Fascinating look into Danish culture. Each chapter represents a lesson of the month so the book reads much like a series of articles, which was the premise for the book.
Would have been nice if the memoir was more of a fluid story.
Things I learned about living Danishly:
Hygge is a term that means coziness, warmth that results from the brutal winters in Denmark, where the temperature falls to below freezing & there is only a few hours of daylight.
- As a retreat from the harsh winters, people hibernate
- The Danish believe the best way to hibernate is with aesthetically pleasing interior, candles & proper lighting to escape the harsh reality outside
- When Danes move, they not only take their lightbulbs, but light socket fittings...they take their lighting serious
- This explains why virtually every Danish apartment will look like a Design Within Reach catalog
Tradition - The Danish take their rules & tradition seriously
- They trust their fellow Danes and will leave their doors open
- They are proud to be Danish
- They accept their high tax rate because they know education & health care will be provided for
- Everyone holidays in July, forcing couples to spend weeks together with none of the everyday distractions...with August being a busy month for divorce attorneys
Equality - There is no social economic divide
- CEO of a company is just as likely to be biking to work along the janitor
- There is no stigma with someone's profession
- People like their profession - part of the aforementioned high tax rate means that unemployment benefits are generous and allow people the safety net to quit a job & look for another one or to take (free) training classes to prepare for a new career
Work Week - Short work weeks & subsidized/guaranteed day care... wow
Strange Stuff - Porn is common in Denmark, not anything that is particularly stigmatized
- Corporate holiday parties are a drunken free for all
- Despite the trust and pride, Danes tend to be very violent - the Viking blood the author muses
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