By: Christian Faaborg-Andersen
March 26, 2015
People often ask me where I’m from. My family and I have traveled frequently, so that’s not exactly an easy question to answer. To dodge the question, I typically respond: “I’m half Danish, half American.” Not always, but often, this reply evokes a wide-eyed, optimistically knowledgeable, “Oh, do they speak Dutch in Denmark?” or “So you’re Denmarkian, nice.” I usually just shrug it off and laugh. After all, Denmark is a small, rural country of six million and lays tucked away in north-central Europe. I’ve yet to meet a single Dane at Georgetown. At least in DC, my fellow countrymen and women seem to be few and far between. I arrived at Oxford University expecting a similar scene; in my mind, minimal Danish culture was normative.
My prediction could not have been more wrong. As a matter of fact, the Danish community at Oxford is alive and as welcoming as they come—all forty-one of them. The first Dane I met was a first-year Economics & Management student named Daniel. He quickly introduced me to Marcus, the other Dane at Teddy Hall (which is our college at Oxford). There was an immediate sense of camaraderie among us, which felt comforting. My dad is the only person I speak Danish with regularly; I remember it feeling so strange to be communicating with two friends at college in a language other than English. I’d never done that before. At the welcome dinner, we got some befuddled glances from people sitting next to us. It was quite amusing. Since so few understand it, Danish can serve as a form of code language. It gives the phrase “candid conversation” a whole new meaning.
Two weeks into term, we arranged a large gathering of all Danish students from the colleges at Oxford. Forty-one turned up for a memorable night of delicious food, good company, and a whole lot of hygge—hygge is a typical Danish word which I can best describe as “coziness,” warmth, and friendship. I had a great time chatting with all the Danes about the various paths they took to Oxford, all of which were very unique and often involved several attempts. It felt like I was back in Denmark, where I went to school when I was younger. The experience was exciting, surreal, and fulfilling at the same time. I loved it.
Since the gathering, I’ve established a strong relationship with a lot of Danes at Oxford. They’ve become an important part of my study abroad experience. A few of us recently went to a speech by Geir Lippestad, the Norwegian lawyer who defended the notorious mass-murderer Anders Breivik. Lippestad underscored the importance of values, justice, and rule of law—for all members of a society. These are ideals which Danes, and more broadly Scandinavians, place great emphasis on. Lippestad’s words resonated with us as Danes. I’m glad my time at Oxford has afforded me the opportunity to connect further with my Danish roots. It’s prompted me to consider how being Danish plays into my identity. The experience has been equally fun as it has been formative, and I’ve formed some meaningful relationships along the way.
The extensive community of Danes at Oxford speaks to a strong Scandinavian presence in the city. Oxford’s culture is one of academia mixed with multiculturalism. The university draws some of the world’s most talented individuals to its illustrious colleges. This creates a remarkably dynamic environment, with fertile ground for critical thinking and the exchange of ideas. It’s been a privilege to study here over the past several months, particularly alongside my Danish friends.
