Danish professionals gain insight into U.S. business, culture

Cape Girardeau rolled out the international welcome mat this week to five visitors from Denmark.

Christina Smith, Lene Andersen, Finn Overgaard, Jan Mandrup Olesen and Henrik Liliendahl Nielsen have spent the last three weeks traveling throughout eastern Missouri as part of the Group Study Exchange program with Rotary District 6060.

The team took part in Monday's meeting of the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau, making a presentation on the history of Denmark and speaking about their individual lives.

"We've sincerely enjoyed the hospitality and friendship here. It's been a great experience," said team leader Finn Overgaard, a member of Rotary District 1470 in Denmark.

The other members of the GSE team are not Rotary members, but business people from various companies in Denmark.

The Rotary exchange program is designed to allow men and women in the early stages of their professional careers to travel abroad and observe how their careers are practiced in other countries.

The Denmark team arrived in Cape Girardeau Saturday and were treated to a barbecue by Henning and Brigitte Bollerslev of Jackson, Mo.

"The barbecue was great, but it is different than what you expect in Denmark," said Olesen.

"A barbecue here is when people get together, eat and after dessert they go home. When I go to a barbecue in Denmark, I expect to be crawling home at 5 a.m.," Olesen said.

Olesen and his team members, all of whom have visited the United States before, say there are some definite differences between the American and Danish ways of life.

"You use a lot more sugar in your food and drink here," Olesen said. "Also, people here are way more religious than we are. Few people in Denmark go to church on Sunday, and we have given up prayer before meals."

Smith, who is employed by a logistics and purchasing furniture wholesaler in Roskilde, Denmark, said the physical layout of cities is much different here.

"Everything is bigger here. You drive everywhere, and everyone owns a car," said Smith.

While the group said they've been impressed by American culture overall, they were severely disappointed by their first encounter with major league baseball.

While visiting St. Louis two weeks ago, the team decided to take in a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.

"None of us had ever been to a baseball game before," Andersen said. "We're used to soccer games, where everyone sings and gets very loud. The baseball game was very quiet. Nobody cheered, and the Cardinals lost."

The team will spend the rest of the week here, visiting the Chambers of Commerce in Jackson, Mo., and Cape Girardeau and touring places like Dana Corp., Spartech Plastics and Southeast Missouri State University.

"All of the places we've been, the people have been willing to do anything for us," Olesen said. "Part of that may because it's America, but it's also because of the Rotary spirit."

cchitwood@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128