"Are you gonna wear wooden shoes?"

I didn't know much about Denmark or about the stereotypes placed on the Danes themselves until I met my fiance. I figure that's probably the case for a lot of Americans who have never been there and are not of Scandinavian descent.

I do, however, get asked some interesting questions when I tell people that I'm moving. Here are some of the questions, and some of my answers:

Q. - What are the Danes like?
A. - Well, there are stereotypes that the Danes are very reserved and slow to trust, and can be hard to get to know. That may be true in a lot of cases, but I have the benefit of a fiance who lived there for several years and already has a lot of close friends there. When we visited for a couple of days back in April, every Dane that I met was incredibly warm and kind, though perhaps a bit shy at first.

Q. - Doesn't it get really dark in the Winter?
A. - Well, yeah. They're pretty high up there latitudinally. I have the advantage of having lived the life of a mole for the last several years. Going to work before dawn, sleeping during the day, and often heading home from work after sunset. So long nights? I can handle that.

Q. - Is everyone there really tall and blonde?
A. - Yes. Okay, that's a lie. But they do have more than their fair share of tall, blonde, model-esque folks. I've got the tall bit down, and I've kept myself blonde for a few years now... but the brown eyebrows may give me away as a non-native.

Q. - "Are you gonna wear wooden shoes?"
A. - Wrong country. The Danes are not the Dutch. It's surprisingly common for people to get confused about the northern European/Scandinavian countries. Then again... I wouldn't wear wooden shoes either way. My feet are big enough as it is, and they're hardly dainty.