34 ms·

And being slightly xenophobes... sorry, I had to say that, I did not feel very welcomed in Denmark, maybe it was the city or the ghetto I was living in (I did l

by kfk 10y ago

And being slightly xenophobes... sorry, I had to say that, I did not feel very welcomed in Denmark, maybe it was the city or the ghetto I was living in (I did like the ghetto a lot though). Italy is a bit more welcoming, Germany is very welcoming (for Italians at least).

Annatar 10y ago
You bet! You won't make any friends in Western Europe in general overnight, the ones you do make will be few and far between, but damn it all, you will have made deep friends for life. So yes, xenophobia until you have proven yourself otherwise. Or maybe not xenophobia, but personal space, peace and quiet is valued at a premium. You'll be treated politely but with a distance, until it is determined whether you are compatible or not; otherwise, the politeness protocol has been satisfied, and now goodbye: I introduced myself, you introduced yourself; this is a very good conversation! Goodbye!
atemerev 10y ago
Denmark is arguably the least welcoming European country, and the most depressing. Not saying it is necessarily a bad thing.
- kfk 10y ago
  Yet surveys put them in the top happiest countries in the world. I have to refrain myself from saying something overly generic here, but do notice the big contradiction between what you just said (which I believe is really true) and what I just said. Let's say that people up there tend to hide themselves from their true opinions sometimes.
  - atemerev 10y ago
    Well, technically, there are few reasons for Danes to be unhappy. High salaries, low workloads, free healthcare and education, somewhat efficient government services and low bureaucratic load. I spent there about 6 months, so I don't exactly know. But there's some dystopian feeling about all this. All Danes have social security numbers which are deeply integrated into all government services; all information (including healthcare, bank accounts, childcare services etc.) are accessible online by it (using MFA). To "fit in" and not being heroic is the general theme of Danish culture, something that they teach their children. "See these identical Lego blocks? They are essentially the same, and don't do much on their own, but you can build different things from them, to be fit for different purposes. This is how society works." — a Dane might explain. Lego is Danish invention; it is an acronym for "play well together". No wonder quite a few people are depressed there.
    - throwaway049 10y ago
      I agree with your point, but Lego is not an acronym and 'together' is not part of it. From their website "The name 'LEGO' is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well"" http://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history http://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_histor...
Symbiote 10y ago
As far as I understand it, having recently moved to Denmark, it's not xenophobia. Danes are equally unwelcoming to newcomers from the rest of Denmark. I'm told Danish students spend most of their time socialising with friends from high school, so even university isn't a time to make new friends.
- andrewflnr 10y ago
  That would make them more xenophobic, not less, if even people from the same country get caught up in it.
- sehr 10y ago
  I'm told Danish students spend most of their time socialising with friends from high school, so even university isn't a time to make new friends. That can't be right, it's far too depressing.
- dagw 10y ago
  it's not xenophobia Just because you dislike people from the next village over just as much as you dislike people from the next continent over doesn't mean you aren't xenophobic. Xenophobia isn't limited to nationalities.

by kfk 10y ago

Annatar 10y ago

You bet! You won't make any friends in Western Europe in general overnight, the ones you do make will be few and far between, but damn it all, you will have made deep friends for life. So yes, xenophobia until you have proven yourself otherwise. Or maybe not xenophobia, but personal space, peace and quiet is valued at a premium. You'll be treated politely but with a distance, until it is determined whether you are compatible or not; otherwise, the politeness protocol has been satisfied, and now goodbye: I introduced myself, you introduced yourself; this is a very good conversation! Goodbye!

atemerev 10y ago

Denmark is arguably the least welcoming European country, and the most depressing. Not saying it is necessarily a bad thing.

kfk 10y ago
Yet surveys put them in the top happiest countries in the world. I have to refrain myself from saying something overly generic here, but do notice the big contradiction between what you just said (which I believe is really true) and what I just said. Let's say that people up there tend to hide themselves from their true opinions sometimes.
- atemerev 10y ago
  Well, technically, there are few reasons for Danes to be unhappy. High salaries, low workloads, free healthcare and education, somewhat efficient government services and low bureaucratic load. I spent there about 6 months, so I don't exactly know. But there's some dystopian feeling about all this. All Danes have social security numbers which are deeply integrated into all government services; all information (including healthcare, bank accounts, childcare services etc.) are accessible online by it (using MFA). To "fit in" and not being heroic is the general theme of Danish culture, something that they teach their children. "See these identical Lego blocks? They are essentially the same, and don't do much on their own, but you can build different things from them, to be fit for different purposes. This is how society works." — a Dane might explain. Lego is Danish invention; it is an acronym for "play well together". No wonder quite a few people are depressed there.
  - throwaway049 10y ago
    I agree with your point, but Lego is not an acronym and 'together' is not part of it. From their website "The name 'LEGO' is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well"" http://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_history http://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/lego-group/the_lego_histor...

Symbiote 10y ago

As far as I understand it, having recently moved to Denmark, it's not xenophobia. Danes are equally unwelcoming to newcomers from the rest of Denmark. I'm told Danish students spend most of their time socialising with friends from high school, so even university isn't a time to make new friends.

andrewflnr 10y ago
That would make them more xenophobic, not less, if even people from the same country get caught up in it.
sehr 10y ago
I'm told Danish students spend most of their time socialising with friends from high school, so even university isn't a time to make new friends. That can't be right, it's far too depressing.
dagw 10y ago
it's not xenophobia Just because you dislike people from the next village over just as much as you dislike people from the next continent over doesn't mean you aren't xenophobic. Xenophobia isn't limited to nationalities.