...when people think you're either super standoffish or mentally challenged or mute but really you're just not fluent in Danish.
That moment happens to be aaaaa-lot. I'm at this place with Danish now where I can carry on conversations with people who want to talk to me and look at me directly and say complete sentences with every ounce of pronunciation and goodwill possible. And then we can dialog. Orrrr I can understand random mutterings of shop keepers and the man at the bus stop and the the woman at the meat isle in the grocery store. But I'm not quite "quippy" in Danish. So Even though I know she's joking about how we're both taking a really long time to look at tiny packages of sliced chick and ham that aren't all that different from each other.... all I do is grin at her intensively. Ok, maybe she doesn't find it funny how tiny the packages are. But seriously!? It's about 10 lil slices per package. I feel so... American and supersized.... but that is not family value, c'mon.
Today was odd. I had very little pressing matters to take care of. I picked up a huge bag I had left at a friend's house for the last two months, bought some sheets and little wicker basket to hold my socks, went grocery shopping (clearly)... and decorated the living daylights out of my room. My roommate is SUCH a doer. She reminds me of my mom. Very busy, short, action-oriented. She offered to help me rearrange my furniture this morning. So I kindly thanked her and then sat there dreamily thinking about how I might like it all set up. She comes back about three minutes later - "SO, are we ready?" But my god she was in it for the long hall. We had the GIANT dressed - 8.5 feet-ish - in five different locations and the other display case/dresser, desk, and eating table chasing it around the room the whole while. We also ransacked her storage unit to find me that table and some extra lamps. She's truly generous with her time - I feel lucky to live with her.
I've also been thinking a lot about Danish fashion... they all look so similar. And no, I'm not just saying that there are a lot of blonds. Mostly... the aesthetic is SO consistent, it's a bit unnerving to me. At least they all look good. Lots of stripes, cropped jackets, skinny jeans, black tights, blue/black/grey perhaps with an accent color, interesting sneakers or flats, this inexplicable kind of romper pant that is sort of tight around the ankles but loose on the legs and tight again around the wait. SOMEHOW, in spite of the way it sounds when i try to describe it as dryly as possible, those pants actually look good on Danish people. y the way, everything except that romper-pant situation applies to both men and women, just fitted differently. Back to the blond thing though. This 'Danish aesthetic' is not at all limited to white people, but at the same time, it does seem to carry an obvious 'whitness' or 'Danishness' with it. Women who wear the headscarf sometimes have the same exact dress that I've describes - and often don't, particularly if they're older. Those who dress with this Danish vibe are sill obviously marked as different by the scarf, but the rest of the clothing seems to play almost as much of a role in marking difference. The fascinating point is that it's not purely difference of how revealing or "sexy" the clothes are - it's truly a matter of fashion.
Okay, enough big thoughts for now, I'm tired and I have International Student Orientation tomorrow!
Vi ses i morgen,
Alice
That moment happens to be aaaaa-lot. I'm at this place with Danish now where I can carry on conversations with people who want to talk to me and look at me directly and say complete sentences with every ounce of pronunciation and goodwill possible. And then we can dialog. Orrrr I can understand random mutterings of shop keepers and the man at the bus stop and the the woman at the meat isle in the grocery store. But I'm not quite "quippy" in Danish. So Even though I know she's joking about how we're both taking a really long time to look at tiny packages of sliced chick and ham that aren't all that different from each other.... all I do is grin at her intensively. Ok, maybe she doesn't find it funny how tiny the packages are. But seriously!? It's about 10 lil slices per package. I feel so... American and supersized.... but that is not family value, c'mon.
Today was odd. I had very little pressing matters to take care of. I picked up a huge bag I had left at a friend's house for the last two months, bought some sheets and little wicker basket to hold my socks, went grocery shopping (clearly)... and decorated the living daylights out of my room. My roommate is SUCH a doer. She reminds me of my mom. Very busy, short, action-oriented. She offered to help me rearrange my furniture this morning. So I kindly thanked her and then sat there dreamily thinking about how I might like it all set up. She comes back about three minutes later - "SO, are we ready?" But my god she was in it for the long hall. We had the GIANT dressed - 8.5 feet-ish - in five different locations and the other display case/dresser, desk, and eating table chasing it around the room the whole while. We also ransacked her storage unit to find me that table and some extra lamps. She's truly generous with her time - I feel lucky to live with her.
I've also been thinking a lot about Danish fashion... they all look so similar. And no, I'm not just saying that there are a lot of blonds. Mostly... the aesthetic is SO consistent, it's a bit unnerving to me. At least they all look good. Lots of stripes, cropped jackets, skinny jeans, black tights, blue/black/grey perhaps with an accent color, interesting sneakers or flats, this inexplicable kind of romper pant that is sort of tight around the ankles but loose on the legs and tight again around the wait. SOMEHOW, in spite of the way it sounds when i try to describe it as dryly as possible, those pants actually look good on Danish people. y the way, everything except that romper-pant situation applies to both men and women, just fitted differently. Back to the blond thing though. This 'Danish aesthetic' is not at all limited to white people, but at the same time, it does seem to carry an obvious 'whitness' or 'Danishness' with it. Women who wear the headscarf sometimes have the same exact dress that I've describes - and often don't, particularly if they're older. Those who dress with this Danish vibe are sill obviously marked as different by the scarf, but the rest of the clothing seems to play almost as much of a role in marking difference. The fascinating point is that it's not purely difference of how revealing or "sexy" the clothes are - it's truly a matter of fashion.
Okay, enough big thoughts for now, I'm tired and I have International Student Orientation tomorrow!
Vi ses i morgen,
Alice
