Two things of completely no relation that I have been thinking about lately.
1.) The first day we were in Denmark, we went to the grocery store so as not to starve in our apartment. The entire shopping trip was pleasant until we checked out. The check out looks the same as it does in the US, but somehow there is something very different about it. The clerks are fast, the conveyor belts move fast, everyone has their own bags out and ready to bag and everyone puts a divider up after they finish placing their groceries on the belt. Neil and I didn't know about the divider, we were slow to get out bags out, took our time packing them, and found other peoples groceries flying down the conveyor belt toward us. We quickly threw our things in bags and got out of the way, but I remember looking at each other and remarking how scary it was. Neil said he thought it was because most people don't buy as much as we just had. But I have since realized that Danes are a bit militant about their grocery checkout process.
It reminds me of DC residents and metro escalators. If you are standing on the left of an escalator in the district, then look out for angry locals.
In Copenhagen, if you forget top put up the divider after your groceries, prepare to have people glare at you.
2. Danes are much more comfortable with lingere than Americans are. There are lingerie stores everywhere and the big department store chooses to greet visitors this month with the image below. This display is right inside the main doors to the store:
I think that in the US, most stores keep the lingerie department upstairs behind women's clothes, athletic clothes and pjs. Not here. Lingerie is front and center. I am not entirely sure why, but I suspect it has something to do with European sexual liberation. I am in Denmark, the country of topless beaches, after all.
1.) The first day we were in Denmark, we went to the grocery store so as not to starve in our apartment. The entire shopping trip was pleasant until we checked out. The check out looks the same as it does in the US, but somehow there is something very different about it. The clerks are fast, the conveyor belts move fast, everyone has their own bags out and ready to bag and everyone puts a divider up after they finish placing their groceries on the belt. Neil and I didn't know about the divider, we were slow to get out bags out, took our time packing them, and found other peoples groceries flying down the conveyor belt toward us. We quickly threw our things in bags and got out of the way, but I remember looking at each other and remarking how scary it was. Neil said he thought it was because most people don't buy as much as we just had. But I have since realized that Danes are a bit militant about their grocery checkout process.
It reminds me of DC residents and metro escalators. If you are standing on the left of an escalator in the district, then look out for angry locals.
In Copenhagen, if you forget top put up the divider after your groceries, prepare to have people glare at you.
2. Danes are much more comfortable with lingere than Americans are. There are lingerie stores everywhere and the big department store chooses to greet visitors this month with the image below. This display is right inside the main doors to the store:
wow- that grocery checkout sounds intimidating! Reminds me of living in Madrid and for some reason the bus drivers on the University route would go crazy and yell if you didn't jump off your bus the second they stopped I definitely would get anxious when my stop was approaching about whether I could get up, maneuver past people, and get out fast enough! - And yes I'm definitely a bit militant about the metro escalators in DC!
ReplyDeleteHey Jodi,
ReplyDeleteI'm David and I also come from the continent across the Atlantic... I've been living in Berlin for 2 years now and I just couldn't help not to laugh at the militant thing about the grocery checkout. It is completely the same here in Germany! The first times are so damn scary, the clerk yelling at you in an incomprehensible language, everyone is angry because you are not fast, you didn't bring your own bags and of course you didn't even know such thing as a divider existed...
Back then I used to miss Wall Mart, haha, but believe me, you will sooo get used to it, that when you go back home, it'll annoy you how slow and inefficient people are.
Anyway, I got here because next month I'll be moving to DK, and I'm trying to read smth good about DK to avoid being all depressed about going there. Think I'll find it in here? haha
Cheers!!
David MX