Students reveal the best 'worst' stories

New international students faced many awkward situations on their first days in Copenhagen. Lost their luggage, got overcharged, got lost and even got robbed. At a recent orientation meeting, the University Post asked for their best 'worst' stories

Thefts, broken windows on your head and airport welcomes that turn out not to be for you. Only a few examples of what internationals have experienced since their arrival.

The University Post asked newcomers at two separate orientation meetings to remember the worst thing that happened to them since they got to Copenhagen.

We have chosen a top 10 out of 75 newcomers’ downers. Sorry if your submitted story didn't make the list: Our independent jury chose them only based on sensationalism, and, well, awkwardness.

1. Learnt Danish by seeing naked dude

Sarah is learning the Danish vocabulary in an unusual way. She accidentally walked into a men’s changing room and had to learn the Danish word for 'men' the, uhm, interesting, way.

2. From Russia with love...

Emmanuele was told at the airport that her luggage was lost. When she received it at home, she discovered that it had been all the way to Russia.

»I’m quite sure they opened it and the paper I received was written in - guess what? - Russian!« , she explains.

3. Impressive welcoming. But it was not for me

There was a cheering crowd welcoming SJ at the airport when she arrived. However, she soon discovered it was not for her.

»I was at the airport at the same time as the 2012 winning Danish Handball team, so I had my entrance to Denmark filmed and put on TV«, SJ writes.

4. Broken window in my head

For Elisabeth, what seemed to be a normal shopping day in the center, turned into a very risky experience.

»A giant glass window broke in the store Magasin and I had a rain of glass over me. No one was hurt, and neither was I, but it was very scary«, remembers Elisabeth.

5. Danish: A horrible language

»The first day I went to the city centre a guy talked to me in Danish in order to get a sign for something«. Gela answered 'sorry, no Danish here!' and the Dane responded: »No problem, it is a horrible language«.

6. Nazi asked for 'heritage'

Sarah got an awful experience at one of the apartments she was visiting while looking for somewhere to live in.

»I got greeted by a Nazi with an SS insignia, a swastika. He was very disappointed that I had black hair and asked me about my family heritage«, she says. Sarah admits that, after this experience, she had nightmares for days.

7. This is a bad omen…

Carlos thinks that until now, he has been lucky in Copenhagen, but he is afraid something wrong will happen to him.

»The worst thing that it has happened to me is having to say which is the worst thing that has happened to me since I arrived. Now I really think that something bad is going to happen to me…«, he says.

8. Not a Dane? Pay more

»They guy in one shop saw that I am not Danish and he made my pay DKK 40 more than I was supposed to«, explains Georgi.

9. Riding your bike drunk

This student got the opportunity to understand that alcohol and bikes can be a heady mixture.

»I was riding my bicycle so drunk that I crashed into the neighbour’s balcony (Danish balcony is on ground floor…)«, Hubert confesses.

10. Little mermaid, who cares?

He had to sit through one whole lecture on the little mermaid during the pre-semester Danish course.

2 comments

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14/02-12 kl. 12:20 lou:

oh, you pretty things

i dont get the point of articles such as this. i am a foreign student myself and there seems to be this hatred for danes in your editorial team which is not at all nice or helpful. if you're trying to solidarize with the foreigners, you should change your strategy. i mean sure, we all have tough times here, but we also have awesome times. and it's not just that, but these stories are pretty weak, your target group is supposed to be a bit more intelligent than that.

14/02-12 kl. 14:20 Mike Young:

Oh you pretty things

Hi Lou, thanks for your comment. We write for all staff and students, international and Danish, and try to have a mix of serious and funny, thin and intelligent. I have read the article, and I don't feel there is anti-Danish sentiment in it. In general, I don't think our editorial team is biased against Danes / Mike, University Post

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