed TV commercials which tackled the topic, such as Speis' "Do it for Denmark" campaign. But, one thing that doesn't get mentioned much, despite Danes reputation as some of the most shameless and sexually well-rounded folks out there, is condoms and condom use.
Though not a core part of this channel, I'm a huge advocate of safe sex, and of sex education. As part of that, one element of Danish culture that is quite disappointing, especially among my generation, is an overall casual approach to using condoms and practicing safe sex.
Here's a look at some of the stats (source: http://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2015/01/21/sextrans-2014-051814.full )
"Results Response rate was 20.4%. Condoms were used at sexual debut by 69.9% of women and 62.3% of men, while 14.3% of women and 15.1% of men used no contraceptives at sexual debut. Half of the respondents used condom alone at the latest sexual encounter with a steady partner (women 51.8%, men 55.2%), while 10% used no contraceptives. Having a sexual encounter with a casual partner decreased the likelihood of using condoms (women 43.7%, men 49.5%) and increased the likelihood of using no contraceptives (women 14.8%, men 20.9%). Data on sexual behaviour characteristics showed only minor changes when weighted for non-response. Conclusions The findings call for interventions addressing the use of appropriate contraception at sexual debut and at last sexual encounter; this seems particularly important when the sexual partner is a casual partner."
While this episode doesn't focus on the specifics of Condom usage. One thing I found quite interesting when first arriving in Denmark was how and where one goes about locating, shopping for, and purchasing condoms. After all, you see massive variations from country to country in the availability, range of options available, and approach to condom usage and it is, for many, an important consideration. So - to the Danes watching, I suppose my question for you in this episode is, where do YOU buy your condoms?
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!
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