The US is Different (1)*

“Americans are different than Danes and Swedes,” the resident American at my job told me one morning.

“How so?” I ask. I know Americans are generally more open. Danes are notorious for their lack of openness towards strangers.

“They are more …“ he said and his voice faltered as he searched for the right words. “Eccentricity is more accepted.”

I’m looking at him and wondering if this is his way of telling me that everybody I meet over there will be a replica of Woody Allen.

“It’s more accepted to be eccentric over there,” he said. “Everybody develops their own quirks.”

I smile and nod as if I understand what he’s trying to convey to me. “Don’t worry,” I say. “My mom was born and raised in America, so I can handle their weirdness. I’m used to it.”

Later I think about whether or not this conversation was some sort of warning regarding his friend from Seattle who he told me to look up.

Might have been. But it’s okay. I’m strangely comfortable around eccentric people.

* I expect to find more differences as I actually go there to live, so this might turn into a series of sort.