Diversity is not Denmark's strong point.

Denmark is a lovely country, but it is not very diverse. Almost all the men are named Christian, Mads, or Anders, which is why there are so many last names like Christiansen, Madsen, and Andersen. As a matter of fact, foreigners here joke that you can crash any party by saying, "I'm a friend of Christian and Mads." There is ALWAYS someone named Christian or Mads at the party.

The Danes are famous for their open-mindedness, but what they really mean is We are open to anyone who is exactly like us. I went to a job interview recently - the ad specifically said they were open to hiring foreigners - but when I turned up they rejected me because I spoke Danish with an accent. We are open to hiring all foreigners who speak Danish with no accent.

It is difficult for an American, from a relatively new and multi-cultural society,to understand the level of groupthink among people who have lived together in the same place for a thousand years. For example, there is a tacit agreement to dress for the time of year, not for the weather. If it is rainy and cold in July, Danish women will still wear tiny sundresses: to wear a sweater would be to imply that the Danish weather is lousy. (Danish weather IS lousy.)

Then there are the delicate politics of wearing a winter hat. There seems to be a certain date in the fall when one may start wearing a hat: I have no idea when it is, but I do know that wear a hat before that date is to withstand a hundred looks of silent disapproval. We are not wearing Our hats yet. Suddenly, though, Hat Day arrives, and five million hats sprout on the heads of five million Danes. Why aren't You wearing Your hat?

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