Danish Honesty

I'm reading a book called "The Xenophobe's Guide to the Danes". According to the website for the book, it is "A guide to understanding the Danes that highlights their character and behaviour with warmth and wit."

So far, I find that the book is a little full of it...But one quote from the book came to mind today....

"...But once their occasional childlike lack of tact is forgiven, everyone likes the Danes."

I was about to enter my apartment when I saw the only neighbor that I know coming down the stairs. He's a young, Danish guy who I've chatted with a couple of times & I always find conversations with him a little....well...odd. But not because he is odd. He is just a very Danish guy & I am very un-Danish. Today was no exception.

We stopped to say hello & chat for a minute & he asked about my Christmas & I asked if he had plans for New Year's. He's hosting a party in his apartment & asked if I wanted to come. And then he remembered that he had an additional 5 girls coming after dinner which totally throws off the male/female ratio of the party. My neighbor then said that I was welcome to join for dinner but would be better if I didn't stay for the party so as to not throw off the numbers too much.

Does this sound strange to you? Had this conversation taken place at this time last year, I may have completely died of shock & awe at the rudeness of the person. However, as the book suggests, Danes have a childlike lack of tact that apparently must be forgiven. And this is just another example of the cultural differences between us. To him, that is not rude...Just a matter of fact. And to me, that is not rude, Just a matter of him being a Dane.

I constantly spend my days thinking that this a country in serious need of change. But in the end, we are the ones that change. Foreigners come into this country & only leave a small dent in the fibers of the culture of this country. Sure, there's a small foreign influence that exists today - but in the end, it's the foreigners that adopt the attitudes & ideals of the Danes & accept odd behaviours as 'normal'.

As far as the invitation goes, as exciting as it sounds to join a typical Danish dinner & then gracefully slink back downstairs when the party starts to make way for the 5 additional women that will show up to throw of the balance of testosterone vs estrogen in my neighbor's apartment - I think I will pass. I have a book to read. And then I might write a book of my own. Just sayin'....