The rotten apple in Denmark

One of the premises on which Danish society is based is freedom. It is the grassroots of the system. Freedom doesn’t mean to do whatever you want, but to be able of doing whatever you want. In order to fit in it is important to follow this principle.

Recently I was chatting in the kitchen of my dormitory with some pals, all of them foreigners as me, about how we perceive Danish people and Denmark in general. We reached different opinions. And I remember I explained and important concept in all the Nordic culture to my mates in order to show them my point of view. Janteloven or the Law of Jante, a non-written law very present in the northern countries minds.

In general terms, it can be said that the Law of Jante is the biggest example of why Nordic culture is based on community behavior against individualism. Living in a country does not only mean to reside in a place of earth delimited by borders, but also to be part of the society. Here are the ten principles of Janteloven.

-          You're not to think you are anything special.

-          You're not to think you are as good as us.

-          You're not to think you are smarter than us.

-          You're not to convince yourself that you are better than us.

-          You're not to think you know more than us.

-          You're not to think you are more important than us.

-          You're not to think you are good at anything.

-          You're not to laugh at us.

-          You're not to think anyone cares about you.

-          You're not to think you can teach us anything

Basically it says, move your ass from individualism and rich yourself and do something for the community. But… Here is the problem. Denmark is a multicultural country where diversity is one its biggest appeals.  So, it is difficult to understand for the most of us who come here.

One would be observed as a newbie in the city. Because it’s not about only individualism, also about being different. It’s not a coincidence the fact that the big majority of Danish young students look alike. Same haircuts, brands, colors, expressions. Sometimes being different means being out of the loop.

Be quiet, dress as they do, behave as they do, drink as they do, say what they say, never critic their system, don’t do anything that can piss them off and try to learn Danish. Then, you’ll be, not a Dane, but a foreigner completely integrated. Otherwise you’ll be the rotten apple which spoils the whole country. 

Nobody said it'd be easy - II

13:15. That was the expected hour for the plane to take off.

21:30. That’s the hour when I eventually got aboard on the plane.

23:27. When I’m writing these lines.

Flight Malaga - Madrid - Copenhagen. Fifth capture after other passengers appeared on the previous ones 

I’ve just had my last meal of the day. In fact I don’t know if it was dinner or, as the Danes say, natsmad. I must recognize the fact that SAS (Scandinavian Airlines is not cool enough) provided us with food and drinks all the time. Not only the whole lunch, but also during the afternoon: Snacks (e.g. chicken sandwich) and drinks. SAS is not cheap at all, neither bighearted for sure.

Nevertheless two meals it’s not enough to kill that much time. I think I checked all the stores at least once, some twice and others even three times. My bag is full of testers for perfumes and in an irrational impulse I deceive myself. My last acquisition is Luna Rosa by Prada. A 50ml bottle of pure good smell for sportsmen and, why not, for me.

Ok, I’m cheating myself. I forgot that my last acquisition is a magazine I hadn’t bought before I thought it was too frivolous and lacked of any interest apart from the give-hopes-to-fatty-people field. It’s “Men’s Health’. Worldwide known and for my surprise the Spanish edition is good enough. Something uncommon in print media.

Spanish edition of the magazine Men's Health. It's quite good.

And it’s because not only deal with fitness and diet as the very only topics –there are an uncountable number of them-, and neither because it includes style, personal care and leisure. It’s due to the fresh and unserious, journalistic way of writing. I’ve found more journalistic key skills its pages than in the Danish tabloid BT that I read this noon while I was wondering why the plane wasn’t taking off.

Now, relocated in a flight from Malaga to Copenhagen with stop in Madrid and surrounded by Danes, Swedes, Spaniards and some expatriates, I’m finishing my last lines. But I bear in mind that we’re expected to arrive at one o’clock. I didn’t know that Denmark was still awake at that time. Maybe I knew that, but I forgot it because of the last three weeks in Madrid. “La ciudad más divertida del mundo”.

Danes make fun and laugh at the airport assistant because they don’t know how to pronounce their efternavner in a proper way, without keeping in mind that they have such a difficult language. Swedes just speak their funny language and ask all the time how will arrive to Stockholm if they have already lost the connection. Spaniards… Well, they behave as always. We recognize each other. It’s easy for us. And the expatriates carry with noisy children. I’m so desolated. TGTS – Thanks God They are Sleeping.

PS. I must confess that some minutes ago I was a little sneaky. The flight attendants handed out some sandwiches. Since I read they have a vegetarian menu, I decided to test SAS service. I received a lomo sandwich (is there any real English word for that back meat?). I don’t like it at all and, concerned about my shape –fatty food– and conscious of my hate to cheese, I asked the flight attendant for a vegan sandwich, which means non-coming from an animal food. So, I would avoid lomo and cheese at once and I could eat something healthier. She just answered “let me check it”. Three minutes later, she’s back with a vegetarian, including cheese, sandwich. Afterwards not even the sandwich could’ve been under my control today.

Frente a las guías de viaje...

Empezar un post con una disculpa por la tardanza es casi tan absurdo como rotular una noticia pidiendo perdón por no haber sido el primero en publicarla y como detesto los absurdos, si no van acompañados de diversión, continuaré como si no hubiera pasado nada.

La verdad es que conozco a poca gente que antes de comenzar un viaje a tierra foránea compre una de esas fastidiosas guías. Las encuentro impersonales, poco originales y de turismo exprés. Existe el principio establecido de que para embarcarse en una aventura en un país nuevo y diferente uno debe estudiarse la cultura, la gastronomía y el ocio del lugar de destino. Sin embargo encuentro más gratificante buscar estas nimiedades en Internet y adentrarme en el verdadero lifestyle nórdico, y no, no me he ido a IKEA para inspirarme entre tapas de váter Örensund y mesitas de noche Rast. Me refiero a buscar información entre buena bibliografía saliéndome de las editoriales de viaje.

En este sentido existe poca información –buena-  acerca de los países nórdicos y la más visible es infantil, plana y carente de relevancia. En la Facultad de Ciencias de la Información de la Universidad Complutense existe un grupo de investigación llamado Cultura y Modelo Nórdico para la Sociedad de la Información, cuyos integrantes –al menos parte de ellos- me son conocidos. He tenido el placer de disfrutar de la lectura de su libro Industrias culturales. El modelo nórdico como referencia para España. En él se hace un repaso por el mundo de la Sociedad de la Información, de las TICs y de los derechos de autor en los países nórdicos. Tal vez he echado en falta un poco más de foco en Islandia y Finlandia. Por su parte Dinamarca, Noruega y Suecia quedan bastante bien representados por Eva Liébana Macho, Kirsti Baggethun y Javier Maestro Bäcksbacka respectivamente. Estos tres últimos son grandes personalidades de la cultura nórdica en España.

Puede que el libro se extienda demasiado en datos concretos o en las leyes de derechos de autor pero encarna una gran fuente de información para los interesados en la Sociedad de la Información, en los países nórdicos o en las dos cosas en conjunto. ¿Te sirve como guía de viajes? Definitivamente no. ¿Te aporta una versión más cercana a la realidad y menos idealizada de los países del norte de Europa? Sí, así como las diferencias palpables entre ellos. Que si sus lenguas, salvo el caso de Finlandia y en menor grado de Islandia, son altamente similares, su cultura y carácter varía mucho.

Conclusión: Tómate un respiro con Wikipedia, TripAdvisor y otras fuentes de datos que, no desdeñables, sí suponen un aporte light y demasiado blanco de la realidad danesa, noruega, sueca, finesa e islandesa y de vez en cuando opta por algo un poco más profundo. No está de más tampoco acercarse a la literatura de estos países donde, sobre todo en poesía, se aprende mucho de la forma de vida de cada lugar.

PS. Os adjunto la web del grupo de investigación Cultura y Modelo Nórdico para la Sociedad de la Información http://www.modelonordico.com