Should gender selection become the norm, a balancing act will become almost impossible (Photo: Colourbox) One of the things I unabashedly admire about Denmark is the high level of gender equality. Little boys and girls are treated with equal love and affection by their parents and given equal opportunities to grow and flourish. You also see…
Much is written about the pain of overseas relationships, but platonic friendships have their perils too (Photo: Colourbox) I knew it was coming. It was anticipated, expected even. And yet, it did not make the situation any easier to handle. A painful parting of pals I have just come back home after saying goodbye to a…
The city’s rickshaws will remind you of home, Sarita, if nothing else A couple of weeks ago, I met a fan. Now, being a writer does not exactly qualify me as a celebrity with a fan following. I wish that were the case, but the lady in question wasn’t a fan of my work as…
You know that moment of perplexed revelation when you learn something astonishing about your new country of residence? That moment, for me, was when I discovered that higher education is free for Danish citizens. I found it extraordinary (not to mention a little perplexing) that Danes could study anything they wanted without worrying about how…
In my home, we rarely run out of chocolates. While we don’t stock them voluntarily, they often land here in the form of gifts. Not that I am complaining. I eat them without guilt, even while on one of my intermittent diet plans, happily telling myself what a number of studies have said: Chocolate is good…
I never met Marius. He probably wasn’t even born when I last visited his home. But that doesn’t change how I feel about what happened to him. I’m not any less horrified, upset and disappointed than those of you who did have an opportunity to see him at Copenhagen Zoo during the past two years.…
Over the past year, I’ve been following with interest the national debate on introducing English in grade one at Danish schools. On the face of it, it seems like the practical thing to do. If Danes want to succeed beyond Denmark, and if Denmark wants to be competitive globally, it will have to embrace English…
I recently saw an interesting video about something called ‘the expat curve’. Depending on the individual, the cultural differences in their new country and the nature of new experiences, the expat curve can have five or six different phases. You go through high peaks and low troughs in your evolution as an expatriate in any…
A curious thing happened recently. Just when I thought this country had it all covered in portraying what a wonderful place it is, something new came along. Denmark has received another boost to its ‘happy country’ persona – something that has the potential to enhance the country’s image even more. Only this time, it is not…
I know I’ve got it. Mostly unfailing in its regularity, occasionally cunningly stealthy, it has become part and parcel of my life in Denmark. The cause of random uplifting highs and maddening lows, the ‘it’ in question is what I call e-hormones, short for expat-hormones. I’m convinced it exists; scientists just haven’t discovered it yet.…
I recently experienced one of the many dilemmas expats face. It was the classic tussle between staying local or going global. When my family first moved here a year and a half ago, we were keen to have a truly Danish experience and attempted to do as the locals did. So, in an endeavour to…
I recently read about the Dansk Folkeparti advertisement that controversially asserted that one among the nearly 700 people due to be granted citizenship was a danger to Denmark’s security. Talk about one rotten egg spoiling the party for the remaining 699. That’s 699 people who, in all likelihood, toiled long and hard to do whatever…
