Since meeting and staying with my host family for the past three days, I have learned much more about the values of the Danish people – more than just being in the country ever could. In my few days in Copenhagen, I was able to notice a few primary differences between how our perspective countries functioned, but the collective values and beliefs were yet to be reaffirmed. Now however, I can safely say that there are many differences between the two nations in all aspects of life.
When I first met my family at the Aalborg airport, I was greeted by open arms. Though I was unsure of whether a hand shake or hug would suffice, it was so kind for a family who had never met me to be so warm and welcoming and to open their arms and homes to me while I am here. Canadians have a reputation of being polite and friendly, however, I feel that the Danes are much more trusting and open. This is definitely one of the points that was reaffirmed for me in the past few days as I have observed and participated in normal life here. At a dog park we went to on the first day, there were hand-painted rocks for sale at one of the gazebos and instead of having a person there to control the exchange of money, it was unoccupied and it was trusted that the people purchasing the goods would pay for the full amount and not steal the money box. Even the security in many establishments are very lax, perhaps because the average violent crime rate here in Denmark is one of the lowest in the world. Our first day together was spent relaxing and eating ice cream in their RV camp at nearby village Øster Hurup. We also walked the family dog, Rico, at the mentioned dog park. There were many dogs all over the natural reserv as owning pets is a very common thing in this part of Denmark, the rate being every other household.
Since it was Easter weekend when we arrived, the students did not have school on monday. Instead, Støvring Gymnasium organized a trip to Skagen, the northernmost tip of Denmark and the place where both the Baltic and North Sea meet. That makes it one of the few places in the world where stepping in two seas at a time is possible. The town was first established in the 1400s, but has been Denmark’s primary fishing hub since the 1200s. It is also home to the famous Skagen painters, those that painted the scenery of Skagen and its amazing lighting. We ate a packed lunch in the garden in front of two of these painters, Anna and Michael Ancher’s, home before touring it shortly after. The house is preserved in the same condition as it was as the couple would have lived in, and the abundance of paintings in the building is breathtaking. This is another thing that the Danish value. Traditions are very much respected here, and that leads to things like old buildings being preserved and used to this day. In Calgary, most historical buildings have been torn down to make room for modern buildings. This causes a lost of culture that I think would be atrocious to the Danes. Every street in Denmark seems as if it is filled with an extensive history of some sort. All houses in Skagen (and most other cities) retain their original façade with the classic Skagen yellow paint, white trimming and fencing, and a red roof.
After a climb and calming beach walk, we made it to the tip of Denmark. It is a small island of sand that can only be accessible if you roll up your pants and waddle across. Of course I had to jump on the opportunity, and it made for a lovely photo-op.
The northern part of Denmark is prone to extreme winds from the sea patterns, which causes sand to move together inland to form dunes. The so called “moving dunes” can shift as much as 18m per year, and are much more massive than can be imagined. It was almost like being in a colder desert. The day concluded with a ride back to the homestay, which most of us slept through, something I should be doing right now as it is 11:00pm.
Till next time,
Hui Wen