Monday, December 31, 2012
Can't find it, that special cool toy or whatever
Check Ebay, yes our regular American www.ebay.com - many many sellers will ship to Denmark for very reasonable prices. So look there but remember that mail takes about 7-10 days. Faster of course from the UK.
Food Shopping 101
Okay, from the beginning -
1) Grocery stores in Denmark don't supply you with bags so you need to either keep a bag in your purse or put one or many on the belt (they are usually under it) or (usually at Nettos) ask for how many bags you need when you get to the register.
2) Put your purchases on the counter they ring it through and then they say something . . . Look at the register because they are telling you how much it is.
3) The last question is really quick and even now that I've taken 3 months of Danish classes, I still don't understand - they are asking you if you want your receipt :) Just say Ja Tak and smile!
Tips:
Most loose vegetable need to be weighed before you bring them to the register - so look around for a scale and then find the picture of what you have in your bag. Put your stuff on the scale and push the button, LOL. It's fun after a while. But speak English, they will understand you. In fact, every week I try to find one new product that I can't translate and I ask someone what it is.
But be careful, Danish people are fantastic and very nice except for when they are on a bike or in the grocery store. You can get hip checked by a little old lady if you are between her and the grocery line and don't forget that when they open a new line it's everyone for themselves. These are not line waiters!
Yes, the prices are high but look carefully. There are about three brands available of everything, except flour and milk, and one is always significantly cheaper. I don't know why and I don't know why everyone doesn't buy the cheaper one, but I do, and it's usually just the same.
Can't find something ask me.
Where do I shop
Well, mostly at Super Brugsen because it is across the street but it also fairly good prices with sales-tilbud rotating through their meat regularly. If I'm feeling motivated to get on the Metro I will go to Føtex for snacks, meat sales, and to wander the aisles. They always have chips for 11-13DKK where they are 40DKK everywhere else and their cookies are 10-12 DKK when everybody else is 18DKK. I will also wander around Netto, they have the cool "crap" aisles where you can find anything and everything on sale. If you are looking for some small electronics like hot pots, crockpots, hair trimmers, you will eventually find it there for much much less. There is also an electronics store in Amager (pronounce Amar) Center that has really crazy cheap prices! It is the one off by itself on the Metro END entrance by the Apotek but I can't remember the name. It is worth a trip because the prices are that good. I got a vacuum for 200 DKK.
Bilka is also good but the only one I have found is down the Metro in Ørestad, which is one more zone for me, and it's just a pain to get to. You will find that if you do not have a car you will quickly become very conscious of whether something, or someone for that matter, is zone worthy. Ladies, do you remember the "sponge-worthy" Seinfeld, yep it's like that. You'll See :)
1) Grocery stores in Denmark don't supply you with bags so you need to either keep a bag in your purse or put one or many on the belt (they are usually under it) or (usually at Nettos) ask for how many bags you need when you get to the register.
2) Put your purchases on the counter they ring it through and then they say something . . . Look at the register because they are telling you how much it is.
3) The last question is really quick and even now that I've taken 3 months of Danish classes, I still don't understand - they are asking you if you want your receipt :) Just say Ja Tak and smile!
Tips:
Most loose vegetable need to be weighed before you bring them to the register - so look around for a scale and then find the picture of what you have in your bag. Put your stuff on the scale and push the button, LOL. It's fun after a while. But speak English, they will understand you. In fact, every week I try to find one new product that I can't translate and I ask someone what it is.
But be careful, Danish people are fantastic and very nice except for when they are on a bike or in the grocery store. You can get hip checked by a little old lady if you are between her and the grocery line and don't forget that when they open a new line it's everyone for themselves. These are not line waiters!
Yes, the prices are high but look carefully. There are about three brands available of everything, except flour and milk, and one is always significantly cheaper. I don't know why and I don't know why everyone doesn't buy the cheaper one, but I do, and it's usually just the same.
Can't find something ask me.
Where do I shop
Well, mostly at Super Brugsen because it is across the street but it also fairly good prices with sales-tilbud rotating through their meat regularly. If I'm feeling motivated to get on the Metro I will go to Føtex for snacks, meat sales, and to wander the aisles. They always have chips for 11-13DKK where they are 40DKK everywhere else and their cookies are 10-12 DKK when everybody else is 18DKK. I will also wander around Netto, they have the cool "crap" aisles where you can find anything and everything on sale. If you are looking for some small electronics like hot pots, crockpots, hair trimmers, you will eventually find it there for much much less. There is also an electronics store in Amager (pronounce Amar) Center that has really crazy cheap prices! It is the one off by itself on the Metro END entrance by the Apotek but I can't remember the name. It is worth a trip because the prices are that good. I got a vacuum for 200 DKK.
Bilka is also good but the only one I have found is down the Metro in Ørestad, which is one more zone for me, and it's just a pain to get to. You will find that if you do not have a car you will quickly become very conscious of whether something, or someone for that matter, is zone worthy. Ladies, do you remember the "sponge-worthy" Seinfeld, yep it's like that. You'll See :)
Use Google Chrome and it will automatically translate all your Internet pages!!!!!!!
That's it but if you don't know this it's a lifesaver! It is secure, fast, and FREE.
Danish International School Review - We are at Rygaards
My husband and I toured several International (English speaking) schools before we came over. We looked at Copenhagen International School, Østerbro International School, and Rygaards International School. We have had our two boys, age 10 and 8, in Rygaards in Hellerup since the start of the year in September. We also are at CIS monthy for Cub Scouts (BSA) meetings.
Our experience to date at Rygaards has had its good points and it bad points so if anyone wants to talk about the Copenhagen International Schools, chime in
Our experience to date at Rygaards has had its good points and it bad points so if anyone wants to talk about the Copenhagen International Schools, chime in
Hair Cuts - How to get your Haircut and not pay a Fortune
Yes, in our wanderings we have found a reasonably priced hair salon very close to the Metro. It is the Stylish Salon in Christianshavn. It is a couple of storefronts away from the Christianshavn Metro stop. Children are only 120DKK, men are 140DKK, and women are 190DKK. You can just walk in Mon-Fri 9:30-6:00 or Saturday 9-4.
For a women's cut and/or color I would call ahead and ask for NANCY at 3257 8877, she is great! Due to the awful prices here I did a dye my own job and it just didn't work :( She fixed it for under 600DKK, it was a long long process. If you've looked around the price was great! Stylish Salon, Torvegade 50 st, 3257 8877
For a women's cut and/or color I would call ahead and ask for NANCY at 3257 8877, she is great! Due to the awful prices here I did a dye my own job and it just didn't work :( She fixed it for under 600DKK, it was a long long process. If you've looked around the price was great! Stylish Salon, Torvegade 50 st, 3257 8877
Where to find American Food
Well, some things are hard to find and some are impossible.
Things I have found:
Premade Frosting - the Danish usually frost with a glaze of confectioners sugar and water.
If you want good old American Buttercream Frosting SuperBest has it but they usually only have chocolate. There is a British store in Nørreboro that has vanilla and chocolate. I am happy to post the recipe I used to make the frosting for my sons birthday cupcakes but you need a good food processor mixer to get it to cream right.
Hellmann Yellow Mustard - Superbest! Bagel Co. In Hellerup
Pop tarts - they ONLY have chocolate (not S'more) and strawberry at Superbest
A-1 Sauce - yes I actually found it but only at the Superbest in Osterbrogade by the Triangula. (bus 14 from Norreport)
Maple syrup - the fake American stuff not the real maple (ahorn syrup here). Go figure, it's at the Mega Candy Store along with a generic Lucky Charms like cereal. They definitely have them at the one by Nørreport.
Cereal - they have a generic Lucky Charms at the mega candy store and a generic Fruit Loops at Lidl.
They have real Fruit Loops in Sweden.
Canned Pumpkin - Mega Candy Store
Peanut Butter - don't buy the Jiffy smooth off the shelf because it aint smooth ;) if your kid, like mine, wants the really smooth, never been touched by a real peanut - SuperBest again and so far these brands - Nicks, Countess, and Sun-Pat.
Kosher Deli - Lyngby. It's tiny but it's there.
Last but not least a whole Turkey - they have it at SuperBest about a week before Thanksgiving but buy your cranberries early because they seem to have them the first week of November but then you never see them again so freeze them when you find them!
If you want good old American Buttercream Frosting SuperBest has it but they usually only have chocolate. There is a British store in Nørreboro that has vanilla and chocolate. I am happy to post the recipe I used to make the frosting for my sons birthday cupcakes but you need a good food processor mixer to get it to cream right.
Hellmann Yellow Mustard - Superbest! Bagel Co. In Hellerup
Pop tarts - they ONLY have chocolate (not S'more) and strawberry at Superbest
A-1 Sauce - yes I actually found it but only at the Superbest in Osterbrogade by the Triangula. (bus 14 from Norreport)
Maple syrup - the fake American stuff not the real maple (ahorn syrup here). Go figure, it's at the Mega Candy Store along with a generic Lucky Charms like cereal. They definitely have them at the one by Nørreport.
Cereal - they have a generic Lucky Charms at the mega candy store and a generic Fruit Loops at Lidl.
They have real Fruit Loops in Sweden.
Canned Pumpkin - Mega Candy Store
Peanut Butter - don't buy the Jiffy smooth off the shelf because it aint smooth ;) if your kid, like mine, wants the really smooth, never been touched by a real peanut - SuperBest again and so far these brands - Nicks, Countess, and Sun-Pat.
Kosher Deli - Lyngby. It's tiny but it's there.
Last but not least a whole Turkey - they have it at SuperBest about a week before Thanksgiving but buy your cranberries early because they seem to have them the first week of November but then you never see them again so freeze them when you find them!
Moving Here - Pets
Sorry to start this blog and run but I got sidetracked by volunteering with my sons International School's Holiday Market.
Pets: Bringing pets To Denmark was not nearly as difficult as we were afraid it might be. There are companies that do this for you but the minimum price I found was 3K. You can do it yourself if you know the rules, your pets are healthy, and you have a good vet. You can bring dogs, cats, and ferrets. Any pet you bring must be microchipped and the chips must be inserted before you get their health certificates done. You also need to make reservation for them when you make your reservation.
We brought two ferrets in one carrier from the Boston area on Icelandair and had no problem. Please note that Icelandair did not count their carrier as one of our free bags since we paid a fee to bring them anyway. Just check in at the ticket desk and they will take you to Customs. Also remember that you have to keep in mind that most ferrets imprint on their food as babies and they don't have Marshall's ferret food here. If you want Marshalls you have to order it from Japan. You can change their food but it is a long laborious process so be ready. I can post more on this if anyone asks.
Also, be aware that I found out last minute that in Massachusetts you must have the local FDA Office to sign off on your pets health certificate. This may be national but with all my research I couldn't find this requirement anywhere. We used a vet that had frequently shipped animals internationally and she told us about it. If she hadn't I'm not sure what would have happened when we got to the airport.
You should know that they actually inspect the animals at the US end but they don't seem to care much once you get here. Here is the Danish rules for Pet immigration http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Denmark.cfm
Here are the rules for immunizations: Your pet must have an ISO pet microchip inserted and then be vaccinated for rabies and various other diseases at least 21 days prior to travel and not more than one year prior to travel. If your pet' microchip is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, you can bring your own microchip scanner.
Most importantly, if you are in the Copenhagen area and need a vet for any mammal, the one we found was great - It is right over the bridge in Norreport - Blågård Dyreklinik, Dr. Erik Larsen, 3535 4040. Blågårdsgade 25, 2200 København N
Pets: Bringing pets To Denmark was not nearly as difficult as we were afraid it might be. There are companies that do this for you but the minimum price I found was 3K. You can do it yourself if you know the rules, your pets are healthy, and you have a good vet. You can bring dogs, cats, and ferrets. Any pet you bring must be microchipped and the chips must be inserted before you get their health certificates done. You also need to make reservation for them when you make your reservation.
We brought two ferrets in one carrier from the Boston area on Icelandair and had no problem. Please note that Icelandair did not count their carrier as one of our free bags since we paid a fee to bring them anyway. Just check in at the ticket desk and they will take you to Customs. Also remember that you have to keep in mind that most ferrets imprint on their food as babies and they don't have Marshall's ferret food here. If you want Marshalls you have to order it from Japan. You can change their food but it is a long laborious process so be ready. I can post more on this if anyone asks.
Also, be aware that I found out last minute that in Massachusetts you must have the local FDA Office to sign off on your pets health certificate. This may be national but with all my research I couldn't find this requirement anywhere. We used a vet that had frequently shipped animals internationally and she told us about it. If she hadn't I'm not sure what would have happened when we got to the airport.
You should know that they actually inspect the animals at the US end but they don't seem to care much once you get here. Here is the Danish rules for Pet immigration http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Denmark.cfm
Here are the rules for immunizations: Your pet must have an ISO pet microchip inserted and then be vaccinated for rabies and various other diseases at least 21 days prior to travel and not more than one year prior to travel. If your pet' microchip is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, you can bring your own microchip scanner.
Most importantly, if you are in the Copenhagen area and need a vet for any mammal, the one we found was great - It is right over the bridge in Norreport - Blågård Dyreklinik, Dr. Erik Larsen, 3535 4040. Blågårdsgade 25, 2200 København N
Sunday, August 5, 2012
They all Speak English
That's really it in a nutshell. They do, sometimes they think they don't but the vast majority of Danish adults speak excellent English. However, the younger children do not. They start annual English classes in the 3rd grade, so around 9 years old. So bear in mind that unless your looking at a tween or older, they only speak Danish.
In the Beginning . . .
Let there be Denmark, glottal Rs, $20 chicken, and no cars for everyone! Yes it's true,on one hand - a whole lot of walking, one brand of each type of food (except flour for some reason) and a serious shortage of American cereal and pop tarts await you as an American ExPat in Denmark. Bring your own corn syrup because you won't find it here. On the other hand, if you have keep an open mind you will find a ton of awesome things to see and do along with licorice flavored everything. As the Danish say "Supah"!
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