"Losing Awe, Gaining Denmark"
by Grace Hong

Denmark’s International Study Program

“There are always those people here who in a state of amazement can’t stop talking about how wonderful and exciting everything is…” The two people sitting next to me turned to me and laughed. Sheepishly, I smiled back because I certainly was one of “those people.” It was my second day in Copenhagen, Denmark and I was just thrilled with everything I had encountered thus far. At that moment, we were at the official opening ceremony for Denmark’s International Studies Program (DIS). “For those people I must say this,” the speaker continued, “It’s not going to last.”

“Not going to last?” I thought as the speaker proceeded to explain the cycle many study abroad students went through: an initial high, then a drop to a low point, then back up to somewhere in between. Many people had already warned us about these phases in culture adjustment but I had always felt that it didn’t apply to me. Maybe because I had experience juggling two different cultures growing up as a Korean-American or maybe because I had often traveled internationally that I felt culture shock would not be a problem. For the most part, that turned out to be true; culture shock wasn’t an issue during my study abroad experience. The speaker was absolutely right, however, about the ephemeral nature of my initial awe. It didn’t last but that was the best thing that happened to me.

From the first day, I was swept away by all the aspects of Denmark I encountered: I loved the traditional charm of Copenhagen with its colorful buildings, red roof-shingled houses, winding cobble stone roads, fountains, canals, and cafes; I found it so interesting that biking was a major form of transportation and that everyone biked whether in suits, skirts, young, or old. I was introduced to a typical lunch where all sorts of meats were spread on top of rye-bread; other students and I had good laughs over trying to pronounce Danish words which had difficult vowel sounds not present in the English alphabet; I was delighted to catch a glimpse of Queen Margrethe II when I went to a ballet which she was in attendance… “Surely the speaker was wrong,” I thought, “I could never lose awe of all this.”

Even my housing situation turned out to be a wonderful experience. I lived with Charlotte, a 27 year old, and Daniel, her 4 year old son. Through them, I had a living illustration of the things I was learning about Denmark in the classrooms. I saw how the welfare system supported Charlotte and provided daycare for Daniel. I experienced the much-talked about Danish humor by being the brunt of it as Charlotte increasingly teased me. I saw how being environmentally conscious was a regular part of daily life. On Daniel’s birthday, I put up Danish flags everywhere a typical decoration for celebrations. I looked at my “mormors” (grandmother’s) silver wedding anniversary pictures a traditional occasion where people show up at the couple’s house early in the morning. Though it was a short time I was able to become a part of their lives grocery shopping, cooking twice a week, babysitting for Daniel, and sharing household chores.

By the time mid-semester break rolled around, I had learned many things many subtle things. I realized this when I couldn’t accurately explain what Denmark was like to a friend back home. How does one explain the Danish love for celebration and “hygge,” an integral cultural concept that embraces simple pleasures with family and friends? How does one explain the importance of tolerance that is visible in aspects such as the justice system and the famous “Free State of Christiania”? How does one explain the mood of casualness and love of democracy? I experienced this with all the DIS professors demanding to be called by their first name and encouraging open class discussions. How does one explain the uniquely egalitarian atmosphere of Denmark where the value of a person depends much less on traditional societal status? I hadn’t been conscious of it myself until I traveled outside of Denmark and noticed the difference in other countries. How does one explain the feeling of all these things?

It was at that moment I knew that my initial awe was gone. Instead, in its place, was a deeper understanding of reality. Denmark is not a perfect country, nor was my experience always fun. In fact I faced many challenges in living with a host family and studying in a different land. As the initial wonder faded, I was faced with the difficult realities of life that my amazement had candy-coated. Yet what I realized was that it was only through this tough transformation from blind awe to reality that the culture became truly real. This shift into reality was something I could have never gotten just by being a tourist or reading a book; it was something unique to the study abroad experience.

Recently a friend from home wrote to me, “How’s your Dutch?” “It’s Danish, Danish!” I thought shaking my head at the ignorance. Yet that had just been me only a few months before when I had known nearly nothing about Denmark. With Denmark being such a tiny country, people have questioned why I have chosen to study here or why I bothered to learn the language. After living here, I can truly say that I have come to deeply appreciate this small but incredibly unique country with all its history and cultural quirks. Even if I never run into another Danish person for the rest of my life, learning about the Danish culture experiencing it become a reality from a novelty is something that has expanded the depth of my character. It has contributed to the way I view the world and in that way it will always be more than a “great memory.” It is an experience that will have a lasting effect on the rest of my life. A Chance Awakening.

Back to top.