What Are You Doing in Denmark?

Why do Danish friends sometimes seem reluctant to invite you into their homes? This week, we answer a listener question from a Lebanese expat in Copenhagen who loves hosting dinners for friends but rarely gets invited back by their Danish friends. Is it a Danish cultural difference, a question of friendship groups, or simply a matter of personality? Derek, Conrad and returning guest, Kriti Prajapati talk about hosting, Danish friendship circles, language barriers, cultural references, social media FOMO, getting rejected by friends, and why building friendships in Denmark can sometimes require a little more intention. Plus: how to actually spend time with your Danish friends outside the usual group setting and our increasingly questionable advice for getting a Dane to invite you over. More of Kriti: Tickets for Kriti's show at Up Festival: https://upfestival.dk/om/komikere/kriti-prajapati Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kriticalcomedy/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KritiPrajapati Other WAYDID episodes with Kriti: https://pod.link/1704607322/episode/NjczMjdkOWE0N2JmOTIwNTRlMDZkN2Nm 00:00 Welcome to WAYDID + Kriti returns 00:43 Why don’t my Danish friends invite me over? 02:15 Is Danish hosting actually different? 04:38 The language barrier nobody thinks about 08:37 Why cultural references matter in friendship 11:45 Danish friends already have established friend groups 13:32 Social media makes feeling left out worse 14:02 Should you mix Danish and international friends? 17:25 Are Danes less spontaneous about socializing? 19:19 Do Danes have different kinds of friends? 21:37 When should you stop trying with a friend? 22:38 Is this just a Copenhagen thing? 23:05 Why Danes schedule doing nothing 23:55 How to actually get closer to Danish friends 25:20 How to make a Dane invite you over 26:48 Maybe it’s not a Danish problem 27:56 Kriti’s comedy festival show 28:46 Thanks for listening! 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFCSH6KqKooZmSx1GJu9CWZYjX8esjl2F 📢 Send your questions and/or comments. voice: https://www.speakpipe.com/waydid email: [email protected] 👉 Remember to tell your friends about the podcast. 👀 More living in Denmark tips: https://instagram.com/waydidpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Denmark really as open-minded and progressive as it seems, or is Danish culture also deeply conformist? In this episode of What Are You Doing in Denmark, Derek Hartman is joined by Anders Morgenstierne and Jefferson Bond to answer a listener’s question about fitting in, Danish social norms, and the tension between individuality and conformity in Denmark. The conversation explores Janteloven, Danish humor, high-trust society, quiet zones, public behavior, supermarkets, Copenhagen vs. the Danish countryside, and what it can feel like to experience Denmark as an outsider. Plus, plenty of discussion about the strange little cultural rules that make Denmark both incredibly comfortable and occasionally confusing for internationals. Anders Morgenstierne: Get tickets for Anders's Show HERE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andersmorgenstierne TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andersmorgenstierne Jefferson Bond: Get tickets for Jeff's Show HERE Instagram: https://instagram.com/jeffersonbondcomedy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/jeffersonbondcomedy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jefferson.A.Bond/ 00:00 Intro: Is Denmark Really Progressive? 01:07 Meet Anas & Jefferson 02:03 A Listener Asks: Why Is Denmark So Conformist? 03:05 The Danish Supermarket Experience 04:38 Progressive Denmark vs. Conformist Denmark 06:02 How Denmark Makes You Soft 07:00 Is Denmark Really That Progressive? 08:14 The Pressure to “Fit In” 09:15 The Danish Social Rulebook 10:03 Why We Love the Quiet Zone 12:00 Danish Train Etiquette 13:00 Don’t Play Music Out Loud on Public Transport 14:01 The Velcro Shoe Defense 14:55 Is It Conformity or Danish Culture? 16:01 High Trust Society & Following the Rules 17:01 Denmark Is a Quokka 18:02 Janteloven: Taking People Down a Peg 19:03 Copenhagen vs. the Danish Countryside 20:01 The Great Nykøbing Debate 21:02 Speaking Danish & Trying to Fit In 22:06 Can You Be Yourself in Denmark? 23:04 Is There a Middle Ground? 24:01 Why Danish Supermarkets Feel So Different 26:00 Netto, Self-Checkout & Danish Efficiency 27:00 “Uniform and Joyless” 28:02 When Danish Systems Break 29:04 The Joy of Supermarkets Abroad 30:01 The Final Verdict for Marcus 30:37 Up Festival & Where to Find the Guests 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFCSH6KqKooZmSx1GJu9CWZYjX8esjl2F 📢 Send your questions and/or comments. voice: https://www.speakpipe.com/waydid email: [email protected] 👉 Remember to tell your friends about the podcast. 👀 More living in Denmark tips: https://instagram.com/waydidpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s it really like to move to Denmark from the US to study and then try to build a career here? In this episode of What Are You Doing in Denmark, Derek and Brooke talk with Jose Marquez, who moved from Texas to Denmark to study wind energy at DTU. Three years later, he’s finished his master’s, built a life in Copenhagen, grown a following by sharing things to do around the city… and faced the much harder question: Can I actually find a job in Denmark and stay? Jose takes us through the reality of studying in Denmark as an international student, from the surprisingly social university experience and international student community to Danish teaching styles, group projects, Friday bars, campus food and the cultural differences between studying in Denmark and the US. We also get into the transition from university to the Danish workforce: job-search visas, networking, Danish CVs and interviews, how much Danish you actually need to get hired, student assistant jobs, career fairs and the importance of having work experience before moving. Get inspired by Jose in this episode as he shares that one of the biggest things Denmark taught him is that “if I want to, I can.” Share this episode with anyone considering studying in Denmark, wondering what happens after graduation, or simply curious about what it's like to build a life here as an international. Find Jose: https://www.instagram.com/ihad.tolaugh/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ihadtolaugh 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFCSH6KqKooZmSx1GJu9CWZYjX8esjl2F 📢 Send your questions and/or comments. voice: https://www.speakpipe.com/waydid email: [email protected] 👉 Remember to tell your friends about the podcast. 👀 More living in Denmark tips: https://instagram.com/waydidpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danish politics was anything but sleepy this summer. From a farmer revolt over fertilization rules to a high-stakes immigration showdown and a citizenship freeze that could leave thousands in limbo, this episode breaks down the summers biggest political stories that internationals in Denmark cannot afford to miss. Derek Hartman and Mike Walsh welcome back Danish politics YouTuber, Jonas Laursen, the conversation cuts through the headlines to explain what is actually happening now that Parliament is back in session. Jonas unpacks why the so-called cucumber time never really arrived this year, and why the biggest political fights are only just heating up. You’ll discover: Why the new fertilization law has triggered tractor protests across Denmark How the Green Tripartite agreement set up a clash between farmers, environmental priorities, and the government Why Venstre MPs rebelled against their own party line, and what that says about internal party pressure How the Spain-Morocco border crisis became a Danish political flashpoint Why Mette Frederiksen’s hardline immigration stance is gaining allies, but also stirring backlash What’s behind the freeze on Danish citizenship and why more than 2,000 approved applicants are still waiting Where the new international workforce visa law fits into Denmark’s broader labor and immigration debate Jonas also explains the strange political spiral around immigration in Denmark, where Social Democrats, the Danish People’s Party, and other right-wing forces keep pushing the debate further in one direction while the practical consequences land on real people - including internationals who have already done everything required of them to become citizens. On a brighter note: Jonas shares news about The Danish Dispatch, his new English-language project launching 1 October, designed to give internationals the context Danish news often leaves out. You can find more on his social media below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealjonaslaursen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonas.laursen5 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jonasblaursen 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFCSH6KqKooZmSx1GJu9CWZYjX8esjl2F 📢 Send your questions and/or comments. voice: https://www.speakpipe.com/waydid email: [email protected] 👉 Remember to tell your friends about the podcast. 👀 More living in Denmark tips: https://instagram.com/waydidpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danish weddings have rules, rituals, and surprises most outsiders never see - and Indian weddings have their own glorious chaos. Kriti Prajippati returns to share what actually happens when cultures, ceremonies, and expectations collide, from gift etiquette and dress codes to the tiny traditions that can leave you completely lost. Kriti - comedian, content creator, and host favorite - also reveals how living in Denmark for nine years shaped her new solo show, debuting at the UP Festival in Copenhagen this October. Along the way, the conversation gets wonderfully specific: the midnight timing of some Indian weddings, the Danish custom of speeches and songs, the infamous sock-cutting tradition, and the awkward reality of trying to navigate it all as an international guest.You’ll discover: what to wear to a Danish wedding, and what not to wear why gifts can range from cash to very personal, very unexpected choices how Danish weddings differ from Indian, Hungarian, and mixed-culture celebrations why speeches, songs, and staged performances can stretch a Danish dinner into an all-night affair the rituals - from kissing customs to sock cutting - that can catch first-timers off guard More of Kriti: Tickets for Kriti's show at Up Festival: https://upfestival.dk/om/komikere/kriti-prajapati Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kriticalcomedy/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KritiPrajapati Other WAYDID episodes with Kriti: https://pod.link/1704607322/episode/NjczMjdkOWE0N2JmOTIwNTRlMDZkN2Nm 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFCSH6KqKooZmSx1GJu9CWZYjX8esjl2F 📢 Send your questions and/or comments. voice: https://www.speakpipe.com/waydid email: [email protected] 👉 Remember to tell your friends about the podcast. 👀 More living in Denmark tips: https://instagram.com/waydidpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.