Immigrant Diaries: Hiding Out
This morning dawned grey and homesick. I still don’t have internet at the house, so I can’t email, Skype, or IM any one. The boy still has not dropped us a single line of email. And in the past few days I’ve managed to:
-hold up an entire line of after-work shoppers at the grocery store while the cashier walked all the way across the store to weigh my produce. Apparently the process is weigh, sticker, then check out.
-step up to the bakery counter to be served without realizing that people were milling around in there because they were on a take-a-number system, which I had completely circumvented.
-spend thirty minutes in front of the self check-out machine at the library while I looked up every word on every function key in my Danish-English pocket dictionary. (Eden then came to my rescue and figured it out in about ten seconds.)
-get stopped by a young man wearing camo and carrying a rifle because I tried to tour the Rosenberg Slot (palace) by entering the “military only” gate.
I know these are small infractions, and that one is expected to make many silly mistakes when moving across cultures. Still, it wore me down a bit, and the kids and I were ready for one day when we didn’t have to feel like Mr. Bean.
So, I called Jen, who immediately made me feel better by telling me how she once bought a lovely green table cloth in Japan, only to get home and find out that she was the proud owner of a very large piece of nori. Then I holed up and spent the day listening to This American Life (here’s the most hilarious opening story ever); making one of our precious boxes of Annie’s macaroni and cheese; and watching the kids make crafts out of all our empty produce cartons. (I’m only buying the pre-packaged produce because I still can’t figure out the weighing-and-sticker machine!) Here’s to a little slice of home….
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February 21st, 2008 at 2:03 am
O…i so understand the feeling from when I moved to Finland. But moving from within the EU apparently meant that a lot was similar. However, I have had many people asking me questions (on the street, train etc.) without realizing they were talking to me, for example.
If you need to spill, you can always email me. There are a lot of ups and downs to come, i wish i could tell you otherwise. But the love for the country, the fun, the feeling at home, it will kick in. Probably faster than you’ve thought.
hang in there ;)
Silvia
February 21st, 2008 at 3:16 am
I’m only six months in to a new life in Italy, and even though I’m married to a native, I still made (er, make) PLENTY of goof-ups! Like setting off the alarms at a giant electronics store by leaving through the wrong exit… or tipping my daughter’s stroller over when I tried to take it on the bus… or asking repeatedly for the deli worker to let me dry a piece of meat when I really wanted a taste… or not being able to find my wallet after the cashier rang up a week’s worth of groceries on my first shopping trip alone with a preschooler and a newborn… ::Shudders:: Anyway, don’t worry — you’re not alone in figuring out a new system of life. And I’m positive that in a few months, you’ll look back on this time and smile at how quickly things have changed for the better.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:59 am
damn culture shock. i remember standing in front of the pharmacy watching people for 20 minutes because i could NOT find the mailbox. finally someone came and mailed a letter in a BIG RED SLANTY TOP BOX, not a blue, round american one. i cried all the way home. it’s those little dumb things that remind you of the differences. you’ll have this stuff figured out in no time.
thanks for keeping us posted. i love the courage you all have to pick up and go. beautiful!
February 21st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Hi Rachelle,
I have been thinking about you and Paul and the girls the last three days…found myself holding you in prayer as you get acclimated to a new culture. Much grace and love to you all
February 21st, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I can’t imagine, I have culture shock just moving from the pacific northwest to the southwest! It will get better. I was homesick today too, but thinking about it I wasn’t sure where I was homesick for.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Yeah, they do that produce weighing thing in England, too. That tripped me up when I lived there. And the first time I went grocery shopping it took me FOR-EV-ER to find anything. Then I finally made my way to the checkout, got everything rung up, and wrote a check from the new bank account I’d just opened — only to be asked for my “check cashing card.” Um, what? I don’t have one of those. I don’t even know what that *is*! And no, I don’t have a debit card yet. And no, I don’t have enough cash on me. So I told the girl to forget the whole order and walked out empty handed. I think I started to cry when I remembered the American Visa card in my wallet that probably would have worked. But I was already gone and sure as hell wasn’t going back. I was humiliated, exhausted, and food-less. I feel your pain. Maybe try to think of these things as growing pains.: unavoidable, but temporary.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Goddag, Rachelle. Oh, I do hope I chose the right word. I don’t know Danish so I’m relying on Google for translation.
First, I have to comment on the photo montage. It made me think “here is a day in the life of the new émigrés”. (I don’t mean to imply you are in exile, though!)
I would like to say else something to lift your spirits, but I think all the other commenters have done a great job already. Please reread them whenever you feel down. Such excellent advice.
Farvel and good night.
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:37 am
Hello All, and thanks for the funny stories and lovely comments!
Today Paul and I tried to buy my moblie phone. The first time we’d gone to the store w/o my passport and CPR number (like a social security number.) Who knew you needed so much i.d. to get a cell phone? This time we almost couldn’t check out b/c we didn’t know our pin number for our new dansk visas. Apparently your signature is no good here, you have to have a pin. Our US visa card required a pin too. Paul tried one he thought might be right, and thankfully it was! Otherwise we might have had to walk out again — this after 30 minutes of weighing calling plans with the clerk. Geez!
Mostly though, things are going well here. Most Danes have excellent English and would really prefer you don’t use your bad Dansk on them. I did tell someone ‘goodbye’ on the phone yesterday using the word “Farvel” and she started laughing….I wonder if it means “Good bye sweet love, parting in such sweet sorrow, but I’ll see you on the otherside of this life” or something. :-)
I’m at the library now (still can’t get the internet provider to fix the line in our flat), then off to brave the grocery once again. Tomorrow I’m going to the post office to try and figure out stamps and airmail.
Much love from your expat!
r
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:08 am
That part about Jen’s giant nori sheet cracked me up! Can you say massive sushi roll? Bummer, though, as it would have made an amazing tabelcloth; you can’t make that color!
I like reading your stories from abroad, Rachelle, but I’m sorry, I can’t feel too sorry for you. You left the Northwest for some great adventure, something folks dream of. It’s got to beat the crap out of Denver, let me tell ya. You know what I’d give for an afternoon at Essential with the pastries and the coffee and the walk through Fremont, with all the hipster-metro-naturals and their yoga mats?!
Nevertheless, hang in there, grieve your losses well, and embrace your memories. I’m sure it won’t be long until you find some really cool Euro friends to share them with!
neil
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Hey, you just holler when your Annie’s runs low and we’ll toss a little love in a box and send it your way…and probably a few other little surprises…(Mwahahaha)
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 am
Neil,
LOL. I love it that the first thing that came to mind for you was “you can’t make that color” re: Jen’s nori “tablecloth.” That’s the kind of Neil-ism you just can’t get anywhere else.
Lest we sound like whiners, we are indeed super grateful to have our adventure here. Paul worked hard to get this job, and we adore living car free and downscaled house-wise. As you know, it’s been a long time since we’ve lived non-communally, but we are enjoy our time as a family of four.
Congrats on le new bebe! Send pics!
Love,
Rachelle
February 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Oh, man! That’s why I hate not knowing the language where I’m visiting. But take heart – it won’t always be that way. And look at it this way: You’ve navigated your way through the Danish bakery, the library, the grocery store, and the local attraction. Good for you, girl! You proved you can do it! You go!!!
March 1st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
They got me on that weighing thing when I first moved to France too. Oops!
Can’t wait to live vicariously through you…I am trying to convince my husband to move from France to the Netherlands. Mostly for the bikes! Are there a lot of bike trails near you in Denmark?