Take a Panodil and stop pestering us!

I am one of those people who is a bit hard to get to the doctor. It is not that I do not trust them, I do. It is just that I do not want to go to the doctor until it is absolutely necessary.
 

Something started to brew in my head in the middle of July. I started getting the weird feeling of pressure (not headache) in my head and I started to feel like I have low grade fever but all of it was coming and going. After three days of that I decided to take the COVID-19 test. Just as I have made the decision all the symptoms vanished. Week later they came back but stronger. At that point I decided that it is the time to call the doctor.
 

That first phone call was at least weird. After I have described the symptoms, I got two questions, did I go for a COVID-19 test and what do I think is wrong with me. I said that I did but that I still didn't get the results. The lady on the phone responded that they can't consult me until I get the results back and until then I should just take a Panodil. Panodil is the universal "magical" cure for everything in Denmark just like Andol is in Croatia. That was just so frustrating, I am not feeling well and they do not want to help me and they are asking me to self-diagnose myself. That goes against everything I was taught and that is one feels unwell, one should contact the doctor, describe the symptoms and receive help. What one shouldn't do is to try and self-diagnose! And they are telling me to do just that.
 

It has gotten worse the next day. The pressure in the head and the feeling of low grade fever was combined with dizziness. Fortunately for me, test result for COVID-19 came back negative, so I was hopeful that now I will get proper medical help. So I started calling again. My doctor, the one I called yesterday went for holiday so the answering machine was instructing me to call the service called "medical-assistance". So I did after work, I described all the symptoms in detail and two hours later they called me back and said that I should take antibiotics and if it doesn't get better that I should call my doctor on Monday.
 

I got a bit better between Thursday and Sunday morning but on Sunday afternoon dizziness came back in full swing. And in accordance to doctors instructions, I called in my regular doctor and told that I am getting worse and that COVID-19 test results came back negative. Despite that, she was dismissive and condescending. She refused to take me in with two explanations. Firstly, I need to give antibiotics some time to work until Wednesday and secondly, even though I have a negative COVID-19 test result I might have contracted it in the mean time and they have a strict rules for patient care (or patient non-care) during COVID-19 times. 

 

Wednesday came and there was no improvement, so I called on Thursday morning. This time, finally I was talking to the doctor who wasn't trying to get rid of me but she explained for how long can I expect the dizziness to last and that I should get a time at ear, nose and throat specialist and she will take me in for a blood test.
 

The dizziness persisted but at least now I was more at peace because I knew what to expect, because the doctor finally took me seriously and because something was being done about it and it took a week to get there.
 

By the end of the next week dizziness slowly subsided, I got a nasal spray for my breathing problems and blood test showed that there was an infection going on but nothing else.
 

But I didn't write this because of my health issues but because of the treatment that I got from the medical personnel. Why was I being dismissed at the beginning? Why did it take them a week? Why was I asked to self-diagnose myself?
 

My boss was curious about my experience with the doctors and she shared a similar story. On multiple occasions when she needed proper medical help, the doctors were dismissive and they were not taking her seriously. I heard more of almost identical stories.
 

Why is it like that? It is a public health care system and the doctors did swore on the Hippocratic out that in one part says the following: "I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required..."
 

Until doctors remember this maybe all people who are sick should apologize to them for their condition and the inconvenience they are causing to them.
 

I think this type of attitude from the side of the doctors is at least unprofessional. People don't contact them because it is a fun activity but because something is going on and they need help. Croatian health care system has its own problems and it can take moths if you need some specialized medical check up like MRI but if you need help from your family doctor they will find time to help you. If something is seriously wrong suddenly and you need an ER, you will get an ER. I was never in my life treated with such an attitude from a medical professional and I don't think anyone should. What if there was something seriously wrong and not just some benign sinus infection?


P. S. I will appologize to all the doctors who are commited to their job and patient care.

The ocean

 I have never seen the ocean in my life. I have seen different seas but never the ocean. Back when I lived in Zagreb there was a plan for one summer cycling trip to cycle from Zagreb to the place near Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast but there was never enough time during the summer vacation since the trip was too long.  

But then, last year I finally managed to make that wish come true. While we were on a visit to Al'Shaddar's mom, we had a bit of extra time, so we went to the place called Hvide Sands that lies on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, or as Danes call it the Western sea. As we were getting closer you could see the power of the ocean on the environment that surrounds us. Vegetation was getting scarcer and scarcer and the wind was getting stronger and stronger. Finally! We parked the car behind some slopes. The ocean is on the other side! Just a short walk away. They looked almost barren. There was some vegetation but it was mostly grass and moss, no trees or bigger bushes. As we got out of the car it was immediately apparent why. Because of the wind. It was constantly blowing and blowing hard. And I guess it is like that thought most of the the year. Every step on our short walk to the coast was a struggle. We only had a bit of relief from the wind when we were close to the slope, otherwise it constantly felt like it wants to tear off the skin from our bones. No wonder the vegetation was scarce, life here is a constant struggle against the wind. The only ones that were having a blast were seagulls gliding effortlessly on the wind, everything else is just fighting not get ripped of the ground.
 

The trail was taking us in between the two slopes when it happened. The ocean opened up in front of us in all it's beauty and power. It was just like the movies, except for the wind that was constantly trying to knock us of our feet, but everything else; open sea as far as the eye can see fusing with the clouds on the horizon, spotless white sandy beach, waves breaking on the shore in powerful whooshes, so big that you could walk for at least ten meters closer to the water when the wave is receding. A unique experience indeed, testifying to the power of the nature. I felt so small and insignificant at the shores of the Atlantic ocean.
 

Our path was taking us right under one of the three windmills that were just chugging away at the coast. Allegedly, windmills can't be constructed close to the populated areas because of the noise but even when you are standing directly under one, where the blades look like they will split you in half, it doesn't sound too loud, the ever-present wind is still much louder.
 

I wanted to stay for a while, to soak up the experience but shortly after the magnificence of the ocean dials down, it is quickly becoming tiresome. Because the wind is relentless, it just constantly feels like it wants to blow you away from the beach.
 

There were a couple of logs lying on the beach, where we found a bit of shelter but even there the wind won't let you be in peace. After 15 minutes, we have given up and acknowledged our defeat to the wind and we started on our way back to the car.
 

The experience was breathtaking and inspiring and very, very windy. I am definitely glad that I did it but I wouldn't like to spend my holidays on the ocean. On the other hand, I heard that Skane is beautiful...

A walk through Danish past: Frilandsmuseet

Our summer holidays during the weekends continue. A month ago we went to Frilandsmuseet that is located at the outskirts of Copenhagen. 

Frilandsmuseet is all about Danish agricultural history and countryside life between 1650 and 1950. It is, what you call, an Open air museum. You are walking through open plains and small forest areas as you are moving from one exhibition to the other. Older buildings are located closer to the entrance and the further you go the closer you get to the modern age. We were lucky that the route we took at the end led us to the buildings from the 20th century, after the Second World War, so we indeed had the feeling of walking through time.

The buildings in Frilandsmuseet are from all over Denmark and that includes: Southern Sweden (it used to be Danish territory), Bornholm and Faeroe Islands. As you are walking around the exhibitions you can see next to the every building where was it located, in what time period and who used it and for what.

Most of the building where residential buildings, but one can also see various types of farm buildings, production buildings and one windmill. We even saw a set of a bit bigger stones assembled in a circle and they were used for the village council meetings.

As I had the opportunity to see something similar before in Croatia, a lot of exhibits didn't surprise me at first but when I gave it a second thought, they did. Even though there is 1700 km between Denmark and Croatia and living conditions differ, the solutions people reached are strikingly similar between the two cultures and that was a surprise in itself. 

As my archeology friend explained. Some inventions were so practical that after they appeared, they spread around like wildfire, stayed for a long time and they were not changing much. That is why you can see a lot of similar living solutions in cultures that are so far away from each other.

 

Closet beds

But there were a couple of things that I haven't seen in other places. First thing that stood out, and it was present in all the houses up until 19 century were beds.

Beds weren't placed in rooms that would then have the function as bedrooms but they were built into something we would call today, a built in closet.

So, we were walking through the house and watching different rooms and then suddenly on the wall you see a small closet doors and behind them wasn't a built in closet but a tiny bed. Tiny, for modern day humans but if we take into consideration how tall humans were couple of hundreds years ago, tiny beds were all they needed. Bed doors could be closed from the inside, so you could have closed yourself into the bed. At first I was surprised but as I started thinking about the living conditions in Denmark it started to make sense. 

Denmark is cold, even today. In the warmest part of the year you need to wear at least a thin shirt with sleeves. There is a couple of days a year that are warm enough so one could walk outside without clothes. And days in the summer are very long, with sunset coming as early as 4:30. With these two things combined, maybe they made closet beds in order to preserve the heat and darkness? Since I moved to Denmark, when the days become long, with the beginning of May, it takes me at least two weeks to stop waking up too early, with the sunset, so I can see the benefit of sleeping in the closet in Denmark, especially during the summer months.

 

Sea weed rooftops

Second unique thing that we saw in Frilandsmuseet were roofs made out of sea weed. Which also surprised me at first but after giving it a bit of thought, it didn't. If you walk around any Danish coast, you will see that a lot of beaches is covered with sea weed. It is just washed ashore smelling bad. With resources being scarce, back in the day and people having to go by with what little was available, sea weed roofs start to make sense. If there is a lot just lying there on the beach and it will keep the house dry, why not. But I recon it was a fire hazard at the same time.

 

 

 

 

Faereo Islands houses

As the whole buildings, I found the Faereo Island houses as unique. They were built on the slopes, half-way dug into the ground. When you would be walking around the house, you would see only one long wall with a grass rooftop, two shorter walls were visible only half way, the other half was just disappearing into the ground. If you would walk behind the house, you would be standing above it and in theory you could walk on the natural grass roof. Very special indeed and most likely an adaptation to the sloppy terrain of the Faeroe Islands (I have never been there, so it is possible that I am wrong).

 

 

Hay beehives

We also had an opportunity to see at least in part how people were making honey between 17th and 19 century. Next to one of the houses beehive was displayed. It was shaped as a cone, made out of wood and hay.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

If you are interested in seeing and learning how people used to live in this part of the world in the past Frilandsmuseet is indeed a place to see and it will feel like a walk through the past. In addition you will get a healthy workout since the area is big and you will need to walk far. There is also an opportunity to ride in a real horse carriage if one fancies that.

The whole experience made me thinking how wasteful we have become, how far away we have moved from living in sync with the environment around us and how incompetent we have become for a life outside of the modern society.

I am not trying to romanticize now. I am fully aware that it was a harsh, short life with not much creature comfort. And I acknowledge that our quality of life today has radically improved in all aspects. With that being said it still used to be a life where people where living from what was around them and using it to the best of their abilities. People didn't have much and what little they had was valuable. Not like today, when things are so cheap that we change out our clothes, phones and cars like they are perishable goods and with that lifestyle causing the unprecedented trash pollution of the planet.

In the same time we live so far out of sync with nature and environment around us that most of us have become completely incompetent to live "off the land". Ask yourselves the following, if modern civilization collapsed for one reason or another, would you be capable to grow, hunt or pick your food? Would you be capable of preserving your food for the winter? Would you be capable of building and maintaining your house? Would you be capable of making your own clothes and shoes? I think that most of you, including me, would answer these questions with a no.

Well those people were capable of doing all these things and they were capable of withstanding much harsher living conditions, than we can even start imagine. Now ask yourself-  what does that tell about us?

Emotions

If it could be possible to make emotional expressions illegal Denmark would be the country to do it in. Personally I find it interesting because up until I moved to Denmark I was trying to act that way. To keep my emotions in check and not let them show but after I moved here I saw how unhealthy it can be. Denmark is especially good place to see it because it is the cultural default. When you see someone expressing emotions a bit more intensively in public, it is a foreigner. The levels to which Danes are capable of suppressing them is sometimes worrying but impressive at the same time.

In public spaces they just go about their business with serious looks on their faces. Only emotional expressions that you can see are gentle smiles on people when they are talking to someone on the phone or while looking at their phones.

My friend from the language school told me a story about her neighbor. One day she went out of her building and she met her Danish neighbor. She said hi, while he told her that he had lost his dog. While he said it, he had a stone face with no emotional expression it while uttering the sentence in a perfectly flat way, 0 emotions. She commented, but how can he do it that way, he must be dying inside? And he is, they all are but they are culturally drilled not to express them.

But, when we are talking about public spaces, I can understand that to a certain extent but I am completely perplexed with the fact that they carry that behavior patterns to their home and private lives.

On multiple occasions my girlfriend told me that one thing she loves about me is that she can have an emotional fit and that I will not take it against her. And that makes her everyday life much easier because she doesn't have to keep her emotions in until she boils over but she can slowly vent them out whenever. That way she can feel a lot more like herself at home.

I was confused by that and told her that I don't see how else should it work. It is our home after all and if she can't be herself at home, which includes venting emotions, where else could she do it? And that was me assuming too much. I assumed that at home nobody needs to keep their emotions in check including Danes. It is after all personal space, where all the masks and social roles are off and you can be yourself without any of that baggage. But, it seems I was wrong.

Even in Danish intimate relationships it is not ok to be overly emotional. For example, if your partner has an annoying habit that you really dislike and you tried to explain it a couple of times in a calm and composed maner to stop it, it is not considered as appropriate to tell him, in a harsh tone of voice and a bit louder: "You will fucking stop doing this or else!"

As I said, I was taken a back with that, so I asked what happens when it comes to the point that you want to bash his/her head into the wall (metaphorically of course). Allegedly at that point, you buy a nice bottle of wine and when your partner comes home you tell him in a steady and composed voice: "Honey, we need to talk," while deep down inside you want to kill him, because you are about to explode.

Then the discussion about relationship problems can start but the couple will still try to keep their emotions in check. But at least in this situation they may start flying a bit and people still can get angry.

I will admit my bias coming from a country where expression of the emotions isn't suppressed, on the contrary. When your partner notices that you are acting a bit strangely, you will get a question, is everything ok? In some cases it may lead to a discussion and emotions may fly high but things will be settled after.

I must say I am questioning how healthy it is to keep your emotions constantly suppressed. We are all humans and we all have them and it is not possible to deny them.

But then, Danes outsourced that part to the professionals. Going to psychologist and couples therapy is quite common in Denmark. But that is a topic for another post.

I will conclude this post on a personal note. When you take too temperamental Dane and a bit too cold Croatian you get a couple in which both sides are thriving because emotional expressions are welcome but they don't fly too high.

Tropical Rain-Forest on Danish Plains: Randers Regnskov

Even though I canceled both my vacations this year and decided to work through corona times and wait for some corona free era for traveling outside of Denmark, we decided that we would like to see places during weekends. So last Friday we went to see Randers Regnskov.

Randers Regnskov is a tropical zoo in the small city, Randers that lies in north east Jutland. My girlfriend really sold it to me: "It is amazing, you just must see it, they have created a rain-forest!"

I must say that I was skeptical. Rain-forest in Denmark? It sounds impossible... ok not impossible but it will obviously have to be in some type of the building and if it will have to be in some type of the building, just how large can it be? That was my thought process as we were driving there and to be honest, I was preparing myself to be disappointed... but then I was surprised!

Randers Regnskov is essentially a zoo. What makes it special is that it has 3 completely enclosed domes that were turned into 3 tropical habitats: South American rain-forest, African rain forest and Asian rain-forest. In addition to that Randers Regnskov has water flow that runs through all three domes and it forms artificial lakes, ponds, waterfalls, tiny rivers and big aquariums with animal life in all of them. All this adds to the unique experience of the place. To continue, like a classical zoo, Randers Regnskov also has outside animal habitats where you can see big cats and hyenas.

The domes

When you enter any one of the domes with tropical habitats, you are in for a surprise. Entry doors are a bit dislocated from the habitat, so you need to walk a bit after you enter before you see the animals. Hmm... see the animals is a bit unfair description because when you reach the real thing, it isn't just the animals it is everything. Every dome was designed as a wholesome habitat in which different animal species share the same space and can move around freely within the range of a dome. All of the animals that roam free are of course not dangerous to people, but allegedly, couple of years ago, one visitor got malaria during a visit to Randers Regnskov. Second surprising thing inside each dome is the micro-climate. So, they created tropical forests from Asia, Africa and South America and the micro-climate in each is fitting. It is hot and moist! Temperature in each of the domes is around 30 and moisture is at 100%. After roaming around the domes for two hours it gets a bit tough. I started looking forward to a rainy Danish summer day. The water bottle I had on me was completely wet on the outside after just 10 minutes of walking inside one of the domes. Also, when we were walking under some nets, we could feel on our skin how the water is dripping from above. A very curious experience, it felt like rain but it couldn't have been. All the domes are Cris-crossed with a stony path that are completely blended into the habitats and in the bushes, just couple of meters away, you can see the animals hiding and going about their business while not being too afraid of people. Parrots flying around and "bitching" out loud, bats were just hanging with apples sticking out of their snouts and monkey jumping freely between the trees. All of this is happening while you are walking under waterfalls and over the hanging bridges.

Aquariums

Aquariums were also stunning in their own way. The way they designed them makes you think. There were three types of aquariums there. Let's call them natural, destroyed and mixed. One aquarium had real live corals. Across that aquarium, there was an aquarium with dead corals and trash and the mixed ones were designed as the combination of the two above mentioned types. These corals stand as a stark reminder of the natural beauty as is untouched by humans and at the same time as a display of human destructiveness of natural habitats.

Cats

Big cats are kept outside in decently big habitats that are, just like the aquariums, decorated in a way that displays human destructive power. There are oil barrels spread around together with deforestation equipment. Unfortunately we didn't see the hyenas.

Conclusion

I went in Randers Regnskov ready to be unimpressed but went out stunned. Randers Regnskov is the minimum of what the zoo's should look like, especially habitats in the domes where animals can roam freely at least in the constraints of the domes. It is still a cage but it feels more natural and a bit bigger.

Randers Regnskov did an amazing job by motivating people to reflect on humanity and our influence on the nature especially with the aquariums and the cats habitats. One gets a great approximation of what the nature would look like if we just stayed away and at the same time how we influence it in reality. By either destroying natural habitats for our own needs or by just being careless with our trash and our CO2 emissions. If we continue to act the way we do, soon there will be no more natural habitats for the animals to live in but a lucky few will be able to live in places like Randers Regnskov. 

Cultural differences part I: time and cycling

After living in Denmark for a year and a half and experiencing a lot of the Danish culture it is time to make a brief summary of the biggest cultural differences between Danes and Croatians. What are the main points in which Danes and Croatians differ the most? There is a number differences, some small ones and some big ones but I will start by saying that it is clear, beyond any reasonable doubt that both groups have both good traits and traits that are lacking and most importantly they are both human beings with the same wants, needs, desires and human flaws. The difference that differentiates them most is how they have made their societies tick. Let's go through two moments that are standing out the most.

Take on time

Danes are all about punctuality when it comes to appointments of any sort. Danes are not late, for anything ever. There is no difference between going to work, doctor, cafe with a friend or a party. If they are invited, let's say at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they will be there at 5 o'clock no questions asked and they will go out of their way to make it on time. If an appointment can't be reached in the agreed time it is a cause for a lot of stress and it is considered disrespectful to the host (in case it is a party or a dinner date).

Croatians have a bit more relaxed take on time in general, but they are also making a distinction between appointments that are considered serious and appointments where one can be a bit more relaxed. Work, doctors appointment and similar type of other appointments is taken seriously and one is never late for those but when Croatians are meeting friends or going out being up to 15 minutes late is acceptable. Thing that best explains Croatian take on time is actually on universities. Being late for a lecture for up to 15 minutes is acceptable in most cases and it is called an academic quarter. So, when you are meeting a Croatian and he is late, don't get angry, he is just invoking his right to an academic quarter

Cycling

This is one of the cultural moments where these two societies stand starkly apart. In Denmark cycling is a way of life, in Croatia it is hobby for enthusiasts. Being a passionate cyclist in Croatia is not easy, sometimes. Bike lanes are few and most often bad. Sometimes the only way to go is to break the law because it is impossible to follow it. Plus, Croatians have a lot of excuses why not to use a bike. Some of the reasons are: it is either too hot, too cold, it is raining, one doesn't want to be sweaty on work etc.

In Denmark, where weather is much worse, people are cycling all the time be it rain, snow, hot or cold. And almost everyone cycles, young and old, parents, politicians and businessmen. Every apartment building has bicycle parking space, bike lanes are everywhere and weather is always good enough for cycling. No weather is too bad for cycling, one can only be improperly dressed.

Hygge

Hygge, the famous Danish concept that has become so popular in the world. I have avoided to write about it because it is a very fuzzy concept and it is very difficult to define it precisely. I will approach it in a couple of ways. First I will give a definition of hygge after which I will show how is it most commonly understood or  after which I will give my take on it from the perspective of where does it come from or in contrast to what does it stand. In the end I will try and show how Danes use hygge in other contexts.

Definition and traditional understanding of hygge:

"Hygge is a quality of coziness that makes a person feel content and comfortable. It's also often used as an adjective meaning "cozy or comfortable.""

This is the most common definition of hygge and this one comes from Merriam-Webster online dictionary. But still, what does hygge refer to?

Imagine the cheesiest possible imagery; It is a snowy winter night and you are tucked in nicely with your partner in a luxury winter cottage. The fire is lit in the fireplace crackling away while you are preparing dinner with candle lights and a nice bottle of wine. There is gentle jazz music playing in the background, conversation is fun and engaging and you have no worries in the world.

This situation is a classical example how hygge should be understood. It is in general a bit fuzzy combination of a good company, good food and drinks and pleasant atmosphere in general.

As my boss once said, it is Danish coping mechanism against the winter depression. And I agree with him, I think that is indeed one cause for hygge. When 7 months long gray, dark and oppressing Danish winter comes, one finds little to none enjoyment in the outdoors, so pleasant atmosphere needs to be created indoors. And if you can make a pleasant atmosphere in your home, as I have given in the description above, it indeed makes life a bit easier during the winter and it does make the winter bit easier to endure.

I think there is one more source of hygge. It is Danish working ethics. When Danes work, they work hard. But when they are off, they are off. And that is where hygge comes in. It is after work relaxation technique. So I am of the opinion that hygge necessarily stands in the opposition to Danish working ethics. When Danes are not working, they are not working hard and that is channeled either into partying hard or into hygge. While partying and hygge may sound like light years away from each other, they actually are not. They are just two starkly different way of relaxing.

If it where only that easy, this entry would be over. The thing is that Danes use hygge for a wide variety of different situations other than the one I described earlier. That is hygge in the broader sense. This take on hygge was the one that was eluding me for a long time and that was the reason why I was reluctant to write about hygge. But I think that I have finally grasped it, so here we go.

Everything can be hygge

Danes are trigger happy with the word hygge and that was the thing that was putting me off track for a long time. Almost anything can be hygge. Conversation can be hygge, coffee, tea, a walk in the park, visit from a friend, playing a game (board game or a PC game), train ride, bike ride. You can have hygge alone, with your partner, with family, with friends and with complete strangers. Even work can be hygge, school can be hygge, shopping can be hygge. It seemed to me like there is no rule. It seemed like the hygge sticker can be slapped on anything and everything. But there is a pattern. In Danish culture any and all activities that are pleasant or cozy can be called hygge. In a sense Danish tendency to call hygge anything that is remotely pleasant is like a good twin brother to Croatian tendency to curse at anything or everything that is remotely unpleasant. It is basically the same pattern but diametrically opposed. Think about it this way;
- Danes: pleasant activity or event = That was hygge
- Croatian: unpleasant activity or event = Curse the shit out of it

That is the essence of hygge. I would describe it as a tendency in Danes to place an emphasis on activities and events that are pleasurable and going out of their way to make them. If you consider how long and oppressing danish winters are and how hard working people Danes are, taking pleasure up a notch makes cultural sense. But, in the end there is nothing magical or mystical about hygge as it was portrayed when it was exported out of the country. But that doesn't make it any less beautiful.