I had lunch with an American friend once with some other friends. As we were eating I noticed that our friend was sort of staring at our plates and not eating himself. I asked if anything was wrong, maybe the food or something. It turns out he was fascinated by the way we were eating with knife and forks. A trend that Danes do is we take the fork and put it down flat, and then "push" food with the knife on to the fork, while cleaning the knife with the fork, and then lift up the fork and take a big mouthful. Apparently he was fascinated by that. He grew up just putting his knife down, fork in right hand and shovel the food up. He did point out that this method is a lot more cumbersome when you eat something like peas that you can't easily shovel like that. I will say, that certain foods I'll do the fork with the right hand thing too. Like mashed potato and stuff, I have no use for a knife there.
It's really fun for us too and we try to give it a Danish twist somehow too. Thanksgiving is always a neat one and it celebrates the spirit of thankfulness for the Native Americans helping the British colonists in America - so foreigners cooking a meal for the natives in their new country... it's very appropriate to cook a Thanksgiving meal for our Danish friends as a way to give thanks 😀🇩🇰
Aw, that's so awesome Elisabeth - we're so glad you're part of the community! Hope you're finding your way in Denmark, it had to be such a tough year to move abroad but things should (hopefully) be looking up soon 😀
Most of us do have student loan dept, just not in the same way as you do because we don’t pay for our education and get payed (by the government) to study, but we loan money from the government to live off so we don’t have to work as much while we study 😅🙈
@@Heeman1119 Actually, because of the way the law is written, we pay more interest before we graduate. According to the SU-lån website, the interest is 4% before graduation and "diskonto" (general state bond interest rate??) + up to 1% - at the moment the sum is 1% total interest. Confused much, I know I am :-)
@@Laname-Destupid This feels like nit-picking, though. BUT! :-) SU-lån is administered by The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, which is under the Ministry for Higher Education and Science which is part of the government ("regeringen"). So the government loans you the state's money.
It's true. In Denmark we have what is called "Bordskikke", which basically means there is a specifik way you must eat to be respectful and mannerful. Eating with only your fork is seen as arrogant and gives off the impression that you have no interest in the food. So remember - fork in the left hand, and knife in the right hand :)
Hey Troels, this is great to know more about. Dining out is especially different than in the US, and we want to cover that in the future, so including bordskikke is a great idea. Thanks for the inspiration 😀
and please keep both hands above the table. I met an American once who told me he had learned to eat like you guys, and that his left hand should be under the table while eating with the right hand. Yuk: who knows what the left one is doing there?!
@@RobeTrotting If you want to google it try the singular variant: "bordskik". The singular variant, strangely enough, covers the topic as a general concept. The commonly known. The unwritten, yet omnipresent, law of table manners. The plural version will give you localized deviations, historical curiosities, etc.
And NO albou on the table, that is/was very rude, you are talking space from you side partner, eating a very nice meal, at someones home or restaurant, you have to use fork and knife otherwise it's considered uneducated, at a fancy party where there is 3sets of forks and knifes, start from outside and in for every course, learned from my grandmother, she was high class 🤣, if she went to a fancy party, and there was no napkins ,(clothes no paper) she would clean her mouth in the tablecloth, manners it's all about manners😁😁😁
At least for students here in Denmark, beer pong is regularly played :-P We even had regular tournaments at my previous university and my current dormitory has "regulation size" tables available. Hopefully they will get some use once we can host parties again ;-)
Regarding the etiquette, I found very different takes when I came to Europe. For example, in Colombia we always switch hands, as the main cutlery item in use has to be in your main hand. However, in Denmark or Germany they don't switch, they just have the fork always in the left hand. I noticed this when people started looking weird at me juggling with the cutlery, like 'why are you playing with those?'
As for the knife and fork challenge, I mostly see Americans cut everything into small bites, then put the knife away and eat with the fork whereas most Europeans will use the knife and fork and cut one bite at the time. As for the Metric system, it just makes sense! After 20+ years in the US, I still can't get used to the measure anything in inches. Speed and temperature is OK, but still not as simple as Celsius and Km. Thanks for posting here and I enjoy following your journey from the old country.
Thank you so much for the comment Ole 😀🇩🇰 We still have it easier than you since metric makes logic and sense and the imperial system is as outdated as... well, as outdated as imperialism itself haha. You're right, we definitely cut everything down and then stick to just a fork while resting our knife haha. It's these funny little cultural differences that make life abroad really fun. Hopefully for you as well!
Drinking games are pretty common here as well. Can't remember half of them, but there's ton card games but also some coin, bottlecap, and ping pong ball games as well. All centered around getting hammered.
2:00 We do have student loan’s just not as much as in the US, many people take SU loans as it’s hard to get by by the SU alone. It’s they are surly much smaller and also the they are really cheap as the interest is low as they are to the state and they take a lower interest then you can get in the bank. Also there are people talking some educations who have to pay, for instance if you take a civil pilot education you have to loan a lot of money.
I was in USA in 1984 and at that time they talked about going to the metric system but they surely had a hard time, I can see it didn't work out as planned. The metric system is so much easier, especially because you divide inches like ⅛", ¼" and ⅜" etc. rather than 4mm, 6mm and 8mm eg. screws. We still use inches for iron pipes but mm for copper pipes, glad I'm not a plumber.
Yes, when we were in grade school in the 80s and 90s they tried to teach us metric, and we picked it up of course, but the older generation refused to adapt so it's been lost. Not sure if they still bother teaching it or not.
my mom would slap me for using the fork as a knife, and I am 40. I still leave my knife and fork on top of each other and to the side on the plate, when I have finished eating. If I dont, I feel so rude and common lol
been in Denmark now for about 12 years. and you do not have to always Pay takes. but you still have to file. no matter if you make money or not. one other thing you can add, would be Americans use a 12 hour clock. where most of the world uses the 24 hour clock. Keep up the videos.
Yeah, it's nice that we always have a low tax burden here and don't pay because of it. We forgot about the 12 hour clock and thinking a 24 hour clock is "military time" haha
@@RobeTrotting being retired military, I have traveled more then the average American. and the differences are not an issue to me as most people. Oh, and I have drank my Coffee, Black since I was about 15.
@@RobeTrotting I'm glad you're pleased by not paying taxes in DK (sarcasm fyi), but that means the rest of us, who DO pay our taxes, are paying for the 2 of you also! No wonder we're getting skinned!!
I can totally understand your struggling with the metric system. When I lived in the US I had to convert everything to understand how much meat I was buying or to be prepared for the weather. I am know in your channel (and in Denmark) and I am really enjoying it. Congrats guys!
@@RobeTrotting Yeah, Rebildfesten hosted the only major 4th of July celebrations outside USA (not counting US military bases, embassies etc.) for many many years. It started more than a century ago in 1911.
Ah, yes - this is an interesting legal dispute, Anheiser-Busch (American beer company from Milwaukee) uses the name Budweiser and the Czech, Budějovický Budvar brewery, also uses the name in parallel. They have all kinds of law suits going back decades (I think before WWI). So the one we are drinking is likely American, but they have competing legal claims in every market around the world and a bit of a corporate cold war. Unrelated: Derek was actually in Cesky Budějovický last summer and it's beautiful 🍻
@@RobeTrotting The one you are drinking is the American. Not only is the logo of the Czech more like the style of the logo of Coca Cola, but it also includes the words Budvar. You can see their logo at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar_Brewery (about half way down)
I love that you dont loose any of your American tradition and habits as a dane i think its important to cherice what you value dont change who you are and what you do just cause you liv in another country liv from Århus
Nice video :-) It is always nice to hear your comments on danish versus american life style. I once bought 10 posters from an american website to decorate a new apartment. When I got them I realized America don't use the metric system. They were huge! So I totally understand you :-)
That poster story is SO funny - it must happen all the time. I think there's a statistic for how much commerce America loses each year for not being able to convert things from metric to imperial and back haha.
The taxes oh no... I’m not looking forward to dealing with that... thanks for the heads up on that one guys haha! Also loved the choice of beer lol. One American thing I’m really good at in Denmark is looking like a lost tourist when in I’m usually just trying to find the closest Irma or Neto it’s great lol
Hey Chris! The taxes part can be a pain too because we have to file an extension each year (because your SKAT forms in DK aren't available until May). In contrast though, it's SOOOO much easier in DK - in fact, they just do it for you and refund you automatically.
When I served in the french foreign legion we spent a couple of months getting proficient with both metric and imperial measurements and conversions because we were going to work with US Marine Corps and we didn't want to look like bafoons when it came to imperial measurements. However allthough the US Marines were most familiar with imperial, they were totally on point when it came to metric. It doesn't hurt to know both, and I tend to gravitate towards imperial if I do woodworking, somehow it just seems easier even i was raised with metric.
Ah, so interesting. We do learn it growing up but with no practical usage (because all labelling and such is in imperial) we have few frames of reference for how much common items weigh etc.
I rarely have to convert from metric to imperial. I usually use approximations and conversions, like a meter is a yard (plus 10%) or ~3 feet, a pound is half a kilo(gram), three miles is five kilometers (and 6 ~ 10), a gallon is ~4 liters (somewhat less). It lets me shop for milk and beef matched fairly well to how much I consume, I can predict roughly how long it takes me to bike a given distance, etc. It's okay when it's not your everyday, but having to stop and think is not great if you have to do it all the time.
Guys... Except for the American taxes and the measurements there are Danes doing the same stuff. But your perspective on differences is super fun for low key reflections on what is a habit that follows you for life and those that are more changeable. Thanks for the giggles throughout the video.
Come to Amager and check out Amager Bryghus next year. They celebrate the 4th of July (when they are allowed, thanks COVID) by brewing with breweries from the US and releasing them on "Amar'kanerdag" (a pun on the word for people from Amager "amagerkanere" is very close to the Danish word for Americans "amerikanere"). Since the 4th of July is not a Danish holiday they place it on the weekend closest to the 4th of July.
I can do soft cuts with my fork too.. Nothing weird about that. But I do eat right hand knife, left hand fork. And I try to not knock my side people off the chair with my elbows while cutting. Basically it doesn't matter whether you use right or left for knife, it just makes it a lot easier if everybody at the table use the same "layout" to avoid elbow-fencing. Placing the cutlery correctly after eating or having a break is just a way to communicate with the waiters; cutlery crossed = no need to offer me more food right now tho my plate is empty. Cutlery in parallel (usually to the right side) means that the wait staff can take your plate (also makes it easier for them to pick up). Leaving the cutlery to each side is supposed to mean brb, don't steal my food and/or I'm not done eating, offer me more if you can. Anyway, no, American Budweiser is not Czech by now. There's just been a few trademark battles between the Czech original and the American bootleg. Look up Budweiser Budvar on wiki.
Yes, we actually jumped online and researched the Budějovický Budvar Brewery vs. Anheuser-Busch legal cases - we had to refresh on that one haha. Super interesting business case 😀🍻
It’s so funny to hear you talk about Americans being loud. I’m danish and I really have a hard time having American colleagues. You are always super nice and polite! But it always loud 😂 They just talk and talk and talk and talk... If you are 7 Europeans and 3 America in a teams meeting - the Americans will have talked 90 % of the time while the Europeans have used the “raised theirs hand” function while waiting for the Americans to notice so they can stop talking 😂😂🥰 I love your videos! Thanks!
In the 1800s, the pronunciation really took off when Charles Bradlee wrote the famous alphabet song and included zee instead of zed to rhyme with me, essentially solidifying the newer pronunciation as the de facto diction for Americans.18 Jul 2019
I often have to spell Danish names etc. to customers from all over the world, so I began to use the American military alphabet: Z is Zulu. In my experience, it's so much easier for everyone, no matter where we come from.
Actually, they were two separate breweries growing in parallel - one in St. Louis, USA and one in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. They’ve split the rights to sell their beers as “Budweiser” I’m different markets around the world. Bud Light is always one of the top 3 most popular American beers (depending on the year).
Thanks for watching Charlotte! Glad you enjoyed it. We actually did get used to the date inversion pretty quickly but metric is so tough with so many different items to reacquaint with new measurements 😂
😂😂😂 There have been MANY close calls and truthfully we still kind of "guestimate" a lot of elements in the kitchen instead of googling "how many grams in 2 tablespoons" constantly haha
My parents are english though I was born in Sweden. We have always spoken english with eachother no matter where we have lived (Sweden, Germany & Denmark since 1980) as well as held on to english traditions like christmas on the 25th, sunday roasts, etc. But we have always made an effort to "immerse" ourselves into the norms, culture aso of the country we moved to, as well as learn the language quickly. Moving to another country doesnt/shouldnt mean giving up ones roots, traditions, religion, language aso, but respecting, embracing, learning about and enjoying the place/country you (in most cases) have chosen to move to. As long as the person you are, what you do or bring with you to where you go/move to is positive and doesnt prevent you from opening up to your "new life" and all its possibilities, friendships (and "loveboats"😉) work & play opportunities, moving to another country is an amazing way to not just grow as a person, but also realize that fearing the "unknown", is a waste of time, emotion and energy, as no matter where you go or who you meet, the "unknown" usually turns out to be "the known - just with an interesting twist"😉👍🏼
I find these vids very fun and interesting. As a born and bred Dane it's fun to see what makes someone, like an American, who on paper should be VERY similair to me, seem different :D Keep it up guys :) And I hope to bump into you in the Real world as the country slowly opens up to get a beer or something like that :) I have a note on how Danes or Europeans travel. We're basically very lazy when it comes to traveling (is my assumption). The distances within Europe barely covers 30 US states. And I've heard that hoppin on a plane to go visit your parents in the middel of the country and traveling miles and miles and miles is very common for Americans. Maybe that's a video topic, I dno :P but you can have that one for free.
As Celsius is balanced between water freezing at 0 degrees, and boiling at 100 degrees, it's usually relatively easy. Just think water temperature between those two extremes. And remember that half-way to boiling at 50 degrees is still pretty damn hot. As for metric measurements, maybe get a Danish cook-book? Then you can practice your Danish while attempting to get used to cooking according to metric measurements. And probably having some hilarious fails along the way. There are some great cook-books out there, which should also give you the opportunity to explore your favorite niche(s) of the Nordic kitchen.
Emma Gad wrote a book called Takt og Tone in the 1910’s (I think). No idea if it’s translated to English, but it is basically a book about danish etiquette. In many Danes eyes it’s the Bible on how you should behave yourself (table manners, how to socialize and so on - from a danish POV). If possible you guys should look it up :) great content - would love to see a vid from you explaining the rules for various American drinking games :)
Budweiser is actually two brands of beer, a check and an american, of the same name. They were developed independently and approximately the same period of time.
2 things.._ 1. Some people have student debt here in denmark but its not nearly as high as in the us._.And you can pay it of with like 100kr per month.._ 2. We do have a lot of drinking games.._ thay usually involves dice or cards... A specific card can mean that you have to drink or you have to take two shots or someone else have to drink.._ the same gos with the dice games.._
@@RobeTrotting my favourite game is called ølgalop (beer gallop) you have a bunch of people around a table with two sets of two dices._. The goal is to roll a double._. If you do that you send it over to the next.._ but if the other set pass you.._ you have to drink._.. Its a fast and fun game.._ and you get drunk really fast.._
@@RobeTrotting yup 0 = where it switches from warm to freezing... 20C is a NICE comfortable temp indoors/outdoors -20C is FRIGGING cold and not too common in Denmark but it do happen. Temp usually tops out at 35C on VERY hot summers, below 30C is more common the metric is just easy because it uses 10's all the time :D using 1/64" when you could just use 0,4mm yuk :D also 1 km is just 1000 meters since k = kilo = 1000 instead of like 12 inches in a foot, and 3 feet in a yard and 1760 yards in a mile.... then it is 1000 mm(100cm) in a meter, 1000 meters in a km and so on :D if you want "rough" distance comparison then 1 yard is nearly 1 meter :D but yeah... America needs to get into the fight... they use metric in science... so using imperial for daily day stuff is just silly... change it in one fell swoop and teach it in schools... it would quickly enough be easy peasy and you wouldn't feel like an outsider 3rd world country then :-P (just teasing)
You might add that Americans pick up after themselves in fast food settings, whereas Danes will often leave their trash on the table expecting the restaurant help to pick-up after them.
Actually the coffee that danes drink the most. is not espresso or americano - but drip. (ie. filter coffee)- Americano != Drip :) [americano is an espresso, deluted with boiled water, and thus still contains the oils/flavours from the espresso brewing process - usually means that it is "harsher" in taste]. There is a certain trend towards americano&espresso though. Particularly in the larger cities because of the many cafe's (and starbucks + clones) that only serve this kind of coffee + the influx of a lot of consumergrade espresso machines. If the trend is anything like in the US though, i think that drip will be started to be served again - both because drip is getting to be a significant barristo art, but also because it is faster and easier to have a container of filter coffee standing around [all Starbucks in NYC that i visited had these + delivered them to Hotels etc]. I'm not sure how many danes drink it black, since quite a large percentage use at least some amount of cream/milk in the coffee - but most drink it unsugared... that at least is correct. Children/Adolescents usually start with some amount of sugar in it, and cream, but ditch it once they get used to the taste of coffee - which after all is an aquired taste :) Sorry for the rant :D
I'm danish and I use my fork as a knife as well. I was almost 30 before my boyfriend told me it was unusual. He was raised with a lot of demands about eating etiquette and I'm not. So I guess that is why.
I'm left-handed. I always held my fork/spoon in the left hand. I've never understood how right-handed people use the left hand for the fork but switch and use the right hand for the spoon. To me they're both more or less the same utensil, moving food from the plate to your mouth.
Fun fact guys. Minus 40 Fahrenheit is the same as minus 40 Celsius :) and yes, 20c is really good weather, in the summer, but can be a bit chilly in the shade in Autumn. :)
Hey guys. I'm one of your Danish subscribers. Love your videos 😊 I'm going to Centralhjørnet this Sunday to listen to a drag queen singing old Danish songs 😅 It's usually very hyggeligt 😁 Have you ever been? Hope to see you there one day 😊 I was wondering if you guys still open your Christmas presents on the 25th in the morning or do you open them on Christmas eve the 24th as we do in Denmark?
Oh, that sounds super fun! We love Centralhjørnet but have never been there for a show yet, please say hi if we're there together - it's bound to happen 😀 We have always been able to fly back to be with family in the States for Christmas and we have been opening gifts on the 24th in recent years. We grew up opening them on the 25th though - most American families do their own traditions and don't always have them locked in stone.
We always play beer pong when partying with out friend group - it all started with one of our friends got a beer pong table from her work - so now it’s a stable at every party ;)
@@RobeTrotting - i dont Think so?!? Unfortunately i have to play without alcohol because of health issues - and while its fun to watch and play - its probably more fun to participate with alcohol consumption ;)
At uni we used to play beer pong and flip cup all the time 😀 we would also turn any game into a drinking game, so I don't think that's a particularly American thing 😅 Best one is Jenga: you write dares on one side of the brick and a number of sips on the other, and the person extracting the brick has to choose which side he or she wants to do.
About the 4th of July celebration, have you guys been to the celebration in Rebild on this day, or even heard about it? Also the metric thing, when it comes to meat the pound is actually still an acceptable measurement, though it is mostly older people who still use it, and it is not exactly a pound as you guys are used to, but 500g. But if you go to a butcher and ask for a pound of ground beef you should get roughly what you would be expecting.
Hej Christian, we had no idea there was a celebration in Rebild, we will have to look into it - that could be really fun. The metric thing is only hard because we have so many things to "re-identify" with a measurement - like the 500g of meat example. It's coming along, but we are in a weird place in between where we still have to guess the equivalent - and when we use American recipes it's impossible haha.
I would be curious to see a video on Danish style and design vs. your American style and tradition. I think visual taste is such a fascinating topic. For interior design I feel that the Scandivanian style is very lovely and makes so much sense BUT I am of course very biased. Whenever I am seeing any American shows or RUclips channels where interior design is covered directly (or shown), I am just amazed at why someone would think that e.g. it's great idea to go with dark hard wood floors in a space that (in my opinion) would benefit much more from a lighter and brighter design. I also see the trend of something looking expensive or exclusive, but you can tell it really isn't. Or something is quite obviously heavily inspired by the clean lines and simplicity of mid century furniture design, and then the American version is just chunky and off where I am left thinking "Okay, designer, you recognised that you liked this original 50s piece of furniture, but you clearly didn't understand what elements made you like it, because you interpretation is just so off". I often see objects that are just very visually "heavy" and not light and airy. I know I'm not explaining things that well. Would be easier with examples. But maybe you still get my question. To be specific: What is your take on design and interior design in the Danish homes, offices, buildings you have experienced? How do/did you perceive it? Has anything changed in your taste and preferences compared to before? I guess you could also extend it to preferences in how you dress yourself if you feel there have been any changes (or if you see the difference to how Danes do it, but you still do or prefer your "old ways").
Derek has been but we have not traveled Norway together - we would have gone last spring if travel was normal then so we’ll be flying north as soon as we can 😃
My father was a Dane and he drank his coffee black with sugar, and I, an American, take mine black. About American loudness : in Bermuda when we hear exceptionally loud groups, they are German!
Paused to say, I am an American in Denmark, and on the 28th it will be 15 years here. :) I still either use my fork as a knife and I still have to switch my fork to the other hand if using a knife. I get teased (in a good way) all the time at work or family parties, but it is just something that I just can't change no matter how I try. hehehehe
i dont know why but i just thougt everyone allways had there fork in left hand and knife in right hand but i guess not you learn somthing new everyday thx:)
Any sugar in coffee is verboten to me, sowwy. I drink doppio and quad espressos, ristretto, asking for the shots to be poured STRAIGHT into the cup, and that shot glasses not be used. Why not? Well ... because I like to get all of the coffee matter into the cup, the crema included and if shot glasses are used (which they usually ARE) the crema gets stuck in the shot glasses, ugh!
Though it's a little late, I have to comment on the thing about knifes and forks... I'm born and raised in Denmark by my danish mom, but my dad is from USA. I use my fork as a knife, and if I do use both knife and fork, I'll switch as well... go figure :D
Weekend trips are not that uncommon in Denmark. London and other british cities are great places for a weekend trip. Other big europens cities are also used. Like Berlin, Munich, Prague, Oslo(mostly cruise trip) and Amstersdam.
For many years I payed back on my studio loans. Then I got the happy letter. The happy letter said they thought I had paid enough. I was only half through with it, but I was happy. For some time I used to serve a lot of coffee for bosnians. The dose was about 1 thermo jug of coffee and a big cup of sugar. Did You try their type of coffee by the way? It's also called turkish coffee. Bring water to boil in a small metal jug. Ad coffee and stir in it with a spoon and poor into cups and ad sugar and milk after taste. I always take milk only and it taste great. Most danes I have met drink their coffee black and with no sugar.
Oh, that's interesting - we have to try Bosnian coffee. Congrats on paying them off - American student loans are crazy and almost impossible to pay back 😬
@@RobeTrotting Thanks. I had 2 types of studio loans. One in my bank and one to the state. It was later changed to one loan only, to the state. Bosnian ladies have som chores and one of these is to put a bag of 1 kilo or 2 pounds of raw coffee out on a table and carefully take apart green beans. Then they roasted the coffee in a oven. When I saw that happen, I used to take the time to stick around for a fresh cup of coffee and often they served a bit of chocolate too. I was working at "office" and when I visited em in their big houses, they served me coffee and when they came to office, I served coffee. After some time, when each of their cases were handled, they were ready to head out on their own. There were families and singles and even a few children on their own. Some were brought together with their families later on. Can You guess what my workplace was called?
In America the type of coffee where you boil water then add the coffee into the pot is called cowboy coffee. It’s actually an old American tradition. Most Americans use machines to make coffee now but a few still do it the old fashioned way.
I heard that the reason why Americans cut up their food on the plate, and afterwards only used the fork, is from the old "Wild West" where you should be able to grab your gun fast.
Everything is so easy now. Internet, instant 4K chats and videos, unlimited communications. Airfares are still a bargain imho. In the early 80s I remember, I used to pay close to 800$ to fly to Germany or Sweden, on average . That was a lot back then. Now, I could just fly to Europe to watch a play, or attend a friend’s birthday. Having said that, it is my opinion that, these options could negatively affect an immigrant’s ‘ full integration into his/her new society. Why speak Xxxx when they speak English..... ? That could become a double-edged sword dilemma. Celebrate America, and your new home Denmark. Tell the Danes that you love your new home and want to enjoy Danish culture to the fullest. And if they ask you about your Danish progress, just tell them that your dream is to speak without an accent. ( Nike’s: Just Do It ) Remember, Not so long ago, many Danes came to our shores. It is said that we have more Scandinavian descendants in the USA, than in Scandinavia! Sadly, most of them integrated so well, thatAmericans think of them as the “The All-American Boy/Girl next door”
I’m from Canada and while saying the alphabet I say zee but otherwise for most of the time i say zed (there is an occasional zee thrown in without me really noticing)
Played a ton of different drinking games in my younger years. I actually thought it was a normal part of danish culture aswell, since we are preeeeetty big on alcohol here 😅 But maybe it was just a popular thing within my group of friends 🤷🏼♀️. And it is probably something we adopted from America then 😜 ... cheers 🍻
Hej Nicola, maybe you're right - we could just be missing out because we moved to Denmark in our 30s and not our college/younger years. A lot of people are also saying that they play a lot of drinking games as Danes, so we could have been off for that one 😀🍻
All due respect, but Danish expats also have to pay danish taxes (provided they are in the home country for a certain time each year). Foreign tax also deductible(#SpellCheck). Also, and more importantly, I refer to John Cleese's views on Budweiser. :-P
Hej Lena, it's actually super random - but there are two breweries (one Czech and one American) that compete for the name and have been in legal conflicts for years and years! We knew of it, but not the tiny details until after we filmed this. It's Anheuser-Busch (USA) and Budejovicky Budvar (CZ) that essentially each have rights to the brand name in different markets around the world.
Lol danish drinking games are often board games. Btw drinking non black coffee is for children 😂. What switching hands when using knife and fork? Lol I have never done that 😅
Great RUclips movie Not sure who has the right to Starbucks today in Denmark. Danes visiting the States and UK always loved Starbucks. Wanted to have it in Denmark. But Starbucks did not want to pay fair sallaries. In Malaysia it is still normal that you need to work 2-3 hours to be able to afford a Latte Macchiato as Starbucks barista (But paying 300 kr for coffee is unthinkable). One of Europes biggest Airport cater companies wanted to open business at Copenhagen Airport . So Copenhagen airport said sure, if you bring Starbucks to Denmark. So they did - that could be the reason why Starbucks app doesn't work. With Budejovice, in German spelled Budweis it depends on the country. Should a city take a patent to its name? Austria-Hungary didn't think so, US based Anheuser-Bush did. So if you go to UK and ask for a Budweiser, you can get both beers depending on the Pub. In the States the beer of Anheuser-Bush is the real Budweiser, in Italy its the Czech beer according to law. So just make sure you enter an US-style bar ;)
Beer pong is super fun but flip cup is even better! 😀🇩🇰🍻 I think Thanksgiving is the best because it's delicious food, lots of drinking with the family and American football, a parade for the kids and it's the start of the Christmas season so it just feels really cozy 😀
@@charisma-hornum-fries That sounds fun:) I'm from Denmark, and usually me and my friends turned card games into drinking games. I don't think I've ever tried board drinking games. That will be next time:)
In regards to taxes. What is your opinien on the paperwork difference between the US and DK? So not the % you pay, but just how easy/hard it is to get the paperwork done for it
Oh it's infinitely more difficult in the US and they purposely keep it that way because tax preparation companies pay politicians not to modernize the process and put them out of business.
Don’t worry about having the fork in the “wrong” hand. A great deal do it too, I know plenty of them and do it myself also. No problems here about having to switch utensils while eating, and honestly, I think it takes more finesse to maneuver a fork around, dipping it in sauce and eating, than just applying pressure to a knife lol. Did research it once tho, and apparently people used to do this in the older days too, so who’s wrong or right? 🤪
Exactly! I eat with my fork in the right hand too since it makes sense that you would use the same hand that you use for a spoon since it's the same movement. But I have no problem using the knife with my left hand, so no need to switch around 😅 I get comments every once in a while, but mostly people don't even notice 😆
Hi guys :) Just subscribed. Love to see what "big USA" thinks about our small country :) If you are ever in Odense, please, give a shot out, and I'll happily show you around :) A super rude question (sorry, just ignore if it's too personal): Are you guys, friends, co-workers, married, brothers, or what's your story?
Yes, we didn't realize this and were a little surprised. The average American has over $32.000 USD (200.000 DKK) in student debt. I couldn't find data on the average Danish SU lån but now I'm super curious how it compares and now I want to do a whole video on Danish university life vs. American.
Hi guys, whence the channel name "Robe Trotting?" It's kind of like my mind's eye sees two guys in bathrobes jaunting across Europe like the protagonist of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" does in the universe.. Or is there a more mundane explanation? Just curious.
Actually - yes. The origin was very much what you described and Derek used to wear a bathrobe in instagram photos at different landmarks. It became a bit unfeasible to pack a bathrobe for every city break we took though, so we kept the spirit and it kind of ties in nicely with our original blog. It's about travel and living abroad - but the idea that living in another country isn't always as glamorous as people make it look on social media. You're not just "globe trotting" non-stop and drinking champagne on rooftop bars, often you're just sitting around in a bathrobe like you always did, just in a new land.
It will depend on what state your driver license is from. Its the same if you are just traveling. The reason is that some US states have sticker requirements to get a licnese then other so not all are considered to be worth the same in EU.
What about Christmas? Is it the 24. or the 25.? Is Santa from Greenland or the North pole? Do you understand "nisser"?I am a dane so you know what I think are the right answers 😊. And to Mike: your pronunciation in danish is very good.
Danes actually have a lot of drinking games that centers around the drinking, just as the US. I reckon that a lot of them are some you don't know. It is mostly younger people that are doing the drinking games, so I think the reason you think the Danes do it differently is because of the age of your friends.
Considering what I and my loved ones get back. I happily pay 50% taxes 😊 ! So less stress 😊! The "Youngs" show us there trips 😀, now it's your turn to do the same 😆 ! American Beer is like being in a Canoe..., "Effing" close to water 😂😂!! Good show 😎
Ah, so true - we feel much better about paying Danish taxes (and they're much easier to file). Imagine having to still file taxes in America AND having to purchase traveler's insurance to make sure we have health coverage when we fly back to visit family in the country we were born in, are citizens of, AND still pay taxes to LOL. We'll definitely have some travel content coming up soon, no worries 😀
Since your residents here, you may still need Travel/health insurance, when going back to the US. Your Passport may not save you 😔! A good and trusted (Danish) Travel insurance will run you about 1200kr. a year. Well worth the money! You may already be covered through your job, ore other insurances. So check that! Take care guys 😍
PS: I get my travel insurance through my home insurance, at a good price 😎 ! Good thing to have, even if you travel in the EU! The "Blue" card is not all that 🤨
Your smart guys, but still ! If you plan on traveling in Europe in 2021, make sure that your "Travel Insurance" will - fully - cover you, in the countries you want to travel to! Certain "Covid" rules apply at the moment 😑 ! Don't rely on your "Blue" card. It wouldn't Fly you home, if your ignored.
I had lunch with an American friend once with some other friends. As we were eating I noticed that our friend was sort of staring at our plates and not eating himself.
I asked if anything was wrong, maybe the food or something. It turns out he was fascinated by the way we were eating with knife and forks.
A trend that Danes do is we take the fork and put it down flat, and then "push" food with the knife on to the fork, while cleaning the knife with the fork, and then lift up the fork and take a big mouthful.
Apparently he was fascinated by that. He grew up just putting his knife down, fork in right hand and shovel the food up. He did point out that this method is a lot more cumbersome when you eat something like peas that you can't easily shovel like that.
I will say, that certain foods I'll do the fork with the right hand thing too. Like mashed potato and stuff, I have no use for a knife there.
I love the fact that you have parties for your danish friends to celebrate the American holidays!
It's really fun for us too and we try to give it a Danish twist somehow too. Thanksgiving is always a neat one and it celebrates the spirit of thankfulness for the Native Americans helping the British colonists in America - so foreigners cooking a meal for the natives in their new country... it's very appropriate to cook a Thanksgiving meal for our Danish friends as a way to give thanks 😀🇩🇰
I’m going on a year since my move from the US to Denmark, and I have to say, it’s been so nice finding y’all’s channel!
Aw, that's so awesome Elisabeth - we're so glad you're part of the community! Hope you're finding your way in Denmark, it had to be such a tough year to move abroad but things should (hopefully) be looking up soon 😀
Welcome to Denmark. I hope you’ll get to experience the Corona free Denmark that is a bit more charming.
Most of us do have student loan dept, just not in the same way as you do because we don’t pay for our education and get payed (by the government) to study, but we loan money from the government to live off so we don’t have to work as much while we study 😅🙈
Ah, yes - sorry Tanja - bad phrasing. It's definitely a lot different than the States (and better) but not completely debt-free.
@@RobeTrotting Importantly though, the interest rate on the loans are incredibly low, and don't even kick in until a year after you graduate.
@@Heeman1119 Actually, because of the way the law is written, we pay more interest before we graduate. According to the SU-lån website, the interest is 4% before graduation and "diskonto" (general state bond interest rate??) + up to 1% - at the moment the sum is 1% total interest. Confused much, I know I am :-)
@@Laname-Destupid This feels like nit-picking, though. BUT! :-)
SU-lån is administered by The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, which is under the Ministry for Higher Education and Science which is part of the government ("regeringen"). So the government loans you the state's money.
It's true. In Denmark we have what is called "Bordskikke", which basically means there is a specifik way you must eat to be respectful and mannerful. Eating with only your fork is seen as arrogant and gives off the impression that you have no interest in the food. So remember - fork in the left hand, and knife in the right hand :)
Hey Troels, this is great to know more about. Dining out is especially different than in the US, and we want to cover that in the future, so including bordskikke is a great idea. Thanks for the inspiration 😀
@@RobeTrotting I'd love to watch that. You're welcome.
and please keep both hands above the table. I met an American once who told me he had learned to eat like you guys, and that his left hand should be under the table while eating with the right hand. Yuk: who knows what the left one is doing there?!
@@RobeTrotting If you want to google it try the singular variant: "bordskik". The singular variant, strangely enough, covers the topic as a general concept. The commonly known. The unwritten, yet omnipresent, law of table manners. The plural version will give you localized deviations, historical curiosities, etc.
And NO albou on the table, that is/was very rude, you are talking space from you side partner, eating a very nice meal, at someones home or restaurant, you have to use fork and knife otherwise it's considered uneducated, at a fancy party where there is 3sets of forks and knifes, start from outside and in for every course, learned from my grandmother, she was high class 🤣, if she went to a fancy party, and there was no napkins ,(clothes no paper) she would clean her mouth in the tablecloth, manners it's all about manners😁😁😁
At least for students here in Denmark, beer pong is regularly played :-P We even had regular tournaments at my previous university and my current dormitory has "regulation size" tables available. Hopefully they will get some use once we can host parties again ;-)
Hej Jonas, that's awesome! So cool to know that - we also love flip cup and a variation of beer pong called "Civil War" which can get pretty crazy 😀🇩🇰
Regarding the etiquette, I found very different takes when I came to Europe. For example, in Colombia we always switch hands, as the main cutlery item in use has to be in your main hand. However, in Denmark or Germany they don't switch, they just have the fork always in the left hand. I noticed this when people started looking weird at me juggling with the cutlery, like 'why are you playing with those?'
Interesting! We are in good company then - maybe it's something in all the Americas that is just different than European dining culture 😀
Your disclaimers are the best! 😊
As for the knife and fork challenge, I mostly see Americans cut everything into small bites, then put the knife away and eat with the fork whereas most Europeans will use the knife and fork and cut one bite at the time. As for the Metric system, it just makes sense! After 20+ years in the US, I still can't get used to the measure anything in inches. Speed and temperature is OK, but still not as simple as Celsius and Km. Thanks for posting here and I enjoy following your journey from the old country.
Thank you so much for the comment Ole 😀🇩🇰 We still have it easier than you since metric makes logic and sense and the imperial system is as outdated as... well, as outdated as imperialism itself haha. You're right, we definitely cut everything down and then stick to just a fork while resting our knife haha. It's these funny little cultural differences that make life abroad really fun. Hopefully for you as well!
You guys crack me up 😂Denmark is lucky You joined us 👏😊
Drinking games are pretty common here as well. Can't remember half of them, but there's ton card games but also some coin, bottlecap, and ping pong ball games as well. All centered around getting hammered.
Maybe they're more universal than we first thought :)
Drinking games are common here yes. But mostly among teenagers. Something you grow out of. A bit like using just a knife while eating :-)
2:00
We do have student loan’s just not as much as in the US, many people take SU loans as it’s hard to get by by the SU alone.
It’s they are surly much smaller and also the they are really cheap as the interest is low as they are to the state and they take a lower interest then you can get in the bank.
Also there are people talking some educations who have to pay, for instance if you take a civil pilot education you have to loan a lot of money.
I was in USA in 1984 and at that time they talked about going to the metric system but they surely had a hard time, I can see it didn't work out as planned.
The metric system is so much easier, especially because you divide inches like ⅛", ¼" and ⅜" etc. rather than 4mm, 6mm and 8mm eg. screws.
We still use inches for iron pipes but mm for copper pipes, glad I'm not a plumber.
Yes, when we were in grade school in the 80s and 90s they tried to teach us metric, and we picked it up of course, but the older generation refused to adapt so it's been lost. Not sure if they still bother teaching it or not.
my mom would slap me for using the fork as a knife, and I am 40. I still leave my knife and fork on top of each other and to the side on the plate, when I have finished eating. If I dont, I feel so rude and common lol
Oh wow, that's perfect etiquette - way to go!
yeah leaving the knife and fork on top of each other is a nice way to say that you have finished your meal.
And never lick on the knive 😉 You're doing great 💕
been in Denmark now for about 12 years. and you do not have to always Pay takes. but you still have to file. no matter if you make money or not.
one other thing you can add, would be Americans use a 12 hour clock. where most of the world uses the 24 hour clock.
Keep up the videos.
Yeah, it's nice that we always have a low tax burden here and don't pay because of it. We forgot about the 12 hour clock and thinking a 24 hour clock is "military time" haha
@@RobeTrotting being retired military, I have traveled more then the average American. and the differences are not an issue to me as most people.
Oh, and I have drank my Coffee, Black since I was about 15.
@@RobeTrotting I'm glad you're pleased by not paying taxes in DK (sarcasm fyi), but that means the rest of us, who DO pay our taxes, are paying for the 2 of you also! No wonder we're getting skinned!!
I can totally understand your struggling with the metric system. When I lived in the US I had to convert everything to understand how much meat I was buying or to be prepared for the weather. I am know in your channel (and in Denmark) and I am really enjoying it. Congrats guys!
Thank you so much 😊
And you’re right, we become used to the same amount of meat but have no idea the actual measurement 😂
Remember that you can go to the Rebildfest on 4 of July to celebrate, it’s just south of Aalborg in Jutland.
Rebild July 4, celebration is the largest outside the United States
I can't believe we are only learning of this now! So cool - hopefully, it's still possible this year because we really want to experience it now.
You obviously quit haven’t meet the “right” friends here in Denmark yet. 😉
@@RobeTrotting Yeah, Rebildfesten hosted the only major 4th of July celebrations outside USA (not counting US military bases, embassies etc.) for many many years. It started more than a century ago in 1911.
@@RobeTrotting it's usually also graced by one or more famous Danish-Americans, maybe some day it will be you as the famous guests...
Boys... The original Budweiser is lager beer from the town of Budweis, in present-day Czech Republic
Ah, yes - this is an interesting legal dispute, Anheiser-Busch (American beer company from Milwaukee) uses the name Budweiser and the Czech, Budějovický Budvar brewery, also uses the name in parallel. They have all kinds of law suits going back decades (I think before WWI).
So the one we are drinking is likely American, but they have competing legal claims in every market around the world and a bit of a corporate cold war.
Unrelated: Derek was actually in Cesky Budějovický last summer and it's beautiful 🍻
@@RobeTrotting The one you are drinking is the American. Not only is the logo of the Czech more like the style of the logo of Coca Cola, but it also includes the words Budvar. You can see their logo at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar_Brewery (about half way down)
Did you know that the biggest 4th of July party outside the US is held in Rebild Bakker?
I love that you dont loose any of your American tradition and habits as a dane i think its important to cherice what you value dont change who you are and what you do just cause you liv in another country liv from Århus
11:48 "But it's also Denmark, so you never know either way"
Truer words were never spoken lmao
Nice video :-) It is always nice to hear your comments on danish versus american life style.
I once bought 10 posters from an american website to decorate a new apartment. When I got them I realized America don't use the metric system. They were huge! So I totally understand you :-)
That poster story is SO funny - it must happen all the time. I think there's a statistic for how much commerce America loses each year for not being able to convert things from metric to imperial and back haha.
The taxes oh no... I’m not looking forward to dealing with that... thanks for the heads up on that one guys haha! Also loved the choice of beer lol. One American thing I’m really good at in Denmark is looking like a lost tourist when in I’m usually just trying to find the closest Irma or Neto it’s great lol
Hey Chris! The taxes part can be a pain too because we have to file an extension each year (because your SKAT forms in DK aren't available until May). In contrast though, it's SOOOO much easier in DK - in fact, they just do it for you and refund you automatically.
@@RobeTrotting we do taxes in March and get our returns in April though here in Denmark.
@@RobeTrotting 0
When I served in the french foreign legion we spent a couple of months getting proficient with both metric and imperial measurements and conversions because we were going to work with US Marine Corps and we didn't want to look like bafoons when it came to imperial measurements. However allthough the US Marines were most familiar with imperial, they were totally on point when it came to metric. It doesn't hurt to know both, and I tend to gravitate towards imperial if I do woodworking, somehow it just seems easier even i was raised with metric.
Ah, so interesting. We do learn it growing up but with no practical usage (because all labelling and such is in imperial) we have few frames of reference for how much common items weigh etc.
I rarely have to convert from metric to imperial. I usually use approximations and conversions, like a meter is a yard (plus 10%) or ~3 feet, a pound is half a kilo(gram), three miles is five kilometers (and 6 ~ 10), a gallon is ~4 liters (somewhat less). It lets me shop for milk and beef matched fairly well to how much I consume, I can predict roughly how long it takes me to bike a given distance, etc.
It's okay when it's not your everyday, but having to stop and think is not great if you have to do it all the time.
I have, as a dane, always thought that it was so nice that over 200 million people was having a party on my birthday 🇩🇰😄 the 4. of July ✌🏼
good video in laver👍🏻 i also has a Danish friend in Jutland. 😊
I would love to celebrate an American holiday with you guys, it sounds so fun.
Guys... Except for the American taxes and the measurements there are Danes doing the same stuff. But your perspective on differences is super fun for low key reflections on what is a habit that follows you for life and those that are more changeable. Thanks for the giggles throughout the video.
That's true, none of them are harmful or taboo haha, and thanks so much for watching, we're glad you enjoyed it 😀🇩🇰
Come to Amager and check out Amager Bryghus next year. They celebrate the 4th of July (when they are allowed, thanks COVID) by brewing with breweries from the US and releasing them on "Amar'kanerdag" (a pun on the word for people from Amager "amagerkanere" is very close to the Danish word for Americans "amerikanere"). Since the 4th of July is not a Danish holiday they place it on the weekend closest to the 4th of July.
Great video! Love you guys!
Aww, thank you Millie :)
I can do soft cuts with my fork too.. Nothing weird about that. But I do eat right hand knife, left hand fork. And I try to not knock my side people off the chair with my elbows while cutting. Basically it doesn't matter whether you use right or left for knife, it just makes it a lot easier if everybody at the table use the same "layout" to avoid elbow-fencing. Placing the cutlery correctly after eating or having a break is just a way to communicate with the waiters; cutlery crossed = no need to offer me more food right now tho my plate is empty. Cutlery in parallel (usually to the right side) means that the wait staff can take your plate (also makes it easier for them to pick up). Leaving the cutlery to each side is supposed to mean brb, don't steal my food and/or I'm not done eating, offer me more if you can.
Anyway, no, American Budweiser is not Czech by now. There's just been a few trademark battles between the Czech original and the American bootleg. Look up Budweiser Budvar on wiki.
Yes, we actually jumped online and researched the Budějovický Budvar Brewery vs. Anheuser-Busch legal cases - we had to refresh on that one haha. Super interesting business case 😀🍻
It’s so funny to hear you talk about Americans being loud. I’m danish and I really have a hard time having American colleagues. You are always super nice and polite! But it always loud 😂 They just talk and talk and talk and talk...
If you are 7 Europeans and 3 America in a teams meeting - the Americans will have talked 90 % of the time while the Europeans have used the “raised theirs hand” function while waiting for the Americans to notice so they can stop talking 😂😂🥰
I love your videos! Thanks!
In the 1800s, the pronunciation really took off when Charles Bradlee wrote the famous alphabet song and included zee instead of zed to rhyme with me, essentially solidifying the newer pronunciation as the de facto diction for Americans.18 Jul 2019
The whole Zee Vs Zed... It is frustrating if you are trying to hear something spelled over the phone... Because it sounds more like 'C'
Oh for sure, just like using Celsius, we Americans make things harder just because it takes a little getting used to 😂
I often have to spell Danish names etc. to customers from all over the world, so I began to use the American military alphabet: Z is Zulu. In my experience, it's so much easier for everyone, no matter where we come from.
About Budweiser, It was originally a Czech beer called budvar, but corporation behind budweiser bought the licence and called it Budweiser ;-)
Actually, they were two separate breweries growing in parallel - one in St. Louis, USA and one in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. They’ve split the rights to sell their beers as “Budweiser” I’m different markets around the world. Bud Light is always one of the top 3 most popular American beers (depending on the year).
hanks for another great video. Did you get use to the date thing yet.
BTW I always walk around with a coffee from Espresso House
Thanks for watching Charlotte! Glad you enjoyed it. We actually did get used to the date inversion pretty quickly but metric is so tough with so many different items to reacquaint with new measurements 😂
@Robe Trotting please don't set your oven to 400° when you are baking a cake ;)
😂😂😂 There have been MANY close calls and truthfully we still kind of "guestimate" a lot of elements in the kitchen instead of googling "how many grams in 2 tablespoons" constantly haha
My parents are english though I was born in Sweden. We have always spoken english with eachother no matter where we have lived (Sweden, Germany & Denmark since 1980) as well as held on to english traditions like christmas on the 25th, sunday roasts, etc. But we have always made an effort to "immerse" ourselves into the norms, culture aso of the country we moved to, as well as learn the language quickly.
Moving to another country doesnt/shouldnt mean giving up ones roots, traditions, religion, language aso, but respecting, embracing, learning about and enjoying the place/country you (in most cases) have chosen to move to.
As long as the person you are, what you do or bring with you to where you go/move to is positive and doesnt prevent you from opening up to your "new life" and all its possibilities, friendships (and "loveboats"😉) work & play opportunities, moving to another country is an amazing way to not just grow as a person, but also realize that fearing the "unknown", is a waste of time, emotion and energy, as no matter where you go or who you meet, the "unknown" usually turns out to be "the known - just with an interesting twist"😉👍🏼
I find these vids very fun and interesting. As a born and bred Dane it's fun to see what makes someone, like an American, who on paper should be VERY similair to me, seem different :D
Keep it up guys :) And I hope to bump into you in the Real world as the country slowly opens up to get a beer or something like that :)
I have a note on how Danes or Europeans travel. We're basically very lazy when it comes to traveling (is my assumption). The distances within Europe barely covers 30 US states. And I've heard that hoppin on a plane to go visit your parents in the middel of the country and traveling miles and miles and miles is very common for Americans. Maybe that's a video topic, I dno :P but you can have that one for free.
As Celsius is balanced between water freezing at 0 degrees, and boiling at 100 degrees, it's usually relatively easy. Just think water temperature between those two extremes. And remember that half-way to boiling at 50 degrees is still pretty damn hot.
As for metric measurements, maybe get a Danish cook-book? Then you can practice your Danish while attempting to get used to cooking according to metric measurements. And probably having some hilarious fails along the way. There are some great cook-books out there, which should also give you the opportunity to explore your favorite niche(s) of the Nordic kitchen.
I also use forks as knives, ngl.
I never really use a knife when eating, ever, and my family hates it sometimes.
So funny! We never really thought of it as a bad, or at least odd, habit until recently haha
Emma Gad wrote a book called Takt og Tone in the 1910’s (I think). No idea if it’s translated to English, but it is basically a book about danish etiquette. In many Danes eyes it’s the Bible on how you should behave yourself (table manners, how to socialize and so on - from a danish POV). If possible you guys should look it up :) great content - would love to see a vid from you explaining the rules for various American drinking games :)
Budweiser is actually two brands of beer, a check and an american, of the same name. They were developed independently and approximately the same period of time.
Yep. And the one we were drinking is the American one from Anheiser-Busch :)
2 things.._
1. Some people have student debt here in denmark but its not nearly as high as in the us._.And you can pay it of with like 100kr per month.._
2. We do have a lot of drinking games.._ thay usually involves dice or cards... A specific card can mean that you have to drink or you have to take two shots or someone else have to drink.._ the same gos with the dice games.._
Oh and the game at the bar where they just hand out little pieces of paper - that one is always so funny because it's just random luck haha
@@RobeTrotting my favourite game is called ølgalop (beer gallop) you have a bunch of people around a table with two sets of two dices._. The goal is to roll a double._. If you do that you send it over to the next.._ but if the other set pass you.._ you have to drink._.. Its a fast and fun game.._ and you get drunk really fast.._
the metric system and celcius are so easy,, that is why most use it^^
You're totally right - it's just tough to get used to and start thinking in metric (although we are pretty good with common things now).
@@RobeTrotting yup 0 = where it switches from warm to freezing... 20C is a NICE comfortable temp indoors/outdoors -20C is FRIGGING cold and not too common in Denmark but it do happen. Temp usually tops out at 35C on VERY hot summers, below 30C is more common
the metric is just easy because it uses 10's all the time :D using 1/64" when you could just use 0,4mm yuk :D also 1 km is just 1000 meters since k = kilo = 1000
instead of like 12 inches in a foot, and 3 feet in a yard and 1760 yards in a mile....
then it is 1000 mm(100cm) in a meter, 1000 meters in a km and so on :D
if you want "rough" distance comparison then 1 yard is nearly 1 meter :D but yeah... America needs to get into the fight... they use metric in science... so using imperial for daily day stuff is just silly... change it in one fell swoop and teach it in schools... it would quickly enough be easy peasy and you wouldn't feel like an outsider 3rd world country then :-P (just teasing)
You might add that Americans pick up after themselves in fast food settings, whereas Danes will often leave their trash on the table expecting the restaurant help to pick-up after them.
Actually the coffee that danes drink the most. is not espresso or americano - but drip. (ie. filter coffee)- Americano != Drip :) [americano is an espresso, deluted with boiled water, and thus still contains the oils/flavours from the espresso brewing process - usually means that it is "harsher" in taste].
There is a certain trend towards americano&espresso though. Particularly in the larger cities because of the many cafe's (and starbucks + clones) that only serve this kind of coffee + the influx of a lot of consumergrade espresso machines. If the trend is anything like in the US though, i think that drip will be started to be served again - both because drip is getting to be a significant barristo art, but also because it is faster and easier to have a container of filter coffee standing around [all Starbucks in NYC that i visited had these + delivered them to Hotels etc].
I'm not sure how many danes drink it black, since quite a large percentage use at least some amount of cream/milk in the coffee - but most drink it unsugared... that at least is correct.
Children/Adolescents usually start with some amount of sugar in it, and cream, but ditch it once they get used to the taste of coffee - which after all is an aquired taste :)
Sorry for the rant :D
I'm danish and I use my fork as a knife as well. I was almost 30 before my boyfriend told me it was unusual. He was raised with a lot of demands about eating etiquette and I'm not. So I guess that is why.
I'm left-handed. I always held my fork/spoon in the left hand. I've never understood how right-handed people use the left hand for the fork but switch and use the right hand for the spoon. To me they're both more or less the same utensil, moving food from the plate to your mouth.
Fun fact guys.
Minus 40 Fahrenheit is the same as minus 40 Celsius :)
and yes, 20c is really good weather, in the summer, but can be a bit chilly in the shade in Autumn. :)
Hey guys. I'm one of your Danish subscribers. Love your videos 😊 I'm going to Centralhjørnet this Sunday to listen to a drag queen singing old Danish songs 😅 It's usually very hyggeligt 😁 Have you ever been? Hope to see you there one day 😊 I was wondering if you guys still open your Christmas presents on the 25th in the morning or do you open them on Christmas eve the 24th as we do in Denmark?
Oh, that sounds super fun! We love Centralhjørnet but have never been there for a show yet, please say hi if we're there together - it's bound to happen 😀 We have always been able to fly back to be with family in the States for Christmas and we have been opening gifts on the 24th in recent years. We grew up opening them on the 25th though - most American families do their own traditions and don't always have them locked in stone.
What a surprise my country Eritrea was mentioned. Haha wasn’t expecting that!
Oh that's so cool! For taxes of course, but still on our minds :)
We always play beer pong when partying with out friend group - it all started with one of our friends got a beer pong table from her work - so now it’s a stable at every party ;)
Hej Sabine, that is awesome! Have you tried flip cup? There's also a beer pong variation called Civil War which is really fun 😀🍻
@@RobeTrotting - i dont Think so?!?
Unfortunately i have to play without alcohol because of health issues - and while its fun to watch and play - its probably more fun to participate with alcohol consumption ;)
At uni we used to play beer pong and flip cup all the time 😀 we would also turn any game into a drinking game, so I don't think that's a particularly American thing 😅 Best one is Jenga: you write dares on one side of the brick and a number of sips on the other, and the person extracting the brick has to choose which side he or she wants to do.
I love your fast speaking American disclaimer 🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂 hahaha yes, I guess that’s one more American thing for the video 😂
Actually the Danish 4th of July is the biggest outside of US in rebild Bakker..
We just learned about this from the comments - SO cool, we are going to look into it for this year (provided it's still going on in these times) 😀
About the 4th of July celebration, have you guys been to the celebration in Rebild on this day, or even heard about it?
Also the metric thing, when it comes to meat the pound is actually still an acceptable measurement, though it is mostly older people who still use it, and it is not exactly a pound as you guys are used to, but 500g. But if you go to a butcher and ask for a pound of ground beef you should get roughly what you would be expecting.
Hej Christian, we had no idea there was a celebration in Rebild, we will have to look into it - that could be really fun.
The metric thing is only hard because we have so many things to "re-identify" with a measurement - like the 500g of meat example. It's coming along, but we are in a weird place in between where we still have to guess the equivalent - and when we use American recipes it's impossible haha.
I would be curious to see a video on Danish style and design vs. your American style and tradition. I think visual taste is such a fascinating topic. For interior design I feel that the Scandivanian style is very lovely and makes so much sense BUT I am of course very biased. Whenever I am seeing any American shows or RUclips channels where interior design is covered directly (or shown), I am just amazed at why someone would think that e.g. it's great idea to go with dark hard wood floors in a space that (in my opinion) would benefit much more from a lighter and brighter design. I also see the trend of something looking expensive or exclusive, but you can tell it really isn't. Or something is quite obviously heavily inspired by the clean lines and simplicity of mid century furniture design, and then the American version is just chunky and off where I am left thinking "Okay, designer, you recognised that you liked this original 50s piece of furniture, but you clearly didn't understand what elements made you like it, because you interpretation is just so off". I often see objects that are just very visually "heavy" and not light and airy. I know I'm not explaining things that well. Would be easier with examples. But maybe you still get my question. To be specific: What is your take on design and interior design in the Danish homes, offices, buildings you have experienced? How do/did you perceive it? Has anything changed in your taste and preferences compared to before? I guess you could also extend it to preferences in how you dress yourself if you feel there have been any changes (or if you see the difference to how Danes do it, but you still do or prefer your "old ways").
Scared the s… out of me with that bell at the end 🤣
Many danes actuelly eat chicken without fork and knive, because its ok to do so - something we grew up with 😃
Desserts, layer cakes and whipped cream cakes are mostly cut / eaten with a cake fork or a spoon.
Ever been to Norway? You should take a trip ☺
Derek has been but we have not traveled Norway together - we would have gone last spring if travel was normal then so we’ll be flying north as soon as we can 😃
My father was a Dane and he drank his coffee black with sugar, and I, an American, take mine black. About American loudness : in Bermuda when we hear exceptionally loud groups, they are German!
If you ever feel bored, my wife and I would have you here for some good food in a heartbeat - We are Danish, and not so Danish at the same time 🥰
Two Guys - One Cup. That intro, man. :)
😂😂😂Oh wow, that visual lol
@@RobeTrotting It was all I saw. Extremely disturbing. The rest of the video was great though.
@@michaelmeyers7216 Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it. We were hoping it was just the right amount of ridiculous with the coffee haha
Paused to say, I am an American in Denmark, and on the 28th it will be 15 years here. :) I still either use my fork as a knife and I still have to switch my fork to the other hand if using a knife. I get teased (in a good way) all the time at work or family parties, but it is just something that I just can't change no matter how I try. hehehehe
Oh wonderful, we are in good company then haha. It's really hard to switch up - like writing with your non-dominant hand 🙈😂🇩🇰
Danish people especially younger peeps have so many drinking games. Might wanna look into that as well.
i dont know why but i just thougt everyone allways had there fork in left hand and knife in right hand but i guess not
you learn somthing new everyday thx:)
Any sugar in coffee is verboten to me, sowwy. I drink doppio and quad espressos, ristretto, asking for the shots to be poured STRAIGHT into the cup, and that shot glasses not be used. Why not? Well ... because I like to get all of the coffee matter into the cup, the crema included and if shot glasses are used (which they usually ARE) the crema gets stuck in the shot glasses, ugh!
Thought you guys measured everything in Freedom pr bald eagle ;p
😂 😂 😂 ‘Merica
5:00 drinking games are not uncommon in Denmark, especially beer pong and vandfald
Though it's a little late, I have to comment on the thing about knifes and forks... I'm born and raised in Denmark by my danish mom, but my dad is from USA. I use my fork as a knife, and if I do use both knife and fork, I'll switch as well... go figure :D
Weekend trips are not that uncommon in Denmark. London and other british cities are great places for a weekend trip. Other big europens cities are also used. Like Berlin, Munich, Prague, Oslo(mostly cruise trip) and Amstersdam.
I can't wait to start doing them again - literally any of those cities for a weekend would be fantastic right now 😀
Have you noticed that we don´t use cash often?
Ah, yes - and we love that. We rarely did in the States and it was so annoying whenever a place was "cash only"... in the modern era haha
For many years I payed back on my studio loans. Then I got the happy letter. The happy letter said they thought I had paid enough. I was only half through with it, but I was happy.
For some time I used to serve a lot of coffee for bosnians. The dose was about 1 thermo jug of coffee and a big cup of sugar. Did You try their type of coffee by the way? It's also called turkish coffee. Bring water to boil in a small metal jug. Ad coffee and stir in it with a spoon and poor into cups and ad sugar and milk after taste. I always take milk only and it taste great. Most danes I have met drink their coffee black and with no sugar.
Oh, that's interesting - we have to try Bosnian coffee. Congrats on paying them off - American student loans are crazy and almost impossible to pay back 😬
@@RobeTrotting Thanks. I had 2 types of studio loans. One in my bank and one to the state. It was later changed to one loan only, to the state.
Bosnian ladies have som chores and one of these is to put a bag of 1 kilo or 2 pounds of raw coffee out on a table and carefully take apart green beans. Then they roasted the coffee in a oven. When I saw that happen, I used to take the time to stick around for a fresh cup of coffee and often they served a bit of chocolate too. I was working at "office" and when I visited em in their big houses, they served me coffee and when they came to office, I served coffee. After some time, when each of their cases were handled, they were ready to head out on their own. There were families and singles and even a few children on their own. Some were brought together with their families later on.
Can You guess what my workplace was called?
@@Svendskommentar Not sure at all, were you keeping peace there during the unrest?
@@RobeTrotting I worked in a refugee camp for bosnian refugees from ex Jugoslavia in the 90s. Red Cross Asylum Center here in Denmark.
In America the type of coffee where you boil water then add the coffee into the pot is called cowboy coffee. It’s actually an old American tradition. Most Americans use machines to make coffee now but a few still do it the old fashioned way.
I heard that the reason why Americans cut up their food on the plate, and afterwards only used the fork, is from the old "Wild West" where you should be able to grab your gun fast.
Everything is so easy now.
Internet, instant 4K chats and videos, unlimited communications.
Airfares are still a bargain imho. In the early 80s I remember, I used to pay close to 800$ to fly to Germany or Sweden, on average .
That was a lot back then. Now, I could just fly to Europe to watch a play, or attend a friend’s birthday.
Having said that, it is my opinion that, these options could negatively affect an immigrant’s ‘ full integration into his/her new society.
Why speak Xxxx when they speak English..... ?
That could become a double-edged sword dilemma.
Celebrate America, and your new home Denmark.
Tell the Danes that you love your new home and want to enjoy Danish culture to the fullest.
And if they ask you about your Danish progress, just tell them that your dream is to speak without an accent. ( Nike’s: Just Do It )
Remember, Not so long ago, many Danes came to our shores.
It is said that we have more Scandinavian descendants in the USA, than in Scandinavia!
Sadly, most of them integrated so well, thatAmericans think of them as the “The All-American Boy/Girl next door”
9:25 I sometimes use the knife as a fork.
I’m from Canada and while saying the alphabet I say zee but otherwise for most of the time i say zed (there is an occasional zee thrown in without me really noticing)
Played a ton of different drinking games in my younger years. I actually thought it was a normal part of danish culture aswell, since we are preeeeetty big on alcohol here 😅
But maybe it was just a popular thing within my group of friends 🤷🏼♀️. And it is probably something we adopted from America then 😜 ... cheers 🍻
Hej Nicola, maybe you're right - we could just be missing out because we moved to Denmark in our 30s and not our college/younger years. A lot of people are also saying that they play a lot of drinking games as Danes, so we could have been off for that one 😀🍻
lol "What the fork"
All due respect, but Danish expats also have to pay danish taxes (provided they are in the home country for a certain time each year). Foreign tax also deductible(#SpellCheck).
Also, and more importantly, I refer to John Cleese's views on Budweiser. :-P
We do have student loans - most with academic educations have them.
Yes, we realize that now (our mistake) and want to learn more and correct that in a possible new video (university in DK vs. USA) 😀
@@RobeTrotting Nice:-)
You guys should do a video about your thoughts on living as a gay couple here vs. the US.:-)
Budwiser is originally from the Czech Republic and was called Budejovicky. But no matter what - cheers
Hej Lena, it's actually super random - but there are two breweries (one Czech and one American) that compete for the name and have been in legal conflicts for years and years! We knew of it, but not the tiny details until after we filmed this. It's Anheuser-Busch (USA) and Budejovicky Budvar (CZ) that essentially each have rights to the brand name in different markets around the world.
@@RobeTrotting Thank you for the answer. I thought the Budweiser brewery was founded by immigrants from the Czech Republic
Lol danish drinking games are often board games. Btw drinking non black coffee is for children 😂.
What switching hands when using knife and fork? Lol I have never done that 😅
Great RUclips movie
Not sure who has the right to Starbucks today in Denmark. Danes visiting the States and UK always loved Starbucks. Wanted to have it in Denmark. But Starbucks did not want to pay fair sallaries. In Malaysia it is still normal that you need to work 2-3 hours to be able to afford a Latte Macchiato as Starbucks barista (But paying 300 kr for coffee is unthinkable). One of Europes biggest Airport cater companies wanted to open business at Copenhagen Airport . So Copenhagen airport said sure, if you bring Starbucks to Denmark. So they did - that could be the reason why Starbucks app doesn't work.
With Budejovice, in German spelled Budweis it depends on the country. Should a city take a patent to its name? Austria-Hungary didn't think so, US based Anheuser-Bush did. So if you go to UK and ask for a Budweiser, you can get both beers depending on the Pub. In the States the beer of Anheuser-Bush is the real Budweiser, in Italy its the Czech beer according to law. So just make sure you enter an US-style bar ;)
I've tried beer pong once. Man, I got so damn drunk!:) By the way, what is you guys favorite American Holiday?
Beer pong is super fun but flip cup is even better! 😀🇩🇰🍻
I think Thanksgiving is the best because it's delicious food, lots of drinking with the family and American football, a parade for the kids and it's the start of the Christmas season so it just feels really cozy 😀
It’s very common on university colleges and universities. Board and card games and whatever else that is played is often turned into drinking games.
@@charisma-hornum-fries That sounds fun:) I'm from Denmark, and usually me and my friends turned card games into drinking games. I don't think I've ever tried board drinking games. That will be next time:)
Budwizer was ALWAYS a czech beer ;-)
In regards to taxes. What is your opinien on the paperwork difference between the US and DK? So not the % you pay, but just how easy/hard it is to get the paperwork done for it
Oh it's infinitely more difficult in the US and they purposely keep it that way because tax preparation companies pay politicians not to modernize the process and put them out of business.
@@RobeTrotting sad to hear. I knew it used to be like that, but had (in vain) hoped it had changed. TY for the response :)
Don’t worry about having the fork in the “wrong” hand. A great deal do it too, I know plenty of them and do it myself also. No problems here about having to switch utensils while eating, and honestly, I think it takes more finesse to maneuver a fork around, dipping it in sauce and eating, than just applying pressure to a knife lol.
Did research it once tho, and apparently people used to do this in the older days too, so who’s wrong or right? 🤪
Oh that's so interesting - it's reassuring to know that it came from elsewhere and was passed down to us 😂
Exactly! I eat with my fork in the right hand too since it makes sense that you would use the same hand that you use for a spoon since it's the same movement. But I have no problem using the knife with my left hand, so no need to switch around 😅 I get comments every once in a while, but mostly people don't even notice 😆
Why is it called bud heavy and bud light ? Is it the amount of alcohol or is one a dark beer and the other a light beer ?
@Rita Roork oh that totally makes sense, now that you write xD lol
Hi guys :)
Just subscribed. Love to see what "big USA" thinks about our small country :)
If you are ever in Odense, please, give a shot out, and I'll happily show you around :)
A super rude question (sorry, just ignore if it's too personal):
Are you guys, friends, co-workers, married, brothers, or what's your story?
you said that no dane has student loans but some have its called su lån
Yes, we didn't realize this and were a little surprised. The average American has over $32.000 USD (200.000 DKK) in student debt. I couldn't find data on the average Danish SU lån but now I'm super curious how it compares and now I want to do a whole video on Danish university life vs. American.
@@RobeTrotting the numbers that i could find was around 5000 DKK su lån on average
@@RobeTrotting Once after covid, take a trip to DTU on a friday, and discover that there are 5 bars and a Netto on the Lyngby campus :D
Hi guys, whence the channel name "Robe Trotting?" It's kind of like my mind's eye sees two guys in bathrobes jaunting across Europe like the protagonist of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" does in the universe.. Or is there a more mundane explanation? Just curious.
Actually - yes. The origin was very much what you described and Derek used to wear a bathrobe in instagram photos at different landmarks.
It became a bit unfeasible to pack a bathrobe for every city break we took though, so we kept the spirit and it kind of ties in nicely with our original blog. It's about travel and living abroad - but the idea that living in another country isn't always as glamorous as people make it look on social media. You're not just "globe trotting" non-stop and drinking champagne on rooftop bars, often you're just sitting around in a bathrobe like you always did, just in a new land.
@@RobeTrotting Thanks guys!
Do you have American drivers licences, and are they legal in Denmark, or did you have to complete a test to be allowed to drive in Denmark?
Mike was able to get an EU license but Derek never did (and still has an American license). It's definitely a process to get it switched.
It will depend on what state your driver license is from. Its the same if you are just traveling. The reason is that some US states have sticker requirements to get a licnese then other so not all are considered to be worth the same in EU.
What about Christmas? Is it the 24. or the 25.? Is Santa from Greenland or the North pole? Do you understand "nisser"?I am a dane so you know what I think are the right answers 😊. And to Mike: your pronunciation in danish is very good.
Danes actually have a lot of drinking games that centers around the drinking, just as the US. I reckon that a lot of them are some you don't know. It is mostly younger people that are doing the drinking games, so I think the reason you think the Danes do it differently is because of the age of your friends.
Hej Søren, we are realizing now that you're right and if we went to gymnasium or university here we would probably be around them more 😀
Beer pong is massiv adleast in Jylland with 15-25 yearolds
Maybe our friends are just old haha. Flip cup is also really fun.
Why we don't uses the app here in Danmark.... we are just slow with things like that...
Considering what I and my loved ones get back. I happily pay 50% taxes 😊 ! So less stress 😊! The "Youngs" show us there trips 😀, now it's your turn to do the same 😆 ! American Beer is like being in a Canoe..., "Effing" close to water 😂😂!! Good show 😎
Ah, so true - we feel much better about paying Danish taxes (and they're much easier to file). Imagine having to still file taxes in America AND having to purchase traveler's insurance to make sure we have health coverage when we fly back to visit family in the country we were born in, are citizens of, AND still pay taxes to LOL.
We'll definitely have some travel content coming up soon, no worries 😀
Since your residents here, you may still need Travel/health insurance, when going back to the US. Your Passport may not save you 😔! A good and trusted (Danish) Travel insurance will run you about 1200kr. a year. Well worth the money! You may already be covered through your job, ore other insurances. So check that! Take care guys 😍
PS: I get my travel insurance through my home insurance, at a good price 😎 ! Good thing to have, even if you travel in the EU! The "Blue" card is not all that 🤨
@@KHValby Ah, yes - we finally signed up for that. Much more peace of mind that way 😎
Your smart guys, but still ! If you plan on traveling in Europe in 2021, make sure that your "Travel Insurance" will - fully - cover you, in the countries you want to travel to! Certain "Covid" rules apply at the moment 😑 ! Don't rely on your "Blue" card. It wouldn't Fly you home, if your ignored.
8:20 im a Dane and i do that