Thanks for asking!
The small basics you'll want for politeness sake are:
Hello - Hej (Hi)
'Bye - Hej Hej (HI hi)
Goodbye - Farvel så lange (Fuh-VEL so LAN(g)ee)
Thank You - Tak - (tac - just as in Tic-Tac)
Good morning - G'morgen (guhMORN)
Good day - G'day (guhDAY)
Welcome - Velkommen (VEL kom en)
Yes - Ja (exactly like American "yeah")
No - Nye (rhymes with "eye")
Funnily enough to Americans, Danes do not use the word "please" in the
same manner we do. They substitute "Thank you" in those situations
instead.
Coffee? Yes, thanks, with cream.
Kaffe? Ja tak, med fløde.
(ca-FAY? Yeah tac, med flu-d)
Hej and Tak will take you far. It's very likely you will never *need*
any more than this, because I have found in the Copenhagen (in Dansk,
København - KOO-ben-HA-ben) area, very nearly everyone you will
encounter will speak English with you, even in most small shops or
kiosks (their name for 7-11 type stores). A fellow shopper will
politely offer translation if the shopkeeper is at a loss, You'll find
the Danes very polite, friendly, helpful and hospitable. It's very
likely you'll never feel at a loss in English. English isn't a
mandatory language in their education system, however, most children
begin studying it in the equivalent of 5th grade. American movies and
television, subtitled in Danish, assure that most Danes are at least
familiar with the language.
Restrooms will be marked with male and female symbols, or labeled
Herre (men) and Dames (women). They are referred to just as "the
toilet" or "the W.C."
Voksen (VOLC-sen) means "adult", born (born) are children. Danes do
not label tourist attractions, or many other locations, the way
Americans do. Signs tend to be small and discrete.
Danes usual business dress is just a tiny bit more formal than our
Business Casual. Dress slacks, or Dockers, with tucked-in polo shirt,
and well-shined dress shoes are most common for men, with pullover
sweaters in the winter. Slightly more than casual pantsuits or
skirtsets for women. Take a business suit, just in case. This would be
all you would require for even the most formal occasions, such as a
formal business dinner, the Royal Danish Ballet (heavenly!) or theatre
(I believe Phantom of the Opera is still onstage at the Gasworks
Theatre). The younger set might own (rather than rent) tuxedos for
very formal occasions, such as private dinner parties, but a suit will
always see you through. If your hosts plan anything of the sort,
they'll make sure you feel comfortable in the company.
Danish business operates in a teamwork structure, most usually, with
all team members seeming equal, and allowed equal input. Constructive
criticism is considered normal, and welcomed. Danes seem to posses an
individual standard of excellence toward their work, and the wish it
to be more than satisfactory.
Distances
Hellerup is 15 minutes by train from Kastrup (the airport). I cannot
stress highly enough that Danish public transportation is EXCELLENT -
abundant, clean, comfortable, and precisely on time. It's taken me six
trips to Denmark to feel comfortable driving in downtown Copenhagen.
In April, despite this familiarity and a very good map, I spent an
hour finding an address in Hellerup. I'd recommend taxis or public
transportation for your first trip. The taxi ride from the airport to
Hellerup will cost about 150 DKR, or $15. Or take the S-train (any
Dane will happily direct you in English) and a taxi to whereever from
the Hellerup Station. There's a Danske Bank ATM located to the left of
the Arrivals Hall, where you can pick up pretty Danish Kroner before
leaving the airport. The 'in-your-head' exchange rate is 8 to 1, or 1
kroner = 12 cents.
If you DO decide to drive, remember that Copenhagen has grown over
many centuries, and expanded outward in all directions from the
original harbor, Nyhavn (New Harbor - pronounced NEYE-hav en). The
main thoroughfares are spokes leading out from the city center,
connected by ringroads (designated O-2, O-3, O-4, the numbers rising
the further from the center you are.) On road signs, Ø means east, V
means west. Hellerup is particularly confusing to drive in, very much
like an American suburb, split in the middle by a freeway.
Signs from the airport will direct you north to Hellerup. All the
rental car service personnel at the airport speak fluent English.
They'll give you maps, explain and draw your route, and even call
ahead to your hotel to be on the lookout for your arrival. The only
tricky fork is the one leading to Øresund Bridge, which would take you
across the Kattegat Strait to Malmö, Sweden. Driving distances will be
shown in kilometers. It's slightly under 10 kilometers from the
airport to Hellerup (K2750). I'd avoid the freeways and simply take
the O-2, which runs past the airport, north along the coast. In
returning to the airport, you'll be able to follow the airplane icons
on the motorway signs. Speed limit on the freeways is 110. The middle
lane is the slow lane. Hellerup is an upscale suburb slightly
northeast of Copenhagen proper, on the coast.
Tidbits
"The" drinks are beer or red wine. Tuborg and Carlsberg beers are the
native favorites. You'll find all these choices even at the Danish
versions of American fast food restaurants (avoid!). The Carlsberg
Brewery tour will net you a pair of free tastes of Danish øl (oohl, or
ale - which has a higher alcohol content than American brews. Water is
completely safe to drink, ice is scarce. In Danish, Is (pronounced
ees) refers to ice cream, an extremely popular treat this time of
year. Danish beaches (most clothing optional) are inviting and clean.
On a menu, morgenmad is breakfast, continental breakfasts are the
norm. Frøkost is lunch. The Danes are famous for smørbrød
(s'more-bwahd) which are open-faced sandwiches on coarse Danish rye
bread, rugbrød (ROOG-bwahd) or Franksbrød, (white bread, French
style). Sild (pronounced seal) is herring, to help you avoid or
embrace this Danish specialty. Kylling is chicken, oske or oskekød, is
beef, pork is svine, fisk is fish. French fries are pommes frites,
and are served with remoulade (a sweet yellow sauce) rather than
ketchup. They are eaten with knife and fork. Plaice (pronounced just
like "place") is a regional specialty, a flat fish (whole, with bones)
grilled or fried. It's a 'never miss' meal for me while in Denmark.
There's no tipping in Denmark. Menu prices are the total cost.
Your hosts will likely arrange excursions for you. If you have free
time, I recommend visiting Stroget (the pedestrian streets in downtown
Copenhagen) upstairs from the platform, and across the street from the
Nørreport Station). Walk to the top of the Round Tower, where the King
and Johannes Keppler looked at the stars, or wander until you hear the
music of Jul Anderson, an American expatriate pianist, who plays in
the Stroget on sunny days. There's a wonderful canal cruise through
Old Copenhagen, and of course, the Little Mermaid at the harbor must
be seen. She's often attended by a pair of white swans. The Crown
Jewels, and their home, Rosenberg Castle, is quite an interesting
tour. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful park, next to the Royal
Botanical Gardens. Tivoli (TIV-uh-lee) is one of the Dane's pride and
joys, the oldest, continually operating amusement park in the world.
Small and old fashioned by American standards, it's still a delightful
evening's entertainment, with specialty restaurants, rides, strolling
through the paths to the strains of music ranging from classical to
the most modern, and watching the fireworks at midnight. Very near
Hellerup, you'd be able to vist the Royal Deerpark, and Karen Blixen's
(of Out of Africa fame) home and gardens.
I hope you enjoy your stay in Denmark. Maybe you'll give us a quick
trip report here, upon your return. If you have any questions, or wish
clarification, please feel free to ask.
~larre-ga |
