The Trials of Learning Danish

Danish language is . . . difficult. The best description I have heard so far is that "half the syllables aren't pronounced, and the rest are swallowed." So true. My greatest linguistic challenge is trying to pronounce the suburb's name where I live: Solrød Strand. The letter ø is particularly swallowed when it's preceded by an r because r's aren't really pronounced (shape your mouth like you're going to hiss and then try to say rrr--yeah, I'm aware of how ridiculous that sounds), which also makes saying Strand a tricky oral conundrum.

Thankfully, most Danes speak English so it's pretty easy to navigate around the city. There was only one occasion where I almost got myself into big big trouble. It was a couple weeks ago on a Wednesday, when I don't have class, and I decided to check out some historic cemeteries and parks on the west side of town (near Frederiksberg Slot, where I also encountered my first Danish hill). I was faithfully following my trusty map from the nearest train stop, and I walked through a gate into a large walled courtyard. There were a couple of signs in Danish, and then a big sign pointing to the VISITORS entrance. Odd, I thought, since cemeteries are usually free to the public, but maybe this one was so old and so historically significant that they charge an entrance fee. It's Europe, so what do I know?? So I walked to the door (not your typical ticket window, but an unmarked black door) and opened it to a starkly white room with linoleum walls. Standing inside were three uniformed police officers. Without a word, I backed out and shut the door. I consulted my map for the millionth time. Hmmm. Time to ask the nice-looking Danish folks standing to the left of the entrance, smoking. I politely addressed them (in English), showed them the map, and asked if they could please tell me if this was the historic cemetery I was intending to visit? The man gave me a slightly incredulous, slightly amused look (very Danish of him) and said, "No, this is a prison."

And that's the story of how my ignorance of Danish vocabulary led to my visit of a most unconventional tourist destination. It turned out to be quite pleasant--I had a nice chat with the smoking couple outside, although I never asked what brought them to the prison. Plus, you can imagine how this visit gave me the more to chuckle about than all the rest.