The Meat Market and Denmark's Debauchery

Note: "Grillpølse med Ost" (Pan-sausage with cheese) wrapped in tortillas are fantastic drunk-food, but you will regret eating them at 7:30 in the morning when you sober up in the afternoon.

Denmark is a land of certain cultural ambiguities. Danes are shy people, insomuch that their propensity for rudeness among strangers is contingent on a more connected atmosphere among friends and family, so much that merely smiling at a person walking down the street will immediately belie your nationality (or lead that person to think you're drunk), but raucous laughter and good cheer is common almost immediately after introduction. I understand why they have a reputation of being cold, but its really an external chill.

This extends to conversational topics that people may find taboo in other countries, or in their ability to have no problem wearing extremely revealing outfits. Among first meeting many Danes, I am often asked within the first 2 minutes of conversation whom I am going to vote for in the United States presidential election, and whether or not I approve of George W. Bush. At the core of that chill, there is a open and unrestricted culture begging to be set out, and often is.

I think that this is exemplified by the nightlife, and by that I refer to Jomfru Ane Gade. Jomfru Ane Gade (or the "Virgin Anne Street", a misnomer; there is absolutely nothing virgin about it) is a circa 150 meter strip of Danish debauchery, where during the day the few restaurants attract a crowd of at most 50 people at any given time, while at night the bars and clubs transform "the Street" into a massive organism with hundreds upon hundreds of people. The Street, as I observed last night, can actually be likened to a single entity, the crowds of people either stagnant, or flowing from one side to another, making contact, either physical or emotional, regularly, and the sheer amount of people form a cohesive "unit" of partygoers and barhoppers. Aalborg, in its relatively small size, still attracts young and young-at-heart from Aarhus and Copenhagen to this small street of culture and nightlife.

I find Jomfru unique in my experiences in Denmark as a place where the self-placed cultural barrier between strangers breaks down, at least at night, to form a completely open social network. My obvious and sometimes distressing observation as an American that even the small-talk between a grocery clerk and a customer is non-existent seems to be irrelevant at the Street. Coming from a culture that I find is often too judgmental and cold despite our superficial social niceties, the openness and carefree attitude of Jomfru Ane Gade is refreshing, even though my visits to it often lead to my rapid intoxication and the resulting abysmally unpleasant hangover.

Last night was my last time that I will be able to visit Jomfru Ane Gade during my stay here in Nordjylland, and it is something that I will miss extremely. It is a representation of both the best and worst parts of human nature, and of Denmark's truly bright culture. Even I like to dance there, after a few drinks.

Benjamin