{"id":3780,"date":"2011-07-08T15:43:38","date_gmt":"2011-07-08T15:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=3780"},"modified":"2011-07-09T11:26:21","modified_gmt":"2011-07-09T11:26:21","slug":"the-faroe-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/the-faroe-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"The Faroe Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When I landed 4 weeks ago it was 9 C, wind and pissing rain and everyting was grey, just when the temperature climbed over 20 in Gothenburg I would leave of course. The first sign that I saw at the airport said “KOMA” (COMA in Swedish)\u00a0which means\u00a0“ARRIVALS” in Faroese language. The airport bus didn\u00b4t seem to come for like 45 minutes..I looked my self around and I saw maybe 5 people working at the airport. I took a deep breath and told to myself “Three weeks hah? Well done mate..big city boy”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I had three awesome weeks in Th\u00f3rshavn in the Faroe Islands in the middle of the Atlantics!!!! And I\u00b4ll be thankful for the rest of my life for this experience and for the oppoturnity that I\u00a0was given\u00a0a scholarship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This small island country is situated between Iceland and Scotland. The country is
\n1400 square kilometers with a population of approx. 50.000. The Faroe Islands
\nhave self governance but administrations such as foreign affairs, justice,
\nmilitary defense, currency are the responsibilities of Denmark, just like in
\nGreenland. The Faroese people don\u00b4t pay any taxes to Denmark but gain a wide
\nrange of financial benefits regarding the areas of education, culture, economy
\netc. However there are tendencies for independence from the Kingdom of Denmark.
\nIceland that also used to belong to Denmark declared independency in 1944.<\/div>\n
The old volcanic islands are covered by grass. There are no erupting volcanoes on the islands like in
\nIceland, but the landscape is very similar in some areas. The mountains aren\u00b4t
\nthat high (around a maximum of 500m-1000m) , but they rise straight from the ocean
\nso the effect makes you faint into the sky. Dramatic landscapes, powerful,
\nmighty, windswept cliffs and rocks, waterfalls, springs, small rivers\u00a0all over the country-side.<\/div>\n
The first settlers must have been Irish monks, but short after the Norse Vikings arrived on their
\nboats. The islanders still make the most money out of fish, but other services
\nare also provided on a local level just like in bigger European cities. You
\ncan\u00b4t get bored in Th\u00f3rshavn and the people are not only open but curious about
\nother cultures and often surprisingly well-informed. You wouldn\u00b4t expect that
\n“in the back of beyond”. But I guess isolation and bad weather conditions made
\nthe Faroese people to be\u00a0impulsive and spontaneous. So I have
\nexperienced. A slightly Mediterranean and laid back attitude that differs from
\nthe rest of Scandinavia where we live by the clock and calendar. Still you recognize
\nyourself if in nothing else but the language that reminds you of Icelandic first of all\u00a0and
\na bit of Norwegian, Danish and Swedish with some pronunciation influences from
\nEnglish and Scottish in my own opinion. It is definitly easier to read Faroese than Icelandic.<\/div>\n
I read a Norwegian research a few years ago that was made on Interscandinavian understanding i.e.
\nScandinavians shall understand each other when communicating in their own
\nlanguages. In the Faroe Islands everyone speaks Danish fluently since it is compulsory
\nlanguage at school. Many people choose to spend some school years or work years
\nin other Nordic countries\u00a0which also results a better and wider understanding in
\nother Scandinavian\/Nordic languages. (Shame on my Swedish fellow citizens who
\nspeak English in Denmark or God forbid in Norway!!)<\/div>\n
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