Tiny Maerschalk:

Living in an expat world: What’s your story?

I get to meet a lot of different people from all over the world through my job at International Community, and it is always interesting to hear their stories about life in Denmark. I know both from my own and their experiences that living and working in Denmark can be both challenging and joyful. Challenges usually stem from a lack of network, unemployment, reserved Danes and language barriers.

Funny stories
Fortunately, living in Denmark is also a positive experience. International Community recently asked its members to share a memorable, funny or positive moment in Denmark. In all, 13 people were up to the challenge, and the stories are a mix of funny cultural misunderstandings often involving language barriers and open and helpful Danes.

There is the story of a young guy who stumbles into a café in the morning to recharge his mobile devices only to find out that it is a bar full of Danes in their 60s. He ends up drinking beer with the whole bunch, and when he leaves at night he receives the warmest hug of his life from the lady bartender.

There is also the story about a lady who forgets her bananas at a grocery store and feels guilty when she walks away with some new ones the next day without having to show her receipt. Another story demonstrates that joining a sports club can lead to better fitness, a trainer job – and love!

Help with challenges
All the stories are inspiring and a testimony to the unavoidable, but somehow life-affirming cultural differences you experience when settling in a new country. On the other hand, I’m sure we would receive some tales of frustration if we asked for them – and we actually do.

International Community is in daily contact with internationals at events and via mail, phone and at International Citizen Service in Aarhus. We listen and help out with your challenges whenever we can.

In short, our goal with these stories is to inspire and motivate. We deal with the challenges in other forums and use the knowledge to improve the conditions for internationals living and working in Denmark. Hopefully, the positives outweigh the negatives for you.

Read the stories at internationalcommunty.dk.