You don’t know me.

Before I came to Europe, people kept warning me about all of the anti-American sentiment that was prevalent over here.  I dismissed these warnings, partially because I didn’t believe them, but also because I tend to be quite pessimistic about the United States myself.  I had no idea how offended I could feel when someone criticized my country without having a reason to do so.

Sure, my European friends will tease me and other Americans about our little quirks – spelling everything with a ‘z’ instead of an ‘s’ and then calling it “zee” instead of “zed,” for example – but it was all in good fun.  I had never had actual insults directed at me or at the US until last week.

In Paris, my friend Stephanie and I were walking through the exhibits at the Centre Pompidou.  We were looking at a strange piece which seemed to be two gigantic lungs covered by blankets, breathing in and out.  A French guy who worked at the museum approached us and said “Shh, they’re sleeping!” and then proceeded to drag us through a ridiculously long conversation.  He asked us where we were from, and didn’t understand when Stephanie kept saying “the United States.”  I actually had to tell him in French the name of our country before he understood.

Even though he didn’t recognize the name of our country (the French word for United States literally translates to “united states,” and he apparently spoke at least decent English), he told us all about the lack of sophistication and education that most Americans have.  He was saying that some parts of the United States are generally okay, but there are lots of rural areas where everyone is ignorant of the rest of the world and knows nothing about foreign countries (I’m not saying these don’t exist; see my hometown for example).  He kept elaborating on this point of view until Stephanie asked him whether or not he’d ever been to the United States.  He replied that he had not, but he had watched a French documentary which told him all of these things!

I am usually the first to criticize the US for being a bit backwards, too conservative, unconcerned with foreign affairs, and generally just a misguided country.  Still, I was offended.  He may not have been totally inaccurate in much of what he was saying, but to approach someone and begin to make broad, demeaning generalizations about their country – which you have never even been to – is deeply offensive.  Not to mention hypocritical – here he was telling two Americans who were exploring his country and its culture that Americans know nothing about the rest of the world, when he himself had never traveled to our country!

A similar incident happened again this week in Copenhagen.  On Wednesday, I went on a field study with my Muslims in the West class to a Muslim private school.  One of the teachers at the school, an ethnic Dane who practices Islam, gave us a really interesting presentation on the school and what does and doesn’t work about it.  He was really friendly and gave a really unique perspective, but most of all he was very down to Earth and seemed willing to merge his religious beliefs with the reality of 21st century Denmark.  However, he brought us into a classroom of ninth graders (this is generally the highest mandatory grade in school before going to gymnasium, which is comparable to high school) where their teacher, a woman whom he described as being half-Danish and half-Polish, proceeded to tear us apart for being American.

My class lined up in front of the black board so that we were facing all of the students in the room, and this teacher went to the back of the room and said, “So we were all wondering, why did you choose to come to Denmark, of all places?”  When some of us explained our various reasons – the opportunities provided by DIS, the opportunity to travel, interest in Scandinavia, etc. – she followed up by saying something like, “I just don’t understand, because most Americans don’t seem to know anything about the rest of the world and you’re all here in another country to learn about it.”

A few people tried to explain that we DO care about learning about the world and that IS why we’re here, and it’s not so easy to say that all Americans are ignorant.  One of the DIS interns who accompanied us on our field study explained that we were all students from good universities, so it was more likely that we would come from wealthy backgrounds and therefore would know more about the world.  I, along with several other students, challenged her on this.  We tried to explain to the class that socioeconomic background had little to do with your ignorance of the world; a rich person could be just as uninformed as a poor person, and not all of us were rich just because we went to good universities.  The teacher didn’t seem to accept this though, asking, “So if I go to a poor state like Mississippi, no one will know anything about European countries, but rich states will because you have state control over education?”  She explained that Danish education was controlled at the federal level, so because the Danish government wanted students to learn about the rest of the world, all Danish students are inherently more informed than all American students.

She kept repeating over and over, “Well we learn about Barack Obama in our classrooms, but you never learn about Danish politics!  It’s not right that we know so much about the rest of the world, and you know so little about it!  All you ever study is American history and American politics, but we study that and our own history and politics!”

At this point, I was not only offended but disgusted by the fact that anyone with such a lack of rationality to her reasoning was permitted to be a school teacher in this or any country.  I raised my hand to speak and explained a couple of things:

1. It is not fair to characterize American education or ignorance by class.  I am not wealthy, but I worked hard to get a scholarship so that I could go to a good university.  My parents do not have college educations, but they still know who other world leaders are.
2. Just because Danes study the United States does not mean that they know “more about the world” than we do.  She made no statements regarding Danish knowledge of anything outside of the US and Europe.  Americans actually do know quite a bit about Latin America – do Danes?
3. In the United States, we DO actually study other countries’ history.  Perhaps not everyone had the best teachers, but the subject matter was at the very least a part of our curriculum.
4. Danes probably do know about more countries than we do, but most of those countries are in Europe, and many are the size of states in the United States (and most Americans at least know something about most of the states).  A Dane could fly for three hours and pass over six countries.  An American could fly for seven hours and still be in the United States.  It’s easier to know about more countries when they are so much smaller and more geographically accessible.
5. Whether or not it should be this way, the fact remains the United States is – at least for now – the world’s only superpower.  International organizations hinge on the actions of the United States.  Perhaps in a better world this would not be so, but it’s an unavoidable truth.  Therefore, of course Danes have to learn about Barack Obama, as he governs a tremendously powerful country.  Americans are obviously going to be less likely to study a tiny country like Denmark, because Denmark’s actions don’t have the same kind of impact on the US that the US’s actions have on Denmark.

I made sure to use the prime minister of Denmark’s name (Lars Løkke Rasmussen) so that she would know that I did in fact know about their leader.

I really am critical of Americans’ lack of knowledge about the rest of the world, but even I have my limits.  It’s really not right for anyone to approach a national of another country and begin to tell them the faults of their culture.  How can we ever foster cross-cultural understanding if everyone’s beliefs are based on misrepresentative documentaries, socioeconomic stereotypes and offensive generalizations?

Islam up-close

Yesterday, I had my first field study in a while.  This time, I was off to explore the city with my Muslims in the West class.  We were accompanied by a number of administrators who, I think, were both from DIS and various universities’ study abroad offices in the US.

For this particular field study, we first walked around the largely immigrant neighborhood of Nørrebro (the neighborhood where I live) and then went to a mosque, also in Nørrebro but a bit further from the city center than my apartment.  In our exploration of the neighborhood, we mostly hit up locations that I have seen numerous times before – a square full of cool sculptures where an Italian tourist was stabbed a few years back, a church from which Iraqi refugees were brutally evicted by the Danish police, and the cemetary mentioned in my previous post.

The mosque visit was interesting as it was my first time ever being in a mosque.  I was a bit startled when, standing in front of an old warehouse, my professor declared that we had arrived at our destination.  I was expecting an ornate sort of temple, however small it might be.  I suppose that even in Washington, one doesn’t often see (or at least notice) mosques, so I really had no idea what to expect – I should have known that a truly mosque-like mosque would not be well-received with the Danes.  Still, in an agnostic country full of beautiful Lutheran churches that shimmer with gold, one would think a mosque could amount to more than renovated storage building.

We proceeded immediately to a library on an upper floor of the building where a scholar from the mosque delivered to us a PowerPoint presentation on Islam in Europe.  It was interesting to hear his point of view, particularly on Sharia law.  He seemed generally in favor of governing according to Sharia law, at least within the Muslim community.  He even expressed support for capital punishment, as it is prescribed by God in certain circumstances.  This really bothered me, as I am fiercely opposed to capital punishment and consider it rather barbaric.  Perhaps such beliefs are part of the reason why I struggle to accept religion as peaceful.

Karim (here I refer to the man who delivered the presentation, although that is also the name of my professor) went on to express support for certain minority-group rights – he seemed generally positive about the possibility of being tried under Sharia law in England.  I generally believe in equality before the law, which I consider to include the idea that everyone be tried under the same law.  If you happen to think that laws should be different f0r different ethnic communities in the same country, I suggest you challenge yourself and read this book, which explains how multicultural rights can have negative effects for women (Islamic laws, for example, certainly do not benefit women - imagine being forced to remain in a marriage in which you feel abused because a judge believes that God wants you to stay married!).  Still, it was interesting to hear from the perspective of an actual Muslim on the matter.  Previously, I had only ever discussed such things with other non-Muslims.

The presentation ran over the time limit, so I had to leave before we could finish touring the mosque.  I had been quite eager to see what the inside looked like as I only caught a glimpse.  I guess that means I’ll just have to find an excuse to go back to one, someday.

A cracker in Denmark

First of all, I miss crackers.  A couple of DIS students and I have been searching the internet for a store that sells good, American crackers.  Danes don’t seen very keen on Goldfish, saltines, Wheat Thins, et cetera.  This is a huge problem, as crackers are basically my favorite snack food.  I have subsequently been consuming way more potato chips than I would ever do so at home to fill that salty void, but needless to say this is much more fattening than a good package of Nabisco Premiums.  (Still, I’m in better shape than ever thanks to my daily half-hour walks, so Copenhagen has not totally failed me.)

Today, my Danish Politics and Society class took a visit to the Venstre headquarters.  For those who are not literate in Danish political terminology, Venstre is the centre-right political party currently in government.  It was interesting to note that this generally right-wing party has ties to the Democrats in the United States.  Denmark is such a left-wing country that it makes sense, but I think many students were surprised to learn about this.  The party headquarters was actually a beautiful little house, set against a backdrop of rolling hills and lush forests.  Like everything else in Denmark, it was the opposite of what you might expect of a political party’s headquarters in the United States: it was quaint, charming, humble and secluded.

Last night was International Night for BLUS (a Copenhagen-based LGBT student organization) at the Student House, which is kind of like a campus center for every university in the area, except that none of the universities here really have a true campus in the same way that Americans do.  It was overall a really good event and a great way to meet not only Danes but also students from all over the world who have chosen to study abroad in Denmark.

I’ve bonded a lot more with my European friends, but I’ve also been spending more substantial amounts of time with some Americans, mostly fellow DIS students.  I think that I’ve struck a nice balance of cultural immersion and the comforts of home, so I’m happy about that.  Still, I’ve been struggling over the internal conflict of whether or not to stay in Copenhagen for the full academic year.  I’m leaning somewhat towards doing the full year, but it’s just so damn expensive… and now I’m about to blow a little bit more money than I probably should in my search for crackers (I hear that they sell Goldfish at the British grocery store)!

UPDATE September 25, 2009:  I received a package from my parents yesterday, and it included Goldfish crackers!  Fate?

It’s a people’s thing

I just returned from the Danish Parliament (or Folketinget – “The People’s Thing”) on a field study with my European Politics: The European Union class.  I have to say that the rotunda of the Capitol in D.C. is slightly more impressive than the interior of the parliament building, but it was still ridiculously gorgeous, like almost everything else in Copenhagen.

My professor (who is also my Danish Politics & Society professor) used to be Denmark’s Minister of Transport and a member of the Folketing, so he was quite knowledgeable about everything that we saw.  We had a lecture from a member of parliament and sat in the room where the European Affairs Committee meets regularly – we were so close to the chair where the prime minister sits during meetings!

After the lecture, we visited the actual parliament floor where all of the MPs sit and vote.  I snapped a picture of the prime minister’s office mailbox, which was really cool.  We then walked around the building for a bit and looked at all of the Danish constitutions that have been passed.  I’m a little ashamed that I’ve lived in D.C. for two years and have yet to go to the National Archives to see the U.S. Constitution, but then again I’m about to see more of Europe than I have the United States, so I suppose it’s part of a general trend in my life.

One thing that is especially worth noting about our visit to the Folketing was the complete lack of security.  Just as when I went into the prime minister’s office in Iceland, the Danish parliament put us through no screening process.  There were no comments made to those of us taking pictures, no one searched our bags, and we didn’t have to pass through metal detectors – and none of us are even EU, let alone Danish, citizens!  In the U.S., one has to write to his congressman several months in advance to get a ticket to visit the Capitol or the White House.  I think this is testament to the amount of trust held between the Danes.  In a homogenous society such as Denmark (though far less homogenous than one might think), I suppose it’s easier to trust those around you – at least those who are equally tall, thin, blond and gorgeous.

Tomorrow, I’ll be going on a short study tour with my European Union class.  We’re headed to Lübeck and Hamburg in Germany, then a small town in southern Jutland, the main peninsula of Denmark.  I’m really excited to see Germany, but I’m worried that I’m going to starve to death over the next three days – DIS has pre-arranged all of our meals for us, and I am such a picky eater.  I’ll have to deal with it, since it’ll only be worse on the longer tour to Belgium/the Netherlands next month.  You can be sure that there will be some snacks packed in my suitcase.

Now, about packing…

Friday night and the lights are low

The last two weeks have been quite a whirlwind, but I’m constantly falling deeper in love with Copenhagen and the Danish people.  It’s nearly impossible to put into words just how stunningly beautiful Copenhagen is.  I know that this is the kind of language usually reserved for describing New York, but this city has a life of it’s own – it just breathes.  The people have so much character.  There is always something to do and something to look at.  Incredible.

On Wednesday, I had my first “field study,” which is DIS lingo for making us go out into the world on the one day a week when we have no scheduled classes in order to see what it is that we’re being taught.  This field study was to a theatre museum, and I went with everyone from my class called Hans Christian Andersen and the Danish Golden Age.  It was not my favorite field study (what I’m really looking forward to is a visit to a rehabilitation center for torture victims), but it was definitely worth seeing.  Most of the museum was a gallery of various posters advertising shows that I assume were performed in the theatre that is located in the back of the museum, but all of the plaques explaining the posters were in Danish, so I couldn’t really tell.  The museum does include the actual theatre where Hans Christian Andersen performed, which was very interesting to see.  We even got to go up to the box where the royals would sit to watch performances.

On the way to the theatre museum, our professor pointed out some of the most stunning views of Copenhagen that I have seen thus far.  I had no idea that the fountain I pass almost everyday – just around the corner from the DIS building – was constructed in the 1600s, and Hans Christian Andersen would have also seen it everyday since he once lived on Vestergade, where DIS is located!  We also saw one of the oldest streets in Copenhagen, a stunning view of a canal, and the gorgeous Parliament building, which is close to where the theatre museum was located.  Unfortunately the view of the building was slightly obscured by scaffolding (so was the famous church in Iceland – it’s as if I’m not meant to see these works of architecture).

Last night, I went with my DIS networker, Iason, to the Black Diamond Library.  The library is an astonishing example of Scandinavian architecture – trendy and modern, highly sophisticated.  The library was closed down and turned into an amazing kind of night club.  They had projection on the walls, multicolored lights everywhere, an overpriced bar, live music… and hundreds upon hundreds of gorgeous Danes, all lined up along the various levels of the library, looking down upon a bridge that connected two sides of the library where DJs and musicians were performing.  Most of the music was very strange (but good!) European electronic music, and no one was really dancing.  However, a personal favorite Danish group, Fagget Fairys, DJed for a bit and performed this masterpiece.

After the library, we went to a couple of bars and clubs.  I do like the Copenhagen nightlife, but it’s so much different from what I’m used to.  In D.C., going to a club usually involves a really dark room, deafeningly loud remixes of pop songs, strobe lights, projection, and hundreds of people pressed against you on all sides.  So far, Copenhagen clubs (not that I’ve been to so many) seem to be not really clubs at all, but rather bars with small dance floors.  The music here is generally not remixed to be danceable, and they play a lot of random songs (hearing “Dancing Queen” at a club in Copenhagen was probably the most Scandinavian experience of my life).  People do dance, but it’s much tamer than American dancing.  Whereas we usually press as close to one another as we can without actually having intercourse, Danes tend to dance near each other more than they do with each other.  The lights are usually not completely turned off, and everyone smokes inside.  The city takes on a certain kind of liveliness at night that you simply can’t find anywhere else in the world, and for that I am incredibly grateful.  But I do secretly miss going out in D.C.