Denmark 101 With Alex Berger

Summer homes are a key and common part of Danish culture. In this episode of Denmark 101 I delve into what they are, how they fit within culture and how I've typically seen them used. When I first arrived in Denmark I found it particularly surprising just how prolific summer homes/summer cottages were. Over time, I've come to realize just how integral a role they play in Danish culture and history. To the Danes watching - care to elaborate on what summer homes mean to you? Do tell! 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://vi

The Danish tax system is relatively simple (for a tax system). However, it's still quite different than what most of us are used to in our home countries. In this Denmark 101 I discuss what people get wrong about tiered tax systems, discuss how the Danish tax system works, and hit upon how much simpler and more streamlined the process has been living and paying tax here in Denmark compared to doing the same in the US.  A great guide to how tax brackets work: https://www.thesimpledollar.com/dont-fear-the-higher-tax-bracket-or-why-a-reader-needs-more-cowbell/ Tax Rates (confusing): http://www.skat.dk/SKAT.aspx?oId=7988 Wikipedia about Taxation in DK:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Denmark 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 appro

Denmark is a country with a long and rich history. So, it only makes sense that they'd have equally rich wedding traditions. In this episode of Denmark 101, I delve into Danish wedding traditions, things to expect at Danish wedding receptions and discuss some of what you'll find when couples in Denmark decide to tie the knot. Denmark and its residents are a fascinating group. In this video series, I'll be leveraging my observations and research to share with you insights into how to get the most of your interactions with the Danes and time in Denmark regardless the duration of your visit. One day or ten years - my goal is to share observations I've made from 6 years living, studying, and working among the Danes.   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

You've asked repeatedly for a video covering biking rules, norms, and suggestions for Copenhagen (and the rest of Denmark). After debating recording a traditional Denmark 101 video it struck me that it would be far better to go out and recruit some locals to tell you a bit about their approach to biking in Copenhagen, the rules...norms...and then to offer up some great (and some really bad) advice. In this Denmark 101 video I'm joined by Tuni a German-Vietnamese international student alongside Thomas and Lith who are Danes originally from Sjaelland and Fyn who now live in Copenhagen. I love how during our chat we managed a mixture of rule/law-abiding bike wisdom, combined with a few insights into how your average Dane in transit may see and approach their daily commute. Obviously, you should check the letter of the law and this video is far from actual legal advice, but hopefully it prepares you for a day spent exploring Denmark's highly trafficked bike lanes and bicycle super highways! Stay tuned for future

What are Danish New Years celebratory traditions? I dive into several of the major ones and describe the series of events that make up a typical Danish new year in this episode. 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

Have you heard the stories about Danish parents leaving their young children in strollers outside while they enjoy a coffee or do some light shopping? Those stories are true and the focus of this episode of Denmark 101. The NY story I mention: "A 14-month-old girl who was taken away from her parents after being left alone in her stroller outside an East Village restaurant while her parents dined was ordered returned to her mother by a Family Court judge yesterday." http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/14/nyregion/toddler-left-outside-restaurant-is-returned-to-her-mother.html http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/08/12/339825261/global-parenting-habits-that-havent-caught-on-in-the-u-s 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,

Danish mailmen and women often ride bikes - regardless of the weather or time of year.  Rain? Snow?  Wind? No problem.  You'll find Denmark's stalwart bike mailmen and women making their rounds.  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

Visiting Denmark? There are some things you should know about how their credit card system works. This includes the incredibly cool and secure Nem ID security code system used for all secure Danish logins (think taxes, city services, your doctor, etc.), passwords, and credit cards, as well as some of the challenges foreigners face when attempting to use non Dankort credit cards in Denmark. I also explain how chip and pin credit card systems work and how they differ from magnetic strip and sign or chip and sign systems which are much more common in places like the US. 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 upd

Denmark's homeless population has taught me a very humbling and important life lesson. In today's Denmark 101, I delve a bit into the topic and the humbling realization that virtually all of Denmark's homeless are better linguistically educated than I am. This is a touchy subject, so I invite you to approach comments and discussion with an open mind and to be respectful of reach other. 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://

The Freetown of Christiania is famous the world over as a fascinating cultural experiment. In this episode of Denmark 101 I attempt to combine a mixture of the history, with my own experiences/observations and commentary that has arisen during conversations with Danes. The result is a look at what Christiania was, has become, and how it has experienced radical changes over the past decade which make it a vastly different place than it was 5, 4, or even as recent as 2 years ago. 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://virtua

So, is Denmark a Scandinavian country or a Nordic one? The answer is...both. In this episode of Denmark 101 I run through the relationship between the Nordic countries, Denmark, and the Scandinavian countries. Want more of a deep dive? Read my blog post about the differences here: http://virtualwayfarer.com/what-is-the-difference-between-scandinavia-and-the-nordics/ 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/vi

Denmark has become famous for it's less than stellar service culture. While it's not as bad as what you'll find in some countries, apathy and a mild sense of buyer-be-ware is definitely quite often the case. This doesn't apply to service support and warranties, as these have been regulated by the government. If you're at a bar, restaurant, or shop though? Good luck. You're likely to find friendly but generally apathetic employees and a service culture that almost rarely goes out of its way to help the customer. The mantra that drives US service - "the customer is always right" - is anything but that in Denmark and might more aptly be called - "oops, sorry, I was texting and didn't notice you. I'll be done shortly". 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

A key part of many Danish workplaces is their unusual approach to lunch. While many larger workplaces offer Canteens smaller companies also often offer catered lunch. This is done through interesting lunch services that allow you to pay one fee and then pick and choose between 30 or 40 different restaurants at will. While some work places charge on a per-meal basis, the vast majority of Danish workplaces offer a subsidized lunch that usually costs about 360 DKK/month ($60 USD). It's worth noting that these are salary dollars and not post-tax dollars making the value an even better deal. The interesting side effect of this is that Denmark has historically had a very limited lunch restaurant culture. With many workers eating at work and students working at school, the demand for lunch venues you'd find in the UK, US, and elsewhere hasn't existed. There has, also, been a long-standing tradition of Danes taking their lunch to work, which further added to this. While there has been a surge in lunch restaurants

Recycling cans and bottles is a huge issue in most countries. While major progress has been made, the vast majority of cans and bottles in countries around the world, particularly in the US, still end up in the trash. Denmark's solution? Make it financially worthwhile to recycle, and it's not just working - it's a stunning success. if you've ever seen locals leave bottles on the ground next to trash cans in Denmark, here's the reason why. 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: BL

A look at how Danes celebrate their birthdays (part 2 of 2) and their use of the Danish flag. 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

A look at how Danes celebrate their birthdays (part 1 of 2) and their use of the Danish flag. 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

Every culture has its interesting linguistic quirks.  For the Danes, an expression similar to "uh-huh", "yes", and "yup" is of particular interest.  In this video I delve into their use of the word yeps/yips and how they manage to express it while simultaneously in-haling. Watch the video for an in-depth look at it and a few examples.  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://

If you're from the US, you've grown up with a College and University system where sports are fully integrated into the University system. Each school has a variety of school teams spread across a mixture of sports. In many cases some of the students also likely are attending the University explicitly because they have received University scholarships to play in these sports programs. If you're not from the US - this may seem like a pretty crazy concept. As an American moving abroad, I was surprised to learn just how different the relationship between athletics and University programs are outside of the US. 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

Most Danish workplaces have a half hour set aside every week where everyone gets cake. Sounds delicious, right? Tune in to learn more about this long-standing Danish tradition and what it means for the Danish workplace. Feeling inspired? Let's see if we can't help this tradition catch on outside of Denmark. 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

Danish (and European Universities in general) take a very different approach to education, specialization, and curriculum than those in the US, UK and various other countries that fall more in line with the US/UK approach to education. 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