Friday, August 9, 2013

Day 2: Copenhagen Chatter

They say that finding happiness is as easy as learning to appreciate small moments of joy or gratitude. Others say it's about being strongly tied to a community. If those things are true, then our interviews today help to explain why Danish people are the happiest people in the world. Two strong themes emerged as we chatted to people on the street: feeling intricately connected to the Copenhagen community, and perceiving the small moments of happiness that life affords you as true luxury.

Klaus 
 
Klaus is a computer programmer and a musician who we chatted to while he was taking his adorable dog for a walk. He sees himself as not only part of the Copenhagen community, but as part of the European and the global community as well -- believing that as human beings, we are all facing the same issues and struggles.  Life is hard for everyone. This is a refreshing perspective since a lot of the people we've met so far have expressed some antagonism towards the 'problematic' countries in the European union, and by extension, the people that come from those countries.

Klaus is conscious of the products that he buys, but mostly because he's concerned with the impact that these products have on him and his family. He's less concerned with the lifecycle of products, but how far they have been transported remains a concern. He does believe that brands can have a positive impact on the world, but only if they are honestly committed to that cause, and not just paying lip service to the issues at hand.

To Klaus, luxury is about having some wine and going out to dinner, having a car to drive, having his dog. He - like a lot of people that we've met - believes that the experience is what makes something luxury; how good you feel about it personally rather than how others feel when they know that you have it.

He believes that while it's theoretically possible for a luxury brand to have a positive impact on society, there is an inherent contradiction of terms -- "if it's a luxury item, then that means that you can do without it, so perhaps you should".

Wim & Kerstin

This lovely, happy couple is a Copenhagen couple through and through. They proudly remind us that their country is the happiest in the world and note that their participation in the Copenhagen community involves making visitors feel welcome and at home. Wim feels that in this way he is also involved in the global community, since Copenhagen is becoming so widely known by the rest of the world and quickly becoming a popular travel destination for students. But mostly the couple feels very strongly connected to Denmark. Wim and Kerstin try to buy Danish products when they can to support local business.

Luxury, to them, is walking through beautiful, safe Copenhagen on a summer evening. They stroll off into the sunset holding hands as we say goodbye.

Lance & Tina 

Lance and Tina are in town from a suburb called Hellerup in Denmark. They feel themselves strongly to be part of the Copenhagen community, pointing out that they are very different from the people in Jutland, and extremely different from the people in Southern Europe.

They are both concerned with buying locally-sourced products even if they tend to be a bit more expensive -- not just for health reasons but because transport of these products wreaks havoc on the environment.

What is luxury to them? "This is luxury." The kids are with the grandparents, and the two of them are having a date night in Copenhagen. Luxury depends on where you are in life - it's not just about buying expensive stuff. It can be a very simple moment, like the one we catch them enjoying by the water on a warm summer evening in the city.

No comments:

Post a Comment