When I was in...

எங்கள் அலுவலகத்தின் இணைய இதழ், "potpourri " யின் ஏப்ரல் மாத இதழில் வெளி வந்த எனது கட்டுரை.

என்ன எழுதுவது என்று தெரியாமல் முழித்து கொண்டு இருந்து விட்டு, "படைப்புகள்(?) வந்து சேர வேண்டிய கடைசி நாள்" அன்று நொட்டு நொட்டு என்று எதையோ தட்டி,தேற்றி அனுப்பியது. மற்ற படைப்புகள் அவல் உப்புமா ரகத்தில் இருந்து விட்டதாலோ என்னவோ, இந்த முறையும் 'ஷார்ட்லிஸ்ட்' ஆகி விட்டது!

Denmark - A Happy Country
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Whoever stayed abroad for a while would have this “When I was in …” weakness and mine is “When I was in Denmark”…

When I first pronounced the Danish word ‘Islandsgade’ as Ilandsgade, I was looked at like an illiterate. It had to be eeSlandsgeyl which meant Eslands Street. We have to say I like EE, J like Y; Y like U and Danish alphabets doesn’t have W, so we say WLAN like V V LAN.
Work life in Denmark was ‘COOL’ - we called it a day at 4:00PM; I would leave my clients in Bangalore still working at 7:30PM IST during day light saving ;-). The taxation is unimaginable at 45% for a moderate salary but that's how we enjoyed world class public transport and medical facilities.

Danish parties are quite WET and boring for some one who is a tea totaller. Imagine you just sipping a glass of coke for the whole meal and the one next you is drinking more than he is eating.White wine to start with, Red wine with the main course and then Vodka and Bailey’s for the dessert. Just like we buy rice or wheat, the Danes buy cases of beer on Fridays.

Standing on top of the lighthouse at ‘Skagen’ - the northern tip of Denmark, where the Baltic Sea and North Sea rendezvous, would be an out of the world experience.

No wonder Denmark is rated the happiest country to live in, with its population being just five million and its people being so honest/humble/helping.

A carpenter visited us during our stay over there, who said, “As per our economy ratings I am below poverty line; but I go from my own house to a pub every Friday driving in my own car”.