After nearly a month in Denmark, I have realized that there is one thing about America I miss more than anything else.
No, it's not freedom. Turns out they have that in other countries too, though.
Denmark does lack the flair America has that comes from being founded as a social experiment.
What I miss most of all is the 24-hour diner. I've never realized how much I reveled in the chance to have a cheese omelet and coffee at 3 a.m. until that opportunity was gone. I find myself longing for the Union Street cafe, with its red Kool-Aid and tables full of drunks on a Saturday night.
It's not that surprising that Denmark doesn't believe in all-night diners. This country operates on a schedule that shows no resemblance to the hours the rest of the world keeps.
Shops are, at my estimation, only open an average of seven hours a day. Doors open around 10 a.m. and are generally closed by 5 p.m. Never mind the fact that most people are at work during those hours.
Or, rather, people are supposed to be at work. Every time I wander through the city on my days off from school, the streets seem full of Danes with nothing to do. It reminds me of Athens, in a way; only these are all adults slacking off instead of college students.
The weekends are the most frustrating though. Instead of having extended hours on Saturday so everyone can run errands on their day off work, shops close even earlier than normal.
Sundays are the worst though, because nothing at all is open on Sundays. Danish society just grinds to a halt once a week, as all the citizens go out and enjoy the day. What is this spending time with your family nonsense? Don't these people understand that there is commerce to be done?
In a way, I appreciate the change. Danish society is much more easy-going than the constant rush of living in America. You can take your time, enjoy the scenery as you bike past it and move at a slower pace. It takes all the guilt out of lazing about on Sundays, because it's not like you'd be able to accomplish something even if you wanted to.
But then I run out of milk on a Sunday, nothing is open and the benefits of the Danish system are lost on me. In Athens, I could go out at midnight on a Tuesday and encounter no difficulties if I wanted to go pick up a carton of milk.
America, even if it is rushed and busy and disorganized, is gloriously convenient. It's a society that's up at all hours, that lets you keep your own pace. Denmark expects you to adapt to its schedule ' to learn to deal with the fact that by the time you get home from class, the streets will be nearly deserted.
Interestingly enough, I did find one shop here in Denmark that's open 24 hours a day. The familiar 7-11 sign was winking at me from down the street, promising me candy and slushies at any hour of the night.
Ah, the joys of globalization. Bringing late-night sugar binges to the untamed land of the Danes. Catie Coleman is a junior journalism majorwho just discovered a 24-hour pastry shop. Send her an e-mail at cc338104@ohiou.edu.
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Catie Coleman
