Reddit mentions of The Xenophobe's Guide to the Danes (Xenophobe's Guides - Oval Books)

As a fellow New Zealander currently living in Copenhagen, welcome!

My first recommendation would be to not make the New Zealand/Old Zealand joke, e.g., Yeah I'm from New Zealand, I thought I'd see what Old Zealand was like... Danes do not find it funny. Also, everyone will think you are from Australia, so that's something to get used to.

Misc. Helpful Info

• Buy a 10-trip Klippekort at the airport. You can use this on all public transport. It will cost you 2 clips to get into the city from the airport and take about 15 minutes if you take the Metro (a bit more if you take the S-train). If your trip stays within zones 1 and 2, then you can clip your card once and travel as much as you like for an hour from when you "clip the ticket."
  
  
• Get a map of the city from the OPENhagen tourist office opposide Tivoli or from the DSB office at Nørreport station.
  
  
• Entry-level wages are very high in Denmark, about £11/hour, so anything with a service costs a lot. That's why everything is a bit more expensive in Denmark. As a result, you can find a beer for 30 DKK, but a coffee might cost you 35 DKK, because handing you a beer doesn't involve a lot of labour, but making a latte does.
  
  
• For addresses, the street numbers come after the street name. So, Fælledvej 7 means #7 on Fælledvej.
  
  
• Getting a bike is something that goes without saying. You can get a relatively cheap bicycle (approximately 700 DKK) from the police bicycle auctions. Info here: http://www.kbhauktioner.dk/
  
  
• There is a huge difference between prices in supermarkets. Netto, Fakta, Lidl & Aldi are cheap but have a limited selection (Think small-scale Pak 'N Save). Irma, Super Brugsen, Føtex, and Kvickly are dearer but typically have better selections (Think small scale New World). If you want out of the ordinary things (i.e., not European foods), then you can usually get these at the small grocers stores, which tend to be run by ethnic minorities.
  
  Integration
  
  
• Don't be afraid to ask people to speak English, because everybody speaks it. Ironically, English is the lingua franca of Europe.
  
  
• However, language lessons are a important and are FREE to you because you aren't from Europe. They're also a good place to meet people. As you will have already discovered, pronunciation is very difficult, but the grammar isn't. If you're planning on staying for two years, I'd recommend either of these places:
  
  

• www.studieskolen.dk/
  
• www.sprogcenter-ia.dk/
  

• I'd recommend the Xenophobes Guide to the Danes. It's short but insightful and explains a lot: www.amazon.com/The-Xenophobes-Guide-Danes-Guides/dp/1902825241
  
• Hygge is an important concept in Danish life. It roughly translates to 'cosiness', but also includes notions of being free from stress. It often involves lighting candles too.
  
• Clothing style in Copenhagen is casual but tidy. Modest but relatively urbane and stylish clothing, e.g.: www.thelocals.dk/category/places/copenhagen
  
• This sort of thing is considered funny: www.wumocomicstrip.com
  
• Danes don't do small talk. Never ask a Dane 'How are you?' or 'How's it going?' casually, unless you really want to know how they are.
  
• Take your shoes off before entering someone's house. You'll understand why in winter when it snows.
  
• Danes can be very defensive about Denmark, so tread carefully if you are thinking of saying something critical about the country, the culture, or their welfare state.
  
  Cool Streets/Areas/Going out
  
  
• Nørrebro and Vesterbro are the cooler boroughs of the city. Frederiksberg is the wealthiest, followed by Østerbro, and so both are relatively quiet as a result. There are some cool parts of the inner city and Christianshavn. Amagerbro is OK because it is close to the city center and the beach, but doesn't offer much else.
  
• Elmegade, off Nørrebrogade in Nørrebro. The coolest street in a traditionally immigrant area that more recently has been populated with hip young people, streetwear stores and cool cafes. Elmegade also has some good bars too, so head there if you want to go out earlier in the evening. Nørrebro places are a bit more chill. Gefährlich at Fælledvej 7, the street parallel to Elmegade, is nice.
  

• Jæggersborggade in Nørrebro is an innovative community rejuvenation project by the residents of the street where they decided to lively up their neighbourhood by opening stores, cafes and restaurants in the basements of the formerly residential street. It’s a great example of how Copenhageners are innovators in their use of space, putting to use buildings that were designed for one purpose for something else.
  
• Istegade in Vesterbro. The main street of a traditionally working class area that some time ago was populated with hip young people and now has hip young parents, streetwear stores and cool cafes. You'll find Kødbyen, which locals call the Meat Packing District, close to Istegade in Vesterbro. There are loads of bars and clubs there too. Jolene and Karriere are some of the favourites there. Head here late in the evening to dance to minimal techno until the early morning.