A happy life in Denmark.

In Denmark and Copenhagen, it is often dad who pushes the stroller. Why? Let's talk about the happy life of studying in Denmark. Let's have a look.

"Welcome to the Happy Country of the World" is the slogan of Carlsberg Beer at Kai stroop Airport in Copenhagen. Six words with flowing colors show the absolute confidence of this fairy tale kingdom in front of tired travelers without reservation. The advertisement on Carlsberg beer bottle "may be the best bear in the world", a simple "possibility", seems to make Danes become modest and cautious at once. This relatively modest attitude towards products and absolute pride in the motherland once collided, sparks flashed immediately, firmly grasping my curiosity.

In the bright midsummer, I took the opportunity of attending IARU Summer School and came to Copenhagen University to exchange and study, so as to get a glimpse of the charm of this fairy tale kingdom.

In Copenhagen, it is often dad who pushes the stroller.

According to the report released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN) and the Earth Institute of Columbia University 20 16 * *, Denmark is the happiest country in the world, followed by Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Finland. In this Nordic country with a population of less than 6 million, Danes enjoy relatively perfect welfare and extremely high quality of life.

I dare not completely agree with Aristotle's understanding of happiness. His old man thinks that whether anything can make people happy depends on the matching degree between people's values and the intrinsic value of things: for example, if a person cherishes music from the heart, music is a happy thing for him; If a person likes music because it brings him fame and fortune, then music is likely to be unhappy for him. In my opinion, happiness does not need to be carefully identified by internal value or external value; Happiness itself, like the first bite of honey from the hive, is just a pure and sweet taste. This sweetness has always accompanied my short and long life in northern Europe.

After class every day, you can leave school, cross a road and a block, and you can bathe in the bright sunshine of the King's Garden. Lying on the plump lawn, looking at the square green trees like the Royal Guard, listening to the bells from the nearby Rose Castle and the cheerful frolicking sounds of the children nearby, and quietly waiting for the sunset, can draw a satisfactory full stop for this day.

Unlike the "widowed parenting" that is common in domestic family education, in Copenhagen, it is often the father who pushes the stroller. No matter at the seaside, by the lake or on the streets of the city, you can see tall and handsome dads pushing strollers for a leisurely walk. The mother beside them sometimes holds his father's arm and sometimes snuggles on his shoulder. Sometimes dads hug their mothers' waists and sometimes make all kinds of faces, which makes the baby in the car giggle. I, on the other hand, like to sit on a bench by the lake and enjoy it quietly, forgetting that I am a hasty walker and feeling the warmth and longing wholeheartedly.

Helping others makes Danes happy.

The colors of Denmark's national flag are elegant white background and warm red. It's red and hot, just like people here. The Danes I meet always seem to be ready to help others.

When we are studying the route by the roadside with a map, just the puzzled expression on our faces is enough to stop the fast rider and ask us if we need directions with a smile. Once, unfortunately, "Lei Feng" were not familiar with my destination, so they simply took out their mobile phones and inquired slowly, carefully comparing them with the map until they confirmed that they had found the most suitable route for us.

Walking down the street with our companions and taking pictures of each other, there will always be Danes who can't help but ask us if we want them to take pictures. At first, we will be shy and politely refuse. It happened many times later. We really can't bear to douse our kind hearts, just say a simple "Yes, please". They will happily press the shutter again and again, ask again and again whether they are satisfied with their shooting skills, and then wave goodbye to us with a sense of accomplishment.

The longer you stay in Denmark, the more you will find that these friendly actions are not accidental acts of one or two people, but a habit of the whole people. According to a World Map of Happiness published by the University of Leicester, Denmark is the happiest country in the world, ranking first. Helping others may be a great source of happiness for Danes.

Denmark is located in northern Europe with a cold climate. Even at the southernmost tip of the country, it is also north of Heilongjiang in China. In winter, even if the weather is bad, Danish parents are not afraid to expose their children to the outdoors. Everywhere, in the freezing cold, parents parked their baby cars on the side of the road and ran into the store to shop or drink coffee. They are not afraid that their children will freeze, but they also exercise deliberately. Of course, this picture also conveys the state of this country: in a society where everyone is a "living Lei Feng", children are not afraid of being stolen and robbed, and they have a strong sense of security.

The study found that people's honesty and happiness are directly proportional. According to the report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the mutual trust of Danes is as high as 89%, far exceeding the OECD average of 59%, ranking first in the world. Three quarters of Danes think they can trust most people, not only family and friends, but even strangers. Passers-by lost their wallets and certificates, and those who found them quickly contacted the owner and returned the lost property. Many sellers only need to put their goods on the roadside and put a box with money, so they don't have to worry that the goods and money will be taken away by others without being watched. This trust is also reflected between the Danish people and the government. In Denmark, there is almost no corruption in government departments and the laws are sound. Residents are willing to pay taxes. They believe that the government can properly control and use taxes in a unified way to maintain the operation of a high welfare society. Denmark has also been rated as the cleanest country in the world for many times.

"Hygge" is the living condition of every Danish.

Once, I was invited to a family barbecue hosted by my tutor. Far away from the city, I came to the elegant Copenhagen countryside, and passed through small houses with different styles and bright colors. I saw my tutor waiting for us in front of the door.

I thought people far away from the city would choose a spacious and heroic big house because of the advantage of land price, but to my surprise, the house here was built just enough for people to live in, giving people the first impression that it was small and practical. People live a down-to-earth and contented life in such a house. This contented attitude may be one of the reasons why Danes often feel happy.

After dinner, everyone sat around the TV and waited for the football match to start. Under the soft light, the Labrador lay in the corner with his eyes closed, and the silent light rain outside the window slowly melted into the green field, adding a touch of moist color to this quiet thing.

Two years ago, the word Hygge from Denmark became a global hot word. Collins dictionary explains Hygge in this way: creating a comfortable environment to improve happiness index is a way of life for Danes. It represents the happiness that makes ordinary days better. Hygge pays more attention to everyone's psychological satisfaction than personal physical comfort. Danes like to enjoy the atmosphere of Hygge with family and friends.

In the eyes of Danes, it is a pleasure to meet old friends and talk about wine in the street, but it is a pleasure for Hygge to bask in the sun on the lawn of the park with the children. It is unhealthy to light candles in the bedroom late at night; At the banquet, there was a smell of roast pork, sausages, cheese and rolls were scattered on the table ... Music played, children ran around and adults were drunk. This scene is also very funny. Hygge is not a rare luxury, but a living condition owned by every Danish.

Danes who graduated from college like to work in grocery stores.

At the party, the tutor specially introduced his eldest son, who has not left work yet, and told us an interesting story. Although his son has received higher education, he still likes to work in the grocery store. When everyone was listening attentively, the tutor's eldest son quietly appeared behind us. He shook hands with everyone warmly, without a trace of fatigue on his face, but with an imperceptible pride and joy.

In this country where all people enjoy free medical care and lifelong free education, even if they don't work, they have nothing to worry about. The dream of most Danes, or the dream that has been basically realized, is to have a free soul: to easily choose their favorite work and lifestyle and pursue something that makes them feel satisfied and calm inside.

In Denmark, the disadvantaged groups are respected as well as the rich. According to the Human Development Report released by the United Nations, the gap between the rich and the poor in Denmark is the second lowest in the world and the lowest among developed countries. There are basically no poor people in Denmark, thanks to Denmark's social welfare and education system.

Danish schools do not choose "three good students", and children under 12 have no report cards. Teachers and parents encourage children to develop their talents, and do not encourage comparison. Public schools are free from primary school to university, and you can get money for studying. Students above 18 can receive living allowance, and the amount depends on whether the students live at home or not.

"Lifelong learning" is not a slogan in this country. In Denmark, the per capita borrowing rate is the second in the world, and people are enthusiastic about learning. Of course, to some extent, Danes love learning because there are no obstacles to tuition. Even if Danish citizens attend private schools, the government will subsidize 75% of tuition fees. Therefore, sending children to private schools in Denmark is not a symbol of status and financial resources, but often just to let children learn special talents.

In Denmark, many politicians have low academic qualifications, even many have graduated from high school, but they can also govern the country through lifelong learning. Being a farmer or a craftsman is a normal life choice for Danish young people, because there is no distinction between high and low occupations, and no one regrets entering the wrong line. According to a report by Swiss Bank, Denmark is one of the countries with the highest wage income in the world, second only to Switzerland, but the annual working hours in Copenhagen, Denmark are less than those in western Europe 100 hour.

When the dark winter comes for nearly 20 hours, it also means that the learning season in Denmark has arrived. Denmark is a famous "club" country, especially after winter, people make full use of dark time to join various learning clubs. Next to the harbor, rows of old wooden houses with sapphire, goose yellow, orange red and light green are reading in them, which gives people a good mood.

In the days of close contact with the fairy tale kingdom, I really felt the purity and beauty of Denmark. Speaking of the wealth brought to me by studying in northern Europe, in a word, it is "pursuing happiness with innocence"