What is the best way to meet people from Denmark in the surrounding area of which I live?
I am married to a Dane for 23 years, lived in Denmark for 5 years, speak fluent Danish.
Denmark - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Post up an advert in your local newsagents and organise a Danish get-together.
2 :
Try Craigslist or other advertising?
3 :
Try enrolling in some evening classes, be active in an NGO or invite people from your work at home, for dinner. Danish people are not outgoing, so you need to make the first step. Being active in the Danish society earns you points, as it both shows you are interested in the country and in the people, and it is a good opportunity to speak to Danes in a more relaxed manner.
4 :
I live in randers too...call me or email me and i'll send my number. I have a cleaning business and day spa here. Married to a dane to and been here 5 years. Maybe u can help me with my danish too.
5 :
Hi, join a forum where foreigners and Danes talk about Denmark and many other things. For example: http://www.foreignersindenmark.dk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1234 There is often a meet up in different cities in Denmark. Another good way to meet people is to join a hobby you like and attend classes at AOF. Regards, Paula
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Can we live and find work in Denmark by speaking English without learning Danish
Can we live and find work in Denmark by speaking English without learning Danish?
Our family is checking the feasibility of living in Denmark under Danish Green Card Scheme. I want to ask whether we can live and find work in Denmark by speaking English? I have learnt that majority of Danes can speak English but learning Danish is considered necessary for finding work in Denmark. In other words, can we live and find work in Denmark by speaking English without learning Danish? http://www.pakistannewsarticles.co.cc/crimes_in_Pakistan_mindcontrol_brainwashing.htm
Immigration - 9 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
if they allow it i would say yes, if not you need to learn the language. after all you are in their country.
2 :
I hate to sound like a bitch, but you can take this however you want: I strongly believe you should speak the language of the country you reside in. They should not have to accommodate you. Like when Mexicans come over here and expect us to learn Spanish to accommodate them, no that's not how it works. They need to speak English, that's what we speak here, if I were to move to Mexico or any other country I'd definitely learn their language. Sorry if that sounds bitchy but I'm telling you the truth. Good Luck.
3 :
and... what about heading back to Pakistan? Legally, nothing compels you to learn Danish to be granted a temporary stay in Denmark though
4 :
definately you must learn the language of the country where you are, coz communication gap is the biggest gap. so learn the language of the country where you intend to go
5 :
I went to Sweden about 25 years ago (I was 18). At the time English was a mandatory school subject. Everybody under 40 could speak English and we found the same to be true in Denmark. The friend I was staying with was fluent in six languages. He had learned them from watching TV as they received many stations from different countries including Russia. I don't think you will have a problem with language barriers except with the elderly.
6 :
you probably can get through if you can find a job in a field where fluency in English is more or less required e.g. in academia (at least in natural science it would not be a problem) but it would be exceedingly rude. It would also lead to a lot of social isolation as your circle of friends would be very limited. You'd be excluded from all conversations which are going on around you and unless people directly talk to you, you would have no clue what's going on. That can be very unsatisfactory. Generally, if you are not willing to try to learn the language of your proposed country of residence, don't even go there. Not everybody will learn the language equally fast, but the attempt is everywhere appreciated. It also will make your life in that country much easier and you will find yourself much more appreciated as a visitor.
7 :
I'm Danish and not all Danes speak English. No it not possible to live in Denmark and just speak English. If that the case then I suggest you look for work in the UK. We Danes have the strictest immigration policy in Europe. Ja du har hen til lære Dansk selv om jer ville gerne opholde sig her ovre. I'll translate it for you. Yes you have to learn Danish if you want to live here. Also you have to prove that you have worked and use Danish language for a year. Det er en del af reglerne for udlændinge, som de skal lære Danske sprog. Translated for you. That is part of the rules for foreigners that they must learn Danish language. Good Danish language skills are essential to engage effectively in the Danish labor market. We Danes are not fond of muslims. I tell you why the muslims protest over the cartoon, burning Danish flag and violent Pakistan cartoons protest in your country. We Danes don't forget. That why Danish make it tougher for immgrants to come here. As an alternative to a language exam, you can document your language skills with a statement from a previous employer attesting that you have used Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German on the job for at least one year, or by presenting documentation that you have completed at least one year of studies at a higher educational programme which was taught in one of these languages. This will be accepted as a level corresponding to that of Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven). Points are given as follows: Level corresponding to Danish Language Test, Level 1 (Prøve i Dansk 1): 5 points. Level corresponding to Danish Language Test, Level 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2): 10 points. Level corresponding to Danish Language Test, Level 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3): 15 points. Level corresponding to Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven) or higher/one year's study or work: 20 points Held og lykke = Good luck
8 :
more american arrogance - americans who are too lazy to learn another language but expect the entire world to speak theirs. we all know all the americans (on this forum) demand that mexicans and other foreigners MUST SPEAK english if they want to live in USA. therefore all other countries have the same right to demand and expect americans to LEARN the language of the new country, if they want to live there. This is a common courtesy AND it is required by most immigration departments. YES you HAVE to learn DANISH.
9 :
in view of the fact that only about 5 million people in the world (less than the population of New York City, where i live...) speak Danish, and most Danes speak some to excellent English, you can most likely live and work in Denmark without ever learning Danish. but why would you not want to learn Danish? even i, as an American, would consider it disrespectful on a basic human level not at least to try to learn the language(s) of a place in which it was not native to me. as a matter of fact, i have no need to emigrate (yet), but i myself will be travelling to Denmark in 2010 just to learn Danish. so i would encourage you to learn Danish for its own sake if you do end up living there permanently.
Our family is checking the feasibility of living in Denmark under Danish Green Card Scheme. I want to ask whether we can live and find work in Denmark by speaking English? I have learnt that majority of Danes can speak English but learning Danish is considered necessary for finding work in Denmark. In other words, can we live and find work in Denmark by speaking English without learning Danish? http://www.pakistannewsarticles.co.cc/crimes_in_Pakistan_mindcontrol_brainwashing.htm
Immigration - 9 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
if they allow it i would say yes, if not you need to learn the language. after all you are in their country.
2 :
I hate to sound like a bitch, but you can take this however you want: I strongly believe you should speak the language of the country you reside in. They should not have to accommodate you. Like when Mexicans come over here and expect us to learn Spanish to accommodate them, no that's not how it works. They need to speak English, that's what we speak here, if I were to move to Mexico or any other country I'd definitely learn their language. Sorry if that sounds bitchy but I'm telling you the truth. Good Luck.
3 :
and... what about heading back to Pakistan? Legally, nothing compels you to learn Danish to be granted a temporary stay in Denmark though
4 :
definately you must learn the language of the country where you are, coz communication gap is the biggest gap. so learn the language of the country where you intend to go
5 :
I went to Sweden about 25 years ago (I was 18). At the time English was a mandatory school subject. Everybody under 40 could speak English and we found the same to be true in Denmark. The friend I was staying with was fluent in six languages. He had learned them from watching TV as they received many stations from different countries including Russia. I don't think you will have a problem with language barriers except with the elderly.
6 :
you probably can get through if you can find a job in a field where fluency in English is more or less required e.g. in academia (at least in natural science it would not be a problem) but it would be exceedingly rude. It would also lead to a lot of social isolation as your circle of friends would be very limited. You'd be excluded from all conversations which are going on around you and unless people directly talk to you, you would have no clue what's going on. That can be very unsatisfactory. Generally, if you are not willing to try to learn the language of your proposed country of residence, don't even go there. Not everybody will learn the language equally fast, but the attempt is everywhere appreciated. It also will make your life in that country much easier and you will find yourself much more appreciated as a visitor.
7 :
I'm Danish and not all Danes speak English. No it not possible to live in Denmark and just speak English. If that the case then I suggest you look for work in the UK. We Danes have the strictest immigration policy in Europe. Ja du har hen til lære Dansk selv om jer ville gerne opholde sig her ovre. I'll translate it for you. Yes you have to learn Danish if you want to live here. Also you have to prove that you have worked and use Danish language for a year. Det er en del af reglerne for udlændinge, som de skal lære Danske sprog. Translated for you. That is part of the rules for foreigners that they must learn Danish language. Good Danish language skills are essential to engage effectively in the Danish labor market. We Danes are not fond of muslims. I tell you why the muslims protest over the cartoon, burning Danish flag and violent Pakistan cartoons protest in your country. We Danes don't forget. That why Danish make it tougher for immgrants to come here. As an alternative to a language exam, you can document your language skills with a statement from a previous employer attesting that you have used Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German on the job for at least one year, or by presenting documentation that you have completed at least one year of studies at a higher educational programme which was taught in one of these languages. This will be accepted as a level corresponding to that of Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven). Points are given as follows: Level corresponding to Danish Language Test, Level 1 (Prøve i Dansk 1): 5 points. Level corresponding to Danish Language Test, Level 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2): 10 points. Level corresponding to Danish Language Test, Level 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3): 15 points. Level corresponding to Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven) or higher/one year's study or work: 20 points Held og lykke = Good luck
8 :
more american arrogance - americans who are too lazy to learn another language but expect the entire world to speak theirs. we all know all the americans (on this forum) demand that mexicans and other foreigners MUST SPEAK english if they want to live in USA. therefore all other countries have the same right to demand and expect americans to LEARN the language of the new country, if they want to live there. This is a common courtesy AND it is required by most immigration departments. YES you HAVE to learn DANISH.
9 :
in view of the fact that only about 5 million people in the world (less than the population of New York City, where i live...) speak Danish, and most Danes speak some to excellent English, you can most likely live and work in Denmark without ever learning Danish. but why would you not want to learn Danish? even i, as an American, would consider it disrespectful on a basic human level not at least to try to learn the language(s) of a place in which it was not native to me. as a matter of fact, i have no need to emigrate (yet), but i myself will be travelling to Denmark in 2010 just to learn Danish. so i would encourage you to learn Danish for its own sake if you do end up living there permanently.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What type of shoes would I need if I were to live a year in Denmark
What type of shoes would I need if I were to live a year in Denmark?
I'll be living in Denmark for 10 months starting in 17 days. Right now I have hightop kicks, but I got told by my parents (Who have never left the country (I live in Australia)) that I'll need all these padded waterproof shoes and stuff. But then I got told by a friend who lived in Germany for a year that it's not really needed to have all that ridiculous stuff. What do I need to know Yahoo'ers?
Denmark - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
you probably don't need the padded waterproof things that much but you should have a pair of shoes that are higher quality and more supportive than the hightop kicks your already have.
2 :
shoes for the winter and then summer shoes... personally i wear sneakers all year round.. no problem
3 :
A pair of Snow shoes would have helped a couple of weeks ago HA HA. A good pair of water proof ones, may be useful for the next few months then trainers, or "normal shoes" RR
4 :
I believe that you must need to wear Green Dunlop thermo bots help will walking to the hill or stone place where there is up down stone which make all bots tidy or tole but Green Dunlop thermo will not be tidy but it will help you to balance you and it is safety to you by gating hurt, use this boat it is good for you.......
5 :
normal sneakers for summer and spring, and some you can wear in rain and a little bit of snow during winter and fall
6 :
Good water-proof, all-weather shoes. If you're going to Copenhagen or Ã…rhus or one of the cities, you'll need walking shoes. The weather is not extreme, but you'll do best with nice all-weather shoes. I lived in Copenhagen for a year and I saw people wearing: - Boots (fashionable ones, especially. I bet you can get stylish all-weather boots) - All-stars - Sneakers But you're not going to the Arctic, so you don't need to go overboard. A nice pair of boots and a nice pair of regular walking shoes would be more than enough.
I'll be living in Denmark for 10 months starting in 17 days. Right now I have hightop kicks, but I got told by my parents (Who have never left the country (I live in Australia)) that I'll need all these padded waterproof shoes and stuff. But then I got told by a friend who lived in Germany for a year that it's not really needed to have all that ridiculous stuff. What do I need to know Yahoo'ers?
Denmark - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
you probably don't need the padded waterproof things that much but you should have a pair of shoes that are higher quality and more supportive than the hightop kicks your already have.
2 :
shoes for the winter and then summer shoes... personally i wear sneakers all year round.. no problem
3 :
A pair of Snow shoes would have helped a couple of weeks ago HA HA. A good pair of water proof ones, may be useful for the next few months then trainers, or "normal shoes" RR
4 :
I believe that you must need to wear Green Dunlop thermo bots help will walking to the hill or stone place where there is up down stone which make all bots tidy or tole but Green Dunlop thermo will not be tidy but it will help you to balance you and it is safety to you by gating hurt, use this boat it is good for you.......
5 :
normal sneakers for summer and spring, and some you can wear in rain and a little bit of snow during winter and fall
6 :
Good water-proof, all-weather shoes. If you're going to Copenhagen or Ã…rhus or one of the cities, you'll need walking shoes. The weather is not extreme, but you'll do best with nice all-weather shoes. I lived in Copenhagen for a year and I saw people wearing: - Boots (fashionable ones, especially. I bet you can get stylish all-weather boots) - All-stars - Sneakers But you're not going to the Arctic, so you don't need to go overboard. A nice pair of boots and a nice pair of regular walking shoes would be more than enough.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Best place to live: Denmark, Germany, or the Netherlands
Best place to live: Denmark, Germany, or the Netherlands?
In international comparisons, both Denmark and the Netherlands are often at or near the top. Germany isn't too far behind. Germany is much larger than both and seems to have more too offer within its borders, however if I lived in either Denmark or the Netherlands, it would be quite fast and cheap to visit Germany and see those places. I'm more concerned about long term life, ease of living, employment chances, how much money I'll have after taxes and paying for life necessities (rent, food, health), language difficulty, education, safety, little visible poverty and homelessness, convenient location, proximity to the ocean, and climate. I think the Netherlands may edge out the rest, except perhaps in safety? In the Global Peace Index, the Netherlands ranks 27, well below Germany and Denmark, but the Index factors in so many things, it's hard to tell if this is due to crime or military expenditure or what. Denmark seems safe, but the cost of living is apparently quite high and it may be more difficult to find work there than the Netherlands. Also, the location is not as great and the cities seem less interesting. However, in the best city rankings, German cities and Copenhagen are often in the top 10, but none of the cities in the Netherlands are for some reason (anyone know?). I'm a moderate drinker at most, so I'm not sure I'd fit in with the drinking culture of Germany and Denmark as well. I'm not religious, so Denmark and the Netherlands may be better in that regard. The easy answer is to go visit them all, but the tourist experience is different than living some place. I'd like to know what people who have lived in these countries think. Forgot to mention, the friendliness of the local people is another factor I think is important.
Other - Europe - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
My vote is for Denmark. Been there and really like it.
2 :
Denmark all the way, richer country too
3 :
Being a national of the Netherlands, and having visited both Denmark and Germany more than once each, I say this is a question that is impossible to answer for anybody but yourself. Take time to visit each of the countries, visit each of the areas you would like to live and make your choice based on that. Do not go as tourist, but spend a week or more in each potential place to settle and interact with the local people, talk with the people in the smaller shops and see how they react on a foreigner. Walk in at a real estate agency and see what they have on offer for a place to stay within your budget and whether they are willing to help you find something cheaper if needed. But more importantly, make your choice based on where you can build a good future. If you do not speak the local language in any of the countries, you will not fit in in the long run, and that will hinder your future happiness, even when everybody around you is happy. If you do not know any of the languages yet, look up how much help you can get learning them where you live now. Likely German is the only one you have lessons for all over the world. And neither Dutch nor Danish are easy for a foreigner. And with both you will stand out as a foreigner that is trying to learn the language, or a foreigner that is too lazy to try, and will be judged based on that. In Germany you will have the same, but on top of that, if you move to certain areas, the German you can learn in school will not help you at all, as everybody speaks the local dialect and a heavy local accent in their High German. And can you just up and move? You asked this question on the USA version of Y!A, as far as I can see. Does that mean you are US citizen? If so, do you have a second nationality, one from Europe? If not, your chances to move to Europe will be almost nothing. In that case it might be 'grab what you can, you will not have a better chance' with the different countries having slightly different rules for highly educated immigrants getting work permits. When there are no legal or language reasons to select one country over the others, landscape may be. If you love mountains, you have to be in the south of Germany. If you fall in love with the really flat landscape of the Netherlands, that is where you should look to settle. I found Denmark charming, when visiting as tourist, but outside the few big cities, I have been to Copenhagen and have not seen any other 'big' city, you will find small towns and villages, the kind where a stranger will stand out and will need to adjust him to the town, because it will not happen the other way around. Germany and the Netherlands have more of a variety in city sizes, and a wider selection of cities in the mid range, Germany also in the big city range. Economics should have little or no impact on your choice, as live is good in all three countries and not noticeably better in any. Even when the local prices are a bit higher, the wages will be higher too, making up for the difference.
4 :
I wouldn't worry that much about religion and drinking culture, in my experience the people of all three cultures are pretty relaxed when it comes to personal choices like that. All three countries are also safe to live in, but of course, don't go wandering alone at night in the big cities etc. Use common sense. I would say that the culture in the Netherlands and Denmark are quite similar, whereas Germany is more formal. Obviously chances are that you will be closer to the ocean when you live in the Netherlands or Denmark. In Denmark no place is further than approx. 1 hours drive from the ocean. You are right that visiting will not give you the full picture of how it is to live in these countries. I've been an expat myself and I would say that it usually takes about 4 years before you truly know what it is like, especially if you need to learn a foreign language first. After that, it should hopefully start to feel like home. The best you can do is to do your home work regarding healthcare, jobmarket etc. Also try to read up as much as possible about cultural differences. At a first glance you would think that there wouldn't be that much of a difference between countries that are that close to each other, but there is and these will surface once you start to live there - and if you are not prepared it can give rise to misunderstandings and bad experiences. Danes for example show politeness through body language and friendliness, whereas the Germans use formal phrases and the polite form of addressing each other, so Germans often find Danes rude and Danes often find Germans stiff and formal. As for making friends, I have some German and Dutch friends, but in general I don't know how it is with the Dutch and the Germans, since I've only visited those countries, but I know the Danes can seem reserved to expats. 90% of it, however, is because they don't want to bother or disturb you, so if you chose Denmark, be aware that you will in most cases have to make the first move when it comes to making new friends, but if you do that, then it should be okay. Another bit of advice is not to rely solely on fellow expats for company. I know it is much easier to make expat friends than locals, but there is an obvious pitfall to that when it comes to successful integration. My mother did that when she first moved to Denmark, and I have seen her turn down Danish friendships over the years, because she felt she had enough in her expat friends. Now she's retired and regrets it bitterly. Her words, not mine. Also, every country seems to have a hate group with expats hating their new country. Get caught up in one of those and it will taint your view, so pick your friends carefully. I am not saying that any country is perfect, you will experience good, bad and things that are neither, but just different, but no country is hell on earth, populated by demon spawn either. ;)
5 :
Of the 3 Denmark has the highest taxes and highest cost of living. I was paying over 60% taxes in Denmark and that was for a middle manager type job, not an executive. My rent was more than NYC, utilities, food, etc were all expensive. I was there for almost 4 years and didn't save anything. I'm in London now, which is also expensive, but able to save money living here - something I couldn't do in Denmark -- but I was living in Copenhagen which is expensive. If you don't speak fluent Danish it's VERY difficult to find work. I was lucky because I was transferred over with work and English was the working language in our office but still took Danish language courses. I knew so many people who had moved to Denmark to be with their partners and couldn't get any work because their Danish was not perfect. One Irish woman was a nurse, which is a job that is in demand, and still couldn't get work because she was told her accent was too strong when she tried to speak Danish and patients wouldn't understand her - even though none of her Danish friends or her husbank thought there was any problem with the way she spoke. Another friend who had been living abroad came back to Denmark with her American husband who was a highly skilled engineer but he couldn't get work because of language skills so he stayed home with the baby while she went back to work. An English friend living with her boyfriend worked 2 days a week in an Irish pub because she was cute but the only other job she could get was cleaning hotel rooms, and that was after a year in Danish classes. So unless you can get transferrred over or work for a big company like Maersk or Deloitte where the working language in English since they have so many expats working there, a job is going to be very difficult I also lived in Germany but that was as a student for a year in Freiburg, so I can't comment how it is to actually find a job there but without speaking German I can't imagine it would be easy I have a few friends who have lived in the Netherlands and were able to find work without speaking Dutch when they arrived - one was a makeup artists, one a web designer and one works for an international management consultancy. The one working for the consultancy is American (from NYC) and loves Amsterdam and plans to stay there
6 :
Denmark FTW!
In international comparisons, both Denmark and the Netherlands are often at or near the top. Germany isn't too far behind. Germany is much larger than both and seems to have more too offer within its borders, however if I lived in either Denmark or the Netherlands, it would be quite fast and cheap to visit Germany and see those places. I'm more concerned about long term life, ease of living, employment chances, how much money I'll have after taxes and paying for life necessities (rent, food, health), language difficulty, education, safety, little visible poverty and homelessness, convenient location, proximity to the ocean, and climate. I think the Netherlands may edge out the rest, except perhaps in safety? In the Global Peace Index, the Netherlands ranks 27, well below Germany and Denmark, but the Index factors in so many things, it's hard to tell if this is due to crime or military expenditure or what. Denmark seems safe, but the cost of living is apparently quite high and it may be more difficult to find work there than the Netherlands. Also, the location is not as great and the cities seem less interesting. However, in the best city rankings, German cities and Copenhagen are often in the top 10, but none of the cities in the Netherlands are for some reason (anyone know?). I'm a moderate drinker at most, so I'm not sure I'd fit in with the drinking culture of Germany and Denmark as well. I'm not religious, so Denmark and the Netherlands may be better in that regard. The easy answer is to go visit them all, but the tourist experience is different than living some place. I'd like to know what people who have lived in these countries think. Forgot to mention, the friendliness of the local people is another factor I think is important.
Other - Europe - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
My vote is for Denmark. Been there and really like it.
2 :
Denmark all the way, richer country too
3 :
Being a national of the Netherlands, and having visited both Denmark and Germany more than once each, I say this is a question that is impossible to answer for anybody but yourself. Take time to visit each of the countries, visit each of the areas you would like to live and make your choice based on that. Do not go as tourist, but spend a week or more in each potential place to settle and interact with the local people, talk with the people in the smaller shops and see how they react on a foreigner. Walk in at a real estate agency and see what they have on offer for a place to stay within your budget and whether they are willing to help you find something cheaper if needed. But more importantly, make your choice based on where you can build a good future. If you do not speak the local language in any of the countries, you will not fit in in the long run, and that will hinder your future happiness, even when everybody around you is happy. If you do not know any of the languages yet, look up how much help you can get learning them where you live now. Likely German is the only one you have lessons for all over the world. And neither Dutch nor Danish are easy for a foreigner. And with both you will stand out as a foreigner that is trying to learn the language, or a foreigner that is too lazy to try, and will be judged based on that. In Germany you will have the same, but on top of that, if you move to certain areas, the German you can learn in school will not help you at all, as everybody speaks the local dialect and a heavy local accent in their High German. And can you just up and move? You asked this question on the USA version of Y!A, as far as I can see. Does that mean you are US citizen? If so, do you have a second nationality, one from Europe? If not, your chances to move to Europe will be almost nothing. In that case it might be 'grab what you can, you will not have a better chance' with the different countries having slightly different rules for highly educated immigrants getting work permits. When there are no legal or language reasons to select one country over the others, landscape may be. If you love mountains, you have to be in the south of Germany. If you fall in love with the really flat landscape of the Netherlands, that is where you should look to settle. I found Denmark charming, when visiting as tourist, but outside the few big cities, I have been to Copenhagen and have not seen any other 'big' city, you will find small towns and villages, the kind where a stranger will stand out and will need to adjust him to the town, because it will not happen the other way around. Germany and the Netherlands have more of a variety in city sizes, and a wider selection of cities in the mid range, Germany also in the big city range. Economics should have little or no impact on your choice, as live is good in all three countries and not noticeably better in any. Even when the local prices are a bit higher, the wages will be higher too, making up for the difference.
4 :
I wouldn't worry that much about religion and drinking culture, in my experience the people of all three cultures are pretty relaxed when it comes to personal choices like that. All three countries are also safe to live in, but of course, don't go wandering alone at night in the big cities etc. Use common sense. I would say that the culture in the Netherlands and Denmark are quite similar, whereas Germany is more formal. Obviously chances are that you will be closer to the ocean when you live in the Netherlands or Denmark. In Denmark no place is further than approx. 1 hours drive from the ocean. You are right that visiting will not give you the full picture of how it is to live in these countries. I've been an expat myself and I would say that it usually takes about 4 years before you truly know what it is like, especially if you need to learn a foreign language first. After that, it should hopefully start to feel like home. The best you can do is to do your home work regarding healthcare, jobmarket etc. Also try to read up as much as possible about cultural differences. At a first glance you would think that there wouldn't be that much of a difference between countries that are that close to each other, but there is and these will surface once you start to live there - and if you are not prepared it can give rise to misunderstandings and bad experiences. Danes for example show politeness through body language and friendliness, whereas the Germans use formal phrases and the polite form of addressing each other, so Germans often find Danes rude and Danes often find Germans stiff and formal. As for making friends, I have some German and Dutch friends, but in general I don't know how it is with the Dutch and the Germans, since I've only visited those countries, but I know the Danes can seem reserved to expats. 90% of it, however, is because they don't want to bother or disturb you, so if you chose Denmark, be aware that you will in most cases have to make the first move when it comes to making new friends, but if you do that, then it should be okay. Another bit of advice is not to rely solely on fellow expats for company. I know it is much easier to make expat friends than locals, but there is an obvious pitfall to that when it comes to successful integration. My mother did that when she first moved to Denmark, and I have seen her turn down Danish friendships over the years, because she felt she had enough in her expat friends. Now she's retired and regrets it bitterly. Her words, not mine. Also, every country seems to have a hate group with expats hating their new country. Get caught up in one of those and it will taint your view, so pick your friends carefully. I am not saying that any country is perfect, you will experience good, bad and things that are neither, but just different, but no country is hell on earth, populated by demon spawn either. ;)
5 :
Of the 3 Denmark has the highest taxes and highest cost of living. I was paying over 60% taxes in Denmark and that was for a middle manager type job, not an executive. My rent was more than NYC, utilities, food, etc were all expensive. I was there for almost 4 years and didn't save anything. I'm in London now, which is also expensive, but able to save money living here - something I couldn't do in Denmark -- but I was living in Copenhagen which is expensive. If you don't speak fluent Danish it's VERY difficult to find work. I was lucky because I was transferred over with work and English was the working language in our office but still took Danish language courses. I knew so many people who had moved to Denmark to be with their partners and couldn't get any work because their Danish was not perfect. One Irish woman was a nurse, which is a job that is in demand, and still couldn't get work because she was told her accent was too strong when she tried to speak Danish and patients wouldn't understand her - even though none of her Danish friends or her husbank thought there was any problem with the way she spoke. Another friend who had been living abroad came back to Denmark with her American husband who was a highly skilled engineer but he couldn't get work because of language skills so he stayed home with the baby while she went back to work. An English friend living with her boyfriend worked 2 days a week in an Irish pub because she was cute but the only other job she could get was cleaning hotel rooms, and that was after a year in Danish classes. So unless you can get transferrred over or work for a big company like Maersk or Deloitte where the working language in English since they have so many expats working there, a job is going to be very difficult I also lived in Germany but that was as a student for a year in Freiburg, so I can't comment how it is to actually find a job there but without speaking German I can't imagine it would be easy I have a few friends who have lived in the Netherlands and were able to find work without speaking Dutch when they arrived - one was a makeup artists, one a web designer and one works for an international management consultancy. The one working for the consultancy is American (from NYC) and loves Amsterdam and plans to stay there
6 :
Denmark FTW!
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