French humour and the Danish wedding

This should have been in the "cultural observations" post, but since I am mixing up the thoughts today, it will go here: have you ever heard French jokes? I mean, French people joking. Oh, brother, why are they so blunt and awful? And the most annoying thing about it is that all the French vividly laugh about them and you (if you are not a French) feel very funny in such moments, like as if you a) so dummy that you didn't get the joke or b) so intelligent that you are far above that rural humour or c) don't understand the peculiarities of the language and he actually meant something different or d) other option (please specify). But, oh brother, they are so low level.

That, by some funny coincidence, one of the topics we actively discussed last week-end at my table during my friend's wedding.

Yes, last week-end I went to my friend's wedding to Arhus, Denmark. Was a tough trip in terms of schedule (4 hours of sleep in three days!) but quite rich in terms of impressions.

So, back to cultural discussions: I was lucky to sit together with an Englishman and an Argentian (though already englanized) girl at one table as we allowed ourselves all the possible burst of political incorrectness (in its kind sense) as only Englishmen can allow and all the possible impolite (read loud and careless) merriment as none of the North European nations can afford. I hope I didn't sound too mean. In fact, I really like the Danes, very nice people, very... correct, polite, emotionless, structurized, quite... So quite that I felt really awkward when I came to a flock of relatives from the Danish side and introduced myself (as a newcomer), they kept quite and still looking straigt at me questioning "what's next". And their eyes seemed sooo "questioning" that "the next" could be only something as crazy as jumping into the chilly Nordic sea (the restaurant was on the very sea shore) or stripping just in front of them...

Then there were long 5 or 6 hours of sitting and eating. Food was good, but in the of this eating time even we ran out of jokes and started entertaining ourselves with the ongoing football matches. Oh boy, it was long! And then - as I mentioned before ALL is very structured there - half an hour fresh air break - and finally the dances!! The music was really good. Great, in fact. All four hours. Sharply. But we had some fun - thankfully there were three other Ukrainian girls and we could move that respectful crowd a little bit :-)...

Voila, my North European wedding experience...

But I liked the country. I was a bit afraid going there - remember in Finland I got drenched and frozen after two days of never ending autumn rain in the middle of summer. But it is a nice country. Would like to come back and see more... for sure.

Cheers,
N.

This too...

Yes, now a bit sad, worrisome, funny feeling... C'est dure as they would probably say here in France...

It's a great feeling to be a modern active (business-) woman, but in (such) certain moments one somehow understands, or rather feels with every pore, other values. Why people cannot live their lives as if they are themselves imagining it to live? I mean just at once, immediately, like in a wink. I guess I know perfectly the answer, and I guess I am still that great optimist I used to be to be able to accomplish all this... It still feels very sad. But one thing I am becoming more and more sure about: dream and dertimination hand in hand will lead you to whatever you only can imagine. It needs time, and it is painful, but so - oh so - sure and ... probably correct...

Yes, as my gtalk friends can see in my status: The best way out is always through.