Before & After

I saw this questionnaire in an expat blog and decided to copy it:

Before:

Q: Before you knew you'd be coming to Denmark, for whatever reason you originally came to Denmark, truthfully how much did you know about the country?

A: Not much really, Scandinavian nation of nice, peaceful people, with long and cold winters.

Q: Did you learn about Denmark in school when you were growing up?

A: Not really.

Q: Do you have family who is Danish or Danish heritage?

A: Nope.

Q: Were you aware the language the Danes spoke was Danish and not German or any other language?

A: Oh yes, off course!!!

Q: Had you ever lived outside of your home country for longer than one month prior to living in Denmark?

A: Yes, in the US and Argentina.

Q: Had you learned to speak any other language than your own, even if only partially so, before coming to Denmark?

A: Yes I did learn English.

 

Q: When you learned you'd be coming to Denmark, did you feel it was important to learn Danish?

A: Yes, most of the Danes speak English, but  I feel frustrated when I cannot read the mail, watch the news or participate in conversations at lunch when they forget I'm there.

Q:Did anyone prepare you with information of any type before you came to live in Denmark, did you attempt to find information on your own, or did you come to Denmark without preparing?

A: Nobody prepare us with any information. But started reading about Copenhagen and visited several expat blogs.  

 

Q:How did your friends and family react when they learned you'd be moving to Denmark?

A: My mother and sisters were not happy; they think Denmark is too far away. My father was OK with it. Most of our friends think it is cool to live in Europe.

Q: What did you think would be your biggest challenge living in a foreign country? Or did you feel you would face any big challenges?

A: Start all over again, arrive to an unknown place, and make friends. New job, new life, and  with a baby everything seems more complicated.  Besides Danish are famous for not mixing with foreigners... we will see, Argentines are the same way and we manage to make some good friends.

 

After:

Q: Upon arriving, can you remember the overall impression you had in the first 48 hours?

A: We came here first during Christmas for an interview... it was a good impression even though the days were short and cold. They put us in a really nice hotel, in downtown, couple of blocks away from the Royal Palace.. .we were happy. We commented several times how expensive it was. The town was looking charming and beautiful with all the Christmas lights.

Then, we arrived during eastern break . The weather was better but everything was closed.. The relocation people were also on "vacations", we felt a little bit abandoned. I guess we were too spoiled in Argentina. Here everything is more like "do it yourself".

 

Q: Tell me about your bicycle, if you have one. Is it borrowed/rented or do you own it? And how often do you use it weekly? Have you ever had your bike stolen? Feel free to mention and elaborate about anything special concerning experiences you have/had with your bicycle.

A: We have bicycles, road & mountain bikes each one. They are in our shipment. Then we haven’t done any biking at all. My husband plans to bike everyday to work, and me at least once a week. We will see.

Q: Name three of your favorite things about the Danish culture which first come to mind:

A:  - Everything is clean and in order, even normal people pick up trash from the street. 

-       Honesty & safety, people leave the bikes unlocked on the streets. Actually, I leave the stroller in front of the building sometimes.  Some people leave the strollers WITH the babies outside the supermarket, store or coffee shop, but I'm not that "Danish".

-       So many holidays and long vacations!!!! Total life/work balance.

 

Q: Of the things you never knew before coming here, what have you learned about Denmark

A: That having a car here is really expensive, good that the company covers most of it.

That most of the people bike everyday, must be because of the car cost =)

Danish are so environmentally conscious.

The shopping hours suck, from 10 to 18-19 during week days, and even shorter on Saturdays, and everything is closed on Sundays.

Q: Culture shock. Does this ring a bell?

A: Yes, everything is slower... less stress, more laid back.. it can be frustrating if you're used to the American way.

 

Q: How far have you come with learning Danish?
A: Cero... I will start classes soon.

Q: Has your view on politics or world issues changed from how you previously viewed things before living in Denmark?

A: I haven't been here long enough. But yes, I see how Socialism can work, and how people are happier in a more egalitarian society. I don't see poverty. I love the idea of living in a country where basically there is no corruption.  I see how things are better when the common well being is more important than individual's well being.

Q: Since living here, have you learned anything new about yourself? Or perhaps have you learned anything else new? A new hobby or a new way of life?

A: Yes, I'm not as brave as I was before. For example, just the idea of driving a stick shift car was stressing me out. I don't know why, I learned to drive in Colombia (in a stick shift car), where most of the people become furious at the wheel.  And when Robert went to the US for few days, I was not feeling OK by being by myself. I moved not only another country by myself before, but also to several cities (Cartagena, Tampa, Houston, Bakersfield (the first time) and never felt any fear at all.

 

I have several hobbies in mind but won't say anything until actually I start...  I have more free time (yes, like over two months off per year if I combine holidays and vacations), and shorter working days! Yeahhh que viva Dinamarca!!!!

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