Message

Jamie Lee, 16 May 2007
Denmark Albertslund

Where else but Denmark?

Where else but Denmark will you see someone smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer, yet walking or riding a bike everywhere and bypassing the junk food and snacks for rye bread and fruit? That's right! I have been so surprised by the Danes' health consciousness overall, yet they continue to drink and smoke heavily. Cognitive dissonance anyone? Psych majors?

Where else but Denmark will you see a 15 year old boy and his mom holding hands in the main train station in the middle of the afternoon? That's right! Not only was I surprised to see the pair so close (in America the teenage boy would surely avoid being seen with him mom at all costs), but they were holding hands and having seemingly deep conversation...in the train station! I don't know why the child wasn't in school at 1:00 PM on a Wednesday, but that's another story. I think European school kids skip school a lot.

Where else but Denmark will you see a 7 year old girl all alone catching the train in her equestrian outfit (complete with helmet and boots) and talking on her own, personal cell phone? That's right! I can't begin to imagine who the 3rd grader must have been talking to other than her parents, but on her own, personal cell phone? What is this world coming to? Haven't cell phones been shown to cause cancer-and starting SO early...wow. Not to forget the fact that the child was all alone at 19:00 yet mature and independent enough to maneuver the Danish S-train public transportation system all by herself! :-O

Where else but Denmark would you change your last name on-line, get an abortion in a hospitol room, and dye your beautiful blonde hair black? That's right! All those traditional Danish last names that end with -SEN can be changed with the click of a mouse ON-LINE! Also (and I had a discussion with my Danish family about this), abortion is VERY common and easy in Denmark-simply go to the hospitol and it's an out-patient procedure. There's even such thing as a 4-weeks-after pill. Wow. I explained how I think that will NEVER be legal in little ole super-conservative Bible belt South Carolina...Also, since Danes are typically homogeneous with blue eyes and blonde hair, every one is dying to dye their hair darker (pun intended ). Both of my host sisters went from blonde to brown, and I see so many people on the trains, busses, and streets with light roots too! In America every one is bleaching their hair blonde. Is no one happy with the way God made them? (I'm not completely innocent here...I experiment with hair colors too)

Where else but Denmark do I have to leave in 3 seemingly super-short days? That's right! I'm heading back home to good ole U.S. of A (a.k.a. the land of "How did Bush get elected?" and "Get out of Iraq already!" to Danes) on Sunday, May 20 at night after a 22 hour flight (yikes!) from Copenhagen to Amsterdam (again) to Minneapolis and finally to Charlotte then a comparatively quick drive back to Sparkle City, South Carolina! The first thing I am going to do is kiss my cat and play my trumpet!!! Hopefully I won't get the two confused...

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